alicia_stardust

I quite like Yesod even though I can't really identify any of the notes. I smell aquatics and a warm, golden, glowing scent. There are florals. Dry spices that are warm but not hot. This is smoldering and comforting. It makes me think of the moon and something sensual, opening, warm. Even though I cannot pick out the notes in this I am fairly certain that it shares a few common notes with High John the Conqueror, TAL White Light, and Swadhisthana from the Chakra series. Beautiful, perfectly captured. It is so inspiring to have these scents to work with while I am studying a tome or two by Israel Regardie.

Since my review is early in the thread I'll preface my summary by saying that whenever I am either taken by the concept of a scent or it triggers my own emotional response, I end up being unable to really distinguish otherwise identifiable notes. When that happens I still fumble around at trying to identify the notes but in the end I give picture to my overall scent impressions rather than the ingredients. The Queen's Salon is a dreamy aquatic floral that brings to mind shades of glittering ruby and warmth. To contrast that, there are elements to this scent that bring to mind gauzy veils and white shafts of cool light filtering through dirty windows into a dusty and darkened room. I can almost hear distant music and see a flicker or two of candle flame. There is an overwhelming sense of the hope of beauty. And yet, as soon as I get caught up in the images and warmth, I go back to noticing the ghostliness of this, the coolness. I find it interesting that I get some warmth from a ghostly scent. What a nice duality. There is a bright and elevating note in this blend that almost seems like red musk, but then I waver and wonder if it's plum combined with some other musk. Whatever it is, it's lovely. I believe there is a small amount of jasmine in there, and possibly the tiniest bit of a rose. Heliotrope? Something else? I can't figure it out because I keep getting caught up in visual images rather than individual notes. I do know that the Queen's Salon reminds me a bit of The Haunted Palace, though without the orange. It almost reminds me of The Living Flame as well. This is a breathtaking scent and concept. The aquatics and ozone combine with the florals and musk to create a gentle, floating, lilting quality. I give this 5 out of 5.

Since my review is early in the thread I'll preface my summary by saying that whenever I am either taken by the concept of a scent or it triggers my own emotional response, I end up being unable to really distinguish otherwise identifiable notes. When that happens I still fumble around at trying to identify the notes but in the end I give picture to my overall scent impressions rather than the ingredients. Door 13 brings to mind the sharp experience of coming into contact with cold gray metal, the kind that is so cold that it gives you a jolt until you adjust to the temperature. The metal is smooth but has a weighty aura to it. It envelops you. This is chilly and ethereal and... dare I say it... almost connects a scent to what it is like to have gooseflesh. Can there be a scent for it? If Beth is involved, yes. On top of this chilling metallic quality, my skin spreads this scent into something that is also creamy and sweet, almost like a skin musk. Very gentle aquatic/ozone notes enter in to add a ghostly aspect to this. I get the barest hint of almost-mint, much like the subtle mint that sometimes comes to play in BPAL's snow scents. I get a higher bright note that mingles with everything and makes me think floral and/or fruit. It is driving me up the wall that I can't pinpoint this because it is so very familiar. I am sure I might have to come back to edit in the note once I identify it. This is a bone-chilling, frigid scent that is long wearing but subtle and very, very beautiful. I give this 5 out of 5.

As above, so below... Malkuth smells like patchouli and spice in the bottle. I feared the inevitable: that it would stink and give me a headache as most patchouli/earth scents do. I was so wrong. On my skin, Malkuth warms into a golden, russet, and olive "colored" resin/earth scent with a fair amount of sweetness. It creates an overall blanket of radiant, glowing energy and grounded comfort. There might be something dark or plum-like underneath that. The cassia/spice sits on top of everything else, melding with the other notes to create a euphoric scent full of earthly comfort and warmth.

This version of 13 is, once again, gorgeous. In the bottle I smell nothing but cocoa absolute. It is mouth-watering. On my skin I smell cocoa absolute right off the bat, but it doesn't take long for the other notes to come out to play. For the most part this ends up being a creamy, chocolatey scent with clove and honey and starfruit. I do detect a bit of the massoia bark, but the peach doesn't seem to make an appearance at all. For some reason the 13 blends, even if very different, all seem to be a bit soporific when I wear them. They seem to calm and soothe my stress away and put me into a quiet, still mood. This version of 13 seems to accent the cocoa and clove. I give it 4 out of 5 and I will keep my bottle of it. (This one makes a great room scent!)

I get flowers and incense. Mostly rose to be exact. Roses and resins. That's it. I love this, but I have so many rose and resin scents that I love more (like Parlement of Foules). I will keep a decant but swap away the rest.

My skin interprets this scent as skin musk, honey, and amber. After that it pretends that no other notes are present. I was hoping for more of the notes and complexity, but as it is I really like this scent. It has a naked, sensual quality to it with a hint of malevolence.

On me this is musk, followed by booze, followed by sugar. I also get a touch of vanilla in there, but that could be the booze talking. In the distance I can detect autumn fires burning. This is yet another favorite of mine for autumn. I think that autumn needs to take up twice as many months so that I can spend more time wearing scents like this.

This is creepy and dark! It is the darkest night of autumn with scraping leaves that chase you as the wind flies at your back. You try to pretend you're not nervous but after a moment you speed your gait and eventually you are running to get home. Patchouli, apples, decay, leaves. Samhain night personified.

I get deep plum, sensual and feminine myrrh, resins, smoke, and a touch of woods. The amber provides a nice central point to all the other notes. The florals are so nice in this, especially the pear blossom. This is commanding and regal, strong and proud. I feel like I can do anything when I wear this.

I came late to the party but Spooky is so much fun. It's definitely a food scent but it reminds me of grasshopper drinks by the fire on a cold winter night. It doesn't take long for some of the complexity and booze to drift off and and that point I am left with a creamy mint.

DDLM is the exact capturing of autumn in a bottle. It is leaves and decay, cold nights, howling winds, long shadows, and the scent of woodsmoke on the air. I smell incense, too! This scent got a 5 out of 5 rating on my scent reviews spreadsheet. Lovely autumn scent and it is mine, all mine!

Storyville is a sweet, dark vanilla with a heft of naughty musk, smoke, and a side of muted spice. This reminds me of decadence and pleasure, bottled into scent form. The vanilla seems to wear long and strong while the other notes come and go as they please. Overall this is a very evocative scent. It has a nice throw, then after a couple of hours it fades off into a dusty sugar-like scent.

Mabon smells of apples and cider, sage, herbs, and a touch of dry wood bark. I also get the tiniest hint of decay, and to me that fits well since Mabon is considered a harvest sabbat. This wears well and is very evocative of autumn and the myths involved in this holiday.

Wildfire is red, spicy and sharp on my skin. I think it's the dragon's blood resin that kills this for me. The woods and the rose and orris are quite nice. If you are at all a fan of dragon's blood you MUST try to track some of this down. It's really good in that respect.

Parlement of Foules is the first rose scent I ever fell in love with. I put it on and I immediately smelled lush white roses with that cool, crisp quality to the petals. On top of that, my skin warms the scent until the resins come out and they make the perfect soft complement to the white roses. I rated this a 5 out of 5 in my scent review spreadsheet.

Doc Buzzard is so complex. It's masculine and smoky, dark, resinous. The one note that took me a while to pinpoint was the lime. It should have hit me over the head, and it does now that I've put my finger on it. I really like this. It takes a second place next to Voodoo Queen but Doc Buzzard is so refined and complex that I can't help but want to keep him around.

Gnome is all earth and pine. Patchouli! Of course this is a perfect representation of the elemental, but I personally have trouble staying grounded and this scent does strange things to me! Whenever I wear it I flush warm and my cheeks get hot and I start to feel really "off". I am keeping my decant with plans to use it in some other form than on my skin.

The jasmine and blood orange sit the strongest on my skin, followed closely by the skin musk. Those three notes alone complete this scent for me. I love the mood of it and I feel it very accurately captures the character of Lucy Westenra.

Wet, and while first applied, Lughnasadh smells like cherry wine! After the scent settles onto my skin I start to detect a smattering of herbs and something that reminds me of grains and mead. There's definitely grains in there. I also think I might be smelling a touch of apple. This is one of my favorite Sabbat scents and I will cherish every last drop of the hard-earned imp I have of it.

The Living Flame is a sweet glowing floral with no single note that jumps out at me. It had a "red" scent to it that reminds me of the word amor; deep love; candle flickers. This is almost a high-pitched scent but it stays just low enough that it's not too much for me to wear. This is so breathtakingly beautiful. I am keeping this one.

Sol Invictus is warm and glittering. It smells golden and warm and it feels like it creates an aura of warmth and light amidst the dark winter months. I get a sharp orange kick to this, and the amber is there in full force... my favorite part of the blend! There's a touch of spice in there. This wears for quite a while before fading off, and I really enjoy the way this makes me feel. I do not think it's a reaction to the oil but for some reason whenever I wear this scent I seem to get warm and almost flushed. It definitely brings to mind warmth and light. I rate this 4 out of 5 in my review spreadsheet.

This is so interesting. It is the pure white innocence of snow, defiled by dirt and grime. I get a sharp coldness for a while, and then the vetiver makes an appearance. Whether by suggestion or an actual note, the asphalt makes a very brief appearance as well. Very evocative and artistically rendered. Beautiful!

Lick It Again, when compared to Lick It, is very similar and yet different. The differences like in the mint. Lick It Again's peppermint has a sharper bite to it and more of a menthol effect. The sugar calms that down and gives it a nice ending. I really like this one, but I think I like the slightly vanilla aspect to the original version.

This is a very innocent and virginal floral scent. I get mostly rose and a light, wafting feminine scent. The myrrh comes out but only just barely, and my skin seems to skip over the rest of the darker notes.