Spring Snow

I just purchased a decant from the fabulously generous Wench 457, and it arrived just in time for my second week of third year law school exams (not something to mess around with!). I was eager to try this one, since I need all the energy I can get this time of year.

In the bottle this is a citrus lover's heaven... pure orangey-grapefruit sunshine in a bottle!

On, the top note stays sunny, but there's a basenote that I have to agree... smells a bit like corn tortilla, even though i keep telling myself it's herbal. Even though it's not my favorite part of Moxie, I have to admit the base note does wonders for "hooking" that light citrus note down, where otherwise it would evaporate from my skin in a snap.

The base note did have me a little worried for a bit, but it's growing on me as I continue to sniff. This is the first scent that had me thinking "10 mL for sure!"

Now to go beg my family for X-mas donations to fuel the addiction...

I bought this one for the boy on his request, but as he won't be arriving to collect until Thursday, I snuck a little bit on myself.

This scent reminds me of when I was little, and we had pine trees in the yard outside. When they got covered with snow, it looked like icing, and made me wonder what it would be like if you could cut off a branch and munch on it, Willy Wonka style. This scent is what I think pine tree candy would smell like just before you took a bite. The snow "icing" note is sweet, and the pine is crisp. It's a lovely scent, and one that I look forward to smelling on him!

Alas, I cannot wear it by myself for two reasons: one, it smells a little too "manly" for my personal taste (I'm a girly floral lass), and two, it has eucalyptus, which makes me itchy.

I find the drydown is similar to Neo Tokyo, which I adore. I layered a little peppermint oil on top after it had dried for a whole new scent. It's a LOT of fun!

YUM YUM

This scent is all delicious goodness. When the boy and I were making our Yule order, we decided we'd get just two, one for "inside X-mas" and one for "outside X-mas." (Talvikuu is outside x-mas.)

In the bottle and wet it is completely buttery and sugary. As it dries, the pine and cedar come through making it a very intriguing and multidimensional scent. Just lovely.

I layered some snake oil on top (meaning I sniffed a new imp of snake oil after I tried on the Hearth and spilled it on my wrist), which "grounds" the butter, making it very spicy and neat smelling. Mmm. It's absolutely edible.

This one melds really perfectly to the skin. The balance of peach and sandalwood is just right for it to be not too sweet, but not too woody. It's unobtrusive and perfect for day to day wear. I love it!

Dear my peppermint essential oil,

Hey. We need to talk.

Please don't look like that. This is important.

We've had a really good time together. I've enjoyed putting you in my massage oil and lotion, and waving you under my nose when I need a little oomph. But.. it's over.

NO! No, it's not you, it's me.

Ok, well... it's a girl. Her name is Beth. She's a genius.

NO, it's not her. It's... cathode.

It's fresh, like you, and tingly like you. It clears my sinuses up like you used to do, and it perks me right up.

What's it got that you don't have, you ask? Well there's this wonderful cool green planty undertone beneath the mint for a start. It's cool, outdoorsy, and plain delicious.

And... well... you know how you always complained that I wouldn't wear you out of the house? You're too overpowering, you know that. Cathode though, is sweet and soft enough to wear anywhere, and smell amazing without being in your face. I really think this could be love.

You understand, don't you? And maybe we can be friends... hang out sometime, you know?

Don't cry... please don't...

I really have to go... cathode and I are going to have some dinner. I'll... always remember you.

Love,

Me

ETA: Looks like I've had to go crawling back to my peppermint essential oil. The boy stole my imp of Cathode and has claimed it as his own. And it smelled great on me, but it smells AMAZING on him. Unfair... but I shouldn't complain as it's just another excuse to nuzzle into his neck all evening.

Exams are coming up, and my poor imp of Block Buster is looking mighty empty. I'm looking for some scent suggestions that don't just let you focus, but really kick your ass when you have to spend the whole night looking up details of economic contract theory, and then have to get through 10 hours of school before you do it all over again. Oh, and that motivate you enough not to spend your precious time looking at the BPAL forum. I'm talking about scents that scream "you're awake, dammit, and you will STAY that way!"

Thanks!

Mmmm, I just got my hands on a decant of this one. It definitely smells like fresh baked cookies, though it is more spicy than the usual sugar cookie. It smells more like snickerdoodles or ginger snaps because of all the spices. I don't mind though, it's so unique and delicious! Beats Demeter's sugar cookie scent hands down, in my opinion.

The male opinion is that it's very warm and very powerful. Delicious!

When I first tried my frimp, it got me very nostalgic for some reason. I wandered around for about a half an hour, sniffing, wondering why the deja vu? Then I realized, it reminded me of vanilla incense I used to burn when I was fourteen! Brought back lots of memories of doing math homework while listening to Tori Amos, and my mother begging me to stop burning that stinky stuff! Unlike mom, I love the smell, but I don't think I want to smell like fourteen again... it's too weird. Off to swaps. Kudos though, for such an evocative scent!

This one is one of my very favorites. To me it smells like spiced cider, all apples and cinnamon. It's very mellow and not too sweet, and it lasts! I don't know if it helps me concentrate, but I know I'll wear it to all my exams this winter, just in case.