edenssixthday

Queen Alice - This is a very soft, wispy scent. When first applied, predominantly the scent of cider with a hint of wine, and something foody-sweet below that. As it warms up on my skin, the wine starts to come out more and blends nicely with the cider. The spicy carnation also joins the party, and there’s a hint of very dry amber in the background. It’s a nice scent, but very light and not particularly distinctive. There is very little throw and the scent fades quickly.

Pikaki - I’ve been so curious about this scent, because it’s my understanding that pikaki is a tropical flower that smells similar to jasmine. Or perhaps it’s the tropical version of jasmine. Something like that. Anyway, jasmine rarely works on me, but I don’t have trouble with pikaki in blends by any manufacturer, so I wanted to smell this on its own. I’m so glad I did. Pikaki is gorgeous! It’s a sweet, white floral that’s very jasmine-like without being as strong or heady as jasmine. It’s also very tropical and is making me really wistful for the Hawaiian Islands right now. This is such a lovely floral that I’d love to see Beth use it in more and more of her blends (as a substitute for jasmine, please!) I'm wondering if DSH or anyone puts out a pikaki single note that's this lovely. I think I'm going to go do some online searching right now. I need a bottle of this...or something close to it!

F5 – This smells like an iced tea I’d want to drink in the summer time. It’s mostly green tea on me with a splash of lemon and a zing of tart lime followed by the faintest hint of mint. It’s definitely a refreshing scent. When I first tried it last year, I didn’t find it appealing at all. However, as spring is in the air, and I’m in the mood for things that I are lighter and more sunny and refreshing, this scent is quite appealing, despite not being the type of blend I would typically enjoy. It’s very bright and fresh, and has better throw than I would have expected from something made up of so many notes that tend to be light on me. The wear length is poor, but this will be absolutely perfect in the months ahead.

Ugh - I've been waiting for just the right time to try this out. I've been having a lot of problems with tennis elbow and the pain has been affecting all of the muscles in my forearm. This afternoon, I applied some Ugh to the part that was hurting the most, and rubbed it in, then placed a tennis elbow brace over the sore spot. It did seem to provide some temporary relief, which surprised me, because I'm pretty skeptical about topical ointments for deep tissue relief. The scent opens up with a massively huge blast of eucalyptus, but the eucalyptus quickly mellows out and the lemon rushes to the forefront, mingling with the eucalyptus in a way that reminds me of cough drops. I agree with the reviewer who said there's black pepper in this, because I smell a hint of the gritty note behind the lemon and eucalyptus. I am going to keep this on hand and keep on using it every time I get sore and achy -- which is likely to keep happening more and more the older and older I get!

Hunger Moon - This is a scent that smells of the end of winter, of fields of frozen tundra and trees that have been bare of their leaves for months on end. It is a stark and clean scent. The various notes in this scent are almost impossible for me to identify, even with the description list right in front of me. There's a very distinctive pine note and behind that, the strongest notes are the sage and ozone, with the sweetness of the citrus searing through the scent randomly. The words "stark" and "bare" keep coming to mind as I smell this scent. It's really different from Beth's other winter scents, as it has a sweetness to it that does not come from the evergreen aspect of the blend. It's positively gorgeous and one I'm keeping in my collection.

The Ecstasy of True Love – This is a strange scent that I am not initially fond of. When I first apply it, it’s very heavy on the patchouli. However, as it starts to warm up on my skin, the patchouli fades and the strongest notes become the frankincense and peach (smells like actual peach, not a blossomy floral) with a hint of bright mandarin and sweet honeysuckle in the background and far, far beneath that is the patchouli. I never do smell the carnation. The patchouli does lend a weirdness to the blend, and even though I really like both frankincense and peach, I’m not sure I like the way they work together. It’s a very unique fruity-floral scent that is rough around the edges. It’s a very nice gender-neutral scent. The throw and staying power are both moderate.

The Ecstasy of Passion - There is a reason this scent is in such high demand: it’s drop-dead gorgeous. When I sniff this in the vial, it seems like a red musk and clove scent, but once it’s on my skin, the ambergris and bourbon vanilla are definitely the strongest notes, supported by the red musk and amber. The clove stays surprisingly mild on me. I usually amp clove, but it lends just the perfect balance of light spiciness to the scent. If I knew what galbanum and petitgrain were, maybe I could comment on how those lend to the overwhelming awesomeness of this blend. As it dries down, the the bourbon vanilla definitely gives the feeling that this scent is somewhat similar to a red musky Snake Oil or a spicy and less musky Smut. The throw and staying power on me is light to average. You’re going to have to pry this out of my cold, dead hands.

CT3: MXIII – This is a gorgeous springtimey fruity-floral. The fruit notes are juicy-sweet and the florals are note remotely heady, but are subtly sweet. It’s really complex and hard to decipher, and the best I can do is guess that some of the notes it may contain are sugar, blood orange, pear, poppy, and possibly calla lily. I love this blend. I only received a drop – just enough to test, but if I can get a full imp of it, I would be very happy. It’s the perfect springtime scent. Previously reviewed by slave1.

The Dodo – This scent is really spicy and bitter. The cassia is the strongest note, with a red musk, mango, and woody base. I don’t find it pleasant at all, but I rarely like cassia. After about 10 minutes on my skin, the cassia starts to burn and turn my skin red, even though I applied it just to the back of my hand, where I don’t usually have reactions to oils. I’m afraid based on that alone, I can’t wear it. The throw is strong and I can’t say much about the wear length since I had to wash it off due to the burning.

The Knave of Hearts – This scent smells incredibly foody when I sniff it in the vial and when I first apply it. The rose becomes evident a few moments after applying it, but it’s quickly overwhelmed by the black currant in the blend. There’s a strong cake/bakery scent surrounding the black currant and rose, and I think I would like it if the black currant weren’t turning the whole scent into something bitter and unpleasant. I’m not usually a fan of black currant, and this is no exception. The throw is strong and the wear length is moderate.

Mr. Nancy – This blend is very strong and has some serious kick! I love the smell of sugar cookie scents, but they never work on me. This one works better than most. The bay rum gives it a soft, boozy feel and the tobacco warms it up, making it more masculine than sweet and foody. The scent doesn’t change at all after drydown. It stays true to its original scent from beginning to end. I don’t imagine I’d wear it often because I still don’t like the way the sugar cookie works with my skin chemistry, but I do like it better than I expected. The throw is really strong and it lasts a long, long time.

Mr. Ibis – This is a really nice, mellow scent. It’s very subdued. The strongest notes are musk and aloe. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled aloe in a perfume before, but it’s spot-on compared to the real thing. The vanilla flower lends a light floral touch. As it dries down, the white sandalwood becomes evident, and compliments the other notes quite nicely. It’s not my normal type of scent, but I really like this one. Overall, this is a gorgeous, light, and somewhat ethereal scent that is clean and fresh. I imagine it would smell good on both women and men. Both the throw and wear length are below average.

Shoggoth – This is a really bright, fresh scent that is predominantly lemongrass on my skin. I smell a touch of wisteria and lime behind the lemongrass, but not much else. The scent doesn’t morph or change as it stays on my skin. The lasting power is about average, although the throw is light once it dries down. I highly recommend this for people who like strong, lemon scents.

Bakaneko – This is such a pretty, golden, warm scent. The musk is the strongest note, and it’s most definitely amber-like. Right behind the amber musk is the gorgeous scent of softly spicy cardamom and very faintly behind that, the lovely, sweet scent of pink cherry blossoms and a drop of tangerine that brightens up the overall scent. I don’t ever smell the cinnamon or tea, which delights me, as those notes can often bring a scent down for me. I really love Bakaneko and think it’s an absolutely perfect softly sexy springtime scent. It sticks moderately close to my skin and the staying power is about average.

Voodoo Lily – In the vial, this smells like a creamy lily scent. However, as soon as it touches my skin, it becomes spicy and the scent loses its creaminess and becomes deep and heavy. It’s got a fresh-cut flower feel to it, as well. Despite its depth and spiciness, it’s very much a subtle skin scent on me. I don’t know if I like it or not. It doesn’t really jump out at me, yet its very pretty. I’ll have to give this one another try. The staying power is below average.

Poisoned Apple – I don’t typically like apple scents. They usually turn rancid on my skin and when they don’t, I still associate the scent with those that do go rancid. This one doesn’t turn rancid on me. The apple is most definitely the strongest note, although there’s a faint touch of floral beneath the apple. It’s not really for me, but if you like apple, I would recommend you definitely try this one out! The throw is moderate and on me at least, the staying power is fairly poor.

Herbert West- Hmm. This is kind of boring on me. When first applied, it’s bright and smells like lemon verbena and maybe a hint of green (?) tea. As it dries down, it becomes very soft and reminds me of a gentleman’s cologne (wait…maybe that’s part of the scent description? Oh, yes, there it is – not exactly cologne, but “aftershave”!) It’s definitely not something I will find myself wearing again, but I imagine this would be a really nice, every day sort of scent for the average guy. It’s very gentlemanly.

51- Oh.My.God. As soon as I applied this, I recognized the scent: It smells like Theirry Mugler's Alien -- only better! Alien is one of my all-time favorite commercial fragrances, and this smells almost exactly like it, except it doesn't have that alcohol touch to it. I am in looove with 51. I have a new GC favorite! This is a gorgeous fruity-floral over a musky-woody base. The freesia and guava seem to be the strongest notes, but the ambers, woods, and musks keep it from being too luminous, and help keep the scent "down to earth." The scent is sweet, but not cloying. It's ethereal without being wispy. It's musky and woody without being heavy. I really wish I could put into words how incredible this scent is. Wow. Just WOW. I am desperately missing 10 ml bottles right now because I want a 10 ml of this. A 5 ml will have to suffice. However, if Beth decides to start selling this in 55 gallon drums, I'll be the first in line!

Aries 2007 - In the bottle, this smells like pepper and dragon's blood. As soon as I apply it, I'm practically blasted out of the room by the strength of the pepper. There is no mistaking the power of the pepper! </cheese> Anyway, right below the pepper is the scent of really pungent and spicy red ginger, but I'm really surprised that it never really comes to the surface. The ginger fades quickly, followed not long after by the pepper itself, leaving behind a honeysuckle scent that gets stronger and stronger the more the pepper fades. Upon full drydown, the ginger and pepper are completely gone, and I smell honeysuckle wafting over a faint trace of dragon's blood. At this point, the scent reminds me strongly of the scent of the Deep South and New Orleans, in particular. The scent is really at its peak at about the 30-45 minute point, after which it begins to fade into a skin scent, but at the two-hour point, I can still smell the honeysuckle (but no dragon's blood) when I sniff my skin up close. I really like the dry-down, but that initial blast of pepper and ginger may be too much for me. I'll have to give this another test run or two before I make any final decisions about it.

Croquet - I love this scent! It’s sweet, pink, and juicy. The nectarine, lime and grapefruit are the strongest notes. The patchouli isn’t scary patchouli at all – it just serves to deepen the scent a bit, making it rich and bringing it down to earth. I can barely smell the other notes. This is a really beautiful, sweet and juicy springtime scent. It fades on my skin really quickly, but hopefully it’ll wear gorgeously in a scent locket. While it lasts, the throw is moderate.

Squirting Cucumber - Wow, this is really sharp, wet, juicy, grassy, and a touch cucumberish. It’s got the scent of the inside of a milky weed stalk that’s been broken in two. I don’t usually like scents like this, and I won’t wear this as perfume again, but it’s got such a fascinating fragrance, that I couldn’t help but keep sniffing my skin after applying it. The throw is about average, but the staying power is quite strong, as it was still evident a couple hours after applying it to the back of my hand, which I washed a couple of times after I applied it. Really unique scent, and I imagine those who like grassy/green type scents could really enjoy this one. ETA: I love the description of the reviewer before me who said it reminds her of Indian cucumber yogurt. That's spot-on...and suddenly, now I'm hungry for Indian food.

Brown Jenkins - When I sniff this in the vial, my first reaction is, "This is the coconut scent I've been waiting for all my life!" Then, when I apply it, the coconut disappears, and it's all heavy incense and woods on me, and I'm really disappointed. As it dries down, however, the dry, woody notes recede significantly, and the incense (which is the same incense used in All Souls) comes to the forefront, and then... oh yes... then, the coconut bursts forth and joins the incense to make The World's Most Gorgeous Coconut Blend Ever. It's all incense and rough coconut and not a typical feminine coconut scent -- it's definitely more masculine or gender-neutral. The blend reminds me a lot of All Souls, so if you tried that last Halloween and wish you'd gotten a bottle, this would be an excellent substitute. This scent throws really far and a little goes a very long way. The scent lasts and last and lasts. I love it.

Ostara - I'm surprised at how much of a "pink" scent I get from this, considering it doesn't consist of traditionally "pink" notes. It's an absolutely gorgeous, smooth, creamy, sweet floral that doesn't smell like a typical floral at all. It's not heady and doesn't make me feel like I just stuck my head in a bouquet of flowers. The cream and cakes notes seem to temper the florals and the scent smells like like a floral and more like the scent of sweet, spring blossoms wafting around you as it's carried on a breath of a fresh, clean air. It's very, very pretty, and absolutely perfect for this season. The throw is strong when first applied, but quickly fades, and while it's not exactly a "skin scent", it doesn't throw very far at all. It completely dissipates from my skin after a couple of hours. I'm going to hang on to this bottle of mine!

Calico Jack - On me, this is fairly masculine, and not something I'd find myself wearing again, but definitely a nice, warm, manly scent. It's a really well-blended combination of woods and spices with a touch of leather, and the sea notes add enough of an aquatic feel to this blend to keep it from being just another boring masculine scent. It's warm, aquatic, woody, and sexy.

Bien Loin D'Ici - This scent got the rare "OH MY GOD!!!" reaction from me from the very start, and it didn't stop. I am in loooove with this scent, and I can hardly believe it because honey and caramel usually ruin otherwise perfectly good blends. I just love the fact that Beth used the word "unguents" in her description, too. Very cute. Okay, so this opens up as a really smooth and creamy scent that's slightly sweet in a non-sugary way, but also musky, and it's also a touch earthy. The throw is really strong, and the tiniest bit on the back of my hand (where I do some of my initial testing) not only covered my entire body in a veil of scent, but continued to do so after I washed my hands, and even after the throw faded, I could still smell this on my skin 4 hours after I applied it, which is really good for my dry skin (especially after washing it!) and also for something with honey and caramel in it, which tend to fade quickly on me. This is most definitely bottle-worthy. I love love love it and can't stop sniffing the back of my hand where I applied it!