kajacana

Initial application: Sweet and fruity - especially heavy on the watermelon. It smells almost juicy, that's how ridiculously fruity this is (in a good way!). Drydown: Then it takes a turn for the floral. The sweetness all but disappears, and I get the gardenia petals in full force. Some of the blackberry is still coming through, but only a little. There was a super-brief stage right as the oil dried on my skin that was somewhere between the above two extremes, and I wish it had stayed like that. The end result is very pretty, it's just too floral for my taste.

Received as a frimp from the Lab. On me, this starts out as lavender and quickly morphs into sweet mint, with something earthy in the background. I like it more than I thought I would when I initially smelled it from the imp. It's not nearly as high-pitched as some of the Lab's other minty blends, if that makes sense (probably because the mint here is coming from the pennyroyal, which steers it away from toothpaste and more in the floral direction). It's got a very clean quality to it -- reminds me of fresh air and springtime and clean clothes. The more it dries down, the more comfortable it feels. It makes me want to spread a freshly laundered blanket out on the grass in the shade and read a book.

Received as a frimp from the Lab. In the imp: bubblegum. Wet on skin: strawberry Starburst. Initial drydown: Not bad! A little hint of artificial candy flavoring, but there's something in the blend that tones it down -- the musk, I guess. Drydown after several minutes: I'm getting just the tiniest hint of soft grapefruit, and the scent as a whole has mellowed into a really pleasant, sweet, fruity scent. Not strawberry Starburst anymore, not even candy-like anymore -- just sweet musky goodness that maybe is reminiscent of strawberries if you think about it hard enough. I like this one. Not sure it's "me," per se, but I'm definitely going to keep the imp and wear it in the summer.

Received from the Lab as a frimp. First impression: Oh my God, is this... is this Skadi? That's all I can think as I sit here smelling my wrist. Okay, I just got out my bottle of Skadi '13 to compare, and they are actually different. Skadi has that sweet berry thing going on, whereas Kumari Kandam has almost a minty undertone that leaves it a bit thinner and lighter than Skadi on drydown. The snow factor is very similar between the two, though.

Hellcat is "hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond" -- for me (and, glancing at the review thread, it seems like for many people), that almond note reads as cherry. In my case, the cherry fades on my skin, but others have had different results, so you might want to give it a try! For a less dessert-like option, maybe Kabuki? "cherry, red musk, and star anise."

I love this one too! Any of the snowballs, really, might have that cold snow note you're looking for. Purple Snowballs is snow + sugar plum, currant, and cardamom, Yellow Snowballs is snow + citrus, Pink Snowballs is snow + rose, etc. etc. And count me as yet another recommender of Skadi - it jumped to my mind as soon as I read your criteria. It might be a little bit on the sweeter side for your taste, but definitely worth trying.

This is POWERFUL on me. I put 3 sprays in my hands, then run my hands through my (long) hair, and the scent has amazing throw and lasts for hours. It's a very clean scent, and there's something floral about it - it brings to mind a bouquet of white flowers and fresh, green herbs. I don't necessarily think it smells like tea, and to be honest I don't really get sage from it either. Maybe my nose is weird! That being said, either way it's a very pretty scent, well suited to spring and summer.

The only Lick It I have is Lick It Now (2013), and Tokyo Stomp is very similar...

Obatala is one of my favorites, glad to see so many votes for it here! It's very coconutty but also just a really clean, summery scent. Lolita and Whitechapel are simple, bright citruses. Glasgow is blackberries & heather, very clean-smelling and not too complicated. If you're into foody scents, try Grog (smells like butterscotch) or Detestable Putrescence (vanilla ice cream). Good from the RPG line is light and smells simple - hard to describe, but really nice, and easy to layer.

I second the soft, sweet incense comments. I can't quite tell what it smells like -- it's reminiscent of Eat Me, but Eat Me went to cherry head shop on me, and this doesn't. It's very pretty, good throw but not too heavy. Definitely need a bottle.

I amp cinnamon, and even though there's no cinnamon listed in this blend, my skin is finding some cinnamon to amp!! (Maybe the allspice or the ginger?) It's super pumpkiny and foody in the bottle and upon initial application, like the familiar BPAL pumpkin we all know and love. The cinnamony bit emerges after about 5 minutes -- so intense that my skin burned a little. But then the cardamom and tea peek out, and it settles down into a well-rounded spicy chai tea scent with just a hint of pumpkin to soften the edges. I like it!!

....has no one mentioned Boo? Really?! O_o "Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream." I have the 2009 version, and I get this sugary, foody, cake-y, almost maple-y smell from it. One of my faves!

I get pumpkin pie spice in the bottle, and sweet, fruity, orangey ginger on my skin. This is really an awesome blend! The pumpkin and cardamom give it a warmth and depth on my skin underneath all the fruit, so it's not sharp at all. A very cozy and autumnal scent. Love it!

Thank you so much Deek, that is really helpful!!

Hey guys, resurrecting this long-dead thread to ask a question (and welcome back to the forum everyone!). Can someone explain to me whether the Beaver Moons ('05 and '12, I believe?) are the same thing as Beaver'versary? I can't find a review thread for Beaver'versary (got a decant), but it smells like the description for Beaver Moon '05... am I just missing something? Help!!

Exactly like an orange creamsicle on me! Light, sweet, foody citrus. A perfect scent for me to wear to work, where I like to wear blends that are noticeable but not "perfumey" and not too strong.

In the imp/wet on skin: Strong, chemically-floral, department store perfume. Drydown: Bounce dryer sheets?!?! WHAT?! It really does smell like fresh laundry to me. It's not a bad smell, just not at all what I was expecting.

The only one I can speak for on this list is R'Lyeh - if it's the grapefruit factor you like, then I would suggest Night-Gaunt for another slightly offbeat take on that note. My Top 5, if anyone can help! Mary Read Obatala Boo (I have 2009) Hesiod's Phoenix Hellcat

(2005 version purchased from a forumite) I always suspected I would like Sugar Skull, and I'm so happy I was right! Smells like brown sugar, and sweet & sticky candied fruit. There's a whisper of something incensey, too - just a hint of something I can't put my finger on that keeps the blend from going foody or sickly sweet (though don't get me wrong, it IS quite sweet). I really like this one! And it helps that two separate people said "something smells good" and both confirmed, upon smelling my neck, that it was my Sugar Skull

I got my first bottle of Hesiod's Phoenix back in November; my second bottle in late December; and my final two backups were ordered in late January and just arrived a few days ago. I agree that there seems to be a batch discrepancy. My first bottle is far and away my favorite; it's rich and heavy on the vanilla. The other bottles smell mostly like it, but lacking depth. I just tested one of my newest backups on my skin and I'm not getting any of the chemicals or alcohol that you described... it doesn't smell off or spoiled to me, but it is certainly different. More powdery, less sweet. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that some aging will help it out. That really sucks that yours are unrecognizable. HP is such a beautiful scent, that's a real shame. Maybe let them age for awhile and see if that helps?

Mary Read is one of my all-time favorites and conveniently a GC. It's not super aquatic, but it definitely has an ocean-y vibe, and a couple aquatic notes (it's "salt air, ocean mist, aged patchouli, sarsaparilla, watered-down rum, leather-tinged musk, and a spray of gunpowder"). Then there's Octopus, from last year's Song of Nature LEs ("Pale moss, white kelp, sea buckthorn berry, ambergris accord, Somalian frankincense, rose geranium, and salt"). That one reminds me of a New England beach in cold weather.

Can't figure out how to get the photo here, but here's a link to a photo of Snow White '12 that I just put up on a page on Shutterfly. https://kajacana.shutterfly.com/pictures/11

Yes, this!!! I ordered a decant and can't wait to try it. And another vote for Kyoto, which was mentioned above but I forgot to second. That one is like a floral anise.

Absinthe is one of my favorite GCs. It's definitely got the anise factor, but the blend is rounded out with other herbal notes that you may or may not like.

White Tea & Sage HG + Shub-Niggurath. Delicious herbal spicy sage ginger deliciousness!