kajacana

HESIOD’S PHOENIX A chattering crow lives out nine generations of aged men, but a stag's life is four times a crow's, and a raven's life makes three stags old, while the phoenix outlives nine ravens, but we, the rich-haired Nymphs, daughters of Zeus the aegis-holder, outlive ten phoenixes. - Hesoid, the Precepts of Chiron Golden amber, bourbon vanilla, and sweet oudh. In the bottle: Deep, smooth bourbon vanilla. Wet on skin: This is so hard to describe! I know I'm smelling amber, but the vanilla is still there (a very "vanilla bean" type of vanilla), and all the notes blend so perfectly together. The overall impression I get is deep gold, smooth, very warm, and sweet - but sweet in an incense-y way, not a foody way. Drydown: Stays mostly the same, but the incense quality intensifies. Absolutely beautiful. This might be the first scent I ever buy backups for. I'm in love.

Etsy faves: https://www.etsy.com/people/anticdisposition?ref=hdr-fav&tab=items would you like a scarf? If so, colors, length, wide or skinny? Bulky yarn or thin and slinky?? A scarf would be nice if you’re a knitter! Not super wide or super skinny — somewhere in between. Black with forest green accents is what comes to mind, but I welcome your creativity. How about some dishcloths, for the kitchen? Or spa cloths for the bathroom? If so, which? Any particular colors?? Probably wouldn’t use these. Would you like any of Cat Coven's Halloween goods? It's her original artwork based on medieval art. (It's a limited edition of everything, so hopefully things arent sold out yet.) I like her style! The Enchanted Forest print, Grumpy Toad Witch, and Unicorn Garden bandana are favorites. Look at The Green Salmon's webpage The Green Salmon - do you fancy any of the teas, coffees etc? It's a favorite place for me to stop on the coast, and I'll take any excuse to drive to the ocean. I’m not much of a tea drinker but I always welcome whole bean coffee from cool places! Just no flavors and no decaf, please. What are your favorite halloween/samhain treats to eat? Please be specific. I have access to various candy stores, including healthy candy lol. My favorite candies are Kinder Buenos and Albanese gummy worms (not the sour ones). For chocolates, I always prefer milk chocolate, and I tend to go for coconut, peanut butter, hazelnut, crunchy English toffee, marshmallow, and caramel. I have more specific flavor likes and dislikes in my questionnaire. Would you like any of these Snag Halloween tights? And if so, which of their sizes? Not a tights wearer. Also is there anything you would particularly like from the UK? I will preface this by saying that I would welcome things that are local to my Witch, wherever that may be! I like discovering new things from new places. UK specific: The Cadbury Marvellous Creations chocolate bar with the jelly popping candy, Walkers crisps, and Future Primitive whipped soap and conditioning hair rinse. 8/30 What Halloween things off RedBubble do you like? Share link if possible. RedBubble is vast and I don’t have a favorites list — but I trust your judgment! 8/31 Is there anything you might want from Japan? Snacks (autumn flavors are out~), nerdy stuff, cute stuff anything! Again, down to try anything from anywhere! Japanese candy and snacks would definitely be welcome. is there anything being removed from site or a virtual con scent you are interested in trying? I bought a few peach items for myself because I couldn’t resist. First order in a few years, actually. Moonalisa.....she just released her new Halloween scents, lip balm, candles, and soaps, want anything? (mooscents.com) I’m not familiar with her stuff but again I trust your judgment! Scent likes and dislikes are in my questionnaire. 9/1 I was wondering whether Tim Tams in any incarnation would tempt my witchee? Sure! On the less sweet side, are there any other Australian things you might be tempted by? Surprise me! Do you enjoy fanfic? I would be happy to write something for you, and/or read/comment upon/gush over thing(s) you've written, if that's something you'd enjoy... Not a fanfic person, sorry! Would you appreciate rare TAL decant(s) in 1 mL amber roll-on bottle(s)? Sure! How do you feel about enamel pins? If positively, which fandoms or topics would you like? I like them! I don’t have any specific types that I go for. I leave this one to your judgment too. 9/2 I make lightweight hairfalls, the kind that can be attached to a pony tail or to pig tails. They are good for those of us that are more tender-headed. I use a variety of materials like shibori ribbon, and puffy yarns and pieces of lace and silk. You can use them for every day or as part of your Weenie costume. Is this of interest to you? If so tell me what length, what color(s) and if you want one for a pony tail or two for pig tails. These sound pretty! A single ponytail one would be nice, shades of purple, long enough for mid-back-length hair. During my recent travels I got to experience the incredible delight of Serge Luten perfumers here in Paris (imagine if the Lab and Anna Sui made babies inside a Cadbury Cream Egg decorated with stained glass windows and...you've come close to the experience of being in that shop). Anyway, after spending gobs of monies, they loaded me up with delectable samples of their insanely expensive wares- do you want some??? You’ve painted quite the picture! I’m not sure I’d use these, but if you have something you think I’d like and want to share, go for it. Haus Of Gloi just had their Halloween update! Anything appeal to you? https://www.hausofgloi.com/collections/fall-1 Again, I trust you — so many updates everywhere, so many options, so little time to read through them all! 9/3 I just came across this Etsy shop (TheGrayMuse) and I WILL BE ORDERING and wondering if you would like something from there as well? Cute stuff but nothing really calls my name. Future Primitive Soaps has released its fall stuff. Would you like anything from there dearest witchee? https://futureprimitivesoap.co.uk Whipped soap and conditioning hair rinse. Let my questionnaire and your heart guide you on scents haha. I harvested some elderberries yesterday and I have a lot more out there, so I made a batch of elderberry syrup. Would you appreciate a 4oz bottle of it? Absolutely yes! Do you want anything from Sea Witch Botanicals (I can buy it locally from shops)? I just ordered from them for the first time myself, so I’m good for now! Hirons Drug Store - which is basically an Unbelievable place to browse for every kind of eclectic, fun, spooky, weird, and even useful thing you could want - so tell me some Odds And Ends of things you like or want, I know this is open ended, sorry - - Haha the open-endedness is both intriguing and daunting! I can’t even imagine what sorts of things might be an option here. Surprise me! Gift Certificates you'd like to places that are local to you? None I can think of. How do you feel about ILNP nail polish and what are your favs from the new Cosmos collection and any others on their site?? I love the colors but can’t wear regular nail polish, it doesn’t last through my work days. I go through phases getting powder manicures but haven’t in several months. Would you be interested in anything from Alobudra? https://alobudrallc.company.site/products/ Maybe! I don’t take baths, already have a tarot deck that I like, and don’t drink much tea… open to anything else. are there any more “traditional” Japanese souvenirs you’d like to have (think chopsticks, tenugui, washi paper, etc.)? Sure! Can’t think of any specifics, sorry. 9/4 Would you like to try Brujita Skincare ? (Ignore the out of stock except for In Your Room collection and Inner Child Ritual candle.) I’m pretty set with my current skincare routine, but I do like trying different masks. I have combo skin for the record. Would you be interested in any jewelry or other items made with tiny bones from this shop? There are some Halloween themed ones: https://www.tinybonesandthings.com/s/shop Honestly I love bones, these just aren’t quite my style. If you like tea, is there anything you would like from Bird & Blend? https://www.birdandblendtea.com/ Okay, I know I said I’m not much of a tea drinker, but the Spiced Pumpkin Pie and any of the sticky chais do look amazing. 9/5 BloomChic - just discovered them - Take a look at the Halloween stuff, and tell me the link and the size of whatever thing you like! Not for me, thanks! Poesie Tea! Do you like? Some of my favorites are from this company. https://www.poesieperfume.com/loose-leaf-tea Okay, the Palace Chai caught my eye. Would you like anything from Trader Joe's? (Pumpkin products are, sadly, not in stores yet, but they will be during this round!) I have a Trader Joe's 10 minutes from home, THANK GOD. . For real I'm there at least once a week, it's my main grocery store and a great source of joy for me haha. So I don't necessarily need anything from there. Do you have any Halloween traditions? Not Halloween specific, but I always do a lot of fall baking. This year I have it in my head that I want to make a haunted gingerbread house, we'll see if that happens. What about Halloween-related fandoms? (ie. The Nightmare Before Christmas) Nope non-U.S folks!!! We always end up asking what we'd like from your exotic-to-us locales, but do you have any wishes for things from the States? I'm in the US so n/a. I make things from thrifted sweaters that I cut up & make things from. Do you like armwarmers? I've never had any but that might be nice! I'll leave the specifics up to you. I also do coiled & sewn rope work- it's functional art I wrap the rope in fabric & add appliques. I just had my first art show with these- bowls, trivets ( that can hang on the wall when not in use), coasters. Is this something you'd like ? What sort of Halloween fabric? Whimsical? Witchy, bats, mushrooms, moths? How gothy do you like? have velvets & sparkly stuff to work with too. What is your preference witchee? A bat bowl sounds cool! 9/7 How do you feel about cherry things? Check out Cherry Republic and let me know if anything catches your eye! Cherry things aren't my favorite. Similarly, are you into fancy flavors of olive oil or vinegar? Check out Fustini's and let me know if anything appeals! Oh for sure. Any of the balsamics especially. We also have an awesome store for jams and sauce, American Spoon which you should totally check out! Yes, any type of jam or preserves! Would you like some locally sourced maple syrup? Yes for sure. Finally, I live in a place known for fudge. Do you like it and/or are their flavors you particularly like? My favorite shop is Murdick's if you need to see a flavor list. Love fudge. Mint chocolate, chocolate, peanut butter, and chocolate peanut butter are my usual go-tos. Anything from the IKEA Halloween store catch your witchy eye? https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/campaigns/halloween/ I love IKEA but nothing from this collection is screaming my name. https://wildsoulriver.com I own the Magical Nature Tarot and love the feel of the cards. They have candles and teas and tinctures and books of the activist or witchy sort. Anything you see that you'd like? Oh it looks cool! I have a tarot deck that I like already, but anything that could be used in a ritual would be nice. I'm still figuring out what works for me so really open to anything. I live near a Penzey's Spice https://www.penzeys.com - do you cook? - Do you want fancy schmancy spices or spice blends? - Do you have a favorite alternative source that you prefer and or recommend? For example egads I am asking lots of Qs Curio Spice Co, Diaspora etc do ethically sourced spices. - If you cook is there a type of cuisine you are interested in learning more about and would appreciate a starter pack of spices for that type of cooking? I do cook and I love Penzeys! Penzeys Cinnamon or the China cinnamon, ground cloves, garlic powder, Ancho chili powder, and medium hot California crushed red pepper are all things I go through often, and I also love their vanilla extract. I also enjoy Burlap & Barrel spices and would love to try other brands if you recommend them. As far as cuisines, I tend to dabble in lots of things so anything would be welcome. Colourpop's Haunted Mansion collection dropped today. If you're interested in makeup or skin care, are you interested in anything from Colourpop? https://colourpop.com/ Not their skincare, but I do enjoy their sparkly/iridescent eyeshadows, any colors. I love fun eye makeup. Anything of interest from Cellar Door? (They have candles and soaps.) I do like candles. Are you into wax melts, candles, incense, room sprays, or none of the above? Candles and room sprays: yes. Incense: sometimes, but I'm super picky about those scents. Wax melts: no. Would you like anything from Luvmilk's Monster Mash? Never heard of this brand, I'll leave it up to you! Looks cute. I dye yarn. Are you a person who crafts with such? Alas, I am not. Provided my experiments work, would you be interested in a bar of homemade tallow soap? I promise I will not send you anything particularly suspect, so this is entirely contingent upon my competence. Sure, bring on your craftiness, Witch, whatever that may be! Do homemade caramels or shortbread tickle your fancy? Yes and yes. 9/8 because I’m a knitting kind of witch, would you appreciate a pair of hand knit socks. If yes, would you like them in a particular colour? Yes I would, cozy socks are always appreciated. Any colors. What type of spooky season imagery do you like? (Ie. bats, ghosts, vintage Halloween, etc.) Bats, pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns, colorful maple leaves. I like cute or spooky Halloween things, but definitely not scary/gory. Macabre is fine (think ravens and old gravestones), but horror is not my thing. Astrid's Autumn Line and Anniversary Tea Party just dropped. Anything you want? So many scents!! I trust your instincts, Witch. Preferences in my questionnaire. Homemade and preserved food goodies - Which of these things would you like my dear witchie? All are organic and grown or made by me. sun-dried heirloom tomatoes - yes dried ancho chile peppers - can be whole halves or ground into a delicious powder - yes sugar-free candied pecans and walnuts or almonds - no thanks gourmet quality fudge in many flavors (formerly from my ETSY shop which I had to close until I have my own home again) please give me an idea the kinds of flavors you like. My more popular ones are Penuche, Choc & PB, Pumpkin pie, Forest fruit (with cherries, blueberries and cranberries), Vegan chocolate - yes, I think I covered fudge in a question above. dried italian plums (pitted) - no thanks sugar-free canned plum or logan berry jam - no thanks on the sugar free freshly dried rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley individually or in combo - yes almond flour baked goods (low carb, sugar free, and gluten free) - give me examples of savory and sweet things you'd like - no thanks Might you like a witch hat? Later this month I'm taking a class at an area museum where I'm supposed to decorate 2 hats. Also I crochet wicked cute witchy hats. No thank you! 9/9 Do you see anything here that interests you? They have dry shampoos, whipped soaps, awesome hand cream, linen spray, sugar scrubs and perfume. https://www.etsy.com/shop/faefragrance/?etsrc=sdt Whipped soap and room & linen spray! 9/10 Anything you want from my favorite local tea shop? www.fridaytea.com Tea covered above. How about from my skincare person? drjensbeautylab.com/ No thanks 9/11 Anything in the Paintbox Soapworks Halloween update looking good to you? It's been a long time since I've had anything from there, but I do enjoy their bar soaps and sugar scrubs. Putney Road sounds nice out of the Weenies. 9/12 If you have a furry friend living with you, what sort of treats do they like? My cat friends who live outside do enjoy treats. Not picky at all about what kind. 9/13 What is your feelings on seasonal mugs? Yes or, no? Too many in your house or bring them on?? If you find something you think I'd like, I'm open to mugs. I will say I prefer mugs that are 16-20 oz as opposed to the 12oz standard size. Are your wishlists - Amazon, Etsy, etc - up to date, and if so, are they all linked somewhere that I can find them? Etsy faves list is linked at the top of this post, and I don't have any others, sorry! Do you have anything you use every day that you wouldn't mind getting more of? While I absolutely love grinding my own beans and brewing my coffee in a Chemex or French press ritual... I also have a Nespresso machine that I use to make oat milk lattes, and I go through a lot of the Double Espresso Chiaro pods (Vertuo style, the dome-shaped pods). Also: snail mucin serum from either Peach & Lily or COSRX. Anything you love or need to have from Adagio or Rishi teas? Nothing in particular. List here things you wish you would've added to your questionnaire Nothing I can think of at the moment! 9/14 Nocturne Alchemy just dropped their Halloween update! You like the looks of anything? https://nocturnealchemy.com/collections/limited-collection I know I'm a broken record here, but I trust your judgment re: scents, based on my listed preferences. There are just soooo many updates and I'm not familiar with a lot of these companies, and I haven't even had time to properly comb through the BPAL Weenies yet. Which is a great segue into the next question, actually... Is there anything you would like from the Weenie update? I did a quick read-through this morning and there are a few things I think I'm just going to go ahead and buy for myself. It's been awhile since I placed a Weenie order. Things I'm definitely not buying for myself but would still like: Autumn Fougere hair gloss, Maple Leaves Golden Moss & Amber hair gloss, Fig Autumn Amber & Tobacco atmo, Hard Candy bath oil, Pumpkin Spice Dark & Stormy, Pumpkin Spice Margarita, Wolf Milk, An Autumn Stroll for a Pumpkin Man, Wayfaring Stranger. How do you feel about stickers? If positively, are there any themes you'd rather not have stickers of? LOVE stickers -- the larger types that you can find in gift shops and on Etsy, not really sticker sheets like for scrapbooking. I already have more of them than I can possibly display, but that doesn't stop me from collecting more everywhere I go. Avoid anything gory and we're probably good. What about crystals, cool rocks, and gemstones? Yes! I welcome all of the above, especially if you can tell me about the meaning/symbolism. I've recently been exploring using crystals as a meditative/visualization tool and it's been pretty cool. 9/15 How do you feel about Squishmallows and Squishables? (They have mini and micro sizes for those who like cute plushies but don't have a lot of space.) I don't have any, but I admit every time I see a Squishmallow I think how cuddly they look. 😅 Would you wear enamel pins with chains that are meant to be put on lapels? (Something like this.) Wouldn't wear, but would find somewhere to display, definitely. Speaking of enamel pins... The Pickety Witch's Autumn and Halloween collection just dropped. Has anything caught your eye? Oh these are very cool! Lil Bat, Potion of Halloween, Witch's Jack-o-Lantern, Trick or Treat Kitty, Witch Kitten, Pumpkin Kitten, Mabon Raven. I used to make mobiles out of paper cranes, would you appreciate something like this? if so, what size restrictions do you have, if any? ie., should it take up less space vertically or horizontally? color palette preference? Yes, this sounds like something I would like. No restrictions. Shades of purple and gray are always good but variety is good too.

Chiming in here to suggest citrus scents, which tend to be light, have low throw, and burn off rather quickly -- plus the added bonus that a lot of soap/shampoo is citrus scented, so it's a fairly ubiquitous smell that most people probably wouldn't find jarring. Some from the GC you might try: Whitechapel Gobo Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat Baobhan Sith

In the bottle: sweet, tropical floral. Wet: that amazing BPAL black coconut note, with sugar and a little salt (the ambergris, I imagine). Dry: sweet, floral coconut. I am someone who typically steers away from florals and I really like this, if that tells you anything. The coconut is definitely center stage, but the rest of the notes prevent it from becoming foody. It's soft but not wimpy -- the black coconut is assertive, but the blend as a whole stays close to the skin and just kind of creates this lovely, beachy cloud.

I was gifted a decant of this by my Switch Witch! Smells like brown caramelized sugar, sweet honey, and just a touch of oak wood. It reminds me of Sugar Skull but not as sweet, or Hellcat but not as foody. It kind of reminds me of Christmas but I can't put my finger on why.

This was my initial thought, too. If you can get your hands on Single Note French Vanilla, that would be perfect but unfortunately it's a bit hard to come by. Alternatively, you could try a blend with a nice base of vanilla or honey, and maybe some coordinating/complementing florals as well. From the GC, maybe... Mouse's Long And Sad Tale: "Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea, and white sandalwood." Alice: "Milk and honey with rose, carnation, and bergamot." O: "Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla."

Bright mandarin, fresh and juicy, just a twinge soapy -- reminds me of a scent you might find at Bath & Body Works or The Body Shop. I'm not getting much fig. It's surprisingly strong for a citrus scent, and not high-pitched at all -- maybe that's the fig helping out? It's a simple, clean, and refreshing citrus scent.

Starts out strong on the patchouli (and yes, it is gnarly!). Quickly morphs into black coconut, which is different from foody or beachy coconut... it's darker and less sweet. This initial phase of patchouli + black coconut is very reminiscent of So Below, one of my favorite blends. Unfortunately, the morphing stops in a spot that's almost entirely benzoin. It's sharp and woodsy, almost like cedar, and the other notes are practically gone. I would have liked this one a lot more if the benzoin wasn't so overpowering on me.

In the bottle, this is extremely similar to standard Perversion. But after I skin tested, that's when the magic really happened. This is Perversion with an autumnal accent. There's a hint of warm spice that complements the original blend really nicely. For those worrying that the pumpkin spice will be overpowering -- it's not. This blend is warm, spicy, and rich, but not foody. As a big fan of original Perversion, I wholeheartedly approve and am happy to have this in my collection.

Definitely getting oud, beeswax, and sandalwood, but it all blends together into something warm and woodsy. The initial smell in the imp was kind of leathery, then it went sort of astringent on my skin, but the drydown is smooth. It smells clean and snuggly, like a freshly washed blanket that someone folded and left sitting by the fireplace in a log cabin in winter. I'm a big believer in the gender neutrality of scents, but I gotta say this seems like more of a guy's scent to me.

I absolutely love BPAL's peach note! I haven't smelled any of the convention-exclusive Peach Pit scents yet, but I hope I get the chance to someday. For now, my favorites are: GC: Aglaea ("three golden ambers, bright musk, peach wine and myrtle") Fae ("white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss") LE: Adventure With Bandits In A Kago ("nectarine and pearl peach, white frankincense, and gardenia") Mare Nectaris ("sweet peach liquor with papaya-infused musk, golden musk, and green ti leaf")

In the bottle, it's all tobacco. As someone who was afraid of tobacco notes in perfume for a long time because I feared they would smell like cigarette smoke, I am thrilled to report that it's actually nothing like that. It's rich and dark, almost caramelly without being foody or sweet, if that makes sense. Once it's on my skin, the rum comes out and I really love BPAL's rum note. It's not overpowering though, and I wouldn't even call it boozy. It's balanced beautifully by tonka and vanilla, and I definitely get the incense more and more as it wears, and even though the other notes start to take a backseat, they still round out the blend really nicely and give it some depth. It reminds me -- and I mean this in the best possible way, truly -- of the Renaissance Faire. It smells kind of mysterious and mystical, like I should be wearing a cloak while I'm wearing it. So happy to have found a bottle on the forum, since I waffled too long and missed out when it was originally available!

I just went to the other thread to check if I'd already talked about Hesiod's Phoenix, and.... yep, there's my post! It's one of those things I'll probably still be muttering about on my deathbed.... (croaky voice) "Did I ever tell you about the time I ordered backup bottles of Hesiod's Phoenix and there was a batch variation? *sputtery cough* My original bottle even had the MISSPELLED LABEL! They don't make 'em like that anymore!" It's always a bad surprise to find batch variations in the GC, but at least I can understand how a year or two between batches could result in some differences. But an LE, with all bottles (in theory) made and bought within a few months? What the heck!?!? The good news is that a few years of aging seems to have resolved the issue. I know I had an imp of Bensiabel at one point, but I can't remember if I still have it and can't remember what it smelled like, either, so I'm no help there, sorry. If it were me, I'd put the new bottle away to age and see what happens. Can't hurt, right?

The same strawberry note from Strawberry Moon, only without embellishments or accompaniments. This is bright, juicy, very sweet but also ever so slightly tart, delicious ripe red strawberry. Perfect for summer, and surprisingly wearable for something so intense and straightforward. I keep going back for more sniffs and I can't stop smiling!

In the bottle: smells like plants, but it's a very soft smell. I would call it herbal. It's got a hint of pine, but not like Christmas pine or air-freshener pine at all -- more like the scent of a breeze that's just blown through a stand of pine trees. It's all softness, nothing sharp or aggressive here. On skin: This is a tough one to describe! It's the same soft, herbal, vaguely pine-y scent from the bottle, only it gains some musky sweetness. There's a slight powderiness to it, but not in an off-putting way. The musk sits very close to the skin and the "clear, warm evening air" from the description makes total sense. The pine goes away as it wears, and the scent deepens just a little, becoming a clear, lightly sweet, lightly herbal musk. This scent reminds me of summer evenings where I'm from in New England; it reminds me of being in the woods, far from people and towns, listening to the loons call across the lake. It's calm and tranquil. It's comforting and close, like a hug in scent form, without making me feel claustrophobic. When I smell it I can see the summer evening sky. It's really beautiful and unlike anything else in my collection. So glad I decided to blind bottle this one!

Yuzu as HECK!!! Initial application is a burst of high-pitched, bright, tart citrus. I recognize the yuzu for sure but the closest other citrus I'd compare it to is grapefruit. I'm getting just the softest background whiff of white floral as it dries down, and not a trace of black tea. This is a sharp, cheerful, yellow citrus scent with just a breath of flowers from the nearby trees. It's very much the smell of the skin of the citrus, like if the peel of a yellow grapefruit, white pith and all. I wouldn't call it juicy. This is just such a light, clean, happy scent with an energetic zing! I really like it and will hang on to my imp.

It's hard to pinpoint what this smells like. All I know is that I read the notes list, then I opened the imp and I was shocked because it smells nothing like I expected it to. It goes on warm and brown, like woods and toasted nuts. It gets drier and herb-ier as it wears; loses some of that rich, foody quality and gets sharper and a little cologne-y. It ends up a surprisingly soft, woodsy, musky scent. Not for me but just goes to show you that you should skin test everything!

Full disclosure: I am a FIEND for coconut, and the Lab's various renditions always tend to work for me. In the imp, Elegba has a butterscotchy thing going on, just like Grog. Literally smells like a boozy Werther's hard candy. As soon as it hits my skin, though, the coconut comes out in full force. Seriously, if you don't like coconut, you won't like this. This is sweet, sugary, rum-drunk coconut, and as it wears, the tobacco peeks through which darkens the blend just the slightest bit, and gives it that signature... chewiness?... that tobacco tends to add. I'm not really getting anything smoky. It's sweet, tropical, foody, lots of coconut, lots of rum... reminds me of waves crashing on a tropical beach under bright sunshine.

Wild strawberries, strawberry flower, vanilla-infused sugar, early summer grasses, and milky dandelion sap. In the bottle, this smells very medicinal and cough-syrupy... but thankfully, within seconds of spraying, any medicinal quality completely disappears. This is a ripe, juicy, red strawberry scent, leaning more towards candy than actual fruit (probably because of the vanilla sugar), and with the lightest hint of something floral (hello, strawberry flower). It has great throw and lasting power. It's fruity, summery, and a really great scent for hair. I only have an imp of Strawberry Moon 2012 to compare it to, which also has strawberry blossom honey as a listed note. Compared to the hair gloss, the 2012 oil is sweeter, the grass note is more noticeable, and it smells more "pink" whereas the hair gloss is definitely "red." They are similar, though, and I love them both.

This is a lovely, light, fruity floral. All realistic juicy peach when first applied, and as it dries down, the gardenia comes out. I was worried about the gardenia but it's so light and airy, like walking past a blooming garden. It's not an overwhelming, punch-you-in-the-face floral at all. The fruit notes lose their fresh/juicy quality a bit as it wears, but they're definitely still noticeable and they keep the blend sweet. The white frankincense is in the background, giving the blend a little bit of depth. It has a surprisingly good amount of throw and longevity for something so light. I really like it -- it's pretty and light but still interesting, fruity without being foody, floral without being heady.

Amazing true-to-life key lime pie scent in the bottle. I smell tangy lime custard and graham cracker crust. Once sprayed in my hair, the lime fades waaaaaayy to the background and this becomes all about the graham cracker crust, with a hint of something creamy -- marshmallow? meringue? whipped cream? I can still smell the lime if I concentrate, and it keeps the blend leaning a little more tangy than overly sweet, but it's not what I would consider a lime-forward scent anymore. That said, I happen to LOVE the smell of graham cracker crust & cream!! If you're in the market for a hair gloss that's light, not much throw, definitely foody but not overpowering, this is the one for you.

At first sniff in the bottle, this smells a lot like All Souls. They're actually so similar that I had to get out my bottle of All Souls (2014 version) to compare them. I think the incense notes are very similar, but All Souls is sweet and cakey whereas WLWC is light and floral. But it's not punch-you-in-the-face floral... it's just a very light, sweet rose, mingling with the incense. I think I'm picking up the woods too, but the whole blend is really soft and subtle. I was nervous about it being too heavy on the rose, but that's not an issue, even though I would classify this as more of a floral blend than an incense blend on my skin. It's very pretty and wintery.

I have that soap in my bathroom right now! I also smell coconut and no jasmine at all. Honestly, I know it's a beast and a half to track down, but Ivory Vulva has that coconut/amber thing going on. Both IV and the hand soap smell like sweet, slightly perfumey coconut to me. My other thought was Obatala, which is a more watery/less foody coconut, but maybe if you layered it with a simple vanilla scent -- French Vanilla SN, or even anything with a vanilla cake note. Obatala is really nice on its own though if you like coconut. I wouldn't say it quite matches the hand soap, but it's coconutty and good.

Wet on skin: sweet, syrupy peach! Fruity as HECK, in a jammy way. Dry on skin: there's the musk. It goes a little floral, too -- probably the myrtle? The amber is playing nicely in the background and not overtaking everything. The peach is definitely still there but toned way down from the wet stage. This goes from the actual literal scent of sugary peaches, to a softer peachy perfume. It's very nice if you like peach scents, which I do! But I'm not sure if I need a full bottle, because I have Fae for my peach needs, and I think I like Fae more because it's not quite as sweet and high-pitched as Aglaea. Will definitely hang on to the imp, though.

(Used as after-shower moisturizer.) This is all pumpkin spice on me at first -- emphasis on the spice. The pumpkin is buttery and sweet. As it wears on, it mellows out a lot and the marshmallow shows up. It wasn't bad when I first put it on, but I definitely like this one a lot more after it's been on for several minutes and the in-your-face pumpkin spice has had time to calm down.