Poenari

I ordered a bottle of this hoping for something that would wear well during the remaining 90 degree days and into the late summer as we slowly cool down. September is usually quite warm here in southern Ohio, and even though I'll wear my dark "Halloween" scents any time, I was looking for a change. Pom IV does not disappoint! This is an interesting blend. Immediately on my skin, there is at first a sweet-tart, fruity scent immediately followed by the red musk. No cocoa (thanks for the reminder to be sure it's blended in the bottle, Aldercy) but there is a sort of dryness that I can tell comes from the cocoa. Pom and red musk remained the main notes on me until about two hours in, after which the thyme poked its head up. Altogether, a nice blend and it serves its purpose, but one bottle is plenty.

The Infernal Lover is the perfect red musk scent and I agree with Mattie that it's very nearly a single note red musk. It is exactly what I had hoped Smut would become: where Smut is "slam you down, dirty sex", this scent is the kind of sex that is slow, seductive, and builds to a climax. It definitely has a strong throw, and the honey is barely noticeable until later in the drydown. This is a very sexy scent and I need to order multiple bottles!

In anticipation of a long-awaited vacation to the beach with my daughter, I ordered two bottles so I could slather if I wanted to. Due to my bad timing, my order arrived the day after I left for vacation. Fortunately, hubby stayed home and brought it in from the mailbox, so it had a week to rest up from its trip. I arrived home yesterday and couldn't wait to shower after the 12 hour drive, and slathered Tiki Princess, barely sniffing it in the bottle first. This is as I'd hoped, I a great scent for summer and would have been perfect at the beach. It's definitely reminiscent of a pina colada and has none of the Snow White similarity others have described, which makes me very happy. The coconut is strongest, blended with a fruity mixture that is not totally pineapple. It has a similarity to the Bath and Body Works Coco Cabana lotion that I packed instead for my vacation (disclaimer: not a worthy substitute) and will layer very well over that. I definitely think of this as a frothy coconut drink applied to my skin. I see myself using this a lot over the next few weeks, while it's still so hot here.

I wrote this in my review but just noticed this thread so I thought I'd mention it here. I think Knock-A-Dolly atmo spray is very similar to Death of Autumn, though a little sweeter from the cinnamon.

I took a real leap of faith to order Clermont, because rose is a note of doom for me, though I adore opium. Rose Cross was just too soapy on me, even though I love frankincense. But I work in Clermont county, and this is the first (and likely the only) time I've ever ordered a scent based only on its name. I might have finally unlocked the key to wearing rose. The opium is definitely the stronger note on me, and it wraps around and mingles with and tames the rose into a beautiful dark floral. This is just a beautiful scent, rose or not, and I'm happy I bought it.

OMG Gula I can't believe I waited so long to try you! I expected this to be mostly chocolate to the detriment of the other notes, so that is why I didn't really have this very high on my list to order. I was in the mood for a chocolate oil to use as an after-shower moisturizer with my chocolate scented perfumes (Centzon Totochtin, Midnight Kiss, and Chocolate, Whiskey and Cognac Truffle in particular) and this is amazing! The chocolate is rich and not too sweet, and the caramel, vanilla, and especially the currants are so well-blended with the chocolate that this is just heaven. Well done, Puddin'.

I love clove, and I love annis. All I can say about this is that it is clove and annis, but not in a good way. Glad I only got a decant. Big disappointment.

This is the first scent that has ever tempted me to drink it right from the bottle! (don't worry, I know better). Exactly as the name says, this is a boozy chocolate, whiskey, and cognac blend. Pure chocolate booze when first applied, on the drydown it softened, blended, and faded quickly enough that I will even be able to wear it to work. I am able to wear strong scents without a problem though, so YMMV. Now if I can only find a drinkable version of this at the liquor store! Suggestions, anyone?

Sour strawberry jolly ranchers with a touch of chocolate. And sour enough on my skin that I had to wash it off. I don't know if it was the strawberry or the white pepper, but it has the same sour note from Milk Moon that I couldn't stand.

First of all, I love to drink Cabernet, so I had to try a decant of this. It's a gorgeous dark fruity wine scent, and I agree with another reviewer who mentioned a similarity to the fruit in Centzon Totochtin. It ends with an almost incense note on the drydown. Gorgeous! Recommended for those who love strong grapey wine scents: Centzon Totochtin, Prospero, Urd

This one is like a much gentler version of 13 from February 2009- the one with the black label. It has a lot of similarities, but in a greatly softened version. I would recommend this one for people who, while liking the notes, found the Feb '09 version of 13 to be too strong and too spicy.

I don't care for apricots or apricot scents, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this. But this is a lovely fruity chocolate scent! Very heavy on the raspberry and chocolate, which is surprising because to me, white chocolate is the same as nothingness. It's sweet, but not overpoweringly so. For fruity chocolate, I much prefer Midnight Kiss, so a decant of this will suffice.

Very strong on the patchouli, juniper, and balsam. As others have said, it's very woodsy yet still has a sweetness to it. Even though it's a dark, more masculine scent, I really like this and would wear it. However, a decant is enough for me.

Oh hai vetiver! Yes, it is right out in front, but that's not a bad thing to me. But this is an unusual scent... the patchouli and vetiver are sparkling, and lighter/crisper than usual. Must be the grapefruit. This really reminds me of something but I cannot wrap my mind around what it is. There's almost a leathery tang to this, too. It's ok, glad I've tried the decant, but not something I would wear. And definitely not something my hubby would like so no sense in having him try it either.

Oh my stars! I have a bottle of 2008 Smut, which I don't wear often. Although I should adore it- musks, particulary red musk, sugars, and booze all love my skin, but the "smut" part of my 2008 Smut both attracts and repels me. I have received compliments when wearing it, but save it for going out to a bar, something of that nature. So it was almost an afterthought that I added a decant of Smut 2010 to the decant circle I joined. I just received my decant today, applied it, and WOWZA! Now this is what I wanted Smut to be like! It's still a gorgeous boozy musk, but it's sweeter than the 2008 version and is missing the "dirty raw sex" note that makes me so nervous about wearing 2008. Not only do I love this, my husband got home from work shortly after I wrist-tested my decant of 2010 and leaned in to really sniff and asked what scent I'm wearing today, because he loves it! Believe me, he never notices my perfume. That alone makes this multiple-bottle worthy. I'm so glad I added that decant or I'd never have experienced this version. Now.... two or three bottles??

When I saw Beth's post about the proceeds from several scents going towards the Haitian victims, I checked my spreadsheet to see if I already own any of these as imps and hadn't gotten around to trying them yet. If so, I want to test them out so I can order bottles for this cause. Lo and behold, there was Elegba on my list, and it was color-coded as untried. I love coconut so I took a chance and really slathered it on after my shower, just to get a real sense of how this would wear on me. (I feel decadent when I slather my frimps- but that's for another thread ) Elegba is, as others have described, a coconut rum, very much like Malibu. I even sniffed my bottle of Malibu just to be sure. On my skin, the coconut is very predominant and it's not at all boozy. Coconut is a summer scent for me, so I will definitely be ordering a bottle and look forward to wearing this in the summer months.

I used to wear Fendi ALL the time. I find it to be more like a spicy,leathery oriental. You may try The Caterpillar and Hand of Glory. Thank you so much for your reply! And yay, I have both of those for her to try! Fendi was one of my all-time favorites, and I wore it a lot and always received compliments on it. I don't have either of lookingglass' recommendations, but I can say that I still love to wear spicy dark scents. If you can find some Chrysanthemum Moon, it's a fabulous spicy oriental, and one of my BPAL favorites. I also love and get a lot of compliments when I wear Snake Oil. I've never gotten the playdoh note in Snake Oil that so many others describe. On my skin, it's a very spicy vanilla with lots of throw, so if your friend can wear Fendi, she might love Snake Oil.

This was a frimp from the lab. Upon initial application, all I smelled was orange- huh? Then I realized it was the neroli. It quickly dried down into a dark scent that was somewhat citrus/floral. It's ok, but not something that I would wear often.

Knock-A-Dolly I love you! You smell just like my beloved Death of Autumn perfume, but with an after-shot of cinnamon sugar. Just terrific! (but it definitely benefits from a shake rattle or roll to re-blend the leaves with the cinnamon before spraying) I hope that the terrible component problems that plagued Puddin' with this spray don't keep it from ever returning.

On Halloween, I dressed as a vampire so I wore Crypt Queen. Today I wore Pumpkin IV (2009) layered over BPTP's Pumpkin Pie Bath Oil. For Christmas Eve, definitely Midnight Mass. Christmas Day, I haven't decided yet. Either Lick It Again or Shub, depending on whether I feel more pepperminty or gingerbready

Another win for me! This is another one of Beth's dark and smoky clove scents, which I love. I don't know how she manages to It reminds me of Valentine of Rome layered with Mort de Cesar. I will have to skin-test each of these next to each other and report back.

I'm another one who needs to make the comparison to Fearful Pleasure. Let me say first that I adore Fearful Pleasure, which when fresh was all smoky apple cider on me, and has now aged to an even smokier cider. It's one of my absolute favorite Halloween scents and I am rationing my bottles (two) because I just don't want to be without it. So I was uncertain about whether I needed Lambs-Wool, due to the similarities in the reviews. However, I am so glad I ordered a bottle, and I even need to order a backup before it goes away. On my skin, Lambs-Wool is exactly like Fearful Pleasure but without the smoke! This is also a good thing, because there have been times I've worn FP to work and thought it was just too strong and smoky for that environment. So for the times I really want to wear a spicy but creamy apple cider that goes on strong and seems to last a long time, then Lambs-Wool fits the bill perfectly! If the smoke was the only note putting you off from FP, then get Lambs-Wool. Get some!

Puddin' graced me with a generous supply of Asylum to make up for a long-lost order, and I am so happy to have this! Asylum starts off with a whoosh of cold mint, and as Mordath said, it's slightly antiseptic and with ozone. I am not good at deciphering floral notes, but I think I detect geranium- at least that's what seems to be lurking just underneath the mint. If you get locked into this Asylum you won't get out any time soon! It lasts and lasts. I have a silk ivy arrangement hanging in my guest bathroom and sprayed a couple of pumps on it yesterday morning, and it is still scenting the entire bathroom this morning. If I were having a Halloween party this year (and sadly I am not) Asylum would be the perfect scent to spray throughout the house. My husband's favorite movie is "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", and this Asylum is the perfectly evocative depiction of that movie! The first "blast" is a fresh scent of Nurse Ratched in her starched white uniform greeting you with her icy smile as you are admitted; there are a few floral arrangements scattered around the common room you pass through, but as you are walked down the hallway to your room, you realize with an unsettling sense of horror that you are not leaving this Asylum any time soon. I hope Puddin' makes this one available so everyone can try it!

The only ingredient in Lucy, Kissed that made me pause slightly before ordering was the rose, because rose hates me. But there is supposedly rose in Crypt Queen, which is a scent I adore and which doesn't at all come across as rose on my skin, so I had to take a chance on this too. I am so glad that I did! Initially, it is all red musk, patchouli, and dragon's blood yumminess on me- not a bad start, but very reminiscent of Lust, which I already have. The red musk stays out in front of the patchouli, and they both quickly dry down to the point where I can detect a violet/rose floral mingled with the dragon's blood. Fortunately it's not overpoweringly rose. There is an earthiness to this, but not the Graveyard Dirt kind of earthiness. Overall, this is very evocative of Lucy's dark seductiveness after she's been turned. My body chemistry allows me to easily wear scents that others describe as dark and heavy, and this is something I can see myself wearing frequently. This is so nice that I'm thinking it may even be 2nd bottle-worthy.

Other than Mme. Moriarty (which I cannot live without) I've puposely avoided trying any other CD scents because I feared getting hooked on more of them. I finally caved, and ordered some decants of a few that I just knew would work on me. Clemence was one of these, and my fears have been realized. She's fabulous! At first application on my wrist, I am getting- not a smackdown, but definitely a detectable hint of patchouli, enough to say "oh hai, patchooli!" but then it is gone. This was immediately followed by the most beautiful spicy clove-y carnation I've smelled in years! This is the kind of carnation I remember from my childhood, when my dad would occasionally give my mom flowers. Carnations were always my favorite flower because of this- they were so spicy and warm smelling, but they just don't smell like that from the florist nowadays. This is a blended clove and carnation all swirled together and I just love it! After about 20 minutes, I get a woodsy teak note coming through, but maybe that's the cardamom and tea. All in all, Clemence is a huge hit and I am now forced to order a bottle!