Sushi-n-Sake

Hawthorn, fig, myrrh, carnation, toasted almond, red and green apple, patchouli, wood smoke, and Indian musk. L'Autunno Bottle: Fig with almost a honeyed sweetness and a dash of spice. Wet: Fig, kitchen spices, and a bit of apple. I am confused because I distinctly smell cinnamon, but it's not listed in the notes. It's okay though, because I adore this kind of scent! Dry: Smells like those spice sachets that you can find at some country kitchen stores. The ones that come sewn inside potholders so that when you set the pot down, it warms the sachet and the kitchen smells like wonderful warm spices. Verdict: I am so, so happy I ordered the inquisition, and that the goblins in their wisdom (and with the help of the highly accurate quiz!) sent me L'Autunno!

Fig leaf, patchouli, black tea, and bonfire smoke. OMG, I am so in love with my bottle of L'Autunno and am weeping inside because it's going away. The best way to describe it is autumn woods in a bottle. I smell the fallen leaves, the smoke from distant woodfires, and the moist soil. It's everything I loved in Samhainophobia, October, and Death of Autumn in a room spray. I'm sitting here in my office, in the middle of 90-degree heat, and can close my eyes and feel like I've fast-forwarded to October. It's earthy and smoky and mossy and windy and Just. Gorgeous. Edited for spelling

Unfortunately, my experience with The Shattered Pumpkin was like Heavenlyrabbit's. The image that was stuck in my head while wearing this was of those giant maggots that live in rotting trees in South American jungles, and what it might smell like if you squished one of them. Not good at all and it made me really queasy. I didn't wash it off despite my nausea, and after a long time I got soft warm leather mixed with light earthy pumpkin that I was hoping for when I ordered this. But I'm not going to try this on again.

In imp: Very dark, earthy patchouli, similar to the in-bottle scent of A Countenance Foreboding Evil Wet: Still heavy patchouli, but the apricot is starting to get stronger as well Dry: The patchouli has backed off, and as other reviewers noted, this is very much like overripe apricot and dirt Verdict: I am definitely a patchouli-lover who usually doesn't go for fruity smells, but this is something very special. I love it and will be putting a 5mL into my next order!

MLIII (1053) I almost didn't order Chaos Theory, because I am a Virgo and hate surprises! But I caved and ordered a bottle anyway. I'm a big fail at picking out notes, so here goes: Bottle: I recognize a note from Phoenix Steamworks. It also has a sweetness to it like dark fruits. Wet: Ooh, now it smells a bit like Philosopher in Meditation. Since both that and P.S. have Abramelin incense, that must be the note! Also detecting a rooty wood smell similar to Screaming Mandragora, and that same sweetness (plum? fig? IDK) I smelled in the bottle. Dry: The sweetness fades a bit and the incense and rooty note remain. Verdict: It's hauntingly beautiful. So glad I took a chance with Chaos Theory!

In imp: Wonderful, woodsy frankincense Wet: Resins galore, and rosewood Dry: More subdued, but still sweet resins and rosewood Verdict: I agree with the reviewers above - I usually amp rose until I get physically nauseous, but not here! The rose combined with the resins does come across as a beautiful rosewood and church incense fragrance. So happy I found a blend with rose that I can wear!

In bottle: Very faint. Honey and a wisp of lemon and spice. Wet: Smells a lot like Dana O'Shee with a bit of a spice and herbal kick. Dry: Wow, now it smells quite a bit like Lush's Afterlife moisturizer, which I use and love the scent of. Cool! Verdict: A keeper for sure. I adore the honey, grain, and herbal goodness of this blend.

In bottle: Caramel and little else Wet: Caramel and amber, with a bit of apple blossom and honey. The wood is present but way in the back. Dry: Caramel, honey, and a hint of apple blossom Verdict: It's okay, but I prefer Glowing Vulva or Red Lantern for this category of fragrance. It verges on being headachy-sweet on me.

In bottle: Cloves and carnations Wet: Clove, carnation, patchouli, and black pepper Dry: Sweet clove and pepper. As others have mentioned, it's reminiscent of chai tea, but more so reminds me of the clove cigarettes I used to smoke (and still do on occasion!). Verdict: While this is pleasant enough, it's not something I'd personally wear often. The clove cigarette smell, although nice, is too sweet as a perfume for me.

In bottle: Molasses and resin In tub: The molasses fades to a background sweetness, and I don't smell the patchouli and myrrh after that. What I get now is spicy carnations which must be the sweetgrass and sage combining with the cinnamon. Verdict: I wish the patch and myrrh would have stuck around, but it's lovely nonetheless. Also made my skin soft. Next time I'll try using more to see if it stays truer to the out of bottle scent. ETA: Since this review, I've discovered that I really prefer the bath oil applied directly to my skin after bathing. It's completely non-greasy and retains that original yummy scent!

I had to LOL @ this...I remember that commercial too, and I can still picture him carving that slice off the bar of soap! As for Irish Spring scents, I totally got that from Galvanic Goggles, but that stage didn't last long at all. I'd still recommend getting an imp of this to try because if you like masculine scents, the drydown is wonderful.

In bottle: Sugar, green notes, and rose...uh oh. I thought rosewater would be less obvious than regular rose. Wet: ROSE!! and sugar with a hint of opium Dry: Rosy floral mishmash with a tiny bit of alcohol. Sigh. Verdict: Like the previous reviewer, I have a horrible time with rose but thought the rosewater would make this wearable for me. Alas, it is not to be.

I bought Dungeon as a spray for my car, because I thought the leather note would complement the leather seats. It turns out that the fragrance is mostly musk and merlot to me, with maybe a small hint of leather in the background. Nonetheless, I do like it a lot despite the absence of leather (which is one of my favorite notes). I'm not a big fan of wine notes, but thankfully this wine is dark and not too sweet. To me, it's sexy without smelling like sex - which scared me when I started seeing reviews along those lines! I'll definitely be buying more atmosphere sprays in the future - the two I've tried so far are wonderful and I can't wait to see what other scents Beth and Puddin' create!

Down the Rabbit Hole is an amazing room fragrance. I smell the orange marmalade very distinctly, with the supporting notes of fresh, moist earth and spring flowers. The dirt note is not potting soil, but the way the earth smells after a light spring rain. It definitely freshened up the house and I'm so very pleased with my purchase!

In bottle: Smells like the inside of an imported goods store - the kind that sell all manner of exotic statues, lucky bamboo plants, and incense. Wet: Green leaves, incense, dragon's blood, and some sweetgrass Dry: Equal parts magnolia, dragon's blood, frankincense, and sweetgrass Verdict: I really like this a lot. It's a bit too heady on me to wear every day, but beautiful nonetheless.

In imp: Ozone and metals. Smells a bit like Cool Water cologne. Wet: Much the same, but with a hint of spiciness. Dry: A mixture of metal, oils, leather, and spice. Stays close to the skin. Verdict: Too much like generic men's cologne. I was hoping to get more leather and frankincense, but no such luck.

I had to buy a bottle unsniffed because I have an inexplicable obsession with ancient cultures and technology, and also because the notes of The Antikythera Mechanism are made of win! In bottle: Heavy, dark tobacco. Reminds me of Black Lace. Wet: Black vanilla rises up to battle with the woods for dominance, with the headiness of the tobacco not far behind. It's very intense. The vanilla is definitely dark and not sweet-n-creamy like mainstream vanilla. Dry: Faintly sweet dark woods. Verdict: I knew I would like this from the start and it does not disappoint, though I wish it lasted longer - I can barely smell it 3 hours after application.

In bottle: Beeswax, citrus, and resins Wet: Beeswax and frankincense with a hint of herbal Dry: A lovely warm blend of resins Verdict: No. 93 Engine has made it into my top 5. This is a perfect resin blend, and I do love my resins!

This review will be short, because from start to finish I thought Smokestack smelled a lot like Yankee Candle's Fireside scent, but slightly more complex. I adore campfire/smoky smells, so this will get a lot of wear from me in the fall and winter.

In bottle: Fresh, reminds me of Irish Spring soap! Wet: Strong balsam and herbal notes, with musk in the background. I also detect the sharpness of the metallic notes. Dry: This is when Galvanic Goggles really comes to life. The Indian musk amps up and it becomes an incredibly delicious scent with sweet, green, and spicy notes. The scent as a whole is unlike anything I have smelled before and is difficult to describe. The throw is quite strong and I am loving it. Verdict: If you are not impressed with this scent in-bottle, fear not! The drydown is incredible. This is how I imagine an exotic, sexy, and dangerous man to smell like. Perhaps Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayid on Lost, smells like this.

In bottle: Leather, tobacco, and parchment Wet: Strong leather and incense with tobacco not far behind Dry: Heavy tobacco and leather predominate. It smells the way Forbidden Foyer smells on my skin. I'd swear there was mahogany somewhere in this. I can even detect a hint of something almost minty in the background. Interesting! Verdict: IMO a more masculine blend but I love all the notes in this and can smell each and every one, including a few beloved notes not even listed. It does morph quite a bit between each stage. I will definitely wear it often.

In bottle: Heavy musk and dark spices. Very exotic-smelling. Wet: Musk, sand, pepper, and tobacco. The musk smells darker, not like red musk. Dry: It sweetens up a bit (becoming more characteristic of red musk), and I get more sand notes. The spices are still swirling around the scent. Later: Soft powdery musk. Verdict: I smelled this at Will-Call and had to order it right away. It's just the kind of spicy, exotic fragrance I love.

In imp: Dry, perfumy sandalwood Wet: More of the same, with the resins and moss way back. Rose is starting to kick into high gear. I wish I didn't amp rose so much. Dry: Rose backed by wood Verdict: I might have liked this blend except for the rose. It seems I share the same problem as the previous reviewer and just can't wear anything with rose. Sigh.

In imp: Dark, smoldering spices Wet: A rush of spice layered over dragon's blood, and a hint of cassia Dry: Ritualistic incense grounded in musk and leather Verdict: This kind of scent is right up my alley. I wish it were a bit stronger, but it might not have the somber, secretive vibe it has if it were. A winner!

In imp: Sandalwood, chocolate, and a bit of spice Wet: Sandalwood and milk chocolate with a hint of myrrh lingering at the edges. Dry: This stage reminds me of coconut husks, oddly enough. Verdict: Although this isn't strong, it lingers, and I like both woody scents and chocolate scents. I am getting a bottle to use with my scent lockets.