VetchVesper

Oooo! Thank you! I will check them out and report back. And welcome to the CHALLENGE!!! Happy to have you. Getting outside is a great goal, and I too am a hater of the heat and humidity. I swear I'd be ten pounds lighter if our weather was ten degrees cooler.

Today feels like it's officially autumn! The morning started cool and overcast, with a chilly breeze. 🍂 I'm LOVIN' it. 🍁 I tested out Solitary and Abhorred, which I believe I was frimped by @Lucchesa, a thoughtful gesture since I've been wanting to explore carrot seed. The fragrance started out a bit like Coiled Serpent, with a good bit of warm, slightly funky patchouli, but the carrot seed crept in after a few minutes adding a soft, wistful sweetness that was perfect for the gloominess of the day. I really enjoyed this one as something warm and grounding, though surprisingly, it lightened to a skin scent before the end of my 30 minute walk. For folks who fear offending their fellows in yoga class, the low throw might be appreciated though. 30 minutes of brisk walking; 30 minutes of yoga stretches! I'm experimenting with different yoga videos, trying to find routines I like. I would love suggestions. I'm a novice, but I'm naturally stretchy and bendy, so beginning positions can sometimes feel a bit unchallenging. I'd really like to find some routines that give me a good stretch, build core strength, and focus on good form and breathing technique. Ugh. Covid. 😕 My husband's workplace went through an outbreak about a month ago. @Amazonia, hope he feels up to snuff soon. @Lucchesa, glad it was a false alarm. Also, I would have had some "appreciative" words for that dog-napping do-gooder! @Madame Mew, gardening totally counts! 😜 I've actually been meaning to do some of that too. I have a lonely rosebush that wants some companions. What kind of herbs are you planting for the cool weather?

Ooooo... Elf seems like it would be lovely for a forest walk. I hope your husband is ok.

Awesome sauce! Welcome aboard, @Lucchesa! So glad the air is clearing up for you guys. Send some of that rain down to California when you're done with it. @Amazonia, I love your Lady Death Savage description. @Madame Mew Glad it's helping! Me too me too! You ladies are putting me to shame and inspiring me all at once! I walked half an hour today, but I also got two closets cleaned out, so I'm call'n it a win. :D. I wore Dead Leaves & Maple Sap which lasts FOREVER, and smells lovely. It definitely amped up the maple syrup on the walk, which was ok, but I don't know about for a hard core workout. I'm waiting for Monday so I can bust out some crazy dancersize videos without my husband snickering. 😜 Only my cats get to judge.

You ladies are awesome! Thanks for joining in and helping me stay motivated too. @Madame Mew, Antikythera Mechanism is gorgeous. Glad you were introduced.

@artisjok Yes, I really like Cancer 2017 when I feel dreamy. It's not airy, but fresh watery, and always seems a little mystical. What are your airy, dreamy blends? @Seajewel Oh boy, I'm hiding my wallet from the Liliths in anticipation of the Weenies. There are usually some nice lavender blends in there though. I wonder if any of them will be good sleep blends.

Huh. I wouldn't have expected it to be earthy. You've peaked my interest. I'll have to check it out!

I actually find dirt notes very grounding and good for sleep. (Nah. Definitely no pun intended there. ) Since my previous post, I've also found I really enjoy Deep in Earth (which smells to me like a rainsoaked garden) and The Rat Speakers. The green notes in Nephlim are also soothing. Baba Yaga and the Chicken Legged Hut are also strangely comforting, though I don't often sleep in them.

I usually experience snow notes as either a chilly mint or an ozone and light, sweet coconut blend. But as @torikitty mentions, the lab varies things up a bit. Usually, fragrances with that descriptor are going to be cool smelling rather than warm and comforting. It also seems to me, they're usually on the lighter side. They can last a while, but they usually aren't going to be the heavy, rich, decadent scents I usually love. Some folks love the snowy stuff. I'm kinda ambivalent toward it. You'll just have to try a few blends if you're interested and see what you think. You might try putting an ISO Snowy Scents up on the Wanted thread. Just specify you're looking for testers and see what folks offer. That way, you don't have to troll the swaps pages looking for the descriptors.

This is a wonderfully warm, comforting scent. It's golden brown and perfect for autumn. The vetiver and hay keep it from smelling anywhere near foody, though a trickle of honey wafts in and out of the dry grasses and grains, adding some sweetness. There's a pleasant mustiness to the blend that makes me think of a grain silo or clean, hay-filled barn while still hinting vaguely of freshbaked bread. Someone upthread mentioned The Chicken-legged Hut, and I'd agree with their comparison and add The Marshwoman's Brewery to the list. Himalia lacks the floral notes in TMB , but there's still something delightfully yeasty in the mix. I don't know if I need to hunt down a bottle of this, but I've very much enjoyed my imp.

Wow. This smells more like spice cake on me than honey cake. I was hoping for something more akin to Feeding the Dead. This is not it. I amp the heck out of cinnamon, and apparently it's in here, beating me over the head. I might be catching a few whiffs of ale, but my nose is too beleaguered to be sure. For those who DON'T amp spices like a mofo, this would probably be great for Oktoberfest. 15 minutes later, things have calmed down enough I can smell honey in the background. It smells a bit buttery, golden, sort of like the note in Hymn to St. Brigid, but it's not as sweet. This is more how it smells in the imp, but it's still spicing at me, and I'm not having it! Alas, not for me.

Huh. Waayle... I expected to be gaga for this one since I'm a huge fan of all three notes, but this isn't at all what I expected. The copal in this smells like the one in Coffee Beans & Copal, which also didn't work for me for some reason. Normally, I get an earthy, metallic tang from the note, almost like the way money smells, but here I'm getting lemony cola. I know others have mentioned copal smelling like cola, but it usually doesn't for me. I'm not really digg'n it. I get a little cocoa in the imp, sort of a chocolate cake mix smell, but nada on my skin. Just copal and a bit of dusty amber. Perhaps this needs some aging to come into it's own. (I'm testing this fresh from the mail.) As is though, I'm glad I didn't splurge on a bottle. If Coffee Beans & Copal was your jam, you'll probably like this, but I'm a bit disappointed. 😕 I might have to play with this before I give up on it. It might smell nice added to other things. I'll report back if there are any positive changes.

I swear, this one just smells like apples and cinnamon to me at first. Ok, now it's pears and cinnamon, with a teeensy hint of something floral. (The oil is bright red, which is fun. ) It's continuing to morph, and now the pears and the poppy have blended to a bright, fruity floral and I can tell the spice isn't quite cinnamon. It's got a sharp, dry bite to it though. Perhaps that's the epazote? I can't really separate the herbal notes. I think the amber is just lending a touch of arid warmth to the whole. This isn't really in my wheelhouse as something I'd wear much, but it is pretty. The dry, spicy bite mixing with the bright juiciness makes for an interesting combo. Glad I revisited it, but my vote's for Paramatman! #tournamentofunderdogs

I'm cheating a bit b/c I'm reviewing this from memory. I actually thought this one was discontinued! Seems like I should grab a bottle. I remember this being a simple but gorgeous blend. All three notes are recognizable, and the dry sandalwood plays beautifully with the sweet florals. I have a book of Indian fairytales filled with oil-paint illustrations of lush gardens, princesses in pastel silk, and elaborately carved Hindu architecture. Paramatman evokes such images with its mix of temple incense and lush flowers. Unabashedly Eastern and a must try for champaca and incense lovers. #tournamentofunderdogs

This was mostly jasmine and oud on me. The jasmine was pleasant, but the oud is being p'oudiferous. That said, sometimes oud is just awful. Here it's just going a little barnyard. Wish I got some elemi or silken musk. The most surprising thing to me about this one is it's short wear length. This stuff's gone on me within 2 hours. From the listed notes, I expected this one to have a long wear time.

Really glad I finally got to try this one! This is a very nice example of herbal anise, if you like the note -- which I do! The anise is a touch powdery and is the most prominent note on me, while the green tea, though present, is the least prominent. Overall, I get a cool, dry scent that's a touch spicy and very reminiscent of a bed of soft green forest moss. Michiyuki and Cacao & Black Moss both have that soothing, fairy-forest vibe, though both fragrances are quite different and worth having. I'm pretty sure Queen Titania had some of this stashed in her bower.

Demure white florals with a hint of musk (the ambrette apparently) and ylang ylang in the bottle. Hooo! On the skin it amps up big time! If you are a fan of ylang ylang, heads up. Here she be. I also get something almost lemony? Ahh. The magnolia blossom. This is pretty, and lush. Floral all the way, in a BIG way. I think I do catch a hint of vanilla, but it's very much binding the florals together rather than asserting itself. The ambrette just gives this a wonderful "live-in" warmth. This has the texture of thick, white petals. No soap, just "I want to roll in" floral. It's shamelessly floral in the way Cascading Blossoms was, though the two smell quite different. Really pretty. I have quite a bit of my partial left from decanting this one, as there wasn't much initial interest in this fragrance. I am QUITE happy about it. Floral lovers, don't miss out.

Really nice in the bottle. Mossy and floral. Complex. It's reminding me slightly of Silenti from the VILF's (Spanish moss, lilac, wisteria, myrrh, and olibanum). Similar vibe, but more exotic and less melancholy. On my skin, it immediately becomes very discordant. Less moss, more incense and something golden and sharp. Now, it's sorting itself out, becoming more of a dark, lush floral. I'm definitely getting that myrrh, which is usually a note that stays in the background on me. There's a weird, dirty-spicy - sharp note coming through that I am not familiar with and I'm not sure I fancy. It kind of reminds me of dry ginger - sort of? Perhaps the japonica? I'm not familiar with the note. Carnation can be spicy, but this isn't usually what it smells like, and I don't really get any recognizable carnation. The weirdness starts calming down after about 5 minutes, and again, I'm getting a mossy, dark floral that still reminds me of Silenti. I kind of like it, but am suspicious of what it will do next. Those who like The Madame might also appreciate this, and supreme_c0rt's reference to Little Wooden Doll also works. The sandalwood has sort of a dusty, Oriental feel. Pleasure Boat isn't a love, but it's interesting enough that I kind of want to keep my partial and see if grows on me and where it goes with aging. Overall, a languid, mossy floral. Dark, plush, and exotic smelling.

In the bottle, Ehon Karanishiki strikes a nice balance between a bright, fresh gardenia, and realistic strawberry. It's quite sweet, but it's a lovely floral sweetness. On my skin, the lilac bursts out, and I get the same note that is in this year's Hotaru No Yu HG. As with the HG, the lilac goes slightly synthetic on me (others didn't seem to have this problem) but is still pleasant. Something is going a little sharp here though, and (I hate to say it) giving me a faint urine vibe when I sniff closely. The fragrance is becoming less gardenia and more of a balance between the notes. I can suss out each of the florals and the strawberry, but none of them dominates. I'm not smelling any vanilla. Happily, the urine has vanished, but the lilac is still giving this a synthetic edge that I don't care for. I liked things much better when they were in the bottle! Also, this reminds me of another Shunga from years ago, A Mirror of Spring Pleasures on Kites (2016 v), but that one was deeper and jammier smelling, whereas Ehon is lighter and more floral. I think this is quite pretty, but my chemistry is spoiling it. Peony is also not a floral I'm particularly fond of. If the florals look good for you, especially the lilac, check this one out. The strawberry is present, and adds to the bouquet, but overall, I say this is spring floral.

Hi @SilverInkAndStardust Welcome to the forum. I'd highly recommend you check out Alice, Knave of Hearts, Twilight, Dragon's Milk, Defutata, and Shoggoth (I know it's got musk and amber in there, but if the other notes sound appealing, I'd still try it. There's a LOT going on in there.) Florals with notes you like are - Two, Five, & Seven (fruity rose), Snooty Rose (powdery plum rose), Blood Rose (sweet rose), London (strait up tea rose), Black Lily (I adore this one), Shanghai (fresh, lemony honeysuckle) New Orleans (lush jasmine-heavy floral), Delight (sweet, sumptuous, rosey floral), Maiden (light, sweet, and a touch spicey), Les Fleurs du Mal (very much a classic floral), Viola (another classic floral with a touch of somber mossiness) and Seraphim (a gently incensey rose floral) Lady of Shallot is also lovely. If you can do aquatics and lily of the valley, you might also try Sea of Glass. If you like violet at all you might try Sybaris. It's almost a foody violet, with a clove spice. It's unusual, and I think, beautiful. You might also enjoy the fruity currant in Anteros. Keep in mind, if you order six imps, the Lab throws two in for free. They're random, but I've found some of my favorites that way. You can also find good prices on 2nd hand decants in the sales thread on this forum. It's a great way to try out a lot without spending a fortune. I'd also say, the Lab uses a variety of different musks, so don't disregard them all quite yet. Some of them might work for you, while others don't. For example, I ADORE red musk, but white musk can go kinda screechy and soapy on me. Anywho, happy sniffing!

Odd. Woody, herbal, a tad soapy at first, but in a very nice way. Clean but spicy. Mossy. Possibly black musk? Sage. These are my guesses without looking at the notes. Looking at the notes - huh. NOT what I would have expected. Oh yeah. Ok. I DO get the sandalwood. The chamomile is probably just adding to the calm herbalness overall. Raisins and caramel - not so much. Which is fine by me. I'm not a foodie fan, so those weren't really the notes I was interested in. With the caramel and tobacco and raisins, I would have expected something chewy smelling, but this is very dry. (Probably that sandalwood.) This is a very nice man scent. Not sexy, but just really calm and warm and rather charming in an understated way. A good scent for the last of the Red Hot Swamis.

This is a bright, dapper lavender. Very fougere. A tad sweet and soapy. Clean, like a nice aftershave. I get a touch of creamy lilac in the dry down, but this one stays nicely androgynous. If this was how a villain smelled, I imagine he would be a very clean-cut one, with his hair pomaded back and a starched, white collar. He'd very likely have a British accent. Not MY type of villain, but a pleasant enough smell. Folks who dig this might also like Wilde, Embalming Fluid, Herbert West, and Jared. I'll stick with the more herbal Envy for my lime and lavender though.

I've been on an opium kick. 😏 In my perfume at least. Darkness is the most obviously floral, to my nose, of the opium blends. The opium is right out front in the opening, but then falls back, couched by the lush narcissus and sweetened by the myrrh. This smells very sultry, languid, and old world. The indole of narcissus always teeters between sweet floral and decay to me, and here, it smells beautiful, but also a touch creepy. Very fitting for the poem. Darkness makes me think of New Orleans in the movie, Interview with a Vampire. The night air would smell like this in the old French Quarter avenues. Also, if you couldn't do the jasmine in BPAL's New Orleans perfume - try this. The lush humidity of it also reminds me a tad of Bayou, thought the notes are quite different. So again, if you liked the idea of that on, but it just didn't work for you - try this one. Quite lovely.

I'm testing it against Inferno, another cinnamon heavy scent, and the cinnamon in this seems tame by comparison. I'm actually getting something kind of funky smelling. I think it's peach and maybe the patch? It's rather animalic. i'm also getting some nice, mellow clove and some dried orange peel. And yeah -- I do get a touch of incense. The scent is very dry and warm. The cinnamon is present, but doesn't take over. The scent falls somewhere between sangria without the wine and those fancy orange and cinnamon stick potpourris they sell at Christmas. The patchouli and incense save it from going total craft store though. It's actually very pleasant, but not really something I'd wear much. I'd love it as a room spray though.

CINNAMON. Unabashedly, so. If you want to smell like a walking, talking Atomic Fireball - this is it. People upthread are saying "red hots" and yes, that too, but the nasal burn in this is fierce and impressive. The skin reaction is also a bit fearsome. My skin is moderately sensitive to cinnamon, and after 15 minutes of wear, this is causing some tingling on the back of my hand, so be warned. The almond note is what turns this from spice cabinet to CANDY cinnamon. The neroli makes an appearance about 15 minutes into dry down, and just adds a little maturity to the scent. Noses in passing would still probably register it as cinnamon candy. This is not for me, but I'm kinda happy it exists. For cinnamon lovers, this is a must try.