Jenjin

We had many Iris patches around our yard when I was a child. I would pluck the flowers and take them apart and examine them. They appeared almost edible--sumptuous, petals fragrant velvety to touch. The orris here is the highlight with it's violet breath, mixing with luminous magnolia in a sophisticated way. The musk is delicate and dances through the blend with swishy hips and parted lips. The gentle hum of the magnolia gives it an overall creaminess and sweetness, with a whisper as tears fall to transform into diamonds.

A decant of this was slipped inside one of my packages and WOW I hunted down a bottle soon after, actually from Lizzie^^ I'm a sucker for the lab's daffodil note, and this one does not disappoint. These, strangely enough are warm weather daffodils, just before they bolt and go to seed. The bees are buzzing about and the shaggy roses are tossing pollen. All the floral notes swim together and form a sort of wild flower bouquet along with the EPIC ahhhhhhhHHH vanilla amber note that makes me SING! It comes together into a fresh, clean almost green honey scent that beautifully duplicates springtime. I will treasure this one.

This was included in a package that just arrived. I have tried it before and did a hard pass, but thought I would post a quick review. I LOVE this just after application. WOW! It's so lovely and wonderful. After a few minutes something happens to it on me. It seriously TURNS into something just a little mildewy. It could be the Orris or the honey musk, not sure but what was glorious golden vanilla has gone bathroom pee-pee sour.

Pick up a decant of this years luper: Importune Me No More. Personally, I find it to be VERY similar to Lady Lucille after you get past the high-pitched jasmine start. I did a test with Importune on one arm and Lucille on the other and honestly, there is definitely something similar.

Blush amber, wild carnation, French lavender, hay absolute, strawberry candyfloss, and vanilla cream. Round Dance is very much like my beloved Alice, except she's frolicking in the hay with a big basket sugared berries. I get a bunch of herbal lavender notes up front that dry down creamy, carnation goodness. It's warm like flowers in the sunshine, pink and girly yet sexy. Sweet, spicy, creamy carnation, amber drydown, this dance is made of ruffles, white cakes and pink, spicy blossoms whirling around in the haymeadow

Very well rounded and just a little bit creamy with the pearled peach standing out as the top note. The nectarine in the background gives it all a bit of squirt and keeps things fresh. I'm not getting very much Frankincense except as perhaps a tiny bit of resinous "silver" warmth. It's quite strong and I keep getting little peachy whiffs of it in the air. Overall, it's girly and quite pretty, but for some reason, I seriously AMP Peach when it's in anything and I'm smelling just like peach potpourri or a candle, instead of the fresh peachy garden I want. It's just not working with my chemistry (cry)

Okay, so this one smells like wet OLIVES. WHAT?! I'm not loving the booze note and i'm questioning whether I even want to try it. Yah, I don't like this one. The cognac really smells like black olives to me with a bit of sour rose. Washing this one off. PASS~

Violet in the wooded mountains. The pine is upfront here, giving this a flowers-in-the-snow whiff. It's medicinal and herbal in tone and the juniper pushes this into a bitter sour territory on my skin. It's clean and herbal, but also takes on a harsh smoky note that I'm guessing might be the tobacco? This one is WAY too harsh for me to wear, but I can see Evergreen/Violet lovers giving it a shot.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I went for this one. Wisteria, Lilac and Black Pepper? Just after application, it's a little jarring. All those perfumey flowers trying to get along with each other? and then WOMP here comes Pepper! I'm not sure about this one. And then WHOA! I had totally forgot about how Champaca can go completely corny on me. It's super risky and I didn't even notice it was in this blend. Sure enough, it's like flowers on a blue cornchip on me with a splash of white tea on a big ole mountain of NOPE. It also drifts a little bit bitter and sour so hard pass. I can totally see this getting an sexy, floral incense vibe on some, so worth a try.

PEAR MUSK MEOW~ The first few minutes of this are fresh pear with a musk finish. It's a velvety smooth finish on my skin, with a tiny bit of tang. The Rice Milk makes is all creamy while the musk adds a touch of sexy "scratch". Clean and fresh overall, unfortunately the way the pear mixes with the white musk in the drydown, not sure how wearable it is for me. I like it, but the sudsy milky finish is not mixing well with this kitten. fft HISS

Otherwise known as "ANGRY PUSSY" Ahhhhhhh~ wafts of glorious blue musk on a soft silky blanket of pink blossom. This is so pretty. The sweetness is just right and I LOVE the lotus here. Overall tart and glistening with soothing green tea. It's very wearable, fun and the wafts coming off of it are GORGEOUS. It's reminding me of one of my favorites, Rendezvous in the Bath" from last year, with blue musk and pink floral instead of cucumber. Very clean and refreshing, I need MOAR of this and MUST HAVE A BOTTLE before it goes away. Another GREAT BIG Luper hit for me. I don't have any blue musk in my collection and this one hits all my sweet spots.

This was another one that was iffy for me because of the peach, but I was drawn to the caramelized vanilla and had to grab a sample. It's girly and pretty just after application, but there's something else that I'm not really liking. It could be the tuberose and its bitter quality blending with the other citrus notes that pushes the whole thing into room fragrance territory. After a few minutes I am seriously amping the chemical bitter note, so this one is a hard pass for me.

I had to try this for the name alone and that Pussyface just makes me laugh. Wisteria hasn't worked on me in the past, but was hoping the tuberose incense would spice things up. Just after application, it's very soft and springy, i'm also getting a honeysuckle that I don't see in the notes, but it is very much like sipping those little blossoms. Sadly, the wisteria is forefront and goes bitter on me in the dry-down. It's reminding me of those old-fashioned bath salt tablets from my childhood: overly floral and artificial in tone. Sad Pussyface~

Relaxed, yet sophisticated, this is very much like cuddling under a great big plaid blanket in the woods. All the notes blending together swirl around into a pleasant and soft blend, the dry patchouli is upscale and elegant in tone while the tobacco swirls delicately around in soft sweetness. Classic perfection, this is a versatile blend for anyone looking for a creamy, elegant and woodsy fragrance. It is seriously LUXURIOUS and takes me to the perfect shingled house by the sea, reading my way through old books with wafting tobacco clouds filling my dreams. Very much like hugging your lover in a big soft, fluff of sweater and breathing in deep.

Ok, so I'm a sucker for any of Elizabeth's spring florals. There's something illuminating and transformative about them, so I had to jump on this. Wow! This one makes me cry it's so nostalgic. "Who loves well, chastises well" reminds me of riding in the old station wagon, on the way to my grandparent's house after the snow had melted. They were both sick in bed for many years, which for me meant I had a captive audience. I would sit on my grandmother's bed, doing her hair or telling her stories. I thought she was beautiful, and we mutually adored each other. So, onto the scent review. She had thousands of daffodils that would appear each spring. I have vivid memories of trotting about in the yard, picking as many daffodils as I could carry. I was the official bouquet creator. This scent takes me back to this place. The watery, waxy daffodil blossoms with a few tulips and sugary freesia in between, sweet and filled with sunshine coming through the trees, propped up on her bedside and both of us sinking our faces into the bouquet. She was so lovely in the sunlight.

I hesitated on grabbing a bottle of this since I'm still loving a couple of the phoenix with similar notes, but had to try a decant for the apricot since it's seriously lacking in my collection. I've tried several apricot scents and still haven't found the right one. Tart, tangy apricot upfront, it's blended very well with the blood orange which is soft and creamy. It's very pretty and girly overall, fresh and i'm loving the golden chamomile and yummy vanilla. The tiny bit of citrus adds a beautiful PUNCH and delicately sweet. Bottle upgrade for this sweetie.

Strong, medicinal cherry syrup and musk just after application. I'm also getting a dry, almost plastic whiff along with it. It's very strong up front with lots of musk but also something weird and earthy. After maybe 10 minutes the medicinal note moves to the front and any red cherry fades. What's going on here? I'm not sure if it's my chemistry or the oil, but the cherry and red musk COMPLETELY disappears on me and i'm left with the medicinal, dark almost petrol musk that isn't listed in the notes unless it's the dress in DISORDER. It does finally settle into a soft, red musk at the end but the note that I'm not liking is still in the background making this unwearable for me.

Strong, dark seriously soapy rose with a bitter tobacco tang upfront. I'm iffy on rose notes but wanted to try this for its gothic quality. Yep, the rose remains super strong and soapy on me, and the tobacco is earthy and dirty which gives it a roses scattered on a muddy grave sort of feel. Very dry, any sweetness takes a backseat on me. This is definitely a boutique hipster rose, but it goes all soapy rose bubbles falling on grandpa's cigar dribbled molasses chew to my nose, but my rose nose is slightly broke ((weep)) I had my family take a sniff because I'm slightly befuddled by the outcome here. My daughter said brown sugar and flowers, while the hubs called it coffee cake with a cigar.

This one took me back to the days and nights when I was a milk bar. Warm and cozy with my baby all cuddled against me. Bottle sniff was seriously sour milk to me, oops somebody's tummy hurts. I was hoping for more coconut and carnation in this, so this baby's shuffling off to a new crib.

I'm a HUGE fan of the lab's sugared florals and Cave of Treasures hits that sweet spot for me. The lilac floats on top, reminding me of driving around in my car with the windows down while the lilacs are in bloom. Even though the notes are different, the cream note in this is a bit like NYCC Mrs. Dunbar with a big drop of lilac. If you love Mrs. Dunbar I would at least suggest a tester. Also, lilac is just one of those perfumes that can be overthetop perfumy, but here it's perfectly balanced and tampered by the amber, spice and cream. Very wearable and lovely, it has a silvery like quality to it, like blue water droplets on the flowers turned to diamonds. The honey, that can be hit or miss for me, is super delicate, almost like a honey tea mixed with floating flowers and glints of sunshine. This one totally knocks it out of the great big dreamy flower garden. It is full of springtime, blue, creamy floral notes and something like a big deep breath of fresh air

VIVA la slinky nightclub~ When I first saw Dusky I was attracted to the smoked vanilla bean and indigo opium blossom notes. It just screamed GOTHIC ya but huh? Black coffee PASS~ Then I saw a people waving their shroud cloths in the air shouting HALLO TOP 3 ever! so I went trotting with my pocketbook to the post (last minute) for a try. I'm so glad I did because it's complex and downright fantastic. All the notes floating together create an elegant, perfumey cloud that is bewitching and let me say "lux". I love this creamy beautiful, nightsky blossom puffing on a cigarette with cafe'.

Exotic, sweet twigs, forest, woods and herbal notes. I'm still searching for the bourbon vanilla and hoping this peeks out a bit more after aging. Earthy, yet fresh and classic, the oudh in this reminds me a bit of the sweet oudh in Spider Witch. If you like wicked, sexy oudh you NEED to entertain this Maiden.

This is one of the first times i've seen a Shunga highlighting homoerotic art. Color me intigued~ “An extremely rare (possibly unique) Hokusai design featuring a homosexual couple in a rather complicated pose.” This is beautifully complex, exquistely blended and just a little "glittery velvet goldmine". I can't pick out any discerning notes right away except maybe a very smooth elegant, silvery amber vanilla. It's slightly dry, sophisticated, and uplifting. After a few minutes, the coconut husk appears along with the smooth, creamy, sueded leather. It's an instant classic and reminds me of an upscale boutique fragrance. Very wearable and versitile, I can see pairing this with either jeans and t-shirt, little black dress, or even "to bed". Another HIT for me from the lupers.

Finally getting around to reviewing this one. First off, the name is epic. Sometimes I just want to wear this for the chance someone asks me if I've been riding horses. So onto the review! Top note is the lab's GORGEOUS RED MUSK! I love it. Perfect, red sexiness like mountains of all sorts of red blossoms swimming together is a sex soup. What a delight that it's dancing along with shiny, shiny leather. I swear it's patent because it's glistening somehow. The honey adds even more depth here, but in the drydown the batteries start to wear out. It goes REALLY soft and WAY dry on me, the red notes fade fast and the leather starts to scream. Something about my body chemistry seriously amps any sort of leather note, and this turns into a SN. I love it at the beginning, when the sweet RED is fresh, but after 3O minutes, I smell like the inside of an old, leather jacket. I can see those sexy leather lovers hoarding bottles of this!

This is my holy grail of strawberry BPAL. The strawberry in it is certainly sweet, but it never goes musky, bitter or plastic on me. Just true, chewy fruity wafts of gorgeousness and UGH MARSHMALLOW GOOEY . I love it so much and wish I had MOAR~ hahaaa I only have one little bottle but watch me. I am always lurking for the sticky eyeballs and floppy entrails GRABBY HANDS MINE!!!!!