penemuel

THE CHICKEN-LEGGED HUT But at evening she came all at once to the green lawn where the wretched little hut stood on its hens' legs. The wall around the hut was made of human bones and on its top were skulls. There was a gate in the wall, whose hinges were the bones of human feet and whose locks were jaw-bones set with sharp teeth. The sight filled Vasilissa with horror and she stopped as still as a post buried in the ground. Creaky wood and sun-dried thatching, clacking bones, leering skulls, burnt herbs, and enormous magical chicken feet. I'm surprised there haven't been reviews of this already. So this is my first 'first review' post! I'm getting a lot of sun-warmed thatching and wood -- definitely a sweet, hay-like scent. But there's also a heaviness to the sweetness that's almost kind of nutty. It smells like something I know, and I can't put my finger on it. Possibly something like chestnuts? I'm not getting a lot of herbs, but fortunately I'm not getting chicken feet, either. This is a nice, warm scent, but perhaps just a smidge too sweet for me. It doesn't seem to change much from initial application, just gets slightly more sweet and warm. It also seems to stick pretty close to the skin, but then again I only used one swipe of the imp wand on the back of my hand, instead of on my pulse point. I think it has the potential to have much more throw if more is used.

Quick review: this really seems to be all leather, all the time on me. It's not bad, but I wish I got some of the hemp or rosin from it. However, as I've never had a Rogue character, I'm glad of all the class scents this one was the one that didn't really work out. Hours later, there's definitely a little something else - a little sweetness, maybe from the rosin? And the leather is finally calming down, but the throw is barely there. I can only smell it if I put my wrist right up to my nose. It's nice, but I'll stick with my imp.

I'm working my way up to Chaotic Neutral Half-Elf Ranger but have just got as far as Chaotic Neutral so far. I love both scents on their own, but together they are some kind of awesome. There's a sweet, fresh undertone (Neutral) with a spicy, nearly herbal top note (Chaotic) that blends together very nicely - in some ways it's similar in feel to another scent - possibly Schwarzer Mond, but minus some of the darker notes? There's definitely something it reminds me of, but boy is it goooood. Beth is a genius!

This is an awesome scent, but I'm getting an odd metallic note I can't actually figure out. If I don't sniff closely I get the deep resinous musky scent I expect, but up close, there's a sharp metallic note that makes me think this panther is in a cage it doesn't like. I like the Lab's metallic notes so this isn't a problem, but I just can't figure out where it's coming from. Maybe it's the tail end of RMW messing up my body chemistry... Will try again a bit later to see if it changes. Tried it again off RMW, and it is deep, dark, and delicious. It's very close to my all-time fave, Minotaur. Sweet and dark and heavy, incense and resin, musk, YUM! There's still a tiny edge of metallic, but I'm wondering if that's the ginger. The throw is heavy, heady, and deep. Up close, there's all that, and that little slice of metal. It's a wonderful scent.

Let me just say that in general I am not a fan of foodie scents. But, I really like this one! I think the tea lightens up the foodiness just enough. And there's definitely an edge of anise in there that gives it a bit of complexity. I don't think I'm getting a bottle, but definitely keeping my imp! And now I have a craving for fresh-buttered toast drizzled with honey...

Seriously, startlingly rye bread caraway. I'm hoping as it dries down that the other notes will come out, but right now it's single-note caraway. It's definitely different, but not for me. ETA: It definitely improves and sweetens up after dry-down, the amber coming out and making it richer, but the caraway/rye bread stage is kind of hard to weather. Think I will stick with my imp (and hope for an empty because ALL of the Mars scents have such lovely labels!). ETA Again: A few hours later, this is REALLY nice. I'm getting a deep resinous scent with a little edge of spice. Now I'm leaning towards a bottle again... but I should try for a partial.

I had a little mishap and ended up juggling my decant and ending up with much more of this on than I'd usually wear to test. I'm kind of amazed I didn't spill more! I was very worried it would end up being way too floral and try to choke me, or overwhelmingly red musk and freak out my coworkers, but it's actually fairly light and very, very nice. It's blended incredibly well, and the citrus is actually hanging on a lot longer than they usually do -- wondering if the red musk is helping that or if it's just the amount I'm wearing. The resins, musks, and moss ground the flowers very nicely. I can't really smell any one note above the others, although the flowers do tend to blend together into a general 'floral' mix (which is kind of a pity because I wanted to smell the violet more strongly). I'm very, very glad that this blend works on me, because I really had to buy a bottle of it based on the fact that it's Two Loves!

I'm kind of sad -- I had high hopes for this because a) resin and b ) beeswax! Unfortunately, something in this is going oddly flat and strange. There's something very specific it smells like and I can't place it. However, I blame the wine and/or rose -- probably the combination of the two. I'm still hoping that the resin and beeswax overpower the whatever, but I may have to take this off my bottle list... ETA: after a while, that weird edge is fading, and it's becoming a nice beeswax/rose scent with a slight depth from the resins. Probably still won't get a bottle, but not letting go of my imp!

A very pretty leather scent that starts out with a brightly polished wood scent mixed with the leather. I don't really get any olive oil, but there is a kind of oiled polish scent in there. This is an old, well worn leather, the kind usually described as "buttery soft." The wood scent is a rich bright wood (I'd also say maybe oak? I'm not all that good at recognizing different wood notes yet -- other than cedar (which it definitely isn't), teak and birch (and this doesn't seem to be either of those).) After about half an hour on me, though, the oiled polish and wood fade and the leather seems to be all that remains. It's still a lovely, lovely leather scent, but since I managed to get my hands on Dead Man's Hand this past summer, I think I will skip a bottle. Damn, this is pretty though! *sits on hands to keep from adding it to the list*

Wonderfully blended scent. It's sweet, rich, spicy, woody, musky, and resinous all at the same time. I really didn't want to like this one this much, because now I have to get a bottle. It also seems to be lasting a fairly long time considering I'm just testing my Lupers right now and it's been going strong for 2 hours now. Beautiful, sexy scent! ETA: Beeswax! I should have known! The Lab's beeswax note owns me...

Thank you for those pictures! I can't wait till my Anactoria 2010 arrives -- that's a GORGEOUS label!

Heady, woody, rich and definitely evoking the salt-and-wood scent of a pirate ship. The red patchouli and red sandalwood are making it a bit sharper wood scent than other varieties of those two notes, and that adds to the 'toughness' of the scent. Because it's definitely a kicking ass and taking names type of scent. This would be my scent of choice if I were going into a meeting where I wanted to make sure they listened to me. It's teetering just on the edge of pencil shavings, but I think the frankincense and the fact that it has sandalwood & not cedar that keeps it from tipping over. It stays just smooth enough. Lovely!

Hmn... I get all of the notes, but there's also an underlying funk that is really not good. Something like spoilt milk, or some other kind of sour 'off' scent. I'm wondering if it's the pepper making it do that. On my skin, the honey and melon and tobacco wafts around making an overall sweet scent. However, again if I sniff closely, that 'off' scent is still there. It's not bad at a distance, but I don't see this as being something I'll wear much of.

I was a little nervous about the flowers listed in this scent, but I really didn't need to be. This is a wonderful, almost sparkling herbal/spice blend. There's a bit of incense (the resins) coming through as it warms up, which makes it even better. This is truly a complex and beautiful blend. I can't pick out too many of the individual notes (don't know whether it's my inexpert nose or just how well blended this is) but it is gorgeous!

I love violet, and I love vanilla. Not so much with Gardenia. This starts out as a wonderful violet scent, then after a little bit it starts to get a sour/bitter scent to it that I'm suspecting is the Gardenia. As long as I'm not sniffing too closely, it's not too bad, and after about an hour it morphs into a nice vanilla/violet scent. I think, though, that I'll stick with other scents for my violet fix. Pleasant, but not bottle-worthy for me.

Beautiful warm amber -- it has a slightly darker undernote but delicious resinous warm golden amber. I'm kicking myself for not getting this one. YUM!

Sparkly ginger ale. I don't smell any scorched anything. Very fizzy and nice, but not what I was expecting from the description!

Lemony, metallic, tiny bit of leather in the background. I'm not getting any mint, but the lemony edge to it is like moist towlettes... I like this, though, because I'm in love with that metallic note.

Woody, sweet, piney/eucalyptus-y -- oh, this is GOOOOOOD. I need more! Curse you special freebie imps - why is this not in bottles?! ETA: IT'S BIRCH! OMG no wonder I love it! It's a wonderful sweet birch scent!

In the imp: JUICY FRUIT GUM OMG! On my skin: the Juicy Fruit gum smell lingers for about a minute, then it morphs into this wonderful cloved orange pomander smell. The orange is fading fast though, and it's becoming more of a bitter clove scent, with perhaps some cedar in it (yes, I'm getting the dreaded pencil shavings smell in the background if I sniff too closely)? However, if I just let the scent waft through the air, it's still cloves. I love cloves... I really like this scent, as long as I don't sniff too closely. Mmmm...

I'm getting champagne/fizzy/frankincense? The fizzy part of it is very similar to The Magi from last year (which I remember thinking "Fizzy resins!" about), but I could be way off. This is a wonderful blend -- very bright, shiny, and happy.

I got a testable sniffie of this, and it's very much like pixie stix or some other kind of citrusy powdered sugar candy. There's a slightly dusty quality to it. Not getting any of the really buttery/foody scent, just dusty powdery sugar with a fruity edge. The citrus backs off after a few minutes on my skin (but my skin seems to gobble up citrus like whoa), and it's more cherry/fruity/possibly peachy? Very interesting, and those who like sweet candy scents will love it!

I like vanilla-infused red musk, I like patchouli, nutmeg, honey, galbanum, and I LIKE CARAMEL. However, I'm not sure about champaca, and I don't think I like petitgrain. I know I'm not fond of ylang ylang especially after a Lush product with it tried to choke me to death. Now, this may just be because I have a cold and my sense of smell is shot to hell, but... I only smell petitgrain and ylang ylang, and it is NOT what I was hoping for... I'm going to have to try this again later, when I can smell right again, and pray it comes out as yummy as most of the notes make it sound, because right now, it's just flowery death. Burned flowery death. With burned citrus notes. I'm sad. ETA: After a while, the caramel and vanilla and maybe the honey are coming out, but I don't think this is a keeper for me. Pity. (I'll still try it again after the cold is gone.)

Wet, this started out as something frighteningly unpleasant. It was the leather scent but with something very sharp and somewhat rotten smelling that I just didn't expect. However, when it started to dry down and warm up, the amber & oppoponax came forward and sweetened up, making it a rich, warm, dark leather blend. I don't really smell any of the tobacco. Hmn. I wonder if it was the tobacco I got at first that was so jarring. It could be... I don't think I'm going to get a bottle, but I'm not decided against it yet. Would not be averse to getting frimps with other orders, though

I've tried this for the first time in a year (pulling out all the Yules now that new ones are released) and tested it. It's a beautiful, cold -- almost ICY -- scent, with a rich undertone that lends a sweetness to it. It's beautiful and sharp, and makes me think of a night in the mountains with a bright moon limning the snow in radiance. I honestly can't pin down a single note in it, but it smells amazing. Wintry, woodsy, bright and a little sweet. I love it!