artisjok
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Everything posted by artisjok
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Flickering Lights, Fluttering Curtains gives me the visual of walking towards an open window in the night, layers of sheer curtains flowing into my face as the wind enters the room. The moon is shining outside, and no matter how close I get to the window, I never seem to arrive. Stuck in a bedroom full of dried flowers and antique face powder, aching to see what in just beyond the windowsill, I continue wading through the floating fabrics until I open my eyes in another reality. Which one is the dream?
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If your top 5 scents are... Then try these!
artisjok replied to Ella LaRose's topic in Recommendations
My most recent “dry” love is Pyramid of Skulls (A blend of four sandalwood oils stained by tobacco absolute.)! Real good. -
I was having a Sugar Cookie Cathedral kind of day recently (fun and laughter with sprinklings of ritual and internal emotional work), and I was so pleased to have this blend with me to wear! I enjoyed the mix of resins & sweet, though it was hard to explain the overall effect. Definitely get some frankincense and wood, sugared up in a tasteful manner, as in it didn’t make me hungry or feel too youthful for profound occasions. A little after I applied (and forgotten), someone in passing commented “mmm smells like palo Santo in here…” I shrugged and looked around, realizing an hour later that I was the smell bearer. If you need some coziness during your spell working, or a reminder that you are supported in times of trial, if you want to be purified with loving laughter or feel sparkling under scrutiny… this blend does the trick. Feels appropriate for Aquarius season, too! Very glad I got decants of the full Sugar Cookie set, or I would have skipped this beauty.
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I was wary committing to a bottle of Pinched with Four Pumpkins, because coffee rarely stays on my skin. There was the chance it would feel… hollow, unfinished. Yet, I’m over here rejoicing at my leap of faith! ??❤️? I can’t quite tell if the coffee bean husk actually sticks around, actually. My dearest beloved Pinched with Pumpkins bottle is both rich and dry on me. Syrupy pumpkin tobacco (not as syrupy as Pumpkin Snake Latte) and strong woods backing it up and lifting it out of complete gourmand territory. There’s an almost chocolate feel to it (coffee husk, is that you?) It’s regal and snuggly, disciplined and extravagant. It’s pure unadulterated yum!
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Warm rice granules and grapefruit pulp, sweetened and decorated with flowers petals and candied ginger shreds. The wet phase (above) is great, and then the rice flees and the flowers amp, and it’s just not something I would reach for… more perfumey that I like. It does convey a spring festival full of tradition and sidelong glances and fresh breezes.
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Chibi Skull is thick mallow butter, spread on a wafer of patchouli and topped with a dollop of sweet cream. It’s a thin granular sweetness, covered in a dense cream cloud. Super fragrant. Rich, yet not cloying to me. I first thought it was a lot like Silkybat, but when comparing both, the patchouli is so much fainter that it’s hard to make that comparison. Probably the same type of patch, but buried the gourmand notes. This reminds me of DL, Honeycomb & Vanilla Cream, and scratches the same itch, so now I don’t feel the need for a bottle of that. Yay for satisfaction!
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I’ve got a spell on me. October 32 caught my eye right away, as I’ve been enjoying A Cozy Sweater and an Apple Cider for bedtime. Amber and thick cream with that clean wooly note? Plus, tea and leaves?! Yes, please. Upon wearing the scent, I get less cream than I wanted, no discernible tea, and only a smidge of amber to warm the leafy clean sweater. Later on, I have a soft warm scratchy wool scent, only huffable at close proximity. Not a total win…, And yet… I can’t stop reaching for this bottle! It’s already December, yet my consciousness is still riding the October wave.
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Traditional Sheet Ghost is primarily the lemony frankincense on my skin, supported by fresh breezy cotton and poofy, barely-sweet, a bit powdery marshmallow. I can see how this could turn into wood polish for some. It’s definitely one for bright sunny days. I’m getting a similar vibe as Venus Caelestis, so if you enjoyed that one, you might want to jump on this ghost in a hurry. It’s a different vibe, yet still has that perfumey resinous lemon feel. Not sure if I really need to keep this decant. I have a bottle of VC that I really enjoy, and I like sweeter-leaning clean scents (like Good), but maybe the marshmallow will come out more with time?
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DL, Honeycomb, & Vanilla Butter is yuuuummy on my skin! I get the blast of dead leaves up front, and the sweet waxiness of the honeycomb. The DL quickly fade into a light powdery version of themselves, a touch of the dry crackle, typical for that note on my skin. Then, the vanilla butter amps and entwines into the honeycomb. And it is buttery, yet not overwhelmingly so. I feel like it’s a cousin to Snake’s Kiss for me. The throw is low/medium yet lasts really well. I hope it will increase in throw…. I only got the decants in the mail a couple days ago. I’m really tempted to bottle this baby!
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I feel like The Trackless Erg might be a good atmo spray for him. I haven’t tried it, just from reading reviews. I have considered buying it for my own younger brother!
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I don’t know why, but the pear, I think, goes very musky on me. It still identifiable as pear and the vanilla cream is there, but I also feel like items something my grandmother wore. It was terribly strong on the powdery musk when I first tried, and after letting it rest a good while, if has decreased, yet still very much part of my experience. A sad miss for me, as I really wanted just a simple and delicious vanilla pear scent.
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What You Want and Being Happy Are Two Quite Different Things
artisjok replied to zankoku_zen's topic in Sandman
What You Want and Being Happy Are Quite Different Things, indeed. Upon application, this is a bright red pomegranate with tuberose trailing behind. Once it starts to dry, the pom loses it’s place, and it’s a tuberose smoke, with a touch fig, and maybe a bit of tartness in memory of the pom. Totally different tone, as the name suggests. Surprisingly, a little later I get more pomegranate! Then, is does that disappearing act, again. It is very interesting. Not sure if I can smell the tobacco leaf among the smoke… This is probably the most pleasant tuberose I’ve experienced. I’m tempted to keep the decant for that alone, though will I actually wear it? What do I want? Maybe I will do a full day wear just to see what happens. Maybe happiness is an elusive pomegranate, weaving in and out of perception. -
OG version This blend started off with a juicy cherry, spiced by the cassis (probably cardamom too) & brightened by the lemon verbena, with the woodsy patchouli base. Then most of the fruity notes fade and a spicy patch is left.. and then, an hour or so later, the cherry comes back, yet not as juicy, like a fresher version… I think it’s melded with the verbena to create a new strand of cherry. The spices have settled cozily and are just adding a gentle spark to the scent. Pretty smooth blend, overall. I like it, though it has something a little off that happens with some aged scents on my skin. Not sure how to describe… I decided to sell the bottle, but I might pick up the newer version sometime!
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This armadillo definitely rolled in the mud.. it’s strong earth, tobacco, and woods when I slather the oil. Gnarly. Then…. then, they all fade into a faint cocoa tobacco that barely has any throw on me at all ? maybe a tiny bit of the cream…. It’s such a shame! I don’t see any globs or flecks in my bottle…. I’m going to keep it around and try another day. I was also dreaming of layering with Ghost Milk, so will definitely wait to try that before making any decisions on whether to keep or destash. Come on, ‘dillo!
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Good prevails! Good is very clean, and very strong on me. I’m getting something like the linen fairybites mentions, and some sugary goodness. A fresh marshmallow- breezy and sparkling, fluffy and bright. I’m surprised at how strong it is, though most of the Lab’s other “clean” scents are similarly hefty in throw. The honey is translucent and gives a tinge of wackiness to the scent, more obvious to me in the later stages. This might be my go-to clean scent for those breezy sunshine days when all the windows are open in the house and the bed is made up in freshly-washed linens…. A casual and carefree day. For some reason I see a glass of orange juice in the vision… anyway, Good is a winner and has it’s place in my collection.
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This is a Perfume About My Dog Eating Peaches
artisjok replied to Seajewel's topic in Event Exclusive Oils
I tested my bottle a few times, letting it rest for a good while…. Every time, the peach overpowered all the yummy sweet notes. It was a bit of a tart peach, still juicy. By the time the peach backs off, the other notes are pretty light, so I don’t get to enjoy the creaminess as much as I hoped. I’m waiting a while before wearing Vanilla Wafers & Peach Cream, in hopes that I won’t get the same result. Let’s switch @Soupy Twist -
Dense, sweet buttery coconut cakes, drizzled in thin strands of chocolate and sprinkled with a dash of toasted coconut flakes. That’s the impression my senses conjure with this scent, and it has me salivating. I bought this originally because I am searching for coconut scents that my daughter might enjoy… it’s now firmly in my possession, with some sharing potential. Haha Possibly my favorite coconut scent, as I generally get an artificial note with most others. (Also, I’m deep in a gourmand phase.) Also, it lasts very well. Lovely experience!
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Mary Shelley is the obvious one that comes to mind...
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I agree that Pumpkin Booze is definitely heavy on the bourbon, in the first stage. It quiets down to an orange-tinted sugar & spice with a gentle drop of bourbon and threaded with a sense of pumpkin warmth. A refined mood. I walked up to my partner while testing this and he said, “It’s the perfect Halloween scent!” before I even told him anything about it. Mission accomplished. Autumn party scent acquired.
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My partner’s response~ ”You smell good, like Christmas, the best Christmas. The Christmas where candy canes are the main theme, just without mint. You smell like the fruit candy canes.” Then, we both confirmed we never liked the fruit candy canes, laughing. “You still smell very good.” It’s boxed strawberry cake to me, with creamy icing. I’m surprised the sugar isn’t too much! Some how it’s all working well on my skin AND has lasted a good while. That’s impressive. It’s rare for me to find a cake scent that works well and lingers long enough to enjoy. And now, I’m getting flashbacks to birthday parties when I was young..... that’s what I get for reading through all the reviews. One of the most fun scents I’ve tested in a while!
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I’m excited to try this scent, as Hoggle is a favorite. Escape features a pumpkin note that doesn’t work well for me, something about the spices. It quickly dissipates, though, and is overtaken by a lovely brown leather, very slightly spiced. I think I’m getting a bit of warmth from the hay, not much. No smoke here. Not bad, but I have other brown leathers, and Hoggle still trumps as a pumpkin leather scent.
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I’ve kept my decant of Swing Carousel since it was first released, hoping that some age would strengthen the scent on my skin. Sadly, it’s just as faint as I remember. ? Upon application I get a burst or orange and osmanthus, they gently fade back and in the waft around me I can slightly detect some cedar and the orange is lingering around the edges. On my wrist I still smell a brush of floral. And then I can’t smell anything after 30 min. I really wanted that gingerbread to show! All of the notes sound delightful as a group. I wonder if it’s my skin or my decant....
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Red Peach, Sweet Oudh, Honey & Saffron
artisjok replied to zankoku_zen's topic in Event Exclusive Oils
I have a decant of this peachy delight, and slathered it on today in celebration/anticipation of the new Dragon Con scents. It is a great peach incense, though I don’t enjoy the scent up close for the first hour, as saffron & Oud combo goes a little plastic (eventually they start harmonizing better). The cloud that wafts around me doesn’t have any of that effect and remains a slightly sweetened woodsy meditation of peach. The honey isn’t very prominent at all, letting the peach shine, which I am grateful of. Don’t know if I would ever use enough for a whole bottle, though another decant or partial I’d jump for to have this soothing fruit present a little longer in my life. -
I’m getting a dry marshmallow cake scent slightly touched by cardamom. Cardamom fades quickly on me, much to my disappointment, and that’s definitely happening here. I’m thinking it would be a good layering scent for when I want to make another more gourmand (patchouli sounds so good with marshmallow cake!), and doing so might extend the life of cardamom, too. I have a partial bottle of My Little Grotesque that I often open & sniff to improve my mood (aromatherapy can be delicious!), so I’ll have to see if the marshmallow addition makes this worth keeping, as well. To wear, instead of just huff lol
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#135 decant from alterosen~ I definitely smell the cherry in the vial, and it’s strong while wet on my skin. The scent becomes kind of tart and powdery upon drying, not as juicy as I hoped and definitely less sweet than the wet phase. Reminds me of candy, the powdery tablet-shaped ones. I can also see the it being plummy, like alterosen mentioned. I can detect a little bit of Samhain hiding beneath, specifically on my right hand. I’ll have to try this out after I mosturize, because I love a yummy cherry scent, and hope that it’s just my dry skin that makes it flee so fast! Glad to try this Chaos scent~~?