Psycry

HOLYMOTHEROFALLTHINGSHATSMELLAMAZEBALLS! *ahem* That is all. Other than I should have bought at least 3, because after I let Mom smell it, half of my bottle has now been decanted and lives at her house.

I love Faith, love it...and I was hoping for the same for Hope, even though I'm....not a huge rose-a-holic. I'm in love with Rose Red, but for this, I was hoping just for a sweet, understated rose, you know, the rose counterpart of Faith. Nope. No way. Uh-uh. Bath cubes, HUGE throw, and a half hour after I've put it on, I can barely breathe through my nose. Maybe I'll be able to find someone who loves Hope, and doesn't like Faith to swap with, and it will make us both happy.

Simplicity and innocence, gleefully despoiled! Sugared violet. This is a beautiful, sweet, quiet violet that I love. There's literally no morph on me between wet on bottle and dry on skin. It's not got a lot of throw, which is perfect for me to wear to work. The only thing I'd like with this is a longer wear time...but it just gives me an excuse to slather. Definitely a keeper, and worth a backup bottle.

In the Imp: This is watery flowers, and green and pretty. On my skin: I really like this, it's watery, and light, and the flowers are so lovely. Drydown: I can't believe that this is a water scent that isn't going to...oh wow. INSTANT sharp turn into a high-pitched, shrieking cheap cologne on me. Crap. Maybe I'll try this in a water mister, or something else where it doesn't touch my skin.

In the Imp: Fruity and flowery and incensey. This already has promise... Wet on my wrist: Oh, this is pretty. It's not an overly heavy scent on me, but it's not light, either. Well-rounded. I'm getting something like pine in the background of it, but the incense smell is picking up. (For the record, I can't pick the incense or resin notes apart. Musks, either. Though I have found to my surprise, that black musk loves my skin.) Drydown: I really like this. BPAL's honey note seems to turn to play-doh on my skin, but there's so much else going on here, that it's almost like a creamy backdrop, if that makes sense. There's a brief almost-soap stage, but it never quite gets there. Thankfully. It's the closest to The Temptation that I've found yet in the GC blends.

I dragged this out of the imp pile tonight, finally brave enough to try this. I'm also going to mention that this is a dark, thick well-aged imp. I believe I got this as a frimp with my first order back in 2008. And there's no other way to describe it but this: My. Skin. Hates. This. It morphs from a weirdly antiseptic/play-doh smell, to straight Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder, until the full drydown, and it's antiseptic baby powder...slightly sweeter than Gold Bond. Damn it.

I pulled this from my untested imp stash, since it was pointed out to me that it bears some similar notes to my favorite DC blend, the Temptation. I was so hopeful... But my skin completely failed with this one. It's a very high, shrill scent on me, that goes straight into english bath cube territory on me...which, I *hate* those things. Yuck.

You must see if you can find Belle Vinu! They are not the same but you may really love Belle Vinu. Also in a similar warm-golden-fruity feel: Tzadikim Nistarim, Delphi, Loralei, Hermia, Hetairae, Les Bijoux. I'm on the waitlist now for Belle Vinu, and after scouring my spreadsheet, I've got Tzadikim Nistarim and Les Bijoux in my untested imp pile, so I'll give those a shot. Loralei looks lovely as well. Delphi and Hermia are discontinued, so I might avoid those, lest getting into the same boat I am now with Temptation...LOL Someone also hit my messages and suggested Phantom, as it also has similar notes. Thanks for the suggestions!

In the Bottle – Bubblegum. Double Bubble hard-as-hell bubblegum that was at the bottom of the trick or treat bag when I was a kid. The smell when you finally got it soft, and your jaw ached, and it smelled and tasted so good for about five minutes. Wet – Much more of the same, with that weird feel you get at the back of your throat and everything. Dry – The sugar overload gradually fades out of this. I don’t get any of the orange or cherry lollipops on this one, or the woman’s perfume, just straight bubblegum. Fades quickly, and after a couple of hours, there’s just the faintest hint of bubblegum left on my skin…and finally, there’s the faint scent of a soft floral perfume behind it. It’s very cool, and nostalgic, but not something I’d wear with any kind of regularity.

Would anyone happen to have a suggestion for a similar GC blend to 'The Temptation?' I love this one, and it's pretty much my go-to...and I'm on my last bottle. Thanks much!

2008 Blend I got this new from the lab when it was out, and it was one of those that I didn't really cotton to, and I just tried it again. You know, nothing like 8 years to get a final verdict. LOL To me, wet, dry, in the bottle, this is an overly dark smooshed sweet cacophony. It does not play well on my skin at all...it's like you poured syrup and brown sugar on a piece of wheat bread, and then burned it. This one is going to the swaps.

In the bottle: Light blackberries, a hint of floral, not getting the scones aspect at all. Wet on skin: Less of the floral (which I can’t pick out what flowers, my nose isn’t that educated) and the scones make an appearance. It’s not a heavy bread smell, but light and flaky. Drydown: The scones fade back out, and the floral comes back to play, until this becomes a light berry-flowery smell that manages to be muted, but not powdery. I really enjoy this.

In the bottle: If you mixed 7-up and Mountain Dew, this would be it, right here. It's lightly sweet and tart, not syrupy at all. Wet on skin: The same, not much changing. Drydown: The scent notes stay the same on me, again, not much morphing. However, the drier this goes, the more effervescent this becomes. Very cool effect, and definitely in my 'love and will never part with' pile.

2008 version, and as much as the same year's Sugar Cookie works on me, this does not. Even after a few years of aging, this is just unbearably overpoweringly boozy and sweet, and cloying on me. This is going to go into the swap pile, so that someone can really, really enjoy it.

I've got the 2008 version...and I love this. It's all fresh-out-of-the-oven snickerdoodle, large throw, and it doesn't morph in my skin. Lasts hours, and gently just quiets and fades away after a long time. Delicately spicy, warm, buttery, the kind of vanilla that doesn't smell fake-y at all, crisp edges of cookie that have just begun to caramelize...it's perfect.