naeelah

(I haven't used this one in the bath yet, just sniffed.) This is a really lovely, light, refreshing scent. At first the cucumber and tea seem to dominate, but I think I'm getting an equal amount of the florals. The top notes, to my nose, are tea, cucumber, and sakura. The scent is wonderfully fresh and true, as if you just sliced up a bunch of salad fixings and tossed them into your bath along with some flower petals. I think it will be great for hot weather. It's really relaxing. It reminds me of the perfume oil Cancer ('07), and I think fans of light, watery fragrances will like this. And the general notes that I'm including in each review: The bath oils are light and thin in texture. They absorb into the skin very quickly and easily, without leaving an oily residue, when you put them straight on your body. I've used them in my hair (rubbing through in the shower, then rinsing well), and they made an excellent de-frizzer and de-tangler. (The parts of my hair that are closest to my face seemed to get oily/dirty more quickly than usual, since my hair already had oil in it. I probably wouldn't use this every time I wash my hair, so that I don't get any nasty buildup.)

I haven't actually used this in the bath tub yet, so just a general impression, so far: The bath oils are light and thin in texture. They absorb into the skin very quickly and easily, without leaving an oily residue, when you put them straight on your body. I've used them in my hair (rubbing through in the shower, then rinsing well), and they made an excellent de-frizzer and de-tangler. (The parts of my hair that are closest to my face seemed to get oily/dirty more quickly than usual, since my hair already had oil in it. I probably wouldn't use this every time I wash my hair, so that I don't get any nasty buildup.) The scent is about half currant and fruits, half patchouli and musk, to my nose. Since I haven't taken a bath, I haven't gotten the chance to experience the full bouquet yet. Comparisons to Mme. Moriarty are definitely apt, so if you love that scent, I think you will love this bath oil. I think it smells great in the bottle, but patchouli and I have a very poor history together, so I'm actually hoping this one won't stick to my skin too much, outside of the bath. In my hair, mostly the red musk and patchouli stuck - which had a strangely cedar-y effect. So this may not be the best scent as a hair product.

The blueish tinted one that someone referred to I think is already in the photo that Tramp posted. Assuming there are only 3 new labels, then we're just missing the one that hkhm received. I'm pretty sure all of the old Smut labels are in the old posts, if you're looking for the completely anthology.

I have the second generation version, from DD. This scent is so well-blended and also so young that I'm having a hard time reviewing it. In the bottle/wet, I smell pretty much everything but the red musk -- gardenia, vanilla, rose, amber, and orange. It smells a lot like biggerCritters, actually. As it dries, I really can't pick anything out. The red rose and gardenia seem to be two of the foremost notes, but well-blended with soft, vanilla amber and orange zest. I don't usually like heliotrope as a top note, but fortunately, it's pretty soft in this blend. The longer this dries, the more the red musk emerges (but it never becomes one of the most prominent notes -- this isn't at all a musky blend, it only adds zest). Dry, the overall effect is of a vivacious red rose with beautiful, glowing amber. Such a perfect interpretation! So far this is very soft, and it seems to fade quickly. I have to slather it. I think it's beautiful now, but it's not grabbing me by the gut. But I think this is a blend to age, so I'll keep it and see what it's like this time next year. These are notes that should age well, and if the older version reviews are any indication, this should become something heart-stopping! Try this if you like: Versailles, Moscow, biggerCritter, Lovers' Parodies of Sumo Holds, Unheavenly City

I tend to amp sweet, and personally, Eshe wasn't in the slightest bit sweet or jasmine-y. YMMV, of course, but I think overall it's definitely very dry.

Magpie, about John Seward -- that's one of my favorite scents, and I know I've made more than a few comparisons to Dr. Seward in reviews. I've been trying to remember what those things are... For me, Blood Countess was VERY similar, but with the addition of red fruit. That's the closest match I've found, for my skin chemistry. YOUNG Kubla Khan is a little similar, if memory serves me correctly. You might also try Defututa. It's a little smoother and less spicy/gingery, but I think it's definitely in the same ballpark. black*cat, for Carfax Abbey. You've got 4 things to match in that scent, so I think you might need to layer: wood, stone and dust, herbs (rosemary?), and incense. I think Cathedral is your best starting point, better than Penitence, because it also has some woods. It's quite similar on its own, mainly just lacking the herbs, but it does seem sweeter and richer. Cathedral is a living church, Carfax Abbey has been neglected for centuries. Sniffing them side by side, Carfax is MUCH dustier. I think Eshe, from CD, might be great for layering -- that's a very dry, dusty herbal scent, with a few dry resins.

These blends are so complex I just about don't know where to start in reviewing them. I barely knew what to expect on my skin. Wet, this is strong on the spun sugar, with a good dose of red ginger. There are probably some other things going on here, but I can't pick them out. I don't have a good history with red ginger, so that's what gave me some slight reservations about this blend. Luckily, with so many other components and so many sugary notes, the red ginger is well balanced here. No funky mustiness. Dry, a real tartness emerges. At this stage, grapefruit seems to be most apparent, with cream, spun sugar, a hint of red ginger and pepper. I'm unable to pick out the other notes specifically, but I'm sure they're there. The longer it dries, the more the grapefruit evaporates, and the stronger the red ginger gets. After maybe another half hour, I think the lily has become a lot more noticeable, lightening the whole blend up. I've seen some people compare this scent to Bloody Mary, and I can definitely see a similarity. As tart, cream based fruit scents, they're in the same family, but they definitely don't smell the same. The red ginger is the real distinguishing point here. It gives a grounding, rich spice quality that makes this really unique -- it's part sweet, part sour, part savory. So for me, it's tart citrus with red, spicy cream. I loved Bloody Mary, so I love this too. The only downside is that the throw and wear life both are below average. (All the better to slather with!) Try this if you like: Bloody Mary, Night Gaunt, Croquet, Midway...

I know how to take a hint! I tried to upload it to the community gallery, but it says I've used all of my disk space... um, okay. So if anyone wants to save this and upload it to the forum, please feel free.

Someone who goes to will-call regularly will be able to remember better... but as I recall, one of the pirate scents -- probably Jolly Roger -- had a jolly roger label. The Picnic in Arkham series has the elder symbol on its labels. I think all of the collections with unique labels have been mentioned, but there are definitely random scents that get their own labels.

In the bottle, I smell mostly amber and arabian musk. On the skin, the amber definitely dominates this blend. It's a pure, clear, golden resin -- doesn't strike me as creamy as, say, Egyptian amber. The white honey blends right into the amber, adding a little sweetness. The white honey is definitely a bit lighter, less thick and sweet, than plain "honey". As a whole, it all blends very well, so I can pick out different notes, but it's all contributing to the amber. Almost immediately, a dry, grassy quality comes out. I suppose that's the kush - it smells sort of like hemp rope. (It definitely does NOT smell like someone smoking weed, so stop worrying about that.) Some of the grassiness could also be coming from the daemonorops. The Arabian musk seems to be lingering as a base note. I think the dry edge of the kush is blending, to my nose, with the dry edge of the musk, so I have trouble distinguishing them. Like the previous reviewer, I, alas, find no currant anywhere. Not even a hint of red fruit. The longer this dries, the stronger the grassy quality becomes for me. ETA: Now it's about 2 months old, and the grassy quality hasn't gone away. It's not a grassiness, I've realized, it's a soapiness. Wet, this is beautiful and not grassy at all, but as it dries, something disagrees with my skin. I think I can smell more of the red currant now, though. It's just a hint of fruit, coloring the musky, creamy amber. Over the life, the balance of the amber and kush see-saws a little, but other than that, it morphs very little for me. I think it smells nicer from a distance than under nose, as from a distance, the amber and honey aren't taken over by the kush -- but the throw is a bit soft. I think I'd like this better if it were stronger, so I'd say this will be a slatherer. Wear life is a little below average. If you're looking for a brighter, creamy golden afterglow kind of scent, try Defututa. This one is a little bit more down and dirty.

I have one Lupercalia label. I'm at work so I can't take a picture right now, so, erm, here's a place holder until I can. I have Anactoria -- it's the same style as the Smut label, but different colors. The main part of the label is blue, and above the name there are the face of a couple, in color rather than black and white.

When I tried this fresh, it was definitely a lot more prickly, more spiky red ginger. I think it's around 6 months old now, and it has really smoothed out nicely. I kept sniffing it and sniffing it thinking, what does this remind me of? Gingerbread! Non-foody gingerbread, if that makes sense. The ginger does lend a slightly gourmand quality, but truly, if you want a gingerbread scent that doesn't actually smell like food or sweets, give this a try. (I would say that it does smell a lot more like gingersnaps than gingerbread, gingerbread is just the first thing that came to mind.) The gingers are the main component here. Red ginger is definitely present, but it isn't as overwhelming as it can be in other blends. These are warm, dried spice gingers, not fresh, lemony gingers. There's something that's every so slightly sweet, and there's a rich, smoky backdrop. Throw is decent, as is the wear life. Definitely recommended for fans of ginger, or smoky, warm fragrances.

This one is an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. I tried it on because it was red, hoping maybe it would be a red musky blend. Wet, it's a little sharp and prickly, almost like red musk, with a bright patchouli quality (not as deep and earthy as regular patchouli). Dry, it has a real creaminess. From a distance I first wondered if it was coconut, or vanilla, but I couldn't put my finger on it. So I'm very surprised to learn that this has, ostensibly, only two components: red patchouli and orange blossom. The resulting fragrance is much more complex. Normally, patchouli is an evil note of death for me. I amp it like crazy, so anything containing patchouli just smells like dirt on my skin. Red patchouli, on the other hand, behaves much more nicely. It's almost like a cross between sandalwood and patchouli -- a little bit lighter and woody, a little bit sharp, and a little bit earthy. Normally I hate patchouli, but this is really pretty nice. The orange blossom lends, well, a creamsicle-like quality. A tiny bit fruity, but it doesn't really grab me as orange, just sweet. It's sweet and amazingly creamy. (Is orange blossom always this creamy? It seems like there has to be vanilla in this.) The patchouli and orange blossom are in about equal balance. On my skin, this actually smells surprisingly like Snake Charmer. Huh. This will require additional experimentation. Throw is excellent. I only put on a little, but it's really carrying. Wear life seems to be good.

This is definitely competing for my favorite BPTP soap! The scent is exactly like the fragrance oil, only, since it never gets time to develop on your skin, it stays heavier on the greenery. The scent is really strong, which is just heavenly in the shower. It's seriously like you're bathing in a florist's cooler -- you're blasted with icy, rosy greenery. The scent does linger on the skin, but it's only noticeable right up close. But it lingers in the bathroom forever! The soap itself is quite like the Pumpkin soap in consistency -- medium soft, from the clay, with moderate lather. Because it's softer, it melts a little faster than some others, but for me, it still lasts a long time. (A quarter of the bar lasts about 2 weeks.) It leaves my skin feeling the same as any other BPTP soap. My skin is quite dry this time of year, and that's impossible to prevent, but this soap doesn't exacerbate the problem.

Of all the scents I've tried that are clearly aimed at men, this is one of my favorites. Wet, the penny royal is very strong, like peppermint. There's a strong dose of lavender with it. It doesn't smell like lavender cologne, it just smells like, well, plain lavender. As it dries, the mint becomes much more subdued and the black musk, as usual, becomes stronger. After a while, it's dry, somewhat flat herbal notes with deeply rooted black musk. Not quite as dynamic as it is starting out, but an interesting combination, like all of the Mad Tea Party blends. The mint seems to be more noticeable from a distance than right under nose, which is good. I don't know about wear life, but both lavender and black musk tend to last forever on my skin, so I think this one bodes well. The only tradeoff is that seems to have soft throw. Try this if you like: The Emathides, Dorian...

wet: light, dry herbs -- they seem more floral than herbal -- with sweet amber. The sweetness maybe comes from the apple, but doesn't really stand out as apple. dry: Wow, this has morphed into something much richer and more interesting. I've been trying to think of what it reminds me of, and it's old country stores. It smells a bit like potpourri. The main quality is apple with dry, slightly spicy herbs. The amber blends with the apple and helps to ground it, so it has more of a general sweet quality than a fruit quality. I can't pin the apple as either red or green, so perhaps it's a blend. The dryness is nicely balanced by the amber and apple. This is really nice! Definitely recommended to apple and amber fans. Throw is about average -- don't know about wear life.

At first, this is very Pina Colada to me, minus the pineapple -- strong, milky coconut with sweet booze. Dry, the tobacco balances some of the creamy sweetness of the coconut and keeps it from smelling quite so much like a tropical cocktail. Actually, the tobacco is very dry on me. After a while, it's the dominant note. I smell like a coconut rum soaked cigar. It's quite nice, if you like tobacco as a main note. I prefer it more for color, so this isn't the blend for me.

Sensual ecstasy, the blinding red fire of the apex of sexual pleasure: Moroccan rose, Sumatran rose, mandarin, Egyptian myrrh, night-blooming jasmine, bergamot and neroli thrust into Arabian musk. So far, this one doesn't seem to morph very much for me. The strongest note is, by far, rose. Rich, red rose, like Mata Hari and Peacock Queen. The myrrh and musk seem to blend together, to my nose, forming a rich, lightly smoky, resiny base. With the rose, it's a sumptuous combination. Not too delicate, but not dark and heavy. Neither the jasmine nor the mandarin is really standing out for me. I think I can smell just the lightest hint of mandarin and bergamot in the background, and perhaps some sweetness from the jasmine, but the core of this scent is definitely the roses. The throw is on the good side of average. It's definitely noticeable from a distance. Don't know yet about wear life. I think this is my favorite rose musk blend, so far. It has more of a traditional rose oriental perfume quality, and it doesn't go funky on my skin chemistry. It's rich and sophisticated. Definitely try this if you like Mata Hari, Peacock Queen, Rose Cross, Coco Chanel (or classic orientals in general), or just if you're fond of roses!

Anubis starts out very dry. I'm not sure how else to describe it -- it's a little like smelling resins just in your hand, not being burned. It's a little fragrant, but also a little bit flat, if that makes sense. There's a dry herbal quality along with this. After about 30 minutes, though, this morphs into a much warmer and more interesting fragrance. There are light, dry herbs, lightly smoky resins, and round, sweet edge, like amber. This is a really nice entry into the Egyptian theme. It's not overwhelmingly herbal, but they do color the blend. I recommend this to fans of resins, especially anyone who's in search of a lighter, not so heavy and smoky resin. The throw is kind of light. Wear life is about average.

Wow, this is surprisingly awesome. I mainly got an imp of this to see how it compares to Count Dracula, and it's a very different beast. Wet, there's a lot going on, but the mint is too busy screaming HI I'M REALLY MINTY!!! for me to really get a sense of it. As it dries and the mint stops being so shrill, the evergreen gets a lot stronger, and the musk becomes noticeable. Dry, it's an even mix of evergreens and black musk, with a cool haze of mint in the background. There's a little bit of a smoky quality, and the clove is lurking underneath the evergreens. The longer the scent dries, the stronger the clove gets. Overall, the blend is surprisingly soft. The musk never overpowers the blend, it only provides a foundation. I have to say, I think I like this even better than Count Dracula, because the black musk isn't nearly so heavy. Other than the musk being lighter, this scent is quite similar: clove with musky and dry, cool, woodsy notes. While this is very easily suited for men, I'd have to call it solidly unisex. It's a lot less overtly masculine and cologne-like than the Count. I definitely recommend trying this if you wanted Count to work for you, but you found it too masculine.

I've tried a lot of grapefruit and citrus blends, and none of them have quite grabbed me. But this one is a little different. Wet, it smells, to me, just like a glass of grapefruit juice. Not pink grapefruit -- it's not nearly so bright and sugary. This is a deep and strangely slithery grapefruit. I think the slithery credit goes to the yuzu, which combines with the grapefruit to make a nicely tangy, bitter-edged citrus scent. As it dries, a very light floral quality begins to appear. I can't say that the florals are -- they're obviously distinct from the citrus, but at the same time, they blend so well. Whatever flower it is, I can't imagine anything else being used here. I don't know if I'm getting any kumquat. I'm not all that sure what kumquat smells like, really, but I feel like I only smell the citrus. Yuzu and grapefruit are unfortunately short lived, so once dry, the florals are much stronger. It's a light, clean kind of floral. Reminds me a little of the flowers in Snow White. It's still really lovely. After 30-45 minutes, it's considerably lighter, like all citrus blends. But the floral notes are hanging in there, and they're still citrus tinged. Right now, this is one of my favorite citrus scents in the catalog, and a definite candidate for a 5ml purchase. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of grapefruit scents!

Yay, thanks! That is definitely one of my favorite yule labels.

Can someone please post a picture of this year's Krampus label? The photo one, not the parchment one. I can't find a picture anywhere.

I'm not sure how this one has escaped my attention for so long. It seems like the type of scent that would be really popular around the forum. Wet, it's very sweet and golden, strong on the peach and heliotrope. As it dries, the amber and heliotrope really stand out. Initially, the peach is very fruity, but it becomes more and more floral as it dries. As the peach dries, the vanilla becomes more apparent. Once dry, it has definitely morphed a lot from the wet phase. It's a much drier and more subdued scent now, as the sandalwood has suddenly gotten a lot more noticeable. I tend to amp sandalwood, but golden sandalwood usually behaves much better for me. That seems to be the case again with this scent. Dry, it's primarily amber, heliotrope, and sandalwood, with light peachy florals and a soft undertone of creamy vanilla. It's still a little sweet, just not nearly so lush. It's very nice! The throw is on the soft side, but I think this is one you could slather! I don't know yet about wear-life. Try this if you like Kubla Khan, Aglaea, Brisingamen, Haloes.

... Hellebore resembles the wild rose, but does not belong to their family. The scent is a pale green herbal, darkly rooty, with a faint rose and peony-like overtone. I'd say that just about sums it up. This is sharp greenery offset by a soft, powdery quality, and a suggestion of something dark and earthy. I don't get so much rose from this -- I get a lot more greenery. Of all the Rappaccini's Garden scents that I've tried, this is one of the most garden-like. Many blends are of fantastical plants, and many are very specific scents (such as cucumber). With its greenery, light florals, and faint earthy note, Black Hellebore is like an entire garden, concentrated. Although the name kind of suggests a darker scent, I find this very fresh and springy. Recommended to fans of green scents.