groovyrooby

Wowee I had a sense my skin amps licoricey smells but this definitely seals it. Tested twice from a decant - once just before bed, again several weeks later, early in the day. This smells very bittersweet on me. Almost like Good n Plenty candies, but much more on the bitter side. Guessing that's the tulsi? I'm getting the bitter basil lemon, but very little sweet. I get the clay smell, too. Mineral and earthy, but it just lends more heft to the bitterness. Every once in awhile I get a waft of the hypersweet I would expect from tulsi, based on my experience drinking it in tea. But mostly bitter and dry. Sharp and austere. I should say, the first time I tried this just before sleep, I had some righteously wicked and, frankly, kinda trippy visions while fading out. I don't think I've ever experienced anything like that coming from a fragrance. Didn't hate it. UPDATE: I ended up upgrading to a full bottle of this. I love it for my yoga practice and other times in need of soothing and focus. I also have since discovered Tushnamatay, which I love and have on my full size GC shortlist, and just realized that, in addition to orange blossom, this has very Life, the Sculptor licoricey sweetness! Love it. Masquerade is similar, too, on that note.

I adore this smell. I only wish I could find a way to make it last longer on me. Tested from a decant several times, on skin and in a scent locket. When violet works for me, it has a wonderful bubbles solution smell that I love - carefree and slightly mischievous. This brings that to the table plus damp cobblestone smell of petrichor. It smells like a rain-washed late night in New Orleans, not the boozy party zone, but a quiet, contemplative stroll through beautiful fern-draped balconies at the end of the night. It's purple darkness and lush, damp green vegetation. Maybe it's addition of plum that gives it a faint grape candy vibe? Really enjoy this, and it has good throw for a minute, but unfortunately it disappears too quickly. But I'm willing to try a heavier hand and more locket variations to make it work.

At first sniff this is LE-MON to my nose, but the lemon mellows and blends quickly. Husband smells the flowers. Roses are really tricky for me, but this is just the way I like them! The lavender, too, is really subtle on me, and that is NOT always the case. I love them all, but this one is tranquil and sweet, not a dry or sharp herbal. The package altogether comes off as clean cotton with a faint floral background and a trick up its sleeve. Unconvincing saddy face indeed! This is coy and feigned reserve, bright energy teeming just below the surface. Reminds me a lot of Lightning, which I love, but this lasts longer where Lightning leaves me too soon. Maybe the cognac weighs it down a bit more? Going on my full-size list. I will love this in the summer time!

Love this one. I have come back to this decant most of all the 2020 Liliths I have tried. It's on my full-size shopping list now. First test I was like, ‘ok where is it tho.’ Tried again the next day, and realized this one takes a bit of patience for me. But when it comes around, it is love. Reminds me of a precious-to-me bottle of sandalwood oil I got at a foo-foo hippie shop in Antigua years ago and use so sparingly. Solved Mysteries is that kinda sandalwood juiced up with pepper and skin musk. It wafts nicely - doesn’t have to be too close to enjoy. Warm, clean, light wood, really nice. Like a carved wood box. Worth the wait. This would be an excellent work-appropriate scent. Wearing it today to feel cozy & calm at home but still dressed up a bit. Much as I love work-from-home in tights and a hoodie all day every day, sometimes one wants to feel like one tries. Feeling sophisticated in my insulated track pants, yes, but also Solved Mysteries and, what the heck, a lip tint to boot.

If this is what the rice note smells like, I need them all. Tested from a half-bottle after sitting about a week. First impression was butterscotch. Peanut butter, toffee, sweetness. Buttery richness, and a little bit nutty. I'm thinking that's the basmati? That distinct popcorn nutty smell of opening the lid on pot of rice on the stove. This is a really rich-smelling hair gloss. Faintly sweet, nutty rice - strongly delicious.

This is such a fascinating scent! Tested twice from a decant. The first scent I get is ... green pepper? Both times - dead ringer for green pepper. Which I also got (and loved) in the Norns' Farmhouse. Starts as a sharp, green, bitter woody astringency. Dries to a nice dry, spicy wood. Maybe that's the balsam? Lingers with a smoky-bonfire-in-my-clothes smell. Very pleasant. This and DL Marshmallow & Pistachio Cream are the first 2 Dead Leaves I've tried, and I surprised myself by liking this one better!

Dead Leaves noob here. This was my first foray. I think I might love marshmallow, so this seemed like a great first try! Feels like 3 distinct scents at once - dry crackly and bitter, sweet toasty marshmallow, and nutty pistachio akin to Pink Lovebirds. Reminds me of a Wer Opfer + Hunger combination I have been concocting at home, but not as complex as all that. Overall, I think DL fans will love it, but for me, the bitter is a bit stronger and the marshmallow toastier than I would like. (I like pure confectionary sugar sweet.) Lasted a couple hours for me with the toasty marshmallow hanging on longest.

One of my first ever blind bottle purchases, and I’m really glad I did. This starts as a bracing salve kind of smell, like Barbasol shave cream in the red barber pole striped can, in a really pleasing way. Interwebz tell me this is “largely geranium and moss, and is about as old school as you can get.” I’m wondering if that’s angelica root, too? But somehow over the course of 30 minutes or so, the bracing sharp clean smell gives way to a warm glow. Dried, the smells absolutely of golden milk - not so much the milk as the turmeric: earthy sweet warm glowing. Maybe that’s the cistus? Dunno, but I love it. The final phase lasts a good long while. This feels comforting, reassuring, and gives me confidence that greater forces are at work. I meant to be testing other things, but the experience and the final result keep reeling me in to this one. *edited to mention - this reminds me a lot of Tushnamatay.