skyturtles

Out of the bottle I get the syrupy sweetness that I was hoping for. On my skin, the buttercream is smooth. As it dries, I'm reminded of... is that what I think it is?? I get my partner to sniff as well, and uninfluenced they confirm: PUMPKIN SPICE BOOZE. It must be the combination of earthy spices and spirits. It's not as coffee-like or cream-like (or butter-like?) as I was hoping for (I was actually hoping to gift this, and probably still will, but to someone different...) 🤔 After about 20 minutes I'm getting a little more coffee out of this. My partner says it smells like dirt. Sigh. Maybe I should have gone with the Spiced Rum Buttercream! Maybe I'll still end up getting it as well. 😈

Warning: I think I've just found my new favorite scent. I've been wearing it for 4 days now and want nothing else. I love honey, and I love orange blossom. This much I know. I didn't know I liked vanilla until this scent - the hint of smokiness brings out that touch of earthiness that keeps all the sweetness from becoming syrupy. I typically despise anything coconut scented, so luckily it's not a strong note here. I'm usually hit or miss with both amber and tobacco (I like them, but they are so easily overwhelming!); when paired with the sweeter notes, boy oh boy is everything rounded out and complex and lovely and perfect. I can't stop smelling myself. I'm in love. I will probably be purchasing a bottle of this for keepsies and taking notes from Estamets above me (funnily enough, the very same person I purchased my decant from! 😁)

Out of the imp, this reminded me of Vixen for a brief moment, which got me excited. Unfortunately, this sentiment did not last... Wet and dry on my skin, all I get is a bunch of sandalwood with a bit of dry patchouli. Not my style to smell just like incense without any complexity. I think I'll pass this on as a freebie to someone else. I'm not very familiar with chakras so I will refrain from that discussion.

Wet: Vial of Holy Water might be too clean (watery?) for me. I was really hoping the Palo Santo would come through more, as I'm a fan of it as a standalone. Unfortunately, something in this reminds me of working in the embalming room. The cedar makes it dry and the lemon gives it a hint of soapiness that makes me sad as well. I can see why someone would like this, though. As for me, I'm learning I like things a little muskier or resinous. As it dries, the Palo Santo comes through more (yay!) and the halo begins to shine. It's still too sharp / ozonic of a scent for me, and might be irritating my nose ever so slightly, but I think I might like it if my partner wears it?

Finally, I'm getting around to reviewing one of the scents that I wear the most. I grab this for work most days - it makes me feel fancy. I wasn't a huge fan at first, but it has definitely grown on me. I think part of that is because it is so complex, and I often feel like I get different notes out of it on different days. I previously wasn't very familiar with red musk, but now that I've tried a few scents with red musk as a headliner, I can pinpoint it better. Hemlock I am not so good at discerning yet. Tobacco is hit or miss with me, and luckily I don't associate with this scent with that note. There's sweetness, there's smokiness, there's herbalness, there's muskiness... and like I mentioned before, somehow that combination equals sophistication and flies just fine in my conservative workplace. I don't usually comment on this but the color of the oil? Lusciously dark. It lasts a loooong time and I am here for that.

Straight outta the imp, I'm thinking BUTTERSCOTCH. Thankfully that goes away quickly, replaced by sweet granola. As it dries down, it morphs into oatmeal. It's the apple and the cinnamon for sure, melting like butter into the earthy tones. It doesn't take terribly long for that sweetness to go away, but I still kinda smell like a baked good you'd find in a hobbit hole on a winter holiday. I think I'll be giving this one to my partner, but it's still a lot of fun!

A sniff from the lab bottle comes off has green and woodsy and herb-y. On my skin, that pine rosin begins to emerge, and as it dries down the leather comes out to play. As it continues to dry, the soapiness that I thought I was imagining gets stronger and I totally understand what others have said regarding powderiness. There is just the smallest hint of sweetness that pulls it all together. I purchased this as a gift for my significant other and unfortunately the gender on the bottle is incorrect, and I think that has to do with why they don't care for it all that much... It is a simple scent to be sure, but clean and wearable in a conservative work environment. I'm not a big fan of leather but I can see how this scent would be great with layering.

The first time I tested Azathoth all I got was the dryness and cedar, and as it dried, brimstone and smoke. As much as I joke about it, I'm not too keen on a trip to hell when it comes to what it smells like. I tried it out again a few days later, and got that initial tease of fruitiness that apparently is the tangerine, as others have noted. Unfortunately, it seems to go away rather quickly, letting the incense of cedar and smoke dominate. There is a bit of complexity, however, which may be the saffron or vertiver or black amber, I'm not sure. It's quite masculine, so I'm going to pass this along to the more masculine half of my partnership. I think I'll enjoy smelling it on them rather than myself.

I've never had the apparent pleasure of the original Perversion, but I'm not sure it would be up my alley due to its leather and tobacco notes. Though I am a big fan of Pumpkin Spice themed scents in general, PS Perversion just isn't doing it for me. Like others have said, this must be more Perversion than PS. It's like... PS vape juice. Giving it to my partner since they like it more than I do. I'm going to stick with me Please Scream Inside Your Pumpkin Patch for now.

THIS. This is the bomb. Very heavy on the pumpkin spice, yes. Great throw and long lasting. The muskiness gives it that little depth that keeps it from being reminiscent of, I dunno, Bath & Body Works or something. (Disclaimer: I'd probably be a fan of that too.) I'm a big fan of all things pumpkin spice, and if you, my friend, are not, Pumpkin Pie Musk is not for you. If anyone has this and doesn't want it, let's talk, just sayin'. 😁

Ever since I lost my beloved Pumpkin Pie Musk (where are you, oh my love?), I have been trying a handful of different Pumpkin Spice scents. I wouldn't have considered myself a fan of "sweet" scents, but here I am getting intimate with this funnel cake. There's enough ~spices~ to give it the name, but enough pulp to round it out with some bitterness. Though it's not the song of my heart known as Pumpkin Pie Musk, I'm quite happy with it, but unfortunately my partner is not. I'm going to use up this whole imp though, you better bet.

Frankincense is usually overpowering and strong with a wide throw, but that is not its case in this limited edition, Yule 2019 scent. Although that Catholic church staple is the main event here, it is soft enough for everyday wear. It doesn't last forever and a day, so I find myself sticking the imp in my pocket and reapplying. There is a crisp citrus intertwined with the sacred smokiness that prevents you from smelling like an altar server, perhaps orange or mikan. *looks at the description* OH, it's the BERGAMOT. That makes sense. This scent will personally remind me of cremation, and Seattle.

Ever since discovering "Pumpkin Pie Musk," I have this need try everything with Pumpkin Spice in it. Though PS Booze doesn't quite match up to the level of love I have for PS Musk, it's a lot of fun and I enjoy wearing it in the evenings. The PS notes are stronger than the boozey notes, thankfully. The bourbon and orange give it a halloween-styled manhattan vibe. I don't pick up much cinnamon in particular but I am okay with that. Recommended for lovers of all things PS that want a dash of bitters sweet sophistication but not so much that it takes the wild autumn out of it. (Maybe don't try this if you're hungover though.) I'd say it has a pretty decent throw, and average longevity.

I'm not a huge expert on what bile should smell like? From the decant I immediately get the lime and tobacco and rum. I put it on and I'm feeling 50% butch, 50% femme. On my skin the metallic-ness comes out with some leather (but thankfully not too much leather because honestly new car smell and leather shops make me so nauseous). As it dries I'm getting more of the biker, expensive butch feel, even though the honey begins to come through. It started so sharp and now it's so sweet! It's kind of crazy how I can still pick out all of the notes. It's fun and interesting, and a bit more masculine than I usually go for.

As my second OLLA purchase (Blood Popsicle being my first), I thought I'd give florals a try, especially since it's summertime, and well, "June." Well, I tried. I've ended up gifting this to my sister-in-law whose birthday just so happens to be June 23rd. I've learned a valuable lesson, I believe... florals are maybe just not for me. I dunno what "moonflower" is in particular, but it smells like a white bloom. I like ~looking~ at flowers, don't get me wrong... I just don't especially want to smell like one.

The Dodo is immediately syrupy sweet to my nose. There are berries galore, maybe I can tease out that mango, and of course, sugar. On my skin it mellows out after not too long, revealing the red musk. There are also some other spices that my noob nose cannot yet identify. I received this as a factory frimp. I'm not too big of a fan of sweet fruity scents, so this one just isn't quite for me.

Zombi smells like a cyberpunk girl in high school. Juvenile and rebellious and a bit of candy with your brightly colored pleather. I don't get the roses so much, but I could see where the earthiness and moss com from. I would not categorize this as floral or even green. There is a spunk in there that is lively and youthful - but is it enough to raise the undead? I appreciated the frimp but I don't think I would purchase a full bottle.

Straight from the frimp, I am immediately reminded of Le Lethe, due to red musk being a pillar in both scents. I think I'm finding that red musk has a bit of an old, luxurious lady feel to it. You know the sort, who wears an excessive number of gold rings. On my skin, Scherezade calms down a bit as the earthier spices begin to shine. It's still quite sharp to my nose, almost irritatingly so, and I don't think I would feel confident wearing this at work nor at play.

Shanghai is very clean, almost soapy. I could see it doing well as a shower gel. I've used both honeysuckle and lemon verbena dish soap in the past year, so that me be an influencing factor. This isn't something I would normally pick out for myself, but I received it as a frimp about 7 months ago. I'm normally a huge fan of lemon verbena, but perhaps I'm learning that I prefer it as a standalone. I could see other people choosing this as a Spring or maybe Summer scent. It doesn't last terribly long once on my wrists, in my opinion.

Here comes a slightly negative review, sorry. From the lab frimp I did get a bit of bergamot, but that seems to have disappeared rather quickly on my skin. I'm not picking up any hay. I guess that leaves the vetiver, though I have never encountered that particular plant in the wild and I'm no expert on traditionally male colognes, so this is just my assumption. It is a rather "masculine" scent, in my book. Leather and beards and gruff assertiveness. I also get a bit of powder / soap. I don't associate myself with those male traits per se, so this just isn't the scent for me. I was expecting something a little more mysterious, earthy, and elegant, I suppose. Vampiric, if possible. Maybe I'll just give this to my partner. I will say that it has a long lasting power. It sticks around without much fading.

From out of the lab frimp I sniffed, and thought... formaldehyde? Cavity fluid? Maybe it's the name, La Petite Mort, that took me to prep room of the funeral home. I was surprised at how chemically it smelled. On my skin, however, it softened with the myrrh taking the lead, the ylang ylang following, and now it's powdery like a fiesty grandma. Since I'm a bit young for that label, I'm not feeling like this is the scent for me. It's still a bit heavy, though it does stay close to the skin. I don't get the "sexy" connotations that others seem to get. Oh well. I feel like it's tame enough for me to wear with my pantsuit.

Envy... something I don't want, so I guess it's true to its name. My initial impression both in the lab frimp and wet on my skin is soapy. Very clean linens. Laundry detergent? Not my cup of tea. It's a sharp scent, and I suppose that's coming from the mint and the lime. I can also pick up the lavender quite a bit, which might be one of my least favorite scents of all time. As a whole, it didn't last nearly as long on my skin as other BPALs that I've tried. This "green" blend is not for me, so I think I'll be giving it away to a friend or something.

When I first sniffed Vixen out of the frimp, I did not really like it. It's summer at this moment, and the scent came off as disappointingly winter-like. Luckily for me, it magically sparked to life on my skin. The sweet orange is immediately noticeable, but not in a fresh or floral way. Take that orange and put it next to a pool, massage some tanning lotion on it (or SPF 50 for pale gurls like me), and let it roast in the sunshine. I'm serious, it takes me back to Girl Scout Camp - I get a slight sunscreen note and I usually hate that chemically smell (maybe it's the amber?), but it works in Vixen. It's definitely a sexy summer scent for me (good timing, BPAL!) Like, maybe I shouldn't wear this to work... it's too much fun. ^^

Oh, Sjöfn. I received a frimp of this, and didn't even know who she was! I am ashamed to admit this, because of all the gods and goddesses, I have a connection to Idunna, the Norse goddess of youth who supplies the gods with immortality from her magical golden... apples. Yes, apples. So imagine my delight when I discovered that "Sjöfn" smelled unmistakably like apples! Not as sweet as apple juice, not as tart as a granny smith. It must be the apple blossom shining through to take your stereotypical apple scent to the next level. It's light, every so slightly floral, with a touch of sweetness. Golden; perfect for spring. I have not noticed a whole lot of difference between wet and dry - it's a fairly straightforward scent without too much complexity.

This was my first bottle purchase, and in retrospect that was quite bold of me since the description is a bit vague on the notes. (Side note: As someone who frequents morgues for work, let me tell you how much the smell of old blood is NOT something you want to be associated with - although anyone with a period probably has the same sentiments.) But since this is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I loved the concept, I took a chance and boy I'm glad I did. Blood Popsicle is complex, addicting, and strong. There is a bit of fruitiness going on, though it is not overly strong or sweet and is well-balanced out by other notes. My co-workers know when I wear this one and have called it "incense-y" so perhaps there's a bit of patchouli or champa or something else smokey-but-not-smoke-itself going on there when it's dried down. Personally, I find the scent more irresistible when wet, right out of the bottle on my skin. I once accidentally spilled a larger than normal amount on myself (I was a few drinks in and thought I had a stopper I guess?) and it was very noticeable. Like I said, it's a strong scent, and I like it that way. Since purchasing this, I immediately wanted the rest of the OLLA line. Just got June 23, 1868, so I'm getting there one at a time... (Blood Popsicle is better than 6/23/68 BTW just sayin)