elissamay
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Everything posted by elissamay
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I don't know where to begin with this one, but I am really glad I added it to my Lunacy/Luper 2.0 order. At first, the frankincense is the star, lemony and sort of smoked, but it melds into so much beautiful amber, resinous warmth. Again, evoking warmth, heat, maybe even the liquid heat of the blood imagery from the incredible poem (but not truly what I'd consider a "blood" scent). I haven't smelled Lion, but from Snow Lion I imagine it to have that kind of radiant warmth that brings warm bodies to mind. The lion speaking in this scent's full description is warm, sinewy, radiant today as they muse on growing old. As it dries and settles, the vanillic benzoin appears with the mugwort. It's a faint herbal thread, not too camphor or astringent; not sure I'm finding the oak yet, but there is a sort of groundedness to it which feels like wood. Truly beautiful and evocative. Something BPAL is the absolute best at! Update: With just a bit of time, the mugwort has really blossomed. This one is just perfect.
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I haven't smelled Katrina Van Tassel; I'm a newbie. This is making me think of a grown-up, sex-positive Alice. There's an innocence and playfulness of the rosebud, but I agree with the image of going out to a carnival from @RoseThornAndOak Like Alice in her 30s dressed up in an Alice dress and went to ride the ferris wheel and play Skee-Ball, all whilst seeing whom she might take home as a prize. Very wearable and I think it will be a favorite.
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Hot damn. This is really giving me Snake Oil, but if Snake Oil had red musk. It's spectacular, sexy, dark, and addictive. P.S. - I'm not a huge fan of rose. If you are also not a huge fan of rose, but you do love Snake Oil and/or red musk, I would counsel you to give this one a go. The rose is there but it isn't overwhelming to those of us who just aren't that into it.
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This strikes me similarly to Horses from 2021 Yule (an absolute favorite), but with honey. It's resinous in a way that feels radiantly warm, but instead of just an amber resinous warmth, it's a honey-vannilic amber resinous warmth. The Bushman's candle is what I'm guessing I'm reading as emphasizing that vanilla note and feeling "amber-esque," and it's gorgeous. I agree that it moves toward beeswax, but to me it never quite gets there. Maybe the warm puddle of melted beeswax as the candle burns, since there is an ever so slight touch of smokiness, too--that may be the pepper. But if it's wax then it's warm wax, liquid wax, not a dusty candle on the shelf. So pleased with this one, and what I tested I could smell all day and into the next morning. Can't wait to give it a full application and wear.
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This one is ALL BITTER ALMOND and gorgeous OUD right out of the gate. If you don't like almond, stay away, but if you do like almond (like me), then COME HITHER. I need to give this one some rest, but initial impressions are that it's a beauty of an oud surrounded by the almond, and as WoolyBee said above, the spices come out as it dries down.
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I tested this one pretty much right out of the mail, but since it's one that so many are excited for I wanted to do a quick and dirty (lol) review. Initially when I applied a touch of this oil, it smelled very much like sweet coconut to me. I think that's the combination of the milk, almond, and honey reading as nutty sweetness, but either way, it is very warm and pleasantly sweet -- not cloyingly so. The amber brings the warmth like it is apt to do. I don't get incense in a smoky way, but I can catch a resinous hum in the background bringing some depth to all the sweetness. I will give this one just a little rest before testing it again, but based on my first impressions I am anticipating this one being a very beloved sweet semi-gourmand fav from this year's batch!
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Freshly cut red roses and crushed stems with a cloud of that weirdly gorgeous gasoline/motor oil note that I love. It's atmospheric and evocative of exactly what the description says -- you can breathe in deep and just see the battered bouquet damp on the ground, buds kind of crushed and greenery askew, all in a parking lot puddle shimmery with petrochemicals. A very anti-Valentine creation.
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Potent, potent, potent! I couldn't wait to rest this one, so fresh from the mail I tested a single cap drop on my arm. A heady rush of red musk, but with a cherry undertone and amber warmth. I don't get the "wood" of the cherrywood until drydown, and the amber or musk (or both) here remind me of what's used in the similarly precious Light Betwixt the Horns. The cotton candy comes through for me as a "sugared" quality to the musk, but it isn't cloyingly sugary or in any way foodie. An absolutely stellar red musk lovers blend. Note: This one may need an occasional shake, as mine appear to have some resin settling at the bottom of the bottle.
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This is cozy, wooly, musky, forest-y goodness. All of the greens are prominent while wet, and they stick around into the drydown, but as they fade, the wooly, fuzzy, musky blanket surrounds you. There's a somewhat unexpected sweetness to this one even with the musky base. It's really just a perfectly Yule scent.
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Ugh, everything said above. I have had this since release but just cracked it open today. Pairs beautifully (malevolently?) with a couple of drops of Man in Black beard oil smoothed on the ends of my hair.
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Ignore how this smells OOB and test it on the skin, first of all. OOB it smells completely different and almost alcohol-medicinal and mildly unpleasant. On the skin, this blooms into something that is so close to aged Raven Moon, IMO. There's no chili here, but the darkness and deepness has so many similar echoes to my nose. (I'm smelling it for the first time in a 2014 aged bottle since it's currently out of stock.) My first encounter with Oblivion was in Bobbing for Oblivion, which combines with the black apple notes. (And is another gorgeous variant blend!) I had to get my hands on the OG to see where all that sexy darkness was coming from in that blend, and this did not disappoint!
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This just smells good. Like, wholesome, warm, and good. I forgot mandarin was a note until I came here to write this, and its presence for me was a tartness or a tang (not sour) that I couldn't identify, cutting through all the fuzziness to bring balance, like a necessary dose of acidity in a rich meal. The hazelnut is the star, and I'm really loving the recent pepper or "peppery" scents I've picked up. The pleasant little nose tingle from the peppery musk also adds to the balance the mandarin brings. If these notes are your jam, definitely add this one to the collection. ETA: This one separates in the bottle (at least my bottle does), so shake before applying!
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This one is fun. I am usually all about the dark, dank, scary, witchy blends and this one is just fun. Bubbly root beer float at first, all sassafrass-y and vannillic. I get very little wood until drydown, when a dry, resiny cedar appears but stays close to the skin. It's warm, familiar, fun, and something that I would recommend to just about anyone who enjoys a good vanilla blend.
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So VERY spicy OOB and when first applied, but then relaxes into spiced, buttered Graham crackers with that wonderful pepper kick that tingles in your nose.
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I get cinnamon broom-swept sugar cookies inside a spent jack-o-lantern, and as it develops, it's all sitting under a fir tree. It smells absolutely like Halloween and Yuletide had a child and fed it cookies.
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I don't know why Snake Oil blends sometimes don't agree with me, but while I will say the throw on this one is lovely, sweet, dark, doughy, and magically Snake Oily, when I sniff my arm up close, there is a distinct twinge of body odor while the oil is wet. I'm still keeping it, though. ? ETA: The BO phenomenon on my skin disappears when it's completely dried down. It's just some truly musky musk! ETA x2: Since Tom essentially went there in 15 Minutes of 'Fume, I'm going to fully own what I originally meant by "body odor" and say that for me, while it's drying down, this smells like a pleasantly musky and very fancy vagina with doughnuts. I dunno why I was so modest the first time around, but it isn't body odor, it's body musk, and it's of the sex variety. I almost kind of assumed the decision to turn this into a Suf was a very clever euphemism, lol. And, in closing, it's awesome and I have worn it now several times! The sex musk with doughnuts is mainly up close and mainly for the early wet into drydown phase, so if anybody else doesn't appreciate it, they can avoid me during those moments. ❤️ I, for one, am here for it! Lasts all day into the next for me; ymmv.
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This has echoes of Moon When the Cherries Turn Black, but more tart and a bit less complex. If you missed that one, this one scratches the itch.
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Allllll boozy fruits, sweet and juicy. The little bit of astringency from the wine hits at drydown, with the brown sugar molasses-y note and nutmeg starting to join the party.
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Sweet forest resin incense and smoke. This lair is on the edge of the holiday village, near the woods. Dark and moody, but with a bit of crispness from the woods.
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Pure comfort. What's that word, hygge? Yeah, that. Initially lots of leather, but that very quickly mellows out to a musky, very slightly woody sweetness. You can smell the crackle of the pages if you try!
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At first, vanilla spiced latte stirred with fir boughs. Pretty, spicy, sweet and just sharp enough touch of fir. Fully dried down, I started to ask myself if I spilled Morocco when I was putting away new imps. It's uncanny! Like @boomtownrat said, Morocco from the northern climes.
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This is so different from my other bottles of Raven Moon (2009?) that it's kind of hard to believe they're the same scent! If this is your first go-around with this one, definitely suggest putting it away for a bit. I know I'm going to, and I'll come back to it in a month or so to see how it may have changed. Letting this version warm on the skin, I'm finding a bit of that delightful nose-tingling chili pepper I love so much in the dark and mature bottles I've hoarded, but I am hopeful a bit of time on this fresh bottle brings it out more.
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Gauzy is the perfect word for this one. It's ethereal, bright, and the bergamot lives up to its citrusy reputation here moreso than in other bergamot blends I've tried. The barest hints of ambergris and incense. Will definitely return to this one after a good rest.
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Realistic tangy strawberry and spicy carnations really come out when wet, with earthy patchouli playing a supporting role. The red labdanum adds a sharp, almost astringent quality at first, but it mellows out as this one dries and warms. A mature fun scent; not too sweet and silly, but it's having a great time.
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Hot damn, this is gorgeous. I think I sort of, kind of get the poudh perception, but only when first applied. Not poo per se, but a unique and frankly addictive funk. Dry, I kept re-checking to see if there was cacao in this. Carob is mentioned in the description, but not in the notes, so I dunno. I could swear it's there. It's a dark, fizzy, exceptional example of a Snake Oil variant that takes everything spectacularly sexy about Snake Oil and pushes it to the next level. I hope I can try the others in this series!
