elissamay
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Everything posted by elissamay
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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!
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I'll preface by saying leather is not one of my absolute favorite notes. I enjoy it in a blend. Wet on the skin, this slapped me in the face as Band-Aids, hospital ward sharp. Antiseptic, even. Knowing leather isn't totally my thing, I let it dry and warm up. Once the balsam starts to come out, it totally changed. The antiseptic quality became more herbal. Vanilla and beeswax followed the warmed balsam, sweetening the sharpness. I don't really find the tobacco but I think I would miss it if it wasn't there to ground the vanilla. At this point, well warmed and drying down, the leather becomes supple and soft, like well-loved cowhide boots, an English saddle, or a favorite leather satchel. (No barnyard here, lest the "boots" and "saddle" send you that direction.) If you love leather, I expect you would love this one. I am going to return to this one in a few weeks and see how it's all melding together.
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This one almost strikes me as a very posh cologne intended for a gentleperson of status, dabbed on the pulse points of a sinister demon. Like it's luring me down these stairs to see who in the world smells this fancy in this dark cellar. Surely noone who would blend spicy peppercorn with patchouli and vanilla tar would inhabit such a place as this? Oh, hello. Why yes, I'll follow you down this creepy descent. Nothing unusual about this in the slightest. Try it if you enjoy well-blended cologney scents with a bit of dirty vanilla creepy vibe. The peppercorn really pops. I am enjoying it but I may see how it smells on my fiancé!
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This is beautiful! I almost didn't pick this one up, and I'm glad I did. I'm not doing it justice, but it is definitely not like anything else in my (young) collection. There's a sweetness and a creaminess from the bergamot and rice milk, and a spicy, woody thing happening from the sandalwood and palo santo. Really, really lovely and unique. The sweet and creamy isn't overpowering or gourmand, and the spice/wood aren't taking over. Very nicely balanced all around.
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Red Musk, Sugared Amber, and Red Berries
elissamay replied to Silvertree's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
OOB this is ALL red berries for me. Almost to a Hubba Bubba strawberry bubble gum extent. Note: My bottle was cloudy when it arrived, and reading reviews made me take a look at it now that it's been sitting. Definitely separated into a cloudy, milky bottom (1/4) layer and a clear top layer, so shake well if you have it stored. After a good shake, wet on skin it's still all strawberry bubble gum, but as it warms, the edges get fuzzy with ambery musk. I think this one will be amazing for adding some sugared berry oomph to other favorites, but may not be something I wear on its own. -
I love this so much that I have moments of, "This is it, this is my one true BPAL. I don't need any other smell," every time I wear it. I'm not sure what it is about it, but it's just perfection. For me, it's a shimmer of motor oil floating on pools of inky black musk, with sweet and resiny myrrh blooming as it dries down. It's sexy and gritty, and it lasts and lasts. I think the throw is good, but I kind of don't care. I only care about smelling this one myself. It has the built-in vibe of, if you don't like it, go eff yourself. I'm inclined to try this layered with Autumn 1990 to see what happens! (But that means I will wear it again this week and then I risk spiraling into wanting to wear it every day!)
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For me, this blend is the counterpart to Satyr. That sexy, almost effervescent red musk is wrapped with some sexy lingerie here instead of sporting cloven hooves, but the effect is the same. A BPAL classic!