crystaltongue
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Everything posted by crystaltongue
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This is sweeter than my normal jam, but I love a carnation scent, and most of the Mad Tea Party, so when I had an opportunity to get an aged bottle, I took it. There is definitely a lot of sugar in this one, and I see where folks get bubblegum out of it, but to me the pepper and carnation keep it from being too boring or synthetic. Definitely more of a spring or summer scent, but as a cheerful pick me up for the brain, it serves delightfully.
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Oh I am in LOVE. This is such a fascinating and sophisicated scent. The tea is very forward, and I swear is a very specific variety of white tea called white peony. The smoke is just the barest trace, lending an almost dusty note that reminds me of the faded incense in columns of the temple of neptune. The fallen leaves read VERY specifically as Japanese maple leaves. I would swear there is some kind of unlisted rain note in there, though it might just be the hinoki. A clean, complex scent, without too much throw, and perfect for a rainy Seattle autumn.
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The Shub-Niggurath, puts me in mine of a really good oatmeal cookie, but one with something sinister about it. The spices are the most prominent note, and there is something warm and sweet and foody under it. But there is also some other element to it, one that is just a bit evil. So, a delicious evil oatmeal cookie. A lovely scent for fall or winter.
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The single best word to describe Lady M is "heady". In the bottle, it is an unremarkable combination of wine and juicy fruit. On the skin, however, it gains an incredible complexity. The wine is rich and intoxicating; the berries and currants are ripe and bursting with juice; and the sage keeps it from going too sweet. I thought when I first put it on that it didn't have much throw - turns out that the throw just takes 15 minutes or so to arrive, and then it's STRONG. Not exactly my usual jam, but I will definitely be keeping my imp.
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2010 version here! In the bottle, it is a weird, unpleasant chemical smell. But on the skin, it immediately becomes sweet dead leaves with just a hint of smoke. It is a very specific dead leaf smell though - reminds me of walking through areas of Pennsylvania and Maryland in fall. Definitely different from my own Pacific Northwest dead leaves. I want to try layering it with some other fall scents for sure.
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This pairs SO nicely with honey hair gloss. A sweetnand delicious lemon pastry. The lemon is a fairly sharp one, but the scent is kepts from being too cleaning product by the sweet butter and honey notes. So glad I finally got ahold of it!
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A bright and bitter apple and ice scent, reminiscent of Morana, but less sweet and far less minty. Like Morana, it is spiritually similar to Snow, Glass, Apples, though not a true dupe. I definitely enjoy the tang of apple without candied sweetness, for variety if nothing else.
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So happy that I got to snag a bottle of this at Dragoncon! I hadn't tried any hair glosses when this was last being released, but since then I had picked up both Teahouse on Nakanocho hair gloss, and it does lovely things for my hair, so I wanted more options that match my collection. I have SO many things now that either contain snow white, or are scent that pair with it harmoniously, so when I saw it on the table at D*con, I couldn't resist. I applied it on on damp hair this morning to provide some extra conditioning. Thus far, it's definitely classic snow white, albeit less aggressive without my body heat and chemistry amping it like it does on the skin. Like other hair glosses, the formula is light and doesn't make my thin hair greasy, even when I don't restrict it to the ends. On the whole, very happy to have this one. I hope to snag it's sister Rose Red hair gloss someday too!
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A lovely rich sugar cookie, more vanilla and brown sugar than butter, with just a HINT of snow white under it. I could maybe wish that the snow white was a little stronger in it, but honestly, I can just solve that by pairing it with Snow White hair gloss. I do appreciate that this is a less aggressive version that I can wear on days when I want just SOME snow white, instead of ALL the snow white.
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The scent of dark, slightly fermented blackberries starting to shrivel on the vine as the season ends, combined with a hint of sharp black tea. Not all that much throw, but still quite distinctive on the skin. Oddly not very foody, for all that it's a berry scent. Definitely fitting for spooky season.
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Oh, this scent is MAGICAL. Creamy and a little aquatic, aromatic with the tree scents. I was worried from the description that it might be a little too cologne, but in practice it is delightfully gender neutral. I love moonflower in most contexts, and it works very nicely in here. It doesn't have as much throw as some scents, so one might apply it a little more heavily if one wants the scent to be more than a hint, but that is fine by me. So glad I picked this up at Dragoncon!
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A beautiful juicy west coach peach in the bottle, it's definitely still peach on the skin, but with SO much more going on. The nominal description is: "Bonita peaches, matilija poppy, citrus rind, hummingbird sage, chaparral currant, and California lilac." I am definitely getting the sage and lilac on the skin, and a bit of the citrus too. A perfect scent for an evening at Dragoncon!
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Wet on the skin, there is something surprisingly cinnamony about this, without of course there actually being any cinnamon. As it dries down, the ambergris amps, as do the peach blossoms. Dry on the skin, I would say it is first sweet delicate sandlewood and amber, with a sweet and creamy underlayer of peach blossom and ambergris. Not sure I get much, if any, lily of the valley, but I also don't think it suffers for it. Probably not going to be a scent I reach for OFTEN, since it is a little potpourri for everybday use, but definitely nice all the same.
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VERY creamy on my skin, with a surprising amount of throw. Orris and coconut are the main notes, with jasmine and plum blossom taking a distant second. I don't individually detect the other notes, but there is a spicy, complex underlayer that lends interest after dry down.
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This is one that you definitely need to let sit on the skin before you decide what you think of it. In the bottle, it is all amber and lotus. One the skin wet, it went through several odd stages of decaying flowers, before the citrus comes out, the flowers come back to life, and whole scent becomes lovely and balanced. It reminds me just a bit of several of the Lunar New Years scents, especially wooden goat. It has more throw than most of the LNYs though, at least on my skin.
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I see Shadowetienne and I accidentally coordinated again. I ALSO tested Spicebush Swallowtail today. My impression is very similar to his, though I think I am getting more sassafras and less plum. Still, and absolute delight. Not too much throw, but enough for a general feeling of warmth while I am wearing it.
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I am SO glad a bottle of this came up on the lab etsy. Wet on the skin, it was a slightly astringent rose with so much green in it that it almost read as lemongrass. At that stage, the shortbread was nowhere to be found. However, upon dry down, the rose bloomed rich and dreamy, and the shortbread became a lovely subtle undertone of butter and sugar. Rose plus something sweet is usually a winning combo on me (see Jezebel, To Lallie, Allegory of Chastity, etc), so I am so glad to have added this to my collection.
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This is all jasmine, all the time on me. I do agree with folks that are thinking there is some kind of orange blossom in there, and I am leaning towards Neroli based on how it is going on dry down. It is definitely a sharp floral, and just a touch soapy, though not unpleasantly so. I see where people are getting gardenia from, though I am wondering if it might actually be freesia, or some other tropical flower. Regardless, it is a great choice when I am in a purely floral mood and DON'T just want to default to roses as usual!
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Muguet, Tea Rose, and Ylang Ylang
crystaltongue replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
The ylang is definitely the strongest note on this one for me. The muguet appears at first, disappears, and then returns 15 minutes late with Starbucks. The rose leaves for the war and is gone forever, which is BIZARRE on me who amps all the roses. -
This year's pink moon turned out to be such a delight! In the bottle and wet on the skin, it is mostly just strawberry. As it dries down, the florals and vanilla become apparent. I was concerned it might be TOO sweet, but it is in fact just the right amount of sugar. Overall, a lovely and refreshing summer berry scent. Oddly, there was something in the way it smelled on me when dry that reminded me of Morana - in spite of Pink Moon and Morana having NO notes in common. Skin chemistry is mysterious.
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A surprisingly refreshing scent considering the notes in it. It is exactly as described - fresh bread, cooking herbs (mostly rosemary), cooked apples, and a hint of cinnamon. Yet somehow it keeps from being either too foody or too sweet. I had expected that this would mostly be a fall and winter scent, but now I think it will be in the rotation year-round
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Ohhhh, I love this one. Wet on the skin, I get a generic slightly powdery sweet floral with a lot of candlesmoke, but once it dries down it changes entirely. The candlesmoke fades to the barest hint, and spicy carnations come to the fore. Rose and peonie add layers of nostalgic sweetness, followed by the barest breath of sandlewood. No powdery note detected at all once dry. This is definitely going to be one I pull out on the regular.
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Bess is a major shifter. In the tube, it is GRAPES! Wet on the skin, it becomes a weird mix of fruit and herbs. Dry on the skin, though, it is all fruit and roses on me. I definitely like the dry version on me! It just fascinating to see how it changes.
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My very kind brother has given me a decant of his Fire Pig, and this one may very well be my favorite of all the lunar new years scents. It is such a lovely balance - fruity without being TOO fruity, floral without being TOO floral, and just generally delightful. It doesn't have as much throw as, say, Wooden Goat, but close to the skin it's still going strong. I will be interested to see its longevity over the course of the day.
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There is something rather dusty about this one on my skin. Not necessarily unpleasant, but odd considering the notes. The vanilla and orange blossom are definitely stronger notes, but the narcissus is still noticeably. I'm honestly not sure what I think of this one - it may end up given away.