GirlDetective

This is everything I wanted from Comptoir Sud Pacifique Aloha Tiare but could not have due to my skin chemistry. It's tropical, refreshing, bright, coconutty and complex, but it doesn't turn hot and artificial on my skin. Shoggoth wafts up to me as I work with my hands, like the breeze caresses one through palm fronds. This was a frimp, it'll definitely be a bottle.

I got this decant as a freebie two years ago and immediately dismissed it because I'm not a honey fan. It seems kind of too thin and high and reedy on me. I mean, I hated Les Bijoux, is how little I enjoy honey. But last night Litha 2006 took me to school, and let me know that I am a fool for thinking of honey this way. I don't notice the honey at first, for the first hour I get honeysuckle and daisies and something sweet, with something on top keeping it green and fresh, and something woodsy below? And at the end of the night all that's left is honey and smoke, but a rich, dark honey. I can see where people got soap from this, it reminds me of Phantom Queen a bit, which is all Irish Spring on me. But I think Litha is clean and sexy, I want to wear this every Saturday evening-to-night for the rest of the summer. And it lasts really well on my skin... I applied the oil at 5:30 pm and my wrist still smelled like honey at 2 am. This is after three hours dancing outside, one hour eating vegan dosas, and another two hours dancing inside and all travel taking place in the rain.

I get a thick, sweet vanilla underneath peach-scented incense with Tamora. When I first tested it I wrote "Warm peach cobbler! And that peach incense from Syracuse" in my notes (uh, disregard the Syracuse part). I received an aged imp from another forumite two years ago, and I've come to find Tamora very warm and comforting, though it's a little too headshoppy on me to feel comfortable wearing out in public. I realize this could just be my nose or my imp, as I've seen Tamora described as sparkly, fruity and light...I agree with CaffinatedAngel that this is kind of a Snake Oil type scent.

I dug out some old frimps in hopes of finding a new summer scent, and I wore Red Queen to work, and I'm quite pleased. It reminds me of Jersey Devil (which is a staple work scent for me) with less pine and more fruits. It's berries and dark wood, a more girl-ish Jersey Devil, and I'm considering a bottle.

This is Orange Blossom Snake Oil and I love it.

Yvaine totally makes me think of a sultry, southern night. It's all heady and old-fashioned magnolias and musk, and lavender is in the background keeping it fresh, but only after a total Lavender Hijack during the first few minutes. So you'd have to be okay with lavender to like it; a lot of people don't or only like lavender for relaxing or sleeping purposes (oh, but maybe it'll keep you relaxed on your big day!). It's unimpable but it's pretty easy to find a decant. Anyway, I hope you find something you really like!

This might not be helpful, but Candy Phoenix, in its initial phase, smells very much like YSL Babydoll to me, it's all currant and sugar for like a hour...then it goes into its Sticky Pillowcase-taffy-musk phase and stays there. Also, if you're looking for something like Ralph Lauren Polo, could I second Apple's Incantation suggestion and add Cathode or Hurricane to that list? I thought there was a resemblance when I tried them, and Cathode's got the oakmoss and Hurricane has vetiver and ozone happening.

I disliked Hunter Moon when I first got it last September, it reminded me of something which I couldn't place and didn't like, so I put it away. I just got it out this month in anticipation of fall, put a little on and it's so amazing. Almost a year old, now Hunter Moon is a delicious fruit n' cream musk with a hint of smoke. And it's got that Snake Oil vibe to it, how did I not notice this before? It's so beautiful, absolutely my favorite Lunar Oil.

I had to get a bottle of this with my LuneNoir/Hellhound order, because I'm running out and The Jersey Devil has been the MVP of my bpal box this season. Until now, I've not had much luck with woodsy scents, they often seem a bit flat to me.. but here the blackberry leaf and cranberries wake the blend right up. Starts off with that high sweet pine scent, fades into yummy berries and greens, and then you end up with this fresh and fruity cedar. It smells like one of those high-end soap and homegoods boutiques in the Upper East Side. That's praise, right? Those places smell really nice!

I know this isn't listed anywhere in the notes, but I get straight up black licorice from the Emathides. No florals, no woods, just delicious black candy. It eventually dries down to a dark vanilla, which is also not listed in the description. I'm confused, but happy, enough so that I am in the process of buying a second bottle off of someone.

After looking at the notes, I thought this was going to be a high-pitched floral that I would mostly wear to church or when I meet my boss's wife or something. I don't know, I just thought, "magnolia," so Steel Magnolias, so southern ladies with big hats. And man, I was completely wrong. When I first put it on, there was that burst of lavender everyone got, but it faded after two minutes, leaving me with something fresh and green. Then the magnolia, and it's not powdery or stifling, it's just really fresh and bright. But the best part is after about an hour, and I think Olympia301's right, there's some kind of soft musk in there too, because something started to really blend the magnolia into my skin, so that an hour in I got this casually pretty scent, somewhere between that low-key floral and my-skin-but-better. This is so lovely yet non-chalant. I could wear this with khakis or a sundress, anytime I want to smell pretty but not seem like I'm trying too hard. Definitely something I'll always want a bottle of.