Penance

Thanks, Morrighana! I'm undecided about the reducers, I think. I like them in that I'm clumzy, but they can be a pain in the butt, so I'll have to give it some thought before my next order.

Hmm, Aureus...I have an old imp (with the tarty tag) and a brand spankin' new imp that I just got from the Lab yesterday and they both smell the same to me. There's two possible explanations that come to mind for me: 1) It's just one of those natural differences in batches due to the oils being from different batches or different sources, etc. 2) A lot of incense blends do get deeper and more resiny as they age, so that could very well be it, too. Just because mine smell the same to me doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. I'll have to actually try the two on my skin next and see if there's a difference. I'm not at home or I'd do it now.

I don't know if this is the right place, but it seemed the most logical of all the threads in here, so... Does anyone know if the bottles that've been coming in the msot recent orders (i.e. the ones with polyseal leakproof caps instead of reducers) are going to be the new standard or if they're just being used because the Lab is out of the standard reducer cap bottles? I'm just curious. And, mods, if this is in the wrong thread, feel free to move it. This just seemed to be the best place for it without starting a whole nother thread just to ask a question.

Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black. First sniff: Oh, God, this is gorgeous! I smell tobacco, fir, clove, musk and mint...for some reason, this makes me think of the Canadian wilderness. This is woodsy, but not in the usual way; it's more like a logging camp is woodsy, very outdoorsy and somewhat masculine smelling. I love this! Wet on skin: Tobacco, musk, fir, clove and mint all show up on my skin...it's minty and woodsy and cozy and comforting smelling all at the same time. I can tell this is going to be a real winner already...I'm sure this would smell lovely on the boy, but I can't bring myself to share this one. It's mine, all mine! Dry down: Mint and musk and tobacco and a slight hint of fir remain now that it's dried. It's a very comforting scent to me; I can see myself wearing this one almost every day it's so good! I'm definitely planning on getting a bottle of this in my next order, this is too good not to have more of. The bottom line: Gorgeous. It's woodsy and dark and comforting and minty all at the same time. I'm sure this would smell equally good on a guy or a gal, it's somewhat masculine but not too much that a gal couldn't get away with wearing it (not that that would stop me anyway). I'm definitely getting a bottle of this, most likely a 10mL.

Got an imp of this from Mrs. Black. Preconceived notions: I'm a little leery of this one based on the reviews. I'd rather not smell like grape Dimetapp (or Mountain Dew Pitch Black, which tasted like grape Dimetapp), but because I'll never know until I try, I want to give it a shot. First sniff: Hmm, that's grape all right, but not grape cough syrup...more like grape soda, maybe? Or grape Laffy Taffy? It's something very artificially grape smelling but not in an unpleasant way. There's also something vaguely spicy/resiny underneath the grape that I can't put my finger on because of the super strong grape note. Wet on skin: Grape soda and some kind of sweet incense, maybe? It smells almost like frankincense, but it could be some sort of spice, too, since the grape smell is so strong that it makes it hard to get a handle on the other notes. This is actually quite nice smelling in an odd sort of way, not at all like I imagined it would be. Dry down: Mmm, the grape has disappeared, leaving a faintly sweet resin smell...I'm thinking maybe myrrh is the culprit here. I actually really like this, but there are other incense blends that I prefer, so I don't know that I'll be keeping this. This isn't at all like I expected it to be, it's very...innocent smelling, but resiny at the same time. It's very hard to explain. The bottom line: This is nice, but I think since I already have so many incense blends that I prefer to Tum, I'm going to be swapping this one off for something else. It's a nice scent, but I don't see myself wearing it often enough.

Got this as a freebie from the Lab in my last order. First sniff: Oh, wow, this smells like a rose garden at midnight. I can't think of any other way to describe it. I don't normally care for rose scents, but this is beautiful...it smells like roses in the peak of their bloom mixed with a sort of heady musk and deep amber which is actually really beautiful in spite of my less than receptive attitude toward rose scents. Wet on skin: Black Rose smells gorgeous on me for about three seconds before morphing into the spoiled milk smell that I've come to learn is almost inevitable when amber comes into contact with my skin. I had a feeling it was going to happen, but it still upsets me because this one could have been gorgeous if it weren't for the sour milk smell. *Sigh* Dry down: All I can smell is sour milk now. On my skin, amber morphs and then overpowers everything else and Black Rose is its most recent victim. This one could have been gorgeous if it weren't for my bad skin chemistry, which makes me very sad. I might end up giving this one to my mom, since she loves rose scents, but I don't know if she'll want it because of the musk and amber. The bottom line: Black Rose could have been gorgeous if it weren't for my skin's notorious and maddening reaction to amber. This one's a case of skin chemistry gone wrong and nothing more.

First sniff: Mmm, fig, ginger, cypress and something vaguely floral that must be the cyclamen. I love ginger, fig and cypress...this smells wonderful already! I'm hoping the flowers won't be too overpowering since I don't normally do floral scents, but so far this looks like it's going to be a winner. Wet on skin: Fig, ginger, cypress and the smallest hint of patchouli. This is really complex and absolutely gorgeous. The flowers seem to have disappeared, thankfully, and the result is vaguely fruity and woodsy and earthy all at the same time. This is just the kind of scent I reach for when I'm feeling a little more girly than usual. Dry down: Ginger, cypress and a hint of patchouli...the fig appears to be making a comeback, too, although it's coming and going by the second. This is beautiful. It's deep and complex and subtly fruity and perfect for someone like me who doesn't like to smell too girly. The bottom line: I'm glad I took a chance on this one, it's absolutely gorgeous!

Spilled this all over my hand when I tried to open it, so I'm now doused in Dragon's Tears. First sniff: Mmm, this smells like Jolly Roger mixed with dragon's blood. It's salty, but spicy/sweet at the same time. I don't normally care for aquatic scents, but I loved Jolly Roger and I can tell I'm going to love Dragon's Tears, too. Wet on skin: The dragon's blood seems to disappear once it hits my skin, leaving me with something that smells almost like Jolly Roger only slightly sweeter, which is fine, but I miss the dragon's blood note in this, it smelled spicy and sad at the same time. Dry down: Hurrah, the dragon's blood is back! This smells like salty tears mixed with the spicy sweetness of dragon's blood...it reminds me almost of the smell of a funeral...kind of like bouquets of roses and tears and I have no idea why. Whatever the reason, it's gorgeous! The bottom line: I don't normally do aquatic scents, but this has just enough sweetness and resin to it to make it not only bearable but downright gorgeous. I actually really love this one.

Yeah, they're decants. I got one from Alectonox and one from Allamanda. The one from Alectonox smells gorgeous on me, all buttery and winey, and the one from Allamanda smells sharp and animalistic for some inexplicable reason. I guess not having shaken one of the bottles (maybe the one from Alectonox, since the one from Allamanda smells closest to the reviews other people have posted, although I could definitely be wrong) would explain it since I tried rolling both imps and still got the same result as before. Of course, that's all speculation, I don't want to insinuate that either one of those lovely ladies didn't shake or roll it before they decanted it. It just seems like a logical explanation for something that I can't think of another logical explanation for. Thanks for the answer, antimony, that seems to be a reasonable explanation. Now I can stop humming the X-Files theme song when I look at them. ------ EDIT because my wording was bad. Sorry, Pam!

Okay, reving the thread because I have a very odd situation to ask about... I've got two imps of Hunter Moon and they smell totally different. One is almost buttery and winey and the other is acrid and sharp. Now, Hunter Moon being an LE, I'd think they'd both smell the same but they definitely don't. Anyone have any idea what's going on with this?

Anytime, darlin'.

I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that...or see it, or something... We're all mad here.

I have no idea what's doing it either. So far as I know, I'm not allergic to any of the notes in it...very odd. At least I'm not crazy though.

I guess everyone's nose is different because to me they're almost identical. But, then, that's the wonder of being unique...life would be boring if things smelled exactly the same to everyone.

Eep, Blood Kiss causes the skin I put it on to turn red and raise up. But I still love it because it smells delish.

I got an imp of this from tempete. First sniff: Oh my God, this is gorgeous! It smells quite similar to the new formulation of Hellfire to my nose. I can smell the leather quite clearly and, if I didn't know better, I'd swear there was tobacco in this, too. I'm guessing it must be the combination of leather and myrrh I'm smelling and confusing with pipe tobacco, although it really does smell like the kind my grandpa used to smoke. This scent is sexy, no doubt about it. Wet on skin: Mmm, slightly sweet, spicy leather. This is so sexy! I was a bit worried about whether or not I'd like this blend, but I'm glad I tried it. I have a feeling this would make a great scent on a guy, as well. It's a strong, confident scent that demands that you be paid attention to, and I love it. For someone like me with low self-esteem, every little bit of confidence boosting helps. Dry down: Spicy leather. I love this scent. I'm going to have to try it on the boy next...if it smells half as good on him as it does on me, I'll be in heaven. The bottom line: Sexy, spicy leather with a hint of sweetness. Thankfully the amber doesn't ruin this one for me. This is an instant winner for me, definitely a confidence booster and one I'll most likely wear when I need to indulge in my dominatrix side.

I got an imp of this from Laurel_The_Woodfairy. First sniff: Cherry...it smells almost like almonds, which means it's not juicy fresh cherries, it's maraschino type cherries, vanilla and honey. This smells very sweet to me, almost like maraschino cherries drizzled in vanilla and honey. I was interested in trying this because of the comparisons people had made to Formula 54, which I absolutely adore, but (so far) I have to say that the two are vastly different to my nose. F54 smells like cognac - which, incidentally, smells a bit like cherries to my nose when it's wet - in the bottle, whereas Blood Kiss smells like maraschino cherries with that almost almond/amaretto smell to it. I'm not sure whether this will work for me, but I'll happily give it a shot to see what happens. Wet on skin: Fresh, juicy cherries and honey. The almond/cherry smell lightens as soon as it hits my skin and it turns into the smell of ripe, fresh cherries with vanilla and honey. I can also smell the faintest hint of cloves now that I'm wearing it. It's not overwhelmingly sweet anymore, either, which is wonderful since I hate super sweet scents. Dry down: Honey, vanilla and clove. The cherry has disappeared and the vetiver, poppy and red wine have yet to make an appearance. This is a huge departure from F54 in spite of the somewhat similar notes, but Blood Kiss is gorgeous in its own right. I actually really love this one, although it does make my skin burn a little and turn red. The bottom line: Gorgeous, especially once it dries and turns into a soft vanilla/honey/clove scent. I can deal with a slight allergic reaction for this one; it's too beautiful to pass up.

I got an imp of this from isyche. First sniff: The musk is most prominent to my nose and it's a huge departure from the nose-burning, cringe-inducing black musk of Haunted...this is musky musk, not sharp musk and I like it much better. I also smell oakmoss and a hint of patchouli in here. It reminds me of a perfume Avon used to make that I wore when I was in middle school, although I can't remember the name of it. Wet on skin: Musk, rose and oakmoss are most prominent now. For some reason, this reminds me of old-lady perfume. I think it's the white musk that I'm associating with someone in particular, but I can't put my finger on who it is...possibly my fiance's grandmother? It's certainly not unpleasant, the association is just odd. Dry down: Powdery musk and the faintest hint of patchouli. This makes me think of what an aging hippie would smell like: powdery and musky but still wearing the ubiquitous patchouli oil that they wore in their youth. It's actually quite pretty, it just reminds me of a few people I know. The bottom line: I like the notes in this one, but I don't think it's for me. Off to swaps with it; hopefully someone else can put it to some use.

First sniff: Floral and earthy/resiny at the same time. I smell rose and sandalwood and lemongrass most strongly and if I inhale deeply enough, I get a hint of patchouli and cedar in the background. Wet on skin: Lemongrass is the most prominent note for me, followed by sandalwood and rose. It's not aggressively citrusy the way lemon normally is, but it's still more lemony than I generally care for. I love the sandalwood, patchouli and cedar notes, but the lemongrass and rose aren't quite my style. Dry down: I smell lemongrass and sandalwood now. It reminds me of a Thai restaurant, not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that puts me off. I can easily see this being a good meditation or yoga blend, but it's not my style at all. I would prefer the incense/wood notes to be more prominent and the lemongrass/floral notes to be much lighter. The bottom line: Not a bad scent, but not for me. I prefer heavier, more resiny/woodsy scents; this is just too bright for me.

I got an imp of this from Red_Hot_Mama. First sniff: My first impression is something along the lines of: "Whoa, this smells like Formula 54!" Something about this blend - most likely the red wine - reminds me of the cognac note in F54 which smells like cherries in the bottle. The two aren't identical by any stretch of the imagination, but Black Widow reminds me very strongly of what F54 smells like in the bottle at first. The more I smell it, the less strong the resemblance becomes as my nose starts picking up the attar of rose and jasmine and losing the red wine note. Once my nose adjusts, Black Widow begins to smell like a combination of rose, sandalwood and jasmine and less wine-like. While I actually prefer my first impression, the second impression is lovely, too. Wet on skin: Once again, my first impression is that this smells similar to F54, but that fades quickly as the sandalwood, rose and patchouli make a reappearance. This isn't an earthy or resiny blend in spite of the notes involved, it's more of a powdery rose scent with a hint of dry earthiness in the background. If I inhale deeply enough, I can smell the red wine in the background, but it's very faint. Dry down: Powdery rose and jasmine with a hint of sandalwood and red wine. I don't particularly care for how powdery Black Widow is on me, but it's still quite lovely. For some reason, it reminds me of my grandmother who died right after my second birthday. I used to play with her old clothes that my mom stored in our basement after her death and Black Widow smells like the scent of her left on her clothing. The bottom line: Not my usual type of scent, but it has too many good memories attached to it not to like it.

I've had some reactions to oils myself, lately. For some reason, aquatics and musk are making my nose burn something awful and Black Dahlia made me sneeze like crazy. I have no idea what was in it that I'm allergic to, but it wasn't pleasant. I don't know what it is about musk that's making my nose burn. It never used to do that and then all of a sudden, starting with Haunted, every blend I've tried with musk as a major component has made my nose burn like a cut burns when you swab alcohol on it.

I got an imp of the prototype of this from cluna. First sniff: Green and slightly aquatic with a hint of rose. It smells like a walk in the forest early in the morning when the dew is still clinging to the leaves. This isn't your typical woodsy scent, it's much lighter and more feminine smelling, not aggressive the way most forest scents are. Wet on skin: This smells almost like Bayou with less floral notes, it's green and aquatic and has the barest hint of rose in the background. This smells exactly that I imagine Ireland would smell like. I wish I had more than just an imp of the prototype version of this, it's gorgeous. Dry down: The rose seems to have disappeared, leaving the faint scent of green leaves and early morning dew. This is a very light scent on me and while I wish it was stronger, I love it enough to not mind having to reapply it every couple of hours. I really love this one, it's beautiful and not too feminine for me to be turned away by it. The bottom line: Gorgeous; woodsy and dewy and ever so slightly floral. I wish I had more of the prototype version of this; it's beautiful.

Heh, at least I'm not the only one who thinks it's a dead-on dupe of Angel. I was beginning to think I was crazy.

Got an imp of this as a gift from fallow deer. First sniff: Strong, dry cedar. This is a scent with attitude, much like my beloved Anne Bonny; it's very confident and powerful smelling, somehow. In the vial, all I can pick up is cedar and the faintest hint of bay leaf. This is a pretty masculine scent, but, at the same time, it's right up my alley. I love cedar, especially when it's combined with other dry scents. This is absolutely gorgeous. Wet on skin: Whoa, that's cedar, alright! I don't get anything but dry cedar from this when it's wet on my skin and that's more than alright by me. This is exactly what I've been looking for in a cedar scent, this is absolutely perfect for me. Dry down: Gorgeous, dry cedar and a hint of bay leaf and sage. The bay leaf and sage are just barely hinted at, but they give the cedar a depth that it didn't have on its own. This is a gorgeous, dry scent that's very calming but very powerful smelling at the same time. I love, love, love this scent. The bottom line: A new favorite, no question about it. I'm definitely getting a 10mL of this as soon as I can.

Got an imp of this from allamanda. First sniff: Wine and something very animal smelling; it's sharp like Haunted was for me, but softened somewhat by the wine. I don't remember musk being sharp, but everything I've smelled with musk in it lately has smelled very sharp to my nose. I don't know if my sense of smell is off or what, but it's a little odd. Wet on skin: Almost sour (must be the wine) and sharply musky. This reminds me a lot of Haunted because of the sharp, nose-burning animalistic note, but this reminds me more of autumn in the woods than Haunted's unsettling sexual vibe. Dry down: The musk has mellowed out now that it's dried and I'm left with an almost sour wine smell and a faint hint of leaves. This is a very unusual scent and one I'm not sure whether I'll end up keeping or not. Someting about this one just feels wrong on me and I'm sure it's my chemistry that's to blame. The bottom line: I'm undecided on this one; I don't know if I'll end up keeping it or not. It should have worked beautifully, but my chemistry's throwing it all out of whack.