Caitfish
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Everything posted by Caitfish
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Kurukulla: In the Bottle: Dominant notes: Beautiful, fresh, slightly fruity roses (that's probably the lotus talking). Lush, wet, fruity lotus! Impressions: A light, effervescent rose, swimming in lush, wet lotus! Initial On: Dominant notes: Lotus springs up at first, fruity and sweet - it takes a moment for the light, dainty roses to recover. Impressions: a lovely blend so far - light, as I've said - so it isn't overpowering. The lotus/rose combination is a unique one, and gives this relatively simple blend some interest. After a While: Persistent notes: The roses come to dominate, but it's never a heady rose smell - it's always very upbeat. The lotus sticks around, keeping this lush and interesting. Staying power: Good for a light floral. Probably needs to be reapplied for throw after a couple of hours. Overall Impressions: This is a beautiful, refreshing blend. It isn't soft or demure like most white florals, or brooding and heady like some rose blends can be. I agree with the above poster who said that this smells like an alcoholic rose - it smells something like a rose dipped in champagne. Man, who could resist that? This is a kind of trusting, playful, refreshing love. It's like a floral Bon Vivant. Lovely!
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Morocco: In the Bottle: Dominant notes: Saffron most of all - something surprisingly sweet, I have no idea where that is coming from, because usually carnation is a pretty spicy scent on me. There's also piles of spice. Can't really detect any musk yet, but I am certain that it will appear once my skin warms it up. Initial On: Dominant notes: The Saffron calms down, and the carnation that I know and love springs up with the musk, which tempers and smooths all of the spices. Impressions: This is warm, definately spicy, and surprisingly sweet. I think it could be very attractive. After a While: Persistent notes: Spice, carnation, musk. Notes which fade: I lose the saffron after a while as well as most of the sweetness. Staying power: Very good! Long time with throw throw throw (very common of most spicy scents on me.) Overall Impressions: As beautiful and popular as this blend is, I don't think it's for me. It's very very strong because of the spice, and honestly it makes me a bit dizzy. It's a shame because I really thought that I would love this one, but I think Alice keeps me in the carnation just fine and Queen of Sheba handles the spicy edge without becoming overpowering. I'll give it another try and keep you posted!
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Antique Lace: In the Bottle: Dominant notes: Hmm, vague florals? Softened cotton candy? Impressions: This blend is so sweet, almost candy-sweet. It really does smell something like cotton candy. There is something in it that smells of freshly-laundered cloth, too - actually reminicent of lace. Initial On: Dominant notes: the cotton candyish scent remains, it smells a bit warmer now, but still very sweet. I can smell something kind of dusty, something whispy - perhaps musk. Impressions: This is so soft and feminine. It's sweet, clean, and calm. After a While: Persistent notes: It remains sweet, though it smells a bit less like candy. Staying power: Surprisingly good, because it's so soft - I didn't expect it to last, but it's pretty persistent. Overall Impressions: This is a soft, whimsical blend. Undeniably sweet. While I made statements about cotton candy - don't think sticky sweet, it's not. It's incomprably soft. Something dusty, musky and whisper soft - what I would call a musk. It has a musky effect but doesn't smell like most musks do, it's simply something soft that envelops the entire blend. This is a beautiful, classic perfume. I can't think of anything more ladylike and demure. Lovely.
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Yay, cookies! Math is hard! Let's bake cookies! (: In the Bottle: I can smell the scent of the oven, the scent of butter, something a bit tart or lemony, it's not a unified cookie yet, though! Oj, and sugar of course! Pure, sweet baking sugar! Initial On: Everything melds together once this blend touches my skin - it's as if the ingredients were sitting in the bottle, and they turned to delicious cookie batter and were popped in the oven the minute my skin started to warm them all up! After a While: Yum, it's as if there are cookies baking on my arms! Mm, after a while, as nearly everything does if it has even a drop of spice, this becomes a bit spicy on me - it smells like cinnamon and nutmeg! Overall Impression: This is such a wonderful holiday scent, especially with the addition of the spice! It's beautiful and delicious! Yay Beth!
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These plums are absolutely juicy, bursting, and covered with sugar. I think it's less like candy and more... well, actual sugared plums! Juicy, fruity, with an extra kick of sweetness. It's pretty intense at first, and seems to last pretty well - though it fades a lot after a few moments. I love fruity scents and this is no exception! It's the plum I hoped to find in Kitsune-Tsuki!
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I've not smelled Dana O'Shee, so I can't attest to its similarity. I'll just describe what I can. In the Bottle: Dominant notes: Hmm, indistinguishable florals, and something fresh - almost aquatic, and yes - a buttery note, though it doesn't smell like almonds to me. Perhaps I am simply wrong on that count. Impressions: I just stepped outside, it's just finished raining, and it's very very cold. The background of Snow White smells like that, amplified - fresh, light and cold. Initial On: Dominant notes: The florals are much stronger, the freshness remains. Impressions: This still smells cold to me! After all of the reviews describing almonds, I had decided that this would be a warm blend, despite the description - but it's so cold and refreshing, it's beautiful! After a While: Persistent notes: General florals - though not overbearingly so. The fresh, cold scent. Staying power: Decent, better than Egg Nog, but nothing like Hearth. It lasts a couple of hours, but without a lot of throw. Overall Impressions: This is a beautiful blend! I am so pleased that it's refreshing and light on me, since I have so many warm, spicy holiday scents. The florals are beautiful. I wish that I knew what was creating this fresh, cold scent! I don't like green scents or mint scents, and I am so glad that this is cold without being based on either of those, but it is a mystery! Gosh, this is lovely!
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I don't know what I can add to this, really - it is Dead On. In the Bottle: Well, this smells like eggnog, not so many spices yet - but the alcohol is definately there. It smells like they haven't meshed yet, but I am sure that they will once they are on. Initial On: Mmm, this warms up - it's so lovely - the alcohol dulls down and swirls in with the eggy, creamy goodness. Now it's spicy. It's just gorgeous! Overall Impression: You have to apply rather a lot of this to smell it well, and it isn't very long lasting, but it's an incredible blend. I love it as a perfume, and I didn't expect to. Okay, I was right, nothing to add to the reviews already posted - don't know why, but I'll post this anyway!
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Hearth - Got to agree with everyone else that this is not what I expected. In the bottle: Cherries - like, pure cherries. Nothing woody about these cherries, just cherries. Reminds me of the in the bottle smell of kabuki, without the astringent note (anise). Initial On: Something buttery - I suppose what has been called the "Pancake stage." Nope, this isn't butter or pancake syrup, this is very fine pipe tobacco - exactly. I does smell like that, syrupy in a way - the tobacco leaves are saturated with something. Damn, my boyfriend is smoking so I can not tell if that smoky smell is coming from the Hearth, but it goes very well with it regardless. After a While: This is a strong blend, it sticks around. For hours. The sweetness persists, though it's never as strongly cherry as in the bottle. Overall Impressions: What a fantastic, surprising blend! It's so sweet, warm and lovely. It's sugary and slightly buttery. Difficult to quantify, but delicious nonetheless. I am so glad that I purchased this one!
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Absolutely incredible. It isn't simply "rose". It's the smell of the leaves, the rose, the stem, the dew! It's incredibly natural, so accurate, and really STRONG! This perfume lasts, and though the watery elements retreat, this is simply the most accurate reproduction of the smell of a fresh rose I think anyone could ever hope to create. I'm a silly, silly girl for only buying a bottle.
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Nine mysteries indeed! In the bottle, this smells exactly like a creamy after dinner mint! It's awesome. After it's on, it undergoes about nine morphs before fading away, sometimes fruity, sometimes minty, sometimes creamy, sometimes floral. Nothing that's easy to pin down. I'll be interested to find out what the notes are.
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Oh, this is lovely. This order was so fantastic - two blends that are less aquatic than evocative of an aquatic mood (the Lady and Black Pearl). The notes in this blend are incredible, it's so soft and soothing, but slightly vibrant and lively at the same time. It's more aquatic than Black Pearl... damn, I love this scent. It doesn't last too terribly long, but that's alright. Big bottle!
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Scent Name: Delerium In the bottle: Dominant notes: Erm, Lemon all the way. Perhaps a bit of apple. Impressions: This is… weird. Smells… delerious. Beth… you're a nut. Initial On: Dominant notes: Can smell some more apple, and rose. Impressions: These notes just don't belong together. This makes me feel confused. They're all lovely scents, but lemon just rules this. It's like being at a small party with a bunch of strangers and one overpowering social butterfly. No one really gets to know each other, no one really gets along. After a while: Persistent notes: Lemon Notes that fade: The rose really doesn't stick around. Staying power? The lemon sticks around for… way too long. Summary: Woah. This was a confusing experience. I love the thought of apple and rose together, but the addition of lemon was just… too much. That and my skin really tends to amplify lemon, so that must have been it. This was a freebie, and I'm thankful that I got to try it. It's another one of those - woah, this is exactly what this experience smells like that Beth's so good at creating, it's just not an experience that I enjoyed a whole lot.
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In the bottle: Dominant notes: Rose and something that makes this incredibly sharp, I suppose that must be the narcissus. Impressions: As I said, this is definitely rose, but much sharper. It smells almost like an astringent floral soap in the bottle. Initial On: Dominant notes: The same. Impressions: This is surprisingly VERY strong. Usually rose scents are very soft and light, but this is extremely strong, has a *lot* of throw. After a while: Persistent notes: The same. Notes that fade: None. Staying power? Incredible. This seems to get on everything I touch. I wore it for six hours, and then went to bed. When I woke up in the morning, I could smell it on my pillow as if it had spilled there - like an entire imp. Summary: This is a very appropriately named and described blend. It is "rabid" as the name describes, and wants absolutely to be noticed. Won't sit in the background or blend in with you in anyway. If you want to stand out and don't mind smelling like one helluva rose, this is for you. To be honest, I really like the way this one operates - so strong and in your face. But it's a bit astringent somehow, and it makes it difficult to enjoy. I feel very soapy.
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Obeah is not very attractive to me from start to finish. In the bottle, I smell Patchouli defininately and perhaps some orange. Unfortunately this also has a green, almost piney edge to it - which makes this doubly unattractive to me. But if you like pine and patchouli, go for it! You'll love it. When on, this warms up a bit, and begins to smell incensy in addition to the patchouli. It's nice, but still not me. I really appreciate this freebie and hope that it finds a loving home!
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I just didn't like this one at all, but don't let that dissuade you, I hate greens in general! This one to me was almost pure pine. I really dislike pine, so I couldn't get past that. I didn't pick up any creamy notes at all.
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In the bottle: Dominant notes: Chocolate, tobacco, dusty florals. Impressions: Oh, this is deliciously complex. I can detect a veritable pile of notes, and they are all fantastically blended. This is a gorgeous, delicious blend, I can already tell. Initial On: Dominant notes: Mmm, the same as above plus definite cactus blossom. Impressions: Delicious, incredible. I really am at a loss for words. This smells like New Mexico in the fall, plus the most delicious chocolate, not overly sweet… chocolate cactus… mmmm…. After a while: Persistent notes: Chocolate, floral, cactus flower. Notes that fade: Hard to say, this puppy is so complex. Staying power? Very good. It stays very complex, never degenerates into a single note, though it is a unified blend. Summary: Okay, this is my favorite perfume so far. I'm really failing in an accurate description here. Simply, I love it. I would give up all other perfumes for it. I will cry and cry and cry when my bottle is gone, and I hate myself for not ordering like 3 of these. This is New Mexico to me, absolutely. It's home in a bottle. ETA: Please Beth, bring this back. I'll order a gallon of it.
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The notes that I detect besides the ylang ylang and mhyrr, which only appear when applied and give this a spicy, sexy edge are VANILLA definately and perhaps honey... that's all I can really draw out. This scent is definately vanilla based - when applied it's extremely warm because of this, and also the spices. A beautiful, sensual smell - but not unique enough for me to buy a big bottle. What can I say, I'm not a big vanilla girl, and this is a big vanilla scent, dig? You ought to try it though! I can see loving this one with more normal tastes.
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Scent Name: Séance In the bottle: Dominant notes: rosewood, greenish rose leaf. Impressions: This smells surprisingly fresh and wet in the bottle, considering the description. The rosewood is apparent, and makes this smell smoky. Initial On: Dominant notes: Rosewood and wow, hazel. Impressions: Beautiful. A completely different experience with the same notes, if that makes any sense. The hazel really warms this and brings out the woody notes of the rosewood, which smells something like cedar. After a while: Persistent notes: Rosewood, rose leaf and hazel all balance each other out now. Notes that fade: None Staying power? Okay, considering the dry nature of this scent - I would say three hours without a reapply. Summary: A beautiful, evocative scent. Though others have questioned it, I would like to defend this as a perfume. It's absolutely mysterious and warm, definitely a draw - enigmatic is the perfect way to describe it. The rose leaves and rosewood give the hint of the regal rose without ever approaching a floral. It's dusty but not dirty or dark. Big bottle.
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Scent Name: Hell's Belle In the bottle: Dominant notes: Oleander, Magnolia, Mandarin, Musk, Spice… wait, that's everything! I guess the mandarin and Magnolia are most apparent in the bottle. Impressions: SWEET MAGNOLIA! No really, I love magnolia. Black Dahlia is another of my favorite scents. This is a lot like Black Dahlia, but more tart and spicy, less floral and more playful and sexy rather than dark and sensual. Initial On: Dominant notes: Mandaring and Magnolia, with spices rising. Impressions: This is hot. Man, it's floral, but the mandarin puts the sweet floral in check with a bit of tart, kind of like Lampades. The spices make this a definate "come hither" scent. After a while: Persistent notes: All of those above, though the musk really starts to come out and make this soooo creamy. God, this is delicious. Notes that fade: None Staying power? Very good. This becomes progressively more creamy and spicy, and while it fades a little, it loses none of the original notes. Summary: Egads, this is sexsay. The creamy musk and spices make it volumptuous and sexy, the magnolia makes it lush (the *perfect* word for magnolias), the oleander gives it a flowery grace and the mandarin adds a bit of unexpected tart playfulness. Wow. BIG BOTTLE.
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Scent Name: Black Pearl In the bottle: Dominant notes: Coconut, Hazelnut, Musk… the iris is apparent too, actually. Impressions: A beautiful blend. This smells creamy and warm (BUT NOT SPICY!) All of these notes belong together. Initial On: Dominant notes: Coconut and hazelnut are the two big winners here. Everything else is detectable, but well blended. Impressions: Beautiful! Calming, with good throw. After a while: Persistent notes: This blend stays incredibly true to the smell in the bottle and when initially on, so the notes pretty much keep the order listed above. Notes that fade: None Staying power? Excellent. This is a surprisingly strong scent, though it's so mellow smelling, it really has a lot of throw and strength, thus, it sticks around. Summary:These notes were all *meant* to be in this perfume. This is a fantastic mellow, balmy blend. That's exactly the way to put it - balmy! I wish that I had had this in the Bahamas, it would have been perfect for the warm tropical nights. This is not an aquatic scent, but rather - as the description states - evocative of the sea. Tropical, but smooth, not fruity, and very sultry. Big bottle!
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Scent Name: Vinland In the bottle: Dominant notes: The loganberry is apparent, and the rest smells like wildflowers - a sweet scent, but dusty. Impressions: This is probably one of the most unique perfumes that I've ever smelled, none of the ingredients are common, and that's immediately apparent in the blend. Initial On: Dominant notes: This does something very strange for the first two minutes that I put it on. It turns into lemon pinesol, which is strange, because neither pine or lemon are in this blend, and they fade almost immediately. It was a little scary, though. You know how some people describe scents "soaping" or "powdering" on them? That never happens to me, they always become lemon pinesol! Impressions: I hope that this changes! After a while: Persistent notes: Incredible, after a few moments this becomes exactly the scent of a flowery clearing in the middle of a disiduous forest. The loganberry is probably always the strongest scent, so at its base this is sort of tart, with the wildflowers maintaining a sort of dusty, natural undertone and the scent of disiduous trees wafting over everything. Notes that fade: Thank god, the lemon and pine go away. Staying power? Unfortunately, this doesn't last more than a couple of hours on me without a reapply. Oh well, all the more reason to by a 10ml! Summary: As I said, this is such a unique blend. It's a dreamy, nostalgic scent that reminds me mostly of hidden clearings and wildflowers when I was a girl. I love this perfume - it's definitely a 10ml for me.
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In the bottle: Dominant notes: Not clear, this is powerfully sweet in the bottle, as others have said, it smells deceptively foody. I think that this is actually florals mixing with the Frankincense and myrrh. Impressions: Really lovely at this stage, and I hope that it stays true, despite what I've read about the tendancy to morph. Initial On: Dominant notes: Frankincense and myrhh, all the way. This is incredibly spicy when on. Impressions: Very spicy, I can't really detect many florals yet. After a while: Persistent notes: Frankincense and myrhh, blended florals, esp. rose and gardenia. Notes that fade: The frankincense and myrhh really do step back quite a lot, but this never becomes an outright floral, or even a detectable one if you aren't aware of what the two top notes are doing to the flowers. It's difficult to describe. The flowers are definately there, but they are given an air of venerability by the spices. Staying power? It's a strong but inconsistent blend. Lots of changes in both strength and color, though this is still detectable after eight hours at class. Summary: This is a fantastic creation. It's one that you have to live with for a while to understand the way the notes are balanced, but once you have, it's easy to appreciate the craftsmanship here. It's mature, contemplative and surprisingly dark. I am very glad that I purchased it.
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Scent Name: Queen of Hearts In the bottle: Dominant notes: Lily, definitely. I do not know what stephanotis is, but there is something that gives this an air of freshness, like soap, but in a good way. Doesn't overpower the lillies. A very, very small bit of sweetness from the cherries. Impressions: Fresh, light - I'm afraid it might be a bit too light, but we will see. Initial On: Dominant notes: Okay, this is lily all the way. Can't detect cherry and the "fresh" scent really goes away when I put this on. Impressions: Lillies, and it's strong - I thought it would be light, but it isn't. After a while: Persistent notes: Lillies Notes that fade: Cherry, stephanotis? Staying power? Surprisingly, very solid in this department. Wore it for hours, and it was very prominent with good throw. [/u]Summary: This is definitely the definitive lilly scent, but unfortunately for me - that scent is heartwrenchingly sad. I seriously wanted to cry when wearing this. It's so beautiful, but so completely evocative - I don't think that I could wear this every day, but I'll save the imp for very sad occasions.
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In the bottle: Dominant notes: Pumpkin more prominent than on, it smells almost baked. Very spicy, and the apples come in last. Impressions: This smells creamy, spicy, and very strong. Initial On: Dominant notes: WOAH SPICY. The clove, nutmeg and allspice are all apparent here. Impressions: Very, very spicy at first, though this quickly calms down a lot and the lovely sweet apples come back strong, with the creamy baked pumpkin scent lulling behind them. The mullein gives this an air of mulled cider, hot on the stove. Lovely. After a while: Persistent notes: All of them! The apples really stick, though the pumpkin becomes a bit more difficult to detect, it's still there. The delicious, foody spices all stick around. Notes that fade: None. Staying power? Fantastic. Hours, probably all day without a reapply. Summary: This is truly the embodiment of the classic autumn scent. I can't think of a more perfect blend. Creamy, spicy, sweet - all at once. A triumph. I wish I had ordered twice what I did so that I would have a 10ml now, but I'll really treasure this one. ETA: This is also a scent that my boyfriend enjoys, WHICH IS RARE, unless it's the smell of gun solvent or grilling red meat.
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Until I came here to review it, I had forgotten what the specific notes in Lampades were - not a lot that I was familiar with, I thought - as I could recognize nothing. All I could think when I smelled it was "wow". I loved this, though I knew not what she be. I suppose ultimately that the dominant note is cranberry - but to me, it isn't fruity. The ginger and musk really come out on me after I apply it and it is absolutely spicy. It never becomes too sweet for me, though I believe that this is a very body-chemistry dependent blend, because on a friend it turns sickly sweet. Anyway, as I said - I didn't know or care what was in this one at first, I simply knew that I loved it. One of my first big bottle purchases, and I'll wear it all the time.