Category: Excolo
Upon first whiff, it smells very sweet -- deliciously sweet to me, as if I'm smelling a bag of good, pipe-quality tobacco. Then the bay kicks in, giving a strident, not-quite-sour edge to it. Over time, it gives the impression of faint whiffs of booze and tobacco; it combines all the scents you'd expect to find on your long-lost Uncle, the ne'eer-do-well that likes to take long trips to exotic locales and then saunter back into your life to regale you with intriguing yet slightly menacing stories of his travels.
Bay leaf is an interesting thing. Used to flavor a dish, it imparts a very nice, hearty flavor. If you forget to take that leaf out and happen to get a good taste of the thing itself, though -- yowza. Not nearly as pleasant. And, unfortunately, though Baron Samedi has that delicious, evocative air to it, ultimately he is like sucking on a bay leaf -- just too pungeant, too sharp around the edges. Not my thing.
This scent is not for me, yet somehow I think I would like smelling it on someone else. Once you have that degree of seperation, this blend becomes a lot more tolerable; it's a bit like settling into Uncle's chair after he's gone off for more sinister adventures somewhere, revelling in the scent he's left behind, and breathing a sigh of relief that he's gone.
Category: Excolo
This is lovely.
The juniper adds a very nice, grounding effect for the other woods, because for some reason sandalwood seems to do odd things on me that are not always pleasant. Together, the woods form a nice base, and there is a bit of spiciness from the juniper, I think, that creeps up every now and then, as well as bergamot. The florals lurk in the background; I can detect just a hint of lilac, just enough to make it especially sweet and pretty.
A very pleasant, romantic scent, in my opinion.
Category: Bewitching Brews
This is a sweet, creamy scent that does smell a bit like almond -- I suspect that's the part that's inspired by 'sweet grains'. It's very nice, but doesn't last very long or throw very much on me.
Category: Limited Editions -- Samhain 2008
There are definitely dry, dead leaves here, but they are accompanied by sweet, warm apple cider and poppies. It's a very nice autumn scent -- right smack in between the earthiness of Chant D' Autumne and the warm deliciousness of Fearful Pleasure. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long on me, which is why I'll just content myself with an imp.
Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 -- Sleepy Hollow
The prevailing note here is beeswax...it's a very warm, homey scent. It is complemented nicely by the tea, cream, and, yes, wool. Over time, it fades into a golden, perfumey amalgam that is classy and very, very pleasant. I really like this, and need to remember to get me a bottle.
Upon first application, it smelled like what I fancy an old-fashioned licorice candy would smell like: vaguely bitter, but with enough sweetness in its scent to lure one in for a tooth-achingly good time. I actually envision a licorice-flavored 'coal' candy with this one.
It is decent staying power and throw, and is pleasantly-sweet throughout; I can definitely pick out the licorice and leather notes. The coal dust makes it just a tad dry or powdery around the edges, without the whole thing crumbling into powderiness. It's very interesting, but an imp is most likely enough for me.
Category -- Rappaccini's Garden
I wasn't hoping for much from this one, but was pleasantly surprised. This really does smell like rich, juicy red berries, with maybe a teensy splash of wine. Unfortunately, it doesn't have all that much throw or longevity on me; otherwise it'd be a keeper.
Go ahead and try this if you normally don't like lotus. I think you'll enjoy it for a change.
Category: Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
Why do you want me to come to you? Because you just cleaned and disinfected the room? That's sort of what it smells like. Oh, okay, well, there is something that smells pretty nice, here...jasmine, maybe, or a lily. It's pretty enough, I suppose, but as far as being amorous, let alone sexually commanding...I just don't get it. Fire Of Love fills that niche for me.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Oddly enough, the main scent I got from this was...licorice. Weird! I'm trying to think what would make that strange combination to my nose...perhaps the bergamot mixed with the heliotrope, or the oakmoss.
All things considered, however, I did enjoy it; it was soft and delicate on me and had a beguiling femininity to it. It evokes an impish fae quite well in that regard.
It helped that I like bergamot, I think.
Category: Excolo
I pretty much smell lots of lilac and myrrh mixed together. I don't know if there is an actual wine note in the 'honey wine', but Eros manages to go sour on me pretty quickly, much like Athens did. It's not as obnoxious as Athens was, but still not for me.
A light, bright, cheerful peach scent. It actually reminded me a bit of Aglaia, only without the deep musk and amber notes that made it a little overpowering and cloying. This scent hugs the skin, doesn't give much throw, and seems to wear off fairly quickly, which is diappointing, but it's definitely a charming scent while it lasts.
Category: Rappacini's Garden
Ohhhhh, yum! I get a lot of coconut from this, though at the beginning, if I lean down close and sniff my skin, I get the 'dirt' notes -- a musky, loamy sort of smell that is creamy in a way -- like, yes, mushrooms. Incredibly odd, but true. As it dries, the coconut smell takes over for the most part, with just a hint of that creamy 'shroom smell running underneath it. I have to admit that I wondered why people seemed to flip over this, but damn! It's delicious. Definitely on my list of favorites, now!
It has a gentle sort of throw, treating me to wafts of creamy coconut all day long. Yay!
Category: Limited Edition: Yule
In the bottle: It's hard to describe...I'm wanting to say it's an 'herbal' smell at first, because the light, fluffy notes that I would normally associate with florals aren't there. It's a very down-to-earth scent, instead, though as I huff deeper and longer, that sweet note does rise to the surface; I'm assuming that's the gardenia.
Wet: This scent has warm tones to it; it speaks to me of a candlelit ritual or gathering, one that centers around radiance and joy, where wreaths of olive leaves and pure white flowers adorn everything. It is verdant without being excessively flowery; all of those thicker, heavier notes blend together and come to me; while I can't pick out olive blossom, honey, lemongrass or patchouli exclusively, I can definitely tell that they're *there*, based on the 'texture' that the scent gives off. I'm afraid this really isn't doing a very good job of saying what it *smells* like, other than that it's warm and earthy and OMG so nice.
Dry: Unfortunately, after a while it wears off and gets very faint, with just a hint of sweet floral remaining. I'm sort of surprised that I couldn't detect the citrus notes at all, but that's okay.
Verdict: This scent is divine! I'm so glad that I got a bottle of it; the very down-to-earth quality of it is what makes it beautiful to me. This is another one that I would recommend for people who do not like traditional 'sweet' florals, who like a bit of solidity to their scent.
What I liked: I'm definitely a fan of scents that have 'body' to them, which this one does. To me, it's a nice mix of sweet flowers and warm, crisp herbs; it completely makes up for the disappointment that was Alecto. I'm also pleased that the patchouli behaved itself; years of being around people who over-apply patchouli has made me wary of it, so I'm absolutely happy that it's worked out in this blend.
What I didn't like: Though it would have been nice to have smelled the nectarines and oranges, it probably would have made it a completely different scent. I'm happy with this as it is, really.
Category -- Excolo
This is a very pretty, and well-balanced, blend of lotus and rose. Neither becomes too overpowering; it just blends to create a nice, sweet, light floral. Not quite to my own personal tastes, but still a very pleasant experience overall. If you don't *quite* like either lotus or rose, you may still want to try this, because they really do balance each other well in this blend.
Category: Phoenix Steamworks
At first blush, I get a blast of citrusy smell, and then the cedar kicks it to make it smell like woodsy polish.
It has decent staying power and throw...not sure if this is a keeper for me, though.
Category: Excolo
In the imp: Cinnamon, patchouli, and orange...very, very warm and spicy.
Wet: It starts out spicy, peppery, a scent with bite; the patchouli attacks your nose with the spiky texture of its scent. Then it seems to dissolve and turn smokey, like a newly-lit stick of incense. There's definitely a strong note of both patchouli and orange, mixed with the darker notes of the other incense. It smells exactly like a little clothing shop that I used to go to...it's a gorgeous scent, and very 'incensey' without becoming obnoxious.
Dry: Unfortunately, it grows faint pretty quickly. The airy quality of it takes on a more woody sort of tone, and reaches a strange juxtaposition in that it's earthy and 'grounded', while the faintness of it makes it ethereal.
Verdict: I really like it, I just wish that it stuck around longer...Come back, dammit, I like youuuuu!!
What I liked: Orange FTW!!!!! Also the cinnamon. I was afraid of the patchouli, but it behaved itself quite nicely.
What I didn't like: Its throw diminished pretty quickly, and its staying power is pretty minimal.
This is interesting to compare with Al Azif; where Azif is sweeter and more candylike to me, Shairan is very much a stereotypical incense scent to me. I'm thinking if I can find a happy medium, that has decent throw and lasts throughout the day, that I'd be really happy.
Category: Doc Constantine's Pharmacopeia
I don't really get a 'dirty' vibe from this (when I was initially reading reviews, people were all (OMG it smells like dirt and mud and violets!)...it's more of a *sweet* violet, perhaps one that has been squished to make, well, bruised violet compound. It's a pretty straightforward violet scent, IMHO. Has a wee bit of throw once it dries (and it is especially lovely once it does), and has good staying power.
When first applied, I get frankincense and a hint of amber -- very lovely. I can see how people get the 'fizzy' feeling, though, because I quickly detected it there, as well. Then the incense morphs quickly to something sweeter; while I didn't get out and out 'grape' scent from the wine, it was vaguely there. After a bit, it just goes generically perfumey. Just not my thing...
Category: Bewitching Brews
At first I wasn't sure about this one, because the sweet berry note was throwing me off quite a bit. As much as I like sweet things, the berry notes usually feel too thick and sappy for my liking. For instance, Baneberry was just too in-your-face with the berry, and Akuma was sickeningly candy-sweet. Fortunately, later on Bewitched became more balanced by the herbal elements, and smelled like someone who's been working in their herb garden, with just a hint of otherworldly sweetness thrown in for good measure. It was much more pleasant, then! I would nudge people who don't usually like strong berry scents toward this one, as I feel the herbs and musk really help to ground it well.
Category -- Rappaccini's Garden
Oh God, this is gorgeous. Beautiful, sweet lily, smooth and velvety. It has a cool darkness without being damp, more an essence of the shaded light that surrounds the flower, rather than the earth it springs from.
If only it projected. It hugs my skin and really does not throw much, and this is disappointing.
(And, unfortunately, the only day that it really seems to amp -- is the day right before my period. I can't really justify wanting a bottle of something with such a...limited window of usefulness. )
Category: Bewitching Brews
Oh goodness, this is absolutely gorgeous. This is my first time smelling violet so intently, and it is really, really lovely. This scent lasted all day, lingering particularly in my clothes, letting me fancy myself to be an exquisite, delicate, highly-feminine creature. Another one to add to my list of favorites.
Limited Editions -- Halloween 2009
Crisp, green, slightly juicy apple, paired with the tang of rum and with a wee bit of slightly-toasted caramel (with perhaps some nuts on it). It's a really fun initial whiff; unfortunately, it dissipates pretty quickly on me.
Limited Edition -- Halloween 2009
Apple juice/cider, mixed with toasted nuts, with maybe a faint whiff of blossoms here and there. It doesn't really agree with me, for some reason...the apple note is pleasant enough, but the combination of notes just...isn't jivin' with me.
Category -- The Mad Tea Party
Predominantly a glorious, warm amber. The grassy scents are dry ones, and smell a little like patchouli and cinnamon, or some other very dry, powdery spice. I agree with other reviewers about this lasting a short time; it's really nice for the hour or so that it's there, but then the Lion is padding off to parts unknown.
Category: Limited Editions -- Lupercalia 2007
I received this as a decant from my Switch Witch.
This...is sex and decadence in a bottle. The earthy pleasures of opium, tobacco leaf, and liquor -- yes, liquor! I'm wanting to say bourbon -- are all I can detect, and it is AWESOME. It's as if someone had captured the essence of a long night in a bawdy bar, sans the less alluring scents of, say, sweat and actual tobacco *smoke*, and put it in a bottle.
If you want to smell like you've been out all night partying, with the smug satisfaction of not having a hangover, then wear this. And don't be afraid to slather it.
YUM.
