Category: Limited Edition -- Yule 2007
Oh. My. God. Wonderful warm BEESWAX mixed with amber, and I think I'm even smelling the olive oil a bit...a warm, smoky sort of smell. Must...have...more!!
Category: Discontinued Scents
I pretty much get patchouli from this, with a bit of lavender around the edges. Unfortunately, it didn't get any more complex than that on me. Will pass it on to someone else who can appreciate it more.
I do like that patchouli. This is saying something, since I'm used to suffering exposure to it via people who seem to bathe in that instead of hot water and soap. Usually, it tends to crawl up into my sinuses, summon little knife-wielding dervishes, and then dance back and forth up and down my nose. Normally, only pollen does that.
There are other incense-like scents in the GC that work better on me than this did, so I'm not too sad about it.
Category: Sin & Salvation
In the imp: There's cinnamon, but in a sweet, sugary, Red Hots candy sort of way.
Wet: Sweetness predominates. I'm assuming this must be the clove, though I had never expected it to smell like that. It is mainly a floral sort of sweetness, with just a hint of sugar running through it; thankfully, the candy-like scent has gone away. Every now and then I can detect a brief spike of cinnamon or pepper, but the scent is predominantly sweet.
Dry: Finally when it had dried and died down (this would be *hours* later), I could detect a resinous incense scent on my skin -- dragon's blood.
Verdict: Even though it's not behaving the way I'd have thought from the description, I LOVE this scent! It is my favorite so far. Every time I would catch a whiff of myself I would feel quite happy...and this would happen quite often, as even with moderate application the scent is very strong and throws very well. Yum! A full bottle of this is a must-have.
What I liked: The sweet scent -- flowery and sugary, without crossing over into being obnoxious. The strength -- this throws *so* well, and I love being able to smell it on me without having to slather it on and risk being too stinky for people around me. And, the lasting power -- I put this on in the morning and can still smell it -- albeit faintly -- twelve hours later.
What I didn't like: Nothing! Wrath makes me happy!
I thought Absinthe and Aglaea were good, but this tops them, absolutely.
Category: Limited Editions -- Samhain 2008
As much as I like sweet, foody scents, the just-straight-up sugar note doesn't do too well with me. It has an overly-sweet, plasticky edge to it that is not fun.
There *is* a warmer, almost boozy undernote to it, but it's overpowered by the plastic fruitiness. Not for me!
Of all the anniversary Phoenixes, this one was my favorite. There is a strong, sort of astringent note right at the beginning, almost like the sharp tang of *very* fresh barkmulch. Thankfully, this lasts but a moment, and soon there is just a lush blooming of green plantlife. 'Earthy' is an easy word to apply here, but it's very apt; they are just deep, green-brown, earthy notes. I get cypress, maybe some tobacco leaf, and just a teensy hint of cherry lurking underneath there. It lasts all day and as just enough throw to keep constantly reminding me of how lovely it is. Very nice!
Pretty much as advertised...very strong, dry lavender, with a faint bit of bergamot underneath. It reminds me lots of Baku, only without the sweet addition of anise. Fades away to nothing pretty rapidly. I thought I'd like this a lot more than I actually did.
Forum-only scent
I get lots of fresh, green apple from this, with just a hint of carnation. It's pretty, but just a wee bit too fruity for my taste. It faded pretty quickly.
Category -- Ars Amatoria
Mmmmm. Up close and personal, it's pine. Big, manly, rugged pine. And then, as my wrist whisks away, it leave behind a tantalizing blend of spicy vanilla -- the pine's still there, but now it feels more like a blend of juniper and herbs, the same sort of sexiness that I love about Himerus.
To me, this is the male companion to Flowering Chrysanthemums. FC is all wet, dusky petals, and GP is a thick branch brimming with sap, and both of them are bathed in fragrant vanilla. That's hot.
Delicious.
At first Grandmother and I didn't get along; she smelled like baby powder with a very unpleasant biological crotch-sweat edge to it. Eww! Over time, however, she mellowed out, did a 180, and smelled like a bouquet of dried flowers that had been saved over the years in a wooden drawer, age and dust giving them a peppery sort of aura.
Not really my thing, but I'm relieve that it had a happy ending, at least.
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: Limited Editions -- Samhain 2008
This didn't strike me as a 'rosey' scent when I initially tested it, but now that I am re-sniffing it to jog my memory as I write this, I can smell the rose. It's definitely a very sweet floral scent...any incense is just peripheral, but I can detect the undercurrent of cocoa lurking at the very, very bottom of it all.
I think I'd agree with another reviewer above, and say that this is a smokier, foodier version of Mictecacihuatl. I don't think one needs to be afraid of the rose note...so if you like a hint of cocoa in your perfume, I think you could safely give this a shot.
I'm almost regretting not having gotten a bottle...
Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 -- Sleepy Hollow
I get a LOT of maple and oats out of this, with little side-hints of carrot. It's a delicious, pleasant, warm, comforting scent, but unfortunately the throw is minimal -- if there's musk, I really can't detect any -- and staying power is so-so. I will treasure what's left of my imp, but I don't feel that I need any more than that.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
I do smell coconut and orris. It's nice, but even with the musk, it's just so darned meek that I really can't put it on my list of keepers. Light throw, average longevity.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Piney dirt, mostly. Not a rose (or any other flower for that matter) in sight. Not bad, but it doesn't linger long, and I don't think it would be a 'me' scent, anyway.
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: Picnic In Arkham
At the very beginning, as I first drew breath to sniff it fresh from the imp, I could detect a faintly-sweet, fruity note.
And then...the cedarwood came.
The cedar completely dominates this one for me; I cannot smell anything else. And, oddly enough, the sweetly-earthy note that usually defines cedar for me takes on a sharp, high pitch early on in this blend; it reminds me more of pine trees.
So, nope...this one just didn't work.
(Just between you and me...I found myself thinking, 'This is what Azathoth uses to spray the bathroom with after he uses it'. It's *that* pine-like.)
Category: Ars Amatoria
At first, it gives off a very floral hue...sweet, but not overly sweet like jasmine. The other flowers seem to be tempering it. As time passes, the spiciness comes out more. It has modest throw and decent longevity. I think I'll continue to enjoy my imp.
This is a very light, clean scent, without ever turning soapy. The skin musk is predominant, but as it settles in on my skin I can detect the light sweetness of the vanilla flower, with perhaps a hint of honey and beeswax giving it a bit of a warm glow. This is another scent that tends to hug close, with occasional whiffs throughout the day....but it is *very* durable.
Basically, it smells like fresh, slightly damp skin, straight out of the shower. Very nice and clean. I haven't tried Glowing Vulva, so I couldn't compare this at all, but in its own right I think it's rather nice. If you like discreet, deceptively simple aromas, then this is worth acquiring.
Category: Ars Moriendi
Well, 'ethereal floral' certainly applies here...I get a whiff of light florals, with maybe a bit of dusty ivy...and then it's gone. Very faint, very fleeting.
Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008
The rose note made me super-leery, but the other notes sounded so appealing that I had to at least try a decant. As anticipated, the rose amps hugely on me. However, it never really gets all that obnoxious. There's a fresh, wet side to it, and that may be the agave nobly leaping in and keeping the rose from ruining my day. I don't smell the copal too much, alas, but it is there, lurking in the background along with the woods. It's really lovely, and after Karl complimented me on it, I'm convinced that I need a full bottle.
If rose doesn't normally work for you, don't be afraid...this could be one of those pleasant exceptions, for you.
Fig, walnut, and bamboo mingle together to evoke images of freshly-peeled bark, twigs, sticks, tendrils of curling greenery, and underneath it all, the moist, sheltering earth of a burrow. It's warm and sweet, like a little brown rabbit curling up somewhere safe. As if that lovely imagery wasn't enough, there is a teensy bit of caramel that gives it a chocolatey sort of feel...like a chocolate bunny, almost! (I was born in the year of the Wood Hare, so that must be where all the rabbity imagery is coming from). I really liked it, a lot! And I will probably rue the day that I decided to pass up on getting a full bottle of it.
I really loved all the Phoenixes. They are so very evocative in their own respective ways; I haven't had this much mental imagery from scents in quite a while. I really enjoyed my experiences with the Anniversary scents, and am grateful to have been able to sample them.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
Pretty much as advertised -- dragon's blood and amber. The dragon's blood gives it sweetness, while the amber gives it warmth, and the feeling of a nice, round, polished edge to one's nose. Very pleasant. It has modest throw and decent staying power. Recommended to anyone who's a fan of these two components.
Category -- Diabolus
The first time I wore this, I knew that I was smelling the plum pretty predominantly; it had a sort of rich, dark fruity tone to it without being too terribly juicy.
Now, as I retest it, I'm given the impression of a rich lady sampling plums in between sips of champagne; it's fruity, yes, but there's also a very rich, perfumey smell that is almost alcoholic in its headiness.
A co-worker of mine recently received a rose that smelled a lot like this -- a sweetness so fruity that it was hard to believe it was coming from a rose! So I can believe that there is rose in here...though in this case the sweetness is surely from the fruits mixing with all the various florals.
It tends to hug close to the skin; this is a scent that's pretty much reserved for your own pleasure, and that of anyone you invite into very close company.
Recommended for fans of plum and fruit scents, and even for those who normally hate rose (of which I am one). This is a sexy one.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Oh, wow! It took me a while to figure out just *what* this smelled like, but once I did I was in love. It smells *exactly* like those little round pieces of charcoal that you buy in rolls of six, wrapped up in white paper like Ho-Hos. (LOL) One can practically hear the gunpowdery crackle of it as it lights and gets red-hot. It's just the charcoal -- right before you drop the incense in. Absolutely fantastic
Category: Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
Wow, I actually love this! It's lots of straight-up dirty patchouli over what smells like musk and amber, with maybe a leeeeetle bit of cinnamon thrown in for flavor. I have to slather it quite a bit, but it lasts all day and all night, and gives me delightful wafts of its spicy, sultry scent. This is the first of the Conjure Bag scents that I really had a liking for.
