Sins Of The Past
Category: American Gothic
Quantity: sample
Description:
SINS OF THE PAST
Innocence is lost. The Sins of the Past have yet to be absolved. Weighted and heavy on your heart, they were justified by love and carried out by greed. But, all will be made right. There’s just one more deed to carry out. Simply, one more transgression to erase all the rest. All will be made right again. The Sins of the Past will be put to rest. All fools need to believe. Red apple, aromatic bitters, spearmint, eucalyptus, benzoin.
Review:
In the bottle: Spicy apple and mint, or a minty apple pie.
Wet: It’s cold from the mint. It really smells like apple, with a little bit of warm benzoin and cold eucalyptus. The mix of hot and cold is a bit weird at first, but I got used to it after a minute or two.
Dry: The aromatic bitters appeared, making the apple spicy again. However, it remains foody. I still smell mint, eucalyptus and benzoin, but it's still delicate.
Verdict: Another fruity scent from Good Judy and, as always, an interesting one. In fact, it smells so good, my parents’ dog followed me all-day with her nose up in the air, smelling my trail as if she expected me to get an apple turnover out of my pocket...
Lust
Category: Sin And Salvation
Quantity: sample
Description:
LUST
Uncontrollable passion and insatiable sexual desire: red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh.
Review:
In the bottle: Ew, it smells like old incense... More precisely, like a mix of musk and patchouli.
Wet: Surprisingly, it actually turns sweet and spicy on my skin!
Dry: ...And right back to the musky incense.
Verdict: No, this one is definitively not for me. Too bad, I liked the name.
More reviews: Sin And Salvation: Lust
Hairy Toad Lily
Category: Rappaccini's Garden
Quantity: sample
Description:
HAIRY TOAD LILY
Spotty, hairy, purple, sweet!
Review:
In the bottle: At first, it's as sweet as candy, yet a bit lemony in the background.
Wet: Still sweet and cute, but definitively more floral and herbal.
Dry: It turned so subtle that I can't review it. I'm left with a powdered deodorant smell.
Verdict: Overall, this is a very light, delicate perfume... So light, in fact, that it disappears! Oops.
More reviews: Rappaccini's Garden: Hairy Toad Lily
Kumiho
Category: Diabolus
Quantity: sample
Description:
KUMIHO
Nine-tailed fox demon of Korean lore who transforms into the visage of an irresistible beauty in order to seduce men and lead them to their doom. A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger.
Review:
In the bottle: I can smell the white tea, slightly lemony/herbal.
Wet: It reminds me of Unicorn, very floral, white and sharp.
Dry: Now, I get more of the ginger, spicy and warm, but not overwhelming.
Verdict: It's subtle, delicate, and pretty. I wouldn't have expected that for a "foxy demon", but it's nice.
More reviews: Diabolus: Kumiho
Mephitic Vapors
Category: Curio Shop
Quantity: sample
Description:
MEPHITIC VAPORS
Careful with that! The contents can be quite dangerous. That bottle has been passed around for generations and nobody is quite sure of how much is left inside. You see, it looks empty. That’s the danger. Bottled hundreds of years ago by an infamous resurrectionist, one whiff of the Mephitic Vapors captured in that bottle would surely bring instant death. You’ll want to make sure you purchase the Good Judy souvenir version. The real one can’t be opened anyway. The lid’s glued on. Accidents do happen though. Authentic Mephitic Vapors: A miasma of graveyard putrescence. Not for sale! Souvenir Version: Black oak, peat moss, graveyard loam, headstones, and damp air. Plenty for everyone!
Review:
In the bottle: It’s very masculine... I do smell the oak and moss very well.
Wet: Yeah, that’s the old-fashioned graveyard caretaker’s favourite cologne. It’s a bit strong, and just so strange on me.
Dry: Ok, I had to wash it off. It was just so absurd on me, even the dog started crying after she smelled me. Enough said.
Verdict: I guess I’ll have to give this one... I don’t doubt this would smell good on a man, and preferably someone fairly older than me, because there really is something old-fashioned about it. It has also a dark/gothic feeling, like taking a walk in a graveyard in late fall, with a coroner passionately telling you all about his most fascinating cases... Well, you get the picture.
Gothic
Category: Punk
Quantity: sample
Description:
GOTHIC
Dramatic and romantic. Moody, mysterious and morbid. Pale skin. Black and jewel-toned velvets mixed with lace and leather. Influenced by the supernatural and the creative. Black roses planted in graveyard dirt. Blood-red lips inhaling a sweet-clove cigarette. A crushed velvet choker cutting into smooth pale flesh. Beautifully dark and sweet.
Review:
In the bottle: I do smell a rose, and something herbal, mixed with clover. It’s almost lemony.
Wet: Yeah, I definitively smell clove, but it’s sweet and soft, with a background note of cigarette.
Dry: A mix of (black?) rose and clove. It’s dark, bitter, and mysterious.
Verdict: It’s too bad this one is not available anymore; it’s gender-neutral, not too feminine. However, I suppose it competed with the American Gothic collection. Thanks for the remaining sample, Gary!
The Pool Of Tears
Category: Mad Tea Party
Quantity: sample
Description:
THE POOL OF TEARS
`I wish I hadn't cried so much!' said Alice, as she swam about, trying to find her way out. `I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears! That will be a queer thing, to be sure! However, everything is queer to-day.'
A sea of salty tears drowning out Alice's light floral perfume.
Review:
In the bottle: An aquatic, soft floral blend, with a hint of carnation.
Wet: It's very delicate on my skin, and still very floral, with carnation. It reminds me of Alice, but a bit more salty and aquatic.
Dry: Oops, it just turned bitter during dry-down. It seems temporary, but what remains afterwards smells like deodorant.
Verdict: It started o.k., but turned bad. Not a keeper.
More reviews: Mad Tea Party: The Pool Of Tears
Cannoli
Category: Mary Jo's Bakery
Quantity: sample
Description:
CANNOLI
A cannoli baked up right...Good Judy style! Creamy ricotta, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate chips, nuts and candied fruit all stuffed into a crispy baked shell. Sinful! Mama would be proud.
Review:
In the bottle: Another foody perfume... Sugar, vanilla, cream, chocolate, and something fruity in the background.
Wet: It really smells like pastry, with raisins, cinnamon, vanilla, ricotta or thick cream... It’s very sweet!
Dry: Now, I get the candied fruits, in a sugar-coated shell... However, the fruits smell like an artificial essence, that’s my only disappointment.
Verdict: Hum, this smells delicious! It might be a little bit too rich and decadent though...
Lucy's Kiss
Category: Ars Amatoria
Quantity: sample
Description:
LUCY'S KISS
Created to represent the essence of Bram Stoker's tragic heroine, Lucy Westenra. Seductive, wanton and deadly, but underscored with a soft, wistful innocense. The gentle scent of rose and a blend of Victorian spices
Review:
In the bottle: It’s a delicate rose, with a touch of sour spices.
Wet: At first, it’s a bittersweet rose; it’s soft and vulnerable. However, don’t be fooled by it, for it quickly turns into a spicy blend. Interesting…
Dry: Still spicy, with a bitter rose underneath. Hours later, the rose is completely gone, and all that remains is the sour blend of spices. I still can’t figure out which spices are in it though.
Verdict: I have to admit this one is interesting. It respects its concept from beginning to end. However, those spices annoy me after a while, so it’s probably not for me.
More reviews: Ars Amatoria: Lucy's Kiss
Honey Patch
Category: Resinate
Quantity: sample
Description:
HONEY PATCH
In the wild, unadulterated lands of the free, grows the honey patchouli tree. Earthy, warm, and golden. Patchouli and two sweet golden honeys.
Review:
In the bottle: Honeyed, sweetened patchouli; yet, the patchouli is quite strong.
Wet: What a sweet honey! I can’t decide if it’s herbal or floral (maybe both?), but I can smell the honey very well, and I can almost imagine its texture. Yum.
Dry: The patchouli comes out as it dries, but it keeps a good balance with the honey.
Verdict: This perfume has a little bit of a borderline personality, always on the edge between honey and patchouli. Honestly, patchouli isn’t my thing, so my enthusiasm was limited from the start. However, I have to admit that this blend is interesting.
Dana O'Shee
Category: Bewitching Brews
Quantity: sample
Description:
DANA O'SHEE
In Irish folklore the Dana O'Shee are a fae, elven people that live in a realm of beauty, their nobility akin to our that own Age of Chivalry, eternally beautiful and eternally young. They surround themselves with the pleasures of the Arts, they live for the hunt, and to this day can be seen riding in procession through the Irish countryside at twilight, led by their King and Queen. However, the Dana O'Shee are not benevolent creatures, despite what their unearthly beauty may imply. They are vengeful and treacherous and possess a streak of mischievous malice, and many have whispered that their true home lies deep in the shadowed groves of the Realm of the Dead. Hearing even a single chord of their otherworldly music leaves one stunned and lost to the mortal realms for ever, finding themselves prey to the Dana O'Shee's hunt or enslaved in their Court as servants or playthings. Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name.
Review:
In the bottle: At first, it’s mostly creamy honey, with a sweet cereal scent (oat?). I do smell a cherry or wild berry scent as well; but I wonder if I’m not hallucinating it, because it’s far behind.
Wet: Wow, this is sweet and delicious, with a touch of almond. It smells like it’s almost edible.
Dry: It’s still sweet, and it still smells like honey; but it’s much softer.
Verdict: I love it! I love foody scents, and Dana O’Shee seems perfect for all those occasions when a strong perfume might be overwhelming. I will probably buy a bottle of this one.
More reviews: Bewitching Brews: Dana O'Shee
Lolita
Category: Ars Amatoria
Quantity: sample
Description:
LOLITA
Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality. Glittering heliotrope, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon verbena.
Review:
In the bottle: It smells like lemony soap. It’s quite sweet actually.
Wet: I don’t know… Flowers and herbs bathing in lemon juice? On me, it’s a bitter-sweet poison, with a soapy scent underneath.
Dry: Probably my strangest association so far: do you remember the nasty old neighbour of your childhood, who used to burst open every ball that had the unfortunate luck of falling on her yard? Well, it smells like her.
Verdict: Poor Lolita… She fell into the claws of a pedophile and must have started to hate the world afterwards, or at least that’s what her perfume suggests. Honestly, if I get another sample of this one for free, I’ll throw it down the drain. (Note: I hate to waste, so I'll try to turn the sample I have into soap, or something like that.)
More reviews: Ars Amatoria: Lolita
B
Category: LGBT & More
Quantity: sample
Description:
B
N/A
Review:
In the bottle: Citrus and... bergamot?
Wet: Yes, I do smell a sweet herb such as bergamot, as well as citrus or orange.
Dry: Now, I’m getting something floral, possibly honeysuckle.
Verdict: It’s golden, vibrant, and the citrus scent smells clean, of course. Overall, it’s a nice gender-neutral blend.
Uke
Category: Anime & Manga
Quantity: sample
Description:
UKE
Whatever flavor, shy or outgoing, Ukes are the younger, more androgynous (even feminine) counterpart in the Boy Love anime genre of Yaoi. Fiercely loyal to their Seme, Ukes can be slightly annoying, but always cute in their devotion. Sexy and hot! Vanilla musk, cotton candy, cherry, cream
Review:
In the bottle: It smells like cherry cupcakes! I smell cherry, vanilla, sugar, and milk, in that order.
Wet: Indeed, it smells like Betty Crocker’s cherry cupcake mix… It’s drying into a mix of candied vanilla musk and cherry cream.
Dry: Now that it’s completely dry, I smell musky vanilla, and less sugar. The cherry note is also less intense.
Verdict: I love this one, it’s so yummy! What? It’s for boys? Who cares! It smells delicious and sweet.
Ostara
Category: Limited Edition (March 2009)
Quantity: 5ml bottle
Description:
OSTARA
Ostara, or Eostre, is the Goddess of Renewal, from which the name
Easter evolved. In celebration of the movement toward the rising sun (East),
Ostara embodies renewal, rebirth, and fertility. Wild strawberry,
honeysuckle, rice flower, spring rain
Review:
In the bottle: Sweet, honeyed strawberry, with a floral touch underneath.
Wet: So far, the strawberry and florals mix well. The rice flower and spring rain are very subtle, of course, but I did not expect anything else.
Dry: Well, I have to admit this is lovely. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. Because it’s fruity, it might work fine on a young girl.
Verdict: If it was only the strawberry, this perfume would be way too sweet, but the flowers offer just the right balance between serious and playful. It’s a youthful, yummy scent, but it won’t turn you diabetic.
Diamond
Category: Limited Edition (April 2009)
Quantity: 5ml bottle
Description:
DIAMOND
April's birthstone, Diamond is known as the stone of innocence and purity, and inspires matters of the heart. Diamond is said to encourage self-confidence and independence and counteract jealousy. Diamonds are energy amplifiers so be cautious: it amplifies negative as well as positive. Diamond purifies and detoxifies all of the body’s systems, rebalancing the metabolism, and building up stamina, strength and treating allergies and chronic conditions. White peach, champagne, white hibiscus, white amber
Review:
In the bottle: It smells white and clear. It reminds me of my mother’s garden, with fruit trees and hibiscus plants around every corner.
Wet: Mostly hibiscus and peach, with a little bit of champagne and amber.
Dry: Slightly less peach, and more champagne and amber.
Verdict: What a clear and fancy scent! I think I just found my new “special occasion” perfume.
Woobie
Category: In The Mood
Quantity: sample
Description:
WOOBIE
Every little one (and many of us larger ones) knows the comfort and security (as well as juju) a well-worn woobie can evoke. A woobie can be anything from a favorite blanket to a favorite pair of socks. Good Judy’s Woobie evokes the comfort and security (and the juju) of your favorite woobie. Warm, comforting, and soothing, Woobie surrounds you in a peaceful, secure aroma. Benzoin, vanilla 10x, styrax, labdamnum
Review:
In the bottle: Benzoin, vanilla, and spices.
Wet: The perfume is dark brown, and when I first applied it, it actually left a brown mark on my skin. Fortunately, I rubbed the area with my finger, and the mark disappeared; but still, this is one dark perfume! I smell the vanilla even more than before; but overall, it’s very soft and sweet (well, I guess that’s the point). Appart, from the warm vanilla feeling, it doesn’t smell that much, no matter how much I put on.
Dry: It’s still raw vanilla and benzoin for me. In fact, it makes me think of a vanilla cake on sleeping pills... weird image...
Verdict: Hey Sigg, have you ever thought of turning this one into a soap? I’m sure it could work for bath & relaxation products.
Herbert West
Category: Picnic in Arkham
Quantity: sample
Description:
HERBERT WEST
Of Herbert West, who was my friend in college and in after life, I can speak only with extreme terror. This terror is not due altogether to the sinister manner of his recent disappearance, but was engendered by the whole nature of his life-work, and first gained its acute form more than seventeen years ago, when we were in the third year of our course at the Miskatonic University Medical School in Arkham. While he was with me, the wonder and diabolism of his experiments fascinated me utterly, and I was his closest companion. Now that he is gone and the spell is broken, the actual fear is greater. Memories and possibilities are ever more hideous than realities.
Aftershave, embalming fluid, and splatterings from a panoply of reanimation reagents.
Review:
In the bottle: Indeed, aftershave and citrus (or lemon). It’s definitively for men, but I’m curious enough to try it on.
Wet: Still a good dose of aftershave, lemon, as well as tea and/or something herbal and fresh.
Dry: Not so much aftershave anymore, but a refreshing lemony herbal scent.
Verdict: I don’t doubt this would smell different on a man (my skin chemistry tends to make everything turn sweet); however, whenever a perfume changes during drydown, a part of my brain says “make soap!” This psychological problem aside, I really liked it, the smell is clean and clear, and not as sinister as I thought it would be.
More reviews: Picnic in Arkham: Herbert West
Spirit Bottle: Lhunassi
Category: Curio Shop
Quantity: sample
Description:
SPIRIT BOTTLE: LHUNASSI
Also known as a Charm Bottle, these elaborately decorated bottles are known for their healing and good fortune…as well as their powerful voodoo charms. Filled with medicinal herbs and spices, these bottled philtres are further enhanced by the captured spirit that resides in the bottle. Once purchased, you, the Keeper, have complete control over the captured spirit, and the spirit will aid you and you alone. Take heed, because while your spirit will listen only to you, you must also listen to your spirit. Servitude is not forever. Your spirit will let you know when their servitude is complete. When the time comes, make sure to properly bury your Spirit Bottle and come visit Good Judy’s Curio Shoppe to acquire another. We have many more arriving any day now.
This Spirit Bottle boasts the spirit of Lhunassi, powerful Moon Goddess and keeper of the stars. She will guide you on your spiritual journey for increased fertility and appease your need for nurturing and love of others.
Herbs, spices, moonflower, white champa, knotted twine (to bind the spirit)
Review:
In the bottle: It’s very feminine, with a mix of floral and herbal scents.
Wet: It’s already getting more precise: I get moonflower and herbs, with champa in the background. There’s something “old lady-ish” about it, though.
Dry: Now, it’s softer, more herbal, with light champa, and subtle moonflower.
Verdict: It’s very feminine and elegant, I won’t deny that, but it’s a bit too old-fashioned for me.
Jolly Roger
Category: Bewitching Brews
Quantity: sample
Description:
JOLLY ROGER
Sea spray with an undercurrent of leather, Bay Rum, and salty, dry woods.
Review:
In the bottle: It does smell like the sea, in a very salty way; yet, it’s woody, with an under-note of sweetness.
Wet: It’s still very aquatic. I get some of the wood, washed by the sea, but it’s still definitively aquatic.
Dry: As it dries, it starts to smell like an old pirate leather hat, with a splash of rhum. (Yarr...)
Verdict: It’s an interesting aquatic after-shave perfume, with an old pirate twist to it.
More reviews: Bewitching Brews: Jolly Roger
Gravy
Category: Signature Scents
Quantity: sample
Description:
GRAVY
Gravy is Good Judy's signature scent! This is some awesome sauce!
Two warm, buttery vanillas folded into creamy cocoa butter and poured over spicy warm resins. Soft and glowing. Warm and comforting. Nice and sweet, with something a little mysterious and dark underneath.
Review:
In the bottle: I smell a mix of spiced vanilla and cocoa butter. It’s very yummy, like warm cookies or cake.
Wet: A warm and very buttery vanilla, with a note of chocolate, and some resins underneath.
Dry: It still smells like warm cake, with a resin under-note. It seems worthy of Mary Jo’s bakery.
Verdict: Gravy is very decadent, and it opens my appetite. However, it’s not as decadent as Atomic Cheesecake, but it has an interesting (or even sexy) spicy aspect.
Femme
Category: LGBT & More
Quantity: sample
Description:
FEMME
N/A
Review:
Ok, I’m going to look stupid, but I didn’t know the meaning of “femme”. In French, a femme is a woman, but I thought that was too broad. I searched for an expression with femme in it, and I found “femme fatale”, which was an interesting theme, of course, until I searched “femme” in Wikipedia and found out what it means. Well, at least I’ve learned something... On the other hand, a femme could also be a femme fatale, right? Anyway, let’s move on... The scent has no description, so this is going to be a challenge for my nose. I’m sure I’m going to be completely off the track with this one.
In the bottle: The first thing I think about is grape punch. It’s sweet and delicate, with a little something floral.
Wet: Now I have images of flower trees in bloom (maybe lilac?), and a fruit (peach?). Whatever it is, I still get delicate florals with something fruity and juicy.
Dry: This review is about to get worse... It reminds me of wine a little bit, but mostly of a fruit punch I used to drink when I was younger, which was made of grape, cassia, berries, and some other fruits I forgot. It’s not as floral as before, but it’s still sweet.
Verdict: I’m getting a retro pin-up feeling out of this one. It’s feminine, seductive, and very sexy!
Cursed Cameo
Category: Curio Shop
Quantity: sample
Description:
CURSED CAMEO
Don’t be fooled by its beauty, by its seemingly delicate nature! Well over one hundred years old, this cameo is a splendid piece of jewelry marred by a fearsome curse. Given to a scorned wife as pacification from her flagrantly cheating husband, the wife was rumored to have dispatched of each of her husband’s affairs with a chilling and cold-blooded fervor, all while wearing the cameo. Now the cameo is cursed to bring torment and discord to its wearer, keeping them forever miserable and alone. Well, yes, I don’t see why you can’t hold it. Only please refrain from putting it around your neck. We are not sure how swift-acting the curse is. Come to think of it, maybe it’s best if you didn’t hold it at all. One can never be too careful! White lily, iris, jasmine, magnolia, grapefruit, peach
Review:
In the bottle: It’s soft and feminine, in a graceful way. I can identify the notes of lily and magnolia.
Wet: Without any surprise, the flowers came out first.
Dry: As it dried, I started to notice something juicy and sweet, which I assume is the peach and grapefruit. It’s funny, because it leaves a little bit of an aftertaste, but maybe that’s the curse?
Verdict: I find it hard to write a review on this one because I’m completely addicted. If you like blends of flowers and fruits, you should try this one.
The Unicorn
Category: Mad Tea Party
Quantity: sample
Description:
THE UNICORN
A misty, almost luminous perfume: wispy linden blossoms, white flowers, and a touch of sweet herbs.
Review:
In the bottle: A clean, fresh, and clear floral smell. It’s soft and light.
Wet: I get a sweet floral scent. I’m not accustomed to linden blossoms, so my first impression was something similar to lily of the valley, but I could be wrong.
Dry: It’s soft and faint. The herbs blend well together into a light, feminine scent. Unfortunately, it fades away very quickly.
Verdict: It’s lovely, but it doesn’t have much impact, which I think is really too bad because, otherwise, it would be the perfect blend for spring. On the other hand, someone who rarely ever wears perfume and wants to stay away from strong scents, would probably adore this.
More reviews: Mad Tea Party: The Unicorn
Hanami
Category: Limited Edition (Spring 2009)
Quantity: 5ml bottle
Description:
HANAMI
Hanami is the Japanese tradition of viewing the flowering trees. When the Sakura (cherry) and Ume (plum) Trees blossom, spectators arrive in throngs to view the ephemeral and beautiful flowers and picnic on foods and sake. The Hanami tradition is as anticipated and celebrated as Leaf Season in America.
Sakura blossom, ume blossom, sake
Review:
In the bottle: This smells like spring to me, and walking through the apple and cherry trees in bloom. Although, in this case, it’s cherry and plum…
Wet: The flowers are exploding under my nose. The plum came first, and then the cherry.
Dry: I’m still getting a lot of the flowers, but with a little bit of sake as well. It’s strange, but it smells a bit like spray net…
Verdict: Hanami has a serious, mature feeling. I don’t doubt this could be an elegant Japanese woman’s favourite perfume.
