Gin

Monster Bait: Bloody Mary In the bottle, it's a like a thick syrupy cherry liqueur... and not really in a good way. On my skin, it wasn't much better. But just as I was lamenting the fact that cherries go weirdly metallic on me, I got a waft of something akin to cherry Pez. Although I'm not keen on cherry-flavored Pez, I'll take that over metal cherry any day. And then? It morphed into a glorious sweet cherry-ish scent with a generous helping of powdered sugar. Awesome! I'm glad I took a chance and grabbed a bottle of this.

Poisson d'Avril Flowers, flowers, flowers. I can't pick out any particular kind, just springy flowers. It goes a tiny bit soapy/powdery on me, but not in the terribly sharp way that some florals do.

The Knave of Hearts Huh. This is all buttery and caramelly, and almost smoky on me. No roses, no blackcurrants. By the end of the day, I was comparing it to the reformulated Hearth and Jolly Roger. Weird. (And sad! I wanted roses and tarts! )

Beaver Moon Have I not reviewed this yet? Hmmm. Frankly, I was terribly disappointed when I got this oil. I ordered several bottles because I was sure that this was it. And it arrived and it was awful--so sour on me! So my bottles sat, and some got swapped. And then one day, many months later, I woke up with the need for that sour cheesecake smell. So I slathered it on. And I was in LOVE. Cheesecake and cupcakes and frosting and the slightest hint of something cinnamonny. omfg *dies* I've been wearing Beaver Moon nearly every day for the past three months--that has to be some sort of record for me. Also? I learned that a small dab of an oil is not enough for me to fairly judge an oil.

Edit: NM, I read cassia, not cassis.

The Candy Butcher I was *so* excited about this one, but at Will Call, it smelled just like Bliss. But, being the BPAL glutton I am, I couldn't resist an imp when it was offered. On my skin, it's Bliss-like chocolate over jasmine--like Bliss meets Mata Hari. Then, it fades into cocoa and... incense? The incensy bit is so subtle, I'm not even sure it's there. Well done as usual, Beth!

Bordello is fantastic--very curranty, IMO.

Mystery Mystery indeed. I can't figure out what I'm smelling. Lavender? Anise? Cold air and wool cloaks? It's a very odd scent.

Naiad On me, Naiad is all lavender with a hint of neroli, but no lotus to be found. It's very sharp at first, but mellows into a softer citrus-herbal scent. Much to my surprise, I like this one quite a bit.

Decadence Smells like maraschino cherries at first. Then, a bit of spiciness appears. It ends up being a strange spicy-orange on me. I like spicy orange, it just doesn't seem to fit the idea of decadence in my mind. It's definitely a good autumn/winter scent, though. It's warm and cozy.

Surround yourself with an aura of lethal allure. An incomparably enticing blend of intoxicating aquatic scents and florals. Ooh! Gardenia! This is beautiful, but its very strong and sweet, almost to the point of being overwhelming. Maybe that's the ylang ylang? Nevertheless, it's a very pretty scent.

Typhon "Earth and Hell" is right. In a good way. This is not a scent I would have chosen in a million years based on description alone, but it's very nice. Dark and resinous... I know this imp is aged, and maybe that's why I like it so much. I can smell patchouli and sandalwood and vetiver, and normally, that would make me run, but these blend together beautifully.

Deimos - Son of Ares, twin to Phobos, Deimos is the personification of dread. Murky ambergris and civet with dark musk, sharpened by orange, bergamot and frankincense. Sweet but anamalistic. It's the dark side of orange.

Chaos Theory III - CCL (250) This is white. White rose, white lily. Very pretty, feminine, and floral. It sort of has the same vibe as The Peacock Queen and Sepulcher, but perhaps not quite as chilly--I think this has a sweetness they lack. It's extremely long lasting, too. I put it in the moment I got it (natch) and it stayed with me all afternoon and evening.

Peacock Queen - Wow, this is red rose? I would have sworn it was white. White and chilly. Fresh, cold roses (similar to, but minus the "juiciness" of Rose Red) on a marble table.

Obatala Love at first sniff! The coconut in Obatala reminds me of Elegba, but this is Elegba on the beach. Sunny and soothing, it makes me think of a sparkling sea, white sand beaches, and coconut drinks. Obatala is utterly gorgeous.

Frumious Bandersnatch Yay plum! Yay spicy clovey carnations! Sadly, booo to the plum + carnation + chrysanthemum. As some have said, it does have a bit of candle/potpourri-type scent to it... and I'm not sure I can get past that. That said, I still like the scent, even if I don't want to smell like it. I think I'll hide this little imp o'bandersnatch away to use as a home fragrance in cooler weather.

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale I think this scent is brilliant. I love vanilla, love sweet pea, and the amber and sandalwood give it depth.

Drink Me Ah! Pineapple is what I've been smelling in Drink Me, but I couldn't think of what it was. Sadly, the fruit goes away in an instant, and I'm left with... custard? Very well done, but not the scent for me.

Eat Me is vanilla cakes and currants... but somehow, it's not overly foody. It's cute and light and sweet.

Two, Five & Seven Fantastic! I love the smell of roses but they go to powder on my skin. Two, Five & Seven is very rosy, but with enough fresh/green notes to keep it from turning to powder.

Monster Bait : Underbed Cocoa? Coconut? Really? Now that I know it's there, I think I can smell them, but MB:U mostly makes me think of spiced, booze-soaked cake. This is absolutely wonderful--a very wearable foody scent.

Monster Bait : Closet Woohoo! When I tested this last night, all I got from this was blackberry vanilla musk. Today, I smell the cake. I agree with those who've mentioned the similarity to Beaver Moon. MB:C seems less sharp to me, though. Yum!

I agree with Rainbow, The Hamptons is lime and ginger ale and then a junipery scent. I'm a little disappointed that I'm not getting more cranberry/pinkness from this. Still, it's a bright, fun, bubbly scent.

Twenty-One Yay for gin martinis! At first, I didn't think I wanted to smell so obviously boozy, but Twenty-One is such a fun, effervescent scent, I can't help but want to wear it. It reminds me of Demeter's Gin & Tonic scent, but way better.