mhickle

This weekend brought the first hint of fall weather, so of course I had to whip out an autumnal scent. In the imp, this is pretty sweet pumpkin with a little bit of green going on. The non-pumpkin bits jump to the forefront once it's on. It remains a fairly subtle scent--actually a great choice for a day that's not quite summer, not quite fall. Pumpkin IV straddles the seasons quite well.

So before trying this, the rose was making me kind of nervous. But I thought to myself, "Must try everything I get!" In the imp, it's light and floral--very unassuming. Wet on my skin it's still quite light, and the rose isn't rearing its ugly head at me (mind you, rose is lovely on other people, but on me usually a big fail). I think I'm getting a little of the absinthe as it begins to dry. Mostly still a green-tinged floral, though, and a little headache inducing, despite being so light. I think I just can't do most florals. This one will be going into the swap/give away pile!

To me, this smells like someone stuck a sprig of mint into a bottle of Poisoned Apple. On my skin, a coldness emerges. Then a faint floral scent, though it's still firmly grounded in apple. Then...it fades almost completely away.

As a burlesque performer, I had to have this, and do sometimes wear it for shows. It's chocolately, but not too foody because the musk and tobacco absolute keep it firmly in sexy territory. The cacao takes a bit of a backseat to the other two components. It gets a little bit sweeter on my skin, but still never wanders into being a dessert.

In the bottle, I get the ground maize, but with the wine it becomes a fermented kind of smell, and I definitely get the cocoa. Putting it on, that all kind of goes away, though. On my skin, it's very much cinnamon like the cinnamon of Red Hots--I think that's the sweetness of the wine. Not much else. As it dries, a subtle fruitiness emerges, but it's still mostly cinnamon. It's like floating a cinnamon stick and some orange slices in boiling water on the stove to scent the house.

It's a Christmas tree strung with a garland of fresh berries. This is a winter scent for me--I just can't wear it at any other time of year. As it dries down, the berry takes a bit of a backseat, and the greens really come out. There is a coldness to this scent, but it's the cold that's on the other side of the window, while you're in your cozy room.

How could I not have this, with the phoenix tattoo covering my right calf? Maybe it's just from reading the passage again, but yes, I do get sandalwood smoke. On my skin it becomes even more pronounced, with the very slightest of sweet scents sort of poking in there. You know what this smells like? Camping--but more magical.

I wanted this one for a while, knowing I would love it because I. Love. Apple. Scents. And it does not disappoint. Open the bottle and it screams, "APPLES!" On me, it continues to shout, though it comes to an abrupt finish, as the scent fades rather quickly on me. No matter, I'll just slather on some more!

When I had an imp of this, it was thick and rich and sweet. I loved it. My boyfriend even scored a 10mL bottle of it for me off Ebay. The bottle is...different. It's not nearly as sweet, and smells like most of the other notes are there, but that something got left out...or something. It's just strange. It's more floral...even a little laundry soap-ish.

Autumn in a bottle. Crisp, tart, fresh-cut apples waiting to be baked into a pie, the weather turning cooler, incense wafting through my apartment. Or fresh spiced apple cider carried in a thermos on a walk through fallen leaves. I love to wear this as soon as there is even a hint of fall in the air. It's sweet but with a woody undertone.

To me, this is a big slice of cheesecake dripping with berry topping--maybe it's my imagination, but I swear I even get a hint of the graham cracker crust. It's creamy and downright tasty. I normally don't go for terribly fruity scents, and my dessert-scent tastes run more toward chocolate and spice, but there is something so lighthearted and sweet about this that I just can't help myself.

Wow. I am really surprised to come back and read the notes that make up Laudanum, because all I get is SMOKY SMOKE SMOKE. No spice, no sweetness, just thick campfire smoke on me. Strange. But somewhat interesting. I'm actually a bit disappointed, because I was really looking forward to the mix of nutmeg and sassafrass. But I suppose you can't win them all, and I'll find this one a loving home!

Wet, this is all jasmine on me. As it dries, the lily comes out a bit, but I unfortunately don't get any of the musk or vanilla. This is straight-up floral on me, and very light, at that. Probably going to pass it on to someone who can give it more love - it's just not doing it for me!

I know this is weird, but in the imp and wet on my skin, Miskatonic U. smells almost like buttered popcorn Jelly Bellys - that combination of sweet and creamy and slightly salty but fake. See, hard to describe except in Jelly Belly terms. So at first I was thinking, "Why do so many people like this?" But then I got to see why. Because as it dries, the wood become more pronounced, and the Irish coffee is creamy and smooth and buttery (heavier on the creaminess than on the coffee, which is content to just sort of hang out in the background). So, yeah, now I understand!

Hermia is, I think, pretty much a perfect encapsulation of the character. Sweet and gentle and full of love, but with that strong, peppery streak. She's a lot stronger than a woman of her station is expected to be, and this oil communicates that. There's brightness and warmth, but always that spicy, sharp undertone.