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.

Before it dries, this is all sticky, almost cherry, sweetness. I'm thinking it's the almond and sugary buttercream. The description is pretty much spot-on: "A soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite." It's foody but not cloyingly sweet - I definitely would gobble up anything that smelled like this, though - the buttercream and honey and sweetness would be too much to resist. On deep sniffs, I am really getting the hazelnut, as if they've been chopped up and tumbled into a frosted cake rich with rum and honey.

I dig the earthiness of this floral, but all I can really say about it is that it takes me straight to Sneezy Town.

I got ahold of this as a gift for a friend who is playing Lysander to my Hermia in a production that opens this week. But of course I had to try it on myself, too! At first, I really like it. It's sweetly floral on me - smells quite different than it does on him (it smells really great on him). But within about 10 minutes, something had me sniffling and sneezing, and I had to go wash it off!

As soon as I open the imp, I get the coconut. Sweet and light and not at all the overbearing scent of sunscreen! Normally I don't like boozy scents, but the rum is sweet enough that it works. In fact, it's an absolutely fantastic summer scent. Of course, it does have the effect of making me wish I were swaying in a hammock with a tropical drink in my hand rather than sitting at my desk at work....well, more so than usual, that is. ETA: I think I might want a bottle of this one!

I'm definitely not getting a shocking, horrific, fierce vibe off this one. On me, it's all light sweet berries, not unlike the pleasant smell of a small shop that sells candles. I get a hint of the lavender, but not much else. And it fades faaaaaast on me. So, if you haven't guessed already, I won't be holding onto this one.

WHAT?!?!?! No. Way. A rose blend that......works.......on me? And not just one, but THREE roses? Rose is at the top of my list of hated blends. But when I put on Spellbound this morning, I was digging the earthy awesomeness. The oil is dark and thick - the color of cola. Now that I know there is rose in here, I can identify it. But the amber wins the battle, I guess, and the rose is pushed to a subtle floral in the background on me. Of course, now I'm afraid that, as the day goes on, it's going to suddenly amp on me, but for now it's still this earthy, musky, sexy blend. It's a scent I would wear with some vintage lingerie...and nothing else.

What are your favorite types of baked goods? How would you feel about candied citrus peel, chocolate-covered or not? Would you be interested in the mix version of the baked goods or perhaps a spice mix, something along those lines? I like muffins and scones and cakes and brownies and cookies and....are you getting the idea here? Yes to all of the other questions there! Have you found any new loves since the beginning of the round that you wished you'd known to include on your questionnaire? Nope! ***7/12*** Question...do you fret or take it personally when your witch or witchee gets too quiet? Like they figured you out and don't like you? I sometimes worry a little if my Witchee drops out of sight for a while, but I know everyone has life stuff going on, so I don't get too hung up on it beyond hoping people are okay. Do you try to figure out who your witch is? Do you want your witch to give you clues? I like it when it's a surprise, but it can be fun to try to figure it out, too! Who has a Kindle? If you do, would you like a Kindle gift card, Kindle accessories, etc. as a gift? Whadda you need? I don't have one. What about other electronics (Blackberries, iPhone, etc.)? Do you need any accessories, etc. for those? I just have my stupid crappy cell phone. ***7/8*** I've recently been listening to Rasputina's 'O Perilous World' album and am particularly enamored by '1816: the Year Without a Summer'. So I'd like to know if my witchee likes Rasputina, and would like any music by them? I have How We Quit the Forest (I *think* that's what it's called - haven't pulled it out in a while) and think they're pretty good. Haven't listened to much of them, though.

Blood Lotus is thick, rich, and sweet. Almost like a wine, but with fat juicy berries. I asked the boy if he liked it after I'd been wearing it for a while, and his eyes got super wide as he exclaimed "Oh, yes!" and then said he needed to get a bottle of it for me. So I guess that's a positive review!!

This is very incense-y on me. Which I don't mind at all! Under that incense, though, I get the jasmine and ylang-ylang, just underneath - sort of a hint of it that might not make it wafting past someone, but certainly comes out up close. Tisiphone has decent throw on me. It's a pretty serious scent, and might be better suited for the fall on me. It's a little "heavy" for the middle of summer!

I put this on without knowing the intention of the blend. But I am looking for a new job, so maybe something amazing will happen today! Putting it on my skin, I was hit with all juicy, fruity sweetness--almost a berry, but not quite. And there's something else there, especially as it dries, but I have no idea what. It's still incredibly sweet smellilng, but there's something darker beyond that, something almost smoky. I am coming to realize I am giving an almost useless review here. I think I need to smell a single note of vetiver to see if that is what I am getting here.