tinyvulture

the combination of pipe smoke and leather is really comforting and homey, here. i thought it would be similar to hellfire, and it sort of is. i picture an old man, bearing a resemblance to santa claus, relaxing in his log cabin, in his leather armchair in front of the fire, smoking a pipe. yet, i wouldn’t call this an especially “masculine” blend. not a typical “holiday” blend but very nice. would probably buy as a room spray, as well.

a soft, sweet pear blend, subdued yet beautiful, and warm, from the musk. just a touch of the bois du rose. like eating a fresh sliced pear on your porch on a warm spring day, smelling the roses off in the distance in your garden. the only slightly objectionable thing about it is that it’s so subtle. but that’s ok, sometimes. for example, it will be nice to wear when i am rocking my baby to sleep. it’s a warm, inviting scent, not overbearing, just right.

the sweet, fruity floral scent of plumeria is the star here, backed by crisp juicy pear. the champagne adds a slight alcoholic note. overall, this blend smells sort of like hairspray. i might have liked it better without the alcohol -- it’s giving me a mild headache. oh well – another one for the swaps pile!

Oh man, I can tell just from sniffing this in the imp that I’m going to love it! It’s strong and it screams AUTUMN! I get the sweet autumn leaves note from Samhainophobia, mixed with moist earth and damp moss notes. I normally don’t care for moss, but it really fits here. There’s also the green ivy and the lovely oak, which may be rotting, but it is still so warm and almost has a nuttiness to it. This reminds me of rainy Octobers and the way the outdoors smell after an afternoon storm. So much to love about this scent! It’s so awesome and I really hope it returns this Halloween.

here we have the joyful summertime scent of golden peaches sweetened by vanilla, combined with the delicate floral-fruitiness of osmanthus. also, some extremely rosy rosewood is present to give this airy concotion some backbone. very “peaches n’ cream,” very sweet. just wish it were stronger - it’s such a light whisper of a scent.

From the description, I figured this would be an ozone scent, which don’t typically work on me. But after reading reviews, it sounded like something I should at least try. I was right - I like it. The ozone is surprisingly toned down and the charming snowdrop note is most prominent. I don’t think I’ve smelled snowdrop before but it’s pretty – a light, crisp floral - very “girly perfume.” I don’t smell the cypress or cedar (which I was looking forward to) or the berries. Just sweet little flowers drifting on a gentle, cooling breeze.

A combination of slush, white winter florals, and mint. Definitely kin to Snow White, Moon of Ice. Light, fluttery, powdery – just like snow flakes! Creamy and feminine, very pretty. There was something about Snow White that I did not care for, but I’m really enjoying this scent.

This is the blast of cold air that hits you when you step outside during a snowstorm, combined with the scent of smoke lingering in the air after a candle has been snuffed (sort of like Darkness). It’s as though a cold draft came in the front door and blew out the candle! I like scents that evoke such strong imagery in my mind. The wintry, slightly soapy ozone is enhanced by a touch of chill mint (just a little bit – this isn’t really a minty or foody scent). The candle smoke is, well, smoky, but not too strong. All in all, a clean, cool, pleasant scent. And it’s one of the rare occasions where I am finding ozone wearable. Hooray for that!

smoky vetiver and juicy citrus – what an odd, yet fascinating combination! calling this vetiver “earthy” doesn’t do it justice. it is strong, like coffee grounds. the satsuma orange and tangerine are sweet like jellied orange slices. they soak into the vetiver like… like coffee grounds soaking in freshly-squeezed o.j.? that sounds really unappetizing. and yet this scent is not bad. it’s very powerful, particularly the vetiver and citrus notes. i can smell the licorice cowering in the background if i really hunt for it. the teak, cinnamon and amber? forget it. after about 5 minutes, the vetiver has died down considerably and this is a mostly citrus scent with a nice grounding of earthiness. i don’t particularly love citrus scents, so i'm glad i didn't order a whole bottle. but velvet tiger is definitely unique, and appealing in its own weird way.

A BEAUTIFUL, sophisticated, dark and mysterious rose. I love it. To me it smells of dried red roses –that powdery yet concentrated deep rose scent that comes with age. Add to that the spicy kick of clove and tobacco (think clove cigarettes and you’re not far off) and the amber, musk and tonka, which tease out and enhance the warmth and sweetness of the rose. I only vaguely smell the fir when I inhale sharply – its astringent quality is noticeable then. This is so well-blended – I don’t find the rose overpowering. It mixes in so smoothly with the other notes. Rich and complex, possibly my favorite rose scent.

I was curious how this bonfire scent compared to Bonfire Night, which I enjoy. While Bonfire Night is smoke mixed with a syrupy, foody note, St. John’s Eve, on the other hand, is thick smoke combined with a strong bay rum note (think Baron Samedi) and a gentle touch of incense – not foody at all. I prefer it. I got a decant and now I wonder if I should track down a bottle. It’s such a great outdoorsy, woodsy scent – the campfire smoke that leads you to the bonfire where everyone is drinking and having a good time.

This makes me wish for a big bag of toasted coconut marshmallows to devour. That’s exactly what it smells like - with a handful of white chocolate curls mixed in. The coconut note is a dead ringer for the sweetened, toasted coconut used in baking, not the raw coconut note found in some other BPAL blends. I used to have some chocolate-coconut bath bombs that smelled sorta like this and I wish I had some now because I could definitely bathe in this scent. It’s awesome!

Lavender is the strongest note in this bouquet. For some reason I’ve never cared for the lab’s lavender note. It’s too powdery and sweet on my skin. It’s weird here in combination with the ylang-ylang, which is quite heavy. The lilac, gardenia and orris are harder to pick out. The overall effect is an extremely powdery, sickly sweet, old-ladyish floral blend. It’s just not for me.

I received this as a freebie in a swap. It's a must for jasmine-lovers. Jasmine works with my skin chemistry about 50% of the time. Unfortunately, it's not working here. It's kind of powdery and old-ladyish. The soft tuberose is noticeable in the background, but it can't compete with the strong jasmine. Surprisingly, since it usually amps on me, I can't pick out the lotus at all. And, there's just a tiny hint of sugary lime. It's as though the jasmine has muted all of the other notes. I'll send this one one its way and hopefully it will work better on the next recipient.

100% leather…a great replacement for my bottle of Dead Man’s Hand that I foolishly parted ways with. There’s something a little sweaty and dirty about it, but not in a bad way. Like a leather jacket that’s taken on the owner’s scent, maybe. This scent is not super strong, but up close it’s very sexy.

At first, I smell dragon’s blood and complimentary spices like cinnamon and ginger – a very ‘potpourri on Christmas Eve’, kitchen-y, cozy scent. And then…I smell vetiver. Now, normally, I am a huge fan of vetiver. Can’t get enough of it in those woodsy, outdoorsy blends. But it doesn’t belong in my holiday kitchen. It’s jarring to my sense of smell, mixed in with all these spices. It seems dull and heavy. Oh well -- can’t love ‘em all! Note -- after about 5 minutes the vetiver has calmed down a bit and is mingling more evenly with the other notes. But still, the vetiver-cinnamon combo isn't really doing it for me.

Oberon has reminded me to give the GC’s some love! I was in no particular hurry to try this scent, thinking, as I do with most GC’s, “oh, it will always be there to try…some day.” I sometimes forget how pretty and lovely they are! This is my new favorite orchid scent. The orchids are in full bloom, gorgeous, and they’re livened up by a squirt of citrusy bergamot and a sprinkling of juniper berries which, for some reason, always reminds me of a party. It’s the gin and tonic association I guess! So, to me, this is a festive, fun, flirtatious scent. Reminds me of the holidays, New Year’s Eve, that kind of thing.

soft and charming, Brisingamen is mostly amber, similar to Haunted, but with gentle whispers of carnation. warm, golden, sweet, and powdery, very classy and feminine. it’s not one of those over-the-top scents that turns heads when you walk into a room, but it smells heavenly up close.

grapey, woodsy, smoky and buttery are all descriptive words that come to mind when i first apply this. i had a bottle of ’04 and, from what i can remember of it, this is similar yet different (’04 was nutty, like walnuts). i haven’t tried any of the other years. anyway, i’m wishing i’d grabbed a bottle of this when it came out, because i love autumn scents, and this screams autumn. it’s in the same family as hexxennacht ’08, but i like this better because it’s not powdery. over time, the fruitiness of the wine fades, and i’m left with the gentle warmth of smoke and animal musk. beautifully blended, the encapsulation of a season.

This is mostly violet on me. A strong, heady floral perfume. The red currant in the background is unmistakable. I love its tart fruitiness. And there’s also something soapy and lemony that clears your head. Not catching any patchouli or moss at all. I’m a fan of violet from time to time, so I’ll keep this imp to wear when the mood hits me, although I don’t think a bottle is needed.

i love all things tiki, so i had to have a bottle of this. first off, i adore the label! at first sniff, it’s like i’m sipping a pina colada poolside at a polynesian resort. reminiscent of manila (minus the banana) or shango (sans melon note), it’s totally tropical and fruity. the coconut and pineapple stand out for me. there’s also a good dose of vanilla and florals. i think i will enjoy this year-round. it’s perfect for humid summer days and, come winter, i will apply it whenever i can’t take the cold anymore and need to close my eyes and imagine a tropical paradise.

This starts off as a boozy cherry scent, like a children’s cough syrup. It reminds me of The Red Queen without the wood note. The licorice note must be red licorice, since I don’t smell any black licorice at all. The initial strong whiskey note starts to fade after a couple minutes, and now I’m smelling burnt sugar and cherry, as well as the greasepaint. For me it evokes Halloweens of my childhood -- the various candy scents that rise from a pillowcase full of goodies, and the scent of the face paint we used to complete our disguises. This is how I hoped Sticky Pillowcase would sell. It’s not something I will wear everyday. I have to be in the mood for it. I’ll probably start wearing it a lot in the fall. Definitely a bottle to hang onto.

I never tried Pinched With Four Aces, so I can’t say how this compares. For me, it’s a cousin of MonsterBait: Ventriloquist’s Dummy and Red Lantern. There’s a strong caramel note and dry, polished wood – most likely cedar. I don’t see caramel listed in the scent description. I’m guessing that the boozy sweetness of Irish cream, mixed with sweet tonka, has somehow morphed into what my nose recognizes as “caramel.” I don’t smell any coffee AT ALL – weird. After about 5 minutes, the pipe smoke is finally noticeable, and it’s squashed some of the initial sweetness. It’s really nice now – complex and not as foody as it initially was. Glad to have a bottle – it’s a keeper.

first impression: clove cigarettes! my husband agreed, saying, “there are a LOT of cloves in that perfume.” it’s a very sexy tobacco scent that can go either masculine or feminine. the cedar note is nice, too, although it takes a backseat to the cloves. and i also keep thinking i smell carnations. as someone else said, it’s very similar to Lush’s Chai shower gel. really glad i ordered a bottle unsniffed.

ooh, another snowy, slushy scent, chock-full of pine needles. at first, this one reminds me somewhat of Snow Bunny, with a breeze of floral, girly perfume, although it’s subtler. then the warm, slightly sour animal musk appears, and i’m reminded more of Snow Maiden (although there are no berry notes in Frau Holle). can i ever have enough wintry pine blends? probably… but i nevertheless enjoy having so many to choose from!