tinyvulture

this is such a fun scent, perfectly reminiscent of halloweens past. ripe, juicy red apple pairs with golden, sugary caramel. it's a more straightforward version of Creepy -- pure caramel apple, without the coconut and boozy notes. i'm testing this on a gloomy february day and it's giving me happy thoughts of autumn. wishing i had a bottle. edited to add that several minutes later, the apple has faded slightly, but the caramel has become even more rich and buttery. it's still going strong!

a warm, outdoorsy, summery scent, without being overly floral. i smell sugared citrus and bold, fruity red musk, combined with medicinal, bitter herbs, especially chamomile. i really thought there was lotus in this because of the fruitiness, like red berries. i’m not picking up the dragon’s blood at all. i like the complex combination of sweet and bitter notes. the downside is that it seems to fade quickly and i need to apply more.

i smell fresh, wet earth reminiscent of springtime in the garden, combined with summery tropical florals, autumnal bonfire smoke, and the slushy, wintry note of Snow Bunny and so many other Yule blends. it’s like a combination of all seasons in one. i love the combination of dirt, smoke and snow notes. this is one of my favorite “dirt” blends because it’s so rich and sweet.

i smell roses, lavender, and frankincense. i’m usually a huge fan of rose and incense blends, such as Rose Cross. but with Psyche, the lavender is quite strong, and i’m not sure i like this lavender. the rose note is like dried roses, not bold fresh-cut flowers. it’s a sweet, floral, feminine perfume, very whispery and understated. pretty, but not quite right for me.

a sweet egg flan with plenty of vanilla. it’s like eggnog without the spices – just creamy, eggy, sugary goodness. unfortunately, it’s extremely light and doesn’t have much throw.

this reminds me a lot of the GC scents Penny Dreadful and Zombi - rich, loamy earth mingled with florals. there’s a sweet incense note that’s really gorgeous. the incense and dirt seem to be competing to be the most dominant note. when the incense is on top, i love it. it’s a dark, mysterious, masculine scent. but then the dirt takes over, and i don’t love it so much. i wish the incense didn’t disappear so quickly, and i wish the scent was stronger overall.

in the bottle this smells like rich, sweet wine. it’s absolutely bursting with grape and plum, strong and bold. it quickly loses strength, though, as the musk and amber come forward and turn the fruits soft, warm and powdery. light florals linger in the background. i adore plum, so i should love this scent, but it fades so quickly on me. if only it stayed strong, i think it would be an all-time favorite.

Sensual, decadent, and enigmatic. Lavender, softly underscored by lotus and spice. lotus is a note that’s grown on me. sometimes it’s cloying and bubblegummy, but at other times it can be sparkling and beautiful. because it’s so sweet and fruity, i never would have thought it would make a good combination with soothing lavender. but it does. when freshly applied, this smells sort of medicinal, which i don’t like so much. but after it dries, the lavender and lotus balance each other perfectly and the astringent note fades out. it’s a little soapy, but not in a bad way. it reminds me of a high-end, fancy french soap. a worldly, sophisticated scent.

i fell in love with this immediately. spicy florals – i’m not sure what the flowers are, exactly, but it reminds me a lot of the florals in dia de los muertos -- sweet and smoky. the nutmeg is really noticeable and it’s a perfect complement to the beautiful florals. after awhile it turns all powdery and warm, and the sweetness intensifies. gorgeous.

on me, this is like a pina colada – strong pineapple and coconut notes. apple and banana too. is there melon in this? something in it reminds me of ogun. unlike ogun, though, i don’t detect any chili pepper in this. there’s no spice, just a ton of tropical fruits. it’s a fun, summery scent.

a foody blend of molasses and honey. what a perfect combination these sweet syrups make. there’s a burnt sugar note in this that's sharp and almost tart -- in fact, i mistook it for lemon at first. but it fades over time and blends in with everything else. the oak adds a lovely woody base. decadent and addictive.

a breezy, tropical scent. i love a good orchid scent and this one is happy and summery. i thought it would be a bit more earthy from the nicotiana and vetiver, as well as the mysterious “damp stone,” but i’m not picking up those notes at all. it’s a whirl of various tropical flowers and woods, with a slight sourness from the palm wine that makes it more intriguing.

this is pretty, but not really “me.” it’s a super powdery floral. i don’t think i really care for moonflower, since i always seem “meh” about scents containing it. but i admit, i’m not really sure what it smells like, on its own. here, i mostly smell the jasmine, which is extremely powdery (i think i said that already) and soft. the white musk and benzoin add some sweetness and warmth, but this scent still feels very “distant” to me, white and quiet, like a far away star. maybe that’s due to the ozone. i’d like it if my clothes smelled like this after i washed them, but it’s not something i’d wear as a perfume. off to swaps.

oh Goblin, i love you! strong, pure patchouli combines perfectly with tropical coconut, and the benzoin adds just the right amount of sweetness. the coconut note really reminds me of Lush’s Skinny Dip. a delightful scent. the coconut is sweet and fun, but the patchouli grounds it and gives it a darker, earthy side. it’s kind of similar to Brown Jenkins, but i prefer this scent because of all the patchouli! i think this is great to wear year-round.

at first this is a sharp, biting aquatic. you can really smell the salty sea air. as it dries, an odd combination of mint and smoke comes forward and mixes with the sea air. and now it’s turning sickly sweet, as most aquatics do on me. *sigh*. i hoped this one would work for me. a bit later, the sarsaparilla and leather finally make their appearance. they sure smell nice. but it was hard to resist washing it off during the cloying phase. off to swaps.

This bears a resemblance to its Yule companion, November, in that they both contain a sweet, wintry, slushy note. But there are no dried leaves in this. Instead, it's an evergreen forest, with clear, crisp pine notes accented by sharp mint. It's more subdued than 2005's Talvikuu, but they are extremely similar. It calls to mind a quiet, peaceful woodsy landscape, covered in whiteness. The snow shows no signs of letting up, and the wind is the only sound. Another gorgeous, nostalgic winter scent.

if Rose Red is a young, fresh new rose among greenery, Peacock Queen is a more mature rose at the peak of its bloom, resting in a bed of dried rose petals. it has more depth and complexity, but less strength and throw. the Queen is older and more experienced, richly sophisticated… her beauty is rare and breathtaking, but she’s starting to fade a little around the edges.

the lushest, most intoxicating rose scent i’ve ever smelled. it’s so heady – like burying your nose in a few dozen fresh-cut red beauties. it’s all here – the strong powdery perfume of the velvety red petals and the fresh greenery of the leaves. a perfect showcase for a lovely, romantic flower, with no other notes diluting its pure essence. need a bottle.

on me, this smells mainly of tobacco and rich leather. also, i’m not sure what snakeroot and date palm smell like, but i smell something really dark and earthy, and some kind of woods/resins. a polished, masculine scent, powerful and sexy. i love the tobacco note in this; it’s so strong and spicy.

a sharp herbal blend with florals. i’m not familiar with most of these floral notes, so i can’t really pick out individual notes. the combination, however, feels warm and summery. the dragon’s blood musk is lovely and spicy, although not extremely strong. i like the surprising bitterness of the various herbs – it makes this scent more interesting than your typical floral blend.

on me, this smells quite a bit like a freshly cut Christmas tree, only slightly sharper and more herbal. there’s a hint of slushy snow. i love how clean and green and crisp this is. it really clears your sinuses and evokes holiday nostalgia at the same time. want a bottle.

loose chai tea with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, stored in a carved wooden box. all that’s missing is the milk and sugar. as far as chai blends go, i think the rich warmth of Bengal is a little nicer and more complex than this… but this is much stronger while Bengal fades away so quickly. so now I’m torn. which chai is better? well that depends on what you’re looking for, i guess. the mixture of spices is so nostalgic and comforting, and i love how the sharpness of the cinnamon is tempered by the dusty sandalwood and smooth tobacco. a keeper.

this reminds me somewhat of the chocolate/fruit GC scents blood kiss and intrigue, only richer. chocolate covered cherry is what i smell at first. then the other notes come out and it becomes very deep and complex. lots of warm vibrant red musk and dirty patchouli make it incredibly sexy. and of course i always love amber and sandalwood. there’s just a hint of tobacco. i adore this; i just wish it was stronger. it comes on strong, but fades quickly.

at first, something about this smells very masculine, like a floral men’s cologne. i can’t pick out the individual floral notes except for the violet. i also smell tart lime, sweet tonka, and…is there sandalwood in this? i smell something woodsy and slightly dusty. there’s also something green and herbal that comes out later – the blackberry leaf, maybe? i wasn’t sure about keeping this one because my husband doesn’t like to wear floral blends. but actually, after it dries, the cologne aspect seems to fade and now i’m thinking i'll be the one who ends up wearing it, because i really like this sweet floral/woods combo.

sweet, spicy, rich dragon’s blood, the same as in my beloved dragon’s milk and blood moon, warmed here by heady musk. i think love dragon’s milk only slightly more, but it’s a tough call. this is so warm and glowing. it just seems to love my skin – it’s one of those amazing BPAL musk blends that feels like a “second skin” because it blends so well with my chemistry. beautiful.