greenranger

I almost weakened and bought a bottle of this unsniffed, but didn't. This is a decant. Wet I get dried leaves, blood, and smoke. Drying, it blends and whooooah....Mmmmm. I do like it....I'm not certain how often I will want to smell like this, though, if that makes sense. This is grass and leaves, after the leaves have been raked into a high pile and set on fire. Not the beginning of autumn, but the smell of clearing everything away to prepare for winter.

I was worried about the roses. Everything else sounded fantastic, though, and occasionally when the stars align properly and there are enough other notes present a rose works on me. I love the dry down. Eventually the scent becomes a creamy, leafy, sweet scent, with a just a hint of floral. I think the creamyness might be the cocoa leaves, maybe, and the sweetness might be the beeswax...but really it is too well blended at the end to be certain where anything begins or ends. Getting there requires me to put up with quite a bit of roses and floral for about an hour. The roses never end up being the screechy amped roses, though, so I think I can put up with it for the end result.

Wet, I smelled agave. Drying, the rose began to amp, till the scent was ROSES and agave. For about an hour, all I could smell of it was the ROSES and agave. Then, the roses began to fade out. For the next two hours, most of what I could smell was the agave. It was a fresh wet cactus scent, and neat, but, I knew there were other notes hiding in there somewhere. Three hours in, I am finally getting the tobacco, spices and woods. I need to try this in a locket. My skin didn't play nice with this one till the agave and roses burned off.

Wet, ROSE! However, it was round full rose scent, and not the screechy rose I sometimes get when it amps on me. It was strong, but, I could, unbelievingly, still smell the honeyed cream as well. The rose was strong for an hour, and then it began to fade. Three hours in, all that is left is the barest hint of honeyed cream. For a rose scent, it worked suprisingly well. I think I'll stick with my decant rather than springing for a full bottle, but, I am happy I tried it.

Wet, it's almost too spicy at first. For me, that's highly unusual. Drying, the scent mellows a bit. I think I can detect the smoothness that might be the nutmeats, and the sweetness that is the pulped apple. It is verging on craft store/candle shop overload territory, but, not quite. It's a rich spicy scent. I think I might prefer it in an oil burner rather than on me, though. ~edit~ Aged just slightly, I like it more. It isn't verging on the craft store note anymore... I suppose what seems to have changed is that the scent has mellowed a bit and the nutmeat note is more prominent. If you like Wezwanie/hold(Hazelnuts and wood) or Wood Phoenix(walnuts, wood, and magnolias), then you might like this too. I do suspect that To Autumn is fruitier and spicier than either of those on most people, however.

This is grass and leaves. It's very simple, and it doesn't morph at all. The image I get is of the first few fall days that feel like fall, instead of summer. The days where being outside is such a pleasure, because it's cool enough, but, not too cool yet.

Way back in grade school, I was the kid in the field making clover chain necklaces during recess, either with a good friend or all by myself. When I saw this scent, I had to have it. This isn't the scent of the clover necklace, but, it is the scent of a fresh school field with patches of clover and scattered dandelions. Really lovely, and to me it smells like the essence of wanting to be outdoors, rather than inside. I can't find the wood yet, but, since wood likes my skin I expect it to be the last note standing after I get called in from recess.

In the bottle I smelled wool. On me, wet, I smell the beeswax first. Then the muguet comes way forward. I think I can also detect the pepper and the tea. This is very, very nice...and I don't usually like florals all that much.

Wet, cider and smoke. Drying, I think I smell the sassafras beer, as well as the spiced cider and smoke. There's a lot of smoke, possibly because there is both chimney smoke and smoldering firewood. I think I smell the roasted apples too. Y'know, if you are someone who can handle the smoke, this is really very nice.

Samhain 2008 Mmmmmm. Spicy. Sweet fir needles and spices. As it dries, the fir needle is taking over a bit much, and shoving the spices out of the way. Mostly it's patchouli and fir at the moment, but, still sweet. With the prominence of the fir needles, it smells more Christmassy to me than Octoberish. Wait...Now I can smell the cider! Spicy cider and fir trees. The scent associations are very festive: Christmas trees, fir wreaths, garlands, and mulled cider at parties.

Gunpowder is definitely a possible. The grain used is oats, but, with the carrots and molasses and such it might be close. The apples didn't stick around long on my skin, which made me sad since I liked them more than most apples in blends so far.

In the bottle bay rum. On me, wet, spices and the bay rum. I tried this at will call, though, so I am waiting impatiently for the drydown. Drying, I smell the brimstone and the spices. Then the brimstone fades away.... Dry, the vanilla comes forward. My skin does like the vanilla, and I like vanilla so very much more than I ever thought I would as perfume. The vanilla and the spices...I don't know which of these it is that is so heavenly, (galangal, hyssop, High John the Conqueror root, life everlasting) but, ...mmmm. Vanilla, spices, tobacco, and just a hint of smoke to keep it from being over sweet. Now that it is dry I just can't stop sniffing my arm. Oh, and the grey puppy dog on the label that is breathing fire? I'm not certain cute is quite the right word. =) *edit the next morning* Ok, even without the brimstone it doesn't get overly sweet. What I have left on my skin this morning is vanilla and spice, with a faint background of pipe tobacco. It *almost* smells like rootbeer. I am definitely in love with the scent, and I may have a little trouble testing the rest of my halloween order because of this one.

I smell the nasturtiums. =) It's a flower I don't associate much with perfumes, but, I've had them in my garden for ages. Beyond the nasturtiums, most of what I am smelling is foliage scents so far. It's very green and fresh, with the slight peppery kick of the nasturtiums.

It starts off all crushed green stems. The scent is staying very very green and fresh.

A sunny spicy sweet scent. I can't identify the notes, but, I like it. I went and checked the scents listed in L'Estate, and they both have sunflower and amber. I wonder if I need to find more sunflower scents?

Wet on me, chestnuts, with a little of the mandarin, and some florals behind. Spicy, sweet, and slightly musky. Very interesting. If it stays like it is now, I think I like it very much.

Wet, on me, Hello rose! Please don't amp. Maybe yellow rose will behave. Though it isn't screaming, the rose isn't letting anything else by yet. *waits* Ok, a musky creamy rose with maybe other flowers in the background. For a scent with rose in it, it is surprisingly nice. I was hoping for more honeycomb and amber, though.

It starts off really yummy with incense and spicyness and metal. Unfortunately, as it is in contact with my skin, the sage wakes up. It will be a lovely scent up until the point where the sage takes over and obliterates everything else.

Wet, strong patchouli. Drying, I can smell the orange blossom and the carnation. Sweet and spicy and heady. We'll see if it can resist the undertow effect of ambergris on my skin. It's not even fully dry yet, and, once again a scent with ambergris in it is vanishing. I would have liked to be wrong.

A frimp from the lab. =) Roses. They start off sweet and then intensify as they amp. If there's anything left after they burn off...

Wet on me, Jasmine. Drying, Jasmine with an earthy resiny backing? With spice...possibly cinnamon or similar. Dry, the entire scent has faded. It's still there, kinda, but, I can barely smell it.

Myrrh and opium like me...it's just too bad that I don't like narcissus as much. The opium and the myrrh support the narcissus very well. It's a very well blended scent, and I am sure if I liked Narcissus that I'd love this. Unfortunately, not.

Yeeehaaa! Cinnamon! I could smell the bitter almond in the imp, but, once on, it was alllll cinnamon. Hot, hot, hot cinnamon, with a faint sweet edge that might be the neroli and almond. I don't usually react to cinnamon, but, I can almost feel the spot on my arm where I applied this. I'm glad I didn't put it anywhere more tender than that.

I'm not picking out individual notes well on this. I was really uncertain about liking anything with dried blood and metal in it. Which is why I have had this for a while now, and am only just now reviewing it. However, all I am really perceiving is a dark, resiny smelling scent with a touch of smoke. I actually like dark, resiny scents with a touch of smoke. I'm not certain that I am in love enough to track down a bottle, but, I am happy that I have a decant.

A resin, a wood, and patchouli. This will probably adore my skin. A very spicy bold scent. The wood and the frankincense are keeping the patchouli from dominating, and smoothing it out somewhat. It isn't as rough as some patchouli blends I have tested recently. Earthy, spicy, and bold, without knocking me down. That sounds about right. =)