k00kaburra

In bottle: Lilies and salty wet mud. This is another of the surprisingly clean scents in the Springtime in Arkham series. On me: Sparkling water, indeed. This is a very light fragrance. The lilies are bright and true; such a relief! I can't stand the lilies in a new fragrance at Bath & Body Works called desert lily, and I was worried that it was lilies I disliked. Apparently, it is only my work's blend I cannot stand; this is quite lovely and bright.

In bottle: Gingery to the max! It is a sharp fragrance that clings to you; corrupt and dark but with spikes of vibrant green. To me this is a heavily herbal fragrance, with Ginger-Root-in-Chinese-Kitchens as the strongest note by far. My mind's other associations with ginger - Pink-Ginger-On-Your-Sushi-Plate and White-Ginger-in-Perfumes are not detected specifically, but I am sure they are there. On me: I'm definitely not getting ginger in the baked-desert gingerbread sense; this is fresh-cut ginger and I am reminded of a citrusy lemon. It's nice but on me it's not great. My skin amplifies the lemon-aspect rather than the baked-spices or the greenness, which I would have enjoyed more, I think. This fragrance makes me think of food - specifically a fish sauce my grandmother used to make - but not in a sexy, seductive way.

In bottle: Hints of florals far away; there seems to be some sort of flower, growing far far away, that an empty wind has managed to capture it and pull it over here. It is a bit ozone-y as well, but by and large it is a fragrance of nothing. No specific thing comes to mind save wide open spaces and darkness. On me: It is rather light and musky on the skin; it smells strongly familiar. It is so unusual yet recognizable. I think I expected something a bit colder for air and darkness; this is not a chilly fragrance at all. I'm not sure I'd call it glittering, either, but 'vast, unknowable space' certainly works for me.

In bottle: Gorgeous crisp mint number. The mint is rather sweetened by the cucumber and the white pepper; it's fabulous. It doesn't really remind me of Frost Moon at all, which I somewhat expected it to. I would say it is more similar to Blue Moon. On me: This is an extremely cool and fresh scent. The crispness and watery delight of cucumber is the dominant note - surprised me! - surrounded by the mints. I couldn't tell you if there were six of them, but I can definitely detect a good two or three different variations on mint.

In bottle: Creamy, frothy coffee with tons of rich cream and sticky sweet syrup dripped in, all lovingly layered with rich whiskey. It's Irish Cream to the extreme! On me: I smell old paper; it is that half-dusty, half-moldy fragrance when you open a book that's been in storage for decades. It gives the coffee a musty flavor, and then the oakwood shoots up, giving the scent an almost nutty flavor as the woody note blends with the delicious food. All in all, a keeper - Irish Cream is a stock favorite scent of mine.

Energy, vigor, verve, strength, courage, balls. In bottle: Citrus, but not heavy or juicy. It is like the subtle scent of an orange's peel, rather than the orange itself. What's more, it isn't a very ripe orange; it reminds me of a little green orange that has only just begun to change color. Also there's another citrus, that I recognize but don't know the name for. Pomello, perhaps? On me: It is very similar to the bottle; it is that same little green orange with the other mingling citrus note. It is a bit sour, like a peel, and it is not unpleasant. It just doesn't feel fully ripened to me - and something about the undertones makes me think of corn chips. It is energizing, but it is only a brief flash for me. It doesn't last, which is too bad.

In bottle: Darkly fruity floral. Delightful tropical fruits and slight sharpness from ginger, and tons and tons of flowers. On me: Initially bright and fruity, as this settles into my skin it becomes rather heavy - rathery syrupy. The flowers are much stronger - jasmine very overwhelming and not really blending with the other notes - although the peony is a delightful splash. The musk is stronger than I expected; I'm not so sure I like it here. It seems almost out of place with all the brightness surrounding it. I will keep this fragrance for now; I am quite on the fence about it, as it keeps changing every few minutes. Sometimes it's lovely and sometimes I could quite do without.

In bottle: Salty sea are mingled with the ozone of an apporaching storm. This fragrance is heavily infused with impending doom. A storm is on the horizon; black clouds loom overhead and the sea churns with ever-increasing ferocity. On me: A storm on the sea. It's just a beautiful, almost peaceful fragrance - odd, I know, but somehow I find this calming. Perhaps the calm before the storm? Vaguely threatening, the prelude of a monster, but definitely a beautiful fragrance which, by the way, blends beautifully with Mi Go Brain Cannister.

In bottle: At first whiff, it seems almost like 7-Up. This is much fruitier than Cthulu - imagine the beauty of Empyreal Mist mingled with Jolly Roger, and that's a pretty accurate description of the bottle fragrance and my anticipation of the fragrance. On me: Yup, it's still there - the lemon-lime carbonated goodness of 7-up and the ozones of Thunderbird. This is an absolutely stunning aquatic scent.

In bottle: Super-creamy rose - maybe even tuberose. This is pure flower, with no hint of green. I'm not getting much in the way of spices from this, tho'. On me: The roses are nearly overwhelming. Even with the spices, this rose - I said tuberose earlier, but I'm thinking damask or tea rose now - is just too much.

In bottle: Civet and musk. I think I have smelled another perfume, a commercial blend, with opium in it recently, because this scent is making me think of the fragrance counter at Macy's. On me: This is a very thick, very musky fragrance. It smells a bit tired to me, like an aged whore going out on her night rounds. It's rough and a little bit dirty; I wouldn't call this a scent of sophistication. It's gritty and earthy. There's definitely something sexy in here, but it isn't a sort of me-sexy.

In bottle: Very sharp and crushed. Crushed is an odd word, so I'll try to explain why I mean - it smells like crushed stems and crushed blossoms that have been ground underfoot. There's definitely a dark earth note here. No distinct florals; there's only the crushed plant sensation I mentioned before. On me: Everything becomes much more defined on the skin. The scent becomes very dark spicy floral. It is quite unusual and surprisingly appealing; not really my style, but I can see this as a signature scent for someone looking to stand out in a crowd.

In bottle: Lilies - very strong. Rose - pretty strong. White sandalwood - good solid base holding the florals up. On me: The frankincense weaves in and out of the blend. (I just noticed the word 'incense' in 'frankincense'...I swear, I'm not stupid! Just really, really unobservant. Back to the review!) The fragrance is very sweet and prettily floral, with the lilies and the wisteria mingling solidly with the rose. I could swear there was another white floral here, too. This is a clean, pure scent, and much brighter than I expected.

In bottle: A sharp note on top with a plastic-like note below it. I'm trying to place the upper note - it's almost menthol-y, and makes me think of Vicks Vapo-Rub, but it doesn't smell like eucalyptus. Great for clearing sinuses up tho'! On me: A light wood - someone said birch and that seems feasible to me. The drydown is pretty; that wood and something light and sweet, probably some sort of green fruit. It almost reminds me of a cherry-flavored candy cane, with hints of wood. It's a complicated scent that enjoys slowly evolving.

In bottle: Red wine - the grapiness is so strong it's almost like cold medicine. The musk and myrrh definitely darken this - it's much thicker and heavier than the red wine in Lady Macbeth. The rose lends a bit of floral to the blend, but it isn't particularly strong. On me: Rich and fruity, but with incense and smoke. The rose grows stronger as the oil dries, and blends beautifully with the red wine. It's a very grown-up scent, the sort that a laughing woman at a glamourous party wears as she raises up her glass.

In bottle: Very sharp mint and eucalyptus. I don't like the way these notes blend together; something about the combination of violet and eucalyptus chilled by mint reminds me of cheap fishsticks. On me: On the skin the violet becomes much stronger, and this becomes a metallic and chilly scent. It's violet with a bit of a bite to it, and eucalyptus witha bit of dust. It actually makes me think of the violet mints some specialty food stores carry. Not bad at all.

In bottle: Very delicate and light, like fairy laughter. Faint white ginger and white florals. On me: Very tropical fragrance - it definitely makes me think of my trip to Hawaii. I smell warm tropical rain, white ginger, and amongst the multiple florals I can detect plumeria.

In bottle: Dark brown spices, the sort that get baked into a cake. Also a deep, deep musky note. Hints of mandarin orange. Indistinct florals. On me: On the skin, magnolia comes out of hiding and into the foreground. There's also that hint of coconut others mentioned - I wonder if that's oleander? Very creamy, extremely lush fragrance. This is very thick and is almost foody, somehow. I've been looking for a good magnolia BPAL perfume and this is the first one I've liked on me. I didn't even order this one; it was a gift from the lab, so congratulations, Labbies - you did it!

In bottle: Reminds me a very light, bright wood. Like white sandalwood? This has the same dry, light wood note that is in Hakkotsu. Sweetened by a definite fruit note - maybe blood orange? I don't seem to get the pineapple note everyone else is picking up on. On me: Hmm. For some reason, this is a citronella scent to me - smells heavily of candles my family used to burn to keep mosquitos away while we were camping. Insect repellent. Hmm. Odd.

In bottle: Bright and clean! In many ways, this is the way bubbling water smells. It's just amazing light florals and the hints of greens, just the way fresh-washed laundry ought to smell. On me: Reminds me heavily of Calgon's 'morning glory' without the alcohol effect. Very breezy and sweet. Clean in a bottle. LOVE IT.

In bottle: Jasmine and ylang ylang. 'Purple fruits' made me think of plums and grapes, but I'm not getting hints of either. There is a faint sweet fruit note beneath all the florals, but it is too weak for identification at this stage. On me: This has become rather 'old lady floral' on me. Jasmine and faint, dusty incense - it is more like the memory of incense. The incense's presence can be felt, but it cannot be detected; it is as if it was burned years ago and traces of the aroma remain, but not even a few grains of ash remain of the actual incense.

In bottle: Rosewood gives this a delicate floral-and-wood top note. Sandalwood and musk mingle with dusky violet. On me: Strong throw! This is a perfume that really knows how to be felt; heavily rose, but with the depth of many notes. The undertones are sweet, bubbling up between a heavy cloud of sandalwood and musk. The rose is always center stage, but it is creamier and a bit drier than a more 'typical' rose scent. As a home fragrance, this is to die for. It gives a sense of class and genteel living to linens and towels, and age and propriety when burned. Bath & Body Works had a rosewood candle that I loved, but they discontinued it years ago. This is not only an excellent replacement, it is far better than that candle.

This came in an amber bottle - I don't know if it's been reviewed before or not. The oil is a medium brown, almost as amber as the bottle itself. In bottle: Slightly smoky with hints of berry, but mostly this seems like jasmine to me. On me: Gardenia - that simply must be here in vast quantities. This is very heavily floral, heavy white blossoms like gardenia. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some magnolia here, too. This is slightly astringent, as though there was some low wood note here - but by and large heavily floral.

In bottle: Fir/Pine, and smoke. Smoky smoke smoke dominating the entire bottle. Faintest hints of herbs below it. On me: A bonfire in the midst of a forest. The scent of the trees is here, green and growing. Flames lick the sky as the smoke swirls upwards. The scent of dirt being kicked up as sweaty bodies thrash and swirl over the soil. Garlands are wrapped around necks and wrists; this scent is primal and frenetic. It's rather like a party-in-a-bottle to me!

In bottle: Plum and berries - yum! Twisted and aged by gardenia and roses. This is so intriguing. The fruit makes the fragrance juicy and then the darkness of opium and aging florals shake this up most delightfully. On me: Gardenia and lilac. The berries sweeten the florals but the plum - my favorite note - has vanished. Something about the fragrance is just off to me. I don't know if there's a specific note - none of the florals in this blend have good track records with me - or just the combination, but it isn't working. I can't name what is wrong, only that something definitely is.