crebbsgirl

I keep re-trying this because I can't believe I don't love it more. All of these notes are notes of win (with the exception of the caramel, but that doesn't ever make an appearance here) so I don't understand why I'm not all over this. It left me feeling pretty meh, and there is a sharp note here that I can't identify. It's dark and musky and deep, usually things that make a scent a winner for me. But it's just not happening here.

Magus, toymaker, and Godfather to Klara. An enigmatic man, seemingly somewhat sinister, but bearing a gentle air and a sincere love for children. This scent is dignified, refined, but dark, and hints towards esoteric mysteries and the secrets that tie mechanics to magick. Pipe smoke, sweet leather, woods and linen. I really liked this one! The pipe smoke here is gorgeous. I seem to be pretty iffy with leather, some can smell wonderful, and others smell kind of chemical-y. This was a sublime worn0in comfy leather scent, and the linen added a little sweetness. The woods added a smoothness to this. This was really quite cozy, and comforting. I like this on me, but I think I would LUV it on a man.

This was another case of smelling beautiful in the vial, and then my skin did something funky to it. I don't know where I went wrong, but there was an undeniably plastic smell here the minute this touched my skin. I could still detect the orchid and ginger, which was wonderfully light and tropical, but there was an odd undercurrent to the smell. It just smelled off on me.

This was just foul on my skin. I'm not entirely sure what happened here because in the vial this was wonderful. I could smell the blackberry and the orange blossom was beautiful. The minute this hit my skin, it was all burning plastic. I tried to wait it out, but it didn't get better.

This was pretty light and golden on me. I was hoping for more patchouli or something I guess. It called to mind the scene in Wind in the Willows perfectly however. I didn't get an overabundance of pine here, like other reviewers seem to. The honey was gorgeous, but this one just isn't calling to me as a scent.

WHoo! This is charred and smoky and VERY earthy while wet, but as it dries the most wonderful scent just blossoms on my skin. This is a warm and deep blend, but on my the spice isn't heavy, with a smoke overtone. It's earthy but not overpoweringly DIRT. I really, really like this. Very evocative of those cool, crisp autumn days.

Poppy and I seem to have a turbulent relationship. I expected to love this, and on my skin, it went very perfumey. Probably the most like department store perfume counter I have ever smelt on myself. I felt just uncomfortable wearing it. This was smoky and floral, but I just couldn't pull it off.

I normally like the masculine-type scents but this was just too "cologney" for me. I don't get much beeswax, and on me, this is very herbal and a little sharpish. I don't mind it, but I'm definitely not in love with it.

I think this might be the only instance where champaca flower doesn't amp all to hell on my skin. It's still pretty predominant in this blend, but I think that the opium smoke keeps it in check. The ginger provides a faint spice, while not overpowering the blend. This is surprisingly light. I was expecting something a little darker. It's a nice spring scent, but I don't know how often I'll be reaching for it.

I am NOT a floral girl. Flowers and I just don't get along. I've learned to accept it, and move on. So when this blend came out, I totally passed it by. And then the reviews started coming in. So I tracked down a decant. LURVE IT! This is wonderfully sexy and different. The honey really adds a wonderful dimension here, and prevents the flowers from being too, well, flower-y.

Oh gods when I first put this on this is absolutely RANK. I think it might be the tarragon. I forced myself to keep it on, to see if the drydown was better, and it was! Immeasurably so!! Dry this is gorgeous myrrh with a hint of fig. I'm not detecting any orange here, and the amber and musk are staying pretty well in the background. This is really really nice, and a little reminicent of Lycaon on my skin. But slightly sweeter.

I had to try this one a couple of times, but it ended up very non-descript on me. I got vague hints of a floral vanilla tea with light undertones of musk but really, this wasn't very spectatcular. I can see how it would be full of win on other people with better skin chemistry than I.

So I've tried this a couple of times now, and my skin just keeps eating this one. It's pretty hard to post impressions of a scent when it disappears about an hour after you put it on. For the duration it was on my skin, there was a clean creaminess. I didn't get much ginger. It was soft and fuzzy-like. I liked it, but it stayed fairly non-descript for me.

I wasn't sure about this one because white musks can be a little cold/astringent on my skin. But the patchouli does a wonderful job of grounding this. The poppy adds a bit of floral spice. It started off a little cologney on my skin, but quickly blossomed and warmed. I really like this one!

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The mandarin wasn't cloyingly sweet and the florals were heady, but not overpowering. This is by far the most perfume-y blend I have liked. Which is quite unusual, given that my tastes tend towards the non-typical scents. The musk and spice were just beautiful here, adding a dimension to this blend that I think prevents it from smelling commercial. Mysterious, and slightly wicked. I really like this.

Oh Gods get it off!!! This went sour and just plain nasty. Like curdled sweet milk. Oh the horror! Cursed skin chemistry!!!!

I was not expecting this. Evergreen? Berries??? Usually boo notes for me. This however, this might just be liquid heaven. There is something that my nose is interpreting as spice, mixed with an earthy sweetness. The berries are a subtle undercurrent here, lending a nice complement to the blend, but not overpowering it. Good Gods this is just awesome!!!

Coffee and I do not get along. Scentwise, I think I just need to accept that fact, and move on. EVERY SINGLE BLEND I have tried with a coffee note turns to maple on my skin. I kid you not. I have no idea why this would be, but it happened again here. Nothing but sickly sweet maple-like scent. Not for me.

So, I was a little worried to try this, as I have a real hate-on for ozone and metallics. I put it on and there was an initial WOOSH of metallicy ozoney badness but it wasn't in-your-face like I was expecting. Almost immediately, the sharpness went away and I was left with a sweetness, and a bit of an "organic" quality someone else mentioned. I liked it, surprisingly... until this little interaction occured: Me: "Hey! Boy! Sniff me in all of my scentastic glory!" Boy: Lowers nose to wrist... "Ungh!".... wrinkles nose... "Smells like bits."

Well, this is predominantly pine with a sharp ozone-like edge to it. VERY cologne-y and masculine on my skin. I normally favour the heavier blends, but this is just a little sharp for me. Biting even. I prefer my scents to be smooth and slinky, and I am not getting this vibe here. Fresh there was a touch of dryer sheet, and that faded as it dried. Overall this is a very woodsy scent. I think this would smell amazing on my fiance, but it's not for me.

OMG this does foul and ungodly things on my skin. I don't know what I possibly could have done to offend 13 (3/09) quite so horribly but this is just BAAAD. It smells like damp and rotting vegetation, with hints of chocolate. This smell is really really strong when wet, and against my better judgment, I decided to wait it out to see if it got better. I shouldn't have waited. Damp rotting vegetation with hints of chocolate turns into baby-powder covered damp and rotting vegetation with hints of chocolate and cherry. I did not think it could smell worse on my skin... turns out, I was wrong. This is heading off to swaps immediately.

Oooooh I really like this. Dark fruits (not juicy) and a little hint of powdery resin. This reminds me a little bit of the same vibe I get from Lunar Eclipse - but lighter. I can see myself reaching for this alot, it's complex and mysterious, but not overly dark. For the record, I'm not one for fruity scents, they go juicy and candy-like on my skin, and the scent turns a little juvenile. I don't get that at all here!

This is very dry, and almost powdery on me. It disappears very quickly (my skin tends to eat the dry blends). Unfortunately, not a keeper.

This was VERY vanilla heavy on me. I think I'm going to have to try this again, because I really can't decide. The cedar didn't seem to develop for me and on the whole the blend was rather one-dimensional on my skin. I liked it well enough, but I don't see myself reaching for it very often. I think I'll hang onto this awhile and see.

GAH!! I was so hoping this would be similar to Hex 05 on me. And it's not. I'm getting some weird eau de dryer sheet on my skin that's turning me right off. Even the man is not impressed with this one on me. He wrinkled his nose and said "Incense, but not the good kind." I'm so disappointed with this. It's very much sharp pine and a little ozone-y too.