coulrophobe

On me (and many other people, judging from the reviews I've read), they're nothing alike. GoG is much more woodsy - on me, it smells almost patchouli-ish at first. It reminds me of Loviatar more than anything else, though it lacks the leather.

Veil was one of those scents that I kept meaning to try, but something always came up and I kept forgetting to order an imp. But I've got it at last! I tested this without looking at the notes, just to see how my nose is progressing. In imp: Lavender... hmm, I'm not the biggest fan of that. On: Lavender - but there's something else in there that's toning down the herbally harshness. This smells like babies. Well, clean babies, that have been bathed with lavender soap, and doused in baby powder. Drydown: The lavender has left the building! I smell violets, iris, and maybe a soft musk. It's a lovely purple floral scent - it just smells like how pale purple should smell! Checking the notes, it's obvious the florals get amped up on me; I didn't get much sandalwood at all. I'm a huge fan of iris, so this might go on the bigger bottle list.

I have some strawberry-scented nail polish remover. Now, while it smells better than normal nail polish remover, it really doesn't smell anything like strawberries, nor does it smell very pleasant. Out of the bottle, that's what Strawberry Moon smells like - a faint whiff of strawberry, but the predominant note is chemically. Luckily, that changes when it hits my skin. I smell strawberry candy - nothing like real strawberries, but nice. It reminds me of those hard candies with squishy centers, with wrappers printed to look like strawberries. The floral and herbal notes linger in the background, keeping this one from being straight fruit. I like it, but I just wish it wasn't so artificial smelling on me. I'm super jealous of all those on whom it smelled like real strawberries and cream!

Like a number of folks here, I usually don't get on well with honey. For me, wearing honey-based blends is sort of like incorporating honey into your lovelife - much better in theory than in practice. That said, Honey Moon isn't nearly as heavy or cloying as the other honey blends I've tried. During the wet stage, it smells like a subtle, white floral arrangement that's been misted with honey-water. As it dries down, there's more of a powdery-honey scent - soft and sweet, but definitely dry. The lunar herbs and florals definitely make this more wearable for me - not an all time favorite, but damn good!

Iris, iris, iris! My favorite floral note is front and center, just like in Black Pearl. In fact... I'm having a hard time distinguishing this from Black Pearl, and I'll have to try them side by side later. I'm thinking this one is somewhat... dryer. Redder. Spicier. But the predominant scent for me is stil that dusky-musky iris, and I absolutely adore it. It's obvious to me that I need to sit down and have a talk with Black Pearl and Blood Pearl - they're so similar that there may only be room for one of them in my collection! But they're both so lovely, I may not be able to get rid of either of them. *Iris-induced glee coma*

I'll preface this by saying that apricot and peach are usually interchangeable on me. Of course, the key word here is "usually." On me, this doesn't change much between in the imp, wet and dry - it's pure apricot. Maybe there's a little bit of brandy lurking somewhere in the background, but my chemistry is really amping up the apricot. And it's not the same as peach, for once! When I compare the taste of the fruits themselves, I find apricot to be tarter and and more tangy than peach - and that's definitely reflected in this blend. There's an edge to it that's sour - but in a good way. Pure juicy apricots!

So if Air = resins/woods, Earth = rich/earthy, Fire = spicy/exotic, and Water = florals (and aquatics?) - where do fruits fit in? I'm pretty damn fruity. But on to my chart, and how it reflects (or fails to reflect) my scent preferences: 1. You like scents based on your sun sign because that is your basic nature. – I’m a Pisces, but I'm actually quite picky about my florals – I love iris, carnation and honeysuckle, but am either ambivalent about or actively dislike many others (rose... ugh!). I’m also assuming water signs “should” like aquatics, but they generally just smell like shower gel to me. I’m on the cusp of Aries, and I think I’m a fire sign at heart. Spicy and exotic scents? Hell, yes! 2. You like scents based on your moon sign because that is your emotional nature, and the sense of smell, and what is triggers, is connected to the emotional and subconscious realms. – Gemini moon; I like amber, incense (opoponax!) and sandalwood, so resins and dry woods are a good category for me. 3. You like scents based on your Ascendant or the chart ruler because scent is concerned with presentation, much like the ASC. – Gemini rising; See #2. In terms of the "presentation" aspect, I actually tend to like both fire and air signs here - strong, exotic, confident scents - that's how I like to present myself to those around me. 4. You like scents based on your Venus placement, because Venus is concerned with aesthetics. Venus in Aries – woo hoo, spicy goodness! Yes, spicy and exotic scents are very aesthetically pleasing to me! 5. You are drawn to scents that are connected with elements you lack in your chart, following the "we want what we lack" theory. My chart has a complete lack of earth signs (the version I did had 5 things in each of the other categories, so I’m evenly split between fire, water and air). I *hate* actually smelling like dirt, but an occasional “earthy” note like patchouli is OK in small doses. I’m not sure what they mean by “rich” fragrances – if they mean foody, I can’t do anything too sweet or buttery – the spicy fragrances in the fire signs category is probably more accurate for my foody preferences – so this one doesn’t ring true for me. 6. You are drawn to scents that are connected with your Eros, Lilith, Psyche, etc., because...well, I'm not entirely sure. – I couldn’t find Eros and Psyche as an option on the astro.com chart I did, but Lilith was in Pisces… and I’ve already discussed how “not me” my sun sign is. So, kind of hit-or-miss for me. I find the total lack of earth fascinating, for some reason. I think there's a smidge of earth when I take the houses into account - but I'm really not knowledgeable enough re: astrology to know what all the houses mean anyway.

To preface my review - I'm completely ignorant of the meanings behind the Sephiroth scents (besides what's posted in the descriptions), so I am reviewing this as a fragrance oil, rather than as a spiritual/ritual/meditation oil. I just ordered it because the reviews said spice and fruit! In the bottle: Very fruity; berry with a bit of apple. Wet on my skin: Whoa! Cinnamon! I can just smell the tiniest hint of fruit/berry in the background, but it's mainly just a wallop of spicy dryness. A very autumnal scent. Luckily, I'm not sensitive to cinnamon in blends - I've worn straight essential oil with no problems, but evidently it's not recommended. Drydown: The fruits come to the surface again, mingling nicely with the spices. I definitely get a comforting, home-y apple cinnamon scent from this. I'd put this in the same category as Queen of Spades some of the autumn holiday scents - this is beautiful.

In the bottle - um... grass and pickles? Wet: Nutty cinnamon? Where'd that come from? Dry: Faint, sweet warm spices - this reminds me of a quieter version of Silk Road. No hint of greenery whatsoever - but I prefer spice, so that's perfectly fine. But what a morpher. You're weird, Whippoorwill, just plain weird. Nice, but weird.

Kingsport is an odd one - on me, it starts out smelling like the bastard lovechild of Storm Moon and Ice Queen, and ends up smelling like Palmolive. There's a high, sweet-sour dishsoap note in there. As someone who likes a bit of the clean/soapy/dryer sheet feeling once in a while, it's not bad - but I like the wet stage, with the Ice Queeny coolness, so much more than the drydown. As a girl that grew up on the beach, this smells nothing like it - but saltwater/kelp is a scent that's much better when it's faint, wafting on a breeze, rather than on skin, in my humble opinion.

From the bottle, I get straight vetiver - which to my nose is sour, earthy motor oil. On my skin, still lots of vetiver, but I can smell the cedar and I'm hoping the other notes make an appearance. As it dries, it does sweeten and mellow with my chemistry - it's not awful, but the predominant note is still vetiver, pungently sour and earthy. I think it might smell wonderful on a man, but on me, it's just too heavy and acrid.

Wow... I'm one of the few that gets loads of musk and spice from this one... which is quite OK, because musks and spices are notes I absolutely adore! Out of the imp, I smell light florals... but once Zorya hits my skin, it morphs to smokey, spicy musk. This is a very refined, elegant woman's scent - warm, but still aloof. The florals sweeten it a bit, but not to overwhelming levels. There's a hint of something that's almost masculine in the background. I often find musks very clean-smelling, like freshly washed skin, so Zorya has an interesting contrast of smokiness and cleanliness to it. It's also my longest-lasting BPAL ever - most oils don't last more than four hours on my skin, but I tried a bit of Zorya in the crook of my elbow on Friday evening - it's now Sunday mid-morning, and I can still smell it clearly. This is absolutely unheard of for me, to have an oil last 36 hours, through showering and everything! Since it smells amazing and lasts like nothing else has for me - Zorya just shot to the top of my must-have-bottle list.

The first time I sniffed Al-Azif, I was smelling a friend's just-arrived Arkhams and didn't have the descriptions in front of me - and the smell made me think that this simply must be the one that was only described as "air and darkness." That description was actually Yog-Sothoth, but out of the bottle, Al-Azif is dark, sweet and airy; there's something that gives my nose the sensation of cool air. It's like walking into a chilly moonlight room with the lingering scent of smoky-sweet incense. Now that I have my own bottle, and can actually try it on my skin, I get the maple syrup that everyone's been talking about - luckily, it only lasts 5 minutes, because if I really wanted an oil that makes me smell like IHOP, I would have found myself some Hearth by now! Al-Azif dries down into the most beautiful sweet, dark powder scent, with a hint of something almost musky. One of my all time favorites is Morocco, and while this doesn't smell like Morocco per se, I get the same general feel... while Morocco with its warmth and spices is the desert during the day, Al-Azif is the desert at night, cool, silent and empty. This blend is gorgeous, and I love it. (edited because I can't spell those crazy Lovecraftian names)

I'm currently testing this on my left wrist, and the Queen on my right. The King settles down much faster on my skin, rather than the strange morphing the queen does. This is a deep but powerful scent - I can smell earthiness (but not the "just dirt" earthiness the Queen goes through), tempered with something that's almost aquatic to my nose... ah. That's how my sense of smell interprets (mmmm) oakmoss. I can't smell the vetiver and almond at all - and for me, that's a very good thing. Warmed by musk and amber, with the singularly masculine waft of oakmoss... I have a certain man I'm going to be trying this on. And then I shall tackle him. But he ain't getting my bottle no matter how good it smells on him!

How... odd. All I get from this is coconut. But it's not the usual coconut. This is real coconut, including the husk. Dry dirt and juicy coconut meat. I got this hoping it would be more vaguely "earthy," the way patchouli is, rather than "dirt." I'm just not a dirt person, though this does remind me of getting fresh coconuts and cracking 'em open with a hammer (I'm sure there's an easier way, but I've never figured it out... I digress, though). Eventually, the coconut subsides, and I get a strong dose of vanilla. And the dirt smell starts to fade - hurrah! Now this is more like it - sweet and earthy, rather than smelling like I just rolled around in the dust. Once I get through the initial stages, I think I like this one. Not a scent for every occasion, but quite interesting.

Mmm... to me, Ace of Hearts smells like a rosier version of Empyreal Mist. I'm usually quite anti-rose; most rose blends smell cloyingly overpowering and artificial on me, unless the rose notes are present in relatively small amounts. But this rose is mixed with such interesting other florals, and it stays fresh. Light. Innocent and clean, this is a very pure white scent. Who do I envision wearing this? Princess Buttercup from The Princess Bride.

Er, I posted this in the CT2 discussion thread... and then figured it was detailed enough to be my reviews for my three CT2s. I have to say that the last two both remind me of Queen of Spades a bit, though they are distinctly different... that's a good thing, I love the spicy red/purple scents! --- DCXXI (621) - kind of butter-rummy; unfortunately, my chemistry adds a bit of sweetness to everything, and this one is a bit too much for me (I can barely handle Milk Moon - this is more along the lines of Jack in terms of butteryness). I'll have to find it a new home. DCLIV (654) - in the bottle it smells lotusy, and on my skin, it's like a fruity lotus with a hint of spice. Much more my style! I think of scents in terms of color, and this one is Crayola's red-violet (of course, they've probably come up with a snazzier name for red-violet by now, but I'm a purist, dammit). A good late-summer/early-autumn scent, I think. DCLXXX (680) - oooooh... spice! And I think there's some incense, too - there's a waft of exotic perfuminess to it. It's deep violet with little sparkles, and I'm picturing a belly-dancer. This smells like an exotic and mysterious woman's scent - great for my alter ego, because in reality, I'm about as mysterious as a bag of socks.

A shadowy, unapproachable forest? Nuh-uh! I smell a light, happy woods full of happy little unicorns, or maybe Smurfs. This scent is so cute and girly to me. It's all about pink berries and flowers (I thought of Smurfs, because this must be what smurfberries smell like). Young, innocent, and sweet without being cloying - to me, this is very berryish, even though I don't see any listed. It's reminding me of Jester quite a bit, but with a bit of soft floral on the side. I love all things pink, and this is a very pink scent. I approve!

I only wish this worked as well on me as it seems to on other people, I so wanted to love the Shub. In bottle: Er... that's kind of lemony. On - wet: Er... that's EXTREMELY lemony. I think there's some ginger trying to peek out, but it keeps getting clobbered my the OMG, LEMON!!! scent. Drydown: Oh, there some spice... hey! Bring that back! Where'd it go? *sigh* After 10 minutes, Shub has left the building, leaving behind the vaguest hint of spice. Sadness and woe. ETA: I'd ordered two bottles of this, assuming it would be the SiA I liked best. I swapped the bottle I based this review on, and the second bottle just arrived today. I don't know if it's a matter of my funky chemistry, or whether this bottle is from a different batch... but this one smells like spicy baked goods, rather than super-lemon. It's a dead-ringer for Gingerbread Poppet, actually. Bizarreness abounds!

Authority - Creativity - Courage - Leadership - Abundance - Good Health & Healing - Illumination - Truth - Honesty - Wise Counsel - Prophecy - Pride - Revelation - Equilibrium - Mediation - Nobility - Generosity I don't get the piney note that some get from Sol (thankfully), though I do get the initial sour tanginess (or as cuervosueno said, pickling spices). But the sourness evaporates quickly on my skin, and it's a warm, sweet blend - to me, this smells like amber, orange, and white florals. As it dries, the spice kicks in - warm cinnamon and clove. Beth definitely captured the warmth and white/goldness of the sun in this blend, and I love it.

Like some others, I got a minty-pine from Ice Queen, softened with light florals and musk (no fruitiness in here to my nose). But it's taken me a while to review this (I've had my bottle for months now), because I've had a hard time separating out the actual notes. What was distracting me? A nostalgia kick. This smells exactly like some soap or shower gel that my great-aunt used to have. For the longest time, I would sniff the bottle and all my brain could register was "Aunt Hazel's bathroom!" It's a great scent. Fresh and cold, and one of the few green/coniferous scents I can wear - the minty notes and the musk tone down the "I smell like a tree" factor, which is great on some but not on me. I don't wear this often, but I'm really liking it today. I put it on this morning thinking it would be great for a hot, sunny day like we had yesterday... I really should look out the window before applying oil based on the weather, because it was pouring down rain today - but I'm enjoying Ice Queen nonetheless.

I asked what scents lasted the longest on the LJ community a few months back, and judging by the massive range in responses, it's a highly individual thing, depending on your chemistry. For what it's worth, on me, the ones with greatest staying power have been Morocco, Depraved, Snow White and Antique Lace. On me, musks and resins stay, while things like florals and teas evaporate pretty quickly, but your mileage may vary.

I really wanted to love The Star. When I first put in on, I got mint - so far, so good. Then there was an underlying sweetness - it smelled like a blend of citrus and lotus - still OK. Then there was coconut - usually a good note for me. Usually. This reminds me of Spooky, because in both, the combination of coconut and lime goes all chalky and artificial on me. I'm disappointed, as I like all the notes I can smell in this - but the drydown just isn't pleasant with my chemistry.

I'm one of the lucky ones - I seem to be able to wear Chango without it going civet-y or smelling decayed on me! I do get a hint of something warmer lurking underneath that threatens to go in that direction - but never does. I'm thinking black musk, since civet is so uniformly horrible on me, but I definitely could be mistaken! On me, Chango is primarily a peachy-banana smell. I was surprised it worked so well, as the banana note in Manila smelled artificial on my skin. In this blend, the fruits smell natural and clear, and then a ways into drydown the musky note emerges - but luckily for me, not in a stinky or cloying way.

I'll echo those who thought this smelled like men's cologne/deodorant - this is a fresh, clean masculine blend to my nose. I personally kind of like it, but it is more manly than I usually wear, and a tad soapy. Smelling it from the bottle, there's an odd "cool-air" sensation to my nose - like smelling fresh ozoney air at night, so the "air and darkness" description fits for me. On my skin, though, it warms and sweetens a bit, and while the ozone stays, the airy effect lessens. If I sniff my wrist very closely, I smell a watery, slightly sour note - it smells like how cucumber smells on my skin. It's not a blend I see myself wearing often, but it's good for feeling clean, focused and organized.