thekittenkat

In the decant: Okay, that's strange. I smelt the vetiver before I popped the cap, and once I sniffed the decant, I got a faint pom note where the pom had gone off, and something bitter was wafting up behind it. Not liking that at all, frankly.

 

Wet: Btw, very dark brown oil in colouring, reminding me of the big wooden box filled with compost and black dirt that my grandfather raised his fishing worms in. Now, sharp, sour, and bitter on the skin, with the sourness probably from that spoiled pom. Icky.

 

The dry-down: Well, it takes a while, but the pom reversed course, and became unspoilt, but is rapidly being buried by the vetiver, as in SN Vetiver. Not my thing.

In the decant: Mildly sweet and mildly resin-scented woods.

 

Wet: Much the same as when sniffed.

 

The dry-down: Not a morpher. The frank is indeed pale, the cinnamon was a leaf and hence did not burn, and the patch did not overwhelm the other notes as suspected it would. Nice, but I prefer my woods and resin scents to have a stronger presence.

This is for the 2013 version.

 

In the decant: Grapey booze, but not wine, but more like a wine liquor.

 

Wet: Grapey boozy musk.

 

The dry-down: Mostly the same, but not so sweet and grapey.

In the decant: All the notes co-mingling in a lovely blend.

 

Wet: Grape-colored is the oil, a bit grape-scented as well.

 

The dry-down: Nice, but nothing as wonderful as when sniffed. This one's for the scent locket. Debating on a bottle, as the cold sniff was amazing!

 

Later: The tangerine and honey notes have come to the front, but their sweetness is being kept in check by the mint.

 

ETA after many days: I've decided that this is worth a bottle purchase, even if the dry-down to a lovely scent takes quite a while.

In the decant: Sweet light florals, with a mild hint of something musky.

 

Wet: Much the same as when sniffed, but not as sweet.

 

The dry-down: This is not a morpher, but remains mostly the same throughout; although the musk and osmanthus are coming more to the forefront. I like most of the notes, especially the asphodel, but have had trouble in the past with narcissus and lily of the valley, but the other notes seem to be keeping them in check. I'll have to see how this goes, and see if I need a bottle--it might be lovely as a year-around scent.

After re-reading my reviews for the two series of Bards, I'll go with The Hosts of the Air for tomorrow.

Here's a few that I like for summertime:

 

Velvet Pink Kitty

Pink Plastic Flamingo

any Strawberry Moon

Tiki Princess

Snow White

(really anything that has the icy, not minty, snow note, or lots of ozone, or is very aquatic)

Dorian

Lady Una, my go-to scent

Berry Moon '09 (raspberry goodness)

 

ETA: for some reason, I get Berry Moon & Fruit Moon mixed up.

Sniffing from the bottle, I get the raspberry note from Berry Moon '09, but it's muddled and darkened somewhat. When first applied to freshly-washed skin, it's mostly myrrh softened by the purple chypre (I do want to know what makes it purple!). That's a bit off-putting, as much I love myrrh, but as the minutes tick by, the fruity notes bloom and rise to the top. I this, and will be pairing it with my precious and lovely Berry Moon '09. Or, I could wear the moon in summer's daytime, and touch it up with this rich bath oil for summer evenings.

ETA: I use bath oils as after-shower lotions. My skin is dryish and tends towards the acidic.

ETA2: Why oh why do I get Berry Moon and Fruit Moon mixed up? Review now corrected.

I've had this candle sitting next to my seat on the sofa for a few days now, and let me tell you, it's a marvelous scent even w/o being burnt. The honeysuckle, Moroccan jasmine, and opium smoke just mingle and meld together in the most amazing fashion. So I burnt it for a while last night, and the living room's air had a lovely and delicate scent about it that wasn't too floral, but wasn't too "dirty" (that's the only word that can apply) either from the opium smoke. Just a wonderful blend. If this was a perfume oil, I'd happily wear it, but only when would be just me and the SO, maybe out dancing.

It really evokes twilight time in some silken boudoir, before the lamps are lit, and when one has lazed about in bed all day.

Powerful, but not too strong. Mostly the incense is front and center, but all the other notes show up at different times when I sniff. If I were to walk the midway of this faire, I suspect that it would indeed smell just like this--mostly incense, but with different notes appearing and disappearing as one walks by the various Yuletide booths.

Well, here's the ten I ordered:

French Tobacco Single Note

All Five Box of Chocolates scents

Sic Erit

Olisbos 2013

The Sound of Insects

Chintamani-Dhupa

 

Zoomable photo here

 

Thanks! Not many picture labels. But it's to know about these.

If anyone is interested, the art on the 2013 Sic Erit label is Charles Joseph Natoire's Cupid Sharpening an Arrow.

 

Thanks! Would love to see pictures of the new Luper bottles.

In the bottle: A tea rose, with a bowl of sugared snow near-by.

 

Wet: More tea rose, less sugar or snow.

 

The dry-down: Much as when wet, but is fading. I still believe that the 2009 version is best. Hopefully this version will do better with some aging. I do not get any comparison with Snow White. To me, it is more like a chilly and sweeter version of The Rose.

In the decant: Tropical (?) fruits, some ozone, a hint of something metallic.

 

Wet: Bright citrus fruits with some other fruit, perhaps cranberry or pom for a sour sharpness.

 

The dry-down: Well, these holiday globules are interesting, but only in a mild sort of way. I'm glad the metallic note disappeared, but mourned the loss of the ozone note. A mix of various fruits that strangely vacillates between sweet and sour (however, nothing like sweet-and-sour sauce). I'll have to see how this does on the SO.

In the decant: Sweet and spicy dessert of some sort.

 

Wet: Even more spicy and sweet!

 

The dry-down: A scent that doesn't morph, a sweet and spicy dessert. I guess it's bread pudding, but doesn't seem to be much like any bread pudding that I've ever eaten. Nice, but my decant is good enough.

In the decant: Certainly rice pudding, with a hint of goat milk and sour cherries.

 

Wet: Much the same as on cold sniff.

 

The dry-down: Doesn't really morph. Interesting, but I don't think that I need any more of this. If you like milk notes, this is good.

In the bottle: Very herbal, some myrrh, a touch of vetiver.

 

Wet: Much stronger on the skin. There might be catnip or catmint in those herbs.

 

The dry-down: A slow mellowing of the scent on the skin. This indeed reminds me a bit of Yule Cat, as if it was a milder, gentler cousin.

This is for the 2012 version.

 

 

In the bottle: Sweet snowed coconuts.

 

Wet: Much as when sniffed.

 

The dry-down: This is a wonderful version of one of my favourite scents. Sweet powdered sugar snow, and the yummy coconuts. Only a faint hint of the florals.

In the bottle: Blueberry, blackberry, and a touch of lime.

 

Wet: The slush note comes to the forefront.

 

The dry-down: The notes all blend together very wonderfully. A lovely scent! So glad that this got made after the post in the Yule suggestions thread, although the touch of lime is a special note that keeps it from being too sweet. Many thanks! I'm going to be wearing this year-round.

This is for the 2012 version.

 

 

In the bottle: Lots of dried grape vines in cold winter air.

 

Wet: Now the grape vines are slowly coming back to life, with a hint of green.

 

The dry-down: I have a previous version (I think 2007) that is much more grape. I'll give this a further chance, perhaps aging will help. Right now it is woodsy vines most all the time.

This is for the 2012 version.

 

 

In the bottle: Minty woods, with a hint of something sweet, probably the birch.

 

Wet: Much the same as on cold sniff.

 

The dry-down: Lovely winter outdoors scent that doesn't really morph. A bit more dry woods, and less like fresh green fir branches. The snow note is the minty one, and the birch (perhaps the birch bark) adds that touch of wonderful sweetness. Btw, this had more of the fir note on the SO. I love this on both of us.

Do all the 2012 Yules Res. have the green & black stripe label, with the text in red?

 

Does Lick It Softly have a different label from the others?

In the decant: Stollen with rum soaked in. Hint of the orange peel.

 

Wet: Stollen, rum, hint of orange peel.

 

The dry-down: This stays true throughout. Mostly rum-soaked stollen. The orange peel is trying to take over too much, alas, but at the moment gives the scent a crispness. If this was the real thing, a slice of stollen on a plate, I'd happily devour it, along with a glass of milk. But I would probably pick off the candied orange peel.

In the decant: Not-so-sweet nougat with a bit of lavender and thyme.

 

Wet: Mostly powdered lavender and some thyme. Hey! Who ate all the nougat?

 

The dry-down: Not good. The sweet note returned, but it's that slightly plasticy note that almond can sometimes turn into on my skin. Mixed with the lavender and thyme, this is not a taste treat.

 

ETA: I was surprised by this hours later. I was wondering what smelled so good, so I sniffed my wrists and the crook of my elbows and discovered this lovely scent. It's like lavender, softened and sweeten by the nougat, and the thyme just adds a fresh herbal quality. If I can get past that first wonky hour, this would be good for a sleep scent, or perhaps a spring/summer scent.

In the decant: Ginger and resins--that's hopeful!

 

Wet: Nice resins, some gingerbread.

 

The dry-down: Mostly those lovely resins in the end. Not much gingerbread, but that's okay, because I have run across very, very few gingerbread scents that work on me, alas.

 

For some strange reason, I pictured a gingerbread cake in one of those Bundt pans that are shaped like a church, while testing this. Not sure why.