zankoku_zen

A strong blast of peppermint gives way to currants and cassis. This ends up going from a minty blend to a dark, fruity, spicy blend. I'm actually not that fond of cassis, so I think I'll pass this on to a more loving home.

Fruity! This one stars strong smelling of apple cider, citrus (mostly orange), and touches of both cherries and peaches. As it dries, it becomes a more dark fruit blend, and I definitely get a touch of the raspberries. This really does remind me to Street Festival, minus whatever didn't work for me there. It's a ripe, autumn harvest. But with enough depth to let you know that all of the fruit, enticing is its desirability, is not meant for the faint of heart. Dark, fruity, tasty.

Musky green wood. This one is like an autumn version of a Shunga. Smooth, musky, wood. *insert 13 year old giggle here* It's a nice, woody blend, slightly masculine. Sensual without being overt. Appropriate for office wear.

Dark, sweet, boozy pomegranate wine with a swirl of incense. If you like dark wine blends, dark pom blends, or were looking for a pom + wine blend, give this a whirl. This is a 'red' vibe blend. Dark, seductive, wine.

This one smells more like carnations + pumpkins. I really adore the original Alice blend, but don't feel like the addition of pumpkins adds anything to it. I think I much prefer the original Alice. But if you like carnations + pumpkins, or want a slightly spicy floral pumpkin, give this a shot.

Lavender, chamomile, carnations. This is a soothing lavender blend, with sugary sweetness. It goes a little soapy on me, but I think that may be the combination of aloe that gives a certain 'freshness' to the blend.

Warm, sweet, slightly smoky. I think this might actually have allspice, as opposed to cinnamon. Hint of metallicness. Definitely less gunpowder. The released version of Agnes Nutter was almost all bitter gunpowder on me, and this one plays up the 'magickal' aspect of the character instead. Warm, spicy, wearable.

Moss, sweet dirt, sort of damp and airy note (which I think is some sort of white floral I'm amping). For those of you that like a 'dirt' blend, I'd give this a whirl.

Warm, sweet almond pumpkin spices. Unfortunately, the cream part of buttercream goes a little plasticky for me. Foodie, warm, almond pumpkin.

Warm waxy pumpkin. Smells very much like a Yankee Candle. Warm, rich, waxy.

Morocco and pumpkin. This one is the lightest of all the pumpkins I've tried so far, and I have to say that it's mainly Morocco, with just a swirl of pumpkin. I have an odd relationship with Morocco. I really like how it smells, but I never end up wearing it. And this isn't different enough for me that I'd reach for it. So you're off my little friend to a more loving home.

Cinnamon + pumpkin. Sin to me is always ultra-cinnamony, so I get cinnamon, musk and pumpkin. Spicy, but not for me.

Creamy pumpkin + Dorian. I have to say that this is sweet, stylized, pumpkin. Not too buttery, not too sweet, and I think the Dorian acts like a great balance. Love it. Trying to decide if I need a partial.

Grass, touch of lemon verbena, black musk and amber. This is an amber grass blend, with the black musk providing some depth to it. Definitely reminiscent to the Lion. Tall, grassy, masculine.

Fresh peach, touch of tea and honey. This one is very light and pretty, but as it dries the peach definitely takes over and becomes sweeter. At this stage, I'd say it all peach and honey. Damn, I wish the tea had stuck around.

This smells more like a nutty porridge blend to me, with a hint of booze. I can see the banana piece, in that it may be banana bread involved. Definitely nutty. It smells like warm, spicy baking. And let's face it, whose house doesn't want to smell like yummy baked goods?

Lilies, touch of rose, and soap. This smells WHITE. Delicate, white florals. It's wispy, ethereal, and very pretty. But sadly, not for me.

And either narcissus + daffodils = jasmine, or one of the hidden elements of this blend is jasmine, because it REEKS of jasmine. Which means to me, it smells kinda like cat pee. Not 10 seconds after I applied it, mr. zee_zee said "WTF smells like cat pee". After he sniffed at me he said, "I don't know what that is, but it has to GO!" Which is a shame, since I really wanted this blend to work out for me. Sad panda face.

Lavender, moss, opium tar and swirls of tuberose and frankincense. So this is a *much* darker lavender, thanks to the opium tar and the moss. Added to it is a occasional whiff of tuberose that adds to lavender's floralness and sharpness, and the frankincense which adds a resinous warmth to it all. It has a much more complex smell, as compared to I am Tired of Tears and Laughter, much much darker, and in general I'd describe the overall feel as gothic. This is smelling lavender on a moonless night, right before you step into a haunted house. It's a foreboding scent.

Straight up herbal lavender, like the one in Oneiroi, but an added woody base with just a swish of resinous sweetness. This smells like a sleep time blend. It's comforting, cuddy, and straight up AMAZING LAVENDER. Simple, beautiful, lavender.

Chamomile, yarrow, hint of amber, heliotrope and currant. So this one is an herbally, red floral. The redness comes from aspects like the amber, dragon's blood resin and heliotrope, which lends to it a big depth of warmness to this. All of the other floral elements are definitely more toward the herby/soothing side. Red, hazy, soothing.

Soft, deep, and luminous: Lady of the Night orchid, benzoin, opopponax, currant, black chypre, white gardenia, ambergris, damp, wooded mosses, and black lily. 2013 version. Heady orchids, tinge of oakmoss, lily and currant. In general this is a very heady, sophisticated orchid blend. Grand dame perfume, dark, velvety.

Musky, vanilla, lavender tinged with a swirl of Dorian. It's comforting, loveable, and huggable. Unfortunately for me the cream component smells a little plasticky, which was my concern with this blend. But it's foodie and warm. It's hard to put this on and not filled loved, which I think was the entire point of this blend. It's like a security blanket in a bottle.

Dark violets, roses and pomegranate. This is a dark, purple vibed, blend. Regal, sweet-smelling but there's some backbone to this blend. If you like either violets, roses, or pomegranate, I'd give this a whirl. Did I mention regal? There's a certain imperiousness here. The sort of blend a queenly woman that has no problems ordering the assassination of a political rival, with the subtle wave of her hand.

Lemony, sugary carnation with a hint of vanilla. This is a very complex scent, and ends up being both cheery and soothing. Lovely!