zankoku_zen

I find this scent to be chilly, but not too much. It had a sweet berry quality, and once I toweled off, I got more of the rose. In the tub, it was a nice, light and relaxing scent - hints of chilly pine, sweet berries and subtle rose. I'm going to enjoy the 1 oz of this bath oil I was able to find. Very pretty.

This one is a very interesting pumpkin. I got a very strong grapefruit/citrus on top of a soft buttery pumpkin. I find this to be a 'light' pumpkin kinda blend - the citrus keeps it from being buttery heavy, the pumpkin is like the base, and it's light, juicy and just ever so slightly minty. Very on the fence on whether I actually like it or not. It's... well, quite unlike any other pumpkin I ever tried. I also worry on how well the citrus will keep, over time.

This one is a sharp, soapy rose blend. Mmm. Rose soap.

Dry leaves, osmanthus, sandalwood, and rose absolute. Mmmm. This really does remind me to L'Autunno and mixed with a little Down the Rabbit Hole. I get a sweet, dry leaves sort of thing with just a touch of rose. Just slightly, ever so slightly powdery at the end. Mmmm... a little sweeter and I think I'd love this. ETA: To add the description.

I get dusty florals, but at the very end is the sharp wail of jasmine. It does have a resinous base, but jasmine lurks and stalks this blend for me. Quite effectively too.

Cherry tobacco, tonka, and hops. Oh man, this is what a night after a really bad bender smells like. Stale smoke and stale beer. With a hint of baby powder. Yeah. Not for me.

This one was a sweet coconut smoky blend. And it has dried to a lemony powder. Interesting. But not for me.

This is soft tobacco and leather. I find this to be a sophisticated, subtle, man's cologne. Not for my taste, but if you like tobacco, leather, and sophisticated men, give this a whirl. *pause* Wait. Did I just say I wasn't for sophisticated men?

This is a clean, green sandalwood scent. It's got a 'freshness' to it that is very appealing. I find it to be almost unisexual - anyone could wear it (not for kiddies though, since the name is too suggestive). I can see the HGM comparison (minus the ginger and the sweetness). It's like the 'base' for HGM, with an Asian feel to it. Prettier than I thought.

Wow. I mean, seriously. It's like I dumped coffee on my wrist. This bitter, black roasted expresso. And just sloshed it on. No hint of sweetness, just ground coffee beans. Just bitter, black, brewed coffee. There's almost a slight, very slight, smokyness to it. This isn't the first SN from Beth that I've tried. But it's the first one that makes me go... WOW. But as my husband says: "I like my sugar with coffee and cream." Not the other way around.

Ah, the fabled Anaconda. This is a sugary, sweet maple syrup Snake Oil. Take Snake Oil and add caramel. Stir. Taste. Don't get me wrong... it's very good. It's not toe-curling good in my book, but even I, an admitted non-Snake Oil fan, can see why this is the ultimate foodie Snake Oil combination. Thankfully, I arranged a good swap for it already.

Ditto. Mainly because my son seems very pleased with the scent and it kinda strikes me as age appropriate and not to feminine for him. It just smells sweet and innocent. Heh.

Hmmm. This one is roses and jasmine. The jasmine is sharp, the rose is overwhelming and the amber is powdery. Not for me. Which is good, cuz I know a gal that would like this!

Hmmm. It's dusty, kinda woody, and appley. The apple fades away and I get this dusty, almost ashy wood. Interesting.

I am beginning to suspect that I am not a fan of copal. This blend is kinda incensey, and sweeter than I expected, and I think that might be the copal. The rose geranium smells like roses, so it's a sweet, rosey incensey kind of blend on me. Yeah. Not for me.

Hmm.... I don't know why I was afraid of Lucifer. This one the golden amber is a good counterpoint to the dark vetiver, and the patchouli is very clean. It is dark, but not stinky, vaguely masculine, vaguely foreboding. Not my kind of blend, but it does make me think of a sophisticated man's cologne. One that has no flowers to it - instead, it's a woodsy, deep blend. A man not to be trifled with.

Huh. I get a pumpkin the first five minutes, but then it's red musk and strawberry, very much like Hollywood Babylon, actually. Weird.

I have to agree with tartchef. Pumpkin IV is gorgeous. Pumpkin can be really buttery on me, but it's held in check by the honey and tobacco, which can be very aggressive notes on my skin. I can see this being the standout pumpkin from this year's pumpkin patch. Really, the pumpkin isn't so buttery, and the vanilla and honey lend a sweetness to the blend that is counterpointed by the bitter smoky tobacco. Gorgeous.

Hmm, I think this has sage, vetiver, and maybe a hint of patchouli. I get the dank tunnel, and rocks sort of smell, and yes, it does seem dark. Which is why I think it's got vetiver and patchouli. I definitely get the patchouli whiffs. In a way, it reminds me to Wolfsbane, minus the menthol.

Oh god, this has the gardenia of DEATH. Wet wool sweaters. Blegh. And then, the gardenia and jasmine come out - and it smells like someone upchucked on my wrist. EWWW. And then after half an hour, it calms down and I get the spicy dragon's blood and the florals are nondescript and in the background. Yeah, not for me. At all.

This one is cologney tobacco, and on wet, there was something that was almost limey about this scent, it might have been the sharp lavender. Mmm. Manly.

Western Haiku: Nighttime flowers turn into very beautiful dryer sheets

This one was a bit floral sharp, and there was a hint of musky something I didn't like (I think it was the civet), its a little soapy, and in general, my skin ate it up. Ah well, it wasn't meant to be.

I definitely got the orchid and dirt combo. The orchid is much more predominant when wet, and as it dries, I get some of the dirt and teakwood to it. It's much more floral than anticipated, and much more muted. I don't think this is creepy, as so much a muted and somber scent. I can see this being used as a funeral appropriate blend - soft, somber, respectable.

This, oddly enough, smell entirely of date - it's sticky sweet, and maybe in the background, there's a tiny bit of leather. But yeah, I finally found something that drowns out leather and tobacco.