zankoku_zen

This review is overdue, and its from a few weeks ago. Money Draw: Quick and Dirty is like the love child of TAL's Money and Aunt Caroline's Money Draw. Or maybe just an amped up version of AC's Money Draw (which is unreleased but available). It definitely doesn't feel like a prosperity blend. Progressus feels more like a prosperity blend that Money Draw: Q&D. It's cinnamon, earthy (I swear there's some patchouli cavorting about in there), and some white floral. This smells like old coins - its got a metallic smell to it. Which is what makes me think of TAL Money. If I am recalling correctly, I just needed an infusion of cash, and used it to promote my bpal sales page. And it worked. I sold an inordinate amount of BPAL (someone in fact, wiped out almost all of my LE decants), and it was just what I needed. Sometimes, you just need cash, and I think this delivers the goods.

Oh god, oh god, oh god. I had a very instant and visceral response to this. I really didn't get lemon. I got mostly an all spice/cinnamon combination, with some citrus on the edges and a whiff of mint. But really its the allspice/cinnamon. It doesn't smell perfumey at all. It just smells good. Which to me makes me feel good about the oil. I wore this today because I have a meeting with an old coworker of mine and we're going to be discussing my career, and I just wanted to be eloquent and prepared. It has a different feel from Charisma. Charisma to me feels like you're putting your best foot forward (ie - this is the best you, look at how shiny you are!). Eloquentia is about being articulate. Charisma has a bit of an impression/dazzle factor to it. Eloquentia feels more about "I know what I'm talking about". Both of which are great confidence booster.

Fecundity * Growth * Wealth * Stability * Endurance * Heartiness * Abundance * Prosperity * Practicality * Determination * Responsibility * Loyalty * Dependability * Wisdom * Patience * Strength * Sensuality * Humility * Secrets and Hidden Things I'm only reviewing the scent of this one because I received a decant and it sort of leaked all over the bag. It smells very cedar, very woodsy, and there's a very grounding element to it. I got some of my fingers and was surprised at the throw of it. It practically reeks of woods and earth. I can see this being very grounding. I may give this a whirl in the next few weeks and report back.

I received some sake scented bath salts, and decided to treat myself to a bath. Because it said "purifying", I went ahead and also added a few drops of Release to the bath oil. It felt good. Like a good cleansing sort of - "it's Spring and time to shake off the winter blues" sort of way. It smells lemony and clean. I'm working on several things on multiple fronts, and Release - both as the perfume oil, and as a bath oil, are very good at letting you let go of things. I almost prefer it as a bath oil, because you can just sort of dunk yourself in, be purified, and see it all drain away, if that makes sense. Sometimes the tangible part of the experience can be very powerful.

Tobacco, cognac, sandalwood and lace. This one is dark, brooding and reminds me to Black Lace without being the same. I really amp up the sandalwood and lace on wet, and it dries down to a tobacco/sandalwood/lace bit, which is quite nice. I get maybe a tinge of vanilla after about two hours. Dark, gothy, brooding.

Tons of white chocolate, some herbiness to it, hits of fruitiness from the strawberry and mandarin and a swirl of jasmine and carnation. This is a very sugary, very edible white chocolate. I am amping the white chocolate like no one's business. Of course, huge throw and huge wear length. PASS.

Super amped up sweetness. A ton of golden fruit (lychee, mandarin, orange, peach), with bamboo, plum blossoms, and peony. It's got the throw of Fire Pig but amped up on fruity sweetness and peony. It's actually got huge throw, and huge wear length. It's too much for me. Everything got dialed up to 11. EVERYTHING.

I actually didn't get any mint. I got a mainly foodie, sugary vanilla cookie dough smell. It's very heavy, very foodie, very sugary. Too much for me! I'll be sending this little guy off. I was hoping for something mintier- and less foodie.

Blood orange, geranium, carnation and a swirl of peach. HOLY CRAP. This is gorgeous. I totally need some more.

Peach, ti leaf and musk. This smells like a sweet peachy musky blend. It's almost too sweet for me.

For me, I get mainly vanilla and cardamom on wet, but it dries to an almost all oudh with a slight hint of tobacco (after an hour) on my hair. Nice, but I was really hoping for vanilla and tobacco. Sad puppy face.

Ah, I get where the love is coming from. Chocolate, tobacco, and the white musk bringing some brightness to this. Very musky, very wearable. More perfumey than I would have expected. Good throw and good wear length. In some ways I think of it as a cross between Black Temple Burlesque Group and Ava. Or perhaps if Ava had done Cabaret? Average throw, average wear length. Cocoa, tobacco, musk.

White rose corrupted by moss and labdanum. The oakmoss/moss add an aquatic component to the blend, with the labdanum serving as a soporific, dark base. It's heady, dark, and in some ways makes me think of Ophelia drowning herself. It has that romantic, doomed aquatic quality to this blend. Great throw, great wear length. Water, rose, darkness.

Woods, bergamot and gin. This smells slightly fizzy because of the juniper berries, which always bring out that gin aspect which is always cool and herbal to me. The bergamot brings some citrus, on top of a woody base. This actually puts me in mind to Star Promenade - but like an ever cooler version than that. Star Pom had a very warm foodie aspect to it to contrast that with the cool tones that the gin brought out. Low throw, average wear length. This one is more like cool tones on cool tones. It's fizzy, aquatic, cool.

Crisp green apple that dries down to a crisp apple and sweet benzoin/incense blend. It goes from a sharp, almost soapy green apple to a very warm incensey blend. Good throw, good wear length. Warm, green apple, incense.

Sensual honey, deamondrops, and enough smoky rum to think you've been hanging out with Captain Jack Sparrow. Good throw, good wear length. Actually, this may be the scent of the bordello that Jack Sparrow likes to frequent. Heady, sexy, kinda piratey.

Glittery, slightly aquatic amber. I do agree that the carrot seed comes off as both glittering, aquatic, and somewhat like champagne. Mixed with the grey amber, it's golden and shiny. Great throw, great wear length. And despite it all, this isn't all that compelling to me. Yeah, its gorgeous but sometimes a girl has to know that a beautiful ballgown just doesn't work with her body type because of the cut.

Green apple bite - but really this is bergamot and orchid on wet, and dries to a floral orchid and tiare with just whiffs of apple and bergamot. Pretty, girly, fun.

Oh god. This is soft lavender, vanilla and a touch of sandalwood. This is dreamy, sleepy, and very cuddly. LOVE IT.

Coconut, aquatic moss, honeysuckle and tuberose. This one is almost tolerable, considering it has both coconut and tuberose, which almost always end up behaving badly on me. But in general this is a luxurious, cool bath water with just enough floral notes to take it on a tropical edge. Think of romance on a tropical island. This is what it reminds me of. Soft, sultry, tropical.

Oh man, this would totally be at home with the Lace series from DD. I get musky rosewater, silk and taffeta with some red sandalwood as the base. This is decadent, luxurious and sensual. This is wearing a steel bone corset with an absolutely ravishing silk gown with a scandalous decolletage. You get what I'm saying. This is Victorian sensual luxe to the max. Annnnndddd I may just have to find some. Because this just screams boudoir, in a sophisticated, refined sense.

Lily soap, sandalwood and orange blossom. Actually, this smells like a soapier and more floral version of Belle Epoque. And the soapiness breaks my heart because I adore Belle Epoque. But part of what makes me love Belle Epoque is that smoky quality that just isn't in this blend for me. Bah humbug.

Sweet vanilla and benzoin. More of the perfume style vanilla as opposed to the foodie type. It is oddly floral on me. I'm sure this is exquisite on the right individual. That just ain't me.

Licorice, vetiver and I think sandalwood. This one reminds me to India Ink, but less inky and more resinous. There's a fuzzy brown quality to it which is what I think the sandalwood brings to it. It also vaguely reminds me to a few sandalwood heavy Shungas. For me, this is definitely masculine. Dark, fuzzy, male.

Red roses, patchouli and amber. This is a deep, dark rose/patch blend. This makes me think in vibe of black velvet - deeply sensual, deeply dark. Average throw, average wear length. Roses, patchouli, dark.