puck_nc

Origin: Decant bought on eBay Initial Thoughts: Vanilla is a favorite scent of mine, a note in several of my favorite blends. In the Vial: Yum! A very rich, deep vanilla. This seems much stronger than the vanilla note in Antique Lace (probably my favorite BPAL vanilla blend). Whether that's due to aging of the SN or the blending of other notes, I don't know. Wet: Hey, where'd it go? For several moments I have to jam my nose almost against my hand to detect the faint trace of vanilla. Drydown: As it dries the scent strengthens. Rich, smooth, decadent vanilla with just enough sweetness to mellow it. It's been going strong for hours, now, wafting up unexpectedly. Verdict: I am very glad that I got this.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: Mainly I was curious about the absinthe. I like lilac but I don't tend to care for smoke scents. This was a shot in the dark. In the Bottle: Boozy and smoky and very green from the florals. It has a medicinal edge that almost smells like Nyquil to me. Wet: Well darn you, rose! That green-stem stink that I often get with rose notes is there and strong, with the sweet smoke of the opium trying very hard to compensate. But the absinthe is on the rose's side. I can't pick out the sugar at all unless that's what I'm identifying as the opium. Drydown: Alas, this just turns sour on me. It's frustrating, because under the sourness of the rose I can detect some really beautiful notes. But I am defeated by my skin chemistry. Verdict: This will go to someone else.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I'm not sure why this particular combination of notes grabbed me, but it did. In the Bottle: Hello, clove! Hello, cinnamon! I think I can detect vanilla behind you, won't you let it out? Wet: Again, it's largely clove and cinnamon. I get more of the vanilla as a sweet presence, gentling the spices into a softer blend rather than SPICE!!!! I can't find the pine sap, but something is keeping this from teetering over the edge into pure foody-bakery. Drydown: It is morphing very little on me. Warm spicy cinnamon and clove, smoothed by the vanilla but not overly foody. This is a true spice scent. My husband is quite taken with it, and he hates anything that smells remotely foody on me. Verdict: Definitely keeping the decant and I see a probable bottle in the future.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: Wisteria is one of my favoritest notes evah, so I'll always stop and look more closely at a perfume with it. Blue musk is iffy; sometimes it will behave and sometimes it will amp terribly like the darker musks do with me. I love roses, but sometimes they bloom on me and sometimes they stink. In the Bottle: A gorgeous chilly floral, with a high, clear note that initially smells bitter, but mellows somewhat on the next few sniffs. Could be the lily or the chamomile. Whatever it is, it adds the element of danger that goes along with Diana the Huntress. Wet: Rose (behaving so far), wisteria, a light touch of the musk, and gentle herbals. It is indeed well-blended and hard to sniff out the individual notes. A light floral, a night floral. Drydown: Ah, darn. The rose is pulling its green-stem stinky trick on me. The other notes are almost enough to beat it into submission, but not quite. Verdict: Well, at least I don't have to chase down a bottle. The wet stage is so nice on me, but this belongs on skin that doesn't muck up the rose.

Origin: Lab imp sent as a freebie in a swap Initial Thoughts: I love me some flowers. In the Bottle: Dusky, a bit orange, musky. If there isn't dragon's blood in there, there ought to be. Very heavy and mysterious. Wet: Something smells amber-y in there, which means that amber is all I can smell at the moment. Drydown: Now I get hints of flora, but it's a sour, poisonous floral. There's just a hint of stems and leaves in there as well. Verdict: Definitely fitting as part of Rappaccini's Garden, but not something I would wear.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I adore wisteria. One of the things I miss most about when I lived in the next, more expensive town over was the walk to the bus stop in springtime, going past a cascade of wisteria in full bloom. I cling to my lowly imp of Wisteria SN, sniffing it once in a while to get my fix. I had to try this. In the Bottle: A beautiful, light, pink spring floral. I get a lot of wisteria, but I'm also getting plenty of the other two notes as well. Wet: On me at first, it's a little bit greener, a little bit chillier. But all three notes are still there...I've got a huge smile on my face as I pick up the wisteria. Drydown: I can see where others are thinking soap or bodywash or shampoo...there is something about it that strikes one as ultra-feminine floral. But it's a gorgeous ultra-feminine floral, very fresh and light. Verdict: I am so glad I got this! I think I'll be wearing it a lot.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE -- Graham crackery and cream cheesy! Cinnamon brown sugary! Just a little carroty! Origin: sniffie sent with my decants in eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I was very interested in this one, but do not have the disposable income to try the various Inquisitions. In the Bottle: Oh, wow...gorgeously sweet pumpkin and cream and vanilla... Wet: The spices hit immediately, so I'm almost overwhelmed with gingerbready foody spices. Drydown: The pumpkin reasserts itself a little, but this is still all about the foody spicy-sweet crust on me. Verdict: I'm glad I got to try it and if I ever get the chance at a bottle for a reasonable price when I'm flush with cash, I might nab it.

Origin: decant from a circle by eviltemptressdq Initial Thoughts: Hyacinth! Honeysuckle! Carnation! Three of my favorite flowers in one perfume! This was the no-brainer scent of my Lupercalia order, in spite of the presence of amber, which can be an amper on me. In the Bottle: Mostly beeswax and amber, with some floral back notes. Uh oh... Wet: Damn. Almost pure amber and beeswax. The florals are reduced to hovering around the edges, tormenting me... Drydown: Thankfully, the amber sweetens up and calms down, letting the florals come out to play a bit. But there remains a strong undertone of the green-stem stank among the florals...I think the rose is being mean to my skin. Verdict: Definitely maybe. I need to contrast it with some of the other florals I already have.

Origin: decant from the circle by eviltemptressdq Initial Thoughts: Rose can be wayward on me, but I love carnation. However, what made me want to try this was the combination of heather and clover, like an olfactory tour of the British Isles. In the Bottle: Bright grassy green with just a hint of the florals in the background. Very clean, very much a scent of the outdoors on a cool dewy morning. Wet: Lots of the clover, some of the heather, and quite a bit of the carnation. I can smell the rose lurking in the background, trying to go green-stem skank on me, but so far the other notes hold it in check nicely. Drydown: Ha! The rose goes down. The grassy greens hold out, with the spice of the carnation giving it a lovely spring-like dimension. Verdict: I think it's very nice. I just have to see how often I reach for in in the next couple of weeks to decide whether I should get a bottle.

Origin: decant from a decant circle by eviltemptressdq Initial Thoughts: Several of the notes hearken back to my cherished Bearded Lady (lily, jasmine, vanilla, rose...), so I wanted to give this a try. In the Bottle: Heady florals shot through with the pine. A very spring scent, beautiful. Wet: I'm getting a crush of the florals; the pine has receded quite a bit. I think I'm getting lots of juniper among the florals now. Drydown: No one note seems to dominate, it's a lovely swirl of floral, cooled and tempered by the pine and juniper with just a few touches of the bergamot and kept sweet with a hint of the vanilla. It's a very outdoorsy scent, very refreshing. Verdict: I may be getting a bottle of this one. I need to do a few side-by-side comparisons with my other floral blends to make sure I need it.

Origin: decant from a circle by eviltemptressdq Initial Thoughts: Since the one thing that kept me from wearing MB: Underpants unlayered was the boozy rum note, I was definitely eager to try this. In the Bottle: Very vanilla-sweet. It's almost buttercream-frosting level, except for something spicy-herby that I think is the saffron. Wet: The saffron comes out strong on me, beating the vanilla into a quivering lump of submission. It's still a sweet scent, but now it's a sweet herby scent instead of strongly vanilla. Drydown: The saffron/spice element heats up a bit and I finally get a hint of the cream. It reminds me strongly of something, I want to say something medicinal, but I just can't pin it down. Verdict: I could see myself using up the decant in a scent locket, but I'm not sure it's something I'll wear.

Origin: sniffie as part of a decant circle Initial Thoughts: I never expected to enjoy "snow" scents, but since I do, I like to try as many of them that I can. I was really curious about the eucalyptus in this one. In the Bottle: Lovely. I can tell there's pine/evergreen in there. I can tell there's eucalyptus. I can tell there's floral. But they all blend together so well that nothing stands out. Wet: It is everything it was in the bottle, but is also somehow colder to my nose. Drydown: After a while, I also get the unpleasant note. It's not quite bathroom-cleaner pine, but it's knocking on the door. Verdict: Alas, this one is not for me.

I will chime in for Bathsheba. I avoided it because the note list includes Arabian musk, and normally musk and I don't get along. But a friend frimped me, and it is a beautiful scent...very strongly carnation with a bit of plum and a background of spices. I'll definitely be getting more of this.

Origin: sweet and generous gift of an imp from an LJ friend Initial Thoughts: I love carnation. I have learned to love plum. But my lessons in the unsuitability of musk on me stayed my hand. But my friend pointed out that she smelled almost no musk in the mix. So, we shall see. In the Bottle: Lotsa plum, some carnation, a backdrop of spicy musk. Perhaps this will work... Wet: I get a blast of plum, then for a second something really musty and sour shows up. Luckily it fades almost immediately as the carnation asserts itself. But alas, no sooner that I really start to enjoy huffing on my wrist, the musk charges in. Drydown: Well, there's plenty of musk, but there's also plenty of carnation with the plum as a pleasant zing in the background. It's not MUSK! killing the other notes the way so many blends with musk behave on me. Verdict: I think I like it!

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I cling to my partial imp of Skadi and am always ready to try another snowy evergreen scent in hopes of finding one that is comparable. In the Bottle: Very cold and green and fresh. I'm getting mostly the snow scent and the evergreens with maybe just a tinge of the berries. Wet: A strong blast of cedar and chill, along with the juniper and some of the berries. Just like being in a winter forest on the coldest night of the year. Drydown: The sharpness in the scent mellows down very nicely, leaving a soft evergreen in its wake, sweetened slightly by the berries. Verdict: I like this very much, although I'll probably do a side-by-side comparison with Skadi, Mistletoe, and The Snow Storm in case I don't need them all.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I love honeysuckle with a passion. I like how stargazer lily often plays on my skin. I love vanilla musk. Had to try this. Caveat: I'm doing this with a decant that had a frimp of Bastet leak a bit on it and with a badly stuffed nose. Because I just can't wait. In the Bottle: I'm getting clobbered with the vanilla musk at first, then I can pick out others. I can definitely notice the rice flower. Wet: I'm getting heavy carnation and something that I think is the rice flower...I hope it's not the stargazer lily doing that strange airy almost ozone-y thing. Drydown: I get a bit more of the honeysuckle now, but there's still that persistent waft of ozone every once in a while. Verdict: Again, I need to try this again when I'm not dealing with a handicapped nose.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: This was the only one of the 2007 Phoenixes that grabbed me. A perfume that lists magnolia will always get my attention. I'm hoping for a wonderful floral with tinges of the musk and sandalwood. This may be tricky, as something--possibly the frimp of Bastet-- leaked a little in the baggie. AND I've been dealing with a stuffed-up nose all day. But forward into the breach... In the Bottle: Definitively floral. Light and sweet and heady, like when spring starts heating up a little and promising summer in humid whispers. Wet: Wow, the sweet is coming off my skin in waves! I'm getting mental flashes of a fresh magnolia blossom and other flowers floating in a bowl of sugar syrup. Drydown: Eventually the floral fades somewhat and the musk and sandalwood come into play. It also takes a turn into herbs, with the lavender peeking out. Verdict: I'll try this once more when my nose is not AWOL to be sure, but I think I love the bottle and wet stages but not the dry. I might use up the decant in a scent locket, but I don't think I need a bottle.

Origin: Frimp of the Lab Initial Thoughts: Well, I adore stargazer lily, moonflower is iffy on me, and the bone dust would have kept me from ordering it. In the Bottle: Herbal and dusty. Wet: Whoever mentioned purple and pale green was right. This is high, sharp, thin floral with a strong earthy component. Drydown: Something starts turning sour on me. I think it's the moonflower. Verdict: Not for me.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: This was one of the new GC scents that I was curious about, but hadn't gotten around to ordering a new imp pack yet. In the Bottle: Honey and molasses, smacking me in the nose. Wet: The honey and molasses are in a cage match for dominance, then a sweet, almost floral note rises. Drydown: Yeah, there's definitely an odd note that is at times floral and at times citrusy-lime, all very sweet and sun-warmed. I can't get any woodsy element at all. And my husband is complaining from across the room that it's too strong. Verdict: Guess not.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I've never encountered this one before. The fierce red which might be dragon's blood has me leery. On the other hand, this might be a helpful blend right now. In the Bottle: Floral with spicy undertones. Wet: Rather sharp herby florals. I think I can smell jasmine in there. Drydown: This stays very close to the skin on me, a quiet floral with just a touch of heat in it from spices. Verdict: It's something I can wear, so I may try and use it for its intended purposes.

Origin: Frimp in my latest Lab order Initial Thoughts: I've never been much into aquatics or booze scents, but I'm wondering if this one would be good on my husband. In the Bottle: Old Spice! Heh, just kidding I get the rum and a lot of wood and a hint of ocean spray, just like the description says. But it definitely makes me think "manly". Wet: A blast of spice that reinforces the "manly cologne" impression. I don't think I'm getting much rum...just the spice and woods and the tinge of salty sea. Drydown: Something that I think is the rum is coming out, sweetening up the scent. It's more like a BPAL blend now rather than a cologne scent. Verdict: I will try this on hubby's skin and see what he thinks.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I so wanted to try one of the Hispanic-themed Yules and this looked like the best of them. But I'm wary of the incense, which can chew up the other notes and leave devastation behind. In the Bottle: Quite fruity--dark, rich red fruits--and somewhat floral, with the incense in the background. Wet: I'm getting several of the florals at first...the chrysanthemum and plumeria, I think. Drydown: Oh, damn. The incense is starting in. I can almost smell as the florals disappear one by one into the creeping mass of the incense. There's only the barest hint of the floral after a while. Verdict: *pouts* It started out so beautifully, too. *adds to the sale/swap pile*

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: Like most others, I have had little to no experience with hellebore. But I enjoy many florals. In the Bottle: A light zingy floral, cool and almost citrus-y. Wet: A creamy floral with a strong hint of orange to it. Drydown: The citrus-orange backs down, leaving the floral to bloom. There's the slightest tinge of snow-scent and evergreen in the background. The floral isn't something I can put my finger on; it's got that creamy quality and the impression is of a sweetish white flower. Verdict: This one has possibilities; I'll see how much I reach for the decant before the Yules come down.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: Honey is usually not a good note on me. But vanilla is. I decided to take the plunge and see. In the Bottle: Sweet, honeyed, spicy and herby. The honey is the strongest note to my nose. Wet: I'm getting pretty much solid honey right now. Drydown: Something green develops underneath; perhaps it's the blackberry leaf, since I don't recognize it for tea. And then I get a sense of pizza-spice, which usually means that there's sage or a similar spice behaving badly with my chemistry. Verdict: Not for me, apparently, which is too bad since it's so promising in the bottle. But for those who love honey or have it work well on their skin, it's something to try.

Origin: sniffie in leftover bottle from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: This was one of the scents I was eager to try, but thanks to poor paycheck timing, I couldn't get a full decant before ETDQ's circle filled. I love evergreen scents and thought mint would be a terrific addition. In the Bottle: Very strongly evergreen, with just a touch of something citrusy in the background that makes it almost but not quite Pine-Sol. Smelled side-by-side with my precious partial decant of Skadi, The Snow Storm is definitely much chillier, snow-covered forest to Skadi's light sheen of frost. Wet: I can't get a lot on my skin, so there's very little throw. But what I can detect is the strong fir-woodsy green element, with the rather sweet mint undertone enhancing the idea of snow. Drydown: I don't think there's much morph to this one one me. Verdict: I think I'm going to have to buy my own full bottle or track down some decants to fill this one. Since it doesn't look like Skadi will return for a long time, if ever, this is a rather good substitution.