puck_nc

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I have learned to love vanilla musk thanks to a couple of scents from Possets, and I love stargazer lily. In the Bottle: Incredibly light, feminine, and innocent. A very sweet rose scent. Wet: Ugh...so many rose scents do this skanky green-stem number on me. The lily is fighting valiantly, though. Drydown: The musk is joining the fray as well, and eventually beats down the green-stem into submission--more or less--and lets the sweetness and the florals peek out. Verdict: I can see using the rest of the decant in a scent locket, but I'm not sure about a bottle.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I adore the book. I adore this scene. I adore the description. I hope that the incense and grass notes aren't overpowering. In the Bottle: Grassy with a lot of sugary florals and a fruity impression. Wet: Phooey. After a blast of grass I get the incense. Drydown: Well, the incense note backs off, but so does everything else. I can barely pick out the grassy floral and I can only get a touch of sugar if I sniff really long and hard. Verdict: I'll pass on this one.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: This was more for my husband's amusement than me expecting to be able to wear it. I only hope ethereal musk is a light musk, otherwise it will eat the other notes for breakfast. In the Bottle: Very, very woodsy. Light and golden woodsy. Wet: There comes the musk, but it balances nicely with the woody notes. Drydown: It stays very light on me, with the musk keeping it from turning into a lumberyard full of sawdust. Verdict: I'm not sure that I would wear it, but I'm curious to see what it does on my husband.

Thank heavens I had swallowed my drink!

Hmm...at this point I'm not planning to attend a midnight party unless I get some reliable spoilers beforehand that assure me that Rowling will end the series as strongly as she constructed the first five books. But if I did, I'd wear Jack or one of my Pumpkin Patch blends, as I am a Harry/Hermione shipper and one of the fandom names for the ship is the Pumpkin Pie.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: As a rule, I don't care for earthy scents. In the Bottle: Very strongly earthy. Wet: Strong notes of dirt tinged with green. Drydown: A few warm and foody elements creep in, but it's still dirt. Verdict: Definitely not for me.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I've liked a dash of opium in other blends. In the Bottle: Um, yeah. That smells like a box of Band-Aids. Wet: OK, now it's heavily resinous Band-Aids. Drydown: The resins lighten a bit, the poppy sweetens up, but my overwhelming impression is still opening the door to the bathroom closet and inhaling the Band-Aids and various creams and lotions. Verdict: This one does not like my skin. Pass.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I like some tea scents, although the best success I've had so far with them has been Dorian on my husband In the Bottle: Very light, very airy and springlike, very green. Wet: The teas come out to play. Still a very, very light scent with no throw. Drydown: The peony comes out and sweetens everything. Verdict: It's a very nice, light and pretty scent, perfect for spring, but I'm not in love with it.

Origin - straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts - I bought a half-imp from a certain person who I later discovered to be a professional reseller. But the scent itself was gorgeous; I'm a bit sorry that Beth tinkered with it when she brought it back for this year's Blue Moon, and decided against it when it was first available. Second time around, I had the funds and bit. In the Bottle: Dew-drenched and cool florals. Aquatic but not overpoweringly so. Wet: Strongly floral with just a hint of the aquatics. Recognizable notes wink at me from the mix: a bit of juniper here, cucumber there, woodsy note over there. Drydown: The sweet of the florals fades somewhat, leaving a silvery-cool combination of aquatic, woods, and floral that meshes very well. It captures the Blue Moon concept beautifully. To me this is more complex than the original Blue Moon, with more layers and depth...as if one is walking through a moonlit forest rather than a moonlit manicured garden. Verdict: Keeper. I'm glad I caved and snagged a bottle.

Origin - finally, my own bottle from the Lab Initial Thoughts - When the Carousel first debuted, I was torn between Bilquis and Mama-Ji. I finally chose Bilquis, which was too cherry-fruity for me, and tried in vain to swap for weeks after getting to try Mama-Ji at a meet & sniff. Since very few incense-y blends work on me, I was rabid for more of this. In the Bottle: dark, rich floral base just dripping with incense and spices. Wet: A wave of rich, layered incense, laden with sweet and spicy notes. Drydown: Uh oh. This is not the decadently spicy floral I remember from the M&S. At the moment what I'm getting is harsh and dry, dusty incense on a back shelf in a dingy store. I'm getting almost no floral at the moment...this is not the scent that kept me raising my hand to sniff again and again... dare I hope that it's the wrong time of the month? Verdict: Well, I'll try again in a week or two. I'll also put it in my scent locket and see how that goes. And I'll be glad that a little more money went to the CBLDF.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: There just aren't enough oils with daffodil in them. In the Bottle: A blast of sweet and heady flowers, warm and inviting. Wet: Ooh, a lovely crowd of floral goodness...still warm, after spring has taken a firm hold. I can tell the honey is in there, but it's blending well with the flowers. Drydown: Not much morph in this one for me. The flowers are so thoroughly blended that I can't pick one out over another. This is sweeter than Flower Moon or Beltane, less fruity that the Hanging Gardens, richer that Euphrosyne and Eos. Me likey. Verdict: Keeper!

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I am hit-or-miss with mint scents. Tulzscha was all right, Lick It remains in my top 5, Lick It Again was not the same and Snowblind was a let-down of plastic. But I was also attracted to the giant Japanese monster idea. In the Bottle: My first impression is of all things, mint chocolate chips! I think the vanilla is translating into ice cream and my mind is supplying the missing chips. Wet: At first it's very dessert-like, then the mint comes blasting out, sweet and sharp. The vanilla makes it markedly different from Lick It, which is more sugary-sweet. And definitely warmer...I am not getting even a hint of the chilled skin that Lick It provides. It skirts the edge of minty chewing gum. Drydown: The mint grows less powerful but is still the dominant note for me. It's still quite sharp, and not as pleasing...as if the vanilla has taken a back seat. I'm not quite sure if I like it like this. ETA: Oddly enough, this slowly chills on my skin in a reverse of Lick It. Verdict: More testing. I literally can't make up my mind on this one.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I enjoy my little decant of the first Pink Moon, and I've been having some success with sugared florals thanks to Possets. I love carnations, so I have high hopes for this one. In the Bottle: A very fluffily pink fragrance. Sugary carnations and a floral that I assume is the phlox. Wet: Something unpleasantly sharp and green leaps out at me, but quickly fades back and lets the florals bloom. Drydown: I get the florals with sugar around the edges, but there's a musky quality to it all that cuts out the spring-like quality it had in the bottle. Verdict: I'm going to give it one more try before I give up, but at the moment I think this should go to someone who can wear it better than I.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Apple blossom and rose are good, honey is hit-or-miss, and ylang ylang is often not nice to me. In the Bottle: Rose and honey. A very feminine scent. Wet: Well hello, ylang ylang. Are you going to let anyone else come out to play? Drydown: Why, yes you are. How nice of you. Honey shot with floral hints, all fresh and very spring-like. I feel like I'm in a sunny work garden during a lull in the work to capture all the earth's bounty. Verdict: A nice surprise. I can see myself using the imp and maybe even getting a bottle in the future.

Origin: Imp straight from the Lab. Initial Thoughts: I've been slowly getting into more apple scents since the slew of Halloweenies last fall. I liked oleander in the one scent I tried with it (Hell's Belle), have been hit-or-miss with opium, and have no knowledge of hemlock. In the Bottle: Very strongly apple, with hints of the oleander. I feel like I'm sniffing an apple I just plucked from the tree, in a little sunny grove. Wet: Now I get the "poisoned" part. It's still apple, but there's a dark and sour tinge to it, warning me that this might not be a good thing to eat. I can smell the danger in it. Drydown: Wow, this one fades pretty fast on me, leaving just the faintest trace of apple floral. Verdict: Interesting in how it so perfectly captures the concept, but not something I'd wear.

Origin: Imp straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I will almost always try a rose scent once, even though some can turn into an icky green-stem note on my skin. In the Bottle: Very foody; I'm getting an overwhelming impression of pastry and bakery. Wet: A darkly fruity, sweet rose, with baking spices in the background. Drydown: The bakery takes over, with lots of sugar and spice going on and very little rose. Verdict: It might be worth keeping the imp. I can't tell if my nose is stopping up because of the scent or because I was outside hanging up the clothes to dry.

Origin: partial imp received in a swap Initial Thoughts: I lean toward floral rather than fruity, but since SNs are so hard to find I wanted to experience it. In the Bottle: An amazingly fresh, juicy peach! Wet: Um, wow. What's the opposite of amping? My skin hasn't sucked up the oil by far, but I'm getting almost no scent off my skin. Just the faintest hint of peach. Drydown: Huh, of all things I'm getting a peach-tinged skin musk. And I have to concentrate to get the peach. Verdict: Well, it's gorgeous in the bottle and disappears on me.

Origin: imp received in a swap Initial Thoughts: I love cinnamon in foods and cinnamon-scented items like candles, so I was really glad to have a chance to try the BPAL SN. In the Bottle: It smells more like a spice cupboard than pure cinnamon, with a sour tinge coming from somewhere, clove-like but not clove. Wet: The sourness amps up momentarily, but begins to fade when the cinnamon rises. Drydown: A cinnamon stick with a little bite of pepper. Definitely the spice version, rather than the "hot" version. Verdict: This is a lovely scent to experience, but I don't think I would wear this alone. I can see layering it with other scents to add or enhance the spice of it.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Between the blood musk, the black leather and the incense, I would definitely not buy this for myself. In the Bottle: Oddly sweet and fruity, but with hints of a rotten core. Wet: A very sweetish musk. It reminds me of an incense that an old friend used to burn in her house Drydown: This one doesn't morph much on me. It remains an incense with sweet fruity touches. Verdict: Not something I would wear.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have never had a BPAL patchouli behave on me, and the only apricot blend I've tried didn't work on me (Mad Hatter or March Hare or one of the Tea Party blends). In the Bottle: Wow, a very twisted fruit. It fits the name very well. Wet: For once I can pick out the distinct notes. It's patchouli and apricot side by side. Drydown: It moves to an earthy green patchouli, very dank and musty. Verdict: Pass.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Between the patchouli and the dark musk, I really don't expect this one to work on me. In the Bottle: Ooh, that's kind of nice! Cool and foresty, with something sweet to it. Wet: Very woodsy; I can also pick out the patchouli. Drydown: Alas, the dark musk creeps in and slowly takes over. Verdict: I hate it when I'm right. It smells so nice in the bottle.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: When I first combed through the general catalog as a newbie, I paused at the mention of rose but moved on at the mention of musk and frankincense. But since then I have learned that some musks work on me...the frankincense will be the culprit if it doesn't work. In the Bottle: The lavender and orchid leap out at me. Wet: A blast of lavender and then frankincense. Drydown: The lavender remains a sharp note, with the musk and frankincense fighting below. I can't detect any rose at all. Verdict: My instincts were right. This one isn't for me.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: *eyes leather warily* In the Bottle: Leather and sour wine. Definitely a masculine vibe. Wet: Very smoky leather and airy grass. I feel like I've stepped into a Marlboro cigarette ad. Drydown: Smoke and leather. Verdict: Not a bad scent, but not something I want to wear for myself.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I'm always willing to try a rose scent. And I have no idea if the Kashmir musk will be a pale musk that works on me or a dark musk that doesn't. In the Bottle: A softly creamy musk. Very warm and inviting. Wet: Musk with floral swirling through it, but not the screaming MUSK!!! of doom that I have gotten in the past. Drydown: It is a true meld for me...I can tell that it's lightly musky, sweetly creamy and daintily floral, but no one note dominates. Verdict: I think I like this. Must play with the imp some more.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: Blue lilac? Yes! Stargazer lily? Yes! Cedar? Yes! Frankincense? Cross my fingers and hope... In the Bottle: Chilly and cedar-y. Wet: Cedar and nothing but cedar to start. I would have expected this behavior from the incense... Drydown: Definitely a chilly scent. But It's all frankincense and cedar; I get almost none of the floral notes that I so wanted. Verdict: I think this one needs to find a better home.