Invidiana

Sigh. I had to edit this because my previous review was the result of my nose being muddled from testing too many things at once. I had such high hopes for Hod, after reading how gorgeous it was in the reviews and how people were clamoring for it. And it is gorgeous, wet, for a few moments, until my body chemistry grabs it and turns it into...Old Spice. Yep, Old Spice aftershave to be exact. I even had my mom sniff the tiny spot on my hand I'd tested it on from the cap and she was like, "Is that men's aftershave?" so it's pretty much unanimous that I morph Hod into Old Spice. My skin really has a knack for amping anything remotely masculine to the point of being butch (De Sade, anyone?), and that's what it did to this. Oh, and the fact that my skin basically radiates most perfume within about 5 feet of me wouldn't help combined with the whole smelling-like-a-man factor either. Blasted body chemistry. Glad to report it's going to a good home though.

Lovely fresh-baked cookies with a smooth blend of all the spices listed--tickles my nose a bit, in a good way!

This is a gorgeous darkly sexy scent and has both a gourmand side and a deep, smoky side, a combination I absolutely love. The cocoa is dark and holds its own, and the dark musk and smoke are the perfect supporting notes. A very "me" scent

I was a little afraid of the fact that this is supposed to be goat's milk, and anything with goat's milk in it is kind of rancid to my tongue (and nose), but this isn't rancid in the slightest; it's thick, rich and creamy spiced eggnog that's just slightly spiked. Definitely more creamy than spicy. I didn't particularly detect coffee liquer as the booze but I was trying on so many of my new hauls at once that may be why.

YUM. I'm definitely getting the flaky buttery pastry, sweet almond and sticky apricot jam with just a hint of cherries. Very nomable

This is grape jelly's grown-up cousin, more of a "red" than a "purple" scent, probably from red grape and redcurrent, and while it isn't boozy in the least, there's still a type of fermented-fruit undertone that gives it that more "adult" feel. It's very sweet, winter-fruity and festive.

This one was probably the one I was most nervous about out of the Cthul-Yules, but it's not metallic on me at all, just clean and warm and comforting, like warm woods mixed with fabric softener (I love detergent/fabric softener smells). Then again, scents that are supposed to be "metallic" never come out metallic on me anyway, which is why I took the risk, and I'm glad I did.

This isn't discordant at all on me; it's actually very Christmasy! It's a mixture of spiced citrus and warm resins with a soft, barely detectable floral background. I also get the sense of something like a Christmas tree in the background, probably from the eucalyptus though it isn't an evergreen but still shares some of those properties. The resins really shine in this one, and I was very pleasantly surprised

Okay, everyone laugh at me know, but this blends with my chemistry (which sweetens up most scents) to produce the perfect grown-up version of Froot Loops, and a little creamier on the drydown from the yummy caramel. I LOVE Froot Loops but try to keep excess sugar out of the house, so it's a great substitute!

Lemon candy! This comes out like a true lemon lollipop on me at first; no sharp nasty lemongrass like some unpleasant candle experiences I've had. As it dries down further, it softens somewhat and there is a soft, "clean" background that reminds me of fabric softener or laundry detergent--and this in my eyes is a good thing because I love that smell. So it's lemon lollipops and snuggly fabric softener in the end. When I bike laps around the neighborhood I always go faster if I smell one of the neighbors doing the wash just to pass by their house again asap! *Keep in mind, I have skin that sweetens most scents, so if yours doesn't and you're wary of lemongrass, you may want to try a decant first.

This one turned out to be really surprising! It starts out very sharp to the point that I thought it wasn't going to work, but like Oborot, it needs to be allowed the chance for a full drydown for its beauty to come out. After it's completely dry it's like a lovely sweet and slightly dry summer field mixed with that crackling dry leaf scent that I love so much. It's actually an unexpectedly "clean" end-of-summer scent that has a certain warm allure, and I'm so glad I have a bottle.

This is a deliciously sordid blend of all three things in the name with the "cheap sex" being what I believe to be skin musk. You have to really wait for it to dry down to get that note, because at first it's predominantly champagne, then the chocolate comes in, and finally the musk. My skin does well with chocolate blends, which explains why this works on me. Again, very effervescent like Champagne & Roses but darker, smuttier and more indulgent. Overall, makes me think of being sprawled on the sofa in sleazy lingerie over the lap of a gorgeous hunk of manflesh, watching a Married With Children marathon with a bottle of Asti (this cheap champagne that I happen to love because it's so sweet) in one hand and a box of Godiva truffles in the other.

This smells exactly like rosé champagne, and I mean exactly. You can literally feel the effervescence! It's more dominantly champagne than rose, but still some rose in the background for the "pinkness". Not powdery or boozy at all. Perfect for a party!

Nice, this doesn't come out very powdery=floral like I expected at all, but rather smoky, woody and slightly spicy with a rosy undertone. Very interesting and very Victorain.

Interesting, this smells like lemon and orange candies on my skin. Not sure if it's really a "me" scent though.

To me this really evokes the sinister nature of a hurricane rather than all the water and washed-up earth, grass etc. I get light aquatics with a deep, smoky vetiver that definitely brings visions of dark clouds to mind. Gorgeous

Argh, on me this is very, very menthol, which unfortunately would keep me more awake than asleep.

Ooo, this is like sweet and sexy licorice; the cherry bossom sweetens up the anise and the sandalwood gives it a come-hither feel. Makes me think of Memoirs of a Geisha.

I have no idea why, but even though there's plum listed in the notes here, on me Kitsune-Tsuki comes out like...melon and banana?! It's probably an effect of the florals. Too bad, because plum is normally one of my favorite notes.

My skin doesn't agree with this at all, unfortunately On me it comes out like very strong lemon verbena with something menthol and a slight cat pee undertone. The cat pee fades and the rose comes out more on the drydown, but it still hits me as very lemon verbena for some reason. I

I know a lot of people out there are terrified of Snake Oil, and some plain disgusted by it, but I love this stuff. On me it's like exotic musks, almond and vanilla, sensual and delicious. It doesn't come out very patchouli or head shop on me at all, but I do have the type of skin that amps sweet stuff so I'm definitely amping the sweeter elements. But I love it in Cake Smash and I love it alone too. Hey, if you don't want it, just send it here!

This is all warm woods when it's wet, but my skin turns it very overpoweringly powdery--like really strong baby powder . I appreciate the concept, but hopefully this will go to someone whose skin appreciates it as well.

True to its name, Sleepy Moon is a claaming scent that's comforting to me because it reminds me of a certain soap we used to have in the bath when I was really young. This is by no means a soap insult! Whatever soap that was, and I can't remember fo rmy life, it was lovely and smelling this tkes me back to a smipler time when all I had to worry about was twhether I had enough bubbles to build a bubble castle in the tub. It's also special because it reminds me of my dad, who passed away 20 years ago but was still alive when that soap was still in the bathroom. A lovely scent

This is rich, red, plummy and beautiful, with the warmth of the golden amber and crystalline white musk only adding to its depth; reminds me of a grown-up grape candy, in a very good way.

Though it's incensey out of the bottle, you really need to wait for Black Lace to dry down to get its full beauty. It's after it dries that the incense gives way to a gorgeous smoky vanilla, which must be the vanilla cream mixing with the tobacco, the come-hither warmth of musk and just a *hint* of booze that isn't overpowering at all. This is just lovely, dark and complex and has a simultaneous depth and ethereal quality to it, like actual black lace. Gorgeous!