Invidiana

Smelling this put in me on a backyard of sun-singed grass with lawn chairs askew and an abandoned pool with gold and orange leaves just starting to collect on the surface. It's the dry aftermath of summer absorbing the last amber rays of sunlight before they disappear below the horizon. A gorgeous and poignant blend.

This is such a lovely, complex blend that I couldn't stop snifffing because I got something new out of it every time. For those afraid of rose, fear not because this is really the faint scent of roses wafting on a cool autumn breeze, not in-you-face old-lady rose. The blue and white musks and vanilla bean come to the forefront in what is a sweet and sensual mingling of notes reminiscent of the romantic vision of a full harvest moon bobbing in the night sky and bathing the newly barren fields in its incandescence. A true symphony of scent!

AmandaKay is right--The Girl really is a way more sinister version of Bath&Body Works' Warm Vanilla Sugar, and am I ever drawn to sinister scents like flies to Log Cabin syrup. The vanilla sugar is evident on top, but there is something deeper and darker lying beneath, like the sweetness is really only a veil shrouding fathomless shadows. Deceptively delicious!

This is the candy apple I never had as a kid. I thought those were a treat way back then, but obviously I hadn't stumbled upon this concoction. I basically caved because I'm a butterscotch whore, and with the first smear of this I had to exercise extreme restraint not to lick my wrist because it smelled like those butterscotch candies every *good* doctor's-office receptionist keeps stocked at the window. Now if Beth could bottle Werther's Originals, I'd be stockpiling...

Of course, the Poe reference Beth used in the description had me snared from the beginning. And once I had the bottle in my trembling hands yesterday, I was hoping it would be every bit the description. It was that and much more. I can't even begin to describe Raven Moon, it's dark, voluptuous, shadowy, enigmatic, diabolical...basically everything I'd dream of in a scent contained in this one bottle. It's deep purple velvet. It's unadulterated darkness and vampire sex. This is not just perfume; this is Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven liquefied. And it can only get even more darkly complex as it ages...

This is all spice, smoke and shadows, three things I absolutely love. It's an autumn night heavy with the aroma of apple and pumpkin pies baking and smoke rising from chimneys and bonfires, with the splash of booze and haze of musk making it even more interesting. My skin tends to amp clove and cinnamon (which I definitely don't mind! ) so this might have come out spicier with my body chemistry than others'. Definitely a winner for me!

First of all, I'm a candy corn fanatic, so I was biased towards this one before it ever even arrived in my mailbox. And once it did, I couldn't get my nose out of it! It smells exactly like candy corn and just makes me crave the evil sugary stuff even more (does it help that there's a ginormous jar of it in the kitchen?) No fancy metaphors here, just one very concise overall verdict:

This an eerily gorgeous wood fragrance. The first time I put it on I was so intrigued my nose was basically glued to my wrist. I don't know how Beth does it but it seems that every fragrance she concocts truly evokes its name. Then again, I might just be one of those freaks of nature whose body chemistry goes with just about everything But seriously, smelling this really put me on the front lawn of a ramshackle house at the witching hour on Halloween, right next to a knobbly oak tree overgrown with lichens and vines. Bewitching! It also lasts for hours and has a great throw.

If anyone here has ever tried PumKing Spiced Pumpkin Ale and loved it as much as I did, this one's for you. It's a dead ringer. The smooth, buttery pumpkin is balanced with a warm golden undertone that isn't boozy at all. I need to get another bottle of PumKing before I drink from this one by accident!

This smells like a wonderfully spicy maple-pumpkin pie and lasts forever! As time passes I can pick out the cranberry and strawberry and a hint of musk if I concentrate hard enough, but I'd rather just let my senses absorb all the deliciousness without overanalyzing.

Out of the bottle, Harvest Moon is a hayfield, but once it touches my skin something magical happens. The hay lifts and leaves an enchanting blend of apples and spices that reminds me of apple-picking at an orchard in upstate New York and stopping by the farmstand for cider and cinnamon donuts afterward. Beautiful and thoroughly evocative of autumn.

Samhainophobia is indeed black and menacing. There is something ancient about that is perversely irresistable, tempered by a sweet undercurrent from the patchouli (note: I amp anything remotely sweet so this might just be my body chemistry). It's the turn-of-the century stone house down the street that had a bullethole in the window and a faceless mannquin staring out. It's the one Halloween we passed a convicted rapist's house, heard a rustling in the leaves and bolted like crazy. It's the creepy old man's door I always dreaded knocking on when going trick-or-treating. The sinister scent of Samhainophobia evokes a centuries-old basement haunted by vestiges of mysterious and evil things.

Midnight smells exactly like what you'd expect the hour of midnight to smell like. I'm usually wary of florals but took a chance on this one. This isn't your average commerical makeup-counter floral. This is a dark floral, a very darkly beautiful floral. It's teeming with elusive things that don't bloom until the moon is high. There is also a sweet, almost creamy undertone that wonderfully balances the flowers and could throw you into a swoon if you're not wary. Midnight is the essence of being seduced by a vampire in the flower garden of an ancient manse in New Orleans.