Invidiana

I sprang for a bottle of this without even thinking, and I was right. It's thick, rich, creamy, marshmallowy hot chocolate perfection. Made me think of a steaming mug of cocoa with all that melted marshmallow goodness (you know when you leave them there and they just melt into this wonderful white goo) on top. The chocolate note is like the darker side of milk chocolate, not that artificially sweet stuff you might find in the clearance section of CVS but like like a "dark milk chocolate", the kind with about 50% cacao. Anyway, I'm rambling--LOVE.

Deep, dark and resinous. This is a cousin of the original Frankincense SN, but a bit sweeter, which I personally prefer. I wouldn't call it church incense at all, even though a lot of people have that perception of frankincense. It has woody and smoky undertones, but the smoky aspect is more like woodsmoke than church incense smoke. A little sharp in the wet stage (attributing that to the fact that it's fresh and age will change things), it mellows out to a smoky-sweet resin, shadowy and mysterious, the scented equivalent of an antique veil. I can't wait to see how this ages, it's going to be amazing.

I just placed a massive order this morning, I mean really worthy of this ---> even though my wallet was ready. But what I can say about past Weenies that I either own or have tried: All Souls (own): foody and incensey; the incense puts a unique (and I find, highly addictive) spin on the cake and currant notes; if you like Feeding the Dead you will like this one too. Day of the Skulls (tried): alas a little too much rose for me though I do tend to amp it; it is a sweeter rose scent, so for those of you who like your rose on the sweet side but not necessarily foody this is one to try. Dia de los Muertos (own): another one in the vein of All Souls though a completely different scent; it has that foody-incensey thing going on along with an extra bit of smokiness and a touch of that dry leaves note I can never get enough of. Flor de Muerto (tried): pleasant, though not the type of floral that hits the "must have zomgritenao" trigger for me (I'm into the headier and/or darker florals mostly), but it is a light and sunny scent like marigolds and mums on a sunny fall day and very much captures that yellow and orange feeling in the description. Ghosts in Love (tried): if you are a rose lover then you'll be head over heels for this; plenty of true-to-life rose with the carnation not far behind; too rosy for me personally but I can see how rose aficionados would love it. The Hell-Gate of Ireland (own): clove doesn't always love me, but I like this one because it's a smoky, smoldering clove that doesn't come out like a spice rack on my skin; it's a no-brainer if you're a huge clove fan, but if you're wary of clove but love the smoky stuff at least give this one a try. John Barleycorn (own): an unusual but really cool scent, and I promise you won't smell like a sweaty crowded bar; the blood note must have dragonsblood resin in there somewhere because it balances out the wheaty and malty beer note and the toasty barley quite nicely with just a hint of sweetness. Le Revenant (own): haunting, ethereal white florals (I should mention I'm a gardenia fan); besides heady and dark floral notes I have a thing for the ghostly ones too, and this is true to its theme, a pale white shroud; wagering Phasmophobia is going to be a cousin. Mictecacihuatl (tried): in a similar vein with Day of the Skulls, except this one is more smoky and resinous; still too much rose for me personally Samhain: (own multiple years) HOARD THIS SHIZNIT no seriously Samhain is wonderful, you've got the sweet pumpkin and apple swirled with the smoky wood and dry leaves into autumn perfection, and the more it ages, the better it gets; if you're a lover of quintessentially autumn scents like I am get thee at least a bottle! Samhainophobia: (tried) I think it was the geranium that ended up being the dealbreaker here, I amp the stuff and it made the scent on a whole a little too bitter, but the other notes are wonderfully dark and smoky and I would love to see it as an atmo--hoping Achluophobia will behave as I hoped this would on my skin Also, I haven't tried Ooky yet (though I did jump for a bottle) but what I can say is that if it's anything like that honey-almond pumpkin, I think it was Pumpkin I, from 09 then serious win.

This reminds me of orange spice tea, very well-rounded with the citrus and tea notes balancing each other without the tea going bitter. The spices stay tempered, and this is coming from someone who amps spices. They just warm it up and finish it off, giving it that extra something ideal for a cool autumn night. It's pleasant,and while personally it wasn't for me but I can see why it appeals to so many people.

The one that immediately came to mind when I read your post was Halloween: Los Angeles. It's from a few years back but it really captures that dry-leaves-in-a-bonfire smell: a strange incense of burning brush, junegrass, tumbleweeds, chaparral, and wild sage. Shouldn't be that hard to track down at least a decant of it. Also, I'm surprised no one mentioned October! Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. It tends to reappear every year or every other year, depending. As a fall-scent junkie it's one of my personal favorites. Other past LEs you may want to check out (all find-able): Autumn and Winter: bitter currant and dry leaves, winter wind at dusk. The Death of Autumn: dark amber, dead leaves, khus, saffron, bitter clove, chrysanthemum, camellia, galangal, and a drop of oud Meditation in Autumn: dusty, bleak, and withered: old wood, burnt brown sandalwood, and twisted vines Samhainophobia: Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves. (this one is really dark and smoky, not for the faint of heart) And! Yes Virginia there is something in the GC too! In the Paranorman scents: Blithe Hollow: dead leaves and cold, moist breezes set at the edge of a forest of maple, pine, cedar, and cypress.

This was another one where the notes looked iffy on paper, but on my skin it’s wonderful! It reads almost as a sophisticated blackberry soda to my nose, sweet with the berries, grape and plum sugar but not too sugary, effervescent and with a wonderful undercurrent of jasmine (the non-cat-pee kind) that makes it unique. Sometimes elemi and honeysuckle can break a scent for me but I barely even smell them here. Wherever the honeysuckle is it’s probably blending very well with the jasmine. Plus it has real staying power—I didn’t need to reapply all day.

I think I would love this as an atmo. It's a very unique, very evocative scent that brings saltwater-soaked wood (with the tiniest hint of Snake Oil) to life. I'm surprised that this is one of the few blends with lemon verbena that didn't come out as the Tentacled Verbena of Doom on me. Even though I do amp the Snake Oil a bit more as it dries down, it's a little on the masculine side on my skin, as cedar tends to do, but I'm keeping my decant just for the scent experience.

Another surprise win for me! I tend to be leery of grass notes because sometimes they come out as ridiculously strong grass clippings on me, but not in this case. This is like the scent of fresh grass (not the lawnmower clippings kind), clover and sheer florals wafting in on a cool breeze. I don’t really get much incense, I think it blends in with the hint of sweetness from the floral notes. It’s perfectly and makes me feel like I’m perpetually outside in the middle of a wide-open field, even if it’s actually raining out.

I remember when I initially read the note list for this one, I got very nervous, which was why I had to try a decant first. And then I got completely blown away. Cardamom and bergamot can be iffy on me, but they barely show up! Instead I get all the lovely champaca and magnolia taking center stage, with a ray of brightness from the lemon peel, and backed by a sheer but sensual sandalwood. I love heady white florals so needless to say, a scent that makes me think of these flowers soaked in afternoon sunlight is heavenly . Needless to say I now have a bottle.

Holy. THIS SMELLS LIKE THE REAL THING. Dead ringer for the real thing. It's exactly, and I mean exactly, like peeling a fresh tangerine and biting into that first piece with the smells of the juice and the peel harmonizing. This is a really refreshing and energizing scent that's like wearing an instant burst of sunshine.

I didn't review this? Shame on me then, because it's gorgeous. Evening Stock is a cool floral with a certain airy quality that feels very clean and fresh without being Clorox. It's a little bit green in the beginning, but that fades in the drydown to let the flower itself really shine, with a slightly sweet undertone. There is a bit of a "dusty" undertone to it too, but not in a bone-dry, thirst-inducing way but rather in the way of a vintage dress that hasn't seen the light in years. Something about this also smells nostalgic to me, but I can't quite put my finger on what.

Also, if you haven't already, you must get the Honey hair gloss. Now. Without hesitation. It's like dousing your whole head in honey (without the sticky gloop real honey would leave) and the scent lasts forever. It's not an overly sugary honey, not an overly floral one, but golden just right. Seriously. I put it on in the morning, it's still going strong at the end of the day. Not to mention it smooths dry ends like nothing else. It's my go-to hair miracle product.

I held off on reviewing this one for so long because I wanted to do it properly. First of all, I am honored to have been able to help the Lab in contributing to Jewel's fight against cancer by winning this auction, though I do not know her personally. She remains in my prayers. Now for the scent: Before I go any further, here is the description for the released Black Lace as a basis for comparison: a delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. Beth mentioned briefly that this prototype of Black Lace had more pronounced vanilla and incense notes, and that it definitely does. This is not a “delicate” scent as the released is but markedly more heady. I would probably call it Black Brocade in place of Black Lace, because to me it seems to be the scented version of a sumptuous brocade woven with an intricate scroll or damask pattern. I cannot really detect the cotton or linen notes which are evident on the drydown of the released. The vanilla is a major player from the start, not so much a vanilla cream note like that in Detestable Putrescence or Boo but more of a thick Bourbon vanilla like that in Celeste (though this blend smells absolutely nothing like Celeste). I do detect hints of spun sugar, though it is more of a subtle flourish of spun sugar than the prominent spun sugar note of Boo. There is also something of a booziness to the vanilla slightly reminiscent of XCDL13, which I’m contributing to the cognac note. It isn’t a blend to knock you over with booze, but the cognac is able to hold its own. The sweet tobacco and incense smoke are in about equal proportion to the vanilla, maybe a tad stronger overall on the drydown. I pick up a tobacco note very similar to that in Havana, backed by thick, sweet resins that must include one or more varieties of dark amber. I should note, as I probably have half a million times in my other reviews, that my skin tends to amp the sweetness in resins, and all notes that have any for that matter. In the final drydown a warm, sensuous musk emerges, which I’m taking to be the Indian musk. This blend also has tremendous staying power on me; again I should note that besides amping the sweetness in resins and vanilla my skin also clings to them tenaciously. When I wore it one night it was the first thing my nose picked up the next morning. This truly is a gorgeous blend that melds with my skin as if it were made for me. Maybe in the future the Lace series could branch out to a cousin in this vein called Black Brocade. It makes me think of a séance or phantasmagoria (like that one particular postcard that’s gone out in packages—anyone who’s gotten it, you know what I’m talking about!) in a smoky Victorian drawing room, a bottle of fine cognac on the table, tendrils of incense smoke entwining with tobacco from the men’s pipes and the women’s perfumes of vanilla and exotic musks. Of course, at least one of the women would be wearing a gown of richly textured black brocade glowing softly in the candlelight. No matter how many times I wear it, Black Lace v1 will always remind me of the special connection I had in giving someone the gift of hope, of the distinctly human empathy that binds us all, even if we have never met before.

Smells like acid-free, 100% cotton 2-ply BRISTOL paper with a touch of F lead. I cannot believe how much this stuff smells like fresh paper. When I was a kid and I spent snow days at mom's office I used to huff the fresh printer paper when they first unwrapped it, and that's exactly what it smells like. Fresh with an atypical clean feeling that isn't soapy, aquatic or ozonic but hard to define exactly. There is a bit of something sharp in the beginning that quickly fades on the drydown--I think this is the lead note. All in all this is oddly comforting and nostalgic for me because of the association it has, and since I'm an artist/writer and around paper all the time, it continues to have meaning. Amazing wear too. You wouldn't think that for the type of scent it is but it lasted the entire day on me.

MOUNT MISERY AND SWEET HOLLOW ROADS Both Mount Misery and Sweet Hollow Roads are believed to be intensely haunted, and are pathways of misfortune and sorrow whose history of horrors descends deep into pre-Colonial American folklore. Black spruce boughs, packed dirt, gravel, brush, fallen chestnuts, wild tuberose, galbanum, and dead leaves. For anyone who liked Harimise or Cristina, this will not disappoint. I love the chestnut notes in those (sadly the rose geranium in Harimise made it impossible for me to wear) and this is like a smokier version. It reminds me of Cristina the most, but darker and more ominous. Thankfully I don't get OMGSPRUCE men's cologne or screaming Christmas tree out of it at all, just the spruce resin which behaves in the background. The dry leaves give it a smoky autumnal touch, and the tuberose emerges a little later and adds a sweet sensual side to it as well. Thankfully the dirt, gravel and brush keep their distance in the background with the spruce, adding to the shadowy feel but not overwhelming the blend as a whole. A surprise winner.

Aaaaaahhh......trying to choose between these two is like pulling teeth. I guess it depends on my mood and the time of day. I'm more likely to wear Snake Charmer out at night (or on a date lol) because of the red musk, but Black Lace has a mysterious vibe going on too though it is more work-appropriate. Then again no matter what time it is, if I'm craving one over the other no one's going to stop me.

When I tried this at NYCC I was like yep, I was totally right to order 2 bottles off the bat because it's delicious. Makes me think of creamy cheesecake with utterly gooey, lightly spiced apple topping, and there's also something in here, much like a caramelized and/or brown sugar note, that makes me think of streusel crumbles on top. I agree with the previous reviews likening this to Lambs-Wool meets cheesecake because it really is.

The Appalling Abbatoir. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not disgusted by it--in my opinion it's a fascinating scent because it smells exactly like what it's supposed to--blood and metal. The tang of the blood is there and everything! I have no idea how Beth did it but it's extremely true to life.

Hmmm....Black Pearl layered with a bit of....Bliss? Velvet? Might yield something in that neighborhood. Of course you are sorely tempting me to buy that tea now. ETA: Goblin might be a good one to try experimenting with too.

LE/DISC/RARE Whatever I can get (have tried or own some and know I love them) Egyptian Amber SN** Lughnasadh*** The Candy Butcher Proto The Confectionary proto Unseelie** Sniffies only Dark Chocolate Pumpkin King*** Nocturnus Venom SNs I haven't tried yet (have tried or own: Ambergris, Egyptian Amber, Florentine Iris, Frankincence, Sweet Pea, White Musk) TRADING POST Jonathan's Coffee House Atmo The Witch's Candy and Gingerbread Cottage Atmo*** Sojourn Down the Midway Atmo** GC (imps or bottles, I'll take it all!) Aeval Akuma Alice Anne Bonny Belle Epoque Black Annis Blood Blood Countess Bon Vivant Dana O'Shee Deadly Nightshade Honey Depraved Dirty Dragon's Milk Drink Me Eclipse Eden Evil Glasgow Goblin Gomorrah Grand Guignol Grog Half-Elf Halfling Hecate Hellcat Hell's Belle Hollywood Babylon How Doth the Little Crocodile Intrigue Jailbait Kabuki Kill-Devil La Petite Mort Lawful Neutral Paladin Pele Persephone Port-Au-Prince Queen Alice Redoul Honey Sed Non Satiata Skuld Sudha Segara The Bow & Crown of Conquest The Red Queen The Witch's Repast Uruk Whip Unimpables (prefer bottles but will take imps too) Arachne of Lydia Bette Noir Captain Cully Dawn: Maiden Dawn: Mother Grendel: Avenger Grendel: Mastermind Hunter Kaidan Lady Amalthea Molly Grue Mommy Fortuna Night's Bridge The Butterfly The East The Lilac Wood The Magdalena The Midnight Carnival The Ninth Cage Victoria Witchblade

BLUE MOON 2009: ELIZABETH'S CREATION The spirit of the full moon is capricious, intense and passionate, yet still distant, aloof and cold. Luna herself governs glamours, bewitchments and dream-work, innocent wonder, transient pleasure and delight, the Moment, impulse, mystery and veils. The Blue Moon is one of her rarest manifestations, and this scent is formulated to encapsulate her most complex and profound nature: Mugwort, for psychic sensitivity... Calea Zacatechichi, for divination through dreams... Orchid and frankincense, for complexity, wisdom and noscere... ... with a potent lunar-charged, oneirongenic blend of blue musk, exquisite woods, moonflower, Madagascan ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Greek cypress, green tea absolute, palmarosa, cucumber, Clary sage, lavender, lemon balm, and passion fruit. This year, we have two interpretations of Blue Moon: one created by Brian Constantine, the other by Elizabeth Barrial. This is Elizabeth's moon. First time I'm the first. I love blue musk, and this is a soft yet mysterious blue musk blend that doesn't disappoint! Not masculine at all. The musk just wraps it in a gauzy haze and the woods (I'm guessing some kind of sandalwood has to be in there) warm it up. Delicate moonflower weaves in and out with the other florals. I get a hint of the cypress, very appropriately wintry since it's an evergreen. I was a little afraid of the lavender and lemon balm togther but they are extremely subtle. I'm not getting any cucumber at all *sigh of relief* but I don't tend to amp it anyhow. The passion fruit comes out just a little at the end for a pleasant sweet surprise. Complex and enigmatic; beautifully done, Beth!

I can't really identify the individual flowers in this, but I can say that it is downright gorgeous and also very calming. There is a slight dewiness and a slight greenness backing all the fresh and lovely florals, and there is something of a floral-honey feel to the scent as a whole. Even with the windows closed, with this sprayed in my room it feels as if fragrant breezes are wafting in.

This is like a bit of a darker, smokier version of The Lights of Men's Lives captured in a spray. It really does bring to mind a room filled with beeswax candles that have just been blown out, leaving behind smoky shadows with a honeyed undertone from the wax. I think spraying this on my shirt and wearing Lights of Men's Lives on my skin should be fantastic.

I adore this. Tiare is only my favorite floral on earth, and mix that with lots of creamy vanilla and a hint of coconut, and I'm in paradise. It's not a sunscreen smell to me at all, more like a vanillaed monoi scent. Whenever I wear this to work people pass me just to inhale it. Amazing. Did I mention it literally lasts from one wash to the other?

Dream, I wanted to love you, but you cloyed the hell out of me. First it was almost all really strong lavender, then really intense powdery rose and lavender, and even when those finally settled down somewhat after half an hour they still didn't allow the other notes to come through enough and turn this to the calming scent I was hoping for. It just remains a piercingly powdery rose-lavender soap. Kind of ironic how Nightmare is the only one in this collection that actually calms me.