AmyO'Shields

How about the See Saw? I keep thinking it sounds great except the rum but there are still no reviews!

This just happened to me with an imp of Snake Oil. It is very rare...

I'm going to sound like a broken record but the Lupers this year are so expertly and perfectly blended and the Instructional Manual is no different.

The first things I smell are strawberry and red musk. All 4 components of this perfume are equal though...I can smell all of them but no one stands out to me.

I think lovers of Hollywood Babylon, Mania and Smut will be really happy with this one...I know I am.

It verges on being a tad foody but never gets there. I feel like this is the same strawberry from Strawberry Sufganiyot.

A very beautiful blend, and the cherry blossom doesn't fight with the strawberry. If you think you might love this, you're probably right.

Eta: The cherry blossoms seem to come forward more in the dry down...this one morphs! :-)

Well hello orris root and sugared violet! Woohoo! The white sandalwood is incense-like (to me) next to the violet (sweet) and orris root (creamy)...there is a bit of bitter green from the violet leaf and it all combines to smell exactly as I had hoped from reading the notes and dreaming about a violet/iris perfume that I can actually wear! Just, yes.

Definitely aquatic but the bitterness that usually happens on my skin with most aquatics (except There's Water Here) is not happening here! This is a beautiful springtime perfume. If you kept trying to like Wild Swans at Coole (like me) but it never quite sat well (muguet possibly?) give this a try...it is riveting.

Also...this was reminding me of a (sorry!) favorite drugstore cologne that I wore in the early 90's...
thanks to TTP for helping me remember - Naturistics Botanical - the stuff in the pretty green bottle...this is quite similar, in all the right ways, and I am so excited! This is deeper and more exquisite, but they are similar to me :-) trying to be as helpful as possible - first review!

Gorgeous. The pink pepper is a tiny bit sharp at the moment but that's not a bad thing! I love pink pepper paired up with saffron - cannot go wrong! My sister says the neroli is the strongest note but I could barely pick it out until the drydown - not to say I can always smell accurately, lol! I can see how this could have a hateful vibe, but to me? Nothing but love - and it will age like a dream, if I let it last that long.

 

ETA: the neroli is much more prominent now, and after a bit of drying down this is really nice.

Um, yes. This is perfect. Leaves, Vanilla, White Musk. Perfect.

Still no reviews? Ok, my mediocre one will have to do.

This is beautiful. I love all of the notes here so I had to buy a bottle. Very well blended - the tobacco flower is wonderful here with the neroli! The white tea gives it a refreshing, almost delicate feel and the leather is not the star...just a nice bottom layer to meld with the white musk and ground this higher pitched blend. This reads as more of a Spring/Summer perfume to me, but for some reason I find myself planning to wear it for our first day of snow, whenever that may be. I really, really like this now and I'm looking forward to seeing how it ages. Another masterful blend!

 

ETA: this is becoming stronger even with such a short amount of aging! Very refreshing and comforting at the same time.

This is spectacular. This is a new "wrapping myself up in a cozy sweater while enjoying a crisp Autumn breeze at Dusk" perfume for me...I love it. I get the same vibe from Autumn Overlooked my Knitting from last year. Wow - I bet the Vanilla will become more prominent with age, and the Myrrh is just soft and dreamy. These Dead Leaves perfumes are a dream come true for me.

Yes...I was hoping this would have a touch of vetiver - nope. Wowza it is strong. I couldn't get past the overwhelming vetiver (it actually made my stomach churn a bit!) but I bet it is stunning on the right person...all of those notes of win!

This is one of the nicest perfumes I have ever smelled. It is just NICE. The almond is prominent but not overwhelming and works perfectly with the tonka/suede softness. I love this so much and am so glad I bought a bottle.

Holy moly. This reminds me most of the Hell of Great Heat meets the Evening on the Veranda atmo spray from Trading Post. I would assume if you enjoyed either one of those (as I do) you would love this.
The leather isn't harsh or chemical-y and I smell it first with a touch of cypress and cinnamon. Then...there is a spicy incense explosion! Cardamom, yes. Cinnamon, yes. Incense, yes. Wow. This one is going to age like a dream, but it is already perfect. LOVE THIS.

Fantastic. The leaves are the ones from October - musky and dry yet colorful? Hard for me to put into words but definitely not green. The Red Musk sparkles like the one used in Bloodbath. So beautiful! Neroli gives this blend just a touch of a bitter (in the best possible way) and sweet floral lift. The drydown is similar to wearing October over Bloodbath minus the patchouli and rose...spectacular and I might just have to get another bottle.

This IS beautiful! I think the above review is spot on - gorgeous sweetness added to the patchouli and dragon's blood and the oak is present. VERY very nice.

 

ETA - this is aging beautifully! More depth to the dragon's blood, less astringent oak. very nice!

This is so beautiful. Vetiver haters have no fear - the vetiver seems to serve as the stems to the carnation, which is amazing! Very artistic. Creamy/stemmy/carnation with just a hint of lavender...

This smells/acts nothing like TKO, imho.

I hate to follow Lycanthrope's amazing review but i just wanted to mention how much i love this and how much it reminds me of the TP Atmo Evening on the Veranda...must be the red sandalwood? Very nice!

 

ETA I just couldn't handle the red pepper :-(

The sandalwood and benzoin are doing something to my skin that make this create a scent that is nauseating to my stomach. It works on my skin...but not in my head...and nose. Not a fan. Sadly...

This is pretty much my review too. I love sandalwood and had high hopes this would be the one to finally smell like sandalwood but its just a musty jumble of dust and benzoin.

Single note Dragon's Blood. Not the BPAL Dragon's Blood that smells flowery/fruity...the normal one that most other companies use. After drying there is something else but i can't tell if it is an odd leather...

This is almost wonderful except for the drydown weirdness.

At first, this smelled like baby powder and it made me sad (like the commercial: "Fiber makes me sad", lol!).

It must have been the amber sorting itself after arguing with the honeysuckle (and winning, since i cannot smell any honeysuckle) and after about 15 minutes it doesn't smell like baby powder at all and i cannot believe it started out that way.

This shimmers. I think i smell mostly amber, probably the crushed diamond accord and a touch of patchouli.

Dry, the gardenia is present (in a beautifully understated way!) with the amber. Still shimmering. Definitely unique and quite beautiful.

Oh my goodness.

Dark, sweet amber (i agree with strahlend) with NUTMEG! Yes, this is so wonderful! The tobacco isn't stomping all over everything and smells amazing...seems to intertwine with the benzoin and just wow.

 

ETA: i wanted to note that scents with tobacco in them sometimes make me ill. I was a nasty smoker for 16 years and have not smoked in over 2, and i notice that when i smoked, tobacco smelled like burning rubber on me, whereas now it just smells like nice chewy tobacco...unless it stomps all over everything. The tobacco here is beautiful, on me, and very chill - happy to blend in. :-)

Black tea leaf = Licorice/anise.
I sniffed the decant and knew it would go wrong because it always does. Interesting that black tea doesn't smell a bit like any black tea i've ever smelled. :-/
I had to atleast sniff it though, since the other notes sounded like a nice combo.

I have been looking forward to testing this and it arrived today!
Disclaimer: i don't like vetiver. I *almost* didn't get a decant because of it but i love plum so very much that i crossed my fingers that it would behave.
If there's a way that vetiver could improve a blend, i would say it does here. I can smell it, but the way it supports the plum is exquisite...just lends a smooth bitter/reedy quality to the blend. It smells like the plum musk is infused with vetiver, if that makes sense.
After 10 minutes, the tuberose comes through and the vetiver remains and the plum takes a backseat to the tuberose.
Dry? Well, to be honest, i am still sniffing my hand in disbelief that i love it so much and it has vetiver and i can smell it and it isn't killing the blend!
This is stunning, almost breathtaking but comfortable...and i need a bottle.

The drydown of this reminds me so much of the Evening on the Veranda atmo spray...they don't really smell that similar, but the vibe is the same to me...i love this!!!

In the bottle this smells almost exactly like the GC Blood Rose...there is more wine here. I will update this review as soon as i can skin test. It smells beautiful so far!

ETA: i slathered this all over and, while i love it, my guy hates it. I guess there is no middle ground here! Deliciously wicked roses and wine. Love it.

Oh dear god. Sorry to follow my own review of the previous release but this year's is better, if that is possible. Magnificent chocolate brownie...the dense flourless sort with a touch of something suede like which must be the oud? It doesn't smell like suede, it smells how the texture of suede feels. I am so glad to have this...will be layering Chocolate Stout Cupcake over this baby on Thursday!!! Woohoo, chocolate heaven!

Short review of first impressions:
in bottle: orange blossom and cedar
on skin: cedar. Maybe a hint of sandalwood and frankincense
Dry on skin: cedar, lily, sandalwood and frankincense, orange blossom in that order from strongest to lightest.

I love cedar but i think this blend would have been perfect without it...seems to be out of place and needily screaming for attention. :-/ i am hoping it will age out a bit...will do a full after shower moisturizer test tomorrow. :-)

ETA: this is beautiful as a moisturizer and about as spring-like as it gets! The cedar is a bit more subdued now...its all about the lily, sandalwood and orange blossom. I layered Black Lily over this two days ago and it was beautiful. Honestly i am surprised there isn't more love!