kakiphony

In the imp: Pumpkin is dominant and it's a deep, buttery almost toasted smelling pumpkin. It doesn't seem bright orange to me, but darker and almost rusty or burnt orange in tone with swirls or caramel-toned yellow. Wet on skin: This lightens and brightens immediately upon application my wrists. The pumpkin turns sweeter and brighter and the buttery is (thankfully) lost. It also begins to develop complexity immediately. My first whiff reveals spices and depth, with a hint of very sweet, very fresh tea rose at the very top of my palate. Early dry down (5-10 minutes in): This has more throw than I expected from a pumpkin blend, which usually sit fairly close to my skin. It must be from the floral components, because they are certainly what is most apparent without directly huffing my wrist. However, that's not a bad thing. They're not making me sneeze at all which is my usual complaint with florals. Instead, they are adding a very bright and sophisticated note to the pumpkin. The rose is definitely the top note being amped by my skin chemistry. It's a delicate, sweet, bright, juicy rose. Late dry down (45 min to an hour in): Rose, rose, rose. The waft from this is definitely all rose. I have to huff my wrists to sense the other notes. At wrist level this is lovely. There is a slightly dry, powdery, spicy glow from the sandalwood, the barest hint of warm pumpkin and a sweetness from the rose. Unfortunately, what is amping out from the wrist is ONLY the rose top note. I'll see how this wear throughout the day and report back in, but my initial impression is that is not discreet enough for work wear.

Hetairae is the bpal I refer to as my little black dress and pearls scent.

Finally testing this most awesome SW gift off my wishlist. I've been a 'fraidy cat about new things lately. In the imp: Hrm. This is unexpectedly aquatic to my nose. Sedge is a swamp grass, so I suppose some aquatic should have been expected if I'd thought about it, but everyone else has said this is so dry and dusty. Color me confused. Wet on skin: On initial application this still has a decidedly aquatic feel over the top of the sandalwood on me. It makes the oil quite perfumey with some real throw and gives it an astringent quality that reminds me of witchhazel. It's sharp, almost bitter, wet and cologne-like. Again, not what I expected at all. (I note that some folks have said they get florals and/or verbena. I think it's the same cologne-note I'm sniffing, but which my nose clearly thinks is aquatic.) Early dry down (5ish minutes): As this dries down the sandalwood starts to show up in the background as something a bit dry and powdery. However, the aquatic is still there lending this a distinctly cologne-like feel. I think the aquatic is what some others have identified as a "soap" smell. It definitely has that shower-fresh feel over the dry, brown ingredients. At this stage, I would not call this a dry scent at all -- I picture a sparrow in a bird bath! Late dry down (45+ minutes): This does dry out quite a bit as it wears. By about 45 minutes in has MUCH less throw (amost none) and sits very close to the wrist. It's powdery, with only the faintest hint of that aquatic cologne as a top note. I get no sweet grasses from this, it's all sandalwood and that top note of sedge/aquatic. Pretty, and I think this is masculine in an androgynous-man way. Not for me, but glad I got to try it!

In the imp: This is all dry patchouli and oud in the imp. It's much less flowery than I expected and smells quite masculine. I'm intrigued. I smell no hoeny or rose. Wet on skin: It's immediately much less dry when it hits my skin. The patchouli is syrupy, and made more so by the sweet top note of the rose. I'm not sneezing and I actually really like this sweet rose. It's lush and deep at the same time. It's less like a floral in a garden than it is like a bride's bouquet which has been drying for several years. Early dry down (10 minutes): I sat at the bus stop and huffed my wrists this smells so good. It started to develop a smoky, powdery incense aroma over the top of the patchouli, and the rose was just a very small player. It reminds me of cone incense I used to burn in college called Rose Cross at this stage. Very nice. Late dry down (about an hour): This has gotten more and more powdery as it has dried down, and also sweeter. The base is more amber than patchouli on me, lending it that dry powder feel. The incense is definitely still the predominate top note, but it's a sweet incense with just the slightest hint of floral and a drizzle of honey. I can't detect rose as a separate note, just as something sweet and slightly herbal/floral in the background. Verdict: My Switch Witch is evil. This is lovely, and I will probably never be able to get my hands on more. :sigh: But now I know that I can do rose as a supporting note, and that I even like it. The Masque has opened my eyes to a whole new set of scents. Thanks to my evil Switch Witch!

Sounds like Harlot and Whip should maybe be my first two. I'll start hunting for partial imps for cheap when I'm shopping for my witchee this weekend. Thanks for the input ladies!

This is a strange and very out of character request for help from an avowedly non-floral lover, but this week I've been toying with the idea of trying some rose scents. I've been using a small bottle of rosewater with glycerin as my toner and I actually like the smell and (so far) it's not making me sneeze. This makes me wonder if I shouldn't give bpal roses a try. I've avoided them thus far because most florals make me sneeze, and rose struck me as a bit of an old lady scent. But I'm re-evaluating that opinion. I'm especially intrigued by rose blends without other florals and that look like they might be grounded in nice woods/resins or spices: the new Snooty Rose, Autumn (the retail only slaon blend), Harlot (rose w/ cinnamon), Jezebel, Seraglio, Whip, Rakshasa, Baghdad, London (?)... My initial thought is that I should stick to somewhat simple scents (none of those complex 13 note blends with mutliple flowers, etc). The scents I tend to wear the most right now are Vixen, a cinnamon heavy snake oil Chaos theory, and Devilish by Arcana. I like woods, most patchouli, spices, vanilla, leather, and some smoke notes. To date, orange blossom has been the only floral I've really loved. Any suggestions for roses for a girl who tends to dislike most floral blends?

I'm having a new reaction. The insides of my wrists are covered in a lovely, itchy contact dermatitis rash. It appeared after using Tiki King (which I love and have used many times) last week. I need to clean my watch with alcohol because every time I get it started to clear up, I wear the watch and it comes back. So now I have eliminated the wrists and the pulse points on the neck as places I can wear scent. Luckily, the cleavage and backs of knees have avoided reactions thus far. I hate the fact that I seem to be getting more sensitive as I get older. Grr.

I would try O. It's not really nutty or honey, but it is the closest thing to a "skin" scent I've found.

LII This originally belonged to lunaliquid and made its public debut at the Colorado Meet n' Sniff yesterday (Sunday, May 3, 2009). The general consesus was "Whoa, Nelly! Holy cinnamon!" and "Gah! That's strong!" I tend to like spice, so the almost over-powering red-hot didn't put me off the same way it did other folks. I dabbled just a drop on my wrist and let it sit a while. It turned, soft, mellow, deep, spicy and gorgeous. I was huffing my wrists like a crack-head with a tin-foil pipe. Today, I tried it again and I still love it. Here is the full review: In the bottle: Cinnamon, which we all know can't be in a Chaos Theory so it must be a cinnamon-smell-alike. I would guess cassia (which I've discovered I've been pronouncing wrong for years), but I also thought that was eliminated from the CTs. Whatever it is, it's hot, spicy, and a lot like really strong cinnamon rock-candy. (I'm going to call it cinnamon since that's what it smells like, even though I know it's not.) It reminds me of Lip Venom. I get no Snake Oil at this stage at all. Wet on skin: Cinnamon is the dominant note, but I also get a bit of something sweet and powdery and possibly a touch of clove. This is aggressively spicy on contact, but already less fierce than it was in the bottle. Early dry down (20 minutes): Cinnamon and spice continue to dominate, but the cinnamon has tempered with other spices peeking out. I sense cloves, and possibly a bit of pepper. The sugared vanilla is a sweet, dry presence at the very base, and the sugar almost has a gingery note to it. It's somehow deep and dark, yet bright from the spice at the same time -- a little black dress with a bright red belt and shoes. Late dry down (1 hour 30 minutes): The Snake Oil has finally begun to penetrate the spices enough to be noticeable. It's all SO's base notes and is deep, resinous, with just a bit of a dry and powdery feel. It's sweet, but not cloying. It's spicy, but not particularly foody. It smells the way cinnamon makes your skin tingle (if that makes any sense at all!) It feels like a tradition Oriental perfume, but spicier, closer to the skin, and darker. How it's different than Snake Oil: Clearly, this is spicier than the original. I also think the base has a bit more of something resinous (like patchouli) whereas the orginal has a muskier base. I can't wear the original because the musk overpowers the other notes and leaves me smelling a bit like an old man wearing too much after-shave. This mellows, sweetens and deepens on my skin the way that a lot of patchouli bases do. What it's a bit like: Morocco, Salamander, Spanked, and a tad like Shalimar (but better!) What it's not like: Bengal and Al-Shairan (which both turn into potpourri on me) This is not Snake Oil, it's Snake Venom. Ever since I tried this yesterday I've had the following stuck in my head: My gal is red hot (Your gal ain't doodly-squat) Yeah, my gal is red hot (Your gal ain't doodly-squat) Well, she ain't got no money But man, she's a-really got a lot

Deleted because, on second thought, I was just being a nosy nelly and a jerk where my jerkiness was unnecessary. Carry on.

No scent, ever, when gardening. I try not to even wash my hair before I work in the dirt, or work in the dirt at the end of the day when the shampoo and conditioner smells are faded. Scents attract bugs. Bugs are the only bad bit about gardening.

This is the strangest scent I have tried in ages -- not because the scent itself is strange, but because it smells nothing like I excpected it to smell. In the imp it smelled surprisingly sweet to me, but not in the usual thick, syrupy way that I associate with honey blends. Rather, it was high, light and reminded me of something. After I racked my brain for an age, I decided that the smell I was smelling was Smarties candies (the American pressed powdered sugar kind that comes in small rolls wrapped in clear plastic.) When I applied it to my skin it was still very sweet, but there was something medicinal lurking underneath the sweet that smelled a bit like the alcohol tang of old fashioned cough syrup (the kind that worked!) As it dried down, it bloomed into a very sweet almost floral tea scent. I swear I am smelling lotus blossom! It’s not the bubble gum lotus, but a lotus tea scent. I realize I am the only person to have mentioned this and so am probably crazy, but it really is what I smell.

In the imp: Wow. Umm, just wow. This is the same orange blossom from my beloved Vixen, but gentler and without bite. I already know I'm going to love this one. Damn LEs for breaking my heart! Wet on skin: Indeed, this is the orange blossom I love in Vixen, but sweeter and with a slight powdery hint. It's a little more floral than in Vixen, and a lot more feminine. Soft I might say. The orange blossom is very much the top note with the amber and vanilla lending it a rounded, powdered base. But we're not talking baby powder, we're talking the kind of powder a woman in the 1920s might might have dabbed on her breasts before she went out for a night in Harlem. Early dry down (15 minutes): This just becomes fuller, rounder, and softer as it sink into my skin. If my husband were home this weekend, we'd be in trouble as I know this is the kind of scent that drives him to distraction and nothing gets done around the house but a lot of neck sniffing. Late dry down (45 minutes): The orange blossom tames a bit as the base develops, and the sweet powder aspect beathes out from the skin. I am envisioning dressing rooms filled with flowers where a singer or dancer spritzes herself with scent and then powders her neck and chest before allowing her sugar daddy to come in and give her this week's gifts. The final impression is, as the first impression: WOW.

In the imp: Dry and sharp, but to my nose leather is the dominant note. The sharpness hits at the front of the palate while the leather is what lingers against the back of the palate on the first sniff. The overall effect is almost desicated dryness, bone and desert winds. It smells like the desert to me -- the real desert, not the usual hot cinnamon bpal desert. Wet on skin: As soon as this is applied the scent gets rounder, fuller and a bit sweeter. The leather and patchouli are combining to form a spicy scent a bit like incense sticks that have been in a drawer for so long that they've dried out a bit. On my left wrist I also get a burnt note that smells like something left on the burner of an electric stove -- I'm betting this is the tea and sandalwood and am axious for it to develop. The right wrist is much preferable at this stage and is all leather/patchouli. Early dry down (10 minutes): This is still a very dry scent. It smells just like something, but I can't put my finger on what and it's driving me crazy. As usual, my two wrists have developed in different ways. The left wrist (bearer of the metalic watch) has more of the smoke note, and the tea. It smells, as others have noted, a bit like a very strong lapsang souchong although there is definitely a hint of leather at the back of the palate. The right wrist is much more a blend of patchouli and leather, with something almost cinnamon-like (but a dark, resiny cinnamon rather than cinnamon candy or cinnamon powder) at the very way back of the base (I'm betting that's how this patchouli is developing on me since I often get thick, spicy resins from patchouli). My overall impression at this stage is that is a very hot scent -- like wearing leather pants in front of a fire hot. Late dry down (1 hour): This has dried down very nicely on me, and although I find it quite pleasant, it doesn't seem like all that unique a blend to me. It strongly reminds me of both Krampus and Spanked, leading me to believe that the combination of patchouli and leather develops in such a specific way on my skin that the other notes along for the ride really don't matter all that much. That's fine with me since I actually really what it does. This is very much a hot and spicy patchouli and leather blend. The overall effect is warm, dry, just a tad powdery, and quite spicy. I picture a lioness sunbathing on a rock heated by the sun.

In the imp: Nature's Gate original herbal condition, the brown one. Seriously. I've been looking for an herbal myrrh scent that mimics that stuff forever, but I never expected this to be the one. Wet on skin: Harrumph. Now it smells like generic deodorant soap. Early dry down (15 minutes): Spicy and complex. More like a classic men's cologne than anything else. I can't pick out individual notes, and I'm not getting any fruity grape at all. It's musky, spicy and bitter. It kind of reminds me of the Halston perfume my mom wore when I was little. Late dry down (1 hour): Sadly, I get zero sweetness from this to tone down the musky ambergris and the lovely Nature's Gate herbal myrrh is also gone. As has happened several time with ambergris in the past, it's all I smell. Verdict: I can't quite say yuck, but it's very not me. My least favorite of the Yules I've tried this year.

In the imp: This is very fruity, and the pomegranate is the dominant note. It's not at all what I was expecting. Wet on skin: This smells very much like Swank upon first application to my skin. The fruit is very dominant. On second and third sniffs I can just abrely begin to smell the tonka as a deep, yet sweet base note. Early dry down (15 minutes): This isn't so much a morpher as it is a scent that blossoms with time. The fruit is mellowing and kind of melting into the base notes of tonka and leather to create a scent that is both very feminine and fruity, yet grounded. It reminds me of Nanny Ashtoreth at this stage, and is quite lovely. Late dry down (1 hour): This has remained quite light and fruity on me. IT is, however, not overly sweet. It's kind a combination of Kosher concord grape wine, pomegranate seeds and just the faintest hint of leather at the base. Verdict: Surprisingly feminine and quite fruity. I expected something darker in tone, but kind of like it. I think I prefer the naughty Nanny for my fruit, wood and leather though.

In the bottle: Astringent pine on the first whiff, with orange appearing on the second sniff. This seems aggressive and a bit feral in the decant. Wet on skin: Pine is the dominant note with just a hint of orange to brighten it. The overall effect is the olfactory equivalent of sucking on something sour so all the spit leaves your mouth. It also remind me of Christmas. Early dry down (15 minutes): The right wrist is much sweeter than the left. It is mainly orange with linden rising up from below. It is quite perfumey and smells a little bit rancid to my nose. Despite these observations, it is not unpleasant -- just more "sophisticated" than what I usually wear. The left wrist is spicier, with pine sap and a hint of the molasses/gingersnap scent that certain patchoulis produce on me. The left is preferable to the right. I will have to see how this war of chemistry plays out. Late dry down (one hour): For a scent with patchouli and pine, this has turned out to be something fades awfully quickly on me. After an hour, I'm left with a scent that is very skin-like and has next to no throw. It is mainly the gingersnap molasses patchouli smell with just the subtlest hint of the sweet linden/orange comination at the front of the sniff. It's pretty, and quite surprisingly lady-like.

In the imp: The first whiff is all buttery batter -- so much so that it is a bit off-putting to me, who has mixed results with butter and cream notes. A second whiff reveals the licorice and leather, nicely balanced. Strangely, each time I smell this in the imp the butter/dough note recedes. Wet on skin: My right wrist is heavily leather, with an almost burnt note to it. A bit of licorice rises up against that burned/dry note. The left wrist is a much milder scent, and is a soft, almost powdery combination of sweet cookies and soft, buttery, worn-in leather. Early dry down (15 minutes): This is fading very quickly on me. The right wrist is now a lovely, soft, sweet combination of licorice (more liked dried anise than licorice candy) and sueded leather. The left wrist has a much stronger licorice note and the few whiffs of leather I get from it are the burnt variety. Oddly, the right wrist is mellowing and fading while the left wrist is growing a bit stronger and seems to be amping individual notes in each whiff. Final Dry down: This finally evened out on both wrists to a soft, powdery leather and anise mix. Verdict: Interesting and unusual. I like it, but don't think I need a whole bottle. A second decant would be sufficient I think.

Thank you! If I don't hear form them by the end of the day I'll just give up my hope. But it's nice to know they're looking.

Does anyone know how fast the answers address is replying to things lately? I ran into a problem with the forum only scent I ordered yesterday: CCNow says I typed my security code wrong. Of course, they didn't e-mail me about it until after I went to bed last night. Grr. I e-mailed the lab this morning to see if I could resubmit (CCNow gives me a link and says the order is "pre-approved" but I don't know if that will actually apply to such limited edition scents.) I'm kind of afraid that the answers address is usually swamped with questions and that they won't see mine for a day or two, by which time the answer wouldhave to be "no you can't resubmit the order." I'm tempted to just resubmit and hope for the best, knowing they can always refund my money if the answer is no...but I also don't want to look greedy and presumptuous. I'd really rather have their blessing first...

Just so you know, I have been reading this faithfully. It's been very helpful as I've made my own switch to OCM and mineral foundation. Thanks for blogging about it!

It wouldn't shock the judge at all. Often people retain attorneys in the middle of proceedings, once they realize they are in over their heads. (I practiced divorce law in Michigan for 7 years.) As long as your sister HAS an attorney, I wouldn't worry too much. All the legal aid attorneys I worked with were very competent. They get more experience because they handle more cases, and sometimes getting ahold of them can be harder, but in general I would not dismiss them as incompetent right off the bat. (One of my fiercest competitors was a legal aid attorney. I had MUCH respect for him.) If she is trying to represent herself though, STOP HER. Especially if she is dealing with Mr. Bigshot attorney, she will need an advocate who knows the ins and outs of the law so she doesn't get blindsided or bulldozed. The very messiest cases I ever handled were where people hired me AFTER the divorce was final to try and make things right because they had signed things they shouldn't have while representing themselves. If you have specific questions, PM me. Divorce law varies by state, but the overarching issues remain the same everywhere.

In the bottle: This is sweeter than I expected. It's all bourbon vanilla on a very subtle base of woods. Interesting. Wet on skin: Still surprisingly sweet. Definitely a mild wood base, and the bay rum is only showing up for me in the very top of the notes on the back of my palate after I sniff. Much less masculine than I expected. Early dry down (10 minutes): Still very much a mild wood/vanilla combo, but there is a hint of spice developing. It's almost like a sweet ginger. I'm being reminded of both Anne Bonny and Shub, neither of which this should smell like at all. But I like it! Late dry down (1 hour): This is a very mild scent on me and stays nicely next to my skin with little throw. The bay rum did develop a bit more over time, and the vanilla receded to the background. What I am left with is something on the sweet/woody end of the gender neutral spectrum (as opposed to the musky/incense end). The spice is ginger/bay and is mild and sweet. I wish I'd bought more than one bottle. This is going to rock on J.

In the imp: Dry and very woody patchouli of the type that always smells like a cedar chest to me. Wet on skin: Exactly as in the imp. This is a VERY woody patchouli. Early dry down: This is morphing very, very little. It is almost all dry patchouli. I smell like the inside of cedar chest. I get very little coconut. If any is present it is a very dry and dark coconut that blends almost imperceptibly with the patchouli. Late dry down: The coconut and benzoin eventually sweetened things, but neither appears as a stand-alone note on me. This ends up a sweet, yet dry patchouli. It's like a cedar chest with some kind of candy stored in it. But the candy is so old that it no longer has a distinct odor, just a sweetness. This is nice, but not bottle worthy on me.

In the imp: Sweet-tarts. Wet on skin: Sweet-tarts over a base of dry and spicy woods. Early dry down (10 minutes): Dry and spicy with just a hint of something berry/plum at the top. It's not sweet so much as it is juicy. Late dry down (45 minutes): After the initial dry down, this stays remarkably true on me. It's a dry, spicy patchouli at the base with a tart, jammy fruit over the top. Very nice. Edited to add: As I wear this throughout the day it is reminding me more and more of Tintagel. I realize the notes aren't similar, but yet it really does smell like Tintagel. Maybe the plum/lotus mimics dragon's blood?