themerrybaker

Bad Luck Woman Blues reminds me of two things: the "dirty-sweet" line from T. Rex and summer as a kid. This oil smells like a hot summer day, a Slo-Poke sucker, squashed bugs, and a muddy creek bed to explore. A very memorable scent which I think will improve with age.

Eek!! There's a Spider in my shower. This reminds me so much of a lathery headfull of the old Prell shampoo. A pleasant association, but I'm not sure how to relate to this Spider as a perfume.

I don't much care for wolves, dogs, or hyenas so contented myself with a decant of Oborot. Darn. While I was expecting another "pine forest" winter smell, this is more of a dark "dirt" smell and I really dig Beth's dirt. This is more of a tarry burnt dirt (I could swear there was vetiver in here) than a loamy garden dirt, though. Oborot is a surprise like for me.

I think apple must be one of the sumo notes in a perfume because at first Poisoned Apple smelled like ...apple (duh)? So, a quick sniff-off with The Hesperides: Poisoned Apple has less throw and is more herbal - apples hanging out in an orchard with other vegetation, while the H-nymphs are apples hanging out in an oaken cask waiting to become cider. This is an interesting variation on the apple concept, but I wouldn't want to smell like this every single day.

Maybe my nose is being wonky, but Black Lily reminds me of the smell of animal crackers. (A summer bouquet of animal cracker - not a bouquet of funeral animal crackers). It's light and subtle and soft. I think this actually smells better than Oriental Lilies. Glad I got to try it - this one lives up to its legend.

Once upon a time I knew the world's worst Brown-Noser whose surname happened to be Jenkins - so this perfume's name has extremely unfortunate connotations to me. That said, even I would be inclined to kiss someone's ass if said ass were slathered in Brown Jenkins. So I'll just think of this one as Leeroy Jenkins - a scent that makes you smell so good that people will chase after you toward a bunch of hungry dragons just to get a whiff. (A new GC fave for me)

I don't want a pickle... And happily didn't get one with Squirting Cucumber. This is grassy and weedy, great for hot days. It's a little less floral than Chickens Squirting on a Garden Path but the same kind of scent. If you like Roadhouse, you'll love this one.

With all those components, I had no idea what Ostara would smell like. Lately, there have been scents that remind people of other scents, but Ostara is unique and different. My overall impression is of a cool spring morning. On me, Ostara is floral as opposed to foody or fruity. Definitely a keeper. edited to add: after about four hours wear an office mate complimented me on how "spicy" it smells.

Western Diamonback is an unusual blend of opposites. The leather/sage is very dry, the way I liked in DeSade. The "Snake Oil" part is very sweet and baby-powdery. I will definitely use up the sample and leave this in the running for the "can be only one" bottle.

Snake Oil with orris, frankincense, and copal. I've been going through decants of the Snake Pit trying to narrow it down to one favorite. It has been really hard to do so - because they have all been pretty good and vary on the same theme. As for the incense snakes - I think I prefer King Cobra to Temple Viper since it is more of a "clear hard-candy resin" instead of the "sweet aromatic resin". Not that it makes much sense. Orris sometimes bothers me with a sad-sack smell, but it's doing fine job for the King.

So sorry to hear about your friend.... Kether and Sudha are my comfort scents.

Incense blends don't usually work on me but Temple Viper behaves pretty well. This snake is sharp-sweet and smoky - very much like burning incense. Although it is fine as a perfume, it would be awesome in an oil burner.

Maybe you have to be an earth sign, but I love Gnome. It has a buttload of vetiver and a sweet, resiny top note. I am also a fan of Beth's dirt notes so I'd put Gnome as sharper than Death Cap, and darker than Destroying Angel. The short little man really should get more love.

Death Adder - the name reminds me of a demon math function but the perfume smells great. (And the label is so much prettier without a murderous accountant!!) The addition of coconut fits so well with the indonesian theme of the SO, and the vetiver keeps things from becoming overly sweet. This is definitely under consideration for a big bottle.

Snake Oil with four mints, bergamot, and green tea. The mint evaporates within a half hour and leaves a sweet vanilla-pineapple(wtf?)-sugar-musk residue. Sweeter than Cottonmouth, but not all that different when dry. The decant will definitely get some rotation!

I tried Cottonmouth because of the linden blossom . Unicorn is a favorite and I was wondering if linden is what does the trick. I don't know whether the name "Cottonmouth" causing weird associations, but this gives me an impression of honey-sweet cotton candy cotton balls cotton bunny tails. I like this one a lot for lighter moods.

ENRAGED GROUNDHOG MUSK This is nutty, woody, and baking-spice spicy - maybe the groundhog is pissed that he was interrupted while baking a batch of brownies? I'm glad that the spice notes keep this from becoming foodier than it is.

Not one for additional fruitiness in my life, but this is fruit the way a perfume should have it. Not foody - but sweet, aromatic and ripe. Fire Pig is a "happy" BPAL like Ex Lux Fuit or Sol Invictus. It makes me imagine adorable baby piglets with little button eyes. Hogging it, not swapping it.

We have been having freezing weather here, and my feet are much happier after having been soaked in TKO. The bomb was surprisingly hard, but nothing Mr. Hammer couldn't handle (you only need a little bit for a foot bath!). I have been dying to try the scent, and found it comforting and relaxing. And if I used it for a whole bath, it would very likely smell like "sugared baker bosom" to paraphrase an early review. Fortunately, this didn't knock me out, since I was taking an on-line test at the time - so I guess it just made test taking a whole lot more relaxing. It could have interesting uses for other stressful situations: dentist?, horror movie? meeting from hell? A ton of these would be just the thing!

Boomslang reminds me of the drink that has Kahlua and cream over ice. Very festive and tasty!!

Banded Sea Snake is really heavy-vanilla Snake-Oily for me. It also seems more chocolate than aquatic. It smells good, but was really a surprise because I was worried about an aquatic-gone-wrong. As for throw? BSS stays tightly coiled around my wrist.

Pound well together sandal-wood, Kunku, costus, Krishnaguru, Suvasika-puspha, white vala and the bark of the Deodaru pine; and, after reducing them to fine powder, mix it with honey and thoroughly dry. ... A fumigation for fascination! A strangely sensual blend, exotic, compelling, and commanding, adapted from an incense recipe found in the venerable sex manual, the Ananga Ranga. Chintamani Dhupa is my favorite of the new 2007 oils. It is very sweet in a sharp resin (as opposed to foody or floral) way. At first it has a pronounced weedy, gamey component. After while, a woodiness develops. Despite the above observations, Chintamani Dhupa gives an overall mood of light and purity. A perfume to wear when you are taking the high road.

Dolce Stil Nuovo is a soft, cottony, rose on me. It reminds me of Parlement of Foules from 2006 or maybe pink flannel pajamas. This is a subtle and subdued scent. Rose lovers should give this one a try.

I am enjoying Kanishta - jasmine, opium and patchouli can all dominate a scent but having the three sumos in the same ring make for a nicely balance oil. This is very hot, feminine and sexy.

At first Australian Copperhead is pretty fruity but it dries down to a sweet aromatic substance that reminds me a lot of Southern Comfort. Since I associate Southern Comfort with Janis Joplin, I am surprised and pleased by this oil.