OctoberGwen

Here they are: Sorry, it's a little dark but with the flash I couldn't see the labels well at all. Aren't they loooooooovely?

I've always been kind of fascinated by the character of Lucy Westenra and I love the smell of orange blossom, so when I saw this go up on etsy of course I had to buy it. I'm so glad I did, because it's just beautiful. I get mostly orange blossom with just a touch of honey to deepen it up. For some reason this is an oil that I prefer to actually use in the bath, rather than as an after-shower moisturizer. It disperses wonderfully, scents the whole room, and leaves my skin really soft and touchable. Lovely stuff.

This needs some time to settle, and when it does...hoo boy. Feed Me and Fill Me is a wonderful scent balancing act. The extreme sweetness of the vanilla amber is offset perfectly by this amazing patchouli, which is black but not filthy at all; it's actually very refined. I like a good patch, but not when it's so jaggedy that it sticks in my throat. By the same token, I often find amber becomes too sticky and vanilla can turn plastic-smelling. None of those things happen here. This just smells delightful: rich, deep, thick, and sweet without being sickly. It will only get better, too; that's the ridiculous part. I can't even fathom how good this will be in six months' or a year's time. ETA: Yup. Eight months later and FMAFMWP is amaaaaaaaaaazing.

God, I love this note. Just a smooth, rich, mellow, sweetish tobacco. Gorgeous. I get the caramel vibe but this is not foody in the slightest (thank heavens.) This is what adds the little something to Red Lace and other favorite blends to make them really special on my skin. It's funny that I love to wear tobacco but not the smokey notes so much. In a word: WIN.

For some reason I didn't think I'd enjoy flowers with my Snake Oil, but boy was I wrong: this is gorgeous. On top are the fresh, bright blooms (I adore linden blossom, which to me has a dewy quality to it) with the SO providing a deep, dusky base. Another plus: like Snake Oil itself and also Boomslang, Cottonmouth smells as good or better on me during that awkward time of the month when every other beloved oil becomes Awful Stinkfest. Hooray for BPALs that are impervious to hormones!

Not medicinal, but very herbal: The Doom of Beauty, from last year's Lupercalia. It's beautiful, and one of my favorite BPALs. Bess, from the GC, is in the same vein but has more rose, too.

Goddamn my skin chemistry. Lunacy blends really, really dislike me - and it makes me very sad. I had to try Singing Moon again; I tried the earlier version before I knew about my problem with Lunacies and it was okay but very aquatic: another bad scent category for me. The 2012 sounded different enough to warrant an attempt, and I just adore the concept behind this one. Come on...banshees! When first applied, it smells just like I want it to. I can't identify anything, but if I close my eyes and inhale I am standing on a windswept stretch of moor at night and something unearthly is crying up ahead. Really wonderful and evocative stuff. After a few minutes, though, whatever lunar herb I have a problem with asserts itself, and I get almost a sweaty, furtive smell that grows until it sticks in the back of my throat like Pixie Stix dust, except it isn't sweet. Ugh. So frustrating. The good news is, I can use this in my oil burner and it smells great.

I love this: it smells like good fortune in a bottle. I spray it around when I perform money magic or just feel like our home needs a lift. Zingy, herbal, clean hayloft in the sunshine smell. Thank you, BPTP!

I've been wearing Snake Oil Hair Gloss almost daily for...I don't know, has it been a year yet?...and I'm not sure why I haven't reviewed it yet. Mom Brain, probably. And yes, that is an actual condition. I adore this stuff and now consider it my one "can't live without it" hair product. It makes my fine, straight hair behave, gives it a nice shine, reduces static flyaway dramatically, and creates an awesome scent cloud for me to float around in all day. I always get compliments on how good I smell when I use it, even from total strangers. I've had absolutely zero adverse effects. I shake it, spritz twice into my palm, rub my hands together, and smooth it through my dry hair starting at the ends and then sort of fluffing and rubbing through the rest of the length. (I have a slightly below chin length graduated bob.) My hair tends to be dry, plus it's color treated (red), so I do not wash every day and in winter I may only wash it a couple times a week. I can still smell the gloss faintly after a day or two but will still reapply a small squirt to tame the static and refresh things a bit. This stuff is fantastic, and one of my top two all- time favorite products from the Trading Post.

Why haven't I reviewed this yet? I adore Mad Kate. The only note I was concerned about was honeycomb, because honey is often cloying and nauseating on me, but I needn't have worried. This is a beautiful, sweet-but-not-too-sweet feminine blend made interesting and unique by the thyme and geranium. I get lots of heady gardenia and delicious red currant, a waxy creaminess from the honey, and a nice bite from the herbs. Magnificent.

I wanted to try this because of the creamy coconut/golden incense reviews, despite my severe misgivings about the pear. Alas, this almost works on me...but not quite. First applied, it smells like Bubblicious bubble gum to me, but as it dries it gets better and less candy-sweet. The middle stage is gorgeous (though still not really me), when the beautiful golden incense note wraps around the coconut and florals, and the pear remains very subtle, just a hint. Sadly, the pear eventually becomes too prominent for me and makes me feel slightly nauseous with it's sickly sweet presence. I really hate smelling like peaches or pears, I've discovered. It really is a masterful blend, though, and those who like pear (and maybe dislike coconut, usually) will love this. It's very soft, feminine, and pretty. The incense - which is not your typical "headshoppy" incense smell, it's very smooth and subtle - saves this from being an overly fruity blend. It's not tropical smelling at all, either.

Simple, creamy, soft, fresh peony, which is one of my favorite floral notes. I love this and am considering a bottle. It's nice to take a break from my heavy, spicy resins/musks on occasion and this may be the perfect antidote. Gorgeous!

I love the concept of this scent. When wet, I get a lot of the snow note, and snow notes do not work on my skin at all. After a short time, though, it backs down and I begin to smell something that is most definitely fecund and earthy, sweetened beautifully by the myrrh. The balsam and cedar lend a nice dry quality to what remains just a faintly damp, very fertile scent. This saves it for me, as I much prefer dry scents to wet ones. There is just enough moisture here to convey the theme, but not so much that it's ruinous on my skin. It's rich and loamy, yet sweet and slightly spicy at the same time. The far drydown is a stunningly soft, spicy, myrrh-sweet scent. Unique, very complex, conveys the idea magnificently, and is lovely and wearable. Giant. Win.

Holy shit, this smells exactly like I thought it would. In a word: disgusting. Once again, my hat is off to the Scent Witch. I'm glad I got to try this, but.... Meaty, metallic, and nasty. Yep.

As stellamaris said above, this is "salty, lush, elegant, and perfumey." It's quite nice, actually, but it's got just a bit too much of a classic perfume feel to it for my particular tastes. I'm not a plummy fan, but the plum musk blended with the oakmoss and patch is very lovely. I love anything with tea, and the matcha gives this a depth that I like. I only have a tiny tester here so I will probably keep it and use it when I'm in the mood for something that's completely different (for me.) Who knows, it may continue to grow on me. I can see myself wearing this when I wish to feel classy and grown up.

Oh, God, why didn't I buy a bottle of this? Deep, sweet, beautiful myrhh. I weep.

I don't like to smell of food. I don't like to wear overly sweet scents. But sweet Mary, Mother of God, this smells This is deep, rich, syrupy vanilla which doesn't quite manage go the plastic route. I think the molasses is what anchors it. A decadent and delicious scent, for sure. ETA: While this smells fabulous, it did actually end up going into "too sweet" territory on my skin. I'm just not a gal who want to smell of food, even delicious desserts. I much prefer the Rum-Soaked French Tonka, which also layers magically with my Tricksy bath oil.

I love this: it smells exactly as though I've just peeled back a section off a super ripe, juicy orange and stuck my nose into it (pretty much what I was looking for and expecting.) I smell the tart rind and the sweet flesh. This is so luscious and realistic! Fresh out of the mailbox, it's not sticking around long on my skin but in my oil burner and scent locket it will be killer. This is a scent that makes me feel instantly lighter, brighter, and happier when I smell it.

I'm a lemon verbena fan, and when first applied that's mostly what I'm getting from Venusian Phoenix. Fresh, yellow-green, and lovely; it's like standing in the sunshine on the first warm day of Spring. As the oil warms on my skin, it blooms. I get a soft rose, a very slight coolness from the rose mint, and I can smell the tomato leaf, normally a note I don't like at all but here it provides an earthiness to ground everything beautifully. If I concentrate, I think I detect cherry's stickiness, but only just. I do not pick out any other individual notes, they just continue to meld into a wonderfully complex close-to-the-skin scent. It's soft and fresh, masterfully blended, and I don't have anything else like it in my collection. Venus is my ruling planet, and I think this is an exquisite representation of it. The label art is absolutely gorgeous, too.

I would recommend Heretic, which is a current retail exclusive from the Heretic Salon in LA. (You can google it and call to place an order.) It's very bold.

Seconding AEris's recommendation for the TAL Nocturne blend. I use this almost nightly now and have found that I sleep very, very well and wake up feeling rested. Be sure to use it as directed (annoint the soles of your feet, third eye & heart chakras, temples, and pulse points.)

I ordered a bottle of this unsniffed, and I'm glad I did. It smells like I've been burning a very good quality incense, and then I threw open the windows on a warm Autumn afternoon and the smell of the forest is blowing in on the breeze, mingling with the sweetness of the smoke from the kyphi. Not overbearing, but very present and very pretty. Love the label, too.

My personal chocolate experiences: Boomslang is the best cocoa combo EVAH. Hands down. It is not foody in the least. Black Temple Burlesque Troupe and Gelt both went weird and awful on me. Velvet can smell off, too at certain times of the month. WILF had way too much going on, as do the 13's I have tried: I just don't like cocoa or chocolate combined with a bunch of flowers, mint, etc on my skin. As for the delightful Bliss, I like to sniff it or put it in a scent locket when I'm in the mood for a foody chocolate scent...it is pure milk choc and really heavenly. It actually does make me happier when I smell it. And Bittersweet Chocolate bath oil is to die for.

This smells wonderful. Rich, dark patchouli and sweet vanilla and lots of soft leather, with a hint of the tobacco. I love this blend, it smells like a high class gentleman's club for sure. I imagine a cozy room with sumptuous furnishings, lit by tiffany lamps and a coal fire. Murmured conversation, soft laughter, and the clink of ice in cut crystal glasses. It's like something out of The Vampire Lestat. Sophisticated, lasts forever, and just a freaking amazing smell. I need lots.

What! How have I not reviewed this yet?! I love Konditorei, it is one of my top three atmo sprays. It's a delicious blend of coffee, chocolate, and nutty apple baked goods. Every time I use it, inevitably my husband comes in (it could be hours later) and very hopefully asks what I've been baking. And sadly (for him), I always answer, "Nothing." Really, this is wonderful stuff. And one squirt will do ya!