Mountaingrrl00

I was in bed with a menstrual headache when my mail came with three different orders and swap packages. Of all the oils that arrived (including three somniums) this was the only one that appealed to my nose at that moment. At first it just smelled like strong, herbal lavender. Then it became more floral and airy. As I lay resting, I got a smell that reminded me of Hand of Hermes (lavender and cinnamon?) It was gorgeous in all its phases, and soothing as well. I've reapplied before bedtime and will edit this if I have anything interesting to report from dreamland.

I got an imp of this in Brumbjorn's decant circle.

When it arrived in the mail, well-wrapped in bubble wrap and a separate plastic bagging, I could smell it through the package! It smelled like straight-up cloves - very strong and bracing.

Almost as soon as I applied some oil to my palms and inhaled, I was motivated to do a number of tasks I'd been putting off. I even (gulp) put down a deposit on a car - a very big deal for me.

Yeah, this stuff works.

Sri Lanka is green-incense hippie.

Umbra is patchouli-cinnamon hippie.

Malediction is deep, intense hippie (strong patchouli and vetiver.)

I get an ivy scent from House of Night, along with some evergreens and flowers.

I received an imp of this from Kiena - thanks so much! I thought it was lovely in the vial, almost pure peony, like rose, but lighter and gentler. I wore it today in the humid heat and it showed surprising strength. The peony remains without amping, and a nice herbal scent comes out, along with what could be sandalwood. I found it refreshing, very easy to wear without being too generically so.

Based on the catalog description, I would not have thought I'd like House of Night, but got a sniff at a meetup and it really grabbed me! (Thanks, jejunery!)

It's got a nice foresty top note, green and woody, very natural, refreshing.

Then I get a bit of sharp floral - lavender, maybe? - which doesn't last long. There's just a hint of powder, but fortunately that doesn't last.

Then a light honey sweetness joins the green notes, and sticks around for hours. I don't find it heavy. It works nicely for summer.

House of Night does not have a lot of throw, but it has good staying power. You can apply it in the morning and sniff your wrists from time to time during the day, without having anyone ask what you're wearing.

My favorite scent for a flirty vibe is Aizen-Myoo - Japanese citrus with cherry blossom and black tea. It's inviting without being overtly sexy, light and bright without being childish.

Others I like are Snow Bunny (LE), Hollywood Babylon (a little on the sweet side - depends if you like that kind of thing), and Vixen (a little sexier than the others on this list, but not musky.)

A few more you might like to try:

Shango: tropical fruit smoothie

Sudha Segara: gingered ambrosia

13: (LE) mandarin-chocolate-minty

Bengal: chai or spice cookie

Jailbait: bubblegum and lollipops

I received this as a frimp with a recent order.

This is a very rich-smelling oil. It smells like it should be thick, like molasses. There's a bit of sharpness initially from the vetiver, but when it dries down it becomes sweeter. I didn't realize I liked myrrh so much - it's definitely the note I'm sniffing my wrist for. I like it an awful lot, although more sloth is probably the last thing I need in my life! Decadent stuff.

This is Top Ten material for me. Dark dark musk, warm resin, savory saffron and just a hint of sharpness from the patchouli. It reminds me a bit of another of my favorites, Morocco, but darker and more substantial. Beautiful, strong and sexy.

Destroying Angel really does smell like mushrooms and earth on me. Graveyard Dirt is dead-on, too. Zombi and The Premature Burial also smell very lifelike, but in a different way - cultivated flowers as opposed to wild ones.

Anne Bonny! It's wood and sea breezes.

Oddly enough, I'm really liking Snow Bunny and Rose Red for early Spring. They both have a freshness about them.

For that kind of luck, I'd go with Horn of Plenty.

Sed Non Satiata and Smut for rich red-browns. Jacob's Ladder for warm gold. Greed for cool gold.

Greed has that wonderful copal smell in common with Xiuhtecuhtli, though Greed is darker and mossier.

Titania is like ultra-fruity candy (and seems like a good choice for someone with Faerie in her screen name!) Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo is like candy-sugar essence.

I agree on Moxie, if you're able to spring for a bottle. Aizen-Myoo's got a similar citrus kick, if you want to try an imp. Jailbait's got a minty-cinnamon-gum kick to it that's amusing as well as invigorating. I also like Bengal to get me moving on a cold day.

Hollywood Babylon is sweet, sweet cherry-strawberry, and Horn of Plenty is cherry-almondy.

This is one of the few oils I can wear when I have a bad headache. It actually helps. The smell is pleasant and well-blended; the lavender in it is much softer than in the Somnium blends I've tried. It smells herbal with a hint of floral. I think I detect thyme in here. It softens and loosens me - not in a knock-you-out kind of way, just in an aaaah kind of way. Pleasant, soothing, and highly recommended.

Along the lines of darklorelei's suggestion, I like to wear Aizen-Myoo to clubs when I want to stand out. I think a strong spice scent could also work to cut the smoke - maybe Bengal, or Three Witches if you have it?

Looks like I will have to order a bottle or two (or more) of this rich, unique oil. The earth scent really is wet - wetter than the earth note in Zombi, Jazz Funeral, etc. I think the patchouli contributes to the vibe of earthiness and the hint of decay, while the cypress gives it freshness.

I held off on ordering this because of the orchid, but I needn't have feared: the floral element does not overwhelm or go wrong, just adds a subtle dimension of sweetness.

More prominent is the teakwood, which is dry and sophisticated and very true. I love this note, and it's so well-framed in this blend.

Thanks to Astburygrrl for the decant. You were right, this one is definitely for me.

I've always found Intrigue grounding and comforting. From your profile I see that you like woods and figs, so it might be just the thing.

This is one of three BPAL oils that I've sniffed and wouldn't even try on. There is an overpowering vinegar note in the bottle. It's almost like ammonia! Not a reflection on the Stations of the Sun, as I'm quite fond of Ra - just can't do Tum at all.

I liked this initially because of the cocoa, but I'm put off by the buttery note which I think is the rum. I also don't do wine scents well, so that's two strikes against Centzon. There is something honey-like in here that's quite appealing, and a hint of cinnamon. Makes me wish the booze wasn't there.