dementia_divine

The scent of hot chocolate with marshmallows after a long day of puddle-hopping. I am amending my original review, which I have placed under a spoiler just in case someone is like, "Who said there was dirt in this?!" This has changed a lot as it has settled over the last few weeks. I tested it right out of the mailbox, and I had sprayed Black Clove, Tobacco Flower, and Grave Soil HG in my hair and used Deep in Earth in the crooks of my elbows before this arrived, so I must have gotten one of those on my nose before testing this, which would explain why I smelled dirt. When this arrived, the hot chocolate note was rather Bliss-like, but now, after a few weeks, it really smells like smooth cocoa powder. The marshmallow note is also softer than it was upon arrival, but it still emerges more during the later stages of the scent. It's a lovely scent, and it is still different enough from The Other Hot Chocolate to warrant having both scents. Since there isn't actually any dirt in this, I am going to try layering this with Graveyard Dirt SN to see if I actually want to wear a dirt and hot chocolate scent.

Gustav Klimt’s ode to masturbation: pale sandalwood, white cream vanilla, and a touch of tea rose. Note: I'm reviewing this as a moisturizer and not as a product that I tested in the bath. In the bottle: The vanilla cream is the most prominent note here, followed by the tea rose and the light sandalwood. On my skin: The white cream vanilla is still the star of the show, but I am getting more of the pale sandalwood on my skin than I did in the bottle. There really is just a touch of tea rose here. It was stronger in the bottle than it is on my skin. Then, the pale sandalwood note becomes the dominant note, but it's not dry at all, and the vanilla isn't far behind it. Sometimes, I sniff my arm and smell more sandalwood and vanilla, but other times, I smell more vanilla and that touch of tea rose. If you enjoyed the rose and vanilla combo of Crimson Peak's Between Your Heart and Mine, but were hoping for more vanilla (like me), you will probably enjoy this (if you don't mind sandalwood). The scent is soft and doesn't have much throw. Verdict: I'm glad that the notes in this are wins on me, because I'm a German Studies major, so I wanted this as soon as I saw it in the Trading Post's Lupercalia update. It's lovely.

Buying this hair gloss was a great decision. After falling in love with some Key Lime cupcakes from a bakery, I decided that I needed the scent of Key Lime in my life. I also thought it would be a great summer hair gloss, because, you know, LIME. The hair gloss is strong on the graham cracker crust, creamy, custard-y awesomeness (this ends up being the dominant note after a while), and then, there's the zing of lime. The lime is rather short-lived compared to the other notes, but the hair gloss itself is strong. I wore it for two days and kept getting lovely wafts of the scent throughout both days. It pairs well with Son of biggerCritter, too! Basically, if you're thinking about getting this, stop thinking about it and just get it. It's wonderful.

Green tea, juniper leaf, and honeyed green apple. Note: I'm reviewing this as a moisturizer and not as a product that I tested in the bath. In the bottle: The honeyed green apple is the first note to jump out at me. The green tea is quite prominent as well, and so is the juniper leaf, which has a bit of a sharp quality to it. The honeyed green apple note is so realistic, and I hope it will be the main player on my skin, since I'm out of Honeyed Apple bath oil. On my skin: The juniper leaf is the dominant note on my skin, and it is rather sharp and, well, leafy. The honeyed green apple note is present, but not as sweet as it was in the bottle, and the combination of the green tea with the juniper leaf just makes this smell like a clean, green scent. The green apple is stronger on my arm than it is on my legs, and I can smell it more than the juniper leaf after it has been dry for several hours, but by this point, the scent is rather faint. Verdict: This doesn't really fill the void of Honeyed Apple bath oil, as it is primarily a clean scent as opposed to an apple scent. I will be holding onto my bottle to use during the warmer months and to pair with scents that contain one or more of these notes, but I don't need more of it.

Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot. I'm a huge fan of the Mad Tea Party collection. It was inspired by my favorite book, and I have more wins from that line than any other category of the general catalog. I'm also a huge fan of sugary floral scents. That said, I did not vote for Alice hair gloss in the Lunacy Poll, but only because it was up against TKO, which I love even more. So I was delighted when the goblins decided to make Alice hair gloss a thing as well. In the bottle, it is the spicy, creamy floral that I know and love. Once applied to the hair, it differs from the perfume oil in that there is a brief blast of rose before I get CARNATION LIKE WHOA. This is some seriously spicy carnation. I wonder if there is some cinnamon in that note that contributes to the spiciness, because when I applied it to my wet hair on Sunday, it felt really spicy and hot (especially when I would rest my head against my hand), and when I applied it to my dry hair on Monday and held my hair up to my nose, my lips burned a little when they encountered my hair. I find it interesting that the carnation note is so strong in hair gloss form. I guess I thought I would get less carnation in my hair than on my skin (since my skin has turned some scents featuring that note into what might as well be a carnation single note), but that wasn't the case. After several hours, the milk and honey note started to emerge more. The carnation has softened, allowing the rose to peek out once again, but it is still quite prominent. I prefer this stage of the scent, and it is so lovely to get a waft of that milk and honey note paired with the spicy carnation when walking in the wind. I plan on pairing this hair gloss with Alice, Alice in the Pumpkin Patch, and Queen Alice. But since I don't really wear two of those scents until autumn rolls around, and I already own a ridiculous amount of hair gloss, I think one bottle of this will suffice.

Rich vanilla sandalwood elegantly distorted by oudh, labdanum, scarlet saffron, and pink pepper. In the bottle: The vanilla sandalwood and pink pepper notes stand out to my nose. The combination of the pink pepper mixed with the sweetness is somewhat reminiscent of High Strung Daisies. It's kind of like High Strung Daisies and Mouse's Long and Sad Tale had a baby (but without the floral notes). If I inhale really deeply, I can smell the saffron and a hint of the other resins as well. Wet: The vanilla sandalwood is quite prominent, as well as the pink pepper. (If you aren’t familiar with pink pepper, it’s almost bubblegum-like but with a bit of a peppery kick.) The other resins are present, but they seem to be content with background roles at the moment. (I can smell them more in the crook of my elbow than on my wrist.) Dry: The pink pepper and vanilla sandalwood notes reign on my wrist, but the oudh and labdanum are more prominent there now (and are quite prominent in the crook of my elbow). I also get more of the saffron note in the crook of my elbow. Verdict: I love vanilla and pink pepper like whoa. I also love it when vanilla is paired with resins, so I knew I would love this one. I plan on ordering a back-up bottle when the Yules go live. It is rather feminine and pretty. *ETA (edited to add): a description of pink pepper.

In the bottle: I am always a slut for the Lab's marshmallow note, so I had to get a bottle of this. I agree that it smells like a sweeter Stekkjarstaur in the bottle. In other words, it smells glorious. Wet: Yes, this is a sweeter Stekkjarstaur. It's a creamy marshmallow, and the sugar-crusted part is very realistic. Dry: OH MY GLOB. It's a marshmallow chick adorned with pink sugar crystals! Verdict: I have four bottles of Stekkjarstaur, and one bottle of this, and I still don't know if one bottle of this one will be enough. It's a fluffy pink marshmallow scent, and I think I may need more of it in my life!

In the bottle: The patchouli was the most prominent note in this when it arrived, but it has calmed down after settling for a few days. It's still very prominent, and it has a slightly nutty quality to it, but I'm also getting a lot of benzoin now, along with that steamed vanilla silk vibe that some people mentioned in their reviews. I can smell the smoked honey note in the background, too. Wet: The sweet benzoin reigns, followed by the patchouli leaf. I am still getting the vanilla silk and smoked honey. In the bottle, I didn't see the comparisons to Revenant Rhythm/Banshee Beat at all. Now that it's on my skin, I can see why some people think they are similar, although this doesn't have the awesome vanilla note that makes me love Banshee Beat/Revenant Rhythm. The patchouli leaf in this is light, and the scent is sweet enough to keep it from taking over. I'm getting more vanilla silk and smoked honey over time. The vanilla silk note really does give me the impression of steamed vanilla silk. Dry: Vanilla silk and benzoin are the most prominent notes on me now, followed by the patchouli and smoked honey. The patchouli is pretty light now, and the smoked honey just adds a touch of smokiness to the scent. Verdict: I told myself I'd only get one of the patchouli scents I was interested in from this update, but when To His Mistress Going to Bed was mostly smoky patchouli and fig on me, I decided to grab a bottle of this one after all. This scent is more up my alley (but it really isn't in the same league as Revenant Rhythm/Banshee Beat on my skin). I like this and am curious to see how it will age!

2016 version. Note: I have not tried the original release, but I do have the v2 prototype. In the bottle: Cocoa Snake Oil! If I inhale really deeply, I can smell the teak as well. This is probably the Snake Oil-iest of the five snakes that I ordered, and the main difference from the v2 prototype is that this has a cocoa note instead of a milk chocolate. Wet: Cocoa and Snake Oil, indeed. This is definitely the most Snake Oil heavy of the snakes I ordered (Asp Viper, Coral Snake, Cottonmouth, and Green Tree Viper were the others). Then, I get the rice milk. The teak note is present, but not as strong as the other notes. Dry: The Snake Oil won out. It smells just like fresh Snake Oil, but with some cocoa in the background now. Verdict: I am not a big fan of fresh Snake Oil, but I love it when it is aged. I like it now, but I know it will be even better over time. I'm glad I bought a bottle to compare to my bottle of the prototype!

2016 version. Note: I have not tried the previous release. In the bottle: This is the least Snake Oil-y of all of the five Snake Pit scents that I ordered. It's a very pretty, sweet, white floral scent. I can smell the calla lily, linden blossom, and narcissus, but I'm not familiar with passionflower (which I'm guessing is the note with the somewhat tropical vibe). As a fan of sugary florals, I'm hoping the vanilla of the Snake Oil will be prominent on me, so that I get vanilla and spice-tinged florals. Wet: The white floral notes reign. The floral notes are soft as opposed to heady. There is only a very faint hint of Snake Oil spices, but I have to inhale really deeply to smell them. Dry: The floral notes still reign. If I inhale really deeply, I can smell the vanilla and spices, albeit faintly. This is predominantly a white floral scent. Verdict: I enjoy the florals, but I was hoping that the Snake Oil base would show up more on my skin. Hopefully I'll get some more vanilla and spices from this as it ages. This is nice, though!

2016 version. Note: I have not tried the previous release. In the bottle: When this first arrived, I mostly smelled green tea and mint. A few hours later, I'm mainly getting mint and bergamot. I can't really smell the Snake Oil base in the bottle. Wet: There is a burst of bergamot, but it doesn't take long before it calms down significantly, so that the cool mint notes get a chance to shine. The green tea note is present now, and in the background, I can smell the Snake Oil base, although it isn't nearly as strong as the aforementioned notes. But the bergamot still reigns. Dry: I'm getting more of the green tea note now. The mint notes are very soft and cool, and the Snake Oil base is finally starting to gain prominence. The vanilla in the Snake Oil is one of the dominant notes on my skin, but I am still getting the mint, green tea, a bit of the bergamot, and some faint spices. After a few more hours, the spices in the Snake Oil have become more prominent, making it recognizable as a Snake Oil plus scent, with the vanilla note continuing to reign, accompanied by very soft mint and green tea. Verdict: I knew this would be amazing, and it didn't disappoint. I adore this. It's a Snake Oil plus scent for the spring and summer. One bottle will be not enough.

In the decant: This smells like lemon lime candy. Wet: I'm definitely getting lime from this. It's the most prominent note on my skin, but it's a candied lime. Then, the lemon starts becoming more prominent and vies to be the dominant note. The lemon note is taking the candied aspect away as the scent takes on more of a cleaner vibe as the lemon becomes more prominent, but the candied aspect never completely goes away. Dry: I'm mainly getting sour gummy worms (though sometimes it is more lemon drop-y, depending on whether I'm smelling the scent up close or from afar). Verdict: I had to try this because of the name, but this one is not my cup of tea.

In the decant: It smells like a lily, all right! It kind of reminds me of Winter Lily and Sugar Cane hair gloss. Wet: Whoa. It's like I've pressed my nose into a bouquet of lilies. I definitely get the pollen-y aspect from the description. This single note is very true to the real thing and isn't going soapy on me at all. Dry: It's softer now, and still pollen-y. When I smell my wrist, I imagine brushing my hands against the soft petals. It smells so realistic. Verdict: This is beautiful. I already have a bottle of Tiger Lily (which is honeyed lilies), so I'm not sure I need this one too, but I'll give this a full day test before it is taken off of the website before making a decision. In any case, I'll certainly be keeping my decant!

In the decant: At first, it smells a bit cocoa powder-y, but on closer inspection, I do get a sweet milk chocolate scent. Wet: This is definitely sweeter on my skin. I can smell the 'melty' aspect of the chocolate note. I'm not really reminded of a creme egg. It's verging on brownie-like on my skin, although not on the same scale as Bliss or The Agricultural Building atmo. Dry: This is a very creamy milk chocolate scent now. It's sugary and soft, and I don't get any brownie-vibes from this anymore. This stage is far more reminiscent of a creme egg. Verdict: I have too many chocolate scents, so this one would have really had to wow me for me to want a bottle. I'm glad to have been able to try it, but I don't need more than the decant.

In the decant: Incense-y, floral awesomeness! This is the same champaca note listed in Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit. I slathered that one on yesterday, and this reminded me of it. I don't have any more House of Unquenchable Fire atmo, but it may be the same champaca note listed there, too. Wet: I'm finding this is more incense than floral, so don't let the floral aspect of this scare you away! It's definitely the same note used in Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit. And it's strong! Dry: Same. It doesn't really morph. I can't believe how strong this one is. I wish I could adequately describe it, but alas, I cannot. I can say that this is the note that really contributed to the sophisticated woman in an incense-y coffeeshop vibe that I got from Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit, though. Verdict: This is amazing. I don't think I will end up springing for a bottle, since I don't really reach for my single notes too often (and I still have plenty Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit), but I will definitely cherish my decant.

While I can see the comparisons, I have to say that this is most definitely not the Stekkjarstaur of the Lupers on me. Thanks, skin chemistry. The vanilla cream note is lovely, but it doesn't come close to the sugared-marshmallow-root-vanilla-awesomeness that is Stekkjarstaur on my skin. In fact, this isn't even vanilla dominant on me. Even though I didn't really detect much lotus root in the bottle, during the wet phase, it was quite prominent on me. It didn't remind me of bubblegum, but it was certainly candy-like. Once dry, the lotus root backs off, but the dry, dusty white sandalwood note is by far the most prominent note on my skin. It's more like Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, but with a different vanilla note, and with lotus root instead of the awesome sweet pea. I guess the mentions of Stekkjarstaur made me have higher expectations for this one. I don't dislike it, but I'm not in love with it, either. I actually enjoy Blossoming Vulva more.

2016 version. In the bottle: The juniper and lily are the most prominent notes. I can smell the rose, pine, and star jasmine as well. If I inhale really deeply, I can smell the bergamot, too. Wet: The juniper and florals reign (especially those of the white variety), followed by the pine, bergamot, and then there's a hint of vanilla. Someone had said this was like a combination of Egle and Elf in the Lupercalia thread, so I went ahead and ordered this. I get more of an Egle vibe from this (due to the juniper and star jasmine) than Elf, and this is a different kind of forest than Elf (due to the floral notes that are present in this blend). Dry: This smells different on my wrists and in the crooks of my elbows. It's a lot sweeter on my wrist. I get a lot more vanilla, creamy florals, juniper, and pine. It's lovely. In the crook of my elbow, I don't really get the vanilla. It's all tea rose, juniper, and pine. Alas, combination of the tea rose and juniper in that area come off as somewhat sour. Verdict: Undecided. I enjoy the smell of this on my wrists, but in the crooks of my elbows? Not so much. I'll hold onto it for now and see if the vanilla comes out more as it ages.

In the bottle: Creamy lotus and the Lab's white tea note are the most prominent notes to my nose. The oak and amber are present, but they are in the background, deepening the scent. This type of lotus is not bubblegum-y whatsoever, but it is a sweet floral. Wet: Blue lotus and white tea reign, and the lotus continues to have a creamy feel to it thanks to the vanilla note. The amber is more prominent on my skin, but still light, and the oak note remains soft and non-cologne-y (which I had worried about). The combination of the lotus and tea notes almost give off a candy-like vibe... almost chewy-SweeTart like, but not quite? Dry: This is really soft and stays close to the skin. The vanilla, lotus, and amber are the strongest notes during this stage. The tea blossom is still present, but not nearly as prominent as I was during the wet phase of the scent. I can smell the oak note more in the crook of my elbow than on my wrists, so it's present, but it doesn't have the sharp quality I've encountered with some other oak notes in the past, and for that, I'm glad. Verdict: I'm so glad I bought a bottle of this one.

In the imp: I am not familiar with all of the notes in this, but this is definitely plum-y and raisin-y. Wet: The plum pudding reigns. I am not fond of plum notes, so this isn't really my jam. I'm just not fond of sweet, berry and dark fruit notes. After a bit, the brandy-soaked part of the raisin note makes an appearance, so that it's boozy plum and raisin with a hint of the mince pie. Dry: The plum pudding note is still the most prominent note. The brandy-soaked raisin isn't so brandy-soaked anymore, and the hint of pastry crust from the mince pie is even fainter now. Verdict: This is too plum-y for me, but I'll be holding onto my imp (like I do with all Mad Tea Party imps).

In the imp: Cherry and mahogany, with the mahogany almost giving a tootsie roll vibe in the background. Wet: The cherry dominates, and the wood notes are velvety, just like in the description. I'm getting more of the woods on my skin than I did in the imp, and the tootsie roll vibe I mentioned before is not present on my skin. The cherry smells realistic (and not medicinal) to me, but it isn't long before the wood notes start declaring dominion over the fruit notes. Dry: The mahogany and velvety woods reign, but the cherry and currant are still present, albeit in the background. Verdict: I actually enjoyed the wet phase of the scent more, when the wood notes weren't as prominent. I'll be keeping my imp (as I do that with all Mad Tea Party imps), but I won't be upgrading this one to a bottle.

Well, it appears I've neglected to post yet another Mad Tea Party review, even though I tested this a long time ago! Original review: I really like the cider note in this. It is the main note I get from the imp. I applied this to my arm, and it started burning a bit. I hope it doesn't end up leaving any welts. Phew! The burning didn't last long. The spicy cider is the prominent note, followed by the wine. I know there must be cinnamon in the cider to make it this spicy, but I think the carnation is helping to give the spicy impression as well. I'm surprised the carnation hasn't dominated the entire blend – it usually does that on my skin! I will give this a full day test to make sure it doesn't burn or leave welts when applied in a bigger quantity. If it passes that test, I am going to need a full bottle because I love cider scents! Verdict: This is a lovely spiced cider and wine scent. I bought a bottle. It's one of my favorite GCs to wear in the autumn (and a scent featuring a spiced carnation note that doesn't smell like carnation single note on me)!

I tested this a long time ago, but I forgot to put my review on the forum! In the imp: Lots of cinnamon! And what I believe is the prune note. Wet: Cassis dominates, but it doesn't burn my skin where this was applied. The rum note is second in command for a while, but then the prune note takes its place. Dry: The cassis is still the most prominent note, and the ginger is far more prominent on the drydown. The rum part of the rum-quince-cassis has returned, and the fruit notes, while still present, make up the background. Verdict: I like this one, but I think the imp will suffice.

I tested this one a long time ago, but apparently neglected to put my review on the forum. In the imp: Mostly black cherry and lavender. I'm glad that I am not detecting the red musk in the imp. Hopefully it will remain that way on the skin. Wet: The black cherry and lavender are the most prominent at first, but the lavender quickly becomes the dominant note. I like lavender, so this isn't a bad thing for me. I am also getting the rose, but I'm not sure if it is the rose or the rosewood (or both). I keep getting random wafts of the black cherry, and the musks are lingering in the background. This is odd. Dry: Still lavender-dominant, but this is rather light now. Verdict: I wish this had been like it was in the imp, but alas, that was not the case. I will keep my imp (and perhaps use this in a scent locket), but I don't think I need a bottle of this one.

In the imp: There is a blast of lime, followed by a bit of rose and sage, and then the musk. But mostly, I smell the pink lime note. Wet: Lime, grapefruit, and rose are the most prominent notes, but it isn't long before the nectarine emerges. I can also smell the sage in the background, which is giving this a clean, spa-like vibe. I can smell the musk, too. Alas, the citrus and nectarine notes are being overtaken by these notes, so that it smells very clean on my skin, and rather (well, I hate to say this term)... soapy. Wahh! I wanted lime and grapefruit! They haven't gone away, but they have been beaten to the background, so that I can only smell them if I stick my nose to my wrist. Otherwise, it's Soapville, Soapkania, and it's starting to give me a headache. Dry: The lime gained strength again, but that sharp soapiness is still really strong, making it like a citrus soap on me, with more soap than citrus. Verdict: Damn you, skin chemistry. These notes clash on my skin. I'll be keeping my imp (because I do that with all things Mad Tea Party), but I can't see myself trying this again in the future, unless I decide to put it in a scent locket (or my skin chemistry drastically changes).

In the bottle: Lots of pink pepper, tea, and sandalwood. Wet: The pink pepper in this is very strong, followed by the ti leaf and sandalwood. There's more of a 'kick' to this than most scents I've tried featuring pink pepper (like High-Strung Daisies, Jiggery Pokery, and Some Strangeness in the Proportion). I'm not familiar with osmanthus, so I can't pick that note out, and I'm not getting any vanilla bark from this at the moment. Wow, the pink pepper in this is strong. It tingled my skin for a really long time, and for once, left a slight red area on my arm (but not a huge red welt, like cinnamon). I have sensitive skin, but that's never happened to me with pink pepper before! Dry: The pink pepper still reigns, but it is softer and sweeter now, like the pink pepper with which I'm familiar. The dusty, white sandalwood note is second in prominence. I'm reminded of Some Strangeness in the Proportion, only this is lighter (as there is no oudh), and I can smell more vanilla in that one. Verdict: I am going to let this one settle for a bit. It's nice, but I don't know if it is different enough from Some Strangeness in the Proportion to warrant having both scents.