dementia_divine

I received some imps of the original in my Trading Post orders over the last few years, and to me, it’s similar to Plunder, but with some incense. I am now going to test the Resurrected version on one hand and the original on the other to see how they compare. In the bottle: This is a lot heavier on the cinnamon than the original. I am not sure if that’s because the original is aged, though. It still reminds me of Plunder (they both have cinnamon and tea). Wet: The cinnamon is a lot stronger in the Resurrected version. The original is softer and smoother, but again, maybe that is due to age. You can tell that they’re the same scent, but I’m able to get more notes from the original because the cinnamon is a lot calmer. Even though this is very cinnamon-forward, it’s a softer cinnamon variety that isn’t burning my sensitive skin. Dry: This is still mostly about the soft cinnamon, while the original has the cinnamon, tea, incense, and other spices. The incense in this is very light and the original is smokier, so I am thinking that that’s probably the main difference between the two. Verdict: If you are a fan of Plunder or that scent family, there’s a good chance you will like this one as well. This is nice, but I already have a few cinnamon-dominant scents in my collection that I don’t reach for often enough, so I will likely end up gifting this to a friend that adores cinnamon scents.

In the decant: Cinnamon and greenery stand out to me the most. The moss is present, and there’s a touch of ozone, some resins, and what I believe is the same papyrus note found in Funerary Papyri. Wet: There is a lot going on here. I do not think I’ll be able to pick out all of the notes, but the cinnamon, greenery, and moss are the first notes I detect. Then I get a resin, a little bit of soapy ozone, and some fresh, green, and slightly citrus-y papyrus. There are also some florals at play here, but I am unable to pinpoint which ones they are. There’s something slightly sweet in here (not the honey) that I am not feeling, but I am not sure what it is (maybe the styrax?). As it begins to dry, the moss, grass, cinnamon are still the notes that jump out to me the most, with a resin not far behind. Even though the cinnamon in this is described as heady, this is not a scent heavy on the cinnamon (and I’m glad, since I have sensitive skin). Dry: The moss is now the dominant note on me, followed by the amber. I also get a bit of honey. It’s somewhat soapy on me now, but I’m not sure if it is because of the moss and the ozone, or because there are just so many notes in this one. I think it’s probably the moss and ozone, though. After a while, the moss and ozone do give it an after-rain feel, but the honey has become more prominent by this time, so it’s part after-rain scent and part honeyed resin. How curious! Verdict: It’s okay, but there is too much going on in this one for me. Oddly enough, the phase of the scent I enjoyed the most was the one I got after the scent had been on my skin for a few hours.

In the decant: Lots of almond (the kind I can’t help associating with cherry) and rose. I only get a trace of leather in the background if I inhale really deeply. Wet: The almond note is very strong, and I can’t help but thinking of cherry when I smell it. The red rose is also pretty potent. I wonder if that is also contributing to the cherry association, or if the leather is, as I can smell it now, and I’ve had some leathers do that on me before. Unfortunately, this smells really medicinal on me at the moment. I hope that changes. Dry: The leather is more prominent than it was before, and I still get the red rose, but alas, that medicinal vibe hasn’t gone away. Verdict: The almond in this one just didn’t work on my skin, sadly. I prefer Whip.

In the decant: Skin musk, bourbon vanilla, sweet yet dry Mysore sandalwood, and frankincense. Wet: Bourbon vanilla and skin musk are the first notes that leap out at me, followed by the sandalwood and frankincense. I have been trying to skip scents with bourbon vanilla listed lately because it was barely there in the last several scents I tried with the note. This is more like what I was hoping for with Drag is for Everyone. I think the frankincense used here is the same one found in Venus Caelestis, because this shares a similarity to that scent, and I think the costus is playing a factor in reminding me of that scent as well, since it had a light, sweet floral accompanied by light resins. This is a lot sweeter and feminine than I thought it would be, and I cannot stop sniffing my wrist! Dry: On me, this is vanilla-infused sandalwood and light frankincense accompanied by a sweet, candy-like floral on a bed of skin musk. The costus makes me think of blue lotus instead of the animalic description I got when I looked up what costus is supposed to smell like. Verdict: I can’t believe I was originally going to skip trying this one. I am so glad that I decided to try it, because this is amazing! The wet phase in particular really reminds me of Venus Caelestis, which I regret not getting a bottle of, minus the sugared lemon. I need a bottle of this, stat.

In the decant: Lots of almond and hazelnut, with some fig behind those notes. Wet: The almond and hazelnut stand out to me the most. It makes me think of a glazed pastry. I am now regretting my decision of not eating some of the almond kringle I bought from Trader Joe’s for breakfast. Then, I get the fig behind those notes, as well as some rose-y Turkish delight. The blast of almond that I got before has already calmed down within a few minutes, and now the hazelnuts and rose-y rahat lokum are the main players, but the fig is not far behind. Dry: This ends up being strong on the hazelnut, fig, and rahat lokum for a while before settling down into a warm hazelnut and Turkish delight scent that’s less rose-y than before with a calmer fig note. Verdict: I wish the almond had decided to stick around longer, but it doesn’t normally last very long on me, so I am not surprised. In the end, this is nice, but the fig ends up being stronger on me than I would like it to be. It was really nice to be able to try this one, though!

In the decant: I get a pale honey drizzled over dry flowers, and behind that, I get a metallic note. I hope the metallic note cooperates on my skin. Wet: This is a cold, honeyed floral scent, but the metallic note adds a cologne-like quality to it. The honey is definitely a pale variety, and the flowers are dry… they remind me of something, but I cannot pinpoint what they remind me of at this time. Dry: Alas, this has gone into powder territory on me. It’s slightly honeyed, floral powder. I am guessing that my skin has decided to make this mostly about the dust and dead flowers. After a while, it’s a cool, musky floral scent with a really light honey. Verdict: I was interested in this one because of the honeyed floral aspect of the scent, but alas, it ended up being really powdery on me at one point, so it’s not something I’d reach for. On a positive note, the metallic note in this is kinder than those notes usually are on me.

In the decant: I am getting lots of jasmine and some vanilla orchid with just a tinge of the spices in the background. Wet: The jasmine is the main player here, but I am getting more clove than I was expecting from the other reviews… I do think I tend to amp the note, though. I am fine with this, as I thought it would be all white florals and no spice! Dry: The jasmine still reigns, but I can smell some of the moonflower and vanilla orchid behind it now if I inhale deeply. The clove bud and cardamom just add a little bit of spice. After a few hours, I do get more clove and cardamom (yaaaas), but they’re not as strong as the floral notes. Verdict: I was curious to try this because of the combination of the florals and the spices. This is nice, spice-tinged white floral scent (with a kind variety of jasmine!), but I wish the clove and cardamom played more of a role in this one. No bottle for me, but I am glad I decided to try it. I think I’ll keep my decant.

In the decant: The gardenia and tuberose are the strongest notes, followed by the ambergris and vanilla musk. I get a bit of the amber incense in the background. Wet: Gardenia and tuberose are the stars here, but I am also getting a fair amount of ambergris and vanilla musk as well. It’s heady and also sparkling. This is the scent of a queen that knows and gets what she wants. As it begins to dry, the amber incense begins to emerge. Dry: Not much morphing going on here! The gardenia and tuberose are still the main players, but I am getting more of the ambergris and vanilla musk now. The amber incense continues to play a background role. After a few hours, I get even more of the ambergris, vanilla musk, and bourbon vanilla accompanying the heady floral notes. Verdict: This is a glittering, heady floral scent that makes me think of scents like Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending and Ava, although this isn’t as innocent as the former, and it’s not as vanilla-ed as the latter. I like it, but I don’t feel the need to grab a bottle, as I already own a few bottles of Ava and prefer that scent. But if that scent family is your jam, you should definitely look into trying this one!

In the decant: I grew up in an area with lots of mountains and trees, and now that I live in a place where it is rare to see grass and trees, I am more curious about forest scents than ever. This is the scent of an evergreen forest that isn’t covered in snow. I get lots of fir, some spruce, and some cedar. It smells very realistic. Wet: The bright, silver fir note is the most prominent note on me. Behind it, I smell the blue spruce and the red cedar. The combination of the silver fir and blue spruce give it a cool, wintery vibe even though this is a forest without snow, but the cedar adds this warmth to the scent. When I close my eyes and smell this, it really feels as if I am standing in the middle of a forest. Dry: The scent is sweeter now. One of the coniferous notes has a sweet, almost jammy quality to it. I can also smell the dry oak now, and the cedar is more prominent than it was before, so the forest is warmer and less intense on the tree needles. The jammy quality I got ends up going away, and it ends up being a lightly sweet evergreen scent with the warmth of the cedar and oak in the background. Verdict: I absolutely adored the wet stage of this scent. I do not love the dry phase as much, but that’s because it’s not as intensely coniferous. I plan on doing a full-day test of this before this goes down and may end up getting a bottle of this depending on how hard the Lilith update hits me. But if I don’t end up upgrading to a bottle, I will definitely be keeping my decant!

In the decant: I can smell the clary sage, pine needles, moss, what I believe is the same mandrake note from Anesthesia, and some burgundy pitch. Wet: The pine needles really stand out to me, but the scent is warmer and more mellow than I expected on my skin. I am also getting the clary sage and moss. Dry: This is more of a mix of green and brown notes now, as the pine needles and clary sage have calmed down a little, and I am getting some warm hay now. After a while, I get the vetiver, but it is a grassy, slightly smoky variety, not a super smoky one, more moss, and some patchouli. The clary sage remains a main player on me. Eventually, the vetiver ends up becoming the strongest note, followed by the clary sage, and the patchouli is more prominent as well. Verdict: I was curious about this because it was a forest scent, but this one ended up being too masculine for me in the end. I vastly prefer The Forest of the Empress.

In the decant: It’s a bouquet of pale floral notes! I am here for the daffodil, which actually does stand out to me in the vial. I hope that is also the case on my skin. Wet: I’d still describe this as a bouquet of golden and white flowers, some of which are sweet, and I can smell the nectar on these flowers. It’s hard to pick out the different floral notes. The daffodil is there, but I don’t feel like it is as strong as it is in Lakeside atmo, and there’s also an aquatic-floral quality to this that I think could be the tulips, because Amsterdam has that same quality to it. After a few minutes, I get a touch of amber, giving the impression of sun-warmed flowers, but I wouldn’t describe this as a floral and resin scent. The floral notes are veering into soap territory as the scent dries… I hope they’re able to veer back out of it! Dry: The floral notes calm down enough so that it does smell less soapy now, although it still smells slightly soapy on me. I am getting more of a soft, golden amber during this stage, making it have even more of a sun-warmed flower vibe. Verdict: I was really looking forward to this one since daffodil isn’t a note that I see pop up very often. It’s nice, but it is not the daffodil scent that I was hoping for, since there are so many floral notes at play here. I won’t be needing more of this, but if you’re looking for the scent of sun-warmed flowers, give this one a try.

In the decant: Soft amber, slightly darkened by the oudh, with lots of citrus. The combination of the amber and mandarin rind make me think of the amber and blood orange combo from The Geisha and the Samurai HG that works really well. Wet: Soft amber accompanied by lots of citrus. I get more mandarin rind than bergamot, but it does not have the perfume-y quality that one might expect from an orange rind note (at least, not at the moment). There’s almost a creamy quality to the amber combined with the citrus, which I also get from The Geisha and the Samurai HG. I am really enjoying this thus far. Dry: The citrus has calmed down somewhat, so the amber and oudh are more prominent now. The combination of these two notes makes me think of Hesiod’s Phoenix with citrus instead of vanilla. After a while, the citrus becomes very faint, and this ends up being a golden amber and sweet oudh scent similar to scents like Hesiod’s Phoenix and Implacable Beautiful Tyrant hair gloss with just a tinge of citrus. Verdict: This is lovely. I just wish the citrus had decided to stick around longer! I am not sure if I need a full bottle of it since I already own Hesiod’s Phoenix (I’ll give it a full-day test just to be sure), but I am definitely going to hang on to my decant!

In the imp: Musky myrrh and ylang ylang accompanied by red rose. Wet: Dark musk, dark yet powdery myrrh, and sharp ylang ylang stand out to me the most. The red rose is soft and smooth. The ylang ylang has calmed down after a few minutes, and the rose is becoming more prominent. Dry: This ends up being really lovely after it has been on the skin for a while. It’s a sweet, powdery myrrh, darkened by the musk, and sweetened by the ylang ylang. I thought there might be some honey in this for a minute, and there’s definitely a creaminess to the scent now. I can still smell the rose, but it is not as strong as it was during the wet phase. Verdict: This is actually really pleasant. I like it more than I thought I would for a musky resin + floral scent (since resins and florals combined are usually not my thing). I do not need a bottle of it, but I think I’ll hang on to the imp and see if I reach for it at all. That said, Sed Non Satiata shares some notes with this one, and I like that scent more.

In the imp: I’m getting lots of orange blossom, followed by carnation. Wet: The orange blossom is by far the most prominent note on my skin, but there’s some spicy carnation behind it. After a few minutes, I get a little patchouli. Dry: I was sure the orange blossom was going to reign forever, but the patchouli is actually the strongest note after a while, with the orange blossom and carnation right behind it. Sadly, the ambergris in this is not a main player on me (I was hoping for more of it), but I can actually tell it is present during this phase of the scent, at least. Verdict: Masquerade is not for me, as I am not fond of orange blossom, and there’s a lot of it here.

Honeyed lavender with Madagascar vanilla and plumeria. Note: The punctuation on the bottle differs from that from the Lab announcement, so when looking for this online, you may also want to try searching for C%^T. I am testing this after it had two days to settle, but Ill update if I notice any changes over the next few weeks. In the bottle: Whoa, thats some honey! Its like a golden honey has been slathered over everything. I think its most like the honey from The White Bees Swarming HG, without the chilly note. The plumeria is pretty strong, too. Wet: I get more lavender on my skin than I did in the bottle, but the honey is still the star of the show. The plumeria is stronger on me than the lavender, and I am not getting any of the vanilla at the moment. Dry: Honey, plumeria, and lavender. The honey and plumeria are the strongest notes in the middle of my lower arm and in the crooks of my elbows, but the lavender has a stronger presence on my wrists. After a few hours, the honey remains the dominant note on me, followed by the plumeria. I was worried that the vanilla was going to be a no show on me, but it ends up being a lovely vanilla-ed and honeyed floral scent after several hours of wear. The creamy vanilla note is stunning, and I feel like this is when the scent really shines. Verdict: This is a feminine, honeyed floral scent, with the vanilla gaining prominence much later. I am a fan of sugary florals, and lavender and vanilla is my favorite scent combination. But I wouldnt describe this as a lavender and vanilla scent, because this is heavy on the honey, and the plumeria is a main player as well. (Of course, skin chemistry is always a big factor, but these notes are also strong in the bottle.) I am really glad that I was able to obtain a bottle of this, and I suspect it will only get better with age. Thanks to the wonderful fairy that picked this up for me!

In the imp: This is very sharp… almost like nail polish remover. Yikes. There’s definitely some rose in this, so I am guessing it’s a rose stem with thorns that I’m smelling accompanied by some salty tears… and perhaps some dragon’s blood? Wet: The sharp, woody, rose-y thorns take the center stage, followed by the salty tears. I feel like there may be a metallic note at play here, but I am not getting the usual dragon’s blood to represent blood (at least, not at the moment). There’s also some smoky vetiver in the background, but it is not nearly as strong as the sharp, woody, rose-y thorn note. Dry: Smoky vetiver, which is softer and smoother by this point, a little rose-y wood (which is also softer now), and some salt. After a while, it does not smell sharp at all anymore. Verdict: Well, Thorns certainly fits its namesake. It is too sharp for me, even though it calms down during the dry phase. I’m glad I got to try it, though!

In the imp: This is an aged imp, and the green notes stand out to me the most. I am getting the musk, basil, pine, some cumin, and a little clove smoke. Wet: The basil is the dominant note on me at first, and I’m also getting the musk, pine, and some cumin. The pine is gaining strength as this sits on my skin, and now I can smell the clove smoke. Dry: Musk mingled with basil, pine pitch, cumin, and a bit of clove smoke and grassy vetiver. Verdict: I had put off trying this one for years since I was afraid of the vetiver and descriptors like troll musk and scorched cumin. But Troll is not nearly as menacing as it sounds. It’s not for me -- I am not sure I want cumin in my perfume, and I wish it were more forest-like on me -- but it’s a lot better than I thought it would be.

In the imp: Dark pine and waxy berry. Wet: The waxy berries are the dominant note on me when first applied, with the pine in the background. Then the pine gains prominence, and it is a very dark pine note. Dry: A mix of dark pine and waxy berries. The berries have reasserted themselves, but I am still getting a fair amount of pine as well. After a while, the berries calm down again, allowing what I think is black pine to dominate the scent. Verdict: I am glad that I was able to try this, but there are other forest-y scents that I enjoy more. The waxy berry note is not for me.

In the decant: I get snow-draped evergreens, but there’s this fruity sweetness in it that is not listed in the description… maybe grape? Wet: Powdery snow upon fir, spruce, and pine, with something fruity in the background. I hope that the fruitiness does not gain prominence, as I am here for snow-covered trees, not fruit. As it begins to dry, I start to get more of the snow and fruit, which still reads as kind of grape-y to me. Ugh, trees, please reassert yourselves during the dry phase! Dry: Mostly powdery snow and some kind of berry note (it no longer makes me think of artificial grape). Only a hint of the evergreens remain. Woe! Verdict: I almost bought a bottle of this back in 2016, but other Yules (and Liliths) were calling my name more. I am glad I passed on the bottle. I was really hoping this would be a sweet snow + forest scent, but sadly, it is sweet in a way I did not want it to be (fruity sweet) and the evergreen notes are not very strong on me once the scent is dry.

2016 version. In the decant: Espresso sweetened by some pumpkin syrup and filled with pumpkin spice. I also get the milk note. Wet: The espresso and spices are very strong when this first hits my skin. Then the spices just take over, especially the cinnamon. I tend to amp spice, so I am not surprised. I am getting some frothy milk in the background, which I hope helps to tame the spice. I get the sweetness of the pumpkin syrup after a bit, but the spices, especially the cinnamon, reign supreme. Dry: Sadly, this is pumpkin spice and pumpkin syrup all the time on me. The espresso is present in the background, but not nearly as strong as the spice aspect, and the milk is also in the background. The sugar is present but not a main player, and I am not getting much in the way of vanilla. After a few hours, the nutmeg ends up being the strongest note of them all. The nutmeg and espresso are somewhat bitter. I wish this were sweeter on me. Verdict: I almost bought a blind bottle of this in 2016, but I decided against it due to Liliths and Yules calling to me more. Well… I am glad I did not buy a bottle. On me, it’s more like how Pumpkin Spice Everything hair gloss is in my hair, with some espresso in the background, and as far as scents with pumpkin spice go, I know I wouldn’t reach for this one over others that I own. I still have to test a decant of the hair gloss, which smells more promising to me as it is sweeter and heavier on the coffee. I’m hoping that ends up working out since I don’t have to worry about amping the spices with the hair gloss!

I am guessing, from reviews, that this originally was only available as a little goblin squirt? This was recently re-released on the Trading Post Etsy page with the option of being able to choose it in one of the following formats: perfume oil, atmosphere spray, or hair gloss. I opted for the perfume oil. In the bottle: Sweet, fleshy pumpkin without spice accompanied by vanilla. Wet: The pumpkin note is exactly like it was in the bottle, and it is the most prominent aspect of this scent. I don’t find it to be particularly buttery. At first, I was like, I don’t see where all of these mentions of pie are coming from? But after it has been sitting on my skin for a while, I do get this warmth to it that I could see being pie crust, and a vanilla cream note emerges. Dry: The sweet pumpkin is still pretty strong, but the scent is a lot creamier now, thanks to the vanilla. After a while, it ends up being a light pumpkin and vanilla musk scent. This is the phase of the scent I enjoy most… I just wish it were a little stronger. Verdict: I like White Pumpkin Extrait, but I don’t love it. I think it’s because the vanilla in this isn’t as prominent on me, and it’s not my favorite pumpkin note. I prefer The Witches (another vanilla and pumpkin scent), but I think it’s nice to have a pumpkin scent that isn’t spiced. I’m going to let it age and retest it later, but at the moment, I am thinking it’s a bottle I will keep, but I’ll probably end up decanting from it.

2017 version. In the decant: The cherry wood is quite prominent (emphasis on the cherry), followed by the tobacco, leather, and a wisp of smoke. Wet: The cherry wood dominates, with the cherry aspect being very strong, followed by a cozy leather and some sweet tobacco. The cherry begins to calm down somewhat as the scent starts to dry, allowing the leather and tobacco to come out more, and I am also getting some spice from this, which I believe may be representing the embers in a fireplace? Dry: The cherry wood continues to reign, followed by a cozy leather and sweet tobacco. The spice that I was getting before is no longer present. There’s a bit of smoke in the background, but I wouldn’t say this is smoky. Verdict: The cherry aspect of this is a lot stronger than I thought it would be. It’s not bad… I just wasn’t expecting so much outright cherry. It’s okay, but not something I could see myself wearing.

In the decant: Hay, brown musk, and ambergris? There’s definitely ambergris in here. Wet: Warm brown musk, I believe the same one found in The Small Brown Cat, ambergris, and hay. This is a cozy, comforting scent. I believe there is also some benzoin in this, and I get more hay as it sits on my skin. It is becoming sweeter as it dries and it does have a resemblance to Zorya P. Dry: The scent is much softer and sweeter now. I still think this is in the same family as Zorya P, and now I believe I am getting Zorya P’s gossamer vanilla with lots of wonderful ambergris, brown musk, and hay. Verdict: This is really pretty. I do not feel the need to obtain more of this, but only because I already own a bottle of Zorya P. I like this a lot.

I loved the expressions I got from my boyfriend and my sister when I asked them if they wanted to smell P%$S. In the bottle: Exactly what it says: sugared lemon and sour lime! The sugared lemon reminds me of Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat, while the sour lime is somewhat reminiscent of sour green gummy worms, but not quite. Wet: The sugared lemon reigns, followed by the sour lime. Then there’s a blast of sour before the sugared aspect reasserts itself. I’d say there ends up being a pretty even balance of the sugared lemon and sour lime. It doesn’t make me think of candy, and it somewhat effervescent, but not in a fizzy soda or champagne way like Geek.Goth. Dry: The citrus is less intense now, but it is present for a while before becoming a sugared, light citrus scent, with more lemon than lime. It’s similar to Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat, but not as sweet, thanks to the lime. After a few hours, I only get the sugar on my wrists, but I can still smell sugared citrus in the crooks of my elbows. But there’s more sugar than citrus since citrus doesn’t have lots of longevity. Verdict: I adore citrus scents, so I am thrilled to have a bottle of this! I wore this with Eleven Pipers Piping HG today, and the boy has told me several times that I smell nice. I look forward to slathering myself in P%$S during the summer heat. Thanks to my lovely fairy for grabbing this for me!

In the decant: Florals, spice, herbs, and citrus, backed by the mist. Maybe ginger is one of the herbs? Wet: Yeah, there’s definitely some spice in this one. The spice and citrus peel stand out to me the most, giving it a bit of a holiday vibe on me, but I am also getting some mist and florals. Dry: It remains that way for a long time, but the spice does end up calming down somewhat after a while, and by this point I am pretty sure it is ginger. I think it is accompanied by orange peel, which is also not as strong as it was previously, and some florals that I am not able to pick out, but they’re more prominent than before. There’s also lots of green herbs at play here, and the mist is still weaving its way through the scent. Verdict: Well, the strong spice was unexpected! I did enjoy the prominence of the citrus, but this ends up being too herbal on me in the end. It was nice to get to try it, though.