dementia_divine

In the decant: The white tea note is the most prominent. There is a hint of something lemony as well. Wet: The white tea is definitely there, and the lemon note is a lot stronger on my skin than it was in the decant. The lemon note seems to be stronger than the tea note at the moment. The spot on my skin on which I applied this feels a bit cool, and I think that must be the eucalyptus sap. The cooling effect seems to be getting stronger the longer this sits on my skin, but it's very light and refreshing. Dry: It is becoming more aquatic now as the ambergris foam has become the dominant note. The tea note and the lemon note are still present, and the eucalyptus sap adds a nice coolness to the scent. Verdict: I enjoyed this during the wet phase, but I'm not as fond of the drydown. I think I will keep the decant to wear on a warm summer day, but I don't need a bottle.

Here are some of the combinations I have used: Hope and Fear Set Free, Hesiod's Phoenix, or Snake Charmer Res. with Implacable Beautiful Tyrant Lambs-Wool, Poisoned Apple, or All Hallows' Apple with Caramel Apples and Ancient Oaks and Implacable Beautiful Tyrant or Morocco hair gloss Snow White with Juniper and White Mint (and pretty much any scent with a snow or mint note... this hair gloss doesn't really interfere with any of my perfumes... it also goes well with scents like Squirting Cucumber) Summer Lace with Lightning Storm Sudsy She Wolf with El Dia de los Reyes Shiny Furball with Tombstone Snake Oil with any of the Snake Oil plus blends (of course ) Fairy Market with White Peach and Incense Hair Loosened and Soiled in Mid Orgies with O Dorian in the Pumpkin Patch with Pumpkin Ice Cream and Dorian hair gloss I am sure I will come up with more later!

In the decant: This is so strong that I can smell it without even opening the decant! Very strong, salty caramel! I am not really getting the cookie note at all at this time. Wet: Super salty caramel. It seems to be getting saltier the longer it sits on my skin. I can't believe how salty this is! I think there is a bit of almond extract or something similar in this blend as well. That note is seeming to fade away now, and the sea salt is taking a step back to reveal the caramel itself now. It's very rich and gooey. I am not really getting any cookie from this! Dry: Very salty caramel. Verdict: This is way too intense for me. I won't be keeping my decant, but if you like foodie scents with a lot of throw, you will probably enjoy this blend.

2013 version. In the decant: Very minty snow... a very ozone-y snow. Wet: A blast of ozone-y snow, but then the mint becomes more prominent the longer this sits on my skin. That said, the ozone-heavy snow is still pretty strong. The mint is actually rather calm, which I am rather surprised by given the description. Dry: A soft mint, a hint of something green (perhaps pine?) and a bit of snow? It's very faint now. Verdict: Not what I was expecting! There are several other snow and mint blends (scent and throw wise) that I prefer over this one, so I won't be needing a bottle.

In the decant: Intense pecans and a hint of pumpkin. I don't think I am going to like this one. It is very nutty. Wet: There is a blast of pecans at first, but then the pumpkin quickly becomes the dominant note. Phew! The pecans are still present, but they are not nearly as intense as they were in the decant. Wait... perhaps I spoke too soon. The pecan note seems to be getting stronger over time, but the pumpkin note is still there. The pumpkin note is a spiced pumpkin. Dry: Very sweet pumpkin tarts coated in sugary pecans. Verdict: I like pumpkin, so I had to try this, but the pecan is far too prominent for my liking, and the blend is too sweet overall. I probably won't even keep my decant because it is so sweet and pecan-heavy.

2013 version. In the decant: Hot chocolate and coffee beans. Wet: Ooh. The hot cocoa is the dominant note, and it smells delicious! After a bit, the coffee note begins to reveal itself, but the hot cocoa is still the most prominent. I am getting some of the cinnamon now, but fortunately, it hasn't decided to burn my skin yet. Hopefully it will behave! The coffee note seems to be getting stronger the longer this sits on my skin. This is like a mocha (that is heavier on the chocolate than the coffee) with cinnamon. The cinnamon is warming up my wrist, but it isn't really burning it, so no welts have emerged. Ooh, now the brown sugar has made an appearance, and it is AMAZING. Dry: Brown sugar dominant chocolate-y goodness with a hint of coffee and cinnamon. Verdict: Ooh, this turned out to be so much better than I expected it to be! I am definitely keeping my decant, and I may even end up purchasing a bottle! (I think this and Sudsy She Wolf bath oil would be a great combination!)

In the decant: The grapefruit, yuzu, and lemon drops are the strongest notes. Wet: The citrus notes take the center stage, but the snow is quickly making its presence known. It is quite ozone-y and citrus-y at the moment, and I can't say I am particularly enjoying it. The grapefruit seems to be the strongest of the citrus notes. I hope the vanilla cream makes an appearance. The citrus is quite strong and seems to have a lot of throw. The grapefruit is definitely the dominant note at the moment. Dry: Bright grapefruit and lemon snow. Verdict: I really wish I had gotten the vanilla cream from this, but alas, I did not. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the vanilla cream had been one of the main players in this blend, or if the snow note used were the one from Snow White. Ah, well. No bottle for me!

In the decant: Orange frosting, flour, pinwheels, and a bit of spice. Wet: The orange frosting is the dominant note at first, and it smells delicious! I can smell the baked goods as well, and the scent of treats waiting to be baked. Mmm. My stomach is growling a bit now. The frosting note is still present, but it is less citrus-y now, and more creamy. Additionally, the ginger tea is becoming more and more prominent the longer this is on my skin. It's warming my skin and threatening to overtake the frosting note. I have sensitive skin, but this hasn't left a welt on my skin yet, and I hope that it doesn't, because I REALLY want Yule Cookies to work on me! The caraway is becoming more prominent as well, and I hope it recedes into the background again, because I am not a big fan of it. I am mostly getting the warm caraway cakes, ginger tea, and pinwheels now. The spot I tested this on is still quite warm... still no welts, though! Dry: The frosting, the ginger tea, and the baked goods have decided to be friends, and there's just a lovely melange of deliciousness near my wrist. The spices are still quite warm, though. I would not be able to apply this anywhere but the wrist (such as the crook of the elbow or the neck) because of the spices in this. Verdict: Although I enjoy the scent of Yule Cookies (save for the caraway), I will have to refrain from getting a bottle of this one because of my sensitive skin, and I amp the spices. I will keep my decant, though, because I would like to open it and sniff this every once in a while!

In the decant: Very fruity snow! The currant and the plum are the most prominent notes. I can smell a hint of the cardamom, but it's mostly just fruity snow! Wet: The fruity snow takes the center stage, but the cardamom is more noticeable on my skin than it was in the decant. The snow note is a slushy snow, so this reminds me of a snowcone. The plum emerges more over time, so it is now plum and snow with a hint of currant. After that, it morphs into a slushy, ozone-y somewhat pine-y snow scent with the fruits in the background. Dry: Slushy, fruity snow. Verdict: I wanted a decant of this one because of the name... I just couldn't resist trying something called Purple Snowballs, even though I figured it would probably be too fruity for me, and it is, so no bottle for me. This blend certainly matches its description, though! (Now, if Purple Snowballs had been the snow note from Snow White mixed with lavender like the lavender from TKO, I would have needed several bottles.)

In the decant: Minty marzipain! The marzipain adds a nice creaminess to the mint. I am looking forward to this! Wet: Marzipain and mint. There is a blast of marzipain at first, but the mint quickly steals the show. The marzipain is still present, but it has taken a background role. The mint is rather strong for a while, but does not seem to last as long as the mint in Lick It Now. Dry: A very soft, creamy mint. Verdict: I really like this, but I wish it had more staying power. However, I think I prefer Lick It Now over this one. I will definitely keep my decant, but I will only end up getting a bottle if my remaining Yule decants aren't made of win.

In the decant: This actually reminds me of vapor rub. I am not really looking forward to it. Wet: Vapor rub and a bit of apple. It is becoming less vapor rub-like over time, and more like the metallic snow in the description. It's still too medicinal for my liking, but at least the apple is starting to emerge more over time. Now it smells like medicinal apples. Dry: This mostly smells like medicinal apples now. The apple is the dominant note. The medicinal quality is not as intense as it was during the wet phase. I can detect a bit of the dust and burlap as well. Verdict: I ordered a decant of this one because I love apple scents. Unfortunately, this blend is too medicinal for my liking, so I can only see myself wearing it when I am ill. I have several apple scents, and I prefer them over this, so I will be keeping my decant for the time being... but I won't be needing a bottle.

In the decant: This really does remind me of a candy cane after it has been licked! Wet: The mint is rather potent, but it is a soft mint (perhaps the sugar helps round it out). My skin tends to love sugar, so the sugar is becoming more prominent the longer this sits on my skin. The mint is still the very prominent. The spot of skin that I dabbed it on is really chilly now. The mint is lasting a surprisingly long time! Dry: The mint actually lasts for quite a while, but the drydown is mostly a sugary vanilla scent with a hint of mint. Lovely! Verdict: I really like this one! I will definitely keep my decant, but whether or not I end up ordering a full bottle depends on how the other Yules fare!

In the decant: This is a very strong floral blend! I am not really getting the snow from this in the decant... it's mostly just in-your-face flowers. I think I am mainly getting the poppies and the lilies from this. I am not sure if I am going to end up liking this one. Wet: This is still very floral dominant. I can detect the snow, but just barely. It is a very light dusting of snow. I can pick out the poppies, lilies, and rose, with the poppies being the strongest note. Dry: This is still very floral dominant, but the flowers have calmed down a bit now. It ends up being a somewhat sweet floral blend... I am not really getting any snow now. Verdict: This isn't bad, but I was hoping for more snow with the flowers. I won't be needing a bottle of this, but I am glad that I was able to try it.

In the decant: I am mainly getting the rusty chains and smoke from this. On the second and third sniffs, I can detect the Bavarian mints and the apple schnapps. Curiouser and curiouser! Wet: Fortunately, the smoke, fur, and rusty chains aren't the dominant notes. The mint is rather prominent, and the apple schnapps is as well. The smoke is lingering in the background. Alas, the malted chocolate doesn't seem to want to make an appearance on my skin. Other reviewers have mentioned red musk. I am getting that as well. I am wondering if it really is red musk, or if it just happens to be the schnapps that is reminding me of it. I am thinking it is the former. Dry: A smoky red musk (if that is what it is... maybe it is the schnapps minus the apple, or the rusty chains) with a hint of mint. Well, that was unexpected. Verdict: I was hoping to get the apple schnapps, malted chocolate bonbons, and Bavarian mints from this. Alas, it ends up being a smoky red musk on me. Unless the boy ends up wanting to wear the scent (he seems to enjoy wearing blends that are heavy on the red musk), I probably won't keep even my decant. *edit* This one actually made me feel rather nauseated and I had to wash it off.

In the decant: This is definitely a cookie covered with powdered sugar! The pomegranate cream and the mint are lingering in the background. The cookie and the powdered sugar are the strongest notes. Wet: A delicious, buttery cookie coated in powdered sugar with a hint of mint in the background. Then, the pomegranate cream starts to emerge. The cookie and the pomegranate cream are the dominant notes. After a few minutes, the pomegranate cream takes the center stage, with the mint sidling up to it. It's like I am mostly smelling the filling of the cookie now as opposed to the cookie itself. I hope the cookie note makes a triumphant return. Alas, the pomegranate cream steals the show. The mint is still there, but the cookie note insists on hiding in the background. This scent smells better when it is far away than it does up close. Dry: Pomegranate cream dominant cookies with a hint of mint that have lost some of their powdered sugar to the box or tin in which they were contained. Verdict: The reason I ended up going with a decant of this one was because I couldn't resist the artwork and the minty cookie, but I was afraid of the pomegranate. I'm not a huge fan of pomegranate (and non-apple fruity scents in general), and since the pomegranate is the most prominent note on me, I will refrain from buying a bottle.

2013 version. In the decant: A snowy white floral. This reminds me of something. Wet: This is oddly familiar. It's the snow note from Snow Bunny! This actually reminds me of Snow Bunny a lot. It's like Snow Bunny with a stronger floral. In other words, I am rather enjoying it, but the boy will hate it! Dry: The narcissus is more prominent than the snow. This is still a lot like Snow Bunny... perhaps sweeter. Verdict: I really like this one! I will definitely keep my decant, but I'm not quite sure if I need a bottle.

In the decant: The Scottish tablet and leather. Wet: The Scottish tablet and the leather are still the most prominent notes, but the leather is becoming the dominant note. I was actually hoping that the leather would reside in the background. That said, the Scottish Tablet is still present. I wonder if it will morph into something else, as I'd really like to smell the paper and the flowers! Dry: Sweet, slightly-smoky leather and perhaps a hint of antique paper. Verdict: I really wanted this one to work on me because I love the concept. I was hoping that the leather wouldn't be the dominant note on my skin, but alas, that's what ended up happening. I'll keep my decant for the time being, but I won't be upgrading to a bottle. *edit* The decant ended up aging wonderfully. I used it up and was really lucky to be gifted a bottle! This is a really nice leather book scent.

In the decant: Other reviewers have mentioned not getting any almond in this, but I actually do get almond from this... like a hint of the extract (not the nut itself). Just like Annurca Apple Blossom has a prominent apple note at first, this blossom has a bit of almondy goodness to it. This is very promising. Wet: The almond that I was getting in the decant is still present, but it isn't nearly as prominent. Then, the floral aspect takes over, but this is still really promising! I am getting the snow from this as well. Although some have compared the snow note in this to the one in Snow White, I am not getting that at all. Something in the blend is threatening to turn soapy... I'm not sure if it is the almond blossom or the snow, but it hasn't quite turned to soap yet. I hope it refrains from doing so! Dry: It didn't turn soapy! This is a lovely snowy floral with a hint of almond! Verdict: I am definitely keeping the decant, but I think I will be needing a bottle of this one!

In the bottle: Lilies and white sandalwood. Wet: Lilies and dry, white sandalwood! My skin tends to amp white sandalwood, so hopefully it will behave. The lilies and sandalwood seem to battle for dominance for a while. The calla lily note threatens to impose soapiness if it doesn't get its way, while the sandalwood asserts its dry woodiness. Eventually, the white florals win, and the sandalwood is content with its background role (while still being one of the dominant notes). Dry: Cool white florals (mostly lily), sandalwood, and a touch of something sweet. Perhaps it is the iced wine. Verdict: This ended up being a lot better on my skin than I thought it would be. The lily note refrained from turning into a note of soapy doom, and the white sandalwood wasn't victorious in its fight for dominance. I prefer sugary florals, so I don't really see myself wearing this one often, but I'm glad that I was able to try it. I will keep my partial bottle for now.

This is lovely. The scrub itself is just right. I have tried a few of Villainess' Smooches before, but they were limited edition items, so I can't compare the scrub-factor to one of their permanent products. That said, the scrub isn't rough on the skin, and my skin feels soft after using it. The scent is rather strong when the scrub is in use. I was enveloped in a cloud of chocolate-y goodness. It smelled like I was rubbing warm brownies all over my skin (Bliss, in perfume oil and Smooch form, reminds me of brownies as opposed to a bar of milk chocolate). The bathroom itself ended up smelling strongly of Bliss when I got out of the shower. The scent doesn't linger on the skin after use, but that isn't an issue for me. I am very happy with this Smooch, and I would definitely buy it again! I hope to see more BPTP scrubs (and hopefully lotions!) in the future. Here is a picture of the scrub itself.

I received this as an extra with one of my Trading Post orders, and I used up the bar last month. It was used as a hand soap. While the perfume oil seems to be a gingerbread with a lemon zest kind of scent (well, at least, that's how it smells on the boy -- I haven't actually tried Shub on myself yet), the soap seems to be heavier on the resins and ginger itself (as opposed to gingerbread). As a result, the scent seems to be a lot more masculine in soap form, and I don't get any hint of lemon from it (like I do from the perfume). The soap lathered well and lasted for a fairly long time. (However, the color in the soap tends to get all over the soap dispenser and the sink when it is in use, so I wouldn't recommend this one as a hand soap.) Although I probably wouldn't purchase a soap in this particular scent, I look forward to trying more Trading Post/Villainess soaps in the future.

TKO is one of my favorite BPAL scents. (I love sugary florals, and TKO is like a cloud of lavender marshmallow goodness.) Needless to say, I love this stuff. The massage oil isn't as potent as the perfume oil, but it is still amazing. I tend to slather this on myself before bed (on my arms and legs), and if any of it gets on the bottle, I wipe the bottle off on the bedding so that it can smell of lavender marshmallow awesomeness, too. The oil is thicker than a bath oil, but it doesn't take long to absorb into the skin. Even the boy loves this stuff and uses it on occasion. I just finished using up my first bottle, and I daresay that I will be needing more!

This candle smelled predominantly of musty, dead leaves. The scent was pretty intense (even when it wasn't lit). In fact, it was so strong that I would get a headache it the candle just happened to be in the same room as me (even if it weren't lit)! As a result, I ended up giving it away to someone that could enjoy it.

Ah, Snow White. One of my favorite scents ever. Chilly vanilla floral goodness. Alas, this candle has very little throw. You can only really smell it if you stick your face into it when it is not lit, or happen to be really close to it when it is lit. If you want to scent a room with Snow White, stick with the atmosphere spray. Otherwise, make sure the candle is burning right next to you (or open the window to allow a breeze in) if you want to smell the scent.

I have never tried the perfume of the same name, but the plum note is the dominant note in the candle. I never really got flowers from this one... just plum. It has moderate throw (you generally have to be close to it to smell it, but every once in a while, it will surprise you with little whiffs of plum as you walk by). This is not one of my favorite BPTP candles (as I am generally not fond of non-apple fruit-dominant scents), but if you like plums, you will probably enjoy this!