dementia_divine

In the decant: I’m mostly getting the red currant and honeyed fig. Wet: The red currant is the most prominent note on me, followed by the honeyed fig (I get more honey than fig). Dry: The red currant and honeyed fig continue to reign, with the fig being more prominent now. I am not getting any of the patchouli or amber oudh, but there’s a whiff of vanilla cream in the background. Verdict: I have never tried Nasty Woman. I thought it wouldn’t really be my thing after deciding I didn’t want a strong patchouli and fig scent like To His Mistress Going to Bed. But I wanted to try this one since the notes are lighter and sweeter. For some reason, I am mostly just getting the fruits and honey from this, and none of the darker notes. It has had several days to settle -- maybe it needs more in order for those notes to come out? I may retest this in a few weeks, but at the moment, I feel like this is too fruity for me.

In the decant: Honey, a soft patchouli, and some cinnamon sugar (more cinnamon than sugar). Wet: On my skin, the honey and cinnamon sugar notes stand out the most, backed by a soft patchouli. The cinnamon sugar is reminiscent of the kind you’d put on toast, and it’s stronger on me than it was in the decant, but that may be because I tend to amp spices. The patchouli in this is a red variety that’s becoming more prominent as the scent begins to dry. Dry: The red patchouli is now the dominant note. It’s soft and does give the impression of “yesterday’s patchouli” like in the description. It’s backed by the honey note. The cinnamon sugar is faint now -- there really is just a dusting of it in the background. Verdict: I’m always looking for more sweet patchouli scents since I thought I didn’t like the stuff until I tried Banshee Beat. This is nice, but it didn’t wow me, so it’s not something I need more of. I will probably keep my decant, though!

In the decant: I get a ton of dandelion sap, which is just what I’m here for! Huzzah! There’s just a tinge of the blackcurrant bud. It’s mostly dandelion sap on a bed of white musk. Wet: The dandelion sap is the star of the show on my skin. I get a little more blackcurrant bud on me than I did in the decant, but it isn’t making the scent fruity, which makes me glad. The white musk is definitely present, adding a clean, fresh air feel to the scent. Dry: The dandelion sap is no longer king. The blackcurrant bud has stolen the show, so the scent is fruitier now, but you can tell that it is the bud and not straight up blackcurrant (although the fruit is definitely a part of that note). I can still smell the dandelion sap, but it is not nearly as strong as it was before. Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of this, but the blackcurrant bud is a little too strong for my liking once the scent has dried. It’s a pleasant blackcurrant bud and milky dandelion scent, but not something I need a bottle of -- I can’t see myself reaching for this over other dandelion scents in my collection.

In the decant: This actually smells like a bouquet of flowers. Sniffing it makes me envision touching the soft petals. The carnation and rose stand out to me in particular, but I can also smell the peonies, lilies, and sweet pea behind those notes, with just a little vanilla in the background. Wet: Yes, this is exactly like stuffing your face into a bouquet of flowers. The carnation, rose, and peony notes are the first notes to leap out at me, followed by the sweet pea and lily. The carnation is somewhat spicy, and it's warming my skin, but it’s normal for me to get a lot of it because I amp that note. The sweet pea also becomes stronger after a few minutes, and I really love the sweet pink feel that it adds to the scent. If you’ve tried Muse of Fire and are wondering how this compares to that scent, I have to say that they are really different. The floral notes in this are far more realistic and able to be picked out of the scent, and this has more of a fresh flower feel to it than a perfume-y one. Dry: The carnation, rose, and peonies remain the dominant notes for a while, with the sweet pea deciding to retreat to the background. Then, this turns funky on me. I am so sad, because I enjoyed the wet phase so much. It’s doing something similar to what Winter Landscape did on me, even though this doesn’t share any notes with that one, and these notes are normally fine on me. There is only a whiff of vanilla, far in the background. Verdict: I went for a decant of this instead of leaping for a bottle, because I was not sure if this would have enough vanilla in it for me (since I prefer vanilla-ed or sugary floral scents). Well, there’s not as much vanilla as I was hoping for, but it was still really lovely before my skin chemistry decided to ruin it. So no bottle for me, but maybe I’ll try my decant in a locket and see how that goes.

In the decant: I smell the lavender, musk, bergamot, and iris. I was going to leap for a bottle of this, but I thought I better make sure the iris plays nicely first. Wet: The opalescent lavender and musk are the most prominent notes, followed by the bergamot. The iris is present but seems to be behaving at the moment. This is a bright scent, and I agree it is in the same scent family as scents like Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending. It has that classy perfume feel to it. The white amber and ash emerge as the scent begins to dry. Dry: It remains that way for a while, but the iris just seems to be getting stronger on me over time. It’s somewhat powdery on me, but not overwhelmingly so, and since I am not getting tons of Dr. Pepper from this, I do not believe it is the Florentine variety. Eventually, this becomes a musky, powdery iris party on me, with hints of bergamot, white amber, and ash in the background. Me right now: Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of this, but alas, my skin is running away with the iris note. I am not willing to give up on this yet. I am going to have to try this one in a scent locket.

In the decant: Dates, cream, and spices (not cinnamon, though)! Wet: I’m getting the same notes on my skin, but the cream is more prominent than the dates on me. The spices are very light at first, but they seem to be getting stronger as the scent sits on my skin. I think there may be a ginger note in this, and possibly some turmeric, as zee_zee mentioned, but I can’t say for sure. But I will say that I’m enjoying this more than I thought I would! Dry: This is a really creamy, comforting scent. The spices continue to be light, but the fig and date notes are a little more noticeable now. I’m pleasantly surprised that the fig hasn’t taken over and that it hasn’t turned waxy on me. Verdict: This is lovely. I am not sure that I would reach for it enough to warrant getting a bottle (I’ll have to give it a full day’s wear and see if I still feel that way before the Liliths come down), but if I don’t end up buying a bottle, I’ll definitely cherish my decant.

In the decant: Whoa, that’s a very realistic, just-bitten-into honeycrisp apple! Wet: Same! And it’s so real you can envision the texture of the inside of the just-bitten-into apple when you smell it! Dry: The honeycrisp apple remains the star of the show, but now the sugared milk has emerged, and I agree that it smells like leftover cereal milk! The cereal milk note becomes more prominent after a few hours and is mingling with what is now a much softer apple note. Lovely! Verdict: This was a contender for a bottle purchase, but I went for a decant because I thought it might be too much like Apple I. Well, the apple in this is stronger than the apple in Apple I on me, and the milk note is different, because it’s leftover cereal milk and not goat’s milk. I am really happy with this and will definitely be hanging on to my decant. I am going to give it a full-day test to decide if I need more of it.

In the decant: Pink grapefruit, honey, sparkling apple cider, and a hint of a floral note. Wet: I get the pink grapefruit, the sparkling apple cider, and I think that the previous reviewers might be right about plumeria, as there’s a honeyed floral present that makes me think of C%^T from SDCC. This is definitely a pink scent. The grapefruit and sparkling cider started out being the most prominent notes, but the honeyed plumeria just keeps getting stronger over time. Dry: Alas, the honeyed plumeria took over. I get some of the sparkling apple cider behind it, which ends up losing its effervescence after a while, and just a hint of the pink grapefruit in the background. Verdict: I almost bought a blind bottle of this, but I am glad that I went the decant route instead. I was here for the grapefruit, but this ended up being mostly a honeyed floral scent on me. I don’t dislike it… it’s just not what I was hoping for.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! At the time, I had not looked up the notes, and I just remembered thinking it was a cemetery scent. I remember being interested in it when it went live, but I skipped it. Now I see why: the blood note and the scorched descriptor. Midian Unmade was actually my favorite of the three scents I tried at Dark Delicacies yesterday. At first, I got a blast of dirt, but there was something sweet beneath it. I just kept thinking that this was sweeter than I was expecting and that it was a really nice dirt scent. I did not get the cypress from it (but I was wandering around in the heat, so I wasn't paying attention like I would when I review scents at home), and I certainly didn't get a scorched vibe from it. After several hours of wear, I just kept thinking... dirt and cinnamon! The cinnamon was a light variety and must have been from the blood musk. I am happy to report that I did not get any red musk from this. So don't let the blood musk or scorched descriptions scare you away! I did not get a bottle because I have a slew of dirt scents that I don't reach for often enough, buuuut I may end up caving and ordering it at some point with the release of a future Lace scent.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! I applied a drop to my arm and then walked around Magnolia Park some more, so this isn't the most detailed review as I was walking around in the heat and just sniffing my arm occasionally. Plum isn't really my thing, so I didn't order a bottle of this when it went live, and I didn't end up grabbing one at the store either. But I do want to say that, even though I'm averse to plum, this wasn't as intense on the plum as I expected. This is not a cloying variety of plum, so while the plum remained the dominant note at all times, I never felt like I was in an irksome cloud of it. The plum and cognac were strongest notes on me at first, and then I got some of the Lace vanilla and tobacco, and then the oudh came into play after a few hours, making it a resinous plum scent. After a full day of wear, it was back to being mostly plum-infused Lace (cognac, vanilla, and tobacco). Shadow Lace is evocative of its name, and I recommend it if you're a fan of darker plum scents.

I tried this at Dark Delicacies yesterday, not expecting it to be there or having a single idea what was in it beforehand. The only thing I could think of when I smelled this was GREEN COLOGNE. Not cucumber-y like Lordy, though. And now I see why. I must have been getting the metal (which tends to be sharp and cologne-like on me) and grass. I did not get any popcorn from this at all or find it to be particularly leather-y. Not my thing, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it!

Fiery cherry sugar whirled into guava cotton candy. In the bottle, this makes me think of cherry Starburst! I sprayed a few sprays into my wet hair, and at first, it’s a blast of cherry. The cherry isn’t the type that’s medicinal and makes one think of cough syrup. It’s definitely a deep cherry (but not dark like black cherry) sugar that makes me think of cherry candy (I can’t help but thinking of Starburst). Once the cherry calms down somewhat, I can smell the guava cotton candy in the background. It definitely does have a fuzzy, spun sugar feel, so you can tell it is guava cotton candy and not straight up guava. This does not have an intense guava note like Drag on a Slime or Xanthe, the Weeping Clown. I get more cherry than guava from this. For those that are wondering about the fiery descriptor, the cherry in this is not spiced, but I do feel like it tickles the nose a bit if I hold my hair up to my nose to smell it (but only after freshly applied). Applied to wet hair, it becomes really faint after a few hours, with just a trace of cherry. Applied to dry hair, I can still smell the hair gloss hours later, and the guava cotton candy is more noticeable. The cherry sugar is still the most prominent note to me, though. I was tempted by three of this year’s Dragon Con hair glosses, but I only let myself get this one, and I am happy with my choice. I was worried it might be too sweet, but it is actually not that sweet for having fruity sugar and cotton candy notes. (Last year's Mlerm was too sweet for me.) And the boy thinks this smells nice! Now I just need to find some perfumes to pair this one with, because I don’t have any cherry perfumes in my collection!

Lilith has several blankies that mean the world to her, and this is one of them. She’s had it since she was a baby, and she still sleeps with it every night. This blankie has been all over the US, has been to innumerable conventions, and has visited Paris, London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Salzburg, and Berlin. This blankie has been a comfort in sorrow and a companion in joy. It has been clutched in laughter and has been succor in illness. This blanket has seen thousands upon thousands of dreams. May it always keep you warm, safe, and happy, Lilith. French lavender, skin musk, and a drop of rose water. I retrieved this from the mailbox around 1 PM and am testing it 9 hours later. I normally give a scent at least an entire day to settle before testing it, if not more, so I will amend my review if my experience is different when I try this tomorrow. In the bottle, Blue Blankie is a blast of strong French lavender. I can smell the rose water in the background, and then the skin musk. I bought this to use as a sleep scent, and just from the bottle, I have to say that I can’t imagine using it for another purpose. This is no daytime lavender. Wet: The French lavender dominates, but I am getting a lot more of the rose water and skin musk on my skin than I did from the bottle. The rose water is fresh and tart and makes me think of pink roses. It’s becoming stronger as it sits on my skin. It’s like Lilith’s lavender + TAL Nocturne, only not as strong on the rose. Dry: I was worried that the rose water would take over at one point (it definitely feels like more than a drop on me), but this ends up being pretty even on the lavender and rose water once dry. The skin musk comes out more over time, so that after a few hours, it ends up being a skin musk infused with rose water and what remains of the lavender. It’s cozy and comforting. Verdict: I leapt for a bottle of this one because I adore lavender and thought it would make a nice sleep scent. I will be keeping my bottle and using it for that purpose, but I don’t think that a back-up bottle will be necessary.

In the decant: Definitely a resinous scent, although it’s brighter than I expected! Wet: I am getting rose, which I see some other reviewers have gotten from this as well. I wonder if it is part of the incense note? This is all about the rose and resins on me. Dry: It is now a dusty, resinous rose scent, with the rose calming down (but never going away) after several hours of wear. Verdict: Aww, I was hoping for resins and clove. Instead, I got resins and rose. Not really my thing, but it was nice to get to try this!

In the decant: Black musk, pine, dust, and resins. Wet: This is sour on me when first applied, and I think that’s due to the khus interacting with the black musk. Then the myrrh emerges to smooth things out. After a few minutes, the pine joins in as well. The pine is a welcome addition, adding a coolness to the scent and the impression that there’s a dark forest nearby. The musty velvet note ends up creeping into the mix as well, making me think of neglected tapestries in an ancient castle… which fits Nosferatu very well! There’s just a hint of patchouli and pepper in the background. Dry: This ends up being a musky, dusty, smooth myrrh and velvet scent, with creeping pine tendrils and a splort of pepper adding a jarring quality in the background to remind you that something is not quite right. After several hours, it becomes sweeter, probably due to the musk. Verdict: I really did not think that I would like this from the list of notes, and maybe some of them are more subdued because this was an aged sniffie, but this is a nice, atmospheric, shadowy scent, which I think is very evocative of its inspiration. I am really glad that I got to try it! Thanks to the lovely forumite that frimped me a sniffie of this to try!

In the bottle: The frankincense is the first note that leaps out at me. It reminds me of Hope and Fear Set Free, which I love, but with a different vanilla. Hope and Fear Set Free has a bourbon vanilla note, and this has that spun sugar vanilla Lace note. I think there may also be some amber behind these notes. Wet: The frankincense is by far the strongest note (and it’s pretty strong). It’s backed by the vanilla, which is lovely. There’s a light spice in this that is warming my skin, maybe a spiced amber in the background that’s representing the gold note? Dry: The vanilla is a lot stronger now, while the frankincense is much softer. It’s a wonderful, vanilla-infused, light resin scent, and I cannot stop huffing my wrist! Verdict: SO GOOD. I am going to need more of this. I am running low on Hope and Fear Set Free, and I was dreading running out of it, but now I have a new vanilla and frankincense blend to love. Thanks to the extremely generous forumite that gave me a partial of this. I will treasure it.

This bottle is from 2016. Source: swap (I’ve never been to the museum, alas!). In the bottle: This is very dusty, somewhat peppery, and dry. I get the balsams and dust the most. Wet: The balsam and leather are the first notes to leap out at me, followed by a light vanilla and a generous amount of dust. As it sits on my skin, it gets sweeter thanks to one of the balsams becoming more prominent (I think one of them is the variety from Tombstone). The balsam and dust end up being the main players on me. The leathers in this are pretty restrained for leather notes. Dry: The balsams and dust still hold the center stage, and I get some paper and more vanilla in the background now. It’s still somewhat peppery to me and like others have noted, greener than expected. After several hours, it ends up being a very woody and dusty balsam scent. Verdict: I am unsure about this one. It doesn’t really make me think of an old library or books, which is what I was hoping for, and the dust is quite pronounced on me. But I like the vanillic quality behind the dust. I will probably hold on to this for a little longer, retest it, and maybe try it as a room scent, but I have to say that I thought I would like this one more from the list of notes.

Thanks to the lovely forumite that gave me a vial of this to try! In the decant, this is a sugared vanilla pink rose. I agree with roseus’ rose spun sugar description. In my hair, that is exactly what I get, accompanied by some cognac (which is more noticeable when this is first applied than later on in the day). It lasts all day, too! I have been curious about this for a long time, but I never leapt for a bottle because I wasn’t sure that I needed another rose hair gloss (as I already have two bottles of Rose Red, which I’ve been layering with Boo HG when looking for a sweeter rose). I was also afraid that this would contain a metal note. Fortunately, it does not! This is really lovely and I think I may end up having to grab a bottle of this in the future, even though my hair gloss collection is completely out of control.

I bought a bottle of this when it came out, but I never got a chance to review it before heading to Germany in August of 2016. So here’s my belated review! In the bottle: Vanilla cream-covered pink roses with a bit of bergamot in the background. Wet: The rose is a lot stronger on me, with the vanilla cream right behind it, followed by the bergamot. Then, the bergamot gains some strength so that the pink rose and bergamot are the main players, backed by the vanilla cream. It’s somewhat tart, but the vanilla cream in the background keeps it from being too tart. Dry: The pink rose continues to reign, although it becomes less tart over time, especially as the bergamot fades. After a few hours, it ends up being a light vanilla cream on my wrists with just a hint of rose, but the pink rose continues to hold strong in the crooks of my elbows until it becomes a creamy, fresh pink rose scent after a full day of wear. Verdict: I like this, but I think I liked it more when it first came out than I do now… possibly because I am being more particular with my perfume nowadays and I have too many sugared or vanilla-ed rose perfumes. But I wore Love yesterday, and I do not like this nearly as much, and I have other sweet rose scents that I’d likely reach for more than this one as well. So I might end up making myself let this one go at some point in the future, just because I don’t feel like I really need it… but it is nice.

In the imp: Whoa, that’s some patchouli! And I think it’s accompanied by a variety of sandalwood (not a white or golden variety… maybe red). Wet: Patchouli and sandalwood are the notes I get on my skin as well. There’s a smokiness to this that reminds me of beef jerky… vetiver, is that you, or is it a type of smoked wood doing that here? I think there might be a bit of a lemon-y herb as well. Alas, it just keeps getting smokier and more jerky-like over time. Dry: This smells like I just took several sticks of jerky and rubbed them all over myself after having anointed myself with some sandalwood earlier in the day. I see some reviews mentioning cedar, and I could see this being a cedar woodsmoke with some patchouli and sandalwood. Verdict: Naw. This one is not getting near my skin again. As a vegetarian, I just can’t deal with the jerky smell. Buuuuut if smelling like smoke-flavored dehydrated meats is your jam, have at it. I am going to go attempt to scrub this one off now.

I do not have high hopes for this scent. Dragon’s blood usually doesn’t agree with my skin chemistry, I only appreciate some types of patchouli, it’s very rare for me to enjoy a scent with vetiver in it, and red musk usually stomps all over everything on me. Well, here goes. In the imp: I opened up the imp and the vetiver just punched me in the face. It’s a strong, smoky variety. I can also smell the dragon’s blood, red musk, patchouli, and a little cinnamon. It makes me think of a musky Malediction. Wet: It’s sharp on me. The smoky vetiver is the strongest note, with the dragon’s blood and red musk behind it, and then some patchouli and cinnamon. The cinnamon is stronger on me than it was in the imp, but that may just be because I amp the stuff. It’s like Malediction has been mixed with some dragon’s blood, red musk, and a dash of cinnamon. As it dries, it becomes even headier and muskier thanks to the dragon’s blood and red musk trying to take the center stage. Dry: The red musk and dragon’s blood are much stronger now, so that it’s a musky, heady, cherry-floral, and smoky vetiver scent on me with some patchouli that’s more noticeable than before and just a trace of cinnamon in the background. The red musk just keeps getting stronger, and I’m not surprised: it loves declaring dominion over all other notes on me. Verdict: Bloodlust is not my jam, but if these notes are up your alley, give this a whirl.

I used to have this, but apparently I never reviewed it. I received a fresh imp of this recently, so I suppose it’s time to write a review! In the imp: Super sweet, creamy Irish coffee. It’s strong, but it is the sweet creaminess that is strong, not the coffee note itself. Wet: The Irish coffee note reigns, and the coffee aspect is stronger on my skin than it was in the vial. It’s a very sweet, creamy Irish coffee. I am not getting any of the polished wood, which is fine by me. There’s a little bit of the dust after it has sat on my skin for a bit, but it resides in the background. Dry: The sweet Irish coffee continues to reign. I’m getting a little more dust than before but it’s still confined to a background role. There isn’t an overt wood note on me, and that’s something for which I am glad, but I think the oakwood may be adding some more warmth to the scent far in the background. Verdict: I really like Miskatonic University, although I think I prefer it as a room scent more than as a scent I’d like to wear myself. It’s a little too strong and sweet for me to wear as a perfume (and I'm unlikely to reach for it since it was my ex's favorite scent to wear), but I adored this in candle form back when Misk U candles existed and wouldn't say no to it in candle or room spray form!

In the imp: Soft anise, light mints, a bit of lemon, and what I think is the hyssop. Wet: The light mints and green herbal notes are what I smell first, and then the anise joins in. After a few minutes, the cardamom joins in as well. Dry: The anise is the dominant note now, backed by the cardamom, and then the mint and green notes. It’s much more licorice-y in this phase thanks to the strength of the anise. It has lots of throw, too! Verdict: Yeah, that’s absinthe, all right. It’s far too licorice-y for me, but I’m glad I got to try it. I am going to pass this one on to someone that isn’t averse to anise.

In the imp: Herbal, spicy resins, something sharp and maybe metallic, and some lemon balm. Wet: Spicy resins and black licorice. I was not expecting black licorice from this one. I also get some herbal minty-ness and lemon balm behind those notes. Then the black licorice, minty aspect, herbs, and spices quickly decide to take over, shoving the resins into a background role. Dry: The spiced resins (the saffron is distinct now, and there’s a pepper-y quality to this) fought back and have taken the center stage once more. I still get this soft herbal quality (probably the sage) and soft mint (or mint-like ingredient) behind them. After a while, the beeswax note emerges and cozies up to the spiced resins. I appreciate this phase of the scent the most. Verdict: I am undecided on this one. The wet phase wasn’t really my thing, with that unexpected licorice, but the dry phase is really nice, especially once the beeswax gains strength. This is a fresh imp, so I think I’ll set it aside and retest this once it ages.

In the imp: The dark musk and black amber stand out to me the most, followed by the frankincense, sandalwood, and bergamot, with some bitter neroli at the very end. Wet: The dark musk, amber, frankincense, and bergamot are the first notes to leap out at me. The dark musk and amber are soft, but the frankincense and bergamot are sharp. I am still getting some bitterness from the neroli at the end of each sniff, which I hope doesn’t end up coming out more over time. Dry: Fortunately, the bitterness and sharpness has gone away. It is mostly a dark musk and soft, black amber scent accompanied by the frankincense and sandalwood and just a tinge of bergamot now. Verdict: I like the dark musk and black amber combo, but I was not a fan of the sharp and bitter qualities I got from this on my skin during the wet stage. I don’t think I’ll keep this, because there are other scents with black amber that I have that don’t have any bitter neroli involved, but it was nice to get to try it.