forspecial_plate

I'll be honest, I didn't like this when I tried it yesterday. But I knew I wanted to try it again today. It's a strange scent but I am compulsively bringing my wrist up to my nose, like I can't leave it alone. The throw from a foot away is really nice, yet it becomes odd when sniffing up close. Yesterday I thought smelled very weird, metallic or something. But this may be that wonderful kind of scent that I don't like at first but end up loving in the end.

So what does it smell like? I am thinking of a green ectoplasmic mist in a dewy forest. None of the notes stands out; it all seems very balanced. If I concentrate, I can pick out the honey and fir, and possibly patchouli. The balance is a little more fir than wildflowers, and for that reason, I think some people might call this masculine, whereas I think it is completely unisex. It really isn't girly but it's not exactly dude-fume either. : )

I always thought Samhain had a hidden note of honey, and that is what this honey reminds me of.....Samhain but with a shot of green, and something like the sake note in Men Ringing Bells. There's something almost fruity but I think that might be the cognac. It almost seems like it should be a spring scent, but it's not....it's very much a fall scent despite the green-ness. It's like an early fall morning when you wake up and realize it's getting cold already, and even though summer is still in the air, you can't deny that autumn is on the way.

Still not sure if I love it. I'm curious about what others will think of it.

......He did say though that his was synthetic and the true essential oil of frankincense may very well be resiny but he said it'd be very expensive, like 90.00 per bottle.

So maybe these are synthetic oils that I'd found and not true frankincense.

 

Thanks for helping me out so I didn't think I was going crazy!!

 

Nope! Frankincense oil should cost around $10 or $15. I checked 2 different sites that sell essential oils that I trust and that was about the average. It's not one of the more expensive oils.

 

I got a sampler for around $20, it's a few 2ml bottles of different varieties of frankincense, very nice to smell the subtle differences.

 

Did anyone else think there was a bit of shortage of frankincense in the new Halloween update? I only see it twice, in Nymphae Avernales and Golden Apple Of The Sun. [or maybe this is just the first time I've noticed it not being used a lot]

Black Pearl is powdery to me, and Blood Pearl also, if I remember correctly.

 

I got a baby powder comment when I wore Snake Oil, once or twice.

 

Nyarlathotep turns very powdery on me, after drying for a while. At first I didn't like this but I kept wearing it and grew to love it. In fact, it may have been Nyarlathotep that made me realize I like some powdery scents.

 

Discontinued but Silk Road also turns powdery on me when it dries down.

 

I keep saying "to me" because, like someone else mentioned, this could be a skin chemistry thing, or maybe it's a matter of our perception of 'powdery'. I remember someone commenting that patchouli turns powdery on them, and I was like....huh? But if they are perceiving it that way, I can't argue with that.

Tativa....it has been a few years but I tried the golden champa. I think I had a sample of the 10% dilution, and I remember it really did smell "golden" and struck me as autumnal. I thought it had a touch of honey or apple-like qualities as well.

 

I know there must be a bpal that is comparable but I'm not big on the floral blends, and I'm sure someone else would have better suggestions. Right off the top of my head, I want to say Ulalume might be similar, but that doesn't seem quite right. Hmmm.....I'll think about it some more and I'll be watching the topic, too. Good luck!

Thinking about wearing Snake Oil to my graduation tonight.

Cloister Graveyard In The Snow is beautiful: "Three white musks, ozone, frankincense, mint."

 

I like Death Of The Grave-Digger too: "Snow, soil, opoponax and myrrh."

And Moxie, from the Panacea blends. No notes are listed, so it doesn't show up in searches, but it's my all-time favorite orange blend. Juicy and true, without being cloying.

 

So, not only would it smell good, but be useful as well! Win-win! : ) I will have to track some down. I keep thinking I might actually have a decant of this hiding somewhere in my collection.

My favorite tangerine is Lilith vs. the Giant Crab: tangerine cream, benzoin, white sandalwood, white pear, tonka, and ambergris accord.

I also have high hopes for Biwa: tangerine, black currant, white musk, honey, and tagetes.

 

Can't think of any GCs, though, sorry!

Hmmm, Biwa was kind of on my radar but in the end, I decided to skip most of the Lupers, because that particular update never works really well for me! Maybe I'll regret that decision.....

 

 

I think you may find your one scent in Aizen-Myoo. Yuzu, kaki (persimmon), and mikan (mandarin orange) with cherry blossom and black tea.

Kuang Shi was all buoyant mango/mandarin on me. Mandarin orange, white musk, mango, and white sandalwood.

 

And if you're up to searching for an uncommon LE: Tanuki is a similar, purely light-fruit blend. Bamboo reed, plum blossom, persimmon, magnolia, black pine, sweet osmanthus, flowering cherry, mandarin orange, wisteria, and yuzu.

 

Other LEs that may work out too are Copper Phoenix and Summer's Last Will and Testament.

Thanks for the suggestions! I could have sworn I had an imp of Aizen-Myoo around here somewhere, but I can't find it. Maybe I'll tack it on to my next order. As for those others, seeing them listed here makes me want to try them, it's funny how these things don't stand out to me at the time that I first see them. Tanuki sounds really pretty but I can't even remember when it was released. I guess being a guy I tend to focus more on the dudely scents (but not always). I'll have to add that to my to-try list! I like Copper Phoenix but it's more rosey amber on me in the end.

 

 

 

I'd definitely recommend giving Tweedledee and Polynesian Pop a try, and second the recs for Kuang Shi and Lilith vs the Giant Crab. You might also try to find Thoos (Lupercalia LE with notes of 'tangerine, cypress, and white musk). I don't get orange at all from Sudha Segara.

I think it's settled, I probably will get a hold of Polynesian Pop before they go away! And that was kind of a mistake for me to put Sudha Segara in the post.....you are right, it's not orangey or citrus. But it's kind of that soft, pretty vibe that I'm after, so I mentioned that one because it stands out in my memory.

 

I like both Kuang Shi and Thoos, but they both do something in the dry-down that veers away from the orange and more into the musk and woods. I know that orange and citrus notes are notorious for not sticking around, so this might be a long shot anyway. But I think Polynesian Pop has a good chance of working for me!

 

Thanks so much for the suggestions.

Looking for something sweet with tangerine and/or orange for spring. Like a sweet, orangey, misty, beach sunrise kind of scent. These are close:

Nyarlathotep (I love this but I want lighter and a little sweeter)

Sunrise With Sea-Monsters (right vibe, not enough orange for what I want)

Sudha Segara....might work, I haven't tried it in a long time, but again I want more orange

 

I'm eyeing the Atomic Tiki Lounge since they are being discontinued soon. I'd especially like to try Golden Wave and Polynesion Pop. I'm also looking at Tweedledee. I'd prefer to fine ONE scent that works for what I'm looking for!

Tonight I tested Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, and it reminds me of the late dry stage of Scarecrow. Might be useful information for the man in your life if he likes traditional or classic masculine scents from the seventies or eighties.

I'm wearing Bvlgari Black right now and strangely enough, it reminds me of Doc Constantine.

How to describe Red Lace.....to be honest I thought I was smelling anise when first applied, but I think that was a trick of the red musk and raspberry, perhaps? Anyway, once it dries, I get a lot of sweet, slightly powdery vanilla cotton and sandalwood, but there is an adult side to this scent. Sultry, that's the word I kept thinking of. I never got the 'ashtray' effect from tobacco until now, and I swear there is a smokey ashtray aspect that somehow is perfect in the context of this scent. I'm getting something like the effect of slightly stale smoke in the air, making this kind of decadent and a little drowsy, like the morning after a wild party.

 

Side note: I was worried about the raspberry but I barely smell anything fruity in this scent at all. In fact, I also got a bottle of Black Death in this order, and Black Death smells more fruity to me than Red Lace.

This sounded wonderful.....but.....something turns soapy. Spicey soap. I am attracted to "black" flavored notes but pretty often, they end up turning on me (except black musk....I wear that pretty well). So, I'm blaming the black amber and maybe opoponax, but who knows really. Just not for me.

Hmmm. Well, there was a chance this might smell good to me, but I've tried it 2 or 3 times and I just can't get myself to like it. I had a couple of excited minutes today when I thought it smelled like fruity incense, something I would like, but then it sort of smoothed out and just smelled like fruity plastic erasers or something from grade school. It turned cloying but not in the usual way that honey does, so I really don't know what is disagreeing with me here, but it's just not working out. I ended up washing it off, unfortunately. : (

I was excited to try this, especially with mate absolute. The notes all sounded pretty good, actually, except maybe for the rose infusion, but I was willing to take the chance. Well, it was just not meant to be. I don't even know how to describe this, soapy metal? It does remind me a little of Copper Phoenix, but this is.....murky? I don't know, I just know I don't like it. : (

This is fantastic, proper and refined, like the best-smelling after shave in the world. I am reminded somewhat of other dudely leather blends, but I can't recall which ones. I applied pretty heavily (for me) and I felt that it faded pretty quickly, but it's >8 hours later I'm still picking up the scent around me. To me this is a masculine scent, spicy leather I guess but I can't describe it more than that. I mean, I think I can smell oakmoss but who knows. I couldn't tell you if this is a fougere or chypre or what. I guess it kind of fits in with chypres but it would be a deluxe leather chypre in that case. Why bother picking it apart. Since I'm guessing most people can't try this (unless it is more available some time in the future), I would say Count Dracula is the closest other bpal I can think of. They are not the same but it's an approximation. Poe is more refined and elegant, but still rough, and very serious. Not much 'playful' about this scent.

I was afraid of "brown musk", because I've encountered brown musk and other brown notes like sandalwood and such, in other scents, and they were not my friends. But I really like Wolf Moon ('07 in particular being one of my favorite bpal scents), and I knew I had to get this, and as it turns out, I really like it.

 

Wolf Moon in all its incarnations is about woods, musk, a bit of spice, and slushy, watery snow. Pretty simple. The three scents are different but they all capture that same mood or feeling, pretty much exactly as the descripton reads. I personally don't think "Pine!" when I wear this. It's just a chilly, woody, musky, slightly slushy scent with a bit of spice.

 

Compared to the past Wolf Moons......this one is very much like the last one ('07), and I tested them side-by-side to smell the difference. The '07 version has a more prominent cedar note, and it kind of jumps out if you test them together. Other than that, it's practically the same scent. The older one from '04 is very much a softer scent, prettier, lighter, and more aquatic. It reminds me of a babbling brook in the middle of winter, in the woods, in the moonlight. The musk and spice are just hints in the background. The newest version is kind of flip-flopped from that......that is, the musk and woods, and maybe a bit of spice (but not like a cookie jar or anything like that, maybe just a hint of ginger or maybe it's the musk I'm smelling) are in the foreground and the slushy snow is sprinkled on top. Sorry for rambling.....Wolf Moon '10 is a keeper!

Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan....."coriander, amber, oregano, bay leaf, myrtle, angelica root, sandalwood, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla", smells a lot like Mr. Jacquel...."Golden amber, hyssop, North African patchouli, and embalming spices". Mr. Jacquel has something like cassia or cinnamon, whereas Ambre Sultan does not, but other than that they are very much in the same scent family.

When I put this on I had it confused with Marley's Ghost, but it didn't take long to realize my mistake! This scent is odd and just doesn't sit well on me, it goes on smelling like grape scratch 'n sniff stickers, or maybe one of those smelly markers for kids. Later something turns very soapy, and I am blaming the balsam of peru but I could be wrong. The soapy note seems to spiral up and up until it's impossible to ignore and I had to actually wash this off, and even then that soapy note stuck around persistently. Not a pleasant experience and I will stick with The Shivering Boy for my frozen grape fix. : )

I wear both Cthulhu and The Deep Ones.

 

I hope that Kingsport can be resurrected some day, not because I need more, but because it's beautiful and I want more people to be able to try it! It's my favorite aquatic and one of my favorite bpal scents ever.

I finally got the last of my Yule scents yesterday from the Lab and so I can comment, with my own opinions.

 

Which one embodies Christmas/Yule the most? Whoop, even though the honey turned on me in the end, it still has the most Christmas vibe. The Second Of The Three Spirits is also very Christmas-like.

 

Best foody scent from this year's Yules? I haven't tried many foodie scents, I'd pick Haloa for my favorite. It's not straight-up foody, but it's very buttery/cakey with a twist.

 

Best snowy/wintery scent? I like Woods In Winter, although the icy part isn't all that strong, it still fits this category.

 

Best scent that you'll enjoy wearing in warmer weather? Maybe Altar To Cold, Rigid, Dreadful Death, although I never have a problem wearing any of my favorite Yule scents in warm weather.

 

What's this year's sleeper scent? Maybe The Soldier? I think it appeals to the red musk/root beer crowd.

 

And do you have an overall favorite yet? Again, The Soldier. I love it!

Dee's label is different from the other GC's. I don't know if you can see in this pic (cell phone pic, sorry), but it looks more like the older GC labels, and there is a greyed out alchemical symbol in the background.

 

Oh cool! Is it a new bottle?

 

I'm not sure! I thought someone here might know if it has always been like that. Probably has.

I love The Soldier! I was expecting something like Lawn Gnome but it's really not. Reading the notes, I'm really surprised there is no sassafras in there. I guess it's a trick of the black tea and leather? Or black pepper? Who knows. This smells herbal and sweet, and the red musk is there but it's kind of more airy than usual. I was concerned about the black pepper but I can barely pick it out. If you're in this for the leather you might be disappointed. I can barely tell it's there. Everything is just blended.

 

This smells like some of my favorite GC scents. It smells like Blood Kiss, Kabuki, Fenris Wolf, and Laudanum are having a little party in my wrist.

2010.....the tobacco is a lot lighter than the older one I've tried. This smells like musk, herbs, and a little lemon. Actually it smells a lot like Carnaval Diabolique. I like the linen note, though.

 

Edit: I have to say, after wearing this more and more in the last couple days, it has grown on me a lot and it is very, very good. I do wish it had just a little more leather and a little less lemon (not sure where the lemon is coming from but it's still there), and I would buy a full bottle. I am still considering it, but it smells so much like Carnaval Diabolique, there isn't really a need for me to have both.

Powdery summer floral. Washing off now.