Schmoozy

The Shivering Boy 2007 I am not sure how Beth does it, but The Shivering Boy is frozen resins, snow and woods. It is a blend that invokes the feeling of ice cold winters and storms. This a snow blend like no other and has aged wonderfully. I can't wait until from my '09 bottle, and I look forward to seeing if there is a grape note that appears, as I couldn't detect one in the orginal release.

A simple scent. Crisp, tart and slightly bitter. There is just the barest hint of spice that mingles with the pomengranate. A touch of cold is also present.

I adore sandalwood and orris, and more often than not these two really, really play well together. I was kinda sad that orris really doesn't show up much in Smoky moon, other than to give it that lush velvety feel. Sandalwood is present and once again it is dry, dusty and very woodsy, however with the addition of pale musks it really sweetens and almost seems to make the sandalwood sharper more brighter. I agree that this is not at all smoky, just the feeling of how smoke really clouds over and makes everything grey. This is a soft and intimate scent. The pale musks at first really reminded me of the pale musks in Dia.

For some reason, I expected this blend to be more on the sweeter floral side. I am very surprised that it is dark, earthy and kinda herbally. The resins add depth and a hint of sweetness. There is this old fashioned feel to it. It smells rich and slightly powerful. I really can't pick up any one note seperately except for the wooded mosses, gardenia and ambergris. Absolutely stunning.

Damn this is beautiful. Upon initial application Berry Moon is blueberry musk with fig and orange blossom honey. I simply love how spicy orange blossom can make a blend, and this is no exception. I really do not detect teh raspberries, but you can tell they are inside because Berry Moon feels like a lush red scent.

At first this all icy, slushy snow and pine. Reminds me of several other previous yule blends, which is ok, because I love snow and I love pine. After it has dried it morphs ever so slightly. Hints of light florals, herbs and just a touch of musk start to come through. Unfortunately though they barely make past the snow and pine. I feel like there is a berry inside, even though there is no listing of one.

No time like the present to put up a review for Hod! This is spicy single note carnation as soon as it hits my skin. Once it has a chance to dry the spices become slightly muted and the carnation is creamy and slightly milky. It feels like there is a bit of vanilla and hints of amber. Hod stays really, really close to the skin and doesn't give much throw at all. In the end this really smells like a cup of creamy vanilla chai topped with carnations. The only drawback is that I wish it would last longer.

OMG Swoon. I took a risk on this lunancy especially since I am not really fond of patchouli and with the addition of red chili and nutmeg Raven Moon was giving me serious doubts, except I am a mad lover of the lunancy blends and could not pass this up. However, this is dark, soulful and extremely intoxicating. I could actually feel the heat of the red chili and nutmeg as soon as I swiped my skin with the oil. The patchouli is the first note to hit my nose, but it lasts mere seconds before smoky resins and sweet vanilla take over. The pacthouli stays in the background, giving the sweetness a little depth and earthy darkness. I think it really helps to temper the potential sweetness Raven moon coul dhave. The musk and the spices seem to blend so seamlessly together with the smoky resins and vanilla. Absolutely stunning. I am really sad I didn't buy more. I will covet my bottle.

I swear for the first few seconds this was all red musk on me, and then all of sudden LEATHER. Definitely tanned, and like the first reviewer this is probably the most realistic leather scent I have ever smelt on my skin. I am not sure I like it. I adore moss and balsam but I am honestly not getting any of it. This is all leather and it's a bit overpowering. I swear to god there is red musk in here. Do. not. want. ok, I get balsam now. It's adding touches of spiciness throughout. Unfortunately like the last reviewer - This is an obnoxious scent. I need to go wash it off now.

Buttery soft leather combines with comforting sandalwood. The leather is almost sweet. I don't know if there is something alongside that gives it it's sweetness, but it is not a hard, rough leather scent. It is almost creamy. Sandalwood *swoon* is there in all its wonderful glory. Dry, dusty, woodsy and oh so comforting. Together the two make for a kinda unisex leather scent. Beth, I have to thank you for all the leather blends as of late. I adore them.

The Little Wooden Doll is amazing. I love amber and sandalwood and couldn't ask for a better blend. It is very reminescent of The Millers Daughter with the rose-infused amber. But whereas the TMD is salty and aquatic rose amber, the Little Wooden Doll is dry dusty rose amber. The sandalwood is very woodsy at the beginning and kinda sharp almost astringent which I attribute to the rose. It is bright and warm, but extremely comforting and golden. After drydown the rose kinda slinks to the bacground and the amber and sandalwood feel very warm and cosy.

Warm vanilla'd cocoa with dry, dusty sandalwood and traces of resin. Upon initial application this appears to be all cocoa, and I am slightly disappointed. After drydown the cocoa kinda vanishes and in it's place vanilla and sandalwood make an entrance followed by myrrh that darkens and deepens the overall scent. The myrrh also helps to temper the sweetness of the vanilla cocoa. This is such a comforting scent, and I am so happy that the cocoa is practically non-existent on my skin.

This is all rich, thick, black leather sweetened by oppoponax and amber. I can detect small whiffs of tobacco, but it mainly adds depth, toughness, and smoke to the leather. Black Amber is heady, dark, sultry and extremely sexy. So while this is all smoke and leather at first makes me think I should try this on hubby, however once the amber and resins appear this is one freaking sexy dark scent. Immediately bottle worthy.

Soft dry sandalwood, violet leaf and hints of amber combine with frankincense and smoke. Throughout the entire scent, wafts of ozone - metallic and bright appear making the sandalwood and violet leaf seem sharper, dry and very bitter. I adore how dry and woodsy this is, and somehow the smoke manages to remain non-existant throughout.

On initial application this is all rose geranium and lavender. It is very herbal, but underneath the herbal is a sweet, resinous wood mishmash of notes. It almost becomes fruity, before the incense fully kicks in. After drydown, black amber and benzoin swoop in to add a girly sweet twist to the herbal and resin background. I crave a touch more lavender, but I'll take what I can get.

Bright & effervescent. I can instantly smell the white wine grape from the bottle, and then it morphs into spicy resins with touches of vanilla. This was a huge hit for me last year, and I am soo bummed that I only bought one bottle. As it dries down the cumin and coriander become a bit more noticeable, while the white wine grape slinks to the background.

Leather sugar cookies. It's almost like Krampus and Sugar cookie got together and did the 'ole bump & grind. I love it. Very odd combination, but on my hubby it smells fabulous. Like I just caught him snarfling cookies. I detect no licorice whatsoever.

2005: Quite possible - one of my favorite yules. The berries are ripe, and bulging with juiciness. And alongside those berries is the slightest hint of christmas spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon and a little bit of citrus.

Smoked chestnuts sweetened by a little brown sugar and honey. As it continues to morph, whiffs of cedar and pine mingle with the tasted chesnuts. This is slightly foody, but mainly this is a simple smoky, yet sweet woodsy blend.

2005: Icy cold pine with sprigs of frosty berries. It is a bright, powerful scent. 2007: A little less icy cold than the '05 version. More perfumey if that makes sense. It is softer and a little less "wham" in your face pine. Both are loves though. I adore pine, and this is straight up pine.

Every holiday season should be full of lewd suggestions and filthy double entendres, right? Lick it in earnest! Lick it with vigor! Peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar. 2008's take on the Lick it series, is more vanilla sugar with mint, rather than the other way around. Don't get me wrong, I love the Lick it series, but I love the mint explosion more than anything.

Yum. Lick it again is pure peppermint candy canes. After dry down the mint really gives way to vanilla sugar, and I'm left with vanilla sugar mints. I wish the mint explosion would last like Lick it again, but I still love this version.

Sweet & creamy - mint explosion candy canes with just the tiniest trace of vanilla. I adore the lick it series. Fun and frivilous. Lick it again is the one I find to be the most minty.

Yah! Another ozone vamp. Wet cypress and olibanum mingel with ozone. Besides wet, it is also cold and as it is the last weenie I have to review, I am so happy to have chosen this one. It will make the leap to yules very fitting. This is definitely bottle worthy. I just adore the cypress inside.

Overall a clean, fresh, crisp scent with hints of green and sweetness. I immediately think of Green Phoenix, one of my all time favorites. It is definitely aquatic, and pretty sweet.