biernaise

City in the Sea: This oil is a green glass odyssey into the marine undertow. The salt spray is lacey and artful- you can almost taste the water's depths. Beautiful and fearsome!

Resurrection Version Very patchouli. There is a powdery musk in here that accentuates the moist murkiness. A little goes a long way with Typhon. I may age this one and see what happens.

Now that this bottle has aged a little, I get the distinct aroma of Dr. Pepper! Anyone else smell this?

Bitter Moon is a wild crush of Blackberry, Sage and something that smells akin to the way the outer meat of a walnut (that bitter part) tastes. This is a childlike fragrance in it's playfulness and the sillage on me is excellent for many hours. Very enjoyable and I know that this will age perfectly.

OMG this smells so fucking good. Sorry for the explective but it's true. You smell this and think *PURPLE!!!!* Sugared wine and irises followed by a drydown of sensual violets in mourning. The throw on Purple Phoenix is nice, not killing anyone but it's there. Masterpiece, Beth. Masterpiece.

Whoa- I get Rose Geranium BIGTIME from The Apothecary! There is a mossy underbite and maybe a *hint* of ginger. Green tea too but something distinctly floral too. This may be off to the swap pile. I will put it away for a bit and see how it ages.

Herr Drosselmeyer Wet, it smells like anise and sweet cherry wood. I like. I like very much! On, I get gingerbread and pfefferneuse- those little German cakey things my mother serves on Christmas! Oh, double yum! Drying down, it fades into a cherry smoke swirl with a bite. Easily one of the best fragrances I have ever experienced.

Samhainophobia Wet, I smell vetiver, patchouli and a close skin musk. Drying down I smell a subtle vanilla and then all of a sudden the door opens and this scent blossoms. Several musks, a resinous earth and a sweet softness emerge. There is so much going on here! An incensy note twists up with a soft herbal here and there. Constantly evolving. Seamless!

Miskatonic U First thing I smell is coffee out of the bottle. Applied wet, I smell the irish creme and something papery. Then as it dries I smell butterscotch pudding and playdoh. Milk and vanilla and playdoh. Milky playdoh. Playdoh. doh.

I enjoy Heavenly as well. I lurk- awaiting suggestions.

Yummy green tea and mint! The lime is minimal on me and my skin eats this one up in about 15 minutes boooooo! I love the green aquatic quality though and I will experiment with using a carrier oil on my skin just before application to hasten the drydown and subsequent spazz-out that occurs when I am unscented.

MMMMMmmmm Carnation, lavender. I like manly scents on myself- even though I am a girly girl. This one can do no wrong with me. There is nothing cloying or dirty about Saint Germain. I can see someone like Ryan Phillipe or Ed Norton smelling like this fragrance.

Count Dracula Sensual spicy and raw, just like our bitey sexy Dracula! Not too masculine, the spices add a soft caress to his ministrations. The coffinwood is divinely dry- almost cedarlike. This goes into heavy rotation and into my top 10.

The Darkling Thrush Initially I get ozone(((POW!))) Then the pine boughs ring through, shaking the snow off. The amber is there, shaking hands with a soft soft musk. And violet appears around the fringes about 30 minutes after I apply. A wonderful, ambitious blend Beth. Thank you

Krampus: Initially, the sweet headyness is overwhelming. I thought this one would be much less sweet! I think the woods and herbals combined with the red musk in this particular blend bounce off each other and make for a striking and complex blend! So exciting On the drydown, it all softens up and the musk amps. An almost asexual scent emerges, one that is buzzing with the energy of resins and woods. This scent evolves further and grows deeper as it melds with my body chemistry.

The Cracked Bell: Initially I get dragons blood and frankincense, myrrh. This is from a bottle that has aged about one year and all the elements have melded quite smoothly and seamlessly. There is a floral quality to this oil that results from the blending of resins. The metallic tang is understated here, due to aging and blending. Tasteful and powerful! There is a borderline headshoppy quality that tames itself on the drydown. Altogether another winner. It will be in heavy rotation in my lineup.

Carfax Abbey: YES. This is just what it should be. Initially, I get herbal. Sage, dusty and rasping and a far off smoke, a thin peal wafting in the distance. A desolate crumbly tower through the trees (stone and cedar). Finally, there is english violet in the drydown. Like a sachet tossed in a dark corner and forgotten. This is one of the the most wayward and enjoyable frags I have experienced and I hope aging will refine this one further. I am purchasing another bottle for turning into a hair mist.

Red Phoenix: Initially, I get Red Hots (cassia) with a complex underbelly of tobacco and musky resins. The drydown gives way to the appealing curves of the plummy musk! There is something more here too- almost floral but faintly reminds me of citronella. Nice throw too. Semi masculine scent that I want to schmear on hubby when he's sleeping (a hater of "fancy shit" like scented oils on himself)

My take on Fae: A sugared bergamot peach giving way to the most gentle, rain-soft musk that lingers beautifully. For a lover of deep dark scents, this one really surprised me Def. 5ml worthy.