hackess

Imp: Wow! If someone asked me what spring smelled like, this might be my answer. Sniffing it calls to mind green hills with tiny yellow flowers popping up in clusters. The herbs (thyme, mint) are the last thing I smell, or what lingers the longest. Starts out with tons of fresh white apple blossoms, none of the darkness of violet and no headiness of rose. Wet: Ah, there's the violet. It's less sweet now, but still makes me think of springtime blooms. I'm no longer detecting the green bite of fresh mint and thyme. I don't know what columbine flowers smell like, so I can't speak to their scent contribution. Dry: Much more violet than anything else. Turns sort of darker - the transition into hazy summer?

Imp: Primal musks and dry grass. Wet: Very musky, a touch of cinnamon spice. For a scent named after something so sticky and moist, this is an exceptionally dry scent. Dry: It's more the scent of the hunt before the blood is spilled. Pheremones and spicy musks at the edge of a forest in the chill of an autumn dusk. I feel like sinking my teeth into somethingone. It's very sexy if you're a fan of musks. I haven't decided if it's my type of musk, but indecision usually results in a second test that sends me reeling in either direction.

Burners With Fire. Tyranny, violence, destruction, injustice, revenge. Governed by Asmodeus, the Beautiful One, a King of Hell, Overseer of Hells Gambling Halls, and Demon of Lust and Immoral Political Power. Imp: Apricot blossom. Wet: Sweet, a little resiny, a little smokey. It's very, very faint on my skin. Dry: I was hoping for spice, for the fire others were experiencing. I got just a touch of it on the drydown, but it's mostly a powdery fruit, like KoolAid mix without all the sugar.

Imp: Orange heavily dusted with cocoa powder. Wet: Cherry vanilla, which quickly gives way to white chocolate tinged with orange. Candied fruit slices! (I could just be saying that because everything with orange makes me think of candied fruit/fruit-flavored gummy candy.) Dry: White chocolate coating my wrists. I want to lick them. I didn't get any floral or wood notes, but I'm okay with that. For the first time, a chocolate/fruit scent might actually work for me.

Imp: Comet brand cleanser, though not as harsh. It's like Beth went under my kitchen sink to mix this one Wet: Flea shampoo! A soft lemon-tinged scent, but very reminiscent of cleaning products. Dry: Baby powder and lemon soap, a little creamy.

Imp: Apple, very sweet and crisp. Wet: I still get a lot of perfetly ripened red apple, the richness of dragon's blood just under the surface. Dry: Sweet apple blossom and creamy hyacinth. Very pretty and springy. This dragon has been hanging out in the orchard for a very long time.

So, something with a bit of a gypsy twist. Blood Countess - deceptively pretty and floral over opium?

Puts the spreadsheet to shame. Nice!

No problem.

Full spreadsheet up to last night's update. I only include the scent notes, not the long description, if that matters to you.

I go with resins and spicy/foody scents when I go clubbing. I lay off on florals, unless it's deep rose, like Whip, because they just get drowned. Lately I've been wearing Shub and Smut when we go out. Definitely want something that doesn't fade.

Fallen. It turns into fire, embers and then ash on me. Strangest morph yet, as it starts out floral.

Ohhhhhhhhh me too!!! Helena rocks. I want that corset and black dress she's wearing in the publicity pictures. Ditto! I'm already trying to figure out if I can pull that off for Halloween this year. On topic: Pumpkin Queen. Is what I was wearing. My lips are sealed.

Sea of Glass put me in the most melancholy mood when I tried it on. It was the kind of reaction I expected from Ode to Melancholy. I used to wear Nosferatu often, but the red wine notes turned to blood on me after a while and it icked me out. Strange, because I usually have no problems with blood/raw meat/etc. The Castle gave me the creeps. It's one of the only blends that's put pictures in my head. I started seeing stone walls, desiccated towers, cobwebs and dust. Then I got the copper taste of blood in my mouth and wondered if I'd blacked out and drained someone. Any churchy scents - Cathedral, Hymn, The Cracked Bell - put me ill at ease. Something about the incense. Dr. John Seward was all medical supplies: latex gloves, rubbing alcohol, astringent. If you've seen the remake of House on Haunted Hill, there's the creepy doctor spirit wandering around, right? This scent made me think of that spirit. Puck turned my stomach. Civet is a disgusting note.

I tried Sugar Cookie with Lady Macbeth in an attempt to mimic CR. Close, though LM reaaaaally wanted to dominate.

Safari is a smooth creamy lavender that's really been helping me stay asleep lately. I put some on my favorite pillow and have been dead to the world for six hours straight the last two weeks. Unusual for me, as I used to wake up every two hours. I feel much more awake during the day, too.

I haven't tried the MiskU oil yet, so I'm sort of hopeful that it is much stronger and richer than the soap turned out to be. I like the way the bar itself smells - smooth and creamy, just a touch of coffee, rich woods -, but none of that remains on my skin after using it. I so want the oil to be coffee, coffee, coffee and just a little bit of the dusty books. As for function, I don't regularly use bar soap, as it dries out my skin. I had a brief moment while rinsing my hands that it felt like they were going to end up dried out and untouchable, but once I finished rinsing and toweled them, my skin was quite soft and smooth. Nice.

Completely agree. Sugar Skull was too sugared and even a little boozy. CR was all delicious oozing red berries baked into a pie with buttery crust. MB: anything isn't a GC Knave of Hearts was close, but there must've been some rose petals that snuck into the pie. Lady Macbeth with Sugar Cookie might be closer. I should try that...

Rich, spicy, warm and ohsoincredibly sexy. I never thought I liked myrrh, but this feels so much better than most incensy blends. It smells almost like burning wood. I tested on the crook of my elbow and I've got my nose buried there, just inhaling. It's not making me sneeze, either, so bonus points for the myrrh. I might have to take it off my hated notes list.

Imp: Dusty warm peaches. Almost like a peach candle with vanilla. Wet: More of the same. Juicy and sweet, underneath what seems like a heavy cloud of vanilla. Dry: Maybe I just don't know Georgia Peaches (different from regular peaches HOW?) but this is almost plasticky. It's like a peach-scented eraser I had as a kid -- nothing at all like the sweet syrupy peach in Jack. Perhaps it's just the aging and that I tested off a testable empty?

Gennivre is a pretty, light lemon tea blend. I'd also second trying Green Tree Viper. I'm not the biggest fan of Snake Oil, but Green Tree Viper (smooth and minty) and Saw-Scaled Viper (sharp ginger) are in a class of their own.

One of two experimental blends from wikkidraven! Based on previous reviews, I'm going to guess this first one is Cinnamon Snake Oil. The color of a nice Pinot Grigio or maybe Chardonnay, it starts out beautifully spiced but heavily syruped. Not a maple syrup - just pure cane sugar molten goodness laced heavily with cinnamon and just a touch of something more pungent - clove? anise seed? Upon application, I immediately get a waft of red berries and cider. For about two minutes, it's one of my perfect scents. For those two minutes, it's everything I love about fall - dry leaves, bonfires, warm baked goods and hot apple cider. Then I start amping vanilla like whoa (not even good pure boozy vanilla extract, but boring ivory candle vanilla) and everything I love about this scent is trampled by it. If this were just slightly more sharp, I might still love it. If I could still smell cinnamon and cider and deep red berries along with the vanilla, I might still be in heaven. Edit to add... Second blend...dark in color, much like Smut or Snake Oil. In the imp, it's got a cherry cola vibe. It even sort of tickles my nose as though there's fizz. Wet, it's all boozy, swarthy musks...yup. It's Smut's younger sister. It's just a tiny bit softer, like she's still wearing black ballet flats instead of 5 inch heeled, knee-high, fuck-me boots. Even better? I was wearing it while brushing my teeth, and the resulting scent was Green Tree Viper. This one stays!

I went to Europe in May and carried a handful of imps in my ziploc baggie -- we didn't check any luggage at any point during our trip. When I went to San Francisco the month prior, I even included a bottle. They didn't bat an eye.

I'm going to come back and add a proper review, but I have to say: this is almost exactly Crumpet Rebellion. Any of you who didn't get to try CR, try this. It's black juicy currants and buttery crusts. CR is slightly spicier, like it contains cinnamon, and KnoH has just the softest waft of roses, especially during drydown. Huh, I'm halfway to a review anyway! ETA: Okay, yesterday it was all currants and tastiness. Today it's all roses. WTF?

Imp: Rose! It feels like a dirty rose, though. Not naughty like in Whip, but corrupted and broken somehow. Tarnished. Wet: Narcissus keeps trying to push the rose aside. It's very haughty, but it's undeserved. Dry: Whoever compared it to a grill was right. It smells burned and heavy. It's a very strong scent that makes my eyes water.