femmefatale

I am so thrilled I was able to get a bottle of the 2005 version! This is so comforting. I get anise, smooth leather, rich woods, and a hint of pipe tobacco. There also seems to be something vaguely metallic, which I would normally hate, but smells great here. This is more masculine, but still wearable. I think this would also be unbelievable on dh and can't wait to have him try it.

hmmmm....strawberry pop rocks. I like it. Once it's drying down, it calms down a bit and isn't quite so strawberry sweet. It's still sugary though and also not as boozy as I expected (yay! I like rum, but gin is iffy). It reminds me just a bit of Sticky Pillowcase, but not so sweet and heavy. It's much lighter (not so much in throw, but in scent) and not so cloying. I didn't expect to like this since I don't really like the candy scents like Candy Phoenix, SP, etc (my girls do though LOL), but I really like it a lot. This is all mine! It's just such a fun scent. Candy-like, but wearable, and very fun. I think this would be great for summer when I want something more playful than my heavier, muskier scents.

At first this is very green and bitter herbal with a slightly sharp quality to it, but it soon morphs into a a bright, clean, green springtime scent. It smoothes out a bit and is very well blended. It's not as spicy as I expected, which is actually ok. The throw is very light though and fades pretty quickly. And it also reminds me a bit of Dragon Moon '06. It's in the same family, though Cthulhu doesn't go quite as soapy as DM. I like this more than I expected, so I'll keep my decant, but will pass on the bottle.

This one is not at all what I expected. At first it's a somewhat clean incense scent, however that's possible. Once it's drying it's a bit sweeter and greener and the rose water comes out, though it's not a rose scent. It's also somewhat fizzy smelling, I think from the absinthe? Once it's been on my skin for a while, the sugar reappears. But not as just a vaguely sweet scent, but as actual sugar, mixed with rose and absinthe and the barest hint opium. But this is in no way foody, so foody haters, no worries here! I like this so much more than I expected. I really only got it because it was a partial included in a bottle lot and I had fully expected to swap it away. But even though this is really not me, I like it! I think this would make a wonderful spring/summer scent when my normal ones are too heavy (though it's totally wearable year round).

This smelled so wonderful at first, all spicy oranges with just a hint of smoke. I loved it! But then....poof! It's gone. Like within 5 minutes I couldn't even tell where I had applied it. This makes me sad. ETA: Ok, so out of the blue the scent cack, but this time it's a smokey, spicy amber with a hint of woods. I like this stage also, I just wish it had a stronger throw.

Ok, so this update is surprising me. The ones I thought I would love have been "ok" or not at all for me, but the ones I thought would be so-so I'm loving! When I first put it on I did so lightly since I wasn't sure about it. It smelled like a dark vanilla powder scent. Very nice and not at all what I was expecting. So I put some more on and now it's very different. The woods came out more and it's not as soft smelling. The vetiver is no where near as strong as I expected and the mandarin in non-existant. This is dark and very smooth and definitely lives up to it's name. I really like this one. It's (imo) very uinisex and I can't wait to try it on dh.

Intitially, this is straight up CURRANT! Holy cow. It's sweet and yummy but pretty much all currant, all the time. After a little while I get a hint of incense and something earthy and slightly...off (which I am assuming is the muchroom). It's still a sweeter scent though and reminds me a bit of a lotion (or perhaps candle?) I used to have. Very nice, though not exactly me. I'll definitely keep the decant though.

This one I like. A lot. It's all incense at first, but then the berries and musk come out and it's just wonderful. As it dries down further I can smell the sage more, which I like. It's not overpowering, more of a whisper, but it really does add something to the blend. After a while it's almost all musk with a hint of berry sweetness. I wish I could get this on it's own since Marotte didn't on me. Hopefully Motley will so that I can justify getting the set.

At first I loved this. It was all ripe pear with a hint of resin. But as it dried, the pear faded and it morphed into something more complex and perfumey. It's still pretty, but I miss my pear. This dries down to a very elegant and classy scent. I might keep my decant, but I doubt I'll spring for the set, unless I love the other 2.

To me this smells like a cross between Sugar Skull and pipe smoke. Verrry interesting. I'm just so thankful the violets were kept in check. I'll definitely keep my partial and wear it this fall/winter when I want something....unusual.

I can't really pick out the individual notes, but it's very green (from the bamboo I assume) with sweet florals that turn a bit soapy (cherry blossom strikes again). It does smell like it would make a wonderful spring & summer scent and it's very pretty, just not really me. I prefer the darker, muskier scents right now. I'll probably swap this off to someone who will give it more attention.

This does remind me of Morocco, but not really a more masculine version, more of a spicier version. At the beginning it does remind me of Christmas time, but as it dries it smoothes out and mellows a bit. After about 30 min./an hour I can start to smell the cedar more (though it's more of a subtle base as opposed to a main note...very light) and the blend begins to sweeten. This is a far more wearable blend than I expected it to be. It seems to be cross between Morocco, the Smiling Spider, and a pinch of Plunder. I like this a lot and will definitely be adding it to my bottle list. I can't wait to see how it smells on dh. ETA: Anyone else think that it looks like Luke Wilson on the bottle? Edited again: I had dh try it and oh holy hell, it smelled sooooo good. On him he amped the sweetness and it smelled like this delicious creamy chai tea we used to get. It is really one of the most heavenly smells. Of course, now I want a tea.

At first it's mostly clean smelling, a bit lemony with a hint of musk and sugar cane. After a little while the lemon fades and it goes rather perfumey. Very nice and subtle, just a bit too perfumey for my taste. I like my scents a bit more....unusual.

At first this smells just like the cherry cough drops we get at the health food store. After it begins drying...I have no idea. This is just so odd. I really have no idea what it smells like, but it reminds me of this strange lip gloss I had as a kid that came in these pieces of fake jewelry. hmm. After a while it becomes a bit smokier and now smells like cherry (where am I getting cherry???) incense or cherry pipe tobacco. Maybe with a shot of whiskey on the side. This is starting to remind me a little of Hearth '04 (?). On me it seems to be in the same family. I am so glad I'm not getting the peanuts. I am getting something just a touch spicy. WTH is going on here? I am very...confused by this scent. I didn't like it at first, but it started growing on me once the smokiness came out. It's not at all what I expected but I'm strangely drawn to it.

This smell like the creamy strawberry candy scent they use to scent dolls. Not the plastic dolls themselves, but the scent on them, kwim? I kinda like this and will wear it for the novelty, but can't see needing a whole bottle. But I love the artwork!

So sad. I slathered this one on and I smell...just about nothing. Maybe a hint of the currants but otherwise....nothing. WTH?

This is almost straight grapefruit (yuzu?) with a hint of florals. Very pretty, but not something I can see wearing often. It is very uplifting though. I'm really tempted to keep my imp just to sniff when I need a pick me up.

YES! This this exactly! I looove this. It's sweet, spicy, incense burning in room where some hot marathon sex just took place.

At first this is very green with the barest hint of florals. As it dries dries down the tomato leaf comes out and it really does smell just like a vegetable garden. As it dries even further I can detect the wildflowers a bit more and the vegetation calms down. This is when it starts to cling a bit closer to the skin. This smells so lifelike! Even dh was surprised. The only thing was that I got virtually no dirt or soil, so I just layered some Graveyard Dirt with it. Wow!

CCCXVIII If I could create my own snake oil blend, I could not have picked a more perfect one. It starts out a bit of SO with coconut (more black, less foody) with a hint of smoke. As it dries down, the smoke comes out more and reminds me a bit of the smoke note in Moai, but not quite so acrid. Drying down more the smoke fades and the most gorgeous coconut comes out again, balanced with the faint snake oil base. This makes me think of dancing close on the patio of an outdoor bar on a summer night, with the lingering smell of an earlier beach bonfire mingling with the coconut oil left on warm skin. It's such a beautiful and sexy scent. I love it. I just wish I could buy it by the gallon. This is my holy grail scent.

At first this smells like banana runts (which to me is a good thing, I love that smell ), but almost immediently it begins to morph into a beautiful tropical floral scent. This smells like a island paradise. It is just gorgeous and such a happy scent. Makes me want to go on a vacation (we need a hula girl smilie). Since I can't though, I will enjoy wearing this. Now if only I was thin enough for a bikini and sarong....

I'm kicking myself now for turning down a previous opportunity to get this. Thjis was my reasoning: pomegranate= iffy gardenia=soap plum= either craft store or Yankee candle black pepper= OMG, no! ew ew ew ew blood accord= iffy So, it shouldn't work, right? How wrong I was. This starts off very juicy and youthful, but as it dries it becomes darker and richer, while still maintaining the sweet and tart fruitiness. I can catch the barest hint of florals at times, but no trace of soap or old lady. The black pepper seems to be just about non-existant, though there is a spicy undercurrent. This is a darkly alluring and somehow playful and lively. The throw is better than I expected, though not overwhelming. I really really love this and I am so happy I was able to find some (and with her crypt!).

Starts off nice, all sugared flowers. But after a few minutes a strange green note comes out. Ok. And this is when it starts to go bad on me. Now it smells like a vegetable drawer. WTH??? And it dries down to....vegetables and a perfume counter. Safe to say, not for me.

I am not a floral person, so I was hesitant to try this. Surprisingly, it's very pretty. At first it's mostly sweet flowers with a bit of green grass. As it dries down something darker comes out to balance the sweetness of the flowers. It almost has a slightly musky or perhaps smokey feel to it. I like this a lot more than I expected to so I'll be keeping my imps. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

At first this smells like a good coffee shop with the coffee, woods, etc. Very yummy! As it dries though it smoothes out and becomes a bit from the tonka. This is even better than I expected! I loooove it. I recently got a sniffie of Bah! And as far as coffee scents go, I actually prefer Dogs. I will be needing a back up bottle. ETA: So a couple hours later I'm walking around wondering where the delicious smell is coming from from and then I realize....it's me! The pipe tobacco came out more, though it's not a heavy smoke scent. More like the lingering smell of pipe smoke on a sweater. That mingling with the creamy sweetness from the tonka and the subtle coffe scent is just heavenly. This doesn't smell like Misk. U to me. That can be too sweet at times, where this has just the right amount of sweetness to balance the coffee and pipe tobacco.