paperdoll

Initial sniff: I smell gardenia, cinnamon, other spiciness, and something resinous - possibly amber, but probably myrrh. Strong florals are always a little iffy on me, but we'll see!

Wearing: The gardenia is almost overpowering upon first application, but the myrrh quickly leaps into action and takes control. This dries to a lovely floral incensey resin, and it stays that way for hours and hours.

Final Impressions: I think Macha said it best - this scent really does know how to shake it! A bit powerful for everyday wear, it is definitely a keeper nonetheless!

Initial Sniff: A cool brisk breeze through lush virgin woods. What a beautiful scent! I can't pick out any individual notes in this (except the sweeetness of the loganberries), but it is a lovely idyllic blend.

Wearing: As soon as I put this on, I get a very sharp, boozy note coming on srong, with a tinge of ozone. The booziness (I think it can only be the loganberry gone very very wrong) does not fade as time goes on.

Final Impressions: A masterpiece in the bottle, but a disaster on my skin. My Norse ancestors are weeping in their graves.

Initial Sniff: Earthy and myrrhtastic. There is also something sweet and something sharp lurking in the background. This is not a perfume for good girls.

Wearing: My skin loves myrrh, tra la la! This is dangerous and delicious at the same time. The earthiness fades as it dries, but the currant peeks out from behind the spicy myrrh curtain. It lasts for freakin' ever.

Final Impressions: Color association: this is a thick honey golden curtain hiding deep scarlet and plum places and dark black holes. I love it! A yummy warm deep scent with a nasty edge perfect for cold weather!

Initial Sniff: Blackberry and heather, just as promised. I can see where others got the impression of rose, as the combination does smell a little like an odd sort of rose. This smells fresh, happy, and grown-up (in an innocent but wise, uncomplicated, very grounded way).

Wearing: I would be surprised if this actually has any rose in it because it doesn't go all strange on my skin like rose blends. Instead, it stays true to the sweet florally herbally scent that I smelled in the bottle. It doesn't really morph into anything else - it just fades away over time. This scent has medium staying power - I can go several hours without reapplying.

Final Impressions: This is very beautiful, and I love how straightforward this simple scent is. I find this blend to have a calming effect, and it has very positive energy about it.

Initial Sniff: Sweet, green, cinnamon, woodsy... this is gorgeous! I am deeply in love with this scent. It seems to be the scent of another time - a time when the world was fresher and greener.

Wearing: The dragon's blood comes to life on my skin, providing a sweet base for the green and spice notes. At times it smells almost floral, at times I smell berries, and at times it is almost aquatic. It is ever-changing and long-lasting.

Final Impressions: I have a 5ml of this and shall enjoy every drop!

Initial Sniff: I can smell mostly the woodsiness (yes that's a word ) and the spices, although there is an underlying sweetness to this blend. The cedar is almost sharp in its intensity.

Wearing: For the first hour I smell like CEDAR. Ugh. One this dries however, the cedar loses its edge and the sandalwood/lotus blend come to the forefront. The spices are still there in the background, but it is mainly sweet sandalwood.

Final Impressions: The drydown stage of this scent is very nice indeed. It is peaceful and grounding. I do not like the CEDAR stage, but the drydown may be worth it. I'm keeping my imp, but not ordering a big bottle yet - I'll see how it grows on me!

Initial Sniff: I smell green, ozone, and cherry blossoms. This is not really my kind of scent, but I'll give it a try!

Wearing: This scent is very cool and distant. It doesn't really warm up at all on my skin, in fact it stays pretty true to the scent in the vial. I'm really not getting much in the way of fruits with this one.

Final Impressions: Pretty, but not at all me!

Initial Sniff: I've not got clue 1 about what is in this. It is green, herbal, spicy, woodsy, earthy... with a touch of citrus.

Wearing: It is still all of the above things, but different - sharp, but balanced.... This does have great staying power.

Final Impressions: I have had a bottle of this for the better part of a year now and have avoided reviewing it because I just can't describe it. I still can't. I don't like it, but I can't say why. Strange.

Initial Sniff: This is woodsy and herbal and... rose? A very masculine scent - but I swear I smell rose!

Wearing: I'm quite sure this contains white sandalwood - that must be the woodsy note I was smelling earlier (I always think that white sandalwood smells a little like cedar. Am I odd?). This also contains that Beth's Special Blend of Tarot Herbs and Spices, you know - that indescribable greenness that is most of these blends. Once on my skin, this is not nearly so masculine and is actually quite pretty. I can't pick out any individual notes once it is dry - it is just a warm and benevolent smell.

Final Impressions: The Emperor is my personality and soul card. This scent really does work on me. It is one of those scents that keeps getting looked over in favor of other scents in my box, but every time I wear it I wonder why that is because it is so beautiful. Color associations: this scent is a warm coppery russet.

Initial Sniff: This smells like a posh men's cologne in the bottle. I can smell a hint of citrus, and some herbs... the energy from this bottle is definitely masculine and definitely warm.

Wearing: Citrus and herbs! For me, this is not a hot scent... it is merely warm. It is an early morning sun just starting to bring light and warmth to the earth. I think t3andcrumpets is right - there is definitely some frankincense and maybe some amber in this blend. Dry, it is soft and light.

Final Impressions: I am a child of the sun, and this blend speaks to me. It is not my favorite of Beth's solar blends, but it has a welcome place in my collection.

Initial Sniff: Hoo boy that's spicy! The black pepper and frankincense really jump out at me. This is both earthy and fiery at the same time.

Wearing: Yep, it's still spicy! On my skin it is really quite earthy. The ginger still has not made an appearance.

Final Impressions: I don't really like this. I'm not an Aires, so I guess I don't need to feel too bad about that!

Chaos Theory XVII (decanted by the lovely hypothermya)

Initial Sniff: Everyone else is saying lemon, but I'm gonna be a rebel and say grapefruit. This is Shattered without the mint, Queen of Diamonds without the strong floral element. This is lightly floral, lightly herbal, and lightly citrus. Oh, ok... it might be lemon verbena, but I still say grapefruit.

Wearing: This is a very light, fresh scent. The grapefruit stands out on my skin in all of its bitter citrus glory. This fades so quickly - I don't really feel like we've spent enough time together to form an opinion.

Final Impressions: I like this, but I don't love it. It is a very summery blend.

Previously reviewed by supasonicsage, hypothermya, with coffee spoons, harlequin, quantum spice and inkstone.

Initial Sniff: If one were to have an amaretto drink with a marachino cherry in it, and if one were to drink that drink slowly while conversing with friends in a bar that smells of clove cigarettes, this scent is the experience of eating that boozy sweet cherry. This is a little black dress and red lipstick in a friendly corner bar with a great jazz band. Very smooth.

Wearing: My fiance told me that I smelled like maraschino cherries immediately after I put this on, so my initial sniff has been validated! The heady smoky booziness dissipates almost immediately as it dries, and I do indeed smell like a maraschino cherry for a while. The more this dries, the more I am convinced that it contains a hint of dragon's blood. After a few hours, this has mellowed into a faintly spicy sweetness.

Final Impressions: I cannot wait for this to be released as a regular scent! I shall have a large bottle of it. I shall.

Initial Sniff: This scent is black with a softly glowing muted purple light at the center. It is fruity and woody and Dark. It is regal without being haughty and deep without being menacing.

Wearing: When wet this is almost sharp in its intensity. As it dries, the fruits and myrrh overtake the wood notes. This remains dark, but it has a sweet core. It softens and blends beautifully throughout the day, the fruits grounded by an incensey backdrop.

Final Impressions: I love, love, love this!! I would compare it to Venom - the Queen, however, is softer, older, wiser, and has seen more shadows than Venom. Beautiful!!

Initial Sniff: In the vial I smell the vetiver and earthy/woody notes first, then the spices (especially the pepper) second. Of Beth's vertiver blends, this is he only one I've tried that doesn't smell... dark... in the vial. There are shadows, to be sure, but there is sunlight in this blend.

Wearing: Like most vetiver blends, that is really the only note that my skin chooses to express. As it dries, I think a little of the woodsiness and pepper creep back in, but that may just be wishful thinking. So on my skin, this is a very dark scent.

Final Impression: I like vetiver, but Saturn is my vetiver blend of choice (of course once my bottle is gone, Kweku is back in the running!). I would like to smell this on a man, but my particular man doesn't get on very well with wood-type notes, so I may just have to wonder...

Vixen is the scent at my house. Oh yes it is.

Initial Sniff: This is autumn in a bottle! Spicy apple cider, damp fall leaves, and a cozy fire. A very evocative scent.

Wearing: The spicy apple and patchouli really come out on my skin, and as it dries, a sweetness reminiscent of honey melds them together. Truly beautiful.

Final Impression:

Initial Sniff: Cool and aquatic, softly herbal with a hint of cucumber... this changes every time I sniff it. It smells like night wind, but not... Whatever this is, I like it!

Wearing: This feels mystical, wise, peaceful... on my skin it smells just as mutable as it does in the bottle. One moment I smell the cucumber, the next I smell the juniper, the next it is florals. It feels powerful and understated, aquatic and ethereal and down-to-earth, herbal and floral... It really is indescribable.

Final Impressions: This is a masterpiece. Fortunately enough for us, a scent this marvelous DOES come around once in a Blue Moon!

Initial Sniff: This is a truly RED scent. It smells of late summer florals in a deep swirling pool of thick golden red notes (dragon's blood and amber) and those mysterious cool lunar oils. Abso-frickin-lutely gorgeous.

Wearing: The orange comes out to play once this is on my skin, but the florals are still there. The amber and dragon's blood really warm this scent up and add a beautiful sweetness. This has great staying power.

Final Impressions: I wasn't worried when I ordered this, because it contains several notes that nearly always work well with my chemistry. However, Red Moon has exceeded all of my expectations. It is one I reach for over and over again. Definitely my favorite of the lunar oils!

Initial Sniff: FLOWERS!! Yes indeedy! I smell roses for certain but there are others here as well. They are cut flowers for sure - wedding bouquet as opposed to rose bush - but I'm not sure why. Am I just being influenced by the name? Perhaps, but I think it is more than that. Interesting.

Wearing: ROSE! All else is drowned out, I'm afraid. It's a body chemistry thang, don't you know. It is a chilly rose bouquet. I don't normally like rose, but lime comes to the rescue! I swear, you mix lime with anything that my skin normally hates and it becomes bearable. This does have fairly good staying power.

Final Impressions: I haven't worn this since I received it this summer, and I really don't remember it being so one-dimensional. I'll have to try it again at a different time of the month to see what it does. As it stands, this rose is wearable but not terribly exciting.

Initial Sniff: Carmelized bown sugar and maple syrup. Sticky toothache sweet.

Wearing: I don't get much maple on my skin, just slightly burnt brown sugar. Surprisingly, I really like this!

Final Impressions: I'm really shocked by how much I like wearing this perfume. It lasts all day long too, which is nice. This layers really well with MMU's Brown Sugar Pie lotion.

Initial Sniff: In the bottle, I smell wood smoke, incense, and some kind of candy sweetness. It is complex and gorgeous.

Wearing: While the smoke is really prominent in the bottle, it disappears once it is on my skin. The candy scent gets amped up by my body chemistry, but the incense holds its own and balances the sweetness in a really interesting and balanced way. The staying power is adequate - I can go a few hours before having to reapply.

Fianl Impressions: I *love love love* this!!! It is beautiful, complex, and... just all around flippin' fantastic! It is a scent that suits many moods and occasions for me... I hope it comes back again next year!

Initial Sniff:This was a gift from my Swapfaery, Astburygrrl. Yummy sweet creamy boozy goodness! This is boozier than any eggnog that I've ever personally tasted, but I wouldn't mind a sip!

Wearing: The booziness disappears almost immediately, leaving a creamy smooth freshly cooked eggnog scent. It is sweet and oh-so-lickable! The egg smell disappears over more time... whoever (Brooke?) said it smells like fresh homemade marshmallows was right. This has great staying power - bonus!

Final Impressions: My Swapfaery knew me better than I knew myself. Egg Nog is everything I had hoped Sugar Cookie and Gingerbread Poppet would be. This is the best foody scent I've tried so far. I will hoard my bottle jealously, and be sad when it is gone!

Initial Sniff: Rich, buttery, sweet and spicy... COOKIES!!! Hot - fresh from the oven.

Wearing: This very quickly went Red Hots cinnamon on me, drowning out every bit of buttery sweetness. As it dries, the sweetness reappears... it smells like Snickerdoodles, but just a little... off. I'm not sure what keeps it from being dead-on, but trying to figure out is distracting me.

Final Impressions: I like this, but I am not floored by it. It lasts all day, which is a good thing!

Initial Sniff: I want to eat this scent. In the bottle it smells like liquid gingerbread cookies - sweet molasses spice. This seriously makes me salivate.

Wearing: The molasses fades right away, and I am left with a sweet cinnamon scent. Nice, but nothing special. It fades completely away within an hour or so.

Final Impressions: I will not waste this scent on my skin any more. If I keep it, I will use it in an oil burner to make my home smell fantastic!