AraliaShine

Sinuous. Intoxicating. There's a sharp bite of red pom in the early stages but then the plumes of coloured smoke drift across it, obscuring the toothmarks. Intense red and purple, darkness, purple and red. Vivid on a black backdrop, lingering like after-images inside closed eyelids. Dreamy, beautiful, mesmerizing. Wafts like over-dyed silk scarves billowing on the moonless tropical breeze. Mysterious, seductive, and very long lasting on my skin. Currently, I'm not getting the sticky sweetness that I'd associate with dates, just a dark richness. If this one does mellow/sweeten with aging, I could possibly love it more. Yes, I'm smitten!

On me, this is a cone rolled from thin blueberry fruit leather, stuffed with a just getting melty creamsicle, sprinkled with delicate white flower petals. I can't identify a particular flower, but there is a subtle pale nectar-y sweetness over the blueberry skins and creamy cold tangerine. Delicious! Great throw initially that mellows into a surprisingly long lasting nommy skin scent. Grin inducing, refreshing, and smoothly sweet.

Mmmmm! Lovely frimp that hitched a ride with a recent order Thank you! I didn't think that I liked bay rum on my skin until I sampled this little number. I get mainly thick brown chewy tobacco with a veneer of sweetness over the top and some delicious spices lurking underneath. The florals seem melded to the spices and aren't taking over which is fine by me. I'm a sucker for ginger scents, so I can see that's working well for me here. The syrupy sweetness could be reduced sugarcane - just to the point of carmelization, not all the way to molasses, or perhaps imortelle which smells sweet and somewhat syrupy on me. As the oil dries, more of a dusty clove comes forward. Still, the star of this scent is a rich, gorgeous tobacco. This one's going to get a lot of love and I may be needing a bottle.

This goes on smooth and thick like creamed honey (without the stickiness, but with all the depth and richness). There's an underlying delicate floral that surfaces more as the scent dries down, leaving behind a pale rose fashioned entirely from spun sugar. Lovely and sweet! Very evocative of the story and another rose that works on my skin, never becoming sharp or bitter.

Odd. My first impression was of a mishap at a cocktail bar. Not overtly boozy, but carrying the feeling of sloshed icy drinks. A 'You got your mojito in my daiquiri!', 'No, you got your daiquiri in my mojito!' moment. Definitely crushed ice. Definitely mint. As for the fruity component, it feels pink to me. Could be guava, or melon, or even a kiss of strawberry. Summery and refreshing. When all else fails, order another!

Pillowcases should always smell like this! In the morning, I may have to apologize for hitting them so hard but Mmmmmmm... Zzz zzz.

I love chocolate foody scents and I love gritty, dark elemental scents. I think Darkersolstice nailed it when they described Tlazolteotl as cacao (not chocolate), and empowering. This blend sings of raw materials gathered together as an offering. Somehow it feels as though each component represents a different wavelength and in combination, so much earthy goodness becomes elevated-- a cresting wave, a puff of smoke, a message or intention released into the endless blue sky. I kept thinking of the rainbow mnemonic ROYGBIV when wearing this, heavier on the warm colors, and farther reaching than the visible spectrum of light. Chapapote tar bubbles up languid and hot in the infra-red. Cacao simmers from brick red into burnt orange. A light dusting of yellow-gold, honey kissed masa lends a touch of mealy sweetness. The green wavelength isn't fresh and chlorophyll bright, rather a mature resin -- aged copal with some dry grass vetiver. The offering made, transmuted by fire, a handful of cotton blossoms is scattered, their high crisp chime carrying heavenward, rising through the blue and indigo sky, then dissipating where white meets ultra-violet. A song on the wind. This imp became a bottle with my recent order. I can't see my nose ever getting bored with the depth and breadth of scents in the opening and, as others have observed, the high sweet beauty of the dry stage is wearable anywhere. Edited to fix wonky tablet spacing because my cacao journey. while grand, didn't need to dribble down the page.

Telesto is a very fluid scent;it drapes and flows, notes blending seamlessly. It's also very pale and subdued. Ordinarily, amber scents bloom off of my skin invitingly, leonine with warmth and tawny confidence. This one purrs like a kitten basking in a sunbeam. The oudh is sweet and gentle, the champaca feels Warm and a bit fuzzy, and the neroli adds a gleam of gold. The cream brings to mind cool milk pouring from a moisture-beaded pitcher, while the vanilla adds depth and anchors it. Very cozy; to me, this smells like contentment.

My bottles arrived today.Yes, two of them. This one was an instant love for me from the moment I opened my decant to sniff it. It only got better on my skin. My first thought each time I smell it is : "Mmmm, Blue Honey!" although it is challenging to say which herbs/notes make it smell that way to me. Early guesses are hyssop (which always smells blue to me) and possibly a teensy bit of chamomile because later in the drydown I get a hint of fruitiness that is reminiscent of the feathery pineapple-scented foliage of chamomile. It gets greener and more of the pale amber comes out as it wears on my skin too. So for now, Blue/Green Honey and lotsa . I'll be wearing this often, so I'll add more notes and comparisons as I discover them. I didn't get any unpleasant metallic feeling from it, but so far, I like all of the metal notes that I've smelled from the lab. If I sniff hard and think about metal, maybe I get a verdigris-tinged copper, but in no way unpleasant (to my nose)-- more along the lines of the ancient rich patina of an oft used and well loved vessel. No doubt about it, this Fortuna is simply amazing on my skin!

Vetiver, birch tar, sweet black musk and myrrh, pretty much in that order. The vetiver opens powerfully-- a smoldering dry grassy type. As it gives way a bit, the scent deepens and sweetens with the richness of birch tar (and possibly some terebinth resin? a bit like in The Language of Crows) accompanied by a dark almost syrupy musk. Drydown is myrrh heavy on my skin, the cola type but not fizzy here at all. What started out feeling harsh and smoky mellows down silky smooth (think confectioner's sugar + soot) or maybe a coal dust similar to the candied charcoal vibe from La Befana. This smokestack belches forth initially, but ends up raining down the finest feathery ash. Lampblack snow. Might be a diamond in too much rough for some but, to me, this one's beautiful in all of its facets. Going on the full bottle list!

This opens with pickle scented scratch-n-sniff stickers! It gets better... A (very fuzzy, very cute) mouse has ravaged your spice cabinet while you slept. There are chewed bits of dried leaves, seeds and powders everywhere! Trying to figure out where to start cleaning it up (and reminding yourself that you can never have enough small glass bottles that seal well) smells like this. Later: I'm enjoying this more than I thought, but oddly craving a furry pickles on gingerbread sandwich. Still later: it's cooling and refreshing while simultaneously being warm and spicy. It's got a serious push-pull thing going on. I'm more intrigued than repulsed. Lots of dried oregano and thyme now and the initial pickle bite has faded. Curious, fresh/herbal, spicy and a strangely comforting skin scent in the far dry down. I've spent many a long day/night in and around kitchens, but never managed to absorb all of these smells at once. Interesting one, though, and suits the character.

Definitely violet and mint and some soapiness. Difficult to pin down, but the glass/plastic/glycerin? note(s) kept shifting on my skin and tugging the notes I did recognize along with it. It's as if it sometimes contains them and they sometimes drift out... Some whiffs I really liked and some seemed a bit odd. I wore it on quite a warm day and it was refreshing at times, perplexing at others. It does feel like scent memories in a bubble, captured just out of reach. I do like violet and it did hold my interest. ~ Will keep wearing the decant to see what I get under varying conditions.

Grabbed this from the Post's Etsy site because the notes all looked like winners for my skin--and they are. Steamy jasmine blossoming from a rumpled purple velvet, hastily cast aside for a midnight rendezvous. Rich & sultry

Wet, there's some roughening from the vetiver and a hint of red resin from the dragon's blood, but that scurries off rather quickly and I'm left with mainly orris. It's smooth, dusty, dry and feels slightly cool. Later on, I get hints of smoky earthiness from the vetiver and an occasional incense vibe from the daemondrops, but (thankfully) no cherry. My skin must really be loving this orris, because this is morphing into a slightly more sinister version of the Douglas Iris SN on me. (not that I'm complaining!) It's warm out today so I'm going to go do some chores and see if a little heat brings out the other notes more.

Of the Coraline decants, this was one that I was pretty sure that I'd sniff once and pass along. Tuberose is a caution note on me. It tends to amp to the moon and back from my skin, usually to the exclusion of any & all other notes. So I read 'over the top' and expected a tuberose bomb. Lightly applied to one wrist, I was pleasantly surprised that the first note I picked up was a buttery gardenia. Then tea, rich and strong. Then OH HAI, tuberose crashes your tea in true grand dame style. But she's forced to sit down and more or less behave while she's plied with buttery shortbread biscuits and even more tea. I do like gardenia and have a soft spot for foody scents more than all flowers all the time, so this one has begun to work its charms on me. I'm hanging on to the decant and interested to see how it compares to The Other Miss Spink.

This one's a warm, snuggly scent without being so heavy that it would overpower in late spring or summer. On my skin, the worn leather is in the background, solidly comforting. The sweetness of the resins and a hint of the black pepper take the foreground. giving off a 'your skin but better' vibe that's approachable & inviting. You'll want to let this Fool take the fall for you, but don't be surprised if you can't stop hugging them afterwards.

Wet: Dark spiced honey. For a few minutes I got a star anise kind of vibe, but I think that was my nose trying to figure out the pink pepper. There's a slight tingle on the tip of my tongue when I huff close. (No, I didn't lick it!) Only when I get really close to sniff, I pick up a faint hint of play-doh. This is the first honey scent I've tried that leans at all towards plastic and play-doh, so that surprised me a bit. Until now, honey has played very nicely with my skin chemistry. As it dries, I also get a feeling of powder-- not straight up baby powder, but more like an enticing dusting powder. The wafts are intimate and delicious (I'd get closer to me to catch a whiff!) and I love the carefree pairing of honey with pink pepper. Not sure about a bottle yet. I'm going to try wearing it on forearms rather than wrists next time to see if I can get the play-doh to disappear. Then I may have to compare it against Fortuna Dubia, which I fell hard for.

Optimistic sassafras! The opening of this is dominated by a shiny happy verbena. The initial sweetness could read as thick lemon syrup or hard candy, but to my nose it's more leafy/bright. This wet stage reminds me of the golden mittens of sassafras leaves gleaming in the sun. The rose is demurely peering through the leaves and she's all softness and petals. As it warms on my skin, more frankincense emerges accompanied by a twist of dried-- almost powdered ~lemongrass~ maybe? Perhaps that's still the verbena with the angelica root lending a dusty herbal haze. Either way, this is a really uplifting, cheerful scent that feels rounded and sunny without any of the sharp/sour vibes I often find in citrus or rose blends. A pleasant surprise, like a stretch of open highway with clear skies ahead, beckoning you to roll down the windows and just breathe in the day. ETA: My grabby hands satisfied by a bottle, I just wanted to clarify that my initial sassafras impression is not the root(beer)y rich dark brown scent, but a leafy yellow spicebush aroma. For a double dose of bright sunshine and roses, this pairs really well with Sept HG. If you're wanting more of the rose, try pairing it with White Rose HG-- divine both ways!

I have to agree that this is a sunny rose. More frankincense was evident upon application, but everything mellowed nicely as my damp hair began to air dry. Now it smells like a soft, rose-golden halo around my head. There's still a bit of brightness from the frankincense and it's anchored by a subtle, non-foody deep brown crinkle of vanilla pod. Yay for another rose I can wear! ETA: This pairs well with The Fool's Rose, very uplifting and sunny together.

This one's difficult to describe. It's simultaneously green, blue, and pale, while being warm on my skin and ly chill on the air. It definitely has a dusty, haunting quality as if all of the elements are shades of their former selves. If I try to separate them, I can sense the greenery and flowers-- my mind says early springtime, but crushed underfoot. Everything blends well into a soft, slightly powdery aura of what feels like orris with possibly a teensy hint of a parma violet pastille that has long since crumbled. Good throw at first and then it fades mysteriously in and out, returning with a waft just when you think it may have vanished completely. I like this one way more than I was expecting! Going to have to seek out more ethereal florals-- it may be a new ... ETA: There is mint in this, but it's elusive. Occasionally I would just catch the edge of a whiff and wonder if I'd washed my hands with peppermint Bronner's and not rinsed it all off. It's woven in so well with the other components that it really just imparts the feeling of a cool draft-- the persistent recurring kind where you struggle to identify its source.

I get a syrupy dark wine first and foremost. It's tasty and intriguing and lasts several hours on me. Later there's the intimation of leather and definite undertones of hot, flushed skin. This one's naughty, but the florals aren't. There's only a hint of rose and I think it's smoothed by the myrtle. I do like violet, but I have to reach to catch a glimmer of it here. Going on the full bottle list!

In the decant and wet on skin I also get a bit of a dirty oudh-like smell-- not barnyard oudh on me, but more in the medicinal/band aid range as Happicuppa noted. I sometimes like that scent, depending on what it's blended with, but here it's a bit unsettling. While I don't have a lot of experience with narcissus as a perfumery note, in real life, I sometimes find them overwhelming. Okay out-of-doors, but just too much for inside. So I'm thinking that this odd latex/bandage sort of vibe is coming from an overblown narcissus. All of the other notes are ones I like that play well on my skin in other blends. The good news is that as it dries, I have to sniff harder and closer to the skin to even find that irksome band aid. The wafts are pure delight! I think I'll let this sit a bit more then try it again to see if the first aid kit gets put away when it's no longer needed.

Oh YES! The backs of both of my hands are smelling deliciously of ambergris and rose (the latter a rare occurrence for me.) Orris anchors and lends its subtle dusty depth. My decant will become a bottle! Here is the blend that allows rose to love me back just like I like it. Thank you for making this!

The time for negotiation has passed. Now is the time for swift & sure action. Lady Death: Savage has chosen a path and if you find yourself standing in her way, yours may be the next body to hit the floor! It surprised me that a scent compared with Lyonesse could present such an uncompromising character. Yet here she is. (better haul ass!) The bergamot, wormwood and caraway work together to give the gorgeous vanilla a wicked sharp/spicy green edge. White musk is her unflinching glare.The bois de jasmin and grey amber serve to strengthen rather than soften this blend. This warrior's stance is solid, grounded in thick, rich resins. The line she walks leans neither too feminine or masculine to my nose, effortlessly incorporating elements common to both. Be she Lyonesse's big bad sis, or Dorian's unstoppable niece, either way, this is one formidable sword-wielding force of nature! Gotta admit, I was a bit taken aback at first, but this one's grown on me. She's become my go-to for "once more unto the breach" situations.

You're up in the mountains and the sky has blackened so fast you're heading for cover. Just as you reach treeline, a too-close bolt of blinding blue-white lightning rends the overstuffed clouds, spilling their chill down on everything in sight, until there's nothing left in sight-- Thundersnow! I get the oudh and black pepper most upon application, followed by drifts of that sweet, delicious snow.