Penance

Preconceived notions: I really want to love this because I adore the name. I don't see anything in here that should really be a warning flag, so here's to hoping. First sniff: This reminds me of a combination of The Apothecary (which I like) and Embalming Fluid (which I don't). It's a very sharp, intense green with a lemony edge to it. Unfortunately, I hate lemon. Wet on skin: Less lemony, but still very, very green. It's a sharp, almost nose-stinging green that has to be the green tea. This isn't a white scent to my nose; it's definitely a bright green one. think: Dry down: Less sharp and lemony and more dry and slightly floral. This is more what I was expecting, but it's still not quite me, unfortunately. The bottom line: Unfortunately Spirits of The Dead isn't for me even though I want to love it.

Preconceived notions: I know I won't like this. I hate the smell of nuts and I really don't want to smell like cocoa, but I'll give it a shot. First sniff: Smells like pumpkin brownies! I don't want to smell like them, myself, but I'm impressed all the same. Wet on skin: More pumpkin and slightly less cocoa. I don't smell the walnut or hazelnut, which is good, but I really don't really want to smell like this Patch member anyway. I actually prefer this to the scent in the bottle, though. Dry down: Pumpkin brownies, heavy on the pumpkin. This would make an awesome autumn room scent as long as it was in someone else's house (I'd prefer my house didn't smell like chocolate, thank you). The bottom line: I like this more than I'd anticipated, but not enough to keep it. It's going to a loving new home with someone who will give it the love I can't.

Preconceived notions: I got this mainly out of curiosity since I don't want to smell like candy corn, so I'm not sure how well this is going to work out, but I had to try it. First sniff: That's...weird. It really does have a sort of creamed corn smell in the bottle...with a hint of caramel. Wet on skin: Oh, wow, it smells like melted brown sugar and butter! It reminds me more of caramel popcorn than candy corn for some reason, but it's definitely an edible scent, very foody (and not me). Dry down: A bit more like candy corn, but more like caramel. This would be perfect for an autumn room scent, but not for my house. The bottom line: Not meant for me, but I didn't expect it to be. Still quite nice and autumnal, though.

Preconceived notions: None of the Nice scents really appealed to me, although Mitzvah sounded nice enough, but I had to make a Nice plea for the shirt. Snow Angel, though, is the middle choice of the three for me...I think I'll like it more than Fee but less than Mitzvah. I hate lemon, so I'm not seeing myself liking this, but we'll see. First sniff: Smells like lemondrops...like lemons and a generous helping of sugar. Very much a good girl scent and very much not me. Wet on skin: This actually isn't bad even if it's not something I'd normally wear. It's dead on lemondrops. Sweet, fruity, girly and innocent. Dry down: You guessed it: lemondrops. This is an extremely stable scent on me and I actually rather like it although I don't think I'd really ever wear this. The bottom line: This will be getting swapped for Mitzvah since I won't actually wear it enough to warrant keeping it.

Preconceived notions: I've been wanting to try Snowblind since it first made an appearance in the reviews section of the forum in spite of my general aversion to foody scents and especially sweet, candy-like ones. I love buttermints and something about the smell of them really appeals to me - it's innocent and sweet and homey somehow, even if Snowblind is a Naughty blend. First sniff: Oh, my, Beth's done it again! She's bottled the scent of buttermints, pure and simple. There's nothing artificial about this and it's not saccharine sweet. It's buttery and minty and...comfortable smelling somehow, perhaps because it reminds me of winters at home with my parents. Wet on skin: As soon as Snowblind hits my skin, the buttery vanilla note takes a backseat to the mint and this veers dangerously close to peppermint candy territory, which is odd given the fact that my skin normally amps up butter notes. I'm hoping this goes back to the buttery scent in the bottle as I'm not a fan of pure peppermint scents. Dry down: Phew, back to the butter/vanilla/mint scent of the bottle. This is sweet and soothing and homey and comforting and not at all naughty to my nose (not that I'm complaining, since I love this). Snowblind really does smell like the scent of liquified buttermints...the extra rich ones that melt in your mouth as soon as you drop them on your tongue. The bottom line: Pure wintery comfort. I'm so glad I got this one; I think Snowblind and I were meant to be together, although I do wish I could buy more.

Sugar Skull '05 Origin: Imp from my imp pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I didn't order Sugar Skull when it returned this year because I still have 2 bottles from last year and couldn't see myself using or needing more since it was more of a nostalgia scent than an everyday wear scent, but then the reviews started calling it boozy and sugary, which sounded good. I was still waffling over ordering a bottle or two when Diana forced me to take a decant of hers (she really had to twist my arm ), so I'm excited to get to try it and find out if I like it enough to order a bottle. First sniff: Mmm, Diana was right, this does have a sort of whiskey scent to it. Last year's smelled like rum rolls to me (confectioner's sugar, butter and rum flavoring). This year's smells like whiskey sugar syrup with just a touch of some sort of fruit. Wet on skin: Wow, holy quick change, Batman! On me, Sugar Skull '05 suddenly loses all of its syrupiness and turns into a genuine sugar skull scent. Sort of a light sugar scent with just a hint of vague fruitiness to it. I like this, too, in spite of my hatred of foody scents (and, most of the time, sweet scents), but I prefer the scent in the bottle. I'm hoping it changes back as it dries. Dry down: Dry, Sugar Skull '05 strikes a balance between the bottle and wet stages and manages to capture the best of both. It's lighter than in the bottle, less intensely syrupy, but with the same whiskey-like booziness. This is wonderful! The bottom line: Color me surprised. I didn't expect to like this more than last year's, or to need more, but I'll be ordering a couple of bottles. This is a winner!

Wow, I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet...I'm getting forgetful. Origin: Imp from my incense-loving soul sister, the lovely sarada. Preconceived notions: I was intrigued by the name of this one and liked the idea behind it, but when I saw sarada's scent I knew I had to have it. I've been needing a good meditation scent (aside from Tushnamatay) and if it smelled wonderful, so much the better. Scent impressions: Oh, beautiful...just...beautiful. It's definitely an incense scent, but with a hint of candle to it, sarada's absolutely right about that. It reminds me of freshly blown out candles mixed with a wonderful blend of incense and a touch of wood. I get the distinct mental impression of a Buddhist temple, which was what I was hoping for. This smells exactly like I'd imagined. Effectiveness: I used this as a perfume before settling down to meditate (I'd also try putting it in a lightbulb ring, but I've only got an imp and don't want to waste any until I can get a bottle or two. The first thing I noticed was that I felt calm even before I sat down. I normally have a bit of a hard time getting into the meditation frame of mind because my brain won't shut down without a struggle (too much stress or something, I suppose), but I felt relaxed even before I got started and found that I fell right into the mindset with no trouble at all this time. Breathing in the scent of Temple: Daoist was like sitting in the middle of a Buddhist temple with my eyes closed, breathing in the scent of incense and wood from the timbers framing the roof. It was so easy to visualize with this on and so easy to relax. The Verdict: This lives up to my imagination's rampant speculation and even goes beyond my expectations, both scent-wise and effectiveness-wise. I'm going to need at least 2 bottles of this once the TAL site has it up for sale.

Ooh, squee! I ordered all the Come and See scents and I'm planning on keeping them all regardless of whether they work because they just speak to me, but if they've got pretty labels, that's all the more reason. I you, Macha.

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. Chaos Theory CDLXV (465) Origin: Sniffy from Quimerula for review purposes. First sniff: Lemon...I'm not sure if it's lemongrass, lemon balm or lemon verbena, but I'm leaning toward lemongrass right now. I'm thinking there could be anise in here, too, but I may be imagining it. Wet on skin: Now I smell something similar to a combination of lemon and horehound...I'm almost positive there's anise in here. Not much, but enough to give this an herbal/sweet kind of vibe to it. Dry down: All the herbal/anise bits are gone and I get nothing but lemongrass (I'm almost positive it's lemongrass and not lemon balm or lemon verbena.) Lemon's one of the notes my skin amps up, so there could be more to this that's getting drowned out on my skin, but lemon's all I can smell. The bottom line: Not a big fan of lemon, personally, so it's not for me, but I always enjoy trying the Chaos blends. Previously reviewed by Quimerula Chaos Theory DCLVI (656) Origin: Sniffy from quimerula for review purposes. First sniff: Initially, I thought this smelled like apple, but now I'm not sure that's right. It could be...smells a bit like macintosh apples, but I've got a nagging feeling that's wrong. There's not much oil in the vial and I'm having trouble getting a good sniff here. This smells almost effervescent somehow...like champagne. This is an odd one. Wet on skin: I'm still getting a bit of a macintosh vibe from this, but it's changing almost immediately. There's definitely something fruity about this, but I don't think fruit is the main component here. It's sweet, too, almost sugary. I'm having a really hard time pinning this one down for some reason. Dry down: Sweet, sugary and a tiny bit apple-like. I'm still not sure what's in here, to be honest. It's got a certain appleyness (making up words again, sorry) to it, but I just feel like it's not apple...maybe it's red relicious apple, that could explain my confusion since red delicious apples have never smelled particularly appley to me. The bottom line: Confusing. I keep waffling over this one. Not sure if I like it or not. Previously reviewed by Quimerula and Galen. Chaos Theory DCLXXIX (679) Origin: Sniffy from Quimerula for review purposes. First sniff: This is a tough one. The only real impression I get is that this reminds me of a caramel apple candle I smelled recently. It didn't really smell like a caramel apple somehow, but that smell (the not quite caramel apple) is what I get from DCLXXIX. Wet on skin: Still smells a bit caramel-like to me. A little sweet, a little sticky smelling and a tiny bit vanilla-like. I keep thinking I smell like a candle wearing this, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Dry down: Pretty much the same as when it was wet. Caramel/vanilla-like with maybe a bit of apple. I love caramel apples and even though I generally avoid foody scents, I always figured I might like to smell like caramel apples, but I'm not so sure it's working for me. The bottom line: A bit too foody for my tastes, but nice enough. It'd probably make a nice room scent, though. Caveat: For some reason, my skin tends to make certain notes smell like caramel, so I can't say for sure that there is a caramel note in here...could be something else that's getting turned into caramel on me. Previously reviewed by Quimerula and Galen.

Enabler! Enabler! :peek: ...and the sad thing is you're right. Thanks, Macha! Ooh, lovely! Thank you!

Anyone want to post the new Snake Oil label so I don't have to buy another bottle just to see it?

Preconceived notions: I've been hanging onto my White Light, waiting for the moment that feels right to try this. Today feels right, although I can't put my finger on why...I suppose because I'm irritated today and feel about ready to put my foot through the wall for various reasons. I just need a fresh mental start, I think, so I'm hoping White Light does as much for me as it's done for everyone else. Scent impressions: This strikes me as a very pure, clean floral, one I recognize but can't place. It does smell white to me and even though I don't normally care for floral scents (at all), this appeals to me. It somehow smells not cleansing but cleansed. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this...maybe citrus or some sort of aquatic, but somehow this still fits my mental image of what White Light should smell like. Effectiveness: White Light evoked an immediate reaction as soon as I finished applying it to my palms - out of nowhere I started crying. Not sad tears...the kind that seem to come when you're getting rid of emotional baggage. Purging would be a good word for it. At the risk of sounding like a twit, it's like all the irritation and frustration and anger I've been bottling up came out in those tears. It was almost a physical lightning, that's the only way I can think of explaining it. The verdict: Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. I really needed to let go of some things and White Light let me do it.

Preconceived notions: This one certainly sounds interesting and I love the label (so cute!), but I doubt it's going to work for me. Pomegranate has an inexplicable tendency to turn into gummy bears as soon as it hits my skin and that's not really something I want to smell like, but I'll give it a shot. First sniff: Almost all I get from the bottle is pumpkin. Buttery pumpkin. That doesn't bode well, either, since buttery pumpkin tends to make me a little queasy (although it's certainly not something that happens every time I get near a buttery pumpkin scent). I don't really smell the pomegranate, but I do get a very vague sense of fruitiness in the background. Wet on skin: Okay, there's the fruit. So far, this is only bordering on gummy bear territory - it hasn't made the full leap yet. I do have to say that this is the truest BPAL pomegranate scent that I've smelled yet and I'm in a good position to judge, having just eaten one of the little beauties...pomegranates, I mean, not the BPAL scents. This may actually work, surprisingly enough. So far, there's no real gummy bear vibe to speak of (just genuine pomegranate) and the fruit is tempering the pumpkin quite well. It's unexpectedly likeable for me. A very unusual combination in a good way. Dry down: How weird...one of my wrists smells intensely of slightly gummy bear-like pomegranate with a hint of pumpkin and hte other smells mainly of delicious pumpkin with just a hint of juicy fruit. This is my first experience with different smells from different wrists and I'm amazed. I definitely prefer the more pumpkiny side, but the other is surprisingly likeable as well. The bottom line: I didn't expect this to work and I didn't expect to genuinely like it, but I've been proven wrong on both counts. A beautiful, unique combination.

Preconceived notions: I love sandalwood in practically all its incarnations, so I'm really looking forward to trying this. I never would have imagined pumpkin and sandalwood going together, but it sounds surprisingly appealing, and not just to my inner hippie. First sniff: I took one sniff of this, did a double take, and handed it to my mom for her analysis and we both agree on what we were smelling: yellow cake batter. I have absolutely no idea why this would smell like cake batter, but its uncanny to my nose (and my mom's...could be genetic, I suppose). My best guess is it's the butteriness of the pumpkin mixing with the orris that's doing it, but that's no more than a fairly uneducated guess. I like this, I really do. It's just surprising. Wet on skin: No more cake batter (that was truly bizarre). Now I get...pumpkin incense. It's not as strange a combination as it sounds, either. The pumpkin warms the sandalwood and keeps it from being overly dry without jumping out and screaming "Look at me! I'm pumpkin! With incense! Crazy!" I'm not sure I would have known that the warmth was pumpkin if I hadn't been told, it's so well blended. Dry down: Warm, pumpkiny incense. This is what I'd love to have my house smell like at Thanksgiving. It's got sandalwood's peacefulness and the pumpkin's warmth and comfort all rolled into one (and I love the sad little pumpkin label, too). The bottom line: This exceeds my expectations. I expected something more jarring, but this Patch member is perfectly blended. Hippie Thanksgiving, here I come!

Preconceived notions: I ordered an imp of this thinking that it could potentially be good (love incense and parchment and soft woods sound wonderful, but the rosewood and tonka made me a little wary), but then Diana told me that I'd love it so I'm looking forward to trying it. My imp pimp knows her girl, so I've got high expectations. First sniff: Sort of a combination of men's cologne (that sort of generic smell you get in department stores and the like - not a bad smell, but not fantastic, either) and a sort of soft wood and leather scent...like a den with bookshelves wrapping around the walls and a soft, well-worn leather chair in the corner by the fireplace. It smells masculine, but I love masculine scents, so this could be good on me. Wet on skin: Mmm, I love this. All the cologney overtones disappear once this hits my skin and I get a sort of leather and parchment scent with a touch of incense. It's an instantaneous shift from generic masculine cologne to warm and comforting. I'm not sure why I have an emotional connection to masculine scents that remind me of dens and leather armchairs, but I do know that those scents evoke an instantaneous feeling of safety and security and make me feel warm and safe. Dee is no exception to that rule, even though I don't have any conscious memories to connect it with. Dry down: I put this on and then went about doing something else that needed to be done and didn't really think about what I was wearing until I got a strong whiff of tobacco out of nowhere and had one of those "What is that wonderful smell? Oh, wait, that's me!" moments when I realized that it was Dee that I was smelling. There's no tobacco in here (at least there's none listed), but that's the dominant impression I get once Dee dries. It's not an overwhelmingly cigar store kind of smell, more like loose tobacco with a hint of leather and wood and a tiny touch of vanilla (the tonka, I'm sure). Up until this point, I've been having a troubling day. I've been anxious and unable to sit still and unsure of why I was so worked up, but Dee's been an instantaneous calming factor for me. The bottom line: Diana was right, I love this. Not only does it smell beautiful, but it makes me feel secure in a way that I really need right about now. This is the effect (and, to a certain degree, the scent) that I've been anticipating in Herr Drosselmeyer, so until my Yule order comes in, I've got something to fill the void (and something that will, no doubt, remain a favorite of mine).

Since I only gave all of the Tarot oils a quick test (with the exception of Judgment, Death, Strength, The World and The Hermit), I can't really say for sure which ones you'd like, but I can tell you what I thought of The World and The Hermit. The World - On me, it was a green scent...kind of like sandalwood and something piney with a hint of aquatic of some sort. It was interesting and I liked it, but it's not my favorite. The Hermit - I was so disappointed by this one, but that's mainly because I wanted it to smell like dusty old books, the way other people have described it. I got something citrusy...orange or lemon of some sort and something musty in the background. It really didn't appeal to me, but it's not a bad scent necessarily. The other ones you list are also ones I've tried, but there're only a few that I can really remember the smell of enough to really review them for you: The Magician - A weird one for me. It's vaguely herbal, almost licorice or fennel-like (on me, at any rate) and...strange. It's one of those ones that I just can't pin down note-wise. The High Priestess - Almond, almond and more almond. I don't know what else is in it since almond in anything completely overwhelms everything else (I'm very allergic to almond and can't stand more than a tiny sniff of anything with almond oil in it), so there may be something else there that I didn't smell. The Star - A lot of people like it, but it wasn't for me, either. It's similar to Spooky (if you've ever tried it), plus citrus of some sort. I'd say it's orange (or maybe lemon...it's hard for me to tell), vanilla and coconut. I don't really remember The Chariot aside from remembering that, for some inexplicable reason, it smelled like butterscotch to me. I'm positive that was just a weird reaction, though, since no one else seems to get it, so I wouldn't go by my impressions on this one.

Scent impressions: I'm not sure what's in here...it's somewhat musky, a little sweet and vaguely fruity. There could be some orange in here, but I'm not sure. I mainly get the impression of sweetish swirling smoke and musky skin. I'd definitely consider this a sexy scent. Effectiveness: My first try with LaFlamme was accidental (I had opened my imp just to sniff it and got a tiny dab on my finger). Not ten minutes later, my husband came rushing into the house, grabbed me up into a bear hug and must have spent 10 minutes telling me how much he loved me. I honestly wasn't expecting it because I didn't know I'd gotten any oil on my fingers until I rubbed my nose later and smelled it on them, but I got a very strong response from this. LaFlamme is without a doubt one of my favorite TAL oils and one of the most effective in my experience. The verdict: Love this. Love it. I plan on getting a bottle as soon as it goes up on the TAL site (or as soon as I can get a bottle from someone else, whichever comes first). ETA: I've finally managed to get a bottle of this and I'm even more in love with it now...LaFlamme works in a big, big way. Let's just say life is very, very good, thanks to this little beauty.

Smell and taste are linked, so that doesn't sound so far-fetched to me. Never had it happen personally, but I'm sure that it could. I believe I've heard of other people having that happen, but I can't think of any specific instance off the top of my head.

Dia De Los Muertos 2005 ... This is a Mexican paean to La Huesuda: dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus. Preconceived notions: I ended up loving last year's DDLM in spite of my hatred of chocolate and floral notes but never got enough of it, so I was thrilled when it was brought back this year, but (based on reviews) I think this year's may very well be far too floral for my tastes. First sniff: Hmm, at first I want to say I don't like this because there's a strong floral component here which generally is not a good thing (not a floral lover), but then I realize there's tobacco underneath the flowers and I adore the smell of tobacco, so there may be a chance of my liking this yet. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed on this one. Wet on skin: Well, this kind of...different. I'm not sure what this is that I'm smelling...it's kind of waxy, kind of floral and a little sour. I'm sure it must be one or more of the floral notes I'm smelling, but I'm terrible at identifying flowers by smell, so I can't pin this down any more. This is way too floral and perfumey for me. The tobacco's completely disappeared, too, which makes this even worse. Dry down: I'm smelling a bit of chocolate now, but it's mainly those strange florals from the wet stage. This is missing all the things I loved from last year's: the strong tobacco note, the incense, the darkness and smoke. Instead it's light and perfumey and not at all up my alley. The bottom line: I wanted to love this and was prepared to slather myself in it if it was the same as last year's, but it's just not the same. I'll be hoarding my precious '04 bottles even more now.

Samhain 2005 Preconceived notions: I learned how much I loved Samhain '04 a little too late mainly because of my ever wonderful and wacky skin chemistry and possibly because of the small amount of aging that happened between my receiving it, trying it and selling it and then trying it again and falling in love, so this is my second chance to make up for my hasty decision and I fully expect it to work right away this time. Am I being too optimistic? Maybe, but I doubt it. First sniff: This smells damn near identical to last year's so far as I can tell right now. There's something that smells almost like honey skirting around the edges that I don't remember from last year's, but it could be my nose misinterpreting something in here. Mainly, Samhain '05 is dry, crumbling leaves, a bit of musty patchouli and a hint of what reminds me more of apple peel than the actual fruit itself. Oh, Samhain, how I love you. You're an aquired taste, I think, but I've gotten over the awkward stage long ago. Wet on skin: Interesting side note: Samhain '05 is almost clear this year (as opposed to brownish in '03 and reddish in '04). Oh lord, here we go again with the medicinal/cleaning fluid note I got last year that made me sell the majority of my bottles. I'm not sure if this will be a stage that will pass or if this needs to age before I wear it like last year's apparently did. I'm hoping it's just a stage because I hate having to let things sit before I can use them. Instant gratification is more my style, but BPAL has certainly improved my patience, so I'll sit on Samhain (not literally, unless that will help somehow) until it has time to age if I have to. Dry down: Less medicinal smelling, but still not quite right. I think I'm going to have to age this first. In the meantime, I'll have to wear last year's (sparingly, until I'm sure that this year's will age the same) and hope for the best. I don't want to do it, but I'll do whatever it takes to be able to wear this. The bottom line: At least I know why last year's Samhain hated me at first: it needed to age. At least my skin chemistry's not completely unhinged.

Preconceived notions: I've had bad luck with BPAL's pumpkin blends in the past: Jack makes me queasy and Pumpkin King turned into burnt straw for some inexplicable reason. The only one that's worked has been Samhain and I get no pumpkin whatsoever from it. I'm not giving up yet on finding a pumpkin scent that I can actually wear and smell the pumpkin in and this is looking to be the most promising since I was dying for an apple cider scent and a pumpkin scent I could wear, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. First sniff: I had to double check and make sure I had the right bottle because my nose has trouble identifying this blend for some reason. There's something almost buttery at the top of the scent that was confusing me...it has to be the pumpkin, but I don't normally think of (non-BPAL) pumpkin as being buttery. When I inhale deeply I can smell the apple cider, though. I just needed to be sure of what I was smelling first, I guess. Wet on skin: Whoa, there's the apple cider! As soon as I put this on, I get macintosh apples and spices in a big way. This is almost identical (on me) to Yankee Candle's Macintosh scent with mulling spices added. This is perfect. The pumpkin's lurking around in the background and giving this some depth, but it's not overpowering. This is a wonderful scent for autumn and as long as it doesn't change on me, it's exactly what I've been looking for. Dry down: The spices are really amping up as this dries so that it's more spice than apple right now, but that's fine. This reminds me of working at the yearly Apple Festival when I was still living in Ohio. I was always in charge of running the apple cider area and this is the smell of apple cider in the making and the final product, all rolled into one. The cinnamon is especially strong, but it's not overwhelming really...it turns this from an apple and pumpkin scent into an apple cider and pumpkin pie scent. The bottom line: Very autumnal, but I think this could be perfect for Christmas, too.

Origin: Much-appreciated lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I've been waffling over trying Yerevan for what seems like forever, so I'm thrilled to have been gifted with an imp of this to assuage my curiosity. This will probably be hit or miss for me. I love apricot and plum (they're about the only fruit notes I genuinely like as perfume) and I like light musks, but the pomegranate (turns into gummy bears on me for some reason), rose (probably one of my least favorite florals), orchid/iris (just not a floral fan in general) and sweet roots (no idea what to expect) have me worried. First sniff: I opened my armoire to get my imp of Yerevan and was blasted with a beautiful fruity floral scent that confused me until I saw that my imp had been leaking through the label. Smelling the leakage (well, that sounds kind of gross, putting it like that, but...), I smell apricot, pomegranate, plum and a sort of soft, musky floral that's surprisingly pretty (part is rose, but I'm not sure what the rest is...could be iris or orchid or both; I'm not good with florals). This could definitely work, though; it's not too girly and not too sweet, either. Wet on skin: Mmm, apricot...but wait, there's flowers here, too, and I think they're too strong for me. I love this in the imp (and all over the label, too, I might add), but as usual it looks as though my skin chemistry is having a field day with the floral notes in here. Why my skin has to amp up notes that I don't like, I have no idea. It's fickle that way. Dry down: I'm getting what must be the "sweet roots" in here. It's hard to describe, but it smells almost identical to a Chaos blend I tried...sort of sweet and slightly starchy smelling. The florals are still putting in a strong appearance, too, but there's no sign of the fruit, not even the dreaded gummy bear pomegranate abomination I was fearing. The bottom line: So promising in the imp, but it just doesn't work with my skin chemistry. Maybe I'll use this as a room scent or in a scent locket. I need to get it out of the imp before it all leaks out anyway.

Dammit, now I want All Saints even though I hated last years and know I'll really hate this years.

Preconceived notions: I've been desperately wanting to try Devil's Night since it was released (I ordered 5 bottles thinking I'd adore it), but since the reviews started coming out I've gotten a bit worried. I think maybe I've been spoiled by Samhain because I wanted (and was hoping for) something similar to Samhain and Hexennacht. Devil's Night sounds a bit too sweet and spicy for me since I was hoping for something more like Samhain: dark, autumnal...falling leaves and bonfires, that sort of thing. First sniff: Snickerdoodles?! That's...different. All I smell in here is cinnamon, sugar and something akin to cookies and vanilla. In short: snickerdoodles. Not at all what I was expecting based on the description of this one. Wet on skin: Whoa, this one's a morpher (at least on me)! Once I put Devil's Night on, it turns from snickerdoodles into something spicy, sweet and musky and somehow dark even if it isn't quite what I wanted. My skin loves to latch onto cinnamon and musk, so that could be the reason for the change. I'm not really sure I like this one or not right at the moment. This is going to be a tough one from the looks of things. Dry down: I like this, but I don't love it the way I'd dreamed of. It's basically dried down into pure snickerdoodles again. No sign of the fires or other autumnal goodness the description promises, but that may just be my skin chemistry throwing a curve ball. At least there's still time to get more Samhain to replace Devil's Night with. The bottom line: Devil's Night is a hair's breadth away from breaking my heart. I wanted autumnal goodness, fires and falling leaves and I got snickerdoodles...more akin to Sugar Cookie than Samhain and not what I wanted, really.

Alright, who's going to satisfy my curiosity and post pictures of the new Halloween bottle labels? I've seen Samhain and the Pumpkin Patch, but everything else is a mystery to me. Anyone want to enlighten me? I didn't order all of them and the ones I did order aren't getting here anytime soon unless I get a CnS soon, so I'm getting impatient. As usual...