Penance

Preconceived notions:

 

This could go either way on me. I love boozy scents, but musk often smells like cat pee on me if it's not the right type for my skin.

 

First sniff:

 

Ooh, that's musky...and sweet. This is an unusual scent. It's definitely swarthy smelling and yet it's somehow feminine in its sweetness. It's a down and dirty, yes smutty scent. I'm not sure if this is going to work on me or not, but it's certainly interesting.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This reminds me of Snake Oil for some reason. They're definitely not the same scent, but there's a certain family resemblance...musk and sweetness with maybe a touch of booze. I certainly wasn't expecting that!

 

Dry down:

 

I actually really like this! It's like Snake Oil's smuttier cousin. Heavy, dirty musk with a vanilla-like sweetness and a touch of what reminds me of whiskey. I wasn't expecting this to work this well, so I'm pleasantly surprised!

Preconceived notions:

 

I want to love this one, but I've been hearing some things that worry me a bit: namely that it smells like cinnamon red hots. I like cinnamon but it doesn't always work on me, so I'm a bit nervous.

 

First sniff:

 

This definitely has a cinnamony kick to it. I can't imagine what it would be that's doing it...maybe the cassia? I've never smelled cassia on its own, so I wouldn't know. Overall, Red Phoenix is spicy, a bit fruity and sweet. It actually reminds me quite a bit of Bengal, which doesn't bode well.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Very similar to Bengal for some reason. I was hoping for more red musk, patchouli and plum, but this is all cinnamony spice with a bit of sweetness on me and it's just not working.

 

Dry down:

 

Unfortunately, I don't get any of the notes I was hoping for out of this (red musk, patchouli, benzoin, plum and tobacco). All I get are the notes that worried me, overlaid with a mysterious spiciness that reminds me of chai tea.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is a nice scent, there's no doubt about it, and I'm sure other people would love it, but it's just not working for me.

Origin: 10mL from a lovely lady on LiveJournal whose name is escaping me for some reason.

Preconceived notions: This sounds absolutely amazing. I adore plum, patchouli and sandalwood and the rest sounds like it could be gorgeous. I've got a torrid love affair going with black plum at the moment and I was absolutely heartbroken when I realized I couldn't afford to buy this from BPTP because I could only buy the statue and scent together ($50 is too much for my bank account to handle right now), so I almost literally peed with glee when said LJ user offered me her bottle. I'm desperately hoping this lives up to my expectations, even if hating it would be better for my bank account and my sanity (no desperate need to acquire more and all).

First sniff:

Mmm, Hellion reminds me of Queen of Spades mixed with Snake Charmer and a dab of Penitence with a tiny dose of little white flowers thrown in (very subtle flowers, otherwise this might be a very bad thing). This is everything I'd hoped for and more. This is perfect for me!

Wet on skin:

Whoa! That's a big change! Suddenly, I get a huge gust of scorched sandalwood (and I do mean scorched, that's absolutely the right description for it), powder and something almost astringently incense-like, which I'm imagining is the champaca flower. Why? No idea, but it feels right. There's no plum here, no musk, no patchouli...just a harsh, grating scent that's somehow destroyed smelling. I'm not sure how well this is going to work at this point. I often get weird scent stages, but this one's weird even by my standards.

Dry down:

Ahh, there we go. It's dying down now. Apparently my skin chemistry just knocked it for a loop. This smells like a sandalwood incense I used to burn when I was in my first year of college. Very dry and almost powdery with a nose-tickling side that makes me want to sneeze. There's a tiny touch of plum in the background - not an obvious touch, but one that I can smell all the same. This smells like incense in the most intense way...not incense smoke, incense. As in the little cones themselves, mixed with the slightest touch of dark purple fruit. This is good. Really, really good. It's not a sweet incense blend like Penitence and Cathedral, or a rounded one like Anne Bonny, it's harsh and dry and very intense.

The bottom line:

I had some doubts about this one once it hit my skin, but I love the drydown on this (and the way it smells in the bottle, so I can use it in a scent locket, too). I was hoping for more plum in this since I'm still mourning the loss of Queen of Spades (and King of Spades), but Hellion more than makes up for it in its intensity and uniqueness. This isn't just a recombination of BPAL scents, this has something different about it. Hellion has character.

NECRO-EDIT: My tastes in perfume have changed to include some foody scents and I can wear chocolate blends without feeling queasy now, so it's time for an updated review! Rather than delete the entire thing and start over (because the scent descriptions are still completely accurate; it's just my tastes that have changed), I'm just going to edit the parts that aren't applicable anymore.

 

Origin:

 

Sniffy from the lovely Savannah.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I like to eat brownies, but generally speaking, chocolate scents make me a bit queasy. I do want to try this, though, because I love to try all the LE scents and because I know that Beth will have nailed the scent on this one, the same as she's done with so many other scents.

 

(ETA: Chocolate scents don't make me queasy anymore! I can tolerate and even love quite a few of them now. I'm leaving this portion of the review alone, though, because it represents my true preconceived notions from before I ever sniffed Lump of Coal.)

 

First sniff:

 

Good Lord, brownies! And I do mean brownies. Thick, rich, gooey brownies.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Brownies in liquid form. The thick, gooey kind instead of the cakey, crumbly kind. Beth really did nail this scent right on the head, the same as she did with Snowblind. As I'm sure we all know, she's a very talented scentstress (that's like seamstress, only with scents...I can make it a word, I have the technology!).

 

Dry down:

 

Prepare yourself, this will come as a shock...brownies! Chewy, gooey, chocolate fudge brownies in liquid form. I'd swear my mom had a pan of them in the oven, this is so realistic.

 

The bottom line:

 

Astonishingly realistic. I've kept my precious little decant all these years because it's so fascinatingly true to life. I would open it up and sniff it every now and then, just because it's so realistic. It doesn't just smell like chocolate. It smells like brownies. Real, fresh-baked, gooey brownies, not the cheap, fake-smelling brownie scent that so many other similarly themed perfumes have. It's uncanny!

 

Now that I can wear chocolate scents without feeling green around the gills, Lump of Coal is something I really enjoy wearing now and then. It's not an everyday scent (like most foody blends) because I don't want to smell like brownies most days. But in spite of that, it's actually one of my favorite BPAL foody blends now. It's a fun scent to wear when I'm in the mood for smelling like cheerful and foody.

Preconceived notions:

 

This sounded a bit like Skadi to me, so I was instantly interested, especially considering it's being a general catalogue scent. I'm a bit worried about the "sweet berries", but the rest sounds wonderful.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, boy, that's definitely not like Skadi. It actually reminds me more of Loup Garou than anything for some reason...a very sharp, but deeper pine note that's almost juniper-like. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this because pines like this tend to go "cleaning fluid" on me.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Interesting...this strikes me as being a sort of combination of Loup Garou, Burial and Yuletide. It's strange in a way I'm not sure I like. This may be a bit too close to "cleaning fluid" for me, because it's starting to get sharper as soon as it touches my skin, the same way Burial started to after a while of wearing it (hence the reason I got rid of it).

 

Dry down:

 

Pretty much the same as when it was wet. This is an odd one for me...logistically it should be perfect for me - woodsy, piney, intense - but it's just...off somehow. I know I won't love all pine scents but I'm surprised by Yew-Trees' not feeling right to me. I'd almost lump it in the same category as Gnome which also went a bit odd on me. I don't think this is for me, which is pretty upsetting.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wanted to love this, but it's just not working for me. Something in here feels "off" for some reason.

Preconceived notions:

 

Another one that I want to love for the imagery alone. I don't normally love mints (although there are certainly exceptions - Snowblind being one of them), but something about this was calling me and I had to try it.

 

First sniff:

 

Smells a bit like those after dinner mints...spearminty and pepperminty at the same time. Warmer than I'd expected, but not as warm as Snowblind. This certainly isn't sharp and stabbing the way some mint blends can be, but it's not a soothing, creamy mint, either.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Creamy but not as creamy as Snowblind. Sweet and pepperminty, but not sharp and stabbing. It is a bit candy-like, but at the same time it's almost like freshly picked peppermint sprigs. I smell something almost like fir or evergreen in here, too, which is odd since it's not mentioned in the description.

 

Dry down;

 

There's something almost aquatic here, too...a bit snowy, but a bit sweet. I get mint and evergreen and something akin to BPAL's sweet aquatic blends (the ones that normally make me break out in hives for some reason). No hives yet, but that could be because this isn't really a sweet aquatic and just smells like one (there is a hint of ozone here that suggests that it's not). This is completely not what I was expecting but quite beautiful!

 

The bottom line:

 

I was expecting pure mint, but Nuclear Winter is so much more. Mint, evergreen, ozone...this is a very unusual, barren cold scent. I love it!

Preconceived notions:

 

I want to love this so desperately. The description just drew me in like a magnet and I adore the imagery. Birch and fir sound wonderful and the snow doesn't sound bad...this sounds a bit like Skadi, which could be very, very good. I really, really hope this works for me.

 

First sniff:

 

Ooh, pretty...it is a bit like Skadi and a bit like Mistletoe. Slushy snow and fir needles with a touch of wood. It's not as close to Skadi as I'd like, but it's very pretty!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Very similar to Mistletoe on me. A sort of slushy snow and true pine scent with just a hint of something that could be winter berries. There's nothing artificial about this at all...it's so...wintery.

 

Dry down:

 

Sharper than both Mistletoe and Skadi, almost like Yuletide in some respects...not red like Yuletide, but sharp like it. This one's a hard one to explain for some reason, but I really like this. This is winter in a bottle, pure and simple.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this! It combines aspects of two of my BPAL winter loves, Mistletoe and Skadi, with something unique to itself to create a lovely, slushy, crisp winter scent. I really like this!

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm fascinated by the imagery in this one...I love incense and metallic blood sounds good to me (see Bed of Nails for more on my love of metallic smells) but I'm nervous about it being dragon's blood. I used to love dragon's blood but all of a sudden I developed an aversion to it that even I can't explain. I'm definitely curious, though. This could go either way.

 

First sniff:

 

Odd...it smells almost cologne-like but with an incense undertone. It's not metallic, really...it's more...astringent somehow. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this or not.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Wow, that's...weird. It's slightly metallic but not quite...right. There's something musky here, too, that's throwing my nose off. I have absolutely no idea what it could be, but it reminds me strongly of all the BPAL musk blends I've hated (Haunted is the first to come to mind). I don't get incense anymore, just sharp muskiness bordering on the ever-dreaded cat pee.

 

Dry down:

 

Eww, eww, eww! Musk, screaming, in-your-face, cat pee musk! My skin chemistry loves to latch onto anything even remotely musky and turn it into sometihng overpowering and downright unpleasant, which seems to be what's happening here.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wanted to love this, but it's just not happening. Something in here is distinctly musky and it's getting amped up in a bad way on me.

Preconceived notions:

 

I want to love this. I love rats and the dust and wood sound wonderful, but the "feral" part worries me, as does the "sharp" undertone. I have a feeling this is going to be a love/hate scent for me. I'm either going to love it or I'm going to hate it.

 

First sniff:

 

Eww, sharp and sour and musky all at once. This reminds me a bit of cat pee for some reason.

 

Wet on skin:

 

The wood and dust are coming out more now. It's dusty but still...sharp, somehow. That has to be the musk. For some reason certain musks strike my nose as very sharp and offensive and I'm not sure why. I do like the dusty part of this, though, even if it's making me feel like I'm about to sneeze.

 

Dry down:

 

Interesting...very much a BPAL kind of scent. What I mean is it's unusual, certainly not like anything I've ever tried before scentwise and strangely alluring even in its oddness. This reminds me of something, but I'm not sure what...it's a bit dirty, but in a dusty way...could be the smell of our old basement (it's not as bad as it sounds, really...I like the smell of dust, even if I'm allergic to it). This is really strange...I'm not sure if this is me or not yet.

 

The bottom line:

 

This one's going to have to be tested a couple more times before I make up my mind. It's strangely appealing...it keeps urging me to sniff my wrists but at the same time there's something about it that puts me on edge. Odd, but in a good way.

Preconceived notions:

 

I was one of the few people who loved last year's Hearth (at least once it got past the candied cherry stage), so I'm curious about this year's, but the chestnuts worry me. I love cedar and pine and brown sugar and honey could potentially be good (but they'll probably be bad), so I'm not sure how this is going to go.

 

First sniff:

 

The butter note reminds me of my favorite Chaos Theory (CLVI, I think it is...whichever is in my signature image) and of the original Hellfire, but only in passing. There's wood and smoke underneath it and a hint of nuttiness that worries me. I have a feeling this is going to be a near miss...I love most of this, but the nuttiness doesn't bode well.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Oh, wow, this is similar to my Chaos Theory. The pine ratchets up as soon as it hits my skin and this is far less foody. It's like buttered pine trees. As odd as that sounds, it's really not bad at all. Quite Christmasy and comforting. An odd combination to be sure, but quite nice.

 

Dry down:

 

How weird...I expected this to go wrong on me because of the chestnuts, but on me Hearth 2005 is a strong pine blend (similar to Mistletoe) with an overlay of sweet butter. Very interesting and definitely unusual. I actually like this quite a bit, surprisingly.

 

The bottom line:

 

This was way different than I'd expected it to be. I was afraid of the chestnuts, but all I get is brisk pine with an overlay of sugared butter.

Origin:

 

Oneheart on the Lush NA forum.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Mitzvah was the only Nice scent that appealed to me (I hate lemon and melon as scents), so I was upset to find Snow Angel in my package instead of the Mitzvah I was hoping for, but I managed to find a lovely swapper and now I have a bottle. I know people have been calling this super sweet and foody and likening it to Sugar Skull, so I'm expecting something sweet and syrupy rather than the sweet cream and toffee type scent I'd initially imagined.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, wow...foo-dy and intense. This is similar to Sugar Skull but more toffee-like as opposed to syrup-like. I don't normally do foody scents (especially not super sweet ones), but this is surprisingly appealing to me, possibly because of my newly acquired love of Lush's Honey I Washed The Kids soap, which smells of toffee and honey.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Ooh...caramel, toffee and heavy cream. It's not cloying in the way I would have imagined this kind of scent being (more like Hellcat or Gluttony, I mean). It's somehow light-hearted and comforting...very homey and soothing although it's not my normal kind of scent.

 

Dry down:

 

Heavy cream with just a touch of toffee. This is what I'd imagined Mitzvah would smell like and it's wonderful! Sweet but not cloying, comforting and homey. This suits me so much better than Snow Angel even though I normally avoid sticky sweet scents like the plague.

 

The bottom line:

 

I love this. I only wish we could buy more of the Inquisition scents that we love so I wouldn't have to ration this.

If you like almonds, I think you'd most likely love Baron Samedi even if he doesn't.

 

I, on the other hand, am allergic to almond essential oil and can't wear any perfume with it in it.

I've never smelled the Burt's Bees bay rum version, but just keep in mind that Baron Samedi is extremely strong on the almond note, which a lot of bay rum scents aren't.

 

Which is a damn shame because I wanted to love the Baron and he was the single worst experience (aside from maybe Voodoo, which I also wanted to adore) of my BPAL experience.

Origin:

 

I got an imp of this from a lovely LJer who answered my plea to be Spanked.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I wanted this more than any of the scents in the Inquisition, even Snowblind that I'd given up hope on ever getting to try. It sounded absolutely perfect for me and I quite literally cried when I got two bottles of Snowblind with my Inquisitions instead of the hoped and prayed for Snowblind and Spanked. So now I get to try it and I'm all atwitter with excitement.

 

First sniff:

 

Hmm, spicy, a bit leather-like with just a touch of booze. This is sexy! It's a bit like Loviatar but mixed with cardamom and a hint of bourbon (one of my favorite notes in the whole world of wonderful scents). I don't smell any patchouli which is a bit disappointing since I love patchouli even more than I do bourbon, but this is still gorgeous.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Whoa, spices! The cardamom kicks into overdrive on my skin and I smell a bit like Villainess' Ginger Snapped smooch if it were mixed with their Antihero soap. Not a bad thing at all...spicy and warm with a hint of leather. This is sexy!

 

Dry down:

 

Oh, God...that's what I was waiting for. The cardamom suddenly takes a nosedive and out comes the bourbon and patchouli, mingling with the leather and putting all sorts of naughty thoughts in my head. This is debauched pure and simple. Is it hot in here?

 

The bottom line:

 

Whoo, baby, this is everything I'd hoped for! I wish I could buy 4 or 5 more bottles of it. This is going to be an instant favorite.

Preconceived notions:

 

I don't know if Lenore will work for me, although I hope it does. I like vetiver and thyme and love white musk, smoke, patchouli and plum, but the lemon peel worries me.

 

First sniff:

 

Strong vetiver with a background of plum and patchouli. Very dark and somber smelling and extremely intense. This is a bold scent, no question about it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

As soon as Lenore hits my skin, the lemon comes rushing to the surface and I get a strong lemon scent with a bit of patchouli and thyme.

 

Dry down:

 

Lemon, patchouli and plum. If it weren't for the lemon, I would love this, but I just can't get past the lemon being so prominent in this one.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wanted to love Lenore, but apparently she has other plans.

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.

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.

C'mon, P...You KNOW you want to own a bottle with the new label anyway...

 

Enabler! Enabler! :peek:

 

...and the sad thing is you're right.

 

Penance, it looks JUST like Snake Charmer, but without the Carnaval Noir logo (and obviously it says "Snake Oil")

 

Thanks, Macha!

 

This is Snake Oil's CN-esque label.

 

Ooh, lovely!

 

Thank you!