Spicebush Swallowtail

[cuervosueno]

Brown sugar, sassafras, clove, and wild plum.

This smells like pickles in the imp. Bread and butter pickles. I am not excited about that, but am tickled by the name, which sounds like a metaphor for a couple of sex acts.

Still, the pickle scent is unfortunate, esp. because when I put it on, it still smells like pickles. Christmas potpourri pickles!

I think this is not for me.

[MCS4096]

I'm a clove hog so I had to try this one

 

I hardly get any plum on the skin.. maybe the faintest hint. Mostly this is brown sugar and clove to my nose. I guess there's some sassafras there, although it's not overtly rootbeerish, it's just that the clove doesn't feel DRY to me which means maybe the sassafras is making things a bit more creamy. It's good and I'm waffling on one or two bottles-- it feels like a winter blend rather than a summer one to me!

[boxinghelena]

The brown sugar is so strong that it's pretty much over-powering everything else. I think I get a tad of the sassafras at the end. Zero wild plum or clove. There is something badly off about the brown sugar, like it's burnt. Not good.

 

Sometimes I really hate my skin chemistry.

~

[Dark Alice]

Wet: Brown Sugar overload.

 

Dry: Burnt brown sugar (I think this is the clove) with hints of plum. This is making me Which is sad b/c it was one of the ones I was sure I would want in botte form. *sigh*

[CitizenBree]

This is pretty much what the descriptions says. Really heavy brown sugar smell on first application. It starts to take on a more mulled wine smell as it dries. Not a heavy alcohol scent, but the plum gives it a little grape-y edge and the clove and sugar bring me back to halloween night. It's a little more potpourri than making me want to eat it. This would be amazing as an atmosphere scent.

[Ondine]

Blech. Bubblegum and cloves. Like you were chewing pink gum and smoking a clove too.

[Spork]

this is amaaaazing!! brown sugar, spice and a wee bit of smoke upon application, it then settles down to a nice strong spice, nothing shy about this one sassafas and wild plum might add a bit of sweetness, but don't assert themselves all that much. this one is 100%

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

Decant: WOW total clove over brown sugar.

Wet on Me: not so much clove but still there and faint traces of the brown sugar.

Drying Down: Clove just amped all over everything and the brown sugar jsut went treacle on me.

Dry: clove. For some reason my body just amped this clove to 11. I never got the other notes

[ami226]

On the skin: Brown sugar and clove! I am loving this!! This is nice, friendly, not bitter clove! More spicy, yummy clove.

 

This one is a definite keeper for me! One of my favorite spicy scents to date! So good!

[fairestrocza]

In the Bottle: brown sugar and molasses

 

Wet on Skin: sweet and a touch smokey, with a lemony edge and a hint of the sweet aspect of clove

 

While Drying: The clove here is much more gentle than in other blends I've tried.

 

After a Little While: I smell clove with a hint of brown sugar in the background. Although the clove is gentle, it is still taking over as the dominant note on my skin.

 

Later: This is ok, but not outstanding. I wonder if I'd feel this one more in the winter. There is a cold-weather-cookies aspect to it.

 

Final Thoughts: As much as I love the smell of actual cloves, and baked goods with cloves, I think I need to accept that I just don't like the way clove smells on my skin. It isn't terrible, but it just lacks the wow factor on me. On the plus side, the brown sugar behaves well in this blend.

Spicebush Swallowtail earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

[quinctia]

After I smelled this in the bottle last night when I got my package, I knew what I was wearing today.

 

It's got a very syrupy sort of scent in the bottle, coupled with some rich spiciness. Oddly enough, I don't find this as heavily clovey as something like Three Witches can be, just more spicy.

 

This has rather good throw and lasting power on me. It definitely settles down to a warm spicy scent on me...I don't really get much sassafrass. Though it does still seem distinctly "brown," if that makes any sense at all.

 

I really love this.

[quintessentially]

Warm, sweet, gentle and syrupy. Brown sugar and clove are immediately apparent. Upon application, I get something spicy and warm, smoky and I have to agree with Forspecial Plate, it reminds me of Sugar Skull. The clove overwhelms every other component in this blend for a long while. Occasionally I'll catch whiffs of the sassafras but never anything else. I'm fond of clove but I already have my designated clove scent, which I'm much fonder of than Spicebush Swallowtail. I have to say, I'm disappointed I don't get any of the plum!

[Monster]

Hmmm this one smells a lot like maple syrup. Actually, that's pretty much what I was expecting with the brown sugar note

This smells like clove, maple syrup, brown sugar and all things fall. It reminds me of breakfast in Vermont when the leaves are a bright, firey orange.

 

This is a very simple blend but is very nostalgic and comforting to me.

 

Love this!

 

[Blood onmy hands]

Spicebush Swallowtail is my least favorite of the Moths and Butterflies scents. It smells like someone ruined a glass of root beer by dumping cloying brown sugar and spicy clove powder into it, lol. It's cloying at first, but thankfully not as sickly sweet in the drydown. Unfortunately, the dry, sharp spiciness here makes me think of potpourri and gives me a headache after a while. I usually like clove, but the spiciness here smells like a mix of clove and sharp cinnamon potpourri on my skin, with root beer. Not good. This scent is overwhelming and headache-inducing for me

[bluelena]

When I first applied this, it was pretty foody. I likened it to a spicy muffin. I never got any plum.

 

And then it dried and went all Aqua Net.

 

[EdenIris]

Hamantaschen. Or baklava. Some sweet, spicy, buttery pastry is what I get. Don't ask me how my skin is turning these notes into butter -- it just is.

 

Wet, it's all maple syrup with a dash of sassafras. Clove comes out in the drydown. I love clove generally, but this is a little too foody for me, if that makes sense.

 

I had hoped Spicebush Swallowtail would be something like the brilliant marriage of Sugar Moon and Clemence, but it was not meant to be.

Edited July 15, 2010 by EdenIrisMae

[milo]

This is pretty much cassia/cinnamon on me from wet to dry in the most foody way possible. Like a Gingerbread cookie with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. This is way to fall-like and kind of annoying to wear in the heat of summer, but I'm sure I'll enjoy the imp in cooler weather. I think this would also make a great room scent.

[Dharklady]

Fortunately I get no plum from this (plum for me=bad). It starts out as a strong sweet root beer/sassafras scent and as it warms up becomes drier and more spicey as the clove emerges. The brown sugar is definitely still there but somehow it doesn’t smell as foodie. Unfortunately I’m not sure how good it’s lasting power will be (I only applied lightly though). I may have to compare this to Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener and Organ Grinder to see which I like better, but it's a lovely scent!

[DraloreShimare]

In the vial – Sassafras.

On the skin – Overwhelming sugary sassafras and clove. Mostly clove, with a hint of sassafras.

Dry – Softened clove. Not my thing. Way too overpowering at all stages.

[moon_lemming]

Another scent-morphing blend in this series. That seems appropriate. Spicebush Swallowtail either smells like a cinnamon streusel muffin with brown sugar topping, or curry spices, depending on which way the wind blows, ha.

 

On my skin the clove amps as always, but doesn't seem to be as strong as usual -- meaning I can actually smell other notes. Mostly I smell cloves, cinnamon, and brown sugar, on a base of smooth sassafras. Smells deeeelicious.

 

Overall this is a little more spicy than I like for wearing, but it would make a fabulous room scent this winter.

[ljaylh]

A surprise winner! I almost didn't get this one because brown sugar is not usually my friend. Not at all, nope, never. But it works here! And the clove is soft, really subtle, another win! The sassafras is lovely, very root beer-ish but not overwhelming, and finally the plum is just playing around with all the brown things - it adds a lovely touch of warmth and soft sweetness. This one is reminding me very much of Hellion - it's not as rich and opulent as Hellion but it has a very similar vibe.

[LadyMedb]

I just get brown sugar, brown sugar, brown sugar, with the clove just kinda serving to make the brown sugar stronger...kinda cooked or burnt-smelling. Additionally, my skin amps brown sugar, it seems, so there was just no escaping the sweetness. I like sugar scents on the whole but this was like eating a little too much creme brulee - it gave my nose an uncomfortably full feeling!

 

'Course, some people can eat loads of creme brulee and not feel sick. I recommend this scent to them!

[claudia6913]

In bottle: I'm getting a sort of creamy, caramelized brown sugar scent with just a bit of the clove.

 

Wet on skin: The brown sugar backs off quite a bit and the clove comes forward, but it's got a sweet edge to it. Someone likened it to clove cigarettes, and I get a bit of that, but like those honey ones, where you lick your lips and get that sweet clove jolt.

 

On the dry-down: Sweet and a little spicy. I'm really not getting any plum, which is sad because I love plum.

 

Dry: This is a sweet clove scent that kind of wafts around. No one thing really seems to be overpowering another. Very nicely blended, warm without being overly so. I realize now after looking up what sassafras smells like that I'm not getting any "root beer" like scent, but more of a sweet woody scent next to the clove.

 

Overall, I really like this scent. It's not overpowering and I think it will age very well.

 

This has some lasting power for sure. I slathered some on late in the day and when I woke up this morning I could still smell it. It was a sweet woody scent that occasionally wafted around me.

 

One more edit: This scent is incredibly layer-able. It gives a sweet clove spice kick to whatever you put with it. So far awesome with Lawn Gnome and my CT: Vanilla.

Edited July 26, 2010 by claudia6913

[zankoku_zen]

This smells like maple syrup to me. The brown sugar is seeming to beat everything else into submission. Which makes me sad, since I was hoping for some plum/clove goodness from this.

[backthatelfup]

I got this on a whim. My spousal unit picked this one and I tried it alongside two other from this series and hot diggity if it isn't the clear winner as far as strength goes. Something about this reminds of 'Now Winter's Nights Enlarge,' a kind of warm, kindled sweetness. The clove is the predominant note but for the record, my skin likes to amp clove. However, the other notes make this a very likeable version on me, smoothing out the edges. I only get a HINT of plum; it's mostly the other three but I'm happy with it. This is striking me more as a warm autumn day scent more than a spring scent. Would get a bottle.