Vaniclion

Now, when I reviewed this I was under the mistaken impression it was desire. How odd. Deeply ironic, since in Gaiman's Sandman Desire and Despair are twins. ANYWAY. Here's what I've said... mildly altered because I wasn't sniffing Desire. It's interesting how that changes what I'm smelling. Kinda freaky. Well, of course I had high hopes for this one. Despair is one of the Endless. Not that she was Beth’s inspiration for this oil, but she comes to mind. This may be the scent of one of her more gentle aspects, but does not fully encompass her as I would expect. Fresh from the imp the light herbs of chamomile with the lavender and sandalwood are in the fore. On drydown, the scent gets deeper with the rose coming up. I smell the abandoned bouquet, the wood of the pews, the dust that has settled in the abandoned chapel and a hint of the tears shed. An extremely complex scent, but not one I’m very likely to wear. It does speak to Beth’s talent, which so many of the oils do. What a surreal experience.

Fresh from the imp, this is a soft white floral with green notes, a delightful combination of the listed notes. I can pick out the lily, a sweetness of the pear and a light touch of rose. The musk stays in the background, anchoring it all I think. As it begins to dry, the rose mounts an offensive against the other notes and declares a martial state with the musk as the director of its army. Still sweet, a strong floral but white and warm. Feminine, I’m afraid, and not really for me but a delightful scent for others, absolutely. This is what I was envisioning with Maiden.

‘You can’t follow around all day in my languorous wake taking in the nutmeg-y fumes.’ So sayeth the Patsy from Ad Fab. She was under the effects of Estrogen at the time, so ignore her. This one is VERY interesting. A gourmand scent that doesn’t seem so on the onset. Fresh from the imp the nutmeg is very strong, with myrrh following it up. On drydown the sassafras comes forward, mingling to make a slightly sweet cookie sort of scent. It reminds me of molasses, although I doubt molasses smells like this. It’s vaguely western, with what could be a masculine spiciness. I don’t see it as being particularly non-feminine however. Fig, also, seems to be present even though it is not a listed note. Might be a nice warm, spicy holiday scent for some.

I had high hopes for this one, along the same lines as the Vicomte de Valmont or Villain. You know, rich and wonderful with a historic flair. Well, this may be rich. It may have a historic flair… it’s just not for me. I strongly suspect I dislike violet. The flower and scent, not the color. Rather fond of the color, all things considered. Fresh out of the imp, this smells oddly medicinal. Like a southern summer antiseptic your grandmother would have layered on a bee sting to take the pain away which neither took the pain away nor did anything other than make you feel cared for because of the whole act itself. The lavender and violet are loudly in the fore. On drydown, it sweetens and blends into what I’d call a rather gender neutral floral, but I wish the musk came out more to anchor it for me. On me, it’s just too sweet and feminine, so this one sadly is another trade.

I’m always amazed at the changeable nature of Beth’s creations, how one day they can be something and the next something else. I bought this on the recommendation of a friend, and was excited by the fig. Loving the fig ever since I tried the single note. Wet, the fig comes through very well. This is the whole fig, woody bush, sweet fruit and all. I’m unsure what the black palm smells like, but the cocoa adds a deep sweetness to the entire scent. It’s all very intriguing. *wink* The sweetness fades slightly, leaving the shadowy woods behind. It’s definitely a gourmand scent, but there’s an Asian feeling there also. Like plumb wine and bamboo… only fig and wood. I like this, I do, but it’s just too woody for me. Likely, this will be a swap.

Another VERY surprising scent! Also, another generous freebie from Beth & Co. It’s always so fascinating to see what they pick. Perhaps what I’m smelling is grass and thyme rather than the lemon verbena it smells like. It’s a very confusing scent, turning around inside my nose and going very watery for brief periods as I try and study it. The darkness begins to emerge, but as yet I’m catching none of the darker, spicier notes. Returning after a few moments, all I can say is this smells clean. Not fresh washed clean, but the clean of fresh cut wood and earth. There might be a hint of pepper, but it’s not tremendously strong. Like I said, a very interesting scent indeed. What I’m getting is not so much the Trickster, or his dark heart, but perhaps the savannah hut where prayers are being muttered to him in the shadows.

Another freebie from my latest order, and an interesting one at that. Similar to Hellfire, but different. I like it better, although neither scent is quite me. I think Salice will like this one quite a bit due to his fondness for tobacco scents. The first time I sniffed this, the coconut came through quite well and melded into tobacco. Now? The tobacco is most prominent. Caramel. I’m smelling caramel also, like a flavored tobacco. Is that the tonka? VERY interesting, if so. But yeah, not for me so much… but I’m anxious for Salice to try it. No doubt it’ll be delightful on him.

I received this one as an extra in my last order, and am glad I did. I was curious how the birthplace of Arthur would smell, especially since he went missing from that tarot deck I was trying to get rid of not long ago. I smell the spiced wine, the heat and the leather in quick wisps. It’s a thick scent, syrupy, which comments also on the oil’s red color. It’s a sweet fragrance right now. The dragon’s blood flows in the background, rich and wet. I’m not getting much, if any, of the wood notes, although I do smell some candy cinnamon, like red hots, and a hint of clove. Must just do odd things on my chemistry, which does tend to sweeten things. It’s nothing I would wear, but I do think it’d make a nice candle scent.

This scent is SO SURPRISING. I would never have chosen this for myself, but I have to admit that I am enjoying it since Beth and Co tossed it in as a freebie with my last order. The spiciness really comes out right off, saffron and lotus playing alongside. On drydown, it goes the way of a familiar pencil shaving scent, like grade school… but not as sharply as in Jupiter. The spices are still here, behind it, and it sweetens a little. Perhaps HIGH QUALITY pencil shavings. Heh. I’m unsure I’d ever actually wear this, but I do enjoy it. Maybe I should give it a go. Might learn something new about my tastes.

This smells bright, and crisp. Like light first thing in the morning, but not painful. Not a shock. It’s woodland sweet, with a distinct Christmas tone to it. Must be the evergreen. I originally smelled this one in a grand sniff party with Tygher and Salice, and made note that I liked it then and so picked it up in swaps sometime later. Just now getting a chance to review. LOVE. Now that I’ve linked the scent to Christmas that’s all I can get. I’ll tell you the exact memory too. I was at Salice and Tygher’s house, before the one they’re in now. The Christmas tree was up, bright shining in the corner with blue and silver ornaments. Santa figurines were EVERYWHERE. Tygher sat in the kitchen, cooking and playing on the laptop while Salice and I sat in the adjoining living room watching Margaret Cho’s ‘I’m The One That I Want’ and laughing so hard we thought we’d choke, pee or both. I’m not sure if this is the smell I got then, or if I’m connecting the memory and scent for some other reason… but there it is, and that’s all I have to say about that.

I had high hopes for this one, truly. I had this scent image in my head of a powerful angel, wings the color of pewter, eyes gray and knowing. Fresh from the imp, it has a bit of a powdery scent that reminds me of Anathema. Likely because I was just a’sniffin’ it. On drydown, however, the lily and jasmine come to the fore, with perhaps a bit of the orris and sage. Sandalwood isn’t one of my big book scents, and I was hoping for more musk and lemon. Lemon and white musk are really one of my biggest scent combos, I think. Altogether, I won’t say that this disappoints, because it is so finely crafted a scent… it’s just not me or what I was expecting.

I do have a love affair with Louisiana, Mississippi… all those Bayou areas. From book settings to movies, there’s just something primal about them. The goddess I worship, Frigga, also has a thing for them also… although bogs, which are the traditional places for giving her offerings, might be different. I can very much smell the rich green floral of the bayou, the cool waters hiding lurking danger. However, sadly, it’s just too floral for me. It’s more a perfected bayou, with not enough woodrot or musk to really butch it up for me. It goes the way of Pele, which I like, but is more green than soft pink. I’m definitely keeping the imp, and may pull it out to wear sometime this winter, but I really think it’s too sweetly feminine for me. Of course, suddenly something seem right about calling the bayou feminine. Hmm.

I love roses. From the myths around them, the rich folklore, their beauty and the ability to eat them, I love roses. They, next to wisteria, are the flowers that populate my dream garden. You know, the one I get to enjoy but don’t have to work in? Moon Rose is the perfect rose scent. Tuberose, I believe, which has for me the earthiness of the soil along with the soft floral of the flower without the cloying sweetness of other rose scents. This is what I smell in my head when I think ‘rose’. However, it’s not a scent I would ever wear. I’m desperate for a masculine rose, if such a thing could ever exist. Butch it up a bit, maybe with some white musk or something. I’m not sure… but that I would wear. This, however, is an excellent scent that I’ll use for my room in the winter when I’m anxious for the spring and the scent of green growing things.

Eh. I’m not sure why this one was big on my list, or else it was just something to try, but I’m not fond. As a scent it’s very complex and well crafted, it definitely has its own sense of self. That self and I just don’t get along. The scent is familiar, but I can’t place it at all. I agree with the use of the word ‘Glossy’, although I’d never have thought of it on my own to describe it. On drydown, it goes incesnsy powdery, and isn’t very much what I like. There’s a wateriness to the notes, also, an odd drift of scent that makes me think of water. Perhaps this is the font. I always hate not liking one of Beth’s scents, but this one is a swapper for me. I’m glad others like it, tho.

I had high hopes for this one... but somehow completely missed the fact that Absinthe smells like anise Fresh from the imp, there's a rich herby green lemon scent that quickly fades into solid black old-timey licorice... which I've never liked. I'm a Twizzler boy, all the way. If it stayed the herby green lemon, I'd love it. More and more I'm realizing I love, heh, herby green lemon scents. Lemon, especially. This is a magnificent scent... for people that like licorice