In the imp: Whoa, butter!
I get a lot of butter when it first goes on...then it calms down into more of a toasted pastry sort of smell. There's still a 'brown' edge to it, as there was with Butter Rum Cookie, but without the out-and-out burned smell...it's more like cookies that have been perfectly, thoroughly baked.
So, if you're looking for something just a touch lighter than Butter Rum Cookie, or *really* like butter (), give this a try.
My verdict is still out on this one. I originally really liked it, but now that I'm giving it another sniff, I'm just sort of 'eh' on it. Then again, I've got like seven scents on this hand, so it may just be an overloaded nose. I'll wash off, give my schnozz a rest for a bit, and try it again before deciding.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Vanilla baby-powder -- that's pretty much what I get from this. And...I suppose that's what an opal *would* smell like, if it had an odor (though I get a lot more of the white, fiery opal vibe from this).
It has a decent amount of tenacity and throw -- I'd rate it a 3 out of 5, on that scale. More of a feminine, demure scent.
I'll probably hang on to my imp of this, just because it's something I'd like to share with my mom somehow, at some point.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
A sweet, almost cloying mix if rose and other florals. Not really my thing. It has decent longevity and some moderate throw, especially if, like me, you tend to amp this certain kind of rose. (Now if only I knew just what *kind* of rose it is...)
Category: Limited Edition: Lupercalia
In the bottle, this blend is thick and sweet and pungeant. Throughout wearing it, I think that the amber, honey, and currant were predominant, as it was a very thick, sweet scent. When it dries, it gets light and powdery with just the hint of a sweet undertone. It has good throw and staying power -- it's lasted all day on me.
Verdict: This is another bottle that I'm glad I bought! It actually reminds me a lot of Aglaea, only without the slightly cloying air that that other blend had.This is sweet and sexy and mmmm yum.
I like the thick, sweet muskiness of this. To me it actually smells like oranges, but oh well! I like it.
Category: Excolo
I pretty much smell lots of lilac and myrrh mixed together. I don't know if there is an actual wine note in the 'honey wine', but Eros manages to go sour on me pretty quickly, much like Athens did. It's not as obnoxious as Athens was, but still not for me.
Category: Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
In the imp, it smelled warm and spicy, like cinnamon and other spices, with a sugary hint to it...as if someone sexy were baking something sweet in my kitchen! (Hey, one of the many ways to my heart is through my stomach...)
If only it had remained like that. As it went on, it immediately smelled like red-hots, or Big Red gum. Not really my idea of sexy, now.
An hour later, it's gone. Not even a remote trace of it left to sniff.
So, no...not for me.
Category: Ars Moriendi
It starts out sweet, feminine, and just barely resinous -- very sexy. By the end of the day, the patchouli has come to the fore, and is all that remains. I'm thinking that in the beginning I was detecting the myrrh and possibly the orris, so if you like any of those notes, go ahead and give Lady Death a turn on the dance floor. She's quite alluring -- though one dance with her is enough for me. Good eve, Lady.
Oddly enough, this is not 'cold' on me at all. Quite the opposite...I get the 'warm' notes of amber, sandalwood, balsam, and musk. There is a hint of pine/fir, sweetened vaguely by berry. It's pleasant enough, but somehow just doesn't do it for me. Alas!
I will vouch for the fact that cedar at no point comes out and bullies things the way it usually does. So if you are usually very leery of cedar, you may want to give this a shot.
Category: The Mad Tea Party
So this is the apple note...yummy. I definitely detect that the most, as well as the mint, and a hint of lime, both of which add a coolness and freshness to the candylike sweetness of the apple. (At least, from a distance; when I come in close for a sniff, the tartness of both notes asserts itself and indeed gives a mischeivous and contrary jolt to my nose.) It truly is wet and aquatic, but in an...alcoholic sort of way. In fact, looking at the notes, it sounds like it would make for a really good cocktail. Gotta try that, sometime.
It lasted all day, and had a pretty decent throw. I found myself sniffing my wrist quite a lot with this one. I think I'll hang onto it for a while.
This is, indeed, silly and playful and effervescent. It is grape soda and chewy, juicy fruit candies, so many fruity varieties that they just sort of mingle together in a wet, bubbly mauve haze. It has little throw, and tends to fade fairly fast.
Just like candy, this is a scent that would be nice to indulge in once in a while, but a constant olfactory diet of it would be unhealthy. But I'm thankful for the sweet treat, all the same!
Of all the anniversary Phoenixes, this one was my favorite. There is a strong, sort of astringent note right at the beginning, almost like the sharp tang of *very* fresh barkmulch. Thankfully, this lasts but a moment, and soon there is just a lush blooming of green plantlife. 'Earthy' is an easy word to apply here, but it's very apt; they are just deep, green-brown, earthy notes. I get cypress, maybe some tobacco leaf, and just a teensy hint of cherry lurking underneath there. It lasts all day and as just enough throw to keep constantly reminding me of how lovely it is. Very nice!
Category -- Diabolus
Sweet cherry-rose, with maybe a very faint hint of almond. Throw and staying power are both of average quality. Recommended if sweet rosey blends like Kurukulla work well on you.
Category: Excolo
Upon first whiff, it smells very sweet -- deliciously sweet to me, as if I'm smelling a bag of good, pipe-quality tobacco. Then the bay kicks in, giving a strident, not-quite-sour edge to it. Over time, it gives the impression of faint whiffs of booze and tobacco; it combines all the scents you'd expect to find on your long-lost Uncle, the ne'eer-do-well that likes to take long trips to exotic locales and then saunter back into your life to regale you with intriguing yet slightly menacing stories of his travels.
Bay leaf is an interesting thing. Used to flavor a dish, it imparts a very nice, hearty flavor. If you forget to take that leaf out and happen to get a good taste of the thing itself, though -- yowza. Not nearly as pleasant. And, unfortunately, though Baron Samedi has that delicious, evocative air to it, ultimately he is like sucking on a bay leaf -- just too pungeant, too sharp around the edges. Not my thing.
This scent is not for me, yet somehow I think I would like smelling it on someone else. Once you have that degree of seperation, this blend becomes a lot more tolerable; it's a bit like settling into Uncle's chair after he's gone off for more sinister adventures somewhere, revelling in the scent he's left behind, and breathing a sigh of relief that he's gone.
This is a really lovely candy scent. The white chocolate gives it a very light, airy sugar scent, while the strawberries add just a hint of plump, juicy creaminess. It doesn't give off a whole lot of throw...it's more of a scent to be savored privately throughout the day...much like a coveted box of chocolates.
Category: Illyria
This is another pretty sort of 'bouquet of flowers' smell. The florals all just kind of bunch together and I really don't get any defining characteristic out of it. It seemed to fade fairly quickly and did not throw much.
Category: Limited Editions: Yule 2007
I didn't really get any tartness from this; sweetness, yes, but never shrill or sickly...it had a nice, full body to it. I think my only complaint about it would be that it doesn't throw quite as far or last as long as I would like. But it's quite a lovely scent, and sensual in its own way (which I suppose is appropriate...)
It smells slightly like generic perfume or cologne, but there is enough amber present to keep it interesting. Unfortunately, it turns very powdery fairly quickly...and while that's not necessarily bad, it's not really what I was looking for from this scent. Not for me.
At first Grandmother and I didn't get along; she smelled like baby powder with a very unpleasant biological crotch-sweat edge to it. Eww! Over time, however, she mellowed out, did a 180, and smelled like a bouquet of dried flowers that had been saved over the years in a wooden drawer, age and dust giving them a peppery sort of aura.
Not really my thing, but I'm relieve that it had a happy ending, at least.
Category: Ars Amatoria
This is a very pleasant, mellow floral that is nicely balanced by the neroli. It has a very slight bit of warmth to it. It has staying power, but I didn't detect all that much throw out of it. I feel it could possibly be a good 'crossover' scent for people who don't usually like florals, as the other notes keep it from getting too sweet or overpowering. Unfortunately, it just doesn't have enough kick to qualify as a favorite for me.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
The sad part is that I can smell the clove, vetiver, and cherry all working together, but their resultant team effort is just not a harmonious one to my nose. It just kinda smells like burnt, bitter cherry with a side of ass. I blame you, vetiver. Thankfully, it doesn't broadcast very much to the world.
If you already know that the components work on you, then feel free to give this a try, and enjoy.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
There's a strong whiff of pine, and then it quickly becomes tempered by the smell of cranberries, which helps make it sweet and tart as well as robust. Not me, but it was a fun experience nonetheless.
Category: Rappacini's Garden
This one is definitely very 'green', earthy, and has a medicinal snap to it, though it's not overwhelming or obnoxious. More or less, it feels like standing knee-deep in a clump of thin, tiny green vines -- you can smell the tartness of the plants themselves, with a hint of the earth beneath it all, and a tantalizing sweetness throughout, as if from hidden blooms amid all the twining tangle. It's really nice. I'm still not decided as to whether I need a bottle of it, but, for the time being at least, it's a fond favorite. And the green color of the oil itself is pretty cool.
Category: Wanderlust
In the imp I could tell that there was some sandlewood there, with maybe a hint of something sweet, like the mandarin.
Once it gets on me, that sandlewood really amps up. At first there is a sharp, woody tone, but it quickly mellows to something that has sweetness around the edges -- bergamot and orange, it seems.
It's a lovely scent, though like all the sandlewood scents before, it doesn't last too long.
It's not floral, and only a bit fruity -- it's mostly a smell that could be termed 'foilage'...various leaves and branches and twigs, gently stirred by a night breeze. The fruit note does smell like apple, so I agree with the 'apple orchard at night' images that others have noted. It's actually pretty impressive, because it comes off as cool and airy without being an aquatic scent, and on the dry side without being dusty. Even though it doesn't suit me, personally, I'm impressed with it, as these qualities really stand out as being unique to me.
Category -- Sin and Salvation
The magnolia and jasmine blend really nicely, creating a sweet floral effect. There is a hint of rose there, as well. I don't get any amber at all...nothing but florals, here. For me, it falls in along the lines of Bathsheba, and Sacred Whore of Babylon...so if you like those scents, give this one a try, too.
