All Night Long
Category: Bewitching Brews
Quantity: sample
Description:
ALL NIGHT LONG
As if the name didn't spell it out for you. This blend relieves all sexual
inhibitions by simultaneously relaxing and arousing.
Review:
In the bottle: Wow, this blend is thick! It's spicy, with a lot of cinnamon, and something lemony and floral behind. I also smell clove or pepper.
Wet: That definitively smells like clove to me! It's very spicy, in a hot, exotic way. I smell warm vanilla in the background. It's dark, mysterious and sweet.
Dry: Still spicy vanilla and clove. If you give it a few hours to fully blend with your skin, it really feels warm and sensual.
Verdict: Well, I have yet to test its properties at night, but it definitively smells good! Now, I have to get that song out of my head...
More reviews: Bewitching Brews: All Night Long
Lolita
Category: Ars Amatoria
Quantity: sample
Description:
LOLITA
Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality. Glittering heliotrope, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon verbena.
Review:
In the bottle: It smells like lemony soap. It’s quite sweet actually.
Wet: I don’t know… Flowers and herbs bathing in lemon juice? On me, it’s a bitter-sweet poison, with a soapy scent underneath.
Dry: Probably my strangest association so far: do you remember the nasty old neighbour of your childhood, who used to burst open every ball that had the unfortunate luck of falling on her yard? Well, it smells like her.
Verdict: Poor Lolita… She fell into the claws of a pedophile and must have started to hate the world afterwards, or at least that’s what her perfume suggests. Honestly, if I get another sample of this one for free, I’ll throw it down the drain. (Note: I hate to waste, so I'll try to turn the sample I have into soap, or something like that.)
More reviews: Ars Amatoria: Lolita
Voodoo Doll
Category: Curio Shop
Quantity: sample
Description:
VOODOO DOLL
Well known in the Voodoo world, this particular doll was used as an effigy to gain influence over a specific person…and, in turn, drove its user mad. Wicked little thing, ain't it? Notice where the pins are placed? Curious indeed. What will you do with such a thing? Suggestions, demands, and desires fulfilled? If it pleases our guest, so shall it be. Mugwort, sweet sage, cotton blossom, dove’s feather
Review:
In the bottle: It’s soft, I smell mostly mugwort and sage. It’s very herbal, yet delicate and feminine.
Wet: Is that rosemary? No, wait, it’s supposed to be sage. I still get some mugwort, and some faint cotton blossom.
Dry: Oops, it’s turning bitter and stronger (too bad, I liked it before, but I suppose the voodoo doll comes with a curse). It’s much more aromatic: lemony, floral, with cedar.
Verdict: It’s an interesting neutral blend, neither masculine nor feminine, and it smells clean. However, this is not a perfume I would wear.
Ostara
Category: Limited Edition (March 2009)
Quantity: 5ml bottle
Description:
OSTARA
Ostara, or Eostre, is the Goddess of Renewal, from which the name
Easter evolved. In celebration of the movement toward the rising sun (East),
Ostara embodies renewal, rebirth, and fertility. Wild strawberry,
honeysuckle, rice flower, spring rain
Review:
In the bottle: Sweet, honeyed strawberry, with a floral touch underneath.
Wet: So far, the strawberry and florals mix well. The rice flower and spring rain are very subtle, of course, but I did not expect anything else.
Dry: Well, I have to admit this is lovely. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. Because it’s fruity, it might work fine on a young girl.
Verdict: If it was only the strawberry, this perfume would be way too sweet, but the flowers offer just the right balance between serious and playful. It’s a youthful, yummy scent, but it won’t turn you diabetic.
Woobie
Category: In The Mood
Quantity: sample
Description:
WOOBIE
Every little one (and many of us larger ones) knows the comfort and security (as well as juju) a well-worn woobie can evoke. A woobie can be anything from a favorite blanket to a favorite pair of socks. Good Judy’s Woobie evokes the comfort and security (and the juju) of your favorite woobie. Warm, comforting, and soothing, Woobie surrounds you in a peaceful, secure aroma. Benzoin, vanilla 10x, styrax, labdamnum
Review:
In the bottle: Benzoin, vanilla, and spices.
Wet: The perfume is dark brown, and when I first applied it, it actually left a brown mark on my skin. Fortunately, I rubbed the area with my finger, and the mark disappeared; but still, this is one dark perfume! I smell the vanilla even more than before; but overall, it’s very soft and sweet (well, I guess that’s the point). Appart, from the warm vanilla feeling, it doesn’t smell that much, no matter how much I put on.
Dry: It’s still raw vanilla and benzoin for me. In fact, it makes me think of a vanilla cake on sleeping pills... weird image...
Verdict: Hey Sigg, have you ever thought of turning this one into a soap? I’m sure it could work for bath & relaxation products.
Yules: The Nutcracker Acts 1 & 2: KLARA
Category: Limited Edition
Quantity: bottle
Description:
The Nutcracker Acts 1 & 2: KLARA
Honey dusting powder, mandarin, iris, ylang ylang, tea rose, and carnation.
Review:
In the bottle: Sweet, powdery and clean. I smell a strong note of honey.
Wet: Honey and mandarine, with a little bit of iris and carnation.
Dry: Tea rose and ylang-ylang come out strong... maybe a little bit too strong.
Verdict: I don’t know, it’s just missing something. It smells like a Lush soap, or baby powder. I would have liked something more unique than that.
More reviews: Limited Edition: Yules: The Nutcracker Acts 1 & 2: Klara
B
Category: LGBT & More
Quantity: sample
Description:
B
N/A
Review:
In the bottle: Citrus and... bergamot?
Wet: Yes, I do smell a sweet herb such as bergamot, as well as citrus or orange.
Dry: Now, I’m getting something floral, possibly honeysuckle.
Verdict: It’s golden, vibrant, and the citrus scent smells clean, of course. Overall, it’s a nice gender-neutral blend.
Marie
Category: Diabolus
Quantity: sample
Description:
MARIE
A blend of sinuous violet and elegant tea rose: the chosen scent of France's Demigoddess of Debauch: Marie Antoinette.
Review:
In the bottle: Mostly violet, and rose.
Wet: Apparently, my nose identifies the smell of violet very easily, and finds the rose a few minutes later. So far, it’s fresh and elegant, but a little bit soapy.
Dry: The first time I tried this one, in December, I thought it smelled like an old violet and rose potpourri (note: I had a cold and everything smelled the same). However, I can fully appreciate it today, and I have to admit Marie makes a nice transition from a sweet and fresh floral scent to a wicked violet.
Verdict: I’m growing fond of Marie, I might add it to my “maybe” list. It’s sensual, in a naughty way. On the other hand, if you don’t like violet, stay away from this one.
More reviews: Diabolus: Marie
Oblivion
Category: Sin & Salvation
Quantity: sample
Description:
OBLIVION
Salvation found in darkness beyond darkness, the blessed sleep of nothingness. Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron.
Review:
In the bottle: I know I’m not the only one who mentions the colour of this sample, but... It’s green! It’s spicy, musky; and yet, I smell a mix of wet wood and patchouli.
Wet: It’s still warm, spicy and woody, but with an herbal quality, from the patchouli and labdanum, with a note of saffron.
Dry: Suddenly, as it dried, it turned into peroxide (I’m not kidding), to come back to spicy patchouli. Of all the skin chemical reactions I’ve experienced so far, this is the most unusual...
Verdict: Well, at first, it reminded me of my father’s cologne when I was a kid; then, it turned into something medical, to finish as a spicy man’s cologne. Since it has such a strange reaction on my skin, I think I’ll leave the final verdict to men...
More reviews: Sin & Salvation: Oblivion
Honey Patch
Category: Resinate
Quantity: sample
Description:
HONEY PATCH
In the wild, unadulterated lands of the free, grows the honey patchouli tree. Earthy, warm, and golden. Patchouli and two sweet golden honeys.
Review:
In the bottle: Honeyed, sweetened patchouli; yet, the patchouli is quite strong.
Wet: What a sweet honey! I can’t decide if it’s herbal or floral (maybe both?), but I can smell the honey very well, and I can almost imagine its texture. Yum.
Dry: The patchouli comes out as it dries, but it keeps a good balance with the honey.
Verdict: This perfume has a little bit of a borderline personality, always on the edge between honey and patchouli. Honestly, patchouli isn’t my thing, so my enthusiasm was limited from the start. However, I have to admit that this blend is interesting.
Forbidden Desire
Category: American Gothic
Quantity: sample
Description:
FORBIDDEN DESIRE
Desire is a powerful creature, shape-shifting yet solid as the imp who visits you during the night. The urge grabs a hold of you. Your every impulse demands action. Consequences be damned, as damned as the doer of the deed. Lust takes control. Your thirst must be quenched. How sweet the taste of forbidden desire on your lips. Right or wrong, desire has won. White chocolate, vanilla bean, sugared musk
Review:
In the bottle: Chocolate, and maybe a little bit of spiced vanilla.
Wet: It’s a lot of chocolate… It smells like cake, probably because of the little note of vanilla.
Dry: Chocolate and sugar overload!
Verdict: I’ve tried to wear this one a few times, and every time I did, I found myself with an uncontrollable need to eat a chocolate bar, or a piece of chocolate cake. This can’t be good for my health! I understand why it’s called “forbidden desire”… This foody scent is just too foody for me, but I can imagine very easily why someone else would love it.
Lava Rocket
Category: Starlite Oasis
Quantity: sample
Description:
LAVA ROCKET
Turn it on. Warm it up. Watch it erupt. Get ready for blast off baby! Cassia, clove, black pepper, molten musk, orange lava
Review:
In the bottle: I smell cassia, pepper, clove, and a little bit of musk. So far, it’s alright.
Wet: Hmm, spicy! I get clove and pepper first, then musk.
Dry: Now it’s just old musk...
Verdict: No, not my thing, it’s just too oldish, and maybe a little bit too masculine for me.
The Unicorn
Category: Mad Tea Party
Quantity: sample
Description:
THE UNICORN
A misty, almost luminous perfume: wispy linden blossoms, white flowers, and a touch of sweet herbs.
Review:
In the bottle: A clean, fresh, and clear floral smell. It’s soft and light.
Wet: I get a sweet floral scent. I’m not accustomed to linden blossoms, so my first impression was something similar to lily of the valley, but I could be wrong.
Dry: It’s soft and faint. The herbs blend well together into a light, feminine scent. Unfortunately, it fades away very quickly.
Verdict: It’s lovely, but it doesn’t have much impact, which I think is really too bad because, otherwise, it would be the perfect blend for spring. On the other hand, someone who rarely ever wears perfume and wants to stay away from strong scents, would probably adore this.
More reviews: Mad Tea Party: The Unicorn
Mond-O-Rama
Category: Starlite Oasis
Quantity: sample
Description:
MOND-O-RAMA
It’s the most…to say the least! The very end! So hot, it’s radioactive! So cool, it’s solid, baby! Citrus fruits, floral blooms, warm resins, bright herbs, and cool spices
Review:
In the bottle: It smells bright and lemony, yet floral, and cool... It may seem confusing, but it fits the description perfectly.
Wet: It’s funny, it reminds me of a perfume spray I had when I was a kid. It’s soft, sweet, floral, and delicate, with a background note of spices. Nothing is strong enough to make the blend fall into a specific category.
Dry: ...And this is when it turns from a child’s perfume to an old lady’s generic floral perfume. Honestly, I don’t know which is worse.
Verdict: Either too young, or too old, or both! I really don’t think this blend is for me.
Alice
Category: Mad Tea Party
Quantity: sample
Description:
ALICE
Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot.
Review:
In the bottle: It’s sweet and flowery. What I smell the most is a mix of milk and honey.
Wet: Initially, Alice is sweetened milk and flowers. I do smell a bit of carnation and bergamot, but not so much rose.
Dry: It’s still sweet and creamy flowers, but a tiny bit spicy (now that’s curious!). There is a little bit of rose hidden underneath the carnation, but it’s really not as strong as I thought it would be from the description.
Verdict: Alice is young and fresh, with a nice feminine touch. Because it reminds me of something edible (tea and cakes, how appropriate…), it’s tempting to describe it as the cousin of Dana O’Shee; or Katrina Van Tassel made better, thanks to carnation and bergamot. Either way, I like it, it will be perfect for spring.
More reviews: Mad Tea Party: Alice
Diamond
Category: Limited Edition (April 2009)
Quantity: 5ml bottle
Description:
DIAMOND
April's birthstone, Diamond is known as the stone of innocence and purity, and inspires matters of the heart. Diamond is said to encourage self-confidence and independence and counteract jealousy. Diamonds are energy amplifiers so be cautious: it amplifies negative as well as positive. Diamond purifies and detoxifies all of the body’s systems, rebalancing the metabolism, and building up stamina, strength and treating allergies and chronic conditions. White peach, champagne, white hibiscus, white amber
Review:
In the bottle: It smells white and clear. It reminds me of my mother’s garden, with fruit trees and hibiscus plants around every corner.
Wet: Mostly hibiscus and peach, with a little bit of champagne and amber.
Dry: Slightly less peach, and more champagne and amber.
Verdict: What a clear and fancy scent! I think I just found my new “special occasion” perfume.
Hurricane
Category: Bewitching Brews
Quantity: sample
Description:
HURRICANE
The Dark Side of Air: a high pitched, tangy, clear scent -- light China rain deepened by murky vetivert.
Review:
In the bottle: It smells delightfully fresh and herbal, with a strong note of bright vetivert.
Wet: It’s still very herbal, but it turns almost floral (that might be my skin chemistry acting funny again). It smells like rain falling on fragrant herbs.
Dry: It becomes warmer as it dries, the murky, almost smoky, aspect becomes more obvious.
Verdict: It smells very masculine, fresh and clean. I think this might be a good suggestion for men who don’t like a cologne or perfume that smells “too much”.
More reviews: Bewitching Brews: Hurricane
Fruit Judy
Category: Limited Edition
Quantity: bottle (2ml)
Description:
FRUIT JUDY
Fruit Judy is the companion blend to Flower Judy. All together, there are 21 notes, all fruit. A sweet and tangy mix of berries, citrus, and tropical delights!
This limited edition does not have a time limit, but rather a quantity limit. There are 50 2ml amber bottles (with screw-cap lids) available. These are not "shorties", but rather the tall thinner bottles for easier use. There is no formal recipe so this blend will never be recreated. Once they are gone, they're gone!
Review:
In the bottle: It’s a tutti-frutti! It’s not easy to identify the 21 fruit notes, but so far, I’m guessing apple, grape, banana, berries (strawberries, raspberries, etc.), and a few more I’m not so sure about.
Wet: Again, I’m guessing apple, berries, pear, banana, mango, pineapple… It’s sweet!
Dry: It turned a bit tangier, orange and citrus must have found their way through.
Verdict: What can I say… It’s a fruit salad! What’s interesting in this case is that those 21 fruit notes, once blended together, create something new. Everyone can tell it’s fruity, but no one can pinpoint a precise fruit note without hesitation. Personally, I can’t wait to wear this one next summer, although the bugs might fall in love with me…
Spectral Evidence
Category: American Gothic
Quantity: sample
Description:
SPECTRAL EVIDENCE
In the Old Manse, life lingers, quiet and unassuming yet screaming to be heard. Whispered in a whiff of perfume, a lingering scent of flowers wafts where nobody stood. A shimmering shape lends a glimpse of something that once was. Remembered as visions from a dream, the pieces fit together and the story unfolds. Are you listening? Someone’s trying to tell you something. Lilac, violet, peony, shimmering air
Review:
In the bottle: How incredibly soft! It’s light and floral, mostly lilac and peony, with a little bit of sweet violet.
Wet: It smells like a spring day, or a garden of fresh, delicate lilac, violet and peony. It’s adorable!
Dry: As soon as it started to dry, it turned soapy; and then, it disappeared... Too bad.
Verdict: I’m disappointed by the limited throw of this perfume; however, it might still be a good idea for my soap-making hobby.
Faustus
Category: Sin & Salvation
Quantity: sample
Description:
FAUSTUS
An infusion of incalculable power and irresistible temptation. Truly an exercise in megalomania and self-gratification: frankincense and cinnamon, darkened by violet.
Review:
In the bottle: What I smell is mostly frankincense, with a little bit of violet, and a drop of cinnamon.
Wet: My skin has just been attacked by frankincense in big quantities… And some dark violets are pushing from underneath.
Dry: It settled down to a mix of cinnamon and violet. It’s spicy, and a little bittersweet.
Verdict: I have to admit spicy cinnamon is very sensual and playful; but man, do I dislike frankincense on me… Also, it’s quite different from my usual feminine perfume oils, but it certainly is empowering and self-gratifying! It’s somewhat masculine, but I think it would fit better on a young man, filled with sexual energy; or as a neutral scent for a woman with an aura of power. When my mother smelled this on me, last December, she asked me where she could buy “a gallon of that stuff”, so I know to whom I can give my sample.
More reviews: Sin & Salvation: Faustus
Persephone
Category: Excolo
Quantity: sample
Description:
PERSEPHONE
Beautiful, radiant daughter of Demeter... her loveliness was so exquisite that even Hell itself could not resist her. Pomegranate and rose.
Review:
In the bottle: I smell mostly rose... ‘lots of it... I miss the juicy sweetness of the pomegranate.
Wet: I still get a lot of rose, but it’s already much sweeter, and fruity.
Dry: It is better, but... I still get so much rose! I don’t get that decadently juicy pomegranate other reviewers have smelled.
Verdict: Either Persephone loved the smell of roses beyond imagination, or this blend is still too fresh, and scents haven’t blended as much as they needed. Maybe I should let this one “age” for a few months, to see if it improves a little bit, it seems to work sometimes.
More reviews: Excolo: Persephone
Gosurori
Category: Anime & Manga
Quantity: sample
Description:
GOSURORI
GothLoli’s depict a demure, well-bred yet stylized blend of dark, brooding Gothic and cute, childlike Lolita…a throw-back to the genteel, prim and proper eras. Whether wearing Victorian, Rococo, or Edwardian, knee-length dresses, petticoats and crinolines, ribbons and lace, over-knee stockings, boots or Mary Janes, top hats and parasols, Gothic Lolita’s are in perfect style! Anime/Manga include Bizenghast , Rozen Maiden , and DOLL . Earl Grey, sugared rose petals, vanilla cream
Review:
In the bottle: Sweetened Earl Grey tea and rose. Or what you would get if you dropped a rose in your grand-father’s favourite tea… It smells good, actually.
Wet: It smells a bit more like rose once on skin, with a sweet creamy note (vanilla?).
Dry: Tea, rose, sugar, cream, and vanilla cupcakes… I think it’s got all the ingredients for a successful loli tea party!
Verdict: I had mixed feelings toward this one at first, because I’m not a fan of anime or manga, and yet I was curious enough to try it. It’s like an old woman’s perfume with added sugar, and it’s very elegant. I will certainly try some more from the Anime & Manga collection.
Maiden
Category: Ars Amatoria
Quantity: sample
Description:
MAIDEN
A gentle vision of purity, goodness and virtue: white tea, carnation and Damask Rose.
Review:
In the bottle: This certainly smells soft and feminine! So far, it’s mostly a blend of flowers, but the white tea is a sweet touch.
Wet: Carnation, carnation, and more carnation, with a little bit of rose, and a tiny little bit of white tea.
Dry: It does stabilize during dry down, but it’s still a lot of carnation! There’s still a little bit of rose, and what I believe is a trace of white tea, but it’s very subtle.
Verdict: Overall, Maiden is a nice spring/summer scent, but you really have to love carnation to fully appreciate this one; therefore, it’s just not for me. I know white tea tends to be tasteless, but I expected more of it. But still, it’s a nice floral scent.
More reviews: Ars Amatoria: Maiden
Shameful Secret
Category: American Gothic
Quantity: sample
Description:
SHAMEFUL SECRET
We all come with a past. Certainly, some have more to hide than others. What we do with our lives is of no concern to them. Nobody need know your secret. Hide your shame. Stand tall and proud as it turns your stomach sour. Sweet milk, raspberry cream, absinthe, cassia
Review:
In the bottle: I smell cream, cassia, raspberry, and absinthe, in that order. It’s an interesting mix.
Wet: It’s a little bit bitter, but very herbal, from the absinthe; yet very sweet from the milk and cassia. So far, the raspberry is still very far in the background.
Dry: It turned sweeter, more fruity and juicy, but still with a tiny bit of bitterness/sourness underneath, but it’s really whispered like a secret.
Verdict: Oh, I love this one! It fits me so perfectly, how could I give it a bad review?
Cursed Cameo
Category: Curio Shop
Quantity: sample
Description:
CURSED CAMEO
Don’t be fooled by its beauty, by its seemingly delicate nature! Well over one hundred years old, this cameo is a splendid piece of jewelry marred by a fearsome curse. Given to a scorned wife as pacification from her flagrantly cheating husband, the wife was rumored to have dispatched of each of her husband’s affairs with a chilling and cold-blooded fervor, all while wearing the cameo. Now the cameo is cursed to bring torment and discord to its wearer, keeping them forever miserable and alone. Well, yes, I don’t see why you can’t hold it. Only please refrain from putting it around your neck. We are not sure how swift-acting the curse is. Come to think of it, maybe it’s best if you didn’t hold it at all. One can never be too careful! White lily, iris, jasmine, magnolia, grapefruit, peach
Review:
In the bottle: It’s soft and feminine, in a graceful way. I can identify the notes of lily and magnolia.
Wet: Without any surprise, the flowers came out first.
Dry: As it dried, I started to notice something juicy and sweet, which I assume is the peach and grapefruit. It’s funny, because it leaves a little bit of an aftertaste, but maybe that’s the curse?
Verdict: I find it hard to write a review on this one because I’m completely addicted. If you like blends of flowers and fruits, you should try this one.
