Gin

This is really sweet and boozy, but there's definitely an earthen smell underneath. It smells like the wet earth one would find under a pile of damp leaves in the autumn, soaked with a sweet wine. I find it a little unsettling, really. Definitely not for me.

The cinnamon pops out right away. The violet is underneath, and doesn't fully emerge unless I take a big whiff. I don't smell the frankincense much at all, unless it's just blended so well that I can't separate it from the cinnamon, which is entirely possible. This stays steadily cinnamon all the way through.

Rose and jasmine pop out right away. There's something sweeter, too, but I'm not sure if it's the orchid or the magnolia. It's very nice, and it quiets the jasmine. The amber remains in the background, anchoring the florals.

There's a brief hint of pencil shavings when this is wet,and the greeness of the leaves, but then it goes into a lovely sweetness blended with cedar. Wow, I don't get the "Unceasing in anger" at all. I'd say this is a cheerful blend. I like this quite a bit.

Green and woody, this reminds me of Scorpio at first, with the violet, juniper, and cypress, but not quite as deep or jewel-green. As it dries, it becomes even lighter and more floral until that's all that's left--a faint violet and the Lily of the Valley.

This is cold and aquatic, but with an earthy note that aquatics like Sea of Glass lack. Tears is cold rain on your umbrella as you stand at the gravesite. I've been in a highly emotional state lately, which may be affecting my feelings toward this particular oil, but smelling it chills me to the bone like I've been out in the freezing rain. At the same time, it reminds me of the cleansing spring rain and the new life it brings. This is an amazing blend.

This is very strongly floral. I thought I caught a whiff of lemon underneath, which made me want to jump for joy, but I think I've imagined it. It's back to smelling simply rosy now. jj_j sums up my feelings about the ylang ylang pretty well:

I think Beth must have made this like the martini that simply toasts the bottle of vermouth - the ylang-ylang is so faint it's almost invisible.  Because I have issues with ylang-ylang (particularly headaches), I was really delighted about this!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

However, I think I still got a headache from this. Too bad.

The lilies are first, followed by what I think is the juniper and rose. This is cool and green. Eventually, it goes mostly rosy, but retains some of that greeness.

Black Rose, indeed. The rose is dominant, but there's something decidedly dark underneath.

Apple Blossom

This is apple blossoms, but also all the greenery. It's sweet and green and fresh.

Honeysuckle

This is floral-honey. I can almost taste the honeyness at first, and then it becomes more floral. I'm not familiar with the actual honeysuckle flower, so I can't compare, but this is a pretty, sweet floral scent.

Coconut

Fresh out of the bottle, this has a boozy scent to it, which I love. On my skin, it's so warm and coconutty, I don't know if I should sunbathe, have a drink, or eat some of those toasted coconut cluster candies I love. (Or do all three, heh.) Lovely.

Strawberry

Sweet strawberry! I think this is sweeter than a fresh strawberry, it's more like the syrupy strawberries my grandmother would serve with cake when I would visit her in the summer. This is a lovely scent; it's very cheerful.

I'm so sad that my imp arrived cracked and leaked all over the others.

Pineapple

This is definitely more of a sweetened pineapple than a sharp, fresh one. It's missing the tang of the fresh fruit, but it has a sweet, almost creaminess about it, like pineapple ice cream.

Sweet Clove

Words cannot convey how awesome this scent is. I love clove scents, and this is the BEST EVER. I wonder if Beth would consider bringing it back as a special edition for autumn/winter? It's gorgeous.

Honey

This is no ordinary table honey, squeezed out of a plastic bear. This is sexy honey. A nice complement to O or Lush's B Never shower gel.

Heliotrope

My first thought is that this is almost like honey in its sweetness and tone. It's warm and slightly powdery. Very pretty! This is one of the notes I love in Tamora, but I didn't know what it was until now.

Mimosa

This is very subtle. I can hardly smell it. I've never smelled real mimosa, so I can't compare. It's sweet, slightly floral, slightly powdery.

Pikaki

This is a very clean white floral. Subtle but beautiful, and not cloyingly sweet like some pikaki scents. It's jasmine at first but fades into what smells like lilac. I wish it lasted a little longer, it seems like it's gone as quickly as it's applied.

Blood Orange

This is fantastic! I get a quick whiff of the tartness of the peel, but then Blood Orage dries into a beautiful sweet orange scent. It’s an almost candylike orange, like orange Pez, or the sugary center of Wonka Runts orange. I wish I would have ordered gallons of this while it was available.

Rosewood

Begins very rosy but dries down into a sort of spicy, wood-rose scent. I love this.

Lemony, but not quite like the fruit. Lemongrass is more complex than that. There's a heaviness here, it's not as fleeting as a true lemon. Very nice.

Red Ginger

This goes on so strong and overwhelming, my first reaction is to run and wash it off. I don't, and I'm glad. As it dries, it loses some of it's strength and becomes what I can only describe as a warm, spicy, true ginger scent.

Lime

Wet, this is definitely a lime-candy smell, but as it dries, some tartness appears, making it more like a true lime. Fades very quickly on me, though.

Sweet Pea

This is a sweet floral. I always think of it as a "watery floral" because that's how grrrlennyl described it to me when I couldn't decide if I should order it or not. It is watery, but not in a marine/aquatic way. It's just sort of pale, like a watercolor painting. As it dries, it goes slightly powdery.