Diana

And I also thought neroli and orange blossom were interchangeable, but at least one of Beth's blends contains both.

 

Almost, but not quite. I think the difference is in how the essential oil is extracted. One is steam distilled, the other is something else, but I cannot remember. Maybe enfleurage? I'm sure someone knows better than I.

 

Ok, a specific question. Of the three blends that contain both orange blossom and patchouli (Masquerade, Ravenous and Vixen) which one is closest to a purer orange blossom? I'd like it less heavy on the patchouli, because although I'm learning to like it, it doesn't seem to like me.

 

I can't remember Vixen too well, but Masquerade was very orange blossom, making a spicy-floral; Ravenous was plasticy-patchouli on me.

 

 

From what I remember, Seraglio was super orange blossom, if that helps you any in your quest.

If you like violet, I'd recommend Sybaris. It has the most amazing incensey drydown.

 

Other incensey type blends:

Dee, Cathedral, URD!!!, Anne Bonny, Sri Lanka

If you like Dior "Hypnotic Poison," you might like Hamadryad

If you like Bill Blass "Nude," you might like Black Opal.

If you like Thierry Mugler "Angel," you might like Xiuhtecuhtli.

If you like BBW "Toasted Hazelnut," you might like Hymn to Proserpine.

If you like Demeter "Dirt," you might like Zombi.

If you like Lucky Chick "Mimosa, Jasmine, & Violet" products, you might like Yemeya.

If you like Aqualina "Pink Sugar," you might like Pink Moon.

If you like any of Jessica Simpson's "Dessert" products, you might like Eat Me, Drink Me, Monsterbait: Closet, Monsterbait: Underbed, Gluttony, or Beaver Moon.

If you like Sephora "Relaxing Blue," you might like House of Mirrors.

I also seem to recall some people who cannot wear Snake Oil can wear Golden Priapus. It's a masculine blend, but on my husband it smells a lot like Snake Oil should (Snake Oil does strange things on his skin from time to time).

 

If I'm wrong, someone please correct me on that rec. THX.

 

They have a similar vanilla note, only GP has a wood base note instead of patchouli. And I find Bow & Crown of Conquest to be similar to Golden Priapus, so that also might be worth a try.

 

I also found Blood Kiss to be similar to Snake Oil, but you'd have to contend with vetiver instead of the patchouli note.

 

Chokmah is almost a dead ringer for Snake Oil. I don't know if it has patchouli in it, but it's also got sassafras, which lightens it up quite a bit.

This goes on kind of aquatic, probably from the bamboo, and has a bit of a citrusy tinge to it, probably from the juniper. It dries down to a soft, slightly woodsy, slightly "clean" scent. It is a lot more delicate, but longwearing, than I'd think. It is pretty unisex; the ingredients are traditionally masculine, but nothing is overwhelming or particularly strong.

 

It's really lovely, and I hope I can find a suitable substitute in the General Catalogue.

 

And for what it's worth, no crazy birds followed me around, screaming, while waiting for my soul to escape while wearing this blend.

Wet application: very spicy ginger, but also warm, just-baked gingerbread.

Drydown: this lasts and lasts all day. The aroma doesn't really change much over the course of the day, just the intensity. The resins play a quiet background note which serve to deepend & intensify the gingery goodness. Yummy & beautiful.

This doesn't change much at all from bottle -> wet -> drydown. It really is the scent of rugged, raw leather. It isn't as soft & refined as De Sade. This isn't fancy leather jackets and pants from a store. This is going to the western store and digging through leather scraps, surrounded by dusty leather goods of all types. Amazingly accurate. Yee-haw.

I recently acquired a bottle of Hellion and have fallen in love with it. Is there anything in the GC that resembles it at all? Or anything that's similiar but a little more musky and a little less fruity?

 

Malkuth & Chokmah have some similarities, I think. Neither is dead on, but they both have incensey-fruity qualities to them, and they're both quite pretty.

 

Some people though Khajaruho was similar, but that was LE too.

Oddly enough, this smells a like like Budding Moon on me.

 

In the bottle & wet, it's mostly bamboo & cherry blossom. Slightly fruity in that flower->fruit kind of way, with the tiniest touch of aquatic undertones. It almost smells like apples.

 

Drydown: It's a clean, sweetish scent. It stayed mostly bamboo/tea/cherry blossom on me. I didn't really get any dragon's blood at all. Unusual for me, since I can normally detect that note very easily. It definitely reminds me of Budding Moon, just less green and much softer.

I liked Wanda for the wine/rose/leather notes.

 

My favorite boozy perfume is Perversion.

In the bottle, it smells softly lemony with just a hint of powdery softness.

 

Wet: It is more lemony, but it is not very strong or sharp. There is a sweetness mixed in which kind of makes this like a powdery lemon meringue. Mmm.

 

Drydown: This becomes less citrusy, more powdery, more sweet, more musky. Gorgeous. I find this to be quite similar to Dorian in that zesty-soft musk way, but minus the sweet tea note. The cotton blossom and clover add a soft "clean" backdrop, which is not what I'd associate with typical floral notes. This is my favorite Enraged anything so far.

I don't think anyone has asked this, I scanned the previous posts and didn't see any mention of it.

I've completely fallen in love with Usher. . Does anyone know of a scent similar?

I don't know enough of the notes to identify exactly what it smells like on me other than there is no manderin that I can detect and a lot of what I take to be minty musk.

 

Some people likened it to Dorian, but I didn't really get that so much, personally. I don't think there's anything really comparable to Usher in the general catalog, but you might try layering Utrennyaya or another light mint scent with Dorian, Embalming Fluid, or another light citrus-tea type blend.

Wet: sweet, but herbal

 

Dry: Peach pits, or possibly peaches and wood notes. Lovely! There aren't too many peach scents in the catalog, so this makes me very happy. This one smells just like the ripe fruit, skin on, standing in pretty pyramids at the grocery store, with just a hint of a warm red sandalwood or cedar as the basenote. Wowza. I am going to need a bottle of this!

Wet: smells almost leathery with a bit of resin or spice added

 

Dry: Powdery, but kind of spicy still. It's like men's cologne made into a dusting powder. A bit later it goes more powdery, and it has an odd sweetness to it that I'm somehow associating with Froot Loops. Yes, my wierd scent associations make this out to smell like fruity cereal & dusting powder. I think I will have to pass.

Wet: sweet cinnamon, like oatmeal cookies

 

Dry: still a sweet cinnamon, but sort of incensey now. It's drier in odor, and a bit less sweet. It reminds me of the scent of Samhain in the bottle, before all the woodsy-leafy-apple notes come out. It also reminds me of the herb & incense booth at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. It is really pretty! Another one for the bottle list!

Wet: fainy, soapy, sort of reminds me of Faustus without the spice.

 

Dry: Waxy floral notes. There's a variety of rose in there for sure, and a few other things that smell a bit too cloying for me. This is a lot like Binah or Hymn; one of those super floral scents that smell more like a candle than something I'd want as a perfume. This is a definite no-go.

Wet: very light & sweet; the note is familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

 

Dry: This smells like a distant relative of some of the Yule blends, all thrown together. There's a sweetness that smells a lot like (I'm probably crazy for saying this) my beloved Snow White, under a light spicey-piney-resin type of thing happening. It is kind of soft on me, but that will change if I can get my hands on a bottle. Slatheration will commence!

Wet: WHOA, JASMINE.

 

Dry: Jasmine. After a while, there's more of a green note, but if jasmine is the main component, I won't get much of any other notes. Meh.

Wet: sweet and spicy, almost like a dark patchouli + sassafras

 

Dry: Kind of a root beerish scent, with basenotes that smell a lot like Lust or Sin or Snake Oil. This smells a lot like my favorite scents—the ones towards which I gravitate most frequently. The warmer notes are nicely contrasted by the sweet sassafras and a small drop of warm, rich vanilla. LOVE. This one is destined for a bottle! I never really had any interest in the Sephiroth scents since I know nothing about them, but now that my nose has been introduced, I am one happy gal.

Wet: leather; similar but slightly softer than DeSade.

 

Dry: Still leather. I'm not getting much else out of this. I do enjoy leather scents, and this one is a nice, mild, warm note. I already own DeSade, so I don't know if I really need another similar scent, but it is one I will keep in mind when I need a bottle of something to fill out an order.

Wet: something sweet, and beer? Something is almost hop-like or slightly yeasty in the wet stage.

 

Dry: This becomes a bit sharper, almost like a frankincense, but reading other reviews, I suppose it is carnation! There is a sweetness which smells a lot like almonds. The sharp note starts to become a warm spice after a bit, and it starts to remind me of a darker, heavier Dana O'Shee having an orgy with Alice and O. It still smells a bit beer-like to me under the sweet honeyed almonds & carnation. It's kind of kinky!

Wet: a dry spice note, almost like allspice or nutmeg; a resin kind of note too

 

Dry: There is a dry sweetness now, but it's punctuated by a sharp spice note. This is starting to smell like some of the various Voodoo oils; it has some slightly soapy floral notes and a resiny base, kind of myrrh-like. It reminds me a bit of Erato or Hymn now. A bit too cloying & floral for my tastes, but if you like the swoony florals, you might want to give this a shot.

In the bottle: sweet, slightly herbal.

 

Wet: There is some of that sweet, bubblegum-type scent from the lotus, but it isn't very strong, or overwhelming. In fact, it's barely there. There's a hint of the resin now.

 

Drydown: This is not what I was expecting at all! It's rich & resinous, with a hint of spice. Now this is opium that I can wear. The resins blend marvelously with the other notes and create a really sophisticated, amazing blend.

In the bottle: sweet, slightly boozy

 

Wet: very bright & cheery, almost citrus-like in it's tone. Sweet! I'm sure this is mead + honeysuckle. There's another sharp note in it, maybe copal? It reminds me a bit of Xiuhtecuhtli, underneath sharper happy notes.

 

Initial dry: other flowers are starting to appear. I think this is the daisy & honeysuckle combination happening now. It still smells almost lemony at first sniff, but then after a longer inhale, it is sweet floral; it now reminds me a bit of Flower Moon.

 

Drydown: There's an air of freshness to it now. It's still sweet, but there's something else there that I can't quite pick out. Perhaps the vervain & ivy leaf? It's slightly greener now, but still sweet and fresh. It's a bit more floral than mead-y now.

 

This is like a long-lasting burst of sunshine, which is appropriate for the holiday it is named after. =)

 

 

In the bottle: It smells pretty cologne-y. A bit astringent, but it smells pretty masculine and strong, like sharp woods & frankincense.

 

Wet: It's fairly the same as the bottle. I can smell resins & woodsy notes. It's not as strong going on as I would have expected.

 

Initial drydown: This starts to soften up a bit, but also fade somewhat as well. I can start to detect the saffron and sandalwood more easily, but this is not as strong as I'd like. It is really pretty, like a mixture of rare spices and resins you'd expect to come out of Northern Africa & the Middle East.

 

Drydown: This reminds me a bit of Scherezade, but much, much softer, gentler, and more complex. This is so exquisite, and I'm so very glad it's not a Limited Edition scent. It is akin to taking masculine, typically strong notes, and toning them down to a soft, delicate fragrance. I'm not really getting the cardamom or honey as detectable, individual notes, but there is an overall vague sweet & spice thing going on. There's a bit of the woodsy notes lingering, and just a very tiny wisp of the musk, resins and saffron (I saffron!).

 

I really love this a lot. It was really worth the extra cost for a 5mL bottle. And, I think with a bit of aging, the notes will develop and become stronger, and this will make me swoon even more.

 

edited to add imge - clover