MeiLin

I had such high hopes. The chicory sends everything into an alternate dimension where coffee and beignets smell like cigarette butts. This is my skin chemistry.

This reminds me a great deal of Boo Bam. Less booze, obviously, but the same tart sweetness. Unlike Boo Bam, this has staying power. I'm not getting a bottle, but I'm happy with the imp.

This went very white floral on me, almost gardenia. Then came the amber, almost sweet powder, and four hours later it is poof. I'm keeping the imp, but not going for a bottle/partial.

Orange French Tobacco. Which, really, what the hell else do you want?

This smells like champaca to/on me, like a headshop. Champaca soap, to be exact.

Frederick is the hubs's signature scent, and there ain't another leap year till 2016! We somehow via trades etc ended up with 3 bottles, but he wears scent every day. In short, we're out. Are there any GC equivalents before I go to the sales boards?

Want so bad but skin eats!

I will help organize a BrokeWitch if people want one. Ralenth co-led it last time.

For those who missed it last round, BrokeWitch is a 100% free swap. No money at all to be spent. That's the rule. Basically, you search out free stuff on the internets for your witchee--music, images, paper crafts, e-cards, patterns, recipes, ebooks, whatever you think your witchee would like. It doesn't sound like fun, but we had a blast last time.

EEE! Pondering whether I can swing it this time around. Anyone want to do another BrokeWitch?

I smell like a sexy barista.

In the decant, I get kind of a peppery note--the carnation I assume--and the leather and coffee. On, I initially got the leather and coffee big time, no carnation at all. Dried down, it's leather, sweet tobacco and coffee in that order, with the carnation waaaay in the back.

This is gorgeous and as soon as I can afford a bottle or partial I'm getting it. Just wow.

Did anyone else get a patchouli accord on this at first? Cuz I did. It settled down immediately, though, to an amber-y red musk with a soft, sweet berry overtone. The kewda (sandalwood) is at the finish. Really nice.

Yeah, I've decided to close Perfoom. If you have your lists there, please move them over to the forum.

Hey guys, now that the forum has stash tracking capabilities, I'm strongly considering close Perfoom at the end of the month. Any objections?

I chose Halloween: Los Angeles since most of my girlhood was spent in the beach cities of LA. I lived on the southern tip of the bay, and every year we watched the Malibu hills on the north tip glow orange with flame. Really an amazing sight. Consequently, the description resonated.

In the decant: Hm. Smells musty, like a musty steamer trunk.

Wet: Smoky sage.

Dry: Wow, this really does smell like LA during hill fires; that smell hangs over the whole basin.

Verdict: I'm not sure if I want to smell like Malibu in the average autumn, but damn, she sure nailed it. How do she DO that?

Thanks! Every scent helps.

If anyone wants to help enter scents @ Perfoom.com, I'd take it as a kindness, I surely would.

In the bottle: Soft and sweet. Vanilla, sandalwood, something sweet--I think the bark and possibly the carnation, but I'm not getting the characteristic spiciness of either that or the clove. Way in the back is the bay.

Wet: I'm getting a "clean animal" smell, like your cats when they've been outside--a laundry-from-the-line feeling, but no cotton or linen overtone. Something warm from the sun. The carnation is coming out, along with the clove. This is very subtle and I think it'll be an early fader. So far I'm nuts for it. It reminds me of Ivanushka minus the fur. I'm probably misremembering, and will have to "split test."

Dry: Carnation, dry sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli, a tiny bit of clove. Still soft and somewhat cuddly.

I like it. It'll be a comfort scent, I think, but not as comforting as my new favorite, Gypsy.

In the decant: Astringent. Honey to the rear.

Wet: Ick. Smells like a hedge, and not the good kind.

Dry: Sweeter, but still that hedge smell.

Verdict: Meh verging on ick.

In the decant: Initial hit is a cologne with a floral undertone. I think this is the tonka and sandalwood providing the cologny tone; don't know where the floral accord is coming from.

Wet: Coconut, tonka, clove, sandalwood, amber, licorice way in the back. So far I like it.

Dry: The coconut is gone. Tonka, amber, licorice, sandalwood. Clove is in back, which makes me sad. I like this, but then I usually like all these notes excepting coconut.

Verdict: Pretty, but faint. Probably good with a decant.

Durian fruit infused honey?! I know!

In the decant: Faint fruit, like black cherry. No honey, some brandy. Not optimistic.

Wet: OK, now no brandy, just a sort of weak fruit punch. A little honey to the back. So far: meh, but not wash-off meh.

Dry: Now I'm smelling honey. The fruit punch/black cherry smell is dwindling.

Verdict: Eh to meh. Definitely not a bottle, possibly a trade.

In the decant: Moss, earth, wine, in that order.

Wet: Very men's cologne-y. I think it's the moss. A little astringent--possibly the pomegranate rind? Not picking up much wine or smoke.

Dry: Here comes the mimosa and wine--oh, and a little smoke, but hovering above my wrist, not on it--something a little sulphuric, like a match head (I love that smell). The longer it sits, the stronger the burnt wood smell.

Verdict: This is a rather menacing cologne, fairly unisex. Like a lot of moss-based scents, I think I'd like it better on a guy and I might like it better on Sir.

All of these are good notes, especially amber and leather.

In the decant: Oh yay, lavender and amber!

Wet: Several people on BPAL.org have said this is the same lavender as in my beloved TKO, and I agree. Very like. The leather is underneath. I like this very much so far; it's a less-sweet TKO.

Dry: This is a non-sweet TKO. In place of the vanilla, it's leather. It's gorgeous. Even the hubby says so.

Verdict: Definite partial if I can find one.

The amber is the amber in Gelt; this is Gelt - chocolate + flowers. I will be looking for a partial.

I updated Perfoom's interface today. It should be easier to use, though some of the lists are still inaccessible for reasons I don't get. Let me know.