miss apple

Eclipse

In the vial this is sweet and fruity. I definitely had to wait until I was in the right mood to try this because I thought it might be a bit cloying. The ubersweetness tones down a bit once it dries down and suddenly there's an incredible depth. A bit fruity with some incense and a touch of floral. I'm glad it's not as sweet on my skin as it is in the imp. The two words I'd use to describe this are warm and layered. A big bottle is definitely on the list.

Laudanum

I was intrigued by the ingredients in this most especially the nutmeg, black poppy and myrrh. In the bottle I can't pick out any of these though, it's just something dark and kinda sludgy. When I first put it on there's a medicinal quality but still no spice or sassafrass. A minute or two after this dries down I get...rubber. Hpmh. My arm now smells like a tire shop with a bit of something burnt underneath. After ten minutes it still hasn't changed. I don't mind the smell of burnt rubber itself but I definitely don't want to smell like it.

Jester

In the bottle - very sweet and fruity. Once on it pretty much stays incredibly sweet and fruity - much like a jolly rancher or those gummy fruit candies. I haven't a clue what huckleberries smell like so I'm not sure if that's what makes it so candy-like. Unlike another oil that reminded me of jolly ranchers this doesn't become too cloying. I don't think I'd get a big bottle of this but I'll keep the imp for those irreverent moments.

Midnight

In the bottle - yep this is definitely floral. Once on I get the impression of big, waxy, white flowers blooming on a warm night. I can't really pick out any particular flower with the possible exception of something that reminds me of gardenias. The overall impression is sweet florals with a hint of green on a warm night- it's very heady.

Spellbound

My gosh, I didn't realize that I hadn't reviewed this before! Spellbound is one of my all time favorite blends. The roses and amber are sexy as hell together and when you add the red musk the scent becomes simply divine. None of the notes dominate - they swirl and mix languidly to become a heady incensey bouquet. This is warm and seductive and absolutely fabulous

Peitho

In the bottle this is soft and sweet. Vanilla and florals mixed together. Once on it gets a bit sweeter and I can see the similarities to Antique Lace. Suprisingly the sandalwood is subdued and I can't really get any clove. I'm not sure if it's only the myrtle that's lusty or if that refers to the whole blend but this is a very innocent scent to me. It has good staying power and doesn't really morph beyond the soft sweet stage but I still quite like it.

Medicine Show

In the bottle this is a fairly dark scent, no particular notes jump out but it definitely smells medicinal. Once on something very strongly smelling of vetiver bursts forth. I don't see vetiver in the list but that's the only thing I get initially. After a bit the vetiver impression calms down and the medicinal aspect comes forward. This scent is fuddling because I can't pick out any other notes - no tobacco, no ginger, no opium - just an antiseptic mishmash with a hint of dark. A very interesting oil indeed and I'm curious what else it has up its sleeve.

Snake Charmer

First impression in the bottle is Snake Oil but with a tiny hint of mustiness or maybe musk. Once on it stays pretty much like Snake Oil but this is a little sweeter with something like melted sugar - kind of a mix between Snake Oil and Sugar Skull. I rather wish I got a bit more of the coconut or fruitiness that others have mentioned but on me it doesn't get much depth. I'll have to give it another try to see if I want to hold onto it since it's pretty similar to Snake Oil to my nose.

Salamander

In the vial I get lots of cinnamon and something cool but not really minty. It doesn't overpower the cinnamon but gives it an edge. Once on the cinnamon warms and it must be blending with something else but I can't quite get a firm impression of any other notes. The most interesting thing is what the minty/cool edge does. It reminds me of when you run tap water so hot that if you put your hand under the faucet it almost feels cold while it burns - how awesome that an oil captures this without the pain

I definitely want to get a big bottle of this

Strawberry Moon - in the bottle I get very sweet strawberries and something else, something kinda synthetic. The moment I put this on the strawberries become even sweeter and there's a plasticky note underneath. ::sigh:: I just don't think my skin likes strawberries at all. After about half an hour it doesn't get any better and pretty much stays the scent of a Strawberry Shortcake doll much like Bon Vivant

Sri Lanka

Can't tell much from the bottle but my first impresion once I've applied a bit to my wrist is smoke and...something else though I'm not sure what. This is more subdued than I was expecting but still nice. After a while I still get the impression of smoke but it has deepened and I think I detect whiffs of sandalwood and possibly the myrrh. In my mind I can see the image of curling smoke drifting lazily off of incense sticks. I only applied a dab to my wrist so I'm hoping it will be a bit stronger if I use more but at the moment my first impression is that this is a quiet and reflective oil.

Bagdhad

In the bottle I detect spices and maybe something floral. It's not very strong though so I hope my skin amps it up. Sure enough once on I can smell spices and amber and it has definitely more throw than in the bottle. The sandalwood comes in a bit later and maybe some of the rose as well. It adds a little sweetness but not cloyingly so. I'm not getting anything citrus which is fine with me. This is all warm spices and it's simply divine. A new favorite

Penny Dreadful

Can't quite tell what I'm sniffing in the bottle yet. Once on I immediately get a mixture of chocolate and smoke - not dreadful at all! A bit later I get incense mixed with the chocolate and smoke and teeny tiny bit of dirt underneath. Everything blends together to create a quietly seductive earthy scent. Wonderful!

Ditto on Sudha Segara - that's one of my two main comfort scents with Jack being the other.

Queen of Clubs - first impression is of ripe fruits. This isn't as dark as Queen of Spades more red than purple as someone else mentioned in an earlier review. Once on this is so unbelievably warm and delicious. The vanilla and amber notes keep this from being too sweet and give it a rich beautiful depth. The incense is there too but again not overpowering just adding layers. The rose is the faintest of all but it gives the right touch adding a calm and quiet yet glorious boquet . I haven't felt so moved by an oil for a while but this is as wonderful as Lughnasadah and one of my new favorites.

Chaos Theory CLXXXI (181)

I was quite apprehensive about this as I passed on the first Chaos Theory experiment and fully expected to receive a bottle of aquatics or citrus with notes of civet dancing around in the background. Luckily my bottle is none of these things

In the bottle it's a little spicy and sweet and kinda reminds me of Gingerbread Poppet. Underneath however is a faint whiff of something damp and earthy, almosty minty but not quite. Verrrry interesting! The sweet spiciness deepens after a bit and has morphed into something like Snake Oil but with a rich soil note underneath. I'll have to elaborate a bit more when I've had a chance to wear it ( opposed to just dabbing it on my wrist) but I think this is definitely a winner

I ordered Nocnitsa on a whim - the forsest mosses and upturned earth sounded darkly delightful. My initial sniff test, however, revealed a strong piney scent. Not quite what I as looking for. This isn't a christmasy pine though; it's dark which I'm guessing would be the nighttime air or perhaps the mosses. Since I was testing out two other scents though, I'm thinking that I might not have be in the right mood for this. I'll definitely have to give it another go before I decide if I want to keep the bottle.

Flower Moon is very light in the bottle. Once on it becomes much stronger and the first flowers that come to mind are tulips and daffodils. Floral but a teeny bit of greeness, like the first flowers of spring. After a while some other flower scents creep in but they are not as distinct as the tulip and daffodil I smelled on my initial application. About an hour or so after I put this on it becomes more of a generic floral scent. I may try to blend this with Milk Moon as others have suggested. Not sure if this is a keeper for me yet.

Milk Moon is very true to its name. Soft and milky, the sweetness reminds me of buttercream icing. Thankfully the mint is barely noticeable and, for some odd reason, gives me the impression of suntan oil. Milk Moon seems to be a combination of Spooky and Dorian to my nose. I like this more than I thought I might, especially since I can barely detect the mint. It's quite a delicious blend

I'd recommend Storm Moon - maybe you can find a bottle or imp in the Swap section. Defnitely a rainy scent.

Crossroads

The description of this is beautiful and the earthy, mossy, herbal notes sounded so lovely. However. The moment this dries I am hit with a crazy strong jasmine note. I love jasmine but this has a heavy sweetness to it - like bubblegum as another reviewer mentioned and it's incredibly strong. After a while the jasmine tones down slightly and I can smell some sort of dampness underneath but it is still very sweet. I had high hopes but this just wasn't meant to be

BLOOD PEARL

In the bottle and on this is warm coconut and juicy redness; a very soft and sultry scent. The musky undertone adds depth and there's a floral hint as well. Sexy and understated, Blood Pearl is pure deliciousness in a bottle

Miskatonic University

In the bottle it's all delicious creamy coffee and it's hard not to take a sip. Once on it's still all irish coffee, no wood, no dustiness. MU has great staying power and one little drop is quite potent. An hour later, still coffee and I think I smell hazelnuts now. Several hours later I get something a little different - coffee and something...old. Not dusty or woody but something that has aged and mellowed. I can imagine sitting in an old library in a huge comfy chair reading an old hardbacked book. Very comforting

Mi-Go

I was a little hesitant on this because of all the fruity notes but the pink pepper, jasmine, and ginger intrigued me plus - it's brains! In the bottle I get a strong jolly rancher scent, very sweet and fruity. Initially it stays very wet and juicy (kinda like squishy brains!). After about half an hour some of the jasmine pokes through along with a bit of tea. I'm not smelling anything spicy though; no pepper or ginger. Still it's much more wearable than I thought it would be and has turned into a lovely fruity floral. Very glad I bought this

for the cute little squishy brain

Ahh Graveyard Dirt is so fresh and clean! I was hoping it would smell like Lush's Middle Earth soap and I'm not disappointed. It's not really the same scent but it has that wonderful earthy quality that ME does and is a nice change from heavy floral or foody oils. This isn't a dead, dry, dust but rather a rich loamy soil. Wonderful