blu°

Wow, this is wonderful, and I wouldn't have thought so. It's not really aquatic at all, as everybody else has already mentioned. I get some intense woodsy smokiness, similar to the one I usually get from patchouli leaf. I'm stunned that I like this so much as usually ambergris is not one of my favourite notes and tends to make scents lean too much on the masculine/cologne-y side for me. But so far, I don't smell it in Sea Rat at all. The scent is quite strong and throwy, and all warm and smoky with just a hint of something fresher hidden inside and a touch sweetness from the berry and musk. It would work very well on a man, but it's totally something I can wear and enjoy on me, too. It smells kind of wild, yet clean *and* snuggly. I've been testing a bunch of Yules the last two days, and this is my favourite from those first quick skin tests. The longer it is on, the warmer and sweeter it gets. While retaining the smokiness, the slight fresh aspect retreats, and I think it reminds me a bit of Devil's Night now. Or maybe even the original Hex. I'm a bit sad as I liked the clean feeling it had at first, and I hope it doesn't get too heavy with warmth and sweetness. Will certainly report back on this. ETA: After several hours, this is still going strong, and does indeed remind me of the original Hexennacht most while retaining some of the woodsy smokiness I get in Mme Moriarty and Crypt Queen. I'm curious whether it's like this for others, too.

Lines Written Among the Euganean Hills after drydown is quite similar to Lush's Ginger on my skin.

This was a frimp from the lab, and I'm glad they sent it to me, because otherwise I would never have had the idea that I might like it given that I'm not great on tropical flowers or black musk. That said, The Isles of Demons is lovely. It's a much rounder, sweeter, lush-er scent than I could have imagined. The black musk behaves and works great as a darker, grounding back-drop to the sweetness of the florals. The florals aren't sharp or soapy on me at all. This is a totally laid back and mellow scent, even sexy. I only get a hint of greenery, and it's humid and dark... Hint of the volcanic gas, I think... It all works as an anchor to the florals keeping them from going too heady and sharp, lending a touch of mysterious to the overall scent. I'll have to test this again during the day, but right now I can pretty well picture a bottle purchase in the near future.

I'm apparently in the minority here, because I really think I love this blend. While there is a similarity to Death of Autumn (which I like/love), Chant has a much crisper dead leaves note (like the one in L'Autunno room spray ). I think November and October had a smiliarly crisp dead leaves note, but they were so heavy on the ozone/rainy notes, they didn't work for me at all. On application, the dead leaves note is pretty much all I can smell, and it's instant love. Then there's a woody, dry and, I agree, bitter smell, that I read as a non motor-oily vetiver. The over-all feel is crisp and breezy, yet dark and smoky. After 10 minutes or so, I seem to be smelling something floral, and it confuses me until I re-read the description and can identify it as the nicotiana. It is very light, by far not as heavy as it is in Arachnina, but it is the same or a very similar note. It is supported by the blood musk. Together they lend a dark red metallic hue to the scent, and almost take Chant to be on the feminine side of perfume, but it still would be ok for a guy to wear, I think. This is my perfect scent for late autumn/early winter from mid-October to mid-December. I must agree with MissLynx, though - the stay length is not so very long. After 20 minutes, half an hour, the louder notes have mostly evaporated, and only a faint scent-trace is left. That's, however, me sitting at home, busy sniffing after the scent on my arm. Maybe if I was at work, or somewhere outside, the scent would be coming back in short wafts as I'd move outside doors, around corners, etc.

Someone gifted me with a generous sniffie of this in a swap! To me it smells just like a minty Midway. Like someone took the Midway base and added a soft mint to it. It feels a bit cold where I put it on my neck, but it doesn't smell as sharp as some other mints. It has more of a candy structure (smooth, shiny) than Lick It.

Ligur at first is nothing but licorice on me. And then it is licorice, and then licorice with a bit of... something else. I don't find it smoky at all because it is way too sticky and dank to be smoky. It's more like some dark dark burnt sticky resin. It reminds me a bit of tamarind paste as well, maybe that's a texture resemblance rather than one based on scent. I doesn't feel like this was going to live on my skin. It's more likely to sit where I put it, a resiny dark blob getting thicker and stickier. Drying it seems to loosen a little bit, I get some green-ness and it feels like there's a bit more air now for the moss and vetiver to breathe. After drydown it's definitely more breathy and dryer smelling than before, there's a bit of throw now, too. Still dark but dry vetiver with a slightly sweet note to it, dry smoky olibanum, black moss. Not all that bad at all. It's a distinctly natural smoky smell now, and I'm a bit surprised because I think I might like it in the end. Will have to test again some time soon.

I don't think there is a BPAL similar to Youki-Hi as Beth's jasmine is wildly different from the one in Lush products as far as my experience goes. I'm sorry. Maybe someone else knows of something that still gets close. Something else: I just got myself a Green Day bbs the other day and found it to be a bit similar to Magus and a couple of other greenish cedar blends that I don't seem to be able to recall by name right now.

I'm amazed nobody made the comparison yet, but Mictecacihuatl is *very* close to Gypsy Queen on my skin. Smoke/Incense and sweetened rose.

Sniffing from imp: Rose with a hint of cigar tobacco. On skin: rose, cigar tobacco, something sweet, I guess it's the agave nectar. Now, honestly, has noone else thought this smelled a lot like Gypsy Queen? On my skin a few minutes after application it's a dead ringer to how GQ smelled on me. Incensey-smoky spicy sweetened roses. Luckily it doesn't have carnation which ruined GQ for me on the long run. The colour association I get from Mictecacihuatl as it dries down is a pale watery pink/red, abit of bright greens and pale smoky greys and browns. It doesn't have the orange-yellow-coral hue I got from GQ. It's a bit cooler, a bit less sticky. After drydown the incense and cigar tobacco take over and the sparkly sweetness from the agave nectar retreats. It is much less GQ-like now, even cooler than before, more dry and smoky. I still have to test this another time to make up my mind about it, but so far I really like it.

I love this. It might be my favourite among the latest CD blends that I've tested. While I love some rose notes, the stately, bitter Damask rose is not usually among them, but in here it works very well to give some sparkle and raffinesse to a wonderfully structured incense-woody blend.

Yay, a winner. This is smooth woody-balsamic grey-brown-shades, a forest floor and burnt woods smell to my nose. Love it. It seems to have a note in common with Succour and Brass Balls, possibly one of the balsam notes, I'd guess. ETA: Sadly, this doesn't last long on me, or at least it doesn't stay strong for a lot of time. After it has dried down it's just a whisper of dry grass and those balsamic notes on my skin. It melds incredibly well into my skin scent, and is still pleasant, but I have to sniff it really close. Reading the other reviews, my experience is totally different. Bezoar doesn't have anything that I'd identify as sour on my skin and to my nose. It's warm and soft and resinous, almost golden, but with smoky pastel grey-brown-olive shades. I'm not sure a bottle would be worth the money for me, as I literally slathered this on in the morning, yet couldn't smell much of it anymore a good hour later. I'm a bit sad and a bit relieved now.

This didn't work on me at all, I think. I might want to give it another try, because maybe I just had a bad day for it, but something in it went really nasty with my skin chemistry, kinda sharp and biting, at least when I sniffed the spot where I put it close. Possibly the blood orange doesn't work for me in a similar way that pomegranate doesn't work. Ambergris can also be a problem sometimes. Shame, as I was looking so forward to the incense notes in this, especially the agarwood.

I'm sorry, the only blend that has a certain similarity - for my nose that is - would be Alice, but it has a very different feeling. Still, the carnation - rose combo is similar. Maybe if you could layer something with carnation and rose - possibly Libra, not sure, and something that has the blown out candle effect, but I really am not much of a help here. Perhaps somebody else can jump in and continue that thought.

This is wonderful once the pine has gone away a little, but it is SO LIGHT!!! I can barely smell it unless I huff my skin closely, and even then it's more a trace of a memory kind of smell. It's a lovely smell - vanillic, warm, resinous, ever so slightly honeyish, with the lightest streak of bitter tobacco, but alas, it seems like either it is hiding in my natural smell, or I have a blind spot for it, I don't know. I'm not quite sure if I'm rather disappointed or relieved that this doesn't come to live on my skin.

I tested this last night, and while it brings to mind the same rose oil soaked frankincense that I love to burn as Rose Cross does, it's very distinct from that blend, and even more from the other rose-incense blend I own and cherish, Parlement of Foules. Rose Cross is basically a sweet, heavy rose, possibly Bulgarian, and thick, smoky-steamy frankincense/olibanum. It's a simple, pure blend, quiet and deep. Parlement is a slightly sparkly younger rose with a lot of myrrh. It's youthful, romantic and a little excited. Now, this has something else going on, and my guesses are 1) the rose is Damascus rose, 2) the incense includes labdanum or something similar as well as possibly some precious wood notes, and/or 3) that there is rose geranium added(?) It feels way more stately and formal than the other two rose-incense scents, and it reminds me a bit of The House in that aspect. It's a lot less emotional and more official. On the other hand, it seems to be more interesting in that you can discern more layers/different notes in it. The rose is slightly tart and not very sweet, the incense isn't smoky and doesn't have a lot of body to it on my skin. I kind of like it, but will yet have to decide if I need a bottle.

This is a nice one. At first it reminded me so strongly of Purple Phoenix, Blood Phoenix and possibly The Chilling Cellar, that I was a bit disappointed. Now that it's dried down, I do get the differences, and I think I might like this better than Purple Phoenix which had been my favourite among those mentioned above. First of all, it doesn't have the plum, which is a definite advantage IMO. And it's not really overly fruity at all after drydown. The grapeyness that is there after application retreats and the other fruit notes come out, but they are muted and have a floral tinge which makes them feel rather elegant instead of sweet and fun. The throw is exquisite, slightly floral, slightly spicey (after two hours I get a distinct clove scent), nice shade of dark red. It's not sour, as could have happened with the currant and grape, but rather dry and smooth. Yet, the colour is a vivid and deep blueish red leaning towards purple. It kind of reminds me of Wanda as well. Possible bottle purchase, but will have to wear it a couple of times more to be able to decide. ETA: The longer I wear this, the more I like it. It's becoming more clovey, more of a warmer brown-red now. Warm and dry with just a touch of berries. A bit like Madrid, but I like this better than that one with its high pitched florals. Most definitely a bottle, or two.

On me this is totally Lush's Tramp. I don't even smell any carnation or typical spiciness (Hot, orange-y, fiery). It's green. Fullstop. And a bit earthy. But more green, really, a very dark shade of green. It's probably the tea and cardamom with the patchouli taking over that is making it turn out like this. While I often don't care much for the hot, rugged patchouli Beth uses, I really like this smooth and green version in here. I hope the carnation won't take over later on after application as I love it the way it is.

The mention of a vampire's cloak made me instantly think of Wings of Azrael. The combination of violet and incense comes over like a dark greyish worn piece of cloth that might have hosted the one or the other moth over the years. It'd work very well as a veil for the bloody scent you want to wear on your skin.

What more can I say that hasn't been said already. This is nothing like the old Hexennacht. It's very much a dark green fir scent. And I'm with suileach on the snow-feeling of it. Very much a cool, almost cold, scent. It has amazing staying power and by the end of the day (15 hours later) is still very noticeable on my wrists. The remains are a lot warmer than the scent was the first few hours. More of the amber, I guess. I don't like snow/slush notes very much, but I'm willing to give it another try. It certainly fitted the need for sth green on this virgo moon day. And right now it's a lot nicer than before. I also got a comment at work about how nice my office room smelled ("like essential oils, isn't it?" ), so apparently that colleague likes this type of scent better than I do. I guess this'll go on the swap pile sooner or later, because I like my scents warmer and the new Hex (on me) takes a looooong time to warm up.

I've worn Valentine of Rome twice and the experiences were a bit different, although I didn't pay as much attention to it the first time as I did the second time I wore it. First time: Frankincense-based incense, possibly with some olibanum added as it really smells of church. I get a strong olive blossom short time after application. Olive blossom is a bit weird to my nose. I think it is in Succour and Brass Balls. It smells ever so slightly of a vegetable oil gone off, but not unpleasantly so. Light, incensey, bright scent with flowery olive-tinges. Thinking, I'll have to compare this and Parentalia really well to decide which one to get or if I need both. Second time: MYRRH! Myrrh from beginning to end. Strong myrrh, almost like sweet myrrh. I'm reminded of Priala and maybe Khephra. I hardly smell anything else in VoR this time. Thinking: I like Priala better, so I don't need a bottle of this one. So, this as well as Parentalia, which was very different on two times wearing it, too, will need a third test-wearing, I guess.

This is primarily a fruity blend on me. Tart, high-pitched red fruit, must be the currant. My skin usually amps fruit notes a bit, though, so it might be more floral on other people. The fruit are beautifully complemented by the sake and tea notes. They make them swing high in the air (tea) yet keep some depth (anchored by sake). The florals are probably adding to the lovely throw and the multidimensionality of SoAL (high, deep). It has some body but keeps feeling breezy in a way. Colourwise, it's a pink-fuchsia-raspberry-red scent for me with pale green inlays. A more sultry and refined Bewitched in a way. I wasn't initially attracted to it but am glad I got a decant later on, as it is really lovely. Tempted to buy a bottle with my last minute Lupercalia order on March 23.

I'm among those who usually shy away from honey notes, but I got a decant of Harikata nevertheless because some of the reviews suggested it might be *the different honey blend*. It is. Actually, I don't really smell the honey up front in this. It's there, but way in the background. It's not thick and molassy, but lightly golden, like a very liquid, transparent flowery honey. No darker notes in here. I think what I mainly smell must be the osmanthus, and it's a very nice soft soft floral, that smells almost aquatic, i.e. sweet water aquatic. It reminds me of some sweet water scent, but I'm not sure which one. Maybe I'm confusing things, Midnight, Prague, Danube and possibly Amsterdam come to mind. Not that any of these smell like Harikata, but there seems to be some common element maybe? Whatever, my nose seems to be finding a lot of similarities lately, so don't take me too serious, please. In the end, Harikata, as beautiful as it is, is probably not a scent for me, not because of the honey, but because of it being so slightly aquatic. I had some of these scents before and traded them all away because they are not really me, and I tire soon of them. However, I must add, that it left the most beautiful scent in my room, after I wore it yesterday. I left the house and when I came back, I could definitely make out a sweet sweet honey floral scent in the air. Just beautiful. If I had a bit more money, I'd probably get a bottle of Harikata to use as a room scent.

Parentalia is pure love to my nose and on my skin. I can't yet say much more other than that I loved it. I'm still undecided if I love it more or less than Valentine of Rome or if I love them just the same. Parentalia while wearing sometimes gave off whiffs that reminded me of a somewhat softer Thanatos. The ambrette is truly beautiful. It is a bit powdery, especially with the violet next to it, but it's a wonderful kind of powdery. Sweet, smoky, yet bright, light and somehow clean smelling. I'll get my future bottle a place of honour right between my Thanatos and Arcana bottles. I think it would fit that gap perfectly. I'm repeating myself, but I just love the herbal, floral incense scents. I wish I had enough money to get five bottles of Parentalia. ETA: worn this a second time after having tried Valentine of Rome for a second time, and I don't know if my chemistry changes so fast, or if it's my nose or whatever, but this time Parentalia was rather boring on me. It reminded me of my experience with Ouija, which I first loved, and later on found to be boring, too. Somehow the violet and rose and cedar lost their individuality and combined into something rather plain: rosé-tinted powder. I think I'll have to test it a third time, to make sure, but time is running short before the update goes down.

Oh my, I was hoping not to love any of the 27,50-dollars-bottles, lol. However, I put this on and before I even noticed myself how beautiful it is, my friend at who's place I had been, without having watched me putting on perfume, said: Hey, that one is nice! It's really pleasant. So, I guess it does have a good throw as she was entering the door on the other side of the room. Close to the skin, it is fleeing my nose when I want to catch it, just like has been described by others above. But I'll start again: In the vial it is promising. Ambery, slightly sweet and woodsy. On the skin I first get the cream note and a moment later am reminded of my beloved Midway. At that moment I thought, that I might not need a bottle, because I have enough of that one left. Then I noticed the lotus, which works in here. It is slightly bubblegum, if you want so, but it's perfectly ok, as the woods have also just appeared - on silent feet, sort of sneaking in. Their dryness mingles with the juicy sweetness of the lotus and makes it feel refined and elegant instead of bubble gum. As the scent develops, the lotus and cream recede a bit. The cream loses its foodiness with the smooth structure the teak note lends to the blend. Slowly, slowly the amber takes over the central position, keeping the other players in their place. After several hours weartime, GV still goes on strong. Although it's difficult to find her if I look for her, she really envelops me in a warm, glowing, ambery cloud. It smells very Arabian/oriental (this word doesn't have any negative connotation in German, although you might say it does depict a kind of stereotype of the cultural range from North Africa via Middle East up to India: 1001 nights, belly dance, snake charmers, fakirs, etc.) It reminds me vaguely of an Egyptian lose incense I sometimes buy at a local bellydance shop. It feels sexy and inviting, but keeps an elegant notion, so that I could pull it off as a daytime scent, depending on my mood and the situation.

I love lavender, but have never been a fan of violet scents, wasn't sure about balsam of Peru, so I this one could have gone either way. Turns out, I quite like it. There's a very strong, airy lavender at first, but soon the violet mixes into it, and then there's what must be the balsam base - sweet, round, a bit ambery almost. On my skin this becomes a very dreamy, girly scent - it reminds me of something in a lush shop, softly floral and powdery in a nice way. The violet is quite noticable and seems to serve as the heart of the scent, but it works in here for me. I've worn it to bed twice, but I think I'd enjoy it as a day-time scent as well. Possibly a bottle purchase, depending on funds. ETA: Having worn it at day-time, it does go a bit light after a short while, to the point where I can hardly smell it, which is a shame as I like my scents to be there when I need them.