jizatt

top 5 here lately: (Been awhile since I've bought btw!)

Illustrated Woman

Banded Sea Snake

Coyote

Haunted

Rapture and Roses of Love

been awhile since I've bought straight from the lab, but I'm seriously jonesing for like 5 bottles on your list (and I havent even looked at the update yet), so I guess I'm going to have to break down and.... sell the car?? sigh.

I'm going to say try the one I'm wearing right now, it smells naked - sensual, not sexy -- Unveil the Grace in Thine Eyes (Orris, luminous ambergris, and golden amber illuminated by a sunlit golden musk.)

first applied, wet - I was almost disappointed which would have broken my heart. But, take heart dear ones, and give it time

dry, not even much later -- I got a bit of an aquatic note, but more of the musky animal note I expected too

dry, later -- oh this is Lyonesse =)

dry, much later -- clean, wispy, animalic, musky, dreamy, EGADS I LOVE IT

I havent been buying anything lately, but the demise of the Salon requires my attention! The first thing I need to know is the retail only Salons - my Haloes! I dont have backups of anything, and that might require my first.

Some of my absolute favs from the Salon:

Cloister Graveyard. This is my single favorite snow scent ever.

Kiyohime. Favorite aquatic ever.

Bat. so grey, dusky and night musky

Parsifal. retail only, love love this sweet ozone scent.

what I'm wishing I had right now:

Sunflower. I tried this when I was a brand new newbie, and my impression was burnt. I'm dying to try this again.

Judith Victorious. At one point this was on my top ten. Its golden and sophisticated and my chemistry changed somewhere and all I got was chestnut. I'd like another shot at it before its gone.

I can't believe I've never reviewed this, especially since it lives in my top ten! I do have to confess that everytime I wear it (special occasions only!) I wonder why I had loved it so much the time before. The wet version is not my favorite - clean, but not soft, its almost sharp and harsh on me. As it dries, it gets sweeter, deeper, and darker. It takes about 30 minutes to settle down and then, THEN I remember the love. I get tobacco and musk sweetened with boozy vanilla, a pretty intense scent and a definite attention getter. The drydown stays with me longer than any other bpal too =)

Halp!

 

I received this from a lovely swapper, but unfortunately some of its siblings leaked and so the label was rather blurry by the time I received it. I have no idea what it is, and my swapper doesn't remember so I'm turning to you, o forum. Halp!

 

I have a photo: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/95416/mystery-decant.png

 

It's foody, slightly cake-y to my nose, and dry on my skin I think it has berries in it. Not a heavy berry scent, but something like berries, or jam, that sort of thing.

 

As you can see the oil color is yellow.

 

Any ideas?

 

It's definitely one of the Beaver Moons, though which one, I'm not sure. I've only ever tried the 2005 version, and that's straight cake on me.

 

Beaver Moon 2005/Beaver'versary

Beaver Moon 2007

Beaver Moon 2010

Beaver Moon 2011

 

I'm pretty sure that's all of them.

Ooh thank you! It's definitely not the 2011 one, and strawberry doesn't seem to fit with the berry scent I'm getting--while it's a light berry, it's not a tangy berry like strawberry usually is for my nose. Curious. I have a sniffie of the 2005 Beaver Moon, which I just sniffed alongside this, and the 2005 one is a lot sweeter and cakey. So that leaves...2007 or 2010!

 

I wish my nose was better at this

the '10 was very very fruity to my nose, so my guess is the 07 based on all that

One of these days I need to do a deathmatch or ALLLL~ my "snowy" blends.

 

Anyway, I'm testing The Darkling Thrush right now, and it's super lovely, but I feel like I've smelled this before recently! I've gone through my blends with snow notes in them and I can't seem to find out what this is, exactly. Anyone have any ideas? (And I haven't tried Dublin or Moon of Small Spirits, which is what Vega said above [and which is what made me look up this decant anyway].)

 

I think snow notes along with vanilla is my doom.

Crow Moon is very similar to Darkling on me (though not *quite* as lovely)

if you like Snow Angel you might like Before the Snowy Window =)

I have to come review this one, because you're afraid of it and you shouldn't be. This black musk is smooth, warm, and sweet. This cinnamon isn't spicy so much as warm and woody sweet. The combo is lovely. I don't get the same black musk as any other blend I've tried (I agree with the above review for sure!) and this isn't the same cinnamon either. Definitely a musk for musk lovers though, give this one a chance =)

rec's for flowers and candy (sweet, candy-sugar florals!):

if you're okay with layering experiemnts: Frumious Bandersnatch with Love's Philosophy

High Strung Daisies - daisy, pink carnation, pink pepper, and sugar

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale - Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood

Hope or Faith - sugared rose or sugared violet

Xanthe - Guava, orange peel, white pepper, spun sugar and apple blossom.

Midnight on the Midway - sugared incense and night-blooming flowers.

Poisson d'Avril - Lenten rose, crested iris, Virginia bluebell, primrose, moss phlox, blue crocus, daffodil, and dewy tulip with a touch of sugar blossom and honey.

Rosy Maple - Lemon blossom, vanilla bean, huckleberry, sweet pea, rose sugar, acai berry, and candyfloss.

Nymphia - White rose, apple blossom, spun sugar, mango, cucumber, freesia, coconut, and lavender.

I love the snow/slush/ice notes -- heres some of my absolute favorites

Snow Flakes (Yule 2006, 2009) - The radiance and desolation of winter.

(very clean snow/ice)

Ded Moroz (Yule 2009) - golden amber, white amber, redwood, teak, bois du rose, sage, tree moss, and snow.

(This one is cold, but serene somehow)

Cloister Graveyard in the Snow (Salon) - Three white musks, ozone, frankincense, mint.

(probably my absolute favorite)

Old Moon (Lunacy 2007) - The cold, white moon shines on frozen ground dusted with silent snow: evergreen, juniper, winterberry holly, bayberry, Viking black chokeberry, hemlock, and yew, ice-rimed, gilded by traditional lunar herbs and flowers

(one of the prettiest sweetest snows)

Archangel Winter (Yule 2007) - Crystalline, glassy ice whipped by a snowstorm. Piercing ozone, winter darkness.

(sweet ozone)

Snow Moon (Lunacy 2005) - an icy flurry over the winter blooms of narcissus, pansy crocus, dahlia, tulip, chrysanthemum and white rose, with a hint of fir and birch.

(I know this sounds floral, but its not at all)

of the newest blends, I loved Ondurdis and Dust of Snow best, but Colder and Colder was up there too =)

if I were going for something that smelled good but not necessarily alluring, I would go for the "smells like money" category. I think of these as Ozymandias, Privilege, and quite a bit of the Salon.

They smell expensive, but not flirty. They smell grown up for sure, but I wouldn't class them as either side of come hither or offputting.

gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. I was mostly afraid of the rose, but also afraid that I would get all floral with no cream and musk (a combo I simply couldnt pass up without trying!)

I think the strongest note I have here is orchid. I dont smell a strong rose at all, and it must be very well blended with the orchid, because I can't pick it out at all. I think its helping to sweeten and girly up this blend though. The cream blends in with the floral to my nose, perhaps helping it not to screech floral as some can for me. The musk is tamer than I had hoped for, (I thought kasmir would be more exotic, but maybe its more of the cashmeran type musks and I just hadnt pronounced it in my head correctly? hehe), but very feminine. This is very femme and elegant, a bit brighter than I had expected, but very very pretty. Keeper!

overall - super femme floral musk with a creamy touch

eta: the longer this dries, the more of that bright edge its losing and the musk comes out more strongly

What a wonderful scent! I get the amber heavy at first, and a thick honey orange, but I also get the soft pine whisper -- its a weet pine though, not the sharp pinesol-y pine. Since its here, I think it always should have been, it melds perfectly. I don't get the linden myself, but maybe thats what we are registering as pine somehow?

overall - glowing amber, a creaminess that must be the vanilla, soft orange, soft and sweet pine.

what a great list =) I do think Morocco would be a fun one to wear. I would look at these (if it were me, so grain of salt of course!)

Dia

Black Moon

Faith / Hope

Lilith Victoria

Rose Pearls Diamonds

Zarita

The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa*

Snake Oil (this seems to be very popular in the dating set!)

Midwinter's Eve

Snow White

Ivanushka

morocco*

for first date type things, I would choose one for 1) confidence and 2) general appeal. I think alot of our beloveds don't appreciate the intricate stuff we wear, and they tend to get a meh or a negative reaction from those who aren't used to smelling the non-commercials. So, I would go for something close to the traditional perfume routes. Once he knows you better you could break out the favorites

Do you have a list of what you own? We could choose from things you have!

my personal thought is that we remember older people in our lives wearing certain styles of perfumes, same as clothing, same as names. Gertrude and Florence and Chastity And Agatha and Dorothy and such will one day be the new hotness And grandma will mean Emily and Makenna and Bailey and Madison, as well as the perfumes like Angel and Pink Sugar (or whichever!) will smell like grandmas eventually. I think the mainstream trend will soon swing back to whats considered a natural, pure or even a single note scent. All that is pure speculation of course =)

Back on topic, the perfumes that have gotten the strongest "old lady" reaction from my husband have been Nuit and Spellbound.

I would consider some of the civet blends and layer with a dragon's blood.

Actually: Glasya - A seething, fiery blend of dragon,s blood, deep myrrh, red and black musks, civet and thick red patchouli, glistening with drops of rose and ylang ylang.

One of these blends layered with a dragon's blood could give you the more royalty aspect, without losing the oddness:

Debauchery - Mingled heady civet and red Egyptian musk, thickened with opium.

Pulse Points-A profoundly erotic, lascivious scent. Black poppy, narcissus and civet.

Morella - Sage with orris, Florentine iris and a drop of civet

dragon's blood thoughts:

Dragon's Musk - Dragon’s blood and five deep musks.

Dragon's Heart - dragon's blood resin, red and black musks, a throb of fig and a sliver of black currant.

maybe Blood? - Essence of dragon's blood resin, thickened with myrrh and cherry, with a trickle of clove.

more civet blends to browse:

Puck - Oakmoss, sweet sage, juniper berry, civet and a drop of grape.

Allegory- Juniper and white cedarwood entwined with orange and raw civet.

Deimos- Murky ambergris and civet with dark musk, sharpened by orange, bergamot and frankincense.

Entropy-The perfect distillate of decay, death, and damnation. Blood red patchouli saturated with black poppy, civet and a hint of rose.

Czernoborg (probably civet) - Dark and fresh and manly, with a touch of pine.

Satyr (probably civet) - A ferociously masculine scent: sexual, vigorous, and truly wild.

Black Annis - damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise.

I get those raised bump itchies if I apply oils right after the shower -- your skin is open and much more sensitive then. I also had some major hormonal shifts going on, and many of my favorites stopped working at all on me (though not the point of welts in that case) -- so it could be temporary?

what a difficult scent to review! Partially because of the age of it I imagine, but I gather from the reviews that its been hard to pin down from the beginning.

Ok, so -- definitely some florals, but nothing specific. These are heavy florals too, nothing sharp. I get a vague fruitiness as well, but again -- I just can't tell what it is. I don't get the normal bpal red musk from this either, its heavier than that and more... murky? I do get a ghost of spices in here too, almost a bit dusty, so I'm guessing cinnamon.

I'm thrilled to have gotten the chance to try it, but I don't think its me. Maybe someone else will be just as thrilled?

found this quote online, can't find the notes for Tinkerbell though:

LUSH: "Lately I’ve been toting around The Smell of Freedom solid perfume ($12.95), and I’m diggin’ it. It has a woodsy/spicy/floral scent. I don’t know if any of y’all used to rock Tinkerbell perfume back in the day, but this perfume smells uncannily similar to Tink’s scent. I love the nostalgia factor."

another quote about the smell:

"I hadn't thought about the Tinkerbell products I had as a child in the 70s until my daughter came through the house sporting the all-too-recognizable nostalgic scent. The perfume she is wearing is Burberry London and I swear it smells just like Tinkerbell!"

and now I'm positive there are several varieties being discussed, because this person says:

"We are all talking about the lightly orange tinted bottle with an orange cap. It has a green silhouette of tinkerbell on the the bottle. Its scent is of orange and cotton candy, absolutely heavenly." (I think this last one is talking about the disney version)

I'll echo that madly in love sentiment. I was afraid of the violet leaf/white tea/dusty/wormwood making this a lovely-but-not-for-me bottle, but you just have to wait for this scent to sit awhile and warm up on your skin. The secnt at first is what I was afraid of -- all the cold parts (I think theres a skin musk here, the icy, the white tea, the violet leaf) -- but as it dries the rest warms up and takes center stage. Right now I have red musk, saffron, and myrrh, without being overpowering at all. Love.this. I'm predicting this to be the next The Girl in popularity after the fact.

Sonnet d'Automne is the winner so far for me. It's autumn leaves but with vanilla and magic thrown in.

where is the like button for this?

I also wanted to say that the Hag one is very fresh garden, not dark at all.

Im really wanting to try the Muse of the Night, the Wiley Grasser (such an unusual combo!), and the Gorobble =)

I'm getting the dry leafiness of this, with maybe just a hint of the vanilla and incense beneath. This is not really sweet at all though, it just keeps the leaves from doing what October did on me (the vegetal, cologny aspect) -- I dont get the aquatic vibe of some of the leafy blends either.

drying -- I smell the amber coming out a bit more now, but this isnt the syrupy thick and sweet amber -- this really is incensy in nature. I'm getting the white musk now too -- sweeter than usual because of the vanilla/cocoa maybe.

Overall impression - very dry, crunchy leaves, with an even drier amber base -- very autumnal. I didn't get any specific vanilla or cocoa - just the perfect autumn leafy perfume =)

eta: later, drier -- a white musk perfume, very dry leafy, dry amber base -- I do get the cold essence that the others have noticed, but no mint to speak of