angelmecha

I'll agree that powder depends on your skin chemistry; amber and sandalwood in certain forms do fine on me, while others powder up really badly. (I can't stand it! ) I remember Death Embracing a Young Maiden from the Weenie's this year went really super OMG powdery on me; otherwise my obvious recommendation would be The Gladdener of All Hearts, because it's *meant* to be baby-powder-y.

My neck lasts the longest also. I always attributed it to the fact that it's kind of hooded by my hair, which maybe keeps the scent locked in. Obviously isn't true if ya'll have shorter hair, of course, so there goes my theory! I figured that the backs of my hands fades so fast because I work with my hands a lot at work, so I'm always rubbing on things and also washing my hands a lot. (Though the back of my wrists, where I apply scent, usually is missed by normal hand-washing.)

I've got to throw in my vote for Erebos. I hate lavender normally, but I adore Erebos, so I think it's good for both sides of the fence. I always knew/heard that lavender was good for sleep, but just don't like the smell of it... but Erebos is, to me, also mostly vanilla and lavender but in a way that I can definitely stand and I think it's great for sleep! I guess the other florals must be what lend it the silky, smooth, soft scent that I love on my pillows. (TBH, I got it as a freebie from the Post and have never actually read the ingredients list for it, so I have no idea what the notes are *meant* to be.) In any case, I definitely don't get rose from it; just soft, comforting vanilla and lavender.... I've also powered through it much faster than any of my other sprays (with Fae Forest being a close second! ) Whether you love lavender or hate it, I could pretty much guarantee you'll love Erebos!

Bottle: A delicious, butterscotchy cider. It reminds me of a super-spiced Caramel Apple Cider from Starbucks. As far as cider scents go (I was expecting Fearful Pleasure or Lambs-Wool) this is much sweeter; the orange slices and butterscotch lend a lot more to this than I expected!

Wet: It softens into almost pure apple *juice* with sugar/butterscotch and sour lemon. There's something strange in here; it's sour, but more than just the lemon: I think I'm picking up the fermentation like some other reviewers!! This isn't as warm or cider-y on as I wanted it to be; it's like a sharp, mulled wine liquid mix... A little bit of orange is peeking through which is nice. Also, the cinnamon in this burns like a mo!

Dry: Yep. Cinnamon, Orange Hawaiian Punch with some mulling spices. The cinnamon is still burning (which NEVER happens to me! Please stop, Autumn Cider!) and a lot of the original clear notes have kind of blended together.

Verdict: I adore cider scents and would keep this regardless, but it's *not* Fearful Pleasure or Lambs-Wool incarnate as I'd wanted. If only I could get my hands on a bottle of each of those, I'd have a MARVELOUSLY diverse cider collection! 3.5/5

In Imp: Oh, the notes sound fabulous. I'm not sure what type of apple Malus is, but tiare, crystallized vanilla, and white musk are some srs win for me! *sniff* Mmmm, bright, effervescent, *glittering* scent with a well rounded soft bergamot finish. I'm excited, I really hope this does as good on skin!

Wet: Mmmm, sweet yumminess. The apple fills out more on my skin. I can make out a brightness that I believe is tiare; a little bit of the sharpness of frangipani... and the musks in this are *marvelous*, soft sensual musks.

Drydown: Yum. It's a little more traditional perfume once it's drying, but still a great, bright scent.

Verdict: This is a delightful, bright, bubbly, energetic blend. I think this would be fabulous all year round. Damn, just when I thought I'd be getting away from the Weenies without much more bottle damage.... 3.5/5

In Imp: Dark, woodsy baby powder.

Wet: Baby powder baby powder wah. Apparently I only do *awesome* with *certain* sandalwoods.... it's always a toss up with them whether they'll be yummy and spicy-ish or .... baby powder, wah!! There still is some woodsy-ness. Like, freshly changed tree diapers. Wah.

Drydown: I can smell a little tea rose, but.... burnt hair? Where'd that come from?

Verdict: I don't know WHAT was in this that made my skin chemistry react SO much differently from everyone else, but the only "warm" thing about this scent was the salon-grade perm smell. Yikes. 0/5.

In Imp: Creamy, sugary, vanilla-candy. It reminds me of the Vanilla tootsie rolls; creamy and yummy!

Wet: The cream amps and the sugar actually fades a little when it's on. I'm getting pure warm sheets out of the dryer (not to be confused with dryer sheets, lol) with a cup of warmed sweet cream next to them. I'm almost getting a little plastic out of it this time, but I don't usually when I try this: I suspect that it's the lotion I've got on.

Drydown: It stays fairly true to itself; sweet white sugar, cream, white cotton sheets (probably with two holes cut out for your eyes!) I really like this scent because it's soft, sweet, and unassuming; it's a "playful, soft feminine" scent for those of us who don't really do floral.

Verdict: I may actually have to do a bottle of this this year. I don't know why I never did before?? 4/5

In Imp: This has a really interesting blend of notes and it's hard to tell what it's going to smell like! Upon first whiff I get much more red berry/fruit and apple blossom than anything else (I kind of expected red sandalwood to kill this one immediately!) Only with a deep huff can I discern some green apple (it's not as bright green as in Verdandi, though) and violet *leaf* (more green than... well, violet. Violet. *coughahem* /willywonka).

Wet: I get bright and crisp green apple with the roundness of real strawberry (this isn't a strawberry-candy) and the sharpness of pomegranate as it hits the skin. The florals in this make it into a very proper perfume with a little bit of apple playfulness, but I have to say this one is going a little soapy on me as well (a problem I've had with a few 'Weenies...)

Drydown: Hmm. Honestly I'm only getting tea rose and red sandalwood (though it's a very very soft hint of red sandalwood; not overpowering or sharp as it is in more predominately "red" blends) with maybe a strawberry-pomegranate blend (not as pure or discernable as it was earlier.) It's nice, but has very little throw and very little of the apple I was hoping for. It's a good, rounded, warm scent that leans towards neither foody nor floral.

Verdict: Good, but not bottle worthy. Sorry, apples.... maybe a 2.5/5.

In Imp: Whew! REALLY bright, perhaps slightly powdery GOLD APPLE. The soft and sweet kind. Though I can tell that this is definitely blended, the only note I can pick out is that golden apple; the other notes seem to be blended, mixed and hidden in the background and no amount of huffing can bring out one over the others.

Wet: Ooh. I actually get a little ginger, but it's warm and not sharp or spicy (as someone previous mentioned). Maybe a little champaca or frankincense (I don't think I'm confident enough to tell them apart aside from a slight incense-y resinous note). It's pretty sweet and warm and yummy at this stage!

Drydown: There's a little bit of my beloved golden amber. This is a truly golden scent. The incense and florals amp just a bit as it continues to dry. I'll let this sit a while and come back to it.

Verdict: This faded really quickly on me and didn't really have a lot of throw or distinguishable scents after it dried. The golden apple was nice, but I think I prefer spiced apples or green apples to plain Yellow Delicious... <3 And while the ambers were good also, they weren't as effervescent as they sometimes are (when they're my favorite). I'll agree that this ended up, unfortunately, being a pretty light incense-y blend. I'll say it's 2.5/5. Not bad, but probably not something I'd reach for a lot and would therefore need a bottle. I'll keep it in the imp pile.

In Bottle: I get red wine (and man is the wine a really true likeness here! Take a whiff next time you're sitting with a glass of Cabernet Franc and this is what you'll get) and white cake.

Wet: The desert flowers start coming out; a very distinctive floral that I am familiar with having grown up in the desert. It's the sort of floral you find walking into a quaint Santa Fe gift shop. The wine and cake are still the dominant notes: and I love that this is a blend where you can sniff "for" something and get it very clearly. There's a little bit of extra booze peeking through, and I think I sense a little bit of the citrus and tea from Dorian. No Snake Oil yet, though. This is the kind of foody I can handle: enough interesting, dark and dirty notes to balance out the sweet cake.

Drydown: Mmmmmm. A wine/foody scent I can love!! It's a sweet and spicy blend; the wine and the sugary cake both behave themselves and play very nicely with the other (brilliant) notes. I do also detect a hint of Dorian as it dries off (though never any Snake Oil!) Yum!!

Verdict: Glad I got a bottle!! 4/5

Wow, I'm impressed they managed to fit the whole Beaver Moon ad onto the label and make it legible! It's so cute!

Leather, leather, leather. The same soft brown (red?) leather in my beloved Quincy Morris, or at least something very similar. When I apply this it goes through a phase where the balsam and moss lend a sharpness and underlying green quality, but it fades away pretty quickly and I'm left with the way this smells in the imp: almost singularly delicious leather. 3/5

Ravyn.. You're my hero!

In Imp: Vivid, deep musks with the surrounding sweetness of mandarin, vanilla orchid, and the green moisture of bamboo.

Wet: Sweet musks; they almost remind me of a drier, less cloying version of Smut's musks. Patchouli is actually amping in this; usually it's a little incense-y peep in the background. It's a warm, sweet, yummy patch. I feel like the bamboo keeps all the wild notes here from trashing the place; it's kind of a wet, freshly-green-watery scent. Like freshly snapped, live bamboo. Myrrh is here too and actually distinct from the patchouli. Have I suddenly been blessed with the gift of differentiating between incense-y notes?? Hallelujah!

Drydown: This blend really isn't sharp, dusty, or overwhelming like you'd (I'd?) think. It's a perfect blend of the feistiness of musk and complexities of myrrh and patchouli, and the other ingredients in it serve perfectly to warm, moisten, and calm it. I actually don't detect any of the dustiness that usually comes with clove; so apparently the bamboo and mandarin are working wonders on that, as well. :: ETA a few minutes into drying, clove DOES make an appearance and say, "Ha ha! I might get powdery! I might not, but I also might!" Then it goes away and goes back to being nummy creamy muskiness.

Verdict: I loved this at Will Call, doubted it when I saw the notes, and love it again now that I'm skin testing. I don't know how often I'll wear this, but I will get a bottle.

In Imp: A soft, spicy blend; I can pick out the rose, oppoponax, and benzoin... pomegranate seems to just be hovering around the edges, and anise isn't anywhere to be found.

Wet: Mmm. Bright and spicy. Almost a little cologne-ish. I'm surprised the rose isn't getting too gritty or cloying on me yet.

Drydown: I get a sweet, slightly floral blend. The anise seems to lend a little bit of bitter spice now that it's drying that wasn't there before. It's red and rosy and stays close to the skin. It's not really remarkable to me, but it is quite pretty. I wish the throw was a little better.

Verdict: An interesting rose and pom blend. The blend of spices in this is quite nice, but the throw is really short and it's not really notable, unfortunately. I'll keep my decant. 2.5/5

OK-- I know pomegranate and dirt. The other two notes... no idea. So we'll see what I get...

In Imp: This reminds me of Graveyard Dirt. I can pick out a slight sour sweetness and something bitter lying in the earth and a hint of crushed flower petals.

Wet: Hmm. It's not terribly different once it hits skin. Sweetness and dirt. The pomegranate is getting more distinguishable, but it's almost a sugared pomegranate. It reminds me a *lot* of a Weenie I've tried in the past, but I cannot for the life of me recall what it is...

Drydown: So, apparently the two mystery notes are simply moist floral in my nose because this blend is clearly soil and pomegranate. It doesn't morph aside from the notes amping in turn; one minute it'll be strongly dirt, then strongly pom, then some floral, then back. They don't blend a lot. That's okay. I actually like it.

Verdict: 3.5/5. I want to keep trying this. It's earthy and sweet and very unique.

In Imp: In the imp the only similarity that I get to Samhain is the fir needle (which is somewhat cloying in Samhain, IMHO). There's a bit of almost minty greenness as well. It's a fresh and brightly woodsy; not dry, orange leaves like other Fall scents (i.e. October) are. I detect a little sourness, and I suspect it's hazelnut? It's got a nutty edge to it; or possibly it's a mix between that and the cognac? I can't detect a cognac note that I'm familiar with; this one isn't anything like Miller vs. California (my only other cognac experience!)

Wet: Green green green! I still get a lot of *mint* in this, though it's like a minty cedar? A bit of patchouli calms and pulls it down. It really is very woodsy; I can detect a "leaf" smell and a dose of booze. It's very unlike other woods scents I've tried; this one seems almost neon-green, rather than dark, dry, etc. Not something I'd expect from a Fall blend, but somehow it fits. This is like having a fall party in the woods with some absinthe.

Drydown: Wow, I can definitely get the Pledge (albeit bitter/sour Pledge) likeness here. In fact, now that I've noticed it, I don't know if I can ignore it... BUT, this is only a few minutes into drydown, though, so I'll wait. ** Yay, no more Pledge! (Sometimes it's a good thing that my skin is a mad-morpher.) After about 15 minutes this really is a softer ringer for Samhain; I get the cloying apple-ish note that's in Samhain (but I don't know where it's coming from?) but I have to say I like this *better* than Samhain. It's slightly smoky and woodsy; all the things that other people say about Samhain but I don't get.

Verdict: This may very well be a big bottle purchase. I'll re-test, but as it stands this is a better Samhain; it's all the things I wanted Samhain to smell like on me, and it's very similar but geared towards A-Mech Specific. Honeyed woods and patchouli. 4/5 for now...

In Imp: Whew, super sharp floral (marigold?). It actually kinda smells soapy? I definitely get a "sunflower" impression too. It smells just like a scratch and sniff book of The Secret of Nimh I had growing up that had a sunflower smell. Off the bat, I wouldn't call it very Autumnal; just a cool, orange floral.

Wet: Hmmm. I think that's some of the bourbon vanilla coming in now. It's still a bit sharp for my taste, though... Herbal and sharp. It still smells like that Secret of Nimh flower. o_o

Drydown: Honestly it smells a little too herbal and plasticy on me. I don't know why. I almost bought this bottle unsniffed and I really wanted/expected it to work... It's been on for about ten minutes and hasn't really morphed or done anything. Just sat there being sharp and ... like scented wax potpourri balls at best. :\

Verdict: La Calavera Catrina, whyyyy? I guess it's a good thing I didn't get a bottle. *hangs head and sets her in swaps* 2/5

In Imp: Now THIS is Autumn. Cold, dry leaves, a hint of smoke. Truly authentic of hiking in the chill of fall. Mmmm. There was a similar "cold" in Hessian of the Hollow, but I like the leaves and other notes in this one better.

Wet: At first I do get a chilly, cologne-y smell. It actually amps some kind of skin musk on me while it's wet. o_O After a couple minutes of "calm down" time the dead leaves come back out with more vengeance.

Drydown: Mmm. It morphs back into it's In the Imp self, but the coldness has been cut about in half. It's still quite nice, smoky and leafy with a hint of sweetness. Again, if you can envision going on a hike in some foothill forests with a neighborhood not too far away where they're maybe buring some leaves in the backyard on a cold day... that's this perfume.

Verdict: I like it. I'm not sure if it's bottle worthy, as I'm not sure how often I'd reach for it outside of this time of year (plus I tend more towards warmer scents this time of year, anyway...) Hmmm. I'll call it 3/5, and contemplate on if I need more...

2011

In Imp: A cloyingly sweet whiskey- like SoCo. I can kind of pick out the barley; overall it's just really sweet and boozy in the imp.

Wet: Wow! It morphed into a much more beer-like scent on my arm. The barley grain is stronger. It's like a really strong, warm beer bread.

Drydown: I'm getting a sweet incense from it now?? What is that? Maybe blood? (I could vaguely see it being just a tiny trickle of Dragon's blood?) Hmm. I'm fairly sure it *is* dragons blood that I'm smelling. It's living next to my (now warm and flat) beer and I've got my SoCo shot probably sitting in the bottom of the glass of beer. Like a crazy Barleycarbomb. If it helps anyone mentally envision this scent, it's definitely a flat, dark malt beer. And SoCo.

Verdict: What an interesting scent! It's not something I think I'd reach for, though. There's just something about that resinous note that puts me off. As so often happens with me, this isn't a *bad* scent by any means, it's just not for me... Maybe a 2.5/5? (Between "sometimes" and "promising"... I may try it sometime and see how it fares, but as of right now I don't need to run out and buy a bottle.)

In Imp: Wow. Seriously, white cake and whipped sugary frosting with little packets of crunchy sweetness. It's like, breathing this in makes your teeth twinge a little and you can almost taste the *texture* of the cupcakes.

Wet: It's not so cloying when it hits my skin. I almost detect some kind of fruitiness in it; like currants. (ETA: now that I read back I see that lots of people get a red fruit from this. I'd have to go with either red currant or cherry, but it's like a candy version of those rather than "real" berries.)

Drydown: It's so sugary and sweet! It's a fun and youthful, pure fluffy cake. TBH, I don't get a lot of chocolate in it. I mean, I can see where it'd be coming from, but to my nose this is white cake and thick gooey creamy frosting. This isn't a morpher, though. It still smells just as it has; cake, frosting, a little bit of fruit...

Verdict: It's sweet and adorable and smells nice-- but it may be a little too sweet for me, as well. I like smelling it, I just don't know if I want to *smell like it*. It's a great visual, though; it's effects are downright visceral, between *tasting* the cupcake and my teeth hurting from it... It's a 2/5; a "sometimes" scent in my book, but probably not one that I need a bottle of...

In Imp: I get sharp and bitter florals. I think the opium and jasmine are my main first impression. I can pick out linen, as well. Overall it's dry, dusty brown, sharp.

Wet: Ew. Jasmine. The vanilla is trying to make it play nice. It's turned from a dusty brown to a creamy white smell.

Drydown: I amp jasmine, and I amp it in the bad way. It smells like monkey house at the zoo. And it's got a hell of a throw. There's something sharp and something mildly sweet down there (fruit and vanilla, is that you?) but mostly the jasmine is tromping on them.

Verdict: Wah! I thought this was such a cool concept and the notes seemed like they'd be really cool... Unfortunately I've got to give this a 1/5. At least I know now that I should probably just stay away from blends with jasmine if it's not night-blooming.

In Imp: Breathing in deeply I can tell that there's pomegranate, but it's honestly not the front-runner; I get much more lilac musk (strange note) and red rose.

Wet: Hmmm. A red, rosy scent with a splash of lavender (color) thrown in; it smells clean. I don't get honey or pomegranate at all at this stage.

Drydown: It's well blended and I don't get much in the way of individual notes; but that also is making it kind of hard to describe. It's warm and clean, wearing a flowy white dress and floating around in a flower field. It's quite floral and I am sad that I really don't get any honey or sharper notes. Even the pomegranate is almost like a suggestion in it. Like... a bunch of intact pomegranate pods sitting in a garden. Not juicy or vibrant. Just kinda pom-my.

Verdict: Hmm. I don't really know if this is for me. There's nothing wrong with it or putting me off, it's just not remarkable to me. I'll give it a 1/5. ETA: Scratch that. After about 10 minutes of drying it's morphing into something quite nice. A more dry, fruity red blend. Hmm. Ok, 3/5 and I'll try it again in the future.

In Imp: I remember my last imp that I had of Samhain (I think 09?) was a lot of mullein, dried dark apple, and gritty fir. This year, though, is definitely more earthy. Dark and sharp woods. I get pumpkin, patchouli, and apple pretty clearly when I breath in very deeply.

Wet: Woods, woods, woods. Something in Samhain tends to powder on me, but it almost seems like it fits. Like there just happens to be powder in this warm, brown little cottage in the middle of the darkest woods. I do get a bit of nutmeg, I'm surprised though that the apple isn't amping or sweetening on me. I feel like this year's blend is definitely different from the one I've tried previously and it also somehow different from the soap. Hmmm.

Drydown: This is a brown, slightly clammy scent; apples strung up between gray, brown and hunter green trees. The apple is coming out slightly more, still tempered by half-dead woods and spices.

Verdict: It's not terribly autumnal to me, to be honest; but I've never lived somewhere that has these particular aspects during fall (New Mexico smells the same all year and Colorado smells more like chilly wind and pine and maybe some fire; in other words, we go straight to winter.) It's not a bad smell, but there's always been something in it that's a little odd to me. I'm not ready to give up on Samhain! I will say that the throw is lovely and it's a much different scent than it is close up; very apply and bright. I'll give it a 3/5.

ETA: This stuff has one hell of a long throw on me. After I tested this I had to wash my whole arm because I couldn't smell my other testers anymore!

In Imp: Mmmmmmm. Spicy, strong, sweet pumpkin coffee. It smells just like a pumpkin latte, but (IMHO) even better because it's a bit stronger and more complex. It does make me jones for a fabulous latte, though.

Wet: It softens and nutmeg comes out a bit more than I'd have thought it would. Mmmmmmmm. It smells delicious. It could actually even coast through as a scent for holidays from Halloween to New Years. YUM.

Drydown: Man. I almost didn't *want* to like this. Pumpkin Latte? It seemed too simple, without the sort of in-depth imagery I prefer. Plus I like to tell myself I'm not a foodie lover; no, I prefer more complex and esoteric blends. But, damn it, it smells amazing; like coffee and warm baked goodness. Even if I didn't wear this, it'd be amazing in an oil burner to make strangers, family, friends, and random passerby on the street think that I can actually bake.

Verdict: 4/5