Brianne

In the vial: slightly floral On me: I don't get too much of the notes listed for this - in fact, I do smell something vaguely fruity, but I'm not really convinced it's orange or apple. It has an overall "bubbly" feeling - as others have mentioned, the idea of a fruit spritzer comes to mind when smelling this. It's light, bright, zesty, effervescent and vaguely fruity (but in a sort of floral way actually). Final note: Hard to describe - it's not as sweet or fruity as I had imagined, and is instead a very clean, bubbly sort of smell. It's pleasant though and I think will go well with the warm weather.

In the bottle: Ugh Cassis On me: People kept saying cinnamon in their reviews so I bought this one with high hopes of getting a nice cinnamon blend. Unfortunately, this is cassis, not cinnamon. And I HATE how cassis smells on me (like burnt gingerbread cookies). It's similar to cinnamon, but distinctly different also. The difference for ME is that cinnamon is a wonderful spice that can be sweet and hot at the same time, and cassis smells odd and burnt. This is pretty earthy smelling too - grounded smelling, husky even. There does seem to be a slight berry note, but it's very mellow and only slightly sweet - it's quite possible that it's strawberry, but it could be plum too. I'm not really sure, it's pretty secondary to the earthy spice going on in this one. Final note: I want to love this one, but I just only like it. The cassis is really not for me, and it's unfortunately the strongest note in here. I'm going to hold on to my bottle though and try it again a few more times and see what happens! It does have a very Autumn-y feel to it with it's warmth and spice though. ETA: It's been on me a while now and it's starting to grow on me. It's definitely an Autumn scent in my opinion, but that's always a good thing - it's very warm and comforting

In the vial: Smooth, creamy On me: It's funny to read what other people are getting, because it seems this blend gives everyone a different impression. I do get a hint of what I believe is cherry - it just adds a slight sweetness to this, but other than that, this is a smooth, warm incense/skin scent. Musky and with a touch of something woody (not cedar, because I'm not getting overwhelming cedar at all here) - maybe rosewood? Final note: A very pleasant blend - smooth and warm and kind of sexy and comforting at the same time. I really like this!

In the vial: soft roses On me: The rose is dominant in this blend on me - but it smells more like pink roses than red roses - not quite as strong, a little more soft and powdery. Behind that, I get some ylang ylang, which is a little sharp on me. After it dries, I get a tiny hint of sweet pea, but mostly this is rose and ylang ylang and the result is a scent that smells very girly, but also makes me think of hand soap or the smell of Crabtree and Evelyn. It's just a little too floral and a little too mature for me. Final note: Maybe it's just my general dislike of rose blends, but they all sort of smell the same to me. Nothing stands out about Erato, and I keep thinking of Crabtree and Evelyn with this one.

I just had to say that I tried Silk Road for the first time today and it smells VERY much like Red Phoenix on my skin. So if anyone was looking for a replacement for Red Phoenix, that would be a good one to try!

In the vial: Cassis and ginger On me: I get the spicey quality of cassis and ginger together right away - and behind it is something very "balmy" indeed - maybe eucalyptus? It's sort of medicinal behind the spice quality. It's very headshopy, I'm sure others have said that too - but it's really appealing also. There is something just overall pleasant about this scent. Very evocative of what it represents. I find that it also reminds me of Shub Niggurath and Red Phoenix both. If you liked either or both of those, I think there is a good chance you'll like this one Final note: Exotic spiced loveliness. Again, if you loved Red Phoenix or Shub, give this a shot!

In the vial: Juicy peach On me: The most delicious, juicy peach scent is what I get from this when it goes on my skin. Then the honey and fig kick in and make this somehow more grounded, and a little earthier while still retaining it's sweetness. It's fruity, but without being tart, or overwhelming. This is just amazing and gorgeous - I want to douse myself in this scent. It makes me think of Katharina, though it is pretty different - it just has that appeal to me. Final note: This is an absolute must buy!

In the vial: Smells like Grog On me: Immediately I get a sort of sweet, earthy hazelnut smell (I always get this smell with scents like Grog or Gluttony). Behind that is a light, pinkish floral - something Spring-like and and not too heady and not too sweet. I get a little woody quality as well from the sandalwood. It all comes together to make something very unique - and hard to describe. It is a little foody, in the same way that Grog is foody on me. Sort of foody/resin/floral if that makes any sense lol. Final note: Can't shake that hazelnut smell - this is unique - as I'm finding all the Salon scents to be. And therefore really hard to describe. I like this one for being so different, and yet I'm not sure I'd reach for it that often.

In the vial: resinous and slightly sweet On me: Goes on beautifully of sandalwood and something...perfumey. Hard to describe because it does not smell like any of the notes listed. It's kind of sweet, a little floral. Then the wood kicks in and...well it smells like wood with perfume. The tobacco and frankincense are just sort of hanging out in the background and being resinous and slightly sweet - this is a very incensey blend. But hard to describe. I'm still getting that slight floral (or perhaps...fruity?) note that I can't pinpoint. Final note: Hard to review, but it's a very lovely scent - deep, resinous, slightly sweet. I think it's maybe a little too deep for me to wear often, but I'll definitely hold on to the imp (thanks Clover!!)

In the vial: ORANGE On me: I had wanted to try this since it first came out, but it wasn't on my top priorities so I never did get a chance to sniff it. Now that I have it, I think it's probably best that I skipped over it. I think I was hoping for a creamier orange, but this is really in-your-face-orange - it makes me think of orange soda because it has that sort of smell you get with carbonated fruit drinks. Hard to describe. Of course, then the pepper comes in and it gets really wierd. I don't dig how the pepper works with the orange, it's not a *bad* smell per se, but it is "off" to my nose. Final note: Not for me, the pepper with the orange makes for an unpleasant combo to my nose and the orange is sharper than I was hoping for

In the vial: Umm....bubblegum? On me: This is strangely bubblegummy on me, it makes me feel all innocent and girly - smells like the bubblegum that comes in the middle of blow pops Despite the fact that you may go, "Eww I don't want to smell like that", it really is very pleasant! Slightly sugary and absolutely delightful. After a while a little bit of guava kicks in - it's faint and adds a slight... bitter zest to it. Hard to describe. This is definitely a candy scent though, I can't believe how much I love this and I almost passed it up! Final note: I am utterly surprised by this one. It's a candy/bubblegum scent with a twist and I adore it. I want to roll in this stuff!

In the vial: lavender and sharp vetiver On me: Goes on zesty and bright with a clean vibe. It says fig, plum and coconut but I'm getting a sort of lemony smell to be honest. I do start to get a fig/coconut combo, which is airy and bright and a little green (not very coconut-y) - it makes me think of Eden quite a bit actually. It's kind of like Eden with an herbal and clean/citrus edge. Like a lot of other people are getting - the verbena is bright, lemony and zesty for me. This scent is definitely unisex and pleasant - it seems like the kind of scent people would want to wear in summer and it's very uplifting. Final note: Not at all what I expected from the notes listed - this is a bright and zesty summer scent that makes me think "clean"

In the vial: cedar On me: Not much to say about this one honestly - it's cedar cologne. That's what it smells like. Cedar is usually all wrong on me, so I have a feeling that other people will enjoy it more, but it's just not for me. Final note: Smells faintly sweet and musky after about 45 minutes of wear. But all before that, it's just heavy cedar.

In the bottle: Ozone @__@ Woah ozone. On me: That initial sniff frightened me, because this is what ozone typically smells like on me. This sort of overwhelming soapy/clean/zesty smell. Which isn't bad really, I just don't really dig it. Which may make you ask, "Well why did you get THUNDER MOON of all oils then?" - which is fair enough, because the first thing I thought when I read the description was, "Yeah that's totally not for me". But I loved the name, as I have a thing for thunder storms and I was just hoping it would turn out different on me. I really wanted to love it, but this is like most other ozone scents on me. It's unisex, but borderline masculine and reminds me of Irish Springs soap. It's clean, kind of soapy and zesty/fresh. Which is pleasant enough, it's just not for me. Smells a lot like laundry - maybe it should have been called Tide and Downy Moon lmao. Final note: Those who love a good clean scent or a good ozone scent will adore this, I've got no doubt. It's pretty and very fresh and I imagine it'll get a lot of use from people during the hot months. It's too soapy/clean for my own tastes though.

In the vial: Warm, sweet almond On me: Right away I get almond and orange - it's sweet, but mellow and color wise I would call this a golden orange. Then the verbena and lavender kick it - the verbena adds a lemony zest to this, and brightens it even more. The lavender adds an herbal note but it doesn't get TOO herbal, it seems grounded by the sweet notes. The end result is something that smells very clean and generally pleasant. As the above comment states, it would make an excellent laundry soap or the like. It's the kind of clean scent that I think most people would enjoy in that context. I don't see myself wearing this much as a personal scent though, but it IS nice! Final note: I don't dislike this at all - on the contrary, I think it's really very lovely. It's just that it makes me think more of something I'd use as a soap rather than a personal scent. Very nice though!

In the bottle: Are you sure there is no grapefruit in this? I smell grapefruit - just like the note in Hungry Ghost Moon On me: Goes on sweet, citrusy but creamy. I swear this is the same grapefruit note that is in Hungry Ghost Moon. Then, something more elegant and mature and a little watery (but floral in nature) creeps up behind it, and takes the sweetness down a notch. It becomes more floral in a few moments, but the fruity sweetness to this doesn't disappear, it just tones down. Like with many other people, this does remind me a lot of the Asian Moons. It has a very similar feel to it (and appropriately so of course). And then suddenly, I'm getting something sharper - sake. With the sharp and spicy quality of ginger no less. An interesting turn in this otherwise smooth and feminine scent. The end result is a really complex scent - fruity, sweet, airy, slightly floral, elegant, and womanly but with a sharp spicy note reminiscent of sake. Final note: I do really like this one - with a lot of the Asian Moons I liked them, but did not love them. The exception to that was Hungry Ghost Moon, which I adored. I find Tamamo-no-mae to be more like Hungry Ghost Moon in that regard - it has less floral in it and more complexity. I definitely will be using this one!

In the bottle: The asian woods and green tea really come out in the bottle. This smells a lot like Dragon Moon to me - slightly floral and refreshing On me: I think it's fair to say that I purchased Blue Moon based on the love and hype of the original and the fact that Blue Moon's don't exactly come around all that often. After reading the description, I wasn't terribly drawn to it, but bought it anyways. So, I think that it's also fair to say that I went into this knowing that I probably wouldn't love,love,love this. You can take my review of this oil with that in mind (because I think those who were truly excited about the notes have a better chance of loving this oil than those of us who weren't). When this first goes on, I get a fairly floral impression of this oil - it's not quite as strong as something with rose in it or the like, but it doesn't come off as a fruity-floral or a woodsy-floral either. Just a floral. The florals are airy and spring like - the predominant one is iris with juniper. It's crisp - no, it's sharp. Behind that is a green tea note which makes me think again of Dragon Moon. I find them to be very similar but Dragon Moon is lighter and a bit sweeter on me than Blue Moon is. Blue Moon has the same sort of vibe that most of the Asian Moons had. And I don't find that this makes me think "blue" as much as it makes me think "pink" - probably because this floral smells very much like a lot of Spring florals - sharp but airy, distinct with a slight sweetness, but definitely lighter than florals like rose, gardenia, lily, etc. Despite a somewhat aquatic background - which is present but not enough to qualify this scent as an aquatic I believe. Final note: I am glad that so many people really dig this one, but I just don't find the appeal in it for *myself*. It smells very similar to my Asian Moons and it's just too floral for me to wear. It is pleasant though and I certainly don't dislike it - I just know already that it isn't one that I'd reach for very often, if at all. It's an oil that makes me say, "Hmm that's not bad" - but not, "Oh I love this!".

In the vial: Soft musk On me: Didn't expect much from this because of the jasmine. But far be it from me to pass up the chance to try an oil I haven't tried yet. The jasmine is doing it's thing - which is not pleasant on me, but hey - if jasmine works on you and you enjoy it, try this one. I like the musk I smell underneath this all - it's soft, airy, very natural feeling and close to the skin. This has a very Spring like feeling to it with the soft and playful florals and the slight sweetness of musk. I don't mean candy sweet, but the kind of sweet smell that skin can have. Final note: Not for me, but if I enjoyed jasmine this would be very nice.

In the vial: MM COFFEE!! On me: I have been eagerly waiting for a coffee blend from BPAL (as Mata Hari smells nothing of coffee to me). This is IT. Everything blends together beautifully so that the end result is something that smells similar to cappuccino. It's warm, smooth, slightly sweet and has a husky undertone to it. GORGEOUS. Final note: I can't explain this blend. It's wonderful, it shoots right up into my top 10. I only wish that I had been able to buy a bottle when they were available.

In the vial: Resinous On me: This goes on very resinous and actually makes me think of frankincense and myrrh more than tobacco or leather. That doesn't last long though - in the drydown, it becomes softer and warmer. The musk becomes very evident and is backed by a very soft tobacco. The leather is pretty faint here also, and the way it melds with the musk and tobacco, the end result is a scent that doesn't make you think of one note in particular. Final note: There isn't anything really impressive about this scent to me. It's kind of middle of the road - it's nice, but it isn't great, and it reminds me of a lot of other scents. The imp is a keeper, but I don't have a need for a bottle for this one (thankfully though, because they are no longer available!)

In the vial: floral tinged honey On me: At first, this is sort of sharp in a floral way. I can smell a bit of powdery honey and what I think is apple, but the florals make me crinkle my nose, it's just a little much. That's rose of course - always just too much on me. But surprisingly, once it dries down - it's VERY pretty. I'm a little stunned actually because I don't get rose anymore when I sniff this. It's smooth and sweet honey, tinged with a beautiful peach. It's very alluring, such a lovely blend. I'm glad that this isn't a floral scent to my nose, but it is a very feminine scent that definitely belongs in Love Potions. Final note: I actually want a bottle of this. Gorgeous and captivating! Don't let that rose scare you!

In the vial: Plum! On me: Oh hey that plum is so nice, but there is som-- Oh. Hi jasmine. Who invited you exactly? You ruin all the best parties. The jasmine is only evident to me because I take a deep sniff and at first - it's lovely. Then... oh hey, what's that? Diaper? ><; Otherwise, this is a perfectly lovely scent. It becomes more cherries and less plum right after it hits my skin. Sort of a playful fruit scent - not in a girlish way I think, more in a delicate/feminine way. But that underlying jasmine just ruins it for me. I think I might smell gardenia also? Not entirely sure - some white florals under there for certain though. Final note: I want to love this one, but that wierd jasmine note messes it all up!

In the vial: ROAWR! Smexy! On me: I have rather desperately clung to my bottles of Three Witches because it's one of my favorites and I don't want to be without. I have no need to do that now though, because Port-au-Prince smells damn near identical to Three Witches on me. It's warm, spicy, sultry and smooth. I find it to be rather unisex (in the same way that Three Witches is). The only difference is that this has that almond sweetness to it. It's a bit like adding Eclipse to Three Witches. Final note: I do adore this scent, and it's definitely one of those scents that just "grabbed" me immediately. Definitely need a bottle of this one!

In the bottle: sugary vanilla On me: The very first smell I get when I put this on my skin is a bright citrus vanilla. Whoever compared it to Midnight on the Midway is dead on. It REALLY does smell like that at first (the citrus smells more lemony than grapefruit-y). It only takes a few moments though before - DUN DUN DUNNNNN diapery jasmine kicks in! I knew better, I really did. Jasmine never just "works" on me. Thankfully though - the vanillas actually keep this from being AWFUL. And what's strange is that one time I can sniff my arm and I get those warm and sugary vanillas (one of which smells kind of nutty by the way, sort of hazelnut like - the same sort of note I get in Sugar Cookie and Sugar Skull) with a hint of grapefruit. And then the next time I can sniff my arm and I get JASMINE and it's really unpleasant. Very odd and it's keeping me from really deciding on whether or not this is a keeper or not. Final note: If you are like me, and have trouble with jasmine - it's a pretty safe bet this will be no different. And I need to let this be my lesson in listening to my gut instinct where jasmine is concerned. I don't LOVE this blend but I don't hate it either. I'm keeping my bottle for now so I can wear it a few times and see if I like it enough to keep the bottle or not. If it weren't for that jasmine, this would be a blend I'd love though.

In the vial: Spicey - cinnamon maybe? On me: I am reviewing Hand of Hermes only as a scent, not for it's magical/ritual uses (as I have not used it as such yet). Oh yeah that's cinnamon - it's being grounded by what seems to be lavender though. It's really... interesting, for lack of a better word. It has a strange sort of "kick" to it - which I think itself makes the blend seem inspiring in my opinion. Like a little burst of energy in smell form hehe. Final note: This one is pretty simple smell wise - cinnamon and lavender. It's unique and even tempting to wear as a personal scent because it's a strange combination!