splendidissima

Spicy apple cider, with something earthy (leaves?) in the background...and yet, as it dries, an aquatic note comes out, as mentioned by others. Definitely makes me think of autumn--kind of nice when it's 100+ degrees out and fall can't come fast enough. I'm not sure how well the two levels (spicy apple and aquatic mist) work together on me; they don't quite blend, but hover. I think I'll try this in the oil burner and see if that will help, but a bottle probably isn't necessary.

This pumpkin doesn't morph much from imp to skin, which is good in terms of consistency. However, I am a pumpkin lover, and I was hoping for more of that buttery pumpkin coming through. On me, it gets drowned out by the tobacco and cedar, and there is some vanilla lurking around the edge, but the honey isn't quite sweet enough to save it. It's not bad, especially if you like tobacco notes (though the boyfriend doesn't) but I think it's not really me--not enough pumpkin in this particular section of the patch.

Testing my 2008 decant of this from the lovely Shaniqua71. In vial: oh, pretty color! very autumnal. Smells like sharp apples. Wet: arrgh! medicinal! smells like Vicks! do not want! However, I shall persevere and see if anything better develops. Great throw, by the way. After 3 hours: finally, a little better. The medicinal scent is fading a bit and becoming tangled in smoke and spices. I can finally see the autumn here, not just the seasonal catching of colds. Verdict: not working on me, but I hate to give up on a Halloweenie, so I think I'll test it in the oil burner and see if I can get some apple or pumpkin out of it. If not, off to a better home.

Sweet. So, so sweet. Very white sugar on me, not quite the cocoa that others have described. After a few minutes the violets come out more and give it a slightly spicy-floral edge, but mostly just sweet--not quite foody in the way that, say, Eat Me is, but more like a sugar bowl next to a bouquet of violets. Expensive candy and teatime. I'm glad I tried this, and will use up the imp, but I'm not sure I'll need more--I have to be in the right mood.

Jack is absolutely delicious (though of course I love pumpkin, and if you don't, this is not a good scent for you). It's a heavy, buttery, spiced pumpkin, like pumpkin bread, and it has great staying power. I do have to apply very sparingly, because it is so strong, but it smells like fall to me, like hanging out in the kitchen making all kinds of Halloween-y baked goods. Mmm.

Actually testing the same imp as sprocket21... Wet: hi, pumpkin! A very sweet pumpkin, with pear and grape notes. Kind of like carving pumpkin while eating fruit. I love pumpkin scents and Halloween-y things, so this is delicious. Dry: the initial lovely pumpkin has faded into the background now. Still there, but very faint and overpowered by sweet fruits, especially grape. The pumpkin now mostly gives a buttery, slightly spicy warmth to the fruit, and the whole thing sort of ends up smelling like spiced wine. Which is not bad, and I like the scent regardless, but I was hoping for more pumpkin at the end.

Someone up above said "sungold-pink," and yes. Hermia is very pink to me, but not blindingly so, and not little-girly, either--a deep, rich, warm shade of pink. The pepper is very prominent, but I've discovered that I love bpal pepper, and it loves me. Balancing the spiciness is the passionflower, which gives it a sweet and tropical edge. Overall: This is a great sweet-spicy scent that isn't overly floral (at least, not on me) and I am happy with my bottle. It makes me smile when I catch a whiff of it drifting up from my skin.

One of those heartbreaker-type scents. In the imp and on first application, nothing but lovely, juicy, sweet peach and vanilla--perfect for me in every way. About 20 minutes in, the juiciness goes away, and Tamora becomes a light, sweet musk, pleasant and powdery. I am greatly saddened by this change, but perhaps others would like the final stage more.

In the bottle, pretty much all sweet fruit--very well blended and hard to pick out the individual notes, though I think pear and grape are near the top. On me, very similar, but with a somewhat more ethereal edge that I think is coming from the florals--I don't really smell the flowers as such, but they definitely change the texture of the fruits to something wispier and more delicate. Light, sweet, pretty--great spring/early summer scent. One of my friends described it as smelling very "violet-colored" on me, which makes me happy, as that's one of my favorite colors. Happy I got the bottle.

All kinds of delicious! On me, the currants are the strongest note, but they're very sweet, and the cake, which isn't deathly sweet, gives the fruit some balance--I smell like the best dessert ever. At the rate I'm using up the imp, may need a bottle.

Got this because I have a black cat, and who could argue with that reasoning? It's interesting, but in the words of Dr Horrible, I don't love this. Impressions: Lemon? Lemon verbena? Plus something else herbal that I can't quite identify. Usually my skin likes mint, so if (as others have been saying) there is mint in here, I'm baffled. It's more like...I don't know, catnip or something on me--earthier and more grounding for the lemon. Nice throw and decently long-lasting, but not a knockout. I don't hate it, and might reach for it once in a while if I want a bright, not-so-sweet scent, but wouldn't be sorry to give it to someone who would appreciate it more. Though my own black cat did come over and plop himself on my lap as soon as I sat down after putting this on. Coincidence?

After I got the imp from a friend, I just had to get a bottle of this one. I like mint blends, especially if they're slightly sweet (adore the Lick It series) and my skin likes to amp mint, too. That being said... Shattered is exactly like those little pastel butter-mint candies that my grandma always used to have. You know, the ones that come in pale pink and green and white and have a creamy texture. It's like those, but on my skin--sweet (but not overly so), minty (but with a hint of fruit at the edges), sharp (but sweet-sharp, not metallic or anything) and cool (literally, leaves my skin feeling slightly cold). Hardly changes at all from bottle to skin, which is great. Another success!

Just wonderful--I'm so glad I gave in and got a bottle of this. It's like a more complex version of Hermia, which has always been one of my favorites. But this might be better. Orange and honey (and I love orange scents), with a strong (very strong) wave of pepper and ginger, adding spice to the sweetness. The florals are there, but only in the background, more of a grounding note than anything else. Which is fine by me, as I'm not a big fan of florals usually. Just gorgeous, and as others have mentioned, multifaceted--it's feminine and sweet, but sparkling with a bit of mischief. My mom (who usually likes tropical fruits and florals) also told me that I smelled wonderful. I think I'll have to get her a bottle so she won't take mine.

I was hoping that I'd get a stronger lime note from this, and less tobacco...but alas, not to be. In the (very cute) bottle: sweet gingerbread cookies and tobacco. Like the pipe my great-grandpa used to smoke. Wet: Tobacco in full force. I'm not getting any lime, and I'm not sure about this... Dry: The sweet cookies are coming back, finally, and cutting down the tobacco a bit. I'm still hesitant, but the boyfriend actually likes this one (he thinks most bpal scents are either baby powder or fruit loops, so getting an actual comment is impressive!). Have been told that I smell like gingersnaps. Never any lime at all. Verdict: will probably keep the partial bottle and test again on occasion; would be willing to share the bottle with others, since I'm not sure I'll wear it all that frequently. Might be more of a cold-weather scent, too.

My first review! Let's see... In the bottle: very complex cinnamon, with a note that's probably the maize keeping it from being overwhelming, and some sweetness (from the wine?) Wet: my skin tends to amp booze notes, so the wine gets a lot stronger, but that's okay, because it's a pretty wine. This is like really good semi-sweet chocolate alongside a glass of rich spiced wine. Dry: The chocolate comes back, and now it's like Mexican spiced cocoa, with some wine still lurking around the edges to give it a hint of fruity sweetness. Lasts for ages--from morning until evening. A wonderfully unusual and complex scent--not quite my usual (I like sweet fruits, foody-fruits, or sweet mint) but I'm glad I got a bottle of this. Somehow suits the dry desert summer out here.