zankoku_zen

I am totally digging the photograph label art for the Weenies. AND OMG - now I want Tattie Bogle for the image. Maybe I can find an empty imp?

I totally got the pineapple at the beginning - and love the fruity wet stage of this. However, this dries to a flowery/amber blend, and I'm not too crazy about that. It's kinda sunny, golden and there's definitely jasmine in here. I wish the pineapple had stuck around......

Not very crazy about this either - the words "honey soap" seem particularly evocative. There is a slight vanilla undertone (perhaps the tonka), but a slight herby powderiness that I can't get past. Ah well.

Oh man, on wet and as this dries... it's delicious. It does smell like chocolate peppermint on wet, and as it dries, the chocolate and the mint burn off, but I'm left with a musky vanilla (hello oakmoss and vanilla). Unfortunately, it dries to vanilla cedar, which smells like vanilla pencil shavings to me. BOO. HISS.

Hmmm. Cinnamon. This doesn't smell like the cassia cinnamon kind, but the other one (the one traditionally used in Mexico for their cakes). Clear and spicy, it makes me think of cookies. Slightly earthy and woody, not sugary. Not red-hot, simply... cinnamon.

The incense of a black mass, the perfume of perdition. White sandalwood, cedar, frankincense and swarthy vetiver. This one smells like expensive pencil shavings (ahhh cedar) with a curl of smoke. Not bad, but totally not my thing.

This starts with a giant blast of blueberries, but as it dries, it smells a little plasticky and the berries disappear and I get a basically honey musk scent. It also kinda makes me think of the Oblation, but this would be a way lighter version.

This is a very clean, light musk. In fact, I feel like there are almost 'lemon' overtones to it. It's very creamy, and light, and pretty as opposed to sexy.

Mmm... here's the clove note that I love so much in Red Rose. Clove, sweet and strong. I could really use more of this. ETA: Strong, spicy clove. 10+ years however have affected its potency though. Much softer than what I remember.

Honestly, this does smell like.... well, the incense found in the blend Cathedral. It's a bit dry and spicy, and there's a bit cedar/pickle thing that others have smelled. At least now I know what it is.

This smells like coconut but from a suntan lotion or that Malibu smell. It's kinda 'fake' and 'plastic' smelling on me. On the other hand, it totally makes me think of the BEACH!

Pink sugary fluff! Along the lines of the more recent Velvet Unicorn, it kinda puts me in mind of Pink Moon 2005. It's a very sweet, very candy like blend. I think the dandelion balances out the marshmallow because usually anything with marshmallow goes to plastic on me. I like it. Perhaps not enough to get more, but I think I'll test this sniffie once again and change my mind.

Agreed - this is like Red Rose lite on me. Admittedly, I like how 'heavy' RR is. This one is lighter on both the rose and the clove, more musk and hints of carnation. If RR was too scary for you, try this!

Whoa honey. I definitely get a big giant burst of berries on wet, and then the honey emerges. It dries down to a more honeyed amber blend with a trace of pepper. Hmmm. Odd.

Haha. This totally makes me think of Dorian. It's got a highly sugary tea - perhaps white, maybe a drop of green) and lemon. I also get a hint of white cake. I prefer this version to the released kind. This blend is like Dorian's little sister. Perhaps a tad too sweet for me, but I'd definitely think appropriate for a young girl.

This one I found to be a nice, skin musk sort of blend. Honey can be such an aggressive note for me, but this one ended up as a light brush. I definitely got more of the copal + herbs on this. It was nice, warm and pretty.

This one is definitely a masculine blend on me. Definitely a dirt/resin blend, with an overlay of 'aquatic/ozone' bit on it. Actually, it kinda made me think of the Axe line of cologne for men. But better. Hmmm. I might have to dab this on the hubby.

Red currant, molasses, vanilla cream, moss, and patchouli. This one started as a cherry-cola like, and then dries to a vanilla laced patchouli. Nice, but maybe not for me. At least the cream didn't turn to plastic!

I was a little leery about the goat's milk --- but the milk is more along the lines found in Milk Moon 2007, with fig. It's more of a kissing cousin to Horn of Amalthea for me, as MM2007 went sour on my skin. A bit pungent, and a it sweet.

Spicy cocoa. On wet the cocoa is much more prevalent, and it makes me think of cocoa powder, as it does have that powdery feel to it. As it dries, I definitely can smell more of the cinnamon on it. There's something a little more 'caliente' about this blend than el Dia de Reyes. If you want DdR to have much more of a kick, give this a whirl.

Oddly enough, the lime fizziness puts me in mind to the Aqua Vitae v2 prototype... except SMMP is fruitier and sweeter. I definitely get the glimpses of Hi-C/Hawaiian Punch in this and yes, perhaps oddly reminiscent to Pez Candy. I definitely get the gin vibe, since this has juniper. This one is fun, playful and fizzy. Those that are afraid of boozy scents or have struck out with BPAL's champagne note, should try this for the effervescent fizz. Much more wearable than AV v2 proto.

There is a faint blush of orange blossom but on me, this is mainly red musk and perhaps the tiniest hint of pomegranate. Erm. Pass.

Honestly, I get more of a raisin blend than anything. The grape smells like a boozy raisin, the kind that you eat in a rum raisin ice cream. The clove just underscores the red wine aspect to it. Pass.

Hua Mulan smells like really good talcum powder. I definitely get the jasmine and the bergamot, but overall, it's a clean white flowery POWDER with just the hint of musk. The leather is almost entirely NOT present, and I do have to say that at least the jasmine smells like a flower instead of cat pee. If you like clean, body scents, I'd definitely go with this blend. It's a little too powdery for me.

Okay this starts with a giant fizzy lime bubble - I smell champagne and salty limes. There is something of a brush of gin, which definitely comes way more predominant as it dries. Every now and then as it dries, I smell something that makes me raisin, definitely if you can get past the limey effervescene, is a woodsy base that grounds this blend ---- kinda like the heavy glass bottom of a whisky glass. Does put in mind, margaritas or gin & tonic. This is a sophisticated drink. Fortunately for me, I am neither a gin or a margarita girl.