hlemonds

Initially i was a bit put-off by this one. The lemon-y tartness of the cubeb initially gives this a decidely furniture polish vibe. BUT that only lasts for the first 15 or twenty minutes, and i can so deal with that considering how delicious this is once the cubeb settles down. Even after only five minutes or so the throw is awesome, sweet, creamy honey, with just a hint of spice. Close to the skin it's still a bit "lemon pledge", but once the dry down is complete the furniture polish aspect isn't even noticeable at skin level.

 

This is obviously NOT a scent for those who don't care for honey, as it is honey-rific. It is sweet and playful, with just enough tart-spicy bite to let you know these girls mean business no matter how they may cajole their clients with whispers, giggles, or catcalls.

 

ETA: I'm revisiting this one after not having worn it for a couple of months, and man what a difference just a couple of months have made! The lemon-y tart cubeb has backed off quite a lot, and i far prefer it this way. I don't get the "lemon pledge" association at all any more. After only two months i find this to be so incredible smelling that i may need another bottle to hide away in the aging drawer as a back-up.

Let me start by saying that i adore Beth's Smoky Vanilla (i think of it exactly that way in my head, all capitalized), so perhaps i was destined to adore this scent. I was a bit frightened of the pimento berry and sage, but thankfully the pimento berry, after the initial "Hello, i'm pimento berry, pleased to meetcha!" stage, steps back into the loving embrace of the spices and smooths out. I should also say though, i am *assuming* that it's the pimento berry i'm getting initially. To my nose it is very tart, bright, and fruity (but not sweet). Since I don't see any other notes in the blend that would make me think fruity, i'm going with the pimento berry.

 

I can see that many might be frightened upon their first sniff of this from the bottle/decant, that fruit/berry smell is all up in your nose, like WHOA. But as i alluded to earlier in this post, it does back down, and very quickly at that. In early drydown the throw is primarily a lovely blend of spices, with the fruit/berry note blended amongst them, and beneath that is the star of the show....SMOKY VANILLA! Damn, she is one sexy biatch, i tell you what! I know that the labdanum, myrrh, sage, and patchouli are present, but my nose is too uneducated to pick them apart from that lovely smoky vanilla base. Based on how some of Beth's other Smoky Vanilla blends have aged, my prediction would be that this blend is only going to get better given time. My guess would be that the berry/fruit top note is going to calm down a bit, allowing the smoky vanilla to come further to the forefront and shine even more beautifully.

 

Dang, i'm having great luck with these Yules! Go Beth! You Rock!

I think I like black musk--it always strikes me as clean skin, I think. I think I need to more aggresively try more things with musk in it, as my skin LOVES them, and my nose loves them, too!

 

I really love the white musk in Dorian. There's a couple in there, but one of them is the exact same "crystalline" musk I adore in Ice Queen. The other white musk is the very one I love in Queen Mab. So...basically, I love musk.

 

I feel the same (as does my skin) about musk! The only variety i've found that didn't work was pink musk, and even that wasn't bad, it was just meh.

 

And i agree with Black Musk being a "clean" scent. It has an edge in the wet phase that *almost* has a citrus feel. I'd say almost all of my favorite blends have some musk element (Countess Willie, Snake Oil, Black Temple Burlesque). Now i need to try some of these "furry" musks....i'm really intrigued by Faunalia, the reviews sound lovely.

 

Anyone want to chime in on whether or not Hunger has red musk? Something about it (other than just the vanilla) is quite Snake Oil-esque to me, so i'm wondering if there might be some red musk lingering in there.

 

And thanks to those of you who keep recommending Kabuki, i've been avoiding that one because the cherry note scares the crap out of me, but now i really want to try it!

What's the deal with black musk? I think I've tried it a couple times, and it tended to be baby-powdery on me. I really want to like Black Temple Burlesque Troupe, so tell me about the black musk in it. Is there anyone who has black musk go powdery in some scents and not in others?

 

It is very, very similar to the black musk in Haunted. It's a dark, sweet musk on me, only the tiniest bit powdery. Maybe my skin chemistry is lucky when it comes to Black Musk.

Just tossing in my two-scents (har-de-har) worth....Countess Willie is made of de sex. Seriously, it is rich, voluptuous, delectable, delicious, intoxicating......*wanders off to huff Willie*

Hmmm....not enough Red Musk for me, i get far more of the rose wood than anything else. Early in the drydown it goes a tad powdery on me, and it stays that way. The combination of notes is too masculine on my skin, perhaps i need to let the DH try this one.

The amber notes in this are totally lovely (i get the soft, cool amber blend reminiscent of The Girl), but there is something that smells very green and cologney that masks the amber unfortunately. Once dry this makes me think of shampoo or soap. Not that this is a bad scent, i just don't necessarily think it's a "me" kind of scent.

All of you red musk lovers must try Countess Willie, she is absolutely delectable.

Delicious! I had avoided this one, thinking that with amaretto and wine it would be waaaaay too boozy for me. But after getting Countess Willie, which i love, and seeing that many likened her to Bordello, i knew Bordello was a must try. I am so glad that i decided to try it when i had a chance at Whole Foods. I immediately knew i needed a bottles. This is rich, fruity, sweet, and warm. Bordello is quite decadent, and i do find it similar to Countess Willie (without her red musk and Bordello is a bit sweeter i think). I would say if you like either one of these scents and haven't tried the other, you certainly should The strongest notes on me are the plums (sweet and ripe) and amaretto. The wine is in the background, adding soft warmth and maybe a bit of a wood note (like wine aged in oak). Overall a fabulous scent, although my skin does seem to eat it. Just means i have to slather and apply often, but i don't mind since it is a GC scent!

Mmmm! This is absolutely delicious, and the artwork on the label is lovely! I definitely get sweet plum and red musk, and the chocolate (combined with the plums) reminds me very much of Midnight Kiss (without the tobacco or dustiness of the amber). This is incredibly sexy, and yummy without really being foody. I haven't tried Bordello, so i can't speak to that comparison, but if Bordello is this sexy i should try it! I think the Countess might even be back-up worthy, although she does seem pretty potent, so a bottle may actually last a while

I love this blend! I would never have guessed from the lab description that it would be such a lovely, soft, clean skin scent. The DB resin is almost a bit soapy or shampoo-y on me, but the musks soon warm and smooth the DB. I can't detect any one musk, the "five deep musks" blend together beautifully. Initially, when i sniffed the bottle i had ordered from the lab, i was afraid i'd be disappointed. But every time i wear this scent i catch gentle wafts of it, and for a moment i think "What smells so good?", then i realize it's my perfume. I think this one will age beautifully, the DB resin becoming smoother and less soapy, the musky becoming even more silken and warm.

Any pictures of the District scents?

 

Yes, this!

I need to find my camera! The Black Temple Burlesque Troupe label is SECKSY!

Perhaps i shouldn't be reviewing this yet, since my only test was yesterday just after these bottle arrived, but i have to put this out there. In the bottle and on my skin this is overwhelmingly caramel. I took a risk on this bottle, hoping that the caramel would not be noticeable, unfortunately this was not to be. I get the tiniest smidgeon of red musk and maybe the nutmeg....but otherwise it is HELLO CARAMEL. Do. Not. Want. Caramel as a perfume just makes me queasy, and i'm afraid if i had applied more than just the tiny dab i did, i would've ended up with a migraine.

 

A few things to keep in mind: This is my first scent with a true caramel note listed. I may be overly sensitive to this note, and it may amp on my skin, i really can't be sure. I also tested this fresh from the mail box, so i am going to revisit it in a few days and see if the caramel has perhaps been more incorporated into the scent. We shall see.

 

The smiley just about says it all. This is sweet, creamy, delicious beeswax. I get very little smoke on the skin, and really only a hint in the bottle. This is utterly yummy, without being foody, if that makes any sense whatsoever. It makes me want to nuzzle myself, and maybe take a nibble

I really, really enjoy this scent! I'm not always in the mood to smell like incense, but when i am, Urd will most definitely fit the bill. The strongest note on me is the muscadine (this reminds me very much of the grape-y aspect of Midnight Kiss), warmed by the patchouli, and given the smokey incense quality by the Nag Champa. I think the cereus serves to soften the overall effect, making the grape less foody, adding femininity. Definitely bottle worthy, as i particularly enjoy warm incense scents when the weather is cold.

Smut works wonders for my friend. But me personally...I find that my red musk scents are drop dead gorgeous. Lucy Kissed, Mircalla, Scherazade (sexiness that is work appropriate)

 

Agreed! Smut was just an unremarkable kinda powdery musk on me. Mircalla and Scherezade are amazingly sexy blends though, if you like red musk

 

My favorite on my DH is Tombstone, followed closely by The Bow and the Crown of Conquest. He also likes Satyr and Wilde (this one is quite a traditional cologne-y type scent to my nose).

Perversion has a nice sparkly champagne note.

Um...Liz.

 

Seriously. If you like leather and smoke (just a *bit* of smoke, not much), you need to try Liz.

 

I totally agree, i find the vanilla in this one quite similar to Antique Lace, but with leather and a smidgeon of smoke added.

I find most of those quite different from Antique Lace in terms of how they smell on my skin, but as another poster mentioned, recommendations are always ymmv. As far as scents that i find to be similar in "feel" although they may not be a perfect match for the scent itself, i'd have to say The Girl (which i actually love just as much as Antique Lace, and i get a definite vanilla vibe from, but it is still different) and Antikythera Mechanism (soft, warm vanilla base once dry, don't let the teak top note scare you off).

This is one incredibly unique and beautiful scent. Right off it reminds me of Mme. Moriarty, but the madic of Raven Moon is that the patchouli doesn't go crazy-like-whoa-patchouli on me. So while there is a sort of cousin-like resemblance between Raven Moon and Mme. Moriarty, they are certainly very, very different. My nose may very well be picking up the vanilla and patchouli as the similarity, but thankfully Raven Moon is so much better on me than Mme. Moriarty.

 

Initially this is definitely sharp and quite....hmm.....i guess pungent might be a good word. It isn't a bad smell by any means, it's just utterly different from any perfume i've ever applied. And then the Raven begins to morph. The vanilla, benzoin, and spices begin to make themselves known. I don't think i have ever experienced a true "morpher" prior to this scent, and it is an amazing sensual experience. Upon dry down i can sense the musk, vanilla, benzoin, and patchouli blended harmoniously beneath the warmth of the chili and nutmeg.

 

Overall: This is an amazing scent, and i agree with others who've observed that this will likely age very, VERY well. This is utterly unique, unlike any perfume i've ever smelled on myself or anyone else, in the best possible way! I think everyone should at least try this scent, just to experience it!

Oh my gosh, this is crazy! I've never been a first reviewer!.....Ahem.

Wet, this is definitely Copal, i recognize it from Xiuhtecuhtli. I really love copal in other blends like Xiuhtecuhtli and Giant Vulva, so i'm excited to see how this translates on my skin.

I only applied a drop or two of this from the cap, and WHOA it's strong. At first i'm getting all Copal, just waiting to see the halls of dazzling gold. After about fifteen minutes i'm faced with something that mostly resembles....er....men's deoderant or some overpowering Men's body spray. Evidently the "halls of dazzling gold" equal Axe body spray on me, WTF??

I am still going to hold out some hope that this will improve after a few weeks of rest, or that it will be wonderful on my hubby. I'll revisit this post with news of further tests.

Hmm....Initially this smells almost identical to Mlle. Lilith on me, so i think my skin must amp the pink musk note. I am hoping that with a few days rest this might gain a bit of "definition" so to speak. As of now it dries down to a vaguely pink and creamy scent with a light sweetness and a slightly tart powderyness. These descriptions probably make very little sense, but they're the best terms i can think of to describe what my uneducated nose is picking up. I'm hoping that perhaps with some age i'll be able to get a better sense of the notes working together to create a whole, rather than just vague pink powder.

 

Hopefully i'll be able to revisit this one over time and find it improved. It has some elements in common with The Girl, which is a tremendous favorite of mine, so i'm unwilling to give up on Vasilissa without some more time and effort first.