Invidiana

THE PATH OF DREAMSAlthough I come to you constantly over the roads of dreams, those nights of love are not worth one waking touch of you. Wisteria, ti, peach tree leaf, osmanthus, hinoki wood, bergamot, night-blooming jasmine, and ume blossoms. (Ono No Komachi. Translation by Kenneth Rexroth.) Oh yes, this is a cousin to my beloved Sakura. Lots and lots of dreamy wisteria to send you floating off to dreamland, backed up by a bit of jasmine that doesn't turn into cat pee because it doesn't have to contend with my chemistry this time, just my sheets. The jasmine reminds me of the perfumed night air in Greece where jasmine grows wild. I smell predominantly smell wisteria and jasmine, though they must be there because I do sense other florals I'm not identifying right now. The bergamot stays nice and subdued; just the slightest hint is evident, not overpowering bitter bergamot. There is also really soft woody undertone from the hinoki wood which balances out the florals perfectly. Overall this is an ethereal, otherworldly scent and absolutely lovely.

MR. FEZZIWIG'S BALL "Yo ho, my boys!" said Fezziwig. "No more work to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer! Let's have the shutters up," cried old Fezziwig, with a sharp clap of his hands, "before a man can say Jack Robinson!" You wouldn't believe how those two fellows went at it! They charged into the street with the shutters-one, two, three-had 'em up in their places-four, five, six-barred 'em and pinned 'em-seven, eight, nine-and came back before you could have got to twelve, panting like race-horses. "Hilli-ho!" cried old Fezziwig, skipping down from the high desk, with wonderful agility. "Clear away, my lads, and let's have lots of room here! Hilli-ho, Dick! Chirrup, Ebenezer!" Clear away! There was nothing they wouldn't have cleared away, or couldn't have cleared away, with old Fezziwig looking on. It was done in a minute. Every movable was packed off, as if it were dismissed from public life for evermore; the floor was swept and watered, the lamps were trimmed, fuel was heaped upon the fire; and the warehouse was as snug, and warm, and dry, and bright a ball-room, as you would desire to see upon a winter's night. In came a fiddler with a music-book, and went up to the lofty desk, and made an orchestra of it, and tuned like fifty stomach-aches. In came Mrs. Fezziwig, one vast substantial smile. In came the three Miss Fezziwigs, beaming and lovable. In came the six young followers whose hearts they broke. In came all the young men and women employed in the business. In came the housemaid, with her cousin, the baker. In came the cook, with her brother's particular friend, the milkman. In came the boy from over the way, who was suspected of not having board enough from his master; trying to hide himself behind the girl from next door but one, who was proved to have had her ears pulled by her mistress. In they all came, one after another; some shyly, some boldly, some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing, some pulling; in they all came, anyhow and everyhow. Away they all went, twenty couple at once; hands half round and back again the other way; down the middle and up again; round and round in various stages of affectionate grouping; old top couple always turning up in the wrong place; new top couple starting off again, as soon as they got there; all top couples at last, and not a bottom one to help them! When this result was brought about, old Fezziwig, clapping his hands to stop the dance, cried out, "Well done!" and the fiddler plunged his hot face into a pot of porter, especially provided for that purpose. But scorning rest, upon his reappearance, he instantly began again, though there were no dancers yet, as if the other fiddler had been carried home, exhausted, on a shutter, and he were a bran-new man resolved to beat him out of sight, or perish. There were more dances, and there were forfeits, and more dances, and there was cake, and there was negus, and there was a great piece of Cold Roast, and there was a great piece of Cold Boiled, and there were mince-pies, and plenty of beer. But the great effect of the evening came after the Roast and Boiled, when the fiddler (an artful dog, mind! The sort of man who knew his business better than you or I could have told it him!) struck up "Sir Roger de Coverley." Then old Fezziwig stood out to dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. Top couple, too; with a good stiff piece of work cut out for them; three or four and twenty pair of partners; people who were not to be trifled with; people who would dance, and had no notion of walking. But if they had been twice as many-ah, four times-old Fezziwig would have been a match for them, and so would Mrs. Fezziwig. As to her, she was worthy to be his partner in every sense of the term. If that's not high praise, tell me higher, and I'll use it. A positive light appeared to issue from Fezziwig's calves. They shone in every part of the dance like moons. You couldn't have predicted, at any given time, what would have become of them next. And when old Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig had gone all through the dance; advance and retire, both hands to your partner, bow and curtsey, corkscrew, thread-the-needle, and back again to your place; Fezziwig "cut"-cut so deftly, that he appeared to wink with his legs, and came upon his feet again without a stagger. Mince pie, dark beer, a well-loved spruce wood fiddle, and bow resin. This is really an awesome holiday scent that's festive but far from typical. It's actually not a strongly woody and sweeter than I initially expected. THe woo di there, but it plays well with the other elements, and at the forefront is this lovely sweet sticky resinous scent that isn't exactly foody per se but still deliciously addictive. The wood is a piney scent which gives it a seasonal feel but again while it fits the spirit of the season perfectly it's far from the stereotypical "holiday candle" scent, and I adore it. I have the perfume oil coming to me from a swap and now I'm even more excited!

I love the juxtaposition of cold snow and smoldering woodsmoke notes here. It's not masculine at all, but rather cool and fresh with a smoky undertone that reminds me of walking outside in the winter and breathing in air that smells of fireplaces and impending snow. Putting my synaesthesia to use here, it also does smell "gray" if that makes any sense at all. There might be some cool musks at play here to contribute to that. This morning it was gray and snowing, so I couldn't have picked a better scent to wear.

Wow. This does something really magical on me. Honey isn't listed as one of the notes but it smells honeyed--must be the wine. I love how the wheat and grain notes are just bordering on the edge of foody but not dessert per se. They're warm, comforting and golden, just like wheat and grains that had been soaked in an autumn sun. Sometimes pear notes get too sweet on my skin but not here. The pear adds just enough sweetness but never grows cloying. Did I mention it lasts for ages? I am completely in love.

Black currant, black orchid, lavender, black dammar, myrrh, oakmoss, champaca flower, and mandrake root. This calls to mind a Smashing Pumpkins song of the same name that is very near and dear to me (well it's actually Behold! The Nightmare! but close enough), because they both have the same dreamlike quality. I must admit that at first I didn't know what to make of it; the lavender was trying to hold its own, the other notes all seemed to be sparring for dominance and there was a an underlying sharp edge, I believe from the mandrake root. However, this changes entirely after a couple of minutes. The lavender softens, supported by the depth of blackcurrant, and the most gorgeous, slightly (but pleasantly) powdery melange of champaca flower and orchid on a soft bed of oakmoss comes through. I think the type of myrrh used here is also contributing to that dreamy powdery feel. The champaca and orchid also have that heady sensuality that makes it impossible to associate this with a childlike dream involving glitter and rainbows. It is potent, mysterious and hypnotic, almost opiate. If you took an innocent, almost "baby" scent and tinted it with shadows, that's what this is--a perfect evocation of corrupted dreams.

I'm head over heels for this beaver! It's like the most luscious lemony cheesecake on the planet, and I do love me some lemon cheesecake. The cheesecake note is rich, creamy and vanillaed with the lemon giving it the right amount of tang to balance the sweetness. I used to be terrified of pear because it can sometimes go saccharine on me, but not here. The pear note, if anything, adds more interest and complexity and gives it a more autumnal feel than just lemon alone. I don't amp thyme, so I can't say that it's really prominent on me, but it's probably a contributing factor in rounding it out. This making me wonder if a similar (edible) cheesecake recipe would taste as good as this smells!

All Souls'! The minging of incense and cake is positively addictive. Dia De Los Muertos is more on the floral side, but in the sense that the flowers are resting on a cloud of sweet incense.

To add to that, while all the Lunacies don't share one particular note, it often happens that Lunacies with the same theme from different years often have shared notes. For example, you'll find shared notes in most of the Blue Moon and Blood Moon blends. However, sometimes one with the same name and theme as a previous Lunacy may go for a complete turnaround too. For example, the very first Harvest Moon had more traditional fall notes like pear and spice, but his year's had dry leaves and rose.

If I knew I had five minutes left to live this is exactly the sort of ridiculous thing I'd be stuffing myself with. Wet I initially get a blast of almond, and then the pumpkin comes through pretty quickly in the drydown. I like the booziness of it, which initially comes off strong but softens in the drydown. It does retain a certain boozy undertone throughout which I find kind of addictive. The blending of that with the clouds of vanilla buttercream is just pure ecstasy. I'm glad that the spice here is very subtle, just a warming accent and nothing that amps to the point of killing the other notes. Really, really tempted to lick it off.

This is really delicious. It's all orange cake wet, and then as it dries down it becomes smooth and creamy with the custard coming through. I actually only get the faintest hint of anise with this, which is good, because I was hoping it would be subtle. Surprisingly the hints of floral notes that make themselves known in the very end actually work with the rest of the notes. I was a little leery of them at first but the give a soft finish to the cake, orange and vanilla custard notes. I've never eaten actual huesos de santo but not I want to try them!

This one was very, very vegetal. Initially I got a blast of green vines and earth, then some pumpkin comes to the surface as it dries down. The pumpkin here really isn't a foody pumpkin, but more of closer to fresh pumpkin guts. The green notes still remain the dominant element throughout. Not for me personally, but it really is very true to what an actual pumpkin patch smells like up close and personal.

I'm a neroli fan, so this one really delivered. I love how the juicy peach note, which has that hint of tartness to balance the sweetness(never cloying throughout the drydown), is balanced by the creamy, slightly citrusy neroli. Those two the notes that burst onto the scene initially, but after a minute or two of drying down a light, sweet honey and sheer white tea beautifully come into play. I think this one has put my fears of white peach turning saccharine on my skin to rest.

Holy--give me a moment to breathe here. This smells like my peach trees. Yes, I do live in New Jersey and have peach trees but that's besides the point. Take the scent of sun-warmed grass and flowers carried on fresh air, combine it with subtle wood and fragrant, fresh-picked peaches (more like smelling a the skin of peach that hasn't been cut open). In other words this is basically the bottled version of a fully laden peach tree in early September. I can't get over how realistic it is!

White peach normally scare me because my skin can turn it saccharine, but as a hair gloss it's a different story. The white peach note is gentle and even a bit tart, which I love, and supported by a sheer white incense. This is not an incense to be afraid of; it's very light and supports the peach perfectly. What really makes this for me, though, its the interaction of the champaca flower with the other two notes. The heady (but not heavy), sensual quality it adds is really divine. I wore this paired with Peach I today and the combo was just amazing.

LOVE this, and that's coming for a person who isn't necessarily a peach fanatic either. Wet it starts out with a bright juicy burst of peach. I love how the golden peach note here doesn't border on saccharine at all, like some peach notes do on my skin, but is tart enough to balance out the sweetness. It's got that juiciness to it like a fresh-picked peach from one of my trees (yes I do live in New Jersey and have functioning peach trees but that's a who other story). Then as it dries down the tonka and honey make it a thicker, richer scent. The slightly smoky tobacco and warm red musk are the last to emerge but they give it something of a sensual finish. I never expected to fall for a peach scent this much but there you have it.

I sprang for a bottle of this without even thinking, and I was right. It's thick, rich, creamy, marshmallowy hot chocolate perfection. Made me think of a steaming mug of cocoa with all that melted marshmallow goodness (you know when you leave them there and they just melt into this wonderful white goo) on top. The chocolate note is like the darker side of milk chocolate, not that artificially sweet stuff you might find in the clearance section of CVS but like like a "dark milk chocolate", the kind with about 50% cacao. Anyway, I'm rambling--LOVE.

Deep, dark and resinous. This is a cousin of the original Frankincense SN, but a bit sweeter, which I personally prefer. I wouldn't call it church incense at all, even though a lot of people have that perception of frankincense. It has woody and smoky undertones, but the smoky aspect is more like woodsmoke than church incense smoke. A little sharp in the wet stage (attributing that to the fact that it's fresh and age will change things), it mellows out to a smoky-sweet resin, shadowy and mysterious, the scented equivalent of an antique veil. I can't wait to see how this ages, it's going to be amazing.

I just placed a massive order this morning, I mean really worthy of this ---> even though my wallet was ready. But what I can say about past Weenies that I either own or have tried: All Souls (own): foody and incensey; the incense puts a unique (and I find, highly addictive) spin on the cake and currant notes; if you like Feeding the Dead you will like this one too. Day of the Skulls (tried): alas a little too much rose for me though I do tend to amp it; it is a sweeter rose scent, so for those of you who like your rose on the sweet side but not necessarily foody this is one to try. Dia de los Muertos (own): another one in the vein of All Souls though a completely different scent; it has that foody-incensey thing going on along with an extra bit of smokiness and a touch of that dry leaves note I can never get enough of. Flor de Muerto (tried): pleasant, though not the type of floral that hits the "must have zomgritenao" trigger for me (I'm into the headier and/or darker florals mostly), but it is a light and sunny scent like marigolds and mums on a sunny fall day and very much captures that yellow and orange feeling in the description. Ghosts in Love (tried): if you are a rose lover then you'll be head over heels for this; plenty of true-to-life rose with the carnation not far behind; too rosy for me personally but I can see how rose aficionados would love it. The Hell-Gate of Ireland (own): clove doesn't always love me, but I like this one because it's a smoky, smoldering clove that doesn't come out like a spice rack on my skin; it's a no-brainer if you're a huge clove fan, but if you're wary of clove but love the smoky stuff at least give this one a try. John Barleycorn (own): an unusual but really cool scent, and I promise you won't smell like a sweaty crowded bar; the blood note must have dragonsblood resin in there somewhere because it balances out the wheaty and malty beer note and the toasty barley quite nicely with just a hint of sweetness. Le Revenant (own): haunting, ethereal white florals (I should mention I'm a gardenia fan); besides heady and dark floral notes I have a thing for the ghostly ones too, and this is true to its theme, a pale white shroud; wagering Phasmophobia is going to be a cousin. Mictecacihuatl (tried): in a similar vein with Day of the Skulls, except this one is more smoky and resinous; still too much rose for me personally Samhain: (own multiple years) HOARD THIS SHIZNIT no seriously Samhain is wonderful, you've got the sweet pumpkin and apple swirled with the smoky wood and dry leaves into autumn perfection, and the more it ages, the better it gets; if you're a lover of quintessentially autumn scents like I am get thee at least a bottle! Samhainophobia: (tried) I think it was the geranium that ended up being the dealbreaker here, I amp the stuff and it made the scent on a whole a little too bitter, but the other notes are wonderfully dark and smoky and I would love to see it as an atmo--hoping Achluophobia will behave as I hoped this would on my skin Also, I haven't tried Ooky yet (though I did jump for a bottle) but what I can say is that if it's anything like that honey-almond pumpkin, I think it was Pumpkin I, from 09 then serious win.

This reminds me of orange spice tea, very well-rounded with the citrus and tea notes balancing each other without the tea going bitter. The spices stay tempered, and this is coming from someone who amps spices. They just warm it up and finish it off, giving it that extra something ideal for a cool autumn night. It's pleasant,and while personally it wasn't for me but I can see why it appeals to so many people.

The one that immediately came to mind when I read your post was Halloween: Los Angeles. It's from a few years back but it really captures that dry-leaves-in-a-bonfire smell: a strange incense of burning brush, junegrass, tumbleweeds, chaparral, and wild sage. Shouldn't be that hard to track down at least a decant of it. Also, I'm surprised no one mentioned October! Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. It tends to reappear every year or every other year, depending. As a fall-scent junkie it's one of my personal favorites. Other past LEs you may want to check out (all find-able): Autumn and Winter: bitter currant and dry leaves, winter wind at dusk. The Death of Autumn: dark amber, dead leaves, khus, saffron, bitter clove, chrysanthemum, camellia, galangal, and a drop of oud Meditation in Autumn: dusty, bleak, and withered: old wood, burnt brown sandalwood, and twisted vines Samhainophobia: Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves. (this one is really dark and smoky, not for the faint of heart) And! Yes Virginia there is something in the GC too! In the Paranorman scents: Blithe Hollow: dead leaves and cold, moist breezes set at the edge of a forest of maple, pine, cedar, and cypress.

This was another one where the notes looked iffy on paper, but on my skin it’s wonderful! It reads almost as a sophisticated blackberry soda to my nose, sweet with the berries, grape and plum sugar but not too sugary, effervescent and with a wonderful undercurrent of jasmine (the non-cat-pee kind) that makes it unique. Sometimes elemi and honeysuckle can break a scent for me but I barely even smell them here. Wherever the honeysuckle is it’s probably blending very well with the jasmine. Plus it has real staying power—I didn’t need to reapply all day.

I think I would love this as an atmo. It's a very unique, very evocative scent that brings saltwater-soaked wood (with the tiniest hint of Snake Oil) to life. I'm surprised that this is one of the few blends with lemon verbena that didn't come out as the Tentacled Verbena of Doom on me. Even though I do amp the Snake Oil a bit more as it dries down, it's a little on the masculine side on my skin, as cedar tends to do, but I'm keeping my decant just for the scent experience.

Another surprise win for me! I tend to be leery of grass notes because sometimes they come out as ridiculously strong grass clippings on me, but not in this case. This is like the scent of fresh grass (not the lawnmower clippings kind), clover and sheer florals wafting in on a cool breeze. I don’t really get much incense, I think it blends in with the hint of sweetness from the floral notes. It’s perfectly and makes me feel like I’m perpetually outside in the middle of a wide-open field, even if it’s actually raining out.

I remember when I initially read the note list for this one, I got very nervous, which was why I had to try a decant first. And then I got completely blown away. Cardamom and bergamot can be iffy on me, but they barely show up! Instead I get all the lovely champaca and magnolia taking center stage, with a ray of brightness from the lemon peel, and backed by a sheer but sensual sandalwood. I love heady white florals so needless to say, a scent that makes me think of these flowers soaked in afternoon sunlight is heavenly . Needless to say I now have a bottle.

Holy. THIS SMELLS LIKE THE REAL THING. Dead ringer for the real thing. It's exactly, and I mean exactly, like peeling a fresh tangerine and biting into that first piece with the smells of the juice and the peel harmonizing. This is a really refreshing and energizing scent that's like wearing an instant burst of sunshine.