Invidiana

ACHLUOPHOBIA Fear of darkness. Oppressive, stifling, suffocating, blinding: black patchouli, tobacco absolute, opoponax, and inky black musk. Menacing, in the best possible way. Let me explain. This is a scent that conveys the feeling, the very idea of thick, impenetrable darkness through the sum of its parts. You have to give this a chance to dry down a little before you can really experience its true beauty. Wet the first thing I get is patchouli but it's so much more than that. Patchouli just has that tendency to dominate the wet stage of things. It slowly starts to reveal its true nature on the drydown, like the many layers of darkness that make themselves known as the night grows deeper. The oppoponax has an almost syrupy quality to it, and by syrupy I mean dense and rich rather than saccharine--think sticky resin rather than sugar syrup. My skin does tend to bring out the sweetness in oppoponax but nowhere near cloying capacity. The tobacco gives it a pleasant (and very fitting) smokiness, and the dark musk wraps it in a sheer black veil of sensuality. Once you have one sniff of this you will get completely lost in it--and you might not want to be find.

AUTUMN FANCIES Faded the clover now ;-- sere and withered the grasses: What dreams the matsumushi in the desolate autumn-fields? Strangely sad, I thought, sounded the bell of evening; -- Haply that tone proclaimed the night in which autumn dies! Viewing this autumn-moon, I dream of my native village Under the same soft light, -- and the shadows about thy home. Dry grasses bathed in amber light, muted by gentle shadows. The moment I smelled this I imagined falling backwards into a sun-warmed field of golden grasses. There are some drier notes that I simply can't do, but the dry grass note here is just perfect. It's not that kind of suck-all-the-moisture-from-the-earth dry like some kinds of sandalwood, but more of a warm, autumnal kind of dry that's even comforting in a way. It's not woody and not even really grassy in the conventional sense, but closer to hay or wheat or something in that neighborhood. The amber also contributes to the "golden" current that runs throughout, and gives the grass note some mild sweetness along something of a honeyed undertone. Oddly enough I do pick up something playing the part of shadows here. I can't exactly put my finger on it, maybe some type of sheer, shadowy musk? It reminds me of that dry patch in my backyard I loved so much as a kid, just breathing in the scent of that and feeling the warmth against my skin.

Vetiver, you and I just can't get along...you overpowered everything as this dried down. I'll never know what lovely shadows this could smell like without the vetiver, but on me, at least, it overpowers everything, leaving just wisps of the other notes in the background struggling to make themselves known. That's what you get when your skin amps vetiver.

TREE OF LIFE Tree of Life, Gustav Klimt. Ash bark, Kashmir wood, tonka bean, clary sage, Spanish moss, cocoa absolute, King mandarin, galangal root, and matcha tea. In the bottle this is a little odd and sharp with an herbal and citrusy edge. However, like a tree in bloom, on my skin it morphs into something completely different--and amazing. This scent has elevated the classic pairing of chocolate and orange to new heights. It isn't foody per se but more in that lovely sweet and earthy vein of Brood XIX and Atlas. True that it's a little sharp from the matcha tea at first but upon the drydown that disappears entirely and is replaced by cocoa and mandarin on a bed of lush woods and earthy moss with a vanillic undertone of tonka. What I'm guessing is the Kashmir wood really smell amazing on me, deep and warm and sensual very much like oude. The mandarin is there though not a prominent citrus scent per se, more of a contribution to the overall luxurious feel of the scent. There is a bit of smokiness which I'm guessing is from the galangal, and the sage behaves in the background, not amping to herbal death but entwining with the moss to fill out the overall idea of a great tree rising from the shadows of the forest floor. I am so glad I took a chance on a bottle of this unsniffed. It's gorgeous.

The house No. 112 Spring street is kept by Mrs. Palmer. It is a low establishment and frequented only by the lagends of the community. The dregs: muddied leather, ragged patchouli, cistus, fig, black clove, and rockrose spattered by rum and vetiver. Ah, vetiver. Why must my skin chemistry turn you into a perfume of ill repute? I love leather and couldn't wait to see the Victorian whorehouse version of it until you crashed the party. Even the clove here doesn't amp too much on me and I'm notorious for ruining things like Voodoo Queen because my skin will not love certain types of clove. The vetiver is the perpetrator stealing into the brothel and terrorizing the ladies. Trying to put the vetiver aside, I can smell that the leather and patchouli, splashed with rum to sweeten the toughness with a boozy kick, are the 19th century version of badass.

THE SEEKIMCacao absolute, hay, black pepper, patchouli, and incense ash. This is unusually yummy. You'd think these notes would be discordant, but everything just ties in so well. The cacao absolute and patchouli are the main players on my skin, both thick and deep and and lovely. It's like that Schwarzer Mond-type patchouli covered in bittersweet chocolate. Supporting this dusky deliciousness is just a hint of black pepper which gives it a bit of extra zing but doesn't go so far to be a piercing sneezeworthy pepper like Ebeneezer Scrooge. They hay note adds a certain cozy autumnal warmth which actually blends very smoothly with the other elements, and there is also some sweet resiny incense at the finish. I almost didn't chance this one because of the pepper, but so glad I did!

I had high hopes for this one because I love the name Xenia which in Greek means "stranger". It was a bit difficult to discern as it settled. It started off with what I'm taking to be a strong black tea note, but dried down to something of a sheer lemony anise. I feel that there is something light and earthy in the background, which I'm guessing is a black tea with a very slight smokiness. It can't be green tea because my skin turns that to Attack of the Lemon Death. There is a moderate sweetness there as well. Overall this reminds me of a cup of licorice tea with a squeeze of lemon and a cube of sugar. It's oddly refreshing though not really my thing.

Dorian in the Pumpkin Patch There's all manner of shenanigans in this year's pumpkin patch! Pumpkin'ized hybrids of GC BPAL scents abound! Of course, first thing I thought when the update went live and I saw this: Puddin' in the pumpkin patch. References aside, who knew Dorian would go so well with pumpkin? Then again, pumpkin is a natural with tea. Take your favorite pumpkin tea, make it that much better than you could imagine and you've got this. It's all pumpkin wet, and then Dorian quickly comes through until they balance each other harmoniously on the drydown. The pumpkin is that same delicious baked pumpkin note I recognize from Theme in Yellow, dusted with just enough spice. The spice here really plays well with the rest of the blend, doesn't even amp on me and I can amp spice something fierce. It's warm, creamy pumpkin steeped in the aromatic vanilla tea of Dorian, with a hint of Dorian's characteristic fougere swirling in the background. Need I say more?

The Lake of Hate: blood musk, pink pepper, and neroli boiling in a seething mire of saffron. This had me at "blood musk", and as a big fan of Beth's blood accord, it lives up to any and all evil, sultry, blood-soaked expectations I had for it. It's basically the love child of Blood (GC) and Oceans of Love and Millions of Kisses bath oil. It has that ridiculously sexy blood note entwined with come-hither musk (there has to be red musk in here somewhere), but it's also so much more than that. Neroli gives it a heady, almost honeyed feel that receives a sensual warmth and flame from the saffron. If I hadn't known there was no honey note in this, I would have guessed there was. It's a scent that burns with two colors of fire. Whereas the blood musk and slight bite of pink pepper give this moon its red fury, the neroli and saffron swirl the Lake of Hate with molten gold. Seething and boiling indeed, but in a really good way.

MENACING IONOSPHERIC RESEARCH INSTRUMENT Bright, gleaming weapons Are housed out in broad daylight Squishing my brain waves. The HAARP research facility in Alaska houses top secret weaponry that is utilized to down aircraft and trigger massive power outages, for meteorological manipulation, and to instigate "natural" disasters. The power housed at HAARP can be used to control minds and produce effects in humans that are indistinguishable from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Gulf War Syndrome. Electrically charged white amber, violet, sage, mint, and neroli flanked by dazzling metals and shining wires. This starts out as a very sharp herbal metallic mint and pretty much stays that way through the drydown. I was hoping the white amber and violet would be able to save they day but they weren't able to do me any favors this time. They were both just completely overpowered by mint and sage and something very similar to the "electrical fire" note I described in Aurora Spacesihp Takes a Dive but with more of an electrical/ozoney rather than a burning feel. It does indeed evoke "dazzling metals and shining wires" , but the olfactory "shine" is so bright, at least on my skin, that it's almost blinding, much like Volt but without the leather and less masculine. As it dries down further, it settles into metal/ozone, mint and sage, in that order. I imagine it would be a brilliant scent for people who really like those blends that have you wide awake in half a second, but it's just not for me personally.

Being Greek of course I had to get a perfume named Clytemnestra. This definitely doesn't disappoint; it's a shadowy, scent worthy of its namesake. There is rose in here, but it's a dark, velvety rose that is soft and subtle, no dry screeching rose that makes me sneeze. It could possibly be white rose too, which I may have interprted as dark because of the other dark florals. The rose really just lays a backdrop for other dark and exotic florals--to my nose it seems like tuberose and a dark type or orchid though I could be wrong. There may even be a hint of violet. These are really the stars of the scent along with a bit of dark fruit that I'm taking to be blackcurrant, maybe even a hint of plum; there is definitely a "purple" feel here but it's more like a purple-tinged twilight rather than a juicy/fruity purple. It actually reminds me of Autumn and Winter without the cold/fallen leaves elements with the gauzy, enigmatic quality of Kataskopia that I adore.

I really, really wanted to love this because--ectoplasm! Ghostbusters! Unfortunately my skin doesn't let me because it amps all lemon verbena, all the time. My best guess, taking my body chemistry aside, is that this is related to Embalming Fluid with that lemony, slightly green finish but much stronger. I think, that under all the lemon verbena being amped, there is white musk somewhere in here. I'm also wondering whether it's only lemon verbena I'm amping or also elemi, because there is a slightly bitter undertone here that I often get from elemi which strangely mimics real-life lemon peel, but doesn't show up on me that way from lemon peel notes in a blend. There is also something slightly sweet countering that--not vanilla, my best guess would be either some sort of sugar note or the sweetness of a resin. I appreciate how Beth tried to capture that eerie yellow-green color we often associate with ectoplasm in a bottle, but my skin just can't cooperate enough to pick out all the facets of the scent. *This was part of a set of protos all titled "seance"-something out for testing at NYCC. Not sure what collection this belongs to--mods, please go ahead and add it if you know!

CONEY ISLAND CREEK The scent of silty, thick water, mud flats, and rusted ancient shipwrecks. This actually doesn't smell muddy and swampy at all but like a fresh green aquatic with a good dose of salty sea air. It's not really for me but I can appreciate how it sticks to the inspiration without actually smelling like mud and rust. If you like sea breeze type scents you will love this one.

THE ARBOR He seems to be a god, that man Facing you, who leans to be close, Smiles, and, alert and glad, listens To your mellow voice And quickens in love at your laughter That stings my breasts, jolts my heart If I dare the shock of a glance. I cannot speak, My tongue sticks to my dry mouth, Thin fire spreads beneath my skin, My eyes cannot see and my aching ears Roar in their labyrinths. Chill sweat glides down my back, I shake, I turn greener than grass. I am neither living nor dead and cry From the narrow between. (Sappho, translation by Guy Davenport) Shuddering, thundering, passionate: red musk, East African red patchouli, tonka bean, white gardenia, black narcissus, champaca flower, Roman chamomile, and massoia bark. This throbs with passion like the poem: the initial thunderclap of red musk remains prominent throughout, but as it dries down it allows the beauty of the other elements to shine. The floral element here holds its own, with the shadows of black narcissus counterbalanced by the lovely humid exotic feel lent to it by the white gardenia and champaca flower, all shot through with a vein of sensuous red patchouli. The tonka and massoia bark make for a warm, slightly sweet and slightly woody undertone. I don't really amp chamomile, so it isn't that prominent on my skin; it's probably intermingling with the florals. Red musk lovers, you cannot miss this one. Cannot.

An eccentric genius and leader of the superhero team The Paradigm, Qubit can meld and shape technology with a gesture, allowing him to create whatever he can envision. Gleaming metal, electrical discharge, and a whiff of tinny cologne. I knew this wasn't going to be my thing personally, but I'm always up for trying things, especially when they're right in front of me on the Lab table. It's very much like a bracing burst of fresh air at first sniff. There is definitely lots of ozone, to the point that I actually feel there's a sharp crisp wind hitting the tip of my nose. It definitely is the metallic scent the description states, though metallics usually don't come out very "metallic" per se on my skin but either ozoney or incensey, and this was the first one. As it dries down further I get the hint of cologne, which is the fresh and aquatic type. I'm not exactly sure what comprises the "electrical discharge" but there seems to be a kick in it somewhere--not pungent or unpleasant, just a sort of olfactory spark that sets your senses awake. I would say it's pretty unisex. Not really for me, but glad I got to try it; I can imagine I'd enjoy smelling it on a boyfriend when said boyfriend actually materializes.

When I first smelled this I immediately thought leather, paper and ink--which I was dead on about--but there was something else, something sinister int he background that I just couldn't figure out. I didn't have a list of notes in front of me at the time but actually reading them for the first time, I see what it is that I had a hard time putting my finger on. It was the ghostly chill. Kind of like Beth's snow note, but more....evil, if you will. I love anything that smells like old books, especially haunted old books, so this is right up my dark and twisted alley.

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!

This one takes me straight to summer! It' a fresh cherry and almond scent that makes me think of sitting outside and eating just-cracked almonds and cherries that are in season. Since most almond scents tend to have a cherryish tinge on me that only makes the two notes work together even better. The almond note here isn't a roasted or caramelized almond note, or marzipan, but quite literally like sticking your nose to the actual nut. The cherry is a tart red cherry, like bing cherry rather than black cherry. It's very cheerful and is making me crave sunshine and the warmer weather that should be just around the corner. For a vampire like me to say that, you know it must be good.

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.