ellebelle

This was another sample that my kind witch sent to me from C2E2. I normally hate red musk, so I was hesitant to try this on my skin but I was cheered when I couldn't smell any red musk in the imp - and, as it turns out, I couldn't really smell it on my skin. Typically the red musk overwhelms blends and makes them unpalatable for me, but this was fine. The "metal" gave it kind of a soapy feel, particularly at the beginning. The dry down was a sweet aquatic amber. Kind of odd honestly, but not bad. I'll keep my sample, but I don't think I'll be investing in a bottle.

This is absolutely stunning. The Velvets didn't make my short list of scents that I desperately wanted to try, but a sample from C2E2 mysteriously made it into my package from my witch! When this first goes out, there is a serious citrus edge to it - kind of lemony and it burned my nostrils a bit when I inhaled deeply. (I amp lemon like crazy.) Almost immediately that backed down into a seriously well blended scent. I get the musk, the amber, the violet leaf, the sweetness from the incense + ylang ylang. It's a sultry scent, one I would pair with a black dress for going out. Totally beautiful and absolutely bottle-worthy.

Mmmm, dandelion. I love the "grassy" scents, and I knew I would love this one. It reminds me strongly of Fairy Wine and Enchanted Wood Florist, only spicier with the dandelion taking center stage. This will certainly be in heavy rotation for spring as it is very evocative of a spring day, grassy and green, just after the rains. Perfection.

This is a strong vanilla scent, definitely in the same general family as Antique Lace on me. There is a rootbeer float stage, but as it dries, the sasparilla adds a kind of herbal, dry undertone, taming the vanilla. It is GORGEOUS and I totally understand why they sold out!

I'll have to see: a) how this one ages; and b ) how it smells when I'm not semi-stuffed up! But on me, this is veeeeeeeeery powdery. Usually amber behaves on my skin, but this is powdery all the way through. Very talcum-y. It's not an immediate reject, but it's not the immediate love I was hoping for. I get no jasmine, no dark fruits ... just powder - likely amber + gun powder. Oh well.

This must have one of the same honeys as Crib Girls because I get ... LEMON OF DOOM. This is beautiful until the lemon amps up and drowns out the rest of the prettiness. This *is* very similar to Echo and The Harp of Cnoc.

This is pretty - a sexy, slinky blend in the same family (at least to me). I find that the vetiver behaves just fine in this and the sandalwood isn't overpowering. I also do not get the black current, and I would have liked more tonka in this. I think in the winter, this will be fabulous but it's a little dark for the spring for me. As it dries down there is an odd powdery note that I'm not super fond of. Right now, the jury is out. I may keep, or I might try and swap for a different Sakuracon scent.

Sugared, spiced plums. This smells much, much better on than in the imp.

I knew this was going to be made of WIN by the notes, and I was right. When it goes on, there is a burst of vanilla and light florals. As it dries, this turns sweeter with a musky base. I agree with fairnymph - this does smell like there is some kind of fruit in it, although it could be the tuberose. There is a similar sweetness in here as I have smelled in Ded Moroz, which has to be the tuberose. There is a touch of powder from the grey amber, but I would never call this blend powdery. This is a sweet, innocent smelling perfume, perfect for a spring day.

Wow. Wet, this is .... awful on me. There is a sharp, burning note in this that drowns out everything else. Whatever it is, it is the same note that I smell in the wet stage of Black Orchid v3 that I thought was vetiver, but not I am not so sure. No vanilla, no narcissus (which tends to be bearably sharp on me - I love in First Soft Snow). Just .... the smell of burning. As it dries, I get the vanilla and a touch of some powdery, herbal combination. It actually settles down nicely! Into a slinky, femme fatale blend with just a hint of the sharpness in the back. Yes, all in all, this reminds me strongly of Black Orchid v3 on my skin. I think I like it! If I can get through the wet stage of OMG BURNING. ETA: The burning, and yes definitely anise-y smell is back. BOO. ETA2: Hours later, it still smells like burning! If only it smelled like that smell in the middle of the dry down. Alas, to the swaps.

Apples and jasmine, which is beautiful on my skin. Then, the drydown? SANDALWOOD OF DO0M! The sandalwood just dries out this scent for me and overwhelms the more delicate scents of the fruits and florals. Will pass this on.

This is a high, white floral on me. There is no creaminess, or milkiness on my skin. As it dries, the flowers go sharp and astringent and start to smell a little like a dryer sheet. I'm sure on some people this is beautiful, but I am not one of those people.

Wet: ZOMG FIR AND BALSAM. Wet this is a very sappy, pine-y, astringent scent. However ... Drydown: On me, this morphs almost immediately. As soon as it dries, the apple blossom comes out and starts to dominate the scent, along with another floral (I guess the champaca?) and the fir and balsams quickly give way. They are still there, but only to ground the scent. This ends up being very pretty, a sweet, earthy floral. I quite like this, and it is definitely the surprise of the luper decants I got! I think apple blossom might be one of my favorite notes.

Snake oil is very bad on me and I've tried aged and fresh. I have tried five different snake oil blends: Cake Smash, Boomslang, Australian Copperhead, Coral Snake and Womb Furie. I found that Cake Smash, Copperhead and Coral Snake were different enough from regular snake oil to be good on me. I particularly like Coral Snake which really smells nothing at all like Snake oil. Womb Furie smelled just like snake oil on me, but with honey and Boomslang smelled just like Snake Oil, but with chocolate. But YMMV.

VETIVER. Wait, is there anything else in this? It smells like burning. I scrubbed and scrubbed, but it didn't go away.

Bright, fizzy cranberry with mint. There is a touch of herbalness to this, which is likely the thyme. As it dries down, there is a bit of the creaminess of the tobacco flower. I never get a very woody scent on this, which is good for me because I normally amp it. Very nice!

This is all rich honey and quince and vanilla and orange and cognac. It has a sexy, creamy sweetness to this. I LOVE this.

I thought I was going to love this on. The wet stage is all peach and tea and loveliness. But then it dries to kind of an odd, dry scent which weirdly reminds me of how Bakeneko dries down on me too. I don't know - this was a disappointment.

I weirdly like this. I ordered this because I generally like the pear note and I do like jasmine. On me, this is a slightly earthy, woody pear - sweet (but not in a foody way) and feminine. For once, the sandalwood does not dominate the blend. I never really get much pepper in this. I agree that this smells almost effervescent. A surprise-like, maybe even a bottle.

Lemon with a touch of blackberry. I actually like this, but it is one of those scents that my boyfriend pronounces "floor cleaner" with an upturned nose. I'll probably hold onto the decant, but not sure how much wear it will get.

This starts out so beautifully … and then the licorice. I love vanilla, I love cherry blossoms, and this has kind of a thick and creamy pink scent on the initial application. The dry down becomes ALL licorice on me.

I LOVE this scent. This is a wet, sappy, grassy scent with citrus overtones. It reminds me a bit of fairy market in the green florals. It is a very powerful scent, good throw. It definitely doesn't have any "musty" florals in it (violet, lavender, rose) - all bright flowers. I suspect there is a some dandelion in this and possibly something like lily. One of my favorites.I LOVE this scent. This is a wet, sappy, grassy scent with citrus overtones. I suspect there is a some dandelion in this and bergamot perhaps? Grapefruit? It reminds me a bit of fairy market in its green floral feel. It is a very powerful scent, good throw. It definitely doesn't have any "musty" florals in it (violet, lavender, rose) - all bright flowers. One of my favorites.

Neroli must be the type of orange blossom oil that is really bad on me as this smells like urine and hay. NOT what I want to smell like. I don't know what it is about neroli in particular, but all orange blossom, that just goes utterly rancid on my skin.

Powder, mustiness, pepper. No, no, no. Veeeeeery masculine. On the drydown, the honey starts to peek forward towards the end as does the rice flower and this gets prettier on me, but I have so many other honey scents that I appreciate more.

The musk just overwhelms the beautiful sparkling tangerine note. This is definitely not the same as Lillith vs. the Giant Crab - the tangerine there was kind of sandy whereas this one is bright, sparkling, even a little boozy. But the musk just totally overwhelms this, making it unappealing for me.