bellumed

Sweetened woods, very nice. Actually smells like a wafer on my skin. Digging it! Changes on drydown into something more herbal. Hard to put my finger on exactly what that is. Eventually it kinda evens out: a little sweet, a little herbal. Odd, but I think I like it. All in all I’d say this is a pretty unisex scent.

A little Playdough, but mostly sugar and ginger. Smells a little like a sugar cookie on my skin, with the honey (and greenery?) coming out a bit more. It doesn’t smell bad at all, but… I normally like foodies; this one just plain doesn’t interest me.

So many notes, yet such a light and simple fruity scent! The primary note I’m getting is lychee. Mmm, that melon candyish goodness. On my skin, though, the oakmoss comes out and suddenly that lovely fruitiness is gone! Well, it’s drifted into the background. But lo, on drydown it returns, yay. It’s playing nicely with the oakmoss now. This is a soft, fruity smell with a touch of effervescence. Truly beautiful.

SUPER FOODIE! Delicious, oozing caramel with spices. Nuts and pastry on my skin. Not getting much in the way of “cinnamon roll,” sadly.

Very soft, edible mint. People have compared it to the Lick It series, but I find this much more pleasant and less “toothpaste”-scented. The greenery is present but light. Only when it’s dry can I get any of the sour rosewood and greenery mentioned above. This is surprisingly masculine upon drydown, though definitely not unwearable for a woman. Not very strong.

Lemon, lavender, citronella. Smells tasty! Also very cool-smelling, minty, which would be the nutsedge, I believe. Distinctly herbal and a bit “harder” on my skin. Dominant vibe is planty, minty, a touch medicinal. Once it’s dry, I get some of the lemon back, too. This is unconventional but very likeable.

Foodie with just a hint of something bitter. On my skin, it’s more specifically pumpkin and coffee. Not especially sweet. On drydown, lightly woody, then the cologne comes creeping out. I can see where people are getting “salty,” yes. Dry, wooden, and with slightly bitter coffee. I would call it unisex, maybe a touch masculine.

Dry, musky bergamot, reminds me of tea. Ambergris comes out on the skin, bringing a mildly animalic edge to the blend. Finally, on drydown, I can smell a woody scent in there as well. This is certainly unisex (I'd be really curious to smell this on a guy), dry, and light. Pleasant.

Hmm, what event was this from?

Firsts sniffs: Dark, resinous. Benzoin. Some dry woods in there too.

The sand note comes through loud and clear on my skin. All that sensual resinous perfume went wandering through the desert. Super dry now. Oh, then it morphs a little and a honeylike sweetness comes out. This is sexy as hell and totally charming. This woman can get whoever she wants, and she knows it.

235: Foodie mint reminiscent of a Peppermint Patty. Smooth with a little chocolate. Something else comes out on my skin. Something almost… floral? Definitely green. My mind keeps thinking “dandelion.” The blend is very clean smelling, between the mint and the flowers.

Boozy vanilla and woodmoss. Smells kind of like furniture polish on my skin (I think that might be the tea being unfriendly in combination with the other notes) with hints of coconut. Aaaaabsolutely not for me.

Soft vanilla and apple, maybe a little honeysuckle. It does smell like summer, but not a big fruity or beachy scent—this one is for draping yourself over the fainting couch and reading a book in the heat and humidity. As someone above said, it sparkles rather than fizzes. Tobacco comes out faintly on my skin, then opium poppy pokes its head out, smelling kind of flat. I really preferred the bottle scent, so this one might not be for me.

Very soothing, with a powdery-creamy sweetness. I can smell herbs in the background, but they’re unobtrusive, just giving a little kick. This doesn’t smell like a candle, but it brought one to mind: a white taper, a ritual candle, flickering in the low light of evening. Extremely mild.

Orange spice soap, then the grass note grows as it dries. Bub smells like freshly washed clothes, dried on the line and all warm from the sun.

I know a several people have thrown around apples and lotus, and yes, I’d agree with that. The Hanged Man is bright and clean and fruity. On skin, it has perfumed soapiness and an odd fruit-musk. I don’t know that I’d match it up with the card, which I think would be gloomier. But actually, as it develops it does become more sedate. Certainly the apple makes sense; you can just picture it dangling from a tree, swinging in the breeze like the Hanged Man himself.

Soft orange-pink citrus, then florals open up on skin and the citrus becomes a little bitter. This is pretty, but nothing too memorable.

Lighter than I would have expected and pleasantly spicy! Tickly ginger, cardamom, and tea. A little more fennel than I like on drydown but at least the licorice isn’t being obnoxious. After a couple of hours, peppercorn becomes the dominant note. Not an all-time favorite, but I would wear it again.

Honeyed greenery with an edge of citrus. Then, wet, honey powder and some funky-smelling orris and moss. This is smelling a bit sweaty, tbh, not a fan. On the drydown, it loses the dirtiness and takes on more of a floral musk, but it's still sort of powdery and dull. I think I'll pass.

I have Elspethdixon’s bottle (hello!) so no chocolate sludge, but fortunately I LOVE lemon! So the blast of creamy lemon I get is pure goodness. It reminds me of a subtler, less sugary version of Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat. The bourbon makes this a little “polish”-like fresh on my skin, but it eases quickly and leaves behind custard, clean lemon, and a strong rose that eventually takes hold as the most powerful note. Not an all-time favorite, but more delight than consternation for me.

Lots of sticky cacao I have to tap and roll to dislodge from the bottom. This smells, oooh, mystical. A witch’s ritual performed out in the barn. Drydown is salty ash and an air of pepper.

Foodie and creamy with a pop of citrus; it's not literally fizzy, but that’s the word that came to mind. Light and bright. Wow, this smells perfect for me.

Smells like breakfast on my skin, as the above post mentioned, something smoky… alongside something oddly clean, which settles back into the lemon cake on drydown.

And then, and then…!

Playdough. Sonofabitch.

If Tootsie Roll Industries put out a cologne, this would be it. The chocolate slowly burns off on drydown, leaving behind “fuzzy” oudh and musk. Oleander sneaks up and takes over (accompanied by sandalwood), a clean and floral note that doesn’t lessen the masculinity. Not for me but nice.

Imp: splash of juicy pomegranate and tamarind, followed up by something powdery and a touch bitter.

Skin: Soft lavender and wood, much drier fruits. It's cozy, kind of a "laid back" scent. Pleasant.

I think White Light is a good choice. Take a look at Peace, too (soothes frazzled nerves, brings serenity to the heart and tranquility to the home).

And it's a little less direct about eliminating dread, but you may also find courage blends useful given that you're feeling paralyzed. Particularly Crucible of Courage (imbues you with enormous amounts of courage. Use this blend when you feel weak, scared, or intimidated. Helps you find the strength to confront dangerous or frightening situations). Maybe also Wolf's Heart or Lionheart?

It smells perfectly drool-worthy in the imp, with a very prominent chocolate mint. The chocolate eases back on drydown, and while the mint is still distinctly at the front, it's brighter, more fresh and summery. Still sweet, and the citrus isn't obvious. This is a nice one!