batsy

In the bottle: Dry cocoa powder, with something I can't find a word to describe. Kinda musty and sharp.

On the skin: Very much chocolate. Very warm, too. Kind of like a cup of hot cocoa but with a warm furry note. I'm guessing that's the amber, although it more reminds me of a dog's fur then amber. Strange. Yes, smells like my cousin's German Shepherd. I really love it, don't get me wrong. It's just interesting to see what the scent triggers. (Kind of like how Cerberus reminded me of a dog dunked in rum. And I love Cerberus!)

Having been a fan of the original 2005 Beaver Moon (and owning a precious bottle of it) as well as being a life-long member of the Beaver State, this was a given. (note: I never tried the version of Beaver Moon that came between these.)

Review of 2008 Beaver'versay:

In the bottle: This is it! This is the original raised from the grave! The delicious, mouth-watering cheesecake with a hint of naughty!

On the skin: There is nothing bad one can say about this blend. The red velvet and cheesecake make this the quintessential foodie scent. It can be over-powering, depending on the amount you slather on yourself. But there is none to match Beaver Moon! Now excuse me, must go buy another bottle...

On the skin: Lime. Freshly cut. Delicious.

In the vial: It's quite curious, Shoggoth. I can smell the Chinese peony and the lime, but the curiously sweet part must be the coconut? I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by this scent. I haven't had much luck in the Arkham department but I really like Shoggoth. It's a foodie/fruity/floral. It's a pity my skin ate it so quickly but I'll definitely give it another try!

In the vial: Ah, carnation, my old enemy. We meet again!

On the skin: Yeah, that's lily. You can't mistake that note if you've ever spent any time around Easter lilies. It's all lily drowning out everything, until the dry down begins and carnation returns to assault me yet again. Why must you ruin things, carnation? Slowly but surely, the drier it gets, the white rose makes things play nicer but still... florals and I just do not mix.

In the vial: lemon-scented dish washing liquid. Eep?

On the skin: Whoa, I swear there's licorice in this. But I know there's not, so I'm not sure what's causing that. Maybe it's the teakwood? As it's begun to dry, the white tea/grapefruit/mint are really taking over. It's not something I could associate with Manhattan -- I've never been there; only seen it on TV and in movies -- but maybe someone who has would. It's certainly different and a complex blend of interesting notes.

In the vial: The first word that came to mind was "frothy". I assuming that was the grave loam. There's also frankincense.

On the skin: I don't do so well with florals; they're really hit-or-miss for me. It reminds me very much of sprays of flowers at a funeral, I'll give it that. The ylang ylang is screaming at me the more it dries down, with a not-so-subtle dollop of violet. The more it dries, the more it reminds me of old ladies' perfume. My great aunt's perfume, actually. May keep it for nostalgia purposes but I can't wear it.

In the vial: Expensive mens' cologne... okay. It's got spice. And is definitely an aquatic.

On the skin: Whoa, um, that's leather. Almost too much leather. Burns my nose a little. And there's the salt. Hrm, well, it's everything it's described to be, that's for sure. I would need a guy to slather this on to test this properly. Not bad, just not for me.

In the vial: sparkly grapefruit. Dare I say it smells like a freshly-opened can of Squirt?

On the skin: Very bright, still sparkly. Very much grapefruit on me, with a back note of apple. The tang of tea comes out as it dries down. Quite a blend. I like it!

In the vial: Very sweet and light. I'm pretty sure that's the sweet pea.

On the skin: Musky yet with a hint of a watery note. I get the sage the more it dries down. It's a very summery light scent. Quite beautiful.

In the vial: Dirty leather...? It took a minute before the rose kicked in. Actually smells like a horse's saddle. This is weird.

On the skin: Oh my god it's horses and leather. All heated skin and oats and hay. I'm so completely confused. On the dry down the jasmine kicked in. Jasmine is my number one note enemy. Blargh. Oh well.

In the vial: Lily, but not the standard, overpowering one. Also smells "dark".

On the skin: Okay now it's the standard Easter lily. Still not as overpowering as lily usually is on my skin. Also smells like spice; probably the lotus? I think I could actually wear this one. It's quite exotic.

In the vial: Very much hibiscus, a whiff of lily and green. More apple then fig. A good start.

On the skin: Fig. I have so much trouble with fig. As it sunk it, it got soapy and greener. The lily was still a prevailing note, about as overpowering as a room full of Easter lilies. Sad, wanted it to work but just too green/floral for me.

In the vial: Yeah, that's lotus blossom there!

On the skin: Well, my skin ate it. But what little is left is a soft mix of roses and lotus. Not my cup of tea but a very nice, feminine scent.

In the vial: Hrm. I'm not getting anything while sniffing the vial. Just a tiny bit of bitter herbs.

On the skin: Oh, there's the ozone! Yeah, another aquatic that soaks into my skin and does nothing. Poo. It reminds me of Thunder Moon, what little I can get.

In the vial: Liquor, but fresh. If that makes sense. And sweetness.

On the skin: There's definitely hints of Absinthe to this, but there's more to it. It really reminds me of a sugar cube dipped in lemon and set on fire. I had several birthday sundaes with a "candle" like that and it certainly invokes those memories. The tiny whiff of rose in the background is a nice touch. Yum!

In the vial: honey'd peaches with a whiff of cocoa.

On the skin: Oh... waaaay too cloying sweet for me. The patchouli gives it a bit of darkness and depth, but the sweetness of the peaches, honey, and neroli kills me. Kind of an interesting interpretation of a succubi, though. Very fitting.

In the vial: Really strong myrrh. Definitely dragon's blood.

On the skin: Holy cow dragon's blood. Oi. As it begins to dry down it gets very spicy with the clove, almost over-poweringly so. I've had very bad luck with all the Dragon blends (except Milk) but so far this is quite a lot like Dragon's Milk on me. I love clove and I don't get much cherry at all so this might get kept. A very strong blend over-all.

In the vial: Blood wine, very Lilith. With a tiny whiff of cocoa.

On the skin: Whoa... amber and cocoa and red wine. This is actually very very foodie. Eventually on the dry down the nicotiana comes out and amazingly I am not put off by the faint bit of patchouli. This is quite an intricate blend on me. The amber and nicotiana are making this for me. I'm delightfully surprised by this one.

In the vial: Blackened and burned lavender. Ugh.

On the skin: Well, that got replaced by burning tobacco... that's about it. It smells like a temple gone wrong. Swap.

In the vial: fresh cut pears with a golden hint of amber. Interesting.

On the skin: The tulip jumps out under the amber and pears. It's a very "springy" scent, bright, golden, green. It's quiet lovely, nice on a dreary winter's day. On the dry down it gets heavy on the sage, with the coriander wafting through. A very interesting blend indeed.

In the bottle: Dry and musky, wet. Hrm...

On the skin: Oh yummmmm. It's all warm fur and musk. I used to have some rabbit pelts and this is what they smelled like. It's dry and soft, and unfortunately my skin drinks it so it's got very little throw. It is similar to Coyote, but more girlie where Coyote is manly... if that makes sense. Definitely a keeper!

What little I remember from C13 was it didn't work. *desperately crosses fingers*

In the vial: Honeysuckle. *glares and angrily smacks decant* No!

On the skin: Ivy. Ok, that's better. It's very sour. This is also hindered by my nose being stuffed up. I'm getting dusty musk and some orchid. Maybe I can only wear it on nasal congestion days. I'll have to retest, but for now it's 50/50.

In the vial: Brightness. Like woah. Sandalwood and some florals.

On the skin: Lemony with amber. It's quiet nice. It doesn't smell like Pledge! As it drys down the hibiscus, various woods, and hydrangea come out to play. Very lovely!

In the vial: Mahogany before the clove swarmed up, yum!

On the skin: Earthy, woodsy. As it warms with my skin, the clove rushes up again. It does smell exactly like smoking clove cigarettes. This might become a bottle for me. Lovely!

This is one of my favorite paintings, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

In the vial: Lavender, with something golden. Very manly.

On the skin: My skin ate it. What little I can pick up is lavender and musk. It's not bad, certainly a mens' blend.