Ah Xia

I spent Christmas 2002 in Hong Kong. It was amazing! It is absolutely a place full of nooks and crannies and bizarre juxtapositions. I would love to go back there someday.

Did you once live in Hong Kong? I love that city! I had to get Fire Pig, too. I'm all about lunar new year scents!

I love the heart! That is so sweet!

I am fairly shy too. I always read but often don't know what to say or figure it won't matter to someone if I say something because they don't "know" me. It's a problem I carry into real life too, assuming others won't care about me because they have no reason too. I find I'm often surprised when others are nice to me or notice me, because most of the time, I feel like I'm invisible. I don't really like showboating for attention, either. I'm easily embarressed. Even on the internets. Or maybe especially on the internets. But I do read and care even if I don't throw myself into the fray sometimes.

This video has it all! Coats with huge shoulders, 80s obsession with legs, models, George Michael! Thanks for sharing!

Let's hear it for deconstructed cravats!

Holy hell! This is mucho cinnamon! It means business!!!! I kinda wished Shub smelled like this, too. Usually I don't like cinnamon but this is such a ferocious assault of uber-cinnamon it kind of works for me! It is rich, in your face, and dry. Not sweet like Red Hots candy. This is a really commanding blend -- and I think if you were really into the LE Shub that was more gingerbready, this might really work for you.

Whoa. This is super rich and foody. Chocolate, caramel, buttercream, sugary explosion. There is something grounding it all to keep it in check, sort of an incensy undertone to it. It is like a delicious well-crafted confection, almost a bit hazelnutty, too. What strikes me is how well it's balanced. Usually I don't like foody scents but whatever the base is makes a lovely pairing. This is worth trying especially if you are a foody, nutty rich scents lover.

This is, hands down, the best aquatic I've encountered! It's definitely green and frothy like falling into a tangle of kelp in a salty crystalline sea, and being caught up in the strands, the spray... No one note stands out to me. This a beautiful blend! If you love oceanic scents, you must pick this one up.

If you liked HGM, but thought it was too sweet, then this is perfect for you! It's HGM's older, wiser brother. It almost has that "Asian-inspired" feel to it, probably because of the citrus rind, sandalwood. This is a nicely dry, desolate sort of blend, but fruity at the same time. I really like this one, the ozone doesn't give me a headachey feel like it can sometimes, and the sharp verbena and citrus match really well with the sandalwood. A perfect winter blend for those who aren't so into pine or snowy notes. A+!

This is a very quiet scent -- it smells very similar to Hungry Ghost Moon, without the citrus. It's like having tea under the cherry blossoms with a quiet breeze, a lazy spring afternoon.

This is the sexiest oil I've ever worn. On me it is slightly sweet (coconut, perhaps--but not the plasticky coconut note that I'm used to), and a dark woodsy smell, boozy (but not too boozey) undercurrent... I love this oil! It's like walking into a dark panelled bar with swaying lamps and smokey haze and laughter and sultry tones of men and women laughing...just like the picture, and the gritty but aged tone of a wooden ship in the background. This is so different from any other BPAL I've tried, and I was so conflicted whether to get it or not since the notes don't usually agree with me (coconut, leather, booze) but this is AMAZING!!!!! You must try it.

Ah, this blog thing is very handy! And since you graciously (and shockingly!) came to read my blog, I find myself here. I completely emphathize with your goal to de-stash! I have moved so much in the past few years that most of my excess is passed on to other places but I still have 5 huge tubs full of yarn that I probably have no intention of knitting (because I always buy new yarn, it seems) and we have an excess of dinnerware because my husband is obsessed with having the "right" glass for the right drink.

On me the wintergreen is the most prominent note, reminding me of Vinland. According to my husband: "Wah! It's like the evil bastard brother of candy!"

Wow, this smells really *strange* in the bottle, but compelling! It definitely has sugar and lavandar, but also sage? I get this weird, oddly comforting "turkey stuffing" note out of it. Maybe it's just my imagination but this stuff seems really soothing and I can't wait to test it out.

In the bottle, this smells *exactly* like LUSH's Youki-Hi bath bomb, in the bottle, which is a huge plus for me since that's my favorite one! On my skin, it's a lovely blend of jasmine and tea, and it seems "reddish" in the bottle instead of what you'd think would be a white floral. Beautiful!

Strange scent -- on me I can smell the dark almost vetiver like note, and then flashes of something like jonquil or narcissus. And something citrusy. It's very bizarre, but I think I love it! It smells oddly familiar.

This scent really conjures up the essence of the painting -- you have just stumbled across an abandoned abbey, dusk is falling faster than you realized, and the snow leaves a heavy silence across the land where none has tread before you. There's mint in this but it's not a happy-let-me-garnish-your-iced-tea mint, it's a dark mint which almost comes off smelling like pine for some reason. It's not too ozone-y and there is a sort of sweetness to it (must be the white musk?) You get a sense of the still air and the aura of someplace that's been forgotten. This is my favorite blend of the Salons for far. I love the painting and I love this perfume. Well done!

According to DH, "Whoa! That smells just like Powers Farm Stand!" which is one of our favorite autumnal places. On my skin it's almost a fruity smoky scent. I can see where people are getting the ripening wheat, apples and pomegranates, backed with Lunar goodness. Oh why oh why didn't I get 2 bottles of this? Beautiful!

Strangler Fig is the best fig scent, IMHO -- I love it!

Bright citrusy lemon, with a rich undertone. This on me smells *exactly* like lemon curd, or a delicious lemon meringue pie. Mmmmm.

I second Scylla! This is my favorite Lunacy of all the ones I have smelled, and it smells the most different, too. It's a wonderful smoky rich grapefruit with thick sugary undertones, and the slightest hint of something green and herbal on my skin. It reminds me of Taiwan, where I once lived, with the richness of the scent and the wonderful combination of notes. It smells familiar, comforting and exotic all at the same time. You must get your hands on this scent! If you don't usually go for the Lunacies, this one is really different, truly a masterpiece!

CCXXIX -- When I first got the cap off, it smelled like lovely light florals, nothing standing out too much, just a nice blend. On my wrist it smells very light, like a true skin scent, and I detect maybe water lilies or spring flowers? A slight edge of something faintly green, and something a bit powdery, maybe amber. There's also a slight aquatic edge to it. A very light, beautiful fragrance and perfect for the weather we've been having! ETA: This scent is totally soothing and light, like aloe vera. I feel very peaceful smelling and wearing it, and it almost has the same feel as some of the lunar oils. Hmm. But it's not really me at all, I like lots of throw and a scent with presence...so off to swaps, alas.

I was attracted at first to this scent because the little poem in the descriptor is one of a very few I can recite in Chinese...it's a very lovely one, and goes well with this scent. All I can think of is pulpy green dripping bamboo on moonlit snow. As many others have said, this is a truly unique scent and is red, green and white in color to my mind. Chuang qian ming yue guang...

Beautiful rosey-cinnamon scent--I love the smell of roses, and the cinnamon makes it spicier and more complicated. Unfortunately, the cinnamon also gave me huge red welts on my arms where it was applied, so I think I will have to find myself a scent locket, because I LOVE this scent...