forspecial_plate

This is a good, good scent. As spicy scents go, I like some of them and dislike others. I like Shub, of course, among some others. However, there are just as many that I don't like.....Saw-Scaled Viper and Smiling Spider (really wanted to like this but it's woody and sour on me), for example. Anyway, this one works. Just the right combination of smooth, sweet, and spicy. The big shot of vanilla really makes this scent for me. It almost reminds me of Snake Oil's vanilla, especially because it has great lasting power. I applied 5 hours ago and it's still wafting up from time to time. I don't pick up on the pine at all, which is fine.....I do like that note, but I recognize that it's just supporting in this scent. Definitely worth picking up a bottle before the Carnaval leaves town!

I like a few citrus scents, but this one comes across candy sweet. The floral notes are a bit high pitched for me, too. Overall, just not for me.

I confess that now, two years after the quoted post, I've used all of these alone and in combination to wash off scents. I was such a newbie when I said that......(once I was hand-washing some white shirts and conveniently stuck my hands in the bleachy water just to get rid of a scent I was trying.....still, the bleach gave me a rash : /) Anyway, I find that a lot of washing off strips the oil from my skin completely. Then I can't test anything for a while....the oil just gets sucked right up by my skin, and the scent is distorted.

I'm not a huge fan of sweet and fruity scents (there are exceptions), so imagine my surprise when I loved this scent. It's funny because I was perusing the reviews, thinking 'that sounds rather nice, I can't believe I haven't tried it yet'. The very next day, I recieved my pending lab order, and this was among the free samples! It does have a major sweet/fruity/almost bubblegum feeling going on, but somehow it manages to also be warm and slightly spicy, I guess because of the herbs and amber. Whatever is going on, I really like it. I could wear this in warm weather but I think it would be extra-scrumptious in the fall. Maybe a bottle candidate? I'll try it a few more times and decide.

I like this scent a lot, and I think I smelled just about all the notes listed while wearing it. It's somewhat related to F5, but more humid (but cool at the same time), rounder, more full-bodied, and definitely fruity. I really like the musk, it stands out but is different from other musks that I'm familiar with. I tend to wear these kinds of scents to work, because they seem a bit more traditional and I don't need to worry about offending anyone. I may be tracking down more of this. I'd say if you read the description and think that you'll like this, you probably will!

This scent is wonderful! I'm not sure why I didn't have any interest at first, probably because of honeysuckle and orris. But a kind soul sent me a sniffie, and I love it! I actually like jasmine, especially when the weather is hot and humid. It behaves in this blend and allows the other notes to play too. There is a slight touch of powder which I attribute to orris, but it's not so bad. If it were any more powdery I wouldn't like it, but as it is, it's just right. I really can't pick out other notes here, it's just all blended together. Gender neutral is how I would describe this. For some reason I'm reminded of Lysander, just a little. I agree that the scent matches the dreamy 'green' tone of the portrait. I could see wearing this to work (applied lightly), to a party, even a formal occasion. I've already snagged a decant, and who knows....I may end up with more before all is said and done. This could be a new favorite! Just goes to show how little I can predict what I'm going to like.

CV (105) Light honeyed floral scent with rose and perhaps some herbs. This goes on like a light floral, with a hint of herbal bite. As it dries/warms up, there is a sweetness that I'm pretty sure is honey. Although I usually dislike honey, this one is so light it doesn't bother me. That's why I think it might be a white honey note. After a while, a very soft rose comes out. When I first wore it, it took about 20 minutes for me to even recognize the rose.....it takes that long to come out. So, this is nowhere near the rose of, say, Rose Red. But I do smell rose, and it's a nice one.....stops short of soapy or powdery. This is so pretty, and I know there's more complexity than what I'm describing. While it's definitely not a 'me' scent, I find it very appealing and it was great fun to explore the scent.

My batteries are dead so I can't take pics. The label is black, with gold/yellowish orange print, and a subtle fractal pattern winding through the background. The roman numerals are hand-written in metallic gold ink. I'm sure someone will post pics soon...

Continuing my previous posts.....how could I overlook the Snake Pit? I bought the whole thing when it first came out, swapped out a couple of those bottles (Asp Viper, Banded Sea Snake, Green Tree Viper, Australian Copperhead....okay, more than a couple), and I still want to get rid of Saw-Scaled Viper, eventually. But with the ones that I've kept, I doubt that I will need any kind of Snake Oil-related scent again, ever.......especially since I have 2 bottles of Snake Oil itself 'cellared' (and it's hard to believe one of them will be 2 years old in November!). Oh and I swapped that imp of Anaconda for Doc Buzzard, a worthy trade in my opinion. So unless Snake Charmer is re-released, I am good on Snakey scents for a long, long time. At the rate I wear oils, I may never use them up completely.

Inez and Aeronwen are both bottle worthy. And Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn. Have to re-try all of those, and again, make some decisions. Carnaval Diabolique is totally worth a bottle, so I have that one to consider as well. And I haven't even tried Isaac yet!! : / On the plus side, I have a nice, completely full, well-aged bottle of Mme. Moriarty that I love. Ditto Midnight On The Midway and Antonino. The big problem is Chaos Theory. I've been wanting a new round of CT for a long, long time......and I really want at least 6 or 7 bottles, possibly more. There is no way I can get all of this stuff, I just can't swing it. I think I'm actually pushing aside CD in favor of CT. CD will be around longer (and we still have more acts), and CT will only be around for a few weeks. And Chaos Theory is just so.......special! It's like my own little bottle of uniqueness, and a complete surprise, and just fun, fun, fun. So there ya go, I guess my decision is made. Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a Chaotic ride!!

As we all know, the Carnaval is leaving town very soon. I have a pretty decent selection of CD scents that I like, even a few bottles. Now is the time to get off the fence and decide on a couple that I've been waffling over. I had a decant of Wulric the Wolfman, and I did like it a lot. For some reason I swapped it or gave it away, I can't remember....probably because I thought I would end up getting a bottle. Well, I still haven't, and time is running out. I have a bottle of Doc Constantine, but it's only half full, and I'm wondering if I should get more or just leave it at that. .......actually now it's getting busy here at work, more later.

After reading other reviews, I really wanted to like this, because sometimes I have a thing for the underdog. This doesn't seem to be a hugely popular scent! At first application, I smell something close to juniper, and it reminds me a lot of Golden Priapus. It's woodsy and a little sharp, but doesn't have a whole lot of throw. I agree that it leans to the masculine side, and I actually like it. I kept wondering when the hazelnut would come out, and it finally did, bringing a hint of powdery sweetness to the blend. I tend to amp sweet notes like crazy so I kind of expected hazelnut to ruin the scent for me, and it almost does. It's just shy of too sweet and a little powdery somehow. Still, an interesting combination and not bad on my skin. Overall, this scent is not offensive at all, and I actually kind of like it. It didn't quite work its way into my favorites, but I'll keep my little leaky imp and wear it again a few times.

I thought of Manhattan right away, too! Very subtle and refined.

Interesting.....I've tried this repeatedly over a few months, and it hasn't changed. It's nearly a frankincense single-note for me. The other notes all seem to be just supporting the frankincense. If I concentrate I can pick out little flashes of the other notes, but not enough to identify anything. I bet if I tested this side by side with frankincense essential oil, the other notes would pop out more. Maybe I'll try that just out of curiosity. I like frankincense a lot, so it's all good!

This is a dry, spicy scent. I am not a huge fan of carnation, but I like it sometimes. But for this scent, I think you have to be kind of commited to carnation! Overall I think it makes this a slightly more feminine, powdery blend than I usually enjoy. I may hang on to my decant, because I think the notes will develop nicely with age.

When I wore Ra (and also when my 1 imp leaked all over the place), it had a lot of orange blossom or neroli.

I definitely agree with many already mentioned, especially Penny Dreadful and Jolasveinar. And I'll add a couple: Laudanum...."Nutmeg, sassafras, black poppy and myrrh." Mad Hatter..."A gentlemen's lavender-citron cologne unhinged by the feral pungence of black musk and a paroxysm of pennyroyal." The Robotic Scarab...."Polished metallic notes, glossy leather, frankincense, star anise, and thin lubricating oils." The Music Of Eric Zahn...."ajowan, vetiver, black musk, opoponax, mimosa, and tamarind." I agree that the whole Arkham category has some pretty offbeat scents. For that matter, Shub-Niggurath is pretty unusual ("The lust incense of a corrupted Astarte. A blend of ritual herbs and dark resins, shot through with three gingers and aphrodisiacal spices"). Incubus...."Spectral white musk and the heart-stopping chill of sheared mint, fanned by caramel-touched body heat, and the diabolical sensuality of black musk, nicotiana, and sage." This scent actually gave me the creeps, although I do like how it smells. *shrugs*

This is a sooty and dusky grey scent, and it reminds me a little bit of Bat and Bat Woman. But this has feathers instead of fur and skin. : ) Loved having the chance to try this scent. I like amber usually, and verbena too. I think what I'm getting from this is mostly floral and herbs, with a background of amber. I don't get much verbena at all, and nothing fruity like I might expect from davana. Thanks so much to the wonderfully generous forum member who sent me this! : )

I've accidentally tasted them too, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to repeat the experience. : /

Even though there's not much in the way of sweetness listed in the description, I get a definite vibe of either apple or honey from Samhainophobia, much like the sweet notes in Samhain. I'm curious on what you end up wearing, keep us updated!

I noticed right away something reminiscent of both Midway and Midnight On The Midway......slightly sugary with incense. But I found this much lighter than M On The M. In fact, this scent seems to shift like crazy on my skin, never really settling into something that I can get a grasp of. Very light, not much ozone, and slightly herbal. Other than that, it seems to want to run away from my nose. I can tell something is there but it's hard to describe what I'm smelling. Reading back over the notes, I expected something like Midnight On The Midway, but darker. This doesn't smell as I expected it to! I will most likely give this at least one more chance, but I think I much prefer Midnight On The Midway.

Kingsport is my enduring favorite aquatic scent, but it can be a little hard to find. If you're not opposed to vetiver, The Stormhold is a great newer aquatic scent. Actually it reminds me of Kingsport, except a bit more gritty.

A soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite: hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond. Hellcat starts out smelling like marzipan. After a while, the almond fades and it smells just like Sugar Skull to me. A quick review, because that's really all I can say! I love Sugar Skull, and I do like almond, so this is a winner for me. I pretty much have all the sweet scents that I need, so I won't get a whole bottle of this. Good to have an imp around, though! The buttercream and honey had potential to go haywire, but fortunately all the notes are blended and in perfect balance for me. : )

This really is a bizarre little scent. It's mostly herbal and I agree that it's kind of like sticking your head inside an herb cabinet. It has a strong throw, and there's not any particular note that goes bad on me. I think the problem I have is that it's a little too.....busy, or chaotic. I'm definitely giving it a couple weeks and then trying it again. I'm so happy to see star anise getting some love, and I'd be thrilled to be able to wear this. It would be a scent to wear when you want to be sure nobody else smells like you! Edit: sadly I just can't wear this. Something is making me slightly queasy, and I like fennel and anise, so I know it's not those. Not sure what but something here is icky on me. : /

I've worn this a couple times, and unfortunately it comes off as too strong and masculine. I like it for a few minutes, but it seems to get stronger as it dries and it lasts for a really long time. Dee and Schwarzer Mond both have this same quality, but in different ways. I do have some favorite masculine scents, but this one was just too much and ends up smelling like overbearing after-shave on me. Edit: I have to add, in its favor, none of the notes stand out strongly. I don't get powder from the musk. It seems to be blended seamlessly, which is a good thing. Just not on me. : /