forspecial_plate

I noticed you never reviewed F5 (aloe, white musk, lime peel, fresh mint, seaspray, verbena and green tea), is there some note in there that you didn't like? It's definitely my go-to scent for lime, and strangely the lime seems to have gotten stronger since I first got it (strange because I thought citrus notes degraded faster than other notes)! I still love it. The Phoenix (sea air, gunpowder, lime, salt-crusted wood, a splash of blood, and a dribble of Snake Oil) is wonderful and getting better and more complex with age....but I still don't detect the lime very much.

Deep floral. That's about all I know. I smell roses, but beyond that I'm not sure. I think I've tested too many florals today, but I'm trying to put together a floral enabling imp pack. So there ya go. This smells really good, actually. Kind of a musky floral with a deep dark background. I like it.

When wet, the chrysanthemum and carnation are a pleasing combination. They both fade considerably as the oil dries. Sometimes I can wear rose, and every once in a while Ms. Lily behaves herself. It almost works in this scent. The lily doesn't screech soap at me like she often does, and the rose is there in the dry-down, just a soft hint. Still, this isn't something I'll wear a whole bunch. A good imp for enabling, I think. Edit, much later.....Oh, hey! There's the grass! I kept sniffing my hand, thinking, 'what is that?? sandalwood or something?'. I forgot there was a grass note here. Still, not enough for me to wear it often.

Very pretty floral scent. I have nothing against jasmine, and that's the big note for me in this scent. I don't like honey, though. I can smell it here, whether it's the honeysuckle, or the softly glowing skin note, I'm not sure. Anyway, not a scent I would really wear, but it's beautifully presented.

I like this....it's almost aquatic, reminding me of Cthulhu or Deep Ones w/out the wetness. It's a tart scent, more green than woodsy to my nose. It also reminds me of one of the Rappacini's Garden scents....maybe Belladonna? Not sure but this is worth holding onto.

Hmmm....light, minty wood, slightly musty. Interesting combination of notes. I think I'll keep the imp to remember my time as a villager (in the werewolves game). : )

I seem to remember, when I first tried this, it reminded me of Samhain....especially in the dry-down stage. But I tried it again yesterday, and it was a very faint, sweet floral that reminded me faintly of marshmallows. The throw was next to nothing on my skin. It's a pretty scent but not one that I would wear with regularity.

What an odd scent! When first applied the musty/moldy smell is strong. It lightens up a lot as it dries, and I also get a hint of something nearly minty for some reason. The wood is soft and I don't get a lot of the cognac note. Just a dry, sweet, light woody scent. I'm kind of on the fence about this one. It's not grabbing me in a big way, but I do keep sniffing it just because it's so interesting and different. My decant is kind of beat-up looking because of a stained label so I'll probably keep it around for a while, and try it again from time to time. I think it could grow on me. Edit: I still have never decided if I really like this. It's old, old wood....dry with a layer of dust. The wood holds the long-ago traces of some kind of minty polish or wax. Very true-to-life scent. It's oddly comforting on a day like today, dreary and cold outside with a steady, light rain.....but warm and cozy inside, maybe reading a good book. This scent definitely has its place.

Right away I thought of Snake Oil. I get the same 'play-doh' note that I pick up from Snake Oil, which I guess is the amber, perhaps? And by the way, it doesn't turn me off the scent. I actually like that note. Anyway, I don't get much peach from this scent, just a hint of it. I mostly smell the amber, vanilla, and soft sandalwood, with the suggestion of fruit. This is one to hold on to.

Thank you, salixnoir! I think that you are absolutely correct after looking at the wikipedia articles on the two different plants/flowers. I was wondering how I could have missed the fact that there are actually two plants with different names and qualities - I'm far from an authority on all things perfume, but this was the sort of thing where I felt like I must have learned it incorrectly and it stuck with me (do you know that feeling?) Lo and behold, a little googling and I saw that the venerable Mandy Aftel uses the terms champa and champaca interchangeably in her book Essence and Alchemy. I am pretty sure that's where I must have read it. (That link should take you to page 114 of the Google preview of the book.) That in turn made me wonder - have I been thinking that nag champa and champaca smell alike only because I was operating under a misconception? Then I found this article by a natural perfumer, who mentions that a lot of people find them similar because one of the resins used in nag champa smells similar to champaca flower. So at least I feel like a justifiable idiot I think I still have a little sample of champaca absolute form Nature's Gift.....it's really different from the traditional nag champa incense that I'm used to. Midnight On The Midway is probably my favorite nag champa scent. It's absolutely wonderful!

This is a great scent, because it seems lots of folks get different impressions of it. I would call it gender neutral, because I'm a guy and I feel I could definitely pull it off. The list of notes is nearly useless, because I really don't detect a lot of those ingredients. I mostly smell soft vanilla and almost powdery woods. Juniper is usually a berry/fruity wood to my nose but I can't smell the juniper here at all. And lily often turns sharp and soapy but there is no hint of it here. So, I'm smelling a soft, sweet, woody vanilla scent. No rose, no juniper, no jasmine. It reminds me a lot of the newer Hunter Moon, without the smoky aspect. And even more I'm reminded of Glowing Vulva, just a little less sweet, somewhat more woodsy, and less powdery. The scent hasn't morphed at all in the last 3 hours. I'm particularly surprised that I can't smell rose, even when I sniff up close.

This scent is kind of shifty for me.....not in a bad way. When I first tried it, I thought it was the other octopus scent....because I swore it smelled minty. Not sure where the hint of mint was coming from. But this is an attractive scent. To be honest, it reminds me of shampoo, but a really nice, high quality shampoo. It's somewhat similar to 'Sunrise With Sea Monster', which I also like a lot. Somewhat aquatic. I personally don't get a strong fruity vibe from the apricot, it's just a sweet hint. Come to think of it, none of the notes really stand out, it's more of a nice blend of notes. I like it!

Men Ringing Bell With Penises reminds me of Aveda products in general. It reminds me of citrus and mint just a little, somewhat herbal, a clean smell. It has a weird quality of smelling kind of classic and modern at the same time. It took me a few tries but I think I like it more and more everytime I wear it.

Random thoughts..... Josh, I still 'owe' you some decants, I haven't forgotten, but school and work sort of got in the way. I do have some stuff you'll like or at least enjoy trying. I would say that around 75-80% of the bpal scents I've tried could very well be worn by a man or woman. There are quite a few that are very feminine, but if I like the description or theme of a scent, I usually give it a try, whether it's floral, candy, sugary, girly, what have you....and I've found a lot of favorites this way! I love Sugar Skull, Midnight On The Midway, Rose Red (I don't wear this often but I love how it smells...), Glowing Vulva, and many others that could possibly slip by someone's radar, if they are only looking for 'masculine' scents. As a matter of fact, I prefer the more 'neutral' scents and have found a few that were TOO masculine for me (Dee is one of those...I think it would work great for some guys but it's too manly for me). Basically if I like how something smells, I'm not going to worry about the gender aspect. As for applying....tonight I put on 3 teensy weensy dabs of Snake Charmer, one on each hand and one on my neck......and it was waaaaay too much!! I had to rinse a little bit because it was just too intense. Edit: Meant to add.......I recommend Ile de la Tortue for guys, as long as you're open to a floral scent......it's a big, bright floral but gender neutral in my book....and a new favorite of mine.

I usually apply right where my sleeve or neck of shirt ends. That way it's exposed to air but I'm not rubbing my scent everywhere, on objects and/or people. So for long sleeves, wrists or back of hands. Short sleeves, I apply on my inner elbows or even upper arms. As for the neck I usually put it right under my adam's apple, or on the back of my neck just below my hair. Sometimes on the sides of my neck, below the ears. And if I get it on my fingers I rub the excess in my hair.

Valentine Of Rome is a must-try for lovers of frankinense!

I'm used to thinking of coriander for baking sweets, to add some spice. When I think of cilantro I think of the fresh leaves (dried cilantro is nearly useless to me), chopped and sprinkled over Indian food or in burritos and/or salsa. I love the taste of fresh cilantro, and I'd be intrigued if it came up in a scented oil. Personally, I think the taste is stronger than the actual scent. I agree with whoever suggested Garden Path With Chickens....it's the first thing I thought of. While it may not smell like actual cilantro, it does have that zingy green herbal scent. Edit: Some people refer to cilantro (the leaf) as 'Italian parsley', but I don't know if that's actually the same plant or 2 different ones.

This smells like very moist soil, and little else. The dampness almost makes me think of a compost heap which I'm not crazy about. Sometimes I get a hint of something peppery in there. I wanted to smell more of the moss. There's something almost decaying about the scent, which seems appropriate. It stays very close to my skin, with almost no throw. So far I've only worn it 2 or 3 times and I look forward to exploring it some more. I do really like earthy scents from time to time. Edit to elaborate some more, in light of the re-release....... I just can't get past a certain very moist aspect of this scent. It reminds me of a freshly turned stone on a damp forest floor. There is a discussion elsewhere about speculating what notes are in what blend. Someone mentioned beets in relation to the dirt note, and when I read that, I thought.....YES.....that's what Graveyard Dirt reminds me of. Dirt and beets. Now I love borscht on occasion, but this just doesn't work for me as a scent. I do, however, love Burial and Premature Burial. Go figure.

Even though it's pretty hard to find, Corazon is worth mentioning. It has sage and lavender, but it's the softest, warmest herbal scent I think I've tried. The red musk and fruit give it a glowing sunset quality, and the herbs just blend in the most gentle way, not sharp or anything. At least....that's how it behaves on my skin. And I got some so it's not impossible to find!

This is all sweet, golden amber backed by vanilla-kissed cream. What makes it for me is the teak running through it, so masterfully blended with the other notes. It took me a couple tries to start really liking this, because at first I thought it was borderline powdery and too sweet. But now.....it reminds me of a golden-vanilla cousin of Boomslang (which is a good thing), without the cocoa. I'm glad I sprung for half a bottle, I'll enjoy wearing this from time to time.

If you love frankincense, run don't walk and get Valentine Of Rome while it's available! For me it's nearly frankincense single note, with lots of loveliness backing it up.

This is so clean and very very light! I know benzoin is a light resin. This scent just teases my nose with little wisps of clean and slightly soapiness (not in a bad screeching piercing way). It's lovely and light, and I could wear this to work because it's so subtle. Not much to say about the individual notes. I smelled the citrus at first but that faded pretty quickly. Now it's mainly light floral with a hint of warmth from the resin and tonka. I really like this.

*sigh* Lily strikes again! This started as a very interesting, perfumey almond scent (I like almond so this is a good thing). Just a few minutes later, it turns very soapy (or what I think of as soapy). Piercing and unappealing. I'm almost positive lily is the culprit because on my skin, some lily notes stomp down all the other notes and shout, "I'm gonna SOAP YOU UP!!!". This blend isn't quite that bad....I can smell the other notes trying to come forward....but it's not working. Oh, well.

Vanilla, saffron, and cream. Completely revising my review......I never was quite happy with my first review of this scent. Ultimately, I just don't get along well with Love's Philosophy. I think it smells good briefly, but when I wear it on my skin, it is too strong, and lasts and lasts for hours (and won't wash off). It's sweet, creamy vanilla, with a little bite from the saffron, which I think is disagreeing with my nose, because it keeps reminding me of something plastic or medicinal.....or both? It still reminds me a bit of Snow White, which also lasts forever on my skin. I can appreciate the love for Love's Philosophy, but it's just not a scent for me.

My guess is the honey note is actually the storax, or maybe storax and myrrh pretending to be honey. At first I thought I hated this, because I don't like honey scents very much, and this seemed to be mostly honey. Give it a few moments, and it shifts slightly into glowing resins. Reminds me a lot of Minotaur, actually, only not as dark as that scent. And if I didn't already have a whole bottle of Minotaur, I would probably want to wear this. Even though I don't love this, I think it's a really interesting scent, and worth holding onto the imp just to break it out every once in a while and see how those resins are aging. Or for enabling another incense lover like me (one who likes the sweeter resins a little more than I do).