byrdie

Vial ~ Wow. Fizzy mango lemonade. Wet ~ The fizz is trying to morph into something sharper, but I can't tell what -- almost an aerosol-like tint to it. Wait, it's mellowing out so that the spritz is gone for now. Drying ~ The description mentioned a pomegranate martini or some such, and I've seen a Swank icon that shows a strawberry in champagne. I'd say mango bits in champagne, myself. Drydown ~ Have you ever eaten something at just the right level of sweetness that when it hit certain parts of your mouth, an automatic muscle reaction had you grinning like a maniac? Swank is hitting my nose that way. The fizziness is just perfume/alcohol strong enough for me to wonder if I really like it, but I'm starting to grin despite not getting any relevant sensory memories from it. Dry ~ I waved my wrist in front of the barrista's face and he commented that Swank smells very clean. It still had some mango fizz going for it, and actually kept at that stage for quite some time. Fade ~ The champagne's finally gone flat, so there's no more fizz effect. It and the mango are still there, just a bit dulled. Final thoughts ~ This is cute. I don't know if it suits me, but it'll be interesting to keep trying and Spring and Summer progress to see if I come to love it.

Vial ~ A eucalyptus-strength mint over a sweet floral. Wet ~ *cough* On me, a sweet, powdery and sharp floral. Drying ~ I just got a whiff of band-aid smell while typing, but when I put my wrists up to my face I got candied flowers from my left wrist and random powder from my right. Weird. Drydown ~ One of the sweeter, random oils that you might find sample vials of near the cash registers of funky imports stores. A sweet, dusty resin on me. Dry ~ Ugh. A sweet floral trying to turn powdery is not a wonderful experience to my nose. Fade ~ A warm, slightly sweet powder with a teeny plastic scent to it. Final thoughts ~ At best, this was okay. At worst, slightly alarming. I may have to wash and comfort myself with something more familiar.

Vial ~ Perfume-ish. Not alcohol as much as musky and soft. A womanly perfume. Wet ~ It wafts well, the perfume-like sensation. It's somewhat come-hither. Drying ~ Cocoa butter, lighter perfume and bakery spice. Would a woman making mole smell like this. If so, then she's O's more experienced sister. Dry ~ Mmmm, this really does smell like O, but with bakery spices! The sweet cocoa butter is there, but it has more of a backbone. The Bruja was never defiled: I bet that she initiated and controlled her fall from grace. Drydown ~ Some of the perfume-theme has come back to float along the top of this scent that's otherwise blended together quite nicely. Fade ~ Three hours later, the perfume-haze has mostly left, leaving a lightly muskier cocoa butter scent. I think that this might be what people smell when they say that O is "sex in a bottle." Final thoughts ~ I love both Bruja and O, but for different moods. I'd wear O to be flirty, and Bruja to be sexy. These are my two favorite chocolate scents; so it's a pity that this one has been discontinued.

Born in the shadows of a Temple to Set, this corrupted Egyptian scent evokes images of black pyramids, river demons, and bleak, deadly desert sands. Black lotus flower, amber, myrrh and sandalwood. Vial ~ Mainly a berry syrup scent with anise or licorice underneath. Wet ~ Incense?!? A teeny-weeny bit sweet, perhaps, but this is one of those resin incenses. Drying ~ This is reminding me a little of Hearth, actually. However, this is just the cherry wood and the incense smoke -- no tobacco. Dry ~ This fluctuates between the plastic Barbie doll smell that resin can produce on me and a cherry wood incense. Sometimes it flirts with the idea of becoming cherry dusting powder, but Black Lotus is rather a tease that way. Fade ~ Within a work day, all I can smell on one wrist was a memory of Barbie Doll Dreams. The other wrist is definitely smelling like the distant offspring of cherry dusting powder and cherry wood incense. Final thoughts ~ A fan of cherry who can also wear resins well may adore this oil. Alas, it didn't do much for me.

Note ~ From a swap with the wonderful lavinia! Vial ~ Lemon caramel. Sweet and thick, yet citrus bright. Wet ~ Wow, powerful and deep. An almost chemical strength intensity, but not painfully so. I kinda slathered it, though. The fruit (apricot? peach?) is rising, but is thickened by a languorous candy scent (the caramel, perhaps). It's heady, but neither floral nor otherwise sickening. Drying ~ Wow. Something else came through the thick base scent like scattershot. It was piercing - some sort of spice -- and then it galloped past me into the sunset, leaving me with a merging of the apricot and caramel scents. I think the main trace of the spice for now is an overlying powderiness. Drydown ~ Argh! The powderiness is more like detergent than flour. Oh, this would have been a perfect food scent otherwise. I think the near-chemical sharpness finally came into its own. Drat. Dry ~ The powder has lost some of its sharpness and has the impact of baby powder now. The sweet scent is starting to fade and has lost its thickness, taking the overall oil from "foody" to just "sweet." Fade ~ It's taking a few hours, but it's holding at sweetness with a vague memory of foody. Final thoughts ~ I don't know if this one is screaming "big bottle" at me, but it's certainly interesting. I find myself reaching for it between disappointing reviews as a sort of palate cleanser. It could be that I like this scent more than I think I do, though I suspect that I should apply it further down on my body and hope to catch occasional whiffs. The drydown may be less painful that way.

TMI ~ May have just ovulated -- will have to see how this effects strong dragon's blood scents for me in the future. Note ~ I ordered this one based on other people's raves. Vial ~ Cherry creamsicle. Wet ~ Cherry with something solid and dusty behind it. It's not a sickening berry scent, even though cherry isn't one of my favorites. Oh, wait ... oh, no. Um, oh -- it smells like Honey Bucket sanitizer on me. Oh, gross. Drying ~ It developed into a stronger cherry, but kept the unfortunate port-a-potty edge for a while. Depending on which wrist I sniff, it's either still there or has drifted to a lighter, powdery cherry -- like a little girl's dusting powder. Drydown ~ Nope, the detergent is back on both wrists now. It's cherry-scented outdoor toilet cleaner. It's faint, but it's there. Dry ~ Okay, I see what's going on here. The little girl cherry dusting powder and the Honey Bucket cleanser scents are going to keep battling it out for dominance. Right now, the cherry powder is winning. Fade ~ Huh, now it's just some unpleasant blending of the two. Final Thoughts ~ I think I'm giving up on the Ars Draconis line. Having dragon's blood be the primary note in an oil doesn't seem to do it for me.

TMI ~ I may be ovulating today. Skin chemistry wackiness could ensue at any moment. Note ~ A frimp that has been recommended to me numerous times! Vial ~ If Pledge came out with designer lemon scents, this would be their "lemonade" attempt. Wet ~ Cold, and definitely lemon Pledge-like. Drying ~ It's not quite as Pledge-like, but oddly enough it does remind me of an aerosol -- it's very airy, and a much lighter scent. Drydown ~ Spiced lemons? I think the Pledge is trying to turn into something that isn't alarming. Or, at least, is alarming in a different way. Dry ~ I don't know what kind of lemon this is, but I'm just not that fond of it. It's staying somewhere between hours after a Pledge polish and powdered lemonade mix for me. *sigh* Fade ~ Lighter, and less distinct; but more of a musky lemon than anything. Final Thoughts ~ Well, fooey. This got such great raves from others. I could indeed be having a wonky skin day, though, so I'll have to try it a few more times before I really despair. But still -- foo!

TMI ~ <span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>I may be ovulating today. Skin chemistry wackiness could ensue at any moment.</span> Note ~ I got this oil in a swap. It's the second Voodoo Blend I've tried and the first that I've reviewed. Vial ~ A light resin that, for some reason, reminds me of spiced bread. Wet ~ Cinnamon Tic Tacs. You know that blast you get when you first bite into them? woo. Drying ~ The resin rose up and cut through the cinnamon like it was butter. There's a vague memory of spice in here somewhere, but it's pretty long gone. Drydown ~ Okay, this is fading fast, which is odd because the cinnamon is a bit stronger now. I'd say it's got between 20 - 30% of my attention away from what's now developing in a woody scent. A powdery cedar, maybe? Dry ~ Back to a nice, light resin. Fade ~ A light, resiny incense. Hours later, it works nicely with my skin temperature and becomes almost foody. Maybe the spices made a comeback? Final Thoughts ~ I can't picture my wearing this will inspire anyone to do anything all night long. It's okay, and if I keep the name in mind I can picture a candle-lit rendezvous in a sparsely furnished cabin on a rainy night, but I shouldn't need the imp label to help me with that. Someone else might get more hubba hubba out of this than I did. Alas. Post Script ~ When I went for coffee, the barrista teased me - asking if I was wearing "that scent" again (Laudanum). I said I was wearing something different and gave him a sniff. "Oooo, you're doing that Nag Champa thang, huh?" I gave him a peek at the vial and his eyes bugged out.

Note ~ I got two imps of this in two different swaps. One went to a friend who loves violet scents. The other, which I swapped for accidentally, I'm using at least for purposes of review. Waitaminute, this has violets in it ... and it's based on a poem written by Charles Baudelaire. Violet Baudelaire. d'oh! my brain hurts! Vial ~ Sugared violets. Somewhat like Lush's Bathos bubble bar, really. Wet ~ Strong and curling, appropriately enough. It's trying to become a powdery violet, or a violet incense on me. Drying ~ My skin is starting to prickle. Hrm. Maybe I shouldn't have put this on so soon after washing my hands, as my pores may not have completely closed yet. whups. But mmmmm, the scents are blending. The sugar is becoming vanilla that's merging well with the violets. There's a sharper note that's probably the gardenia. While I'm not normally fond of gardenia, it maybe helping to ground this scent and keep it from becoming super-sweet. Drydown ~ Soap. Violet scented Ivory soap. Which is impressive, considering that the soap I used about an hour ago doesn't produce that scent anywhere else on my hands. *cough* Dry ~ I'm getting stronger wafts of violet, now; but the gardenia underneath isn't making me happy. It's kinda plasticy smelling, but also something else. After another half out, it's starting to turn into anise/black licorice. oh, yippie skippy. Fade ~ Light violet dusting powder. Final Thoughts ~ either I'd have to keep this oil at the drying stage perhaps in a lotion) or give it a miss. The transition from soap to anise just wasn't fun for me.

Note ~ I got this as a frimp in a swap, and it's the first of the Seven Deadly Sin oils I've tried. (The actual sins themselves are another story.) Vial ~ Syrup. Heavy, sugary-sweet syrup freshly poured over rich, whipped butter. My throat constricts just sniffing this. Wet ~ Wow, the change is really abrupt. It's still sweet, but there was a sudden flare of spice. Nutmeg and ginger, perhaps? For a few seconds, I think I smelled like a Snickerdoodle. This smells like a high-end chocolate shop that sells things other than chocolates. You know, the unpopular side of the store. Drying ~ It's fluctuating again. Gracious. From the memory of candy to stale candy. There's something musty going on. Huh, now the spices are on the rise again. Drydown ~ Oh, bakery spice! Er, bakery spice in an obviously plastic tub, perhaps. Hrm. Dry ~ This looks like it's going to be a showdown between musty spice and the unpopular chocolate shop corner. Since the drydown is a little powdery, it's hard to tell which will win. Fade ~ And we're back to a lightly unpopular chocolate shop corner again. It's getting really faint after only an hour or so, though. Final Thoughts ~ It dries down, thankfully, to something not nearly as loud on me as it was in the imp. Not a favorite of mine, and I can't see myself thinking to wear this again or use it has a (yipe) room scent. However, it certainly lives up to its name. woo.

TMI ~ Day 6 of my period - the aftermath of spotting. Note ~ Tarted, have had for a while but never reviewed it. This is probably the third time that I've tried it over the last year. Vial ~ Warm lemonade after a day spent polishing furniture with Lemon Pledge. Wet ~ Initially, the same; but starting to dissipate and become airier. Drying ~ The warmth is still there, but that may just be my skin. The lemon is sharper, brighter and perhaps a little colder, now. Crisp, I suppose. Drydown ~ Hrm. It's getting back to warm lemonade, but a little less happy. Dry ~ About the same. Fade ~ Incredibly dull, actually. A muted lemon - not powdery, not even really faint. Just ... bland. It's threatening to return to Lemon Pledge, now. No skin tingling that I noticed, though. Hours later, I have to put my nose on my wrist to smell anything. On one wrist, I have the vague memory of lemon. On another, the lemon is gone and I may be getting either a light plastic scent or nothing at all -- it's hard to be sure. Final thoughts ~ While I was able to pick up some airy qualities from this oil, nothing about it gave me any connection between this scent and my real-life experiences before or during a lightning strike. It could be good for people who tend to find most lemon scents a bit unruly, but personally I can't recommend it.

TMI ~ My period is in that last, dribbly stage that seems to go on forever. I'm not sure of how much of an effect this will have on my skin chemistry. Note ~ I got this in a swap from the wonderful VivLush! Vial ~ Liquid Smoke, memories of Malediction and Christopher Walken's glowing coal posterior. Wet ~ The Liquid Smoke scent rose and blew away almost entirely. Now what I'm getting is sharp enough to raise my nose hairs and almost astringent-like. Drying ~ Band-aids roasting over an open wood fire. It smells like Hell's first-aid kit. Drydown ~ The adhesive bandage scent is starting to turn sweet, and the smokiness is rising again. Dry ~ It's developing into that hickory fire scent I got from Malediction. I think I'm beginning to learn that "smoky" doesn't necessarily equal "good" as a personal skin scent. Fade ~ Several hours later, this has faded to something sexy - smoky and musky, with enough sweetness to smooth it out. Not a combination that I think I've encountered before. Final thoughts ~ Put on very lightly and away from the face, this could fade into something rather seductive on the right skin type. It'd take practice, though.

TMI ~ Fifth day of my period. Tapering off. Note ~ Got this in a swap from VivLush! Vial ~ Wow, wow! Extra juicy, sweet fruit. Wait a minute ... *eyes imp suspiciously* ... Juicy Fruit? Wet ~ The fruit scent hit a wall very hard and morphed into something else. It's floral! No, wait! It's musky! Wait, it's ... it's ... what the heck is that? Drying ~ It's downright mellow, is what it is. There's some fruit. There's also either a very, very light floral or simple greenery in here -- not herbal, just leaves. Wait, the fruit is coming back. I have no idea what's going on, but it's happening in my skin. Drydown ~ Okay, I cheated and looked at the official description for help. I pegged the musk, the oakmoss (greenery), the heliotrope (floral) and the bergamot (fruit). The peach and the musk are doing a bit of a dance, right now. I'll find out who dips whom in a while. Dry ~ It's drying down into one of the less obnoxious teen perfumes that I remember from the 80's. Depending on how I turn my wrist as I sniff, I start to suspect that plastic-resin smell is going to come in, but it hasn't yet. It's too complex for a children's scent, but is almost too hyper for a sophisticated scent. If I could switch around the names of the BPAL oils, I'd call this one Maiden. Fade ~ This is *snert* pretty nice, actually. I think I'd be willing to alternate with Embalming Fluid over the spring and summer. With the way it fades, Fae could be a good evening scent for those seasons. A little sweet, but not overpowering. A little musk, but not so much as to be distracting. Final thoughts ~ Okay, rarely have I been unable to keep up with the fluctuations in an oil while writing about it. This is impressive.

Sweet pipe tobacco, cherry wood, the warm, worn leather of an easy chair and a pleasant, subtle waft of fireplace smoke. TMI ~ Day four of my period, and it's being fairly mellow. Dunno what it's doing to my skin chemistry, though. Note ~ This is the first Limited Edition I have ever tried. Bottle ~ smoky cherry cough syrup Wet ~ the cough syrup feel is still very strongly in this one, but it's morphing into a taffy or something -- kinda like HIWTK with 'tude. I'm not entirely certain that I'm happy about this. Drying ~ Okay, the smoke is really starting to come out of this one, as is possibly the leather. Drydown ~ This smells like someone dumped caramel on a leather chair and left it to melt by a fire. Dry ~ Okay, the cherry / caramel scent is now in the background -- whatever it is seems to be merging together to create the tobacco scent. The skin on my face is prickling a little, though. I wonder if I'm more sensitive to oils at certain times of the month? Fade ~ It's pretty much the same, though now I'm getting that the cherry scent is supposed to be cherry wood from the leather furniture. It's faded a bit over the last few hours, and the smokiness seems to be trying to win out over the cherry scent. Final thoughts ~ If I'd thought about what it meant that there was cherry wood in this one, I probably wouldn't have bid on it on Ebay. The cherry is simply more distracting than makes me happy. I'm loathe to give it up because it's ideal in other ways, but I'm not sure of how often I'd use it. I'll have to try it again.

TMI ~ I tried this on the third day of my period, which is starting to lighten up. After getting too much of Lush's Potion out of the bottle (must remember not to shake a bottle that's been laying sideways for days on end), I kinda overdid it a bit. Dragon's Heart did manage to fight its way through the onslaught, though. It's not the first time I've tried this oil, though, so I know what I'm sniffing for. Vial ~ A warm, deep, comforting resin. Wet ~ Hrm. Either it's not mixing well with the lotion or it starts off chalky. Drying ~ It's warming back to it's imp state. There's got to be something else in this oil to cut the dragon's blood, because I vaguely remember the description. However, dragon's blood the way I'd like it to be is all I'm getting from this on my skin. Drydown ~ I think the resin is trying to interact with its fellow ingredients (or Potion) - it's becoming perkier and a little lighter, but not by much. Dry ~ Oh! Now I remember why I like this oil so much. It's hit the warm, comforting stage again. Any sharpness or powderiness from the resin has gone, and the overlying scent has settled in. If you've ever smelled dragon's blood resin, picture it muted (not sharp) and solid (not powdery). On my skin, it's starting to creep towards the edge of perfumishness, though. Wow, this is one of those oils that likes to shift around on me. Fade ~ The perfume edge didn't win out: it's still like a snuggle from a luck dragon. Final thoughts ~ I'd have to be in a certain mood -- or working with different skin chemistry and less lotion -- to wear this and get anything more than a curious effect from it. However, I think that this one fluctuates between powerful (the sharp stage) and comforting (the muted stage) quite well.

TMI ~ This was applied during the second day of my period, and an unfortunately strong jasmine experience was slowly fading its way off of my skin. Vial ~ Deep, dark, rich cherry. Wet ~ It's immediately morphing into a powdery bubblegum. Drying ~ Like a phoenix, something else is trying to draw its way up from the previous scent and into my nose, but I can't place what the rising scent is. Drydown ~ On me, it's now either a bad cherry scented dusting powder or a good cherry scented laundry detergent. Dry ~ Again, that rising note is back, but it's trying to bring the powder up with it. What is this? It's cold and crisp in its own way. I keep wanting to call it an "astringent," but that's not quite right. Fade ~ It's fading into a light cherry powder/detergent. Final thoughts ~ If I liked cherry scents more, I'd have been awfully disappointed in this one. I'll have to try it at some other point in the month and see if it anything changes as my skin chemistry shifts.

Grapefruit, red currant, dark musk, Roman chamomile, delphinium, and lavender. TMI ~ I'm on the third day of my period, and bleeding heavily. Luckily, I showered with something mild today, so I don't have any competing scents to beat down. Vial ~ Apricot, I suspect. Wet ~ Light and thick at the same time, like traces of spilled apricot syrup. Drying ~ The apricot isn't as thick now. Something else (tea?) may be coming through. This oil is fading very quickly on me. Drydown ~ If this is apricot mixed with anything else, all other contenders are losing. Dry ~ Wow, this is fading like the Cheshire Cat's grin. Fade ~ Something mildly sweet happened to my wrist once, apparently. Final thoughts ~ I may give it another week and then slather it. It was fruity and sweet without being cloying, but I didn't get any other notes. I didn't even recognize the grapefruit as grapefruit, for crying out loud. My skin pretty much sucked this right up.

TMI ~ This is the second day of my period and I'm looking for scents to help battle an unfortunate showering experience from this morning. Here's hoping. Vial ~ A very fresh, herbal green with an underlying purple, like grape cough syrup. Wet ~ Okay, this is oddly menthol-like on my skin -- not what I was expecting. I just scrubbed my hands to halfway up my arms before applying this scent, so I didn't think it'd turn quite so strange on me. (Edit: this is what I get for not reading the description before trying the oil: the menthol is the eucalyptus. dur.) Drying ~ The menthol is calming down back into the fresh herbal green I smelled in the imp. Drydown ~ This is slowly morphing into the slightly bubble-gummy scent that I associate with violets. Yep, it's gently turning more purple as I write this. Dry ~ It's smelling a little powdery, as if I'd used some violet scented lotion about an hour ago. Final thoughts ~ I tend to find the smell of distilled violets a little too happy, verging on the downright alarming. This one didn't contain near as much hap as I'd been bracing myself for. I'll have to try it a few more times and see what else happens, because I rather enjoy the scent of purple.

TMI ~ I'm on the second day of my period, and I've just showered with something that turned out to be ... rather overpowering. eek. Vial ~ This is a dark one: reddish-brown in the imp. If the contents have leaked a bit onto the outside, it's a smoky, resiny incense. Mmmm, on opening the vial I get hickory and fresh air all at the same time, which means I may end up smelling like a barbeque by the time this is over. Wet ~ Oh, wow. This is resin the way that Cathedral is resin. I'm getting a sultry wood smoke - lots of hickory. It's like a summer evening barbeque or beach bonfire with good rather than random wood. Drying ~ Wow. This is turning sharp on me, as if some of the wood was pine with the needles still on it. It's like Tombstone without the sweetness. Drydown ~ ooooh. The skin on my face is prickling. I wonder if this is the result of having swapped for bottled evil? One thing for sure: it's kicking the crud out of the unfortunate shower gel experience I had this morning. Dry ~ You know that smell that a fire can get once it's really started burning a good amount of the wood to ash? That's the smell I'm getting: of wood recent burnt, of hot ash. And my face is still tingling. I'm waiting for Christopher Walken's Gabriel to come climbing out of a recent split in the earth. Fade ~ The aftermath of burning hickory in the fireplace. Final thoughts ~ If you don't have a fireplace and miss the scent of a roaring fire, this would be an excellent house scent. I might also use it if I wanted to unnerve people, given my face-tingling reaction. I can't imagine finding it comforting to wear as a cold-weather scent, though; but I may try it a few more times just for a body chemistry survey.

TMI ~ I'm on the second day of my period, and used Lush's "Flying Fox" shower gel (meh) for the first time ever this morning. Between the two, I had a false start on my review and had to slather myself in this oil just to be able to smell it over the rather determinedly floral reek I'm experiencing. Vial ~ I'm getting the light smell of peppermint candy - like a candy cane. Wet ~ Whoo hoo! Boy, howdy, is this ever candy canes. If this is all I get out of it, it could be a good holiday scent. Drying ~ Um. Candy canes and ... something else that I like better, but can't quite place. Something acidic and clean, like grapefruit. Drydown ~ Lovely. It smells fresh and juicy. Dry ~ It's dried to something barely noticeable. However, I'm getting an image of eating fresh grapefruit outside on a warm Spring day as a gentle breeze is blowing. Fade ~ I have to get my wrist really close to my nose to smell this over the shower gel. It's pretty much the same scent, but much lighter. Final thoughts ~ I'm going to have to try this again when I've been less experimental with my showering. I was hoping for a replacement for the dearly departed Tears, and this just isn't it. It is, however, a nice break from the shower gel -- ack.

TMI ~ This is the first full day of my period, which could effect how this tarted imp reacts to my skin. On the other hand, I've tried this one before and don't remember having any real strong reaction to it one way or the other. Vial ~ Oh, nice! Sweet lemonade. Wet ~ The initial waft after I applied it was still sweet lemonade. Once I put my nose to my wrist I found that the scent had darkened immediately into a musk and is barely recognizable as citrus. If it were unpleasant, I'd say that the lemons were off, but that's not quite it. Drying ~ Musky. Lemon. Cake. My skin is deranged. On the, um, good side; this means that the lemon scent is coming back in. yay? Drydown ~ It's faded considerably. While there's more lemon, it's still in the musky cake variety. This isn't a bad thing so much as weird. Dry ~ It's now a war between the memory of warm lemonade and the reality of musky lemon cake. Fade ~ The lemon has turned dusty now, and I really have to get my nose close to my skin to be aware of it at all. Final thoughts ~ For a random lemon scent, it's nice. It's not rolling my socks down, but it's nice.

TMI ~ I'll likely be getting my period this week, so my skim chemistry is probably in flux. Vial ~ Uh-oh. Mostly a floral with a slight citrus base. Given the card it's representing, though, I can't say that I'm surprised. Wet ~ Ugh. Strong and round -- the scent is managing to curl and loop its way around my nose. There's definitely some unknown floral here, along with something oddly fruity ... it's like banana, except it doesn't smell like banana. It's a very solid fruit base, rather than something sweet, if that makes any sense? Drying ~ Wow, this wafts. I wish I liked it more, as I didn't use anymore than I usually do. Far from my nose, I'm getting floral whether I like it or not. Close up, I start getting a musk. Drydown ~ It's drying down into a dusty, almost chalky floral, possibly a variant rose. This is more what I would expect The Empress' garden to smell like - the awareness of flowers rather than the threat of them. Dry ~ Alrightie, then. I've got an ashes-of-roses, light-potpourri scent again. Fade ~ Something light and vaguely floral happened to me once, evidently. It's almost sweet, but very powdery. Final thoughts ~ The fade is nice, but not worth putting up with the rest of it for me.

TMI ~ According to my menstrual tracker, I'm due for my period to start this week. Bottle ~ A light cherry candy scent. Wet ~ This immediately reminded me of a bubblegum flavored lip-balm I had as a kid. It came in a tin. I rather liked it. However, it's quickly developing a musky component. Drying ~ This is getting a little dusty on me. The scents are merging a bit so that it's becoming berry-flavored bubblegum, but lighter than before. Drydown ~ It's pretty much staying on target -- like a berry bubblegum dusting powder. Dry ~ Hasn't changed. Fade ~ Faint, but still the same. Final thoughts ~ It's nice, but it's not screaming "wear me again," let alone "big bottle" at me.

People who liked Lush's Flowertub bubble bar or Gavarnie Soap may like The Moon from the Tarot Oils series. I think that they're completely identical. However, between skim chemistry differences and the fact that I'm not a fan of either Flowertub or Gavarnie, I may be a little biased.

Bottle ~ Sweet and peppery. It reminds me of peppermint and ginger all at the same time. Wet ~ It's still peppery, but I have no idea of what else I'm smelling when my wrist is up close. When I pull my arm away from my face, I start thinking "mint," but it's also developing into something else. Something that I suspect I'm not fond of. fooey. Drying ~ Now I'm getting a weird, sweet and somewhat nauseating resin scent. I think it developed out of the one that I can't place. People who liked Lush's Flowertub bubble bar or Gavarnie Soap may like this one. Considering that I really detested both Gavarnie and Flowertub, though, I can't give this a glowing recommendation. oofah. Drydown ~ Well, it's not gardenia, because gardenia attacks fruit scents rather than tries to copulate with it. It's not any rose that I can place. I don't think it's violets or lotus. Hrm. If it smelled worse I'd say it was daisies, because sometimes they get a manure scent going. What is this on me and what did I do to offend it? Dry ~ I would have been happier with the peppermint and ginger. Really. Fade ~ It's taunting me by considering morphing into old lady perfume, but I don't have my hopes up. Final thoughts ~ To quote Star Wars: "What a fascinating new smell you've discovered, Princess" and "Help me, Obi-Wan!" Tomorrow's reviews will involve two imps that I liked at one point, but never got around to reviewing. I figure that I deserve the reward after putting up with an oil that turns into mulch farts on me.