hammy

In the bottle - Spicy pumpkin. (NOT pumpkin spice. Important distinction.) Wet - Spicy pumpkin and something slightly dirty. Earthy dirty, not unclean dirty. Maybe it’s the tobacco. Also, there’s a sharp note at play here -- maybe it’s the cognac? -- that is interrupting the blend. Drydown - For me, this is the scent of a pumpkin that was left out in the rain. Not a drizzle, a downpour. The skin of the pumpkin is squeaky clean from the water, and there’s a faint dusky earthiness about the whole situation. Verdict - I’ll need to try this again before I make a final decision. I love me some pumpkin scents, but there are so many out there that I don’t need to dally with any that I don’t completely love. The initial phases of this one weren’t as pleasing as some of my other pumpkins. It’s still a pleasant blend, so I’m sure someone else will be able to give it a spot on their shelf. Swap.

In the bottle - Pretty dead on. Snake Oil with some pumpkin thrown in. Wet - The spice is really coming out to swing from the pumpkin rafters. Oh, and there’s some crazy strong sillage. My folks could smell it as soon as I walked into the room, and I only put one drop on each wrist. The spices really dominate; my dad thought I was burning a candle or incense or something. Drydown - My god, I love this. I mean, I knew I would. The pumpkin isn’t juicy/buttered/vegetableish/dessertlike … it’s simply a warm and happy pumpkin, similar to the one from Theme in Yellow. Anyway, the friendly sweetness of the Snake Oil vanilla keeps everything from going over the edge of the pumpkin spice cliff, and this blend continues to wow me at every turn. This just skyrocketed to my top 10. Maybe even my top 5. Verdict - I’m a pumpkin kind of girl, and this is the perfect sexy pumpkin spice kind of scent. Hoard.

In the imp - Very dark. I’m a little hesitant about this one since Samhain doesn’t play well with my skin. Wet - Ooof. The patchouli is killing me so I’m guessing this blend leans more Samhain than pumpkin. I'll just have to wait this stage out. Drydown - No miraculous 180 for me. Yes, it evened out some, but I’m still not sure it’s something I could wear without a headache. It’s far better than original Samhain though. And STRONG. Verdict - I’ll have to test again to see if it stays. If anyone out there loves autumn scents but can’t wear Samhain, you might want to give this blend a shot. It’s much easier on the ol’ skin chemistry.

In the imp - Pumpkin tea. Wet - Sharp and dark. The “tea” note eads like a cold, wet teabag and I’m not impressed. Drydown - This just hit its sweet spot. The musks are running wild with the vanilla-pumpkin combo and I love it. Verdict - This actually turned out to be a winner on me, which is surprising given my initial unfavorable reaction. Keeping my decant and potentially seeking out more.

In the bottle - Sexy cinnamon pumpkin spice. Wet - Patchouli is threatening to ruin everything. Dammit, patchouli. Why you gotta be like that? This is why I can’t wear the original Sin. Amber and sandalwood always get strangled. In this blend, it’s cinnamon patchouli doing the strangling. The good news? There’s some pumpkin behind the patch, and I’m hoping it comes out soon. Drydown - Oh, that’s much better. The black patchouli recedes a bit and I’m getting some sultry pumpkin action and CINNAMON SEX. This is what Halloween must smell like in a whorehouse. I’m so excited! Verdict - I’ve never been able to wear Sin, so this blend is probably as close as I’m going to get to it. I can see myself wearing it in October for an outdoor party or a bonfire or something. I want to try it in my hair. That said, I don’t think I’ll be reaching for it too often unless I start going on autumn manhunts. I’ll hang on to this bottle for now, but I probably won’t need any more.

In the imp - Foody pumpkin spice. This could work! Wet - Carnation pumpkin tea. The honey is a little powdery, but the pumpkin is helping straighten out the blend. No milk, no rose. Drydown - Powderier and powderier. Bergamot steps in as this dries out a bit, but the team of bergamot and pumpkin wasn’t strong enough to keep the rest of Alice in check. Verdict - The original Alice isn’t for me, but she’s much better in pumpkin form. (Then again, what isn’t?)

In the imp - You may think I’m crazy, but this smells like chlorinated pool water to me. Wet - More of the “hellmouth” vibe than I bargained for. Not as sulfur-and-brimstone as most of the hellish blends though. There’s an odd astringent quality to the scent. I think this is one of the honeys that turns gamey and powdery on me. Drydown - The honey leaves, taking its helter-skelter attitude with it and leaving room for this scent to develop into a more complete, seamless version of itself. It still tickles my nose a bit. The grapes, wine and plum FINALLY show up and breathe some life into the mix. Now it’s fruity to the point of being floral, all on top of a sweet musk. This is dessert wine in a bottle. (Other than the usual bottle that wine comes in, that is.) Verdict - This is far more pleasant than I’d anticipated. Still, I have better ways to get my grapes and wine.

In the imp - Sharply sweet vanilla carnation and sage. The carnation doesn’t smell powdery. Wet - Oooooh, the sage gets sagier! The carnation gets a little more powdery.. but oh! the sage! The vanilla sweetens it JUST enough and the result is beautiful. Drydown - My skin ate the good stuff way too quickly. The vanilla is gone by the time it’s dry, and it’s all carnation-musk. No cedar, no lavender. Sage left with the vanilla, almost as if they exited the party as a couple. Leather shows up as the party is winding down. Verdict - I LOVED the smell in the imp, but it wilted when it hit my skin. I’ll try this in a burner, but I don’t have high hopes. Bummer.

In the bottle - Ginger leather. Wet - It’s more gingerbready now, and I’m getting maaaaaybe a touch of rum in the background. Drydown - The gingerbread is stronger than the Jolly Roger, but that’s for the best. I’m not getting any wood or salt or rum. It’s a leather-gingerbread mix now. Getting smoother by the minute. Verdict - I see how folks are getting a masculine vibe off this. It’s sexy, to be sure, and I’m sure I’d find it sexy on a guy, but I really like this for either gender. On me, it’s the gourmet version of Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf. Yum.

In the bottle - My goodness, that’s green. I don’t know if I’m going to like this one. Wet - Ah, that’s much softer now. The autumn leaves are jumping out at me. It’s a very warm scent, and it’s fitting that I’m wrapped up in a soft blanket while I review this. Drydown - Well hello, ambergris. This is suddenly salty and a little aquatic. The leaves keep it grounded, but it still reads like autumn leaves at the seashore and I’m not sure it’s for me. Half an hour in, and I’m wearing an ocean breeze. An hour in, and it’s soft and cozy and a little masculine, like I’m snuggling with a dude. Quite a morpher! Verdict - I’m really torn on this, though I’m leaning toward the swap pile. I’ll test a couple more times before giving it up for good.

In the bottle - This smells like my backyard right before a storm. That’s gotta be the chaparral at work. Wet - Yes, that’s sage and chaparral. Oh, it’s just like being home. There’s even a hint of the old fig trees in the front yard! I hope the honey and carnation in this blend don’t make Amicitia morph out of my comfort zone. The cedar is coming out a bit now too, and thankfully everything else is behaving. Drydown - I can’t pick out any one note. This scent is more than just the sum of its parts, and I adore it. For me, it’s the essence of central California riiiight before the first raindrop hits the ground. This is amazing and evocative and perfect. We just hit Top 10 territory. Verdict - Beautifully executed blend. I almost cried because Amicitia was such a visceral reminder of childhood and home. It transported me through time and space, and isn't that the beauty of scent? I am going to track down every bottle I possibly can.

In the imp - There’s a muted sweetness here that smells really promising. Wet - Linty citrus. Like a dishrag that’s sudsy with lemon soap. It seems a little too citrus-zesty to be the sugared plums and apricot peel. I can’t account for it. Drydown - This one confused me in that it smells better from far away. I got whiffs of sweetness throughout the day, but when I put my nose closer to the source, it retreated under a pile of soapy rags. At one point I picked up a powdery smell too. Not sure if it’s my skin chemistry or the blend that’s wonky. Probably me. Verdict - The sugar plum fairy poked her head out of the blend a little, but never fully emerged from under that pile of towels. Luckily, there isn’t much lasting power. I really wish I had gotten the candy notes that everyone else seems to get from this blend. Swap.

In the imp - Gentle mint. Wet - Definitely peppermint, but it’s a warm variety. This is so much nicer than I thought peppermint could ever be. Drydown - I get the "softly" part of the name. Candy canes are usually a slap-you-in-the-face peppermint, but this is the scent of your sticky hands after finishing one. It’s the memory of a candy cane, not the actual thing. Once it really settles in, this feels more like sweet minty musk on me. Verdict - This is lovely. I don’t often want to smell like peppermint, but this might end up being a go-to with the holidays around the corner.

In the bottle - A little perfumey and sharp. Hopefully it settles down. Wet - It’s not settling down. There are some STRONG florals in here, and something just isn’t working for me. It’s coming across as a bit urine-esque. Bummer. I can tell this would be lovely without my skin interfering. Drydown - Hmm... I think the sharpness is trying to turn itself into spiciness, but can’t quite make it over the urine hurdle. I really wish I knew which flower was ruining this blend for me ... Plum blossom? Jasmine? Tuberose? Violet? (Sigh.) Someday I will find a floral that works for me. Hours later, right before it disappeared completely, this had a five-minute window where it was absolutely stunning. Verdict - I really wanted to like this. I'll give it another shot at a different time of the month, just to make sure I'm not passing on a tempermental beauty. Maybe I’ll try it in an oil burner, but it definitely won’t play nice on my skin. I think it's headed for swaps.

In the bottle - Pine pitch and woods. Foresty. Wet - So much better than just pine. There’s a fullness and a richness to the forest now, with maybe a hint of snow. Most snowy notes are an instant headache on me, but this is quite tame. Is there rosemary in this? I could swear I’m smelling rosemary. Drydown - This is a gentle winter in the mountains. Like standing outside a log cabin among the trees and watching the stars twinkle during the first snowfall of the year. The playful aspect of the florals lends a quiet comfort to the blend. The pine burns off a bit as it dries out, leaving behind a gorgeous (non-pine-specific) wintery forest floor with scattered flowers. Verdict - I keep reading reviews of this that say it’s chilly and cold -- and that’s true, but there’s a warmth to it. The feeling of going outside into the cold winter weather while rolled up in a snuggly soft blanket. I love it. Too bad Southern California winter doesn’t smell like this perfume. Hopefully I can wear it in January or February and make my own little winter.

In the bottle - Pink candy. Candied fruits? Rock candy? Wet - There’s fruit and sugar. Sugary fruit punch. I’m getting strawberries and cream with maybe a hint of lime Jell-O. Drydown - Ooooh, THERE’S the cotton candy. And here comes the meringue. If I concentrate, I can smell every single note listed. It’s so beautifully blended that I’m left with the overall impression of childhood candy binging. It’s soft and sweet and nostalgic, and every time I catch a whiff of myself there’s some new facet of this scent. Strawberries and cream, lemon drops, cotton candy, even that cherry on top. It’s all there, and it’s absolutely lovely. Verdict - The scent disappears much too soon, and there’s perhaps a bit more lemon than I’d like, but this is still a standout favorite. I expect to wear it often -- especially when I need a quick pick-me-up.

In the imp - Woods. Wet - Wow. This is all powder on me. It's powder wet, it's powder dry. Powder powder powder. Drydown - In the imp, I could smell the promise of woods and oakmoss, but something in this went funky on my skin and now I'm getting baby powder. Not sure if it's the rose or the amber. Either way, not for me. Verdict - I'm going to wash this off immediately and put it in the swap pile.

In the bottle - Almond! Wet - The nuttiness reveals itself to be pecan, not the soft almond I’d originally smelled. Vanilla ice cream is in the background, keeping everything sweet. Drydown - A butteriness emerges to temper the sugar. Make no mistake; it’s definitely a baked good. Butter is taking over my arm, with a smidge of powdered sugar. Verdict - I love beignets and food scents and all things sweet, so I really really wanted to like this. Long story short, there's way too much butter for me. Yes, it’s baked into a pastry, but it eats everything else to the point where I can only smell butter and a hint of powdered sugar. Swap.

In the bottle - It smells purple-ish and very sweet. Wet - Sweet Tarts. Candy gorgeousness. Not cloying. The sweet pea is everything I hoped it would be. Drydown - The candy vibe wears off into powder. I think the carnation is the culprit. It’s the same carnation from Alice that didn’t sit well with my chemistry. As it dries down, a fruitiness emerges that I kind of want to peg as grape. Whatever it is, it's juicy. Verdict - This could be absolutely beautiful on the right person. Unfortunately, that’s not me. I’ll try it in an oil burner, but if it doesn’t work there I’ll have to swap it out.

In the imp - I can almost feel the jasmine vines coiling out of the imp and suffocating me. My nose is telling me to run, but I’m going in anyway because maybe poet’s jasmine won’t hate me? Wet - JASMINE. I’m searching for something else under the strong, stale, in-your-face, angry flower that opened the blend, but the jasmine is stomping on the other notes and I’m not getting anything else. Drydown - Great ... the jasmine is now powdery. Was that the work of the benzoin or did it just bottom out when it dried? Either way, this scent would definitely be at home in my grandma’s perfume cabinet. Washed it off, but she’s a persistent little flower and I still smell awful. I think I need to shower. Verdict - Zero pomegranate. If you like jasmine, step on up. It physically assaulted me. Swap.

In the bottle - Very green, with spicy wood. Wet - Spices are just rolling off my wrist. The greenness from the bottle is transforming into leaves. Yellow, then orange, then red. The leaves are changing color in 30 seconds flat. It’s insta-autumn. Ooh, but it kept going and now I’m getting some apple cider notes. Weird. These are all notes I usually like, but there’s something disconcerting about this blend that is keeping me on edge. It’s a little oversweet, which is not a word I have ever had occasion to use. Drydown - Now it’s all wood and spice, and something airy that is keeping the whole mix from being truly grounded. Ivy? Lily? Whatever it is, it feels frantic and unsettled. About a half hour in, the whole thing turns to soap on me and doesn’t change again. Verdict - A puzzling start, and a sudsy finish. Swap.

This review is for October 2011: In the bottle - I’m not getting a whole lot out of the bottle. I can tell it’s leafy... Wet - Oh man. Wet and dirty are the two words that pop into mind first. There’s dirt and decay and leaves and more decay, and it’s overwhelming. My eyes are watering. One drop goes a long, long way. Drydown - The intensity of the wet mulch toned down as it dried, thankfully. Still, I have a bit of headache. I’m not sure if it was the wind or the smoke that initially had me so repulsed. Maybe a combo. Now it’s kind of … men’s cologne spilled on a dirty leaf pile, if that makes sense. This is the kind of scent that would be mesmerizing if you caught a whiff of it on someone who walked by, but I just can’t handle having it so close to me. The sillage is immense and unrelenting. Once it dies down (way later), it just smells like I’ve been sitting in a pile of leaves all morning. Or when the wind kicks up leafy bits and blows them at you. Verdict - The secondary leaf scent is right on, but totally not worth the initial phases of smelling like a wet compost bin. Swap. *Edited to specify year of scent.

In the bottle - Oddly, I’m getting chocolate from this. I double-checked the description and there’s no mention of chocolate. Maybe it’s the plastic-ness of the frosting? Wet - It doesn’t read as a pink scent to me; it’s muddy yellow. There’s some butteriness to it. Drydown - There’s still chocolate in the mix, and now that it’s dry I’m detecting some yellow cake.. Maybe marble cake? There’s a hint of Play-Doh under the marble cake that makes me think it was made in an Easy-Bake Oven. The plasticy Play-Doh smell lessens after a while, but it’s still there, right beneath the cake. Verdict - Unfortunately I didn’t get a single pink sugar sprinkle. Butter, chocolatey cake and Play-Doh. I really really wanted to like this, so I'm upset that it didn't work on me. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s definitely not what I was expecting. (And since I don’t like chocolate, this is a swap.)

In the bottle - Sweet, fresh blueberry/berries/sugar combo, with a little zest to it. I knew I liked it the minute I sniffed it. Wet - Oh, I love this. Such a happy smell! Still getting that fresh sweetness from the berry, with a little bit of lime zest, and what smells like a cold front moving in. Drydown - MIGRANE OF DEATH. Oh god, get it off! (The worst part? Even as it started eating my brain from the inside out, it STILL smelled nice and I was STILL tempted to sniff my wrist where it was applied.) Verdict - It was a gorgeous smell, but my vision starting closing in on me before the oil had even dried. There was nothing I could do but lie down in a dark, quiet place, close my eyes, put a cold towel on my head, and pray I had scrubbed all of it off my wrists. Swap.