VetchVesper

Weeee! Got my bottle fresh from the mail and am ready to slather and review. If this changes much in the next few weeks (after settling), I'll update. First sniff - this is very much a dead leaves scent, but a promising one, where the cologney cardamom is softened slightly by warmer notes. It's reminding me a touch of Dead Leaves & Sugared Cardamom in the bottle, but I like this better. On my skin - Whoo! An imediate burst of earthy greenness. Oh yes. I do like this. Interesting and unique. I DO smell the bay. Sort of a dry, green sharpness that is quite prominent at first. The carrot seed provides a subtle sweetness. FLM is becoming less earthy quickly, and and the amber and ambergis are creeping to the front. This is a lot less dead leaves leaves now, and I would no longer describe it as cologney. More snuggly. I can tell the cinnamon's in there as sort of a brown fuzziness mixing with soft moss but it's not taking over. (I was hoping for Ceylon, and that's what I'm getting ) This is really lovely. I'm still getting a teensy hint of something a bit alcoholic that reminds me of cognac. Perhaps some sharpness from the vetiver? I have mixed results with vetiver, but this is behaving itself. And I do catch a hint of the tobacco flower. Everything is extremely well blended, but there's a lot going on. About 15 mins in and the tobacco flower is continuing to come forward. Dry, soft and smooth. This is gorgeous so far. No blind bottle regrets. The amber, moss, and cinnamon really give it a plush, fuzzy feel that I expect more from warm perfumes, but this feels cool overall. Cool browns and greens - very autumnal, but not a dead leaves scent. I'd say this is gender neutral, but I would hang all over a man who smelled like this. I hope it will stay this pleasant as it dries down and last many hours. One caveat -- this feels a bit tingly on my skin, but I put it in a delicate area, and I'm not getting any redness. Still, if you're extremely sensitive, you might want to wait and see if others have any problems. 🍃 🍁 🍂

Woohoo! Great job everyone! @Amazonia Muscle weighs more than fat, and it also eats fat for breakfast! (Seriously. Science says so... kinda. 😜 ) Sort of random, but I've been in the mood for Halloween nostalgia and have been enjoying watching The Addams family. The actor who plays Gomez, John Astin, is apparently Buddhist and practices random yoga positions in the show. Fun and rather impressive when he reads his morning newspapers while standing on his head. I was a bum yesterday, but the day before I walked and jogged intermittently for 45 mins. Today I walked for half an hour and did yardwork for at least another half hour while wearing Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vetiver, Nagarmotha, and Vanilla Absolute. Something about the fragrance reminds me of burning hair. 😕 Probably the bourbon vetiver. Ah well, can't win 'em all.

@Laughing Seagull That sounds like a good smattering of different stuff to enjoy. Fighter is very much musk and a prominent middle of the road leather. Paladin's leather note is more subtle, as is Manhattan's. Iago is STRONG, shiny black leather. Too masculine for my tastes, but on some people it's not as harsh. Keep in mind, with a lot of BPAL's notes, including musk, leather, patchouli, and tea, there are different types. The descriptors often do matter, and you may like brown leather but not black leather. Or you may find you like white patchouli, but not red patchouli. Just things to keep in mind if you didn't know it already.

So I started this thread September 25th and realized I am 32 days in! So - time to tally my results. But first - I shall build suspense with a bit of yacking. I was under the weather yesterday, so I only did 20 minutes of yoga on extra wimp mode, but hey, at least I peeled myself off the couch. Today I did an hour more of heavy yardwork. My back yard is rather large and very neglected, so I've been chopping down saplings and trimming hedges and dragging stuff out for the trash. It's starting to look respectable again. I wore Dead Leaves, Coconut, and Champaca Blossom for the task. It's an odd little scent that has really grown on me. Alas, I'm down to the dregs of my decant, but it's nice to make room for new imps! @Seajewel - Awesome job on that extra mile! I hope you have great luck with your new doctor, but if your shoulder keeps giving you trouble, maybe you could alternate your jogging with less impact exercises? Great to see you getting back into your stride though. @Lucchesa I still have a teeeensy bit of the October decant you sent me. I was going to finish it off, but now I want to save it to compare to this years. Your weather sounds beautiful. I'm in the wrong city for loving the kind of weather I do. @Amazonia It's nice to be appreciated. 😜 @Kelthara Hope you are doing well. Looking forward to you rejoining us when you feel up to it. You too @a_bear and @Supertrooper Omni! So, time for RESULTS! My goals were originally to work out 3 days a week (changed to 5 later), lose 5 lbs by the end of October, and get my back less achy. _________________________________________ Insert Drum Roll _____________________________________________ I did not make the 5 days a week goal, but I did make the 3 days goal, except for the week I was MIA for unpleasant stuff. But even with the interim, I did at least 20 minutes of exercise 17 of my 32 days. Given I was getting next to no exercise before this challenge (unless couch sitting is considered a sport?) I think that's a pretty big gain. My back does indeed feel better. My flexibility has improved, and I'm more aware of my posture. I've gotten quite a bit done around my house, and I have lost....3 lbs without changing my very naughty eating habits. I also discovered that "A Kneeling Child Watches a Ghost Devil..." smells AMAZEBALLS with "Aperatos Eros;" that I desperately need to explore BPAL's cream cheese note. (Thank you, Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie) and that I might need more Dead Leaves, Coconut, and Champaca Blossom. For official workout blends I think I liked Destroying Angel, Machu Pichu, Wanda, and Red Patchouli, Nutmeg, and Oud the best. DA because it expressed itself so differently outdoors in the cold air and seemed outdoorsy without smelling like forest. MP because it all around pleasant, non-offensive (in case you're in the gym) and actually improves on me when sweaty, RPN&O because it was so grounding, solid, and still sexy, (for yoga) and Wanda because I just couldn't help feeling like a decadent bad ass while wearing it. So - MY NEW 30 DAY GOAL! I'm gonna do those 5 days a week, dang it. Loose another 5 lbs. (I'd like to lose a total of 30.) And I'd like to step up my Yoga game to focus more on strength training. (Madame_Mew, you're inspiring me. )

I think this one has improved with age, and I'm beginning to suspect dragon's blood ripens well. (My decant of SN Stageblood has also aged to delectability. ) When I first got my decant of Witch Riding a Dragon, the dragon's blood was not the obvious note to me. Now, it's taken a front seat, which for me, is great. It comes across as syrupy and a bit incensey. I don't get powdery, but that might be the aging at work. The charred notes supporting it strengthen the burning incense vibe and grow stronger as it wears so that there's almost a briquette thing going on in behind the sweetness. I wouldn't categorize this as woody though, and I don't get much patchouli either. I could see this fitting in with the Crimson Peak line; it's got that kind of vibe. it last 8+ hours on me. I'm a fan, but you probably have to enjoy DB to enjoy this one. But hey, it is a witch riding a DRAGON.

@Madame Mew Wow! Congrats on the pose! Certainly something to crow about! (Sorry, my brain has apparently been stuck in "dad joke" mode the last few days.) That is impressive though. I'm pretty sure that would become face plant mode for me real quick. I love dragon's blood! It usually comes across as sweet and incensey to me, though I know others report cherry and florals. I've also found a lot of variation in different perfumer's versions of it, leading me to think it's a blend of some sort. I did 20 minutes of walking yesterday and 30+ minutes of heavy yard work. My tummy muscles are sore. Apparently, I have some, so I guess that's good. I wore Sixteen92's The Bell Witch (Sweet cider barrels, orchard wood, blond tobacco leaf, cave and forest moss, glowing pumpkin, dry leaves, turned earth). It's very nice, but reminds me of several of their other fall blends. I might have to do a smell off between them.

@Laughing Seagull If you are trying to narrow down notes that you like, you might focus on fragrances with small lists of notes. For patchouli, I'd recommend The Coiled Serpent. It's got a strong, classic patchouli that will let you know if you really dig the note. Even if it's not your thing, I wouldn't toss patch out the window completly. You might like it when it's sweeter and in small doses. Snake Oil has a bit in there. Anne Bonny features a strong red patchouli note, which smells a bit different, so you might try that as well. I'd recommend The Lion as a good example of amber, as well as Haunted, which features a prominant black musk. Light of Men's Lives has prominant beeswax. Just based off your likes, I'd suggest Eden (though it does have sandalwood), Y'ha-nthlei, Kumari-Kandem, Brisigamen, Shub-Niggurath (dry ginger), White Rabbit (sharp ginger), Baobhan Sith , Black Pheonix & Hecate (I think both have almond and myrrh), Tavern of Hell, Goblin (if you decide you like patch), maybe Fighter or Paladin to see if you like leather? Centzon Totochtin (chocolate, wine, AND 400 rabbits) Vial of Holy Water (based of you liking Lightning and possibly lavander) ETA - It seems crazy to me that Kabuki smelled masculine to you. 😝 It's strait up sticky, red candy on me. It could be you are just not a licorice fan, but it might also be that red musk doesn't play well with you. You might check out a few more red musk blends and see how they take. Keep in mind, a lot of folks sell discounted GC imps on the sales page. Happy sniffing!

There is something delightfully non-sequiteur about wearing that for yoga. It'slike - so much zen... and so much screaming. 😆 We need another version - Please Scream Inside Your Chakras.

This is a shameless self plug - I'M RUNNING A WEENIE DECANT CIRCLE! Ahem. Also, I've been watching waaaay too much pole dancing lately. O_O But seriously, I've been binging on YouTube videos on PoleSportOrg and it's really inspiring. The athleticism the women display (mostly women - the guys are fun to watch too. ) is amazing in and of itself, but the diversity of physiques and the ingenuity of the dancers is also really fascinating. The 2020 competitors have had to videotape their routines rather than preforming them live on a stage, and it's made for some truly ingenious choreography. It's cool to see how people are excelling and adapting even in our Covid climate. Just to be clear, this is how I drink my coffee in the morning. https://youtu.be/iLamzRZ00z4 Did a half hour of core strengthening exercises with a yoga ball and another half hour of yoga stretches. I wore The Lion, which is lovely, but more subtle than I was expecting. I'm noticing that sweet notes seem to come out on me when I'm getting sweaty, which is interesting. The Lion almost had a honey smell to it that I've never noticed before.

Okay! Walked half an hour yesterday (Wednesday) wearing Red Patchouli, Nutmeg, and Oud. It has smoothed out beautifully with a bit of aging, and will probably only get better. Absolutely no barnyard. I want to wear it again for yoga-ing (Yup. That's a word now.) because it's just such a nice, warm, grounding sort of scent that I think it would be perfect for that. I've also read that some studies show nutmeg is an anti-depressant, though I don't know whether wearing it works as well as eating it. Today (Thursday) I walked 45 minutes wearing Gordian Hairmop. I've been trying to decide if I like it or meh it. I think I like it, but not till it's dried down quite a bit. It actually didn't make much of an impression on my walk and seems to last a long time, but have very little throw on me. I met one of my neighbors for the first time during my walk and had a pleasant chat which included an exchange of plant cuttings! Woohoo! Anyways, I too am grateful for all of you guys keeping up with this while I've waffled. I'm really glad it's helping folks, and it's definitely helping me to get back on track rather than just peter out. @Amazonia I figure, when people are done with their 30 days, they can always start a new 30 days. 😄 No reason the thread has to close down. I'm really sorry about your husband's co-worker and that your husband is having such a rough time. It seems like everything is just butts for everyone right now. For anyone on here that's having a tough time with things, and b/c this thread is in "recommendations," I know Betterhelp.com has been really helpful to me for counseling. Their rates are a lot cheaper that typical in-office visits, and now of course, because of Covid, a lot of mental health professionals have been doing video and phone appointments anyway. I've also found the scheduling they offer very convenient b/c I work odd hours, so it's hard to make appointments during traditional office hours. I can talk to my therapist at 10 p.m. while wearing my pajamas and snuggling my cats - which I dig a lot. Anywho, keep up the good work, all of y'all! And I'm looking forward to finding out which of the new Weenies make wonderful witchy workout scents! 🎃 🎃

This is all about the brown musk on me. Musky, slightly salty, and sweet. It um... certainly does the image justice. I suspect there might be some ambrette in here. I don't get any anise, and I wouldn't call this a woody fragrance, though in the dry down, I might catch a vague whiff of what could be construed as smoky wood. This is all about those musky, fuzzy, tanuki balls. It's a cozy scent, but not really to my liking, and in the dry down, it gets too powdery for my tastes. I enjoyed trying it out though. If you are all about cozy, musky scents though (sort of in the family of Coyote, though quite different) this might be for you. ETA after reading other reviews - Yeah, I can definitely smell myrrh. i think it's lending much of the sweetness and probably a lot of the powderiness in the dry down.

Ok. Back on the workout wagon! I actually did work out the evening of my last post. 1 hour of walking. Woohoo! Today, I did a 20 minute walk and dragged my hubby along. I figure that expended some extra energy in and of itself. I've been experimenting with SN's, duets, and menage a trois in my collection, so I was wearing about 6 different things. >_<° Tomorrow, I'll be picking something more coherant and will report! @Kelthara, I feel ya. Don't be too hard on yourself, and remember every little bit helps. @Amazonia, it sounds like you're a cool gtandma, and that was probably a pretty adorable scene. 😜 @Seajewel, nice t'see ya again! Welcome back! See all y'all tomorrow! P.S. Just wanted to add, thanks for all the good vibes everyone. ❤️ And welcome to the party, @niffler Fighter seems like a great choice for getting back to your workout/yoga routine. Love that idea.

You have a lot of lovely fragrances listed, but I don't know that I would think of all of them as more "natural" smells or as lighter sents. Of course, skin chemistry can make things smell very different on different folks. Aperatos Eros is beautiful, but it's dark, musky, and insensey. Haunted, though classic, is heavy, black musk. Demons of the First Class is also heavier, and I get a lot of red musk. All three of these are heavier, though not "perfumey," scents. If you are wanting amber, I might suggest "The Lion" for a classic, warm amber. Fae, Leanan Sidhe and Tavern of Hell are both beautiful, but more floral. ToH has some prominent gardenia and Fae and Leanan Sidhe both have a misty, white musk vibe with gentle floral. I would probably suggest Envy over Wilde if you are wanting a more natural, herbal lavander. Wilde has a definite cologne feel to it. If you are looking for that, Villain is another one you might be interested in. My suggestions for things not on your list would be - Envy, the Lion, Ogygia, Lear, Gauko, Burial, Antony, Troll, The Apothecary, Mag Mel, Tenochtitlan, Santa Eularia Des Riu, and Bruised Violet Compound (Yes, it has patchouli, but I'd still check it out if you enjoy violets.) You might well enjoy Embalming Fluid as well as other tea blends. You might also check out the Rappaccini's Garden section, as a lot of those fragrances are more green than floral.

Huzzah! I am back! Mostly. Sans some blood after my yearly physical. Have been too busy to do regular exercise, but I did manage to get a few hours of gardening in this last few days. I will update this evening.

So glad to see folks popping back on here! Yay for all of y'all! Keep it up! Keep it up! Thursday, I gardened for an hour and a half and, after a nice, long shower, did a half hour of yoga while wearing Dragon Snack HG. I agree with @Madame Mewthat patchouli is lovely for yoga. Friday has been a doozy of a day with little time for working out and lots of time for family emergency. 😕 Thoughts, prayers, and well wishes appreciated. I'll probably be out of commission a couple of days.

@Amazonia I'm so sorry to hear you had to go to the ER! Glad it's not Covid, but I hope you get a better idea of what's going on with your husband and he starts to feel better. Grand plans for gardening today, and working out too. Mustering myself for the effort. My Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie was still stinking good this morning, but I added some of Sixteen92's Mercy Lewis to the mix, and I'm enjoying the blend. Not sure what it will do with sun and sweat, but we'll see.

I AM THE PUMPKIN QUEEN! At least when I work out. That's what I wore. Half an hour of walking. Half and hour of gardening. After a shower, I did half an hour of yoga before bed, this time wearing Frosted Pumpkin-Spice Cookie which is deeelish. I'm officially in Halloween mode. @Madame Mew Looked that up and wow-wee! Let us know when you get there!

I'm not much for baked good scents, but this is darn delectable. With "pumpkin spice" in the title, I was expecting the spices to knock my socks off, but they behave themselves. Pumpkin spice is definitely present, but it's not amping through the roof like it usually does on me. I suspect there's enough nutmeg to restrain the cinnamon. I smell brown sugar and yes -butter, a note I actually do get along with. Cream cheese isn't a note I've ever been interested in, but perhaps I was wrong. There is also a powdery sugar note that really does smell uncannily like the white sugar frosting drizzled on baked goods. It's pretty amazing. I would eat me. After it dries down, the spices do calm down, but they are still present, like a sugar-spice dusting over the the top. The rich butteriness stays around and something almost comes off as juicy, baked raisins to me. It must be some trick the cream cheese is playing on my nose. Happy to fall for it. I was frottled this. Otherwise, it would have never been on my radar. Ok labrats. Ya got me. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on all those baked goodies you come out with.

For me, this was all about the tart blackberry. There's a hint of sweet, red patch in the background, grounding things, but I would have actually preferred this to smell a bit earthier. There isn't a dirt note, but the dead leaves smell dry and crackly, like a forest floor. It comes out sharp and strong, but quickly softens. No green cologne note in this Dead Leaves. This is nice, but it's not really me. Folks who like the idea of a dry, tart blackberry might want to check this one out. The fruit is present, but I wouldn't call this "fruity," and it does feel very fall.

I have been naughty and neglecting my posts. I took off Friday and Saturday, but Sunday I walked for half an hour wearing "A Kneeling Child Watching a Ghost Devil and Puppet Making Mayhem in a Room," which, by a happy accident, I learned smells divine when mixed with Aperatos Eros. I've been on a black licorice kick, and A Kneeling Child... is tasty, but something about the feral musk and incense in Aperatos just sends everything through the roof. Today I used the last of my aged imp of Elegba while I walked another half hour, and did an hour of gardening. It smelled quite delectable and, possibly because of aging, was even heavier on the rum and more of a brown sugar syrup than the blast of rum coconut I remember. @Amazonia Storm would be amazing. I was officially hooked by the X-men cartoon as a kid, and it's always been my favorite of the mainstream comics, even if it's not always the best. I too, love the Batman, though he seems like he'd be a real pain in the ass to be married to. Also, Iron Man might be better in the sack. But who am I really to turn down hot, billionaire, super hero playboys for husbands? 🤔 Meh. What the hell, I'll take them both. P.S. I do need to step it up tomorrow, but I'm glad I am at least getting some exercise rather than being a lump. So yay to improvement, even if it's small!

This morning, my lovely felines decided to wake me up at the ass crack of dawn, and by gum, it was chilly outside! All you northerners probably think that's normal for October, but for Houston, it was quite a shock. Anywho, I walked for 20 minutes, wearing Destroying Angel in honor of the mushrooms that have been popping up around the neighborhood. I was half-inspired to write a tanka about them; I'll post it, if I find the other half. After the walk, I gardened for half an hour. I'm quite fond of Destroying Angel. It's one of the few mushrooms scents that doesn't turn to baby powder on me, and it's quite lovely. it smelled sweeter and cleaner than normal, with the earth note made milder by the cold. This evening, I did 20 mins of bedtime yoga with Ariadne while wearing Sixteen92's Chloroform. It's sweet and snowy, and lacks any lavender, so we'll see if it lives up to its name. @Supertrooper Omni and @Kelthara, lovely to have you! And thank you for joining in. Kudos for getting back on the yoga wagon, Kelthara! @AmazoniaMore Marvel than DC, aye? 😛 Have you ever cosplayed her? Also, we gotta talk more about perfume. I think our noses are related.

Since I took a day off yesterday and was MIA on the thread, I wanted to make sure I got my exercise knocked out this morning. Instead of sitting on my duff eating breakfast and watching half an hour of tv, I walked 30 mins and did 30 mins of yoga. So thanks for the accountability guys! Also, because I'm thoroughly impressed by all y'all's initiative, I'm gonna stop being a weenie and up my workout goal to 5 days a week. I can do this! Machu-Pichu was my perfume pick today. It's not normally a fragrance I wear, but I thought the steamy, fruity, clean vibe might be nice for the warm, beautiful weather, and its low sillage (on me, anyway) might be nice for yoga. I was right! Cheery and sweet without being sickening. It doesn't stay on my skin very long, but after my walk, I replied to my shirt for yoga, and it worked really well. @Amazonia Nothing wrong with a lady being a gentleman now and then. What an awesomely nice thing to do for your neighbors. And with a PUSH MOWER?! Forget manly-man. I think you're Wonder Woman. Also -- I LOVE Klaus!!! But no... I don't think dick throwing is one of his super powers on the tv show. Maybe the uncut version?? And now you're hanging upside down? Not Wonder Woman. BATWOMAN! 😜 Seriously though, your workout routines sound amazing. Keep firming those thighs! And thank you for the inspiration. @Madame Mew I looked up that rose and what a beautiful, delicate shade of pink! And those clusters are gorgeous! I have a Peggy Martin rose that makes clusters like that, though the flowers are not much bigger than a quarter. It too gets the dreaded BLAAAACK SPOOOOT. If you ever find a tried and true trick to killing it dead, let me know. I usually end up just whacking everything back and letting it grow out new. It's just so gratifying though when roses do put on a good show, we have to deal with their demanding and fickle ways. 😜 Thank you for the yoga recommendations. Those are some great ideas. And yeah. I think I have the over extension thing too. "What? It's not supposed to bend that way? *bends it that way* Hey, why do my joints hurt?" @Lucchesa I'm loving that this is turning into a dog fitness routine too. Happy and healthier puppers. And good job squeezing in your goal today when things were hectic. @Seajewel Happy to have you on the thread! Believe me, I am no guru of fitness, and getting my neck and back in better shape after injury is actually one of my main goals. Rehabilitating your shoulder totally counts for this. Is it for your body? Is it physical? Will it make you feel better? This is about you vs. you, not you vs. anyone else. If you walked a mile you wouldn't normally have walked, that's already an improvement. Pat yourself on the back! @a_bear Woohoo! Sculpt that puddle! I checked out Yoga with Adriene today. I'd actually saved a video of hers for neck stretches, so I did that and checked out a longer one for hamstrings and lower back. Great recommendation! I really like her focus on form and body awareness. Thank you. P.S. @Madame Mew I think watching the debates should count as an exercise in PATIENCE!

This starts out as a woody patchouli with just the faintest tinge of funk. It's pleasant enough, but a bit simple for my tastes. As it warms up though, I get hints of the carrot seed, which add an interesting powdery sweetness that softens the patchouli and really does give it a wistful tone. If I'm getting any aspects from the tea, it's a bit of spiciness, but I wouldn't guess that it's in here. This has sort of a suede texture, brown and dry and soft. Surprisingly, it fades to a skin scent quickly, making it's presence known just long enough to know if it's abhorred or not, before slinking off. I for one, wouldn't mind it sticking around a bit longer.

Oooo! Thank you! I will check them out and report back. And welcome to the CHALLENGE!!! Happy to have you. Getting outside is a great goal, and I too am a hater of the heat and humidity. I swear I'd be ten pounds lighter if our weather was ten degrees cooler.

Today feels like it's officially autumn! The morning started cool and overcast, with a chilly breeze. 🍂 I'm LOVIN' it. 🍁 I tested out Solitary and Abhorred, which I believe I was frimped by @Lucchesa, a thoughtful gesture since I've been wanting to explore carrot seed. The fragrance started out a bit like Coiled Serpent, with a good bit of warm, slightly funky patchouli, but the carrot seed crept in after a few minutes adding a soft, wistful sweetness that was perfect for the gloominess of the day. I really enjoyed this one as something warm and grounding, though surprisingly, it lightened to a skin scent before the end of my 30 minute walk. For folks who fear offending their fellows in yoga class, the low throw might be appreciated though. 30 minutes of brisk walking; 30 minutes of yoga stretches! I'm experimenting with different yoga videos, trying to find routines I like. I would love suggestions. I'm a novice, but I'm naturally stretchy and bendy, so beginning positions can sometimes feel a bit unchallenging. I'd really like to find some routines that give me a good stretch, build core strength, and focus on good form and breathing technique. Ugh. Covid. 😕 My husband's workplace went through an outbreak about a month ago. @Amazonia, hope he feels up to snuff soon. @Lucchesa, glad it was a false alarm. Also, I would have had some "appreciative" words for that dog-napping do-gooder! @Madame Mew, gardening totally counts! 😜 I've actually been meaning to do some of that too. I have a lonely rosebush that wants some companions. What kind of herbs are you planting for the cool weather?