artisjok

Haven’t let this rest from its trip, but I was too excited to wait. All Head/Spine/Limb/Loin is almost a gourmand scent freshly applied, as others have commented. Reminds me of a spiced peanut butter cookie.... There’s definitely leather all over this, but I find it much tamer than Snake Skin’s leather. The green and black musk and amber really sweeten and smooth the leather. Though, SO is real sweet to begin with... I can’t really tease out the sandalwood or ambergris (I’m assuming they contribute to that beginning cookie phase, though). Snake Oil’s presence is obvious throughout the experience. On my wrist, scent ends in a slightly powdery muskiness. In my hair, the leather becomes the most apparent note over time. I love the beginning and middle, less so the ending. I imagine the wear length will improve over time and it will become so smooooooth! Very glad I was able to swap for this gem. A great leather addition~ Edit: I’m wearing Spider Witch today and the two are very similar. All Head is more leather heavy, and SW is more seemlessly blended, yet they both have that nuttiness with the musky sexy vibe.

Very much a leather scent, as the previous reviewers commented, and sensuous! The lavender and musk and probably amber give a beautiful sweetness. Big throw! Not getting much resin presence but I’m sure it’s all making this so luscious, so smooth. Not sure where the tea’s presence is coming through, either. Will keep analyzing as it lingers and update if I more notes fall into place in my sensory perception. I think the lavender’s presence really makes this special. A surprisingly lovely pairing, leather and lavender! (Loved it in Fifth Lash, as well.) My partner smelled it when it first arrived and said “That is sexy!” Happy to have my decant for when when I want to feel sensual and powerful like a Tiger queen!

Imaginer starts off with a blast of honeyed saffron and pepper on me. Quickly, though, these relax and meld into amber and beeswax with maybe a slight touch of the woodsy notes. It’s truly lovely, the waxy amber with the tang of saffron/pepper lasts a good while for me. I sometimes wish the patch was more apparent, but, at the same time, I love it as is. Cozy and sophisticated, simultaneously.

I pulled an imp to try on a whim, and Whoso List to Hunt was the lucky winner! Without checking the notes, I found the scent to be cozy (brown musk) and a touch herbal or floral (rose, for sure, and probably the moss). A bit on the masculine cozy side. After it dried down, it became very powdery (amber?) and the musk disappeared (shocker!) Seems to be in a similar scent group as Death Cap (creamy cozy earthy), at least emotionally. The notes are right in my interest range, it’s just too thickly powdery for me. I love Death Cap much more, and have a full bottle, so I am sending this one to a new home.

I’d been wanting to try Wander Darkling for a while, and I finally got a swap for it. Wet, the patchouli is the strongest, hints of other notes behind it. The rose starts to amp up, and it’s a strange dirty rose.... hmm.. I don’t really like the combo (and I love both notes usually). This fades pretty quickly into a vanilla tinged myrrh and ambrette scent and stays softly in this phase for a little while. Velvety, for sure. It vanishes all too quickly though! Seemed like this scent was going to be a hit with me, as I love all the notes listed and the concept worked in my imagination. I’m sad that it didn’t come together like some others experienced, and that the wear length was so short. I’m going to do another wear a different time, when I’m more hydrated, and see what comes of it.

Yay oudh! I haven’t tried all the types (maybe just a small few even), but I love it in the ones I have. A Masked Ball of the Most Unusual Magnificence is awesome, aging splendidly. I reeeeally love Deut. 10:18 (my partner stole it for his sig. scent though lol) I noticed the other reviews of First Morning in Paris said it is a funky one... I also noticed sometimes with aging the funk is tamed, but haven’t done the experiment myself. I’m hoping that’s the case, because I want to grab Snake’s Shadow, but don’t want it to be a barnyard smelly Snake (thus my hope of aging=awesome). ooohhh now I really want Gingerbread Oudh! And I need to try Nasty Woman...

Baghdad shares a lot of notes with Moscow, a scent that I tested earlier today- amber musk citrus bergamot and rose. Baghdad wasn’t soapy, but it does have a similar old-fashioned feel. When I put it on, I felt like I was going through my grandma’s perfumes, or walking into a my great grandma’s bedroom a little sharp, a little musty. Not unpleasant, but not how I feel like smelling. I get The saffron rose and mandarin for sure, and I think the bergamot somehow pushes the scent into “old” territory for me.... hmmmm

The notes of Moscow really intrigued me, and I was hoping for a bright nuanced floral. It’s definitely bright, primarily getting the tangerine and jasmine. It’s old-fashioned and soapy on my skin. I really hoped I would get spice from carnation, warmth from amber and musk and delight from all the notes combined.... merrr Could be the Rose and/or lily making it soapy. Oh well, I’m glad to have tried it. Another scent will have similar notes and fulfill my imagined experience!

Left Ventricle sounds like the perfect red musk for hot weather: A contraction: red musk seized by crushed mint, eucalyptus blossom, orange blossom, and bergamot. I haven’t tried it but sounds like red musk traveling on a fresh spring breeze~~~~ Now I want to try it... drats

Alma Venus is all juicy orange and beeswax on application. I’m sure there’s floral notes as well, but I’m not getting any specific standouts on my skin. The beeswax dominates pretty quickly, as often happens in scents with the note. In the drydown I think I’m getting more floral, maybe orange flower, and some amber dustiness mixed in the beeswax. I can imagine a hint of cedar, but it isn’t an obvious note.The citrus is still woven throughout the scent, sweetened and bright. This is a beautiful and summery, though I think my skin makes it less complex than I hoped it would be. Still wonderful. Huffable! A scent that loves to bask in sunbeams and wear flowing dresses and laugh joyously.

I really wanted to love Vagina Treasure. All the notes sound like a win, smells great in the bottle.... then I put it on my hair and I get an awful plastic scent so sad! I wonder why... Some amber notes don’t work on me, so maybe it’s that in conjunction with the flowers? The first time I’ve tried ginger blossom.. merrr

This is exactly my experience & response to this scent! The sandalwood works so well to make the nuts appealing to me. lol The beeswax is super creamy. It’s actually very cozy and comforting to me. I imagine it would be great fun to have someone compliment the scent, then tell them the name and watch their face as they process and comprehension dawns... hehe ? I’m trying to imagine what the ti leaf and bamboo would be like in this mix if I could detect them.... I’m a fan of beeswax scents, but I already have two bottles that feature it as a primary note. I’ll enjoy the decant, but won’t need to buy a bottle (swap-worthy, though). The wear length is great so far! Update: Wearing this today, I’m definitely picking up the ti leaf now. (Helps that I also have a beeswax atmo sprayed in the house simultaneously to compare.) It’s like a fresh aura the wraps around the other notes, yet never asserts itself as the main attraction, just sets the mood to deliver the others. I’ve grabbed a couple more decants since the first review, and would be glad to have more. I’m also really excited to try it the new Monk RPG scent (Sandalwood incense, ti leaf, and honeyed saffron.)!

Shadow Lace is all about that lacey plum, as others has noted. I can’t exactly pick out more notes, besides the vanilla lace and plum, but they are creating the dusty yet velvety feel of the scent. It’s like a room draped in old purple velvet curtains, with memories of incense and rich perfumes ladies seeped into the curtains and walls. Ghosts of the pasts linger about, drowsily. I’m digging it! Creates a mood for complex melancholy thoughts. Also, makes me feel like a gorgeous dignified woman

L’Intention Fait Valois les Bagatelles brings to mind Baku and I Am Tired of Tears and Laughter. Like they had a baby, and it’s still little, so there isn’t much throw. Begins with an anise tea note backed by lavender bud, very close to my skin, I have to huff to catch the scent. As it dries down, the benzoin becomes the main player and at one pivot point I get a citrusy twang from the bergamot. It leaves as quick as it arrived. The lavender is super soft once dry, and the tea is only a smidge stronger. Powdery benzoin.... hmmmm... I already have, and love, a bottle of Tired of Tears and Laughter and a couple imps of Baku, so if I want a stronger version of this scent (at least how it smells on me..)I could probably just layer them. I might keep the decant to try again, or try it in an oil burner someday. Though, if someone had it on their wishlist, I wouldn’t hesitate to send it to a new home.

Scent/vibe review, Ritualcravt is definitely a patch- forward blend, but it’s patch surrounded by an old forest, deep and old and dark. Gnarly, yet velvety at the same time. Shadows and dense stillness.There’s something sweetening the patchouli, honey-like, maybe the ambrette seed? I don’t get too strong of tobacco note, which is good because I have a tumultuous relationship with it. I love it! I feel this blend would be an excellent guide into the shadow work, or in calling forth ancient ancestral knowledge. Glad I got a decant, and am considering if I should give in to a bottle.... Maybe, after I try Hekate’s Garden and consider if I’ll do enough ritual to warrant the $ splurge.

Thank you Soupy & Sprout! I’ll have to get my hands on those two..... omg, Dusky Shroud sound beautiful

Does anyone else have the disappearing coffee note experience, as I do? The coffee in Cafe Mille et Un Nuits and The Jeweled Spider both vanishes in moments, and just felt like a big hole existed amidst the midst of the other notes. *sigh* I want to try out Zonked in Paris (gah, the reviews! Yum!), but don’t want it to vanish! Does any one know of a coffee scent that might stick to me?

I found my Yule Chaos squirt in a box the other day! When I first received it, my nose was all stuffy, so I’m glad to finally explore this mystery~ It’s definitely a licorice smell, anise?, and something fresh like mint or pine, camphorous. As the fresh note tones down, I get a sagebrush note filling in the gaps. The anise note stays throughout, lending a spiced sweetness. I enjoy this a lot! Especially, the sage-y part, but the whole combo is lovely and fun. I feel like it fits my current vibe, too. Yayyyy!

The Bride stands before you, gloriously innocent and pure among the blooming magnolia trees. You catch a bit of vanilla from her breath, probably “testing” the cake earlier in the day. You smile lovingly at your precious woman. In the heat of the afternoon, you notice a drip of sweat trickle slowly down her neck. Curving past her collarbone, it advances down her chest. Now you are sweating. Innocence is a thought of the past. You ache to draw her near and taste her vanilla-scented mouth, smell her satin skin, damp in the sunlight. The wind sweeps through the trees and white petals flutter around.... Yeah. For such a pretty blend, The Bride hints of more carnal delights, but only slightly. I feel super girly wearing this scent, but also feel like I have a secret sexy agenda that glints in my eyes. I love it! Doesn’t last too long on my skin, but some on my shirt collar has been gifting me with luscious scent tendrils long after.

Black Pearl is a smooth, silky coconut scent . I can’t really tell the other notes are there, besides the coconut. I imagine the hazelnut is giving it a warmth and more sweetness, the white musk is giving it the fluffiness and the great wear length, and the iris seems to give a touch floral and maybe the powdery note I’m getting at the drydown. Fancy yet cozy and summery at the same time. I’m enjoying it more than I expected! And yes, it lasts and lasts.

When I first looked over the this collection, Cathédrale was the one I wanted to blind bottle, so, accordingly, I sat on my hands and waited for reviews. Luckily, I ended up getting a decant.... On my skin, I’m getting primary beeswax and lavender smoke. Feels a bit like the softer, kinder sister of Gaueko. It’s lovely, but only lasts about an hour before disappearing. I feel like if I had gotten some of the stone note, I would be more inclined to age a bottle and see if the wear length would increase. As it is now, I can be happy with just a decant, and I can always change my mind if it shifts! Edit: second wear, I can sense the stone note with the lavender in the wet stage. I think I was interpreting it as a sharp herbal of the lavender the first time.

Phasmophobia is indeed a very white scent. I’m just getting aquatinted with lilies, but they are clearly taking the lead, holding hands with the snow rose, almost shrieking. Behind these florals, I get an icy white grape note, the iced wine. Definitely get the white sandalwood grounding the scent, keeping it from being too sharp or soapy. I’m betting the white amber is also helping, but I don’t pick it out personally. Big throw at first, slowly winds down until I get a whisper of floral, a drop of iced wine, and the smooth memory of sandalwood. This is fills the white floral niche in my collection in a delightful way. I’d be especially happy if the amber and sandalwood increase with age, but I’m happy with it in this state, too. A scent I would have not been into a year ago, I now have a deep appreciation for and look forward to wearing it on windswept days, and during ghost story parties. (Note to self: have a ghost story party!)

Metallic onyx, grave-dark and gleaming. I’ve been wanting a starry sky nail color for a while, and thought Gothic Black might fulfill that want. I think it does, color-wise. I was a little hesitant without any reviews posted! Phew... Application, on the other hand, was tough. The consistency is super thick and for some reason the brush flared out at the end . I did buy second hand, so I’m not sure if the lab-fresh would be the same. Two coats gave gave good coverage, though. If I can buy a topcoat that will make the color last a while, the extra effort will pay off in shiny night satisfaction. (I want to try Zorya P. next to see how I like that color scheme!)

I honestly thought I would not like The Magician’s Garden. I’ve loved the others in the Magician line, so I went ahead and bought a decant recently. How silly of me! This is pure magic. I am not too familiar with the scent of either flowers, but on my skin they are a rich velvety yet delicate floral. I wouldn’t contest if it said there was vanilla in the notes! No soapy experience here. Ethereal is right. Transcendence is possible. The Veil (of petals) parts before me and the scent leads me into a blissful state of being. Sensual, yet purifying. I am undone. Open. One.

I’m wearing The Mountebank this morning, and it had mostly faded. So, why not test another lavender scent over? Pain seemed appropriate, but boyyyyy is this scent not my thing. It’s minty and lavender and floral, but has a soapy undercurrent that I just can’t get over. I love mint and lavender together, so I’m thinking pennyroyal just doesn’t work for my skin. Bummer! I was hoping for a sharp cleansing experience, just not one that involved soap. Maybe in a diffuser?? Cooling bedtime atmosphere..... will give it a try. Now, I’m off to slather Mountebank on again and feel cozy.