artisjok

Creamy rice flower & fig, Lola Lee Loo is a subtle stunner. I get a hint of toasty edge when I sniff my wrist. I can see this being a perfect scent for curling up with a book, and also perfect for work, as she keeps close to me. Surprisingly, the scent has been wafting up to my nose for hours! A major feat for such a skin close scent on me. The fig does fade into the rice flower & vanilla cream after a while. I don’t know how much I would reach for this in my current self, but if I worked in a scent-wary environment, I can see it being my go-to. I bet this would be fabulous layered over Castitas bath oil! Rice flower squared.

FIG! I agree this is the same fig I got in Waltzing Matilda, and a powerhouse. In the first stages, I get a touch of the cherry, yet barely. This is a perfumey, woodsy, and somehow sweet bubbly fig. I slathered and it had throw like whoa, aand lasted! A rare occurrence on my skin. I’ve been in such a weird fig mood recently, and I this one wear satisfied that craving so hard. Do I need more than this decant? *shrugs* We’ll see how I feel once this finally wears off. I’m thankful for the lovely lady who shared some of this & other figgies with me!

I slathered on I Die of Love with this thread in mind (also it’s my month of florals)... not much lilac comes through for me, though. Salt Phoenix is now intriguing me. I’ve been crushing on the Lab’s salt scents!

Someone sent me a little tester of Possets Billet-Doux recently, “The scent of paper with a bit of perfume still lingering in it, a slight zest of the ink while it is still wet, a great deal of melting musk to say that you lover the "other" part of your heart. This is a light but tenacious fragrance, bright but musk imbued.” It’s real sweet papery musk. BPAL’s Two-Ply Bristol comes to mind, though it’s probably too fresh paper to conjure that sweet paperback scent you’re longing for... BOOKS seemed less leather and more paper than any for me, though other reviews say otherwise.

Earlier in the day I was wearing The Magus, and Hope is in the same family, yet more refined, more composed. It’s waxy sweet and floral with a touch resin, though the mimosa is directing this to more of a tea-like floral, as mentioned above. I wonder if the smoky opoponax will emerge more with age... It shifts to be a little fresher than I expected, almost a soapy edge. I think this is gonna be great for Summer . I’m pleased to have a lil partial bottle to enjoy~

The Magus is a thick sultry summer flower, dripping with viscous honey and tear drops of frankincense glimmering around delicate white petals. A pale golden scent. At times the resinous frankincense is supported by the rich waxy honey, and though more often it’s the honey taking the lead with its commanding tone, and making me salivate. In both cases, the asphodel is very present, a wistful slightly powdery presence. The power of this scent is in its ability to create an aura of luxury with a touch of feminine mystery, perfect to elevate a Spring or Summer day.

Thanks to you both! I have to check with her to see what combos she is comfy with, though I’ll probably start collecting decants in the meantime. I’m also hoping someone knows a good single note from another company...

The Magus is beautiful, though I haven’t worn mine for a while. I’ll wear it again in the next day or so & update on the frank/honey experience!

The one that comes first to mind is Petite Planchette (Tendrils of frankincense and myrrh curling around polished woods, sugared honey, and bourbon vanilla.)

So happy to get a little decant of Berlin Girls! A sparkling berry and pepper, fancified with chypre (a little mossy it seems) with a hint of vetiver peaking out, and a subtle leather base underneath. Pepper retreats early on me. It’s a brighter scent than I expected, and not what I was hoping, yet enjoyable. A refined earthy berry. It triggers my scent memory real hard, so there must be something similar out there.... (Actually, now I’m thinking it’s these little round chewy fruit candies I ate a ton of when I visited Norway!) Glad to try and have a bit to wear another day, and equally glad I don’t feel called to hunt a bottle down!

Right Atrium is a sweet pink stunner. Fresh white tea, a viscous amber shimmering glow, musky sweet wood, and the delicate floral of cherry blossoms floating above it all. This blend screams feminine. It manages to be cozy, refreshing, and sweet all at once. A blend for girly girls who want to get more into woods or resins. A blend for a summer tea party under the blue sky. A blend for innocent romance. A blend for gossip while shopping with the besties. This is what all those cute anime girls smell like. You, too, could smell like this: Get some Right Atrium and feel the wind whisper secrets in your delicate cat ears~

Neku No Koi is all thick viscous honey to me. There’s a slight spice from clove, but it’s been thoroughly conquered. If you love love honey, don’t miss out! I was generously PIFed a decant, and I’m glad to have it to pair with the remaining Moonglow bath oil I have. It would also work well with scents like Zoe and the Goat or The Eternal Virgin.

Mother Ghost is primarily a cool resinous orchid scent. A soft voice with a chilly tone echoing through time. I detect the tea note along with and the gentle thrum of amber and benzoin carrying the orchid regally through the ages. A slight powdery musk and a light touch of labdanum come through after a while, and the orchid gradually fades away into memory, leaving the residue of tea ritual and dust behind. Orchid is a favorite of mine, and paired with the resins and tea, it’s so lovely. I’m trying to decide if this scent is strong enough for my tastes... Will I actually wear it? The linger is long, yet it’s subtle. I think I have to keep it! A perfect scent for a summer date with a lover, lingering over each other as the stars cross the darkened sky~ Editing to say, the vanilla flower is present, like fluttering curtains in the background, and is one of the last notes standing. Also, when I said dust, there is no dust note... I should have said something rather like moonlight hah

Lyonesse is a gorgeous ambergris-heavy scent. It’s sweet and perfumey. It’s a syrupy, yet a bit like clean sweat. I’ve been working detecting ambergris recently, as I was never sure the effect it gave scents. This is a fabulous one that showcases the sea amber. Salty musky and clean sweetness... I’m repeating myself a bit.. I like it! The sea moss actually shows up in the late drydown, the lily must be helping sweeten up the scent with vanilla. I detected the sandalwood at one point, though it’s not crazy obvious. I’m glad to actually give the time to wear this shining sea glory! I think it’s a great summer dress-up scent. Feminine and classy sexy, in a nonchalant, breezy manner. Makes me want to don a white sun dress and a straw hat!

You Get What Anybody Gets is a tragedy on me. It’s like the combo of a swimming pool and toilet cleaner I can’t even tell what notes are going so awful on me, but it lasts for at least an hour before chills out into a powdery champaca.... I wish my experience was like some of the previous reviewers, because it sounds amazing with their skin chem. Dreams Shape the World, on the other hand, was a hit for me. They both had beautiful bottle art, and I’m thankful that I’ll be able to enjoy one. This decant will have to find a new home!

Snuggly sandalwood, myrrh, vanilla, with a touch of spice. Reminds me of Morocco and OLLA Eve, but a bit drier. Powdery incense. The remnants of ancient temples, fallen to dust.

Syrupy musk and labdanum are most evident upon application. After a short while, I detect the frankincense and a hint of woodsy oudh. Everything is loud to begin and then gradually softens and melds into one. The white musk lightens the red musk effect somewhat. This definitely calls to mind a magician’s robes, as if crafted out of magic rather than fabric. Cozy, yet sparkling. Never stained or stinky. They must be purple robes, because I’m getting grape vibes. I can tell it’s going to linger for a long time, making my day a little more mystical. I’ll have to do something creative to take advantage of these vibrations! Update: this is a similar scent to Streets of Detroit, lighter and cleaner, but in the same family!

A Witch Riding on a Dragon is a scent that I waver on how much I enjoy. It’s powdery and smoky like the remnants of a charred tree, and it’s sweetened and incensed by the dragon’s blood. I don’t get an obvious patchouli, and I do get the woodsy note of oak. Maybe it’s a combo of the two. The combo of sweet/powdery sometimes turns my stomach, yet other times I feel sexy cozy. The concept connects to a personal imagery that I hold close, so I doubt I will ever choose to destash. I feel a throb of power emitting from me when I’m slathered in the scent, and sometimes power is a bitch to wield.

Wolf Spider is a comfort scent. I get the tobacco primarily, tonka bean, a touch musk, and a bit of vanilla or coconut. The throw is very light on me, which keeps me from wanting any more than the decant. I bet I would detect other notes if the throw was increased. I do keep catching a whiff from my neck and enjoying it. If you like cozy, slightly masculine, and close to the skin scents, give this spider a whirl~

Musky salty wood, delicious, and smooth silkiness. That squeeze of lime throws me off a bit. Maybe because I thought, “cucumber?” before I knew what note was doing the thing. It slips away quickly, yet I’m sad to say, so does the salt! Then what I have left is a skin-close woods and musk, slightly green. If the salt had stuck around, I’d be hunting for a bottle! As is, there are other musky woods I enjoy more, with greater throw.

Enchanting Diversion was one of my top three to try out of the Lupers in the beginning. It’s not how I pictured... First, I get a rich waft of vanilla-smothered apricot. It doesn’t last long alone. The musk and hinoki wood march in to join rank, pushing vanilla apricot into the dust. The wood isn’t working for my skin chem, I think. I get an almost plastic effect that is just off. The whole scent is rather soft, though. Where’s the brandy?! I wonder if it just needs some age... will have to revisit after some time. I’m so glad a lovely forumite sent me a decant!

Australian Copperhead is heavy on the smoked vanilla, wrapped around a sweet açaí berry. After a little while the Recognizable Snake Oil spice come through and a bare touch of neroli. Intimate throw, this scent hugs close to me like a sweet blanket, and becomes a little powdery with longer wear, vanilla gently pushing the the fruity notes away and embracing (smothering) Snake Oil for the remainder of the wear.

I was thrilled to get a little tester of this, and I’m glad I did not blind bottle... Something about the name and the scent combo really make me queasy... yes, I can totally see this representing various penises. On top of that, I read “pink and brown smell” and got even more uncomfortable There is something like skin musk and in combo with the vanilla and burnt cocoa (definitely not a strong chocolate scent) just... yeah. It’s too fleshy for me. At least they seem to be clean penises. After a little while, a chocolate-tinged vanilla note seems to win over everything else, and my initial reaction calms itself. A very light scent, in any case. Bahahaha

I’m craving carnations, so I came in here to mosey around and drool. I figure while I’m here, I’ll list a few recents~ Dead Leaves & Red Carnations Bourbon Vanilla & Yellow Carnation Honey & White Carnation BO To Lesbia (a vivacious carnation incense) Song of Hope (a warm amber carnation with patchouli root, ambergris accord, balsam of Peru, vanilla absolute, black pepper, clove husk, ochre leather, and pimento berry) There is no Bliss LikeThis (billows of vanilla with pink carnation, warm clove husk, sweet patchouli, ylang ylang, and cinnamon bark) Wan Wan (Furry white musk, hay absolute, vanilla husk, clove bud, carnation, jonquil, and myrrh) All My Friends are Turning Green (honeyed honeybush and carnation blackened, slowed, and thickened by raspy aged patchouli, sweet clove, and opoponax) Ganymede’s Junk (White sandalwood, pink carnation, clove bud, muguet, and vanilla absolute) Chordae Tendineae (blood musk, radiant golden amber, gilded carnation, orange blossom, and red cognac) Twelve Tastes in the Classification of Passion (mandarin, carnation, and clove bud) And for the dashing beard-bearers... Byronic Antihero Beard Oil (a Victorian fougère and a dashing carnation boutonniere tainted by a cloud of khus, yew, and patchouli) I haven’t tried them all, and I’m sure there are more worthy of mentioning... *drools* Funnily, I didn’t wear any carnation scents today... I did huff all my carnation bottles (all two hah!) Looking forward to my next carnation adventure!