artisjok

CW Bridal Shop is a delicate pretty fluffy of white lace and, yes, pale leather. Kinda powdery after a while. The rose sachet and cherrywood seep through and add an slightly fruity stain on the delicate white garments. 
 

I was so thrilled to finally get this bottle, but I think it’s a bit too close to Millarca for me to justify having both…. 

Uff, this is a strong Medival Fool, no joke. 
The milk makes it gourmand, and there is a scorched note that brings in bitterness. The musk is heavy and smooshed in it are the fruits and rose petals. It’s breaking some walls, all right, and I’m both intrigued by it and kinda despise it.
Perfume-y gourmand-y powerhouse. 

Wooooo!
The Bohemienne wax melts are the best~

Ahhh this one is so pretty at first, a gentle milkiness over a bright tea & floral, but gradually, a black pepper note creeps up, uninvited. Funny how White Rabbit was mentioned, which does have a pepper note, and it does not bother me. This reminds me of Arcana Wildcraft’s cashmere note that shows up as pepper on me, as well. I donno, sometimes pepper works, but I dislike when it’s not listed and it takes over the anticipated prettiness of a scent. 
I’ll have to try it another day just to make sure hormones aren’t the cause. Blargh. 

Okay, Em inspired me to paw through my packages 😂 and I have a day 0 package! 


 

it says “open now!”, so who am I to deny?! 
 

Looks to be a dark fantasy book! I just finished my book recently & awaiting some more in the mail, so purrrrrfect timing 💙 

Thank you, Witch! 

Shipped my box! 

I received a package!!!! Aiiii excited!

Gonna tuck it in a cabinet soon, so I’m not staring at it in anticipation every day. 

Witch-Birds is a violet that I’ve found I can enjoy. Perhaps it’s the plum addition? Two purples is better than one. Perhaps it’s the sandalwood, blurring the lines between floral and wood. Or maybe it’s the mallow, making the violet’s sweetness (which isn’t often to my liking) into a treat of a different tune. 
The darker aspects lurk beneath, yet share no secrets. 
 

I’ve been in a sandalwood mood, so I think its prominence is really what draws me to this scent, but I admire the balance of all the notes. Pretty birds! 

Zombie Milk isn’t as intense as I hoped. I get the rice milk and osmanthus right out the gate, the latter always lends a tangy sort of effect to my nose, and, combined with a touch of moss, is a strange earthy gourmand. Then, in the drydown, I mostly get the sandalwood, hemp fibers, and orris (I think) (sidenote: my phone autocorrected orris to “Oreo” and I have a good laugh). The moss might be hangin on, actually. And there could be a touch of creaminess from the rice milk, but only on one arm, true to zombie fashion.
 

I’m always eyeing this in bottle form, but I really don’t think it’s very striking on my skin to warrant more. Just kind of dryly monotonous on me. Maybe I’ll try again on another day…
*blerghing sadly*

Another sweet teaser, I got a postcard in the mail today! Thank you

Definitely has me inspired to be more involved with my Witching, and excited for my package. 🧡🖤🧡💚🧡🖤🧡

I thought I had destashed my decant of A Record Book, and was surprised to find it still hangin out.
When I first received it, I could barely get a whiff of anything. Now, it’s still soft, but very present, delicately floating around me as I move about. I’m really liking its gentle, sophisticated feel! I would even bottle it if I found it out in the wild. 
Mostly a creamy vanilla and sandalwood, with a touch of the blackcurrant. Tobacco seems MIA. 
Not everyday has to be a strong punch in the face. Some days, caresses and whispers get the job done. 
 

Oh, Puce, what a fussy creature you are. 
This was one of the risky buys from DragonCon for me, but, after hearing Tom’s live review, I was intrigued & hoped for the best. 
 

Truly, the impression of being in someone else’s home/space is on point, like the smells of their draperies and packed bookshelves and couches, all permeated with “lived-in” essence. Not stinky, but personal. 
I feel like there’s a fabric note, as well.  
 

The pomegranate is what actually throws the experience for me. I’m sitting here in this pleasent living space, trying to absorb the details, and Pom is just obnoxiously bopping itself right in the middle of my vision. It’s does that pomegranate thing, where it turns into a powdery sweettart and overtakes the scene.
Interestingly, the other notes do hold on around the edges, so if pom plays nice for 

you, it will probably be just fine. 
I wish the patchouli was a lot louder, but it’s a smooth ol’ dog, napping on the floor. 

This risk didn’t play out in my favor, but the journey was a unique one, and I’m glad we met, Puce Dragon. 

I got so hungry after answering those questions, @Gwydion, I had to go rummage in the snack cupboard lol

One of my gifts arrived today. I’m getting more excited! 

Plume is a lovely, deep woodsy incense with the calla lily occasionally peeking out coyly. Rich and strong, it wafts about me for a good long while, making daily tasks feel much elevated. 
 

Being honest with myself, I don’t need the partial bottle, as I have some sibling scents I already adore (The Shimmering Mirror, Three Human Skulls), but, if it lingers too long on my sales, I might swipe it off into my collection again. 

Wearing my one (?) dragon scent in anticipation of this year’s splurge being shipped, it’s so pretty. The grapefruit is front and center, even lasting the whole wear length (incredible!). I would have guessed that the resin was benzoin, if I was smelling this blind. Maybe it’s the combo of the dragon’s blood and the vanilla silk, so not a heavy DB. The musk is sheer and a perfect anchor. Floral elements are imperceptible to my nose, but would be totally expected to be blooming around this fair dragon. 
Really great for summer, or just as an overall mood lifter. Repeat after me: “I am pretty.”

Omg! I got an ecard from my Witch/the Pumpkin King! 
I think this is the first time that’s ever happened to me….  Thank you! And so excited! 

Eeeeee! So many ideas already swirling! Excited to make you a sweet package, my Pumpkin~ 

Made a blog post (my first!) to answer the questions as I get to them. 

My son and I did some warm up art~ 

I was hoping BPAL The Unreturning wouldn’t live up to most of the reviews for me (ahahaha), and swapped for it. I wanted that ambergris and darker notes, but it’s just as was foretold~ a big ol’ frankincense, almost bubbly (yes to the effervescent comment above), supported mostly by white musk with hints of tree that does remind me of birch. It’s not bad, at all, just not as deep and complex as the notes would suggest. I bet this would hit well on a hot day.

That “memory of frankincense” is particularly palpable. After a while, some of the ambergris does peek through. 

I think I like it, after all. I haven’t been in a huge frankincense mood recently, but I have been in a fervor for it before.

🦇I’ll join! 

Schrödinger’s Checkmark (airy, sticky marshmallow fluff, oily benzoin, and blackened, slick patchouli) & A Portrait (a cluster of sugared carnations with strawberry juice, sweet patchouli, and lush red labdanum) are a couple I enjoy. 

Nocturne Alchemy generally has some sweet patchouli scents in their seasonal releases (probably something in the GC, I just don’t know it), but my skin isn’t super fond of their patchouli for some reason. 

I’ve been jamming to peony scents recently, and wanted a brighter rose scent in my collection, so I swapped for Imose-Yama. What I didn’t expect is that this dries down to the exact scent of some sacral chakra incense resins I used to burn ages ago! It must have had rose in it, but I’m not sure how the other notes translate to the resins. 
I like it & the nostalgia it brings, an unexpected experience! 

The bright citrusy note of white tea and a surprisingly cinnamon-y woods note dominate the wet stage. Everything mellows as the scent dries and I get a fuzzily cozy scent  (I’m thinking cashemere wood may be here) with hints of the tea touching the edges. Occasionally, I catch a whiff of rice, yet it’s not very prominent.
I like it! Wearing it on days when I’m feeling a bit stressed and just need a little extra comfort to get through the day. 

The woods in this Wolf Moon are a bit two brawny for me, prowling out strongly, despite the musk. Yet, they thin out considerably in drydown and reveal such a gorgeous blend of the beeswax and Morocco-esque musk, I’m left with only the faintest memory of the danger and purring with pleasure. 

As much as I love the smell of beeswax, only a few perfumes featuring it really work for me. This combo is a banger.