naeelah

I wasn't really drawn to this one, but I received it as a frimp, and I like the notes in it... On me, there is very little morphing. The amber is very powdery and smells a bit like sandalwood. Sandalwood and baby powder. I can't smell honey per se, but there is a definitely sweetness here, and the vanilla stands out. So, I get baby powder and vanilla, in effect. It's actually not so bad, but it's nothing that woos me. It's really a bit too sweet for my tastes and is making me slightly sick. Throw is very good, and life also seems to be excellent. It has been about 2 hours and it hasn't faded at all, which is kind of rare for amber, on my skin.

I was really looking forward to this one, especially for the lime note, because I was sure I'd love it. Either I got a bad batch, or my skin just hates this, because it was awful and gave me a headache. I can't bring myself to try it on again to give the play by play, so here are my general impressions. I was hoping for a smooth, freshly baker sugar cookie scent that's balanced by rich booze, tobacco, and lime notes. These are all notes than tend to work well on me and notes I like. I tried this on while testing a lot of other things, so I definitely didn't slather. Just a small wand swipe on the back of my hand. There is a distinct sugar note here, but it's a burnt sugar, much like in Crumpet Rebellion. That part is ok. But a spicy quality, like especially sharp cinnamon stick, soon comes out and completely takes over. I think that's the rum. It smells quite like spiced rum, actually. The lime might've been there, but didn't stand out to me. So, spiced rum. That's what I got out of this scent. I was hoping for something a little smoother, but instead, it was way sharp and unpleasant. I like the boozy notes in other scents, but here it's way too much like sniffing spiced rum in the bottle, and less pleasantly syrupy sweet goodness. Aww. I guess I'll try it again in a month or so, just to see if I have any better luck, because I really want this one to work for me.

This one isn't quite as heavy and rich as I though it would be. It's a about half fruit, half green and floral, with a touch of incense. I feel like the myrtle leaf and poppy form the core of the scent. The cypress doesn't stand out, but helps to balance out the currant, I think. The currant is sweet and fruity, but not heavy and syrupy, as it often is in other blends. In the back is just a touch of incense, adding very slight smoke and spice to go along with the poppy. I haven't noticed much morphing with this one. I think comparisons to an evil strawberry patch are apt, and this one kind of reminds me of a less blatantly candy-like Maened. The throw is fairly light on me, and life average to short.

I don't believe I have this imp any more, so I can't give an in depth review, but I just wanted to give my general impressions. This smelled like an evil strawberry patch. There was a sweet berry (definitely strawberry) element, a green element, and a touch of florals. I don't know if it smells like a real strawberry patch, but that's the comparison that got lodged in my mind. It was very sweet, but I think balanced out by the other notes, so on my skin it wasn't overwhelming. Strikes me as being very similar to Medea, actually.

In the bottle, this smells medicinal, but with a rich, wood undertone. On the drydown, I think whatever it is in this that's sweet fades to the background. I don't get much fruit out of this, although I think there's just a slight touch of something. Mostly, I get wood, resin, and smoke, in a smooth and even blend. It smells just like a really rich incense. Definitely has the "occult store" or head shop feel to it, but it also really reminds me of temple incense. I feel like I should note, one of the reasons I like this so much is that I don't get any patchouli out of it. I tend to amp patchouli liek w0ah, and I don't like it to boot. I have Hellion on one arm and Nahemoth on the other. The main difference that I smell between them is that, after a few hours, Hellion is heavily patchouli based and Nahemoth is pleasantly woody, like a lumber yard. (Only the wood doesn't overwhelm the rest, so if this is sandalwood, I'm so happy it decided to behave!) It's very very nice, and I'm glad I got a bottle of it before it went away. I'm not sure how much I'll wear it on its own, but it's oh so perfect for layering. This doesn't remind me as much of Snake Charmer, although there is some similarity. I think it's much more like Hellion, only a little stronger and less fruity.

This may not be incredibly helpful, since it involves a recently discontinued scent, but I've discovered that layering Nahemoth with Blood Countess smells almost just like Hellion. In a blindfolded scent test, I could tell they were two different things, but it's very, very similar. I think the main difference is that Hellion has patchouli and the GC ones don't -- which, for me, is a plus (even though the patchouli in Hellion is very well-behaved). Nahemoth is pure incense (wood, resin, and smoke), so any similar scent would be worth experimenting with. Maybe cathedral? (I haven't tried it, but it's a pure incense.)

Wow, this one is so perfect for the concept! I don't dislike black musk, but it's often a little too strong on me -- well, this blend succeeds in taming the musk! It morphs very little. It starts out with a slight edge, and this sharp edge smooths out it dries, which is pretty standard. That's really the only change. It's a rich, slightly earthy resinous scent that's deepened by musk. I can't really pick out any notes -- I just smell resin and dark musk. It's heavenly, if you love those notes. If they're your favorites, this one is definitely a Do Not Miss. This one would definitely do well on a guy, but it's fine for women, too. Throw is good, I think. The scent isn't at all overpowering, but is quite strong relative to the tiny dot that I put on my hand. Icons:

Wet, this is quite sweet and plummy, with a slight spicy undertone. As it dries, the plum and spicy & smoky elements begin to see-saw slightly, fighting to be top notes. Dry, it has softened to a smoky and musky plum scent. Very much like a plum incense. The champaca flower seems to only smooth the blend out, so floral haters, have no fear. The dreaded patchouli is quite tame here, which is rare for my skin chemistry, so there must not be a lot in the blend. It reminds me a lot of Dr. Seward, and especially of Blood Countess, but once dry it has more of a smoky, incensey quality than the good Dr, who is more floral. Blood Countess is just *slightly* less smoky (I think it's the absence of patchouli). It's quite nice, but it is incredibly soft on me. Throw is very light, although it started out decently. This seems to be a recurring theme in the past week, so maybe it's just a hormonal thing... Very nice, but it's similar to other scents I already have and love, scents that have better throw, so I'm spared the agony of hunting down a bottle. Phew!

I ordered this because I love herbal scents, and because it was such a complex and unusual blend, I wasn't sure how it would smell. Looking back, I should've known, from all the light florals. Wet, this is very herbal. That initial smell is actually my favorite part of the scent. It quickly dries to a very soft, slightly herbal, every so slightly incensey light floral blend. Nothing stands out -- there's just a complex blend of floral notes with bitter undertone. After 15 minutes or so, it goes so soft that I can barely smell it. After 30, it's gone. I've been waiting around for the musk to appear, but nothing stands out. I'm not familiar with dragon's blood musk, and I was really looking forward to smelling it in this blend, but I can't seem to find it. I can tell there might be a musk in the base notes, but it's nothing distinguishing. So, this is a light floral and herbal blend with a slight smoky/musky touch. It's a bit outdoorsy, and reminds me of Arkham. It's pretty gender neutral. I think it's lovely, but it just doesn't suit me, and it fades so quickly I'm having a hard time finding much to say about it. A pity, because I really had high hopes for this one. Icon:

Ok, to be honest, I'm only reviewing this to get the reward point, because it's quick and easy: It smells like cucumber. Yep. It's very fresh, cool, and watery, just like a freshly sliced cucumber. It's pretty light -- noticeable but not strong and throwy. And that's that! I didn't wear it for long (or pay attention to it) because I kind of hate the way cucumbers smell. But I got it as a frimp, so I figured I might as well try it. If you love cucumber, you won't want to miss this.

I had such high hopes for this one, but my skin just hates sandalwood. I was hoping that this would basically be cocoa with sandalwood and myrrh for balance. Sounds wonderful, right? It starts out pretty. It's cocoa with prickly sandalwood and a touch of spicy myrrh. About 5 minutes later, it's almost nothing but sandalwood, with a touch of myrrh. There a smidgen of cocoa lurking in the background, but definitely nothing too noticeable. Sandalwood takes over everything on my skin, and then quickly fades away to nothing, which is exactly what happened here. I don't think it made it 10 minutes. Ah well. I layered Bliss over it, and so far, that's actually quite nice. Because it's separate, the chocolate note has much better staying power and is mingling in equal measure with the sandalwood. NOW it smells like I hoped Velvet would! I fear the myrrh is lost to the sandalwood. I can't really pick it out, except on a long, deep breath, but I think it's helping to make it a little bit richer. Velvet starts out with decent throw but fades to nothing right away. The layered combination only has light throw, at best. I haven't had it on long, but based on past experience with cocoa and sandalwood, I figure this will have somewhat shorter than average life and stay close to the skin. So, if Velvet doesn't work for you, try layering with Bliss! I'll also give this a go in the locket. I don't think I'll be getting 5ml, but I think I'll keep the imps.

This one is almost good enough to make me like patchouli. Almost. This is so much more complex than I'd expect from seeing the notes. I tried this before reading what was in it, and was shocked to see it only has three ingredients! I found it to be a thick, sultry, fruity blend with patchouli and a hint of vanilla. It reminded me a great deal of Snake Oil and Snake Charmer, actually, in character but also in scent -- a little like a cross between the two, because it didn't have strong fruit, but it also didn't have strong vanilla. It's just a little of both. So I'm quite surprised to see that there is no vanilla in this, and also that there's no fruit! Just orange blossom. Orange blossom is very sweet and fruity on me, so that explains it, although I didn't get orange from this. Patchouli has a way of muddying things up, and here it clearly does so to great effect. This is a very rich scent. I didn't guess ginger was in it, but I'm sure that's part of the slight spice and smoky quality I got. So, the ginger here is gingerbread ginger, not fresh, lemony ginger. The vanilla quality must be coming from the orange blossom. It had good throw and good staying power. It's quite yummy, and I think it's a good alternative to the snake oil-y scents, for people who either don't like musky scents or whose skin just didn't agree with the snakes. Also good for people who might like somewhat fruity scents but don't get along with actual fruit notes. I tend to amp patchouli like crazy, so that's probably why other reviews aren't as patchouli heavy as mine -- but it is worth nothing that even for all my amping power, I didn't feel the patchouli completely overpowered this blend. I felt it blended pretty well, as the other notes seemed to integrate into it, instead of being masked. However good the patchouli, there's denying its earthy nature, and it's just not something I favor. Because it was so similar to non-patchouli containing blends that I like a little better, I won't be hanging onto this one. But definitely check it out if you like the Snakey scent or if you like slightly sweet, sultry blends.

For homey, I think something like White Rabbit might be good -- having a cuppa after doing the laundry. Molly is warm and motherly, so I think chai tea might encapsulate that well. Maybe Milk Moon, or Cockaigne, Dana o Shee? Jack? Knave of Hearts or March Hare? Drink Me? Maybe even the Lion -- warm and protective. Otherwise, Molly is traditional and a little old-fashioned, so something more classic might work well. Maybe London? Even something like Arcana, maybe -- it's herbal, so it's like the scent of her cooking, collecting herbs for potions, doing other work around the house.

You might want to give Tiresias a try. Dark, moody, and bittersweet: black currant, patchouli, tobacco, cinnamon leaf, caramel, muguet, and red sandalwood. It definitely has a sweet, thick, caramel note. It's foody, but complex. It didn't quite work for me, but I thought it was one of the most interesting in Act 3. You might not guess it by the description, but it really does have the effect of two different scents in one. Half is dark, heavy, masculine, and the other half is lighter and more feminine.

In the bottle and when it first hits the skin, this is extremely medicinal. It smells just like cough syrup. Maybe that's the anise? Luckily, this evaporates right away. Wet, this is all MY GARDENIAS, LET ME SHOW YOU THEM! On the drydown, the floral note begins to calm down and deepen a little. I think there's more than gardenia here, some other sweet white floral, but I couldn't say what. They blend very well, but the top floral note is definitely gardenia. I don't get any jasmine, honeysuckle, or magnolia, but bpal's jasmine often blends almost imperceptibly with gardenia, to my nose. As I breathe the scent in, I don't smell anything spicy but I can feel it in the back of my throat. It's really interesting. I kept sniffing and looking for pepper or anise, but never really found it. I could pick up a very, very faint touch of something in the background. I think possibly it's white pepper. I can smell just the slightest hint of the licoricey anise. The character is definitely floral, for me. The spice just serves to make the florals richer. It has good throw at first, definitely very aggressive gardenia. It has been about 2 hours and the gardenia is much more agreeable, but still has decent throw. I think this will have better than average lifespan. It's so interesting how changeable this is on different people. Definitely fitting of the "inconstant moon". I can't really comment on its relevance or application to tarot, but it's a lovely scent, if you like gardenia. I'm definitely glad I picked this one up! It would be beautiful in a lotion.

Just thought I would suggest that you try Bewitched if you're looking for something akin to the Agony of Heartache. It's a bit of a pale comparison, but to my nose they're very similar. The top notes of both are blackberry and sage. Bewitched is much softer and less fruity, because it lacks the lime, but it's the closest thing I've found.

Woah, this one is strong! I tried it last night, along with many other imps, dotting them along my arms. I put a tiny dot of this on the back of one finger, it was the only scent of the batch that just about bowled me over. (And some of the others I'd raelly slathered on.) So, a little goes a long way, which is a great thing, I think. I'm not certain about staying power. It's bold and true vanilla and mint, in equal balance. The mint is definitely more of a peppermint. As it dries, some of the sharp edge of the mint recedes and blends beautifully with sweet, rich, creamy vanilla. The vanilla note is really beautiful. It's lovely and I adore it, but I just don't know if I'll wear it. Hmm. Glad I got the imp, not upset I didn't spring for a bottle. This one smells exactly like you'd expect, so if you think you'd want a bottle, go ahead and seek one out. As a point of illustration, while waiting for my decant to arrive, I kept getting vanilla mint in my head, so strongly I could taste it. So it inspired me to make a vanilla mint milkshake. It's amazing-- tons of creameries around here, and *none* of them do vanilla mint shakes, or even have mint to add and make your own. Anyway, it's delicious and I highly recommend it. Turns out the actual perfume smells exactly like my milkshake.

In the imp, this smells much like red wine. On the skin, it smells much like red wine. As it dries, more and more of the spices come out, and it smelled exactly like mulled wine. Very sweet, thick, warm, and spicy. I didn't care for it, but my friend who sniffed my arm liked it. She agreed it smelled like mulled cider or wine. So, if that appeals to you, check this one out. If not, avoid it. This is probably a really nice one for cold weather and the holiday season, because it's so heavy and warm. Throw is about average, maybe a little stronger. Staying powder seemed average. This would be a good as a room scent, but if it smells like mulled cider or wine, you might as well just make your own mulled drink and let that scent your home.

Hmm, apparently this one really didn't agree with my skin. When I tried it on, I thought it was something like plum and patchouli. Now I see it has neither. It had a very thick, rich, sweet fruity aroma. In retrospect, I can definitely pick out the apricot. There was a touch of something just a little bit spicy, which must've been the ginger. So, the ginger here seems to be dried ginger, not fresh, lemony ginger. I can definitely see the comparisons between Siren and fresh pastries. But there was also something really, earthy and murky, on my skin. It wasn't godawful, but I didn't particularly care for it. Like I said, from a distance, this smelled about like stewed plum and patchouli. Disappointing. But perhaps true to the name - I was lured in by the call of the notes, and found myself sucked down into the murky depths instead. Throw was moderate/average, life about the same. I slathered on the entire wand's worth, because just a dot wasn't quite strong enough to test.

This is definitely a sharp and herbal scent, which is exactly what I was hoping for. It reminds me of 13 ('07), but where 13 is more shadowy green, this has a warmer edge to it. It morphs slightly as it dries, but to my nose, the top notes remain saffron and rosemary. I think it's the saffron, anyway. I can smell musk here, and I was shocked to see that it's black musk, because it really smells more like red musk -- it's dry and husky, almost like cinnamon bark. After sniffing at it a good while, I can recognize the black musk and realize that I'm getting the combined effect of the black musk and saffron. So, there you go- together, they smell a bit like red musk. On my skin, musk comes out more and more as the scent wears, and Khandita is no exception. After a brief while, I can just begin to pick out the rose otto. On a whiff you wouldn't think, "rose!", but it's there if you look for it. Mostly it just provides balance for the harsher notes. So far, I haven't been able to pick out the neroli. The throw is surprisingly light. Not sure about the life span yet. This one realizes the concept very well -- it's sharp and warm (almost hot), with a certain sinking depth behind it. On my skin, it becomes warmer and warmer as it wears and loses some of the sharp, splintering quality. I'd really recommend this to anyone who likes herbal scents or who likes warm, spicy scents, but doesn't necessarily care for cinnamon, cassia, and other "red" things. This one isn't so prickly as cinnamon, etc, but it definitely has a bit of bite. I can feel a slight warm spot on the back of my hand, an the more I sniff myself, the more I start to feel a slight prickle in my nose and throat.

Dragon's Hide? Or Hellfire?

Enraged Groundhog Musk? (In lieu of enraged badger musk...)

The people who stand next to you in line that night will be veeeery lucky. (And put on the window locks if you're in the car with other people.) Although, it'd be funny to see someone running around shouting, "I'm an every flavor bean! Sniff me and see what you find!!"

Some more Bellatrix ideas: Any of the 4 horsemen Faustus Malediction (personally, I kinda hate patchouli and vetiver, but I think it would suit her character) Oblivion Fallen (for something more aristocratic than dark) Bloodlust The Raven Hecate Lilith Mania Some generic "magical" scents, might be suitable for any adult character: Arcana Incantation Magus 13 ('07) This is fun! I'm going to have to order some Bellatrix imps along with the new update and hope they get here in time.

There are lots of sweet, fruity, and floral scents in the catalog, so here are some ideas for things to investigate. They're just my best guesses, because I'm not familiar with Amor Amor or Tommy Girl. Hunger Jezebel Les Bijoux Lolita Siren Eve Shango Calliope Terpischore Thaleia Thalia Jail Bait Bon Vivant Delirium Fae To find any of these in the catalog, just search for the name. It's good to check out the forum reviews to give you an idea of how the scent smells. Of course, everyone reacts differently, so a scent that's beautiful on one person could be baby powder on another. You just have to try and see.