alterosen

Ooh, this has aged nicely! It was always incensey with a bit of cedar but now the deep musk is more pronounced & there's a cola note, too (opopponax?). Sexy, slightly sinister cologne. 

The original Lurid Library never smelled like books to me; it was more the atmosphere of an occult library than the contents. I'm attributing the additional woodiness here to the dried vines of the pumpkin patch but I don't get a pumpkin note as such. It's great as is!

This is a head scratcher - my skin is turning something in here to cookies, incensey cookies but cookies nonetheless. It starts out somewhat like balsam with a slight spice background, then a pleasant dry woody incense comes out & it ends up as incense with a hint of snickerdoodles. YMMV. I was concerned there might be a dirt note but not to worry, we're baking instead!   It's pretty great, actually, and not too sweet. 

Mostly getting a lovely sweet tobacco & parchment with a hint of vanilla. Any leather is well incorporated. Very warm & inviting - I would wear this as a perfume!  

This is warm & resin--y, then the patchouli & a touch of red musk come out, but not too aggressively. There's just a hint of ale & I don't notice any oudh. It's not a gnarly, dirty patch, more well-behaved, but still earthy.  I'm having trouble describing the overall scent but my husband really likes it!

This is too smokey for me. Fortunately I'm getting campfire & not cigarettes, but it's just not my thing.

I agree that this is an excellent snowy forest scent! The description makes it sound much more sinister & harsh than it is. I love the sweet pine snow note with the clove behind it & don't really notice the eucalyptus or cumin unless I search for them. There was a brief phase with a slightly disquieting salty leather note which I'm assuming is the troll musk but it disappears under the pine. The drydown seems to have a bit of amber in it as well. It won't be for everyone but I'm going to upgrade to a bottle since my husband wants to wear it, too. 

I'm a big fan of this one for when I want spice but not too much.  I get nice mellow pumpkin spices with the absinthe brightening it up & giving it a hint of citrus. It seems like there is a baked goods base but it could be a subtle buttery pumpkin note, too. This is a fabulous scent to transition from Summer to Fall/Autumn.

There Is No Bliss Like This (Lupercalia, 2020) has both clove and carnation (as well as cinnamon). With vanilla & patchouli in the background, this is a very cozy spice party.

Velvet (gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh) might be a contender. Reviews are mixed but I find it very cozy and it would be easy to get a hold of since it's GC. I think at least one of the 13 scents had a cat on the label as did some of the Weenies.

Without reading the notes, I would have guessed this was blueberry rather than blackberry. I'm not finding much in the way of earthiness just sweet berries after the fresh opening of citrusy lavender notes. No noticeable florals for me. It is very pretty!

Anyone who likes mango at all should grab this one!  This will be great for summer, is work-friendly since the patch isn't prominent, & I'm debating whether I need a bottle...

My nose and brain insist on interpreting this as the best clean laundry smell ever. All fir, all the time, with a little sharpness from the red musk & some mystery powdery-ness in the background. It's not what I was expecting but I love it! It reminds me a bit of Knight in Shiny Armor & I think it would work well as a Paladin character scent (though that sits strangely with the inspiration for the scent - I guess they can be diabolical ). 

Strangely, I'm getting a big hit of neroli in the opening stages of thìs, then dead leaves of the dry variety, the older version of Snake Oil that has very little patch, & some sugary amber in behind. Not noticing any Dorian or lavender. It has decent wear on me but is not something I'm going to reach for that often.

I think there is a bit of rose geranium in here contributing to the earthiness and I agree that it has an old-fashioned feel.

So far, this is my favorite peach hair gloss. I was afraid the frankincense would take over but it is just a supporting player and the vanilla adds a nice touch.

XVI

Sniffing the bottle, my first impression is bubblegum.

Sprayed on tissue - spicy myrhh, light frankincense, bit of creamy vanilla, something floral? In my hair, it's quite light & I get a whisper of orange creamsicle along with the other notes. This is soft & sweet - very enjoyable but not particularly incensey. 

I, too, am Team Samhain!

• Punkie Night is a great cider scent! Cool, sweet & crisp.
• Sjofn has an airiness about it and the birch is a nice touch but it's quite sweet & might not really feel autumnal.  
• All Hallow's Apple has an excellent crisp apple but you may not like the dirt note. I find it melds with the moss after a short while so it's not a problem for me but YMMV. This isn't smoky but there is a smidge of vetiver from the dead leaves.
• Autumn Coolness might work if you don't find it too green with the bamboo. To me, it does smell like a cool breeze with a bit of sweetness and the bamboo keeps the florals in check.

#17 decant 

Slightly buttery pumpkin with a strong clove note in the spices.

This is lovely! Very wine forward (I would have said red but both Catarratto & Airén grapes are used in white wine) with the white amber & tobacco making things fancy. Sweet, strong, fruity & heady. I get some vanilla on the drydown, too. Probably not work friendly for me but more because of the throw than the booziness. Strong sexy vibe.

Wet, this is perfumey poisonous berries, reminding me of Beautiful Death or Shadow Lace, but drying on the skin, the vetiver comes out strong with just a hint of patchouli. Vetiver lovers rejoice! 

I'm not noticing the oakmoss, leather, vanilla or sandalwood (other than contributing to the perfumey beginning) as distinct notes & the berries fade fast. I can see this being someone's power scent for when they want to feel like a badass, though. It definitely has presence.

On me, this smells like I cracked open a bottle of real vanilla extract. Simple and potent. I love it & it has decent staying power with my chemistry. 

I'm pretty sure I get orris from The White Rider even though it's not in the notes (White leather and sandalwood ). Might be worth hunting down an imp!

Graveyard Guessing Game (A white tea fougere with lavender frankincense, marble-white sandalwood, white carnation, and sweet hay)

Silver Lace (This Lace is cool and metallic, gleaming and liminal, sharp and fanged, with bitter black vanilla husk, bourbon tobacco, white cognac, juniper berry, white musk, ti leaf, and Italian bergamot)

Silver Dollar (Gilded iris and Siamese benzoin, silvery-white musk, white tea leaf, and bergamot)

Maybe Ring of Light (A spicy, blindingly white scent: radiant pale musk, artemisia, white lavender, neroli, white pepper, and zingy white aldehydes)

Some of the Beaver Moons might work. The cheesecake has a strong vanilla note & at least one had lemon zest (& thyme). It was Beaver Moon I 2013 (Beaver Moon II was not a cheesecake blend). Beaver Moon 2011 is lavender honey cheesecake & I find it somewhat citrusy once the lavender has dried down but many people feel this one is cologne-y.  

Many of the Lilith birthday scents have Dorian in them & it would be worth checking out Go Hawks, Lilith's First Concert, Spinning On Graves, The Serpentine, Utter Sophistication (not citrusy but an unusual vanilla drydown) & Walking My Daughter To Class.  

The rarer scents Emerald Lace, Paper Phoenix, Tattered Lace & Silver Lace all have a citrusy, musky vanilla base.

Also keep your eyes open for Dorian Chaos Theory bottles.  

Samhain #26

Samhain with less emphasis on the leafy, smoky aspects. It's mostly appley with some spice that reads like cinnamon* but the base keeps it from being like apple pie. Very wearable!  

*I'm assuming it is not cinnamon since the Chaos Theories try to avoid it as an allergen but perhaps there's a little in Samhain itself.