groovyrooby
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Everything posted by groovyrooby
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Laurel-Crowned Skull With Caesar's Band Flyer
groovyrooby replied to Seajewel's topic in Halloweenie
I wasn't sure what to expect with this, but it ended up on my shortlist of big bottle needs! Amber, tobacco, and balsam notes caught my attention. Fig, ambergris, and bay raised an eyebrow. Together they morph from heavy cologne vibes (guessing the bay leaf) to a sweet and warm, rich and herbal. Something here is suggesting orange - maybe the fruity tobacco flower. It has a glowing feel to it and decent length. This started much more masculine than it ended. Intriguing and complex and feels powerful without overpowering. I will probably wear this to work on days when I want to be a formidable presence but stop short of the intimidation factor. -
This was a delicate, pale flower on me. Not in terms of power, but the quality of flowers. Reminds me of a the baby's breath & greenery in a corsage or boutonniere arrangement. The coins came through with a slight metallic vibe. Not rich like Coin Trick, but cold. Must be the glassy element.
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I love most all the notes here, with the exception of myrrh. Their interplay is interesting. The lavender here was of the minty, cold, herbal variety. The combination of vetiver and cardamom came across as bitter, so the green cognac smells more like a liqueur, like a nocino. There's sugar in the booze, but it's driven by something bittersweet and woody, almost anise but more resinous. Soft and close to the skin.
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Marshmallow is one of my favorite smells, but in BPAL it usually turns to plastic on me. By golly, I keep on trying, but it's here, too. Starts out spicy, almost like carnation. I'm guessing that's the lavender. It's a dry & herbal version. It blends nicely with the marshmallow to turn creamy and sweet, but didn't get much floral. Sadly, on me, the toasty-coconut-turns-plastic comes out and overtakes all. Just a heads up for any others suffering this curse.
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Well, shoot. I was hoping the effect would be something like The Sky Quivered Red Lights Like Flames of Fire HG. I adore that smell and thought maybe the red musk + ginger would match the tangy spice. Not so. This hit all the wrong notes on me. The elements I really like - red hots cinnamon candy, hot desert spices - are there. Also there, unfortunately, is something soapy and something sour - not sure if that's the blackening or the ginger. The full effect was a powdery red musk with a sour tinge.
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This is delightful. The cool white of the cotton has hints of violet to me. It's a little sweet with the marshmallow and warm with the frankincense. Full effect is like a clean sheet just pulled out of the dryer. This will be a lovely spring/summer all-occasions smell.
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If there's a hint of lemon or lime anywhere, my skin/nose will find it and give it a megaphone. Zingy - yes. This came across like Lightning with extra lemon lime. Very clean. Reminds me of a specific cleaning product they used to mop the floors in Guatemala. A hint of sweet lavender peeks out eventually.
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Perfect expression of these two elements. The violet has that clean smell of bubbles solution I love to get from it, but a little sweeter than normal, almost a light honey. The Spanish moss comes across as a dry sandalwood, like balsa wood. Their powers combined, this feels like a creamy pale, lavender (color) floral.
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This is a lovely little all-purpose vanilla! It must be the cognac note that gave off anise vibes to start (which i love). Sweet licorice that didn't smell boozy, per se, but more like a cocktail. The vanilla here is that almost fruity sweet vanilla. It reminds me of They Shut Me Up in Prose (also love), but even sweeter. I wear that one to bed a lot, because it's simple and sweet and tranquil, but it's a little vanilla (HA) for sharing. This has a little more zest, and I would wear it out more when I want to be pleasant & charming.
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My initial impression was dirt. The dirt note and dusty flowers of Zombi - which is not for me. As it settled down, the notes I don't care for tamed into a brown smell of old books, with just a hint of woody spice, like a balsam. No red musk, but definitely got the lacquer & mahogany. Faded quickly on me.
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Surprised myself at how much I enjoyed this. It started out sketchy - bitter, yellow/green, heavy on the balsam. Astringent. But somehow it developed into a golden glow of a scent, bittersweet and resinous. Kind of reminds me of Every Day You Play with the Light of the Universe (on a good day - that one is terribly fickle with me). Ultimately reminds me of the amber glow I love so much in Aglaea, minus the fruit, add some wood. Edited to add: tested from a decant, this is one of my favorite Liliths this year. I will be looking to size up.
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I love some but not all lavenders. I am still getting acquainted with ozone. This did not work for me. The lavender is the dry herbal version (i like it sweet) and the ozone comes across sour. I like Stormclouds Over the Midway alright, but my skin/nose/taste did not appreciate this one.
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Not what I expected but really nice. I love sandalwood, the light airy wooden box and incense kinds. I'm not sure what the four kinds are here, but there must be something red, because this started out smelling like sour, dirty feet. And something chilly & cool. A little patience through the drydown, and this takes on classy aromatic cologne vibes - very cool, dry, and wooden. I can only guess it's the tobacco absolute that makes the difference here. It's not the fruity, humid tobacco leaves but something more herbal and green. I gave this to my husband, and it's gorgeous on him.
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I love licorice, first off. And I feel like this is what I wanted Black Licorice Smut to be. That one faded too quickly on me. This, however, last a bit longer and has a little more muscle to it. Starts out smokey. Like, smoked meat smokey. Sausages & bandaids. What is that about?? I was a little worried. But give it another 15 minutes or so, and it's got that cola note I get from Snake Smut. Sexy licorice. Sweet and sassy and wonderful.
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Oh how I love this. It's a little Dr. Pepper fruity cola sarsaparilla to start, like I get with Jareth, An Ineffable Game, or Etienne de Boray Oak. Sweet, slightly spicy, wood. And I definitely get a rich Dorian sweet tea aromatic, brown but effervescent. It's got great throw. An enveloping smell. The lavender doesn't stand alone, but kind gives a lift and carries the higher notes through the air. Just a few dabs and I've got myself a delightful aura. Fun, curious, lighthearted but with depth of personality.
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Trumpet Honeysuckle & Lemon Beebalm
groovyrooby replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
My skin makes lemon scream, and this is screechy lemon on me. A little more sweet than astringent. Maybe a little floral something if I try to find it, but pretty singularly lemon city. -
A Winter’s Walk in the Cemetery
groovyrooby replied to Seajewel's topic in Black Phoenix Trading Post
I love florals, but I prefer them big, damp, and humid. This one is more sedate and dry. I don't get much Dorian here, and the lavender isn't the sweet kind I associate with Lilith. It leans more heavily on the dry leaves elements, more brown than green. Very much a dried floral arrangement. My skin turns most lemony notes into cleaning products, and here it makes the roses sing that lemony tune, overpowering the lilies and grasses. -
Oh I love this for so many reasons. 8th Grade was a very tender, formative, turbulent time for me, and this captures that essence so well. There's a lot going on here! Floral, fruity, savory... at first blush, I got salty peanut buttery candy, like a Chic-o-Stic (LOVE), or The Haunted Beach. Not really sure the source, but I think it's something to do with the twilight quality. Then the plum comes in, at first smelling mentholated cough syrupy. After an hour or so, everything mellows together into a dark, delicious, delectable, tart plum, kind of like Asleep in the Deep, which I also love, but this has a lighter side. Each time I wear it, I can't decide if I think it's teenybopper candy or mature floral - much like adolescence, it waivers and morphs. It's complicated and wonderful.
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This scent is so evocative of time & place, moment & feeling. Starts a little Irish Spring fresh, which is not usually a good sign for me. But it quickly veers away from soap and into wet, misty sea spray, with lavender - so fresh & brisk! The combination has potential to turn laundry detergent, but again dances the right way to cotton fabric, damp with saltwater rather than clean. Reminds me of a t-shirt drying in the morning's first rays of sunlight, when you've started out chilly, worked up a sweat, and just before the damp shirt makes you colder, the sun comes out and burns away the mist. Shares something with Lazy Daisy in that clean cotton way, but swap the lemony rose for herbal lavender. This is an excellent, peaceful summer bedtime smell and a great morning wake up. Bracing wind on a balmy day.
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Exactly as it sounds! Those jellied fruit slices with the sparkly sugar "rind"! The peach is more perfumey than sweet or juicy, but the candy sugar is there. Eventually this ends in burnt plastic on me, as many foodie smells do, but the start is fun, and I'm thankful for the few sweet moments.
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For those of us with the misfortune of delicious foodie smells coming off as burnt plastic, this one sadly did it, too. Already smells toasty in the decant. The peach didn't last long on me before the nutty/toasty took over. Gives it a snuffed out candle effect on me. Had a feeling this would happen, but had to give it a try, I love the concept so much. ?
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Georgia Peach, Oakmoss, Sage, and Vetiver
groovyrooby replied to Seajewel's topic in Event Exclusive Oils
I love all these elements, different as they may be. Interesting to smell peach added to a more conventional combination. Puts the peach at the perfumey end of the spectrum. Aromatic and dry. Wafts like an expensive, old fashioned fragrance. White honey peach over an aromatic herbal green. Sophisticated and elegant. -
Love peach. Love booze. Love Snake Oil variants. Love this. Wet, glowing peach, a bit like Aglaea, but less resinous, more like a damp, vegetal freshness. Syrupy sweet, almost like the grapey sweetness of a nice violet note, or the extra fruity peach in Les Bijoux. Candy sweet and juicy. Never powdery, like Snake Oil can do me.
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One of the things keeping me chipper in the colder months is busting out scents like this Year 2 and the green pepper of the balsam has calmed down, but it's still lovely woody spicy. This feels very sophisticated and mature. Reminds me of a beloved elementary school teacher who was warm but firm, wise and intriguing. She used to play Carol King songs on the piano and lead us in singalong with her rich, smoky voice. Thinking back, I would totally believe she led a second life as a lounge singer. She smelled like powerful, fancy, grown ass woman perfume + a waft of cigarette smoke from the teacher's lounge (yeahhhhh if that doesn't say 'back in the day'...) - very distinct, striking, and I loved the smell of hugging her. This dries to a very woody but not outdoorsy scent. The dead leaves note doesn't work for me - too bitter - but this is what I wish it did. With a hint of sweetness and smoke. I wouldn't exactly call it masculine on me - I wouldn't suggest my husband wear it. But it IS powerful, confident, in charge, and bold. Leather can rub me the wrong way. Cream can go foul on me. But this blend is wonderful. Definitely wear to work when I'm feeling like taking care of business.
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Fuzzy Peach Sweater and A Mug of London Fog
groovyrooby replied to Seajewel's topic in Event Exclusive Oils
Sadly, I'm on the same page as @faerydusts. I was hoping for a peachy version of Lazy Daisy, which I love love love in the spring/summer. I love the tea & cotton notes there. This starts out a delicious juicy peach but morphs into a dryer sheet on me. Not a sweater, just the detergent. And I love lavender, but this is not that. I've tested this a couple times, and it's just not working for me. Bummer.