Thuy

This starts out as a very thick fudgey brownie (which I have been craving because work stress), much chocolate with a hint of coffee which I think is like the secret ingredient to making some damn good brownies. The smokiness is subtle, I love it. Eventually it settles and the cardamom comes out! It's more like cardamom and cocoa vs chocolate, but just as yummy imo. I trust that the amber is there, anchoring it all. This isn't super sweet either, other than that initial fudge brownie opening. This was an excellent blind buy for me! I will note that it's low throw and lasted about 5 noticeable hours on me.

I don't know where to begin with this one except it smells like being outside on a dark snowy night with the mob holding torches... I get the starry musk and snowdrift right away from the bottle and while wet on my skin...then the peppercorn and ashes come through but nothing overwhelming. The art is excellent and the oil complements it well. Good sillage and longevity. Not something I'd reach for often but I'm sure I have enough occasions to bring it out.

As a cherry fiend, I will chase down anything that has a prominent cherry note (interpret that as you will).

What a cherry blast of a start! Strong candied red cherry! It was beautiful but fleeting (however it lasts longer than Blood Squib on me). The transition to the rose musk was weird - we had a baby powder phase that isn't terrible...and it lingers. Then I get into a green leaning fresh rose... And from there it's between baby powder and fresh rose. No cherry anywhere in the dry down on me, whomp whomp.

I've been utterly obsessed with anything beeswax and amber, and since I've never had an issue with balsam, I FS'd this pretty blindly (decant came, sniffed it, and promptly got a bottle order in thereafter). tbh I don't truly know what balsam is or how it smells on its own.... Is it the weird tang I first get when wearing this? Maybe? I've never had an amber act/smell like that so that's my thought. Anyway, it's a weird bite to start and then settles into that gorgeous golden glow that I LOVE. Just a touch sweet. Great throw, can't get enough of it.

On 1/14/2023 at 2:29 AM, Codename Swap Ringleaders said:

We only have 10 people -- if people wanted to send 10 cards (the only months where you need 2 are March and next January), that would be so awesome!!   Please let me know if you want to change the number you are sending.

I'm still down to send all the cards😂

I'm hilariously confused with musk - just when I think I know it, everyone else's reviews make me second guess myself. Regardless, I'm low-key obsessed with this one! It's a buttery dusting of honey, my skin but better kind of deal. It wears close to the skin (haha hi skin musk), which is fine. I wear perfume primarily for myself so I'm in a lovely little bubble.

ME. I'M SO IN. I'm usually very good about this though at times my brain can be super swiss cheese. BUT I'M IN.

Ginger ale is too sweet and not punchy enough to me, but Spurious Cooter Bees is PUNCHY. So this smells more like ginger beer to me and I LOVE. Might hoard this one.

In the decant/bottle and wet, it's very much like a ginger ale. Sweet, fizzy, a little gingery.

Wear down though, that's when it gets punchy. Fizzy ginger is upfront and all up in my nose. The honey is there, but stays closer to my skin. This also starts out with good projection and then fades throughout the day. Overall I'm pretty pleased with it.

Very apricot and cream from the vial/bottle, and this is probably the only time I pick up on the floral-ness of the magnolias. I am a lot of cream, coconut and fig, with soft hints of apricot and magnolias, while wearing this. It's such a creamy scent that's just a touch sweet from the fruits. Like feyofthefellwood, this does feel like an ice creamy kind of blend. Creamy delicious goodness. I wish it'd last a little longer on me (best I got is 3ish hours top).

Gonna be upfront that my review is not going to be as eloquent as VetchVesper's.

I was hoping for a graceful blueberry floral, but uh, it's just poopy to my nose from the vial. Like, what is happening. I was disappointed and did NOT want to try it, BUT I PUSHED THROUGH and it's okay. Like VetchVesper, it has a gentle blueberry with hint of coconut opening and then the florals comes through, being a bit pushier than I'd like. Overall it's white-floral forward, the blueberry-coconut lingering in the back.  A fine, interesting balance of notes once I get it on my skin.

Hours later, this is very pretty, softly sweet by the fruits. Sheer is definitely accurate. I'm happy to have tried this one as blueberry has been a recent rabbit hole I fell into.

10 hours ago, Vanesa said:

But, y'all, I'm afraid it's the year for patience - I'm trying to buy a house for the first time (frigging terrifying), so we're not planning to post until late March/early April and will likely have some pretty long sign up and ship windows to make sure we don't leave anyone hanging while I try to move (ack!).

I FEEL THIS. We just bought our first house and 99% moved in last weekend (the apartment still has some of my non-essential odds and ends). Good luck to you and may you find a house you love and win it!

Late March/Early April sounds good, still spring😁😁

I did the spring cleaning one last year for the first time and it was SO fun! Swaps have been a very bright spot in the last year and a half for me. I don't know if I could do the spring cleaning this year since I just moved, but maybe!

This smells like the booziest cherry I've ever come across in the bottle, and seems promising. On application, the cherry actually lingers with the bourbon for a little before drying down to the spiced notes. It's mostly spice and hints of bourbon, the cherry being very hidden and feels more like medicinal cherry at this point. This cherry note lasts longer than that in Blood Squid SN, but still no real longevity. Sigh. Still amazing though.

This is one of my favorite sleepy time blends, and one day I'll be able to compare this to TKO. It's definitely sweeter in the bottle than on my skin, but all around cozy. The lavender's not sharp but I wouldn't call it sweet either; mild i think is the word I want. I do like the blue tansy in this as it makes this blend stand out from the rest of my other sleepy lavender blends. I'm really tempted to get a second bottle or three because I do sleep nicely with this.

4 minutes ago, twilighteyes said:

It's a lot more free form and lasts longer (usually) ... sometimes two or more months.  You have a certain dollar amount that is suggested and a date that your Witchee has to receive something by, but most people send e-cards or gc's immediately after getting their witchee and then can send smell ER small gifts or whatever through out the round or some people just send one big box at the end, or a couple of medium boxes, or employ minions to send things throughout or ... some people reveal, some don't,  some are total ninjas and just stalk without a lot of contact, some are high contact and poke everyday or a couple times a week.

 

it's usually a huge swap and thousands of questions asked. 

Overwhelming but fun, got it.😁

So many swaps, so little time!

Also, is there someone who could give me a rundown on what switch witch is? I've browsed through some of the FAQs and such but I don't think I fully grasp it. Very curious about it though.

I'm a little sad that I didn't get a second bottle for us (bought one for us, another as a gift), but I don't know how long this keeps so...oh well.

This is much sweeter than we expected, and it's really pleasant. Loving the bourbon tobacco. I don't pickup on the brimstone or gunpowder on Hub's beard, but I do get something peculiar (in a good way). Both Hubs & his buddy like the scent, and beards feel good, not greasy; so a win-win all around. 

I'm dying trying to find a good thick cherry scent, and this smelled like it from the imp! Thick, syrupy black cherry with a hint of spice....but only for a moment.

The cherry poofed as soon as I slathered it on, and it became a tempered red hots candy. That lasted for barely an hour. poooooo. guess I'll have to see how it does in a scent locket.

This is very similar to my Blood Squib SN, but more candy-like. Guess I'll just hang with this decant.

This one sounded like the safest of all of them, and it is. From the bottle the fruits are bright and juicy, sweet. On wear down it's juicy peach and the sweet orange slices, both present and just slightly blending together for that blast of sweetness. Kinda hard to be in a bad mood with this on ya. On me it eventually dries down to be a perfumey sugared peach and hint of orange, being strong for like the first three hours before it's a faded whiff on the wrists. Would be great if it lasted longer.

Like doomsday_disco says, I don't think there's a cherry slushie blend. There's cherries and snow, i.e. His Own Heart Laughed (albeit bath oil). But now I want to find a decant of Chattering Teeth to know😬

When I first got this and let it sit for a few days before testing, it was HARSH from the bottle. A little less harsh when wet on skin and wear down, and it was not a great first go at a Dead Leaves blend. I didn't expect this to be so perfumey, it was weird. Perfumey leaves, and it stays that way for a little while before I could get any marshmallow or pistachio or cream. There was a super subtle creaminess but barely there.

Fast-forward to now, months and months later, about nine months: Still perfumey leaves but it's mellowed out! It's much less in your face and the marshmallow and cream have come out. A nutty sweetness with the leaves for a gourmand crunchy leaf experience. I'm glad I reluctantly kept this bottle, but I don't know if it'll get all the love it deserves. Decent throw and wear time.

Holy bananas. I love all of these swaps happening here, but it is a LOT going on. BUT, with that, is there still going to be a late summer/fall/maybe-winter jewelry round robin again? I was looking forward to that after the summer one but will totally understand if it doesn't happen. Just curious.

This is a delicious black coffee, strong, from the bottle and wet. I want to love this so so much but my skin chemistry betrays me in turning this suuuuuuuuper woody. Like it makes me think of balsa wood. The coffee note becomes so faint that I don't know if I should keep this bottle but I love a good coffee???  I think this may be better off for layering so we'll see if I remember to come back and provide an update on that.

Oh my GODS, this is delicious and beautiful. I don't use these in the bath, rather after bath or shower... And it's like a fresh peach that then is like a peach drizzled in light honey. The cream keeps it from being too sweet, and at least on me is more of a background note. Very peach forward. I would hoard this if I could. It lasts without being headache-inducing or entering a room before me, so bonus points!

Next is to compare this to Egoyomi which I already love at first sniff.

I snagged a bottle right from the Etsy page out of sheer curiosity of the hype (I have no reference for the OG blend though). It is amazing that you get that antique, old linens smells right from the bottle. Just dusty enough for the feeling, otherwise that vanilla comes through beautifully. It's sweeter than I expected (despite skimming reviews beforehand). I don't quite get florals but there is a touch of powder in the wear down. Not bad. I can see why people find this cozy and comforting. Too strong on the vanilla for me though.