skyturtles

This is... interesting. I have an imp of unknown age. Out of the imp and wet I get the myrrh with some fruitiness (wine I guess?) and the rose. On my skin the jasmine bobs in and out, attempting to take control over the rose. That myrrh and pinot keep it all from turning into a plainly floral scent. As it dries down, it really becomes softer as the resins go to sleep. Unfortunately I'm not a big fan of florals (= soap & baby powder) but this was creative and I can see why people would be a fan of it!

I have an imp of this and its age is unknown. Wet: I immediately get patchouli, a little hint of dragon's blood, and the tiniest hint of cinnamon. Patchouli is just so overwhelming, like cedar. I'm usually a fan of red musk blends, and I can imagine that being really interesting with a heavier cinnamon note. Drying: Ooooo the cinnamon is coming out to play! There's some spiciness. The dragon's blood seems to be challenging the patchouli as well. We are a spicy and dry blend without much sweetness.

Out of the imp of unknown age, I get sweet berries with some booziness. Wet on my skin, I get a hint of thyme with the bitterness of red wine. The berries are threatening to turn into a drugstore scent perversion from the 90s. I was really excited for this one and it's not quite living up, but like I said I have NO idea how old this imp is and how time has aged it.

Out of the imp of unknown age, I get sweet cherry popsicle. That fades pretty quickly as the clove takes control on my skin. There is a metallic-ness there. The cherry isn't completely gone but I wish it'd come out to play some more. Drying down all I'm really getting is that metallic clove. After about an hour, I get a hint of myrrh, or is it dragon's blood? as everything fades away...

Oh honey, no. *sneezes* Out of the factory frimp, aged less than one year, I get a whiff of sweet cherries, unfortunately not long-lasting. Wet: It smells like cavity fluid (high index formaldehyde) with some plastic-y orange and vanilla. Usually I'm a fan of that combination, but not here. As it dries: it's mellowing out a bit, a wee bit softer, powder-ier, and more floral, but my nose is still not a fan and burns in protest.

Like others have said, the lavender slaps you in the face both from the bottle and wet on the skin. I'm not usually a fan of lavender but thought I would test this before gifting it to a friend. My partner swears they smell something lemony in the scent, and I can see where they are coming from. I'm not familiar with rock-rose, and it's surprisingly not very floral. Imagine sunlight through the glass panes, natural linen everywhere, an antique dresser and a well-worn ceramic tea cup.

Straight out of the lab frottle I get peppercorn, grapefruit, and froot loops. Wet on my skin, the fruity sweetness fades away into a more booze-centric scent, still heavy on the citrus which is now more obviously of the orange family than the grapefruit. Yup, I smell like a cocktail in the corner of a dark yet clean and classy basement speakeasy. I don't much like oranges so I'll be passing this along, but it's neat to try a thing I usually wouldn't buy! Some else mentioned a spa day and I can see the resemblance.

I bought this a gift for a friend but hey I'm a BPAL addict so I've got to test it out first, right? ? Out of the bottle I smell pear and honeysuckle. Winning so far! On my skin wet it nearly immediately becomes more complex and fancy. The plum and cherry blossoms shine and sing. It's too crisp for myself personally, and I'm not a huge fan of florals to begin with. There is a slight chemical-y sharpness. The "amber cream" prevents it from just smelling like a mall-purchased body spray. I think my friend is gonna like this. ?

Woah, there's a lot going on here! Out of the bottle I smell a honeyed dessert of some sort, with hints of the milk, the vanilla, and the cardamom. I smell yummy On my skin it becomes weaponized as it becomes sharper and sweeter. It's a bit too much for me! Others have mentioned bourbon as a note and I definitely see where they are coming from. As I read through the notes list, I feel as though I can put my finger on nearly everything listed, which is pretty neat. (Except maybe oak bark? I'm not getting a lot of earthiness.) Cedar quite hit or miss with me, and I'm beginning to think that perhaps vetiver and I do not especially go well together... Foodie scents are definitely growing on me however! I'm looking forward to trying more. My partner doesn't especially like this on me either, so, it was fun, but, onward!

Out of the lab frimp, I'm immediately reminded of Vixen. On my skin, however, the similarity fades away. The dryness that I typically associate with sandalwood is cancelled out with a sweetness that I cannot define. I've sampled quite a few scents featuring red musk and amber - Le Lethe, Scherezade, the Coiled Serpent, etc. I think what sets this one apart is the rosewood and sandalwood, enveloping the other notes in a woodiness that is neither earthy nor holidayesque. This is a complex, addicting scent that is prevented from being too "mature"/fancy-old-lady by that hint of sweetness that I mentioned. Still don't know where it's coming from, but the longer it dries down, the sweeter it gets. I'm a fan! I want my partner to wear it more...

Initial thought: MUSK. I'm brought down to the basement magic/head shop downtown in the old market - you know the sort, where the old school goths sell bottles of hot sauce next to dusty dragon figurines. I can pick up the nagarmotha, which I wasn't previously familiar with but think I can identify it after reading about it. It reminds me of incense in an Indian grocer. The champa definitely contributes to that sentiment. As it dries down, a wee bit of sweetness comes out to play, and I swear there's a bit of fruitiness as well, so there's the plum honey. Apparently opponax is also known as sweet myrrh, so I'm unsure on how that differs from "velvet myrrh." Unfortunately, 1) this scent doesn't seem to last very long, and 2) my partner doesn't like it. Maybe this will be my secret alone time comfort. I'm a fan of the complexity.

Out of the imp I get an earthy, sharp greenness, but with complexity. On my skin, a muskiness is immediately apparent that reminds me of red musk (which is not listed on the note list). It also reminds me of soap/powder. If I try reeeal hard I can make out the cypress. Yes, there is a hint of florals, which I'm not a fan of in general, and it just kind of reminds my of old ladies or Chanel or something. I'm going to have to pass with Hades, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. Unfortunately my partner is not a fan as well, either on themself or myself, so off to someone else it will go!

Out of the bottle I get the syrupy sweetness that I was hoping for. On my skin, the buttercream is smooth. As it dries, I'm reminded of... is that what I think it is?? I get my partner to sniff as well, and uninfluenced they confirm: PUMPKIN SPICE BOOZE. It must be the combination of earthy spices and spirits. It's not as coffee-like or cream-like (or butter-like?) as I was hoping for (I was actually hoping to gift this, and probably still will, but to someone different...) ? After about 20 minutes I'm getting a little more coffee out of this. My partner says it smells like dirt. Sigh. Maybe I should have gone with the Spiced Rum Buttercream! Maybe I'll still end up getting it as well. ?

Warning: I think I've just found my new favorite scent. I've been wearing it for 4 days now and want nothing else. I love honey, and I love orange blossom. This much I know. I didn't know I liked vanilla until this scent - the hint of smokiness brings out that touch of earthiness that keeps all the sweetness from becoming syrupy. I typically despise anything coconut scented, so luckily it's not a strong note here. I'm usually hit or miss with both amber and tobacco (I like them, but they are so easily overwhelming!); when paired with the sweeter notes, boy oh boy is everything rounded out and complex and lovely and perfect. I can't stop smelling myself. I'm in love. I will probably be purchasing a bottle of this for keepsies and taking notes from Estamets above me (funnily enough, the very same person I purchased my decant from! ?)

Out of the imp, this reminded me of Vixen for a brief moment, which got me excited. Unfortunately, this sentiment did not last... Wet and dry on my skin, all I get is a bunch of sandalwood with a bit of dry patchouli. Not my style to smell just like incense without any complexity. I think I'll pass this on as a freebie to someone else. I'm not very familiar with chakras so I will refrain from that discussion.

Wet: Vial of Holy Water might be too clean (watery?) for me. I was really hoping the Palo Santo would come through more, as I'm a fan of it as a standalone. Unfortunately, something in this reminds me of working in the embalming room. The cedar makes it dry and the lemon gives it a hint of soapiness that makes me sad as well. I can see why someone would like this, though. As for me, I'm learning I like things a little muskier or resinous. As it dries, the Palo Santo comes through more (yay!) and the halo begins to shine. It's still too sharp / ozonic of a scent for me, and might be irritating my nose ever so slightly, but I think I might like it if my partner wears it?

Finally, I'm getting around to reviewing one of the scents that I wear the most. I grab this for work most days - it makes me feel fancy. I wasn't a huge fan at first, but it has definitely grown on me. I think part of that is because it is so complex, and I often feel like I get different notes out of it on different days. I previously wasn't very familiar with red musk, but now that I've tried a few scents with red musk as a headliner, I can pinpoint it better. Hemlock I am not so good at discerning yet. Tobacco is hit or miss with me, and luckily I don't associate with this scent with that note. There's sweetness, there's smokiness, there's herbalness, there's muskiness... and like I mentioned before, somehow that combination equals sophistication and flies just fine in my conservative workplace. I don't usually comment on this but the color of the oil? Lusciously dark. It lasts a loooong time and I am here for that.

Straight outta the imp, I'm thinking BUTTERSCOTCH. Thankfully that goes away quickly, replaced by sweet granola. As it dries down, it morphs into oatmeal. It's the apple and the cinnamon for sure, melting like butter into the earthy tones. It doesn't take terribly long for that sweetness to go away, but I still kinda smell like a baked good you'd find in a hobbit hole on a winter holiday. I think I'll be giving this one to my partner, but it's still a lot of fun!

A sniff from the lab bottle comes off has green and woodsy and herb-y. On my skin, that pine rosin begins to emerge, and as it dries down the leather comes out to play. As it continues to dry, the soapiness that I thought I was imagining gets stronger and I totally understand what others have said regarding powderiness. There is just the smallest hint of sweetness that pulls it all together. I purchased this as a gift for my significant other and unfortunately the gender on the bottle is incorrect, and I think that has to do with why they don't care for it all that much... It is a simple scent to be sure, but clean and wearable in a conservative work environment. I'm not a big fan of leather but I can see how this scent would be great with layering.

The first time I tested Azathoth all I got was the dryness and cedar, and as it dried, brimstone and smoke. As much as I joke about it, I'm not too keen on a trip to hell when it comes to what it smells like. I tried it out again a few days later, and got that initial tease of fruitiness that apparently is the tangerine, as others have noted. Unfortunately, it seems to go away rather quickly, letting the incense of cedar and smoke dominate. There is a bit of complexity, however, which may be the saffron or vertiver or black amber, I'm not sure. It's quite masculine, so I'm going to pass this along to the more masculine half of my partnership. I think I'll enjoy smelling it on them rather than myself.

I've never had the apparent pleasure of the original Perversion, but I'm not sure it would be up my alley due to its leather and tobacco notes. Though I am a big fan of Pumpkin Spice themed scents in general, PS Perversion just isn't doing it for me. Like others have said, this must be more Perversion than PS. It's like... PS vape juice. Giving it to my partner since they like it more than I do. I'm going to stick with me Please Scream Inside Your Pumpkin Patch for now.

THIS. This is the bomb. Very heavy on the pumpkin spice, yes. Great throw and long lasting. The muskiness gives it that little depth that keeps it from being reminiscent of, I dunno, Bath & Body Works or something. (Disclaimer: I'd probably be a fan of that too.) I'm a big fan of all things pumpkin spice, and if you, my friend, are not, Pumpkin Pie Musk is not for you. If anyone has this and doesn't want it, let's talk, just sayin'. ?

Ever since I lost my beloved Pumpkin Pie Musk (where are you, oh my love?), I have been trying a handful of different Pumpkin Spice scents. I wouldn't have considered myself a fan of "sweet" scents, but here I am getting intimate with this funnel cake. There's enough ~spices~ to give it the name, but enough pulp to round it out with some bitterness. Though it's not the song of my heart known as Pumpkin Pie Musk, I'm quite happy with it, but unfortunately my partner is not. I'm going to use up this whole imp though, you better bet.

Frankincense is usually overpowering and strong with a wide throw, but that is not its case in this limited edition, Yule 2019 scent. Although that Catholic church staple is the main event here, it is soft enough for everyday wear. It doesn't last forever and a day, so I find myself sticking the imp in my pocket and reapplying. There is a crisp citrus intertwined with the sacred smokiness that prevents you from smelling like an altar server, perhaps orange or mikan. *looks at the description* OH, it's the BERGAMOT. That makes sense. This scent will personally remind me of cremation, and Seattle.

Ever since discovering "Pumpkin Pie Musk," I have this need try everything with Pumpkin Spice in it. Though PS Booze doesn't quite match up to the level of love I have for PS Musk, it's a lot of fun and I enjoy wearing it in the evenings. The PS notes are stronger than the boozey notes, thankfully. The bourbon and orange give it a halloween-styled manhattan vibe. I don't pick up much cinnamon in particular but I am okay with that. Recommended for lovers of all things PS that want a dash of bitters sweet sophistication but not so much that it takes the wild autumn out of it. (Maybe don't try this if you're hungover though.) I'd say it has a pretty decent throw, and average longevity.