AbbyNormal

When I first got this I wore it a few times and really enjoyed it but then it kept getting skipped over for some of my favorites. When deciding what to wear I’d open the bottle, sniff, and pick something else because it just wasn’t calling to me. Tonight I put it on again despite being a bit meh when I sniffed the bottle again and I love it! I think it might be one of those that doesn’t smell like something I’m super into in the bottle but then blooms into something gorgeous when it’s on my skin. I have to remember this in the future so it gets some much deserved love. It’s rich, creamy vanilla and musk and super comforting. I don’t get lemon but I do get something that reminds me of the feel/essence of lemon.

When I first received this I adored it straight out of the mailbox and then decided to let it rest a few days to recover from the shock. When I opened the bottle again it just smelled musty, and plasticky, and generally unpleasant with just a hint of Snake Oil underneath and I was super disappointed. Tonight I decided to give it another shot based off of how much I loved it in the beginning and I wasn’t disappointed! The smell in the bottle still isn’t the best but on my skin it blooms into a very vanilla-y Snake Oil with just a touch of soft suedey leather. Along with something almost nutty, but more like the leftover skins from nuts in the bottom of the bag after you’ve eaten them all if that makes any sense.

This is my newest obsession! In the bottle it is very strong dirt and moss with an undercurrent of something sweet and delicious, mainly the incense, myrrh and leather. I never picked up on the balsam or parchment. Wet it is very, very dirty, like I’ve been digging in fresh soil. But when it dries? That’s when the magic happens. It does a complete 180 and all of that deliciousness that was hiding behind the dirt comes forward and takes over and the soil steps way back and just adds little pops of earthiness every now and then. I absolutely adore this and I’m so glad I blind bought a full sized bottle!

Rose is my absolute nemesis (only rose scents, I do love fresh cut roses, go figure). I almost didn’t want to even open the imp when I drew it today for the daily test, but I did and it was instant regret, just as I suspected. I didn’t even try it on because it would have been a waste of soap and scrubbing. I wish I could tolerate rose notes, and weirdly enough there actually is rose in my beloved Snekhellden, but this is just too much damned rose. Blurgh ?

Love me absolutely did not. For me it was the most boner-killer of scents. I never got anything remotely cinnamon like, it was straight bubble gum, mothballs and halitosis for me. I tried it on anyway and the bubble gum disappeared and it was straight mothballs. I loathe mothballs. I scrubbed it off so fast my arm is now red ?

This isn’t pumpkin rum cake, it’s straight up pumpkin kettle corn! I want to eat my arm now. Granted, I just put it on so it may morph into something more cake-like but for now it’s pure seasonal kettle corn. Not what I was expecting but I like it!

I know this smell. I don’t know why or how, but I know this smell. I’m guessing someone I knew at some point wore this and I’m remembering that, but I KNOW THIS SMELL. I ordered it just because of all of the hype and because the notes sounded right up my alley, and I’m so happy I did. All of the notes are present and however good you think this may smell, up that by at least a factor of 10 and you’ll be in the ballpark. I adore the gentle tea in this and I do pick up a hint of lemon in the tea as well, along with the vanilla, sugar and musk. Perfectly blended, powerful yet not overpowering. BUT WHY DO I KNOW THIS SMELL??? It’s going to drive me bonkers trying to figure it out.

Very green and gold smelling, and exactly like a warm summer hike. It throws a sage that’s very reminiscent of Western Diamondback, but when I go in for a closer sniff the sage is very faint and I mainly get eucalyptus, oak, and an overall wilderness scent that’s lightly sweetened by the elderberry and lilac. It’s a very California smell and I couldn’t resist blind buying a bottle just for that reason and I’m glad I did.

I don’t get anything even remotely masculine with this, it’s very strong violet with a whisper of frankincense. No cinnamon to be found anywhere. It was very overpowering both in the imp and wet, but once dried it settled down into something I don’t desperately need to scrub off. It was close there for a bit but I think I can keep this on now.

When I opened the imp it was almost pure booze, with a hint of chocolate and creaminess. But once applied it was spot on tiramisu. I still haven’t gotten any funnel cake from this, and while I’m really loving how it smells I don’t know if I can wear it again. I normally don’t have an issue with cinnamon but my arm is burning quite a bit from the small amount I swiped on, and I’m grateful that I didn’t slather more and on my neck. It smells absolutely delicious but not sure it’s worth the fire skin.

In the imp this was very sharp jasmine with the barest hint of honey and vanilla. I got a tiny bit on my finger when opening the imp and swiped that on my wrist before actually truly testing, and on my skin it turned to mothballs. It’s so mothbally that my mouth is doing that whole bitter watering, and that was after I washed it off. Normally I don’t have an issue with jasmine, but this combination just did NOT work for me.

Straight from the mailbox (I couldn’t wait) Somehow I missed this one when it first came out and it wasn’t until the Liliths were about to be pulled down that I noticed it while doing one last “do I need anything???” check. I’m so happy I was able to grab this. I was also at the Rhys Darby stand up at the Largo, and am a massive OFMD fan so an orange/velvet combo was a no brainer. I was a little concerned seeing the reviews on how harsh this is, but so far I adore it. Yes, it is very orangey, but I’m now getting flashbacks to making my 40 orange cake. I’ll update this with a proper review once it’s had time to settle from the mail shock. But I now have the perfect scent to wear with my Old Navy uniform shirt and to the SDCC meetup!

I’m not the biggest fan of florals and I loathe rose so reading the scent nots I was already apprehensive. I know there are several florals in this but to my nose it was rose, with more rose, followed by some rose, and for fun, a touch of baby powder. This is the fastest I’ve ever washed off an oil and I put on the tiniest spot possible with the imp cap. Even that tiny dot and it was throwing like it was playing for the big leagues.

Slightly over roasted almond with a cream that almost smells butterscotch-y but not, with a touch of dead leaves in the background. Very foody, but not really a food I’d want to put in my mouth. Overall it’s not bad, but there’s something here that just seems off, even though all of the elements are present and smell like they should. It’s like the almond/bourbon version of a pecan praline ice cream cone that I dropped in a gutter full of dead leaves. Now it’s just sad and covered in dried leafy bits and I don’t want to eat it anymore. *edit* There is something strangely compelling about this scent. After posting this review it started growing on me. Kind of. I’m still not entirely sure about it, but I did reapply it a couple more times that day to refresh it. There’s something very pleasant about it but also something that’s just a tiny bit off, but I can’t stop poking at/sniffing that little off bit to try to get a feel for it.

When I first sniffed the imp I mainly got plumeria with a hint of unidentifiable florals and fruit in the background. Fortunately I adore plumeria, so I thought it might work despite the rose. Wet: still mostly plumeria, with the faintest hint of pear. And then bam! ROSE! Luckily the rose toned down after a few moments, but it’s still pretty prominent, and absolutely drowning out both the plumeria and pear. I haven’t hit peak “ohgodwashitoff” levels yet, but unless it shifts or fades soon I might get to that point.

I tried this fresh from the mail when I first got it and was more than a little intimidated. It was way harsher than I expected and I wasn’t too sure, but knew it needed to rest before I made any real decision. I tested it again today and it has definitely smoothed out a lot. I get all of the listed notes, and while I was hoping for something a bit sweeter I’m still happy I bought it. In the imp: sugared patch and spice Wet: this is when the leather really comes out. I can see the comparison between this and the leather in Snekhellden, although it’s more of a feel of the leather rather than the actual leather smell. Dry: the florals from the nag champa throw a lot more than I expected which definitely brings and overall sweetness to the scent, but it’s still very patchouli forward. The clove just kind of hovers around in the background, and it becomes mainly a leathery, floral patch. It’s definitely growing on me the more I smell it, and I’ve already reapplied once. It wasn’t really fading, I just wanted to amp it back up a bit.

In the imp: it’s definitely bread-y but not gingerbread, more like a spice cake that wasn’t made with a lot of sugar and before the frosting has been added. Wet: there’s the cookie! It’d definitely a gingerbread/molasses cookie and add me to the list of people picking up a touch of peanut butter. There’s also something else here that I can’t place and I keep sniffing to try to figure it out. I normally don’t react to the oils but a spot on my neck is feeling a bit burny. Not bad enough yet to do anything about it, but definitely burny. Dry: the ginger bite tones down and it becomes a lot softer overall. I still can’t place the mystery scent underneath it all, but it still smells so hauntingly familiar.

When I first got this I got a very strong savoriness that really reminded me of the stuffing note I pick up in Drink Me, so I never even tested it and put the bottle away to think about what it did. I finally ended up testing it tonight and age has helped a lot. I still get a bit of savory but it’s tolerable now (mostly), and I do get all of the listed notes. It starts out mainly as a baked cookie with almond paste. There is citrus present but not strong, a bit of rum, and the dates and figs are in the background. After a bit the fig/date combo comes forward and the citrus falls back, and it becomes more prominently spiced. I'm going to let this age a little longer and see if I can wait out whatever that savory weirdness is. If not, to the swap pile.

I can’t quite tell if this is cologne or men’s deodorant. It’s not bad but definitely not what I was expecting. In the bottle it was very strong but once applied it settled down quite a bit and is wearable without smelling like my husband’s clean armpit. I may let this age a while and come back to it, or just keep it for more masculine days. *edit* within minutes of hitting post this shifted and went aquatic. Absolutely not what I expected but it works. It’s still very masculine but it’s much more my style now.

This stuff is GOOD! It starts out smelling very boozy in the imp, like a cross between two of my favorite cocktails to make at home, a Poisonappletini and a Liquid Christmas cosmo (despite not picking up anything remotely cranberry in this) Wet, it’s initially cucumber peels with a touch of apple. Then the patchouli shows up and it’s a much earthier patch than I’m used to, followed by the matcha. Then it all kind of settles into something that can only be described as green. Just green and glorious. I think I might need a bottle! *edit* I reviewed this last night before it had a chance to fully dry down, and dry this is a light green tea with really nothing else hanging on. It sounds boring but it smells super delicious and I can stop huffing myself.

Based on the description I was expecting something much sharper, but this is very mellow and lovely. Sweetly spiced resin and incense, with not a lot of throw, but I can’t stop huffing my wrist. I can see how people are making the fall comparison, and I’m really interested in attempting to layer this one.

I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I saw wasabi was one of the note. I cautiously opened the imp and took a sniff…this stuff smells divine! In the imp: a sweet floral musk with a touch of spice green. Not at all what I was expecting, but I love it! Wet: pretty much more of the same, but the wasabi tones down and the floral becomes more dominant. Dry: here’s where the magic happens. It turns into aged Lust somehow! If I put my nose to my arm I can tell that I’m not wearing Lust, there’s something subtly different, but the throw is all my beloved aged Lust. I’m guessing the red musk has taken over everything else in the blend and I’m not complaining in the slightest. I’ll definitely be getting use out of this imp while I’m waiting for my full bottle of Lust to get a little older.

I can’t pin this one down because it shift like nobody’s business. In the imp: patchouli, a bit of aquatic, and some florals. Wet: still patch, some musk, and a touch of florals. Dry: the patch is gone, the florals have turned to rose, there’s a hint of spice, now the rose has disappeared, and it smells like a spiced wood that has the tiniest dusting of baby powder. Every time I think I’ve figured it out it changes again. Unfortunately the powder seems to be getting stronger, but I don’t want to wash it off yet in case it shifts again.

I was a little leery of trying this one based off of the notes but I had to give it a shot and I’m not upset that I did. in the imp: some unidentifiable florals mixed with something green and dusty smelling, I’m guessing the moss. There’s a hint of dirt but nowhere near as strong as Burial. Wet: the dirt is much stronger and the florals are still present, but it’s as if I’ve completely forgotten how to smell flowers and buried my nose in the pot instead of sniffing the flower directly. The jasmine is starting to make itself known, but there seem to be some other flowers there that I can’t put my finger on. Just a wisp of incense in the background. Dry: my first test (just a dab) dried down to a light, pleasant floral with a touch of incense. Every now and then I’d get a pop of jasmine, but it was fleeting. I reapplied a bit more before bed to see how it dries down when I almost slather. The florals are quite a bit stronger with the second application, so I’ll need to remember to be careful about how much I put on and try to Goldilocks it next time.

I recently received a bottle of 2015 Smut from a forumite and tried it today. It’s doesn’t have quite as much red musk as I had hoped, but I’m still glad that I got to try it. I’m also getting something reminiscent of rum and coke when I sniff closely, but the weird thing is that it seems to be throwing a tiny bit of masa/hominy. Luckily I think that smell is delicious, but it’s still a little unnerving to smell it coming from me. I did apply it right out of the shower so there are virtually no skin oils to grab onto the scent, so I’ll have to reapply in the morning and see what it does then. *edit* ok, there’s the red musk I was looking for. It took its time showing up, but it absolutely making its presence known now. And the masa has disappeared and I’m in love!