hellomoonglow

When I first put this on, it smelled a lot like a mixture of Snake Charmer and Snow White.

 

Today, I get that same smell, but also some piney resins.

 

I bought this strictly because I, myself, am an "illustrated woman", thinking I wouldn't like it but had to have it! Turns out, I really like it. A double win!

I agree w/ the baking soda suggestion, but I'd probably just take a full box, open it up in a tupperware, and leave it sit in there open for a week. Or several. Lid closed on the trunk.

 

As for scenting, I'd try something that smells awful on my skin but that I dearly love in the imp. It's a nice way to still get to "wear" the stuff that doesn't work on you. I do that with my bottle and imp boxes. They're lined with puffy satin.

This was a full blast of lemon cleaning fluid when I opened it up, with a little hint of Snake Oil lurking underneath. Which is weird, because I don't think it has any Snake Oil in it! And I love that lemony cleaning fluid smell. Put me in a room with permanent magic markers, gasoline and lemon cleaner and I'll be happy. High as a kite and killing my brain cells, but happy!

 

On, I smell a little bit of Snow White coconut and the lemon blast fades to just a cheerful lemon. I love this! I shall now commence the lurking for a bottle.

I got an imp of this from a fellow forumite, and was hesitant to try it BUT...I did.

 

And I'm glad! The notes: Oakmoss, skin musk, and nectarine.

 

What I find most weird about this, is that to me, I smell some Snow White underneath a flower-y-ness. While I think it smells kinda good, it's also kinda strong.

 

After several hours, the flower smell is left faintly, with just a whisp of Snow White underneath.

 

Overall: An odd coupling of scents. And they strangely smell good together. Not good enough for a bottle, mind you, at least not right now. I do think, however, that this might age nicely and be good to snag on ebay in a couple of years.

This smelled like orangey-citrus when I initally put it on, but that kind of morphed into lemon. I get the picture of a warm, sunny day when I wear this. The thing I like best is that it seems to radiate that perfect summer day. The thing I like least is that my skin slurps it up and in about an hour there is nothing left.

Rose Cross is THE perfect rose. And I am always on the prowl for the perfect rose! It instantly reminds me of my Grandma, which is nice, since she passed away over a decade ago. I can't really use words to describe it more, other than it is the perfect rose: not too damp, not in any way decayed, not cloyingly sweet or seductive. Just a beautiful, dew kissed rose.

Ok, so I had gotten a bottle of this off ebay in Nov. 07. Hated it and sold it right away. Now that I'm more mature in my sniffer and used to the strong, deep BPAL scents, I purchased another bottle. And I like it waaaaaay better the second time around!

 

In the bottle: Strong, heady perfume. Deep, dark, sensual.

 

On me: Dill! Right away! But I saw it through to get to the drydown.

 

Dry down: I read somewhere where someone said this smelled a lot like Dior's Poison. And it does! I get that exactly! Prior to reading the review, I kept thinking, what perfume does this smell like? I'm glad to report that I get no powder note and no funkiness, which I tend to develop on many of the more complex scents. And happily, the dill also went away. I also get some pepper and I get the feeling of a deep, dark berry somewhere lurking in the mix. And maybe some anise.

 

Overall: A keeper, though not one I'll often reach for.

Very strong! At least on me, that is. I definetly get the smokiness, although I don't know that I've smelled oak and teak before. I bought this particularly for the tobacco and vanilla. The cool thing is, after a little while (I was watching a movie) I kept getting a whiff of smoky vanilla. Of course, I did have 6 oils on my arms, whoops, make that 7, but I'm sure that this smoky vanilla was coming from the wrist with Antikythera Mechanism. A keeper? Yes. Not an emphatic yes, but yes, all the same.

While I liked the idea of this scent, the first hour was brutal. Really strongly overpowering, like all the notes were at war on my arm. After an hour, it was standable. It's been 2.5 hrs., and it has dried and faded quite a bit. It is now quite interesting - where is that winey/grapey-ness coming from? I love violet. Adore it! But this is not a blend for me. Perhaps if it ages a bit.....fingers crossed.....

 

ADDED March 22:

 

Mature womanly scent with an undertone of sterile, cold metal. This reminds me of one of my aunts when I was little. I know that's not a great review, but it's Aunt Sharon all the way.

I don't know what it is, but several oils have a lingering undertone of dill on me. This is one of 'em. Luckily, the dill fades rather quickly, like a half hour, but still. Dill! Weird! I like this overall, it's dusty and violety and wet. Me likeys!

My first sniff of Ether was, "Oh wow, this smells like Jackson!", who is my son. I can't really say WHAT part smells like a little boy, or better stated, my little boy, but I think it could be the fact that this has a very clean smell. Like when he gets out of the tub. It also smells a little outdoor fresh (sounds like fabric softener!) like air, and sun and little boy all rolled into one.

On my skin it still holds this scent, which lasted for a good 2 hrs. then faded. I wish the stay factor was stronger, because I really like this! It smells clean, fresh, nostalgic, young. Not at all what I expected something titled Ether to smell like, but it's surprisingly wonderful!

Wow! This smells exactly like the description! Strong cherry musk with anise! I didn't get the anise right away, but after it settled I could smell it lurking in there. I like it, but it's not for me. Glad I was frimped with it by a forumite, however.

This smells just like one of those cheap candles you see at convenience stores. The souvenier kind. Right beside the jumper cables and Mentos. Ick. Me no likeys.

I was generously firmped with an imp of Akuma from a fellow forumite. In the vial it smells like baby asprin, remember when we all ate that stuff?? On the skin, it is WONDERFUL!!! Baby ASA, oranges, with a thin backbone of dryer sheets. Damn, I love this!

 

Edited to add: I also wanted to mention that this scent literally makes me salivate. Soooo delicious.

 

Ok, so I haven't actually TRIED this, but I've smelt it. A lot. It reminds me of those scratch-n-sniff stickers I used to have as a kid. The red and white striped tub of popcorn scratch-n-sniff sticker. I smell popcorn w/ butter, but also a little tiny whiffy of dill. Weird? I dunno. I can't bring myself to put it on! I'll probably keep this for awhile then swap it. But for now, it's fun knowing I have it in the precious bottle box.

Dear, sweet Snake Charmer, how do I love thee?

 

I LOVE the coconut and plum! This is my new fave. I must have more, more more MORE!!! It smells similar to Exp. Blend #1, which is my all time #1 fave. I can't really describe this, except to say it smells kinda like Snake Oil with vanilla and coconut and a splash of plum. This stays on me an incredibly long time, and I can smell it on me, too. I like it when you can do that. Definetly

Blood Pearl - I thought it'd be more, well, bloody! This smells like what I thought Urd should smell like. Deep, and surprisingly - grapey! Wonderful grape! I tried this based on reviews that it smelled somewhat coconutty. I get no coconut, but as a bonus, it has that deep, delicious grape flavor scent. Not that I tried licking it! (I didn't and neither should you!)

This lasted for quite awhile on me, I'm happy to report.

This might be just me, but Experimental Blend #1, a.k.a. Feathered Snake Oil. I got some, and it is such heaven! I love love love coconut and to me, Exp. Blend #1 smells like a mixture of Snake Oil, Antique Lace and coconut. If I could bathe in it, I would!

If you like TKO, you'll like Voluspa Malayan Cocoa. Very similar to my snoot.

In the bottle this smells like something fun! Many times I open bottles only to find "meh" I can do without it. But I like this, even though it's quite strong for quite a long time. On the dry down it smells fruity and flowery. After half an hour it's become more manageable, not in your face "hey! over here!" like it is wet. I like it but would willingly decant from it if needed.

 

ADDED March 20:

 

Cold and minty with a hint of florals. Mint just goes funky on me for some reason. All except for peppermint. I love the florals, and I get that "chill" feeling, but the mint is a deal breaker.

I just got a #1 on eBay. It was titled, "Feathered Snake Oil". I know that's not the real name, but it's a lovely concept! Coming from someone who does NOT like Snake Oil, it seems weird to say that I love this! When I first opened the imp, it strongly reminded me of the shore. I get some beachy notes in here, like suntan oil / coconut. On, it's quite potent, with a lot of staying power. I've had it on since 10 am and I can still smell it. It's 1:38 pm right now. That's good for me, since my skin tends to drink all oils until they disappear to nothing. Please, please purty-please make this at least an LE!

Persephone smells almost overwhelming in the imp. SO floral. SHOUTING at me. But I put it on anyway, cause that's what we do, right?

On my skin, it smells like a Cabbage Patch Kid slathered in roses.

After an hour it's better, and is very nice rosey scent.

Sadly, I have a headache from the Cabbage Patch Kid period so I won't be keeping this one. It is, however, a really nice scent, if you can, say, detach your arms for an hour to let it dry down. Now that's just silly, isn't it? Must go to bed now......

It's a dark moonless night. I'm driving down a country road, no street signs, no street lights, just me and my radio with the window down and my hair blowing. I'm running out of gas, which is nothing new, I always am running out of gas. Luckily, ahead in the distance, is the reassuring neon glow of an out of place Exxon gas station. I stop, pump my gas, and amble up to the attendant to pay. As soon as I walk in, I get that smell I always smell at convience stores (LURID).

 

The attendant is turned around, fiddling around with something on the counter. He has a startlingly long, curly mullet. When he hears me drum a few fingers on the counter, he turns around and......AAAAAAaaaaaa!!!!! It's my high school boyfriend!!!!! ARRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! This is what I like to call "Phase II Lurid". Cheap teenage cologne that mom buys at CVS.

 

Luckily for me, after a few minutes, Phase II Lurid settled down to smell exactly like my dirty Uncle Fingers. And I said luckily for me!?!?!?......that should tell you how grody my high school boyfriend was! Uncle Fingers - he has a real name, but ever since he pulled my grown-up sister close at my Grandma's funeral and whispered, "why don't you call me sometime?", I've nicknamed him Uncle Fingers. This smells like his aftershave. You only get to smell that in the summer, cause that's the only time he skulks around. Hanging out by the pool. Ewwww.

 

And this, my fellow BPAL'ers, is a horrid, may I suggest LURID mixture of gross high school boyfriend that I hoped to forget forever and dirty old Uncle Fingers. Eeee gads, I don't even know if I want to swap this! It might have to just be tossed in the trash to prevent other people from having bad memory relapses!

Divine! Wonderful! Outstanding! This could possibly be my new Antique Lace! I smell something like vanilla, but not quite. I'd say it's deeper. Some floral, but not overwhelming. This has a very complex scent, like all the notes are vying for attention but somehow, are all behaving and melding together. I need a bucket of this! Delicious!

 

ADDED April 28:

 

Update that the second imp I have of this smelled very soapy and plasticy. Weird. Now I don't know what to do! Buy a bottle? Keep smelling imps? Advice anyone???

Oh my. Let me see how I can describe this.....

 

Have you ever been to a Renaissance Faire where they sell smoked turkey legs? And they might also have a nice, open fire, and perhaps it's night and you may also smell citronella candles? On my skin, Saturnalia smells like a smoked turkey leg mixed with wood smoke and a healthy dallop of citronella candle. Ick. Oh mah gawd, I need to wash this off before I barf.

 

edited to note that it is SOOPER hard to get off of me. Sob! SOB SOB SOB!!!