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BOOMSLANG (LE, Carnaval Diabolique, Act III: Snake Pit)
Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk.
( Review. )
Verdict: The first time that Boomslang disappeared on my skin, I was heartbroken—a rich, pure, dark chocolate would be my perfect scent if it lasted. Using it to scent my laundry changed everything: what disappears so swiftly on my skin stays around forever on my bedding, and sleeping cocooned in rich chocolate is indulgent and divine. It only takes a few drops to scent an entire load of laundry, but I'm still glad to have a bottle—I'll want chocolate-scented sheets for years to come.
ANTIQUE LACE (GC, Bewitching Brews)
A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes.
( Review. )
Verdict: When I catch whiffs of this, I like it. It's sweet, pale, creamy, and comforting. But when I smell it intentionally and try to pick out notes, I'm put off by the dry florals. They seem bitter and out of place in the otherwise sweet blend, and they prevent it from being truly wonderful to my chemistry/tastes/nose. I'll probably wear this intermittently, but it's not a personal favorite. It makes me wish for a pure, creamy, sweet vanilla scent without the bitter dry florals.
JACK (GC, Bewitching Brews)
The scent of warm, glowing jack o’lanterns on a warm autumn night: true Halloween pumpkin, spiced with nutmeg, glowing peach and murky clove.
( Review. )
Verdict: On me, this is a commercial candle scent, not rich pumpkins and spices as I envision them. It's very sweet and rather waxy, and the autumn notes feel diluted by the lightness of spring peach. I would much rather have my pumpkin darker, spicier, muskier; Jack just isn't for me. It might be worth layering with it a spicy or musky scent, though, to see if that cuts down the sweetness.
ETA: Layering Jack with herbal, spicy, and musky blends is an improvement, but still not quite good enough. I've layered it with Casanova before, and recently tried laying it with Satyr; these darker, deeper scents help ground Jack and cut down on the overpowering sweetness, but they don't do away with the waxy, candle-like feel of the scent. As such, this is definitely an imp for the swap pile.
DANA O'SHEE
Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name
( Review. )
Verdict: I'm very happy with Dana O'Shee. I wish it got to the final stage faster, but I'm grateful that the sourness stays faint and close to the skin and then fades away. The throw is lovely, and this is a wonderful scent, sweet and pure and comforting, never cloying. It's a bit too simple for frequent wear, but I'm glad that I have the imp.
DRAGON'S TEARS
Bittersweet yet powerful: salty aquatic notes and bursting with dragon's blood.
( Review. )
Verdict: I usually adore dragon's blood resin, but it's usually fruity and resinous on my skin. The pure florals here aren't my style. While I've been looking for a salty aquatic—and this is the truest I've found so far—in combination with florals it evokes a humid tropical atmosphere, and that's most definitely not my style. Plus, the wear length is just over an hour. I think I'll have to pass this one on.
Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk.
( Review. )
Verdict: The first time that Boomslang disappeared on my skin, I was heartbroken—a rich, pure, dark chocolate would be my perfect scent if it lasted. Using it to scent my laundry changed everything: what disappears so swiftly on my skin stays around forever on my bedding, and sleeping cocooned in rich chocolate is indulgent and divine. It only takes a few drops to scent an entire load of laundry, but I'm still glad to have a bottle—I'll want chocolate-scented sheets for years to come.
ANTIQUE LACE (GC, Bewitching Brews)
A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes.
( Review. )
Verdict: When I catch whiffs of this, I like it. It's sweet, pale, creamy, and comforting. But when I smell it intentionally and try to pick out notes, I'm put off by the dry florals. They seem bitter and out of place in the otherwise sweet blend, and they prevent it from being truly wonderful to my chemistry/tastes/nose. I'll probably wear this intermittently, but it's not a personal favorite. It makes me wish for a pure, creamy, sweet vanilla scent without the bitter dry florals.
JACK (GC, Bewitching Brews)
The scent of warm, glowing jack o’lanterns on a warm autumn night: true Halloween pumpkin, spiced with nutmeg, glowing peach and murky clove.
( Review. )
Verdict: On me, this is a commercial candle scent, not rich pumpkins and spices as I envision them. It's very sweet and rather waxy, and the autumn notes feel diluted by the lightness of spring peach. I would much rather have my pumpkin darker, spicier, muskier; Jack just isn't for me. It might be worth layering with it a spicy or musky scent, though, to see if that cuts down the sweetness.
ETA: Layering Jack with herbal, spicy, and musky blends is an improvement, but still not quite good enough. I've layered it with Casanova before, and recently tried laying it with Satyr; these darker, deeper scents help ground Jack and cut down on the overpowering sweetness, but they don't do away with the waxy, candle-like feel of the scent. As such, this is definitely an imp for the swap pile.
DANA O'SHEE
Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name
( Review. )
Verdict: I'm very happy with Dana O'Shee. I wish it got to the final stage faster, but I'm grateful that the sourness stays faint and close to the skin and then fades away. The throw is lovely, and this is a wonderful scent, sweet and pure and comforting, never cloying. It's a bit too simple for frequent wear, but I'm glad that I have the imp.
DRAGON'S TEARS
Bittersweet yet powerful: salty aquatic notes and bursting with dragon's blood.
( Review. )
Verdict: I usually adore dragon's blood resin, but it's usually fruity and resinous on my skin. The pure florals here aren't my style. While I've been looking for a salty aquatic—and this is the truest I've found so far—in combination with florals it evokes a humid tropical atmosphere, and that's most definitely not my style. Plus, the wear length is just over an hour. I think I'll have to pass this one on.
