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juushikaSAMHAIN (LE, Halloween 2008)
Truly, the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.
I've heard good things, and "the scent if autumn itself" was enough to win be over, so I grabbed a decant.
In the vial: I couldn't say, except that I don't like it. It's dark, smoky, dirty, and bitter. The only note I can pick out distinctly is pine.
On me: Predominantly dark and smoky when it goes on. This is nightime forest, after the rain and late in the year, when the vegetation has aged and some of it is rotting; there's a fire fed by damp logs, unfurling smoke into the night; underfoot, the dark soil of the forest floor. Within half an hour, red apples, a general "fruit" which may be the addition of pumpkin, and mixed spices become discernible and gain strength. They rise until they stand equal with the dark smoky forest, and they're a bit sweet—but not unpleasantly so. The strength and throw increase during wear.
Verdict: In the vial, I dislike it; on wet, I'm doubtful; after half an hour, I'm won over. Samhain a bit sweeter than I expected (which may just be my skin chemistry) which seems a touch out of place against the woods; otherwise, it's wonderfully balanced and just lovely. The dark smoky forest is evocative, and the apples and spice make the blend more palatable and easy to wear. The boy says it smells like Christmas; to me, it's the long holiday season stretching from Halloween to Twelfth Night. It's lovely, and I'll definitely keep my imp.
KATRINA VAN TASSEL (LE, Halloween 2008: Sleepy Hollow)
White rose and honeyed cream.
I'm usually not a fan of rose (nor it of me), but I've had good luck with white rose before so I thought I'd try a decant.
In the vial: Very mild sweetness with a touch of sharpness—probably the honey and rose. It's a clean white color.
On me: Pale but sharp white rose, just a touch creamy and sweet. The rose is white, feminine, but not strongly floral-perfumey—it's a pure, natural scent. It does have a bit of a sharpness, which is characteristic of rose on my skin, but the sharpness is tempered by white honey and cream. I can't smell either distinctly, and the blend isn't sweet or milky-sour; instead, the honey and cream blend with the rose to create an allover smoother, gentler scent. That said, the scent is actually fairly one-dimensional, and it doesn't morph at all during wear. The color is pale, clean, slightly translucent white; the throw is pleasantly stronger than I expected.
Verdict: My white rose of choice is usually Magdalene, which more dark and dreamy; this is the same white rose, but Katrina is lighter, younger, and sweeter. It's a pleasant scent, but the honeyed cream is just too soft, making for a rose so pure that it almost lacks personality. I like it, but I don't think I love it (and I only wear florals infrequently)—so I'll hold onto my decant and retest, but I don't need any more than that.
ICHABOD CRANE (LE, Halloween 2008: Sleepy Hollow)
Dusty black wool, tea with cream, black pepper, muguet, and beeswax candle drippings.
I was attracted to this scent by the strange combination of notes.
In the vial: I have no idea. It's soft, gently warm, and smooth, but has a vaguely unappealing "after-smell."
On me: When it first goes on, this reminds me almost perfectly of White Rabbit, crisp and homey, a touch strange—after all, they both share tea, milk/cream, pepper, and linen/wool. Ichabod Crane, however, is sweeter, softer, and warmer than White Rabbit; the longer it wears, the more the beeswax and muguet come out, and eventually they become predominant. Together, they are warm and golden with a distinct floral edge, reminding me (unexpectedly) of solar oils like Sportive Sun and Leo 2007. Altogether, the scent is smooth, golden, sharped a bit with the pepper, and just a touch refined; the texture of beeswax with the scent of a gentle unisex-or-men's parfum.
Verdict: Ichabod Crane is White Rabbit transforming into Sportive Sun/Leo 2007—and I already have those others, and don't wear them frequently. The floral note of the final stage is also a little too strong for my tastes. All told, this is a pleasant scent, unassuming but unusual (not entirely unlike Ichabod himself!), but it fit my personality or have much personality of its own. I'll retest this one more time, but I think I'll pass this decant along to someone else.
THIRTEEN (LE, Pink Label/7.13.07)
A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits including vanilla bean, white ginger, orchid, golden peach, massoia bark, clove, honey, and starfruit.
I love Thirteen April 2007 and heard good things about this Thirteen, so I grabbed a decant.
In the vial: Chocolate and bright yellow fruit.
On me: This Thirteen morphs almost constantly during wear, so it's rather difficult to write about. Yellow and orange fruits which are always present at varying strengths—they are the star of the scent, bright and golden, more dry than juicy, and distinct but not overpowering. Sometimes the fruit is sharpened by a bite of fresh, fibrous ginger; sometimes the fruit is smoothed out by sweet and creamy white chocolate and vanilla. There's also musty herbal chocolate, reminiscent of Thirteen April 2007 but softer, a strange organic scent which is oddly like algae and chocolate if algae and chocolate smelled amazingly good—it's prominent when first applied, provides a soft herbal grounding throughout wear, and sometimes pops up and makes itself more distinctly known. All of those aspects weave over and under one other in varying strengths and combinations to provide a constantly-shifting blend of peach and starfruit marked by cream and ginger and backed by herbs and chocolate. (Meanwhile, the boyfriend sniffs me and picks up most on the sweetness of the white chocolate, which reminds him of candy, and the slight floral edge of the orchid, which I can't pick out at all.)
Verdict: Thirteen July 2007 is constantly morphing, a bit unusual, yet quite palatable. I love the pure musty chocolate of Thirteen April 2007, but it's not a scent to delight the masses; this, however, is a Thirteen that passing strangers will like on first sniff. It's also a delight to wear, and it's fun to track how all of the components fade in and out. However, the golden fruits don't quite suit my personality, even if they don't offend my nose. I don't think this is a blend which I'll wear often—but I loved the opportunity to experience it, and I'll probably keep the imp around for those infrequent times when I long for golden fruit.
Truly, the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.
I've heard good things, and "the scent if autumn itself" was enough to win be over, so I grabbed a decant.
In the vial: I couldn't say, except that I don't like it. It's dark, smoky, dirty, and bitter. The only note I can pick out distinctly is pine.
On me: Predominantly dark and smoky when it goes on. This is nightime forest, after the rain and late in the year, when the vegetation has aged and some of it is rotting; there's a fire fed by damp logs, unfurling smoke into the night; underfoot, the dark soil of the forest floor. Within half an hour, red apples, a general "fruit" which may be the addition of pumpkin, and mixed spices become discernible and gain strength. They rise until they stand equal with the dark smoky forest, and they're a bit sweet—but not unpleasantly so. The strength and throw increase during wear.
Verdict: In the vial, I dislike it; on wet, I'm doubtful; after half an hour, I'm won over. Samhain a bit sweeter than I expected (which may just be my skin chemistry) which seems a touch out of place against the woods; otherwise, it's wonderfully balanced and just lovely. The dark smoky forest is evocative, and the apples and spice make the blend more palatable and easy to wear. The boy says it smells like Christmas; to me, it's the long holiday season stretching from Halloween to Twelfth Night. It's lovely, and I'll definitely keep my imp.
KATRINA VAN TASSEL (LE, Halloween 2008: Sleepy Hollow)
White rose and honeyed cream.
I'm usually not a fan of rose (nor it of me), but I've had good luck with white rose before so I thought I'd try a decant.
In the vial: Very mild sweetness with a touch of sharpness—probably the honey and rose. It's a clean white color.
On me: Pale but sharp white rose, just a touch creamy and sweet. The rose is white, feminine, but not strongly floral-perfumey—it's a pure, natural scent. It does have a bit of a sharpness, which is characteristic of rose on my skin, but the sharpness is tempered by white honey and cream. I can't smell either distinctly, and the blend isn't sweet or milky-sour; instead, the honey and cream blend with the rose to create an allover smoother, gentler scent. That said, the scent is actually fairly one-dimensional, and it doesn't morph at all during wear. The color is pale, clean, slightly translucent white; the throw is pleasantly stronger than I expected.
Verdict: My white rose of choice is usually Magdalene, which more dark and dreamy; this is the same white rose, but Katrina is lighter, younger, and sweeter. It's a pleasant scent, but the honeyed cream is just too soft, making for a rose so pure that it almost lacks personality. I like it, but I don't think I love it (and I only wear florals infrequently)—so I'll hold onto my decant and retest, but I don't need any more than that.
ICHABOD CRANE (LE, Halloween 2008: Sleepy Hollow)
Dusty black wool, tea with cream, black pepper, muguet, and beeswax candle drippings.
I was attracted to this scent by the strange combination of notes.
In the vial: I have no idea. It's soft, gently warm, and smooth, but has a vaguely unappealing "after-smell."
On me: When it first goes on, this reminds me almost perfectly of White Rabbit, crisp and homey, a touch strange—after all, they both share tea, milk/cream, pepper, and linen/wool. Ichabod Crane, however, is sweeter, softer, and warmer than White Rabbit; the longer it wears, the more the beeswax and muguet come out, and eventually they become predominant. Together, they are warm and golden with a distinct floral edge, reminding me (unexpectedly) of solar oils like Sportive Sun and Leo 2007. Altogether, the scent is smooth, golden, sharped a bit with the pepper, and just a touch refined; the texture of beeswax with the scent of a gentle unisex-or-men's parfum.
Verdict: Ichabod Crane is White Rabbit transforming into Sportive Sun/Leo 2007—and I already have those others, and don't wear them frequently. The floral note of the final stage is also a little too strong for my tastes. All told, this is a pleasant scent, unassuming but unusual (not entirely unlike Ichabod himself!), but it fit my personality or have much personality of its own. I'll retest this one more time, but I think I'll pass this decant along to someone else.
THIRTEEN (LE, Pink Label/7.13.07)
A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits including vanilla bean, white ginger, orchid, golden peach, massoia bark, clove, honey, and starfruit.
I love Thirteen April 2007 and heard good things about this Thirteen, so I grabbed a decant.
In the vial: Chocolate and bright yellow fruit.
On me: This Thirteen morphs almost constantly during wear, so it's rather difficult to write about. Yellow and orange fruits which are always present at varying strengths—they are the star of the scent, bright and golden, more dry than juicy, and distinct but not overpowering. Sometimes the fruit is sharpened by a bite of fresh, fibrous ginger; sometimes the fruit is smoothed out by sweet and creamy white chocolate and vanilla. There's also musty herbal chocolate, reminiscent of Thirteen April 2007 but softer, a strange organic scent which is oddly like algae and chocolate if algae and chocolate smelled amazingly good—it's prominent when first applied, provides a soft herbal grounding throughout wear, and sometimes pops up and makes itself more distinctly known. All of those aspects weave over and under one other in varying strengths and combinations to provide a constantly-shifting blend of peach and starfruit marked by cream and ginger and backed by herbs and chocolate. (Meanwhile, the boyfriend sniffs me and picks up most on the sweetness of the white chocolate, which reminds him of candy, and the slight floral edge of the orchid, which I can't pick out at all.)
Verdict: Thirteen July 2007 is constantly morphing, a bit unusual, yet quite palatable. I love the pure musty chocolate of Thirteen April 2007, but it's not a scent to delight the masses; this, however, is a Thirteen that passing strangers will like on first sniff. It's also a delight to wear, and it's fun to track how all of the components fade in and out. However, the golden fruits don't quite suit my personality, even if they don't offend my nose. I don't think this is a blend which I'll wear often—but I loved the opportunity to experience it, and I'll probably keep the imp around for those infrequent times when I long for golden fruit.
