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juushikaAGRAT-BAT-MAHLAHT (LE, Carnaval Diabolique, Act IV: The Ladies of the Grindhouse)
Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.
Based purely on the notes, I bought a bottle of this unsniffed when Act IV was released.
In the bottle: Warm, smooth, and golden brown. The only note that I can pick out is the caramel.
On me: Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht is an perfect olfactory capture of its (NSFW) illustration—something that I didn't expect from the notes. It's creamy smooth, rich brown gilded with gold, sexual and sweetened, and distinctly feminine. (The only aspect of the illustration that I don't perceive in the scent are the ruby jewels.) Caramel, deep and sweet, is the heart of the scent, but the amber, cream, and teak make it richer, firmer, and somewhat less foody. The apple blossom a strong floral (and not foody)—don't necessarily let that scare you away if you avoid florals, because it's not predominant; however, it does make the scent distinctly feminine. The skin musk isn't discernible, but it may be what gives the blend its a sensual, bodily aspects. This is rich and deep, seductive, a little dark, a bit sweet and a bit floral, and it forms an aura of scent around the wearer which is dense but not cloying.
Verdict: I expected something lighter and creamier from the notes, but Agrat has all the richness and darkness of the illustration and a strong floral aspect that I didn't expect. It took a while to see beyond those expectations, but Agrat is beautiful, evocative, and sensual, the scent of feminine power, dark beauty, and comfort in ones own glorious skin. It's also aging beautifully—when I first got it the blend felt raw and a bit floral-heavy; five months later it's smoother and the apple blossom is playing better with the notes. This isn't my favorite scent and the caramel is too much rich brown for my daily use, but it is a keeper and I look forward to seeing how it continues to age.
FEARFUL PLEASURE (LE, Halloween 2008: Sleepy Hollow)
Dried orange peels floating in simmering cider, roasted apples, smoldering firewood, chimney smoke, sassafras beer, warm hawthorn wood, and oakmoss.
I love apple and autumn, so I took a chance and bought a bottle unsniffed when the update went up.
In the bottle: Warm apple cider, but there's something in the background which I can't pin down, and it makes the scent seem slightly artificial and "off."
On me: When it goes on, whatever it is that I don't like amps up for a moment and then disappears. The smoke and wood amp, eclipsing all other notes, and then die down to a more manageable level. After that, Fearful Pleasure is pretty much what I expected: warm apple cider with wood and smoke. The apple ripe, red, and cooked; not fully mulled, it's only lightly spiced—truly the scent of warm apple cider. I don't smell the orange peel, which is too bad—it would be a lovely touch. The wood and smoke is warm and golden brown, light in tone (if not in strength) and not bitter. They're also stronger than I expected, standing equal with the apple. As a result, this isn't quite a foody blend—it's not just cider, but the act of drinking that warm apple cider indoors in a wood house, sitting before a fireplace. It has a golden red-blond-brown color, and the scent seems to float around the wearer rather than rising from the skin.
Verdict: I wish that the cider were predominant and that I could smell the orange peel; the lack of both is what keeps me from being head over heels in love with the scent. Nonetheless, I do really enjoy it—this is a warm, comforting autumnal scent, and a spot-on, authentic match to the inspiration and the image it conjures. (It does make me want cider, though. >.>) I'll definitely keep my bottle, and I expect I'll wear this often.
LEO 2007 (LE, Zodiac)
Egyptian amber, walnut bark, chamomile, frankincense, and saffron.
As a Leo, I had to try a decant...
In the vial: Warm, yellow, and ... bitter? Don't mind me, I never like the bottle scent.
On me: The bitterness has long fled and there's a very slight floral edge. I can't pick out notes, and the scent is faint; this is more of an atmosphere, an evocation, than it is a scent—but it's glorious. Golden warm, glowing like sunbeams, this is the scent of reflected sunlight. It's what I wished Sportive Sun would be: a pure, langarous solar oil. The color is the glowing pale yellow gold of sunbeams.
Verdict: I adore it. I won't wear this for the sake of perfume, but instead for the sake of an experience akin to stretching catlike in the sunrays on a hardwood floor. Therefore, the lone imp I have will be enough—but I am very glad to have it.
ROBIN GOODFELLOW (GC, Illyria)
Dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage.
This was a frimp from the Lab—but I love musk, so I have high hopes.
In the imp: Dark green herbal.
On me: Sweetens when it hits skin, and then there's my beloved musk: dark and almost earthen, but not overpowering. Musk is sweet on my skin, transforming very masculine blends (looking at you, Satyr) into something wonderful and wearable; this musk does the same, but for once it retains a masculine edge. The musk rises from mixed herbs, wood, and moss (smoothly blended, I can't pick out notes), so while the musk is still deliciously sweet, it's grounded by a slightly herbal organic setting. This is Robin Goodfellow crouching in his forest, gently masculine and warm with musk, a spirit who—in his heart of hearts—only means well. It's surprisingly gentle, with minimal throw.
Verdict: I'm won over. I have other musks which I love more, so this probably won't become a favorite. But it is lovely, well-suited to the inspiration, beautiful on my skin, sweet and herbal with warm and comforting musk. The masculine edge is just enough that I'll wear this when curled up with a book, not as a perfume for others to smell. But I'll definitely wear it, and I'm keeping the imp.
OBLIVION (GC, Sin and Salvation)
Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron.
This was a gift from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sisterite, which I requested because the notes made me curious.
In the vial: Organic murky green with chemical cologne. A strange combination. Also worth noting: the oil is olive green! Never seen one like it, and it's almost intimidating.
On me: It's difficult to describe. The scent is smooth and green, rather like a pond of glass-smooth murky water, but there's nothing aquatic about it. It has surprisingly warmth—not sharp or spicy, but as smooth as polished wood—the scent of heat itself. I don't get any musk. The scent is lighter and softer than I expected, but still is deep and somber. Perhaps its just because of the book I'm reading (Kiernan's Threshold), but this reminds me of the cavern of an unusually peaceable Elder God: deep and dark, ancient resins and time-smoothed wood, murky green but dry, unnaturally warm, and powerful—but not threatening.
Verdict: Oblivion is a smoothly blended work of art, but it's not my style. I don't think I can pull it off, and while I love the warmth, the murky olive green tone of the scent is oddly unsettling. Glad I got to try it, but not interested in wearing it, so I'll pass along my imp.
Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.
Based purely on the notes, I bought a bottle of this unsniffed when Act IV was released.
In the bottle: Warm, smooth, and golden brown. The only note that I can pick out is the caramel.
On me: Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht is an perfect olfactory capture of its (NSFW) illustration—something that I didn't expect from the notes. It's creamy smooth, rich brown gilded with gold, sexual and sweetened, and distinctly feminine. (The only aspect of the illustration that I don't perceive in the scent are the ruby jewels.) Caramel, deep and sweet, is the heart of the scent, but the amber, cream, and teak make it richer, firmer, and somewhat less foody. The apple blossom a strong floral (and not foody)—don't necessarily let that scare you away if you avoid florals, because it's not predominant; however, it does make the scent distinctly feminine. The skin musk isn't discernible, but it may be what gives the blend its a sensual, bodily aspects. This is rich and deep, seductive, a little dark, a bit sweet and a bit floral, and it forms an aura of scent around the wearer which is dense but not cloying.
Verdict: I expected something lighter and creamier from the notes, but Agrat has all the richness and darkness of the illustration and a strong floral aspect that I didn't expect. It took a while to see beyond those expectations, but Agrat is beautiful, evocative, and sensual, the scent of feminine power, dark beauty, and comfort in ones own glorious skin. It's also aging beautifully—when I first got it the blend felt raw and a bit floral-heavy; five months later it's smoother and the apple blossom is playing better with the notes. This isn't my favorite scent and the caramel is too much rich brown for my daily use, but it is a keeper and I look forward to seeing how it continues to age.
FEARFUL PLEASURE (LE, Halloween 2008: Sleepy Hollow)
Dried orange peels floating in simmering cider, roasted apples, smoldering firewood, chimney smoke, sassafras beer, warm hawthorn wood, and oakmoss.
I love apple and autumn, so I took a chance and bought a bottle unsniffed when the update went up.
In the bottle: Warm apple cider, but there's something in the background which I can't pin down, and it makes the scent seem slightly artificial and "off."
On me: When it goes on, whatever it is that I don't like amps up for a moment and then disappears. The smoke and wood amp, eclipsing all other notes, and then die down to a more manageable level. After that, Fearful Pleasure is pretty much what I expected: warm apple cider with wood and smoke. The apple ripe, red, and cooked; not fully mulled, it's only lightly spiced—truly the scent of warm apple cider. I don't smell the orange peel, which is too bad—it would be a lovely touch. The wood and smoke is warm and golden brown, light in tone (if not in strength) and not bitter. They're also stronger than I expected, standing equal with the apple. As a result, this isn't quite a foody blend—it's not just cider, but the act of drinking that warm apple cider indoors in a wood house, sitting before a fireplace. It has a golden red-blond-brown color, and the scent seems to float around the wearer rather than rising from the skin.
Verdict: I wish that the cider were predominant and that I could smell the orange peel; the lack of both is what keeps me from being head over heels in love with the scent. Nonetheless, I do really enjoy it—this is a warm, comforting autumnal scent, and a spot-on, authentic match to the inspiration and the image it conjures. (It does make me want cider, though. >.>) I'll definitely keep my bottle, and I expect I'll wear this often.
LEO 2007 (LE, Zodiac)
Egyptian amber, walnut bark, chamomile, frankincense, and saffron.
As a Leo, I had to try a decant...
In the vial: Warm, yellow, and ... bitter? Don't mind me, I never like the bottle scent.
On me: The bitterness has long fled and there's a very slight floral edge. I can't pick out notes, and the scent is faint; this is more of an atmosphere, an evocation, than it is a scent—but it's glorious. Golden warm, glowing like sunbeams, this is the scent of reflected sunlight. It's what I wished Sportive Sun would be: a pure, langarous solar oil. The color is the glowing pale yellow gold of sunbeams.
Verdict: I adore it. I won't wear this for the sake of perfume, but instead for the sake of an experience akin to stretching catlike in the sunrays on a hardwood floor. Therefore, the lone imp I have will be enough—but I am very glad to have it.
ROBIN GOODFELLOW (GC, Illyria)
Dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage.
This was a frimp from the Lab—but I love musk, so I have high hopes.
In the imp: Dark green herbal.
On me: Sweetens when it hits skin, and then there's my beloved musk: dark and almost earthen, but not overpowering. Musk is sweet on my skin, transforming very masculine blends (looking at you, Satyr) into something wonderful and wearable; this musk does the same, but for once it retains a masculine edge. The musk rises from mixed herbs, wood, and moss (smoothly blended, I can't pick out notes), so while the musk is still deliciously sweet, it's grounded by a slightly herbal organic setting. This is Robin Goodfellow crouching in his forest, gently masculine and warm with musk, a spirit who—in his heart of hearts—only means well. It's surprisingly gentle, with minimal throw.
Verdict: I'm won over. I have other musks which I love more, so this probably won't become a favorite. But it is lovely, well-suited to the inspiration, beautiful on my skin, sweet and herbal with warm and comforting musk. The masculine edge is just enough that I'll wear this when curled up with a book, not as a perfume for others to smell. But I'll definitely wear it, and I'm keeping the imp.
OBLIVION (GC, Sin and Salvation)
Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron.
This was a gift from
sisterite, which I requested because the notes made me curious.In the vial: Organic murky green with chemical cologne. A strange combination. Also worth noting: the oil is olive green! Never seen one like it, and it's almost intimidating.
On me: It's difficult to describe. The scent is smooth and green, rather like a pond of glass-smooth murky water, but there's nothing aquatic about it. It has surprisingly warmth—not sharp or spicy, but as smooth as polished wood—the scent of heat itself. I don't get any musk. The scent is lighter and softer than I expected, but still is deep and somber. Perhaps its just because of the book I'm reading (Kiernan's Threshold), but this reminds me of the cavern of an unusually peaceable Elder God: deep and dark, ancient resins and time-smoothed wood, murky green but dry, unnaturally warm, and powerful—but not threatening.
Verdict: Oblivion is a smoothly blended work of art, but it's not my style. I don't think I can pull it off, and while I love the warmth, the murky olive green tone of the scent is oddly unsettling. Glad I got to try it, but not interested in wearing it, so I'll pass along my imp.
