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juushikaCHAOTIC (GC, RPG)
A whirling mélange of multicolored musks with wasabi, rooibos, heliotrope, and mastic
In the vial: Almost-burnt sugar and musk, a dry spicy reddish scent.
On me: Rooibos as it hits the skin, dry red herbal, not quite spicy but warm. The burnt sugar/musk comes out again with drydown—a combination similar to Smut, the alongside rooibos it's entirely unique; nor is it sweet, despite the impression is sugar. The scent has a good body without being too heavy, a feel of golden woods/resins; it's a dry, warm, and red: gender-neutral edging towards masculine; warm and lovely, but too dry to read as sensual. Needless to say, a distinctive if difficult to summarize scent, and has a smoothness that makes it feel more like a distinct smell than a well-blended combination of notes.
Verdict: I find myself reaching for Chaotic far more than I expect. It's too unusual to be called understated, but it has an unassuming smoothness that belies surprising warmth and distinction. I admire it more than I love it, but sometimes it's the perfect thing to wear, and I'm glad for my decant.
CRYPT QUEEN (LE, Black Phoenix Trading Post)
As sweet as death, as deep as the grave: pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, and rose with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord.
In the vial: Dark, tart pomegranate, perhaps a touch of rose.
On me: Soft, dusty rose balancing out pomegranate's tartness; a rich, dark scent, round with fruit, overlayed with patchouli and a bit of spice. Rose amps on me, but this one stays pleasantly in check; plum does likewise, and this one gets a touch too distinct for my taste but also stays reigned in. A well-blended scent on the whole, dark and round with fruit and spicy-sweet, yet gentle. It's strongly reminiscent of Queen of Clubs, but I prefer that scent. Throw is moderate low; wear length is moderate high.
Verdict: Queen of Clubs wowed me with its wearable rose and dark, dirty fruits; Crypt Queen is in many ways similar, but never passes from "good" to "great"—whatever magic marks QoC, it isn't here. And that's fine! It's a beautifully realized scent on the whole, dark and round and complex, but I'm not in love and don't need to keep my decant.
L'ESSENCE DE LA PASSION (LE, Trading Post: Lupercalia 2012: The Eros Inquisition)
Red musk, carnation, myrrh, and honey.
In the vial: Red musk and honey, a blushing and thick scent but not too bright or cloying.
On me: What is says on the tin: warm red musk; red, dry, spicy carnation; myrrh which leans towards incense, brown and slightly powdery; thick smooth honey which offers more texture than sweetness. The carnation is strong when it hits the skin but dies down during wear, which is my only big complaint; it is such a promising, bold carnation at the start. Three of these notes (all but the carnation) often go sweet on me, but La Passion keeps itself in check—perhaps because three of the scents (all but honey) tend towards powdery, and the two aspects balance one another. The result is a red scent, tending a bit towards pure red musk (which I amp), but exhibiting all its aspects: warm, spiced, leaning towards but not quite reaching dry, palatable and quite lovely. Scent color is (surprise!) red; throw is high but not overpowering, and wearlength is moderate to long.
Verdict: Carnation is my beloved, so I'm sad to see this one fade; red musk amps on me, so La Passion reads a bit like every other red musk blend. Nonetheless this is lovely: the notes are beautiful in concert, and the scent is a warm red beauty. I'll keep my decant, but don't need more.
L'ESSENCE DE LA FOLIE (LE, Trading Post: Lupercalia 2012: The Eros Inquisition)
Pink pepper, black pepper, clove, myrrh, dark chocolate, labdanum, and Daemonorops draco.
In the vial: Surprisingly sweet, with spices (peppers more than clove).
On me: Dragon's blood and pink pepper, but basically: spiced bubblegum is spot on (not lotus's sharp bubblegum sweetness, but a just-opened stick of the stuff, still dusted with powder. A sweet, pink , full-bodied but slightly powdery scent, with nothing of the darkness that I'd expect from a number of the notes. Throw is moderate.
Verdict: While not actively unpleasant, this is far from my style; I washed it off. I wasn't expecting such a sweet scent; as it is, it's full-bodied and tolerable despite my avid dislike of everything it stands for, but, no, I don't need to keep my decant.
A whirling mélange of multicolored musks with wasabi, rooibos, heliotrope, and mastic
In the vial: Almost-burnt sugar and musk, a dry spicy reddish scent.
On me: Rooibos as it hits the skin, dry red herbal, not quite spicy but warm. The burnt sugar/musk comes out again with drydown—a combination similar to Smut, the alongside rooibos it's entirely unique; nor is it sweet, despite the impression is sugar. The scent has a good body without being too heavy, a feel of golden woods/resins; it's a dry, warm, and red: gender-neutral edging towards masculine; warm and lovely, but too dry to read as sensual. Needless to say, a distinctive if difficult to summarize scent, and has a smoothness that makes it feel more like a distinct smell than a well-blended combination of notes.
Verdict: I find myself reaching for Chaotic far more than I expect. It's too unusual to be called understated, but it has an unassuming smoothness that belies surprising warmth and distinction. I admire it more than I love it, but sometimes it's the perfect thing to wear, and I'm glad for my decant.
CRYPT QUEEN (LE, Black Phoenix Trading Post)
As sweet as death, as deep as the grave: pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, and rose with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord.
In the vial: Dark, tart pomegranate, perhaps a touch of rose.
On me: Soft, dusty rose balancing out pomegranate's tartness; a rich, dark scent, round with fruit, overlayed with patchouli and a bit of spice. Rose amps on me, but this one stays pleasantly in check; plum does likewise, and this one gets a touch too distinct for my taste but also stays reigned in. A well-blended scent on the whole, dark and round with fruit and spicy-sweet, yet gentle. It's strongly reminiscent of Queen of Clubs, but I prefer that scent. Throw is moderate low; wear length is moderate high.
Verdict: Queen of Clubs wowed me with its wearable rose and dark, dirty fruits; Crypt Queen is in many ways similar, but never passes from "good" to "great"—whatever magic marks QoC, it isn't here. And that's fine! It's a beautifully realized scent on the whole, dark and round and complex, but I'm not in love and don't need to keep my decant.
L'ESSENCE DE LA PASSION (LE, Trading Post: Lupercalia 2012: The Eros Inquisition)
Red musk, carnation, myrrh, and honey.
In the vial: Red musk and honey, a blushing and thick scent but not too bright or cloying.
On me: What is says on the tin: warm red musk; red, dry, spicy carnation; myrrh which leans towards incense, brown and slightly powdery; thick smooth honey which offers more texture than sweetness. The carnation is strong when it hits the skin but dies down during wear, which is my only big complaint; it is such a promising, bold carnation at the start. Three of these notes (all but the carnation) often go sweet on me, but La Passion keeps itself in check—perhaps because three of the scents (all but honey) tend towards powdery, and the two aspects balance one another. The result is a red scent, tending a bit towards pure red musk (which I amp), but exhibiting all its aspects: warm, spiced, leaning towards but not quite reaching dry, palatable and quite lovely. Scent color is (surprise!) red; throw is high but not overpowering, and wearlength is moderate to long.
Verdict: Carnation is my beloved, so I'm sad to see this one fade; red musk amps on me, so La Passion reads a bit like every other red musk blend. Nonetheless this is lovely: the notes are beautiful in concert, and the scent is a warm red beauty. I'll keep my decant, but don't need more.
L'ESSENCE DE LA FOLIE (LE, Trading Post: Lupercalia 2012: The Eros Inquisition)
Pink pepper, black pepper, clove, myrrh, dark chocolate, labdanum, and Daemonorops draco.
In the vial: Surprisingly sweet, with spices (peppers more than clove).
On me: Dragon's blood and pink pepper, but basically: spiced bubblegum is spot on (not lotus's sharp bubblegum sweetness, but a just-opened stick of the stuff, still dusted with powder. A sweet, pink , full-bodied but slightly powdery scent, with nothing of the darkness that I'd expect from a number of the notes. Throw is moderate.
Verdict: While not actively unpleasant, this is far from my style; I washed it off. I wasn't expecting such a sweet scent; as it is, it's full-bodied and tolerable despite my avid dislike of everything it stands for, but, no, I don't need to keep my decant.
