Quick round of reviews!
I have a ton of unposted reviews, of varying lengths and amounts of detail, so I thought I might get some of them up. From Blooddrop's autumn LE's and one GC, Midsummer Muse/VM, HAEE, Possets...
BLOODDROP, 8:30 AM - a mountain high plate of our super wonderful pumpkin waffles with pumpkin pie seasoned whipped cream and a little carafe of maple syrup. [sampled as a Beurre de Bain]
I was worried about this because I had read a review that said 8:30 AM was extremely plasticky, since I have a huge problem with plastic morphing, especially with Blooddrop. However, this is PERFECT - deep, warm, golden, and incredibly comforting. It has a definite breakfast-y, batter-y scent to it, laced with a little golden syrup. The creamy, cooked-pumpkin scent to it is actually so dominant that it seems like something denser than a waffle. I can’t quite think of what I could best compare it to - maybe a pumpkin pie with more crust than usual? A pumpkin crème brulée? By the way, if it sounds like it would be cloying, it’s not - it’s incredibly smooth and low, and not at all sticky or fake-sugary. A perfect autumn/winter scent. Strong throw, assuming that can be accurately gauged from the bath product.
(Guilty confession: If I smell it for too long I find it reeeeeeally hard not to bite into it.)
BLOODDROP, HEEBEE GEEBEES - Hot buttered spice rum with some brown sugar and caramel syrup warmed into it. [sampled as a Beurre de Bain]
The first notes out are brown, autumnal spices, primarily cinnamon, but they’re soft and dry, not overly hot - really, this is the most successful cinnamon I’ve ever encountered. This really reminds me of mulled cider with healthy dollop of warm caramel, though there is an alcoholic tang to it as well. I guess it could be hard cider? :) Simple but subtle and well-blended, moderate throw. Hurray, the autumn LE’s are liking me so much!
BLOODDROP, CREEPY CRAWLIES - Pumpkin pie with a hazelnut crust and a dash of rum!
IN THE VIAL: The same lovely, buttery, pumpkin pie-y note as in 8:30 AM, but not quite as rich and deep. A little tang of rum follows, then sweet nuts.
ON SKIN: The spiced rum and nuts come out more, so that the pumpkin pie base is largely lost, except as a faint note in the background. Alas to that, but still yummy.
LATER: Dry, gentle cinnamon and apple-y rum. (I think BD’s rum note goes to cider on me, which is not at all unwelcome.) Christmassy rather than Halloweeny, I’d say. Very low throw, unfortunately, as has been true with most BD for me.
BLOODDROP, THERE, CASTLE - weird family happenings & uninvited townsfolk with pitchforks.
IN THE VIAL: Lemon, a little sugared-smelling, and something darkly woody-licoricey. Blah.
ON SKIN: A slightly hollow (I have no idea why I say that), sweet lemon. Actually, what it most reminds me of is the citronella flyspray used for horses. The resemblance is uncanny - I think I’m subconsciously connecting the warm, stable-y scent to it, but it is possible that there’s a touch of brown leather there and something quite like the milky flyspray base, too. I’m confused. In any case, there still seems to be something dark-sweet underlying the lemon. Maybe it’s molasses? I have no clue. Confuuused.
LATER: Seriously, if you’ve ever ridden horses or worked in a stable - citronella flyspray (which admittedly I rather liked the scent of, but you know, don’t actually want on myself as a perfume). More flatteringly, maybe an old-fashioned lemon sugar candy. Low throw, short wearlength.
BLOODDROP, AU BOUT DU MONDE - Bird of paradise, white ginger, soothing amber, rice milk and exotic greenery.
IN THE VIAL: Gentle, milky (uh, duh… sorry) rice milk - rather more matte and creamy than I actually find rice milk - with clean, sharp greens and the hint of spicy-sweetness from the white ginger. I have no idea what bird of paradise smells like (in my experience it doesn’t really smell beyond a certain greenness?), so I can’t exactly attest to its presence. Very clean and tropical, maybe a bit on the soap/shampoo side.
ON SKIN: As in the vial, lush, sweet, refreshing - the rice milk is a very pretty background to the sharp greens and ginger. This is almost fruity-foody, despite not having any truly fruity notes to it. With further wear, the rice milk begins to fade off somewhat, but is a creamy touch way at the back of the scent.
LATER: After about two hours, all that’s left is really the rice milk, which is now almost lotion-y, with only a faint touch of sweet, fresh green. The whole effect is very clean and neutral, and rather reminds me of aloe. Moderate throw, moderate-short wearlength.
BLOODDROP, MADAME CLAIRE DE LUNE'S CIDRE DOUX AU POIRE - three different types of fermented pears plus with a unique touch of Miel de Lune hydromiel (the family’s own honey liquor).
IN THE IMP: Pear pear pear pear pear, all in a light golden cider-y scent, exactly like sparkling cider.
ON SKIN: I couldn’t tell you which is which, but the three pears are all clearly distinguishable and shift precedence depending on how close you are to the skin - the pear with the strongest throw is the lovely, creamy, golden, poached one from Frau Von Schtinklestein, which is much like that in BPAL’s Perilous Parlor, while closer to the skin are juicier, fresher pears, much more cider-y. I don’t get much in the way of honey liquor, which is a shame, but the blend is still very pretty and pleasing.
LATER: As before. Very low throw, wish I had gotten the liquor. Hmm. I’ll have to retest to decide whether or not it’s worth keeping.
HAEE, SWEET TALK - Cotton Candy, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Butter Brickle Ice Cream and Funnel Cake
IN THE VIAL: The nutty, golden, buttery (duh) butter brickle ice cream, followed by a twist of rather perversely cocoa-y white chocolate and macadamia.
ON SKIN: The light, buttery ice cream again - reminds me of peanut butter - eventually shading into the lightly bubblegum-like cotton candy, with the buttery scent grounding it. Surprisingly light and unsticky, but still a blend that’s excessively and one-dimensionally foody for me. It’s like I rolled in a carnival food stand.
POSSETS, CAMBIENNE 10/31/07 (no notes)
IN THE VIAL: Something that my nose initially read as a very salty green apple, but eventually became clear as a salty woodsmoke. Weird.
ON SKIN: I went to two bonfires with friends this year, and I now smell EXACTLY as I did after sitting next to the smoking wood all night long. Crazy - I can’t imagine how one could replicate bonfire smoke this perfectly. There’s a lovely note of red apple rounding it out and sweetening it. Normally I really dislike apple scents, but this is natural and not too sweet; it’s a sort of “meaty,” warmly autumnal note. Lovely. I wouldn’t go for this sort of thing at all normally, but this is so true to life that it's hard to resist.
MIDSUMMER MUSE (VIOLETTE MARKET), LISBON SEAPORT - Dark vanilla, cassia flower, black coffee, fragrant red wine, golden patchouli, black pepper, and plump blackberries (Lost at Sea LE's)
IN THE VIAL: A rather hideous cinnamon-mulberry kind of blast from the cassia and blackberry, which reminds me very unfortunately of a room freshener that used to make me extremely ill.
ON SKIN: In the throw, the smooth vanilla and juicy wine and blackberry are most discernable, but up close, all I get is the dark-red, room-sprayish cinnamon-cassia, over just a touch of blackberry.
LATER: The cassia burns back a bit to reveal more of the blackberry, but it’s still overly cinnamon-y. Too one-dimensional.
And happy Christmas Eve, all!
BLOODDROP, 8:30 AM - a mountain high plate of our super wonderful pumpkin waffles with pumpkin pie seasoned whipped cream and a little carafe of maple syrup. [sampled as a Beurre de Bain]
I was worried about this because I had read a review that said 8:30 AM was extremely plasticky, since I have a huge problem with plastic morphing, especially with Blooddrop. However, this is PERFECT - deep, warm, golden, and incredibly comforting. It has a definite breakfast-y, batter-y scent to it, laced with a little golden syrup. The creamy, cooked-pumpkin scent to it is actually so dominant that it seems like something denser than a waffle. I can’t quite think of what I could best compare it to - maybe a pumpkin pie with more crust than usual? A pumpkin crème brulée? By the way, if it sounds like it would be cloying, it’s not - it’s incredibly smooth and low, and not at all sticky or fake-sugary. A perfect autumn/winter scent. Strong throw, assuming that can be accurately gauged from the bath product.
(Guilty confession: If I smell it for too long I find it reeeeeeally hard not to bite into it.)
BLOODDROP, HEEBEE GEEBEES - Hot buttered spice rum with some brown sugar and caramel syrup warmed into it. [sampled as a Beurre de Bain]
The first notes out are brown, autumnal spices, primarily cinnamon, but they’re soft and dry, not overly hot - really, this is the most successful cinnamon I’ve ever encountered. This really reminds me of mulled cider with healthy dollop of warm caramel, though there is an alcoholic tang to it as well. I guess it could be hard cider? :) Simple but subtle and well-blended, moderate throw. Hurray, the autumn LE’s are liking me so much!
BLOODDROP, CREEPY CRAWLIES - Pumpkin pie with a hazelnut crust and a dash of rum!
IN THE VIAL: The same lovely, buttery, pumpkin pie-y note as in 8:30 AM, but not quite as rich and deep. A little tang of rum follows, then sweet nuts.
ON SKIN: The spiced rum and nuts come out more, so that the pumpkin pie base is largely lost, except as a faint note in the background. Alas to that, but still yummy.
LATER: Dry, gentle cinnamon and apple-y rum. (I think BD’s rum note goes to cider on me, which is not at all unwelcome.) Christmassy rather than Halloweeny, I’d say. Very low throw, unfortunately, as has been true with most BD for me.
BLOODDROP, THERE, CASTLE - weird family happenings & uninvited townsfolk with pitchforks.
IN THE VIAL: Lemon, a little sugared-smelling, and something darkly woody-licoricey. Blah.
ON SKIN: A slightly hollow (I have no idea why I say that), sweet lemon. Actually, what it most reminds me of is the citronella flyspray used for horses. The resemblance is uncanny - I think I’m subconsciously connecting the warm, stable-y scent to it, but it is possible that there’s a touch of brown leather there and something quite like the milky flyspray base, too. I’m confused. In any case, there still seems to be something dark-sweet underlying the lemon. Maybe it’s molasses? I have no clue. Confuuused.
LATER: Seriously, if you’ve ever ridden horses or worked in a stable - citronella flyspray (which admittedly I rather liked the scent of, but you know, don’t actually want on myself as a perfume). More flatteringly, maybe an old-fashioned lemon sugar candy. Low throw, short wearlength.
BLOODDROP, AU BOUT DU MONDE - Bird of paradise, white ginger, soothing amber, rice milk and exotic greenery.
IN THE VIAL: Gentle, milky (uh, duh… sorry) rice milk - rather more matte and creamy than I actually find rice milk - with clean, sharp greens and the hint of spicy-sweetness from the white ginger. I have no idea what bird of paradise smells like (in my experience it doesn’t really smell beyond a certain greenness?), so I can’t exactly attest to its presence. Very clean and tropical, maybe a bit on the soap/shampoo side.
ON SKIN: As in the vial, lush, sweet, refreshing - the rice milk is a very pretty background to the sharp greens and ginger. This is almost fruity-foody, despite not having any truly fruity notes to it. With further wear, the rice milk begins to fade off somewhat, but is a creamy touch way at the back of the scent.
LATER: After about two hours, all that’s left is really the rice milk, which is now almost lotion-y, with only a faint touch of sweet, fresh green. The whole effect is very clean and neutral, and rather reminds me of aloe. Moderate throw, moderate-short wearlength.
BLOODDROP, MADAME CLAIRE DE LUNE'S CIDRE DOUX AU POIRE - three different types of fermented pears plus with a unique touch of Miel de Lune hydromiel (the family’s own honey liquor).
IN THE IMP: Pear pear pear pear pear, all in a light golden cider-y scent, exactly like sparkling cider.
ON SKIN: I couldn’t tell you which is which, but the three pears are all clearly distinguishable and shift precedence depending on how close you are to the skin - the pear with the strongest throw is the lovely, creamy, golden, poached one from Frau Von Schtinklestein, which is much like that in BPAL’s Perilous Parlor, while closer to the skin are juicier, fresher pears, much more cider-y. I don’t get much in the way of honey liquor, which is a shame, but the blend is still very pretty and pleasing.
LATER: As before. Very low throw, wish I had gotten the liquor. Hmm. I’ll have to retest to decide whether or not it’s worth keeping.
HAEE, SWEET TALK - Cotton Candy, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Butter Brickle Ice Cream and Funnel Cake
IN THE VIAL: The nutty, golden, buttery (duh) butter brickle ice cream, followed by a twist of rather perversely cocoa-y white chocolate and macadamia.
ON SKIN: The light, buttery ice cream again - reminds me of peanut butter - eventually shading into the lightly bubblegum-like cotton candy, with the buttery scent grounding it. Surprisingly light and unsticky, but still a blend that’s excessively and one-dimensionally foody for me. It’s like I rolled in a carnival food stand.
POSSETS, CAMBIENNE 10/31/07 (no notes)
IN THE VIAL: Something that my nose initially read as a very salty green apple, but eventually became clear as a salty woodsmoke. Weird.
ON SKIN: I went to two bonfires with friends this year, and I now smell EXACTLY as I did after sitting next to the smoking wood all night long. Crazy - I can’t imagine how one could replicate bonfire smoke this perfectly. There’s a lovely note of red apple rounding it out and sweetening it. Normally I really dislike apple scents, but this is natural and not too sweet; it’s a sort of “meaty,” warmly autumnal note. Lovely. I wouldn’t go for this sort of thing at all normally, but this is so true to life that it's hard to resist.
MIDSUMMER MUSE (VIOLETTE MARKET), LISBON SEAPORT - Dark vanilla, cassia flower, black coffee, fragrant red wine, golden patchouli, black pepper, and plump blackberries (Lost at Sea LE's)
IN THE VIAL: A rather hideous cinnamon-mulberry kind of blast from the cassia and blackberry, which reminds me very unfortunately of a room freshener that used to make me extremely ill.
ON SKIN: In the throw, the smooth vanilla and juicy wine and blackberry are most discernable, but up close, all I get is the dark-red, room-sprayish cinnamon-cassia, over just a touch of blackberry.
LATER: The cassia burns back a bit to reveal more of the blackberry, but it’s still overly cinnamon-y. Too one-dimensional.
And happy Christmas Eve, all!