ZOMG Squee Party--Smells like Science!
Some of my friends sharing the same friends list might see this on the Girl Genius Lab. Sorry!
When my Grandmother told me to spoil myself for once, I decided to listen to her advice. I have a bad habit of running myself into the ground, and doing for everyone and everything else first...which usually ends up not so good for me.
So for my birthday last month, I ordered a squee party from ZOMG smells(I just followed the banner on the Girl Genius main site). It came in today.
I picked some rather exotic Asian inspired pieces, and some perfumey pieces, and some sparky pieces.
Thus far, my chemistry hasn't gone all Jager-brawling on me, and the first one I tried was a Girl Genius inspired scent--The Nuremburg Pudding Incident.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
It's divine! My wee one keeps wanting to smell my wrist, and I keep doing the same. In the bottle, it smells like a warm, fresh made pudding with lemon zest sprinkled on top. On me, it starts out this way, then after about 20 minutes, deepens into this vanilla with quite a nice hint of amber, and this earthy not quite flower bit, and a subtle bit citrusy, but definitely divine smell.
I know once I finish off this bottle, I'm going to go after a full size, and put it into one of my glass perfume bottles(I collect both Egyptian Blown Glass and antique milk glass perfume bottles and atomizers). I rarely use them, but this scent is just too good to keep in anything but the best. I woke up the next morning, and that lovely divine smell was still clinging to me. I hated to wash it off, but there was good reason...
Up Quark
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Oddly enough, the first whiff put of the bottle was, well, minty! Like an old fashioned, Zinger tea; it was the same on me. Then as it dried, a hint of pepper and then, WHAM! with a grand jager brawl inside my brain...walking in an old forest...a really old forest. I've actually done that, and it smells just like this. It still smells like tea as well, like I've got a perfect cuppa that I've taken with me on my walk.
I got it because of the science-y name, and it's not at all what I was expecting. From the description, I was thinking a bit more treehugger, and less well, time travel in my brain. So I guess for Science! it works, because it made me travel back to when I was a kid and walking through this HUGE forest with my parents. They took me "roughing it" camping a ton, before siblings with allergies and asthma brought all that to a halt.
More of a little pick-me-up for those down days methinks. I am so getting more of this.
Dr. Zomg's Tincture of Caprice
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Citrus and Juniper and Sage, Oh My! It would be a very refreshing scent, if it would stay on me longer. It fades sooooo fast. I've had to put it on me four times to get a good whiff on me. I think a scent locket would be a great idea for it. It's a rather earthy blend, if that makes any sense. Grapefruit at the onset, then fades to let the sage and juniper take center stage. It totally follows through on it's name, as it seems to only stay on a whim. So for Science! it isn't the best invention, although it's a nice attempt. I like the scent enough to get another squee for a scent locket. If anyone can get it to last for more than five minutes on them, please let me know how you did it.
Four Seasons In Mighty Contention on Trivial Matters
[Spoiler (click to open)]
I opted to not do the last sparky one yet, as the weather changed, and my sinuses aren't up to trying what I picked just yet, so I opted to try this interesting one, as well, the seasons are changing. In the bottle, I smell
basil, some flowery bit, spearmint, green tea, and amber, but on me? I got this interesting Peony scent, followed by the smell of wet leaves and pesto of all things, then Christmas trees, finally it rolled into this Mint Julep-y tea sort of smell. Then it seemed to start all over. It was rather fun. I'd get another bottle just for the fun factor. Because ladies, this one will definitely keep them guessing! Oh and for Science! It works, though that's not why I got it. :p
Rose in Amber
[Spoiler (click to open)]
My sinuses are still adjusting to the weird weather, so still not trying that last sparky scent. It's a lovely piece, in the bottle all you smell is tea roses with a hint of that subtle amber. It's very wild tea rose-y first on. Then settles and well...it smells like a museum...you know that old and dusty sort of smell that seems to cling around the fossils? Or that musty smell of old books? Yeah, that one. Oh, and kind of like not quite incense, but like smokey applewood. I collect crinoids for a family member, and when rinsed off and dried, they sort of smell old like that, so tea roses and fossils? Check. It's interesting, then about 20 minutes later, I get a whiff of amber sneaking in. I like it. I'd wear it as an everyday scent, because it's a brilliant take on a classic.
Lola
[Spoiler (click to open)]
My sinuses still aren't ready for the last Sparky one, and this one will give you a clue as to why...
I have never found a perfume with Frankincense that smelled nice. Usually it was paired with Myrrh and Patchouli, and it was migraine-inducing. I also haven't found a perfume with spices that wasn't also a migraine starter. This takes both and has the world's best spa day for the price of a bottle of bubble bath. It's Sex & the City meets Mad Science!
In the bottle, it smells like incense and cider spices. On me it starts off with a solo of Frankincense (because it deserves to have the spotlight once in a while), then sort of sneaks off to let this sexy earthy spicy smell own the runway in a lab coat. This is so my new Holiday/Winter scent! Another on the list of large bottles!
Soft Lavender Cake
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Head for the Hills! The Mad Scientists are in the Kitchen! This is one of the perfume-y ones I picked, and although it's touted by fans of the scent and the creators as a "food" scent, it didn't exactly work like that on me. In the bottle, it's fresh French Lavender, so clean and pretty, with a bit of wee hint of Vanilla tossed in. I was excited to try this one. Then I put it on me. I don't like Vanilla Musk (too many summers on road trips with family wearing Vanilla Musk EVERYTHING perfumes), and I was going to toss this in with the laundry as a wash, because Vanilla Musk was all I could smell as soon as it hit my wrists. Not even a hint of Lavender. :'( Ewwwww. I didn't run screaming to wash it off though, and was rewarded with an interesting toasted Coco-nutty note that got rid of the sickeningly sweet, and made the Lavender come back with a rich kind of, well Angel Cake scent (Why yes, I use lavenders in my Angel Cake recipes, how sharp of you to guess). I think that for Science! the chemical reactions to my body chemistry are Svengoolie worthy. It's not a scent I'd wear all the time (unless I use a scent locket so it doesn't touch my skin), but it's worth a sampler bottle once in a while...as a treat (pun intended).
Hyang-Su
[Spoiler (click to open)]
I just had to give this it's own day. My mother got a whiff of it, and agreed that it was close to what she made me as a child. She says it's the same as it was on me as well, and if she finds her notes, the recipe is mine! Mwahahahaaaaaa! First whiff in the bottle; Anise. That Liquorice scent I'm not fond of, but then there's a pale bit of Ginseng, and warm Clove. On me? Ginseng, Clove, Anise, and a hint of Ginger(at least for me). It's clean and fresh, like a nice day. I love it enough to grab a full bottle for those blah days when the weather outside is drab and dull. The for Science! factor? It's a well-blended classic Asian scent. Let the Lab coats hang on the peg today, I'm going to walk in the Sunshine.
Cause I'm such a goof, I had a moment of Derp, and forgot to put Heian-kyo on my squee list, and they gave me this(which is rather awesome):
Lola's New Dress
[Spoiler (click to open)]
While similar in concept to Lola, this time in the bottle it smelled like Chai tea and Frankincense and a hint of something...I got Chocolate added to the mix. That gorgeous scent drenched in divine chocolate! As it dried, I got Chai spice tea, with a square of lovely chocolate. It made me brew a nice strong cup of tea with Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon, and Vanilla, then stirred some heavy cream in. While I was sipping, I got a square of Twilight Dream Dark Chocolate, and hid from my son(I have a rule of no sweets before lunch--I'm so bad!), and savoured it. I put on Josh Groban's Awake(because his baritone is about the only thing sexier than this scent), and just took a tiny break from it all. When I wore Lola, I had to go out and run errands while my son was at school, and random guys just popped up everywhere flirting. I have a feeling that may happen again should I leave the house today. The for Science! factor went up 1,000x as the combinations that never work for me just all coalesced into this incredible scent. I am sooooo getting a full bottle!
Get a lovely Girl Genius inspired mad science outfit and invent something...sparky.
I was dealing with allergies and drama, and just now realised I forgot to post my final Sparky scent review here like such a big goof.
The Melancholy Death of Nikola Tesla
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Drawn to the scent title, I placed it on the list. I really wanted to like this.
In the bottle: Patchouli. I hate Patchouli. It reminds me of the stoners in High School. They smelled like Pot drowned in Patchouli. On me? Patchouli. Blech! Ewwwwwwww! Even the dry down was Patchouli. I let it sit on me for a loooong time. After about 20 minutes, it started to turn into this leather smell, mixed with Sandalwood.
On the creator page, it said Violets, which was noticeably absent. I love Violets, and would have loved a hint of them. The for Science! factor: After the loooong wait, it smells like toolbelts and sawdust. Like my Grandfathers Carpentry corner in his garage. He's been gone eight years this past Labor Day, and it reminded me of him. He was a Master Carpenter. Could turn a tree into furniture and knick-knacks on a whim. He took knotty pine, and made a Leopard Skin frame for my Point-Dot picture of David Bowie in Labyrinth(Ballroom scene outfit) that an old artist acquaintance gave me. I think I'll wear it on his birthday, and very rarely otherwise. Amazingly enough, it does fit the Melancholy of the title, because it made me miss my Grandfather.
If you haven't tried them yet, I'd recommend it.
I had an unexpected thing happen. I used the Lavender Cake in a Vicks Vapo-pad warmer. Jellybean never fought me once and went to sleep. YAY for Science! I just ordered a new squee set, and more lavender cake. This is so going to be my new collection obsession.
When my Grandmother told me to spoil myself for once, I decided to listen to her advice. I have a bad habit of running myself into the ground, and doing for everyone and everything else first...which usually ends up not so good for me.
So for my birthday last month, I ordered a squee party from ZOMG smells(I just followed the banner on the Girl Genius main site). It came in today.
I picked some rather exotic Asian inspired pieces, and some perfumey pieces, and some sparky pieces.
Thus far, my chemistry hasn't gone all Jager-brawling on me, and the first one I tried was a Girl Genius inspired scent--The Nuremburg Pudding Incident.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
It's divine! My wee one keeps wanting to smell my wrist, and I keep doing the same. In the bottle, it smells like a warm, fresh made pudding with lemon zest sprinkled on top. On me, it starts out this way, then after about 20 minutes, deepens into this vanilla with quite a nice hint of amber, and this earthy not quite flower bit, and a subtle bit citrusy, but definitely divine smell.
I know once I finish off this bottle, I'm going to go after a full size, and put it into one of my glass perfume bottles(I collect both Egyptian Blown Glass and antique milk glass perfume bottles and atomizers). I rarely use them, but this scent is just too good to keep in anything but the best. I woke up the next morning, and that lovely divine smell was still clinging to me. I hated to wash it off, but there was good reason...
Up Quark
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Oddly enough, the first whiff put of the bottle was, well, minty! Like an old fashioned, Zinger tea; it was the same on me. Then as it dried, a hint of pepper and then, WHAM! with a grand jager brawl inside my brain...walking in an old forest...a really old forest. I've actually done that, and it smells just like this. It still smells like tea as well, like I've got a perfect cuppa that I've taken with me on my walk.
I got it because of the science-y name, and it's not at all what I was expecting. From the description, I was thinking a bit more treehugger, and less well, time travel in my brain. So I guess for Science! it works, because it made me travel back to when I was a kid and walking through this HUGE forest with my parents. They took me "roughing it" camping a ton, before siblings with allergies and asthma brought all that to a halt.
More of a little pick-me-up for those down days methinks. I am so getting more of this.
Dr. Zomg's Tincture of Caprice
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Citrus and Juniper and Sage, Oh My! It would be a very refreshing scent, if it would stay on me longer. It fades sooooo fast. I've had to put it on me four times to get a good whiff on me. I think a scent locket would be a great idea for it. It's a rather earthy blend, if that makes any sense. Grapefruit at the onset, then fades to let the sage and juniper take center stage. It totally follows through on it's name, as it seems to only stay on a whim. So for Science! it isn't the best invention, although it's a nice attempt. I like the scent enough to get another squee for a scent locket. If anyone can get it to last for more than five minutes on them, please let me know how you did it.
Four Seasons In Mighty Contention on Trivial Matters
[Spoiler (click to open)]
I opted to not do the last sparky one yet, as the weather changed, and my sinuses aren't up to trying what I picked just yet, so I opted to try this interesting one, as well, the seasons are changing. In the bottle, I smell
basil, some flowery bit, spearmint, green tea, and amber, but on me? I got this interesting Peony scent, followed by the smell of wet leaves and pesto of all things, then Christmas trees, finally it rolled into this Mint Julep-y tea sort of smell. Then it seemed to start all over. It was rather fun. I'd get another bottle just for the fun factor. Because ladies, this one will definitely keep them guessing! Oh and for Science! It works, though that's not why I got it. :p
Rose in Amber
[Spoiler (click to open)]
My sinuses are still adjusting to the weird weather, so still not trying that last sparky scent. It's a lovely piece, in the bottle all you smell is tea roses with a hint of that subtle amber. It's very wild tea rose-y first on. Then settles and well...it smells like a museum...you know that old and dusty sort of smell that seems to cling around the fossils? Or that musty smell of old books? Yeah, that one. Oh, and kind of like not quite incense, but like smokey applewood. I collect crinoids for a family member, and when rinsed off and dried, they sort of smell old like that, so tea roses and fossils? Check. It's interesting, then about 20 minutes later, I get a whiff of amber sneaking in. I like it. I'd wear it as an everyday scent, because it's a brilliant take on a classic.
Lola
[Spoiler (click to open)]
My sinuses still aren't ready for the last Sparky one, and this one will give you a clue as to why...
I have never found a perfume with Frankincense that smelled nice. Usually it was paired with Myrrh and Patchouli, and it was migraine-inducing. I also haven't found a perfume with spices that wasn't also a migraine starter. This takes both and has the world's best spa day for the price of a bottle of bubble bath. It's Sex & the City meets Mad Science!
In the bottle, it smells like incense and cider spices. On me it starts off with a solo of Frankincense (because it deserves to have the spotlight once in a while), then sort of sneaks off to let this sexy earthy spicy smell own the runway in a lab coat. This is so my new Holiday/Winter scent! Another on the list of large bottles!
Soft Lavender Cake
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Head for the Hills! The Mad Scientists are in the Kitchen! This is one of the perfume-y ones I picked, and although it's touted by fans of the scent and the creators as a "food" scent, it didn't exactly work like that on me. In the bottle, it's fresh French Lavender, so clean and pretty, with a bit of wee hint of Vanilla tossed in. I was excited to try this one. Then I put it on me. I don't like Vanilla Musk (too many summers on road trips with family wearing Vanilla Musk EVERYTHING perfumes), and I was going to toss this in with the laundry as a wash, because Vanilla Musk was all I could smell as soon as it hit my wrists. Not even a hint of Lavender. :'( Ewwwww. I didn't run screaming to wash it off though, and was rewarded with an interesting toasted Coco-nutty note that got rid of the sickeningly sweet, and made the Lavender come back with a rich kind of, well Angel Cake scent (Why yes, I use lavenders in my Angel Cake recipes, how sharp of you to guess). I think that for Science! the chemical reactions to my body chemistry are Svengoolie worthy. It's not a scent I'd wear all the time (unless I use a scent locket so it doesn't touch my skin), but it's worth a sampler bottle once in a while...as a treat (pun intended).
Hyang-Su
[Spoiler (click to open)]
I just had to give this it's own day. My mother got a whiff of it, and agreed that it was close to what she made me as a child. She says it's the same as it was on me as well, and if she finds her notes, the recipe is mine! Mwahahahaaaaaa! First whiff in the bottle; Anise. That Liquorice scent I'm not fond of, but then there's a pale bit of Ginseng, and warm Clove. On me? Ginseng, Clove, Anise, and a hint of Ginger(at least for me). It's clean and fresh, like a nice day. I love it enough to grab a full bottle for those blah days when the weather outside is drab and dull. The for Science! factor? It's a well-blended classic Asian scent. Let the Lab coats hang on the peg today, I'm going to walk in the Sunshine.
Cause I'm such a goof, I had a moment of Derp, and forgot to put Heian-kyo on my squee list, and they gave me this(which is rather awesome):
Lola's New Dress
[Spoiler (click to open)]
While similar in concept to Lola, this time in the bottle it smelled like Chai tea and Frankincense and a hint of something...I got Chocolate added to the mix. That gorgeous scent drenched in divine chocolate! As it dried, I got Chai spice tea, with a square of lovely chocolate. It made me brew a nice strong cup of tea with Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon, and Vanilla, then stirred some heavy cream in. While I was sipping, I got a square of Twilight Dream Dark Chocolate, and hid from my son(I have a rule of no sweets before lunch--I'm so bad!), and savoured it. I put on Josh Groban's Awake(because his baritone is about the only thing sexier than this scent), and just took a tiny break from it all. When I wore Lola, I had to go out and run errands while my son was at school, and random guys just popped up everywhere flirting. I have a feeling that may happen again should I leave the house today. The for Science! factor went up 1,000x as the combinations that never work for me just all coalesced into this incredible scent. I am sooooo getting a full bottle!
Get a lovely Girl Genius inspired mad science outfit and invent something...sparky.
I was dealing with allergies and drama, and just now realised I forgot to post my final Sparky scent review here like such a big goof.
The Melancholy Death of Nikola Tesla
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Drawn to the scent title, I placed it on the list. I really wanted to like this.
In the bottle: Patchouli. I hate Patchouli. It reminds me of the stoners in High School. They smelled like Pot drowned in Patchouli. On me? Patchouli. Blech! Ewwwwwwww! Even the dry down was Patchouli. I let it sit on me for a loooong time. After about 20 minutes, it started to turn into this leather smell, mixed with Sandalwood.
On the creator page, it said Violets, which was noticeably absent. I love Violets, and would have loved a hint of them. The for Science! factor: After the loooong wait, it smells like toolbelts and sawdust. Like my Grandfathers Carpentry corner in his garage. He's been gone eight years this past Labor Day, and it reminded me of him. He was a Master Carpenter. Could turn a tree into furniture and knick-knacks on a whim. He took knotty pine, and made a Leopard Skin frame for my Point-Dot picture of David Bowie in Labyrinth(Ballroom scene outfit) that an old artist acquaintance gave me. I think I'll wear it on his birthday, and very rarely otherwise. Amazingly enough, it does fit the Melancholy of the title, because it made me miss my Grandfather.
If you haven't tried them yet, I'd recommend it.
I had an unexpected thing happen. I used the Lavender Cake in a Vicks Vapo-pad warmer. Jellybean never fought me once and went to sleep. YAY for Science! I just ordered a new squee set, and more lavender cake. This is so going to be my new collection obsession.