Catch Up Post #5

Haus of Gloi The Brier Path - Sun drenched trail leading to a day dream of ripe berries and woods rose, rich forest loam, ozone, dark amber and cream.
Very fruity, floral, but I don't get any of the forest, woody, dark amber, etc. It's odd - it smells like an old lady floral with a potent fruity top note. Considering how fruity it is, I actually quite like it, but I don't need a full bottle. 3/5

Twyla Perfumes Migraineur - A blend of essential oils, including clary sage and cannabis flower oil. 
This is one of Twyla's aromatherapy blends and I originally got this sample not for headaches, but to see if it would do anything to help me sleep. It smells herby and mellow, very smooth and soothing. As with Solstice Scents Quiet Night, I don't think it did anything to help me get to sleep, but I do think it helped me stay asleep. 3/5

Possets Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn - Red musk, rockrose, benzoin.
Weirdly sweet and grassy smelling, slightly medicinal and went dusty quite quickly. Within a couple of hours it was gone. It didn't impress me. 2/5

Villainess Crushed - Crushed black raspberry against dark chocolate and serrated sandalwood.
In the vial this is ah-maazing. It smells like a double coated Cherry Ripe and the berry and chocolate is beautifully blended. On the skin it kind of falls over a bit - it's slightly insipid and doesn't last very long at all. Such a shame. I think this would be one that would be better in a soap form. 3/5

Arcana Puppy Kisses - A batter of rich cream, soft coconut milk, rice syrup, copaiba balsam, massoia bark and milky pearl musk is gently licked with sweet peppermint, sugared bayberry, and the tiniest smooches of Oregon lavender and Dalmatian sage.
Look, I get the futility of buying a perfume that smells like dog and then complaining that it smells like dog. But seriously, this smells like dog. The first notes are lavender and sage, then the coconut came out after about half an hour. The dry down is a sicky milk smell. Guys, it smells like dog! 1/5

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Snow White 2008 - Flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night blooming flowers. 
This was given to me a couple of years ago by a lovely girl from Livejournal's Aussie BPAL community, and I ADORE it. It's a chilly, ever-so-slightly floral, ever-so-slightly mint perfume that doesn't change much as it dries down. It lasts for hours and a little dab is enough, which is why I still have this tiny imp going. Of course, I'm pretty stingy about how often I use it. 5/5

@CandidaVirgo Cinnamon Donuts - Notes unknown, cinnamon obviously, almond, maybe ginger as well?
In the bottle and the opening note on the skin is strongly almond, but that mellows fairly quickly. I didn't love this one as much as I did Candi's Chocolate Macaron, but to be fair I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon. I'm sure there is ginger in here too, but that might just be because I'm associating the spiciness with baking products like gingerbread. 3/5

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Snow White 2012 - Notes as above. 
I had to buy this given my love for the 2008 version. It came out in 2010 as well but I dithered too long about buying it and missed that one. This one is slightly heavier on the floral than 2008 and doesn't have the same depth. It makes me think of a perfume clone - "If you like Chanel No. 5, you'll love etc..." like you get in the front bins at Priceline. It could just need ageing, though. I'm putting this one away for a while. 2/5

Haus of Gloi Vice - Steam billows rolling off a vessel of fresh made Turkish coffee, marshmallow goo tainted by graham cracker crumbs, toasted hazelnuts and blanketed in black chocolate.
Heavy on the coffee, but becomes more chocolatey on me as it dries down. This is the ultimate foody scent - rich and fairly potent. One of my favourites. 5/5

Enchanticals Mermaid Cove -  Wisteria, lilac, frangipani, oakmoss, pineapple, aquatic notes.
A really pretty, slightly watery white floral. It's like a lush garden after a heavy rain. 4/5

Days 186-195!

Snow on Bare Skin - Possets Perfume

Details: 
Snow on Bare Skin
Possets Perfume

Notes: 
Sweet but not foody, sexy but not crude this would be a perfect scent for a midnight Yuletide wedding with the bride dressed in winter white carrying a bouquet of blue flowers, the church lit only by tapers, and a handsome groom in breathtaking blue-black. Romantic as it can be. Midnight blue and purple. Strong smell of snow in the air, your nose is cold but you can feel your hand on your breast and it's warm and soon all of you will be cozy. One of the most sexy scents I have ever made. So good, it's even perfect in the summer! Musky, spicy, perfumy.

In the vial this is a really faint, cold vanilla. It smells like almost nothing. Applied, it’s a sweet vanilla with a light minty note. Pretty much your generic ‘snow’ smell. Is this what snow actually smells like? The last time I was anywhere near snow was when I was a little kid and as soon as my feet got wet and cold I sulked and sat in the care reading a Laura Ingalls Wilder book while my family enjoyed toboganning. Crazy people.

Anyway, this doesn’t change much. The mint fades and the vanilla hangs around for about 3 hours and then disappears. Sillage is quite low. It’s... meh. There’s nothing bad about it, but nothing really interesting either.

Rating: 
2/5

Day 105!

Snake Charmer - Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Details:
Snake Charmer*
Carnaval Noir 
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Notes:

Sensual, sibilant, sexual and hypnotic: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut.

In the imp this smells like aged Snake Oil, a deeper version of my bottle (bought in January 2010), with the incense more prominent. On the skin the vanilla is there and it reminds me more of Womb Furie. It's quite sweet and I actually think I like it even better than Snake Oil, which can sometimes be a bit heavy on the incense for me. I could swear there's a note of something like sarsparilla in there too - it's quite faint, but it adds a little something-something, whatever it is. This is a Limited Edition, of course, so there's not much likelihood of me being able to pick up a full bottle anytime soon, but I definitely would given the chance.

*This is a decant so I don't know if it's the original or Snake Charmer Resurrected. 

Rating: 
5/5 Gorgeous! 

Day 35!

The Fat Lady - Enchanticals Perfume

Details: 
The Fat Lady
KrAzy KaRnIvAle Side Show Freaks Collection
Enchanticals Perfume

Notes: 
Of all the Side Show Freaks, I think I envy the Fat Lady the most. I mean after all, she not only get’s to eat everything at the concession stand, she encouraged to do so! What does the Fat Lady smell like? Like caramel apples, cotton candy, vanilla ice cream, funnel cakes, buttered popcorn and those sweet things one may find at the Carnival.

Well, you know me and carny scents. I can't resist. This smells super sweet and cakey. It's like a rich lemon cream cake.There is a biscuit/pastry note similar to the one in BPAL's Eat Me, but unlike that, this one doesn't go dusty on me. The Fat Lady doesn't change much, but it's delicious, like a slightly lemony confectioner's custard. Or a proper fancy vanilla slice - the kind you pay through the nose for at a patisserie. The kind I went and paid through the nose for after wearing this perfume all day. AND IT WAS WORTH IT. The sillage is medium, and longevity is good - I could still smell it on my wrist 8 hours later. I really like this one, and it's going on the full bottle list.

Rating: 
4/5

Day 29!