Diabolique - Sugar and Spite Bathery

First sniff: 
Sweet, cream biscuits.

First applied: 
Still biscuity, with a slight tang of something citrus but I don't think it's lemon. Mandarin? Really pretty gourmand but not really getting why it's a Halloween scent. There's a very mild woody note in the background which I imagine will come out more when the top notes dry down.

After 30 mins: 
More woody now but still quite sweet and biscuit/pastry-ish. When I first applied it, it seemed a little weak and I thought it might fade quickly but it's actually getting stronger as the woodiness amps up. It's very much a Sugar & Spite/Morbid The Merrier perfume - Lysa has a classic signature.

After 3 hours: 
A soft, sweet but slightly boozy vanilla with a wood note adding some depth. It has faded quite a lot now - quite faint on the wrist u less I put my nose right up near it. I do like this scent a lot but I'm still baffled by its connection to Halloween. Maybe it has candy corn or something in totally not getting.

Longevity:
4 hours tops, best reapplied after about 2 hours. 

Actual notes/description: 
Orange blossoms dripping with sticky black honey, warm gingerbread, 3 vanillas, tea leaves and aloeswood. 

Availability: 
Sugar and Spite Bathery
Limited Edition - Halloween 2014
Not currently available, but may be seasonal. 

Manor - Solstice Scents

Details:
Manor
Solstice Scents

Notes: 
Woody-Vanilla Musk, Vanilla Accord, Glorious Black Agarwood & Exquisite Aloeswood.

When I test perfume samples I pull them out randomly (unlike bottles, which I use as the review of the day if it's just something I feel like wearing and I've not reviewed it previously), but sometimes I pull one out and it's a complete mystery to me. I can't decide whether I like it, I can't pick what it smells like, I just find it confusing and I can't write about it because it makes no sense to me. Manor is one of these perfumes - I have pulled it out several times this year, tested it for the day, found it baffling and put it back in the drawer for another time. I suspect it might be partially because it's a warm perfume and probably more suitable for cold weather, and since it's finally getting cold here in Adelaide, I'm starting to get my head around it a bit. I still find it a bit odd - for example, in the vial and throughout its lifespan on my wrist I smell leather, which is not mentioned at all in the notes. It brings to mind an old, antique Chesterfield. The wood is definitely there - this is very resiny - and the vanilla is not distinct to me as vanilla, but there's definitely something there sweetening it up a tad.

Manor is quite masculine, those who like the more unisex kind of perfumes might enjoy this. The sillage is fairly high for at least an hour or so, and it lasts a long time. I've been wearing it since about 9am (it's just gone 3pm now) and I can still smell it when I move my arm around. I still don't know whether I like it or not - I certainly don't hate it.

By the way, be warned those who wear light-coloured clothing - this is one that will probably stain - as evidenced by the yellow mark it left on my wrist.

Rating: 
Undecided. This one is another mystery.

Day 137!