Possets Halloween 2015 (The Scent of Night) Part 2

I have many more perfumes that I wanted to get from this collection, and I always waffle between feeling like I got what I wanted and also somehow let The One slip away. It's always a gamble to grab a bottle without the ability to sample first, and sometimes I lose but often I win.

Today's group focused more on two of the more typical pumpkin/fall type perfumes, and then I added one fruity and one unknown to the mix.

Again, the following reviews were posted on the forum, so some of what I reference may create questions. If you would like to know more, feel free to ask here or to go to the Possets forum.

Now to the reviews!

Redcap - Possets description: Macintosh and perfumed Pink Lady apples, Bartlett pear, cling peach, and Indian sweet patchouli dance about madly in this rendition of the Scottish dwarf who murders people for the fun of it. Redcaps are called that because they murder innocent travellers and dye their hats in the victim's blood. They must continue to dispatch humans and dip their hats in the blood for if the hat dries out, the Redcap will die himself!

This one is a Perfect autumn fruit filled perfume, a real go-to whether the days are bright and warmish or overcast and morose. There is something Scottish indeed about this great perfume oil and I like its lingering on a thick sweater or in the covers. Very sexy and bright."

In the bottle: apples (green with a faint touch of red), a faint grit underneath, and what I'm thinking may be the bubblegum note mentioned by another reviewer is the peach with the touch of pear. Every time I sniff this one it makes me sneeze. I hope it doesn't do so when I'm wearing it. :-D I will admit that there's something underneath that may be a bit of the patchouli and something else that comes across as fake peachy/cranberry (like I stepped into a shop that has a BUNCH of fruity air fresheners lying around and it's all mingling together). I'm a bit nervous, but I know some of these insistent perfumes can morph beautifully on the skin. *Crossing fingers

On my skin: Well, that's hopeful. The perfume fruity note begins to resolve into an apple note (the perfumed pink lady, perhaps?), but this is a very strong fruity perfume that my nose is still working through at this point and feels a bit confused. The patchouli seems to be sifting through to the bottom to provide a base that roughs this up a bit, which is good for balance. I am also getting a fruity/soapy note, and I'm not sure if it's just because my nose seems so confused or if it's because I need to let this rest and focus on it only some day. 

Make no mistake, this is a very fruity perfume. It has an astringent side though too.

I don't know if it's my skin chemistry, but there is something about this one that is affecting me. Since trying this one (I have been spacing them all out throughout the day), my skin has gotten flushed, I keep sneezing, and it is sickly cloying on my skin and has gone into Glade plug-in territory for me. It may be my skin amping notes in a horrible way, but this reeks of artificial fruit on me. And I have much sads over this. I really wanted this one to work, but somehow most apple perfumes seem to hate me and go into air freshener/fake fruit/ick getitoffgetitoff territory for me.

*cries

Spider Juice - Possets description: "It's that pumpkin time of year and I am loving the idea of all things dark brown with pumpkin: molasses, brown sugar, toasted reductions of cane sugar, the glass-like golden sheet of sugar you get from carefully handled ingredients. It's all there, and the pumpkin, it is definitely there. Add a big shot of peach nectar and THIS is what you have been waiting for all year, and it does not disappoint."

In the bottle: warm buttery browned pumpkin, spices, and a very faint whiff of something fruity (deep fruity not bright or tropical).

On my skin: Fresh brown sugar, pumpkin/pumpkin rind, spices (most strongly is cinnamon), a hint of what comes across as green and peppery (almost jalapeno ish), sweet sweet peach (the peach is very subtle and soft, but the sweetness is not). 

As it dries: Oh boy, something in here is reacting with my skin. Where I put it on my neck is going bright red and feels hot to the touch (oddly it's not doing that on my wrist, only on my neck, but where it is on my wrist does feel tingly). The cinnamon note seems to be heavily swirling around me. (It has the sweetness and tone of hot tamales candies.) 

As it dries further, the cinnamon begins to fade down more to a cinnamon powder and my skin is still very red and blotchy on my neck, even though I tried to wipe off what I could. On my wrist, the baked pumpkin merges with the cinnamon powder and comes across as warm and custardy--like a decadent cinnamon pumpkin custard pie. Very very faintly underneath is a soft peach note. After about a half hour, the peach note rises for a bit, then merges into the other notes to provide a gentle sweetness and rounds out the whole.

Dry down: this fades to a pretty pumpkiny perfume that has a faint cling of the sweet soft peach (more peach skin than juicy peach) and a touch of the buttery toasted aspect. The cinnamon note is mostly faded at this point, but when I sniff deeply, I still can get a cinnamon powder vibe. This is warm and very autumnal, and very traditional pumpkin perfume on my skin.

For me, this is going to have to be a non skin scent for sure. It's enjoyable, but whether it's the cinnamon powder vibe or something else, there is definitely more in this than my skin can handle. 

Psychopumpkin - Possets description: "Quesque c'est? This is pumpkin, slathered in spice and encrusted with sugar. This is pumpkin in its glory, thick and deep, tumbling in honey and caramel. Foody and wicked."

In the bottle: Oddly, I get more fruit from this than I did from Spider Juice. Rounded spices, a touch of deep dark fruits, something that comes across as a dark gingerbread (but waaay down at the bottom), and a pumpkin pie-ish note.

On my skin: This opens with the baked pie and fruit notes dominating, and then begins to soften with some of the spices from Big Black Cat seemingly coming into play. This isn't BBC by any stretch, but something about it is reminding me of it--including a touch of the sweetness. 

As this dries: The honey really starts to come forward, in a very wildwood honey kind of way (deep and dark) and not the softer clover honey. The spices here feel softer (more like nutmeg, maybe) and the caramel is providing what I think of as a green note. The pumpkin veers more toward the fruity side here, and less like a baked pie at this point.

The more it dries: The area on my hand that I put this on is also having a small reaction. Not as bad as Spider Juice, and it could be that my hand is dry and needs lotion on it, but it is feeling a little of a burn there, so I'm wondering if there is some cinnamon or something along those lines within the spices mentioned. This is softer than Spider Juice. More fruity, much less spice, a bit more fresh pumpkin feeling, but I'm not sure if that's the honey or caramel lifting it and making it seem more fresh. This feels rounded, softer, and sweeter than Spider Juice (SJ is more dry by comparison). This feels more like a perfume than SJ (if that makes sense). 

I really like how deep this feels, while also coming across as a pretty light perfume. It's definitely autumnal and warm, and feels comforting. As it fades down, it continues to stay light but warm and makes me think of cozy fires, warm hearths, snuggly blankets, and good books to read. 

Note: Due to my experience with Spider Juice, I did not put this on my neck and only put a touch on the back of my hand in case it reacted. This seems more candied and less spicy than Spider Juice, so I will probably try it on my neck to see if I react as badly with this as I did with SJ (at some point--I do not feel that brave today).

Flirty She-Corpse - Possets description: "Italian bergamot, Georgia white peach, sambac jasmine, French oakmoss, and American cedar wood marry together in this rich and beautiful surprise combinations. I never thought I would like something as aromatic as cedar wood combined with a foody item like peach but the result is breathtaking."

In the bottle: herbs, cedar, what comes across as ginger (where did that come from?), and a touch of something from my perfume memory that I can't quite put my finger on. This is not what I expected (I think I expected something softer, but this is more bracing).

On my skin: Ooooh! That's a surprise. The bergamot opens this beautifully! Also, the notes are MUCH softer on the skin than in the bottle. I get the oakmoss and the cedar, but MUCH softer than expected (the oakmoss is beeeaauuuuteeeful!), and waaaay down on the bottom the jasmine says hello.

As it dries: This has a tinge of old school perfume. Classic, very very classic. The bergamot plays beautifully with the oakmoss, and the jasmine sweetens and softens the whole (I'm not getting much peach, but it could also be that making this come across as a sweet balance to the oakmoss). The cedar is waaaaay down on the bottom, providing a gorgeous base to lay this on. This is tres chic, and utterly stripped down to the bone classic perfume with a twist. 

As it dries further: Ohhh there you are peach. Peach laid out in the sun and left to dry, but not quite yet fruit leather. It is really fantastic with the creaminess of the jasmine (a non stinky jasmine--so far, knock on wood). The cedar keeps holding steady, blending beautifully with the other notes, and the oakmoss just hits this out of the ballpark. This plays like a dry chypre, but the soft edge of the peach and jasmine lift it and make it, well, flirty. This is glam cocktials of the 80's, with a touch of Chanel class (old school) thrown in. It is utterly cool, calm, collected femme with a naughty side. And wow if she didn't make me just love all of her sharp edges and soft secrets. 

In the final drydown, it softens considerably with the cedar becoming dominant and the other notes slinking around in the background with occasional sashays into the foreground, except for the jasmine which appears to have left the party in someone's candy-apple-red Ferrari. 

You don't need much when you wear this one, but when you do wear it you definitely make a statement!

Possets Halloween 2015 (The Scent of Night) Part 1

I've not made it much of a secret that I love the perfumes that come out around this time of year. They are usually more foody, but also more resinous and oriental to hold up against the incoming cold weather. This is where I continue to find the homey pumpkin scents (although I do agree with some folks that pumpkin can get to be too much), the warm woods (and wood pudding-esque fragrances), spices, and sometimes the stark edges like earth or leaves I am looking for. While I have many perfumes on my list, I have limited finances and somehow I keep coming back to Possets to get more bang for my buck. This season is no exception (gratefully purchased with some birthday money).

This year, the perfumes were named for frightening creatures from around the world or for aspects of this time of year. The names are fun, which makes buying them even more of a pleasure (even if some of the critters aren't quite so nice).

The following perfumes were posted on the Possets forum, but for folks who want to stay away from forums, here is the first section of what I've tried from this new release:

Dancing With the Sprites in the Fall Rain - Possets description: "A fabulously dry and sophisticated take on fallen leaves, wet days, and overcast autumn skies. The ozone/water of dank, a hint of mushroom musk. Overall, there is a huge resemblance to lavender but it is not lavender. As a huge wood hides its secrets from you, this blend is a morpher for sure."

In the bottle, this REALLY reminds me of the damp leaves note of Dies Irae mixed in with Re--God of the Sun's marigold autumnal note (from previous collections). It also has a touch of a bandage accord (as I call it lol) that usually becomes something beautiful and perfumey.

On my skin, it seems to hold what was in the bottle for about five minutes and then WHOA this opens up beautifully! At first it really reminds me of the above perfumes, then it begins to shift and I get what Fabienne says by lavender but not. It has that herbal-type edge with a hint of sweetness without coming across as lavender at all. I don't get a mushroom vibe (don't know what I was expecting there), but the more it dries down the more I get what I would describe as a sweet masculine note that comes across as what I smell in fougere type fragrances, but (dare I say it?) this is even better. It's a touch sweeter (almost with the roundedness of caramel, without being caramel sweet and without the greenness or stickiness that can come with caramel notes), and it's not as dry as I expected either. It has a touch of aquatic as it dries down that resolves away but that feels like it's providing a backbone for the fougere-esque vibe. And that vibe is goooorgeous! This is like the best fougere without tipping over into too spicy and darkly astringent as some of those can go. 

This feels like it has a masculine edge, but is beautiful for women as well. This doesn't remind me so much of damp leaves so much, because it is more dry than that (although this doesn't come across as wrung out dry by any stretch), but it definitely pairs beautifully with today's autumny gray rain and the pop of yellow, red, and orange leaves. This one makes me *very* glad I got it (and I have a feeling this one is going to get even more fantastic as it ages). It has kept me sniffing (nose glued to wrist, pretty much) in an effort to get all of the nuances. It's mmmmmm good.

Zombie - Possets description: "You really need a big dose of toasted marshmallow and oude. The obvious combination, wouldn't you say? Resinous and foody at the same time. Smoky sticky fun." (Note: this perfume was a suggestion by a forum member)

In the bottle, this was a lovely smokey toasty marshmallow with an almost woody rounded depth. It also had a touch of sour milk edge (almost baby breath milk) to it when I sniffed deeply which made me raise an eyebrow, but (for science of course) I put a nice big drop on my skin.

On my skin, it opens up very nicely and I almost immediately get an ambered toasted marshmallow. This shifts down pretty quickly to a powdered soft sweetness and I don't get a whole lot of oude. I'm thinking the oude will probably develop the longer this sits in the bottle, but it's definitely a wearable perfume right now. The longer this is on the skin, the toasted aspect goes away, and I get more of the ambered/powdered aspect of the sweetness, with the oude holding steady on the bottom that gives it an almost wood edge, but on a soft scale. (I really can't wait to see how this ages--I have a feeling it's going to be absolutely amazing.)

At first it seems to be light and fluffy, but it has a solid backbone that gives it staying power and depth. It's delicious without coming across as uber foody, and the oude keeps it perfectly balanced from being too sweet (it has a touch of sweetness, but it's more like the sweetness of amber and not the sweetness of sugar). This is really delightful and I think it's going to only get better as it ages. Mmmmmm!

Jurogumo - Possets description: "A powerful vanilla musk the likes of the one used in Dance With Me (VERY seductive yet subtle and cloud-like), and rich cardamom, and finally the nectar of peaches squeezed in the summer sun and concentrated to make a sugary peach liquor...I chose the white and gauzy vanilla to remind me of the spider's silk and how appealing it is when a light shines through it and it casts a soft glow by diffusing light. The cardamom is an illusion of the hospitality the spiderwoman shows men, and peach to imagine what dainties she would prepare for the men she was going to feed upon." With a description like that, how could I refuse?!

In the bottle: Ohhhhh mmmmm! Dry powdered chocolate, vanilla, and a faint peach liqueur. 

On my skin: The vanilla opens immediately, the way Reason [Reason is a permanent for Possets] does. Very straightforward vanilla that can come across as a bit alcoholic. The chocolate (dark chocolate mixed with a bit of milk chocolate) drops down immediately into the base and resolves into being the cardamom. At this point it smells like a completely decadent drink spiked with a tinge of some kind of thick alcoholic something (rum, maybe) without smelling like alcohol (if that makes any sense at all--it's just that kind of note with edges and spikes but warm and intoxicating). It takes about five minutes before the peach begins to open up on my skin.

As it dries: The peach begins to come forward and plays beautifully with the cardamom. This comes across as delicate, with a bite (perfectly named for a spider). The vanilla plays steadily with the other notes, and makes this both luscious and delicious but also gives it an ethereal lift. This is a foody that definitely keeps a foot in the foody camp but that has a surprising edge that leans to the perfumey side with a sly nod to sophistication. I have a feeling that every time I wear this one, people are going to want to hug me just a bit longer than usual. *grin

This is delightful, and I think is going to age beautifully. I can see this being worn almost year round, but think it will be too much on nasty muggy days (the vanilla may be too heavy instead of lift then, but would be gorgeous on the evening of one of those days as the sun begins to set and the stars come out).

Warm. Engaging. Comforting. Snuggly. But also utterly foodily delightful.

Jin - Possets description: "A true peach oriental with ingredients they use in the Unite Arab Emirates (UAE). Peaches, dried peaches, patchouli, and tobacco extract, a good wollop of cardamom and big shot of a very dry amber. A foody resinous blend which is just what cooler weather perfects."

In the bottle: Mmmmmm, oh yes. It's like the Gingerbreads [the Gingerbread line includes the Gingerbread Whorehouse and Gingerbread Crackhouse and are forum favorites] and fruit had a baby (it's not quite peach, not quite apricot, but rather like both of them dried and almost fruit leathery, but with hints of the fresh juicy fruit lurking waaaay down below).

On my skin: The peach blossoms, and with the gingerbread essence it turns into something that almost comes across as chocolate perfume. Not quite chocolate, but as if a perfumer was doing a modern take of chocolate but in perfume form. That phase shifts around a little bit, and goes "cool" on me for a minute or two, where it turns straight into peach perfume (not peach, but like a modern take of peaches only as perfume). Then a pipe tobacco lifts up a bit (so beautiful) and dives down again to become an amazing base and the peach becomes softer and juicier. Right here, just right here I fall in love. This is beautiful. It rides on a masculine edge, but is so gorgeous. Tobacco and peach is probably a combination I would have never imagined together, but this proves they were MADE for each other. For a few minutes, as it shifts around a bit more, it smells a little like a VERY upscale soap that belongs only in the most posh salon. The peach continues to feel like a combo between fruit leather and juicy succulence. The tobacco is utterly amazing in this--fresh and a bit moist--and it weaves around the peach so beautifully. I don't get much patchouli, but I do sense it lurking around the edges and I think as this ages it will come out a bit more and rough this up a little bit more and make it even sexier. (I did have this on my skin and applied again to get my first impressions, and a few hours on the skin brings out the patchouli a little more to merge beautifully with the above notes and seems to be providing some of the spiciness to this.)

As it dries down, the notes soften a bit, while still retaining the slightly masculine vibe, and yet oddly it makes me feel more feminine and powerful.

Out of all of the ones I've tried today, this is the one I keep returning to. It's complex and simple and snuggly but gorgeous all at the same time. I agree that this is a great transition perfume, but I can also see me reaching for this (often) in the dark and gray days of winter. It's soothing and comforting, but also uplifting and assured of itself. It shifts around quite a bit for the first half hour, but after that it seems to take all of the good notes and ride that through the rest of the hours in a more gentle form without losing substance. I could also see myself wearing this in spring, and on brilliant summer nights when the humidity has dropped down a bit and I just want to go out and enjoy the stars.

The notes balance each other in such a way that you know what you're smelling but the sum is SO much greater than the parts. I would definitely not slather this one on. The nuances seem to pop most when applied with a lighter hand, and the longevity is solid enough that I think slathering would over do this one. This is a fragrance to savor like a fine wine or chocolate. You can gulp a Hershey's bar, but you experience a fine European chocolate. This perfume is one to experience (and I have a feeling I'm going to want to experience it over and over). Stunning. Beautiful. Just...fantastic.

I have four more perfumes that I'll review tomorrow. Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

Depression and Perfume

If anyone has been paying attention, I haven't been here. I haven't been here for a while. In fact, I was here, and then I wasn't.

I've talked a little (elsewhere) about depression. I'm in several groups for writers. Some of us have joked about depression being a necessity for writers, but even with knowing that we feel (enabling us to bring pages to life for others) it doesn't make going through the dark hours any easier.

Depression is a tricky thing. Sometimes we're clawing to the top (and almost out), then we fall right back down into a suffocating hole. Some days we know are going to be coping days so we grit our teeth and hang on. And then there are the days when, if we are honest with ourselves, the empty gray of depression has us very very lost, but we can sometimes fool ourselves into thinking we are coping.

Last year (and for part of the year before that), I was very lost. I had some reasons. Four of my sweetiepie birds died (it still shakes me to think about). I had some big health scares. People I love dealt with big things. People died. I was struggling in many ways. It felt like every month brought one more thing to deal with, and even knowing that we all deal with those one more things I still felt very alone. Correct that: I felt very lonely. (I don't mind being alone, but feeling lonely is miserable.)

Before I fell into the world of perfume oils and niche (indie) perfumes, I had things that could keep me going, but I could drop interests when I felt like it. The few times I struggled with debilitating depression, I had stuff that I knew I could set aside, walk away from, lose. It scared me that I was okay with that. But after I discovered this small fun little world of fragrance, I had this thing that despite myself would keep me coming into the present. My very worst days worried me the most, not because I was thinking of ways I could hurt myself, but because those were the days I wouldn't wear any perfume at all. I had several of those days in a row, and that's when I said, "Whoa, you need to do something. Danger."

To many people, that may seem frivolous and silly, but perfume was my life line to some degree of normal. Deliberately turning away from perfume was a blinking red beacon that I was in trouble.

And so I made myself, in the deepest darkest of gray, put perfume on. Every day. Even when I wanted nothing more than to fade into the ground, to not move, to crawl under the covers and never wake up. I would go to my perfume chest and make myself pick out something.

Then, one day, I crawled into bed and decided to stay there. No perfume. No shower to feel clean. No brushing of teeth as a reminder that I am alive. Just covers and darkness. And tears. As I lay there staring at the ceiling with tears slowly slipping into my hair, I snuffled. There in the gray, I smelled the mix of the small box of perfumes I had stashed by my bed. Mindlessly, not being aware that I was doing so, I began to pick out the notes. Peony, yes, I think that's peony. Lavender. Rose. Is that maybe a touch of tuberose? Lemon? No. Grapefruit. Why am I smelling this right now? I don't normally smell this when I go to bed. I looked over. The box was the same (undisturbed). Nothing had changed that I could see, but somehow they had reached out to me. I crawled out of bed. Showered. Put on perfume again.

I can't list off all of the names of what I wore. I can't even tell you everything in that small box. By Kilian. Carnal Flower. Testers from people all over the place. Guerlain. Old classics. Several Betrand Duchaufor creations. Possets. Sample packs from Lucky Scent (if you do not know Lucky Scent, you want to). More packs from The Perfumed Court, The Posh Peasant. My empty sample of Lea by Calypso St. Barth (I really do need to just buy a bottle of that some day). My travel case of samples a friend gave me with mimosa and sparkling flowery perfumes. L'Artisan and Parfumerie Generale.

Every time I wore perfume, I didn't feel as isolated or lonely. I slowly have been making my way back here. We're about to move and life is going to be hectic again, so my posts may be sporadic, but even if I never write another post I wanted to say this: Sometimes the smallest things can save us. If perfume brings you joy, embrace that. You may never know when it reaches out to you and becomes your lifeline.

Since the last time I wrote here I have sampled, tested, hoarded, wrinkled my nose at, and sniffed multiple lovelies (and not so lovelies). My hope is that when we get settled in our new location that I will be able to bring them out and share them with the world.

Until then, even while packing and moving, I'll be wearing perfume. I hope you'll join me.

ZOMG Smells: Lola

A few months ago, I was able to buy a bunch of samples from several of the stores that had been on my wish-list for a while. I wanted to review them here as I tried them, but the summer got away from me and I didn't have a chance to do so.

However, one of the samples I tried has stuck in my head and I decided that today was the perfect day to bring it out again, dab some on, and give it some love here. It's so delicious, and it deserves to be talked about.

This perfume comes from ZOMG Smells. One reason ZOMG has been on my list for a while is because I love their slogan: "fine nerdy scents for fine nerdy people." Nerd love! YAY! After going through their website and writing down all of the scents that I wanted, I realized I needed to trim my list down considerably, so I started with a sample pack of 10 (a squee party). I picked scents that had mechanic vibes, gear oil, flowers, fruit, spices, and musks because I wanted a nice rounded idea of what they offer. I was particularly looking forward to trying Lola (although, I have to admit that it's not my favorite name--even though I have friends with a dog whose name is Lola and she is pretty darn cute) because Lola has spices and I love spices.

Here is the official description from ZOMG: "Lo-lo-lo-lo lo-laaaaaaaaaaaaa.... Surprisingly unisex, appropriately enough. ;) Vanilla and spices doused in sticky-sweet frankincense and propped up on sky-high platform heels." Link to the product: Lola

Even though I was looking forward to the spices, I did have some reservations about the frankincense, because sometimes that goes straight to dryer sheets and corn cakes on me. However, I tried it on and was pleasantly surprised.

So, with that, to the review!

In the sample vial: Mmmmmm, sweet baking spices: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice. It also has a nice deep woody note, and a faint thread of sweet vanilla. So far, this is reminding me of what I love about Thanksgiving cooking: the spices.

On my skin: It smells like a very dark wood floor was coated in a spice wax and left to warm in the sun. It's layered and very warmly beautiful.

As it begins to dry: it begins to soften some and the spices begin to merge together to create a warm base. The wood floor aspect drops down a few degrees, but it helps to round out the scent and give this a slightly roughened edge that keeps this from being too foody or too sweet.

As it dries further: the frankincense begins to peep out. This is not a very incensy frankincense, rather it's sweet (as the description says), and comes across as soft and very smooth. It's a beautiful mix with the spices, and this is where I begin to Zen out with this perfume. It's cuddly and cozy, calming but uplifting at the same time. It's warm, with a sexy edge.

As it continues to dry down: I want to eat my arm. I smell so delicious. I love spicy perfumes, but I can be rather picky about them. I don't want musty spices. I either want them very fresh or baked so that I can get the pep and lift of the bright fresh spices or the deep nuances of the baked ones. This seems to have both the bright fresh pep and the deep undernote (although the fresh is much more dominant--and I think some of that deep baked undernote is coming from the frankincense). I do tend to shy away from some spice perfumes because they have been known to make my skin turn several interesting shades of red, so I was a little worried about trying Lola. However, every time I've worn it, I've not had an allergy issue--for which I am so thankful, because I want this one on my skin. On. My. Skin! It needs to be so close, nothing can come between us. :D

After the first thirty minutes or so of shifting and settling on my skin, this rides out in a beautiful mix of dark wood floor, sweet frankincense, a warm and cozy vanilla, and spices. If I was forced at gun point to list my top twenty perfumes (top ten is completely impossible), this would definitely be on it. It's warm. It's comforting. It's bright and uplifting. And there is something about it that is so very sweetly sexy. Perhaps on someone else this would be totally vavoom, but I happen to like that it's not sky-jacker heels and little red dress on me. I like that it's warm and soothing, and utterly snuggle worthy. It reminds me of days when I drove up to the mountains to see the changing leaves with my love, and how we hung around to watch the sun set, how the sky seemed so brilliantly blue, the sun so soft, and the leaves so bright. Although there is always something to be said about the red-hot lick of vavoomy-ness, there is also something so amazing about sexy that comes around in the quiet moments of holding hands, driving on a winding road, with nothing more than the next tree ahead to see. This is that perfume to me. Perhaps that's why I love it so: when all of the craziness of life is shoved to the side and we get down to what really matters, I find that I want the comfort of love more than the hot flash of it. I want to slow down, kiss, enjoy, and remember that even though life goes too quickly, we can still have those bright brief moments that remind us how beautiful it is to be alive.

My one complaint about this one is that it does seem rather fleeting. The throw is decent, but my skin eats this one up rather quickly (or was that me just licking it off of my skin? I'll never tell).

Oh, if you need to ask: this one is definitely full bottle worthy (fbw) for me. It may even be ten full bottles worthy, but I need to pace myself. I still have more samples to try, perfumes to buy, and smells to sniff (and fall in love with).

Alkemia: new sample day!

I entered a drawing to win samples of the new Alkemia fall release perfumes. Imagine my absolute utter delight when I was notified that I had won! (That's a happy booty dance, right there!) Winning anything fun is Yay! But winning perfume? Oh yeah, that's amaaaaaazing!

I checked my mailbox and saw that my package was here today (omg! squeeeee!), and I immediately had to come home and tear it open. Before I opened any of the samples, I decided that I needed to make this a test day and share the spoils with you all. You'll get my take on them--good or bad.

Here's the breakdown of the loot awesomeness that came in my package:

Vixen: "A captivatingly shapeshifting blend of sexy white amber and luminous late summer night blooming florals awakened by warm caresses of autumnal spice, golden musk, varietal apple peel, sugar pumpkin, jasmine tea, and a whisper of woodland mosses." Link to Vixen

Devil's Dandy: "A diabolically seductive blend of elegant dark leathers, wild black currants and forest blackberries soaked in blood-red merlot wine, mahogany wood, and brooding musk with a whiff of carnal patchouli and the faintest whisper of brimstone." Link to Devil's Dandy

Magus: "Rare black Ethiopian frankincense and High John the Conqueror root blended with the sensual musk of ambrette seed and the evocative mystery of labdanum and opoponax swirled with a smokey touch of vetivert root, Cambodian oud, and Somalian incense." Link to Magus

Hellcat: "A dark and ferociously sexy blend of Black Oud, Black Musk, Labdanum, and spiced Pipe Tobacco blended with a seductive purr of Black Opium." Link to Hellcat

Moss Maiden: "A delicately feral blend of luxuriant mosses, crushed wet ferns, earthy calamus root, piquant cedar tips, galbanum, balsam pine, lichen, disturbed autumnal leaves, and aromatic incense woods." Link to Moss Maiden

Mesnée d'Hellequin: "The breath of the wild northern forest on a full moon night. An uncivilized tangle of balsam pine, cypress needles, cedar bark, teakwood, vetiver root, galbanum, lichen, moss, dried leaves, damp earth, and forest fungi." Link to Mesnee d'Hellequin

First of all, don't those all look scrumptious?! If you've followed me for any amount of time, you know I whimpered at the leather in Devil's Dandy and drooled my way through the rest of them (even if some of them didn't first strike me as "me").

Now to the fun (I'll take them in the above order):

Vixen: In the vial, I get cinnamon, soft sweet flowers, a faint hint of fall (perhaps that's the pumpkin), and something that comes across as almost mossy green. On my skin: sweet cinnamon, almost like an atomic fireball that fades almost immediately down to flowers (at first almost air-freshenerish, but that drops down quickly to become softer), some dry leaves, sweet moss/green, the faint faint hint of fruit (I'm thinking both the apple and pumpkin have a hand in that), and oh here comes the jasmine tea. Nice. This is an interesting blend for me. It's not something I would gravitate toward wearing (I tend to shy away from cinnamony fragrances for my skin because I'm more delicate than I want to be), but as it dries down, it's lifting some and creating a delicate airiness that I was not expecting--with something slightly powdered lurking on the bottom. This comes across as an Indian Summer kind of day: the sun is out, but you know the chill is lurking around the corner. It's a scent of contrasts that begin to resolve into something rather pretty. This strikes me as much more femme and smooth than I was expecting from a Vixen label, but she definitely has some bite--as all good Vixens do.

Devil's Dandy: (Oh, please, oh please be amazing!) In the vial, oh yeah! Leather, tobacco, dark wood, and a hint of something sinister. This is making me think of a very clean but old library at the stroke of midnight, flowers dying in the corner, and something sly tapping up the stairs toward you. In a word: getitonmenow! On my skin: Mmmmmm that leather is rough and jagged. Nothing smooth or saddle worn. Those dying flowers are purple, or come across to me as purple. I'm not getting any grape from this, but I'm definitely getting purple when I sniff. It's dark, it's rich, and it's slightly sweet. I just scrolled up to check the notes again, and yes I can totally see the black currants and blackberries soaked in Merlot. It gives a smooth sweetness, without candy or sugar. As it dries, the leather begins to soften and age, but the wood stays pretty solid--giving this a delicious bite. I am enjoying the sweetness the currants and blackberry give this, although I think I would also really like this without those notes. This smells like a very expensive store catering to vampires and bibliophiles. I think part of me wants this a little bit more untamed, a bit more rough, but that may come in time as the patchouli opens up (which I get little of here). This scent would be absolutely perfect in the fall or winter. It's deep, rich, cozy, and just a bit on the outside of expected.

Magus: In the vial, oh my, what is this? Impressions: fresh, holy, rich, golden, incense. On my skin: Oooooh! Wow. I normally don't go for incense perfumes, but this is pretty. I get the edge of frankincense, the soft rounding of oud, an incense that isn't too harsh or headshoppy (or even smoky), something that's a bit soapy (but clean soapy not powdered), and a touch of soft sweetness rounding out the bottom. This almost comes across as a very clean tea to me--not in flavor, but in tone. It has a golden quality to it that is very clear and unmuddied. It feels clean and lifting. Happy and bright while being serene. Yes, serene is the word I'm looking for. It has a peacefulness to it, and comfort. Although this isn't something I would typically wear, it draws me and makes me think it would be perfect to calm down the stress of the Holidays ahead. This makes me think of looking out of frosted windows on a cold night, seeing the bright stars, the reflection of the flicker of fire from the fireplace, and feeling the warmth of being snug inside while the world grows quiet outside. If you are an incense fan, you want this. Oh, yes, you do.

Hellcat: Hmmm. Time to go sniff some coffee to clear my nose. Be right back. Ahhhh, much better. In the vial, I get a velvety vibe. I also get a bit of tobacco that can sometimes come across as incense, and something almost medicinally sweet. On my skin: Sweet tobacco that almost comes across as cola-ish (oh yummm!), something a bit fizzy (still thinking dark cola), and ooooh is that a dark oud I smell? It's oudish, but more soft and deep. This is a very velvety fragrance. It has an almost fuzzy vibe, but it's a soft fuzz. It's layered, rounded, cola-ish without being too sweet. It does have an almost medicinal quality to it, and I'm thinking that it's a bitterness that may be creating that, but it's a bitter that resolves into giving this just the right edge. I keep thinking of a dark cola: sweet and bitter and totally satisfying. To be fair, it comes across to me as a bit more hellkittenish, but it's a kitty with some claws it will grow into--and I am aware my perfume tastes are a bit out there, so to those who aren't used to dark fragrances, this may seem more cattish than kitteny. When I close my eyes and sniff, the image that comes to mind is a midnight dark cat with golden eyes. And she may or may not be on the prowl. Meow!

This is where I'm starting to feel a little sad. My pile-to-try is getting slim. I love the unexplored adventure ahead--the possibilities of something new to experience--and it makes me feel a bit wistful for more new things to discover. However, I DO still have two more to try, so, with a big sigh and a bit of delight, it's onward to Moss Maiden.

Moss Maiden: In the vial, I get green--green, green, very green. It's a sweet green like the sweetness of grass or even the sweetness of cucumber, without coming across as grass or cucumber. It has a faint herbal tinge, and something that feels like fresh leaves poking out from under a bush in the forest. On my skin: This stays very green, lush, ripe, almost beyond dewy to wet green. It's making me think of cloud forests in Costa Rica--the damp, the lush, the deep green--but this is much sweeter and more light in feel. It has a prettiness to it that is softening it and turning it into perfume. It also brings in a touch of trees--damp trees, with water making the trunks darker than they normally would be. It feels like a soft forest, a wet forest, soaked in a warm rain, with little animals scurrying around in the underbrush, and eyes that may or may not be of this world peeping out between fronds. This actually may be my surprise favorite. It's sweeter than I expected, and a bit more lush than I normally gravitate toward, but there's something compelling about it. The whole time I've been sniffing it, it has been reminding me of something, and I just got it: pear skin. Down at the very bottom of this, I'm getting a faint hint of bitter green pear skin. It adds a nice touch to the sweetness, gives this some depth, and makes this more complex than I expected. This would be perfect on a blah winter day to remind us that spring is ahead. It would also be perfect in spring as a way to celebrate the season. I think it would also be lovely in summer since it feels fresh and cooling. And, it would probably give a gray rainy autumn day the perfect little lift. What a surprise delight!

Mesnée d'Hellequin: In the vial, mmmm! Fresh, a bit of menthol/pine, a teensy touch of the pitch of green needles (pine or other pokey trees), brisk, serene. If Moss Maiden is a cloud forest, this is back country in the pines of the Rocky Mountains. Oh lovely! On my skin: Hmmm, not sure about this. It better resolve quickly. It's pine air-freshener and floor cleaner. Whew, there it goes. This is strong on pine and the sticky sap that comes from those types of trees and needles. Under that, the cool brisk mountain air rides, bringing in the faint hint of dying grasses and approaching night in the pine forest. I also get a faint whiff of cedar rounding this out some. This is a very cool fragrance. Cool and almost brisk, with a touch of the wild in it. It makes me think of times I spent camping in the Rockies: the cold and dry, the big sky, the way the stars seems so bright. Everything was sharper, more clear, up there. This is a very unisex scent. On the right man, it would be bracing and downright dangerous. On me, it's chilly, and a bit lonely--but those can be very good things on a hot and gross summer day.

All in all, I'm absolutely delighted with my package. One reason I love perfume oils is because so often the oils--even if very different from each other--seem to connect or have a cohesive quality that tie them together from the same maker. Each company is unique and has a totally different vibe. Even though these are not the typical "foody" type scents that come out around Autumn, they all have the same Alkemia thread running through them, making them unique, fun, very wearable, and call to mind the joys of nature in its many forms. I call that a win!

Possets: Allen Ginsberg--Howl

I took several steps away from writing recently, and I found (again) that not writing ends up making me feel like my soul has been sucked into a black hole. Being candid: sometimes I already feel like I've been sucked into a black hole, which leads to the not writing, but the not writing black hole is infinitely worse than the black hole I feel when I am writing. Each day away made me more miserable and cranky. I finally decided that if I couldn't write about perfume (something that is so deeply embedded in my core) then I have serious problems. After struggling to peep over the edge of the black hole for a few weeks, I finally popped my head out completely (I can't talk about the rest of me, but I suppose that's neither here nor there), and I decided to come back to the blog with a Possets perfume from the summer release.

So, onward to the review (and thank you for my moment of catharsis).

A little bit of back story: The Possets summer release focuses on poets and their poems (link to the main page for the summer release is here: Possets Summer of 2013 Release ). I write poetry (some can be found on my "serious" blog here: Maya's Poety Stuff ) so I was determined to be allll over this release. I've found some hits, some misses, but one that keeps calling me back again and again is the perfume inspired by Allen Ginsberg's Howl.

The Possets description: "Perhaps the iconic poem of the Beat Generation, Howl needed to be cast as a perfume. By "cast" I mean to make a mold of it, as in the lost wax process, so that you can feel the time it portrays with your mind through scent. This was a time of big perfumes, the discovery of patchouli, cigarette smoke, chypre with a wild touch of something from the east. There was sweat and sex, the world was discovered for the first time.

Possets' interpretation of Howl is unabashedly sexy, driven mad by welling passions. Black, red and amber musks wrestle furiously with sandalwood and opium tar resin. There is nothing light, sweet, or gentle about this scent. A burning incense backs it up, black patchouli stands in the forefront. Dark, musky, resinous.

Tremendously savage, dark and sweet like molasses rather than sugar.

...and yet, there is something innocent about it all."

In the bottle: I have been (since day one) unsure about this fragrance while it sits in the bottle. I get a little bit of dryer-sheet-aisle waft and that always makes me do a squinty face. However, wrapped around that is a really deep and dark hint of something that wants to come out to play, a rough edge (and oh do I love those rough edges), and a drop of sandalwood (very light drop), threaded through with a shot of something that makes me think of very dark brown sugar with some of the sweetness cut out.

On my skin: Oh my. Deep, perfume-y, and rich, this goes on with almost a chocolate vibe (cocoa chocolate, not milk nor mild) with a hint of smoke, a touch of Fabienne's chypre (I cannot get enough of her chypre blends), and a deep dark musk that seems threaded through with a faint touch of something that feels like caramel without all of the sweetness. I also get a faint touch of spiced incense.

As it begins to dry down: the smoke roughs this up a bit, which I love. It's not a heavy smoke because the other notes are stronger, but the undernote of smoke gives this a gritty edge that makes this intriguing and compelling, and adds a lot of depth. I have to admit that I (so far) haven't fallen in love with most red musks I've tried, so I was nervous about this perfume. I can get some of the red musk vibe, but it's whipped into shape by the black and amber musks so that makes me happy. The rest of this is a little bit sweet, but not sugared in its sweetness. This comes across as a very dark perfume without feeling too heavy or oppressive.

As it dries further: The black musk (sweet and velvety) comes out to play some. It gives this warmth and body, and plays beautifully with the opium tar resin. I think some of the smoke that I'm getting is from the opium tar resin, but the opium tar also adds a note of sweetness to this and a bit of the grit to round out the edges. The amber musk adds a touch of powder to this, helping to keep this from being too heavy and overwhelming. The faint incense note fades down even more to give support to the base.

Final dry down: this has staying power and decent throw. Despite the heavy-hitting notes, it ends up being deep and dark without being overwhelming or smothering. That dark cocoa note rides along for a while then merges into the smoke and the grit. I keep coming back to the word gritty for this one. It's not gritty as in dirty, but gritty as in having teeth and edge and fortitude. I think of gravel, but despite that rough edge, this has a lot of smoothness to it. It's lush, velvety even, and rich. I think the patchouli helps to add to the grit in this, but this is no head-shoppy patchouli. It's dark and growly and plays beautifully with the other notes.

At first sniff, I wasn't sure about this one. And, I have to admit, that there's something about this that for the first five minutes makes me wonder if I'm going to want to scrub it off. It feels...unresolved...(for lack of a better term) for those opening minutes. But when it begins to pull together it becomes a thing of beauty.

This is a deeply satisfying perfume for someone who likes contrasts and balance and dark but not too-heavy fragrances. It has some sweetness, but it's not so sweet that you feel like falling into a sugar coma. It has depth. It has teeth, but those teeth only nibble, and there is something about it that is definitely worth a nibble or two (or five, or more--whew!). It feels velvety and lush, but it has a prim backbone that keeps it from going overboard. It's perfumy and makes me think of some of the dark heavy-hitters from the 1980's, but this doesn't have that nose-clogging sneezability like those did. I feel powerful and strong while wearing it, but hours later when it's completely resolved and faintly riding the skin all I want to do is snuggle up somewhere with my favorite book and a nice fire because of how comforting and soft it feels. I love perfumes with nuances and edges, and this one definitely has that for me.

In short, the name says it all: Howl. When I put it on I want to prowl, I want to stalk, I want to wait for the darkest night with the faintest light, put this on, and yell at the moon, then find someone to drag back to my lair to...well, you can fill in the rest. I'm pretty sure I'll be voting for this one to become permanent. :D

Alkemia: Tryst of Grey

Every now and then, a perfume comes along that literally makes me stop everything I'm doing. In those first moments of trying one of those fragrances, I'm usually stuck on "Wow!" and the world narrows down to nothing more than my nose, my skin, and the fragrance. It's a moment of pure joy.

Tryst of Grey by Alkemia is one of those fragrances for me.

Here's the description from Alkemia (Alkemia, unlike most of the other perfume companies I follow who have their own website, can be found on Etsy): An utterly beguiling blend of Earl Grey Tea, lightly brewed Black Assam Tea, Scarlet Monarda (also known as Wild Bergamot), a fresh twist of Bergamot citrus peel, and golden skin musk teased with long, slow kisses of orange blossom honey.

Added to the description was this quote: "Part of the art of being a woman is knowing when not to be too much of a lady." ~ Anonymous

Anyone who knows me could probably say why the quote and the description made this a Must Buy purchase for me. (For those of you who may not know me so well, I think being too much of a lady is overrated, and I enjoy the genteel nature of tea. How's that for a lovely contradiction?) However, one thing that clinched the Must Buy is that this is a limited edition, and I didn't want it to go away before I had a chance to try it.

In the bottle: a mix of Earl Grey and black teas (no milk or cream to smooth this over), something faintly sweet lurking underneath, and the golden skin musk (it's softly evocative of sun-warmed skin).

On my skin (side note: Alkemia perfumes come with dripper caps--and this cap was very generous with pouring the perfume on my skin, so be careful when you apply): The skin musk is a little furry at this point and it lies along the bottom of this scent. The dominant player is the bergamot. Bergamot, bergamot, and more bergamot. But, it's not off-putting. Rather, it's like grabbing a box of Earl Grey tea, crushing the tea leaves so the bergamot oil separates, then rubbing those leaves on my skin. I get the faint lingering essence of black tea, but the dominant player is the bergamot. And it's smoothed out some. Not nearly as tannic or harsh as some Earl Grey teas can be.

As it begins to dry, the black tea begins to rise to the top a bit, giving this more body and depth. The honey isn't really coming out to play, but what is present gives this a soft sweetness and helps to smooth out any remaining tannins from the teas.

This is Earl Grey without any cream muddying up the notes, and it's gorgeous. I think the Assam tea is bringing in a slightly smoked-tea vibe, which adds a little bit more depth and complexity to this (without smelling like smoke).

As this dries further, the honey begins to come forward. This honey reminds me a little of Alkemia's Miel de Sauvage et Tabac, but this honey is a bit less "sticky" to my nose. This is a little smoother, a little softer, a bit more romantic. I know some people have issues with honey notes turning into pee notes, but Alkemia's honeys have never veered that way for me. Alkemia's honey notes are more like the way honey plays in tea--present, softly rounding out the whole, and adding a touch of sweetness that doesn't call a lot of attention to itself (especially here--although, Miel de Sauvage et Tabac is stronger on the honey, and I could see that turning to pee on some people).

Although I'm talking about tea and honey notes, there's something about the way all of these combine that make this really lovely. I feel my mind scrambling to convey the depth of the perfume on my skin, the way it merges with me and makes me feel beautiful, the way it's like tea and honey but tea and honey in a grand alchemy experiment that goes wonderfully right.

I like some perfumes because they smell exactly like something I can relate to. For example, I have a lavender/vanilla perfume that smells exactly like lavender and vanilla were smooshed together and are on my skin. However, every now and then, a perfume comes along that is "something" (in this instance, tea and honey) but that reaches far beyond the "exactly like" and becomes so much greater than the sum of its parts.

If someone walked past me wearing this perfume, I'd want to stop them and ask them about it. It feels familiar due to the tea, and I might even pick up the Earl Grey vibe from it. But, it's so much more than the tea and honey. The tea is tannic, but not bitter. The honey is soft and gently sweet (not overt in any way--more like the way grass is sweet in the summertime, or the way the air sweetens after the rain). The skin musk plays beautifully here, giving this a warm and slightly heated skin (almost animalic, but not quite) undertone that keeps this nicely balanced.

The whole comes across as exotic, enticing, rich, and warm.

For several years, I have been looking for an Earl Grey vibe type of perfume, but I was looking for something with a creaminess to soften the tannins of the tea. I've always been disappointed with the perfumes I've tried because they usually end up smelling a bit chemically, and sometimes too harsh, and sometimes too smoothed out by cream or milk or sugar. Who knew that what I needed was simply honey to make my Earl Grey perfume come true?

This is a "Wow!" for me--and it continues to wow me every time I put it on. It's so good, I keep wondering if I should buy a back-up bottle. I'm afraid I'm going to miss this one a lot when it goes away (I hope Alkemia gets enough feedback that they decide to make this one permanent--although, one reason I like Alkemia is that they don't have an overwhelming bunch of perfumes like some perfume oil companies do so I can understand if they don't keep it around). This is a perfume that should be worn often and everywhere. The world would be better for it!

Edited because people wanted to know how to find this perfume, so here's the link to it on Etsy at Alkemia: Tryst of Grey at Alkemia