I was offered free samples of all of
Pyewacket Potions scents and I said yes since I haven't tried new perfumes in ages. My collection is just unmanageable right now, so I've been on a strict no buy. I think my current perfume collection can last me a decade or two. >.<
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General Perfume Overview
The throw of the perfumes vary greatly depending on what notes are in it. Their citronella notes are definitely intense, and you can easily fill an entire room with it. Generally, these scents are usually around casual conversation distance and it lasts about 1 1/2 hours before they fade and leave lingering traces on your skin.
In general, I think Pyewacket Potions is great at creating these clean, herbal scents that makes you think of romanticized cottages and castles by a meadow, where everyone is naturally scented with herbs (the clean and fresh kind, not the medicinal, earthy kind) or soap. Basically, scents that bring you here:
The scents that smell like you've just washed in soap instead of wearing a perfume are definitely their
forte.
Unfortunately, they do have some foodie, fruity scents, and those are the scents I'm personally not a fan of since they lean on the artificial side. Then again, some people do like the artificial fruit scent, so I get their inclusion in the scent catalogue. They're just not for me.
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Review Notes
As always, reviews are done blind until the TL;DRs are written. If any of the notes surprise me, I write an overview. I've also started adding a "Final Verdict" section to help me keep track of my perfumes and figure out what to destash, since my perfume collection is starting to get messy. Here are the categories I came up with for my "Final Verdict":
- Love: Most awesome perfume ever. Need endless supplies of it and will swap my first born child for the last drops of it if it's limited edition.
- Like: I like it and may buy a full size of it, but it's not urgent.
- Interesting: I don't really like it or I don't think I can wear it in public, but I appreciate the artistry of the scent. It's like a beautiful but unwearable runway piece you won't buy on your own, but don't mind owning.
- Ok: It's okay. I like it enough, but may destash for a good price to keep my collection manageable.
- Destash: Kill it with fire.
- Age it: Maybe it will smell good one day. One day. Just wait.
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Cola Bottles
"Just what it says on the bottle; natural citrus fruit and spice essential oils, popularly used for a caffeine-free energy boost, with a sweet nature-identical caramel fragrance and real vanilla absolute, all makes a cola with a good kick!"
You definitely smell that Lipsmackers "cola" scent as soon as you open the bottle and that's the scent that dominates when I first applied it on my skin. There's a lemon cream scent too, and while it's the most delicious cream scent, I really don't like this artificial cola mixed into it.
After about 5-10 min, the cola scent starts taking on a camphorous smell and the cream mixed into it ends up smelling like those artificial, cloying cream scents that smells almost "play dough-ish". I'm trying to power through this scent but it's hard.
At around 15 min, I'm getting this sour curdled milk sort of scent...I think the lemon is actually a vanilla or cream scent going sour on me. Luckily, by about 30 min, the sourness finally disappears. Now it's just cool, camphorous artificial cola with hints of something creamy. It's not bad considering how bad it was, but I'm still not a fan.
When it fades, it actually leaves this gorgeous sugary marshmallow scent on my skin that I just love, but it takes so long to get there. I think I'll age it and see if I get more of the marshmallow.
TL;DR: Camphorous artificial cola with something creamy.
Final Verdict: Age it.
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Hand-Drawn "Cassy"
"Delicious chocolate and banana milkshake with lashings of vanilla cream, gooey butterscotch sauce, chopped hazelnuts, a dusting of nutmeg, and a sweet cherry on top, with just a hint of woody cedar pencil and paper in the background."
The first thing that explodes is that artificial strawberry candy scent. There's hints of something that's possibly chocolatey, but it's mostly strawberry bubblegum at the moment. I like it, and I'm craving strawberry bubblegum right now, but it's not exactly what I'd go for in a perfume.
After about 3-5 min, the tartness subsides slightly and now there's an artificial banana scent too. It smells like a banana-strawberry chocolate bubblegum, which sounds like an awesome idea and someone should make that flavour now.
Around 10 min in, I'm getting this light, icy coolness that I've started associating with this brand after trying out all their perfumes. It adds a complexity to the scent, but it's still bubblegum – chocolate, strawberry, banana mint flavoured bubblegum. That sounds epic and I need someone to make it ASAP.
The bananas are sadly gone by 15-20 min. That banana note always disappears so quickly on me, so this is something I expected. Now it's just strawberry chocolate minty bubblegum.
It's a really cute scent, and something I find absolutely delicious, but it's not exactly what I'd want to smell like. I really do want a bubblegum that tastes like this though. My husband loves this, but he thinks with his stomach. I don't want him chomping me in his sleep, so I'll have to remember not to wear it before bed...
TL;DR: Chocolate, strawberry, banana mint flavoured bubblegum
Final Verdict: Interesting
Overview: Don't get me wrong, this smells like the most delicious bubblegum ever, so that's great. Unfortunately, I'm too old to smell like bubblegum.
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No More Monsters
"...a dark woody background of patchouli, cedar, and dill, lit up with a gentle glow of fresh bergamot mint"
Ok, the first thing that hit me was
minyak kayu putih, or cajeput oil. If you're Indonesian, you'll recognize this scent because you'll smell it wherever there's young kids. The scent is similar to tea tree oil –icy, herbal and sharp. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I personally find
minyak kayu putih sharper than tea tree OIL.
After about 10 min, I get a cool, very sweet minty candy scent too. If you're Indonesian, it smells like Relaxa (it's a sweet mint candy). Relaxa and
minyak kayu putih. It's so Indonesian. The
minyak kayu putih definitely dominates, and it's so strong, my entire car is filled with the scent. I left the bottle in my car by mistake, and the car smelled like
minyak kayu putih for at least 2 more days.
20 min in, I'm unfortunately getting a slightly herbal, medicinal scent, so now it smells like a sick Indonesian baby with scents of
minyak kayu putih &
jamu (traditional Indonesian herbal medicine). The sweet mint candy scent is gone for now, but it returns about 1 1/2 hours in. As the scent dries down, it smells like woody Relaxa with hints of
minyak kayu putih.
I think it's hard for me to separate my cultural associations from this scent. I think it's probably a pleasant scent to a lot of people, but to me, it's like the American equivalent of dousing yourself in baby oil and eating some mints, and calling it your signature scent.
TL;DR: Minyak kayu putih and Relaxa.
Final Verdict: Ok.
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One Groovy Room
"Our most popular blend so far! Real cannabis oil (non-psychoactive, sorry) boosted with a lightly musty trace of vetiver, blended with earthy patchouli, rich dragon’s blood incense, and a juicy mix of orange, dewberry, and a hint of strawberry. Psychedelic! Try it if you like Lush’s Karma; it’s not a dupe, but it has the same orange-patchouli theme."
This is the scent that somehow doesn't really show up against my skin and I have to get close to an intimate whispering level before I catch a whiff. That works out though, because this is smelling so weird on me. It smells like anise & tobacco, two things I hate on their own, and hate even more together. It smells like a sickly old man popping cough drops while smoking like a chimney. After 2-3 min, I think I smell hints of something chocolaty, but it's still mostly cough drops and tobacco.
Oh wow...after about 10 min, this fresh, citrus water scent emerges and the anise and tobacco scents are fading. I may start to like this scent.
I do like how fresh this citrus water scent is –it really just smells like water lightly scented by citrus peels –but 40 min into this scent and that liquorice scent is still domineering.
As it dries down, it becomes this cloyingly sweet, musty tobacco and liquorice scent...like liquorice and tobacco that have been left in a musty, hot room for too long. Not a fan.
TL;DR: Liquorice candy melting over musty tobacco with hints of citrus.
Final Verdict: Destash
Overview: What is causing the liquorice scent???
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Panacea
"An all-natural blend of oils traditionally used to promote wellness. Both refreshing and soothing; lavender, eucalyptus, frankincense, clary sage, lemon, tea tree, and mint."
Ok, this is another perfume that smells like minyak kayu putih, only it's less spicy and I'd put it closer to eucalyptus oil. That's the scent that's dominant so right now so it's hard to identify anything else. The scent clears my sinuses like crazy, so that's great. I think I smell hints of something sweet, but I can't really pick it out since the eucalyptus oil scent is dominating. I have a knot in my neck right now and I have an urge to massage it with this oil.
After about 5 min, the stinging eucalyptus calms down and I can finally smell the other notes. There's soothing, honeyed lavender in it too, and clean, fresh herbs I can't identify. It smells like a romanticized countryside kitchen. The kind that people shoot engagement photos in and appear in interior design magazines, but not the kind you cook in because there's no way it'll smell this great once you use it.
It's so clean and soothing and I love it. After about 20 min in, you even get this watery scent that's so gorgeous. It's not a blue scent, it's this metallic cool scent that makes you think of cool, crystalline waters. If you're familiar with Possets' silver note, it's like that.
Wow...I really love this scent the longer it goes on. It's just a cool, natural elegant scent that smells more like you've been working with dried flowers and herbs the whole day instead of wearing a perfume. It's just gorgeous!
TL;DR: Honeyed lavender with clean, fresh herbs and cool, crystalline water.
Final Verdict: Love
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Sleep Well
"Magnolia leaf, honeysuckle, cananga, and ylang ylang."
Oh this is gorgeous! Honeyed ylang ylang with minty lemon tea. Yes, it's that same minty scent that's so signature of Pyewacket Potions. I'm not sure if it's just the cultural associations I have with ylang ylang, but I think I smell hints of wood too. In Indonesia, you usually smell ylang ylang in traditional Balinese spas that are usually in wooden houses. It really makes me think of some elegant movie mom, probably played by Nicole Kidman, tucking kids into bed.
About 10 min in, everything is melded together and you can't really pick out individual notes. It just smells like a powdery, cool yellow florals scent that you can find see an elegant mother wearing.
By about 20 min, it's a clean watery scent that makes me think like you've just washed yourself with a really expensive, high end soap bar instead of wearing a perfume. It's gorgeous and really subtle. I'm a fan.
TL;DR: Powdery, yellow florals scent that's perfect for an elegant, serene lady.
Final Verdict: Love.
Overview: I looked up cananga and it's just the tree that produces ylang ylang flowers.
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Star of the County Down
"Lots of fresh green grass with hazelnuts brown as her hair, sweet honey (non-vegan, sorry), and a lush mingling of chamomile, blooming roses, and marjoram."
I immediately got something green and fresh, like the perfumed interpretation of young shoots, but it's mixed with this odd, savoury scent that makes me
bacang –glutinous rice wrapped in leaf –that's been left out for too long.
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| Image courtesy of yuliduryat.wordpress.com |
Luckily, by about 5 min, my skin amps up the green, so now it smells like a fresh, unisex green scent that makes you think of prancing around in a forest in the morning. There's hints of this wilted scent that clashes with the overall scent to me. I'm hoping it'll go away.
By 15 min, the scent is amaaaazing. It's a fresh, clean scent with a subtle hint of fruity sweetness that makes me think of mangoes, but you can't really identify it. It's really great now. It's light, cool, and the sweetness is subtle and elegant while still being fresh. Makes me think of a forest sprite with a crown of berries.
As it dries down, it just gets this fresh, clean scent like the lingering traces of scent a soap leaves on your skin. A fancy soap that's meant to capture the scent of a lush field of grass surrounding a forest. The kind of fancy soap masquerading as something so rustic and down-to-earth, but you know costs a bomb. The kind that would be advertised this way.
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You know that can is empty. No way her mom would risk mud splattered on her picture perfect baby.
Adorable pic by Ekaterina Efremova |
TL;DR: A forest sprite with a crown of berries.
Final Verdict: Like.
Overview: Would be love, but the first 5 min scares me. I don't know if aging will amplify the first 5min or reduce it. Looking at the notes, I think this will age amazingly so I think this may change to "love"!
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The Sculpture
"A leather-and-stone, creepy, raspy brown musk with cinnamon, vetiver, and cruelty-free civet, splattered with raspberries oozing mysteriously from nowhere. Recommended for those who prefer something a little unusual."
I got this odd mix of cinnamon candies, camphor and dirt at first whiff. There's a hint of something nutty too. It definitely takes a while for the scent to settle, and for the first 5-10 min, I just keep getting whiffs of individual notes that seem to clash with each other –sandalwood, camphor, sickly sweet candy...
Finally, it settled to a scent that makes me think of old wooden chests and cinnamon soda. The cinnamon soda bit is a tad sickly sweet to me.
My skin tends to amp up the old wooden chest bit, so it's not that bad by 20 min, but the cinnamon soda scent wafts up every now and then. I don't know about this scent...I really want to destash, but I just get the feeling this may turn into something awesome with aging. I think I'll try aging it.
TL;DR: Old wooden chests, and sugary sweet cinnamon soda.
Final Verdict: Age it.
Overview: Ok, after reading the notes, I don't think this would get better on me so I may be destashing it.
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Yamato Nadeshiko
"The Wildflower of Nippon; the wise, gentle, and dignified ideal of traditional Japanese womanhood. A perfectly poured cup of fresh green tea touched with soft lemon blossoms, iris root, peony, and pink rose, with a subtle but strong backbone of myrrh."
Omg this is lovely. There's a very light rose in this, but not the heavy, heady rose that makes you think of old lady perfumes. This is a very light rose that makes you think of young women and a fresh bouquet. There are other florals I can't identify, that just turns this into a clean, elegant, pink floral scent that's very light and young. There's a hint of something woody that gives the scent a stately elegance, balancing the scent out so it doesn't get too bright and young.
My skin loves amping up sweetness, so after about 10 min, the scent is getting pretty sweet. I still like it though. It just smells like you're scented naturally with soap and a bath of rose petals.
Unfortunately, by 15 min, the roses started getting heady and heavy so it's a tad too much for me. It's still pretty, but I start getting that headache strong rose scents give me. The heady rose keeps getting stronger and stronger, but they stop getting headache inducing about an hour in. It's still the dominant scent though. I'm kinda sad my skin amps up the rose, because the original scent is really gorgeous. I think I'll try aging this.
TL;DR: Heady rose soap.
Final Verdict: Like.
Overview: Ok, I hate the heady rose, but I really, really love the first 10 min so I end up at "like". I think if the rose wasn't so strong on this, I'd go nuts over this scent. I'm not surprised it's so complex, given how amazing the first 10 min is. But the rose just went crazy on me, and it could be a skin chemistry issue. I'll still recommend it, unless the rose does go crazy on every skin chemistry.
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1-555-BUG-BASH
"An all-natural blend of oils commonly used as natural insect repellents. Flies, mosquitoes, spiders, snails; will bash any bug, big or small! Sharp, fresh, light, and green fragrance, unisex, great for summer. Mint, thyme, marjoram, cedar, and citronella."
Very strong citronella mingled with lemon candy. There's something tingly in this too. This definitely smells like something I'd like to slather all over my body. I'm not sure if it's supposed to happen or I'm imagining it, but the spot I applied the scent on feels cool & tingly.
I think I've just associated citronella so much with mosquito repellent, that this smells like one of those natural mosquito repellents. I like it because it feels cool and tingly instead of hot and itchy like a lot of mosquito repellents, but given how expensive perfume oils are, I'm not sure if I'd pay this much for a better mosquito repellent.
Don't get me wrong, I do like it, and it smells more complex than plain citronella oil for sure –I get more mint and a hint of something herbal after about 5 min. After 10 min, it smells like summer time –mosquito repellent, greenery, and a sugary lemon tea. It makes me think of children running around while women in light, yellow summer dresses drink sweet, lemon tea in a immaculately clean patio......but I still smell mostly like an all-natural mosquito repellent. Especially since around 25-30 min in, the herbal scent intensifies to give this a medicinal feel.
45 min in, the sugary lemon tea and greenery scent has gone, leaving behind herbal citronella. Ok, all natural mosquito repellent for sure. Oh, and I'm definitely not imagining the cool, tingly feeling. Maybe there's a strong mint in this? Definitely something to watch out for if you're allergic, but for me, this makes it so perfect for a hot summer day.
This will definitely be my scent of choice when I'm going outdoors so I can repel the mosquitoes, but I think psychologically, I can't get over the mosquito repellent association so I can't see myself paying perfume prices for it.
TL;DR: Natural mosquito repellent, improved.
Overview: Honestly, if this is cheaper, in larger quantities and lasts longer, it'll be my holy grail mosquito repellent.
