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Showing posts with label Recommendation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recommendation. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Review & Recommendation: Pyewacket Potions (All 10 Scents!)

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:
Gorgeous photo by Francesco Riccardo Iacomino

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. 
For posing purposes only.
Awesome pic by Maksim Mashnenko

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.

Arranging babysitting with elegance..
Elegant shot by Olena Zaskochenko


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.
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.

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.

Pet safe natural mosquito repellent!
Adorable shot by Elena Shumilova


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.



Final Verdict: Like

Overview: Honestly, if this is cheaper, in larger quantities and lasts longer, it'll be my holy grail mosquito repellent.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Review, Swatches & Recommendation: Limnit Lip Gloss

DISCLAIMER: I got these for free, but I was in no way obliged to post a public review & all opinions are mine. Trina did give a 10% off code I can share (WORKINGWITHMONOLIDS), but I do not make any money out of it. :)

Now with that out of the way.....

As you all know, I'm a diehard fan of Limnit and have recommended them before on this blog....as well as many, many, many times on Reddit. I love this brand. So when Trina, the owner, asked me if I'd like to be one of the first few people to try out her new lip glosses, obviously I said yes. 

Atomic Azalea, Fearless Firecracker, Everyday Effervescence



These lip glosses only come in 3 colours at the time being, and here's the description from Limnit:

  • Everyday Effervescence: true yellow-orange lip gloss packed with a mixture of copper, gold, and red shimmer  
  • Fearless Firecracker: red orange lip gloss packed with a mixture of gold, red, and pink shimmer 
  • Atomic Azalea: a slightly warm, watermelony lip gloss with cool pink, purple and red shimmer


So let's get on to the good part first...the swatches!

Atomic Azalea, Fearless Firecracker, Everyday Effervescence





First of all, I'll put a disclaimer right here. I generally don't like glosses since I find them messy and my hair gets stuck in them, but at the same time, Limnit is my favourite brand, so it's hard not to be biased. With that being said, I'll be as fair as possible with my review!

Colour


Ok, my camera isn't doing them justice. They're really sparkly and in real life, I can see the duochrome highlight, especially in Atomic Azalea. These are sheer glosses, and while I normally don't like sheer glosses since my lips are often peeling and sheer glosses highlight this in an unflattering way, this is great for creating that blotted, messy lips look that's so popular in Korea right now.  Here's an example of that look using Fearless Firecracker & Stop And Smell The Roses (new shade!)

Limnit, swatch




Wear


Like all glosses, these aren't really long lasting and I don't expect them to be. They also transfer easily, which again is common for glosses and why I hate glosses. The great thing is that these do NOT bleed and they're not sticky at all, which impressed me. I find that brands have a hard time striking the balance between non-sticky and non-bleedy, and Limnit got it right. So yeah, I'm impressed.

Comfort


10/10. They totally win for this. I mentioned they're non-sticky, but they're so comfortable on your lips too. They're not drying at all, but they don't feel greasy either. For my swatches, I messed up during the video and had to reapply everything all over again. Even then, my lips were ok. It just feels like you're using a lip balm so I'm a huge fan of it.

Ingredients

And comes a slightly boring part that I've decided to start doing in my reviews...ingredient analysis. Here are the ingredients:
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene (and) Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer (and) Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric/Stearic Glycerides, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Microcrystalline Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ozokerite Wax, Fragrance, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cetyl Alchol, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C); May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Mica (77019), Tin Oxide (778161), Synthetic Fluorophylogopite (77019), Silica, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate

As you can see, these are vegan and as always, cruelty-free. Quick check with CosDNA shows that everything's safe & non-irritating, though some of the more acne prone may want to watch out for the cocoa seed butter. I'm acne-prone myself, but I've been using them for a week and haven't had any issues so it's not something I'd worry too much about.

These glosses are definitely rich in butters and oils, and I suspect that's why they're so comfortable to wear. So A+ for formula!


Would I repurchase? Yes.

So for those of you who prefer watching a video and want to see videos of face swatches, here's the video I posted on YouTube:




Oh and bonus swatch of a new Limnit lipstick shade, Stop And Smell The Roses:






Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Review & Recommendation: Toni & Guy at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore

I was told to remove all social media postsabout a salon I now cannot name (I guess I'll call it Salon X), in return for a 60% refund and 2 free hair treatments. It's a joke considering they jacked up the price to $627, so I'm still paying about $280 to get my hair fucked, but I guess I'll have to take it. So now I'm editing this post to talk about how AMAZING Yen Ooi from Toni & Guy at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore, is!

Look how well she fixed my hair!



She's awesome and I was so happy with the results, I hugged her. Seriously! I thought my hair was a gonner, but she fixed it. She was also very aware of what's best for my hair. By the time I got to her, my hair was already getting really brittle and the ends were turning white thanks to gods know what Salon X did to my hair. She didn't do further bleaching and fixed everything without making my hair dryer! I love her so much! Best colourist ever!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Review & Recommendation: Arcana's Ravenous II (4 Scents) + The Terrors (4 Scents)

I bought a bunch of scents from Arcana and finally got around to reviewing them now. For this review, I'm reviewing every scent in the  Ravenous II (except for Apples Crave Cider, the Pretty Indulgent exclusive) and The Terrors collections.

For my previous Arcana reviews, which include a discussion of their longevity and sillage, you can click on the Arcana label on the right or here.

As of publishing date, most of the scents are still available, but Arcana sells out fast. Some of the scents from those two collections are returns from previous years' collections, so if you missed them this time, they may come back!

If you're looking to buy these scents, there are several places where you can buy Arcana scents:



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Review Notes


As always, reviews are done blind until the TL;DRs are written. For the Ravenous collection, since I suspect all the Terror notes are the same, I didn't read the scent description until the very end. 

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.


I've reviewed Pumpkins Crave Terror and Apples Crave Cake in Dec 2014, so I'm copy+pasting my past review with an updated review so you can see how the scents have aged after slightly over a year.

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Ravenous II Collection


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Apples Crave Apples 

"Notes of golden apple, green apple, Winesap, Fuji, fresh apple, baked apple, spiced apple, apple cider, and a hint of apple."

Oh wow. Very fragrant perfumed apples. The kind of apples that are cool, and crisp, and clean. It...kinda makes me apple room sprays. They're definitely the expensive kind of room sprays that aren't sold in drugstores, but still room sprays.

After about 5 min, something in this is giving me a headache the way some room sprays do, so I'm definitely not sniffing myself too much. I smell that typical room spray "red apple" note floating around, and when I get closer, I get that extremely clean, room spray "green apple" note.

I kept thinking it'll get better, but after over an hour, it's still that extremely clean and searing room spray apples. The red apple room spray fades faster than the green apple room spray, so the scent left lingering on your skin is green apple room spray.

TL;DR: Apple room spray.

Final Verdict: Destash

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Apples Crave Cake

"Fresh, crisp red apples blended with our Yellow Cake layering note."

Previous Review: 
The apple here starts off as an apple candy sort of apple, but it's not the headache inducing type of artificial scent. After about 10 min, it becomes more of an apple soap sort of apple.  
I was worried the yellow cake portion will smell like those play-doh-ish artificial cake scents but nope. Somehow, the two typically artificial scents combined to become  the most delicious gourmand apple scent. It smells like a wearable apple perfume, with something underneath that's triggers your lust for food, even though you can't identify what you're hungry for. 
TL;DR: Apples & food lust.
...1 year later:

Oh gods, this is delicious! So I'm writing this without reading my previous year's review so I can review this scent as if it's new. I've worn this several times, but now that I'm really paying attention, I feel that the cake bit isn't as strong as I remembered it to be.

This is red apple juice and that hint of satisfying deliciousness in the background. Last time, I couldn't identify what the deliciousness is, except that it hits my stomach straight away and makes me feel happy. Now it smells like a frosted cupcake. But maybe it's because I'm now more familiar with Arcana's cake note and start particularly looking out for it. After about 10 min, both the cupcake and the apple juice melded together, and now it smells like sugarcane juice with hints of cupcake and apple juice. I'm also getting a bit of a dry, dusty sandalwood in the background. Maybe the sandalwood's a quiet note that isn't listed and is only amplified with age? I distinctly don't remember any sandalwood.

After about 20 min in, the scent's more of a cool, perfumed apple pie. I love how complex the apple part is, to the point where I keep thinking of bouquets of apple scents, blooming into one amazing apple perfume...with hints of cake. Oh and just because I've been dying to show everyone this pic...here's a rat hoarding a bucket of apples:

I can't believe rats can be so cute!
Awesome pic by Анна Тюрина


TL;DR: Cool, perfumed apple pie.

Final Verdict: Like


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Apples Crave Red Musk 

"Candy-red apples and lascivious red musk."

Er. I had to sniff several times to be sure, but this smells like apple-scented toilet cleaner. It even has that super sterile chemicals sort of scent. The apple does get stronger as the scent wears on, but it's still a room freshener sort of apple. It smells like a toilet after it has been cleaned, and sprayed with an apple room freshener. 

After about 20 min, the part that smells like disinfectant and strongly reminds me of toilet cleaners calms down a bit, but not enough. At times, I can pick out the red musk portion, which tends to smell like game-y incense. The apple is still the kind of apples you find in household cleaning products though. Now it smells more like an apple-scented clean toilet rather than a toilet that's being cleaned with apple-scented products at that very moment. 

As it dries down, I'm getting this green, plant-like scent, but I can't get out of the toilet impression. It's still a green-scented toilet cleaner with hints of apple room spray. 

TL;DR: Apple-scented toilet cleaner

Final Verdict: Destash

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Apples Crave The Tropics

"Lots of green apple and sweet coconut flesh with sexy tuberose, Tahitian Tiare petals, and a drop of lime."

Oh yes.....this is that summery poolside sort of scent that Arcana does so freaking well. You get this note in Frisk and Marble Flowers too. I know there's apples in this from the name, but to be honest, if I didn't know there were apples in it, I wouldn't have guessed an apple note. The apple note just blends in to create this fragrant, sweet and tart chewy candy sort of scent. It smells like a sweeter and less boozy sort of fruity milky candy cocktail. The kind that looks like this:

Well, this is actually a coconut champagne cocktail, which isn't what the scent smells like...but the scent smells like what you expect this to smell like at first glance. For the recipe, you can head to henorstag.com


I think there's probably that Arcana cognac note here, since it reminds me so much of Frisk and Marble Flowers, but this scent is less boozy, so maybe it's a quieter note here.

The scent keeps getting sweeter on me, and after about an hour, it becomes this cool, vaguely fruity sort of sugary candy that can go great or nauseating, depending on your preference.

TL;DR: Chewy fruity candy cocktail.

Overview: Looks like there's no cognac note in this...still smells a lot like Arcana's perfumes that usually have the cognac note though!

Final Verdict: Like.

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The Terrors Collection


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Apples Crave Terror

"Holy Terror (burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh, and dusty beeswax candles), ice-cold apples, and an extra shot of smoky frankincense."

This is beautiful! Ok, this is definitely a scent you either love or hate. I only know there's apple in this because of the name, otherwise, I wouldn't know since it doesn't really smell distinctly of apples. It's more of a soft, slightly sugary sweetness that I can't really identify. It's sugary without smelling like that piercing "sugar" note, vaguely fruity but it's beautiful and complex, there may even be florals in it. 

Now the other part of the scent that you either love or hate...there's this spicy sandalwood that I love, as well as this odd scent that smells kind of like gasoline and a mixture of burning items –like burning clothes, books, photographs, shoes...you get the drift.

After about 10 min, I can also pick out a scent that smells like tonka beans of vanilla at the base of it, giving it this feminine sort of powderiness. It's the kind of powdery that makes me think of girls who like way too much lace and frills. 

That's it. I know what this smells like. It smells like a Valentine's Day bonfire. It's like someone created a bonfire out of scented love letters, teddy bears, various pink frilly things, a wooden jewelry box, and one of those powdery vanilla perfumes. Basically, the kind of things that would be completely at home in a room that looks like this:

And you kinda expect them to like small dogs or cats.
Image courtesy of themerooms.blogspot.com

I feel like a girl who likes too much lace and frills can be counted on to make the most epic Valentine's Day bonfires. A girl who keeps getting sent way too much lace and frills would probably enjoy making an epic bonfire too.

This scent has a surprisingly low throw on me, and it makes me a tad paranoid because I'm wondering if I'm anosmic to parts of the scent. I recently tried a scent with Arcana's Terror note (this was before I bought these decants), and it smelled like a Chinese grandma's altar, so now I'm wondering if I'm emitting a strong scent of Chinese grandma altar without knowing it.

When the scent fades, it leaves lingering traces of that perfumed red apple scent.

TL;DR: Frilly, pink bonfire.

Final Verdict: Love.

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Peaches Crave Terror

"Yellow and white peaches with Holy Terror (burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh, and dusty beeswax candles)."

Oh wow. The first thing I got is a burst of juicy peach gummy. It's definitely a tart rather than a sweet peach and it smells like the most delicious peach gummy ever. It doesn't smell like an artificial, bubblegum sort of peach, but it's definitely the kind of peach that you get in gummies or chewy candies. I know comparing it to gummies make people think of artificial scents that usually smell gross, but it's definitely one of those gourmet, all-natural, realistic sort of gummy. I'm just calling it a gummy because I've never encountered peaches that can be this juicy and fragrant, while still being tart and almost unripe. 

Yes, I smell that burnt and sandalwood scent that I've now associated with Arcana's Terror note, but in this scent, it just makes the peach smell more realistic and so very wearable. This is definitely an easy scent to like. 

As the scent wears on, I can definitely smell more of that burnt scent at the base, but it stays close to my skin. It's also more of the "natural" scent of burnt paper or wood, rather than the scent of burning rubber or cloth, and I kind of like that charred paper/wood scent. 

After about 30 min, I smell that vanilla or tonka bean base that the Terror notes seem to come with. It still smells like mostly realistic tart peach gummy, but now it has this adorableness that makes me want to hug myself, without being a kiddy scent. I guess here's a picture that captures this scent best:


This kid is too cute!
Adorable pic by Alena Romanovskaya

When the scent fades, you're left with this faint burnt scent.

TL;DR: Realistic peach gummy.

Final Verdict: Like


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Pumpkins Crave Terror


"Our Holy Terror(burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh, and dusty beeswax candles) blend with glowing pumpkin and a small dash of pie spices."

Previous Review: 
This smells like a really delicious pumpkin pie. There's something that smells like sandalwood, but it could also be a very dry cinnamon note. As it dries down, it becomes that dry, woody potpourri scent with hints of pumpkin pie.
While I hate the dry down, the initial scent was so delicious, I'm getting this in full size. 
TL;DR: Extremely delicious pumpkin pie, turning into woody potpourri.

...1 year later:

It starts off with that typical heavy, oily sort of note that's you may be familiar with if you've gotten perfumes that supposedly feature a waffles/doughnuts/fried dough sort of notes. Luckily, it lightens up pretty fast. It slowly gets taken over by this heavily cinnamon and raspy sandalwood note. There's hints of pumpkins, but it's not the dominant note.

Usually, but about 10 min, this scent is leaning towards woody potpourri, with hints of oily pumpkin and bitterness. I noticed that at certain times of the month, the scent even goes even more bitter and smells medicinal on me. I remember buying a full size of this hoping aging will make it go the way I wanted it to, but unfortunately, it went the other way.

TL;DR: Woody potpourri, with hints of oily pumpkin and bitterness

Overview: Yeah, there's no more pumpkin pie in this scent after aging.

Final Verdict: Destash


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Strawberries Crave Terror

"Deep red strawberries and Holy Terror (burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh, and dusty beeswax candles)."

Oh, my gods.....I love this too. It smells exactly like freshly squeezed strawberry juice, but with hints of sandalwood and something else to make it more wearable as a perfume instead of smelling like you just had an accident in your local cold-pressed juice bar. I can't really put my finger on what that something special is –it smells pink and makes me think of pink bubblegum or cotton candy, but without the nauseating artificialness.

After about 3 min, the strawberry melds into the scent and the scent is less distinctively strawberry. The burnt part of the terror note's also coming out. The resulting scent is is a vaguely pink, sweet cloud of scent, with freshly bitten, tart strawberries, and something burning. 

20 min in, and the pink bubblegum/cotton candy part has been amplified and now the scent is...odd. On one hand there's that really grown up charred sandalwood scent, but then there's that extremely kiddy, sweet pink bubblegum/cotton candy. Throw in the freshly bitten, tart strawberries, and I don't know what to make of it.

I guess it's like kids dressed in high fashion and acting all grown up. Creepy, or cute? It can go both ways. This pic captures the scent the best:

I personally find this pic a bit too creepy...maybe it's the duck hat.
Awesome photography by Alexander Bootsman

The scent it leaves lingering on your skin is strawberry bubblegum.

TL;DR: Vaguely pink, sweet cloud of scent, with freshly bitten, tart strawberries, and something burning.

Final Verdict: Interesting.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Review & Recommendation: Arcana Sunk Lyonesse Collection (7 Scents) + 2 Halloween Scents

Ok, so I finally got my Arcana scents and finally finished reviewing them! For my previous Arcana reviews, which include a discussion of their longevity and sillage, you can click on the Arcana label on the right or here.

For this review, I'm reviewing every scent in the Sunk Lyonesse Collection except for Sabbath Eve. So 7 scents in total. I'm also reviewing 2 additional Halloween scents, Little Ghoulie and Poison Candy.

As of publishing date, most of the scents are still available, but Arcana sells out fast. Some of the scents from those two collections are returns from previous years' collections, so if you missed them this time, they may come back!

If you're looking to buy these scents, there are several places where you can buy Arcana scents:
And if you're interested in getting Arcana decants, definitely check out Ajevie's Circles! I can't recommend Ajevie enough! Her scents are always professionally packaged, her service is amazing, and the items ship fast.


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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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Sunk Lyonesse Collection


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Isolde

"White chocolate, pale almond milk, delicate vanilla, cream, and a touch of sheer musk."

At first I got delicious chocolate but soon, this almond cream scent emerges. At first they were like two separate scents, but then they merged into this one, delicious almond cream with chocolate flakes scent. It's definitely Chinese style almond cream dessert, that's usually the most fragrant, rich almond dessert I've ever encountered. It looks like this:

Check out Christine's Recipes for the SUPER EASY recipe!

I've always been on the hunt for a realistic almond cream scent, since almond notes have the tendency to come out as cherry cordial instead (I'm not the only one, Evonne from DC discussed this and talked about how hard it is to get an actual almond scent in her interview). Arcana totally succeeded in getting this to smell like almonds. It's amazing.

The chocolate also smells super realistic, like freshly shaved chocolate flakes.

Almond cream and shaved chocolates may sound simple, but the scent is so realistic, rich and complex, that I'm pretty sure 20+ different notes went into it to get this amazing scent.  I need this in everything!

The almond cream bit fades faster than the chocolate, so after about 30 min, it slowly morphs into a thick and creamy chocolate drink that's still light and not overly heavy. As the scent fades, there's hints of sandalwood lingering on my skin.

TL;DR: Almond cream and freshly shaved chocolate.

Overview: I'm willing to bet there are way more notes than the 5 listed.

Final Verdict: LOVE.



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Marble Flowers

"Opulent tuberose petals, neroli, sheer bergamot, white amber, pearl musk, and white cognac absolute."

Ok, marble flowers is an apt name, because that does describe the scent. This is definitely a floral scent, and there's a coolness in it that's not icy at all, and comparing it to a marble sort of coolness is definitely apt. The florals are slightly sharp and makes me think of pink and purple florals, and at the base of this scent, there's this sort of light, lotion-y musk that makes me think of white marble. The light, lotion-y musk is very familiar and is one of those scents I associate with Arcana. I'm trying to place what it is.

After about 10 min, there's a sort of boozy scent that reminds me of Arcana's Frisk. Now it smells like tropical, lotion-y florals. It's a great summer scent, but still very elegant and demure. It's like the scent for elegant socialite moms on vacation. You know those kind of moms –the kind that can still look elegant, poised and perfectly made up while on vacation and running around after her children, instead of sweating and melting under the sun. Basically a woman who can look poised and pretty, even after having a handful of sand thrown at her like this woman:

How are people this gorgeous? If I attempted this, I'd look like I just got my ass kicked by a mob of kids high on sugar. The model's name is Lera but that's it. No further info. So sad I can't stalk her because she's just stunning!
Stunning photography by Kerry Moore

And yes, it makes me think more of a resort pool rather than a beach. Something in this has a scent that reminds me of pool towels for some reason. I really don't know how Arcana does it. There's none of the typical citrus or pineapples, but somehow, they just evoke summer.

The scent is too floral for me, but I can see this being very popular.

TL;DR: Elegant, lotiony summer florals.

Overview: Oh yes...the pearl musk and the cognac note. The cognac note seem to be in every scent that gives me that summer poolside feeling, and the pearl musk seems to be the one responsible for this distinct, Arcana lotion-y musk. I need to look out for them because they're awesome.

Final Verdict: Ok




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Nereids

"Shimmering water, sweet apples, Tiare, rain, pink jasmine, green musk, and wildflowers."

Ok. I'm getting a room spray blue and that cottony musk that makes you think of baby rooms and baby oil. The cottony musk does make the strongly clean, room spray blue more wearable and I can see people liking this, but I'm not a fan of super clean blues in general. It's definitely one of those room sprays with names like, "Morning Rain", or "Blue Lake", or.....ok. I suck at naming room sprays. You get the drift. You know, the kind of room sprays that would have a picture that looks something like this on the can:


Well...maybe something like this, but cheesier looking and less well shot.
Amazing landscape shot by Michael Thien

After about 15-20 min, the room spray bit calmed down and became less sharp. Now it smells like a cool, almost candied blue room spray, with a cottony musk. It definitely got more bearable for me at this point, but unfortunately, the cottony musk bit fades faster on me than the room spray blue. Towards the end, it smells more like walking into a room where someone just went crazy with a "Morning Rain" (yes, I'm rolling with it) type of room spray, and crashing into an elegant young mother who smells of baby oil turned into a delicate, beautiful perfume. Objectively, it's nice enough, but it's not for me.

TL;DR: Blue room spray and cottony musk.

Final Verdict: Destash




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The Kraken


"There's a Kraken in the Celtic Sea? Of course! There's a Kraken in every sea. Gorgeous smoked vanilla, black vanilla, saltwater, China musk, and black musk."

Oh this is gorgeous. It's such a familiar scent, but I can't really place it. It's one of those scents you expect to smell in hotel, spa or country club toiletries. There's this lotiony sort of musk that makes you think of light, milky body lotions, a delicate powderiness that's light enough that it won't turn men off, and a really clean scent that makes you think of fluffy, fresh towels.

I'm surprised by how delicate this scent is. From the name of the scent, I'm expecting something more....dark and stormy, I guess? Instead, this is just so light, delicate, dainty and clean. It's the kind of scent that can only be described as pretty. It's the kind of perfume I see on one of those women who are extremely pretty in a dainty, sweet sort of way. The kind of women you instinctively handle with care because they look like they can shatter to bits. If I'm naming this perfume, it'll be something like Seraphim Feathers Lightly Floating In A Super Duper Gentle Breeze Over A Calm And Not So Salty Ocean, or something. Definitely not The Kraken.

Wearing this scent makes me want to wear flowing skirts, talk softly, giggle more (in my mind, it'll be one of those tinkly sort of giggles instead of a cross between a cackle and a squawk). It's the kind of scent I want to wear and also dab on little kids (of both sexes) to make them smell more adorable. Maybe I'll even dab this on my fiancé when he's in one of those emo moods after I force him to share his dessert. I wish Arcana makes bath products too, because I want this scent in my conditioner, body lotions, cuticle balms, EVERYTHING.

It's not an overly "perfumed" scent, and smells more like you've stepped out of the bath after using some high end toiletry. I can see this scent on men, women and children. Well, it's not a unisex scent, but if a dude's wearing it, it just smells like he just finished showering with the free toiletry from the luxury hotel/spa/country club.

It's basically how you expect this scene to smell like:





After about 30-40 min, I'm getting an almost almond like scent. It's more of the powdery "almond" note rather than actual almonds though. Overall, the scent stayed pretty much stable – pretty, dainty and clean.

TL;DR: Pretty, dainty, clean type of scent that you can find in country club/luxury hotel toiletries.

Final Verdict: Love





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The Sullen Courts of Sleep

"A tenebrous blend of amber resin, coconut milk, skin musk, and French cognac."

Mmmmm....there's this boozy coconut that I just love! It's the same boozy coconut as in Arcana's Frisk and it's so uniquely Arcana. Coconut notes are hard to do and often descend into the sunblock territory, but this is just delicious, boozy coconut. If you love Frisk, you'll love this. They're actually really, really close together. The difference is that this has a warm, resinous, almost "dusty", wood, while Frisk has a more cool, sweet, tropical twist to it. If Frisk is the summer version of Arcana's boozy coconut scent, Sullen Courts of Sleep is the winter version.

The warm, woody part is also another familiar Arcana note that I just can't place. If I remember it, I'll definitely update this review! This scent is like the product of two great Arcana scents mated together.

Anyway, even though I own Frisk, I definitely need a pair of these scents. They're so similar yet so distinct.

If Frisk is sitting with a coconut cocktail (not piña coladas...it's way more unique) by the poolside in summer, The Sullen Courts of Sleep is sitting in a wooden alcove in winter, watching the snow while sipping on a warmed coconut cocktail and buried in cushions and a thick blanket. It's beautiful!



Look at those stockings. They hint at the existence of multiple kids in the household. You definitely want booze.
Gorgeous pic by Alexandra Erofeeva


TL;DR: Sitting in a wooden alcove in winter, watching the snow while sipping on a warmed coconut cocktail and buried in cushions and a thick blanket.

Final Verdict: Love




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Tristan

"Sandalwood, caramel, animalic musk, sweet tree roots, and a hint of Cornish violets."

Overall, the scent is this heavy, musky caramel. Underneath, there's this sweet, red boiled candy scent that I like, and there's some wood too. The heavy, musky caramel and wood makes me think of one of soft, luxurious fur coats. It's a scent I see on posh older women.

Ok...after 5 min, the red candy part gets a bit nauseating actually.  Mixed with everything else, it smells like that sickly sweet odour rotting fruits give off. I keep thinking this smells like puke on a fur coat. I love the boiled candy part, I love the woody, musky caramel part...but together, they smell like puke on a fur coat.

After about 20 min, the sweetness gets less pungent and now it smells like jackfruits that have been out in the sun for too long, waxy almonds and musky wood. I'm still not a fan. Hopefully this ages well after a year?

TL;DR: Puke on a fur coat

Overview: That's so weird...I normally like violets. All those notes sound like notes I like, but maybe they just don't go together.

Final Verdict: Age it.

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Unearthly Lovely

"Dusty honey, bee pollen, and vanilla bean."

Oh gods. This smells sooooo good. It's definitely vanilla, but there's something else in it making it so unique. There's definitely that coconut sort of creaminess to it, but there's no scent of coconuts in this.   It's just such a soft, fluffy vanilla that makes me think of how I imagined marshmallows would smell like if I've never smelled marshmallows before.

There's a beautiful sweetness that I just love –it makes me think of golden boiled candies. It's one of those sweetness that make you imagine melodic high notes. The scent pretty much stays balanced and steady as I wear it. The vanilla's a cozy sort of vanilla, but the light sweetness pulls it away from being too heavy. It ends up cozy and cool, comforting and light, at the same time.

I smell like I'm sinking into a cool, fluffy bed made out of a giant marshmallow. It's cozy but not heavy, sweet but not too sugary, powdery but in a light, fluffy sort of way, and absolutely delicious. Here's an old but perfect picture for this scent:

Anyone knows the source of this? It's been around for so long and reposted so often, I don't even know who the original photographer is.


Seriously, this scent is awesome.

TL;DR: Sinking into a cool, fluffy bed made out of a giant marshmallow.

Final Verdict: LOVE.


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Other Halloween Scents

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Poison Candy


"Ripe pink strawberries are tainted with musky ambrette seed, pure cassia, rich cream, cinnamon sugar, honey, copaiba, and wild oat extract."

This scent turned me off in the bottle but I was hoping it'll smell good on my skin. Wrong. In the bottle, there's a rotten sort of sourness to the scent. On me, it smells like rotting tropical fruits. In Indonesia, there's a lot of uncovered street side trash cans, and it smells like walking past the trash can next to a rojak (a kind of Indonesia fruit salad) or fruit juice stall. It even has that boozy, fermented sort of scent.

For my fellow South East Asians in countries where wet markets still exists, you know that scent when you walk past a fruit stall in a wet market and there's always a trash can that must be full of several day's worth of rotting fruits? That scent.

As the scent wears on, it gets more boozy and sweet, and some people may even like it since it smells like boozy, fermented jackfruits. Unfortunately, to me, it ends up being associated with rotting tropical fruits that have been out for so long, they turn boozy.

I tried giving this away for FREE during the LA meet up I had with other people from /r/IndieMakeupAndMore, and guess what? There were no takers. What the hell is this scent? It's like Arcana's taking the name literally and creating something you'd gift to someone you hate but are obliged to buy a gift for. I've given this to someone who likes sweet scents and seem to have the opposite skin chemistry as me, and I'm dying to know her opinion of this scent. If she hates it too, there's no saving it.

It doesn't get better as it dries down too. It just smells like you've gotten puked on and the puke has all dried up.


TL;DR: Rotting tropical fruits.

Overview: I was wondering why the hell I got this scent until I read the notes. Wtf! They sound amazing! Wtf is this??

Final Verdict: DESTASH.

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Little Ghoulie

"All the scents of a small, terribly excited newbie to the trick-or-treat scene. Jack o’ Lanterns, ginger cookies, chocolate candy, and a frisson of overwhelming delight."

Oh gods. Chocolate. It's that nutty, dark chocolate scent that's soooo good. It's not one of those protein bar sort of artificial chocolate, it's actual chocolate. It's the less milky type of dark chocolate though –the kind that's over 90% cocoa, tastes bitter and kinda sour like coffee, but supposedly good for your health. After about 5 min, I'm starting to get a soapy spearmint scent mingling with the nutty chocolate. It's nice and icy and just makes me think of drinking hot chocolate in a café that has that slightly soapy spearmint room fragrance.

By about 20-30 min, the soapy spearmint part has morphed into this sweet, clean and slightly soapy fragrance that reminds me of office buildings. This now smells like drinking a heavy hot chocolate in your office, after it just got cleaned.

I first tried this in the US during winter and it was soooo perfect. Now that I'm back in Indonesia where it's hot and humid, the scent is too heavy for me and gets a bit heady. I definitely want a bath melt in this scent, and sniffing this on my pillow while sleeping in an air-conditioned room sounds perfect. Wearing it out though? Too heavy.


TL;DR: Heavy, heady hot chocolate in a newly cleaned office.

Final Verdict: Like