feMaledictions
I have a secret. Today, I'm cheating on Beth/
kebechet with sCara/femaledictions. My first feMaledictions order came in. As you know, I'm a total waffle for Autumn-themed sniffies, and feMaledictions features quite a few.
I got two sampler packs of her oils, 10 scents total. First of all, sCara's packaging is divine. Everything is hand-stamped and tagged with black raffia. It's so beautiful and unique. I've sniffed all of my samples, and worn 4 so far. Initial impressions below.
Bewitch:: Oriental Flora, Deep Earthen Wood Tones & Spices. (I get mostly spices and a little honey. Almost no floral comes out, which is good, and this ends up like a slightly lighter, woodier version of Witchy Sweets.)
Canopic:: Pretty Jars Full Of Innards. Ancient Spices, Honey, Amber & Musk. (Ohhh. This is wonderful, like sweet, dry incense. The drydown is exquisite, not powdery at all.)
Descent:: The Season Of The Dead Is Upon Us. Falling Leaves & Crisp Autumn Air. (This does smell a lot like leaves and crisp air. This will definitely be in my fall rotation.)
Funeral Pyre:: The perfect mourning scent, this smells eerily like a dark fragrant fire. Clove, Fir Balsam, Fir Needle, Frankincense, Cedar Moss and Elemi. (I don't know if I can wear this, though it's nice. It's SO woody, and it smells just like I've left a bonfire and the woodsmoke is still clinging to my hair.)
Pumpkinhead:: A sinful Samhain feast of Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg and other Tricks. (This might be too much pumpkin for me-- this smells like a scented candle or pumpkin-scented potpourri. It's very strong, as well. I'll pass final judgement when I actually wear it, but this may be a scent relegated for soap or oil burners.)
Rose Noir:: A blend of the richest and darkest roses for the classic gothic beauty. (Pretty much what I expected, a dark, thick rose. It's not dissimilar to BPAL's Black Rose.)
Stargaze:: Untainted and Dreamy. Pink and White Oriental Stargazer Lily. (The lone disappointment. I've long searched for a single note Stargazer lily oil. I love that thick, sweet smell as they bloom in my room. Since lilies can't be processed into straight-up essential oil, it smells a little generic. And, on my skin, kind of soapy. Hmm.)
Sleepy Hollow:: Different By Night... Autumn's Haunted Woods. (Woods. Nice, but not as spooky or haunting as I had hoped for. This will layer nicely with other scents, though. I can see this layering with Descent.)
Tac:: What Is That Undertaste? Blackberries, Black Tea, Vanilla. (This is sharper than I'd expected! Very sweet.belladonnastrap, you should check this one out!)
Witchy Sweets:: Too sweet to be fully trusted. Mulled Apple Cider, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. (The clear winner. At first, I was disheartened, because it was almost single note cinnamon, strong like generic potpourri. Then the apple cider came through to make this scrumptious, and it had a beautiful drydown of sweet, spiced vanilla. Love.)
Note to self to try:: Ardor, Babylon, Bastet, Bisected, By Candlelight, Communion, Crossroads, Fedora, The Gates, Ghostfire, Hellfire Club, Impetuous, Jugular, Lace, Lush, Mermaid, Netsuke, Nightcap, Orenda, Osiris, Pewter, Pink Flamingos, Pretty in Pink, Requiem, Saturnalia, Seance, Snake Goddess, Strega, Sweet Lovely Death, Timeless, Violet Fire, Wench, XXX.
I wouldn't have ordered but for the fact that I found out that sCara andpekeana cut a deal to provide goodie bags to Aidswalk donators. I'm glad that I found the site, and doubly happy to be lining the pockets of someone who supports cool causes. (By the by, I don't think it's too late to donate to Aidswalk-- go ping pekeana if you're interested!) I have my goody bag coming, so I'll review a soap and an incense when it comes in.
I'll definitely be ordering again. Everything is so wonderfully customized. Though the scents I've sampled don't have the same vibe as my mainstay BPAL oils, I'm digging the gothic style. The shipping time was also wonderful-- I got my order in under a week. (sCara should totally consider making bath bombs.)
The lack of long waits is good-- I've been kind of irritated that my 6/3 Carnaval Noir BPAL order still has not shipped due to component issues. I'd like to be able to sniff a few of those oils before the line gets pulled on the first day of September. Snake Charmer sounds perfect for me, and if Sky likes Geek, I'd like to be able to procure him a bottle. Sure, there's always swaps, but... grah.
kebechet with sCara/femaledictions. My first feMaledictions order came in. As you know, I'm a total waffle for Autumn-themed sniffies, and feMaledictions features quite a few.I got two sampler packs of her oils, 10 scents total. First of all, sCara's packaging is divine. Everything is hand-stamped and tagged with black raffia. It's so beautiful and unique. I've sniffed all of my samples, and worn 4 so far. Initial impressions below.
Bewitch:: Oriental Flora, Deep Earthen Wood Tones & Spices. (I get mostly spices and a little honey. Almost no floral comes out, which is good, and this ends up like a slightly lighter, woodier version of Witchy Sweets.)
Canopic:: Pretty Jars Full Of Innards. Ancient Spices, Honey, Amber & Musk. (Ohhh. This is wonderful, like sweet, dry incense. The drydown is exquisite, not powdery at all.)
Descent:: The Season Of The Dead Is Upon Us. Falling Leaves & Crisp Autumn Air. (This does smell a lot like leaves and crisp air. This will definitely be in my fall rotation.)
Funeral Pyre:: The perfect mourning scent, this smells eerily like a dark fragrant fire. Clove, Fir Balsam, Fir Needle, Frankincense, Cedar Moss and Elemi. (I don't know if I can wear this, though it's nice. It's SO woody, and it smells just like I've left a bonfire and the woodsmoke is still clinging to my hair.)
Pumpkinhead:: A sinful Samhain feast of Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg and other Tricks. (This might be too much pumpkin for me-- this smells like a scented candle or pumpkin-scented potpourri. It's very strong, as well. I'll pass final judgement when I actually wear it, but this may be a scent relegated for soap or oil burners.)
Rose Noir:: A blend of the richest and darkest roses for the classic gothic beauty. (Pretty much what I expected, a dark, thick rose. It's not dissimilar to BPAL's Black Rose.)
Stargaze:: Untainted and Dreamy. Pink and White Oriental Stargazer Lily. (The lone disappointment. I've long searched for a single note Stargazer lily oil. I love that thick, sweet smell as they bloom in my room. Since lilies can't be processed into straight-up essential oil, it smells a little generic. And, on my skin, kind of soapy. Hmm.)
Sleepy Hollow:: Different By Night... Autumn's Haunted Woods. (Woods. Nice, but not as spooky or haunting as I had hoped for. This will layer nicely with other scents, though. I can see this layering with Descent.)
Tac:: What Is That Undertaste? Blackberries, Black Tea, Vanilla. (This is sharper than I'd expected! Very sweet.
belladonnastrap, you should check this one out!)Witchy Sweets:: Too sweet to be fully trusted. Mulled Apple Cider, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. (The clear winner. At first, I was disheartened, because it was almost single note cinnamon, strong like generic potpourri. Then the apple cider came through to make this scrumptious, and it had a beautiful drydown of sweet, spiced vanilla. Love.)
Note to self to try:: Ardor, Babylon, Bastet, Bisected, By Candlelight, Communion, Crossroads, Fedora, The Gates, Ghostfire, Hellfire Club, Impetuous, Jugular, Lace, Lush, Mermaid, Netsuke, Nightcap, Orenda, Osiris, Pewter, Pink Flamingos, Pretty in Pink, Requiem, Saturnalia, Seance, Snake Goddess, Strega, Sweet Lovely Death, Timeless, Violet Fire, Wench, XXX.
I wouldn't have ordered but for the fact that I found out that sCara and
pekeana cut a deal to provide goodie bags to Aidswalk donators. I'm glad that I found the site, and doubly happy to be lining the pockets of someone who supports cool causes. (By the by, I don't think it's too late to donate to Aidswalk-- go ping pekeana if you're interested!) I have my goody bag coming, so I'll review a soap and an incense when it comes in. I'll definitely be ordering again. Everything is so wonderfully customized. Though the scents I've sampled don't have the same vibe as my mainstay BPAL oils, I'm digging the gothic style. The shipping time was also wonderful-- I got my order in under a week. (sCara should totally consider making bath bombs.)
The lack of long waits is good-- I've been kind of irritated that my 6/3 Carnaval Noir BPAL order still has not shipped due to component issues. I'd like to be able to sniff a few of those oils before the line gets pulled on the first day of September. Snake Charmer sounds perfect for me, and if Sky likes Geek, I'd like to be able to procure him a bottle. Sure, there's always swaps, but... grah.