feMaledictions Halloween gift set #1
So, my Halloween order from FeMaledictions was waiting for me when I came in from work on Saturday. Tucked neatly inside the box were my seven limited-edition oil vials from the first gift set offering, a package of incense in Sweet Rot, three tealight candles, and an exfoliating soap. Then I saw two little jars that didn’t look like anything that I’d ordered. I remembered sCara had said that she’d tucked away a surprise for me, so I dug them out. They were bath salts in lurid, glowing colors. I think I went a little into scent overload.
Seven Limited Edition Halloween Oils:
First of all, the decorations were pretty neat. I love the way sCara packages her stuff from a visual standpoint. All of her oil samples come with hand-stamped, tarted parchment labeling. It’s very pretty, but it can be hard when you’re looking to find a particular blend quickly. These had little circular tabs with green tarting that made it much easier to find certain blends. Thumbs up for that.
Decay:: The stage before Descent, when Autumn's Leaves still retain that bit of Green Musk. By Day, rather than by Night.
Freshly-clipped green grass. This is fantastic. If Descent perfectly captures an overcast Autumn day, Decay captures the last weeks of Summer before Autumn bursts into flame.
The Devil Sips:: Brach's Butterscotch Disks with the added decadence of Hot Buttered Rum.
Exactly what the description says-- rich butterscotch dipped in rum. It’s too sweet for me, not my favorite.
Flicker:: As The Flame is different every time it catches The Eye, so is this different and new every time you smell it. More Than The seemingly simplistic notes of Apple, Spiced Citrus & Pumpkin.
Pumpkin grapefruit. Weird. I can practically see your nose wrinkling, but really, this works. It’s so unexpected and neat. I truly enjoy this one-- it’s Autumnal without being the same old spice smell. Yay.
Hell’s Kitchen:: Full of Spiced Cakes, Nut Cookies, Sugared Fruit Pies and Cinnamon-Infested Applesauce!
Cinnamon applesauce, pure and simple. Real and juicy and mouth-watering. I don’t smell the nuts in this at all, which is good, because with the exception of some almond blends, nuts and I don’t play nice. This is wonderful, like something you’d prepare for an Autumnal feast. Lovely.
Loot:: An Antique Oak Basket overflowing with Brown Sugar-Kissed Apples.
Let me start out by saying The Hesperides is one of my favorite BPAL blends. It’s sweet, tart, fresh green apple, delicious. This is like The Hesperides right as summer turns to Autumn. The brown sugar gives the blend just a teeny bit more warmth. I’m head over heels in love with Loot. In fact, there have been some FeMaledictions swaps going on over at the BPAL boards, and I’m going to have to see if anyone wants to swap so I can get more of this. It is absolutely fantastic, by far my favorite of the LE’s!
Snaggle Fang:: For those that love super, richly sweet. Evocative of Buttercream Crunch drenched in Warm Maple Toffee. Darkly Rich Maples, Silken Vanilla, Sweet Oranges, Cinnamon, Cloves, Anise Star, Coumarin & Myrrh.
I immediately smelled the maple and the toffee-- this blend smells very decadent, rich and brown and smooth like silk. I smell a very delicate fruit note, though, to me, it doesn’t smell like oranges so much as fig or something along those lines. For a foody blend, this doesn’t send me running in the opposite directions. It may yet prove too rich to be one of my favorites, but it’s okay.
Sticky Paws:: Orange Creamed Danishes Are Sure To Satiate Even The Most Ornery Of Ghouls.
Orange creamsicle, with just a little bit of booze, to my nose. It reminds me of a vodka dreamsicle. It’s sweet and interesting, but not one of my favorites.
Now, there are two more oils put out in a later set, Naos No More, and Ignuus Fatuus. I’m thinking I just might bite the bullet because Naos sounds absolutely perfect for me. Hmmm. I might as well, since I’ve been running low on Canopic, one of my favorite blends.
Note to self:
Acquire more: Decay, Flicker, Hell’s Kitchen, Loot.
Swap Fodder: Sticky Paws, Snaggle Fang, The Devil Sips.
Ready for Romance Soap in Merry Hallowe’en:: Unlike the Shea soap, this soap doesn’t seem heavily perfumed at all. I had to really sniff in, and still, all I really smelled were the herbs that comprise the exfoliating layers. It smelled mostly like damiana to me, since I know the bitter tang of boiled damiana leaf. Hmm, not terribly pleasant. I guess I’ll have to try it in the shower.
Incense in Sweet Rot:: Sweet, spicy patchouli. I like it. It’s the perfect blend of sexy and earthy.
Tealights in Witchy Sweets, Pumpkinhead, and Baby Bat:: Oooooh. Every year, Yankee Candle puts out a seasonal blend called Witches’ Brew. It’s patchouli and spices. Baby Bat, in candle form, smells like that, only better, with a punch of clove. Yummy. The other two were spicy in a non craft-store kind of way. I’ll have to burn them, but I don’t want to burn Baby Bat, since it smells so good!
Salt of the Dead in Jugular:: Having never smelled Jugular by itself, I think that the scent might be a little deeper than it’s presented in salt form. This smells sweet and fruity and innocent, like being twelve years old. It smells like tart candies, and it’s neon fuchsia. It’s very optimistic and a fun treat. I imagine that this would be great for a girly pampering day. I like this much more than I expected to-- it brings a smile to my lips.
Salt of the Dead in Judas:: These salts are neon green. That makes perfect sense, because when I uncapped the jar, all I could smell was the sweet lemon-lime of a margarita. Margaritas, by the way, are my favorite drink out there. I really am enamoured of this product. I can’t wait to scrub out the tub and soak in this stuff for a little while.
sCara, you rock my socks. Thank you for your email, thank you for your gifties. They’re more appreciated than you know. I absolutely love being one of the first to review your upcoming salts. And whee for apple blends. You’ve made me a very happy little ghoul.
Seven Limited Edition Halloween Oils:
First of all, the decorations were pretty neat. I love the way sCara packages her stuff from a visual standpoint. All of her oil samples come with hand-stamped, tarted parchment labeling. It’s very pretty, but it can be hard when you’re looking to find a particular blend quickly. These had little circular tabs with green tarting that made it much easier to find certain blends. Thumbs up for that.
Decay:: The stage before Descent, when Autumn's Leaves still retain that bit of Green Musk. By Day, rather than by Night.
Freshly-clipped green grass. This is fantastic. If Descent perfectly captures an overcast Autumn day, Decay captures the last weeks of Summer before Autumn bursts into flame.
The Devil Sips:: Brach's Butterscotch Disks with the added decadence of Hot Buttered Rum.
Exactly what the description says-- rich butterscotch dipped in rum. It’s too sweet for me, not my favorite.
Flicker:: As The Flame is different every time it catches The Eye, so is this different and new every time you smell it. More Than The seemingly simplistic notes of Apple, Spiced Citrus & Pumpkin.
Pumpkin grapefruit. Weird. I can practically see your nose wrinkling, but really, this works. It’s so unexpected and neat. I truly enjoy this one-- it’s Autumnal without being the same old spice smell. Yay.
Hell’s Kitchen:: Full of Spiced Cakes, Nut Cookies, Sugared Fruit Pies and Cinnamon-Infested Applesauce!
Cinnamon applesauce, pure and simple. Real and juicy and mouth-watering. I don’t smell the nuts in this at all, which is good, because with the exception of some almond blends, nuts and I don’t play nice. This is wonderful, like something you’d prepare for an Autumnal feast. Lovely.
Loot:: An Antique Oak Basket overflowing with Brown Sugar-Kissed Apples.
Let me start out by saying The Hesperides is one of my favorite BPAL blends. It’s sweet, tart, fresh green apple, delicious. This is like The Hesperides right as summer turns to Autumn. The brown sugar gives the blend just a teeny bit more warmth. I’m head over heels in love with Loot. In fact, there have been some FeMaledictions swaps going on over at the BPAL boards, and I’m going to have to see if anyone wants to swap so I can get more of this. It is absolutely fantastic, by far my favorite of the LE’s!
Snaggle Fang:: For those that love super, richly sweet. Evocative of Buttercream Crunch drenched in Warm Maple Toffee. Darkly Rich Maples, Silken Vanilla, Sweet Oranges, Cinnamon, Cloves, Anise Star, Coumarin & Myrrh.
I immediately smelled the maple and the toffee-- this blend smells very decadent, rich and brown and smooth like silk. I smell a very delicate fruit note, though, to me, it doesn’t smell like oranges so much as fig or something along those lines. For a foody blend, this doesn’t send me running in the opposite directions. It may yet prove too rich to be one of my favorites, but it’s okay.
Sticky Paws:: Orange Creamed Danishes Are Sure To Satiate Even The Most Ornery Of Ghouls.
Orange creamsicle, with just a little bit of booze, to my nose. It reminds me of a vodka dreamsicle. It’s sweet and interesting, but not one of my favorites.
Now, there are two more oils put out in a later set, Naos No More, and Ignuus Fatuus. I’m thinking I just might bite the bullet because Naos sounds absolutely perfect for me. Hmmm. I might as well, since I’ve been running low on Canopic, one of my favorite blends.
Note to self:
Acquire more: Decay, Flicker, Hell’s Kitchen, Loot.
Swap Fodder: Sticky Paws, Snaggle Fang, The Devil Sips.
Ready for Romance Soap in Merry Hallowe’en:: Unlike the Shea soap, this soap doesn’t seem heavily perfumed at all. I had to really sniff in, and still, all I really smelled were the herbs that comprise the exfoliating layers. It smelled mostly like damiana to me, since I know the bitter tang of boiled damiana leaf. Hmm, not terribly pleasant. I guess I’ll have to try it in the shower.
Incense in Sweet Rot:: Sweet, spicy patchouli. I like it. It’s the perfect blend of sexy and earthy.
Tealights in Witchy Sweets, Pumpkinhead, and Baby Bat:: Oooooh. Every year, Yankee Candle puts out a seasonal blend called Witches’ Brew. It’s patchouli and spices. Baby Bat, in candle form, smells like that, only better, with a punch of clove. Yummy. The other two were spicy in a non craft-store kind of way. I’ll have to burn them, but I don’t want to burn Baby Bat, since it smells so good!
Salt of the Dead in Jugular:: Having never smelled Jugular by itself, I think that the scent might be a little deeper than it’s presented in salt form. This smells sweet and fruity and innocent, like being twelve years old. It smells like tart candies, and it’s neon fuchsia. It’s very optimistic and a fun treat. I imagine that this would be great for a girly pampering day. I like this much more than I expected to-- it brings a smile to my lips.
Salt of the Dead in Judas:: These salts are neon green. That makes perfect sense, because when I uncapped the jar, all I could smell was the sweet lemon-lime of a margarita. Margaritas, by the way, are my favorite drink out there. I really am enamoured of this product. I can’t wait to scrub out the tub and soak in this stuff for a little while.
sCara, you rock my socks. Thank you for your email, thank you for your gifties. They’re more appreciated than you know. I absolutely love being one of the first to review your upcoming salts. And whee for apple blends. You’ve made me a very happy little ghoul.