Darling Clandestine ~ Aequitas

Hello, sweet little kittens! Today I will be attempting to describe a Darling Clandestine perfume by the name of Aequitas. Dee was super kind to send me this perfume, so thank you Dee! You are a bright sunshine in the absolute darkness!

Here is the scent description from Darling Clandestine:

"You guys should be in every major city."

Yes. It's a fragrance inspired by the Boondock Saints. Smoke and blood and whiskey and damp alleys and leather and steel and gunpowder and sweat and denim and sweet wooden rosary beads and a bit of clover struggling up through concrete cracks. It is unisex and so, so, so sexy.

Aequitas contains highly concentrated German chamomile, so it's got a bit o' the green. And since it also contains real whiskey, the dark resins and lovely insanely green oil-bubbles tend to separate and settle at the bottom. Just give the bottle a shake, and the perfume turns the color of a luna moth. :)

Can I just say that the color and consistency of this perfume is just awesome? There really are little bubbles in it! I had to google what a Luna moth looked like, so this is it:


Photo Source- Butterflies and Moths

I remember when this perfume came out, as I was stalking the OHWTO website for their Halloween collection. Aequitas is a collaboration with OHWTO- Veritas is the OHWTO perfume, and Aequitas is the DC perfume. They can be worn together to make a superperfume! But yeah, onto the scent!


The cold sniff of this perfume is incredibly perplexing and kind of frightening. There's a sharpness to it that is very green, but also what appears to be the steel in this blend. Initial application reveals the fresh greenness of the German Chamomile, though it's considerably better than the cold sniff. There is also a strong metallic note of blood. I say it's the blood and not the steel because I remember the blood note distinctively from a perfume I have from TMTM, Paramour, which shares a lot of the notes contained in Aequitas. The leather comes out in the drydown so much that I can't detect any other notes. This is definitely not an easy perfume to describe, but it's pretty interesting. I'm glad it didn't smell like whiskey on me, because I don't tend to like boozy scents. I enjoyed this perfume, but I do wish it lasted longer. It disappeared seemingly immediately on me!

Cocoa Pink - Fear of Cemeteries

Hey there, cute little graveyard ghosties! It is no secret that I'm obsessed with fall and all the indie scents and collections that come with it. I've always adored Halloween, and I wish the entire year could consist of rainy days, crimson leaves, hot tea, apple cider, cuddly sweaters, and everything else like that. To live in imagination land, I reblog pretty autumn photos on Tumblr; and I also wear fall perfumes even in this disgusting summer heat. One perfume that I'm in a serious relationship with, but have yet to do a proper post on until now, is Fear of Cemeteries by Cocoa Pink! Here is the scent description from Cocoa Pink:

Fear Of Cemeteries (Coimetrophobia) - Cool damp graveyard dirt with a single white carnation placed cautiously against an old granite headstone, covered by dying crimson and yellow autumn leaves with a soft whisper of wood smoke carried in a crisp breeze.


Carnation and autumn leaves are the stars of the cold sniff. The autumn leaves note in this perfume is absolutely realistic: you can literally imagine the earthy, damp leaves beneath your feet. Initial application reveals an equally realistic aroma of wet concrete. It's a beautiful ozone note that I've always yearned for in a perfume. There is also a lovely note of cool, damp dirt; though it's not as prominent as the ozone. The autumn leaves are continuing their dance through the air, so it's like walking through a graveyard on a rainy autumn day. The carnation in this blend is soft, but profound- like the voice of one's conscious. It is there to remind those that have passed to know they are not forgotten, and it softens this otherwise dark blend. The drydown is almost entirely the same as the initial application, except the smokiness is unearthed (no pun intended, heh). This perfume is perfect and I hope to get a backup bottle when it's released again.

Solstice Scents ~ Hand of Darkness

Hello, sweet sparkly gems! Though the summers here are long and excruciating, I've never been much of a fan of summer releases. The Autumn collections are my absolute favorite, and I'm okay with smelling like Manor all year! However, there was a huge standout perfume in the Solstice Scents Summer release: Hand of Darkness. I knew I had to have it upon reading the scent description.

The following scent description is from Solstice Scents:

HAND OF DARKNESS PREMIUM FRAGRANCE
Oceanic Accord, Rain Accord, Woods Blend, Black Pitch, Buddha Wood, Lime, Coriander, Tarragon, Amber - 5ml

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING. THIS SCENT CONTAINS SEAWEED ABSOLUTE.


The Hand of Darkness is a term coined by seafarers to describe the loss of the guiding light of the moon as it vanishes behind a thick misty veil. The resulting darkness makes the seas treacherous and difficult to navigate. This phenomena strikes fear into the heart of even the most grizzled mariner.

Hand of Darkness is a dark aquatic and woods blend. It opens with a tumultuous and disconcerting blend of oceanic accord (a blend of fragrance oils and seaweed absolute to evoke a realistic scent of the ocean), chilly rainwater, black pitch and the saturated planks of a wooden ship. On initial application expect to be pelted with a strong blast of cold rain and oceanic brine. The black pitch in between each of the ship's planks adds a dank quality at the base while the lime EO provides a jolting top note. After a few minutes, the danger begins to recede as the rain slows and a sliver of moon reveals a promise of visibility. At this stage, the light woods blend comprised of teak, copal and blue cypress begins to emerge along with a splash of sea spray. Shortly thereafter, the moon fully emerges and the calm seas signal the retreat to the dry warm Captain's quarters. Here the true dry down of this evocative scent is revealed. A tendril of spicy buddha wood EO begins to unfurl from the warm wooden base. The buddha wood will grow stronger over time but the dry wood notes remain unchanged. The dry down is achieved very quickly but you have to journey through the story of this scent to get to the finale. You must skin test Hand of Darkness in order to assess its true character. This scent hugs close to the skin and liberal application is recommended. Even though this scent starts out strong and masculine, the dry down is very wearable and may be enjoyed by Women who like darker wood blends.

Hand of Darkness is comprised along with several fragrance oils along with the following essential oils, absolute, CO2s and attars: mitti, blue cypress, copal bark, fossilized amber, swiss stone pine, lime, galbanum, coriander, seaweed, kapur kachari, tarragon and a small amount of lavender absolute.



This is the first premium perfume I have been able to try by Solstice Scents. I absolutely love the inspiration behind this perfume. I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but I really find that Solstice Scents perfumes really take you on a sensory and visual journey; and Hand of Darkness holds true to that.

The cold sniff is a bit perplexing. The lime is quite strong and paired with a mixture danky, mossy, seaweed. It really smells weird... But that's okay, because the initial application and drydown are on a whole new level of cool.

Initial application has kept me on my toes, because this perfume is quite a morpher. It starts with a strong, tropical lime note that immediately morphs into into the most amazing and realistic oceanic aroma. It completely lives up to its name as a "dark aquatic" (the dark woods come in later). The seaweed and oceanic notes give it a realistic scent of an angry, roaring sea. It's really neat, and VERY far from any aquatic scent I've come across. I mean, this is straight up Davey Jones oceanic. There is also a very realistic, ozoney note of pouring rain that so many other perfumes have a hard time achieving.

The drydown truly comes almost instantly in this blend. The dark, woodsy aspect to this perfume unfolds in a very beautiful manner; with the hearts of the ship crew still beating tumultuously. The blend of woods that are supposed to be present at this point are teak, copal and blue cypress. I can definitely detect the teak, though I am not familiar with the other notes (unfortunately). The Buddha wood adds a pleasant and spicy aroma to the already beautiful woody blend this scent has become.

This scent is definitely very dark and equally beautiful. It couldn't be further from the mass produced, light, feminine leaning aquatics like those from Bath and Body Works. And I think that's what's so charming about this perfume. I also like how it morphs beautifully from the initial application to the drydown. It is truly a dark and masculine blend, so this won't be your cup of tea if you're not into that sort of thing :)

Thank you guys for reading. Until next time, take care!

DISCLAIMER- All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and honest.

Liber Vix's Custom HoG Blend #4

Hello precious ones! So when I logged on to view my Blogger dashboard this morning, it said I was not following anyone! Luckily, it was just a temporary error; and all is well in blogger land!

Today I will be discussing the last Haus of Gloi custom perfume created by the lovely Liber Vix! *Insert Drumroll Here*

This blend contains:
Green Tea, Eucalyptus Wood, Sage, and Oakmoss

Cold Sniff
To my nose, the cold sniff smells like green tea with a refreshing mint aspect. I know mint is not in this blend, but I smell it!

Initial Application
At this stage, I smell every note but the oakmoss. The eucalyptus wood is the most prominent note. It's such a hard note to explain- like a scent that's smack in the middle of green and woody. I had a eucalyptus spearmint body lotion from Bath and Body Works back in the day (it was part of their Aromatherapy:Relax line); and this perfume REALLY reminds me of that! And that's a good thing, because eucalyptus truly is a relaxing scent; and it's also nostalgic for me. I always wanted that scent in a perfume as opposed to just the body lotion, so I'm very happy about this!

Drydown
The drydown for me does not change much from the initial application, which I'm happy about. The oakmoss in this blend is much different than the oakmoss I've tried in different perfumes (such as False Nostalgia and Black Baccara). Usually oakmoss consumes the other notes and demands to be smelled (but I really like oakmoss, so that was never a problem for me). But in this blend, it is very subtle and beautiful- adding a balancing and almost "sweet" earthiness to this perfume.

LV, thank you again for letting me try your custom HoG scents. I had so much fun trying each of them, and it really means a lot to me that you were kind enough to let me try your wonderful creations! You are truly creative and it really shines in these blends you ordered.

Liber Vix's Custom HoG Blend #3

Hello sweet little honey bees! Today I will be discussing my thoughts on the 3rd of 4 custom scents the wonderful Liber Vix ordered from Haus of Gloi! These have been super fun to try, especially since one of our dear bloggy friends came up with it!

This is what this blend consists of:

30% Pumpkin
30%White Amber
20% Lavender
20% Beeswax and Honey




Cold Sniff
At first, I got a huge whiff of beautiful, glorious, bitter lavender. But when I tried again, I got everything from the delicate aroma of the white amber, to the sweet pumpkin, to the beeswax. It's a battle of the notes and no one has won!

Initial Application
The lavender returns strongly, then disappears immediately. The beautiful white amber comes out to play, and the lavender returns to dance a beautiful dance with the amber. Breathtaking!

Drydown
True magic! The beeswax comes out of its hidey hole and distributes the smell of a dozen beautiful candles. The pumpkin comes out as well, and gives this perfume a multidimensional beauty and adds sweetness to the flames. The image that come to mind is relaxing inside on a dreary autumn afternoon with a cup of hot tea. Candles create an angelic atmosphere and emit an intoxicating smoky scent. Meanwhile, a pumpkin Wallflower is wafting through the air. What a wonderful afternoon that would be!

LV, thank you so much for sharing this blend with me. I enjoyed it so very much, and I am honored you let me try it out! You truly created something magical in this combination!

Liber Vix's Custom HoG Blend #2

Hello cute ones! Today I have the second of four custom Haus of Gloi perfumes creates by the beautiful Liber Vix. If you missed the first one, please head this way!

This particular blend consists of:
Rose, Leather, Tonka Bean, and Labdanum

Cold Sniff-
I am not too familiar with labdanum (please forgive me!), but I'm 99 percent sure the cold sniff is mostly labdanum because it's very resinous and earthy.

Initial Application-
Earthy gorgeousness! It smells beautifully resiny and leathery. The rose sneaks between each note and blends them together absolutely seamlessly. Aaron says it smells like soap, which I'm sure is because of the rose. Like those little fancy soaps in shapes of seashells! Speaking of that, this would make a beautiful bubbling scrub or whipped soap.

Drydown-
This notes in this blend are a match made in heaven. It is impossible for me to distinguish them individually- but as a whole, they create an otherworldly delight to the senses. It is the absolute perfect balance of earthy and floral, and I just want to roll around in this perfume and dance in the forest!

Thank you so much, LV. Again, it was such an honor and delight to be able to spend time with your custom blend. Thank you so much for sharing it with me, sweet one!

I leave you now with a picture of last night's sunset. There was a forest fire in the mountains this past week, so that's why it appears smoky and red.

Liber Vix's Custom HoG Blend #1

Hello precious lil bees! Today I have a very special treat! Liber Vix (hereafter referred to as LV) was kind enough to send me imps of her custom HoG perfume oils. Today I will be discussing my thoughts on the first of four custom perfume blends she created!



This blend consists of:
Pumpkin, Ginger, Leaf Pile, and Sandalwood

Cold Sniff-
Definitely leaves (think Samhain!) with pumpkin to sweeten it up.

Initial application-
The sandalwood is the most prominent note at this stage of the perfume. Everything else is in the shadows because the sandalwood needs your attention and she needs it now! After about 2 minutes, I do smell a faint hint of ginger with sandalwood still at the center stage.

Drydown-
The drydown in this blend is quite the interesting mix of ginger and the leaf note. The ginger is REALLY strong and not my favorite thing ever. However, magic happens after about 20 minutes- and the leaves perk up to create a perfect autumnal, spicy scent. This is a very fun blend that morphs beautifully from cold sniff to dry down, and I truly enjoyed spending time with it!

LV, thank you so much for letting me play with your custom scents! You are the sweetest sweetest sweetest!

The Longest Overdue Thank Yous In History

Hey there! I have been wanting to make this post for the longest time. You have all been so sweet, thoughtful, and giving to me; and I feel awful that it has taken me so pain-stakingly long to write a proper post about it. It's really embarrassing. Despite the fact that I wasn't doing so well, you all deserved this post eons ago... And I cannot apologize enough.


Miss Vix

You are one amazing person with an incredible way with words. If you ever write a book, I will be there to buy it and tell everyone else to read it! :D I have admired your blog for a very long time, and I'm so happy to have you on my journey here in blog land. Thank you for sharing your perfume samples with me- especially your HoG custom scents. I feel absolutely honored that you wanted to be able to share those with me! They are at the very top of my list to blog about (unless you'd prefer me to email you my thoughts, of course!), and I can't thank you enough for everything you shared with me. I enjoyed reading your very sweet card, and I loved the green bubble mailer and kitty return address sticker! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! *big Internet hugs*

List of Perfumes:
 Four Custom Haus of Gloi perfumes by Liber Vix, Darling Clandestine: Small Saga, Solstice Scents: Tenebrous Mist, Solstice Scents: Blossom Tea Cakes, Sweet Anthem: Selene, Midnight Gypsy: Hesperides, Sweet Anthem: Rebecca, Sweet Anthem: Anton, Darling Clandestine: Vardogr, Darling Clandestine: Harpy, Firebird: Vanilla Amber, Alkemia: Vanilla Amour, Firebird: Tobacco Honey, Darling Clandestine: Inked, Alkemia: Hex


Dee

You are such a wonderful person, and I'm glad I've been able to talk to you at least a little bit in my absence from blogger. Your tweets make me laugh and I also feel your pains when certain teenagers act up :) I also enjoy the websites you share. You're just super awesome and I can't ever tell you that enough. I seriously wanted to cry when I opened your package and saw the Life Savers tingles. That was the sweetest gesture ever. I know I told you how jealous I was that we don't have those here, and it was so thoughtful and sweet of you that it made my heart melt! (I am so sorry that this sounds so cheesy and mushy, it's just that I'm a huge sucker for sentiment... and that was just so sweet). I also very much appreciate the perfume imps. You are so giving and kind and *please accept your Internet hug*

List of Perfumes:
Darling Clandestine: Small Saga, Poison Apple Apothecary: You Bring the Whiskey, Darling Clandestine: Pyrotechnic, Darling Clandestine: Aequitas, Enchanticals: Lucretia, Darling Clandestine: Mas as Birds, Enchanticals: Harvesting Zombies, Midnight Gypsy: Fomhar, Black Baccara: Alchemy, Twyla: Magnolia Street, Midnight Gypsy: Dragon's Milk, Twyla: Love and Squalor, Twyla: Milk Flower, Twyla: Honekakala


Amanda

My dearest Greek friend! You are seriously a talented lady, and I so wish you could sell your soap on etsy or a similar site. You have been through so much, especially this year, but I think things are finally looking up for you (and I'm so happy to say that!). Thank you so much for your beautiful face soap. I use it every day, and I am not surprised that it sold out so fast locally! It's really amazing, moisturizing, and you were so, so thoughtful to send me a bar of it. It really means a lot to me. Thank you also for the super cute and sweet card, the tea your dad got from China (so cool!!!), and the lovely imps. I hope your move is going well and please accept *a bunch of Internet hugs*

List of perfumes:
Arcana Soaps: Hallowe'en 2011, Arcana Soaps: Hallowe'en 2010, Cocoa Pink: 3rd Witch Solid Perfume, Possets: Napoleon and Josephine, Possets: Pumpkin Pepys, Wylde Ivy: Raindancer, Wylde Ivy: I Heart Patchouli, BPAL: Halloween Las Vegas, Possets: The Great Psychiatrist of Babylon, BPAL: Pink Snowballs 2011 , Possets: Courtly Love, BPAL: The Perilous Parlor, BPAL: The Cold Hour of Dawn, BPAL: A Nocturnal Reverie

You guys are all seriously the most amazing people in the world, and I definitely don't feel deserving of all this care and kindness. I can not thank any of you enough, nor apologize enough for being so late. I wasn't late because I wasn't thankful, as I am the most thankful and humbled person in the world right now. I hope you guys can understand why I've been so late, but even if not, I really truly thank you anyway.