Patchjulie

I never gave honey much thought as perfume until I discovered LPMP. What a pleasant surprise to learn it agrees with my chemistry beautifully, and my perfume collection reflects this newfound love. On me this one is primarily buttered honey with a dash of something which reminds me of...smoky spices maybe? I can't quite put my finger on it, but it slides into the background soon after drydown. Unfortunately, buttercream is one of those notes which tends to make me a bit queasy; to my nose it comes across as either artificial/plasticky or kind of sour. Here, it's the former. Honey ho though I may be, I'm afraid this one's a miss for me.

Wet I get tangy pear warmed with ginger spiced leather. As it dries down the tanginess subsides and vanilla amber slides in, sweetened with a silky thread of honey. On me this wears close, smooth, warm and subtle, more sensual than sexual. I detect no cops whatsoever, even in the long dry-down. I love how long this lasts; even after twelve hours it stays with me, like echoes of a lover's whispered promises. Incidentally, I tested this on the same arm as Tantalize, and much to my surprise, the two compliment each other quite nicely. I could see myself (and actually did, today) wearing Tantalize on my neck and arms and Closer on my torso. Fitting, now that I think about it.

Even wet, this is pillowy soft and smooth. There aren't any pointy edges calling out, HELLO, I'M FLORAL. I love the scent of many flowers; wearing them is another story. A great many amp on my skin, sometimes to headache inducing levels. Not so with this. If this is what orchid smells like, then I love orchid. I can't really discern the other notes individually. They just come together beautifully. It brings to mind snuggling under a feather comforter, a faint wisp of smoke in the air from the woodstove in the next room. This is so unobtrusive I sometimes forget I am wearing it. Then out of the blue I think, my god, what smells so good? Then I realize it's me. I love it when that happens. It's almost magical, truly tantalizing the senses. This is my first experience with Lace. While I have my moments, I don't consider myself a particularly girly girl, so I could really tell the difference. At times it seemed as though I was gliding rather than walking. I just felt really feminine, at peace, even, and it makes me realize I need to cultivate this side of myself more. Unfortunately, the wooziness of the anol put me on a fast train to Headache City. I could (and did) overdose on this one easily, which is such a shame; I love the fragrance so much I want to bathe in it, but the phero won't let me. Still, I am soooo tempted to buy a full bottle anyway. The scent really is that good.

This one is made for layering; it's positively divine with Sugared Vanilla and with Sugared Honeycomb. Worn alone, there's a hint of fruit early on, but it soon fades, giving way to something a little spicy, a little syrupy. I wish I could describe it better, because to my mind it's one of the most useful and versatile scents in my Sugared collection. It goes with just about anything. It wears fairly close to the skin, but has incredible longevity, lasting 12 hours or more. If you're a little iffy about resins but want to dip your toe into the pool, Sugared Amber is a great place to start.

I looooove ginger, eating it, drinking it and using it medicinally, so I just had to try this one. Sugared Ginger is nice and warm, and rather subtle. To me it smells like a combination of freshly grated and crystallized ginger (yummy!). It wears close and makes for an excellent skin scent. When layered with other scents it adds a gentle, spicy warmth, but doesn't stand out as a "ginger note" to me, not unlike how adding a sprinkle of ground ginger to a mug of warm cider gives it a little kick.

This is such a nice, soft lavender; the sugar really smooths it out, so if you're worried about it turning medicinal on you, never fear. I love slathering it on before going to bed. I have found, however, the lavender doesn't have much staying power on my skin (the sugar is nice and long-lasting), worn alone but especially when layered with other scents. I was hoping to use it to bump up the lavender note on a couple of fragrances, but it doesn't last more than an hour or two. Still, I like it enough as a bedtime scent I'll pick up another bottle after I use up this one. I just wish it lasted longer.

Wow, I like this one! I got a sniffie of this with my last order. Magnolia's iffy on me, and I'm not sure I would have tried it had I not received the sample; like gardenia, I enjoy the scent, but they tend to amp on my skin and overwhelm the other notes. Here I think the papaya and coconut cream help it to behave. On me this is very tropical, a creamy fruity floral. While I've never been to Hawaii, this fragrance transports me there. This will be perfect in the summer. I can't comment on the phero; I don't have much experience with Lumina and I'm actually more interested in the fragrance right now. I was only planning on buying a sample of this since, lavender aside, I'm not much of a floral gal. But the longer I wear it, the more I like it. It'll be a stretch to add a full bottle to my already sizable upcoming order, but I'm seriously considering it.

Wet, I get...grape Kool-Aid? Hmm. As it dries down the grape transforms into berry. It's a bit artificial-smelling though, which is unusual because berry usually likes me. I can tell the patchouli's there, but not heavily so. It feels like a sturdy base for the berry. It's hard to describe, but there's also a somewhat "golden" quality down in the base; my gut tells me it's the amber and myrrh. Sounds weird, but it's almost like a "glow", an olfactory rather than visual one...if such a thing exists! Doesn't have tons of throw, but I think I prefer it that way. I don't think I could wear it if the scent was more intense just because of the underlying artificiality of the berry. Like B2.2 and Balm Bomb, the Teddy BB is nice and very relaxing. When it comes to selfies, so far the calming pheros have been the most effective for me. I have a sensitive nervous system (can get sensory overload) and am prone to anxiety, so it makes sense these work so well for me. That said, a week or so ago out of nowhere I had a panic attack with symptoms atypical for me. The only possible trigger I can think of is that I wore fragrances with one of these three phero blends every day for four or five days in a row (they're good sleep pheros for me). Perhaps there was some buildup and I overloaded my system; in another thread I read androstadienone can raise cortisol, the stress hormone, so it very well could have been a contributing factor. I know this is a bit off topic, but thought it was worth mentioning for those who might be sensitive to be aware of. Back to the fragrance. Now that I think of it, it reminds me a bit of a more berry forward Devilish Thoughts. Well, crap, the stinky-to-me phero's starting to bleed through. Not in a major way and it's probably because I'm sensitive to it. This is about two hours in. In all, I like this; not enough to go full bottle, but I will use and enjoy my sample.

I've been eyeing this one on the Etsy site for a while, but the hay was holding me back. Still, I've had enough pleasant surprises from fragrances with ingredients I never thought would be "me" (Loco en la Luna and Hex Deflection, how I love thee...), I finally decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. When first applied I get an interesting mixture of banana and hay. I'm not sure what I had in mind when I bought it, but it wasn't what I expected. This is unisex for sure, not overly, or even particularly, sweet. IMO this would smell very sexy on a guy while also being appropriate for daytime use for either sex. On me it's a skin hugger with not a lot of throw. It's unusual, in a good way; I can't stop sniffing my wrist! About a half hour, 45 minutes in the hay recedes a bit; it's still present, but doesn't dominate the way it does in the beginning. I'm getting that creamy quality others have mentioned in their reviews. Here and there I get a tiny whiff of banana. I think the vanilla/banana combo is what makes it creamy. I'm not getting any sandalwood; as a sandalwood addict, I wish I did, but I don't mind that much. Wait a minute, there it is! Like the banana, it's just a tiny whiff here and there, but I'm glad it's coming out to play. Night of Delight isn't what I expected, but I like it! This will be good for those days when I want to wear something subtle and unisex. Glad I took the risk and bought a bottle.

Wet, something about this reminds me of Strange & Unusual--maybe the majmua? Almost but not quite fruity, with a touch of hay or grass? It's very dark, but not in the heavy sense (the scent actually hangs fairly close to the body and lasts maybe 4-6 hours), more like it feels dark. There's an almost incensey quality to it. The oud? or maybe dragon's blood? The spices--I'm mostly getting clove, and a touch of nutmeg--add depth. Vanilla's there, but not foody or particularly sweet. It kind of feels like a thread tying the various notes together. It's such a complex fragrance I find it difficult to isolate the notes, but it's that very complexity which makes it so mysterious and compelling. The name and label nails the vibe of this scent. This would be perfect for those dabbling in the esoteric. It's unisex too, equally suitable for men and women alike. I'm really glad I picked up a full bottle. The more I wear it the more I like it. Perhaps a backup bottle is in my future...

On paper this one looked right up my alley. On me it has a sharp medicinal quality which never really mellowed--maybe the benzoin? It skews masculine to me and brings to mind...aftershave, maybe? On a guy I think this would be very nice, strong and sensual.

This is a good example of the difference travel shock and aging can have on a scent. When it first arrived, in the vial and on me, it smelled primarily of cinnamon and patchouli. What made me fall in love with the original Soul Food was the opening of earthy cinnamon giving way to a dry, haunting swirl of sandalwood and benzoin, so this was a big difference. I set it aside to rest and tried it again four days later. Oh yeah...this is Soul Food all right. It's still more patchouli forward than the original for about the first hour, though it seems to be less the case with each passing day. The fragrance lasts a good 10-12 hours on me, and the cinnamon carries through almost to the end. In the previous version the cinnamon largely recedes after a good couple hours of running the show. Part of me wishes the sandalwood was a bit more dominant in the long dry down, and then there it is, sneaking up on me a few hours later. This version maintains a more blended quality from beginning to end, so I think that's why I can't isolate the sandalwood as readily as the original. The benzoin is a touch sweeter and more vanilla-y here as well, but it still has that dry, parchment feel. Truly exquisite. I LOVE it.

Love Potion is really hard for me to describe. Apart from vanilla, I can't discern any of the notes in isolation, and even the vanilla blends in so well it doesn't come across my nose as "this is a vanilla-based scent". At first sniff, I was very surprised at its almost candy-like quality. I love sweet scents, but sometimes they can cross over into sickly sweet, and I was concerned this one might fall into that category. To my delight, I was wrong. The sweetness remains, but it just blooms into straight up deliciousness on my skin. It has nice throw, yet isn't intrusive at all. I just smell amazing. I can, and sometimes do, slather it on with abandon. The only other scent I slather as much is Sugared Grapefruit (as a diehard resin-wearer for 20+ years, I still can't believe grapefruit, of all things, would end up one of my favorite notes ever--thank you Cougar Potion for the introduction ). Anyway, I have sampled a number of Love Potion variants and enjoyed many of them. But none holds me under its spell quite like the original. It is beauty, contentment and, yes, love, in one bottle, perfectly blended and balanced. Easily in my Top 5.

Okay, I admit it. I put off reviewing this one because I fell in love with it and there were so few bottles left, I wanted to secure my own stash first. Soon thereafter I realized the only cure for my addiction to LPMP was to go cold turkey and focus on enjoying what I'd already purchased. Now that my perfume stock is getting low (interestingly enough--and completely unplanned--just in time for Pheromas. Hmmm ), I'm back to replenish my favorites and add a few new ones (thanks to some samples which aged beautifully!). Since Majmua Sultana is GGG now, I wanted to make sure I gave it its due while it's still available. First of all, this baby is heady, and the sillage is incredible. I learned early on not to slather it; it is so rich it can be overwhelming if applied with a heavy hand. One time I overdid it so much that I couldn't wear it again for months! Now I just dab it on my wrists, the crook of my elbows, my neck and maybe my cleavage. This is the perfect amount for me and it still lasts 12 hours or more. This is an intoxicating, full-bodied fragrance. On me it is sweet--almost too sweet--honey vanilla and warm, rich sandalwood. I have sampled quite a few sandalwoods, and this is among my all-time favorites. It's a sweet, creamy sandalwood as opposed to the dry, exotic sandalwood of Soul Food, which I also love love LOVE (the sold out version--I haven't sampled the new brew yet) or the woody, masculine quality of sugared sandalwood (which sadly doesn't really register as "sandalwood" on my skin). There's just enough boysenberry to add a little sparkle to the thick, heavy base. After about an hour the sweetness mellows out, but beyond that I find the scent stays pretty true from beginning to end. Even hours later the boysenberry peeks in and out. This is a fragrance for resins lovers--if you're iffy about resins, this is probably not for you. It is exotic, enveloping and gorgeous. For me it's too heavy for daily use, but whenever I want to feel like a goddess, this is what I reach for, every time.

When I first found the boards looking for phero recommendations (so many choices it can be overwhelming!), I kept seeing OW mentioned again and again. Like many, I was primarily focused on the sexier pheros, not the social ones, so I relegated OW to the "I'll try it later" list. As it turned out, I'd discovered LPMP not long before Pheromas, giving me the opportunity to sample many UN pheros, including OW. And wouldn't you know, it's ended up being the one I reach for the most, even more than cops! This is truly a great all-purpose blend. I have used it before parties to take the edge off of social anxiety. It's helped put me at ease and be more open to others (imagine that!). On others it seems to encourage a relaxed, friendly vibe. I've also used it a few times before family gatherings. My niece, who's a great kid but appears to have her iPhone surgically attached to her body, can be difficult to have a conversation with. Every time I've used OW she's chattier, attentive and doesn't even look at her phone! About six months ago I wore OW to work to see if it could help improve my relationship with some difficult coworkers. I used it two days in a row, and a couple more times after that. Within a couple of weeks we turned a corner. Ever since things are much more relaxed, congenial even, at the office. I haven't used it at work much beyond that, mostly because I haven't needed to. That little extra something OW provided for those few days was enough. I don't use pheros a lot, so I usually forget when I am wearing it. I just have a good time/positive experiences, and it isn't until afterwards that I recall putting it on. I really can't recommend OW enough.

I loooooove Soul Food (the incarnation prior to this one), particularly because the sandalwood/parchment combo is perfection (both sweet and dry, and oh-so-heady) and lasts for hours and hours. I managed to snag two before it sold out and went through the first in record time. I know I should consider myself lucky for scoring it at all, but man do I wish I could've stocked up on that one! For those who have sampled this new version and the previous one, how does the sandalwood compare?

I received a free bottle of this with my last order. Hee hee! It's like getting a Christmas present with your Christmas presents. I'm not very familiar with the scent of violets so I didn't know what to expect; some florals can go pretty loud on me and give me sensory overload. Not so with this. Act of Violets is a warm, gentle floral with a thread of berry underlying the base. Sensuous comes to mind. For some reason I'm picturing dinner at a nice restaurant in a warm locale, one of those places where you can sit at an outdoor table and enjoy the sunset as the sky blooms pink and purple. For me this falls under the category of a "skin" scent, something I'd wear when I want to "smell this good naturally". It's more Mmmmm, that's nice than HELLOOO, FLORAL. My hair is fussy so I largely stick to a particular brand of hair care products. While I like the scents of the various lines a lot, they can be a bit strong for the first couple of hours, so I have to take care in choosing non-clashing perfume when I use certain products. An Act of Violets is the kind of fragrance I could wear with any of them, even though the scents range from tropical to berry to herbal. Can't get much more versatile than that.

These sigils are absolutely breathtaking. Last night I was browsing through the spell collection on the website and found myself transfixed by the images. I don't know anything about magic but even I could feel the energy coming off these. When I got my sampler sets I could feel energy coming off those too, so much so I try not to hold them in my hands all at once lest I inadvertently alter them in some way. Makes sense now, being doubly powered. I don't know where I'll find the money, but I'm seriously considering buying a full bottle set (my first ever!), not in small part because of the sigils. I don't know if I could bring myself to burn them, though. They're too beautiful. This spell collection is amazing. I love almost all of them just for their scent. Haven't had much chance to use them for intent yet, but I'm really feeling this collection is not to be missed.

THAT'S what it is! Couldn't quite put my finger on it, but Coconut's Greatest Hits nails it. At first whiff I was like, "ooo, suntain oil, yummy" but it very quickly morphed into much more than that. Now I'm totally picking up the toasted shredded aspect. That's one of the things I love about reading others' reviews, the way someone else can put into words something you're perceiving only on a subconscious level. For me there's just a touch of the plastickiness I also get from Sugared Vanilla and Sugared Cream, but for whatever reason, with the Sugared Coconut I only get the plastic thing sniffing it up close with my nose right over the application area. From a foot or more away, it's just coconutty goodness. Think I'm going to try pairing this with Sugared Berries, and with Sugared Apricot. And maybe with something resinous, or musky even? Hmmm

It was because of Pherogirl I tried UNE, but I never got around to actually making the comparison myself. Okay, as they dry down on different places on my arm... They are very similar, of course, but I would say that Pherogirl is a tad brighter than UNE. That "lift" I was describing before is even more pronounced in Pherogirl and shifts the almost floral aspect of UNE to more fruity floral. Kind of like peach blossom meets orange blossom. I'm honestly not sure which I like more. UNE is just a little softer and smoother, but I'm really digging the brightness of the Pherogirl. Dang it!! I was hoping I could make due with the UNE, but it looks like Pherogirl's going on the to-buy list too. So much for saving money. on the veering thing. I do the same thing, not only with these two, but in general. I think it's going to be an "X" day, and then my hand reaches out and grabs "Y" instead. It seems to go through cycles; one week I'm all about UNE and on another it's SH all the way.

That didn't take long! LOL I'll hold onto it for a bit longer and give it another chance. I've had it for a month or two and it's stayed fairly consistent, but I also have so much to play with (I've gone a little hog wild since I found LPMP ) I've only tried it a few times. But if the mandarin decides to stay in hiding from me, you got first dibs.

This is very much how I would describe this one too. True, authentic rose, but gentler and well rounded. I find it very soothing, and so feminine. After reading about layering this with Sugared Strawberries I decided to give it a try. Very nice, almost girlish. I do find the strawberry can overpower the rose when applied in equal amounts. In the future I'm going to try just a dab of strawberry so the rose has a little more room to bloom. Now that I have a nice sized collection (starter set? ) of the Sugareds, I look forward to seeing what else I can pair this with. I wonder if this would femme up the Sugared Sandalwood a bit...

When I was considering this one the stock was very low, so I took a chance and went full bottle unsniffed after reading all the reviews. On me this is primarily vanilla cake with a hint of allspice. I was actually hoping for more mandarin, but for whatever reason my nose isn't picking up much. I tried layering it with Sugared Oranges but it's still not clicking for me. Don't get me wrong; the scent is quite yummy. I'm just not sure I like smelling like spiced vanilla cake. This has so many fans, I'm thinking about putting it up for trade so it can go to a home where it will be fully appreciated.

It's difficult for me to describe this fragrance without comparing it to Sugared Honeycomb. They are definitely siblings, and I can wear either and get my honey fix equally satisfied. They're similar enough that, at this point in time, anyway, I have to wear them on opposite wrists to elucidate their differences. UNE is lighter/brighter than SH and more complex. While both have a powdery quality on my skin, the orange blossom and bee pollen in UNE lifts the scent and adds a subtle, almost floral characteristic. If UNE were a color I would describe it as golden sunlight. It brings to mind warm skin after being outside on a sunny day in early summer. In contrast, the color of SH (not the perfume oil itself, but the color it evokes in my mind's eye) is denser, a thick, somewhat brownish orange, like raw honey that's starting to crystallize a bit. It feels a bit earthier, and makes me think of sitting under the shade of a tree on a long, lazy August afternoon. Once during the wet stage of wearing UNE, I detected the faintest trace of the urinic (is that even a word?) aspect some people have described with honey scents. It was very subtle though; I had to root around to find it, and even when I did I could only detect it for about 10 minutes. I also experienced the "sugared pussy effect" once when wearing SH, but again it was subtle, like an undertone. There's a sensuality to them, but not in your face; more like, "I just smell this good naturally". I can and do wear both anytime and anywhere, including at work. UNE and SH are beautiful, womanly fragrances and will likely be staples for me. I'm glad I went FB on both.

I placed a combo order on Friday and it arrived at my house on Tuesday!! When I got my shipping notice from Amazon the same day I ordered, I was sure it had to be for that purchase only because of everything else I'd ordered from the main site/Etsy. What a wonderful surprise to discover it was indeed the whole kit and caboodle! Thank you so much, Mara! The pouch was that came with this order is especially beautiful. Thanks too for the extra special sample; I think it will pair excellently with a certain something with which I've clearly fallen in love. I really do appreciate your generosity and the extra mile you and your team go for your customers. LPMP has brought so much beauty and pleasure into my life. I didn't realize until now that's exactly what I needed.