Indie Makeup and More

9/22, more Deconstructing Eden: Alyssum House (alyssum, violets, a drop of Jasmine, pale peach roses, and a clean, warm skin musk). Unfortunately, way too sweet for me. I wasn't really sure what to expect from alyssum; I'd just read that it was a "sweet floral". I found the sweetness overwhelming and couldn't really pick out any of the other notes. Late in the day, I started to get the jasmine from it, but this one just isn't for me.

Aquarius (air with an undercurrent of water, topped with sparkling aldehydes). Okay, now this one I love. Very fresh air/fresh water (not ocean/salty water). It's like a blue sky with a cool breeze. I expect I'll probably FS this one.

I decided to wear BPAL Chocolate, Cinnamon Bark, and Chipotle Honey. I absolutely love this trio, the chipotle makes my mouth water. It's very realistic and foody without being overly sweet. This is a great bridge to fall scent, with just enough spice.

9/23, almost through first tests of all the samples in my Deconstructing Eden order. Almost! Today's:

Gemini (Wind blowing over a coast and trees. Breezes catching the scent of fields and flowers.) Some similarities to Aquarius, but I like Aquarius better. Earlier, it got a little bit "housecleaner-y", but not hugely. After several hours, I'd say it's a breezy aquatic with a bit of generic floral. It's pleasant but pales in comparison to Aquarius.

Haunted (Ghostly roses, ethereal lilacs, and wisteria. Pale, pale Asian lilies on a soft bed of delicate woods and ambergris.) I had pretty high hopes for this one, but I think lilac just gets overpowering on me. When freshly applied, I did get some rose and a lot of lilac. Not long afterwards, it was pretty much just lilac. Now, after quite a while, I'd say I'm getting wisteria and lilies with a little lilac. No roses at all. I'm wondering if maybe DE's rose notes just don't last on me.

I also ordered a sample of Lena, but I'm a little hesitant to try it now. The description is, "Blended for a dear friend - dew covered pink and purple lilacs, willow leaves floating on a gentle breeze and soft blue sky on a bed of barely-there white musk." It seems nice in the vial, though, so we'll see.

She sent me a sample of a B-Side called Lucky Peach, which I'm not going to be able to use at all. The description is, "Sleek black leather, blood red lipstick, clove spiked tobacco, rocket fuel, and ripe peaches." Unfortunately, the smell of leather gives me a headache, and all I have to do is sniff the unopened vial to kick that off. I appreciate the additional sample, though, and am sad it's something I can't use!

9/24, last of my Deconstructing Eden testers:

Lena (blended for a dear friend - dew covered pink and purple lilacs, willow leaves floating on a gentle breeze and soft blue sky on a bed of barely-there white musk). After my experience with Haunted, I was kind of wary of this one, but maybe because I knew what to expect, it seemed less... overwhelming, It is very lilac-y, which is to be expected, and there's a bit of a "fresh air" note. I don't think I really get any willow leaves from it, and I think the white musk keeps it from being too cloying. It occurred to me that if this had a strong "fresh green grass" note in it, I might really like that a lot.

I'll be testing some of these some more but I'm pretty sure i'll be FSing Aquarius. And I think I may try some Alkemia samples next, but I haven't really made up my mind.