This week has been the best mail week...which roughly translates into: I spent a lot of money. But hey...it was my birthday...then it was Valentine's Day...and being old and single, I think I'm allowed.
Today's review is of a perfume company I came across whilst trotting around Etsy a week or so ago. I was reminiscing about how I used to love Velvet Moon Bathory's awesome awesome blends and how sad I was that she was nowhere to be found when I decided to see if there were any other shops out there that could satiate my intense need for odd smelling perfume.
Voila:
The Morbid The Merrier
My first impressions of the store were quite favorable. I love the whole 1800's carnival aestetic, and Lysa, the owner...grabs you with her tag line. As I was poking through the listings, I was surprised to find some scents that used some of my favorite notes...leather, black pepper and amber to name a few.
I picked up the following scents. I will link the listing in each name. Descriptions are directly quoted from her shop.
Black Jack
Described as: "Citrus top notes and vanilla-wood middle notes are supported by a base of black, smoky leather."
My thoughts: The leather is definitely the first thing you smell when you put it on. It's very pungent, but after a few minutes...it fades slightly and you get the vanilla notes. At first sniff, it's a little disarming, which is good when a female wears a masculine scent...but then it sweetens up and is really pretty.
Natali
Described as: "Directly out of the tin it smells exactly like a Terry's Chocolate Orange. After a few minutes, however, the scent begins to mellow and change into something extraordinary. A little incense, a little tobacco, a little mystery."
My thoughts: I didn't really get the chocolate orange smell at first...but I am sometimes woefully inept at picking out different scents. It reminds me a lot of Dragon's Blood, and I have a tin of that so this might be something I pass along to a friend. The scent also seemed to fade pretty quickly, but that might also be because I was sniffing four other things at once.
Dessert Absinthe
Described as: "Upon opening, the first notes are lemon, sugar, and anise - very reminiscent of a lemon sugar cookie. After wearing it for just a few minutes, however, the bottom notes emerge... woodsy, earthy, mysterious, and alluring."
My thoughts: This scent is very much like the description. A citrusy sugar cookie. It definitely fades into a less sweet and more woodsy scent as it wears. I like this one a lot. I am also curious to try it's bigger sister.
Maximo
Described as: "A complex and beautiful blend of sweet cocoa, spicy black pepper, earthy patchouli with a heart of vanilla and wood."
My thoughts: Yum. This scent is sweet and delicious without being too much so. The patchouli comes through later, but not in that "dirty hippy" way that so often ruins how pretty it can be...it's definitely well placed. This one is my second favorite.
1891
Described as: "Notes of amber and rum surface first, followed by spicy clove, smoky wood and moss."
My thoughts: This one is definitely my favorite of the bunch. It is almost exactly what Arsenic & Lace from VMB used to smell like...and that is just what I was looking for. It's sweet, also without that cloying sickly smell (that unfortunately the Arsenic & Lace DID have) and it wears extremely well. I want to nom my arm right now...
Sample:
Horseman
Described as: "Fiery jack-o-lanterns, black leather boots, temple incense, and the edge of a dark Autumn wood. Opens sweet, almost caramel-foody, but after only a few minutes on the skin, it darkens dramatically, almost changing into a different scent altogether."
My thoughts: This opens similarly to Black Jack...but is sooooo different. Where the Black Jack's leather notes mellow out to something sweet and stays a little tart...Horseman goes in a totally different direction. You do get that caramely note she describes for an instant, but it changes the leather smell into something warm and awesome. This is supposed to be limited edition, and I'm not sure if she's just selling off her stock...but I think I am definitely going to have to get a full bottle of this.
Customer Service:
This part of the experience was awesome. In my classic Dori (just keep swimming, just keep swimming) fashion, I wasn't paying enough attention when I ordered and decided, right after that I wanted the 1891 solid perfume. I was fully willing to pay for it, and the shipping, but she threw it in for free. I did converse with her a few times via Esty convo and she was awesome! The packaging was beautiful and the artwork on the tubes is amazing!
The only problem I had was that I thought I had ordered Natali in the chapstick tube (which is the best thing in the world BTW), and I got it in a tin. Really, I'm not complaining...she gave me a whole tube of perfume for free...plus I am planning on passing that scent anyhow so it turns out it's not a big deal. Overall, I am DEFINITELY ordering from her shop again...ESPECIALLY since I know that a few of these scents are going to be used up fairly quickly *cough 1891*.
If anyone has any questions about what I ordered or my blabbering, leave a comment below. Also, if you order from her, let me know what you think!
The End!
PS - The scents on my arms are all mixing together...but in a good way. I'm gonna go have a long sniff and a nap I think. Also, small side note...I have VERY sensitive skin...and I am in no way adversely affected by these perfumes. *thumbs up*
