TL;DR (it's a looong one): Eat your fruits.
I see a good number of people on this sub asking questions like, "How do I learn to describe tasting notes?" or even before that, "How do I learn to taste tasting notes?"
I've seen lots of solid advice, like "Do side-by-side comparisons," "Try cupping," etc. Very good ideas and well worth your time, especially for the initial process of learning to distinguish one coffee from another. However, there came a time when I could easily tell two different coffees apart but still was no nearer to applying the type of exotic labels (pineapple! caramel!) that they throw on the side of bags.
To develop this really niche and unnecessary (but cool) skill, I was led through a series of exercises designed to connect the physical sensation of a flavor to the mental response of a description; this type of exercise, done properly, ensures that you form the "correct" connections, "correct" meaning by the SCAA and CQI standards (not to deify "the man" like that, but it does help to have a standardized language so one person’s baking chocolate isn't another’s blood orange).
In another age, you could go to SCAA Skills Building workshops and pay to get your hands dirty with the pros and their pro equipment like Le Nez du Café, a box of 36 bottled aromas that appear in coffee. Now you can’t, and you definitely don’t want to drop $300 on a box of liquid smells, but fortunately you can replicate the essence of the exercises at home. It can be tough without a teacher to pummel with questions, but here’s an exercise you can try that’s meant to open your understanding of the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel, the magical hoop from which all the fun words are derived (see below). You don’t even need to buy any fancy coffee.
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Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel; or, The Magical Hoop, Root of All Pretension (source: SCAA)

1. Go to the super market. Here’s your shopping list:

· 1 papaya (all these fruits can be whole or pre-cut. I recommend whole for maximum freshness and minimum salmonella)
· 1 mango
· 1 yellow banana
· 1 red banana
· 1 each of Red Delicious, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Fuji apples (that’s 5 apples)
· 1 pink grapefruit
· 1 lime
· 1 normal orange (sweet or Valencia or navel, doesn’t really matter)
· 1 blood orange
· 1 lemon
· More than 1 blackberry
· Raspberries
· Strawberries
· Blueberries
· 1 or more dark chocolate bars (≥65% cacao)
· 1 small bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
· 1 Hershey’s milk chocolate bar
· A bag of mixed nuts with almonds, hazelnut, walnut, etc. (skip this if you’re allergic)

1. Cut up the fruits and lay out all your foods in groups: the tropicals together, the apples together, the citrus, the berries, the chocolates, the nuts. You can set out toothpicks and cocktail napkins if you’re feeling dainty. Smell everything. Focus on the smells. This smorgasbord is your makeshift Le Nez du Café.
   
2. At this point I hope you’re not keto cause you’re about to house all this food. Each group will serve as an exercise for a different element of coffee tasting, and can be tackled in any order. Descriptions of each activity and my recommendation for order is as follows:
   

a. Malic Acidity with Apples: Taste each variety of apple and rank them from least to greatest in “intensity of acidity.”Intensity of acidity is the strength or presence of both sweet and tart acids in a flavor. Though you are focusing on acidity, take note of the distinct flavor of each apple. Here I must emphasize the distinction between eating and tasting. Same physical actions, but in tasting you must be highly focused on the sensation of flavor. For you meditators, this is one of the finest real-world applications of meditative awareness. You must direct all your focus on the flavor you are tasting. Flavor is a fleeting thing, and early on, without full awareness, I found myself missing it entirely. Try, but if you miss it at first, try again. Train yourself to get “in the zone;” it becomes essential in cupping where things move fairly quickly.
b. Citric Acidity with Citrus Fruits: Rank the citrus fruits from least to greatest in intensity of acidity. The difference between this type of acidity and the sweeter, malic acidity of apples is very apparent in the fruits themselves, but is tougher to distinguish in the context of coffee. Noting the unique flavors of each citrus fruit and comparing them with the flavors of the apples will help prepare you to detect, and more importantly distinguish, malic and citric acids in a cup of coffee. The citrus fruits are also helpful because they appear on the Flavor Wheel (tasting note words). I know you know what an orange tastes like. But you need to really know. This exercise combined with proper awareness trains your ability to mentally conjure the exact sensation of “tasting an orange,” which you can then detect in a cup of coffee.
c. Body with Tropical Fruits: Taste each tropical fruit, ranking them from least to greatest in “body.” Body is the sensation of weight or thickness in the mouth, determined mostly by lipid (fat) content, and is a major factor in evaluating coffee. Compare each fruit to milk. Which has a thickness like skim milk, which like whole, and which like heavy cream? Again, while you’re focusing primarily on body, spend some time really tasting the flavor of these fruits; they show up on the Flavor Wheel and their sensations should be memorized. You can also focus on “mouthfeel,” the texture of the fruits. Are they creamy, chalky, silky? Something else?
d. Layered Flavor with Berries: This one is challenging. Tasting each berry, focus as intensely as you can on its flavor and try to go beyond your pre-conceived “blackberry” or “raspberry” answer as your verbal response. What else is there in the flavor of a raspberry? Chocolate? Herbs? Flowers? Nuts? See what you can find when you really look. You may also choose to rank the berries by intensity of acidity, body, or even how complex you find their flavors (by how complex, I mean how many other flavors you can detect that constitute the entire flavor). Berry flavors are an essential part of the Flavor Wheel. Become extremely familiar with the sensation of tasting each berry.
e. Bitterness with Chocolate: Melt a piece of each chocolate on your tongue. Focus on everything discussed above (flavor, body, acidity) as well as bitterness, and notice how the level bitterness changes with the type of chocolate. Decide which levels of bitterness are most pleasant to you. Also focus on the lingering sensation in the mouth after eating chocolate. This sensation becomes important when trying to identify chocolate notes in a coffee.
f. Flavor with Nuts: With the nuts, mostly the same deal. Focus on their flavor. Know an almond from a peanut from a hazelnut on a deep level. They all appear on the Flavor Wheel.
Thus concludes the exercise. Write your rankings and thoughts down as you go. Be confident in them but do not be afraid to be wrong; the ability to rank fruits based on certain qualities is not natural or instinctual in the human. You’re not made to be good at it. It must be trained.
Now you may ask: how do I effectively apply this to coffee tasting? Coffee is evaluated on its aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, and body, all very jargonized ideas to which your brain can only prescribe “sensational” definitions to through experience. Now that you have experience
Remember the berries, and how you focused on moving beyond the pre-conceived notion of “xberry.” This is what a roaster or cupper is doing when they ascribe tasting notes to a coffee. Coffee with blueberry notes isn’t going to taste like a blueberry smoothie; coffee is always gonna taste like coffee. They get “blueberry” because they have trained their brain to be so familiar with the sensation of tasting blueberry that they can also get that sensation from things that are not blueberries but carry some similarities. Finding tasting notes in coffee is much like the instinctual phenomenon of finding “faces” in things that don’t really have faces, like a wall outlet. Our brain knows faces, and a cupper’s brain knows flavors in the same way.
A good way to practice with coffee is to look at the Flavor Wheel while tasting. Start general, like in a game of 20 Questions. Are you sensing Chocolates, Fruits, Spices, or Something Bad? Ok, fruit. Is it tropical, citrus, berry? And so on. You don’t need to land on a specific food in the beginning. “This coffee is chocolatey and fruity” is a fine step from, “This is coffee.” Let, "This coffee has the aroma of brown sugar and strong notes of almond and vanilla," come later.
Here is an "answer key" to the rankings of the fruits. Don’t look at it until you’ve done the exercise, please. When training the senses, it’s so important to rely on the senses alone. It is very easy for suggestion and bias to get in the way and limit your learning.
Hope you enjoy, and let me know if you tried it. Keep learning and keep drinking coffee.

0️⃣Section Zero: Background
Hello, MD! I hope you're all doing well, and are safe and healthy. I've gone back and forth for a while about whether I should share my money diary. I signed up to do one last year to chronicle our home buying process but chickened out (I'm so sorry mods!). I was worried I'd be judged for what I spent money on, not having a college education, or what might be perceived as frivolous habits. I don't know. Internet strangers terrify me. But I'm finally sharing this money diary because I want this to be a data point: you can have a career (or two!) without a college degree.
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I moved to the US right before entering elementary school. I spent half my childhood in a simple four room shack with no running water or electricity (mom's side of the family) and the other half in a large house with a nanny and domestic help (dad's side of the family). From a young age I was told that college was chance at a better life and I believed it -- not going to college wasn't an option. My mom completed a healthcare related degree in our home country but she couldn't practice in the US. My dad dropped out of college in our home country due to his work as a student protester. Both of them worked blue-collar jobs to support our family and were always working. As with just about every parent, they wanted more for me.
I was accepted to a top ranked private university but didn't get a sizable scholarship so my parents and I took out loans, separately, to fund my tuition. I dropped out halfway through my sophomore year due to poor mental health stemming from an assault. No one knows (except for my fiancé and now, internet strangers) the real reason why I left school.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes. My parents never talked about their money struggles with me, but I knew money was always tight. After my youngest brother was born, I remember how excited I was to find a jar of peanut butter in our cupboard. We hadn't had any for a while. It had a "WIC" sticker on it and I didn't know what it meant at the time. My parents never talked about receiving government support but I'm thankful that we had a safety net available to us when we needed it most.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I started paying my parents rent to stay in my childhood bedroom when I moved back home. I didn't pay for groceries or to use one of their cars, which was nice. I was about 21 when I was completely on my own. My parents and I had a falling out over me dating a much older man who I'd come to learn was very abusive. There were a few months where I slept on a friend's couch because I barely had money to feed myself. My early 20's were rough. But if I were to go completely broke now, my parents would be there to help me. They're doing much better financially.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No. I've never received an inheritance or any other passive income.
Finally, a note on Erik: he also doesn't come from money or finish his college degree. He immigrated to the US less than a decade ago and does not receive or provide monetary support to his mom or dad.
1️⃣Section One: Assets and Debt

Combined net worth:	$3.7M
Combined brokerage balance:	$2.14M	$317,587 (mine) + $1.82M (Erik)
Combined retirement balance:	$195k	$116,300 (mine) + $78,700Erik). We're behind on funding our 401ks. I finally convinced Erik to take advantage of his employer match program two years ago. He was concerned about the ease of withdrawing funds since we plan on living outside of the US when we retire.
Joint checking account balance:	$111k	We have a lot of cash on hand right now because we need to prepay income taxes, and will be furnishing our place.
Equity:	$1.42M	We put 40% down on a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath condo (<1,200 ft2) in a new construction last summer. Our down payment came from the sale of some of Erik's RSUs.
Mortgage:	$1.61M	For our financial situation, an interest-only mortgage made sense. We have a 2.35% APR 7/1 ARM since we don't intend to stay in NYC longterm. Our plan is to pay off the remaining mortgage in full after five years and either sell the condo or hold onto it as rental property.
Combined credit card debt:	$0	We pay off our credit cards in full every month. We put between $6k - 20k on our cards every month in a typical year. He's also the authorized user on my credit cards; I added him to my accounts about six years ago to help him build his credit file since we knew we'd eventually buy a place together.
Combined student loan debt:	$0	I finished paying my student loans two years ago. Erik received free tuition as an EU resident but had some cost-of-living loans which he's paid off.

2️⃣Section Two: Income My fiancé and I ended 2020 with a total cash compensation (base + bonus) of $493,750 but with last year's vested RSUs, our overall compensation is:

	Mine	Erik
Base	$131,250	$268,750
Bonus	~$13,125	~$80,625
Vested RSUs	$121,500	$835,500
Total Compensation	$265,875	$1.18M

Income Progression I don't recall my salary increases so I'm listing my starting base salary for each role. I'm also not including additional compensation such as bonus or RSUs.

• HS and into my early 20's: minimum wage. I started working when I was 16 as a hostess for a restaurant and worked there throughout high school. In the summer before and after freshman year of university, I worked at a department store on commission. After I left university, I worked there full time and also picked up two part-time jobs (restaurant hostess, receptionist) to make ends meet.
• Job 1: $30,000 as a business development manager for a staffing agency in a HCOL (rent was $600 for a room in a 2bd/1ba). I worked there for three months.
• Job 2: $50,000 as a recruiting assistant then promoted to recruiter for a large non-profit in a HCOL (rent was $1200 for a room in a 3 bd/2ba). I was there for three years.
• Job 3: $75,000 as a recruiter for a large research institution in a VHCOL (rent was $1600 for a 1bd/1ba shared with ex-bf). I was there for three years. Looking back now, I didn't realize how burned out I was at the end. I fully believed in our mission to save lives and was so grateful to have that job. I was working directly with these world class physicians and scientists, and I had no college degree. I felt like I had to prove I belonged there. To me that meant staying in my office until 2-3am some nights (mornings?). When an opportunity to change industries, I took it.
• Job 4: $90,000 as a recruiter for a tech company in a VHCOL (rent was $1400 for a room in a 3bd/2ba). I was in that role for 2.5 years. When I joined the company, there were less than 5,000 employees. It was an amazing experience to have a hand in building teams of incredibly bright and kind people, many of whom now are now leading global teams of their own. But, I was traveling non-stop. It was exhausting and I experienced burnout (again). I had turned in my notice to HR and started letting people know. It was in one of those "goodbye" conversations that a director I closely worked with asked me if I'd be interested in joining her group as a PM. That opportunity changed the trajectory of my career. I stayed and switched roles.
• Job 5: $110,000 as a program manager for the same tech company in a VHCOL (rent was $4400 for a 2bd/2ba with Erik). I was in that role for 2.5 years. I worked on public-facing initiatives, built some awesome programs, and partnered with senior leadership daily. By this time, the company had grown 10x and had no signs of slowing down. But I needed to slow down. I didn't really take time to decompress after my two previous roles. Erik saw how unhappy I'd become. He supported me leaving the workforce for a year and I'm grateful I had his support, the opportunity, and the ability to do it.
• Took a year off. –$20,000 withdrawn from my brokerage accounts in a VHCOL (rent was $4000 for a 1bd/1ba with Erik). I didn't do anything remotely awesome during this time. I was coming out of a pretty bad depression so I took it easy on myself. I watched a lot of Investigation Discovery, cooked, napped, went down many Wikipedia rabbit holes, and joined Erik on all his business trips.
• Current Job: $125,000 as a program manager at a tech company in a VHCOL (mortgage + common charges is ~$4400 for a 2bd/2.5ba with Erik). I've been in this role for almost two years.

Main Job Monthly Take Home

Deductions	Mine	Erik
Retirement	15% of paycheck to Roth 401k	7% of paycheck to 401k
M/D/V	under Erik's employer; my employer also provides free M/D/V but we would have different providers	covered by his employer + $~250 for mine
Life insurance and AD&D	covered by my employer	covered by his employer
Short & long term disability	covered by my employer	covered by his employer
Net monthly take home	$7,000	$10,00

3️⃣Section Three: Expenses This is what our YNAB budget roughly looks like (for annual expenses, I set aside an amount per month towards the expense):
Housing

• Mortgage: $3,155
• Common charges: $1,260
• Property tax: $27,509 annual
• Homeowner's insurance: $837 annual
• Utilities: $300
• Staff bonus: $1,200 annual (1 super, 5 FT front desk, 2 porters)

Transportation These would be significantly higher in normal times. We rarely leave our place and if we do, we walk.

• Public transportation: $20
• Rideshare/taxi: $30

Entertainment

• Books & Magazines: $50 (Audible, Readly, news+, NYT)
• Music & Podcasts: $25 (Pandora, Spotify, Patreon, Blinkist)
• TV & Streaming: $120 (Hulu, Netflix, Masterclass)

Donations: $10,000 annual We donate to Children International on a monthly basis. The remaining amount is donated throughout the year to different causes. Last year, we supported AIDS research, mental health and addiction support, food banks, and international food programs.
Hobbies:

• Fitness: $176 (Aaptiv, Future, Whoop)
• Flowers: $125
• Photography: $10 (Photoshop)

Fields

• Pet insurance: $1,500 annual
• Veterinary care: $1,500 annual
• Pet food & medication: $500

Savings & Finance

• Backdoor IRA: $6,000 annual
• Acorns: $250
• Betterment: $500
• Credit card annual fees: $1,890 annual

Food & Drink Pre-COVID, we'd budget $3,000 to a "Restaurant", increase "Cafes & Bars" to $1,500, and decrease "Delivery & Takeout" to $1,000.

• Delivery & Takeout: $3,000
• Cafes & Bars: $700
• Groceries: $300

Wedding: TBD Our original budget was $75,000 (international, <50 people). We've had to reschedule it twice now and have already spent $10k in lost deposits and rescheduling fees. We'll re-evaluate our budget later this year when we start planning again.
4️⃣Section 4: The Diary

Day 1: Monday | Total: $111.84 

8:00am - First day back from holiday break for both Erik and me. He's still snoozing so I turn on the bedroom TV to see if our dog is still sleeping too. We adopted a senior dog, Fields, over the summer and quickly became one of those dog owners that installed cameras everywhere so we can watch him anytime, anywhere. Fields is still asleep so I check my work accounts and respond to anything urgent.
8:30am - Normally, this is when I'd take Fields for his morning walk while Erik makes our coffee. But our espresso machine is broken so we can't use it until the replacement parts arrive next week. Erik and I both start getting dressed to take Fields for a walk together. Before that happens, I take the dog outside to relieve himself and we quickly head back to the apartment for his breakfast.
9:30am - We walk to our favorite coffee spot in our neighborhood and get our usual: cortado with whole milk for Erik, cold brew with a splash of oat milk for me, and a breakfast BLT to share. We walk back to our apartment and get to work. $23.69
12:30pm - I take Fields with me to pick up our lunch at Sweetgreen: a kale caesar salad (hold the tomato and swap for the blackened chicken) for me, and a hot honey chicken plate for Erik. $27.71
4:30pm - Erik and I are dire need of coffee. We take the dog for another walk, this time to our other favorite coffee shop. The decor is very IG-friendly and their coffee is fantastic. I get their matcha latte with oat milk, Erik gets a cortado with whole milk, we split an avocado toast with smoked salmon, and Fields get a whole lot of snacks for being a good boy while he waits for our order to be ready. $29.95
4:45pm - We walk past a cute mochi ice cream shop that I've been meaning to try. I pick up eight mochi ice creams: ube, chocolate hazelnut, passion fruit, mango, and some seasonal flavors. $30.48
5:00pm - We get home just in time to feed the dog. His food is laughably expensive but we think it's worth it and most importantly, Fields is worth it! He's the best dog and we want to spoil him during his final years. Especially since the poor pup was returned to the shelter twice within a year. I can't imagine giving up this sweet old guy.
9:00pm - I log off work and head down to our building's gym to workout. I've been working with a trainer through the app, Future, and like it so far. Pre-pandemic, I was in really good shape as I was training for a half marathon and our now-postponed wedding. Since the lockdowns started, my healthy eating habits and will to workout has gone down a very messy spiral. I do a mile run on the treadmill followed by a set that includes split squats and deadlifts. Ouch.
10:15pm - I walk into the apartment to find Erik's made dinner from yesterday's leftovers: tacos! I quickly eat two tacos, then tidy up the kitchen while Erik takes Fields out for his last potty break before bed.
10:45pm - I rinse off in the shower and start my nighttime routine. Erik won't see me for another 45 minutes, at least. Tonight, I use a dermaroller on my arms and legs before rubbing in vitamin C lotion. While the lotion dries, I start on my face: facewash, essence, serum, niacinamide and azaleic acid, eye serum, and all topped off with a nighttime cream cream. This is a typical nighttime routine for me.
11:30pm - Finally in bed. We put on a Netflix comedy special while I finish my routine in bed: foot cream, hand cream, and cuticle oil. Erik is browsing on the iPad looking for pots and planters. We call it a night just after midnight.

Day 2: Tuesday | Total: $199.41 

8:30am - We're both really tired. I want to lay in bed a little longer but Erik has a call at 10am and we need coffee. Since his pants are on first, I convince him to take the dog outside so I can get ready. He agrees. I put on sweats and prepare Fields' breakfast.
9:15am - We walk to a cute Australian coffee shop and order: a cortado with whole milk for Erik (it's the only thing he drinks), a cold brew with oat milk for me, and share one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches. It's got prosciutto on it and a perfectly runny egg! $23.58
12:45pm - I lost track of time and forgot to order lunch. I place an order at Chop't: avoketo chicken club salad sans tomatoes for me and a kebab cobb wrap for Erik. Once it's ready, I take Fields with me to pick it up. $25.67
1:15pm - While eating lunch, I order Ess-A-Bagels to be sent to two girlfriends across the country as very belated Christmas gifts. I meant to send them their gifts earlier but they've had family visiting them and I wanted to make sure they got to enjoy their gift. I know they both really love Ess-A-Bagels and wouldn't be too keen to share. $213.90 - $100.00 AMEX offers credit = $113.90
3:00pm - That salad was not enough. I pull a Daily Harvest mint + cacao smoothie from our freezer to make a smoothie with oat milk and split it with Erik.
4:30pm - Ok, we really need coffee. We head back to cute IG-friendly coffee shop we went to yesterday and order the same drinks but skip the sandwich. $12.74
4:45pm - On the way home, I tell Erik that I need to eat something more substantial. I was feeling hangry. We stop by our favorite mediterranean cafe. I order a kebab bowl and Erik gets the kebab sandwich. $23.52
5:15pm - We get home just in time for me to get ready for my last meeting of the day and feed Fields his dinner. Today, he gets lamb and red quinoa.
8:45pm - My trainer has a run scheduled for me today but I'm so tired; I don't think I slept well. I message my trainer to tell her I'm taking the day off but will make up the run tomorrow!
9:30pm - I catch up with some girlfriends on the west coast over text while watching an old Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode. I remember we have mochi ice cream and eat two of them. This is a great night.
10:30pm - I need to sleep earlier tonight since I need to get a run in tomorrow morning. I have a Morpheus8 appointment at 11am and I can't workout after that.

Day 3: Wednesday | Total: $290.44 

8:00am - The alarm goes off and I yell at Siri to stop. I roll back over and snuggle Erik. The run isn't happening.
9:00am - I receive a call from the clinic where I get my Morpheus8 done. My esthetician has a family emergency and can't make the appointment. I'm secretly excited to reschedule for a later date since I have a face lipo, neck lipo and buccal fat removal procedure in exactly a week. I know, I know. Scheduling procedures so close to each other isn't the smartest idea, but I wanted to finish my Morpheus8 series before more invasive procedures. To get the kind of results I wanted, I needed three Morpheus8 sessions booked about a month apart. Today was supposed to be my last one.
9:20am - Walk Fields with Erik to get our usual coffee order and split a bagel with smoked salmon, alfalfa sprouts, picked red onions, chili and dill. $27.85
3:00pm - During our team meeting, my director asks me if I've seen the news. I grab my phone to look at the news and feel my anxiety spike as I learn that the Capital is actively being breached. I know my mental health is going to take another hit after this. Instead of working, I doom scroll the rest of the day. I also realize that salad isn't going to cut it for lunch. Not today. I need something more comforting and warm. We decide on Chinese food: ma po tofu and black pepper beef with a lot of fluffy white rice. $64.52
4:45pm - It's time for my sort-of monthly nail appointment. I go every three weeks to this amazing salon that specializes in nail art but they're also superb at taking care of your nails. I pick a sunny yellow color to offset the shit that happened this afternoon. They're pricey ($75 + $20 tip) but my nails and cuticle beds have never looked healthier. I also buy a ceramic cuticle pusher tool ($15). $114.40
7:15pm - I convince Erik to meet me at our neighborhood pizza spot to pick up dinner. We order: a pepperoni Sicilian slice, Hawaiian slice, ham and cheese calzone, and four slices of cheese, root beer and diet soda. $46.65
8:30pm - While scrolling through IG, I see a dermatologist use snail extract for her NuFace. I've been meaning to buy more NuFace gel and this seems like a good cost-effective replacement. I find the same bottle on Ulta and add an eyeshadow brush to get free shipping. I'm project panning my eyeshadow palettes so this will be a fun new tool to play with. $37.02
12:00am - Bedtime.

Day 4: Thursday | Total: $112.13 

8:00am - Same routine as the days before: get dressed, take Fields out, give him breakfast, and head out for our family walk.
9:00am - Another day, a new cafe. We order our usual coffees, and split a breakfast sandwiche: herb omelette on a toasted baguette slathered with spicy aioli and topped with bacon. $27.22
9:15am - I realize that I dropped Erik's credit card somewhere between the cafe and our apartment (I didn't bring my wallet so I asked Erik for his card at the cafe). I call the cafe and ask if they'd seen it; they hadn't. And just as I'm about to call the bank to cancel the card, the cafe calls back -- someone found it on the sidewalk and turned it in! We thank them for following up and tell them we'll pick it up tomorrow.
1:00pm - I wake Fields up from his nap so we can walk to get our usual Sweetgreens order. $27.71
7:00pm - Erik and I take Fields on a walk to pick up Thai food for dinner. We order beef pad kee mao, shrimp tom kha soup, chicken pad thai, and mango with sticky rice. $51.75
9:00pm - While reconciling this week's expenses, I see that my Sephora credit card payment was returned and I was charged not only a late fee, but a finance charge! I signed up for the Sephora card over the holidays to take advantage of their cash back program and this was my first payment to them. I go on the website to investigate what happened and find that I missed entering a "0" to my linked bank account. I call their customer service rep to explain everything. I ask her if she could waive the late payment fee ($35) and the finance charge ($5.45) if I paid the balance in full. She said she's able to waive the late payment fee but not the finance charge. I thank her for her help and hope this doesn't affect my credit score too much. $5.45
12:00am - Zzzzzzz.

Day 5: Friday | Total: $245.56 

8:00am - Same morning routine as yesterday.
9:00am - Same breakfast routine as yesterday but add additional tip since they held onto Erik's card. $28.67
12:00pm - Wake Fields up from his nap for a quick walk to Just Salad. I get a chicken caesar salad while Erik gets a chicken poblano salad. $23.70
7:10pm dinner - Friday's are our date nights. Before the pandemic, we'd get dressed up and go out for a nice meal and spend quality one-on-one time. These days, we usually order in fancy sushi and watch a movie. Between us, we order 19 pieces of sashimi and nigiri like uni (my favorite), zuke, wagyu, and tamago. $193.19
10:30pm - As soon as Erik gets back from taking Fields out, we pile onto the couch to watch Jurassic Park.
1:00am - Sleep.

Day 6: Saturday | Total: $375.24 

9:00am - It's a late start to the morning. After feeding Fields, we walk to pick up breakfast. We get our usual coffee order, a bagel with smoked salmon and a chocolate croissant. $34.12
1:20pm - I saw someone post in a cooking subreddit about seasoning that a local restaurant uses on their wings. Of course I google the restaurant and get hungry from looking at their photos. I end up ordering lunch from them: wings (of course), coconut crab curry, shrimp chips and chili jam, thai iced tea, and khua kling. It was all delicious but holy cow everything was so spicy. Definitely will order from them again though! $93.40
3:45pm - I see a notification pop up for a charge on our card. I assume it's something for Erik's current house project (building our custom closets). I ask him about it and it's actually a router extender. $125.85
8:00pm - We've been missing Mission-style burritos lately and haven't found a good replacement in New York yet. But we did find a restaurant that makes delicious Mexican food. I get two spicy pork tacos and one al pastor taco, Erik gets a spicy pork burrito and a mandarin Jarritos, and we split a large chips and guacamole. $49.87
10:00pm - While browsing Reddit), I see someone post decants for sale of fragrances I've been meaning to try. Fragrances were a serious hobby of mine for a while, to the point that I hired a fragrance "fixer" on a Paris trip to take me around the local shops. I've since scaled back my collecting and have been focusing on learning to differentiate scents better. $72.00
11:00pm - Goodnight!

Day 7: Sunday | Total: $134.57 

9:00am - Another late start to the morning. We do our morning routine with Fields and walk to get breakfast. This time, we head back to the cafe that found Erik's credit card. We get our coffees along with the herb omelette baguette with bacon. $27.56
12:00pm - There's some leftovers from yesterday's very spicy lunch so we eat that for lunch. I think the food might actually be spicier today.
6:00pm - I FaceTime with a girlfriend on the west coast who shares some amazing life news. Her and her husband are moving from the west coast! While I'm sad they're not moving to New York, I'm thrilled that they'll be closer to us and that she has an amazing new role. This is a huge win for her career and I'm really proud of her.
9:40pm - We realize we haven't had dinner. We both want something much less spicy so we order in Italian: caesar salad, pasta alla gricia, and a spicy vodka pasta. $107.07
11:00pm - We owe a response to our wedding planners about our wedding date. Do we move forward with a summer 2021 (originally summer 2020) wedding or do we postpone another year? I have strong feelings about trying to hold a destination wedding in the middle of a pandemic. I don't want to put our friends and family at risk since we won't know when vaccines will be widely available. But Erik is worried that his dad won't make it to 2022 since his dad already isn't in the greatest health. We agree on a new game plan: we hold off on our wedding celebration until 2022. In the meantime, we'll travel to his dad as soon as it's safe and get married with him in attendance. I email the wedding planners our decision to postpone (again) and go to bed.
5️⃣Section 5: This Week's Total & A Brief Reflection

Food & Drink	$1,000.57
Fun & Entertainment	$0.00
Home & Health	$125.85
Clothes & Beauty	$223.42
Transport	$0.00
Other	$119.35
GRAND TOTAL	$1,469.19

This was a pretty normal spending week (during the pandemic) for us, minus all the coffee trips due to our broken espresso machine. I know we spend a lot on food and we're okay with our level of spend, for now. It gets us out of the house, gives us a reason to take Fields out for a walk and explore the neighborhood, and allows us to support our favorite spots. My goals for this year are to increase the amount we put into investments and learn more about tax-efficient strategies.
Apologies for any and all typos!
EDIT: typos and a few words

I placed an order for a bunch of 2ml Kyse samples on Black Friday. I was hoping to receive my package by Dec. 10, when their sale was supposed to end, because I had a suspicion I would want full sizes of a few things (spoiler: my suspicion was correct), and it WOULD have just barely made it... but I screwed up my own zip code and my package sat at the post office for a week before they figured out where to deliver it. BUT it turned out okay anyway, because Kyse has extended their Black Friday sale until January 1! I plan on picking up a couple of bottles tonight.
Favorites: Delizia di Marshmallow, Frollino Lavanda (it just occurred to me that these might be REALLY good layered together, as well...)
Cacao Noisette: Cocoa powder, hazelnut, caramel, Tahitian vanilla, and soft snuggly musk.
I have a bit of a Nutella problem and so I probably shouldn’t buy things like this because it certainly doesn’t help, haha. The cocoa really is a dry cocoa powder note. This is my only real complaint- I was hoping for something richer, like Nutella itself. There isn’t a lot of musk, which I was hoping would make this more wearable for me, and I could do within the caramel. It’s not that I don’t like it- it’s just not quite what I had in mind. HOWEVER, I have to say: try layering this with Delizia di Marshmallow for hot cocoa perfection.
Cocco Tiare: Tiare Absolute, Coconut Pulp CO2, Organic Tonka Bean Butter, Vanilla Beans and Cream
This is sooo powdery. I think the tiare just does not agree with me... there is a sickly sweet floral note that the coconut and other notes cannot save. It reminds me of some bath product I’ve used in a hotel or something... it’s just too flowery for me. I think I am going to try Cocco alla Vaniglia in my next order to see what it would be like without the flowers.
Delizia di Marshmallow: Marshmallow, vanilla, and sugar
If you love marshmallow, buy this. It is not a gooey melty marshmallow OR a toasty marshmallow, but instead it’s like sticking your head into a fresh bag of soft, pillowy, fluffy marshmallows. It’s incredibly realistic. I’m buying this to spray all over myself and layer with everything I own.
Frollino Lavanda: High elevation lavender, sugar, butter, caramel, beeswax, vanilla, blackberry
This is the sugary, gourmand lavender of my dreams. There is a buttery, cookie-like note under the sweetest, best lavender and it’s SO good, with just a touch of blackberry to add juiciness. It’s like delicious lavender shortbread cookies and it lasts a long time! I am FSing for sure.
Gateau de Carnavale: Funnel cake, vanilla latte, toasted brown sugar, and apricot
This does not work on me from the first second I spray it on my skin. There’s a dark, almost burnt fried dough scent that is heavy and unpleasant, with maybe a little coffee. It reminds me of a funnel cake-scented candle. It lasts for a while because of course it does; that always happens when a perfume doesn't agree with me, hahah.
J: Vanilla Absolute, Tobacco Absolute, Himalayan Cedarwood, and Agarwood
This is reminding me sooo strongly of another perfume but I can’t figure out what it is. I think it might be one of my Smell Bent samples? Regardless, it’s pretty nice- an almost boozy vanilla with rich woods and tobacco. It sort of leans masculine on my skin. I love the vanilla/agarwood combination but I won’t FS because I really have a lot of things like this in my collection already- vanilla/wood/tobacco is one of my go-to scent profiles.
Jasmine Macarons: Jasmine absolute from India, caramelized sugar, buttercream, heliotrope, and copaiba balsam, in a powdered sugar sandalwood base.
It’s funny how gourmands are not usually my thing (except when marshmallow is involved) and neither are florals, but I LOVE flormands. I really like this when I first test it- there is a sweet, delicate (not at all indolic) jasmine over a creamy/toasty/caramel base. It’s very pretty but the caramel notes sort of take over and I actually find myself wanting more jasmine after a while. Luckily, as time goes on I find that the jasmine starts to re-assert itself and thus it ends up more balanced than I initially thought. I like this combination and might need to buy more after all!
Macarons: I could not find a listing for this (it was a freebie), but I did find this on the website: “We're working on releasing our new cookie fragrance next week too, Macarons, as we've had so many requests for the base of our Jasmine Macarons without the florals. It will have a little cherry hinted almond in place of jasmine. “
It’s almondy and desserty and actually smells really nice, even though I normally dislike almond. At first the caramelized notes took this over, too, and it started to smell a bit too toasty, but then the sweetness came out and wow, this is unexpectedly delicious! I get more sandalwood and it’s actually less gourmand/cookie-like than the jasmine version.
Oui Plus!: graham cracker, marshmallow, cocoa absolute, Peru balsam, patchouli, styrax and a bit of burnt coffee
This has a little bit of a darker chocolate note than Cacao Noisette but it still gives me the impression of cocoa powder. There is also a toasty graham cracker note with some soft balsam and just a dab of patchouli that adds depth more than anything else. I don’t get any coffee but I think it is coming through in the “toasted” note I pick up on. I think this is nice, but although I am not generally a gourmand person- if I am going to smell like a s’more, I want to go all in and smell like melty chocolate and gooey marshmallow. This is more like a s’mores perfume than the scent/impression of actual s’mores.
Vanille Debauche: Vanilla bourbon CO2, beeswax, boozy notes, amber, dried fruit, wood, tobacco.
I accidentally sprayed this in my face instead of on my arm but it’s ok because it smelled really good. Sweet, boozy vanilla with beautiful beeswax. This is sweeter than J and I like it better. It’s a smooth, heavy vanilla. If you like vanilla, I cannot imagine anyone not liking this.

Hey, all! I'm fairly new to all this (also FYI fairly new to using Reddit, even though I've had an account for months, haha, so if I do something wrong, let me know :) ), and have some questions. (Please note that I did look through the wiki and assorted resources, and I don't think I missed anything...hopefully not, anyway, haha.)
Also note that my questions are all going to apply to tisanes only (we're talking completely caffeine-free, unless I put chocolate in or something (see the cocoa/cacao nibs question)), as I don't do actual tea for religious reasons.
So, questions, in no particular order (or not much of one; I've tried to go from more general to more specific, but that may be a matter of opinion, haha):

1. Loose-leaf--from everything I've read, it does actually make better tea, but is this true of tisanes, too? And what exactly is the difference in flavors? (I think I understand why there's a difference; it's just what exactly the difference is that I'm not following.) Specifically/especially, I want to confirm that I've understood right as far as the strength goes--does using loose-leaf and giving it room to expand make an herbal tea stronger? (Because if so, that's for sure something I need to try. I've only ever actually enjoyed strong and fruit-flavored tisanes, because otherwise I just taste hot water.)
2. Is there any kind of benefit/difference with using fresh herbs/spices/fruit/whatever vs. dry? I did see something somewhere (idek where at this point; I've been doing so much reading that it's all started to blur together, haha) that said using dry fruits was better--and do you guys think that's the case, too?--but what about the other types of ingredients?
3. (I'm still looking through the vendor resources here, so I apologize if there are some obvious answers to this question in those, but I figured I might as well toss it out there since I was posting anyway.) I'm really wanting to try creating my own blends, but one difficulty I'm running into is ingredients. I don't want to grow my own (besides the time it'd take, I have...idk if it's a black thumb, but it's certainly not green, haha), but I'm having a lot of trouble finding web sites where I can get ingredients in small amounts for testing. Like, I see a lot of places where you can buy in bulk, but at the moment I don't need, y'know, a pound of rose hips or whatever, haha. I'm not totally sure of the exact amounts I want, but I'd assume it would be maybe a couple of ounces or something, depending on the ingredient--just enough so I can experiment with it a little. (Also, the vendor list here does seem to be focused on actual tea, which makes total sense but makes it a bit more difficult to use for my purposes.) So if anyone is able to point me towards sites where I can get smaller amounts of this type of stuff (I did look at Adagio Teas' pantry section, and there are some things there, but I'd love to find others, since they don't have everything)--or tell me which ingredients would likely just be at a run-of-the-mill grocery store--that'd be great :) (I'll keep looking at the list of vendors in the meantime, but if someone is willing to speed up the process, it would be a big help, haha.)
4. Are there more resources like this for what things taste like? I'd especially love some kind of comparison chart; I've been sort of trying to form one in my head as I read the pages on that site--for example, I know a lot of the herbal teas I've liked seem to have hibiscus, so I looked at the page about hibiscus, noted the key words used to describe the flavor, and am trying to be on the watch for similar descriptors--but it'd be great to have more descriptions.
5. If I want to try creating a certain blend, would it be worth it to use Adagio Teas' "Create a Blend" feature as a starting point, and then add other flavors as necessary at home, or is it better to just start from scratch? (For example, I was wondering about using sage in a tea, but they don't seem to have that as an option with herbal teas. So, what might be pros and cons to either starting with a custom blend of the other teas I want, ordering it from Adagio, then mixing sage in at home, vs. just forgetting the Adagio "middle man" and getting the stuff I need to blend it all myself?)
6. Cocoa/cacao nibs (idek which is the correct way to say it, or if they're both correct? Haha)--I was looking into having them in a blend, but I know that normal chocolate--like in a candy bar or whatever--does have very minor amounts of caffeine. I'm not against the amounts in that, but--again for religious reasons--I don't want anything that's more caffeinated than that. I don't know if there's more in the nibs than in the finished chocolate or something, and if so, how much would end up in a tea made with them... So basically, would having cocoa/cacao nibs in a tisane introduce more caffeine into it than is in, say, chocolate candy or hot chocolate or whatever?
7. So when reading the wiki, I saw the part about not using ball infusers, and that surprised me, as I'd been planning to buy one of those. I guess at the moment I'm looking for a balance between price and quality, since I still don't know if I'm even going to like this whole loose-leaf tea thing enough to do it consistently. So, given that, would something like the larger size of this work (since if I understand correctly, the issue is a lot to do with the size)? Or maybe this or this type of thing? And if not, what do I want in the way of an infuser (and/or what should I make sure I don't end up buying), and where do I get it? Note: With tea bags, I've found I honestly prefer to steep for a fair while, so I guess that's the main concern I have with the infusers that fit over the top of the cup--like, the leaves barely have a second to touch the water, right? Or do those infusers extend mostly into the cup and so it's still steeping as it sits? Idk, I'm just confused... (And, to be fair, I was also looking forward to adding a little charm to the end of a hook-and-chain infuser ball, so I kinda hate to give that up, haha.)
8. So one of the reasons I haven't drunk tisanes that much in the past is that I'm so often doing something else, and like...I'll take a sip or two, set it down so I can use my hands, and then 20 minutes later I remember it exists and oh, look, it's cold. (XD I'm very distractable...) So I found a thing on Amazon that looks like it might help, but on considering further, it's occurred to me that there might be a cheaper solution. So--we're talking a single mug of tea, here, not a pot. Would a tea cozy still be any good with an open-topped mug, or would it not help? I could also look into those things you put on top of a cup, but tbh I feel like they might be a pain to use? Idk. Thoughts/suggestions?

...wow, that turned out hugely long; sorry about that! I've tried to bold the important bits, but I do stink majorly at summarizing, so I may have to see whether that ends up actually helping or not, haha.
Also, any other advice on any of this is welcome--including where else I might ask, if this isn't the right place or people might know bettein more detail elsewhere or something.
Thanks much for any help!

HOLY COW, alright, so I’ll freely admit I love the shit out of this brand. So much so that I’ve been gradually collecting every scent they’ve put out into the world. I’ve wanted to make a massive review post for EVERY STRANGE SOUTH PERFUME EVER for like a year, and for a while I did have every perfume in their catalogue, but let myself get held up in waiting for new releases and long-ass TAT. That, combined with a tumultuous 2020, means this monster list is still missing a number of things - everything new from this year, to be specific. But with the big sale going on I figured it was time to compile my notes and unleash this beast for anyone looking for reviews.
Annoyingly, they won't all fit into one convenient post, so this will be split into two parts. This part ends at the letter H! The scents are listed alphabetically (not counting instances of the word "the" at the start of a scent name). Just ctrl+F for what you’re looking for :) And yes, I know how bad it looks to start off where it does, but that’s alphabetical for ya! Final note: I don’t yet have a solid grasp on which carrier oil performs better between fractionated coconut or meadowfoam seed, or how subjective that is. That's a future experiment that remains to be seen.
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3 Witches in a Fir Tree
Oleander accord, muddy leather boots, pokeberry-stained ivy rope, and fir needles.

Aaugh, this is reading as mildew. Getting mild berry and elements of the other notes but altogether this smells like a wet, mildewy coat. Eventually the pokeberry starts to remind me of certain berry-scented soaps but the mildew never goes away. Hurk.

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300 Years
Candle wax shrouded in dust, chilled earth, and brittle black fur.

Super smokey, less woodsmoke-y than Devil At The Crossroads but still pretty heavy. Candle wax does balance this out a bit and soon enough the candle note overtakes the grill. There is a dustiness to this, and overall it does smell old. Not sure about that “brittle black fur,” though…

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A Skull Where Her Face Had Been
Old letters, moths nesting in a fur coat, lettuce, brandy, and bitter wind.

Papery, astringent, bitter, a hint of booze. Potent! Smells like paper heavily perfumed with bitter high end florals. Intrigued by “lettuce” as a note, especially because lettuce smells like almost nothing to me. Certainly getting no definitive lettuce here, but I can easily imagine it’s that note giving this a somewhat watery green flair. This scent is pale, mostly clean (brandy muddles this a bit), and cold, so watery-pale-green is a fitting descriptor. An interesting contrast in that this smells wispy, almost ghostly in character, but the scent itself is really strong with serious throw. This is a ghost that wants attention. Love the idea behind this one; it evokes decrepit, distant memory and mournful decay. The brandy is an afterthought for me but does give this a slash of warmth at the base.

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Abe Lincoln, Ancient Astronaut Expert
Damp corners with boxes full of stained notebook paper. Burned out halogen bulbs, an otherworldly fog, and the remains of this morning's breakfast: cinnamon and sugar toast. Blended with our unique base, The Ancient One.

Doesn’t even need a review, the description captures it so well. A core of The Ancient One, added atmospherics of fog and wet paper, and yes, cinnamon sugar toast. I’m amazed at this one. Damp, atmospheric, doing that “spiced frog” thing I get from Ancient One, all with a touch of toasty sweetness. This is a treat for weirdos.

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The Ancient One
Kentucky timber, cedar chips, cherrywood, amber, and lavender fougère.

What an interesting affect the lavender fougère and cedar is having on my nose… Backed by the amber and other woods, this smells strangely spiced (in an herbal way), wet, and slippery. I’m visualizing frogs?? Looking at the notes it all makes sense. Without that reference it’s weird and unearthly. It’s really cool and wearable even if not something I personally want to wear.

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And From the Strong Comes Sweet
Honeycomb, peach syrup, galbanum, rice milk, and a lock of golden hair from the lion's mane.

Warm, honey-sweet, and what is striking me as a spicy bitter green - I guess that’s galbanum? The peach note is very faint, more like a background flavor of the honey rather than it’s own thing. This is strange and interesting, warm and smooth. What I think is the rice milk strengthens over time and that warm-sweet-smoothness is flavorful and comforting.

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Baby Shoes
Upturned dirt, gasoline, powdered skin, smashed apricots, cream, and white musk.

Strong initial blast of realistic cream, baby powder, and white musk. Strangely enough I kinda like it despite how unappealing that sounds to me. Definitely getting that smooth gasoline I’m so very familiar with from TSS, which is playing bizarrely well with the cream. Gasoline strengthens very quickly but doesn’t overpower. Not getting much on the apricot front but there is a subtle fruitiness here. Same for the dirt, which is more of an underlying hint than a blatantly noticeable smell. All in all this is actually quite unsettling! Absolutely reminiscent of babies but there’s something not quite right with this child…

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Banshee's Holler
Moonflower, wilted carnations, white musk, birch bark, and decaying leaves.

Vaguely smoky? Dank leaves and undergrowth, spicy carnation musk. At first I thought I was getting the clean white musk as advertised but no, this is much deeper to my nose… Which is likely just the way it’s mixing with the woody bark and such. Smells like a sexy, outdoorsy ghost. Only a few minutes in that “smoky” scent ebbs away along with some of the pungency of the vegetation. I would whine about this except what’s left is beautiful - a little paler, softer, and more ethereal. More floral centric too. Generally a bit closer to what I expected reading the notes. Only downside is this gets a little too pale much sooner than I’d like. Sinks to a very light skin scent after about an hour. While still pleasant, doesn’t quite have the oomph it previously did. I don’t mind reapplying scents but this would be frequent.

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Before the Drop
Peppermint, green tea, marshmallow, heather, violet, and evening rain.

Inexplicably beautiful and weirdly familiar. I can’t figure this one out. It’s dusty, sweet but mild… Makes me think of opening the door to a dust closet (what my mom called the cupboard where she stashed the vacuum & broom) and taking a big whiff, then stepping outside to watch storm clouds rolling in, the air heavy with the scent of summer rain. And also there’s musty marshmallows?? Doesn’t sound great out loud but I LOVE this blend and these impressions are hitting me in the most positive way possible. I think the “dust” feel is what’s so nostalgic for me. Looking at the notes, some of it makes sense: can pick out just about everything and see where some notes are combining to make “musty” (matcha green tea + somewhat powdery violet + marshmallow), but altogether it’s still a nebulous, nameless atmospheric feeling of a perfume. It’s fantastic, perfect for summer, and totally bizarre. To me this has a petrichor feel even if it doesn’t have a direct petrichor smell. Doesn’t specifically read as floral to me but that becomes a little more apparent over time. Lasts like 8-10 hours.

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Begotten
Cracked earth, mandarin peel, marigold, pistachio, and willow leaf.

Smells like wet dog! Even gets the hair grease scent right! That’s too damn bad because after ~30 minutes it actually smells nice: warm, a little nutty, vaguely good in a difficult to distinguish way, and no more dog. I just can’t disassociate wet dog at the start and that makes it tough to get a read on even after the dog has left.

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Black Cat Oil
A tincture of bay leaves, sage, three catnip leaves, opoponax, Himalayan sea salt, and iron nails, with honey (vegan), patchouli, tuberose, orchid, clover, cinnamon, and skin musk.

For all that’s going on in here I don’t seem to be getting much. At first blast, pleasantly herbal and sweet. Light vegan honey and pungent white tuberose (not overbearing to me; blends in quite well). The tuberose chills out fairly quickly and now I smell greenery and clean skin with a light hint of flowers… and that’s kinda it. Wears very close to the skin, have to press my nose there to smell it. Reminds me of a very nice, unobtrusive hand cream.

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Black Widow
Chocolate covered berries, bitter coffee, and dank bud.

Yes, the gang’s all here. The bud is clear but inoffensive; wearing this doesn’t make me reek of weed. This is a fresher shade of marijuana green, uplifted by the berries but grounded and sweetened with chocolate and coffee. Smells like a delicious snack. I’ve really come to admire the straight chocolate note TSS uses, it’s so dark and smooth and real. Everything blends together more thoroughly as this dries and the chocolate, once prominent, takes a backseat. Starting to get a bit blah with the berries popping out as the most noticeable note - I think my skin is eating this one. Much prefer the fresh wet stage over this dry down: wet, this is thicker, headier, and wonderfully unique/tasty; dry, on me it becomes a shadow of its former self. To counter this I dabbed some oil on my hoodie and I 1000% enjoyed the comforting, scrumptious cloud I sat in. For someone who dislikes pot IRL I think the bud is an excellent contributor.

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Blackout
Layering note. “How much more black could this be? The answer is none. None more black.”

Spinal Tap reference! Mmm, the house blend Black Musk. It’s a good one, a lovely balance of what I like and dislike about various black musks: black, almost oily, with a strong thrum of that sweet, sticky, nearly coca-cola quality I can’t stand sometimes. This smells dangerous, like animalistic motor oil and coke. Dries down to a beautiful version of its wetter self with cacao-like hints of bitter dark chocolate replacing the syrupy coke-feel, but that makes it no less thick and viscous. Goes on strong and intensely potent, calms down to heavy but quite soft. Can see this will make a wonderful layering note that won’t drown out the scent you’re pairing it with. That’s a damn great black musk.

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Blood
Layering note.

Wow, does that ever warm up on my skin! Heat really makes this blossom. Spicy (perhaps involving a dash of cinnamon?), resinous, deep red, and fruity the way dragon’s blood is. If dragon’s blood isn’t actually involved in this, I would never be able to tell. Getting a slight tangy sensation - not much, and not in the extra coppery, meaty way real blood is, but it does elevate the idea. More reminiscent of fake blood than real, but that doesn’t cheapen it. This is a fantasy blood accord, and it’s a vampy teen gothic romance. Very long lasting.

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Blood on the Moon
Pine needles, frozen leaves, frankincense, crystallized honey (vegan), blood, and patchouli.

Icy and cold. Light honeyed frank without the expected warmth and a sinister backdrop of patch and blood. Almost dreary; winter approaches. This is autumn decay on the cusp of winter and could easily be the olfactory setting of a Poe story. Gorgeous. Still going 8+ hours later.

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Burning Rain of Death
Damp wood and stone, ginger, pink peppercorn, cardamom, snuffed smoke, and wormwood.

Yet another blend that strangely reminds me of dogs at the outset, but at least this dog hair isn’t wet and smelly. That gently but quickly fades after a few minutes and the result is oh so pleasant. Everything is so well blended they melt into one another; all is soft and cozy. Ginger at the forefront, closely followed by peppercorn and cardamom and soft smoke. Wood and stone add depth and character. Wormwood may be the exception in that I either barely smell it or I simply don’t know what I’m looking for. Too cozy to associate with burning rain of death! Instead, yeah, a warm, snuggly dog. I’m picturing a golden retriever. Much later, wood, stone and smoke take the forefront and cool the scent down. So maybe the dog got up and left, but his presence lingers.

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Carrion Son
Gasoline, blood, honeysuckle vines, swollen cranberries, and tobacco leaf.

Super tart cranberries. Honeysuckle, some greenery. Tobacco blooms after a minute or two. The cranberry hovers in the middle range instead of remaining on top, with the crisp tang lost to a more domineering tobacco. That is a fantastic development for me. Pretty sure I’m getting a hint of gasoline, but it’s a BG note for now. Same kind of gasoline smoothness as in Some Mother’s Boy. Blood is in there and it works especially well with the cranberry - the blood accord leans fruity, but that is offset enough by equally fruity berries to allow me to focus more on the BLOOD aspect. It’s pretty great. Aging has done beautiful things here and has amplified tobacco as the backbone of this scent.

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Caught’Ye
Plum blossom, fig, burnt sage, heather, clover, catnip, and ruffled fur.

Burnt sage is incredibly prominent, smelling singed and smoky. Altogether very herbal and fuzzy. The fruits are present but well hidden in the background, giving this a soft, plummy or deeply fruity base. Not sweet at all to me. Faintly floral in a way that compliments the greenery. Something in here prompts me to describe it as “herbal dust” but unsure if that’s due to the sage or another note. Fuzzy warmth spreads as this dries down and the fig shows its face a little more. After about 30 min the sage chills out enough to stop dominating. Soft, furry, herbal, lightly warm, and backed up by fig. A fresher kind of fig, not too thick and sweet and heady as I usually get. Can easily get a sense of warm cat fur after he’s been rolling around outside on a sunny day.

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Chloe*
Spanish moss, gulf mud, oleander, yellow cake, and nutmeg.

Soft Spanish moss swinging over a gently flowing bayou. This is a swampy aquatic without ever overdoing it on the swamp factor, nor does it remain too wet. Everything smells so delicate to me, light and refreshing and so reminiscent of this scenery, but at the same time never getting too real (real swamps have a funk factor). Mossy green, delicate floral, muddy water. And somehow that yellow cake is there with a dash of nutmeg to cozy it up and it just works. Struggling to describe this one: it’s as it says, but better. Light handed in scent but not a disappearing act.
\(Sucreabeille Indie Marketplace exclusive)*

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Cold Season
Chimney smoke, black ice, holly, pine, and petrichor.

That is some intense woodsmoke on top. For sure includes burning wood but luckily isn’t crazy BBQ. Behind that lies cold and pine and dark, icy nights. It takes some time but the woodsmoke does ease up, though it remains prominent. This smells just like a starless, frigid evening with smoke heavy in the air. Note: aging seems to have removed some of that bitter cold this initially held, so if you buy this and hang onto it the perfume may “warm up” over time.

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Come Play With Us
Bourbon, waxed wood, stale water, red musk, and blood orange.

Seeing as how I typically dislike boozy scents I’m truly surprised by how much I like this one. The bourbon isn’t hitting me hard at all, instead blending very smoothly with the rest of the notes. The strongest notes in my nose are red musk and “waxed wood,” followed by a bourbon-ized orange citrus (this is not a bright n’ happy citrus). It’s like drinking an Old Fashioned at a darkly stained, highly varnished old wood bar, plus red musk. The musk has a spicy, resinous quality about it (or that’s the bourbon’s influence, in which case wow these two play very well together). Not getting any sort of aquatic feel. This is moody and honestly quite sexy; great for date night. Definitely tell your date what you’re wearing!

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Commala
Mugs of spiced cider, tanned suede, prairie grass, rice, rain clouds, and dust kicked up from a heeled boot.

Spiced cider is very well blended and more atmospheric than any other cider blend I’ve tried. No killer strong spices, more like holding a mug and the smell is wafting up from it. Love that. A little dusty and grassy, a lovely compliment to the cider. Ever so slightly hints at water. This leather though… I love a good, old, well-worn suede note, but this one is leaning toward newer leather just as much as it leans toward suede, and I’m not so into that. Regardless, this one really tells an olfactory story.

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Concrete Angel
Cypress, magnolia, water lily, potted fern, tulip, warm red dirt, and damp headstones.

Spiced green florals and dirt. I don’t know if “spiced” is the right word, but that’s what I’ve got - it’s somewhat peppery. Starts off a bit astringent but that burns off pretty quick. Very green with wet stone appearing after a few minutes. An atmospheric clean green scent. There’s a danger in this type going soapy but that isn’t happening on me this time, which is a nice surprise.

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Dagon
Layering note. “I felt myself on the edge of the world, peering over the rim into a fathomless chaos of eternal night.”

Didn’t realize this was a Lovecraft reference at first, but on first whiff it suddenly makes sense. This is powerfully aquatic and one of the least laundry-like I’ve sniffed of that combo so far. Absolutely involves ambergris. Can smell it faintly in the bottle and it blooms as soon as it touches skin, making this briny and sea-like without overdoing it. The water aspect of this is incredible: it’s strong and fresh but with enough salt and ambergris added to make it oceanic. Still manages to retain a freshness that really works. A wonderful perfume version of the sea; I can picture turbulent blue-green waves frothing along the shore.

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Damn, It’s Dark Down Here
Jasmine, vetiver, clary sage, damp soil, and coffin wood.

Quite floral and yet not indolic; this doesn’t strike me as jasmine, but that’s because jasmine usually sickens me. Herbaceously green without astringency. Earthy. A good graveyard scent, a sense of deep rot but in a romanticized way… Southern Gothic romance in a bottle. Develops an almost pale honey sweetness as it wears.

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Darling
Violet, bitter pomegranate seeds, marshmallow fluff, and frost.

Wow, I really love this marshmallow note. Never thought I’d say that about marshmallow, but this one is so musty and strange and I love it. (I think my love can mainly be attributed to my love of the smell of actual dust and musty old books.) Perhaps it’s the mallow+violet making this blend musty/dusty/powdery, or however it should be worded - Before The Drop has that combo as well. This is very like BTD but is a little simpler, a little sweeter, and extremely comforting. Dusty, fluffy, and light purple floral, and I do think the violet promotes that vibe further. There’s a greater depth in here I want to attribute to some kind of pale musk, but no such thing is listed so all I can do is shrug at that. Not particularly fruity; perhaps there’s a hint of pom but I can’t pick it out. No frost either, although the longer I wear this the more likely it seems there’s a tiny bit of chilly mint. Smells old fashioned and frilly, but not nearly as delicate as you might think. Sadly, my skin eats this one very quickly.

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Dead Men Only Play the Blues
Menthol cigarettes, sassafras, brown sugar and coconut husk, tuberose and honeysuckle, vanilla, teak wood, and sandalwood.

Thick, hefty, very warm and darkly sweet. Applies like POW to the senses but chills out after a couple minutes. The sweet is on the cusp of being molasses but never really gets there, instead keeping its brown sugar form like it’s supposed to. Sweetness is further emphasized by the coconut husk, vanilla, and sassafras. The coconut adds just enough character to be present and lovely without ever going sunscreen or true foodie, so I fully believe it’s more husk than meat. Sassafras is in competition with the heavier notes, but seems to strengthen as it wears. Tuberose is not too waxy-white and backs up honeysuckle for a lovely shade of floral. The base notes here are powerhouses: smooth sandalwood and vanilla, woody teak and tobacco. Has the slightest amount of minty menthol to make it interesting. Hefty and lasts for hours and hours. Very gender neutral.

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Dear Bones
Three musks, plum incense, amber, Indian sandalwood, and fuzzy tonka bean.

Thick incense, almost smoky, definitely musky but not heavily so - mid-range, I’d say, and clean; not very animalic. Background is indeed warm and fuzzy between amber, tonka, and sandalwood. Purple, musky incense and amber draped sandalwood - very witchy! Though not intrinsically animal-like, I’m picturing a warm cat tummy; a witch’s familiar if we’re staying on theme. Sillage and throw are way fainter than I expected and this sits very close to the skin. Aging gave this strength in that department, but unfortunately still it disappears very quickly on me :(

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Deerskin
Warm straw, painted corn, antler velvet, juniper, and musk.

Smells like a perfume version of afternoon in late summer. Sounds redundant to say “a perfume version,” but I mean that as in this isn’t a true atmospheric: it’s more of a suggestion. Dry straw and corn - impressed with how strong the corn is. Dusty-smooth with a pale creaminess that becomes more apparent as it dries. I can’t explain that creaminess but suspect it’s the musk at work. Juniper is on the faint side, still adds a nice twinge of gin-like evergreen. I have no idea how to identify antler velvet! Perhaps the velvet is what’s helping along that dusty-smooth feel.

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Devil at the Crossroads
Twisted, charred oak trees and snapped pines, leather, pimento, mandarin, dragon's blood, brimstone, and bourbon.

Strong woodsmoke with formidable throw. Reminds me of wood chips on a grill. Hoo boy, this one is an attention grabber. Was waiting for that to burn off but after like 40 min it’s still going strong. Under all that smoke and presumably brimstone I do get boozy bourbon, burnt wood, a hint of leather and spice. But the smoke is potent, yo. It drowns everything else out if my nose isn’t close to the source. I might smell like I’ve recently been on fire, and that in itself is actually fitting for the name, haha. Picturing Satan at the crossroads in a leather jacket, wearing sunglasses at night, smoke steaming off him. Somewhere over an hour later this is still prominently smoke but has eased up on smothering the other notes. Would be extremely sexy with the right skin chemistry or any member of a biker gang who wants a bad boy bonfire smell to match the look.

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The Drowned Choir
Black oak, cypress, swamp mud, ambergris, moss, elderberry, and honeysuckle.

Lovely ambergris pairing so well with honeysuckle and oak. There is a thick, grounding backdrop of woods, moss, and mud (earthy but there is a touch of something wet). This is a romanticized perfume version of a swamp rather than a realistic interpretation, but I’m so pleased with how swampy it manages to be. Elderberry is hovering near the top, trying to add a brighter berry-sweetness, but it only partially succeeds. Similar to Slipped Between His Teeth, but Drowned is a bit brighteless dreary and feels more Southern to me than Teeth.

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The Emperor of Ice Cream
Limp flowers on a windowsill, strawberry ice cream, tobacco leaves, tonka, and a dribble of young blood.

Disclaimer: I got a freebie sample of this before the notes were released, so this is broken up into first vs second impressions. My attempt to guess the notes is laughable but I did alright with the general feel.
First impression: Pale honey and a very light, almost fluffy vanilla. Not as gourmand as I expected based on the name. Something golden starts to creep out. Blossoming into something beautiful - golden wood. Tobacco involved? Deepens and warms as it wears. Does not smell like ice cream to me at all. Makes me think of late summer warmth, with something green to offset the light sweetness. I wouldn’t be surprised if this had a mild herbal note involved.
Second impression w/ notes: No honey, but the vanillic scent is explainable by tonka and probably whatever sweet creaminess makes up the ice cream. Was right about tobacco! Still not getting “ice cream” specifically but there is a faint, sweet creaminess involved (although I don’t taste strawberries). I’m either picking up on ice cream now because I know for sure to look for it, or that’s the awesome power of suggestion. As for the greenery, depending on how real TSS is with those limp flowers, perhaps there’s a bit of drying stem in there. And now I can pinpoint the bloody bite hiding in here. Still feels like summer warmth but with a spooky edge.

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The Family Plot
Honeysuckle, carnation, pink peppercorn, dirt and kudzu leaf, dusty mahogany, and blood accord.

Watery floral but sans any actual aquatic. “Dusty” also works. If I focus I get honeysuckle, a hint of spice, a fruity kind of thing? (blaming blood for this) and an amalgamation of what could be dirt + wood + blood. Very pale, weak sillage, doesn’t smell like much.

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Don’t Fear the Reaper
Creaky wooden stairs, spilled tea, and a menacing fog.

Whoa, that is some woodsmoke. Not subtle at all. After a bit, the smoke is thicker, wetter. Not the atmospheric fog I expected but closer to it than at the start. I’m willing to believe a fog accord is mixing with the ‘wooden stairs’ in a way that makes it smokier that it should be, though to me it’s like woodsmoke is an entirely separate note that was accidentally left off the list. It’s hiding the tea from my nose but I am picking up a muddled sweetness that suggests there was sugar in the cup. A heavier scent than anticipated but no less menacing. Roughly 30-45 minutes later (disclaimer: I’d stopped paying attention somewhere in that timeframe) this is right where it’s supposed to be: still faintly smoky but much foggier with dry, old wood in the background and a prominent tea-with-sugar note. If I’m going to be really, really specific this reminds me of a darkly brewed Thai tea.

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Fire in a Bottle
Lemon balm, amber, vanilla, and distant campfire smoke.

Warm, sweet, and quite lemony. Smoke keeps to the background and actually feels distant. Uncomplicated and so, so lovely. Gets even prettier as it wears. Over time the smoke gets a little more prominent, as if we stepped a bit closer to the campfire.

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First Love
A lone rose stands among hay stacks, threads of honeysuckle, cedarwood, oakmoss, and chypre accord.

A gentle floral with gentle sweetness and a lovely, blooming depth. Very pretty and what I’d consider “girly” without being, like, typical overly sweet teeny-bopper girly. A pale, delicate rose with equally delicate honeysuckle, softened by hay. The other notes add a warm grounding quality that really drive this one home and keep it from being too soft and pretty. Totally romantic and charming; perfect for a gentle first love. Like Ghost Milk I get strong nostalgic vibes from this.

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Fox's Wedding
Summer rain, orange blossom, sunflower, juniper berry, white tea, and ylang-ylang.

A warm and summery floral afternoon in a golden field. What I think is sunflower is very pretty. Juniper berry is light but present. Leans soapy after some wear, which I think comes down to rain and white tea mixing with ylang-ylang and/or orange blossom. So, a fancy, good-smelling soap. This vibe calms down after a while, so I wouldn’t consider this any kind of screechy-soapy. Hours later, a simplified and very clean scent. Not mind blowing but it’s a super pleasant kind of clean skin smell that’s easy to like.

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The Gatekeeper
Headstones buried under moss and ivy, rusted iron fencing, and gunpowder.

Cold stone, metal, peppery green. Seems like everything is accounted for! Much nicer than I expected. A fetching masculine scent on the surface but I would wear this. Murky green spiced with gunpowder. Stone and metal, neither sharp or strong, just there below a surface of spiced, dark green. There’s a very, very mild sweetness to this I can’t place, something that smooths the edges of this scent and adds a little warmth. I suspect amber. Over time I’m starting to get a hint of pencil shavings so now I’m suspicious of red patchouli (patchouli makes sense for the woody warmth I’m getting now). This would be a keeper but for the pencil note that I amp too much. Ah well. Still a good blend that I otherwise enjoy.

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Gatlin
A cornfield burning against a night sky.

Very corn heavy, which is interesting and comes with a somewhat creamy texture as with Deerskin. The smoke is even heavier, raging and fiery, and comes out powerful at the start. Mellows out as it wears, which I appreciate. Hours later this is smoky, burning corn. Not like roasted corn, which is a whole different ballgame; this is more like a sinister fire and not at all foody.

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Ghost Milk
Orange blossom, sugar, rice milk, amber, and vanilla.

This is a very likable vanillic amber. Smooth, gentle, and softly sweet; dreamy and a little powdery; baby-like, but not childish or screaming baby powder - this smells more like a sweet little girl. The orange blossom is just as soft as everything else and plays very nicely. Makes me picture white linen and lace and kind, young children playing on the floor of an old house, dressed in Victorian finery. There’s a gauzy haze about this one, like a glamour filter over a film lens. Good throw and long lasting. Super nostalgic, quietly beautiful.

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Glamour
Violet, kudzu, cedar, black pepper, and warm rain.

Dusty florals, rain, greenery, strong pepper. Makes me think of a humid hothouse rainstorm. The pepper really packs a punch! Excellent. It dominates along with the rain and an ever-strengthening lush green, which overtops the wood and floral aspects. Has a clean edge that makes me think a wee bit of soap, but it’d be unfair to call this soapy. I’m pretty sure that’s just my general reaction to most aquatics. This is the kind of smell I’d associate with one of those fancy rich-people showers that has beautiful tiled floors, a luxe wooden shower bench, and jungle plants inside to help you soak up the hot water and steam.

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God Of The Lost
Birch, mud, honey (vegan), pelting rain, and the hulking, faceless creature trailing your scent.

Dust, conceivably like old animal fur. Murky aquatic. Reminds me of the fur coat in Skull Where Her Face Had Been. This furry accord pops up a few times in the TSS catalogue but it’s pretty strong here. That remains the strongest part, but honey does come out to play in time. A woody base, but mostly that dry, musky, dusty old fur smell.

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Gravedigger
Moss, recently disturbed soil, mahogany, citronella, strong black coffee, and the breath of the beast.

Fresh out of the bottle this is CITRONELLA like damn. Eventually other notes start cropping up, and I get soil + mahogany and maybe a hint of coffee? But otherwise it just kinda stays strong citronella forever.

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The Grimace of Love
Rose, jasmine, spanish moss, rich amber honey (vegan), tonka, bergamot, black pepper, and patchouli.

Super in-your-face floral. Would definitely be a headache if strong rose and jasmine aren’t your thing, but if they are then this only gets better. Florals dominate but they’re backed by a chorus of interesting notes: I get the spike of pepper and bergamot, a lightly sweet honey, and the warm depth of patch and amber. Conceivably a grandma perfume, and does go a bit powdery, but grandma is awesome and smells great (if potent). This perfume is special to me in that it’s the first time I’ve ever sniffed jasmine in a bottle and not hated it. Impressive on that merit alone.

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Harbinger in White
Black roses, black patchouli, and black feathers under a fresh layer of snow.

When first sniffed fresh out of the mailbox, this was sharp and astringent. Aging has done it justice: still carries the aforementioned traits at first, but they’re now deeper and more defined. That black patchouli is black as night. Roses are a sharp and dry floral, like a deadly dame’s perfume. There has to be black musk in here; I’m getting a hint of the Coca-Cola thing some black musks smell like to me. It’s thick but far less syrupy and not very sweet - now that I know what Blackout smells like I’m positive that’s what this is. Would all be so heavy if not for the snow, a cool and slightly aquatic feel that keeps things just light enough that it doesn’t fall into a pit of darkness.

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Heat Lightning
Coconut, hazelnut, clove, night blooming flowers, benzoin, and humidity trapped under a tin roof.

Whoa, this is strange and otherworldly. Thick, dank, dreamily atmospheric… “humidity trapped under a tin roof” makes complete sense. Make of it what you will but the first thing that comes to mind is “steamy iced tea.” This is a gulp of room temp iced tea that’s been sitting out for a while. There’s still condensation on the glass. It’s not as refreshing as you want it to be, but it’s so hot and humid in here, and you’re panting, and you just need some liquid down your throat. There is no booze in this tea but you suspect something illicit and heady may have slipped in anyway. Or maybe that’s just how you feel in this moment. Something about this perfume reminds me of sex. It’s not sexy in a traditionally perfumed or raunchy way… More like the humid atmosphere it evokes puts me in mind of a hot, dark night with sticky, naked skin. It’s unexpectedly sultry and highly evocative; not so much seductive as it is post-coital, with a distant storm rumbling closer.
Stepping away from verbosity and into the actual notes: coconut is there and playing very nicely - this is not a coconut forward scent. Neither is it foody; it’s more like fibrous, woody coconut husk to my nose. Definite florals involved but I can’t tell what specifically. TSS is great with white florals and I wouldn’t be surprised if this blend included something indolic to dirty it up a bit. Clove dirties it up for sure, especially with benzoin backing it up in the base. Hazelnut is tough for me to pick out but I know it’s in there as an interesting back note. Can’t begin to describe this humidity business but dear god it exists and it’s fantastic.

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Hellmouth
Burnt sugar caught between gnashing teeth.

While this indeed smells of burnt sugar, it also smells remarkably like an ice cream parlor. Not getting literal ice cream, but I am smelling a mix of sprinkles, waffle cones, and other toppings. Just the all around sweet atmosphere of an ice cream shop. But especially waffle cones! The burnt sugar aspect gives the whole thing a caramelized veneer.

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Hysteria
Blue wisteria, white jasmine, rock rose, crisp cucumber, and aldehydes.

Aging has improved this. Much smoother, less screechy than when I got it fresh (iirc) and is actually quite beautiful. Wisteria, I think, is giving a hint of the screechy-floral still but it’s well tempered now. The rose is gorgeous and rounds out the jasmine, which is white and indolic as usual but in an animalistic kinda-sexy way that I can only imagine is what other people usually get out of it. Finally, I get a taste of what makes jasmine so desirable (I am detrimentally sensitive to white florals/indoles). This has never happened outside of TSS, so this is basically a miracle. The aldehydes perfectly match with the florals and promote a lushness I struggle to describe. A classic floral that suits an attractive older woman - this isn’t your grandma’s perfume, but it’s definitely not a young girl’s scent either. The thought behind this one is great, as this is a sexier version of an old fashioned perfume to go along with the old fashioned concept and treatment of Hysteria.

I'm excitedly awaiting the reopening of Hexennacht and thought posting some reviews would be helpful (and also help me stave off some of my impatience)! Almost all of these were samples/decants from Ajevie and Ashes Decants. All of them had at least a week to rest in a cool dark drawer before I tried them on.
Scent List: Amortentia, Black Phillip, Butterbeer, Calm the Fuck Down, Corpse Bride, Fallen Angel, Gold Skulltula, Hestia, Hyrule Castle, Just Took A DNA Test, Turns Out I'm 100% That Witch, Mallowmint, MMMM!, Mochamallow, Morphine, Nightshade, Planchette, Thanatos, Whitechapel 1888
About me: I'm a gourmand lover. I love rice pudding, vanilla, sugar, caramel, dark chocolate, tea, and most fruits. I like my florals on the spicy/herbal side, and I love a good atmospheric. Some of my odder preferences are vetiver and papyrus - especially together. My skin amps clove, and anise tends to go burning rubber on me. I dislike oud in general. My favorite season is winter, closely followed by autumn, and I have a strong preference for the smells associated with those two seasons.
Amortentia (white chocolate, raspberry cordial, rose petals): Extremely strong white chocolate. The chocolate softens and the rose and raspberry drift up after 10 minutes or so. It's like a reverse take on Rose Mallow Cream from SS, where rose is now supporting the chocolate, and the strawberry got swapped for raspberry cordial. I do enjoy it, but I also don't really want to smell like a Valentine's box of chocolates too often. 7/10, if you wanna smell like a chocolate tower
Black Phillip (black amber, dragonsblood, blackcurrant, firewood embers, soft woods, black pepper, black musk, tonka, black oak): I'll preface this by saying I would not have picked this for myself. I do not like what's going on here. It's very spicy-woody with smoke, all sharpness and hints of sparks and fire. I love a good crackly bonfire, but the pepper, oak, and tonka don't agree with me here. It's all just a little too....angry? And I'm also pretty sure this one's discontinued. 4/10, no thank u
Butterbeer (sweet, golden, drippy butterscotch, rich vanilla ice cream, hot buttered rum): Pure, warm butterscotch. There's vanilla weaving in and out, and an undercurrent of rum. This is exactly what my mind imagined Butterbeer should smell like. I really appreciate this take on the drink - it's rich and warm and nails buttery comforting goodness. I won't upsize, as I have a lot of other scents I like better, but Butterbeer is really good if you're looking for a true butterscotch. 7/10, great take, I like it
Calm the Fuck Down (lavender, ylang ylang, bergamot, vanilla, and patchouli): This smells nice. Really herbal in the initial hit, then fades into a nice relaxing sleep scent. I don't catch much patch here, it's mostly herbal lavender and ylang-ylang, tempered somewhat by vanilla and bergamot. Usually, I don't get along too well with lavender, but this is surprisingly good for those nights when your brain won't SHUT THE FUCK UP and let you sleep. Conversely, does not work well during the day, because it makes me sleepy. 7/10, sleep scent
Corpse Bride (black roses, white amber, damp earth, vanilla, tonka, musk): Dirty-sweet, fresh roses that are somehow roses without the...floral. It's got this sweet-dark-damp vibe. One of the most interesting takes on roses I've smelled - it does away with the usual powdery floral vibe and really gives you a realistic damp, dirty earth. I really like it. It has this sexy darkness mixed into it - like you might be in a graveyard when it just rained 30 minutes ago, and you're carrying a bouquet of freshly cut roses that still have their thorns. 9/10, personal favorite rose scent on account of being so DIFFERENT
Fallen Angel (rain-soaked granite, mountain air, petrichor, creeping ivy, damp earth): Wet, I smell a very foggy-misty forest, opening into a clearing that is VERY green, though a hint of wet dirt lingers and weaves through the mist. As it dries, I really get that mountain air scent, mixed with...Seattle. Idealized evergreens and rain. I love the petrichor note here, it's impressively evocative. I don't know if I'm interpreting the ivy as evergreens, but this is a really cool, cold misty autumn day scent. 8/10, impressive in its scent imagery, a little strange to wear out and about
Gold Skulltula (golden amber, cardamom, vanilla orchid, vanilla bean, tonka, myrrh): Holy hell. Okay, I get it. This scent has a following because it is That Dirty-Sexy-Gorgeous hard hitter. It's hard to pick out the individual notes - the interplay between the cardamom, tonka, amber, and myrrh just creates an abstract sense of a dark, mysterious, spicy storm, tempered by the sweetness of the vanilla orchid and vanilla bean. It's gorgeous and warm, a blend that wraps you up in its swirly mysteries and just makes everything...better. Lasted around 8 hours on my skin, and had decent throw throughout. 9/10, there's so much going on and I love it
Hestia (marshmallow and clove): It really is just marshmallow with a bit of clove. It's good! But it is pretty boring, besides smelling good. I wouldn't wear this in favor of any of the other scents I have. I think it'd be great as a wax melt or something. Something to make your house smell nice in the fall. 6/10, it's uncomplicated
Hyrule Castle (double bergamot earl grey tea, almond-orange tea cakes): I have talked about this scent several times - it's one of those scents that transports me into the past. This scent really nails a strong, dark earl grey tea, with a little cream and sugar, and little afternoon tea scones and bite-sized cakes with sliced almonds and clementine slices or jam on top. For me, it reminds me of when my mom and grandma took me to afternoon tea at The Peninsula in Hong Kong, when I was little. I don't know if I can buy a FS of Hyrule Castle to wear because with the current situation in HK, this scent tends to upset me a little. Okay, a lot. It is so evocative that it upsets me a lot. I'm sorry, Hyrule Castle, it's not your fault. It's me, not you. 8/10, I love it but it hurts to think about
Just Took A DNA Test, Turns Out I'm 100% That Witch (benzoin, clove, dark patchouli, bonfire smoke, candy corn, pumpkin pie, frankincense, cedarwood, cassia): Caroline has bottled autumn. It smells like autumn in a jar. It's not just a thanksgiving table - more than just the food associated with autumn, it's also all the things that come with autumn, dirt included. Pumpkin pie and clove are the most prominent, but the entire scent morphs and wafts in and out over time, and I think I smelled most of the notes at different points. 8/10, I might FS
Mallowmint (marshmallow, buttercream, candy cane): You know what this is? Amazing, that's what. Marshmallow and peppermint collide in the most perfect frosting ever made. I would bathe in this all winter. It's SO good, and refreshing. I made my husband sniff it because I was so enamored (his reaction: mint! Peppermint ice cream?). I intend to layer it with like a bunch of other scents (Alkemia Mocha Chocolatta Ya-Ya, Hex Mochamallow, SS Estate Vanilla, S92 New Radio) to see how they play together, but regardless I'm likely to FS this. I LOVE. THIS. 10/10, my sweet tooth is here and now i'm hungry
MMMM! (Melty Minty Marshmallow Mocha) (hot cocoa, marshmallows, peppermint bark, mocha latte): Can't help but be a little disappointed - I don't love this as much as I loved Mallowmint, and I really thought this would basically be a peppermint mocha. The throw on it is INCREDIBLE though - my husband could smell it with no prompting from more than 8 feet away. He only interpreted chocolate, and I unfortunately have to agree - I get a little mint but no marshmallow here, mostly a HUGE dose of dirty chocolate - like coffee grounds and chocolate, more than a mocha. That said, the chocolate note here is REAL dark, and it is good. 8/10, will probably layer this with Mallowmint but won't FS
Mochamallow (marshmallow, buttercream, cacao, espresso): Nails the smell of a small coffee-shop mocha. It's not complex, but it is an excellent coffee/chocolate comfort scent. Sometimes it goes a little waxy on me though, not sure what's up with that. Pretty average longevity and lower throw than some of the others. 7/10, not quite what I'm looking to smell like
Morphine (Steamed milk, lavender buds, honeyed apricots, chamomile tea, honey, white amber): Just smells like a generic powdery floral to me, nothing I'd be really interested in wearing, but my husband could smell it from two rooms away and I had only just opened the bottle and dripped out a single drop. This is some serious throw. 6/10, eh, no, but impressive throw nonetheless
Nightshade (Amber, oakmoss, galbanum, vetiver, bergamot, violet, vanilla, musk): Sharply green in the bottle, but blooms into a gorgeous aromatic-floral kind of scent on the skin. Nightshade is SO beautiful, and I still cannot fathom why it was discontinued. This is a favorite comfort scent for me - the greenness of the oakmoss and vetiver meld beautifully with the amber, vanilla, and musk, and leave enough room for little soft floral tones. Everything about Nightshade is lovely and I'm hoarding what little I have of it. 10/10, would instantly buy a bottle or 3 if it returned
Planchette (amber, dark patchouli, sandalwood, orange blossom, vanilla): Oh, this is a beautiful, warm scent. It's got a sweet floral on top - which must be the orange blossom - but somehow manages to be both light and dark, and smooth. The sandalwood is quite sweet and well-balanced by the dark sexiness of the patch. 9/10, surprisingly lovely, considering a FS
Thanatos (desiccated leaves, hedgerow blossoms, charred pinyon, aged cedarwood boughs, petrified tree sap, crisp fall air, laurel, clove bud, smoke-tinged balsam, santalum, and graveyard dirt): Oh no. It's amazing. Thanatos is so, so good. It's a little sweet, very green, pure crisp fall air in a forest on a misty day in the mountains. No rain. Woody, yet leafy, and a little spicy, and a little sweet, and how did Caroline manage to get AUTUMN AIR as a note? I'm kind of mad that this is so good. It's a snapshot of a time and place, in scent form. Unreal. 10/10, the kind of scent I came here for
Whitechapel 1888 (Christmas rice pudding with a drizzle of maple syrup): Umm...it smells...like butter. Hot butter and...milk? I smelled rice in the bottle, but on the skin it's just...not it. This has no maple syrup or rice pudding on me. It's like Butterbeer, if Butterbeer didn't have the vanilla or rum, and had something like sour milk added. This isn't what I expected and isn't what I wanted. 3/10, what happened here