Although I’m doing my daily reviews on my
project blog 365 Smells, I’m still going to do shop overviews here, and let you all
know what I’ve found on my travels around the wide wide world of web.
When I was in one of my many Etsy freefalls I happened
across Midnight Gypsy, and liked the sound of quite a lot of the
perfumes. I decided to be restrained and only order a set of 6 samples
(yes, that is my idea of restrained). I ordered on December 10 and they
were shipped on December 15. I didn’t receive them
until early January, but my post has been soooo slow lately, so I’m not
surprised. Damn you, Aus Post. Again. Always. I hate you guys so much.
In addition to the set of 6 I purchased, I also received 2 free samples - Skinny Dip and Wildling. Woo! I’m going to
give you the shop’s own description and then some very,
very brief notes I took myself while testing them out. I’ll do full
reviews of all of these in due course on 365 Smells.
Vanilla and amber tempered with elegant woods. This isn't a sweet vanilla, instead a rich creamy one with a dry bite from the wood. A smoky oak note really comes to the forefront in this one.
Smoky woodsy amber. Strong and a bit headachy when first applied. Bad move putting this on in hot weather. I seem to have recently developed an aversion to amber, a note I have always loved before. :-(
This is a darkly angelic blend of soft white florals scattered over a bed of the blackest bourbon, dark vanilla & egyptian musk. Vanilla with a bite!
Sweet and foody in the vial, a bit
deeper when applied but still quite sweet – not sugary, but more like
vanilla. Like it a lot so far. Not really that 'dark' though.
This is a sweet, girly blend of delicate vanilla musk with a touch of sugary sweet cotton candy. Reminiscent of county fairs, bonfires and bare sun-kissed summer skin. This is perfect for you ladies who love musk but would like something a bit lighter for warm weather wear. :-)
Very similar to Seraphim. A bit lighter and quite faint.
A truly sumptuous melding of crushed dark berries, sweet candied figs, and vanilla with soft florals and moss. A complex, earthy amber and a whisper of musk bring it all together.
Fruity in the vial, more amber on the
skin with the candied fruit note backing off a bit. This might have been
a mistake on a hot night with that amber again. Yes it was – washed it off.
Ohhhhhh…… Autumn. My favorite time of year. There is a crispness to the air, a different quality to the sunlight. And for whatever reason, it brings with it memories that are attached to certain scents. Autumn, for me, is precious woods & a whisper of dry leaves, carrying with them bitter chocolate, caramel, a hint of rich vanilla, along with the faintest whisper of sweet pipe tobacco.
Chocolatey vanilla with a dark base. Reminds me of a darker version of Serendipitous.
A decidedly feminine take on Dragon's Blood! I've blended Dragon's Blood with notes of amber and vanilla, added a dribble of sweet cream and a soft bouquet of Asian blossoms, underscored with a soft powdery musk. The dry-down on this is soft, powdery, and feminine without being cloying in the least.
Really pretty vanilla musk,
thankfully so far the amber isn’t showing up. Goes a bit soapy with a
powdery note on the dry down.
Inky black wings and cackling calls. The last of autumn's leaves rattle, clinging fiercely to their bony branches upon the dozing trees as winter slithers its way across the wood. Deep, smoky sandalwood with an infusion of cocao absolute, a drop of honey, myrrh, a splash of sweet coconut milk, a whisper of the season's final peppery carnations, and a dribble of earthy patchouli. This blend is not particularly "sweet" or "foody", rather it is an earthy, resinous dark chocolate scent with a peppery kick from the carnation and a mildly sweet drydown from the honey note.
In the vial deep, deep rich
black chocolate and a damp earth note. Mellows to a chocolate floral,
makes me think of Molinard Fleur de Chocolat. Dries down to a chocolatey floral
musk.
Overall, I think these perfumes are lovely, and
excellent quality. There’s a bit of similarity between the vanilla musk
ones, between Skinny Dip and Seraphim I’d say you just need to decide
whether you want ‘dark’ or ‘light’. You wouldn’t
need both.
I did a review of Screamin’ Mimi, which was far and
away my favourite. I will definitely be getting a full bottle of this
one, and possibly Seraphim as well. Although I like most of the others, I
feel like I either have other scents that
are similar, or I don’t need a full bottle of it – the vial is enough
for me to enjoy for now. I will definitely be trying out some more
samples as well, though.
You can also read an amazing review of two Midnight Gypsy scents (A Murder of Crows and Artorious) here.
The cost was $15USD for a set of 6 samples, and
$5.50USD for shipping. Full sizes sell in 7.5ml apothecary bottles for
$14 - $18, or 10ml roll on bottles for $16 - $20.
I have many scents from Midnight Gypsy in py little perfume notebook! The scents seem a bit too foody for my tastes right now, but samples from there are on my list. (And I always confuse Midnight Gypsy with Midnight Gypsy Alchemy, which is a totally different Etsy perfume shop that is a bit further up my list.)
ReplyDeleteMost of the ones I choose are definitely foody, but I have a love for that sort of thing, as you might have noticed. ;-)
DeleteI confused the two as well - I was trying to work out whether they were totally seperate or whether that was some kind of 'upmarket' arm of her store.
I have noticed, though Midnight Gypsy as a whole seems to have that same taste... which puts it further down the list until I rediscover my now dormant love for gourmands.
DeleteNah, Etsy has rules that you have to mention all your other etsy shops in the profile for each, and Midnight Gypsy gives the links for a few other shops, but not Midnight Gypsy Alchemy so they seem to be completely unrelated... MGA is actually at the top of my to sample list right now together with Herbal Alchemy, Nevermore Body Company and SteamBath Factory! (I want to give some love to less famed brands!)
Oh, and the review for Smoke and Mirrors is now up on my blog!
Nevermore is on my list, but do they sell samples? They never seem to have them on their Etsy store. I haven't heard of the other two - I'll check those out. I also want to try Madame Scodioli solid scents, but I'm waiting until cooler weather for those. I don't want to come home and find a melted puddle of waxy perfume in the bottom of my letter box!
DeleteOh, tell a lie - I have looked at Steambath Factory before and I liked the sound of quite a few of their perfumes, but their shipping cost is ridiculous. $18 to ship a little tin of samples!
DeleteNevermore does not have samples as far as i know, but they do have three smaller bottles for a fair price in this listing: http://www.etsy.com/listing/116268510/test-tube-of-perfumes-or-colognes
DeleteMadam Scodioli is also on my list, just a bit further down... I never have to worry that a solid will melt. The joys of living in the far north... But I do worry that my oils will freeze during shipping though. That would be a catastophe!
Yeah, shipping at Steambath is ridiculous, only $10 on some things and $18 on others, I wonder why, but the products I have received are so awesome that I´m willing to pay that extra bit of money.. Though I will probably go for at least one full size bottle when I order... I have only ever ordered full size bottles before but they are both fabulous, so I´m willing to take that chance again!
Don't buy Nevermore, Dee! I sent you some :)
DeleteI like the sound of chocolate scents from Midnight Gypsy. I do love Serendipity and Molinard fleur de chocolat!
Oh, yay Su! :-)
DeleteI can't swear those actually DO smell like Serendipity and Fleur de Chocolat, as I no longer have either of those perfumes, but that's what they made me think of.