All right! Review time! 5 fresh Little & Grim reviews. The other half of their Feed Me collection ( part 1 is [ here ] ) is what we're doing today.
I wanna state again how pleased I am that L&G did a Little Shop of Horrors theme for their fall release. Not every perfume was for me (not a terrible shocker since my relationship to green scents is fraught and well... Little Shop of Horrors is in large part about a giant hungry plant)... but was something refreshingly unique in the fall lineup. Kudos for their creativity!
The perfumes (and one soap) covered in today's review are:
- Director's Cut
- I Swear on all my Spores
- Little Red Dots
- Someone Tell Lady Luck That I'm Stuck Here
- Black Smoke [ store link ]
Since L&G doesn't have individual listings for scents here is a store link to the sampler for their Feed Me collection [ link! ]
Methods
All perfumes in this review were allowed to rest for several days ( a few weeks for these scents) after arrival. The perfumes were kept in the dark in a plastic box if small enough. If too large for a box they generally sit on top of a bookcase or bedside table, or inside of a drawer. I did crack them open to sniff them directly after arrival, and with a couple to do an initial test. The reviews are not based off of these initial impressions - though if a rest did change the smell I’ll note that.
I’m doing a half-hour skin test with each perfume. They are always applied to skin that has either been washed or hasn’t had perfume on it that day. Sometimes I will run one scent on one wrist/hand/arm and the other on the other wrist/hand/arm. When I wash my hands for review purposes I wash with Dove sensitive skin, honeysuckle Meyer’s Clean Day or citrus Doc Bronner’s.
Before doing test periods I often wear or play with other scents in my collection (that I wash off). I also am often wearing scented lotion on my feet and ankles (that I do not wash off). Sometimes I wear scented hair products simultaneously. Theoretically there could be cross-contamination.
For oils: Each sample was gently swirled before application. Then applied directly to skin - typically the top of my arm or the back of my hand.
For products other than perfumes the testing procedure for that item will be covered in the review itself if necessary. If the item has a standard use procedure just assume I am using that unless stated otherwise. E. G. for soaps assume I washed my hands or took a bath with them, for lotions assume I used them on my skin and gently rubbed them in, etc.
Each review is written without looking at the notes in that moment. Frequently I will glance at a perfume’s notes beforehand. At the end of the review I will list what the official notes are and comment on how I think they interacted.
Bottle Review
These are not L&G's typical bottles! I reviewed them previously with Part 1 of the reviews. You can see that [ here ].
A reminder: Each nose is different and each skin’s chemistry is different. Your mileage may vary.
Director’s Cut
In the bottle: Butter, salt, and toffee with an edge of something sweet and musky. I recall this having a popcorn note? It’s smells pretty popcorn-y.
Wet on my skin: Salted toffee popcorn, fizzy lime soda, and musk. I’m not 100% sure on the fizzy lime soda note with my nose - it’s sharp, piquant note right in the middle of the scent. I quite like it - it’s sweet, kinda fruity, kinda floral, kinda sharp like gasoline (in a nice… fruity floral way). But what my skin amps, as ever, is the corn, salt, and butter notes.
Drydown: Buttery, salty popcorn cut through with that sweet note. It’s like a lime-melon-flower soda with a sharp edge to it. A little less of kind of a toffee vibe to this though - and I’m now wondering if the sweet gourmand in here is actually chocolate. Sometimes my nose struggles to pick up the chocolatiness of chocolate notes and just gets the sweet. The corn of the popcorn almost reminds me of puffed corn cereal. Still wearing pretty strongly on me.
After 30 mins: A little fainter but still basically the same, salty-sweet buttered popcorn (heavier on the salt and butter than the sweet) paired with something a little extra. I am getting less of the ‘something extra’ (what kinda reminds me of lime soda) and am getting mostly the popcorn.
Official Notes: salty, buttered popcorn, a lap full of overpriced candy, and a large lemon-lime soda.
So the salted, buttered popcorn is the popcorn. The toffee/chocolate( maybe?) is the candy, and… yeah that’s a lemon-lime soda. Huh. It’s very rare that a perfume smells exactly like the notes describe and this one is dead on the money.
Verdict: If you like popcorn gourmands definitely give this one a spin! I’m not huge on popcorn as a personal scent but for people who are this one is so, so accurate. That lime soda note is for real - and the sharpness has that kind of edge to it you get with real CO2 (sorta like gasoline). Looking forward to seeing future lime soda scents from L&G! But because this one is mainly a popcorn scent with a bit of candy and soda I’m going to pass on it.
I Swear on All My Spores
I recall this one having a ‘swollen roots’ note so I’m expecting something earthy!
In the bottle: Pink florals at the top layered over a bright green. Touch of woodsy-dirty-earthiness at the base. Something sharp right down the middle of the scent - like a sharp wood, or herb. Very much a kind of ‘garden’ scent. Floral, green, herbal, and woodsy all at once with a touch of dirt.
Wet on my skin: Something in here like a mint or eucalyptus - or perhaps part of the dirt accord that L&G uses (it’s gone kind of menthol to my nose before). Big green leaves at the top with an edge of those pink florals. I feel like I’m getting something woodsy, and something kind of wet. So think… a wet garden with sweet pink flowers (almost a little cloying), dirt, woods, and something sharp/kinda sinister.
Drydown: The florals have moved back to the top and that sharp smell has mellowed some. I’m Mostly getting sweet, organic smelling pink flowers with broad petals at the top with big green leaves underneath. Little bit of woodiness and dirtiness at the base. That sharp smell is there but it’s mingling with the floral. Very much a feminine garden smell.
After 30 mins: Still wearing strong and stable to the drydown. Scent cloud starts about 2-3 inches from my hand. Wears close to the skin without much of a throw.
Official Notes: swollen plant roots, deep green leaves, wet stone, oak moss, jasmine.
So at the top we have the sweet-organic-pink-floral… that’s the jasmine. It’s not remotely a screechy jasmine, so, yay. Then you have the broad green leaves - that’s what it says on the tin. It smelled like a bright green to me though, as opposed to a deep one. I’m guessing the swollen plant roots are a combo of a dirt note and a wood note. Oak moss probably contributes to the greenery, and that wet stone is the wet note I was getting.
What smelled herbal/sharp to me was probably either the stone note or the roots (if the roots have a bit of the dirt accord in them… or are just… herbal roots).
Verdict: Y’all who know me and know my relationship to Green can guess that this one’s gonna be a pass from me… and you’re right! Feminine garden scents are someone’s jam tho and if you’re Audrey that person this one of this collection might be your thing.
Little Red Dots
In the bottle: Musky, red, sweet and spiced fruit candy. Edges of bubblegum and dust. Imagine a cinnamon spiced fruit candy made from big red fruits with a touch of citrus next to a pile of bubblegum in a dusty, musky room.
Wet on my skin: Golden musk with a touch of resinousness to it. A bit of citrus at the top. Beneath that big, red fruits, spice (particularly cinnamon), and bubblegum. Almost a little alcoholic. Very rich, red, and dark and right at that point between ‘medium sweet’ and ‘quite sweet’.
Drydown: Stable to how it was wet - essentially, spicy, fruity bubblegum with a slightly resinous musk. I’m really digging this as a fall scent - it would make a great lotion or soap.
After 30 mins: Red, fruity, spicy bubblegum with golden musk still. Very stable scent with very little shifting. Scent cloud starts 2-3 inches from my skin with a very mild throw.
Official Notes: Notes include cranberries, red apples, ripe oranges, pine, rum, cinnamon sugar, and caramel.
So! The red fruity smells are the apples and cranberries. The oranges are that bit of citrus at the top and also what’s adding to that bubblegum smell. The cinnamon sugar is the spices (and probably the other part of the bubbblegum smell). The pine, rum, and caramel are probably what my nose was reading as ‘resinous golden musk’.
Verdict: Totally enamored with this. Great autumnal scent that balances gourmand with musky-resin. Gonna upsize this to a soap, or (more likely) a lotion.
Someone Tell Lady Luck That I’m Stuck Here
In the bottle: Creamy white skin-like musk, bright (but slightly earthy) realistic lemon, bit of a traditional masculine scent (either a masculine floral or a resin - hard to tell) and a base of what reminds me of concrete.
Wet on my skin: Wood, creamy white/skin musk at the top. Under that is a touch of that realistic lemon and the traditionally masculine note. Then that dark, concrete base. A kick of candied sweetness in there too. Maybe an edge of something green? Or is the wood just a green wood?
Is this the Seymour/Rick Moranis scent? Becuase it’s kinda of… hopeful and dreary at the same time. Very fitting for a Rick Moranis character. (I’ve only seen the LSoH musical once! I can't recall all the songs! Don’t judge me!)
Drydown: So at the top I’m getting the citrus - and I actually think this might be something different from a lemon. Maybe L&G’s yuzu note? There’s a tiny bit of that masculine note there, but it’s calmed down. Everything has blended with the creamy musky smell. There’s a little bit of that ‘concrete’ in there but it’s mostly smooth musk + greenish citrus.
After 30 mins: As more time passes the scent wears more and more faintly. Largely the same as the drydown in terms of the scent profile. The cloud starts about an inch away from the skin and a very, very mild throw on it.
Official Notes: bamboo, ginger, verbena, sweet peaches, lemongrass, and fresh rain.
Bamboo! Bamboo is what’s green, and peaches are what’s fruity and kind of reminded me of yuzu. The citrus components are the lemongrass and the verbena. I think the ginger is what I was reading as masculine - but not completely sure. I think part of the bamboo blending with the rain is what reminded me of concrete.
I’m not sure what smelled like creamy white musk to me in here. Part of the fresh rain? Part of the peaches? Beats me.
Verdict: Not really my thing (it isn’t painfully green to my nose, but I mean… it is green). If you’re looking for something that smells like Clean Human Who’s Probably A Dude give this a spin.
Black Smoke ( Soap )
Texture/Appearance: This one came in a super cute skull shape! It was a pretty, shimmery, dark purple and black. It seems a little firmer than the other glycerin soap bars I’ve tried from L&G.
Performance: See my previous review of L&G’s soap performance [here ]. I do want to note the lather from this one when used with a shower pouf was very thick and creamy - almost like a shaving cream.
Official Notes/Scent Analysis: Lemon rind, sweet lime, yuzu, and mint leaves.
Definitely got the citrus! It’s a very sweet citrus scent with a tiny bit of grunginess to it. I’m surprised there isn’t an ‘ash’ or ‘dust’ not in there.
The mint in this is kind of curious. I didn’t ID it as mint until i went back and sniffed the soap bar after seeing the notes. It’s definitely there but it blends with some of the citrus (the yuzu I think) to create an almost floral note. Like I was all prepared for this to have an ylang ylang note in there.
Verdict: A very good soap scent! It’s a little too sweet/clean for me to want to wear a personal scent but it’s great for bathtime. Will happily be using up my little bar. I’m not sure if it’s high enough up on my list of L&G Scents I Want As Soaps to go out of my way to get it as an “upsize” in the future though ( google tells me if that if you want it it’s available through the Poisoner’s Guild).
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