In the bottle: Super dark, super rich, medicinal fruit cough syrup.

On wet: Ooooh...delicious apricot simmered in sweet musk. Decadent and candylicious.

Drydown: There was a brief, worrisome moment of "omg, EVIL PLASTIC!" but that seems to have faded. Now I'm getting a sweet, lightly fruited musk with a vague brandied undertone. I also keep getting these odd hits of...violet candy? Whenever it registers, I'm reminded of Psychological Horror, even though they're nothing alike in terms of notes or "feel". Weird.

Overall: I like this blend! It's not as smooth as I would like - especially when compared to the gorgeous released version - but I think that age will help with that. Fruit and musk and sweet stuff grounded with a smidge of something darker are favourites in my scent stable, so I think this proto - which hits all those marks - will eventually do very well for itself. Until it has a chance to soften those rough edges, though, it rates a 3/5.