Lyrical

in the bottle: my first impression was to wrinkle my nose, because it's got quite a bite, but I like it better already. It's very masculine and the only smell I recognise in it is sandalwood, which I've always liked. Not sure about this one. wet on my skin: woody, masculine, pleasant. In fact it's like particularly fragrant wood-smoke. Half an hour later it's a little smoother and fruitier. I'm enjoying this scent even though I'm not sure I'd leave the house wearing it. I tried layering this with other scents and now I've found the perfect match! Fenris Wolf and O together are simply beautiful! It brings out the best in both of them!

in the bottle: Yuck! I'm not familiar with vetiver, but if this is it, I don't like it! It smells kind of rank and weedy! wet on my arm: Actually, it's not as bad on my skin - it's the violet that comes through most strongly now, although there is the occasional blast of vetiver. I love the way these perfumes seem to change like living things - first one note, then another. Yes, this is mostly violet, reminding me of small, purple sweets in my childhood. But the patch nearer my elbow has more vetiver in it! While I don't get "Unrestrained revelry" or "unchained licentiousness", it's not actually unpleasant now. Almost an hour later, the vetiver is more or less gone - I have to practically press my nose to my skin to detect it. What's left is a cloud of warm, sweet, dusky violet, which I'm rather enjoying! Who would have thought it! I'm not sure how much I'll wear this, though - it's a bit overpowering! 3 hours later, the sweetness and intensity are fading, and what's left is still very violet, but dryer, subtle and smoky.

in the bottle: I rather like this one. It reminds me of white elephant perfumes at the church bazaars of my childhood - that must be the violet. But it's not too sweet, and it does smell seductive. wet on my skin: mmmmm - violet and something else. Very sweet at first, and not too strong - in fact compared to the others I tried, this is barely there at all. The sweetness is dying away, leaving ... something cool and floral with a slightly sharp edge. It's not quite warm enough for my taste, although it isn't unpleasant. Where's the vanilla? I was looking forward to the vanilla!!! later: the vanilla is just starting to peek through now, but it's not very strong. This scent is hard to describe. It's quite rich and complicated, and smells best on my wrist. It's OK, but I'm not all that keen on it. 5 hours on: it's much softer and sweeter now. On my wrist it's mostly vanilla, but in my cleavage it alternates between violet and vanilla, and from time to time I get a fleeting whiff of something citrusy! It's quite different in my hair! Floral vanilla goodness! Mmmmmmm! But it went soapy in the end. I don't seem to get on too well with these florals.

in the bottle: I didn't think I'd like this one ... but now I'm not so sure. It's very strong and masculine, and smells a bit like medicine too, but it's rich and woody - with a slightly unpleasant edge to it. wet on my skin: it's rich, rounded and woody. Definitely masculine, but pleasant. The sharp edge that was there in the bottle isn't there at all now. After 10 minutes or so it's getting sweeter and there's a fruity note there which I can't quite define. It makes me think of redbush tea. It's no longer clearly masculine. Mmmmmmm I like this! It's not the perfect scent I'm looking for, but I will probably wear it. It just doesn't match its own name at all! The longer I wear it, the smoother it gets! But I prefer this one on the wrist. And it's too masculine!

in the bottle: smells vaguely familiar and eau de toilette-ish. I can detect the lime, but I'm not familiar with the other notes. It's a chilly smell. wet on my arm: floral, pale green, dry, slightly sour. Not really me ... but it's improving already! 5 minutes later it's spicier and quite pleasant! 3 hours later: I'm really liking this, although it's not really what I'd describe as "me". The initial familiarity was deceptive, because it's actually like nothing I've ever smelled before! It's nearly all lime - sharp, dry and spicy - not all that feminine, and definitely not sexy (in my mind), but I'm going to be wearing it again! I think this is a scent for days when I want to be energetic, efficient and sophisticated (but not seduce anyone! lol). I added a drop in my cleavage, and oddly enough the jasmine appeared there, although the lime was still dominating. On my arms it remains dry, spicy lime and is still going strong almost 9 hours later. Unfortunately, the next time I wore Muse, it turned to pure soap! Luckily this only happened once.