galleywest

This is the Tiki that works for me. It's just lovely! I was waiting and waiting for a scent that was 1950s glamorous, glorious, tiki-culture, Hawaiiana floral. The kind where, when you wear it, you can almost hear the exotica music and bird calls in the background. This is my scent. Wet, in the imp: floral, very slightly sweet, very light touch of incense. Wet, on my skin: Florals are playing up, they're sweet, humid blooms. It's almost fruity...but it isn't. The incense almost disappears. Dry, on my skin: The incense comes back, but just wafting beneath the sweet florals. I adore the monoi, it's just perfect in this scent. It makes me feel like wearing a bright wrap dress and putting a flower in my hair. Bottle, for sure. *sigh*

In the bottle: I smell the coconut and woods--it's quite strong and my impression is a dark, maculine scent. It fits the name perfectly. Wet, on skin: I smell mostly the dark coconut and woods, still. I can pick out s touch of the florals, but I'm not sure I'm picking out the musk. Unless it's whatever is amping up the woods, which are really coming through. Dry, on skin: This smells a LOT like Frederic to me. I smell a little of the sweetness of the coconut and the florals, but mostly the ironwood bark. It almost smells like patchouli on me. It's just not quite working with my chemistry, I'm afraid.

Thanks for posting these. I love the labels for the tiki scents. LOVE THEM! I would almost buy them just for that. I'm a sucker for packaging.

I think Singing Moon is a good spring or autumn scent. It's for crisp, sunny weather. I also like Schroedinger's Cat (wonderful grapefruity smell!), but it may be too sweet for you. The Dormouse is a nice light "clean" scent, and Grandmother of Ghosts is a lovely woody scent with sweet undertones. I also enjoy Croquet (grassy w/ slight fruitiness) and Yggdrasil (herbal and slightly sweet). Tamora, as others have mentioned, is a lovely bright scent too. Out of all these, for some reason I think The Dormouse might be your best bet. It is a tea scent, but a little sweet too. I think I need to go put on Grandmother of Ghosts now!

Frederic is...a very surprising scent for me! When I read the notes, there were some things I liked, some thing that could go all wonky on me, and some things I normally hate. Okay, it's patchouli. Normally I really, realy, really dislike patchouli. Wet, in the bottle: Very strong and woody. VERY manly. I can smell the patchouli and the woods and very little else. The patchouli has that slightly sweet unpleasant edge that I dislike so much about it. Hmmm. Wet, on my skin: Yep, that's patchouli. And wood. Weren't there other things in this? The surprising thing here is that from the scent in the bottle, I thought it would be almost overwhelming when I put it on. It's not. It's actually very light. Starts to dry: Hey! Wow! There are some of the other notes! In particular, there's the rose and, I think, this is what the "chypre" part is supposed to smell like. The woods and the musk are playing together in the background, and the patchouli is just visiting, maybe napping in the corner, while the lighter notes are taking control of the conversation. Dry: It's an unusual, slightly woody, slightly floral, gender neutral scent on me. Although I can't pick it out directly, I highly suspect that the pleasing undertone of this perfume is the rum [insert "Where's the rum?!" joke here]. I am actually liking this a lot more than I thought I would. A lot more. I keep sniffing my wrist to see if I really do like it, I can hardly believe it works for me. I'm glad I have a bottle! I think it's very pleasant and confident as a scent. Win!

Last night I was out with a bunch of my friends for a kind of "girls night out." They were looking at my BPAL stash (I'm trying to enable them--why can't they let people do sales of these like Avon?!). One of them pulled out Vinland, sniffed it, and recoiled in horror. "Ew!," she said. "It smells like old lady/nursing home!" Another friend tried it and had the same reaction. I told them it wasn't bad on (it's actually pretty high on my list of faves!) and put it on to prove it. They said I smelled like an old lady! I think it smells herbal and floral and soft and...just lovely! Am I so wrong?! Well, I'm still going to wear it.

This one was unusual. Wet, in the imp: a very round, heavy, sweet scent. Too sweet for me! Kind of a grape/floral. Wet, on my skin: Sweet, artificial grape smell. The florals are still there and are also very sweet. Dry, on my skin: it smells exactly like grape Laffy Taffy. I'm not kidding. It took me a while to place the scent, but that's what it is! Swaps!

Hmmm, cranberry scents work well on me, so I think I'll try Bewitched. Thanks for the suggestion of Aeval, I'll have to give it a go. I'm interested to see how tonka and sage work together on me!

Singing Moon is very herbal on me, a kind of warm, autumny, grassy scent. Yggdrasil is also very lovely, as is Tintagel. Singing Moon: Moonlight over grave grass, meadowsweet, marsh hellebore, rock sea-lavender, Irish Lady's-tresses, melancholy thistle, and wood bitter-vetch, with the scent of autumn fires in the distance, sprayed by wind howling over the Atlantic. Yggdrasil: The World Ash. Nine woods, nine leaves, and three herbs each for Ratatosk and Vidofnir, with three final herbs to placate Nidhogg. Tintagel: Spicy mulled wine flowing through the musky heat, warm leather and bright clash of armor, the damp branches of Cornish hawthorn, blackthorn, juniper, English elm and bayberry, and the magical tingle of dragon's blood resin. Are Leanan Sidhe, Bewitched, Mag Mell, Odin, or Ochosi nice as herbal scents? As you can see from the above, I like herbal scents that aren't just sharp green scents, I don't mind some floral or berry or aquatic notes with them. Bewitched: Deep, luscious green and berry scents that evoke images of woodland witchcraft and the raw power of nature: blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. Leanan Sidhe: Her perfume is a crush of Irish herbs and flowers, Gaelic mists, and nighttime dew. Mag Mell: The warmth of amber, the puissance of white ginger and the clarity of verbena, with fresh green grass, lush sage and cleansing droplets of summer rain. Odin: His scent is dry elm bark, amaranth, warrior’s musk, and Odin’s Nine Herbs of Power. Ochosi: His ofrenda is the soft shea he shares with Obatala, forest herbs, and sprucewood arrow shafts.

Me too. I did an order of imps with the things that seemed to be most popular, and this, of course, was in it. My first instinct was that I would not like it, based on the description. Wet, in the imp: Wow, it's really syrupy. It smells EXACTLY like this shop I used to go to to buy tarot cards (when I was in high school and thought that was the coolest. thing. ever.). Very incense-y, with maybe vanilla behind it? Very spicy, but not entirely unpleasant. Wet, on my skin: Pretty much the same. A kind of smokiness is coming out now, and the incense is amping up a little. Dry, on my skin: Hmm. Meh. It still smells about the same, incense and spice and vanilla. I'm not a fan of vanilla or incense, and this is drying down too cloying for me. Not a winner. I suppose I could age it, but unless it changes fundamentally, I probably won't like it any more later than I do now. Swap! The moral of the story is, go with your first instinct!

Wet, in the imp: Sweet. Very, very, VERY sweet. HONEY!!!! Wet, on my skin: Ugh, it smells like I just smeared honey on my skin. I love honey, but this smells like a kitchen accident on me. Dry, on skin: Well, something smoky is coming out now, but the overwhelming smell of honey is just too much. This is a no-go for me.

Wet, in the imp: A spicy, floral, woody scent. It smells almost peppery, with a cedar backdrop. Wet, on my skin: Very woodsy now. It definitely smells of cedar, with just a little lily peeking out. The spiciness and pepper have almost vanished entirely. That's strange! Dry, on my skin: I was all prepared to not like this as cedar/pine scents can be very harsh on my skin, but there's a very nice, soft, floral tone to this I like. The woods are still there, but the florals and even the spicy pepper rounds them out. Yes, the spice is back, but very gentle. I like it and I'm glad I have the imp--it's a comforting scent and one that is good for a rainy day, I think. It feels somehow....protective, like being in a sheltering forest. I probably won't get a 5 mL, but I will use up the imp. I like it because the wood adds a nice "something else" to what would otherwise be a fairly mundane floral scent. This is well blended for a scent with that kind of piney smell. It works on me, which is really saying quite something. Usually when I put these on I smell like a Christmas tree salesperson. GoG is a win for me.

Okay, I know this is cheating, but I read this review and thought--oh my gosh, this is EXACTLY the "in the imp/wet on skin/dry on skin" sequence this scent went through for me. I can't believe it! The mint is just a teeny sliver, and the grasses warm up on my skin, making me think of sunlight in the late afternoon. It's sweet and herbal and delicious. I really am enjoying this one--I'm toying with the idea of getting another imp or looking for a bottle. It smells like autumn to me, like a crisp day, maybe on the seashore, maybe just out in a park looking at the turning trees. It's just beautiful on the dry-down.

Wet, in the imp: very strong. I can smell the myrtle but also something kind of...antiseptic. No, that's not exactly the right word. It's not a perfume smell, though, more like a no-frills lotion kind of smell. Wet, on my skin: still very strong--I can smell the myrtle--but there is something sweet in it too. The amber is very powerful, but it smells like perfume now for sure. Dry, on my skin: much sweeter. I really do like this. It's not an everyday perfume, though. I could picture myself at a high class cocktail party or museum opening in this. It's very grown-up, very sophisticated. A scent for a confident woman. Overall, I like it! I don't think I'll get a bottle, but I'll definitely use the imp. If I had more of a social life with high class outings in it, I might get a bottle, but alas, I don't. I'm glad I have it, however, because I can see wearing it to feel more self-assured. It's a "dressy" scent.

I don't know why, but I was really looking forward to this one. The description was so different from anything else I had, I just had to give it a try. Wet, in the imp: greeny, grassy, just the barest hint of musk under it all. Quite pleasant and clean. Wet, on my skin: still quite green, but the musk is coming out, and something just slightly floral and maybe even a little spicy (just a tiny bit). Dry, on my skin: How do they do that? It really is like the description! It's kind of warm and a little...I want to say floral but that's not exactly it. I can smell the musk but it's not overpowering, it's very light. It works so well with the green-ness that has stayed with it throughout. I really like this. It's a very calming, self-assured scent. I will need a big bottle of this and I have a feeling it will become one of my frequent everyday scents. It's a very flexible scent for me. Thumbs up!!

This was pretty consistent throughout wear, so I'll just combine all the stages here: Wet, in the imp and on my skin AND dry on my skin: it smells like dirt. Just dirt. It's not unpleasant, and I suppose I should say that it smells "earthy" as that sounds better. There is nothing sweet, nothing perfumey about this at all. It reminds me a little of High John the Conqueror but bearable. It's not bad, it's just...well, it is what it is. It has good staying power, for those interested. This is not especially for me.

Oh dear. Wet, in the imp: *gack* It's sickly sweet and cloying and earthy all at once. It actually makes me gag. I think it's the violet, which seems quite strong. I'm sorry to say it, I love the name and I liked the description, but... I can't....bring myself to put it on. Swaps!

In the imp: leather and incense. More incense than anything else. Smells like church! Wet, on me: overwhelmingly churchy. I don't get much else. Dry, on me: still just incense. Possibly some leather and wood in there, but it's far too masculine and clerical for me. As a side note, I gave this to a friend who sorta liked it. About a month after I got it she tried it again and it smelled completely different on her than either of us remember. It was sweet and warm on her. I tried it again and this time it actually reacted with my skin and gave me a burning, itchy, angry red patch on my hand where I put it. Yeah, this one doesn't work on me at ALL.

Oh, Ouija. I really wanted things to work out between us. Considering that my living room is currently decorated in late Victorian, early steampunk, I was sure we were made for each other. Alas, it was not to be. Wet, in the imp: rose. Rose, rose, rose. And something...musty. Not too bad. Wet, on skin: Still rose, with an earthy note that I assume are the woods. Kinda smells like the furniture in your great-aunt Eugenia's locked front parlor room. Dry, on skin: Rose, and...kinda powdery. Not much depth, and not much to interest. Oh, Ouija. It's not you, it's me. I'll call you, okay? And no matter what happens, let's stay friends.

The tobacco in Perversion worked so well on me, I knew I had to try Ogun. It sounded so unusual that I had to give it a shot, anyway! In the imp: Tobacco and melon and...I really can smell that pepper, if only a little. Wet, on me: the tobacco amps up a bit (on me this is common), but not nearly as much as with Perversion. It lends a smoky sweet scent to the melon, which is juicy and a little tart. The pepper is still there. The dominant note here is the tobacco, but... Dry, on me: ...as it dries the melon comes out a little more. Normally I'm not a melon fan, but the other notes keep it in check. I can't really pick out the juniper or the honeysuckle (unless it's part of the sweetness of the melon I'm smelling), but the tiniest sharp edge from the pepper remains. I like it! It's sassy but not overpowering. Great for a casual date or heading out somewhere with friends.

I really like this one. Florals don't often work for me, but Pele and Ile de la Tortue are two that do. In the imp: flowers. Flowers, flowers, flowers. But they're beautiful, big, round, blooms on a tropical island. Wet, on me: Still the very full smell of flowers. Something lends just a little bit of sweetness behind the flowers, which might be the palm wine. Dry, on me: Ahhh, nice! Still very floral, but very true to the scent in the imp and wet on my skin. The orchids and other blossoms waft gently from me, but are not overpowering. It's tropical and exotic and just right. It lasts quite a while on me and has decent throw. After Niflheim and New Orleans disappointed me, this was a nice surprise.

I was very excited to try Havana, but wondered if the date palm would be too sweet on me. I needn't have worried. In the imp: tobacco-y, slightly spicy. I can't smell anything really sweet, and the spiciness is not like cinnamon or a warm spice, but kind of an earthy smell, kind of like walking into a shop that sells tobacco and liquor. Wet, on me: still a lot of tobacco, and the slightly sweet smell of the dates coming out now. It's at it's warmest on me here. Dry, on skin: dry, exactly like the faint smell of cigars. The one word I just can't get away from when I use this is "papery." It smells just like old paper. I mean, that's not it's only note and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely dry and crackle-y. Maybe old paper that's been hanging around in that cigar and liquor shop I mentioned earlier. Overall, I won't get rid of it, but I do wish it were a little sweeter. My skin just resonates with the tobacco note, but it's a grounding scent.

In the imp: sweet with pine. I can smell the cranberry and the blackberry leaf and quite a lot of pine. Wet, on me: the pine is quite strong for a few minutes, with a sweetness rounding it out. So far, my favorite scent with pine, which is often overpowering on me. Dry, on me: Oo la la! It's quite sweet, with just a little bit of pine in the background. I don't usually like sweet scents, but this one is cranberry without being too sweet or too sharp. The pine is just baaaaarely there, and the blackberry and tomato leaf add just enough oomph to give the cranberry an extra layer. I really enjoy this scent, it's very playful! I'm not sure I'll get a bottle (it's kind of rare for me), but definitely another imp if mine runs out any time soon. Highly recommended!

In the bottle: ooooh, pretty! Beautiful tropical flowers. Very straightforward. Wet, on me: exotic, tropical--very similar to the imp, which is nice! Dry, on me: it hasn't morphed much, which I'm very pleased about. The only downside is that it's very light on me. It goes away far to quickly, but it's such a lovely scent that I'm willing to re-apply throughout the day (or get a scent locket or something similar). It's exactly as I hoped it would be, a gentle, beautiful, exotic floral.

In the imp: Flowers, especially jasmine, and something spicy. There's something just a little funky in there too, and not a good kind of funky. Wet, on me: flowers, flowers, JASMINE, which is loud at first and dies down fairly quickly. But oh oh... Dry, on me: ...that something funky is now very, VERY funky. Whatever is in there to make those flowers "touched with decay" is reacting with my skin and smells just awful. Ugh--I have to get it off as quickly as possible. I'll be giving this one away. It's a shame, because I really like the florals in this.