elinox

First Sniff: Musk and patchouli. Initial Wet Application: This is very masculine: I’ve not had luck with oakmoss and patchouli in the past, but we’ll see how this goes. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): This toned down after it completed the dry down, but mostly stayed the same. It’s patchouli, but a calmer version than I’ve had before. My Reaction: It reminds me of a fancy soap for men that wants you to think it’s wild forest and woodsy. It’s pleasant, but too masculine for me. This might smell nice on the hubby though. Rating: 2

First Sniff: Champagne bubbles and lily. Initial Wet Application: A light, summery flower. This is going to fade into nothingness. It does smell like lavender, but it’s gentle and not as perfumey as some lavenders I’ve had. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): This reminds me of spring blooms. It’s bubbly and happy. My Reaction: This was light, but didn’t fade completely, which was surprising. It also didn’t change much from first sniff to dry down. It somehow reminds me of teaberry or bubblegum: effervescent and cheerful. Unfortunately, that’s the opposite of what it’s called! Rating: 3

First Sniff: Sea salt and fresh ozone, yummy! Initial Wet Application: Ocean, bright salt brine and maybe some soft lavender. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): It’s fresh and aquatic ocean salt spray. I was worried this would fade quickly, so I double-applied which helped. It’s still lighter than I would hope for, but that’s okay as I really like it. My Reaction: I love this! It's the fresh salty ocean; clean and bright. It reminds me of the old Seaspray lotion from Bath and Body Works. While I love Pool of Tears for aquatics, that’s more briney tears whereas this is more ocean. Rating: 5

First Sniff: Lemon drops candy. Initial Wet Application: Fresh and bright, but I know it’s so light that it’s going to fade. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): Before this even finished the dry down, about 5 minutes in, this was already faint and barely there. My Reaction: Unfortunately, this faded into nothingness within 15 minutes which was disappointing. I even reapplied this and the same thing happened; it faded away. Perhaps aging this would help? The lemon drop candy was pleasant, although lemon’s not really my thing. Still, I had hoped Whitechapel would’ve had a darker side to it. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Red musk, maybe with a hint of cherries. It reminds me of Hecate. Initial Wet Application: Reading the description, it’s the almond I’m smelling. It’s nice. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): This is soft and inviting. I think the cardamom is making me think “kitchen-esque spice” as it smells warm and welcoming. My Reaction: After this completed the dry down, it was really faint, which surprises me as myrrh and amber usually amp on me and stick around. I’m going to have to re-apply this to get it to stick around and be stronger, but overall, I liked it. Warm and comforting with gentle myrrh. Rating: 3

First Sniff: Sandalwood and cedar. Initial Wet Application: Fuzzy sandalwood that’s not too bitey, yay! Dry Down (first 15 minutes): Warm and comforting with some soft woods rounding it out. There may be a tiny hint of vanilla keeping this buttery and soft, but I’m not sure. It’s definitely reminiscent of incense, it’s just the warm-type of incense, not the yucky patchouli I don’t care for. My Reaction: This somehow reminds me of buttery popcorn. Which is delicious, but doesn’t make me think of funerals or cats (binturongs maybe…). Once this dried completely, this was the warm fuzziness from Brown Jenkin that I love. It became faint, but was still lovely warm fuzz with a hint of yummy buttered popcorn. Rating: 4

First Sniff: White flowers, maybe with a hint of gardenia. Initial Wet Application: Light and flowery, there’s already barely anything there! I think I’m getting a little pepper, but it’s just a whiff in the background. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): As this dried down, I was getting something similar to my one aunt’s perfume, which I didn’t like. I’m not really getting the sandalwood, which is good. But maybe that’s partly why this is sort of dusty/light? ...And NOW I’m getting the sandalwood. My Reaction: After this completed the dry down, this was exactly like my one aunt’s perfume that I dislike. Mostly because she wears too much of it, but still. This was just not my thing, oh well! Rating: 1

First Sniff: Something vaguely familiar, but I can’t seem to place it. Light, certainly, and with some sort of flower. Initial Wet Application: Sweet and light. It somehow reminds me of bubblegum, without actually being bubblegum scented. Another reviewer mentioned juniper and then my brain went ‘that’s it!’. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): Sweet, light juniper. This is lovely, but I just know it’s going to fade too quickly. As this continued to dry, it went to generic restroom hand soap. Not unpleasant, but not remarkable either. At one point, I’m also getting fake plastic toy from this. My Reaction: Unfortunately, this just faded away. I enjoyed the fresh juniper, but it didn’t last. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Jasmine Initial Wet Application: Jasmine, with some sort of fakey/yucky smell there too. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): Within the first 5 minutes this was already fading jasmine. My Reaction: While this was lovely, gentle jasmine, it just wasn’t strong enough on my skin. I appreciate the visuals, but I had hoped for Wicked to be sinister and dark, not light and flowery. Rating: 2

First Sniff: Pepper and soft suede. Initial Wet Application: There’s something gentle and fresh in this, maybe the tobacco leaf? It is reminiscent of an old college classroom somehow. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): As this dries, it’s staying the same. This does seem to mimic old paper, but it has a slightly perfumey quality to it too. I also get dust. My Reaction: This was...not what I was expecting. I don’t know what I thought I would get, but the description sounded interesting in my perpetual search for the perfect ‘old library scent’. This was interesting, but I’m not sure how often I would reach for this. Rating: 2

First Sniff: Something slightly biting, like freshly ground coffee, but not. There is some warm nutmeg too which is lovely. Initial Wet Application: Bitter cocoa powder, yay! Dry Down (first 15 minutes): This is warm and seems familiar, but I can’t place it. I assume I’m noticing cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon. It’s reminiscent of coffee, but not in the yucky smell way, huzzah! My Reaction: The throw in this is nice and it didn’t really morph from initial application to complete dry down. It’s warm and kind of musky, but in a good way! Rating: 3

*Note: I applied this after I’d tried The Lights of Men’s Lives earlier in the day. Since that had faded, I washed it off and decided to review another imp. First Sniff: What it says on the tin: gentle rose with some sunny mango underneath. Initial Wet Application: Sweet, sugary mango, woohoo! Dry Down (first 15 minutes): As this dried, it went all soft rose on me which is disappointing. I hope the happy mango comes back! My Reaction: I wouldn’t have thought to pair rose with something so tropical, but this somehow works. The rose is gentle and lovely while the mango is the wild child with fruity, sunny goodness. I just wish the throw was stronger! Rating: 3

First Sniff: Sugary sweet candied coconut. Initial Wet Application: As I put it on my wrist, it suddenly doesn’t seem there at all; just a bare whiff of sweet coconut. I like the first sniff, but I just know this is going to fade within the hour. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): I double-applied this since it was so faint, with 4 swipes of the wand. As this continued to dry I was getting gentle baby powder too. I’m also getting a hint of vanilla candle, as some other’s have described, but it’s faint and not likely to stick around either. My Reaction: The sweet coconut is lovely, but overall this is just too light on my skin. I want to like this, but it’s just too faint. My coconut favorite is Obatala anyway. Rating: 1

*Note: I applied this after I’d tried Small Brown Cat earlier in the day. Since that had faded, I washed it off and decided to review another imp. First Sniff: Pinesol lemon; yikes that’s lemony fresh! Initial Wet Application: Yup, definitely the same lemon as in my Mom’s cleaning spray from my childhood. This is the reason I’ve hated lemon for years! Dry Down (first 15 minutes): Still just “lemony fresh” yuck! Egyptian kyphi is supposed to be: cassia, cinnamon, mastic, mint, henna and mimosa. There’s nothing citrus/lemon in it so I have no idea where the lemon I’m getting is coming from. My Reaction: It’s light and fresh, in a “pow in your face” kind of way, but that kind of lemon is most definitely not my thing! I’ll re-test this, but so far, this will likely go into the swap pile! Rating: 1

My own small, brown cat! ❤️ First Sniff: Gentle cardamom and cedar hiding in the background. Initial Wet Application: Right off this is furry and warm. And the cedar is behaving so far. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): As this completed the dry down, it was lighter and more on the perfumey-side of fur, but it was still reminiscent of fur. There’s something light and almost flowery in this too. Once this dried completely, it was light and powdery. My Reaction: At one point I think I was getting the bourbon vanilla, but it wasn’t particularly strong. Unfortunately, this faded into lightness and barely-there fluff. I will hang onto this for my own small brown cats, but it ended up being too light on my skin. Rating: 2

Honey-sweet and soporific. First Sniff: Lily and soft white powder. Initial Wet Application: Light and gently soapy. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): This is soft and clean and lazy. I think I’m detecting some sweet lemon in the background. I’m guessing the baby powder is the lotus. My Reaction: I was hoping for a little honey, as others described, but this is all soft, baby powder on me. It grows faint so it will likely fade away, but it’s nice. If it sticks around, it’s lovely and gentle. Rating: 2.5

First Sniff: Sort of like the lab’s leather note? Old and dusty. Initial Wet Application: It’s musky, but not in an unpleasant way (yet). There’s also something vaguely reminiscent of a forest here too. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): I’m getting a little sandalwood, which is pleasant. Unlike what other reviewers have mentioned, I’m not getting pepper or cinnamon from this. And is that...ginger? My Reaction: This is soft and perfumed fur on me. The sandalwood stayed well-behaved on me which was nice and I liked the hint of foresty-ness. It doesn’t make me think of gremlins or computers parts at all though; no wires or green slimeyness. It’s more masculine than I’d tend to wear, but interesting nonetheless. Rating: 2.5

First Sniff: A white flower; clean and bright. Initial Wet Application: Crisp and a little tart; this could be clean, fresh sheets. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): This is powdery and soft. It makes me think of bright, sunny days just after dawn with cold, crisp dew still on the grass. That bite in the air and anticipation of sunrise. As it completed the dry down it was soft and gentle. My Reaction: This was light, bright and not what I had expected. I guess the narcissus is keeping this to just clean white flowers. I’m actually surprised the myrrh hasn’t ruined this as we’ve had a shaky relationship in the past. And it will likely fade too. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Lily, the white orris, and soft powder. Initial Wet Application: Clean lily. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): This is lovely and fresh, but I’m worried it’s going to fade. The orris and lily kept this soft and gently sweet. Once it dried completely there was a little creamy vanilla, but it was faint. My Reaction: I liked this, it was gentle and freshly sweet. However, it was too light and faded too quickly. I wish the vanilla cream would have been stronger! Rating: 2

First Sniff: Woodsy and masculine. Balsam and maybe a touch of cedar. Initial Wet Application: Musky in a good cologne sort of way. There’s also a softness to this, which I didn’t expect. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): It’s...fading? This got lighter during the dry down but was still mostly the same: handsome mountain man cologne. Once it dried completely, there was the faint note of the lab’s leather underneath it all. My Reaction: This was definitely masculine and woodsy, so not really something for me, which I expected. I sort of got the impression of fur, but not in the way I was hoping. More a slightly piney, freshly oiled leather hide that a freshly showered lumberjack might wear. A little too fancy for your typical woodsman, but masculine and of the forest. However, I bet it would smell great on my husband! Rating: 2

First Sniff: Gummy candy, maybe raspberry? Initial Wet Application: Nope, must be cherry. Luckily, this isn’t the medicinal cherry I’ve gotten in other imps. This is more cherry candy. I guess the orange blossoms are keeping this sweet and bouncy. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): Sweet, candied cherry. It reminds me of lollipops and gummy candy. I had hoped the chocolate would make an appearance, but nope, it’s just sugary, cherry candies. My Reaction: The first sniff through the dry down stayed the same; this was all sugary cherry. It reminds me of the gummy fruit snacks I loved as a kid. Not my thing, as I had hoped for the chocolate/orange, but oh well. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Gentle, light plumeria Initial Wet Application: Soft and light, this is going to fade. This is definitely tropical and gentle. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): Was that milky coconut?!? My Reaction: Definitely different than my other tropical hothouse scents (like Bayou) but just too light on my skin. I thought I had detected a faint hint of lovely coconut, but it wasn’t strong enough to stick around. The gentle ginger was also nice, but just too light to stay. And that explains it: ‘muguet’ is in the lily family and lily from the lab is always too light and fades too quickly on me. Oh well, it was nice to give it a try. Rating: 2

First Sniff: Roses in the morning with a hint of fresh, cool mint. (I think?) Initial Wet Application: I thought I was smelling more lemon at first, but then recognized the rose. It’s lovely and soft so I’m sure it’s going to fade. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): As it dried, this stayed gentle, fresh, dewey roses. My Reaction: Having recently been in London, I can say that while the city definitely doesn’t smell like this, I did like it for the association. I enjoyed the tea roses, but it faded within an hour. I didn’t get any ‘wickedness’ either which would have been interesting. Rating: 2

First Sniff: Fresh lemons Initial Wet Application: I guess the lemons I’m getting is really the orange blossoms? There may be a faint whiff of mint keeping this fresh. I think I can also detect the fir and balsam which is keeping this woodsy and nice. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): I liked this and although it got a little soapy with the dry down, it was still fresh lemon and pine needles on the forest floor. Once it dried completely there was mostly the same. My Reaction: I’m mostly getting some balsam with lemon. I had expected this to be darker and I’m surprised I didn’t detect any of the tobacco. Maybe this is what the forests of Transylvania smell like? That’d be nice! Rating: 2

First Sniff: Slightly fake vanilla. Initial Wet Application: Soft vanilla. Not creamy, but still pleasant. So far, this vanilla is similar to my test with Snake Oil; although Hunger is a little more gentle. Dry Down (first 15 minutes): As this dries, it stays a soft and light vanilla. It actually gets lighter and so I think it will fade, unlike Snake Oil’s vanilla which lasted all day. My Reaction: I’ll be honest, I’m not impressed with the lab’s vanillas I’ve tried recently. Where’s my milky, creamy sweet stuff? I want the creamy goodness from Obatala, just more sugary vanilla cake! Rating: 2