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Hmmm... I just had my first allergic reaction to a blend (Well, to anything, really - I've got the immune system of a dragon!) - only problem is, it was Black Phoenix, which has no notes listed. I tested some on the back of my hand and within five minutes it was itching like crazy, and the veins were swollen. I washed it off pretty quick but the skin is still sensitive... probably shouldn't test anything else on it for a while ^.^;;; I did search this thread and several other people seem to have had a similar reaction, does anyone know what note might be causing it? I wear loads of different blends - lots of spices, nuts and the other ones like bergamot and narcissus that seem to give people trouble - with no trouble at all, so I'm pretty much at a loss. I REALLY want to avoid whichever note this is - I have a very nasty allergy-related family history - and I just wanted to ask here before emailing the Lab.

Initial thoughts: Normally, no listed notes = I don't go for it. However, this one was on the list when I was making a big purchase, and I thought well, why not? It'll be a good test of my IDing skills! Not to mention the fact that it's one of those you probably just have to try at least once. In the imp: Whoah momma. Almond. Bakewell tart. Almond. ALMOND. On the wrist, wet: For science! Almond, still, but... more complex. Much more complex. It's not bitter or sharp anymore, it's... almost green... hard to say what I'm picking up on other than almond, but still, there's something there. Twenty minutes later: Well, the almond's gone... this is dark and musky and a bit... sticky. And - a heads up to those with sensitive skin - it itches a little, and this is the first one to do so. This is on the back of my hand (where I have very thin skin) so it might do better elsewhere, but still. I'm really not sure about this - I can't decide what it smells like - and unfortunately my initial reaction is that I don't like it. Oh well. Verdict: Swap pile. Tl;Dr: A powerful almond that fades into something musky and dark. Beware those with sensitive skin.

For me, my imps last a good ten or twelve 'wears' from lab fresh - and thus probably my bottles at least fifty. I do apply generously, but I don't exactly pour it all over myself either.

I use toothpicks for my bottls - use 'em, throw 'em away. I like quite a potent throw on my scents, so I do that for my wrists and the back of my neck. I used to apply strait from the bottle, and still do with the odd lighter scent, but I really like potent blends so I reserve that for those!

Initial thoughts: Rose. Crap. Why do I keep picking scents with rose in them? I really want this to work on me just based on the concept - ah, Countess Bathory, in my teenage Goth phase I spent a lot of time reading up on you - and eyeing up the list of notes, I want this to work even more. I'm really hoping the gardenia and the plum come forward, and the rose doesn't mess it up too much for me. In the imp: Gardenia and plum! \o/ Okay, I can kinda get the 'berry' and maybe the lilac (Can't really remember what lilac smells like) but the gardenia and the plum are very prominent. I now remember why I sniffed this at a friends house and immediately went DO WANT. On the wrist, wet: That's potent. Hmmm... gardenia, yes, an unidentified floral (Must be the lilac) but the berries are coming forward more than the plum. Strange. Oooh, but this IS good... incredibly good, in fact. I'm pretty much sold on a bottle now, and I'm REALLY hoping it doesn't do anything stupid in the drydown. Twenty minutes later: Potent, but very nice. Gardenia, lilac - a hint of rose 'fuzz' - and while the plum isn't very strong, the sweet, ripe squishy red berry note is quite prominent. This is strong, but it's got great character. It's sassy and playful, not overly sweet but not overly womanly either. I'm really liking it! Verdict: Keeper, and a bottle before too long methinks. Tl;Dr: Fresh gardenia and lilac with a hint of rose, hovering over sweet ripe red berries.

Initial thoughts: Oh yeah. Yes, this one's going to be... and at this point I noticed the patchouli and the vetiver. Patchouli doesn't like me, but sometimes behaves itself. Vetiver does like me - A LOT - and I like it, but it does tend to amp like crazy. Dragon's blood sways me neither way, musk likewise... cinnamon, I kill for. Could be an 'ARGH PATCHOULI DIE', could be a new addition to the 'Vetiver, with hints of-' catagory. We shall see. In the imp: Vetiver, vetiver, some more vetiver, and I thing that's... vetiver! On the wrist, wet: This is dull, damp and smouldering. I kinda get the vetiver. I kinda get the patchouli. I have no idea what dragon's blood smells like on it's own but I think I smell it too. I almost think I can smell the cinnamon but it's not behaving like cinnamon. This is dark and rich and powerful and amazingly enough, the patchouli and the vetiver seem to be keeping each other in check. Oh my. Twenty minutes later: This is unbelievable - stick patchouli and vetiver, two scents that amp on my skin, one of which I usually dislike, side by side and you should have something that makes me want it OFF, NOW, RIGHT NOW. Like, I dunno, Snake Oil. But this... This is smoulderingly dark. This burns underneath a velvet veneer. This is sexy and firey and threatening violence. This, pretty much, lives up to it's namesake. It's potent as hell so I'll have to wear it a little more sparingly than I have done today, but man... this is good. Verdict: Keeper, and possibly a bottle. Tl;Dr: The patchouli and vetiver hold each other in check to create a potent, smouldering, vicious blend.

Initial Thoughts: Rose. Crap. Now, that's not fair - rose CAN behave itself on me. Sometimes. Maybe. Not often, that's true - but still, I sniffed this at a friend's house and decided I needed to try it, probably because of the orange blossom. I love orange blossom. In the imp: Potent orange blossom and rose. Not cloying or sickly, just WUMFF! Hello, I'm Catherine, welcome to Los Angeles, I'm here to hit you [/stupid cross reference]. If this works, I might be quite pleased with it - there's a tone to it which reminds me slightly of a more mature, slinkier Marae, which is my floral blend of choice at the moment. Unforunately, rose and I have a history. On the wrist, wet: The rose... is behaving itself! On the other hand, maybe it's because the orange blossom is smack-you-in-the-sinuses overpowering. And sharp. This is wearable but not very 'me' at the moment, but I'm quite looking forward to the dry down. Twenty minutes later: My skin's drunk this up quite well, I think - it sits very close to the skin. The rose is behaving itself, and the orange blossom has settled down nicely. I'm even getting some of the rosemary. This is a nice, simple, well rounded floral - not youthful, but not overly mature either. Verdict: Not sold on a bottle, but I'll hang on to the imp. Tl;Dr: A subtle blend of orange blossom and a well behaved rose with a hint of rosemary.

A profound and entrancing potion. Deep, wispy, and unfathomably dark: vetiver, dark woods, crumbling and burnt black sandalwood and a drop of lemon rind. Initial thoughts: Great name. Awesome name. 'Incantation' is one of those really great words to say. Notes wise, this may or may not go vetiver mad on me, but even so - it could be a nice addition to my "Vetiver, with a hint of-" collection. In the imp: The vetiver doesn't stand out so strong, actually - it's more of a lemony sandalwood. Tempting, but a little on the 'clean' side. On the wrist, wet: Rich, well aged woods with lemon scented beeswax polish. It's not at all what I was expecting, but it's rather awesome. A moment or two later, of course, and the citrus is doing it's thing on my skin - should calm down in a bit - but the vetiver doesn't seem to be rearing it's head yet. Twenty minutes later: Lemon is not my best friend and he's not placing nice in this one - it smells like lemon scented funiture polish. This isn't foul on me but it's not something I'm going to want to wear. Verdict: Swap Tl;Dr: Lemon scented polish on old wooden furniture.

Initial thoughts: This is one of the ones I would have originally dismissed as too girly, despite the fact that sitting right there is one fantastic lineup - vanilla, fig, tonka bean, mahogany and coffee - that sounds tailored to my skin chemistry. The problem, as always, is the florals - rose and jasmine = my skin chemistry goes nuts. Never the less, I live in hope of a rose blend I can wear! In the imp: Woah, that... wow. Ok. That smells like... really sleezy office party perfume! I think it's the combination of the roses with the coffee... On the wrist, wet: Hmmm... it's hard to say what I'm smelling here other than coffee, and the weird fuggy thing rose does on my skin. But the blend is much more complex than that. I'll have to see how it behaves on the drydown, because at the moment the rose is ruining it for me. Twenty minutes later: This is, I'm sure, a really nice blend, but lo-and-behold - the rose is misbehaving as usual and on me, it's unwearable. Such a pity. Verdict: Swap pile Tl;Dr: This blend is heavily dominated by the rose, which doesn't like me.

Initial thoughts: DUDE. SRSLY. SCHRODINGER'S CAT. Okay, I have no idea what zdravetz is (Even wikipedia cannot help me) but the rest of the lineup is reading pretty good... lime rarely gives me trouble but grapefruit can sometimes pack a bit of a punch for the first ten minutes. The tangerine from Bakeneko didn't give me any trouble, even though I hate oranges, and the chocolate peppermint is what I'm looking forward to most. In the imp: Oooh, the sugared citrus is reminding me of a lighter, brighter Diary of a Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal. It's potent but neither too sharp nor too sweet - in fact, it has an almost creamy quality to it. On the wrist, wet: Mmm, lime starburst! I'm starting to get some of the pungency of the grapefruit, which amps a little on me and masks almost anything else, but I can almost get a dribble of lavender. This shows promise. Twenty minutes later: This is still just a sweet citrus with some lavender - I say 'just' because I was hoping for something with a bit more body and complexity. This is very fresh and bright and bouncy - perhaps because I currently feel like the walking dead, it's not really doin' much for me at the moment Verdict: Keeper, but I'm not rushing for a bottle. Tl;Dr: The citrus is prominent in this blend, but it's sweet and bubbly.

Initial toughts: Words cannot describe how dissapointed I will be if this doesn't work on me. It SHOULD work on me. Aside from the patchouli, which can be a tad iffy, all these notes should be like gold dust on my skin. And it's named after Oscar WildeChristonnabikeit'snamedafterOscarWilde. For this to hate me would be... a cruel twist of fate to say the least. I think I'm going to love it. I WANT to love it. I'm actually scared of testing it in case I don't. In the imp: It's a sharp, light cologne - I definately get the bergamot and what might be a tinge of jasmine and thyme, but no whack from the patchouli which is a good start. It's not unpleasant, but I was hoping for something a little more... complex. On the wrist, wet: Hmmm... jasmine, thyme, a hint of lavender - men's cologne, a really NICE men's cologne - the only other thyme and jasmine scents I've tried also featured red currant, which goes a bit watery on me, so I'm surprised by how delicate they are. As it's warming, the bergamot and some of the more full bodied scents are coming forward - this is very promising! Twenty minutes later: Oooh, this IS promising. The first - and most overwhelming - thought is that this really is a mens scent - it smells like a really, really good cologne. A bit more thought, and I can pick out bergamot, thyme and the ghost of a floral (Probably the lavender). The patchouli's behaving itself incredibly well, the other notes are all playing nice... Contrary to what I expected, this is a nice subtle, well blended scent - something I could quite happily wear to work. It's lovely but curteous, not too assertive or in-your-face, it has presence without being heavy. I'm not in screaming fits of passionate love over it but it's definately one of those scents that I'm going to end up wearing very often! Verdict: Keeper, and I think I'll need a bottle of this before too long! Tl;Dr: A subtle, sensetive men's cologne with soft overtones of bergamot, thyme, and gentle hints of jasmine and lavender.

Initial thoughts: Oh. My. God. YES. ... and then I sit back and think about it properly, and I remember that even though I love honeysuckle vetiver amps on me, and out of the only opium scents I've tried one fades after half an hour and the other just didn't register at all. This may turn out to be a miserable dissapointment, despite my enthusiasm. On the wrist, wet: Oh wow. This is black and bitter and evil and with a full-frontal, in-your-face, silk petalled floral. I can pick out the vetiver which is much better behaved on me than normal, but I think the opium might be starting to go soapy... Twenty minutes later: Mmmm vetiver. Wait... there's meant to be other notes in this, isn't there? Alas, as with most blends containing vetiver, it's coming to the forefront - not quite as overpowering as some, but it seems I have aquired another 'VETIVER! with hints of X, Y and Z'. I can just pick up on something OTHER than vetiver, but I think I'd have to wear it side by side with my others to be able to tell them apart. There's a sweet dribble of honeysuckle and the bitter, almost soapy scent of opium lingering underneath the vetiver, which does tend to hug the skin a little, but they're not very strong. It's very pleasant - it's just very similar to several other scents I own. Verdict: Keeping the imp, but I'm not going to worry about a bottle for a long time yet. Tl;Dr: Vetiver, with a dribble of sweet honeysuckle and thick, bitter opium.

Initial thoughts: Hmmm... I'm not really a 'lust' person - no, really - and that list of notes isn't filling me with glee. Patchouli and I have a history, and I'm skeptical of ylang ylang. Musk does nuffin' for me. I love myrrh, but man cannot live on myrrh alone. I can tell already that this is going to need a long dry-down for the patchouli to fade, but I'm unconvinced on what the result may be. In the imp: Patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh. Does what it says on the tin. At the moment - just from a sniff - I don't like it, but never let it be said I wouldn't try anything on my skin. On the wrist, wet: Um, it's a kind of wet, fuzzy, perfumed patchouli soapyness. And it throws. Good lord, does it throw. I can smell it while I'm typing and it's only just gone on. Twenty minutes later: Just a little bit longer! For... science! Well, there's not much in the way of patchouli, which is sort of a bonus. But what's left is just... well, not a lot. I don't think my skin chemistry is fond of patchouli OR ylang ylang. Nah, I don't think I like this. Verdict: Swap pile you go Tl;Dr: Patchouli, ylang ylang and a hint of musk pretty much sums it up - if these don't like you, then you're outta luck.

Initial Thoughts: This was a partial bottle I picked up in a big purchase, possibly thinking it was Sugar Moon... I actually didn't remember buying it (Cue embarrassed face) Notes wise, I'm really hoping this works and smells like sugar-coated goodness because I really, REALLY want a decent sugar scent. Think of the possibilities! In the bottle: Brown sugar, golden syrup, and the hint of a kind of boozy fruit liqueur. This is actually quite mature and heavy, as opposed to a sticky, childish sugary smell. It's all about the sugar syrup, but there is a kind of fermented quality to it. On the wrist, wet: Thick, caramelised brown sugar. This is very low key, a real skin hugger - I'm having to snuffle right up close just to catch a glimpse. Twenty minutes later: This actually has barely morphed - it's still a slightly dusty, skin hugging brown sugar syrup. This is almost sugary without being sweet, if that makes sense. I really rather like this, although I think I'm going to end up layering rather than wearing it on it's own - you have to get REALLY close to get a big ol' whack of brown sugar goodness - but it'd work really well for an off-beat 'sexy' scent for an evening out, it's got that playful quality without being 'youthful'. Verdict: Keeper Tl;Dr: Skin-tight caramelised brown sugar; mature, sophisticated but playful.

Initial Thoughts: I thought I wouldn't like Dyan Moon. In fact, I was pretty convinced I wouldn't - it was my second ever moon, I'd tested a grand total of about ten scents of which three contained florals of any description, and I was Not A Flowers Person. But I was going to put a big imp order through, and I figured I might as well - after all, I could always swap it later. Now, of course, it arrives and although I'm not the floral-hater I thought I was, I'm eyeing up that list and thinking... actually, I don't have a bloody clue what this is going to smell like. I can count on one finger the number of scents from that list I've tried - Wisteria. In Seraphim, which smelt like washing machine powder on me. I might have tried chamomile, and possibly there have been lilies and roses snuck in odd places (But lilies and roses, as I have discovered, come in as many varieties as stars in the sky). So. For science! In the bottle: ... that smells like night cream. Maybe it's just what my mother concocts into her creams, but that really does smell like something white and goopy that comes in a big cobalt jar to be slathered on before bed. It's not unpleasant - in fact, it's very clean - it's just an odd association for me. On the wrist, wet: ... Hmm. It smells quite different on the skin - there's still that 'clean' feeling, but the complexity comes out a bit more. Hmm... camomile, maybe, and there's a hint of that brilliantly sharp floral that so disagreed with me in Seraphim - I'm going to assume lily and wisteria - and what I can still only describe as my mother's rose night cream. Lets see what happens on the dry down - I'm certainly far from sold on this. Twenty minutes later: Oh no... The notes - I'm assuming lily and wisteria, again - that went icky on me in Seraphim are here, and so is the rose note from Libra and Queen Mab that so disliked me. This doesn't work on me at all. Verdict: Get ye to the swap pile! Tl;Dr: If lilies and rose don't work on you, then this isn't likely to, alas.

Initial thoughts: Oh my, what a concoction. The harvest moon and I had a certain whimsical relationship - an appreciation that no matter how much you take science to something, there's always going to be something special about it you can never really dissolve. Notes wise, there's a lot going on there, which doesn't always spell good news for me. There's a lot of unknowns in there. On the other hand, there's lots of notes I know I like - pomegranate, sugar, green tea and apple are all good on me, I like crysanthemum, sage, bamboo shoot, elderberry, plum and hazelnut and see no good reason why they should go evil... I'm unsure if it was maybe the black cherry in Libra which made it so sticky-sweet in the bottle... but I figure this one is worth a go. In the bottle: Mmm... the florals are floating as a topnote to a slightly sweet, mellow, green freshness, but while I'm not getting 'fruit' as such there's definately some body underneath which seems to be coming from the fruits in this. It reminds me a little of Eris, but not as bright, sharp or pungent. On the wrist, wet: Mmm, apples. Apples and something plantier underneath, like chopped apple in a green garden. There's definately crysanthemum over the top too. This isn't quite as 'wet' as it was in the bottle, which is usual for this kind of a scent on me, but it's definately still fresh. The green tea and the bamboo shoot may be the main culprits by my aproximation. Twenty minutes later: Apple is still the most prominent fruit, but the others have come forward a bit more and it's faded back until it's not the most prominent note. The crysanthemum and sage, and possibly one or two others, are the gentle top-notes in this scent, but there's also a watery green freshness which prevents it from being too sweet. This is, in my opinion, an excellent embodiment of the Harvest Moon - summer is still lingering in the air, but it's cool and fresh in the evening and things are just coming to the end of their growing time. This would be perfect for a light evening scent, very peaceful and outdoorsy. Verdict: It's a keeper, although I don't think I'll ever use the whole bottle. Tl;Dr: A fresh, peaceful harvest evening at the end of summer - watery green fresh fruits with warm herbal flowers over the top.

I always wear Diary Of A Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal when the funfair is in town, how's that? I think my Christmas scent of choice is probably Bakeneko, closely backed up by my two favourite Yuletides (Jacob's Ladder and Herr Drosselmeyer). Hallowe'en is, of course, going to be Jack. I haven't decided what I'm going to wear on my Birthday yet (In a few days 'n' all), but it's probably going to depend on whether or not my new bottles have arrived by then. Currently I'm gunning for one of my favourites - either Shango or Hades. On Valentine's day, I fully intend to wear either an Engraged Musk or something named after a God or Goddess of chastity. The 14th and I do not get along >.>

Initial Thoughts: I really liked my last Lovecraft scent, and I tend to strike lucky or unlucky with certain sets. HOWEVER, the two couldn't be more different. The notes have got me mixed - I like vetiver and myrrh (Opoponax), but I can't help but feel they're going to dominate the blend and overpower the mimosa and tamarind (Yummeh, a bitter fruit!). In other words - if this smells like Ligur, I'm going to be dissapointed - not because I don't like Ligur, but because I already have an imp. In the imp: Vetiver! I nabbed Ligur down to compare and actually, the ajowan (Smells a bit like caraway) and the mimosa are also quite prominent in this. This is a bitter, slightly sharp spice. On the wrist, wet: Ajowan and vetiver, primarily. It's wavering between 'herbal' and 'caraway spice'. I know vetiver tends to calm down on me later on, but this is much less potent in the wet stage than I'm used to. Anyways, we'll see what happens next. Twenty minutes Quite Some Time later: It's mostly vetiver on me - I don't seem to get any of the other notes except maybe the tiniest hints of opoponax and ajowan. It's certainly sweet and dry vetiver rather than the wet, murky, punch-in-the-face stuff I get in some other scents. It's also very low key, compared to Ligur, my other vetiver scent, which is potent as hell. I'm unsure about this - it wasn't what I was expecting or hoping for, I can't quite call it a complete success, I prefer Ligur to this, and yet... I do quite like it. Not love it, just quite like it. It's not quite a day-time scent, not quite a comfort scent... but to be honest, it's very evocative of the description. This is something that isn't unpleasant, it's just... unsettling to the point of being worrying. Verdict: Tentative keeper, but I'm really not sold on a bottle. Tl;Dr: Vetiver dominates this, but it's a sweet, dry, caraway tinted vetiver. Not quite a comfort scent, but in the same ball park.

Initial Thoughts: Lady Macbeth. Need I say more? Actually, I really liked that list of notes - REALLY liked it - but after my reactions to The East and Libra, I'm not sure on the currants anymore. And alcohol can have mixed results on me. In the imp: RASPBERRY PANDA POP??? Well, it's sweet, it's fruity, and I think I can just pick up on the thyme. On the wrist, wet: RASPBERRY PANDA POP!!!! It's very sweet, it's very fruity... that's pretty much all I've got to say for it at the moment! Lets see how it behaves on the dry down... Twenty minutes later: ... RASPBERRY PANDA POP. The sweetness had calmed down a bit but there's a boozy kick instead, a weird herbal undertone and... yeah, I'm still not so sure currants agree with me. It's not exactly unpleasant, I'm just not sure that I'm going to want to wear this often. Or ever. Verdict: Unsure. May be a swap. Tl;Dr: Sweet berries, with a thyme undertone. May work if currants don't usually agree with you.

Initial thoughts: I'm a real waverer on the Garden scents - on the one hand, they sound great and I love simple blends. On the other hand, I really have no idea whatsoever as to what to expect from most of them. This, however, I'm pining for exactly what it says - a sweet, bright scent. In the imp: Fresh, bright, very golden - but erring on the side of citrus, which sets off alarm bells in my head. It's also not as sweet as I was expecting - and I like SUGAR sweet. On the wrist, wet: This is distinctly citrus. And I amp citrus like crazy in the wet stages. Uh oh - I'm not actually hopeful for this, but I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt because some citruses do calm down on me. Twenty minutes later: Yup, the citrus has calmed down. However, I'm not really sure of what's left. It is a light, yellow floral, but it's very faint on me. If I snuffle right up to my skin, I get a bit of sweetness, but it's nothing close to what I was hoping for. It's a bit like a watery Ahathoora, and I prefer Ahathoora. Verdict: Not something I'll wear, so swap pile 'tis Tl;Dr: Citrus in the wet stages, drying down to a gentle yellow floral with a hint of sweetness.

Initial thoughts: Oh my. As I've previously stated, with the Salon scents I have a distinct tendancy to go with art first, then notes. In this case, however, I didn't even look at either when I decided I had to try it, since being a good Japanese student with access to the internet I KNOW what 'harikata' MEANS... Notes wise, I'm tentative on the musk and I've not tried osmanthus yet, I don't think. I'm really hopeful on the honey, vanilla flower and ginger front - I'm quite keen that this be a slight twist on my favourite honey-vanilla-ginger combo. In the bottle: I get the osmanthus quite strongly at first, but after a moment or two there's that lovely honey-ginger-vanilla flower combo. The vanilla flower isn't quite as bitter or potent as true vanilla can be. On the wrist, wet: Hmm... again, the osmanthus is prominent and I... don't think I really like it that much. It's a bit of a potent, pollen-heavy floral, if that makes any sense - I can't really make out much else, a sweet musky undertone perhaps, but I'm going to see how this behaves on the dry-down. Twenty minutes later: I'm not at all sure about the osmanthus, y'know. There's a sweet, creamy undertone - it's not exactly vanilla, but it's got some of it's smoothing qualities - with a touch of ginger, which I really rather like, but the floral top note can be quite strong. This is quite a skin hugger, which I normally associate with sexy scents, and sexy is what I'd expect from this, but... it's actually quite innocent. It's an evening rather than a day scent, I feel, but it's too sweet and mild to be sexy and too fresh to be sleepy - it's gentle and quite comfortable. The more I sniff, the more I actually rather like this, but I'm pushed to think when I would wear it. Verdict: Tentative keeper, but if it turns out I don't ever wear it, I might think again. Tl;Dr: Creamy honey and ginger, with a pollen-heavy osmanthus topnote. Sweet, mild and fresh.

Initial thoughts: This is a scent I would have sworn blind a month ago I wouldn't like - and yet here I am, getting quite excited over it. I do believe monoi tiare is the same thing as Tahiti de monoi, which is heaven on earth, but I'm hoping this is going to turn out to be a really lovely fresh, light floral with vanilla's mellowness and the incense to give it a bit of sophistication. In other words, this could potentially be a really good 'wear to work' scent. In the bottle: You know when florals are so sweet and delicious they almost smell like fruit? Yeah. Oh yeah. I'm not floral educated enough to pick them apart, but I definately get the creamyness of the Monoi and a hint of mellow vanilla. This is light, creamy and very smooth. On the wrist, wet: Monoi tiare, strait up (It's a kind of gardenia macerated in refined coconut, but it actually smells a touch like jasmine). The gardenia and the vanilla orchid (Vanilla that doesn't smell or behave quite like vanilla!) coming in right behind it... little lingering incense, very light, just as promised. This, so far, is delivering exactly what it promised! All the right notes, in pretty much the right order, and it's tropical bright and fresh and light. Twenty minutes later: Oh god - if you've never smelt Tahiti de monoi, then you can't quite possibly understand how good this smells. It's not quite coconut, and it's not exactly like a gardenia either, it's just... good. The vanilla orchid gives it some extra soft sweet mellowness, and the gardenia mostly just blends together with those two. There's a barely detectable baseline that I recognise as incense, but it really doesn't overpower (Or even touch) the main scent. I like this. I REALLY like this. Verdict: Definately a keeper. Tl;Dr: Delicious creamy-fresh monoi tiare, mellow vanilla orchid, the softest incense baseline. Energisingly sweet freshness, and softly sexy.

Initial thoughts: I'm not a libra, but I place about as much faith in starsigns as I do in the postal system (I.E. Very Little). Those notes, however, look VERY tasty. Cherry, fig, honey, plum, currant - yummeh. The rose and carnation I'm less certain on what to expect from, because I have very few/no floral scents. In the bottle: Sticky fruit candy, with lots of cherry, plum and a hint of currants. On the wrist, wet: This is quite potent - sickeningly sweet, and slightly floral. I think I can pick out the carnation and the cherry - a very almond-ish cherry it is too, or maybe that's just my brain associating it with bakewell tart. Something that could be the rose, actually, sort of a mellow floral softness over the top. Twenty minutes later: The fruit is gone - okay, maybe there's a little skin hugging fig and plum, with the spice of the carnation and some sugary sweetness, but the throw is heavily perfumed soap and I'm not too keen. It's quite potent and I'm sure if you liked this kind of a scent (It reminds me quite strongly of Queen Mab, despite being fruitier and more powerful) and it worked on your skin it would be lovely. On me... nah. Verdict: Swaps, alas. Tl;Dr: Sweet fruity candy on the skin, with a distinctly perfumed floral throw. Potent.

Initial Thoughts: Tree scents haven't really done it for me so far (The Death of Autumn was dissapointing, Diwali was dry, and The Twisted Oak Tree was more of an 'eh, it's okay') and to be honest, I mostly picked this one because I had a minimum imp limit to get up to and my doll, Yggdrasil, was stood on the shelf just in my line of sight. But I'm always ready to be surprised, so let's see how it goes. In the imp: ... this smells like something but I can't for the life of me figure out what. My nose must have just GONE this morning. It's very subtle and almost soapy in the imp. On the wrist, wet: Never one to disregard a scent without testing it properly, I go ahead and dab a bit on... and... okay, what is that? It's sweet, but it's not like anything I've smelt before. There's a soapy herbalness to it, but it's actually... like not-very-sweet chewy sweets. Twenty minutes later: After going to get a snack and returning to the computer... no, goddamit, I still can't make out a thing. I normally try and be so good and list the notes I can pick up on, but this is just a strange blended... something. And with my synesthesia shifting out of the olfactory-visual spectrum I can't even draw any good analogies at the moment. Okay - this is a bit like Anubis, but younger and fresher. It's a touch like The East, but less floral. It's even a little like a toned-down Verdandi. This is... there's camomile, maybe, but not camomile tea, it's growing. There's fruit but not it's sweetness. There's something that might be a soft dry sandalwood. This is... young, but not green, soft but with depth, gentle but complex, it... refuses to be defined. Verdict: I'm... really not sure. I may see how I get on with the imp. Tl;Dr: Peaceful, gentle, ageless, complex - I can't even begin to pick out the notes. If you wanted a lighter Anubis, a quieter Verdandi, or a non-floral The East, this might be the one.

A mechanical construct: illustrating strong work ethic, determination, creativity, and innovation. Copper gears, brass cogs, fused wiring, scorched iron, and motor oil. Initial Thoughts: I want this so badly it's not even funny. Seriously. OMG. And yet I have no idea what I'm expecting it to smell like. In the imp: Moment of truth! This is... floral? A thin, slightly metallic floral. Very clean without being 'fresh' or 'wet'. On the wrist, wet: Cologne. This a men's scent, strait off the bat... and hey, I do kinda get the metallic. It's not recognisably floral on my skin, but it's also completely without the resinous body I usually would expect in this kind of a scent. Twenty minutes later: This pretty much dissapears on me. All that's left is a very faint smell of metal and men's cologne. Verdict: Dissapointing. I don't think I'm even going to keep the imp. Tl;Dr: Metallic cologne, shame it doesn't last longer.