donnatron

imp: I don't like this at all in the imp. I get watery tobacco and a bit of linen. Wet: The vanilla blooms on the skin and I get a hint of the cognac. This morphs a lot. Dry: I understand why this is such a popular oil but I don't think it's for me. I get a soft, pretty vanilla--really similar to the vanilla in Dorian--with a dry tobacco, a touch of booze and incredibly dry linen. This is the type of scent that has an okay throw but is so powdery close up that my mouth goes dry smelling it. There is something beautiful and skin close about this. Throw: Strong. Overall: It's pretty and works and I'll probably keep the imp but it's not really fabulous enough to warrant hunting down a bottle. It's like a drier Lilith Victoria which I vastly prefer.

Imp: Wow, this totally does smell like absinthe! Maybe a little less punchy than the real stuff (lacks the alcohol zing) but really true to scent. Wet: Lemonland. With a bit of dusty wormwood. No sight of my beloved anise and cardamom. Dry: This backs off and morphs enough that I don't smell like the local drunk at a tavern adjacent to the Moulin Rouge. The primary note is lemon with the other notes making the scent deeper and more complex. I'm not sure if I like this. It's interesting, definitely, but a little too... absinthe-y. Dry and herbal--seems almost like a medicinal aromatherapy blend. Throw: Mild. Overall: I dunno. It's interesting and works well on my skin, it just kind of perplexes me.

Imp: Lavender and cooking spices. Maybe basil or rosemary? Maybe both. Very dry and herbal. Wet: Temple of Dreams goes on strongly lavender with a bit of a savoury herbal edge. This is not a gentle lavender. It punches you in the face and steals your wallet. Dry: The more savoury herbs come out and this is a gentle but vaguely unnerving scent. It's relaxing, just not very pretty. Green and herbal and lavender without being too sharp. Throw: Average. Overall: I'll try it tonight and see if it works. However, even if it works a charm I would never wear this if there was someone else in my bed. It's really borderline unpleasant.

Dee is definitely my favourite tonka scent but there are plenty in the GC that run the gauntlet from masculine to uber feminine. Some recs: Prurience Ars Amatoria red amber and scorched musk with voluptuous carnation, charred vetiver, sensuous tonka, and orris. A soft, velvety, sensual scent. Somewhere in the Snake Oil/Snake Charmer/Mme. Moriarty family of scents but definitely the severe oldest sister. The Great Sword of War Sin and Salvation Mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, sanguine red musk and five classical herbs of conflict. This one is glorious. A smooth red musk/tonka base brightened by the tea and tobacco and then made gritty by the cocoa. If you don't like it fresh, try it aged. This one just gets better and better. Nemesis Excolo Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen. A drier, more herbal take on tonka. A bit pine-y from the cypress but not overpoweringly so. Rumplestilzchen Marchen Firewood and ash with an oddly otherworldly blend of patchouli, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, tonka, vetiver, and myrrh. You have to really like smokey smells for this one. The tonka is a smoothing element in a chaotic scent. Mata Hari Bewitching Brews five roses with soft jasmine, warmed by vanilla, fig, tonka bean and mahogany, spiced with a drop of coffee bean. Let this one dry down completely. It has a really weird drydown but the end result is very smooth, sultry and sensual. Lysander Illyria Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin. Haven't tried this one but looking at the note list I want to.

Imp: Peach. So much peach. Wet: Still a lot of peach. Getting some incense and cinnamon. Reminds me of Christmas but also a little of peach incense from those kiosks in the mall that sell dragon and wizard shaped incense holders. Dry: Holy Christmas, Batman. It smells like the church at Heritage Park during the 12 Days of Christmas events. Strong clove, cinnamon and incense over a faint base of peach and orange. Very seasonal. Almost creepy. Throw: Strong. Overall: I don't really like clove but am thrilled it is true to scent in this one on my skin--normally it smells like blood. Glad to have the imp and will try to use it up in December but will not cry myself to sleep when it's gone.

Imp: Sharp, clean and herbal. Almost metallic. Wet: BASIL! Basil explosion, actually. I smell like cooking. Dry: This dries down to a salty, sexy, slightly incense-y leather. The herbs are there but not overtly present. Very light and interesting. I recently tried Robin Goodfellow and went nuts for that and Antony has not unseated him in my "herbal-musk-dark-magic-sex" department. Throw: Mild. Overall: It's nice. I like it. I get it. I just don't really have a need for it. Antony is lovely, just extraneous at the moment.

Imp: Sweet Tart candies. Wet: A strong blast of mango and some of the fig note. The tea and patchouli are all but lost. Dry: Eh. Mango and fig over patchouli. Reminds me of a tropical and PG-13 rated Depraved. Melds nicely with the skin but it smells a little like Calgon lotion or the like. The fruit is nice. It's distinct but still kind of smells like I'm in a Calgon test group and this will be retailed across North America in the coming quarter. Throw: Average. Overall: I'm not feeling it. It's a pretty and unusual fruit scent but I don't really need another of those.

Imp: Golden delicious apples and wood. Wet: Soft, warm sweet apples. Almost a cider smell. Touch of something odd underneath--maybe a sassafras? Dry: Wintergreen... wtf? This must be something from the dew and leaves components. Not a sharp wintergreen, soft and skin close. A bit like a rootbeer. This is pretty but completely not what I was expecting. Almost effervescent. Throw: Mild. Overall: It's interesting but doesn't deliver on the promised ingredients on my skin. I might use the imp up out of weird interest but will never, ever need a bottle.

Imp: Pomegranate and rose. Pretty simple. Wet: Slightly sour rose and fruit. The pomegranate fades into the background. Dry: A soft, sweet, perfect pink rose. Little to no pomegranate. Mainly a soft, sweet, womanly rose scent. Throw: Mild. Overall: A simple, pretty floral. Not my favourite but I will use up the imp.

Imp: Orange and patchouli. Dark and woodsy but surprisingly milder than I expected. Wet: Dusty orange with a hint of ylang ylang. The patchouli is getting a foothold but I don't get any of the vetiver. Dry: There's something in this that smells like peach. This is a dry, dusty woods scent with a hint of orange. The ylang ylang is present but not overpowering. Throw: Average. Overall: Eh. It's not horrifying or anything but also not a favourite. Glad to have tried it.

Imp: Dusty chocolate and cherry. Wet: Dusty orange blossom over warming chocolate. Faint hint of cherry. Dry: Gorgeous. A lovely cherry/orange blossom blend over a dark, chocolate base. Very sweet and gentle. Unusual and a little sexy. I really like this. It's not foody but has a gentle sweetness. Throw: Strong. Overall: I love this. It's pretty and sweet and unusual. So lovely.

Imp: Surprisingly soft and warm. I primarily get sage with sandalwood and frankincense in the background. Wet: Remains soft and dusky. Smells very ritualistic. Dry: This is surprisingly mild. This is soft sage and sandalwood with a touch of citrus. Dusky, understated and subdued. Borderline masculine but works well on my skin. It's not really my style but the drydown is okay. Throw: Mild. Overall: It's okay. Reminds me of another GC scent I can't place. Pretty but ultimately a little indistinguishable.

Check the swaps forums for I Fell In Love With a Floating Brain. It's a sort of strawberry-vanilla sweet scent. It reminds me a lot of the fragrances I liked back when I was in junior high. From Carnaval Diabolique you could try Pickled Imp (Cinnamon, clove, vanilla, and pine sap). It's a nice bakery sort of scent that's not too overt or sexual. From the GC you may want to try Tamora (Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean). Very pretty and girly and soft. You can also try Regan (A deceptively sweet orchid vanille with a faint trace of stephanotis). It's a little floral but still a true, sweet vanilla orchid.

In the GC you have Death of the Gravedigger and Cloister Graveyard in the Snow. DotG has a snow note and CGitS evokes it. I haven't tried either so I can't really vouch for either. There is also Kubla Khan which is a complex and strange scent. I definitely get the "caves of ice" note from it, but there is a jumble of other notes included. It's worth a try due to its prevalence. You can also try The Macabray (White winter flowers plucked from a snow-covered graveyard). Another I haven't tried but assume is somewhat similar to Snow White minus the lily musk. My favourite snow note is in Nuclear Winter (The ice, desolation and barrenness of nuclear devastation shot through by a beam of radioactive mints). This one is usually pretty rough straight out of the mailbox but after a week or so it smoothes into a really amazing, bright, biting snow scent.

My next special event is a trade show this weekend. I'm thinking a good dollop of Follow Me Boy--definitely want to boost profits.

Imp: I ordered Gluttony because I have this weird thing about wanting to try the whole GC. So I got it. And I smelled it expecting it to be almost unbearably sweet and foody. And? It's not. You know why? Because when I sniff the imp I smell dark chocolate, vanilla, toffee and poultry seasoning. SRSLY. Just a little hint of rosemary and marjoram in there. SO WEIRD! Wet: ACK! There's the unbearable foodiness. I keep my arm away from my face and let it dry down. Dry: This loses a lot of complexity on me and dries down to a basic chocolate with a hint of vanilla. It's rich and cloying and there are notes I can't really describe but this isn't as wackadoodle terrifying as I expected. It's certainly not okay on my chemistry but it's not the epic failure I expected. So it's a pleasant surprise even if I never want to try this again. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I reread this review for spelling errors and realized that I'm the wackadoodle here. If you want to try the whole GC, just go for Gluttony. Otherwise, unless you are a serious perfume gourmand I wouldn't recommend this one.

Imp: Sweet, borderline sickeningly so, rose. Wet: Goes a bit sour but rounds out again to full rosiness. Only one problem--this reminds of the solid air freshener (remember those? They had like a solid wax base or something and you'd twist the cover up as the base started to harden? Ah... the 80s) my grandmother had in her bathroom. Dry: It totally reminds me of that freshener but it's nice in a nostalgic sort of way. Not sexy in the least but comforting. Strange rose scent. Not really behaving on the skin but decent. Would like a bit more greenery, maybe? Throw: Strong. Overall: Pretty but I think I'll stick with the imp. If not because I know that the second someone asks me what I'm wearing I'll be like, "It's called The Rose. I like it because it smells like my grandmother's bathroom" and that's really not something that you want to say to anyone. Ever.

Imp: Thin lilies and a hint of opium. Wet: Sweet, sickly poppy. And a touch of opium. Dry: I really like the opium note and that's a good thing because this goes straight up opium on me. It reminds me a lot of Chrysanthemum Moon, actually. Chrysanthemum Moon minus the red musk (which is a good thing because opium + red musk is a gong show on my skin). Sultry floral with a blown out candle sort of feel. Throw: Good. Overall: I don't like Chrysanthemum Moon and until today I thought it was due to the red musk/opium combo. Turns out I think I just all around don't like it and in turn don't care for Languor. Try it if you'd like a decent CM replica, but it is not my bag.

Imp: Smoky vetiver with a touch of myrrh. Wet: Vetiver and some of that sort of almost BBqed meat smell others have described with vetiver. Teensy hint of myrrh. Dry: This is intersting. Dark and wicked, a little feral. Strong vetiver with a bit of a weaker myrrh. Doesn't necessarily smell good but smells interesting. Villain interesting. Probably the sort of thing I'd whip out for costume parties or Hallowe'en. Throw: Strong. Overall: It has its place and that place is for when I'm dressing up as someone very, very evil. Probably will not bother with a big bottle. Unless I get really into LARPing or something.

Imp: I sniff this and I'm like, "WTF? Why did I order this?" Then I realize that I have confused Badger with Mole. This is not my friend. Dirt. Dirt and celery. Wet: Dirt and rocks. This is really evocative but not really my style. Dry: I think it's the galangal causing the celery smell. This really smells like chopping up celery. The dirt is gone but the celery remains. And now in my head I am singing "The celery remains" to the tune of that "Memory Remains" song by Metallica. Throw: Mild. Overall: I actually like the smell of celery but don't like smelling like it. New home.

Imp: Thin and a little watery. Touch of orchid. Wet: Watery. Not aquatic but like water running out of a tap. Dry: Drier sheets? Odd, because orchid is usually decently behaved on my skin. I smell potential in here but there is a sour/drier sheet thing going on that just is not nice. I don't totally hate this but it's not really doing wonders for me. Has enough potential to stick around for another test. Throw: Mild. Overall: There is potential but I'm not going to be heartbroken if this one doesn't work.

Imp: Sage! Sage and woods. I am digging the sage in this, however. It is so sharp and bright and pure. This feels very purifying. Wet: Dark and green with a hint of wood and musk starting to shine through. I don't know what heather smells like in the wild but this reminds me heavily of Glasgow so I'm going to assume it's the heather. Dry: This is beautiful. A dark, green, mossy sage over a base of dark musk. It's like a herbal Lycaon (one of my stealth favs). This is very powerful and magical. I feel like a witch or a magus. This might have shot straight to the top of the big bottle list because this is an incredible personal power scent. Reminiscent of a forest but with enough of a musky, powerful base to make it dangerous. Throw: Moderate Overall: Robin Goodfellow pulled a quick one on me. I don't know why I like smelling like a ritual magician but I do and this is a perfect scent for that odd fascination.

Imp: Amber and cedar. Two of my iffiest notes. Yet, for some reason, I decide to put it on my skin. I'm nutso like that. Wet: Strong, strong, STRONG cedar with an undercurrent of amber and saffron. Dry: Um... this is... an experience to say the least. It smells like... guy crotch. Showered guy crotch but definitely the scent of a naked man. I think I can sort of break this down into primarily amber and saffron but just dry on the skin? Spot on guy crotch smell. It's disturbing. Very, very disturbing. I don't want to smell like this. Throw: Mercifully mild. Overall: This is aptly named.

Hexennacht is definitely a good try. You could also pull off something like Blood Countess or Devil's Night. Definitely something with opium or a smoke note to give that whole "I spent my afternoon whipping up love potions in my cauldron" vibe. Dragon's Hide is supremely sexy and might do the trick. Oh. Just noticed you have a possessions like (LOVE THESE! It makes recs so customized!) Luperci is a good option. It's a dirty, musky, sexy sort of blend. Nemesis may also work. I really like the idea of smelling a bit dirty or smoky, like you've been whipping up crazy concoctions. Perversion is a great option if you want to just smell downright sexy. Queen has a "I am fabulous and if you mess with me I will fuck you up like nobody's business" vibe. Blood Rose is also drop dead sexy and "Come hither so I can admire you." I think my first rec would be Luperci, but definitely consider the rest if you're not feeling Luperci. ETA: Right, my question. Going as Brandon Flowers from the Killers. Even before I went as Brandon Flowers every year (he has a lot of incarnations so it's really easy to go as Brandon Flowers every year without ever wearing the same costume) I wore Samhain on Samhain. However, according to a former coworker, Tombstone smells like Brandon Flowers (or at least what he was wearing when she met him). Stick with tradition or go full out creepaholic and wear Tombstone? Decisions, decisions.

Imp: I open the imp with trepidation. I hate scents that turn molasses-like on me, why would I want one that has actual molasses as a note? Yet, I do it. I open the imp, I sniff the imp. Remarkably mild and light. I can tell it's a sweet scent but it's not repulsive. There's something nice and light and crisp here--probably the sugar cane. Wet: Ugh. Sugar overload. Reminds me of Sugar Skull--one that I DO NOT WANT! The molasses is there now. It's drowning out the oak note which I was rather fond of. Dry: The oak re-emerges. This is kind of nice. I will never like it enough to even finish this imp but I'm glad it's not the massive fail I anticipated. The sugar cane keeps it a bit lighter and the honey warms up nicely. The molasses behaves itself. This is toothache-inducingly sweet but interesting at the same time. Might join the imp pile of things I smell because they're weird, not necessarily nice on my skin. Throw: Mild. Overall: I went into this thinking the worst and was pleasantly surprised. Never will be a favourite but doesn't want to make me scrub myself with steel wool either.