donnatron

Sounds like New Orleans Sweet honeysuckle and jasmine with a hint of lemon and spice. would be right up your alley. It's a sweet, seductive straight up grown ass woman JASMINE!! I loves it. Some other jasmine-y recs: Twilight Ars Moriendi Lavender and jasmine, with a touch of glowing honeysuckle. New Orleans with gravitas. Less flirty, more ass kicking. Peitho Excolo Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla. Sweet, warm, a little green from the myrtle and exceedingly sensual. Mata Hari Bewiching Brews ]five roses with soft jasmine, warmed by vanilla, fig, tonka bean and mahogany, spiced with a drop of coffee bean. My mantra with Mata Hari is "Let it dry down completely." The drydown is a little weird and funky but it's a gorgeous, smooth jasmine with a little rose, warm teak and a hint of interest from the coffee bean. Wicked Diabolos rich myrrh and jasmine draped in the subtlest rose. A little spicy, very floral, very velvety. The Obsidian Widow Steamworks Pinot noir, dark myrrh, red sandalwood, black patchouli, night-blooming jasmine, and attar of rose. This is a rich and sensual ball-busting sort of scent. Defututa Ars Amatoria Olive blossom, honey, smoky vanilla, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood, and champaca flower. An all out sensual, dripping-wioth-honey, golden sort of scent.

Imp: Sandalwood, touch of currant and honey... the bad honey. Wet: Yep... it's that same honey from Jezebel and Hetaire. The one that just does not like my skin at all. The sandalwood is pretty in this but it is conquered by the sour, cloying honey combined with a Play Dough-esque amber. Not cool. Dry: I am getting a hint of the oude, which is one of those scents I couldn't place if I smelled it on its own but I know what it smells like when it's in a blend with other notes. The sandalwood is still pretty. The amber and honey are still rank. Currant, which is normally pretty good on me, has full on Stockholm Syndrome and is conspiring with the amber and honey to make me smell sour and body odour-ish and just plain nasty. The whole thing is not so much a perfume or scent so much as an experiment in which ingredients work and which don't. Throw: Mild. Overall: My heart said yes, my chemistry said no. It's probably for the best since the Faces of the Heroine bottles are so hard to come by nowadays.

Imp: Citrus, lily and myrtle. Distinctive myrtle... Wet: Where is that citrus scent coming from? Is it the moss doing it? I'd almost swear there's verbena in here somewhere. Dry: There's a weird citrus note in here tempered by a soft lily and the myrtle. Myrtle is distinct and sharp and green on my skin to the point where it's borderline aggressive. This reminds me a lot of St. Germain, although less gentlemanly. Herbal, slightly floral and comes on strong. Throw: Strong. Overall: I think it's probably a lovely blend but my skin's uncommon fondness for myrtle makes the whole thing a little awkward. Happy to have tried it, will now rehome it.

Imp: Lavender and some sort of cooler, cleaner floral. Maybe a mixture of magnolia and jasmine? Wet: Lavender explosion! I like lavender so this isn't a big deal. Dry: Soft, skin close musky lavender. Quite pretty and feminine. More importantly: Totally relaxing and calming. I feel better just sniffing it and I wasn't even really stressed or anything beforehand. Very pretty, VERY lavender-y. But it's working and that's all that matters. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I like it. I'd wear it as perfume even if it didn't work for intent. I'm not grievous or stressful right now and I'm grateful I don't have to test the magical properties of Dove's Heart but it's a lovely blend and it seems to clear the mind pretty well. Quite glad to have it.

Imp: The main scent I get in the imp is cypress, maybe? Definitely something pine-y that is not pine pitch or fir. Also a touch of lily and some gentle spices. Wet: Seriously! I swear there's cypress in this. The lily goes on strong on my skin and dominates the drydown. Lilies love me, however, so this is not unexpected. Dry: A soft, sweet, spiced lily scent. This doesn't strike me as purple, it strikes me as dry and white. Like a papery white lily drying in the sun. The drydown is similar to Mama Ji although less complex and without the backing florals. Still very pretty and warm, a little mature but definitely not that dreaded Old Lady Archetype. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I quite like this. I have a couple of different scent categories I like to keep around and I am a sucker for a pretty and unusual floral. This is the sort of unobtrusive scent that you will not smell on anyone else in the room.

Imp: It is almost unnerving how well the lab manages to capture the bakery scents. This smells exactly like blackcurrant tarts. I get a faint hint of the rose but overwhelmingly this is buttery crust with a sharp tang from the currant. Wet: The bakery aspect amps up upon application to the skin and the initial phase of the drydown is an almost unbearably strong buttery pie scent. The roses start to come out and smooth out the overwhelmingly gourmand quality of the scent. Dry: A nice balance of foody and rosy. The tarts smooth out and this now is a buttery (not a repulsive buttery, just a really realistic pie crust scent) with blackcurrants and maybe a rosewater glaze or something. Really young and cute and a little flirty maybe? I like it in a Platonic sense in that this smells like its supposed to and I find the scent pleasant but I would probably never wear this because it's just not my style or the image I like to project. Throw: Moderate. Overall: It's fine. If you like foody scents and you like rose scents this is probably a blend that you want to try. It's definitely an experience just to smell that pie crust scent. A pretty scent but not one I'd wear on a regular basis.

This sounds similar to Shub-Niggurath, A blend of ritual herbs and dark resins, shot through with three gingers and aphrodisiacal spices. There's something lemony in here that I can't quite identify but it's definitely in the realm of a dark, spicy citrus sort of scent. You could also try Chimera The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal. If you want a scent that balances resins and pine pitch I highly recommend The Illustrated Woman Skin musk, smoky vanilla, pine pitch, patchouli, Indian resins, golden honey, and tobacco. It is drop dead sexy and one of my absolute favourite scents ever. And a final selection in the warm but pine-y division is Black Forest Thick, viscous pine with ambergris, black musk, juniper and cypress. The ambergris and black musk really warm this up and make it just bloom on the skin.

Prurience and Bloodlust, especially with a little age, last forever. You have to like vetiver, however.

Imp: Aggressive lime and a little jasmine. Wet: OMFG. This goes on smelling EXACTLY like jasmine tea. EXACTLY! Hold out for me skin chemistry! Dry: Boo-urns. It was just a fluke of the formulation. This rapidly turns to normal jasmine smell (I happen to adore jasmine so I'm okay with this) and the lotus blooms a little underneath it. I get some of the lime more in the throw than the up close sniff. Tuberose adds an almost waxy presence to this. It makes it very mature--almost a little too mature to be honest. I feel a little like an impostor. This is heavy, sultry, grown ass woman perfume and I don't think I am quite grown ass woman enough to pull it off. Throw: Strong. Overall: One I will consider in my grand dame years.

Imp: Cranberry and citrus. Thick and syrupy. A very pink scent. Wet: A dustiness comes out on impact that I think is common on my skin with all vodka notes. Sort of smells like baby aspirin or dusty fruit candies. Dry: The dustiness goes away and this dries down into a basic sort of cranberry scent. It's okay. Cranberries are fine on my skin but I'm not a big fan of straight up berry scents. Tempered a bit by a slightly citrus scent but pretty basic. Very, very sweet. Throw: Pretty strong, actually. Overall: Eh. I think I might like it more as a bath product than a perfume scent. This is just too fruity and a tad too cloying to wear all day.

Bottle: Bitter and woodsy with a bit of a cologne edge from the benzoin. Dark, smoky and not at all sweet. Wet: The benzoin is problematic right off the bat and this starts off with a searing cologne-y edge. I can smell the patchouli underneath and a touch of the vanilla and chili. No nutmeg but maybe a hint of clove. Dry: This dries down to a perfect dark, deep, woodsy vanilla. It almost reminds me of raw cocoa powder but more complex. The nutmeg and chili are there but they're calm and skin close. This has a bit of a bite but it reveals itself after luring you into that beautiful musk/vanilla/patchouli combo. It's like the evil witch from Hansel and Gretel! Throw: Moderate. Overall: This is beautiful. Very sensual and winter appropriate. A little in the Snake Oil family but distinct on its own. Love and will treasure the bottle.

Imp: Soft is the best descriptor. I think there's probably white musk and maybe a touch of vanilla but it smells very cottony. Like linen. Wet: Directly on the skin this smells like Antique Lace with no florals and a reduced vanilla note. Also reminds me of Morocco and Parliament of Monsters. Dry: Powdery. Very dry and powdery. Smells like... rancid dusting powder? There's something in this that doesn't sit right on my skin. It's a very dry, powdery, crumbling sort of scent. There's a soft vanilla scent in here--maybe a vanilla musk? The incense is there but it's very indistinct. Mostly this smells like fancy dusting powder that has sat on a vanity tray for fifty years. Throw: Moderate. Overall: Not really agreeing with me. I'm glad to have tried it but I'm starting to realize that for some reason scents that smell like books never work on me while parchment ones are usually pretty decent. Weird.

Imp: Sweet incense and floral. A touch of lemon. Wet: Nag champa? Yeah, nag champa. Nag champa like hell. And some sugar. Maybe a touch of... lily? Orchid? Daffodil? Some sort of sappy floral. Dry: Dries down to nag champa, sugar and drier sheets. Not just any drier sheets, the Western Family brand drier sheets from my grandmother's laundry room. It's actually kind of pleasant. It's hard to find milder nag champa blends. This is a soft, sugared nag champa with a touch of clean, dry scent from whatever is creating that drier sheet smell. It kind of smells like a companion blend to Hope and Faith. But with nag champa. Totally not what I expected this oil to smell like but pleasantly surprising. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I do love me some nag champa. Not sure if I like this enough to upgrade the bottle but will use the imp.

Bottle: Holy McShitters, Batman! THIS SMELLS LIKE THE PARIS OPERA HOUSE! Okay, not the house per se but how I imagined it to smells when I read Phantom. I think. I guess I never really pictured what it smelled like but when I smelled this it smelled like what I would have envisioned it to smell like had I thought to think about such a thing. Anyway. It smells like the opera house. So weird. Also unnerving about putting it on my person. Wet: The kerosene is the first out of the gate and amps uncomfortably. And while this is an aggressively masculine scent and it has a lot of ingredients that really are not my thang, this still works in a weird, cologne-y way. It smells like mens' cologne but it still works on my skin. So odd. Dry: Ozone and kerosene and dust and dryness and a hint underneath it all of just really nice gentleman's cologne. There's even a hint of a musk that may be skin musk or Arabian musk. Something light and skin close. This is aggressive as hell but kind of works in a bloodthirsty sort of way. There's also something a little walk of shame-ish about this. Just like... it's really manly and so it must not really be my possession. It works on my skin but doesn't sit naturally there. Throw: Strong. Overall: I SMELL LIKE THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, YO! This is awesome and I love it.

Imp: Soft cream and a touch of floral. Wet: Strong, almost cloying cream. This is a cream that I smell and something closes in the back of my throat. Very thick and heavy. Getting a touch of floral. This is very similar to Milk Moon 07. There is something fruity in here that my skin is amping to high heaven. Dry: Pretty and soft cream with a hint of white floral. Very skin close and very, very soft. I'm surprised I've been lusting after this to be honest. It's outside of my usual comfort zone. It reminds me strongly of Abhisarika but with a more delicate floral touch. I'm really, really relieved that this is pretty and I like it but I'm not going to be selling organs or first borns for more. Throw: Mild. Overall: Pretty and glad to have the decant. Will be using it up and am so very glad to have finally been able to try it but not looking for more.

Bottle: Black currant up first with pomegranate not far behind. Definitely getting some of that sugary candy smell. No pear or apple. Wet: This acquires a slightly plastic dustiness. There is also a scent not dissimilar to the sugared note from Hope and Faith. The black currant is almost aggressively black curranty. I smell like jam. Dry: I think I just don't like the scent of black currant. This smells true to scent but the black currant is too aggressive and just doesn't do it for me. There's nothing wrong with the scent, it's just not to my taste. Throw: Moderate. Overall: If you like black currant, have I got the scent for you!

Bottle: Soft orchid touched with rose. Bit of muskiness. Wet: The rose sours a little and this smells like a pure orchid/rose blend. Dry: This is pretty. A soft musk supporting rose and orchid smoothed out by the cream. Smells very classical and expensive. Something I'd wear to work but not necessarily on a date. I don't find it sultry or sensual--more a little cold and reserved. This scent is judging you. Throw: Mild. Overall: I like it and wear it pretty often. A surprise coup from a MnS swap!

Bottle: Maybe amber and patchouli? Highly reminiscent of Mr. Jacquel but more complex and a little higher pitched. Wet: I think there's some patchouli here. Also a touch of sandalwood I think. Maybe a small amount of cedar. This seems to be an amber/patchouli combo with some resin (not dragon's blood. Maybe myrrh?). The spices probably include cinammon or cassia but also maybe pepper? Dry: This is dark, dry and a little dusty. Very fire like and a little smoldering. Not quite as sensuous as Mr. Jacquel but an interesting and lovely blend. It smells dark and mysterious and more than a little dangerous. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I really like this. It's exotic and mysterious and a little unnerving. Maybe not a work appropriate scent but good for casual parties and weekends. Glad to have the bottle.

Bottle: Spicy amber and a bit of saltiness. Wet: More amber, more spice, still some saltiness and a faint whisper of patchouli. Dry: This is true to scent: amber, spice, hyssop, patchouli. But it is more than the sum of its parts. It's exotic and skin close and smells like adventure and mystery and exoticism. It really settles into the skin and smells incredibly sexy and mysterious. It's dark and heavy and very, very sensual. It smells incense-y but not like incense. The amber and patchouli keep each other in check and really let the spices shine. I adore this scent. I've had it for a week and a half and have worn it five or six days in the last little while. It is just gorgeous and makes me feel incredibly sexy and powerful when I wear it. A stealth favourite for sure since 70% of the time amber is playdough fail on my skin. Throw: Strong. Overall: Mr. Jacquel if you're nasty. One of the sexiest amber/incense blends I've smelled in a while.

Bottle: Jasmine, a watery sort of note I think might be lily and a touch of amber, maybe? Similar to the amber in House of Mirrors? Wet: Strong jasmine. Very yellow floral. It reminds me a little of a less sugary Poisson D'Avril. Dry: This is pretty and intensely wearable. The main note is jasmine and... maybe buttercup? Touch of honeysuckle, maybe some lily. I think there's a light amber or musk under this all. Very pretty and feminine. I would wear this in summer with a sundress but it's not totally out of place on this blustery winter day. Throw: Moderate. Mostly jasmine. Overall: This is pretty. I hope the final proto eventually gets released although I won't cry myself to sleep if it isn't. For those of us who love New Orleans (all three of us), this is a gorgeous and slightly more complex New Orleans. ETA: So today is my first day wearing AF3 as a scent and not just skin testing. I still definitely get jasmine and a darker, probably amber note, but there is also a wee hint of lotus in here and maybe some verbena or lemon rind. It's still very pretty. A sort of swirling pink and yellow scent.

Bottle: Unnerving, strong sweet coffee and a hint of woods. Wet: The wet phase is kind of gross. Amped, sweet coffee to the exclusion of all other scents. It smells like finals week. Dry: The dry phase comes quickly and is gorgeous. The woods and tobacco mingle together to create a grounding, borderline dusty scent and the coffee is reigned in beautifully. This is a weekend sort of scent. Nothing I would wear to the office but perfect for a day like today where I am snowed in. Definitely a cold weather scent. Throw: Strong as hell. Use a dab hand with this one. Overall: I love this. It's everything I wanted Misk U to be and it wasn't. If you want a drier, more reserved coffee sort of scent definitely try Velvet Dogs.

Imp: I get the musk and the rose. Wet: The rose develops right away and this becomes a sweet, red rose sort of scent. The musk takes awhile to bloom, as does the myrrh. Dry: Well, this was a total surprise. I thought Phantom was a light, grapefruit-based blend. This is sensual and ferocious and a little dangerous. Very similar to other blends I have bottles of (Spellbound and Lust) but compelling on its own. This smells like something a dangerous woman would wear. Throw: Moderate. Overall: Too similar to other scents to justify a bottle but surprisingly wearable and pretty.

Imp: Oakmoss and peach. Pretty simple. Wet: Goes on super light. I get the peach the strongest with a hint of citrus that must be the bergamot. Heliotrope is developing. Dry: A sweet, delicate peach over a light base of moss and musk. Getting a faint hint of the bergamot and heliotope. Very, very light. Throw: Mild. Overall: I have an ongoing love affair with Tamora and she would eat Fae alive. If Tamora was overpowering for you or you want a light, summery blend, I'd recommend Fae.

Imp: I KNOW THIS SMELL! Is it Queen Anne's Lace? That sort of sappy/stem smell you get from... daisies? Mums? Definitely a florist shop scent. Wet: Oh... my skin killed that pretty quick. Flat resins with a floral edge. Touch of ozone, maybe? Dry: Boring. A light resins, a touch of unscented deodorant sort of scent and a little bit of sourness. Really falls flat and I am sad because it smelled so interesting in the imp. Throw: Mild. Overall: It has potential, just not on me.

Imp: Ozone and grass clippings. It smells like... what I imagine Hank Hill's yard smells like. Okay. Wet: Sharp ozone and lemon verbena. Not sweet at all. Dry: Okay. Very strong grass note sort of stomping all over everything else. This is a light, summery scent without florals or sweetness. Really reminds me of mowing the lawn and emptying the bags of cut grass. The amber softens that feeling a little. Throw: Mild. Overall: Not my style. It's okay but I like a bit more floral or sweet in my perfume. Would be interesting as a man's scent.