psykhe

in the imp: heavy, heady white floral. not tuberose or jasmine, but similarly sweet. wet: rich, musky gardenia. no freshness, but it smells clean. hot, lush, and sharp. drydown: warm, creamy, comforting, yet borderline cloying. like the moment before you either give up and go to sleep or rip the blankets off your too-hot body. verdict: when i first applied it, i thought it smelled something similar to perfume my mom wore-- i just couldn't quite remember it. the scent stays true for several hours (7+). right before it fades into soft vanilla nothingness, it starts morphing into something questionable. the more i kept smelling my wrists/inner elbow, the more it started to smell like stinky feet. not sweaty blue cheese feet fermenting sockless in a synthetic shoe that everyone can smell for miles. it was more like dirty feet that you've been walking barefoot with that you have to press your nose into (between the toes) to even smell. must be the honey about to go off. i decided to reapply before bed when it hit me: it smells like Original Scent Lubriderm lotion. my mom used to slather it on her legs before bed. at my previous job, i used to slather it on my hands when it was freshly washed and finally out of nitrile gloves. for the same intensity, just apply a centimeter's dab of Good. Good seems generic, but i enjoy its familiarity without any need to slather lotion to the point of greasiness. i also look forward to layering w/ Dwarf and Paladin.

in the imp: fresh cotton candy. some coconut. a breeze of sweet air. wet: dewy. it feels as if the jasmine is imparting a sense of freshness? a sharpness that cuts through for just a moment. drydown: comforting. creamy. the wetness is completely gone and you're left w/ a soft fluffy blanket. verdict: wow. i spent a good five minutes just sniffing the applicator, swooshing it in air. this was definitely the most intriguing of the imps i chose. it smelled warm, sweet, yet clean. this was disconcerting because when think warm and sweet, i immediately progress to "sticky". definitely getting a resemblance from Eos-- Vasilissa is pink as Eos is yellow. Vasilissa seems foody, though. like caramel, but not cloyingly so. in addition, this has extreme staying power as i still smelled it on myself clear into the next morning. (except by then it faded to some generic "sensual vanilla" scent-- reminiscent of Victoria's Secret body sprays...) Vasilissa also smells like a luxe version of Hanae Mori Butterfly (HMB). opulent because, as im sniffing both wrists (Vasilissa on left, HMB on right), HMB smells cheap and watery (think CK1). perhaps because HMB is actually a berry medley with a hint of almond? Vasilissa smells creamy, spicy, sweet, and a touch buttery while remaining delicate.

initial response: whoa, ROSES. not enough of that "green" i was hoping would cut through the sweetness. in the end, it turned out soapy. i was home the other day and had my brother smell my wrist-- "smells like old fashioned soap." final thought: i really don't want this to be soapy. E.

initial response: disappointed. somewhat too spicy and not enough softness. less little girl, more old Chinese grandmother. final thought: i'll give this another go later. E.

nope, nope. not too late. still reading over reviews and whatnot. i ran across one review which mentions Vixen as being the better of the two. before enlisting everyone's help, i ALSO chose Vixen. have you tried Vixen and, if so, which of the two would you recommend? E.

quick question! i'm planning on ordering a set of imps for my friend's birthday [so she can have her pick and i can order her a whatever-she-wants size of it] and i was wondering if there are any particular scents that mimic that of Shalimar [her favorite perfume]-- something that contains that same spicy oriental theme but isn't ENTIRELY reminiscent of Shalimar. i've been looking over scent descriptions and comparing those with actual reviews and my head's starting to hurt. i appreciate all your suggestions. thanks! E.