Sistinas

a review of Tombstone Vial ~ woody and vanilla are what come to mind when I first smelled this. Wet ~ I can pick out the cedar, it is very subtle and not in your face. The vanilla is still there and I think I can pick out the sassafras and balsam too, but I really have to sit and smell the fragrance. Drying ~ The scent is blended real well together, the woody scents and the vanilla complement each other real well. The cedar has become very hard to detect on its' own, which I find unusual, cedar always seems to have this distinct sharp scent. Dry ~ The fragrance has changed a little, the woody scent seems to have died down, there is still vanilla, but the scent is not straight up vanilla. The scent is nice, but nothing I really love. Fade ~ Tombstone has some lasting power and the scent from when it has dried has remained true. Final thoughts ~ Tombstone is a very nice scent, but I don't think it is something for me. I would like to smell this on a guy I think and see if it has more appeal. On a scale of 1 to 5 ->3

a review of Tintagel Vial ~ mulled wine blended with spiciness from the tree scents. This scent comes across as warm and spicy with very little sweetness. The dragon's blood is in there, but it is not dominating, at least not yet. Wet ~ The scent has changed a little, the mulled wine seems to have disappeared, but I can easily pick out the smell of the damp branches. There is a bit of smokiness, but I think that is more of the warm leather. Drying ~ The spiciness of this scent is in foreground, I am picking up little bits of the dragon's blood. I tend to love most scents that have dragon's blood and this scent is getting alot of love, even if I am not getting alot of dragon's blood. Dry ~ The scent is a warm and spicy from the blend of the damp branches and the dragon's blood. I cannot detect any of the mulled wine. While this scent has not completely disappeared on my skin, I think slathering will be needed as I don't think this will be an overpowering blend, but perfect for a night out. Fade ~ The scent has faded and is barely traceable. Like I had mentioned earlier this scent will need slathering and most likely reapplying, but I don't find that to be a negative, because it does have some lasting power. Final thoughts ~ Tintagel is a very lovely warm spicy scent. I really do love the way it lays on my skin. While it is not a perfect scent as far as lastability, it still rates pretty good. The warmness and the spiciness of the scent from beginning to end makes this a wonderful scent. On a scale 1 to 5 -> 4

a review of Tenochtitlan Vial ~ sweet and fruity but not cloying Wet ~ the scent does not change much from what I picked up from the vial, so far this does not bode well for me as it is too sweet. Hopefully the amber will show up. Drying ~ The sweet scent is starting to temper and I am starting to pick up more of the coriander and sage Dry ~ The amber has finally poked out and the scent has changed quite a bit. Tenochtitlan has morphed from this sweet fruity scent to a warm, lightly spicy scent, I am so surprised. Fade ~ This is going to be a scent that I might need to slather as the scent has faded, but at least it has not completely disappeared. I am still picking up slight traces of the fragrance and I do like it alot. Final thoughts ~ I really did not have much hope for Tenochtitlan when I first tried it out. As it has dried and changed,it really has become a fragrance that I could wear year round. On a scale of 1 to 5 -> 4

a review of Yerevan Vial ~ sweet and fruity, but not too much Wet ~ the convergence of the fruits and the flowers gives this very fresh and sweet scent. As I smell it more I can pick out the apricot and plum and they are very nice. Drying ~ The fruits settle down and now the florals are taking over, the rose comes out and I think I can pick out the orchid too, the scent is actually very nice. Dry ~ The scent has become this wonderful blend of fruit and floral, the original punch of sweetness that it had earlier is gone. What I thought might be just a scent for the summer has changed my mind and I can now see using it year round. Fade ~ After an hour and half the scent has faded, but I would not be in need of a reapplication. The scent has not changed and I would have to say I am quite impressed with it. Final thoughts ~ I am not an overall fan of fruit scents and I generally tend to stay away from them. I think I have put off really trying this scent because of the initial fruity smell from the vial. Once again I am reminded not to judge a scent without at least trying it first, because this fragrance goes beyond it's initial smell. On a scale of 1 to 5 -> 5

In the bottle, this scent is a blend of sandalwood and just slight bit of pine, it smells very beautiful. On my wrist, the honey blooms to the forefront and there is this bit of spiciness to it, that blends so well together. The pine seems to have stepped back to let the other ingredients stand out more. As it has dried on my skin, the scent has not changed. Now to see how long this beautiful fragrance will linger on my skin. After about an hour and the scent has faded a little, but what lingers is still spicy and lovely. On a scale 1 to 5 -> 5

In the imp, it is heavy with cinnamon and almond. Each time I sniff it, the almond changes, sometimes it is the cherry version and sometimes it is very bitter as describled by the lab, my nose cannot seem to make up its' mind. I cannot detect the neroli at all, I would have to say the cinnamon and the almond are fighting it out for the dominant note. On my skin the cinnamon and the almond have blended together in a way in which I cannot pull the scents apart. It is a dark but lovely fragrance, and now I can detect a slight sweetness underneath, it must be the neroli, but it is so faint it is very hard to find. I would have to say this scent is a dark spicy scent, but I would not recommend this scent for someone looking for just cinnamon, because this is more than that. While the cinnamon is detectable, it not prominent on its' own. Inferno is dark, spicy and very warming, a must have for anyone that loves a scent in that falls into that family. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would have to give it a 5.

In the bottle, I pick up juniper, pine and patchouli. The scent reminds me so much of fresh upturned dirt. The kind of dirt you would do gardening in, definitely not the kind of dirt we have here in the desert. I can easily imagine myself kneeling down in the dirt, inhaling its' fragrant scent while planting flowers and seeds. Wet on my skin, the patchouli still stands out along with the juniper. The fragrance still has a scent of fresh upturned dirt, the combination of the oils are beautiful, and I am completely enamoured. I have found that going through the Dark Element scents I have neglected some very wonderful scents. So far of the three that I have tried that have been complete hits for me. The oil has dried and the scent has tamed a bit and the patchouli seems to have disappeared, but the scent still smells good. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this one a 4.

In the vial, it is all mint and very little juniper and lotus. Eventually the juniper comes out, but it does not overtake the mint. Undertow just smells lovely. On my skin, the lotus appears but it is tempered by the mint thankfully. Lotus tends to ruin scents for me, but not this one. The mint is still the star of this fragrance and it just smells lovely, I definitely will be needing a bigger bottle of this one. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this a 5.

In the bottle it is tangy with a strong scent of vetiver. It is delish. Hurricane has a very wet and ozone scent to it, living up to its' name perfectly. On my skin it still has a bit of a tangy citrus scent with a huge vetiver overtone that is still ozone. The vetiver calms down but is still detectable, but the overall sense is that of being in a rain storm. Overall the scent has a bit of dark and ozone feel to it, but I tend to do well those fragrances. I will be needing a big bottle of this. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this a 5.

a review of Blood Lotus Vial ~ extremely sweet, actually cloyingly sweet, another one of those scents that I will try, despite my initial dislike of it in the vial. Wet ~ bubblegum sweet, I can detect the dragon's blood and I think I am picking up on the lotus. What comes to mind is this thick sweet syrup. still not to fond of this scent. Drying ~ stays true to what it smells like when it is wet, bubblegum sweet. Dry ~ Now it is less sweet, in fact it seems to take on a smoky scent. It has an underlying sweetness still, but the smokiness does seem to temper the once cloying sweet smell. Fade ~ I didn't expect this scent to fade that fast but it doesn't seem to last that long. Once the scent took on a smokiness, it faded away. Final thoughts ~ While I don't completely hate this scent, I really do not care for it. Blood Lotus is too sweet and heavy for me. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 1.

a review of Asphodel Vial ~ the description fits this scent perfectly. As I sniff it I am given images of grey flowers (as if they really exist). Wet ~ It is still the light floral scent that I discovered in vial. I just hope that this will be a long lasting scent. Drying ~ the fragrance is wafting from my wrist, I am amazed at how light and delicate a scent can have such power. Usually light scented fragrances are soaked up by my skin and have absolutely no lasting power. Dry ~ It is still a soft fragrant floral and the scent has not died down much, it is so pretty and makes me feel very feminine. Fade ~ A half hour later and it is still going strong, I am quite impressed. I am very much in love with this scent and definitely need a bigger bottle of it. It makes for a wonderful soft daytime scent. Final thoughts ~ This is suppose to be a grey, ghostly flower and I can imagine there being a field of these that the ghosts of Hades gather. It is a truly beautiful light floral scent. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this a 5.

a review of Versailles Vial ~ Gold does definitely come to mind when I first smell this scent. I am definitely picking up some citrus and jasmine. Wet ~ On my skin I able to pick up the balance of jasmine and roses, but citrus still has more oomph to it. Drying ~ This is a strong scent. The image of gold still comes to mind even tho this is more floral and the citrus seems to have disappeared. Dry ~ It is completely floral, the jasmine and rose blend beautifully together. I am quite impressed with this scent. Fade ~ Versailles fades softly and slowly, over two hours now and I can still detect faint traces of it. Final thoughts ~ I am becomming a big fan of Beth's florals, this one is very beautiful and not overdone. I can myself needing a bigger bottle of this in the near future. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Versailles a 4.5

a review of Eden Vial ~ first thought, was ewwwww, get it away from me. The coconut is very strong in this scent and I don't like coconut. I gave it another sniff and noticed that it was sweet too, I don't think I will be liking this scent, but in all fairness, I will give it a try. Wet ~ On my skin it is not as sickly sweet, but the coconut is still there, well at least it does not smell as bad as it did in the vial. Drying ~ I am getting the almond milk and the coconut is no longer blaring in my face Dry ~ Now I am not so sure what I am smelling, the coconut is fainter but I think what I am detecting now is the almond milk and sandalwood, maybe even some fig. Fade ~ As it fades away the sweetness begins to pick up again, but it is soft and light, the coconut is hardly noticeable. Final thoughts ~ Okay, this scent started out as something I could not stand. I had it pegged as one of those scents that would not be for me, because I disliked one of the components so strongly. I will have to admit that it is not as bad as I thought it would be. I most likely keep the imp I have, but I am doubt I will buy a bigger bottle of it. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 3.

a review of Bengal Vial ~ Mmm sweet and spicy, but I think the sweetness is sticking out more. Wet ~ The spiciness is coming back, definitely the peppers, clove and ginger. Drying ~ The honey really stands out, but the spicy notes temper the sweetness, I would have to say the strongest of the spicy notes is the pepper and ginger. You can detect the cinnamon but it is not as predominant. Dry ~ The combination is glorious. I love this scent, the sweetness is there but the spices blend with it so well that it is hard to tell anymore what they are seperately. Yes there is some cinnamon, but it is by far no more prominent than they others and the honey is not over done either. Fade ~ Over an hour later and the scent is still remaining on my skin as wonderful as it was when it first dried. Final thoughts ~ I totally lurve this scent and will definitely need a bigger bottle of it. I think this fragrance could work as both a daytime and a nighttime scent. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 5.

a review of Nyarlathotep Vial ~ Ozone, yet resinous at the same time Wet ~ Yes it stays true to the scent it is in the vial, but there is a slight citrus scent to it also Drying ~ This blend is very light and as it dries it seems almost untraceable. The resin gives me the only sign that there is something on my wrist. Dry ~ Now that it has dried the citrus scent comes out more, lemony ozone, very light and fresh. Fade ~ I expected this to fade away really quick, but surprisingly it has lasted over 30 mins. so far. For light scented blends this is a good thing. Final thoughts ~ I love ozone scents, but with this one there is no great love here. I will keep my imps, but I won't be wanting a bigger bottle, since there are other ozone scents that I like already. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 3.

a review of Dragon's Milk Vial ~ Dragon's blood sweetened with honey Wet ~ the scent has not strayed from what it smelled like in the vial Drying ~ This sweet blend is predominantly dragon's blood, the vanilla and honey are there but only to make this blend sweet. But as it continues to dry, the honey and vanilla come out more stronger than the dragon's blood. Dry ~ It is sweetend dragon's blood with honey and vanilla, it has a strong throw and smells nice, but it is a bit too sweet for me. Fade ~ This is a very strong and long lasting blend with a good throw too. Final thoughts ~ While I am a huge fan of dragon's blood and alot of the blends that Beth has come up with using it. This blend is just too sweet for me, I wil have to give this one a pass. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 2.

a review of Antony Vial ~ On initial sniff, I can pick up the sage and basil. There is a slight undertone of something sweet, which could be either basil or the ambergris. I am not sure what ambergris smells like on it's own. Wet ~ The sage sticks out really strong, I am not picking up any leather at all. Drying ~ This certainly is an interesting scent and I can imagine that it would smell terrific on a man. So far the blend smells the same as it does in the vial. Dry ~ On my wrist, the sage still sticks out, but it is not the predominant scent. In fact the basil is taking over and it reminds me of my kitchen when I am cooking with fresh basil. The leather is beginning to peak out but the scent is still very green, yet sweet. The drydown is a bit toned down from what it started with in the vial. Fade ~ This is one of those scents that last on my skin. The throw is somewhat medium Final thoughts ~ I am one of those weird women that like to wear scents that are more meant for a man, not that I would buy a bigger bottle of this for myself, but definitely would for a man. But I will be keeping my imp and wearing it on that odd occaision when it strikes me. On3 a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 3.

a review of Lady Macbeth Vial ~ The smell of red wine wafts out from the vial right after I took the cap off the vial, I didn't even have to bring it close to my nose either, this is going to be a strong scent, I will have to see how nice it plays with my skin. Wet ~ on my skin, it is wine with berries and red currant. This scent is brooding red and so far I am unable to pick out any of the thyme. Drying ~ strong bordeaux with berries, sweet but yet every now and then I get a waft of berries Dry ~ After drying on my skin, I get more of the red currant and berries and slight bit of red wine. I would have to say it played nice with my skin but I am thinking this scent is a bit too much for me. Fade ~ oH my this does have a strong throw and since I spilled some on my couch, I am getting wafts of the berries and wine, stronger than what is on my wrist. Final thoughts ~ I am of two minds in regards to this scent. It starts off smelling fabulous but after drying down on my skin, it is not the same. It played nice on my skin, the scent is nice, but just doesn't seem to be me. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 3.

a review of Alice Vial ~ Wow, the component I detect the most is honey, but it is sweetened by the rose and bergamot. I am a little weary about this one, it might be a little too sweet for me. Wet ~ I am having a hard time pinning down the individual notes, if I didn't know better I would think there was almond in this scent. But so far the scent is still too sweet for me. Drying ~ the honey is coming out and the rose, bergamont and carnation has settled down. But it mellowed out and is very light. Dry ~ It had taken on the spiciness of the carnation and the honey seems to have vanished. Fade ~ It has quickly disappeared, I have a feeling that even if I slathered this on me, it stil would not last long on me. Final thoughts ~ I have tried this scent once before and remember not being all that excited about it. Now I can see why, it just does not last that long on me. I used to think that maybe because it was a bit bland, but now I can see that it was not that, as the carnation does stay behind and give off some scent. But I am going to have to give it a low rating because of it's inability to stay long on my skin. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it 2.

a review of Masabakes Vial ~ heady, dark, it smells truly evil > Wet ~ there is a touch of sweetness to it, but it is there just to detect, it is not a standout sweetness. This is a truly decadent heady scent. Drying ~ you can detect the mimosa, it blends in well with the myrrh and black currant and as I wave my wrist close to my nose I catch a hint of powder as if it is an afterthought. Dry ~ I have to say that the mimosa really makes this scent. Although I am big fan of black currant and myrrh, I think the mimosa brings out the best of all three components. Fade ~ The scent has softened a bit, but it is still the same scent that I discovered when it dried on my wrists. Final thoughts ~ Very nice scent, I am thinking this would be excellent for the cool evenings. It is a very nice scent, on a scale of 1 to 5, I would have to give it a 4.

a review of Marquise de Merteuil Vial ~ Intially I thought it was a sour smell, the combination of floral and vetiver, I was able to pick out the peach, amber or the other florals. But as I smelled it a bit more I detect the bouquet of florals and it was not so sour. Wet ~ the peach peaks out, but the florals still remain dominant Drying ~ I think the sour note I was detecting was the peach mixed with the vetiver, but as it is drying the florals are more prominent, but the vetiver is grounding them so that the scent is not overly floral. Dry ~ Now that it has dried on my skin, the florals blend together beautifully with this splash of peach underneath. There is no hint of sourness at all now. Fade ~ Decent enough throw, not extremely long lasting on my skin, but hey isn't that what reapplications are for? Final thoughts ~ When I first tried this scent, I didn't think it would work for me, the sourness was too much. But once I gave it time to dry, it morphed into this very sexy floral scent. This is something to splash on you when you go out and want to command others attention. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it 4.5

a review of Endymion Selune, the Moon Goddess, fell in love with a beautiful shepherd named Endymion. She appealed to Zeus, asking him to cast Endymion into everlasting slumber so that she could be with him for all eternity. Her wish was granted, and every night the Goddess visited her love as he slept. A sweet, wistful blend of d’Anjou pear, Lily of the Valley, bois du rose and white musk. Vial ~ oh yes, sweet with the ripe scent of D'anjou Pear, fruits are a hit or miss with me. Should be interesting to see if this works or not. Wet ~ The pear is not so strong and the lily of the valley seems to have more strength, so far so good, not overwhelming sweet like Thalia. Drying ~ This is a light scent and the blend between the pear and the lily of the valley is very lovelly. Dry ~ It has trasformed to this powdered pear scent and it has gotten even lighter. Not sure if this is going to work out for me. *pout* Fade ~ It did not take too long for this scent to fade away. *sigh* Final thoughts ~ Endymion started really nice, the best part was that it was not overwhelmingly sweet. Unfortunately for me it does not have any staying power. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 3.

a review of Desire Vial ~ Sweet, but dark. Initially I picked up on the apple and vanilla, but as I keep smelling it I get the patchouli and the dark musk. Wet ~ Now I am getting the patchouli and teak, it barely has any sweetness to it all. Occaisionally I pick up some lemon, which must be the neroli and there is no apple to found at all. Drying ~ The rose is there now, I can smell it along with the mixture of patchouli, musk and neroli. The rose and neroli seem to temper the patchouli, but if you are not a fan of patchouli or pungent ( I mean this in a good way) smells, then this scent will not be for you. Dry ~ This is a very stong scent, and the blend is wonderful blend, some may refer to it as headshopey, but I am a big fan of such scents. The lemon seems to weave in and out as well as the vanilla, but the consistent components are the patchouli, musk and teak. Fade ~ 40 mins later, the scent is still very strong and lasting. yum Final thoughts ~ I am really looking forward to see how this turned out on me, it has so many components that I like. Desire is full bodied, heady and delicious. This is a heavier scent that works really well with my skin chemistry. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it 5.

a review of Dorian Vial ~ very sweet tea and vanilla boldy waft up my nostrils, it is almost a bit overwhelming at first Wet ~ on my skin, I can pick up traces of lemon now, which is toning down the overly sweetness of the scent I smelled in the vial. While I am typically not a fan of really sweet scents, this one is intriguing me. Drying ~ Definitely still sugared tea with lemon, but the vanilla is starting peak out more. Dry ~ This is one of those scents that stays true to the scent that I found when I first applied it to my wrists. It is indeed very nice Fade ~ It is fading nicely , yet another scent that would work for spring/ summertime.. Final thoughts ~ This is still a really sweet scent for me, but I think I can live with it, because I love the tea/lemon combo. I might trying layering it with two of my other favorite lemon scents, Phobos and Oberon. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4

a review of Seance Vial ~ Dry indeed!! Rosewood and scent of rose stems come to mind as I smell this scent. Wet ~ It is more musty and dry on skin with very faint traces of rose. I think that I would consider this more of woodsy scent than a floral. Drying ~ Still dry, but the scent of rose comes out a bit more, but I don't think this an overly rose scent, which is rather nice. Beth creates some wonderful rose scents, that I truly love, but it this is a nice change of pace. Dry ~ Definitely more rosey now, but the musty undertone still exists. nThis scent is not mild at all either. It certainly does bring to mind the idea of being in a room belonging to a psychic about ready to perform a seance.. Fade ~ Good throw and strong scent, Seance is very nice, tho I have never been able to pick out the hazel. Final thoughts ~ Seance is a very pretty and not overly done scent. It has lasting power and makes me feel pretty as well. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.