matilda

I would recommend Xiuhtecuhtli - copal, plumeria and sweet orange and the smoke of South American incense and crushed jungle blooms. I find it to be very fresh and clean with a nice woody base. I'm also a fan of Pure Grace and, while I wouldn't say that their scent is terribly similar, I think they have a similar tone, if that makes sense. Good luck!

Phantasm was a generous gift from the lab - many thanks! The description is right on mark - this is one delicate blend. I haven't tried Arachne, but this seems like it should be similar. Like a cobweb, it's thin, beautiful, and frail. It seems that it's always in danger of just evaporating or falling away. It's a nice refreshing scent, I definitely get the green tea and lemon verbena over anything else. I don't smell neroli at all, but I'm not quite sure what it smells like, so perhaps it's there and I just don't recognize it. The jasmine is there, but quite faint. Unfortunately, jasmine is such an unpleasant experience to me, that even in very small doses like this blend, it's all I can think about. Tragically, it came and muddled up what would have been a very beautiful web.

Roller balls are really wonderful, but for those who don't have any or just plain don't like them, I find that q-tips work well. Tear all the cotton off the end (it absorbs too much of the oil, of course) and you're left with a nice sized wand that gives you a fair amount of control over how much you want to apply.

Well this is just a whole lot of floral! It doesn't change much on me from wet to dry (except that it does become a bit powdery on drydown), so I'll just describe it in total as a fresh, brisk, floral. Very pretty, but not my type of scent. Unless they're in a vase on my desk, I like my flowers tempered with other notes. I will praise Nuit to the heavens, though, for being the first time jasmine and I have played well together!

In my last order, the lab gifted me with several rose blends. Because of this I am discovering a new-found love of roses. I must say, though, that the admiration has come in spite of this blend. Wet, Black Rose is sharp and sweet. There's something very pungent about it and I can feel it in the inside of my nose the way I can feel eucalyptus (not that it smells of eucalyptus, mind.) Oh, I hate to say it but it's almost like roses in a rubbish bin! As it dries, most of unpleasantries from the wet stage fade, but I'm still left smelling of roses that have gone a bit off. Needless to say, I'll be sending her off to a better home.

A bright, bittersweet scent honoring the Japanese Deity of Love and Passion. Aizen-Myoo is one of the vidyarajas, the Shingon's Radiant Kings of Wisdom. Though Aizen-Myoo possesses the lust, grace and passion of both genders, he most often appears to his followers as male. His face is screwed into a fearsome demonic mask, but this is only the wrathful, fierce countenance he places over himself to guide and empower his children. Aizen-Myoo is the patron of prostitutes, of joyous, unbridled sexuality and of all forms of erotic love and is worshipped by all those in the sex industry, musicians, and - oddly - landlords. Yuzu, kaki, and mikan with cherry blossom and black tea. As many have written, Aizen-Myoo is a bright and bitter citrus out of the vial and when wet. Upon settling, the bitterness receeds into the background and a soft sweet floral emerges - I would assume this is the cherry blossom. It is a very soft and almost downy scent. This ends up being a vaguely-creamy sweet floral with just a hint of bitter citrus in the background. It's pretty, but I much prefer the strength of the citrus when wet. I'm definitely keeping the imp but wil likely use it as a room scent or in a bath product.

Tenochtitlan starts out sweet and bright. It smells green, but not in a traditionally floral or herby way. It's sweet aloe and cactus, as others have mentioned. Within 10-15 minutes the sweetness fades, is replaced by a spicey (do I detect cinnamon?) warm amber, and is completely gorgeous. These Aztec blends, on my billy, they're keepers! I'm going to need a bottle to keep Xiuhtecuhtli company.

I have somehow managed to spend the past 9 months in complete ignorance of Coyote's existence. So - many thanks to the lab for passing it on to me! This is really just beautiful. It is truly The Lion's masculine counterpart. Where The Lion is sweet and spicey, Coyote is dry and dusty. Both are warm and comforting, though, and put me in a mood for snuggling. I'm tempted to get a bottle even though the two are so similar. Perhaps the best plan of action would be to find the nearest boy to slather it on...

I bought a 5ml of Somnus unsniffed to aid my grad school inflicted insomnia. At first I was a bit disappointed with the decision because the sharp herbs actually bothered me to the point that I think they kept me up longer. I stuck with it for several nights and became accustomed to the strength of the blend. Now, due to the scent and likely some sort of Pavlovian response, I can only put this blend on right before bed because it makes me too sleepy to do pretty much anything! The actual smell of Somnus may not be my ideal blend, but it's become a nighttime must.

In the vial and while wet this is strong sweet almond. It's like sticking my nose into a glass of Amaretto. Within a few minutes all the almond disappears and I'm left with a spicey musk that's nice but not really my style. Many thanks to the lab for letting me give this a shot, but I'm going to try to find it a happier home.

It's taken awhile for my nose to figure this out, but I can now officially say I admire it quite a bit. It starts out sharp and bright - a crisp gingered citrus- but quickly turns into a slightly spiced sweet cream. Beautiful. Unfortunately, my skin gobbles it up and in less than an hours it's gone. It fades too quickly for me to wear, but I would consider buying a bottle as a room scent.

This smells exactly like a wooden rosary I got several years ago at the Vatican. I'd never smelled anything like it before and I hadn't after until I opened this imp. I'm not terribly familiar with the scent of frankinsence, but I assume it's the soft and lovely something that's holding up the (true to the description) very pure rose. There's an undefinable quality to this blend that is utterly calming. I would have never ordered this on my own (thanks lab!) but now I might have to get a bottle!

I think Oneiroi has just surpassed Somnus as my dream blend of choice! It's a little more earthy and a little less herbal/medicinal. I don't know that it's any more effective (they both render me completely useless in about 5 minutes), but I enjoy the scent a bit more. Once my bottle of Somnus runs out, it'll be a big bottle for me!

i like the idea of smelling of cinnamon but have always been afraid of smelling like i'm *trying* to smell of it (harlot, for example). lately i've been living in blood amber and the lion- both of which have illicted "mmm, you smell like cinnamon!" compliments. it's quite subtle in both blends and i never expected other people to pick up on it. hurrah!

This stays pretty much the same from vial to dry down on me, so I'll just go ahead and sum it up as: Glühwein (hot red wine with spices and fruits) without the wine's tang. This instantly takes me to outdoor markets in fall and winter. I don't know that I'd invest in a bottle because this scent is something I'd rather drink than wear, but it will be fun to sport at holiday parties!