k00kaburra

In bottle: While most of the Ars Draconis scents seem juicy and red to me, this has a definite dry, parched scent. (As dry and parched as liquid perfume can be, at any rate.) The wood notes seem to soak up all the dragon's blood so that it only faintly clings to the fragrance. On me: This really does smell dry as a bone. It makes me think of dry bleached dinosaur skeletons painsakingly reassembled in museums. Yet that tiny trickle of blood adds a hint of magical juice to the blend, as if at any moment the bones will move again.

In bottle: It's that unique resin scent that reminds me of jasmine and berries. Dragon's Blood all by itself is very powerful; it almost needs to be blended with other things because it's too strong on its own. On me: The berry-like note is stronger than that which reminds me of jasmine. This unique aroma is a key note in all of the Ars Draconis blends and is so distinctive that I have trouble comparing it to anything else. It smells like Dragon's Blood, which seems lame but is the best description I can come up with! By itself it is simply too powerful for me to wear; it seems overwhelming to me.

In bottle: Light, sweet floral. It's almost watery (which is the reaction I nearly always get to Sweet Pea) and reminds me a bit of fresh pink watermelon - when it's just ripe and still crispy to bite. On me: Very watery. Lilies are quite strong, I haven't picked up on ANY of the spicier carnation notes. (Darn!) In the bottle it was quite pretty but something doesn't translate on my skin; the crispness of the fragrance is gone.

In bottle: Superfloral. Frangipani and jasmine - both notes are similar and very strong on this. The rose adds a 'commercial' feeling to this fragrance - combinations with jasmine/rose/tuberose/frangipani are very popular this season so this isn't as unique as I remember it being when I first purchased it. On me: There's something fresh and green for a brief instant, but it fades quickly to near-pure jasmine. Rose and jasmine both have a tendency to dominate on my skin, but rose definitely retreated to the background in this blend. It isn't particularly complimentary on me, but I'm also quite down on this combination at the moment. Perhaps in a year or two when perfumers and other 'scentualists' have moved on to the next big trend I can try it again with less of a bias against it.

In bottle: Very smoky. Does narcissus smell something like lily? That seems to be the floral I'm picking up. On me: This fragrance makes me think of the old underground opium dens that Chinese immigrants constructed under Pendleton during the 1800's when it was too dangerous for them to live above ground. There's smoke in the air and incense burning on an alter in the corner of the room. A prostitute wearing a heavy, heady perfume lounges in the corner watching men gamble. This is very deep and mysterious.

In bottle: Cinnamon, orange, bubblegum, and berries/dragon's blood. On me: Amber or dragon's blood? There's something resin-y, along a definite orange or bergamot note. There's some faint cinnamon as well. I'm not really getting the almond that others have mentioned; the sweetness seems to be coming from dragon's blood.

DANUBE: In bottle: Grapefruit and dandelion milk. (I'm guessing the dandelion milk might be the rhododendron, since I don't recall what that smells like, if I ever knew.) Very bright and refreshing. On me: Danube makes me think of rushing water - not wildly crashing, nor lazily rolling along; a springtime river that hasn't swollen with floods but is pleasantly full of melted snow from the mountains. It's pleasantly aquatic, slightly floral, and a bit fruity. It's also a decent energizer too! My mind always feels a bit more alert and stimulated with a bit of Danube dabbed on.

In bottle: Green tea, lemon, and flowers. Seems a bit musky too. This is very light, delicate scent - it seems so simple but you look at the ingredients list and there's a lot in here. On me: Definitely a scent that brings to mind devotion and purity. There's delicate lemon - not at all Pledge-like - and lilac. The bitterness of green tea seems to be missing; I can't really detect it. This scent really makes me think of the white gauzy gowns favored in the Directiore period by the merveilleuse.

In bottle: Rosy. Surprisingly, it reminds me of Goona Goona a bit. I wonder if they share a common note or two? There's a faint hint of some lemon, too. On me: Definitely has a rose-soap scent. There's traces of herbs in the background, that stereotypical "clean man" smell. I feel so clean and refreshed when I use this. I haven't noticed this being especially attracting, but I also attend classes where the vast majority of the students are women, so this is probably a good thing, as I don't swing that way.

In bottle: There's something extremely animalistic and wild about this. It feels very unrestrained. There's grapes/wine and smoky leaves, and then the ferocious something underneath, lurking in the bushes and waiting to burst out. On me: It seems a bit sour on me. The grape - definitely more of a wine now - is very strong on me. The animalistic note - civet? - isn't as intense as in the bottle, but it's definitely still there. The smoke's starting to come up, and with it an odd mental image is forming. I see a drunken redneck of a man skinning a rabbit by a campfire, with a rifle leaning against his leg. Eeew. I don't want to think about these sorts of things when I'm wearing perfume. Off this one goes.

In bottle: Yummy. I smell fried-bread and candy, a combination that sounds odd but smells delicious. This is very busy, hustling and bustling, like the atmosphere of 'most any street festival. On me: It's hard to describe what Dia becomes on me. A bit like fallen leaves, but not in a pleasant way. The leaves are soggy and have been trodden upon - perhaps by festival crowds - and the scents of the surrounding vendors and displays mingle with the dirty, destroyed leaves. This twisted combination, along with a smoky note that's quite strong, conflict in a bad way. My skin's really done a number with this one...it isn't for me! I might try to use this for a room scent, because in the bottle it was gorgeous!

In bottle: Muted oranges. Almost spicy somehow. Overall, I think 'earthy orange' would be a good description. On me: Very similar to the bottle. Sweet, slightly spiced oranges - this definitely isn't as fierce as I expcted it to be. I guess I either don't know what fig smells like or it is reacting strangely to my skin - but not in an unpleasant way.

In bottle: Oh my, this is dark! The juniper is a sharp, piercing note joined by moss and lichen. I'm not getting any florals out of this. On me: This is the rich soil in the deepest, darkest part of the forest, where the sun never shines and dead wood slowly rots.This is a very potent scent - a little goes a long way. Again the juniper is sharp but it is tempered a bit by the patchouli.

In bottle: Almonds, and then plum. This is another bright juicy fragrance. On me: The currants are very strong when applied. It's very sewet, like sugared marzipan fruits - but the almonds are in the background, not the fore - that belongs to plums and currants. It's just amazing - this fruity, syrupy blend is definitely a 10ml. It'd be a bigger size if the lab made them.

In bottle: Very strong, green lavender. It reminds me of the scent of a LUSH product called Angels on Bare Skin. On me: The lavender stays loud and true on me, although there's still a greenish tinge to it. I can't identify it, but it's there. Since I've started putting drops of Baku on my pillow I've had nothing but lovely dreams, and lavender always makes me fall asleep instantly so it's been very effective at help me sleep earlier and better.

An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry. In bottle: Bright and bubbly. This is definitely bright red bouncing strawberries (versus the older dark red ones that would smoosh rather than bounce) splashing around in champagne. It's rather the way I always imagined Wonka's Fizzing Lifting Drinks to smell. On me: Victoria's Secret has a Strawberries & Champagne fragrance that this reminds me of, but Beth's blend does more than just smell pretty. There's something more real about Bon Vivant - it actually conjures up the image of a strawberry soaking at the bottom of a champagne flute. It's such a sparkling fruity fragrance, but it doesn't last very long. After forty minutes the strawberries are nearly gone and the champagne is left on its own.

In bottle: Mostly a bright dragon's blood resin with a watery background. It's almost crystal-like. On me: Very light. A watery lotus with bright berry-like dragon's blood undertones. It's very weak on me, and faded away after only an hour.

In bottle: Gluttony? First whiff is very foody but second sniff adds a light wood note that seems to conflict with the nutty toffee smell On me: I'm glad this scent isn't true to the bottle! Very incense-y, I can pick up the frankincense and myrrh easily. I can detect something else there but I couldn't tell you which of the assorted florals it is. This reminds me of visits to different historic missions that we visited on family trips when I was a kid.

In bottle: Very resin-y, but I can't pick out specific notes. Amber always makes me think of the perfume row in Sephora, and this scent is giving me that vibe. On me: I get a strong 'watered down' vibe from this oil, as if it refuses to work with my skin at all. I only put it on a few minutes ago and I can barely smell the perfume. Very mellow, light and faint - not at all what I expected, since most Dragon's Blood perfumes scream on me. I'm a bit disappointed, but if every perfume worked I'd be very very broke so it's all good.

In bottle: Spearmint. This is a darkened mint, like mint plants growing up in shadow. There's some vague florals in the background. On me: The lotus note is strong and is an interesting - odd - combination with the mint. This is a very unusual fragrance...I don't really know what to think of it. I haven't noticed much of a change in me (I'm naturally curious and playful anyway) but I'm curious how it has effected any enemies I might have.

In bottle: Maraschino cherries. Nothing green like others have said...just maraschino cherries. On me: Cherries and almond. From the reviews I keep hoping for it to get a little smokier or at least "darken" but while the scent seems to be eaten up instantly by my skin, it isn't changing. It only gets fainter as time goes on. Odd. Darn, I really wanted to like this, but the scent's a bit too bright for me.

In bottle: Oh, I don't know how to describe this. It is so light and sweet and rather like a drink. Coconut and hazelnut, how lovely. It has a definite dinner party feeling to it, perhaps with a piano playing in the background. On me: This is super, super good. The white musk gives this such a warmth and the iris blends beautifully with the two 'nuts. This will definitely be one of my favorites. I thought this might be a bit foody when I read the description, but it isn't at all. It's very tropical and a very happy fragrance. ETA: When I went out with my mum the afternoon I applied this she complained she smelled "dead coconut." Well, I still love it!

In bottle: Cherry, clove, vetiver and wine. There's something extraordinarily wild and uninhibited about this fragrance. On me: I get the almost-chocolate scent that sarahmarie mentions when I first apply this. You smell it and you know it isn't chocolate, but something about the fragrance puts that note into your mind again and again. The vetiver is strong - my skin magnifies it like crazy, which I hate - but sweetened by cherries and wine. The scent is feminine yet complete against everything that I would normally consider a 'feminine' scent. Oooh, and there's the vanilla. Delicious.

In bottle: Very sweet - totally not what i expected. Reminds me of candy corn twisted in smoke. On me: Spiced apple cider and pumpkins. I can also smell the wood. It makes me think of standing in a forest holding a mug of hot cider and waiting for a party to begin. This fragrance is much lighter than I ever expected; it seemed so heavy and dark in the description that it really surprised me when I finally got it.

In bottle: Wow. Thick brown syrupy sugar. I've never tasted molasses but when I've read about it in books, I've always imagined it to smell like this. On me: The initial super-maple scent has virtually vanished, replaced by a glazed fruit. It reminds me of the baked apples I made as a kid. I don't exactly smell apple - just a vague fruity-something - but the slight cinnamon and brown sugar paired with this fruit is amazing.