Aredhel

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Rose. In the imp/bottle: A tart, musky and rosy apple-patchouli scent. On skin, wet: This is an altogether faint scent from the off. A dark red scent -- tart red apples and dark-red roses atop a black blanket of patchouli and musk. An apple-rose flower, blackened around the edges. On skin, dry: This dries down into a very earthy rose, not unlike Zombi, but dryer. A cemetery rose in the middle of summer. No sign at all, in any stage, of my beloved vanilla. Conclusion: Interesting and fierce, but not for me. I mourn for the vanilla that could have been, and wish rose didn't ruin most blends for me.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Lavender! In the imp/bottle: Citrusy lavender. This is very cool (as in chilly), and very soft. This... doesn't strike me as the scent of the Devil (even if we are talking "through the eyes of" Victorian New England!) so far. On skin, wet: Wow, I... can't place any single note besides lavender. Tonka maybe? I think I'm catching amber, but I can't be sure. No patchouli -- yet, anyhow. On skin, dry: Amber lavender? Tonka lavender? I'm confused! This is very fuzzy/hazy, though. Almost heady. A very complex blend, insofar as combining the notes to form something that really strikes me as a note (a single note) all its own. Conclusion: This is terribly interesting, but I don't think it's for me. It becomes powdery, and that, combined with the lavender, reminds me of deodorant. Oh well.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Musky. In the bottle: Grass? This is so hard to explain, but it smalls vaguely of grass, and... something that's in Coyote. On skin, wet: Creamy, silky, velvety musk! There's also something just barely spicy, that reminds me a bit of Morocco. Beautiful. On skin, dry: Around the 30-minute mark, something mossy shows up, and it... is not good. It fades rather quickly, but while it's there, it strikes me as, well, rotting moss. Quite strange. Unfortunately, when "it" fades, I mean the Buck Moon fades. As in, away. Conclusion: I tried this twice more, and got the same reaction both times. This makes me quite sad. But, even during its wet stages, while it smelled terribly pretty, it just wasn't something I'd wear as a perfume. Of the two bottles I have, I think I'll end up keeping one.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Chocolate tea. In the imp/bottle: Chocolate! I wonder if there's mint in this? It's really quite nice. On skin, wet: Chocolate tea. Very nice! The chocolate stays just this side of powdery, and doesn't turn into the dusty, ugly chocolate that most cocoa/chocolate notes become. I am surprised, and pleased! On skin, dry: A chocolately herbal tea! Not much different from wet, just a bit more... well, kind of green. Conclusion: This is absolutely gorgeous, and that's really all I can say!

Rating (on skin): 0/5 Summarised in a word or two: Moldy. In the imp/bottle: Er, civet. Biting, unpleasantly-sharp, totally feral musk. On skin, wet: Not as unpleasant as in the imp, but still not something I'm very font of -- I'm guessing this is the civet. On skin, dry: Still not for me. Now it smells of stale berries and rotten, molding citrus. There's also some dark, unhappy musk beneath the berry/citrus scents. Conclusion: Definitely not for me. I gave this a shot, because I'd not had much experience with civet, but I'm not terribly surprised that this isn't for me.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Rating (efficacy): 0/5 Summarised in a word or two: Tingly! In the imp/bottle: Very green, as others have said. Also, slightly aquatic (quite fitting!). On skin, wet: Very herbal, and still aquatic. Slightly powdery. It's making my nose tingle. On skin, dry: Very herbal, though I can't pick out any specific notes. It's like an... herbal water. An overly watery tea. But still, the tingle (which is getting faintly annoying). Conclusion: I like this well enough, but the tingle is getting on my nerves. It started out as a very faint, barely-noticable tingle, then progressed to a "....This is uncomfortable" tingle, specifically on the left side (which is more sensitive than the right because of repeated surgery there). It's not very calming or relaxing, though I think that may be because of the tingle. Nice, but not something I'd want to sniff again (again, because of the tingle).

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Beautiful! In the imp: Cold, crisp cucumber and something minty! On skin, wet: Cucumber and mint. It's surprisingly watery, or aquatic without the tang that I usually get from aquatic scents. On skin, dry: Not much change from the wet stage, save that the mint softens a bit, and BM becomes a bit more flowery, but in a wonderful way. Conclusion: A very refreshing and bright scent that I'm totally enamoured of.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Herbal. In the imp/bottle: Very light, an almost yellow-green kind of scent. Herbal. On skin, wet: This smells hauntingly familar, but I can't figure out from where... definitely a BPAL scent -- one I sniffed when I first became addicted. But I don't know what. On skin, dry: I really like this! It's floral, but herbal, but not overly so. It's sweet, but just a tad bitter. Very smooth, and very light. Unfortunately, it's also very faint. Conclusion: This, sadly, is another "I love this! ...But I'd have to bathe in it... and I don't know if I love it enough to bathe in it" scent. I may eventually buy it, along with the other Tarots, for ritual use.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sweet rose. In the imp/bottle: Strangely sweet, like sugared roses. And... berry? On skin, wet: Um. Berry. This may be one of the floral notes, but for all the world, I'm thinking berry. On skin, dry: Sweet, sugary berry-rose. The rose isn't as overpowering in this as it normally is, and is actually pleasant. Thing is, this has virtually no staying power. Conclusion: I would have to bathe in this for it to have the slightest throw and, while I like it, I don't know if I like it enough to bathe in it.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Bright! In the imp/bottle: A very soft, quite pretty white floral. On skin, wet: Soft white sandalwood and a very pretty floral. I'm not sure what it is I'm sniffing -- Lilac, tuberose or Lily of the Valley -- but I like it. It's girly, but not overly so. On skin, dry: Again, a very pretty white floral. It's a very bright, soft, almost powdery scent. I don't catch any "menace" at all. Conclusion: If this weren't discontinued, I'd almost certainly buy a bottle of it. I'm not sure I'd pay as much as I'm sure a bottle of this would go for, though.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Spicy. In the imp/bottle: This is... very strange. I'm not sure I've ever smelled something quite like this. It's floral, but spicy. And herbal? On skin, wet: Clove! And perhaps cinnamon? I'm certain of cloves, but I'm getting cinnamon as well. There's something else here -- something floral, but sweet. On skin, dry: Cinnamon, cloves and that gorgeous floral. Conclusion: I really, really like this, and I wish I'd either been able to order buckets before it was discontinued, or was able to pay the insane amounts bottles are going for on Ebay lately.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Coconut. In the imp/bottle: This is very, very green -- but a bright, lush green. Beneath that, coconut. On skin, wet: A dark, bitter green. Very leafy, with an undertone of coconut. On skin, dry: The greeness starts to fade after a few minutes, and I slowly start to get this very sweet honeyed almond, dusty coconut, and a very fruity fig. The coconut ends up the same way it almost always does on me: chalky, dusty, and overpowering. After a while, the fig, still very fruity, becomes very plastic and fake. Conclusion: This is very... lush, and sweet. Unfortunately, the way the coconut ends up ruins it for me; the blend ends up smelling wonderful... beneath a heavy blanket of burnt, chalky, heavy coconut, and plastic fig.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Baby powder deodorant. In the imp/bottle: Baby powder. This is liquid baby powder to me in the bottle. It reminds me of a soft, clean baby powder deodorant. On skin, wet: Still baby powder, although just slightly floral. Very fresh, and indeed, very chilly. On skin, dry: I'm not sure if I'd really categorise Numb as "cold" per se (though it is a bit "chilly"), as it seems, on me, a bit more in the vein of fresh, clean, and slightly floral. Overall, though, it smells as if I've rubbed deodorant on my wrist. Conclusion: Nice, but I'm not sure this is for me. I like baby powder in a deodorant well enough, but I'm not sure I'd like to wear it as a fragrance.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Mossy. In the imp/bottle: Moss, jasmine and dark, thick vetiver. On skin, wet: A musky, earthy jasmine, with something faintly sweet just beneath. On skin, dry: I can't place what this sweetness is, but it's beautiful. The patchouli comes out after thirty minutes or so, though, and blends with the moss and vetiver to completly overpower that sexy sweetness, trampling it under their mean little feet. Conclusion: I'd love this, if it didn't have patchouli (which is strange, since I generally like patchouli); I think it would've been lighter, sweeter, and softer. Oh well.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Roses. In the bottle: Uh oh... roses. Lots of roses. And carnation. This does not augur well. On skin, wet: This is a something of a cacophony of smells, it is. I catch heavy rose, vanilla, carnation, tobacco, and what I guess is ambergris? This certainly brings madness to mind, as the notes all seem to be running around the bottle (I can only imagine them flailing around inside the bottle, their little arms going every which way). Poor little notes, they can't seem to co-operate with one another. On skin, dry: Vanilla rose. There's something here that brings Zombi to mind, some warm, dark, earthy scent. I'm ambivalent about it. Conclusion: Interesting -- and certainly mad! -- but not for me. Too heavy on the rose. I'd hoped it to be a mostly vanilla-tobacco scent, but as is wont to happen, the rose just took over, and Love in the Asylum was ruined for me.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Orange! In the imp/bottle: One word? CITRUS. Screaming, sharp, biting citrus, of every kind (or so it seems). I don't say that in a bad way, either. On skin, wet: This reminds me why orange (which is what this smells of to me) has been, since I was but an infant, one of my favourite scents ever. It's very fresh, brisk, energizing. On skin, dry: Orange -- fresh, juicy and sharp -- and something spicy! I can't figure out what the spice(s) is/are under the orange, but I love them; I am completly love. Conclusion: This is a genuine pick-me-up, which I always need. I will definitely be adding a bottle of this to my next order.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Uplifting! In the imp/bottle: A light, airy scent, with a touch of something spicy (cinnamon, I believe?). On skin, wet: Something herbal, but with that cinnamon-y undertone. The first thing I notice is how shockingly relaxing this blend is. On skin, dry: Still herbal/floral/spicy (I'm having a difficult time picking out notes now). It vaguely reminds me of Love Me, but lighter, and with that herbal green-ness that I just can't place. Conclusion: Not only is it an absolutely beautiful scent, I've yet to find any scent/oil/anything so relaxing or calming. Tarot: Strength is relaxing, but this is T:S x100. More than calming, it's... uplifting. I will definitely be grabbing a bottle (or five) of this if it's included when the TAL site goes live.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Flowery powder. In the imp/bottle: Roses and violet. On skin, wet: Roses, roses roses! Rose atop a faint violet, and just a breath of vanilla. On skin, dry: This turns into a heavy floral-powder on me. No trace of the vanilla, just roses, violet and star jasmine. Conclusion: I didn't get anything remotely like Antique Lace. This is all heavy florals and trampled vanilla. I'm glad I got to try a decant before the Moon, so I know not to order it!

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Lemony. In the imp/bottle: Hmm. Lemon, incense and... anise? On skin, wet: Yep, that's lemony incense. Not very smoky. On skin, dry: The lemon tramples the incense down, setting up shop atop it. It *does* take on a smoky base after a while, at which point it smells of smoky lemon. It isn't fresh lemon, either, but an old, dried, dusty lemon. Conclusion: Smoky lemon, definitely. While it's not bad in the imp, it turns very unpleasant on my skin.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Lotusy. In the imp/bottle: Equal parts mint and lotus. On skin, wet: A blanket of lotus over light, wispy mint and faint gardenia. On skin, dry: Minty lotus-gardenia. In short, a strong, minty floral. It's hard to tell which note is stronger, mint or lotus. Conclusion: Lotus isn't bad on its own, and I love mint, but I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like lotus-mint mixtures.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Rating (efficacy): N/A Summarised in a word or two: Soap. In the imp/bottle: Decidedly medicinal; herbal, with an undertone of mint. On skin, wet: Mint, something herbal, and... lotus? I'd swear there was lotus in this. On skin, dry: Grassy, green, herbal soap. Soapy to the point of expecting it to foam any minute now. Conclusion: The mint and herbal note(s) was/were promising, but the lotus ruined it for me. I didn't use it for any of its Voodoo properties.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Amber powder. In the imp/bottle: Plum, sharp grapfruit, and a thick, sweet amber. On skin, wet: A sweet, floral, almost spicy amber. Quite pretty, but faint. Faint as in "have to press my nose to my wrist to smell anything." On skin, dry: Powdery, sweet, floral amber. Still very, very faint. Conclusion: This reminds me of Blood Amber, but not as spicy, and a tad more floral. Nice, but not for me.

Rating (on skin): 0/5 Summarised in a word or two: Floral! In the imp: Floral apple, heavy on the carnation. On skin, wet: Eeep, dusty amber. On skin, dry: Ooh, I really don't like myrtle, it seems. I... really, really don't. Conclusion: I have now discovered another note I hate: myrtle. 'Nuff said.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Grapefruit? In the imp/bottle: Crisp lotus and cold, sharp mint. On skin, wet: A very bubblegum-esque lotus, and very creamy mint. Also, beneath that mixture, a sweet, watery grapefruit. On skin, dry: Mint above, grapefruit below. This actually reminds me of a mint chapstick I used to have in elementary school. The grapefruit beneath the mint strikes me the same way the "cherry" in that chapstick did. Conclusion: A very nice mint, but I don't really dig the mint/grapefruit combination. If I could supress the grapefruit somehow, this would happily abate my mint-craving.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Aftershave. In the imp/bottle: Lilac and lime aftershave. On skin, wet: Cool, aquatic aftershave. Very masculine and upscale. On skin, dry: Equal parts lime and lilac. For once, the lime isn't crushing everything else into oblivion. Conclusion: Aftershave. A very expensive, high-end aftershave, but aftershave nonetheless. This hits me as "Aftershave for CEOs" for some reason. That said, not something for me, as I don't care to smell of aftershave.