Aredhel

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Interesting. Pre-review thoughts: I'm really not sure what to expect from this. Incense tends to be very strong on me, though, so whatever else it is, it'll likely be dominated by incense. In the imp: Oh, my. Very warm and perfumey, and heavy on the incense. On skin, wet: This reminds me vaguely of the better male-oriented pefumes I've come across over the years, but dryer. On skin, dry: Ozy is a strange one, indeed. Warm, regal and golden, and strangely, a sort of dusty I've not encountered before. Of course, it is thick on the incense, as expected, but there's also a floral element I can't place. Mostly, though, Ozy is... soapy. Woodsy, dry, perfumey and soapy. High-end soap, but soap all the same. It reminds me of a bit of astronger, incense-heavy Jacob's Ladder somehow. Conclusion/Notes: Interesting, but not my thing.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sweet tarts and cotton candy? In the imp: A lightly peppered orange and something else, something almost sandalwood-esque. On skin, wet: Sugary sweet orange, but a little plasticky. On skin, dry: Rich, syrupy orange and... bubblegum? How odd! Actually, it's closer to orange sweet-tarts wrapped in pink cotton candy. Very odd and unexpected, and surprisingly light and girly. I'm not sure how much I like this... Conclusion/Notes: Unfortunately, bubblegum/sweet-tarts/cotton candy scents aren't really my thing. It's very interesting, though!

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Floral, Morocco-esque. Pre-review thoughts: A light floral, perhaps? In the imp: Hello, flowers! On skin, wet: White, waxy flower petals, sandalwood, and something almost sour. On skin, dry: Lily and perhaps carnation? At least among other floral notes, anyway. Musky, a little spicy, and powdery with a distinct sandalwood element. Conclusion/Notes: Not for me, this. I do notice a bland similarity to Morocco, what with the musk and spice elements, but this is too floral for me to really get into.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Watery rose. Pre-review thoughts: Going by previous reviews, I'd guess this'd be a slightly earthy, watery floral-fruit. Knowing my skin as I do, I am, however, expecting a watery, strong rose flanked by tuberose and magnolia. In the imp: Sour rose, magnolia and pear. On skin, wet: Rose! I really, really don't like rose, unfortunately. On skin, dry: Rose and magnolia. My skin does awful, horrible things to rose, and LBaBD is no exception. Sour, bitter, and distinctly watery. The magnolia, surprisingly, is actually very nice, soft and a little sweet. It's really the rose (and my skin) sabotaging this. Conclusion/Notes: Surprise surprise, I don't care for this for the rose. All the same, knowing the notes and my chemistry, I had to give it a shot, as I'm quite fond of pear in perfumes lately.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Lilies! Pre-review thoughts: Lily, I'm guessing? In the imp: Lily! I know this note very well, as my grand-mother loved lily-scented things, and her house always smelled of lily candles, lily incense, real lilies, etc. On skin, wet: Lily, of course. Sweet, but almost deceptively so, as something sharp lingers beneath. A little unsettling, scent-wise. On skin, dry: Sharp, dusty, powdery and floral. I don't mind lily, but it's not one of my favourite notes. As it dries, as most floral notes tend to do on my skin, it becomes just a little sour. I definitely agree there's a little cinnamon, clove or dragon's blood. Conclusion/Notes: As a side note, is this supposed to be an orange-red colour? My imp (a frimp from the Lab) is a very un-remarkable pale yellow-orange colour. Is this odd? Hmm. Anyway, this is far too strongly floral for me, un-floral girl I normally am.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Patchouli. Pre-review thoughts: As soon as I read the words "Hellion" and "Snake Charmer," I knew I had to join a decant circle somewhere and snag a decant of this. In the imp: Overripe fruit, musk and patchouli. On skin, wet: Ugh. Dirty patchouli, fruit on the verge of rotting and sickly sweet musk. Oddly enough, I can see the resemblances to Hellion and Snake Charmer, but not in a good way. On skin, dry: Patchouli and I, we have a love/hate relationship. Right now, we're hating each other. There also lingers sandalwood, which I rarely get along with. Something fruity (perhaps plum indeed) and musky as well, which might be lovely, but for aforementioned sandalwood and patchouli. This is much too sharp and dirty for me to even think about liking. Conclusion/Notes: Hellion and/or Snake Charmer? Yes, sort of, but I get very different patchouli and sandalwood varients from Hellion, and Snake Charmer is fruity and musky in a much cleaner, softer way.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Dragon's blood! Pre-review thoughts: Cinnamon? Amber? Musk? The previous reviews give me much hope for Sathariel. In the imp: Cinnamon and what I would swear is dragon's blood — how could I mistake that cold, spicy tang? On skin, wet: Dragon's blood, musk and cinnamon. Warm and musky, this one, and very dark. On skin, dry: Predominately dragon's blood and musk. I do wish it were a little lighter on the musk, which seems to be of the darker variety. I can't say I don't find myself very fond of this all the same, but being so strongly dragon's blood on me, it's very close to the scent Dragon's Blood. Conclusion/Notes: I adore dragon's blood, musk and cinnamon, so I'm a fan of Sathariel. However, it's so similar to Dragon's Blood (which I already own), that I doubt I'll be buying a bottle of this.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Evil Orange Spice tea. Pre-review thoughts: I'm really not sure what to expect with this one. In the imp: Orange blossom, benzoin and white tea. On skin, wet: Orange blossom, benzion, white tea and mahogany. Mahogany is a veru unique note, and very pleasant. On skin, dry: Dry, it's a smooth, citrusy spiced tea with something dark far below the surface. The only thing I don't like about this is the bitter edge to said dark something-or-other. That edge, I'm supposing, is the vetiver, which has the habit of being very dark and bitter on my skin. Conclusion/Notes: I'm not sure about S&D yet. On the one hand, it reminds me of Sol, but darker and spicier. On the other, the vetiver! Hmm. I'll have to give this one some thought.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Green Berenice! Pre-review thoughts: I really have no idea, as the notes in this are almost all weird notes for me, that can go either way. In the imp: Green, bitter, and musky. A bit like Berenice, actually. On skin, wet: Bitter, herbal and musky. Indeed like Berenice, but darker. So far, it reminds me a bit of high-end aftershave. On skin, dry: Like Brienze, I'm thinking "Wow, this is like Berenice, but... am I crazy for thinking this amid these other, un-Berenice-like reviews?" Apparently not. I'm very fond of this, as I am of Berenice. My problem with Berenice is that it has no throw, and doesn't last long on me at all. Orpheus, however, is a bit stronger, and lingers for hours. Unlike Brienze, though, I definitely get a "green" vibe from Orpheus. The lavender stays surprisingly subdued, the musk is lovely, and the green stems and cedar add an interesting something to it. Of course, I'm a big fan of the benzoin and citrus peel as well. The green mandarin is very faint, but definitely there... I think. Conclusion/Notes: Orpheus is yet another winner. The Salons have been a series of hits for me, and a bottle of Orpheus must find a home with me soon, by Forumite or Lab order.

(Disclaimer: My nose makes no guarantees that it has, can, or will accurately describe Chaos Theories.) CLI (151), marked as CIL: (Original review here.) Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sweet, vanilla-y coconut! In the bottle: Warm, creamy coconut, and something almost green. On skin, wet: An absolutely wonderful, vanilla-y coconut, and something else... something I can't place. On skin, dry: Coconut, rum, vanilla and a little something green that I can't place, no matter how I try (and try). It reminds me of Eden, Elegba, and a wee bit of Strangler Fig. I don't like it at first, but as it continues to dry, it's absolutely lovely. By the drydown, I'm convinced there is a vanilla/tonk-esque note somewhere here. Conclusion/Notes: I love this! A creamy, rich coconut with a faint rum, and an Eden-like green note. It's not an herbal sort of green at all, but one with a very light sweetness to it. Love! Previously reviewed by grrrlennyl. CCXLVII (247): (Original review here.) Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Spicy! In the bottle: Mint! And... cinnamon? But... there is no cinnamon in CT3s? On skin, wet: Mmm, spicy. Surprisingly, very little mint anymore. And yes, cinnamony. Or, rather, something very much like cinnamon. Allspice? Clove? Hmm. It reminds me of chai, and something I can't place, though I'm well acquainted with the smell. On skin, dry: Not much mint anymore, sadly. And damn it, what is that smell? It almost smells like an apple-cinnamon candle, but light on the apple (and I may be imagining the apple bit entirely). I quite like the spiciness of it. Very warm, and, as I said, chai-like. What mint remains is definitely wintergreen-y, and not at all pepperminty, but I like it all the same. Conclusion/Notes: While it's not what I was hoping for (a spiced mint), I really like it. I still might swap it away eventually (in the quest for a minty Chaos), but then again, I might not. DCXXXVII (637): Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: ?!?!?! In the bottle: Coconut or hazelnut. I really can't tell. Maybe both? On skin, wet: Ohhh, now I know that note, and I was wrong before. I don't think it's coconut or hazelnut; I think it's cocoa! I may, of course, be wrong, but that's what it smells like to my nose. There also seems to be something like cinnamon, though obviously, it's not cinnamon. On skin, dry: Cocoa and... hmm. I can't place it, but there's something else. It has a very smooth, rich base. Could that other something be patchouli? Sandalwood? Musk? As it dries, this becomes much muskier, but it's not a dark musk, it's a light, smooth musk. Conclusion/Notes: I admit, I don't have a bloody clue what's in this. It could be coconut, it could be hazelnut, it could be cocoa! The second test around, I kind of like this! I don't love it -- there's something foody about it, which I blame on the "cocoa" -- but it's nice. DCXXXVIII (638): Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sugar Cookie-Skull. In the bottle: Very sweet, kind of boozey. Brown sugar? On skin, wet: Well hello, Sugar Cookie and Sugar Skull. When did you two run off and get married, eh? I'm a little offended I wasn't invited to the wedding, but moving right along... yes, this fairly reeks of SC and SS. Foody something, a little carmelised brown sugar, some booze. On skin, dry: Oh, man, something in this is really starting to disagree with me. Too foody, maybe? Too boozey? I don't know, but I'm really not liking it. There's also something musky here, which makes it a kind of... boozy, musky Sugar Cookie-Skull scent. I'd swear there was cinnamon in this one as well. Conclusion/Notes: Mmmmmm, no. My nose didn't like Sugar Cookie 05, or either Sugar Skull, and I really don't like booze notes, so this just ain't for me.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: GORGEOUS. Pre-review thoughts: When I bought this, I was hoping for a gingered, candy-ish vanilla with a bit of grapefruit, but given the previous reviews, I'm a little wary of the sugared fruit. In the bottle: Oooh, musky grapefuit! Strangely, the grapefruit smells a bit like melon? On skin, wet: The only word for the wet stage is "gorgeous." Sugary, musky, grapefruity vanilla. It's absolutely divine. Oh please, HGM, don't change! On skin, dry: I can safely say I am heartily in love with the Hungry Ghost, and I want to have his children, ASAP. Still strangely melon-y, a little spicy, smooth and sugared. The musk and aloe remind me of Embalming Fluid, without the lemon. Conclusion/Notes: It's fate: the Hungry Ghost and I are meant to be. HGM is beautiful, wonderful, and more than worthy of the smilie. I'll be on the look-out for those selling their bottles, oh yes.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Honeyed lotus. Pre-review thoughts: I'm a little wary of the lotus root, but who knows. In the imp: Honey and lotus. Very sweet, and warm. On skin, wet: Very, very sweet and flowery, with a touch too much lotus. Honeyed lotus, this one. On skin, dry: Sickly sweet lotus root dipped in honey. Light and and flowery; very girly. Not at all my type of thing. Conclusion/Notes: This does remind one of Tiger Lily, but I think I like TL better. It's just too... sweet, flowery, girly, and thick on the lotus root for me.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Dublin Lite! Pre-review thoughts: I'm guessing this'll be a rose-heavy floral. In the imp: Juniper, yew, sandalwood and something watery. On skin, wet: Juniper! But surprisingly, not the sharp, slap-in-the-face juniper I've encountered in other BPAL blends. It reminds me of Dublin, now that it's decided not to like me and reek of pine. On skin, dry: A slightly diluted, softer, cooler and aquatic Dublin, with a smooth base. Lovely in an herbal-y way, but as it dries it gets thicker, and I see that if I get a bottle of this, it'll last me ages, because even the tiny drop I used for this test is a little too much! Conclusion/Notes: I tried this again, after my initial review (before posting it here), using an even smaller drop than before, and am very, very fond of it. I think I'll be acquiring a bottle of this: since Dublin has something against me, this'd be perfect for my "must smell very very GREEN" cravings.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Confusing! Pre-review thoughts: I honestly have no idea how this'll turn out. In the imp: Honey, wine and cassia. Definitely boozey, but herbal. On skin, wet: This is a bit odd; very sweet and syrupy. I don't think I'm liking this, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. It's one of those "I shouldn't like this, and I don't think I do, but I can't. stop. sniffing" scents. On skin, dry: As ladytaga mentioned, there is something here that reminds me of tea, specifically tea with several heaping teaspoons of honey. Sweet and boozey -- mostly red wine and honey -- and for some reason, I like it. This confuses me. Conclusion/Notes: I'm on the fence on this one. I liked it when I sampled a drop while decanting, and so found a bottle on the LJ comm. I still like it, most of the time. Other times, however... This one's going to give me grief, I see.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Lavender. Pre-review thoughts: I love bamboo and chamomile, but the other notes, not so much. In the imp: Chamomile, lavender and bamboo. Odd, but intriguing. On skin, wet: Alas, lavender. Chamomile and bamboo as well, but already, mostly lavender. On skin, dry: I can tell that beneath the thick blanket of lavender, there lurks an absolutely lovely chamomile-bamboo scent. Unfortunately, lavender has an awful habit of staking its claim to my skin, unmoving and unrelenting. It sets up camp and long overstays its welcome, fighting with other notes and eventually supressing them. Lavender, with my chemisty, is a bully. Conclusion/Notes: A resounding no-go.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Surprising. Pre-review thoughts: Given the reviews and the notes, I'm thinking this'll be a disaster. In the imp: Alas, black musk, you waste no time. On skin, wet: How strange, that the black musk should become so much lighter. This is very sweet, warm and musky, but doesn't reek of Death as black musk-heavy scents tend to. On skin, dry: There is indeed something cologne-y to this, but not such that I don't like it. The leather, musk, oakmoss, ginger, patchouli and ambergris dominate the blend, and given that, I'm struck dumb, as I quite like it! Far too dark and heavy to find its way into my daily (or even regular) routine, but I could easily find occasion to wear it, and I can think of several darker-perfume-loving friends that would like it as well. Conclusion/Notes: Very nice. Every Salon oil I've tried so far has surprised me, and I've loved them all so far. I don't know if I'll hunt down a bottle of my own (I only tested using a teeny drop from one of the empty bottles), but I may track down a decant or two to keep around.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sweet saffron! Pre-review thoughts: This could either be divine (amber, honey, musk, cardamom and saffron) or horrible (myrrh, sandalwood, cypress, heavy musk). In the imp: SANDALWOOD. On skin, wet: Saffron and cardamom! Beneath that, honey and amber, and just a dusting of myrrh. This is gorgeous. Kind of what Bengal might've been, if the honey and pepper didn't go crazy when it hits my skin. On skin, dry: The only downside to this is that as it dries, the myrrh comes out, flails its little arms around and says "LOOK AT ME!" This doesn't last long, however, as the other notes stomp it back into submission, and it lingers in the background for the rest of the scent's life. Yes sir, I like this. Conclusion/Notes: I wish the honey were a bit stronger, but other than that, this is lovely! Damn it, I want a bottle of this as well. These Salons just get better and better.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Spiced rose. Pre-review thoughts: I have very little hope of this working for me. In the imp: Frankincense, ylang and rose. This is my "This is not going to work" face. On skin, wet: Rose! But a strangely pleasant, almost spiced rose. This is my "what the blue hell?" face. On skin, dry: Against all odds, I'm actually liking this. It's a bit musky, floral and sweet, with an incensey base. Surprising, and nice. It's unusual, and not my normal fare, but what can I say? Conclusion/Notes: I can't explain why — I dislike every listed note save copal — but I'm almost in love with this. Sweet, warm, spiced rose is what continues to come to mind. I think I'll be finding (or ordering) a bottle of this as well.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Good! Then... not so good. Hopes & Thoughts: I'm a little wary of the calla lily, lavender and verbana, but the moonflower, jasmine, grey amber and nighttime air sound promising. In the imp: ...Wow. Very floral, but unlike any floral scent I've come across. On skin, wet: Jasmine, lavender, honeysuckle and amber, with... well, it smells like nighttime air. Very floral and strong, but a very pleasant, beguiling, beautiful floral -- and this comes from the decidedly anti-floral girl. On skin, dry: I also have to agree with slave1: this smells like a garden at night. However, after about an hour, the lavender becomes stronger, and the calla lily appears. This is somewhat new, as when I originally tried this (before buying a bottle), I didn't notice this after the dry-down. Unfortunately, after further tries at getting BW to cooperate after it dries, it's just not working. Conclusion/Notes: I tries this in my Salome locket, but it smells much different — much warmer somehow, with a very prominant lavender note from the very start. I'll try again, but if she doesn't get her act together, I might have to swap her off.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Vanilla musk. Hopes & Thoughts: This is me hoping for a slightly woody, amber-heavy vanilla musk. In the imp: Violet, mandarin, vanilla musk and sage. Odd. On skin, wet: Oh, this is nice. Woody and musky with a very smooth vanilla. The amber's not very strong here, but it's lovely. On skin, dry: As it dries, Lucretia is primarily vanilla musk, but the amber and wood aren't so easily forgotten. This is what I had wanted Tombstone to be. I'm shocked that the sage and violet haven't shown up to steal the show, but I'm not complaining. Conclusion/Notes: Guh, I love this. I have a roll-on of Vanilla Musk perfume oil from a local vendor, and a teeny bit of it layered with Lucretia is... unspeakably good. Smooth, musky, woody and earthy. I've already snagged a bottle of this from a forumite, and I can't wait for it to arrive!

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Incensey oakmoss. Hopes & Thoughts: A little leery of the leather, rose and oakmoss. In the imp: Rose, oakmoss and leather. Eep. On skin, wet: Strong, this one, primarily oakmoss and rose. On skin, dry: Incensey oakmoss and rose, with occasional drifts of leather. Thick and smoky, almost heady. I don't do incense notes well, nor rose or oakmoss, or even leather most of the time. Conclusion/Notes: I'm not sure what I was hoping for with Les Infortunes, but it wasn't for an incensey, rosy oakmoss scent.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Honey lemon. Hopes & Thoughts: Given the previous reviews, I'm a little wary of something exceptionally lemony. In the imp: Honey and lemon! Very herbal and very nice. On skin, wet: Very herbal, with strong honey and lemon notes. The honey's very warm and dry, and not really very sweet. I'm quite surprised that it's not heavier on the lemon! On skin, dry: Herbs, lemon and honey make for a very strange, almost sour combination on my skin. It's kind of soapy, but in a weird way. Conclusion/Notes: I'm not a big fan.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Coconut and caramel! Hopes & Notions: I'm hoping for a sweet, sugary coconut (then again, I get that from Obatala!). I'm fearing a smokey rum. In the imp: Coconut! Sweet, lovely coconut. On skin, wet: Mmm, coconut. I don't know when it started, but I've had such a thing for coconut lately. And this is a lovely coconut. Warm, rich, and a little dry. On skin, dry: Sweet, sugary coconut and a strange, almost caramel-y note. The latter is oddly warm, and almost plastic. It really is quite similar to Red Lantern. RL, however, is much thicker, darker and warmer. The tobacco there is much heavier, whereas here it's simply an afterthought. Conclusion/Notes: I like Elegba well enough, but it's close enough to Red Lantern and Obatala that I don't need all three. I'll keep the imp, though.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: White flowers. Preconceived notions: Here's hoping for a soft, citrus-y, white musky vanilla. In the imp: Musk, vanilla, flowers and lemon. On skin, wet: Eek, floral. White, waxy flowers. I have no idea what sort of floral notes these are, but they seem intent on drowning me. And they're not doing a bad job. On skin, dry: Strong, white, waxy flower petals and the briefest hint of musk. Nothing approaching any of the citrus notes, sandalwood, or vanilla. Just overpowering, bright flowers. Conclusion/Notes: If you like white florals, give Zephyr a go. I don't, so I won't again.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Plastic almonds. Preconceived notions: I'm hoping for a sweet, spicy almond scent. In the imp: Hmm. Familiar somehow. Almond and honey. On skin, wet: Ah! This smells a bit like Bengal. A similar spiced-honey. Very, very sweet, though. Almost too sweet. On skin, dry: And this would be where it does, indeed, become too sweet, too cherry-esque. Spiced, but not spicy. The almond smells almost plastic, as almond tends to do. Conclusion/Notes: Alas, not for me.