coulrophobe

Like some others, I got a minty-pine from Ice Queen, softened with light florals and musk (no fruitiness in here to my nose). But it's taken me a while to review this (I've had my bottle for months now), because I've had a hard time separating out the actual notes. What was distracting me? A nostalgia kick. This smells exactly like some soap or shower gel that my great-aunt used to have. For the longest time, I would sniff the bottle and all my brain could register was "Aunt Hazel's bathroom!" It's a great scent. Fresh and cold, and one of the few green/coniferous scents I can wear - the minty notes and the musk tone down the "I smell like a tree" factor, which is great on some but not on me. I don't wear this often, but I'm really liking it today. I put it on this morning thinking it would be great for a hot, sunny day like we had yesterday... I really should look out the window before applying oil based on the weather, because it was pouring down rain today - but I'm enjoying Ice Queen nonetheless.

I asked what scents lasted the longest on the LJ community a few months back, and judging by the massive range in responses, it's a highly individual thing, depending on your chemistry. For what it's worth, on me, the ones with greatest staying power have been Morocco, Depraved, Snow White and Antique Lace. On me, musks and resins stay, while things like florals and teas evaporate pretty quickly, but your mileage may vary.

I really wanted to love The Star. When I first put in on, I got mint - so far, so good. Then there was an underlying sweetness - it smelled like a blend of citrus and lotus - still OK. Then there was coconut - usually a good note for me. Usually. This reminds me of Spooky, because in both, the combination of coconut and lime goes all chalky and artificial on me. I'm disappointed, as I like all the notes I can smell in this - but the drydown just isn't pleasant with my chemistry.

I'm one of the lucky ones - I seem to be able to wear Chango without it going civet-y or smelling decayed on me! I do get a hint of something warmer lurking underneath that threatens to go in that direction - but never does. I'm thinking black musk, since civet is so uniformly horrible on me, but I definitely could be mistaken! On me, Chango is primarily a peachy-banana smell. I was surprised it worked so well, as the banana note in Manila smelled artificial on my skin. In this blend, the fruits smell natural and clear, and then a ways into drydown the musky note emerges - but luckily for me, not in a stinky or cloying way.

I'll echo those who thought this smelled like men's cologne/deodorant - this is a fresh, clean masculine blend to my nose. I personally kind of like it, but it is more manly than I usually wear, and a tad soapy. Smelling it from the bottle, there's an odd "cool-air" sensation to my nose - like smelling fresh ozoney air at night, so the "air and darkness" description fits for me. On my skin, though, it warms and sweetens a bit, and while the ozone stays, the airy effect lessens. If I sniff my wrist very closely, I smell a watery, slightly sour note - it smells like how cucumber smells on my skin. It's not a blend I see myself wearing often, but it's good for feeling clean, focused and organized.

In the bottle, this smells like a clean, light herbal scent, but I can't distinguish any notes in particular. On my skin, it morphs into a beautiful white floral - there's an airy feeling to it that's similar to what I get from The Unicorn and Blue Moon (it doesn't smell like either of those, but just has a similar quality, just kind of... soaring). As it dries, I finally understand the references to spice in the other reviews. It's not there when I first sniff, but as I continue to inhale, I feel the tingly sensation of cinnamon way up in my sinuses, underneath the milky white floral notes. Official verdict: I lurves me some White Light.

I completely agree with Macha about not wanting to smell my wrist too closely - this is definitely an odd little oil. Out of the bottle, this was all minty-freshness (which I like). On my skin, the spearmint is still the most noticeable ingredient - but there's something warm and kind of... animally (which does fit in with Orunla being the patron of animals, I suppose). Musks are usually not animally on me. Civet is usually far worse than "animally" on me... so what is this? Perplexing... maybe it actually is a darker musk, and I'm having a hard time recognizing it, as I don't believe I've smelled musk in combination with mint. Sniffing from a few inches away, this is quite nice. Refreshing and minty-herbal, but with something odd and warm in the background.

In the imp: Strong, sharp lemon and eucalyptus... can't smell the mint at all. On: Why yes, I was correct, that certainly is lemon and eucalyptus. Definitely a "WAKE UP!" scent. I only got a few hours sleep and by all rights should have a raging hangover this morning, but this scent makes me feel ready to go. Unfortunately, I also smell vaguely like a lemon coughdrop. Drydown: Where'd it go? Within 30 minutes, this has dried down to a baby powder scent. I like the scent better now, but it's lost its edge.

Out of the bottle: A fresh, sharp, sweet scent. I get a tingle way up in my nose from this one. On: With my chemistry, this turns into a very light, breezy jasmine scent. I'm surprised I can't smell the juniper at all - but I think I prefer it that way. On the whole, I like this one, but am not rabid for it. It's a very pretty blend, but I'm not devestated that it's unavailable, as my soft/clean floral category has already been filled by Pele. But I'm quite happy I got to try it, and would probably consider getting more if the opportunity arose.

How is it that I haven't reviewed this one yet? It's been a favorite for months, but I've neglected to write about it... Anyway. Preconceived notions - I've always been interested in the country of Morocco (and North Africa in a more general sense) - so I was hoping I'd like this. I didn't order solely based on the name, the ingredients all sounded like things that would work on my skin (musk! spice! yay!) - but the name did play a part in why this was part of my very first order. Wearing Morocco, I get almost no spice whatsoever. And though I do like spicy scents, I'm perfectly OK with Morocco being unspicy, because it smells so perfectly me. Warm, dry but soft, very comforting. I've noticed a marked differece between my imps and my 10 ML - the bottle smells much more cedary (or maybe it's just a stronger dose of sandalwood), while my imps are predominantly sweet white musk (very similar to Antique Lace, but with a bit less creamy vanilla). But both are gorgeous. Morocco has become my all-purpose scent - I can wear it to work, for evening wear, to sleep in, or to just hang out doing whatever in, and it just smells like what I've always imagined myself smelling like.

Iris is my favorite floral note, and I noticed it most in Black Pearl and Florence. I've tried all the others mentioned, but couldn't really smell any iris in them. Though, it looks like I should give Nefertiti another go! I remember it being pretty, but extremely faint on me - one of the ones that didn't last more than an hour - guess it's time to see if it's aged well.

Wet: Lavender. Dry: Um... yeah, lavender. That's it. This would be great if I liked lavender - but it's almost always too harsh and jarring on my skin (Soothing? Sleep-inducing? Hell, no!), and this is no exception. I feel lucky that I was able to obtain a bottle of this so long after it was discontinued - but Mercury just isn't a blend that works for me. I was imagining something little and fiery and red, but I just got lavender. Not my nemisis by a longshot, but not a scent that works on me, either.

Huh... mine did not smell like pineapple - while fruity, it was more of a rich berry/floral with a bit of incense. I wasn't able to pick out precise notes; Baba Yaga seems complex and very well-blended to me. It seems to morph each time I sniff it - from juicy berry to perfumey floral to crisp fruit (like pear, but... not) to smokey incense... a very intriguing scent. I hope this one is released soon. It's gorgeous and unique, and as a lover of all things fruity, my little imp will be hoarded until it's available in larger quantities.

Bizarre... I don't get tropical blooms and ginger with this (and it doesn't smell like I remember Hawaii smelling at all). What does it smell like? Pure, unadulterated dryer sheet. AND I LOVE IT. I'm one of those people that inhales deeply when I walk by dryer vents in buildings while someone's doing laundry, because I love that clean, warm, floral-powder smell. That dryer sheet smell is the olifactory equivalent of wrapping myself in a warm, fluffy baby-blue blanket. For me, this is one of my ultimate comfort scents. I'm going to buy a bottle to use when I'm sick or stressed, or just need to sleep. I didn't know much about Pele's gentler side, but if this scent is any indication, I'm betting she gives good hugs.

I'll preface this by saying I have a love-hate relationship with lotus. When lotus is good, everyone is happy. When lotus is bad, it's bad in a very funky way and the people around me suffer because of the weird "some forgotten part of my body is decaying" odor I produce. Luckily, lotus is good to me *most* of the time. This was not one of those times. I didn't get the "full-blown decay in progress" scent I get from Undertow and Paris, but I smelled a bit off, in a syrupy kind of way. First a sickly-sweet fermentation, then a touch of motor oil. The impression I'm getting is fruit and flowers that have been on a compost heap behind a garage for a few days. This simply does not work with my chemistry, which is a shame - I really dig it out of the bottle, but my skin just doesn't like it.

Wet: Lavender. I'm not getting the lemony scent others do - just lavender. Drydown: I agree with those that think there's something softer and warmer in here. Lavender is generally pretty sharp on me (and often makes me edgy, rather than soothes me) - but this scent manages to be airy, subtle and soft. I could be smelling white musk, but that might just be wishful thinking. Anyway, there's something here calming down the lavender, rounding it out and making it mesh with my chemistry much better than normal. I can see using this as a stress blend, or to gain a bit of clarity.

Wet: Vetivert. The oil is red, so I trust there's dragon's blood in there somewhere... but damned if I can smell it. Just gritty, acrid vetivert, which really doesn't do well with my chemistry. Drydown: This softens and warms a bit - but the vetivert is still screamingly obvious. I *think* I smell faint herbs or florals, and there's a touch of resin's warmth - but the overall impression is lightly sweetened motor oil. Bummer. I was hoping for the spicy red smell that others got, but vetivert is just not a note that's kind to me. I smell like I've been rolling around on the floor of someone's garage!

Hehe... this blend smells way to light and happy to be the Hanged Man! In the imp: clean, crisp, sweet/tart - could that be... On: HI, LOTUS! The lotus jumps out, waves and hollers, and starts shaking its rump around like a spaz. In other words, uh, really lotusy. Drydown. Once the lotus stops acting like a frenzied little dog trying to hump my leg, it settles down I get whiffs of something else - apples, maybe honeysuckle or other subtle florals. It's a light, clean sweet-but-not-sticky blend - even though I'm at work after 6 PM and ready to call it a day, this makes me feel shower-fresh. Very rejuvenating and fun. Lotus was one of thost notes I had to learn to love - and I discovered I can only love it in certain blends. Luckily, this is one.

I was expecting something powerful, stern, austere and masculine, but on me, this wasn't any of those things. It's a silly, foppish little emperor - one that giggles a lot and really just wants to forget about this ruling thing for a while and do a bit of interior decorating, the palace does need it so... and seriously, this type of emperor sounds like a lot more fun. Notewise, I'm getting dragon's blood and rose, and something else that's making it a bit soapy. It's not bad - especially if it is indeed a rose blend, they're usually terrible on me. Anyway, it's light, clean and very floral. Not particularly me, but nice.

Initially a very green, fresh-cut-grasses-and-stems smell, then the dandelion makes itself known, and the other florals follow. These are light, natural smelling flowers - things that grow outdoors, unfussily - and this is an unfussy floral blend to my nose, natural and not overly perfumy. Temperance sweetens up quite a bit with my chemistry, but never to the point of being heavy or cloying, like some floral blends are.

I get orange and amber out of this... and something else that's soft, sweet, and blends in nicely - vaguely floral - is that the heliotrope? I can't for the life of me remember what heliotrope smells like! Anyway... I don't get any spices, but this blend is perfect as is. To me, it's very innocent smelling. And a bit unexpected. The image it conjured up in my weird little noggin is a blonde child playing, on a day that's sunny but not hot - then he's called over by his mother, one of those impossibly elegant ladies who are always dressed in hats, Jackie-O shades and black silk dresses (and you know she smells just as expensive as she looks) - she appears austere, but she has those orange-slice shaped gummy candies - the ones covered in sugar - tucked away in her purse. Uh... I ramble. But yeah. I really like this one.

Hehe... maybe we both are wonky. I know my chemistry's downright bizarre on some occasions it managed to turn Haunted into a weird lemon scent (first strongly lemon, then weird musky lemon bars rolled in baby powder). And I turned Cerberus into key lime pie. Apparently, my chemistry likes citrus desserts, even though I do not. Peculiar, that.

Yep... ylang ylang, like everyone else says. As I was just testing this at work today, I can't speak to its effectiveness (I have no cute coworkers to seduce... pity me). I know ylang ylang is a traditional love blend ingredient, but I just don't quite... get it. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful and sweet, very feminine. But seduction? I think of that as being a bit musky, smokey... sultry and dangerous. On me, this is a light and innocent floral blend - but who knows, I'll have to try it out around more desireable company. It's been amusing to track what I find sexy on myself vs. what my guy friends find sexy on my skin - so I'm definitely not ruling this out as a seduction scent just yet.

Argh... I think one of the Somnium blends, and perhaps one of the Panaceas was very lemony on me - but I can't remember which ones! I'll check when I get home from work. Other than that - Embalming Fluid wasn't very lemony on me, in fact it was exactly the same as Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea - but my chemistry could be wonky. And yeah, June Gloom. I was devestated that it was strong, pure lemon (I can deal with a softer vanilla-lemon, but this just was too much for my chemistry). I do have a bottle, but my swap needs are extremely limited at this point - feel free to PM me if you're interested.

First off, I have to say I was busting up reading the previous reviews of this - some of y'all have quite the way with words! But, without further ado, here's my two cents. Now, I'm perfectly in touch with my animalistic nature, and love some of the darker musks (though white musk will always be my favorite) - but civet just isn't kind to me. The blends I've tried that have civet in them have ranged from a slight but nevertheless disturbing undercurrent of fecal matter to full-blown "Holy shit-slinging monkeys, Batman, we're under attack!" To his credit, Puck is on the less, um, pungent end of the scale. I can smell the other notes, and the grape and oakmoss in particular are gorgeous. And after the offensive poo smell dries down a bit, it's barely there. I can't help but wonder if this scent would have been more popular if there'd been a musk rather than civet in there - to me it would have made all the difference.