tacey

This bottle has aged BEAUTIFULLY! Pretty sure I bought it near release, in 2012, and I never quite loved it, though it got some wear. Broke it out today in a fit of 'must re-try all the figs in my box!' and OH MY! This has turned into a beautiful, sweet chocolate, perfectly balanced between a dark chocolate sweetened by vanilla and a blend of fruits. I can't pick out the fig, but the pear and quince are swirling together just perfectly. It's foodie, but not? Delicious!

Orion, from the Winter's Grand Constellations in 2017 Yules has just become my new favorite fig. This is an amazing scent and I soooo wish it would be permanent! - Weathered brown leather, wild fig, Macedonian cedar, fire-red tobacco, pepper, white musk, and cardamom.

Wet, this is a little harsh - apple/pachouli is just dirty. As it dries the honey and lavender come out, but it's still a weird, dirty mix that's not working for me. I can't pick out the other notes at all.

I like this one a lot! Apples and honey up front, but that creamy vanilla and goat's milk wrapped around them, softening everything and keeping it from being overly sweet. Can't place the hay, but there's a hint of amber, maybe? Nothing dusty or dry - just soft and rich and sweet and warm. Like a sunbeam on a cool day.

On skin, starts out oh-my-apple, no appearance from the other notes. Now that it's dried down for a bit, the apple's mainly gone and it's black currant and something I'm going to call vanilla bourbon. Nice smokey underlayer from the clove. Unfortunately, I think in my locket it's going to be appleappleapple, so it's a bust for my purposes.

Light and pretty, reminds me of Goldenrod Spider a bit. Tropical and floral, I note the coconut much more than any apple. Fun and summery, but I'm happy with my imp.

Roses and lilies, like it says on the tin. Some frankincense I think, though I don't always recognize that (seems to change with the blend it's in, somehow). A pale colored but heady scent. The incense is coming stronger as it dries, but definitely floral first. Too floral for me in the wet stage, but it's getting really beautiful in the dry-down.

I guess I'm not the clever notes-detector you'd think I'd be after all these years - I pretty much just get honey from this one.

Not peaceful on my skin at all! Maybe the interaction of the jasmine and lemongrass, but something is sharp and aggressive and I think it's trying to kill me... From a little distance I get mainly lemon with something harsh behind it; the occasional waft of beautiful sandalwood won't stay in focus, and I can't pick out the rose at all. I think the cedar is contributing to the sharpness I keep getting. Just not going to work for me, sadly. I've always thought it sounded like a beautiful blend.

As usual with dragon's blood, I get a bizarre blend of deep red and pale purple notes. Overwhelming, and not especially pleasant. The salty tang shows up in about 30 minutes, giving me hope, but that fades and all I'm left with is a faintly soapy scent. It's not the oil, it's me...

Creamy fig (not the lovely dark one, but a soft sweet fig drenched in fresh cream) and sweet vanilla. I think part of that sweetness is the ylang-ylang, actually, but I can't quite pick it out separately. Orchid can be many things, and I have no idea which one may be here. Overall, I love it - soft, sweet, a little sexy without the usual assocated musks. Perfect for summer!

That's the July 2012 version - the review topic is here, I have a bottle but can never get photos to post. I think there's a picture in the "what do bottles look like" thread, from about the same time. Thanks so much! I skimmed a bunch of reviews and this thread, but I didn't think about the 'what do bottles look like'.

Does anyone have a listing of what the various Thirteen labels look like? I have one I can't identify. The label is sepia tones with a winged angel facing a wheel (spinning wheel?) to the right. There's a small figure sitting on top of the wheel. Thanks for any help!

Bought unsniffed, but I'm disappointed. There's an off note that's making me a bit ill - I think the ambergris. (Haven't tried ambergris since my first round of imps. I didn't like it then, but so much has changed I didn't expect it to be a problem.) I'll give this bottle some time to 'rest' and try again, but this isn't looking good. The aquatic part is beautiful and delicate - even to a non-lover of aquatics - but I never smelled the rose geranium or frank that I bought it for.

Vetiver. Both in the locket and the whole time on my skin. Now, it's the good smoky-soft kind, and I really liked it, but I was expecting to find all those other notes. Will give this bottle some time to 'rest' and try again later...