Abbie

In the bottle: I always dig on the "metallic" scents that Beth puts out, so just for giggles I'm going to compare this to my half-bot of "Bed of Nails" from Carnivale Noir. My mental pictures are identical, but sniffing directly, Kataniya has a more citrusy scent, whereas B.O.N is spicier, with an undertone of sweet. First on: These become very difficult to distinguish upon application. Kataniya does have a more floral scent. And *Damn*, do I smell good right now, with one on each wrist. Dry: Bed of Nails is the winner in this little game... Kataniya fades too quickly (although the fade isn't anything I'd kick out of bed for eating crackers). She goes to a softer scent, but never powdery. Very sensuous. The girl is a winner.

In the bottle: Really not what I expected. This is peppery, with some sort of darker florals tucked away. A hint of salt. First on: It expands a lot when put on the skin, and becomes hard to quantify. A very grim and ghastly aquatic is how I can put it... not to say that it's bad, but this is not a happy perfume. I like this a lot better on... it reminds me of Scarecrow, one of my all-time favorites. Just a lot more complex. Dry: Lasts a good long time, developing a faint sweetness. I'm amazed how much I like this when I think of my unimpressed first sniff.

I was so delighted when this was released. I love the character of Spider, and the opportunity to have him (alas, only in perfume form) was not to be missed. In the bottle: Spider is very tart and citrusy, with just a hint of spice. No sign of the vetiver that made me leery of ordering this blend. I could talk myself into smelling the artemisia but it certainly doesn't leap to the forefront. First application: Damn, this is really good. Very fresh and manly... I often wear manly scents, so this doesn't bother me. But others who like a more feminine fragrance might want to beware. Not soapy at all, but with a sort of aquatic vibe. And lime. Dry: This order has almost all been a hit, but Spider, I think, may go on my all-time favorites list. It fades a bit faster than I would like. Bravo Lab. This one is everything I hoped for.

In the bottle: This is sweet, and somehow so innocent. Reminds me of Bubble Yum, but in a good way... normally I find that the BPAL sweet scents are too cloying, but this is delish. First on: Bananary goodness. Not much of a morpher. Dry: A quick fader, and not quite as good dry as that delicious wet stage. But I don't care. I love it and will keep it and pet it and call it Fizzgig

In the bottle: A very light musk scent, warmed by amber and a sweet lemony scent. Might be a bit sweet for me. First on: Not too much of a morpher... it's getting a bit soapy. Dry: This one just isn't impressing me. It gets too soapy. One for swaps.

In the bottle: This is dandelion, but sweetened up somehow... normally I find the dandelion smell a bit bitter. Kind of a scent of apple. Really quite light and fresh. First on: This gets more beery on, and I can actually smell the hemp. Not, um, smoked hemp, which I find kind of reeks, but the way it smells when it's not smoked. No hops in here, which is good IMHO, since hops smell pretty strong to me. Dry: Grassy and fresh. This stuff ROXORZ! I'm keeping it!

In the bottle: Musk and dirt. A clean but melancholy smell. First on: My skin brings out sharper piney notes. This stuff is good, though heavy. Dry: A bit too heavy for me to really like. Might be good on someone else. This one's for the swap pile.

In the bottle: Strong cedar, with patchouli. A heavy fragrance. First on: You know, the cedar actually gets weaker on me when it's on. This can only be a good thing. When on, this scent is surprisingly sexy, all leather and salt and smoke. It is completely morphed from what was in the bottle... the cedar's only a bright note. Dry: It smells smoky and burning, but the heavy cedar note didn't come back. This turned out a lot better than I expected. I'm keeping the imp.

In the bottle: Djinn is acrid. Kinda icky. Plus I think my old nemesis myrrh is in here. First on: It's more pleasant on... there's sort of a nice smoky smell which I enjoy. Maybe kind of a pine scent? But yeah, still that icky resinous smell. Dry: During drydown, it gets sweeter and softer and really quite nice. I might hang on to this one for a while and try it again

In the bottle: I picked this up some time ago at a RL swap. It looks like cherry Kool-aid, but smells like pretty pure Dragon's Blood, to me. There's a floral undertone to it that gives it a bit of depth which I like. First on: Oh boy this does not do well on my skin. It gets rank. Oddly enough I think it smells like an asian grocery store. There's just that odd little fishy/ocean smell... mostly hidden under the fragrance of the spices thanks to the refrigeration units, but still very much present. It's not a bad smell, but NOT what I'd like to smell like. Dry: It gets a nice floralish smell when it dries. But I have several other dragon's-blood scents, and this one isn't special enough for me to keep. So overall? Swap pile!

In the bottle: Oh, honestly, I just shouldn't bother with reviews when I'm going to smell something completely different from everyone else. This, to me, is mint and patchouli, which is a combination I don't think I've ever smelled before, and is really quite nice. If I really sit and think about it I can convince myself there's a bit of green in there too. First on: This is a pretty masculine scent to me, but now I'm picking up some lighter tones. Still no florals, but there's a good citrus from the yuzu, and the patchouli's got some more sandalwoody depth. Dry: The sandalwood's a bit stronger than I like as the rest of the oils dry down, but overall? This is good!

In the bottle: A strong, sweet, lemon tea. I would not have said Earl Grey, but I do see what she meant. Not a hint of leather to be found. First on: Pure lemonage. You have to really get your nose up to your wrist and snort to detect anything else. Dry: And it's gone. That was a fast fade. Overall: I love citrus, so I'll keep this one. Might not be for everybody, though.

In the bottle: Mostly geranium, oddly, with violet and lily lagging behind. I have such a weird nose. It's a sharp, wet floral, with a very fresh feel... it makes me think of a rainy day. First on: Violet and chamomile come up strongly. Still a pretty nice scent, but going a bit bath salt-y. I much preferred this in the bottle. Dry: Yeah, the bath salt fragrance is pwning me. I just can't do these violet scents. I'll hang on to it for room fragrance, though.

In the bottle: Mostly pine with a bit of vanilla, but not too strong. Quite subtle. First on: Oh, just prrrr. This is a very sexy scent. To me it smells like pine EO rather than pine scent (I live in a very pine-heavy state and consider myself something of a connoisseur) but the vanilla and amber warm it up and make it seem more sunshiny. This is delish! Damn I wish the boy hadn't left for the day. Dry: This has lots of throw, though it's still a subtle scent. I exude sexiness for miles around. Overall: This one might be a big-bottler if I ever get any money.

In the bottle: Weird. Aquatic, but with an vegetable smell, and maybe a hint of... mesquite? It must be the vetiver, but damn. Very odd. First on: Even more vegetationish. Quite rank. I am beginning to suspect this will not be a keeper but let us see, hm? Dry: It's okay... but just no. This is for swaps.

In the bottle: Hmm... a lot sweeter than I would have expected. Rather winelike. I don't get the woods, acquatics, leathers, or burnt smells, dangit. First on: Even sweeter, with kind of a burnt smell as an undertone. You know, I really didn't think I would like a wine scent but this one seems... powerful. Not at all what I had in mind, but very evocative. Dry: Pretty much exclusively wine. Overall: Normally I am not big on the wine, but this one is very nice, and I will keep.

In the bottle: Mmmmm. A warm hot-day smell, like too much sunshine. A sleepy kind of fragrance. Not detecting specific notes, apart from general "spice" and "amber" , but not too intense. First on: An oily oil... to me this smells a little bit like polished wood. I believe I also detect a hint of musk now. A soft scent, though. Dry: As it dries it gets more musky but remains a wonderful summer scent. Overall: A keeper!

In the bottle: Peaches n' jasmine. Very heavy, lovely and sultry (I totally spelled sultry as slutty just now... makes you wonder where my mind is) but I betcha dollars to donuts once I get it on it goes pure jasmine. No evergreens, woods, or aquatics (which is what I pictured when it said blue-green) First on: It did go mostly jasmine, but a nice light jasmine, still with a vaguely fruity undertone. This stuff is strong. It is a very evocative scent, and I can picture a bayou in my mind: a nice bayou, though... maybe one sponsored by Disneyland. Not all the funk and mugginess of a real swamp. Dry: Gets kind of a floorwaxy smell after a while. Shame, too, because I was quite liking it. But I think this is another one for the swap pile.

In the bottle: Well howdy Cap'n Morgan! This is full-on coconut rum: boozy and buttery-sweet like a trip to Vegas. First on: On, this gets much more interesting. Still mostly the coconut rum, but there's a spicy tobacco scent underneath... even more like a trip to Vegas, now that I think about it. Dry: As it dries it fades and gets less sweet, with maybe a bit of a green smell Overall: It's nice but it isn't me. For swap.

In the bottle: If I'd have sniffed this unseen I'd have said vermouth rather than gin. It's sweetish, but definitely alcoholic. No juniper or what-have-you so far. First on: Juniper comes out strong on my skin... which is a DEFINITE good thing for me. I love juniper. I may have misidentified the smell as vermouth, bc now overall I smell like a G&T. Personally this does not bother me, as G&Ts smell good, but it might not be everybody's idea of a good thing. Dry: Citrusy and juniper. A good G&T. I think it's a winner!

In the bottle: Sweeeeet. I do not like me the sweet. This was a frimp and not one I would have picked. This isn't too hard-core sweet, so it might be tolerable. First on: Not as cloying as most sweets, with a kind of black-cherry tone to it. Like Cherry Garcia ice cream, actually. Dry: More intense cherry-cream scent. Much the same, really Overall: It's not bad, but I don't love it, and there seem to be lots of people who do. It deserves a good home so it is swap-pile bound.

In the bottle: A definite manly scent... but will that slow me down? NO! I like the guy stuff. It's hard to pick up specific notes but it is very clean and aquatic. So far a winner. First on: Much the same. Reminiscent of "Cool Wave" deodorant. A very classic men's cologne/aftershave sort of smell. Overall: Meh. I like but I don't love. I may see if the boy wants it, so I'll hang onto it for a bit and we'll see what the Vicomte's ultimate fate is.

In the bottle: Odd. This is dill. Not a pickle... there's no vinegary scent of the brine. Underneath I can smell lily and frankincense striving to be smelled, but failing under all the dill. First on: Maybe what I was smelling as "dill" was in fact the geranium. On the skin there's much more frankincense than anything else. I wouldn't have thought "rose geranium" from this scent at all, but now that I know to look for it I believe I am picking up a geranium scent...but more the spicy geranium than the sweeter rose geranium. This is actually quite nice! Very soft and mellow, but not at all soapy. Not a religious scent at all, to my mind, though I have never been to Prague. Dry: As it dries, it goes to a purer, sweeter rose. Nothing too out of the common, but that drydown? Mmmm. So this one's a keeper.

Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean. In the bottle: Sweet artificial fr00t. Reminds me of Lampades, without the cranberry. This was a frimp, because I have learned the hard way that I don't like fruity scents, and this so far appears to be no exception. First on: It gets less sweet and more peachy, with an odd undertone of... coffee? WTF? Actually, when on, this is pretty good. It's not at all what I would normally choose, but it's intriguing nonetheless. When dry: it's just too sugary for me. Shame, that drydown was quite nice. But Tamora is swap-pile bound

In the bottle: Soft and springtime-y with a hint of citrus. Not very strong. First on: Okay, strong. It's a citrusy "perfume" scent, but it's hard to pick out notes. And this is BURNING where I put it behind my ears, although it seems fine on wrists. A moment while I wash it off. Okay, I'm back. That was deeply strange, as I never have reactions. I wonder if some earrings scratched me or something. Anyway. This is a lot nicer in the bottle than it is on. It's kind of artificial cleanser smell. Dry: Lemon, pepper, and baby powder. Not bad, but not good enough to make me overlook the BURNING. So this one's going to the swap pile.