ReikoSazanami

In imp: A definite hit of aftershave come first, but there’s something almost fruity or citrusy behind it. Wet on skin: Lemon! Where did that come from? I’m guessing it’s the embalming fluid, but the scent right now resembles lemon candies, strangely enough. There’s also a menthol and mint scent behind it, likely made of whatever the aftershave notes are blended from. Drydown: The candy scent has backed down, leaving a strange blend of sharp notes behind. It’s almost herbal, but the tang that the lemon scent originally gave it now lends a chemical smell to the blend. The aftershave has come back as well. Overall: In its entirety, the scent delivers exactly what its description sells us. Though it could be interpreted as a masculine scent, I find it to be more unisex, at least with my personal chemistry. All in all, I don’t mind it, but also don’t know if I would buy more than an imp.

In imp: At first I thought this was my imp of Herbert West! It smells like men’s cologne or aftershave, maybe with a menthol note. Wet on skin: Soapy, almost like Irish Spring. There isn’t anything particularly dark about this blend, at least not yet. Though the description says a “drop” of lemon rind, at the moment it is nearly overpowering. Drydown: The very clean scent is still there, but I can smell the sandalwood notes coming through. As it settles, it turns to a soapy incense on me. Overall: Wispy is a good description of the scent, and the lab was right to describe it in that way. The vetiver has peeked through near the end, making the blend pleasant once it has settled down. It’s a little too clean for me personally, but not a bad scent overall.

First off, this was a free bottle (Frottle?) from the Trading Post after there was a mix-up with an order that was lost. Thank you, Puddin' and the labbies that packed this in with the wonderful little pouch I ordered! In imp: Eep! It’s almost a gaggy candle scent, very heavy on the sweet and creamy notes. Even though it says boysenberry syrup, I smell maple in there, too. Concentrated breakfast. Wet on skin: The candle scent is still around, but the berries have come out, too. And to be perfectly honest, from a good distance away, it DOES smell like pancakes with butter and syrup. It’s bizarre. I also have to keep the dog and cat away from my wrists; they’ll lunge and attempt to lick it off it I don’t. Drydown: Sticky-sweet syrup. Non-foodie scent lovers beware, you WILL smell like fresh pancakes and syrup. The cakes and butter have faded, and the scent is sticking much closer to my skin at this point and not jumping out into people’s faces. The scent reminds me of a country crafts store somehow. Overall: To be honest, I would not have given this 5ml a second glance normally, but it was an extra tucked into a late package. The funny part? I actually wear it! It’s perfect for these chilly, bleak fall college days when I need something warm and comforting without dipping into my favorite fuzzy musks or incense blends. This little bottle is staying with me!

It's kind of an odd choice, but Nocnitsa reminds me immediately of winter pines. It could be that I amp the crap out of pine, but I even mentioned that I would keep it for winter and holidays. Others may amp the moss and dirt notes, though.

I didn't see it listed, but Bayou went crazy-honeysuckle on me...and I'm allergic to it! D: Maybe it's right up this thread's alley, I couldn't stand the stuff, but someone else may like it!

In imp: Dish detergent, ironically the “sea breeze” variety, and a little nip of floral. Wet on skin: More detergent, sadly. There’s a little bit of the sea spray I loved in Jolly Roger, but not very much. The floral note is slowly dissipating, at least, but this is a bright and happy scent. I wanted deep-down gloom! Drydown: Dryer sheets and Irish Spring soap. That sea breeze I loved in Jolly Roger is nowhere to be found. Overall: Floral and soap is all I got from this blend, despite my high hopes. I’ll try to again sometime, maybe in a scent locket, but my skin makes is smell like I just took a nice shower. Pleasant, but not at all what I wanted.

In imp: Soft and warm, with a bit of a musky bite. Maybe a hint of sandalwood as well. Fenris Wolf’s relaxed second-cousin. Wet on skin: A very light musk and soft incense. I don’t smell the doeskin, grasses or woods yet, but the amber is showing up plain as day. Drydown: There are the dry grasses! And the woods and doeskin as well. It’s lightly leathery and outdoorsy, but has enough musk now to keep my interest, and the amber is gorgeous in this blend. It’s nicely warm and sun-lit without being hot. Overall: The woods, grasses and doeskin counterbalance the musk and amber in such a beautiful way. It’s not too dry, either, I keep getting just a little splash of something wet. 5mls, please!

In imp: Dark, brooding incense notes and a prickliness along the top that goes straight into the sinuses. Wet on skin: There’s a definite masculine muskiness under all that incense and resin, and what smells like rich spices as well. The ozone truly comes in flashes, especially when you’re close in studying the other notes. I keep thinking I smell cinnamon. Drydown: Now there’s a bit of dust and smoke. The ozone is less prevalent than it was earlier, but the incenses are still sharp and biting. The spices are less rich now as well. Overall: A puzzling scent. I’m not used to this deep of an incense, and it was definitely an experience. It’s a bit soapy after awhile, but retains a certain sharpness. Just not quite my thing, though I try most everything at least twice.

In imp: Pungent and a bit stinky. The vetiver and black musk are at the forefront. Wet on skin: Smoky and very black, with the scents muddling together. There are some dark fruits underneath there, but they haven’t surfaced. The musk is right near the top. Drydown: I have no idea what I’m actually smelling, but the ingredients are pretty exotic. The black musk and vetiver have taken over, making a very smoky and dark blend. Overall: Gritty and strange. It suits the Lovecraft line perfectly, but I’m not sure if it’s for me. It stays close to the skin and has a throw of only a few inches. I’ll keep it, since a deep, creepy scent can be fun sometimes.

In imp: Mildew and rocks, and something very dry and stale. Wet on skin: It almost smells metallic, which is rather bizarre. I’m not getting fungus or dirt at all, but more of the tang of ozone. Very strange. Drydown: There it is! There’s this faded whiteness that I can’t quite place. Metallic soil and rocks, mildew and mushrooms. The ozone is still there. It’s still strange, but likeable. Overall: It’s a keeper. I’m not sure what it is, but there’s some subtlety of this blend that I really like. I could stand for more soil, but this is nice as it is.

In imp: Fruity, musky and smoky all at the same time. There’s an underlying scent of cherries. Wet on skin: Smoke and fruit! And some hints of incense starting to rear their heads. The resin is coming out as well, making sure that this is a draconic blend. The musk is coming out, and something in this blend has the same spicy tang I found in Wrath. Drydown: Eep. My skin’s a bit red and itchy from something in this blend, but I like how it smells! The fruitiness has flown away, leaving smoke and musk intermingled with incense and resin. Very powerful, and surprisingly androgenus. I smell cinnamon, but it’s not among the notes. Overall: I’m sad at my skin’s reaction, but I may use it in my hair or on clothing. I love the heaviness of the notes and how nicely they mingle. Whatever blood musk is, it’s sexy as hell.

In imp: Sweet dragon’s blood with an undercurrent of leather. Reminds me of a much-subdued Wrath. Wet on skin: Lots and lots of incensey dragon’s blood with just a hint of smokiness. The leather is beginning to peek through, the same one I smelled in De Sade. Drydown: Yep, that is BPAL dragon’s blood all the way. It’s like I actually have the incense burning in my room, and the leather makes me think that I have a good friend nearby that I can curl up with. Very homey, but just a little bit mischievious. Overall: Incense on the go. Maybe not a scent I would wear too often, but one for when I’m feeling homesick or lonely. “Protective” was a perfect description of the scent. Very comforting.

In imp: Springtime in a bottle! I smell green grassy notes and tiny fresh flowers. Lovely. Wet on skin: This is a pleasantly herbal mix, lots of greens. The description is spot-on; it’s summers in the hills and sparse woods amplified. Drydown: It’s still fresh and green and not at all overpowering. There are some florals mixed in, but not enough to bother me. It’s overall a feminine smell, which surprised me upon testing it. Overall: A nice spring scent, I love how genuine and green it smells. The softness from the floral notes is just enough to take it above and beyond just a grassy scent. Definitely one for the top ten and bottle list.

In imp: Very strong florals, the kind that cling around your head in a hazy cloud. There’s a hint of decay underneath; someone needs to make sure those plants are still alive. Wet on skin: The same cloying floral notes…I hope that isn’t honeysuckle, it wreaks havoc with me. I feel like I’m in a funeral parlor with way too many flowers around. Drydown: Nooooo, it IS honeysuckle. It’s all I can smell, no lovely trees or swamp or even Spanish moss! Even if it’s not exactly that, whatever is growing with the hothouse blooms is something like that and making my sinuses ache. Overall: On the right person it could be lovely, but not on me. I was hoping for swamp and instead got a punch to the face of sickly flowers. This imp’s going into the “friends can test it, but keep it AWAY!” pile.

In imp: Green and fresh with something sweet hidden within. Wet on skin: Yikes, it’s starting to smell like window cleaner or some other chemical! I’m not getting green grass or tea at all, just something highly artificial. As it dries, something else is surfacing and taking away the chemical bite. Though thinking on it, that ginger or fig could be to blame for my impressions of cleaners. Drydown: Like in the imp, it is green and sweet with a pleasant mustiness underneath. The throw seems fairly weak, good for when I need a light scent, but it stays so close to the skin that I barely notice it. Overall: It’s a nice fresh and clean scent, but not quite up my alley. I need something a little less light and airy, and the herbal notes are hardly there in my case. I smell a bit like soap, actually. A pleasant green, but not what I’m looking for.

In imp: Bitter and dark pine trees, with something burned and smoky in the background. The musk is an undercurrent so far. Wet on skin: The same smoky pine with the herbals coming through. A spicy note is coming through now, and I think it’s the cumin. Overall it’s very black and dank, a wet forest. There’s a slight citrus bite in it, and I think that’s the vetiver! Drydown: Pine pitch and deep musk, but not enough to make this a guys-only blend. It’s still the deep woods, but with a fire…and something tending it far off. The clove comes in about twenty minutes later, adding a strange undercurrent of sweetness. Overall: It fits a troll perfectly my mind. The scent is chilly and rocky and captures the scent of the woods perfectly. I don’t know what is in troll musk, but I’m enjoying it. Definite bottle!

In imp: What the? I smell peppermint right off the bat. Not at all what I expected. Wet on skin: Mint and an almost medical sanitary note. There’s something like spilled ink underneath it, too. Drydown: Still minty and inky. It’s like an over-sanitized doctor’s office, where something very bad is going to happen. The lavender has finally come out, and it’s putting me off. Floral mixed with the other notes is a bit headache-inducing. Overall: It’s a bizarre mix of sanitary and flower bouquets, and not at all what I expected. I like the pennyroyal, just not as one part of a two-part blend. The lavender did nothing to improve it. Ah well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

In imp: Pine trees, dark and ancient. The scent of rain after it’s fallen in the woods on the edge of twilight as well. Wet on skin: More pine and a menthol note, but wow! This stuff cleared my nose right out. There is a deeper, muskier note lurking underneath the pine, which smells like freshly-splintered spruce needles. The throw is crazy, a few drops and I can smell it from feet away. Drydown: Is it Christmas? Throw in some cinnamon or cookies baking and I’d be fooled. It’s the perfect Christmas pine. It’s tickling something in the back of my brain under Childhood Memories, but I can’t quite place it. Overall: A sweet pine tree, very true to life and much prettier than my one-note oil that I use for personal blends. I wish I could smell the mosses, earth and dampness, though. A nice blend, but not one I have to have this minute. I may save it for the holidays, though.

In imp: Greenhouse! That, or I’ve wandered into a store that sells bouquets and elaborate floral arrangements, and keeps very fresh flowers up front. Though these are some very sharp-scented flowers… Wet on skin: Florals, florals and more florals! And oddly, hyacinths. It reminds me of the mother’s day bouquets my parents would pick up. There’s a fruity note, too, the Asian plum. Drydown: It’s somewhere between the florals in the blend and my favorite body wash from B&BW. The plum has turned the scent almost candy-like, and actually does remind me of Flower’s Kiss hard candies. The white musk has finally come out, adding a fuzzy undertone to all those sweets. Overall: Another wake-me-up scent that is fruit and floral. It is definitely feminine, but has a darker streak that keeps it from being your usual flowery perfume. Sweet, fruity musk? Yes, please!

Spectral white musk and the heart-stopping chill of sheared mint, fanned by caramel-touched body heat, and the diabolical sensuality of black musk, nicotiana, and sage. In imp: Mint that goes straight up my sinuses! Menthol and…waffles? No, that’s maple syrup. Wet on skin: More of that bright white mint, alongside something sinister underneath. The maple syrup smell is warping into sticky-sweetness, but I’m not quite sure of what it’s becoming. Another sweetness is in there, possibly the nicotiana. I’m getting warmth from the syrupy caramel and nicotiana, but the mint and white musk give it a creepy chill. VERY suiting of the name. Drydown: The maple syrup smell has (thankfully) mellowed out. The musks just aren’t there on me, but the sage and nicotiana have stuck around with what’s left of the caramel. It’s still doing that strange back and forth between warm and freezing, which amuses me to no end. Wait, there are the musks! And between those and the “body heat”, I am wanting to do very bad things to my wrist. Overall: The hot-cold aspect of the oil won me over. I’m still a little leery on how much I amp the caramel, but time may mellow it even further. I love the combination of musks and whatever “body heat” entails. Top ten material!

In imp: Peach rings! This smells exactly like how they taste. Wet on skin: Mmm, the peach ring scent keeps going. It’s making me want to go out and buy some to snack on tonight. The patchouli and amber are starting to kick in, giving it an earthier and incense-like deepness. Finally, the musk comes out to play. It’s not the powerful musk of Fenris Wolf, but not the deep musk of Troll. It’s something in its own category. Drydown: Warmth. This scent is one of those late summer evenings when the heat hasn’t gone above eighty degrees and the grass is just a bit dry. The peach ring note is still there, sticky and sugary sweet, but tamed down by the deeper scents. Overall: It’s fruity and sweet without being obnoxious. Not quite what I pictured for an imp (unless it’s a candy-drawer raiding one), but a lovely scent on its own. Very good for keeping me awake and alert, and I’ll be using this one in winter when everything is dry and tired.

In imp: The first sniff is fruity, then patchouli that smells like I spent hours in the local new age store. Wet on skin: The fruity smell continues, which is I’m guessing the benzoin. There’s something almost clean-smelling about it, too, which is bizarre. The black coconut has come in to sweeten everything up just as the oil is about to dry on my skin. It’s not really screaming the feeling of a goblin to me, at least not yet. It’s too sweet to be a green-skinned little troublemaker! Drydown: There’s something earthy underneath all that sweetness, which is mellowing out the benzoin and black coconut now. The patchouli is like none I’ve ever worn, and I really, really like it! There are playful sweet notes lying on top of something darker and mischievous underneath. This is the goblin trickster from the old faerie tales, not the role-playing game cannon fodder. Overall: I’m still reminded of the new age shop down the street, but this is that pleasant whiff you get of it as you walk by, not the saturation of being in there too long. The coconut warms it up and plays with the benzoin to sweeten everything up to perfection. As for a 5ml…maybe.

In imp: Musk, and lots of it. Wet on skin: The musk is still standing up and yelling for attention, but something like sawdust has crept into the background. There’s a note of something like incense, maybe it’s the sandalwood and amber? The entire blend is morphing and darkening, a burnt edge to everything. Drydown: It’s…puzzling on the drydown. The musk and sandalwood have melded in together, and the amber seems to have joined in as well. The rosewood is nowhere to be seen, at least to my nose. It’s a very powerful scent, in terms of both throw and how it makes you feel. There’s a tingle in the musk that reminds me of both Faustus and Jolly Roger. Overall: It’s a maybe. The scent is definitely masculine, but I may wear it on those days that I need to be in charge and on top of my game. For everyday use, though, no. Too dominant and challenging.

In imp: Evil flowers! Those are violets, but there is something rather off about them. Wet on skin: There’s something between headshop and malignant sharpness in this, though the notes are hard to nail down. The violet is fighting with the frankincense for domination…where did cinnamon go? And what is with the powder? Drydown: It’s gone from menacing dark florals and burning incense to…powder room. I blame the violets, they amped up and blocked out everything else. On me, this has turned sickly-sweet with a dark undercurrent. Overall: I love how it smells in the imp and possibly in my hair, but my skin chemistry grabbed onto the violets and wouldn’t let go. Florals aren’t my thing, so I may have to skip out on Faustus for now despite my love of its namesake. Powder room just doesn’t fit well with dealing with demons.

In imp: Hmm…maybe some leather…and floor cleaner? What gives? Wet on skin: It’s prickly and still smells a bit like cleaner. No raw leather or even conditioned leather yet. The leather is starting to come out, but amidst the classic “new car” smell, I assume with leather seats. Drydown: Ooh, THERE’S the leather note everyone talks about. Not quite a jacket or a booth selling leather goods, nor is it the same leather I smelled in Jolly Roger. It’s an unfinished piece waiting to be shaped and worn. The cleaner and chemical smell has mellowed out, leaving only the fresh leather behind. Overall: It’s not quite the leather I was expecting, but not bad, either. It doesn’t set off the reptilian hindbrain like I thought it would, though I still want to curl up with whoever is wearing this. Not a bottle (yet), but still a pleasant scent.