Rianna

I'll admit, I had to look up what "red chypre" means. I fail at perfume. Sniff: Mostly musk and a soft note that definitely says "linen." Linen makes me happy. Just the tiniest hint of citrus over the top. Citrus tends to go all "rotten fruit" on me, so we'll see how that plays out. On skin - wet: Pretty much same as sniff. Citrus is fading, yessssss! On skin - dry: Warm, earthy musk that lingers for hours. No noticeable citrus, at least on me. Not too powdery. Definitely on the masculine side, but it wears well on this musk-loving woman! I bet it'll be good on the DH too. Overall: Male Nude, Arms Upstretched is classic and versatile. It's a good comfort scent that can also dress up well.

This was a frimp in my wedding party order, and definitely a "BPAL is psychic!" moment. I've never met a sandalwood/amber/patchouli blend I didn't like unless it contained large amounts of a death note. Sniff: Hello, my old friends, sandalwood, black patchouli, and amber! You're strong as ever; strong enough to play with cinnamon. We shall get along splendidly on those days when I want my perfume to yell "Powerful!" On skin - wet: Mostly cinnamon for the first 15 minutes or so. On skin - dry: Dries down to amber and sandalwood with a touch of patchouli. Not sure where the cinnamon went. It’s not powdery, yay! Limited throw (can smell it maybe 4 inches from my wrist), but it sticks around all day. It’s much more low-key (“sensual” as opposed to “sexy,” know what I mean?) than the sniff suggested, though this note combo is still a guaranteed success for my skin chemistry. But definitely no “powerful” vibes on me. I think I’ll have to stick with Plunder for that. All in all, a success, though perhaps not the kind I was expecting.

Wow, I was surprised at how divided reviews are on this blend. I got a frimp of Red Queen with my order yesterday and I am in love. I just wish it had more staying power. Sniff: Chocolate cherry cordials with a whiff of mahogany at the end. I'm surprised at how light this oil is in color because the sniffy immediately makes me think of dark, rich reds and browns. It's incredibly dark and sexy. I can see people with cough syrup trauma getting some of that from the sniff, but I was a bad kid who wouldn't take cough syrup (now I'm a bad grown-up who won't take it), so those associations just aren't there for me. Wet on skin: The mahogany is a lot stronger. The cherries are still there, but not as sweet. Dry on skin: The woods and fruits are pretty much evenly balanced now. The cherry, especially, is more like a real fruit and less like candy. It's also a lot more earthy, but not as "dark" in character. Three hours later, the scent is almost gone unless I stick my nose to my wrist. So I slather it on again and start the process over because I adore Red Queen. There will totally be 5ml of this in my next order.

Sniff: For an apparently simple blend, this is a wonderfully complex smell. All three notes work together perfectly for a smoky, animalistic chocolate. I am going to cry if this doesn't work on me. Wet: Musky chocolate. The tobacco backs up nicely, so it's slightly smoky but I don't smell like a chain smoker. Dry: All three notes are still there, but the black musk has taken another step forward. It's not at all a foodie blend. The chocolate just adds a dark sweetness to the musk and tobacco. Very sensual and exactly what I'd hoped it would smell like. To think I almost passed on getting anything this Yule! This is definitely going into the regular wear rotation.

Sniff: Lavender and floral notes my nose isn't smart enough to identify. I would agree with others who have said there's jasmine in the mix. On skin: Smells about the same as in the bottle. Huge throw and lots of staying power. No big clashes with either my or the DH's chemistry. Does it actually put you to sleep? Well, yes and no. It doesn't knock you out, but it's very relaxing. Think cup of herbal tea or hot bath and you've got the effect of Somnus. I bought a bottle for the DH about a year ago and he's been sleeping much better ever since. I've also found that I can drive and focus on work without problems after I (accidentally) applied Somnus for day wear once, but YMMV so don't try that at home, kids. Verdict: Definitely planning to buy again when this bottle runs out. Somnus is good for easing yourself into sleep.

Got this as a frimp with my last order. Sniff: Really strong vetiver and anise. I like it. DH hates it, but he hates all anise/black licorice. On skin wet and early dry: My world smells like a bag of licorice allsorts, only earthier, and I love it! DH still hates it. On skin dry: A great big cloud of powder. I stopped by my mom's house and she even mentioned it smelled like I was wearing baby powder. Not cool, Black Annis. Overall: This is not fair. I get great throw and hours of wear, but it's powder within a half hour of application. I really wanted this to work.

I bought 5ml of this unsniffed. Even without having tried all the notes (still can't identify the saffron for sure), I just knew it would work. In bottle: A mix of spices and musk. It's pretty strong and incense-like. On skin: The spices mellow out a lot and the whole thing gets quite sweet, but not cloying. My skin chemistry is happy with it. The only thing I would change is that it doesn't have much throw, and I would be happy walking around in a cloud of this stuff. Verdict: I wish used record stores and New Age shops smelled more like this instead of the "we're trying to cover the pot smell in the back room" type of incense. Scherezade is spicy and exotic, yet subtle. It's become my signature scent.

I got this as a frimp in December. I tested it then, but it took me this long to work up the nerve for a second test to confirm that it wasn't just a bad skin day. In the bottle: The sage really stands out to me. I am not a sage fan at all. I rent the basement in a house, and I once came home to find out the owners had burned sage as part of an Imbolc ceremony. It took hours for the waves of nausea to pass. This doesn't bode well for the skin test. On me: Wet and dry, the notes clash with my skin chemistry in a big way. The result? Oddly enough, it smells like dill pickles. I tried to get the DH to try this one, since woods tend to love him. After sniffing me, he flat out refused. Verdict: This one just isn't for me. Bad associations with one of the notes and, well, pickles! Such a pity, since I love Shakespeare and really wanted to enjoy this scent.