zankoku_zen

Oh Little Bird, to me, you are like this year's incarnation of Host of Air. Slightly more ozoney, slightly more 'fresh', slightly more soapy. I definitely get the night air, grass and marigold in this. But something turns too soapy on me. *sigh*

Oh cream, if you only behaved. I definitely got a 'doughy' note, which then turns to plastic as it dries. Vanilla plastic. Pass.

On wet, I get a giant slap of frankincense mixed with heliotrope. As it dries, the frankincense recedes, and goes down to just being warm and the neroli comes out. It sort of reminds me to Sporting Sun, actually but the osmanthus casts this screeching floral top note to it all. Pass.

Ah Echo, you are indeed lovely. But too sweet for me. I get really sweet vanilla orchid on wet, but as it tempers down in sweetness as it dries, it also loses that fruity edge that I enjoyed. The grey amber makes its appearance at the drydown, casting a slight resinous vibe to the sweet vanilla. Delicate orchid floral overlay. I don't think layering Echo and Narkissos would work, although its possible that Echo could sweeten Narkissos, but I feel Narkissos would overpower Echo. I love Narkissos as is, so I'm okay with this. <img src="http://www.bpal.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" /> ETA: When layered, Echo softens Narkissos up, but on my skin chemistry - Narkissos quickly overpowers Echo. It smells like a slightly sweeter version of Narkissos. I like it, but not enough to keep Echo around.

Dark sooty vetiver, creamy black coconut... I swear, doesn't Troll smell like this? Yeah, that's what it smells like

In your face balsam - really, this does smell like balsamic vinegar with a hint of menthol. I don't care what is in it, that's what it smells like on me. PASS.

I get citrus, lavender and juniper berry, and as it dries, the rice wine and the cedar. It smells like a green citrusy cedar note, which unfortunately just smells kinda chemically and fake to me. Pass.

This one is very odd to me. The best description is something that really smells like apple, very green, fresh and fruity - and then as it dries, I get a giant hit of spicy sweet clove, cinnamon and tobacco. Like a more incensey SSCA or if you took Fearful Pleasure and made it aquatic. I enjoy it - but its a bit odd.

I get a ton of lemon from this on wet, but it smells more like lemon verbena. As it dries, I get a hint of cardamom and amber. Meh.

On wet, I get a TON of lily of the valley. I get some of the hydrangea which gives it that green planty smell, and in general it sort of smells like Host of Air, but much more floral and with a ton of lilies. As it dries, I get a hint of hyacinth and the lily recedes. It goes from what I'd consider Host of Air: Lily Power to a more yellow floral, which is definitely the hyacinth coming to the fore. Well, if I ever run out of Host of Air, I think I'll pick up Grief. On the other hand, very apropos for a funeral.

Holy camarones - this is frankincense and warm heliotrope. So its a nice warm, resinous blend with just a smidge of floral.

Oh my goodness. This is a soft, delicious plum. Very foodie, sweet and with a touch of cinnamon and porridge. Delicious.

Okay... I find this very interesting. It starts off as a delicate floral, slightly green and white and that makes sense with angel's trumpet. I agree with the assessment that it smells, on wet, something a very young girl would wear. And then as it dries, I get something kinda sweaty, kinda musky, very powdery.... which just about SHATTERS the idea of innocence. I blame the powder on the violet. I also get something that smells kinda synthetic. ... Oddly enough, I find the blend to be very aptly named.

I find this a very 'grassy' and 'green' scent. After it being wet and in the first stages of the drydown, I do get a hit of sawdust. It amps up in sweetness as it dries, but it is a very cool green aquatic - very grassy, very fresh. I find the pivet adds just a touch of floral to it. Very nice.

I think I may be in love. So I get a ton of smoky vetiver and patchouli on wet --- and then as it dries, the cedar appears but for some strange reason the cedar is smooth and almost citrusy. In fact, when I just took a whiff of it, it has a slight pink grapefruit tinge that makes this absolutely delicious. Love the drydown, hate it when I first apply. But really, the drydown is superbly amazing. Esp. since cedar really does tend to smell like pencil shavings to me.

Harp, you are made of epic fail. You smell on wet, like warm vanilla mixed with celery seed. And then you dry to a vanilla plastic doll. This blend has the type of vanilla that goes to plastic on me. Epic.Lose.

Ugh. I get loads of frankincense - smoky, sweet, resinous with a hint of ginger and something that is like powdery/floral which evolves into a green cedar sort of smell. I get a hint of leather that really comes to the forefront in the drydown, mixed with the frankincense. Yeah, not for me.

On wet, this actually reminds me of hair salons - fake apple blossom floral with a chemical edge to it. As it dries, I get more of the fir needles and balsam. Not my style at all.

Oh lord, this is vetiver, a hint of grapefruit and PEPPER. Pass.

Well damn. I sort of expected to hate this, but ... uhh.... this is like... Okay, I get vanilla, green woods and *GASP* a narcissus that smells very much like .... DAFFODIL. I kid you not. On wet, it is definitely more incense, and that's pretty much the smell for about an hour. And then *BOOM* it turns into a sweet, green daffodil-like floral blend. I swear there is some sort of citrus in it, because both wet and dry, I get the most amazing whiffs of something that smells like orange. And like the orange note is like the one found in Orange. Sweet, juicy, delicious. GENIUS! :love!: Okay, I am now going to go off and find some unloved Narkissos out there. Because apparently, we were totally meant to be. Oh skin chemistry, I have railed against you time and time again, but in this case, I think you've made up for some of those times where everyone was getting something delectable, and I was getting something... well, not what everyone else was.

Oh Helios - on me you are frankincense, cedarwood and saffron. Loads of it. Not typically I associate with the sun.

Lychee syrup (which has run cloying and sweet) and MEGA ROSE! HAI! I EAT YOUR NOSE NAO. Really sweet rose and lychee blend. Pass.

I really was hoping for a clove/orange blend - and its there, but totally dominated by the cumin. Which is very Indian curry style on me. Yeah, loads of loads of cumin. Pass.

CLXXV Take Dorian and combine it with Swank and this is what you get. On wet, I definitely get a red merlot slap but sweeter, and as it dries I recognize it as pomegranate given off a very 'red wine' vibe. There is some gin in here, I believe (why, hello there juniper!). Previously reviewed by sprocket21 and bheansidhe.

Snow, loads of olive and cardamom. Odd. I really get lots of olive, and it reminds me to Olisbos. I think olive blossom tends to go 'chemical' on me.