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In the Bottle: Airy, kinda floral. Something sharp. On Skin: There is a strong citrus note on it. It's still very fresh smelling. On Drydown: The citrus note calms down. The smells is very fresh, very airy, very clean. After a few hours of wear, you can smell the soft floral note. Verdict: Very pretty. I enjoy this scent alot. Alot.

In the Bottle: I smell violets and a hint of lilac. On Skin: This has a strong floral smell. The violet smell is pretty strong like in Ultraviolet and the Raven. On Drydown: Still very violet and floral. It's very sweet. It lacks the spiciness of neroli. It fades fast from my skin though. Verdict: Again, I feel the same way about Nocturne as I do about the Raven. This is a lovely violet scent but Ultraviolet works better on me. Off to swap so that it will find an owner that loves it more than I do.

This is a really full imp. And has this lovely amberish color. In the Bottle: Strong rosy smell. Gah! It was so tough to pop open the imp without spilling some of the oil. On Skin: This is rosy without being overly powdery at the moment. It's a very warm scent. I'm liking this. On Drydown: My nose is really like this. It's got a clean rosey smell but there is something very sensual about it. I'm beginning to think that it's the red musk. Which is one of the ingredients of Hollywood Babylon. Verdict: I don't know what Beth uses for her red musk but my skin reacts really well to it. My nose is now constantly sniffing the one spot where I applied it. This is a keeper.

In the Bottle: Smells like fresh pears. Juicy! On Skin: On contact, it initially smells like a really overripe pear. I can smell some powdery floral, which seems more rosy than lily. On Drydown: Some of the pear smell dissipates and the florals take over. It's still very sweet and floral. Verdict: This is a pretty scent but just not me. I can't get over the sweetness factor, which still has me on the fence about Blood Countess. Except I'm not as fond of the pear smell as I am of the plum.

In the Bottle: Violet and iris. It smells like a more floral version of Ultraviolet. On Skin: I can smell the iris and the violet. This is a much sweeter violet scent than Ultraviolet on application. The iris is a bit more predominant. I'm getting a whiff of neroli. On Drydown: Very much like Ultraviolet on drydown. Perhaps a tinge muskier. Verdict: The iris makes this scent sweeter than Ultraviolet. I like Ultraviolet just fine and so by extension this scent. However, it isn't so much more different form Ultraviolet in my skin that I'll keep it.

In the Bottle: Something incensey. Must be the sandalwood. On Skin: I can smell something like crush flower stalks, its very green. I can smell some of the sandalwood. On Drydown: Still has that crushed green smell but its a bit gentler now. I inhale deep and there is something very calming about it. A gentle repose. Verdict: This is an interesting scent but not for me. Off to swap it goes.

In the Bottle: Strong ozoney smell. On Skin: This is sharp and tangy, still with the ozone smell. It smells very sporty and masculine to me. It kind of reminds me to Irish Spring but with a richness to it. On Drydown: This is a nice, clean scent. I find it very appealing. Verdict: This strikes me as a good room scent. Or a good scent to mix with unfragranced fabric softner.

I'm excited about this. I like the cherry smell of Hollywood Babylon and I love the lily smells from Goneril and Juliet. In the Bottle: I can smell the lilies. And something sweet and fresh, like an apple. On Skin: The lilies predominate but there is an underlying sweetness to it. There is also the hint of something green, which I'm assuming is the stephanotis. On Drydown: I can smell some of the cherries coming out. It's not predominant like in Hollywood Babylon though and it's an interesting mix with the lilies. Unfortunately, it fades fast from my skin. Verdict: I like this. The scent isn't overpowering and domineering like I would associate with the Queen of Hearts. There is something very elegant and appealing to it. However, because of its limited staying power, I would have to slather this on. It may be better off at another home.

In the Bottle: I can smell the violet and the gardenia. On Skin: Still smelling the violet and the gardenia. It kind of reminds me to Ultraviolet at this point. Except with an extra shot of bitterness, like a crushed plant aroma. On Drydown: I think its the gardenia that makes this scent smell kind of bitter on my skin. I can smell the violet but the gardenia is overpowering. Verdict: I don't think gardenia and I get along at all. Off to the swap!

In the Bottle: Something sweet... and yet kind of citrusy? On Skin: There's almost something that smells like a bay leaf to me in this scent. I can smell the spicy mulled wine, a hint of cinnamon. Yet there is something almost peppery to it. This is striking me as a slightly more masculine scent. Maybe I am smelling the leather or perhaps it is the dragon's blood resin. On Drydown: Not really waiting for this. This is a beautiful scent, very evocative of medieval times. Simply not me though. Verdict:This is a very complex scent. Unfortunately, just not me.

In the Bottle: Juicy plum and berries. It's very sweet smelling and enticing. On Skin: Still smelling like delicious plum. Huzzah! I get a bit of a rosy scent after sniffing it for a bit. And I can definitely smell some of the berry goodness. This is still a sweet scent. On Drydown: I'm gettinga whiff of something darker though, I think it might be the opium. It's a nice counterbalance to the rest of the sweetness. However, this fades fast from my skin. Verdict: Just for the sheer deliciousness of the plum at the beginning, I'd consider keeping this. I don't think that this is a scent I would order large quantities of or could really live with. It's much too sweet. I'll send it on its way and hope someone else loves her more than I do.

In the bottle: Sharp lemon herbiness. I smell the lemon verbena and the rosemary most prominently. I got a whiff of lavender. On Skin: Woof. It sort of smells like Vick's Vapor Rub... without the fresh mintyness. After a bit it calms down, and I can smell some of the floral goodness. On Drydown: Still associated in my mind with Vick's Vapor Rub. Can't get over it. Nuts. Verdict: My skin and I don't agree with this. I'd think about offering this to the boy because this strikes me as a more masculine like scent. Except I don't like how it smells and I'm not sure I would want him smelling of this. Off to the swap pile.

In the Bottle: Floral with a hint of green to it. On Skin: A very wet floral. This is very flowery. It's pretty and the hint of green prevents it from turning to cloying. On Drydown: Still floral. I can't pick out a specific flower smell. It is that well blended. Verdict: Very pretty. But I don't think it's me. Off to the swap pile it goes.

In the Bottle: Floral but manly. On Skin: Oh wow. This spells out M-A-N. There's something fresh and musky and yet the floral hints make it so very appealing to my nose. On Drydown: Definitely masculine. A little like Irish Spring perhaps but with more oomph. Verdict: Put it on the boy. I like the results. He likes the results. Oh yes.

In the Bottle: Very sweet. Candy syrup sweet almost. On Skin: I smell like a Jolly Rancher watermelon candy! Eep! It calms down a bit after a while but its still sugary sweet. On Drydown: I smell some of the whispy flowers now. There is something very clean to it. Verdict: Watermelong + Flowers = Not ME. But hopefully, somebody else will love it more than I do.

A glittering icicle of a woman, regal, proud and cold: shimmering white grapefruit, pale flowers and lemon bark with orchid, rose and a dash of mandarin. I have very high hopes for this. I love grapefruit. In the Bottle: Grapefruit and something floral. Almost masculine. It smells a bit like a men's aftershave. On Skin: Still smells a bit like aftershave. It's a fresh smell but this wasn't what I was expecting. It's calming down a bit and now it smells a bit more floral. On Drydown: I get peaks of delicate florals under the aftershavey sort of smell. I wonder if I don't get along with orchid. Verdict: No grapefruit scent for me. Pooh. Too bad the Queen decided to become Gillette's aftershave. Cool and regal but not in a way that suits me. I would go slather this on the boy but I think I'll swap it instead. I think the decant I first got way back in the day was mislabeled, it was probably the King and not the Queen. Because this decant does NOT smell at all like what I remember it smelling like. This one started out as nivea soap, there was something that was clean and bright and slightly floral. No grapefruit, but it dries to a delicate orchid/rose smell. I don't like how aggressive it started out, but the drydown is quite lovely. Unfortunately, it fades fast on my skin.

In the Bottle: Flowery apples. On Skin: Sweet apples. I'm getting the visual image of a summer picnic out in the country, flowers in the air and eating apples in the shade. It's a bit overpowering at this point. Occasionally I get whiffs of something grassy. On Drydown: Awwww nuts. My skin turned this into soap. Really nice smelling soap but still soap. Verdict: Since my skin chemistry doesn't like it, no use in arguing with what will not be. Off to the swap pile.

In the Bottle: Very floral and very sweet. It reminds me to Juliet. On Skin: I can smell the sweet pea and the carnation. The sweet pea is the dominant note right now. On Drydown: The sweet pea mellows out a bit but its still very sweet. Almost too much. Verdict: This has the same basic appeal that Juliet does but Desdemona is too sweet and almost too floral on me. I don't get a very strong feeling for it, although its a very pretty floral. It's off to swap.

Given the recent experiment with Phantasm, I wonder if I will smell like fizzy lemonade because of this. The cap also seems welded shut... I'm crossing my fingers against spillage. In the Bottle: Smells very sharp. Very clean. On Skin: Still sharp. Still clean. The lemon verbena is very prevalent but not like it was in Phantasm. The jasmine is starting to come out. Mmm... On Drydown: This strikes me as a very delicate scent. Very ethereal. It's very refreshing. This is smelling more like jasmine with a sharp citrus tang but with a spark of warmth from the sandalwood. It fades a bit fast but that's perhaps I used the teeniest amount I could. Verdict: The combination is very haunting and very fresh. It doesn't turn cloying like Phantasm did. I am keeping this one. I don't know if I would ever order more of this necessarily but it make a great summer scent for keeping cool.

In the Bottle: Strong lemon citrus. On Skin: Smells like lemon candies. Pleasant but not something I want to smell like. I'm starting to smell some of the jasmine but its very faint. On Drydown: Still smelling like lemon candies although I get more the feeling of being fizzy lemonade. It's fun and refreshing though. Verdict: This is a very fun, pleasant scent. But since I don't fancy smelling like a giant lemon candy or fizzy lemonade, I think I'll send this off in its merry way.

In the bottle: Something strong, almost masculine. And something that smells like apples? On Skin: I still have that pungent musky sort of smell. More of the florals are starting to peek out. I don't know if this is me yet but it is a truly gorgeous smell to sniff. There is a woodsy smell to it now. On Drydown:Still very masculine and very earthy. I really enjoy this scent but it's definitely a boy scent in my mind. I get whiffs of the florals now and then and its such a tantalizing combination. This is powerful and beautiful, with a certain degree of arrogance with just enough softness to pardon the arrogance. Verdict: I'm going to slather this on the boy now. Excuse me.

In the Bottle: Something citrusy but sweet. I definitely feel that "Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality" explains it perfectly. On Skin: I can smell the citrusy but with a bittery note which is the lemon verbena. I'm starting to smell some of the sweetness. On Drydown:This has become almost cloyingly sweet. Almost like lollipops. Bah. Verdict: If this had retained more of the citrusy smell that it had in the beginning I would have kept the imp. I do think that the description was dead on. In the end, I just don't think its me. Off to swap.

I have high hopes for this. I was hoping for the White Rabbit to be quite lineny but it turned out to be cloyingly sweet on me. In the Bottle: Smells floral. And very clean On Skin: It's a light, pretty floral. Very clean. Very breezy. There is something fruit-sweet to it. On Drydown:It smells like golden sunshine, like Fae does but without the peach note. I find that I enjoy Fae for the same reasons but the peach is a great enhancement. I was hoping for a more clean-linen smell and this ended up more floral than anything. Verdict: This scent gives me a 'just bathed' scent. It's a great pick me up. But I'm not wild about it. I think that there is someone who has to be more enthusiastic about it than I am, and this imp definitely deserves someone who can love it more.

In the Bottle: Smells very sharp and ozoney. On Skin: Still very sharp. Very green too. I think its the vetivert I'm smelling. On Drydown: I get a hint of a floral but its still very ozoney. Its got a clean feel to it but its very different from Tempest. Definitely a different energy. Verdict: I like the smell but I don't think its me. I think I much rather smell this on a boy. This strikes me as a more masculine aquatic. I'll offer it to the boy, but if he doesn't like it, I'll offer it for swap.

In the Bottle: Smells like almonds. Hmm.. On Skin: This smells very strongly of almonds. It's very sweet and very homey. It makes me think of cookies. It's a very reassuring scent. I get some of the milky undertones now and some cloying sweetness. It's not very... pleasant at the moment. On Drydown: This scents fades fast from my skin. I get occasional whiffs of it though. Verdict: I liked the original note of almond. But then it became nauseatingly sweet. I don't think my skin likes this scent much. Off to the swap pile.