HamletsKeeper

Bottle sniff cherry, cherry and more cherry. Not candy cherry though, an almost almond one. Wet - cherry that fades within about 10 secs and lavender spikes. So far no woods, musk or rose. Drydown - this perfume goes through a rapid 'clinical" phase, that weird smell you get in a dentists office, thankfully it doesn't last long. Dry this scent becomes a strangely watery wood but is so light that I lost all hint of it within 90 secs of application. Cherry is nowhere to be seen and musk? Is it even in there or did it just drive by this blend on it's way to somewhere else? Overall - on paper this scent sounded extremely promising and even on my wrist there's a 5 sec window where what it promises to be does actually make an appearance. I expected a strongly fruit laden woody fragrance with musk & rose creating warmth and lavender providing an electric spark to it. What I get is a scent so crystalline that it literally disappears within 2 minutes. What's left are traces of an aquatic wood that would be a truly andorgynous scent if it had any staying power on my skin. But it doesn't and I just can't buy a full bottle of something that runs and hides everytime I apply it....

Titania has a similar bouquet but lacks the woody element. Spirit Of The Komachi Cherry Tree seems like it may be similar but is probably a more spartan scent. Les Bijoux sounds like its a similar styled scent although it has different floral and fruit notes. Peach & apple vs Pear, and rose versus jasmine et al.. Thanks for the recs! Maybe if I take Titania and layer it with something... Maybe try... Mouses long and sad tale - Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood.

Titania has a similar bouquet but lacks the woody element. Spirit Of The Komachi Cherry Tree seems like it may be similar but is probably a more spartan scent. Les Bijoux sounds like its a similar styled scent although it has different floral and fruit notes. Peach & apple vs Pear, and rose versus jasmine et al..

This scent is everything modern perfumes are not. To me this is raven haired 1940's screen sirens in a bottle. It's vintage glamour at it's best. Very much of the same family as Jean Patou's Joy. And because of that I can see how some might find this reminds them of their grandmothers, but only if their grandmothers were Christian Dior wearing charity gala attending socialites. Its really what I imagined Black Dahlia to smell like. And while it has that vintage style about it, there is a twist to it, which makes it a modern version. In The Bottle - strongly chypre with floral overtones. Can't say I can pick out the ambergris or moss here much. But then I'm not much good at picking up these kinds of things from a bottle. When I have a head cold it does smell cologney but that's because I can't smell the florals with a blocked nose. Wet On Skin - florals really pop on my skin and this goes quite sweet immediately. Dry down - sweetness quickly tones down and I've got a heady, well blended perfume which I can't really pick out any specific notes. Although I am getting a fairly strong vanilla overtone which must be the benzoin. The scent borders on powdery from time to time but never quite goes there. On me the florals dominate this blend with the moss, ambergris and chypre all playing second fiddle, providing just a deeper base to the flowers. I think I've the kind of chemistry that would do well with a strongly woody or chypre floral. After a couple of hours I've got a rich earthy floral. I can't say it smells particularly wet or mossy, just a depth that is not normally associated with flower scents. Overall - Anyone who loves vintage couture perfumes should try this scent. For me this scent fills a big hole, my desire for a classically styled perfume. While its not the kind of thing I will slap on everyday after a shower it is one I would wear regularly and I really hope no-one else likes it so I can more easily hoard it.

I really wish I could say I love this scent because evidently it loves me, alas even though it won't say die on my skin and is probably a good representation of the scent it's giving me a headache and just isn't my style. In the bottle - a really lovely exotic spice scent that's not too sweet and has a sharpness to it that makes it perfectly beautiful. I was surprised how much I liked it in the bottle. Wet - sandalwood and musk interplay and vie for my attention with just an occasional waft of cassia and sweet spices. So far so good. Dry down - a nice blend but the sweetness is amping on me and I've lost the woody edge. Overall - over time cassia is what becomes dominant on me, the musk and sandalwood fade away and it becomes sweet. The throw is incredible considering I barely stood next to the vial in terms of application and as I said earlier I think I will still smell this a week after I wash it off. If you like spice scents then this is a beauty especially if it maintains the musk and sandalwood on you. However I just can't see myself wearing it and as I type this a headache is developing. Somethings just not working for me here. Edited: Thought I'd give this one another go just in case. While no headaches today I do have to say it's not a complex scent on me. If coca cola were a perfume, then this would be it. That's all I can think of when I wear this one.

In the bottle - I can't really pick up any particular scent in the bottle. It reminds me of a shampoo I used to use with a herbal base. Nothing unpleasant just fresh and clean smelling. Wet This settles on my skin quite powdery, I get a very strong talc smell with something green underneath. I was a bit worried at this stage thinking it might just go this way entirely. Dry down - now the floral notes raise their head the powder scent is entirely gone and replaced with a strong dry note (is this the honey?) if it had a colour it would be palest gold. And now I get hints and whiffs of individual florals although I couldn't tell you which ones. Just that there is a floating character above the dry note that seems to alternate from a thick flower scent (jasmine?) to lighter, more astringent florals. Overall - it's a nice dry floral that isn't cloying or sweet. I was quite taken aback because I expected it to be a sweet scent, but there's enough in it that isn't sweet which keeps it sharp and fresh. In commercial scents I typically go for light, fruity florals and this scent also works well on me although it has none of that fruity character I would typically go for. I can't say I smell honey in the way I expected, but what I do smell are the florals I like on a heavier yet dry base note which makes a pleasant surprise and nice change. I could definately wear this scent daily. It has a grown up character about it I like and isn't powdery at all once past the wet stage. I think I applied about half a drop of this on my wrist and it's sticking around with a decent throw although it would be easy to keep this one close to my skin with careful application. A nice scent and I'm glad I have a full bottle of it. I will wear it until I run out but don't think I would hoard it. Edited to add - when applied more heavily it does have a definate grassy smell to it. Meadow grass that's green and lush at the base with dried heads on it. The kind of grass that reaches it's zenith mid-summer, like a wild hay. Lovely. After wearing this for 24hrs I now know what this scent smells like on me. It smells exactly like jasmine on the vine which is totally different to jasmine oil smell. As I was walking yesterday I kept passing jasmine vines and then smelt my wrist and they smell was identical. How wonderful to find a perfume which smells exactly like my favourite spring garden scent. Worn as an oil this one is more honey, as a EDP spray it's more floral and grassy. Very meadow sweet. Revisted After wearing this scent several times over the past month I really think it deserves more love than it gets. I wear this mostly as an EDP spray and it's such a unique scent, long lasting with excellent throw. It's dry, grassy, slightly sweet without being a typical floral. The flowers in this scent are wildflowers, all slightly bitter, green and papery. Nothing like a rose\jasmine\lily blend. This scent evokes medows with long grasses and tiny brilliantly coloured flowers dotted amoungst the grasses. It's warm, summery and unlike any other scent I've smelled before. Everytime I spray it, I think "oh my! So lovely".

Wow I'm really blown away by the fabulous suggestions here. I would love to go for Sudha Segara but it's made of the only notes I cannot wear. Can you say rotten milk with a dose of dettol in it? Ginger for some reason always turns to antiseptic of the very potent kind on me and I can't even wash it off....arrrghh! It doesn't matter what it's mixed with it does the same thing. I now have a list of imps so long I wonder if I'll be able to try them all out.

Haha! Death On A Pale Horse is already on its way to me. I stumbled across it quite by accident and thought, oooh! cool, mossiness...yum. It was my wildcard pick and I almost didn't order it. But now I feel a bit smug...

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. I've checked them all out in the reviews sections and think I've narrowed it down. Manhattan I never would have come across in a million years and the notes list is kinda not my thing but I'm intrigued and willing to give it a go just because I'm trying to branch out. Imp listed. Vechernyaya is very much in the family of what I normally wear so next time I go imping I'll definately check it out. Probably a very safe bet. Yvaine piques my interest for it's chrystalline qualities. Chrushed lavender leaves, yummy, lavender oil = wet dog to me usually. But I wonder if BPALs lavender is more a clearer scent than the muddy, mouldy and damp smells in most bottled lavenders. Probably worth a sample if I can find it somewhere. Szepasszony sounds intriguing just because I love the smell of rain just before it falls. That ozone smell....hmmm. Lyonesse I've already ordered and am waiting on it's arrival. Thanks again...