fairestrocza

In the Imp: Sweet and sour sugary green bubblegum Wet on Skin: reminds me a bit of High-Strung Daisies… must be the sugar, because I don't think I can detect the carnation While Drying: tea, gritty sugar, musk, a brief breath of thyme After a Little While: The pear periodically peeks through, and has a bit of a sour note to it - with the sugar, it reminds me a bit of green sourpatch candies. Medium throw. Definitely green and sugary (occasionally green in the vegetative sense - the mugwort? - but mainly green in the koolaid/candy/etc sense where someone asks you "what flavor is that?" and you respond "green"). Later: I remember the pear being a bit more prominent the first time I tried this. The tea scent is taking center stage this time. I have mixed feelings about the tea, and the scent in general. I definitely like it, but something about it periodically strikes me wrong. The tea eventually fades back. The late drydown is lovely, sweet and smooth (but sticks skin close). Final Thoughts: I'll be holding on to my decant, but I wasn't entranced enough to buy a bottle. Luna earns a 4/5 on my skin.

Blockbuster is one of the two I immediately though of when reading your post. The other is Jabberwocky - it is both uplifting and energizing for me. Hope you find something that works for you!

In the Imp: the brightness of mullein rising over a lovely deeper scent Wet on Skin: spicy resin with a slight evergreen note While Drying: I am getting a woody note, which I think is the vetiver playing nice for once. After a Little While: Dark, but with just a little sparkle to keep it from being too heavy. I find it interesting that the throw is giving me incense (the myrrh) with a touch of sweetness (is that red musk I am smelling? yes, yes it is... I love red musk) whereas the skin scent is both lighter and darker (vetiver plus mullein, or maybe a light/white musk?). Good throw. Later: Different aspects of this blend come to the forefront in turns, and on me, they all work together quite well, never fully integrating, but weaving in and out in interesting patterns. I thought this would last longer based on how syrupy the oil was, but that may be something that comes with age. Second test: lingering scent lasts forever (mainly myrrh with a touch of musk). Final Thoughts: Vetiver is normally Evil Doom on my skin, but this is one of those blends that reminds me never to flat out nix certain notes - in the right blend, even Doom notes can work out beautifully. Final Final Thoughts: I was very surprised to see so many negative reviews. The longer I wear this, the more entranced I become. My initial dab test was enough to put this in the full test pile, and I am so glad I gave it a chance. It is almost like it switches character from spicy to woodsy to sweet to sexy and back and forth, reminding me of each of my favorite blends in those categories. Czernobog earns a 4/5 on my skin.

I got a frimp of Czernobog in a recent order. The oil is very dark (Boomslang is the only oil I remember seeing that is darker) and fairly syrupy. It was a lab-fresh frimp. I didn't think it smelled at all like generic cologne. I will go post my review from the notes on my spreadsheet...

Smut stays amazingly consistent throughout all stages for me. On my skin, Smut is all about sweet red musk (no booze notes noticeable - fortunately, because I usually don't do well with them). This is one of those delicious scents that comes back to me even when I am not wearing it, and makes me crave more and more. I ordered one bottle initially, and had to talk myself down from ordering two backups instead of just one. I occasionally forget that I need to start out with just a dab, and add more if necessary - this is not a scent that I need to slather. Smut has major throw and lasting power (but it can be too much during certain times of the month). Smut 2010 earns a 5/5 on my skin, and holds a solid place in my Top Ten.

In the Imp: very aquatic/ozone Wet on Skin: very sharp in the nose at first While Drying: No bergamot, just a hint of eucalyptus; heading toward Irish Spring After a Little While: Something keeps this from going pure Irish Spring, but it is definitely an aquatic scent; it has a … spongey feel; I can detect the barest hint of bergamot if I look for it. Later: oddly fresh and sour at the same time; not really my style, but better than many blends of this type Y'ha-nthlei earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: in-your-face perfumey floral Wet on Skin: Reminds me of my grandmother's perfume. While Drying: Alcohol tinge backs off; still intensely floral, sharp with a musky undertone After a Little While: This mellows considerably. Later: A lighter, sweet floral. Still not my style. Several hours later, this reminds me of the way Grammy smelled toward the end of her life (perfume plus a bit of urine) Final Thoughts: Early stages remind me of the time I got into Grammy's perfume as a kid (I think I squirted myself about 11 times with her perfume, which she discovered when she leaned over to kiss me goodnight). Opium Poppy earns a 2/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: slightly sweet, with a light lemon scent and an outdoorsy freshness Wet on Skin: the lemon picks up and dominates at this stage While Drying: there is a heavier, warm note behind the lemon - must be the amber After a Little While: The verbena and amber blend very well. The amber gives the verbena more substance and tames it a bit. I am getting the grass note in my elbows, but not on the wrists. I'm not too keen on the grass scent. The other elbow is picking up more of the rain note, and I am liking the way it rides on top of the lemon/amber scent. I am not detecting ginger or sage. Later: With a little more time, the notes begin to integrate more fully. There is just enough amber to make the scent feel warm, without being too heavy. The verbena is light enough to add a little zing without overpowering the other notes. The grass note is smelling more natural now. The summer rain is adding a touch of freshness, without turning into a laundry scent. Several hours in, a subtle sugar note emerges. Much later, I am left with a slightly sweetened amber. Low throw throughout the phases, but the skin-scent lasts forever. Final Thoughts: Mag Mell evokes the image of a bright, sunlit meadow with tiny white butterflies flitting above dewdrop covered grass. Mag Mell earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: sweet cherry syrup and cinnamon gum Wet on Skin: syrupy sweet cinnamon with a hint of cherry While Drying: I'm getting a bit of a reaction in some of the places I applied the oil - cinnamon, why do you hate me, when I love you so much? After a Little While: not as syrupy now; still fairly sweet; no chapstick scent, so maybe this isn't cherry (or maybe ACJM and similar scents are strawberry not cherry); elbows are very red, wrists only a bit red; a brighter, sweet note (citrus? Not quite) pops up; cherry candy; throw is low but the skin scent is delicious - but not awesome enough to put up with the skin reaction. I should try putting this in my hair. Later: cinnamon dies back, and it becomes an almost fruit punch smell; a bit of what I think is red musk is coming through. Final Thoughts: Wow. Just read some of the other reviews. I don't get any jasmine (and I usuallu amp that like crazy) or other florals. No almond either. Red Devil earns a 3.5/5 on my skin (it would probably be higher if I didn't have a skin reaction to this one).

In the Imp: It must be the labdanum that is prominent, because I detect no white rose, and the orchid is present but not prominent. Wet on Skin: A bit of the sour floral note that I get from orchids. While Drying: decent throw, not too heady After a Little While: A soft floral with a hint of sweetness. Later: I would hardly characterize this as a floral at this point. It has a complex sweetness, and dries down to a lovely scent. Final Thoughts: Rose and orchid are usually pretty iffy on me. I was surprised that these varieties worked so well. Magdalene earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: is that almond?, something sweet, a tinge of alcohol, and a totally unexpected floral note Wet on Skin: not at all what I expected; perfumey and slightly sweet, no wax to speak of While Drying: the floral note is riding up on top - is that jasmine? Maybe not… it is developing the sourness that is usually characteristic of lilies on my skin. After a Little While: Sweet, slightly spicy throw; skin scent is a sour floral note. Later: Throw has died down considerably. Scent is buttery-sweet, very slightly waxy, a little bit acrid. Many hours later, there is a faint, sweet wax smell that I imagine is what this is supposed to smell like from the get go. Nice, but no oomph by then, and not worth the wait. Final Thoughts: I much prefer Athens if I want a waxy scent. I just looked through ALL the reviews, and very few people mention anything even close to what I got out of this. Odd. The skin musk people mention might be to blame for the FAIL of this scent, and the late stage acrid smell. The Lights of Men's Lives earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: Very complex. A hint of floral, a hint of orris, a hint of elemi. Reminds me a bit of some of the floral Yule blends. Wet on Skin: Very musky, initially. While Drying: A vaguely sweet floral, softened by the other notes. After a Little While: Non-amping lily (wow!), non-amping orris (I'd actually like a little more), and the other notes blend together to add some sweetness and softness. Later: There is a lovely guilded sweetness to this scent. The amber is a bit more apparent now than it was in earlier stages (at least on the wrists; the elbows are starting to amp the lily). Something reminds me vaguely of Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo (the sugary aspect). This is nice, but not entrancing. Much later: This smells like I applied ACJM instead of showering (read: sugary BO). And later still: the lingering lily scent is gone. This is now like a light ACJM layered with vanilla. Fairly low throw throughout. Final Thoughts: This blend is about half and half for notes that are usually great, and notes that can go wrong. My expectations were mixed, because on one hand, this seems to be well loved by others, and on the other hand, lily usually destroys all hope of goodness on my skin. The Boy is fond of this scent. Lyonesse earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

This was a frimp from a forumite, and appears to be quite aged. In the Imp: powerful; dirt and roses (scent from closed imp); open imp - dirt with a green note; I hardly smell the roses with the imp open. The green note must be the rose leaf. Wet on Skin: mainly damp earth, a hint of something else that I can't place While Drying: this warms up as it dries After a Little While: I'm picking up a bit of the roses now, in addition to the rose leaf, but the dirt scent is by far the most prominent. I love this dirt note, but it is almost too much for me. This has a _powerful_ throw. It is making me a little stuffy. The skin scent holds more of the notes, whereas the throw is mainly the dirt note. Later: The throw calms down a bit. Mainly dirt, with a hint of roses. There is a faint, sour baby butt smell beneath the dirt and roses. Final Thoughts: I'm not sure how often I'll actually wear this, but I love the dirt note so much that I think I'll keep the imp around for sniffing purposes at least. Zombi earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: a bit perfumey, light, juicy (almost fruity), Second test: all that, and a touch of sweetness Wet on Skin: perfumey (probably the sweet pea); gorgeous amber peeks out for a minute before backing down; Second test: away from my skin, the wafting scent has a touch of the nasty vanilla doom that was in Snow White While Drying: A bit of the plasticy vanilla note shows itself. (It smells like the same vanilla from Snow White, which I did NOT like). This also reminds me a bit of the Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair - maybe one of the ambers? Second test: the elbows are picking up a not so great vegetative scent; there is a slight spiciness (amber?) and a dusty-sweet quality on the wrists (vanilla-sandalwood?) After a Little While: The plasticy vanilla has calmed down, but I still catch bits of it wafting around from time to time. Second test: The elbow scent has improved. The amber scent that peeks through is gorgeous. My skin's reaction to this is just enough to let me realize why so many people love it, but it just isn't quite right on me. Later: This is getting better and better with time. It dries down to mainly a soft vanilla/amber scent. The plasticy note is gone now. I wish it had a little more oomph and more throw once it reached this stage. Second test: Unfortunately light after the nasty notes go away. *sigh* This had so much potential, and just didn't come through for me. Final Thoughts: I understand why this is so popular. I wish it worked better on me. Second test: This is so light on me. If I slather, I get more of the plastic-Snow-White smell, but no more of the good aspects. Sadness. Mouse's Long and Sad Tale earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: For some reason, I was expecting an evergreen note in here… instead, it is… benzoin? Something astringent/camphorous, but not menthol or eucalyptus. Wet on Skin: a bitter wood smell… something high, but not menthol or eucalyptus… While Drying: There is an almost smoky, slightly bitter wood (possibly vetiver, but behaving for once)… that sweetens with a blood(?!) note (NOT DB, but the sanguinary note) (this is the first time I've really been able to get the vibe of a 'blood' scent on my skin). After a Little While: This is hitting a scent memory that I can't quite pull to the surface. Very interesting. I think it reminds me a bit of Troll, the way it would smell if Troll smelled good on me… and a brief hint of toasted marshmallow? ... and fleshy stems... Hmm, maybe it is galangal, not benzoin that I smell. Later: soporific… and a wood note of some sort… a touch of spice, ever so slightly sweet (IS that patchouli?); medium throw; long term dry down is gorgeous and very unique to my experience. The camphorous aspect is totally gone. There may be a touch of myrrh in here, similar to the variety in Athens. Final Thoughts: Major morpher. Reminds me of Raven Moon for some reason. Others have compared this to Loup Garou - I disagree, except maybe in the way that the drydown loses the high camphorous notes. Ya-Te-Vo earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: Very floral. Wet on Skin: Tuberose dominant. While Drying: Lilies are present, but less overpowering than usual. The paperwhite/narcissus notes aren't blatant, but they must be present, because they are the only listed notes that generally work on my skin, and this isn't bad as far as florals go. After a Little While: Apparently the way to keep lilies in check on my skin, is to smack them down with some narcissus, tuberose and poppies. I am not a huge fan of floral blends, but this is one of the better ones I've come across. The throw is significant at this point, and it is a bit much for me. Later: The throw dies back after a while. Still not really my style, but nice for a floral blend. Lilies are still (thankfully) very faint. I never got any opium smoke from this blend. Final Thoughts: Maybe a bit sneeze inducing. Languor earns a 3/5 on my skin.

I traded chaos imps with friends. These are both decants from their bottles. Bottle #54 In the Bottle: sugary deliciousness Wet on Skin: This reminds me of Skytyping with Chemtrails, but not quite as intense, and with a sugared raspberry rather than sugared lemon. While Drying: delicate and girly; lovely After a Little While: The sugary raspberry is still the main focus, but there is a softer note behind it - maybe vanilla? It reminds me a bit of powdered raspberry lemonade drink mix, but better. (A friend says it smells like blue pixie stix). Later: The first time I wore this, it morphed like crazy. It seems more settled this time around. This time around, the final stage reminds me of sugared berries in milk. Yum. I wish it lasted a bit longer. Bottle #54 earns a 4.5/5 on my skin. Hail Eris! ----- Bottle #38 In the Bottle: This has a distinct similarity to Candles Moon (the blackberry?), but is not as biting or sharp. Wet on Skin: This has the milk note that borders on sour, and a berry note of some sort. While Drying: This is a lot softer than Candles Moon. The sour note is calming down. There may be some vanilla in here too - something a bit sweet. After a Little While: A slightly sour milk and berry scent, like Candles Moon without the wind and wax. If this mellows in the same way Candles Moon did, this will be amazing in a few months. Later: The sour aspect is back again… I think I'll let this decant age for a few months and test it again.

In the Bottle: sugary lemon Wet on Skin: intense sugared lemon While Drying: This softens a bit while drying. Poofiness is right! This is such a bright, happy scent. After a Little While: There is a good amount of throw at this point. There are none of the chemical tones I was afraid might pop up. It loses some of the sparkling quality of the initial stages. Later: No longer tart, just a soft sweet lemon scent. I wish the strong throw lasted longer. So glad I ordered a bottle of this based on the early reviews. Skytyping with Chemtrails earns a 4/5 on my skin.

(decanted from a friend's bottle) Bottle #267 In the Bottle: buttered popcorn; a friend claims he can smell caramel apples and cotton candy too Wet on Skin: salted, buttered popcorn… There is something else here that I can't quite identify, but mainly this is straight up Movie Theatre Popcorn. While Drying: Have I mentioned Movie Theatre Popcorn? After a Little While: Still foody, but no longer straight up popcorn. Smoothing out a bit. Softer. The vanilla is indistinct. Later: There might be some tonka in here… and the vanilla is finally asserting itself - in the form of the vaguely plasticy note - but fortunately the throw is fairly mild by this point. Final Thoughts: Very evocative in the initial stages. A fun change of pace from my usual scents, but I'll have to be in the right mood to wear this. Glad I just have a decant. This is how I imagine Midway would smell. This earns a 3/5 on my skin for the sheer novelty of the scent.

In the Decant: sweet, maybe a touch musty Wet on Skin: sweet and earthy, I get a bit of the tomato stem vibe; quite different from imp While Drying: picking up a sharp and almost floral note After a Little While: I think some aging would do this blend some good. Later: fast fade; a vegetative honey Final Thoughts: not the tomato smell I was hoping for Jerusalem Cherry Infused Honey earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Decant: smells like the zoo, and mint Wet on Skin: like chewing minty gum while walking through the large cat building at the zoo While Drying: like closing your nose and breathing through your mouth in the cat enclosure After a Little While: The cat smell is gone, and now it is an odd floral-mint smell. Well, the cat smell is almost gone. There is still a hint of it at the base. Later: a faint, syrupy floral with a hint of rose - not my style; fast fade; lingering scent is nice Final Thoughts: It just occurred to me that I had a similar nasty animal experience with Lick It Til It's Sticky. I wonder if the same kind of mint is being used in this blend? Doll's Eye Infused Honey earns a 1.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: sweet, refreshing, with a hint of mustiness Wet on Skin: bright and sweet, with a hint of a spicy evergreen note While Drying: I'm liking this one so far After a Little While: bright, sweet, every so slightly spicy Later: mainly honey, powdery sweet; quick fade; lingering scent has a hint of the nightshade Final Thoughts: This is my favorite of the Apiary blends so far. I don't like Nightshade alone, and the honey addition improves it quite a bit. Hopefully age will make this last a bit longer. I'm glad this is GC. Deadly Nightshade Honey earns a 4.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: Hemlock. I love Hemlock. Wet on Skin: like Hemlock, but slightly sweet While Drying: This lacks some of the effervescence of plain Hemlock. It is fairly similar to my experiment layering Hemlock with O. After a Little While: Ahh, there's the brightness! And, wow, it is amping. The menthol scent is swamping the evergreen scent at this point. The honey is there if I search for it. The wafting scent is better than the skin-close scent. Later: In time, this balances out more. I love the way the evergreen and honey scents mingle. The throw is… spicy honey. HH seems to last better than the other apiary blends I've tried. Final Thoughts: It will be interesting to see how this ages. At this point, I don't think I need a bottle, because I can achieve the same effect (and tailor it to my taste) by layering, but age might reveal an added oomph. I'm glad this one is GC so I have time to decide. Hemlock Honey earns a 4/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: cloying floral honey Wet on Skin: better than in the imp While Drying: almost smells like lilies After a Little While: hardly any honey; mainly floral - not my style Later: Better as a faint scent, but still not my style. Oleander Honey earns a 2/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: Interesting: I received a sniffy with just a drop left as a frimp with a forum purchase. The remaining oil in the old imp was yellow. I received a lab frimp in a recent order, and the oil is a rich brown color. The oil in the sniffy smelled like spicy bubblegum. The fresh imp is sweeter, with an almost apple scent, and a thick feel as a sniff it. Wet on Skin: The drop of oil I managed to get out of the old imp smelled the same on the skin as it did in the imp (spicy bubblegum). The fresh imp was sweet, slightly appley, a touch cloying. Neither version is really my style, but I think I prefer the aged version. While Drying: Perfumey, cloying, not my style After a Little While: The lotus seems to be amplifying the sweet, floral, cloying aspects of the dragon's blood. Later: Much better after time has passed. The scent tames down to a more incensey DB with just a touch of something else. Blood Lotus earns a 2/5 on my skin.