fairestrocza

A friend allowed me to test her imp In the Imp: I can smell the cakey part and the little hard jellied fruits. Wet on Skin: Raisins and dense bready cake. While Drying: I get hints of the jellied fruits peeking out from time to time, but I mainly pick up the cakey-bread aspect. After a Little While: The cakey scent has dissipated, and it is mainly a slightly sweet, fruity scent. Later: Not very long lasting. A light sweet fruit scent to the end. Final Thoughts: Not quite my style, but definitely fun to test. Fruitcake earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: This is a bit more cologney, but reminds me a lot of Snow White (plus olive blossom) in the imp. I can smell honey, jasmine, and something a bit dirty. Wet on Skin: A bit plastic-y... no cinnamon... no sandalwood... jasmine scented plastic with just a touch of honey in the background. I'm not sure what champaca smells like. The vanilla is probably responsible for the plastic scent. While Drying: Not terrible. The jasmine is actually keeping in check. After a Little While: This reminds me a lot of Snow White… plus jasmine. Somehow, it is better than either of those on me, but still not really my thing. Final Thoughts: Jasmine is usually a deal-breaker note for me, so I was surprised to find this appealing in the imp. No such luck on the skin. Defututa earns a 3/5 on my skin.

For the benefit of those who don't want to read a huge review: Summary: As it ages, DoaPH loses its fruit/herb notes and increases the strength of the sandalwood. Great sandalwood. No patchouli or vetiver at any stage or age. Now for the details... I had the opportunity to do a comparison between a brand new lab-fresh imp, a slightly aged (~10 to 12 months old) lab-fresh imp, and a very aged (3+ years) second hand imp. In the Imp: 3 year imp - strong sandalwood, with something a bit sharp and perfumey 1 year imp - similar to older imp, but neither the sandalwood nor the perfumey aspect are as strong new imp - mint, yuzu, lavender and lime, in that order. Maybe some white musk too... all the lighter notes Wet on Skin: 3 year - similar to the smell in the imp, but something warm is emerging 1 year imp - similar to older imp, sandalwood dominant, a bit perfumey new imp - very bright and fruity, mainly a blend of yuzu, mint and lavender While Drying: 3 year imp - It is starting to come together now. Very subtle and well integrated. Many of these notes tend to dominate in other blends, but here they seem to balance each other out. Mainly sandalwood, with a touch of white musk and the perfumey note, which may be the florals 1 year imp - same as the older oil, but stronger new imp - yuzu dominant, almost a grapefruit scent (probably a blending of the scents mentioned when wet), a touch of sandalwood starts to emerge as it dries After a Little While: 3 year imp - Soft and subtle. As it warms up, it is developing a slight spiciness. Low throw, but fairly strong up close. I am loving this so far. Strong, gorgeous sandalwood, a bit sweet, not too dry. 1 year imp - pretty much the same as 3 year new imp - The yuzu is no longer as distinct as it was when wet. It merges with the other notes... still very bright and fruity. If I didn't have a list of notes, I would not believe the fresh imp and the aged imps were the same blend. Later: 3 and 1 year old imps - gorgeous sandalwood, but fading faster than I'd like. fresh imp - a gorgeous, sweet, lightly fruity scent over a base of light sandalwood. I wish the sandalwood was more prominent in the fresh version, or this sweet fruitiness stuck around in the aged versions. I bet a month or two of aging makes this scent ideal... though greater age seems to make the scent last longer. (The fresh imp, after about 14 hours, holds a lingering beautiful sandalwood scent, similar to the aged imps). Final Thoughts: Sandalwood can be hit or miss with my skin. Here, it is gorgeous. I never did detect any patchouli (sadly) or vetiver (thankfully) at any age or stage. So many of the listed notes have such strong personalities, but they are all well-behaved in this blend. I like the aged and the fresh versions of this blend, vastly different as they are. The aged version might be a good layering scent if I want to add a touch of sandalwood to another scent. Death on a Pale Horse earns a 4/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: warm, comforting; a bit spicy (the amber?) Wet on Skin: a bit perfumey during this stage, maybe a bit masculine too (I know, that doesn't make sense); second test: a slightly sweet amber scent, not getting the perfumey aspect this time around, and I think I would consider it unisex rather than masculine. While Drying: this is all about amber - amber scent, amber colored oil, amber mood; "soft," "warm," and "gentle" are apt descriptors After a Little While: sweetens a bit; fits the description quite well; makes me think of sun-warmed plains Later: medium throw; fairly long lasting (though throw decreases with time); weird - many hours after application, the lingering scent reminds me of Hod: res (not as much the second time around); amber and musk seem to fade, leaving a very organic, natural smell. Final Thoughts: I appreciated this scent much more the second time around. Either the scent has deepened and smoothed out a bit(I've had the imp for about 9 months now), or I just appreciate amber blends more now than I did in the beginning. Coyote earns a 3.5... maybe 4/5 on my skin.

I got married at the end of May. I wore Snowflakes... On me Snowflakes has good throw, but is not overpowering. There is a floral aspect that blended well with a garden wedding, and I love the way Snowflakes leaves a lingering scent in the air where I've just been. The Boy wore Dorian. It smells so good on him!

This was one of the worst skin chemistry FAILs I have experienced. ... or possibly a nose fail... or both. This was a lab-fresh frimp. I sniffed it, gagged, and set it aside for a few months. I worked up the nerve to skin test it today... In the Imp: Wet on Skin: and air freshener While Drying: used, scented cat litter, slowly drying After a Little While: more alcohol and less ammonia; it is becoming less offensive over time, but I can't see myself ever putting this on intentionally… and the urine is coming back, so this is getting scrubbed off Phoenix Steamworks earns a whopping 0/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: intense floral Wet on Skin: Slightly sour floral - I have a hard time with most lilies; I think I can sense a touch of the frankincense and purple fruits While Drying: This reminds me of being in a hair salon After a Little While: better after it dries, but still mainly a lily scent Later: The Boy seems to like it, but I don't think that is enough to save it from mediocrity in my eyes. Imperious Tiger-Lily earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Decant: a delicately sweet scent Wet on Skin: almost lemony While Drying: the chamomile is showcased during this stage; as it dries, I can start to pick out the orris and the ambergris, but both are subtle After a Little While: I'm not familiar with cimarron (red trumpet creeper), so I'm not sure if that is adding to the sweet aspect, or the lemony scent. In any case, it is not an In Your Face floral at all. Later: well blended; I am absolutely loving this; I started out thinking the throw was medium to light, but I am actually catching whiffs of scent as I go about my day, it is just a more subtle scent than many of the blends that have big throw on me Final Thoughts: This is very well balanced. Ambergris can be iffy on me, but it behaves here. I love orris, but sometimes it can drown out the other notes. Here, it adds its personality, but remains in the background. Great Grey Witch earns a 4.5/5 on my skin.

In the Bottle: cinnamon smarties! Wet on Skin: cinnamon smarties or cinnamon sweetarts; I generally don’t like cinnamon candy, but if it smelled like this, I might! While Drying: I like the combination of sweet and spicy. The throw while wet is significant. After a Little While: Close to the skin I can sense a bit of the other notes, but this is still primarily cassia/cinnamon/sweet cane on me, though the sweet aspect is a bit stronger than the spicy aspect at this stage. Throw is still significant. Later: ~1.5 hours after application, the throw is almost non-existant. The skin scent is candy with a hint of spice. The skin-close scent lasts for at least 6 hours on me. (ETA: The lingering skin-close scent has some tenacity! More than 15 hours and one shower later, I can still traces of scent.) Final Thoughts: I ended up with a bit of a skin reaction, but not enough to scare me away from the deliciousness. I am excited to see how this ages! Egg Moon earns a 4/5 on my skin. (ETA: This is my birthday moon, and I am so glad it worked so well on me. It is definitely a happy Birthday scent!)

Frimp from the lab! In the Imp: sugary bubblegum Wet on Skin: similar to imp, a touch less sugary While Drying: a leafy (green but slightly dusty, not dry) smell starts to emerge… maybe a combo of the tea and patchouli? After a Little While: All the scents are very well balanced. Overall, I would call this a fruity smell, but the tea and the patchouli smooth it out. Bright and beautiful. I can identify where each of the notes comes into play, but nothing dominates. The patchouli is more subtle than usual. The tea floats in the background. The fig adds a darker aspect to the fruitiness without becoming cloying (fig can be a problem note for me). The mango adds some sparkle. Later: Fairly short wear length. After about 2 hours, there is just a lingering skin-close scent. Worth reapplying. Final Thoughts: From the description, I thought this would be more of a novelty scent, and somewhat disjointed, but the notes blend so well. I haven't been thrilled with many of the fruit-dominant scents that I've tried, but this one is lovely. Tweedledum earns a 4/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: maraschino cherries Wet on Skin: cherries, a blast of musk, and just a hint of anise While Drying: reminds me a bit of Smut After a Little While: The anise is pretty subtle… just enough to let you know it is there, without being overpowering. Red musk is great on my skin. The cherry sinks into the other two notes, just adding a touch of fruitiness, though it can feel too sweet at times. Later: This lacks the depth and staying power of Smut, and the anise disappears, so it ends up feeling like a weak wanna-be Smut. Final Thoughts: Decent throw initially, but not overly aggressive. However, it doesn't last terribly long. I think I'd be more entranced if I had not yet discovered Smut. I will let this one age to see if the anise picks up some staying power. Kabuki earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: sweet and light Wet on Skin: Smells like The Boy's homemade mead While Drying: I think I can pick out the vanilla. I wouldn't have recognized it without looking at the notes. Don't recognize the amber yet. After a Little While: Gah. Super sweet. Oh wow… it smells *exactly* like jarred honey. Later: Still all honey all the time. Final Thoughts: I think I would prefer this layered with something, but I might be in the mood for this alone from time to time. I was hoping to love this one, and it is ok, but not fantastic. It doesn't really seem to fit my concept of O from the story, either. I'll come back to my imp and try it from time to time to see if it grows on me. O earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: an odd sort of sweetness, and not as resiny as I would expect Wet on Skin: not quite sure what to make of this While Drying: hmm, getting a bit of a skin reaction to this one. After a Little While: Ugh. Is that the Barnyard note from Lick It Til Its Sticky? Is there musk in here? There is a perfumy aspect too, and something fruity. It no longer burns where I applied it, but I have a bit of a rash. (I asked the lab, and there are no common notes between this and LITIS, the other blend that gave me a significant skin reaction). Later: This starts to calm down a bit, and it develops a bit of sweetness, but the weird barnyard note is still there behind it all, slightly sweet and musky. Final Thoughts: I was initially very drawn to the scent in the imp, but my skin just doesn't play well with El Dorado. Significant throw. Fortunately died down after a few hours. This one isn't for me. El Dorado earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: It must be the sugared rum that I am smelling… it is almost like caramel. Second test: Super-sweet, caramelized coconut rum Wet on Skin: smells like something you would drink after a long day of skiing. Second test: very sugary/carmalized; coconut is tame While Drying: reminds me a bit of Miskatonic U., with the warm alcoholic drink, and the tobacco note here taking the place of the dusty tomes in Misk U. Second test: a lighter note is pulling in - maybe the tobacco interacting with something else? The intensity of the sweetness and the carmalized note are toning down. I prefer the tobacco note from Ogun. After a Little While: The tobacco note has taken over as the main attraction. I can still smell the sugared rum. Fortunately, the coconut is quite faint and blends in with the rum scent. After a bit longer, the tobacco dies back a little and the coconut becomes more prominent, but without(?!) the plastic or sunblock effect that coconut can have. Second test: Away from the skin, throw is the sweet/carmalized note - not bad now that it has toned down. Up close, the scent is fresher/lighter. This seems to be a weird effect from the tobacco and coconut - neither are notes that do well on me (coconut is usually rancid) so Elegba is a happy surprise. Later: A touch of the plastic-coconut scent toward the end. Doesn't last very long - by one hour in, the scent is only detectable close to the skin. Second test: Very little throw far from the skin, but up close, I get the tobacco/coconut blend. I don't know why this works, but I find it intriguing. Final Thoughts: I prefer the sweetness of the scent in the bottle, however, it does some interesting morphing on my skin. Second test: I may not wear this super frequently, but I think it is good enough to keep around. Aging has done it some favors. Elegba earns a 3.5/5 on my skin. ETA notes from a second full skin test.

This has been on my wish list for a while, and the lab sent it as a frimp with my last order! In the Imp: sweet and bubbly like vanilla cream soda Wet on Skin: The (vanilla cream? sasparilla?) soda scent is still there, but I can now smell (very well behaved) cedar beneath it. While Drying: This is a very cheerful scent. Something about this reminds me of Smut (not scent, more feeling - I get more of a red cream soda from that one) but with a more lighthearted and playful feel. After a Little While: Enough throw that I catch whiffs of scent from time to time, but not overwhelming. Very little morphing in this one. Later: Fades too fast. I'll need to put more on next time. (And I did, and it lasted longer). The notes are present in a similar balance to that which they had wet, just sticking closer to the skin now. Vanilla, sasparilla and cedar. No pencil shavings, saunas, or other weirdness from the cedar. Wrists have more delicious vanilla and elbows have a touch more cedar. Final Thoughts: Reminds me of Smut in the way there is a fizzy soda feel over a darker base. It makes me think of drinking sasparilla in the Wild West. Tombstone earns a 4.5/5 on my skin.

Illuminati Cotillion (from the Black Helicopter update): Ceremonial incense, pipe tobacco, temple roses, and shittim wood. From my research, shittim = red acacia. It is a wood and not a blossom note, but I thought it was worth mentioning since it is currently available. Looking through reviews, people have mentioned acacia in the following scents: Cupid Complaining to Venus Lunar Eclipse Samael Hunger Smut Red Phoenix Night's Pavillion Red Lantern Chaos Theory(s)

Three recent scents to add to the Narcissus list... The First Soft Snow (Yule 2009): Heavy drifts of snow blanketing winter's narcissus. Signior Dildo (Lupercalia 2010): A scent of pearls and ivory: orris, violet leaf, narcissus, and Madagascar vanilla. Kaidan (Irredeemable): Rosehip, plum blossom, white sandalwood, jonquil, and amber-laden incense.

In the Bottle: heady, but soft, florals Wet on Skin: Burns a bit going on (only the first time). Creamy, slightly spicy floral. While Drying: I can identify lavender if I work at it, but it is definitely not the dominant note. The tea is present, and I like what it is adding to an otherwise floral blend. I don't smell lilac, so it must be the wisteria, delphinium, or a combo of the two that is defining the scent at this point. Still a bit of zing and some redness where I applied the oil (ginger?). After a Little While: Floral aspect is dying down. Mainly a spicy tea with something slightly sugary. No longer burning my skin. I tested this again during a different point in my cycle, and got an odd almost-but-not-quite anise scent (I detected a hint of this in the imp at a later time too). Later: Fades to a very light vague floral... But, at a different point in my cycle, the florals all fade and this dries down to mainly a tea scent. Gotta love skin chemistry! Final Thoughts: I wish the ginger had a bit more oomph in scent, and less oomph in skin reaction. This was one of the scents I was most looking forward to testing. It is not bad, but not outstanding, and I find myself a bit disappointed. Fairly rapid fade. Needlework earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Bottle: lighter than I would expect… smells more like O than like Snake Oil Wet on Skin: sweet, but not excessively so While Drying: the Snake Oil seems to temper the sweetness, I can pick out the slightly dusty SO scent After a Little While: the honey starts to pick up, but isn't the same Honey In a Jar scent that I get from O - I'd call this more "Honeyed Snake Oil" rather than "Honey and Snake Oil." The honey seems to mask some of the vanilla I get with pure Snake Oil. Later: Seems to have more throw than either Snake Oil or O, and more lasting power than Snake Oil alone. Womb Furie lacks the brief weird-musky-BO phase that both Snake Oil and O have after several hours. Final Thoughts: I ended up getting a bottle of this one… I love it as it is, and part of me hopes that it doesn't age into the amazing awesomeness that people keep anticipating, because I might regret not getting a second bottle. I've received several compliments while wearing Womb Furie. Womb Furie earns a 4/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: grapefruit? Citrusy wind/water note Wet on Skin: ooo something totally tames those weather notes While Drying: sun-warmed wood and salt spray, maybe some clove in there? After a Little While: indistinguishable from Lightening and Tempest Later: rapid fade to almost nothing Final Thoughts: The initial phases were fantastic. I will need to try this again and see if I can get the good stuff to stick around. Jolly Roger earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

I have yet to try aged Snake Oil, but I have now tried two different lab-fresh batches, and several Snake Oil based blends. In the Imp: sweet incense and a bit of perfumy alcohol, something a little bit dirty behind it all Wet on Skin: similar to imp but less alcohol; new imp: an initial blast of patchouli, followed by a dusty, spiced incense While Drying: somewhat similar to Vixen but without the same sultry depth; elbows retaining the alcohol note; 2nd imp: still lacking a little depth (I assume that comes with age) but I like it better than I remember liking it the first time; there is a slightly dusty aspect to the scent. After a Little While: vanilla spicy goodness, but less so than Vixen - maybe aging would add the oomph that is missing - makes me think I should try some of the snake pit blends; decent throw; 2nd imp: vanilla spicy goodness - more so than I remember. The barest hint of patchouli is there if I look for it, but not blatant at all. Later: It turns a little bit after a while (the almost-B.O. musky scent) - fades in and out - still not bad, but I prefer Vixen; 2nd imp: late drydown is an amazingly good vanilla with just a hint of spice. Mmmmm. Final Thoughts: This is one of those scents that is great to discover on a coat a few days after you wear it. I need to find some aged snake oil to compare with the fresh imps I've tried. I have now tried a few Snake Oil based blends, and I tend to prefer them to pure SO. Snake Oil earns a 4/5 on my skin.

A reformulation and modernization of a true Classical Greek perfume, myrrhine: voluptuous myrrh, golden honey, red wine, and sweet flowers. Note: The imp I tested was at least a year or two old, possibly older. I liked this enough to buy an imp of my own, but this review is based off the aged version... In the Imp: powerful, sweet and boozy Wet on Skin: sweet wine and honey While Drying: Wine in the forefront, softened by honey. I don't think I am detecting any myrrh. If the flowers are present, they are just adding to the sweetness of the blend… oh wait, I spoke too soon. There they are, just faintly peeking out in the background. After a Little While: 1st test: Fairly powerful scent, but sticks close to the skin. The myrrh is starting to come through, taking the edge off the boozy note and easing up on the sweetness a bit. 2nd test: I wore this again while I was out and about, and realized that a fine taper candle scent wafts about, but the skin scent is so powerful that it overwhelmed my impressions while I was busy sniffing every few minutes the first time around. Later: Scented wax. It is not quite beeswax (I was thinking it was the honey giving this impression, but I don't think that is it). It is not a cheap smelly candle, but a subtle, delicately scented, red candle. This has the feel of the end of a dinner party. The candles have been blown out, the dishes cleared, and just a few, mostly empty, wine glasses remain on the table. Final Thoughts: I like this scent, but I don't think I'd want to wear it for a big drinking night (or smell it the morning after). On second thought, it might not be too bad since the boozy note goes away before final drydown. I put this on in the evening, and the scented wax smell is still there in the late morning. 2nd test: The end-of-a-cozy-candlelit-dinner-party-with-wine impression is even stronger this time around. Love it. Athens earns a 4/5 on my skin. Edited to add lab description

In the Bottle: a fairly light scent; I can smell the benzoin Wet on Skin: very unassuming While Drying: I'm picking up the sandalwood, and maybe the tonka. Not really picking up nutmeg or benzoin initially, though a bit of benzoin starts to pick up as it dries. After a Little While: This is sexy in a non-overt way. I'll have to try this one on The Boy. I imagine it would give the impression of naturally smelling good, rather than announcing the wearing of a scent. Later: I am hoping that this will have better staying power with a bit of aging Final Thoughts: As for other reviewers comparisons… not at all Oil of Olay (my mom also uses that), but I can agree with the comparison to Raven Moon - it has a similar dark sweetness - makes me think this one will improve with age. Andreiphontes earns a 3.5/5

In the Bottle: slightly sweet, slightly nutty, slightly soapy Wet on Skin: A bit soapy. I can smell something floral (I think it is the magnolia). Rice powder is present and lovely. The khus is (miraculously) behaving itself so far. Not picking out chestnut, but I may just not recognize it (or is that what is going soapy?) While Drying: Soapy, but not overwhelming. Something is giving a restaurant-y impression. The rose geranium is poking its head out periodically. After a Little While: Significant throw. Oddly foody - like a bizarre dessert combo at a Thai restaurant (I'm thinking Chestnut Sticky Rice)…. And spicy soap. Later: The soapy aspect eventually dies down, but this still strikes me as a very odd scent, though I prefer this stage to the earlier stages. I think that whatever is causing the soapy response is also responsible for the initial throw, because by the time the soap dies off, the throw is minimal. Final Thoughts: I keep wanting to like this one more than I do, but it just is not happening. Harmise earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Bottle: very light, both in feel, and in the sense that I can barely smell anything Wet on Skin: gives the impression of an aquatic floral While Drying: it must be the musk that is dominant at this stage… I am picking up a slight hint of something resiny/incensy, but mainly getting the aquatic impression. No honey, no currant, nothing that I recognize as kush After a Little While: picking up a bit of the daemonorops now, not as sweet as DB can often be… seems a bit warmer and dryer now. Very low throw on this one. Later: picking up a bit of sweetness, and just a touch of the amber, but something is also going funky - a bit sour; Surprisingly for such a light scent, there is a lingering fragrance even 12 hours later. Final Thoughts: Reminds me of one of the GC blends - wish I could remember which. Not super impressed with this one. The low throw combined with the occasional funky note and the overall perfumey quality make this a no go for me. Yet, I'd be interested to see what happens to it with some aging. Anactoria earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.