Miss Lynx

When first applied, this is about the most intensely realistic apple scent I've yet come across! It smells exactly like a fresh, ripe apple, lush and juicy, with overtones of honey -- maybe fresh apple slices with honey drizzled over them. And a faint auro of sensual musk. I don't know whether I want to eat this scent or have sex with it. The apple dies down fairly quickly, though. The next stage is lighter and sweeter, or at least a different kind of sweet. The rose is definitely putting in an appearance, and I would have sworn there was something fresh and green abd herbal underneath it, though looking at the notes I have no idea what that would be. It's almost a green-grass undertone. I think I can smell the orange blossom too, but no sign of the incense resins yet. It's predominantly a fruity floral at this stage. Eventually, it settles down to a pleasantly sweet incensey skin-scent, with just a faint fruity-floral-musk overtone. Very nice. So this is definitely a morpher -- like several different scents in one! Fortunately, I seem to like all of them, except for perhaps a brief spot of awkwardness where stage 1 (apple/honey) is giving way to stage 2 (rose grass), where it seems like it doesn't know what it wants to be for a little while there and smells a bit discordant. But other than that, it's lovely, and a definite keeper. Grade: B+/A-

Whoa. This is stunning. I was a little bit afraid of it because of the lily and the orris, neither of which are usually very good on me, but... whoa. It's a lot more conventionally perfumey than most scents I like, but we're not talking drugstore perfume here. We're talking some kind of super-high-end, many-hundreds-of-dollars-a-bottle, available-only-in-exclusive-boutiques type perfume. Seriously, this needs to live in a fancy cut-glass bottle or something. It's got the sort of warm amber-musk base that so many of my favourite scents do, but a really elegant, refined version of that. The floral element is there, but it's not overpowering -- it's absolutely perfectly balanced with the resinous notes. And I can get a faint hint of something aquatic in it, but it doesn't smell fake and nasty like aquatics usually do on me. It smells like -- I don't know, the rays of the setting sun reflected on an otherworldly ocean full of water lilies, or something like that. It's very golden, glowing scent, but ethereal and otherworldly at the same time. Like the scent of some kind of solar faery queen. It's quietly elegant, and commanding at the same time. Its only downside is that it doesn't last too long, but it's lovely enough to be worth reapplying. All I can say is... wow. It's not my usual kind of scent, but I don't care. This is one of the Lab's most outstanding accomplishments. Grade: A

Unsurprisingly, this is very strongly white musk on me. The very light, powdery, feminine sort of musk, like the Body Shop's White Musk scent. I have no idea why some people are likening it to a men's scent -- on me, at least, it's hyper-feminine. There's a light dusting of floral over the musks, which thankfully does not amp up horribly on my skin the way that many other florals do. I guess poppy is one of the better-behaved florals on my skin, or else maybe there just isn't very much of it in here. The patchouli is barely there, just a very faint earthiness behind the flowery musk. I wouldn't have actually guessed there was any patchouli in it if the description hadn't mentioned it. It's not really enough to ground the scent much; it still comes across as very light and ethereal. The overall feeling is light, wispy and cool, like an evening breeze -- suitably enough, I suppose, for its namesake. It's a pretty scent, and not unlikable by any means, but a little more conventionally "perfumey" than I usually like. Grade: B

Hmmm... Interesting scent. It's an odd combination of vanilla and something decidedly not-sweet. There's something cold in it, but not a stereotypical minty coldness. It's almost metallic, or at least stony. Appropriately enough given the name. That mineral edge at times almost approaches the graveyard dirt note that I so dislike, but it's much softer. It's a touch reminiscent of the cold snowy note in Talvikuu as well, and one of the notes in Jezirat al Tennyn. Whatever it is, it balances the vanilla in an interesting way, and keeps it from being too sweet or stereotypically girly. Unfortunately, the vanilla note in it seems to be doing the Play-Doh thing that vanilla so often does on my skin, and that ultimately keeps it from really working on me. But it would be a really lovely and interesting blend on anyone whose skin didn't react to vanilla that way, and I can see why it's become so popular. But alas, it's not really for me. Grade: B-

I finally got to try this at today's meet'n'sniff, and it was quite a strange experience. At first, it was nicely warm, spicy and incensey... but with a slightly unpleasant undertone to it that reminded me of cat pee! Very odd. It was simultaneously nice and not-nice, though I supposed that's very appropriate for an oil created at the request of an imp. As it settled into my skin, though, the cat pee scent eventually faded, and it just left behind a nice, warm, spicy scent that I quite liked. Although looking at the notes above, I have no idea where the spice was coming from. I would have sworn there was cinnamon or clove in here or something, and I see that at least a few other people got that from it too. And it's astonishing to me that it has two flowers -- I didn't pick up anything floral in here at all, and my skin usually amps florals like crazy. Well, hmmm... Apart from the cat pee element, I quite enjoyed this. I may have to try and find some more... I wonder how little Seamus would look in my office? I like Balthazar better visually, but I think I may need to get some of this scent. Grade: B (B+ once the cat pee fades)

At last I got to try some of the fabled Convergence scents! And I am almost relieved that I did not fall in love with this one. Storyville is a heavy, sugary, musky scent that's strongly reminiscent, to me, of Smut, and a bit of Devil's Night. It's almost foody, but not quite. A little boozy too... Other scents that would seem to fall into the same family are Red Lantern, and Monster Bait: Underpants. But I have mixed feelings about that sugary note that's in all those... it always smells slightly wrong on me. Like it wants to be lush syrupy goodness, but falls a bit short and smells kind of like -- well, fake food. It's not as bad as the buttery note that's in things like Jack and Grog and Gluttony, which actually makes me nauseous, but it's still a bit off-putting. Still, once it settles down, that element fades a bit, and it smells more like genuine raw sugar and musk. I kind of like it at that stage... But not enough to be determined to hunt down a bottle of it by any means necessary, thank the Gods. Now, Voodoo Queen, on the other hand... But that's another review. Grade: B

This pretty much lives up its name. It's very light, fruity, and I could see it being quite happy-making. I didn't get candy or bubble gum from it -- just fruit, and maybe a slight undertone of something like amber or some kind of incense resin, just enough to give it a sun-warmed feel, and a little more complexity than Akuma, which it is otherwise very reminiscent of. It lasts a lot longer than you would think from the scent, too, although most of the fruitiness eventually ebbs and what's left smells more like vanilla and white musk. All in all, pretty nice. Grade: B

I couldn't even try this one on. Someone at today's meet'n'sniff had it, and Kettu offered it to me to try after she had tried it, but I took one sniff and knew there was no way this was going on my skin. I may be biased because we have a sick cat right now, and had just come from visiting her, but to me this smelled exactly like an animal hospital -- metal and disinfectant and sick animals. It took me straight back to visiting our cat in the animal hospital right before the meet'n'sniff, and to previous vet visits, especially the two when very sick and old cats had to be put to sleep. It smelled like cold metal and harsh chemicals, with an underlying scent of sickness, rot and maybe death. I seem to be one of only two people so far who have had a negative reaction to it, and I don't know why it struck me so differently from everyone else. Obviously, I can't attest to how it would have worked for me in a ritual situation. But it's strange how the same scent can evoke such veyr different associations for different people. Grade: F

Very strange! I couldn't figure out at first what I thought of this one, or whether I liked it or not - it was so different than any other scent I'd tried. There's something very aggressively cold in it, and as it settled into my skin, I found myself thinking that it smelled like toothpaste! Evil toothpaste. But there were a lot of different things going on in there. Something about it was reminiscent of Talvikuu, but less foresty. There was a definite synthetic, chemical edge to it -- ozone maybe? Someone else at today's meet'n'sniff, smelling it on me, said it reminded them of insect repellent, and there was indeed something about it that was a bit like the Deep Woods Off element in Vinland. All in all, too harsh and chemical-ish for me, but an interesting experiment nonetheless. Grade: C

I will second Ulalume as a rain-scent. I also tend to like Bewitched and Lampades for days like that, although really I like those two enough to wear them just about any time. Conversely, if I want to feel warmer and sunnier on a rainy day, instead of just going with the raininess, Aglaea is my top pick.

Wow -- this is a very sharp, high-pitched scent, but not in a bad way. It's hot and cold at the same time -- maybe cinnamon and mint? A spicy herbal that's composed almost entirely of top notes. I could certainly see sniffing this to wake up your brain. There's an aspect of it that seems kind of medicinal, but in an appealing way, like a therapeutic combination of essential oils. A little more eucalyptus, and it would be liquid Tiger Balm. And as the top notes fade, there seems to a be a light floral component hiding in the background, that leaves it with a lingering spicy sweetness after the more aggressive notes die down, which is a bit reminiscent of Chimera. Honeysuckle maybe? All in all, pretty nice, and definitely evocative of the planet. I don't think I'd wear it as a perfume, but for magical/ritual use I could definitely use it. Grade: B

It's funny that it took me so long to try this one, as Kettu's had it, and been completely in love with it, for close to a year now. It's one of her favourite LEs, especially for cold weather. I had held off partly because I suspected that birch might be one of the wood notes that hates me, but it's really not too bad... There's a definite evergreen note in here, and a sense of coldness and dampness -- something aquatic about it, though maybe that's meant to evoke snow. And there's also an underlying dry note that may be the birch -- not sure. Birch sometimes smells liek wintergreen, but I'm not really getting that here. All in all, it's not too bad, but I don't think I like it as much as Kettu does. I'm still hoping to find the perfect winter scent for me, but this isn't it. It's an OK scent, but it's not really me. Grade: C+

Kettu dabbed this one me after I tried Mercury, for comparison. And they do indeed seem to have a fair bit in common, which makes sense, as this is the throat chakra, and thus associated with communication, which is a very mercurial trait. But Vishuddha has more sweetness to it -- it has the same sharp hot/cold herbal/spice notes as Mercury, but layered over a much stronger floral backdrop which goes a bit powdery on my skin -- violet maybe? Or orchid? Whatever it is, it rapidly turns to baby powder once the top notes fade, though there's still a touch of spice there as well. Definitely not something I'd wear as a perfume, but maybe for working with the chakra in question. Grade: C+

Not sure I like this -- it's a dry, woody scent, with that particular kind of "off" note to it that some woody scents have on me (notably, the ones in Intrigue, the Hesperides and Samhain, plus a few others I can't think of right now). I would have expected the beginning of all that is earth to be -- well, earthier. More lush, with maybe some fruity elements for abundance and prosperity. Instead, it's just sort of dry and woody and slightly herbal, and just... there. Not terribly interesting. As it dries fown further it gets a bit better -- there's a warm base note that comes out, vetiver I think. At that stage I like it more, but it's not really much different from any number of other vetiver-based scents I have. Grade: C

I had no idea what this would smell like from the listed notes -- they're so diverse that it could smell like almost anything, depending on which notes came out strongest. But really, I can hardly pick out any of the individual notes in it -- it's very well-blended. But it's also very much a men's scent, at least to me. From the first sniff in the imp, and evenmore so when it hit my arm, it sort of reared up and said "I belong on a guy!" It seems like it would be quite a nice men's scent, but it's not so nice on me. I think leather nearly always results in that men's-cologne sort of impression for me, and this comes across as sort of a clean citrussy leather scent. I tried to get Nikos, our other partner, to try it, and he sniffed it and pronounced it to smell like Aqua Velva, then handed it back to me without trying it. Oh well. Grade: C

This is one of the ones I got for Kettu's birthday imp pack, but it didn't work for her because the vetiver was too strong -- she said it smelled almost like single-note vetiver to her. Vetiver is usually OK on me, so I gave it a try. In the imp, the first thing to hit my nose was patchouli, not vetiver. On, I could pick up the vetiver and I think also some myrrh, and something a bit smoky. It's very much an incensey scent on me, and slightly reminiscent of Saturn. Initially, I could smell something a bit sharp and almost acidic in it, but that note, whatever it was, faded quickly, leaving behind mainly a dry earthy incense scent. It's definitely dark and earthy, but not in a bad way at all. I think I remarked to Kettu at one point "This is kind of like what Malediction could have been if it hadn't been completely evil." So all in all, not bad, and pretty appropriate for the card it represents, but I don't think it's something I'd wear much, especially when I have several other incensey scents available to me. Grade: B-

This one is definitely a morpher. From the diverse list of ingredients, I really wasn't sure what it was going to smell like, but it was on Kettu's wishlist, so I got it for her birthday, and then eventually ended up trying myself. In the imp, it smells complex and interesting -- spicy, boozy, floral and earthy all at once. But as soon as it hits my skin, it becomes almost all florals. My skin amps up the funeral flowers to a freakish extent, though the other notes are still barely perceptible. As it dries down it goes through all kinds of changes -- the bay rum seems to be the next major note that takes over as the florals fade, and it becomes very spicy. I found it quite likable at this stage. But then that too passes, and a dank earthiness comes up from below as the graveyard dirt begins to take over. Now, graveyard dirt is one of my least favourite notes in perfume history, but it's not too bad here -- the other notes still balance it to some extent, though it makes the scent less pleasant than it was. And then it fades away, almost completely. Total lifespan of the scent -- maybe half an hour. I can still smell it if I press my nose close to my arm, but it's mostly gone. So, probably not something I would keep, but it seems to be working out well for Kettu, and it's interesting enough that I'm glad I had the chance to try it. Grade: B-

Eek! An aggressively high, sharp floral in the imp. The sort of thing that is generally my bane. And yet, in the interests of the pursuit of knowledge, I for some reason applied some anyway. Partly because I like the name and the description, partly because lavender and honeysuckle don't necessarily always hate me... Hmmm. Once the initial onslaught fades, it's actually not too bad as florals go. I applied it fairly sparingly, and at least at this level, it's not exactly painful. I can actually smell a bit of a balance of all three notes instead of just being clubbed over the head by the jasmine. It actually smells very relaxing -- maybe it's partly just the lavender's influence, but I could see putting a drop or two of this on a pillow to help you sleep. I don't know that I'd call it all that otherworldly, let alone "brimming with power and mystery", but it's reasonably inoffensive, for a pure floral. Gentle, calming, not too overwhelmingly sweet, and a bit dreamy. Which does, I suppose, make it otherworldly in its own way. Unfortunately, right after that, it turns to soap. Oh well. Grade: C

It took me a while to get around to trying this, even though it came in an order back in June. But based on the notes we figured that Tweedledee was more for Kettu, and Tweedledum more for me, so I really didn't get around to dipping into hers to try it out until now. I actually like it a bit more than I thought I would. It's definitely in the same ballpark scentwise as Tweedledum, being a sort of light fruity-floral mix that comes across as a bit scented-candle-ish. It doesn't have the earthiness that the patchouli gives Tweedledum, so this is definitely the lighter of the two scents. It smells very tart and almost citrussy at first, but after a little while that element of it settles down and it becomes very sweet, and more floral-ish. A little while further along, the sweetness settles down too, leaving it abit more of a dry, semi-sweet floral/herbal/spicy hybrid. Very nice at this stage. Hmmm... I am starting to think I might like this better than Tweedledum! Haven't given up on the Dum yet -- I think my mixed feelings about it might be partly the result of the way fig sometimes loves and sometimes hates my skin. But I'm thinking this one is definitely a winner. Not top favourite material, but definitely likable. Grade: B+

This is really nice. At first it seemed very lemony, and I'm not sure what that's from - none of the listed notes would seem to account for it, and only one I'm not familiar with is yauhtli (which turned out to be a type of marigold used in Aztec death ceremonies, when I Googled it). After a while that fades and honey is the dominant note, but there's a very strong incensey base - almost as if you layered O over Cathedral, but more complex than that. The floral notes are thankfully fairly subtle - overall it's more of a honeyed herbal incense. I just might want to track down a bottle of this one... Grade: B+

*sigh* Chrysanthemum Moon, you broke my heart. You were the first Lunacy I actually ordered a full bottle of. Usually I don't like most of the Lunacies because they're so heavily floral. And when you were first announced, I expected the same, and didn't even look at the description after seeing the name. But then... the reviews started to come in. And everyone was talking about how you were musky, gingery, incensey goodness, and hardly floral at all. So I began to regret not ordering you. And then I saw a post from a lovely forumite offering to pick a few things up for people from the next Will Call, and decided I had to try you. More and more reviews rolled in, and I was so excited waiting for you that I could hardly stand it. And then you arrived. I eagerly opened up the bottle and, barely pausing to sniff, slathered you on. *sigh* Where's the ginger? Where's the musk? Where's the incense? All I get from you, pretty much, is... florals. You smell like a standard commercial perfume -- a reasonably nice one, but still. I hate most commercial perfumes. I can barely pick up undertones of some of the promised notes beneath the floral onslaught, but not strongly enough. Eventually, the flowers settle down a bit, and I can indeed detect a bit of spicy incense scent in you... just in time for you to fade away completely. I can still pick up a trace, with my nose pressed to my wrists, of something that almost lives up to my expectations... But alas you didn't smell like that when I still could smell you. Kettu tried you too, and initially you smelled nice on her, more like what I'd hoped you would on me. But then you gave her a headache, you evil wench. *sigh* So... away you shall go. And believe me, I shall think twice before trusting a Lunacy again. There have been a few that weren't too bad (Blood Moon and Hungry Ghost Moon come to mind), but overall, I am clearly not cut out to be a Lunatic. Despite all claims to the contrary. Grade: C

Don't know if this helps any, but I'm definitely not pregnant and never have been, and I still can't stand ylang-ylang.

This is a very interesting scent, which goes through quite a few changes over time. Initially, the wine and ginger jumped out the most -- it was like sweet boozy ginger, and I quite liked that. Then, as it settled in a bit, the florals came up a little more, and I found it very reminiscent of Glitter, but with a touch of spice. Kettu picked up the grapefruit strongly in it at this stage, but I didn't so much. For me it was a bit more floral, but the florals never came out strongly enough to be overwhelming -- there was a light but decidedly un-sweet base to it that balanced them nicely. And finally, after some time, it settled into a very soft, creamy, gentle, warm scent, a bit like the late stage of Embalming Fluid once the citrussy edge fades, a bit like Antique Lace before it turns to Play-Doh on me. The musk, vanilla and sandalwood are, I think, the longest-lasting ingredients here. There are still very faint hints of fruit and flowers, too, but only traces. All in all, I think I like it, even though it does appear to be several scents in one and I like some of the more than others. Grade: B+

This has such an eclectic variety of ingredients that I had literally no idea what it might smell like. But the end result of all those things is surprisingly light and fresh smelling -- more like spring than fall, to my nose. It's definitely got complexity, but on the whole I'd almost put it in the same scent family as Kumiho and Embalming Fluid, both of which I quite recently tried: very light and clean, not overly sweet... something you could easily wear in a conservative office without raising eyebrows. Maybe it's the tea? And like them, it also seems to be fading quickly, but not as quickly... I guess the diversity of ingredients make it hold up a bit longer than the other light tea scents do on me. Despite several of the ingredients being edible, it really doesn't smell foody at all to me. It's more herbal than anything, with faint floral and woody traces, and a slight nuttiness. It's pleasant, but much gentler than I was expecting. I don't think I need a bottle, but I will probably keep the imp. Grade: B

This is a very, very light, subtle scent. The tea seems to be stronger than the ginger - it doesn't really smell all that spicy at all, just clean and fresh and a little citrussy. It's highly reminiscent of one of the hand soaps that we picked up from Bath & Body Works on our last trip to the US, which I think was white ginger & something-or-other. it doesn't smell soapy as such, but it does smell like something you'd scent soap or maybe lotions with. Kumiho is certainly not unpleasant, but neither is it all that interesting, and what there is of it is fading away very quickly - it's only been 15 minutes and already I have to press my nose right against my wrist to smell it. Really, this is far too timid and innocuous be make a good seductive fox-demon scent. I think Vixen does a better job of being that. Grade: C+/B-