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Everything posted by imaginepageant
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I've just tried Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener for the first time, and it's an immediate favorite that I will be ordering a bottle of ASAP! It's gotten me wanting to try anything and everything with sassafras, which I can see becoming a favorite note. So, what blends have sassafras? Tombstone is already high on my wishlist. I also know that Laudanum and Port au Prince have sassafras; Laudanum's going on the wishlist, but I recall Port au Prince being super buttery on me. Are there any others I should try? ETA: It figures - the butter note in SSS has gone rancid on my skin, like butter usually does. No bottle for me after all. Now I'm even more keen to find blends with sassafras - particularly without butter!
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In the Vial: Yum! I think this combination of notes is amazing. This is definitely a cake smell, but it's not heavy and thick like other cake blends I've tried; the tea and cucumber are keeping it nice and light. And the cucumber is fresh and crisp, but the sweetness of the cake and biscuits keeps it from getting too green or aquatic. It's a perfect balance for me. Wet: This one doesn't morph a whole lot, which is strange for me! The tea comes out more, but that's about it. Dry: It's slightly less sweet now. The tea and cucumber are winning out over the cake and biscuits, making it more floral, somehow, than foody. As time goes on, it veers back towards foody, and gets a little buttery. An Hour Later: Not much of a change! And miracle of all miracles - it didn't turn into rancid butter, which I'd been expecting once it started to smell a bit buttery. Overall: I'm impressed at how little this changed - most blends morph like mad on my skin. I'm also surprised at how much I like this, considering I don't usually go for fresh, crisp scents (though I suspect those that do wouldn't even consider this a fresh, crisp scent). I can see this end up being my go-to light blend. It's pretty and delicious, and fits the title perfectly - I can totally see a group of alien debutantes sitting in a garden, daintily nibbling on biscuits and sipping tea with their pinkies extended.
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In the Vial: Oh, red musk. How I adore you. I never want to stop smelling this. This reminds me a lot of Dragon's Heart; is there a resin note in this, or is my nose just imagining it? As for notes that aren't imaginary, it's a little sharp on top, but creamy when I breathe deeply. Sweet, warm, a little spicy, a little woodsy. And very, very red. Wet: There are those Middle Eastern spices the description talks about. They're mostly noticeable in the throw, and they're reminding me of Indian cooking - not that it smells like curry or anything, but it just has that quality to it. Up close, it's creeping toward baby powder territory, but with hot spices mixed in. Dry: Sigh. It's pretty much nothing like it was in the imp. Still has that Indian cooking feel, and it's getting quite dry and smoky as well. And hot. My nose is tingling like I'm huffing a chili pepper! An Hour Later: Still nose-tinglingly hot. But, it's smelling less like Indian cooking and more what I imagine Scherezade to be - exotic, sexy, and mysterious. The red musk is more noticeable now than in the earlier stages, but not nearly as prominent as it was in the imp. Overall: Not sure I like the literal spiciness of this, but otherwise it's nice. I'll have to do a full slather test later before I decide if this is something I can wear or not.
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In the Vial: Dark, sharp, smoky, and slightly floral. I like it! I can definitely pick out the teak, myrrh, lavender, galbanum, and neroli. I could swear I'm smelling ginger in this, but ginger isn't listed in the blend's description. Wet: Mmmm, sweet, warm woods. It edges towards talcum powder territory... but it doesn't quite get there. The cacao is slowly coming out, though it's mainly just a generic sweet smell versus a chocolate smell. But now the sweetness is fading a bit. Wow, is this ever a morpher! Dry: That sharpness has returned; I think it's the lavender. The cacao is less sweet but a bit more like chocolate now. Mostly, though, it's talcum powder. NO WAIT. It smells like Brut! I haven't actually smelled Brut in a few years but I'm pretty sure this is it. Mmmm, I love Brut! An Hour Later: It's gotten fairly light, both the amount of scent that's left and the feeling of the scent. It was pretty deep before, but it's light and airy now. And a lot less like Brut because of this. It's so faint I can't really pick out the notes anymore. Overall: Not for me, but I will be trying this out on the boyfriend; hopefully his skin won't totally eat up the oil like mine did.
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Looking for a BPAL that Resembles a Favorite Perfume
imaginepageant replied to Ina Garten Davita's topic in Recommendations
I'm testing Midnight Carnival, and am surprised to find that it smells exacty like Brut cologne. It didn't in the imp, but that's what it turned into on my skin. I love Brut, so I'm looking forward to trying this one on the boyfriend. -
In the Vial: Chimney smoke? Check. Peppermint sweets? Check. Snow? Check. Blood and gore? Hello? Are you there? Nope, I don't think so. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be the literal smell of blood and gore (see also: Gore-Shock) or not. It's vaguely fruity, but bitter, like holly berries or something, so I guess that's posing as the blood. Wet: Aaaaaaand dryer sheets. Yep, this is why I don't wear ozones. But wait! The peppermint is creeping back in. So it's... peppermint dryer sheets. Dry: The good news: it no longer smells like dryer sheets. The bad news: it now smells like manly pine-scented soap. I didn't think there was any evergreen notes in this, but okay. There is. Okay, wait - the pine has eased up a bit and it's back to dryer sheets. What the eff, make up your mind. An Hour Later: It still hasn't really made up its mind, and is hovering between pine-scented soap and dryer sheets. It is somewhat softer and creamier now, though. Overall: I didn't think this would work for me (I tend to avoid cold blends), and I was right. But I couldn't not try something described as "gore-splattered."
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In the Vial: I was frimped a sniffy of Tweedledee with just a tiny driblet of oil in it, so my impressions of it in the vial might be a little lacking! It's crisp, fruity, slightly sweet tea. Wet: The orange blossom starts to come out and the kumquat gets stronger, making this more fruit than tea. I'm getting a hint of the white pepper, too. Dry: Much more orange now! But definitely orange blossom versus juicy orange fruit - there's a soft, fresh floral quality to it. There's almost a watery feel to it, but I think that must be the tea, which I can't exactly smell in and of itself anymore. The white pepper is slooooowly gaining steam and giving it a bit of spiciness. An Hour Later: Hmm. It's gotten kind of... sour. Like the way blends with milk notes go sour on me. I'm thinking this is the kumquat. It's strange. Overall: It was pretty nice before it turned sour, but still not quite my thing.
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In the Vial: UNH. The best way I can describe this is: OMG GOOD. Sweet resiny goodness. There isn't actually a resin note listed so I'm guessing the incense is an amber incense. I can smell the coconut husk, and it's definitely husk rather than straight-up coconut, but I think the sandalwood is partially responsible for that dry, dusty quality. The orris root makes it slightly floral, and the musk provides a good foundation. There's something bright and fruity about this, too. Wet: Ohhhhh. Coconut! Coconut and resin and sandalwood and musk. Oh my god, I can barely form words right now. Let me repeat: OMG GOOD. And SEXY. Dry: Just looked up the full description, and yeah, I can see this being a furry, nuzzling creature. It's getting much darker and woodsier, and the musk definitely has that animalistic quality that I love. The only disappointment is that the coconut has ebbed somewhat. It's still there, but in the background. Still: OMG GOOD. I can't stop smelling it. An Hour Later: Yay, the coconut has gained steam again! Other than that, I don't think I can pick out any individual notes. It's all creamy, smoky, sexy darkness. Overall: It's a little too smoky in the way that some blends are on my wrists and hands, which means it should be perfect on my neck and chest. And I CANNOT WAIT to put this on my boyfriend; I have a feeling it will be amazing on him. Either way, I foresee a bottle of this in my future.
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In the Vial: Well this is interesting. It's light and herbal, but incensey, softly citrusy, and floral. What a mix of scents. I'm getting the bergamot, olive blossom, frankincense, fig, and a teensy hint of tobacco and ginger. If I had to pick a prominent note, I'd say bergamot, but really everything is quite soft and blended together well. Wet: It's not changing much. Maybe it's getting a little sweeter. The olive blossom starts to come out... but then the bergamot takes center stage again. On the drydown, it gets a lot more herbal; the galangal is giving it a slightly minty pine smell. Dry: Yep, minty pine. But the olive blossom is back, and there's still a hint of citrus. I can't really smell the benzoin, but I think that's what's keeping it from getting too sharp and green. I usually don't like pine, but this is kind of nice. An Hour Later: The pine got a little sharper after about thirty minutes, but now the whole blend is really faint. I can barely pick up a bit of clean, fresh ozone, though I know it's probably just the galangal and olive blossom. Overall: I quite liked it in the just-applied stage, but at the end of the day Tabella is just not for me - I'm not a fan of pine or ozone. I'm sad that I didn't get the creamy resin and beeswax that so many others did! I think I'll test this again in a few weeks, just in case today was an off day for my skin.
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In the Vial: Yup, that's Irish coffee. Sweet, creamy, and a little boozy. And I'm pretty sure I'm smelling hazlenut in there, too. I don't know about the "dusty tomes," but I am getting the warm woodsiness of the oakwood. Wet: Booooooooze. And heavy cream. And... something just not right. This is doing weird things on my skin and I can't figure out exactly what. Burnt rubber and gasoline come to mind, but that's not quite it. Dry: Still weird, and familiar - this is the smell of something but I still can't put my finger on what. I can say that it smells plasticky. And almost sickly sweet. It gives me a funny feeling in my throat. I do not like this at all. An Hour Later: Nope, couldn't do it. Washed it off about thirty minutes in. Overall: Clearly I am not meant to be a student at Miskatonic University. C'est la vie!
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In the Vial: This is sa-weeeeeeet. And sticky. The rum makes it a close cousin of Grog, but Elegba is brighter. There's something light and fruity in this, but I don't think it's the coconut; it's juicier than that. I do get the coconut and tobacco, but both just slightly. Wet: The tobacco comes roaring out right away... oh, that's good. And the coconut is coming out, too, but it's not fresh coconut, it's Banana Boat oil coconut - and I am totally fine with that! Dry: Oh. My. God. This is walking home from the beach after a long day of swimming and lying in the sun, slathered in Banana Boat oil. I am in love. Oh please, please don't go bad on me! Um, okay, more technical notes. I don't get the rum at all anymore, except in the sweetness. It's all coconut (stronger on my wrist) and tobacco (stronger on my hand). An Hour Later: It's gone kind of plasticky and a bit buttery, but it's still mainly sun-warmed skin covered in coconut oil. The rum is now masquerading as vanilla. I put some on my neck and chest as well, and the tobacco is much more prominent and sharp there. Overall: Looooooove. I'm kicking myself for not testing this last week - if I had, I would've thrown a bottle in with the order I made just a few days ago. As it is, my decant will be well-loved until I can get a bottle with my next order.
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It looks like everyone tries to avoid coconut blends that smell like suntan oil - but what if that's exactly what I want? That is the scent of summer to me, and as I will likely not come even close to a beach this summer, I'd like to live vicariously through my perfume! So, what would you recommend? Here's what I've tried already: Elegba: Gorgeously close to Banana Boat oil! My imp will be used up in no time and I'll likely get a bottle with my next order. Obatala: Sour milk. I don't recall much of a coconut smell at all. Goblin: Mainly patchouli. Again, no coconut to my nose. Black Pearl: It's been years since I tried it, but I think the hazlenut was prominent. I should have an imp in my possession next week though.
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In the Vial: Sweet and woodsy, but it has a definite green quality to it. There's almost something foody about this... like baked bread and wine and ginger. I can't decide if this smells dry or juicy; maybe a little of both. Wet: Ah, now I see why everyone else is mentioning citrus. Yet, it's definitely dry rather than juicy now. And it's going powdery; just a dusty smell at first, but it's slowly morphing into sweet talcum powder. Dry: Aaaaaaand rose. That must be why I was getting the talcum powder smell. Well, it's only a matter of time now before the fading remnants of the citrus and ginger are fully obliterated by the rose. An Hour Later: Mostly rose, with a hint of citrus, and a smoky background. Overall: Another casualty of the notorious serial killer, rose.
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In the Vial: Smoky, sweet lilac and woods, and... something else. Something animalistic, but human. Like slick, sweaty skin. It's undeniably sexy. And is there a teensy bit of chocolate in here? Wet: Immediately gets warm and woodsy, and then the vanilla starts to shine. It's certainly smoky, but creamy at the same time. Then the lilac starts to kick everything else in the face. And then... it's powdery Play-Doh. WHAT. Dry: Okay, I think the Play-Doh stage is passing. It's now more of a creamy, spicy lilac. It's beautifully sweet if I sniff lightly an inch or two above my hand, but if I stick my nose right in it and huff, it's less sweet and more floral, even borderline herbal. This may just be the power of suggestion, but it still gives me the feeling of sweaty sex. An Hour Later: Pretty much the same, although it is edging towards rancid butter territory. Yay funky skin chemistry. Overall: One of the better lilac blends I've tried - I like how it's not fresh, pretty lilac, but creamy, sexy lilac. I'm worried about it going bad on me, though. This will get a second test in a few weeks.
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In the Vial: Warm, sweet, spicy, woodsy, and smoky... and maybe just a little fruity. I can pick out everything except the caramel. I am loving this in the imp and praying my skin doesn't mutilate it - honey and cream tend not to work on me. Here goes. Wet: Oh wow, the apple blossom pops right out - I wasn't expecting that! After a few seconds, it fades a little and the other notes start coming back. After the apple, the honey and amber are strongest, then the teak. Every time I breathe this in, I get a funny feeling in my throat and an urge to cough - it's the honey. I forgot it did that. Dry: I'm still surprised the apple is so strong. It's a really... interesting combination with the honey. I'm not sure if I like it or not; I think the apple is just a little too tart to mesh well with the honey. That nice resinous, woodsy background is still there, but I'm still not getting any caramel whatsoever. The longer it sits, the more skin-musky it gets. An Hour Later: Well, it didn't turn into Play-Doh, like O did on me. Maybe my skin doesn't hate honey anymore! It's quite soft and cool now, with none of the woodsiness or spiciness it had before. All I'm really getting is the apple and honey, and a bit of musk. Overall: I still think the apple is a little too tart, and crisp, to jive well in this blend. It's interesting, though. I find the end result more clean than sexy, but I tend to have a skewed idea of what smells sexy. Haven't decided whether I'll keep this decant or not.
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In the Vial: Just what I'd been hoping for: a more masculine version of Dorian. The tea and lemon is prominent with the white musk in the background. There's just a hint of vanilla, but this isn't really sweet at all. And there's a dry, green quality to it that I think is the jasmine leaf. Wet: Goes a little floral and powdery, but then the tea and lemon come rushing back in. I don't know what's in the white fougere, but I'm getting something woodsy from this. No wait, leather. Oh, this is like Severin! Yes! Dry: I keep smelling Dorian in the throw (more lemon and vanilla), but up close it's all Severin (more tea and phantom-leather). Theodosius is clearly having an identity crisis and can't decide whose legendary footsteps he wants to follow in. An Hour Later: I've been sniffing my hand throughout the entire hour, and it was going strong the entire time, but all of a sudden it's gotten really faint. The tea is still prominent, and it's sweeter now; I suppose the vanilla finally decided to get in on the action. Because of that, it's edging slightly closer to Dorian. But the phantom-leather is still there. Overall: I'm surprised at how similar to Severin this is; I wasn't expecting that at all. In the end stages, I'd say it's equidistant between Severin and Dorian. I'm not sure if I'd wear this myself, but I will absolutely be slathering it on the boyfriend tonight! Theodosius is fresh, clean, and innocently charming, but there's a definite bad-boy streak hidden beneath the surface.
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In the Vial: Oh my, this is almost exactly what I was hoping for: powdered jelly donuts. It's a little darker, though, like... the donuts were baked a little too long and are crispy rather than soft. It's ever so slightly spicy. I can kind of get the butterscotch smell that others mention. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds this a little boozy. Wet: Wow! That red jelly really pops on my skin, going bright and tart for a few seconds before warming up. It stays really red and fruity, but gets sweeter and spicier (definitely cinnamon) on the drydown. The sugar is definitely a slightly burnt sugar rather than powdered sugar. Dry: Mmmmm. MMMMM. Smells the same, but... better blended, if that makes sense. All of the notes have kind of mixed together to become one delicious smell instead of several individual delicious smells. An Hour Later: I wasn't sure what flavor of red jelly this was at first. Everyone else is saying strawberry, but it's cherry to me. It's much more a cherry danish now than jelly donuts, but it's still yummy. The cherry is sweet yet tart, the sugar smells less burnt, and it has an overall feeling of gooey creaminess. Overall: If this is what brains taste like to zombies, sign me up to be zombified. I love this and am so glad to have found a bottle of it! ETA: Several hours later, it's a lot like Gingerbread Poppet!
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In the Vial: Oh, yum! Fresh, watery, sweet fruits. I'm getting melon, grapefruit, and maybe somethink pink and tropical, like papaya. And a bit of ginger. And am I crazy or do I smell cucumber, too? Wet: Grapefruit comes roaring out and making this very tart and citrusy. But, on the drydown, the other fruits poke their heads back in, bringing some of the sweetness with them. And the ginger is getting stronger, too. Dry: The notes have somewhat balanced out, bringing it closer to what it was in the bottle, but warmer and spicier. It's also picking up a decidedly green smell, perhaps from the maybe-cucumber or the "tentacle goo." An Hour Later: It's gotten pretty faint. It's lost almost all of the sweetness, and smells somewhat soapy now. And inexplicably, it's edging towards that rancid butter smell that my skin likes to make of so many blends! I don't get it! Overall: I really, really liked this for awhile, and it's rare for me to like clean, fresh scents, so that's saying a lot. I'm very disappointed that it went bad on me. I'll be testing this again in other areas to see if I can find a way to make it work.
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For bar-of-soap smells, I'd say anything with rose, because that's what it smells like on my skin. But there have been quite a few "clean" scents that I liked, most of which don't necessarily seem like "clean" scents from the descriptions... Szepasszony: Clear, airy notes, slashing rain, and a thin undercurrent of white flowers. Smelled very fresh and clean to me, though more like shampoo than soap. Very pretty. 51: Green mandarin, neroli, honeydew, white amber, guava, freesia, white and green musks hovering over desert scrub, smashed wood, and the dry, biting scent of night air over the Groom Lake salt flats. Another one that reminded me of shampoo. I described it as a still-dripping, fresh-out-of-the-shower smell. Black Lily: Breathtaking darkness, a vision of grace in shadow. Soapy, but again more of a pretty scented soap or shampoo. Aelopile: Glowing amber and citrus, labdanum, verbena, cedar, and oud. This one morphed a lot on me, ranging from woodsy Lemon Pledge to laundry detergent to a simple clean skin scent. Rosalind: Dew-covered berries and fresh green grasses with a faint breath of spring flowers. Clean, soapy, and floral. Sea of Glass: A scent of inimitable purity, crystalline grace, and limitless light. On me, it's similar to soap and fabric softener at first, but dries down to a lovely lilac scent. Still quite fresh and clean even in the lilac stage. Vinland: Crisp northern wind blowing over loganberry, wild roses, prairie crocus, iris versicolor Linné, mountain avens, yellow birch bark, mayflower and maple leaf. I likened it to Lever 2000. A very masculine soap smell. Amsterdam: Tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses. Soapy but in a generic aquatic-note kind of way. The Apothecary: Tea leaf with three mosses, green grass, a medley of herbal notes, and a drop of ginger and fig. I described it as "soapy. Not floral soapy, but decorative pink spicy soaps or perhaps body lotion of some sort." But it's definitely a darker and earthier soap rather than clean, fresh soap. Bayou: Spanish moss, evergreen and cypress with watery blue-green notes and an eddy of hothouse flowers and swamp blooms. I described it as "small shell-shaped floral soaps that you find in porcelain bowls in a fancy guest bathroom. It also reminds me strongly of shampoo." Psychological Horror: Traditional mid-20th century musk with something not quite right lying underneath. Soapy, sweet floral mixed with baby powder, which was nice at first but the musk made it smell kind of weird after awhile.
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I agree about Candles Moon. It ended up being very milky berry-ish but with a kind of cologne-y feel! I swapped my bottle. I'll third that. It was very milky and berryish on me. And soapy, too, somehow.
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In the Vial: This is obviously very floral, but it's a heavy, wet, dark floral. And it's very green. And subtly sweet - I think there's a hint of vanilla in this. It's just slightly powdery and soapy. Wet: Scratch that: it goes quite soapy on my skin. But still sweet and creamy. Dry: The overt soapiness is fading, but it still smells very clean and fresh - like shampoo, or maybe scented laundry detergent. Still sweet and creamy, though the sweetness seems to be ebbing the more I sniff it. It makes me think of cool rain on a hot summer's day. An Hour Later: It went through a strange bitter stage, but it's back to being sweet and creamy. But still soapy. And very faint - this doesn't last long. Overall: Once again, a blend I loved in the imp morphed a little too much on my skin. Black Lily is sadly not for me.
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In the Vial: Warm, woodsy, slightly spicy, slightly green lemon. So basically, I can pick out all of the notes! It's sort of like Lemon Pledge - or rather, like wood freshly polished with Lemon Pledge. It's nice. The first time I sniffed it, it somehow reminded me of my boyfriend, though he doesn't wear cologne, or smell naturally of lemons. Wet: Lemon. Lemon lemon lemon. And then: laundry detergent. There's another scent here that I am trying hard to ignore, but I can't anymore: it smells like semen. Maybe that's why it reminded me of my boyfriend? One other person has mentioned this in the reviews, so I guess I'm not totally insane. The woodsiness slowly start to come back on the drydown. Dry: Still vaguely reminds me of semen, but not as much as before. It's gotten a bit closer to what it was in the imp, but the lemon is still the dominant note. And it's now a cooler scent as opposed to a warm one. There's a very slight sweetness, which I can only smell if I breathe in really deeply. And it's a little powdery. An Hour Later: Soft, slightly woodsy lemon. It's a clean skin scent - that's the best way I can describe it. Overall: Kind of nice, but I'm not sure it's for me. I prefer my lemon scents sweet and creamy. I think I'll test this on the boyfriend before swapping it. Don't think I'll tell him about the "semen note" though...
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In the Vial: Musk, straight-up. But as the description says, there's something not quite right about it. Something a little sweet, but almost... burnt. It's definitely a red smell. I want to say neroli, but usually neroli rapes my olfactory system, and this is very subtle. Others have said it smells like baby powder, and yeah, it does, but it's so much darker. Wet: Okay, now it's getting lighter, and closer to baby powder. And soapy. And floral. Hmmm - powdery, soapy floral? Rose, is that you? Dry: Maybe it's not rose; my skin turns even the most complex blends into single note rose, but that's not happening here. Others have mentioned violet, so I guess that's what it is. Otherwise, this is still quite powdery and soapy, and very clean, with some musk lingering behind it. It doesn't smell dark at all anymore. It still has that odd burnt quality to it, though. Also: this has an enormous throw. An Hour Later: It's very faint, and nearly gone. All I'm getting is a whiff of a powdery floral. Overall: I think this fit the description quite well, in that there was just something wrong about this blend. Clean, soapy floral paired with musk? Doesn't really make sense to me. Plus there was that odd burnt smell to consider. I didn't hate it, but it's certainly not my thing.
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2010 version. In the Vial: Reminds me a lot of Dragon's Heart, so - immediate love! I get the golden amber, currant, musk, and a hint of honey. I had no idea what kush was until I just Googled it, and wow - I was not expecting it to be marijuana, and I definitely don't smell anything like it here. I had to Google daemonorops as well, and apparently it's dragon's blood resin - no wonder this is so reminiscent of Dragon's Heart! Wet: Right away it goes very light and floral, and then powdery. Still vaguely fruity and sweet, thanks to the currant and honey. Dry: This is so hard to describe. It's still floral and sweet, but less fruity. And a little... watery. And creamy, very creamy. And perfumey. An Hour Later: Very much like Dragon's Eye: sweet, creamy floral. I can't exactly smell the currant, but it's there just enough to give the blend a bit of tartness. And the musk is still there in the background. Overall: I'm one of the lucky people who dragon's blood is typically resinous on, instead of floral. There are a few exceptions, like Dragon's Eye, Ladon, and apparently Anactoria. I wish this blend had stayed a sibling to Dragon's Heart. It's a nice scent, and different enough from the others for me to keep it. I think this would be lovely for a romantic summer evening. ETA: I tried it on my neck and cleavage as well, and the honey and musk were much more noticeable there, which made the blend a lot nicer. This will definitely be an oil to wear there instead of on my wrists.
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- Lupercalia 2013
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In the Vial: Oh yeah, that's fir needle. But it's nice fir needle. I typically don't like evergreen scents, but this one's not bad. The leather and musk are also definitely there. I think I smell the cedar smoke and amber, but I'm not entirely sure... it's a very well-blended oil. And very masculine. The Doc is one sexy guy. Wet: LEATHER. Seriously, this is single note leather for a few seconds before everything else comes creeping back in. The cedar, I think, is making it just slightly sweet, and the fir is keeping it rugged and outdoorsy. But it's still predominantly leather. Dry: It's dry and smoky now, and getting musky again. I'm also getting a vague resinous quality from the amber that I wish would get stronger. The leather? Still strutting about with a cocky swagger. An Hour Later: Happily, the amber continued to gain steam, and gave this blend a beautiful resinous background. Otherwise, it was a smoky, spicy leather. Overall: I love the smell of leather, so I like Doc Constantine... but I think it's a bit too masculine for me to wear. If there had been a dribble of vanilla, or something else to sweeten it up, I think I would have loved this for myself. I can't wait to try it out on my boyfriend, though!