renadams

I snagged a bottle off eBay of this as I was very excited about the potential scent combination, as well as the sentiment behind the bottle. Olive oil, beeswax, glowing amber, sweet sufganiyot, pomegranate, and fig. In the Bottle: A wonderful, complex scent--like I'm enjoying the aroma of rich, decadent, aged liquor. There is a well-rounded sweetness to it, darkened by fig and a pomegranate (more plum-like than sharp). Wet on Skin: A triumph of fig and that wood-aged fruit liquor note. The amber is present here, peeking through waves of dark sweet. This is definitely a fragrance of the winter--yet winter indoors, warm and cozy. Dry on Skin: Fabulous. The sufganiyot layer emerges briefly as a fully-defined pastry, then falls into the backdrop, adding to the handsomeness of the scent. It loses some foodiness and the coating, soothing scent of beeswax paired with olive oil (it really does smell like extra virgin olive oil!) balances the touch of amber (a tiny touch) and the soaked-in-run effect of the fig. This scent throws really well and lasts a long time on my skin. I can put it on in the morning and wear it with little change all day, often getting comments about how wonderful I smell. I am so glad I got a bottle of this!

I as very intrigued by the unusual description. I actually like the smell of real creosote. Sort of a heavy scent, laden with black tar and oil-treated wood (think railroad ties or telephone poles--they are coated in creosote). In the Vial: Not dark creosote and coal at all. Bright, even. Something vegetation-like. As others have said, I am catching the vetiver, but I don't like it. I wanted dark, burnt wood with tar. I'm also hit by a bright layer of cologne, which is also a turn-off. But, as with some fragrances, they can change a lot out of the vial, so... Wet on Skin: The same as the vial, with an amped-up, indeterminate cologne scent. Not looking good for me. Dry on Skin After 5 Minutes: The brightness has calmed down just a tad, but I am not getting any tar, dark wood, oiled wood, black clouds, or anything heavy and mysterious. It smells like cologne and aftershave, with no obvious individual tones. I'm not even getting the usual awesome BPAL ozone in here. Dry on Skin: While I enjoyed trying it, I am beginning to think none of the Steamwork scents work for me, or on me, or even for scent lockets. They just don't match up with the descriptions so far, and I just am not connecting with them. This scent is seriously men's deodorant, aftershave, cologne--middle ground vetiver and alcohol type layers. Not dark to me at all.

In the Vial: Wonderful, perfect blend of complimentary scent that retain their individuality, yet somehow create a whole new effect. Rich, dark vanilla, deep sassafras, and clear bite of cedar. Wet on the Skin: Beautiful, dark sassafras root, with all the earthy woodiness and 'root beer' overtone you expect. A touch of vanilla (more raw vanilla bean than vanilla extract) rounds it out, gives it a creamy, foamy head. The cedar is a refreshing, crisp, woody background. Not getting the balsam. Dry on Skin: This one stayed really close to the in-vial body on me. It is both warm and spicy, woody and creamy. I think of brewed sassafras served in a foamy glass wide-mouth jar, and a splash of it hits the wooden bar counter and soaks in. I really love this and would like to get a 5ml of it. It's definitely unisex and unique.

In the Vial: Surprising, unique scent. Sweet, slightly sharp melon and lime. Reminded me of Japanese rice jelly candies, of which there are melon and lime flavors. It smells EXACTLY like those candies, even down to the wet "jelliness." Wet on Skin: Maintains the scent from the vial. Smells like rice jelly candies in green melon, honeydew, and lime--very sweet. On Skin After 5 Minutes: Turning into something unpleasant. The sweet is getting really sharp. The melon fades away, the lime begins to turn "kitchen cleaner." The sweet is so strong, it's not even foody sweet. It's weird sweet. On Skin, Dry: Permeating, unknown sweet-sharp-cleaner scent. This did not go well for me at all. I couldn't stand the smell--made me sick to my stomach. Could very well be the way my skin reacts to it, and not the scent itself. I had to wash it off several times, as it clung to my skin with a sickly sweet plus lime cleaner scent. I might use this in a scent locket, but will never wear it on my skin again. Probably just me.

In the Vial: Intriguing and mysterious. Deep, rich wood paired with warm vanilla and curling tobacco leaf. Loved it. Wet on the Skin: A bright, musky smell emerges that wasn't evident in the vial. The scent of wet wood is evident. Tobacco, not so much. Hint of vanilla. On Skin after 5 Minutes: This is the first perfume that hasn't maintained a scent close to the vial on my skin. A weird, overly bright musky scent prevails. The description and scent in the vial made it sound dark--but on me, it went instantly bright and thin. Total transformation. Must be the teak notes that are coming across as reedy and musky. Dry on Skin: Still bright and musky, with an alcohol-like chaser. Dry on Skin after Several Hours: A warmed-down tone, rich in dark vanilla. The bright alcohol is gone. I liked the afterglow on my skin. I had high hopes for this one--but something about it did not work well with my body chemistry. I would use this one in a scent locket, not on my skin.

In the Bottle - Straight up milk chocolate covered cherry cordials--kept in a warm box. Absolutely rich, milk chocolate with a cherry-almond head. It literally made my mouth water. On the Skin, Wet - The same delicious, desserty scent. The chocolate became more earthy, like dark chocolate covered cherries, once wet and on the skin. The cherry-almond sweet filling is still triumphant. After 10 minutes - Chocolate has definitely become dark chocolate, with a cherry filling. The sense of warmth I got, which reminded me of slightly melted chocolate covered cherries in a box, is clearly being generated by a touch of warm aroma, possibly ginger or cinnamon. Delightful in every way. If I walked into a room, people would think I had brought dessert. After an hour - Just delightful. The "wetness" of the aroma has become chocolate cherry gingerbread--a baked good, instead of a cordial. Next morning - left it on overnight. This morning, it was a rich fudge brownie with hint of cinnamon. This is shaping up to be a serious favorite.

Got to sample this one from a friend's fabulous collection. In the Bottle: A fascinating and unusual scent. Crisp, clean--the crackle of ozone that hangs in the air between lightning strikes in a desert storm. I sense rockiness, a dry, clean, natural scent (and gender-neutral) along with the sizzling of ozone after the flash. Application: Wet application remained the same as the bottle, with a hint of rain on foliage. On the Skin, First 5: First 5 minutes or so, the ozone tamed a bit and a soapier smell emerged. My friend likened it to dryer sheets--sort of a clean, fresh linen scent. On the Skin, After 5 Minutes: The "dryer sheet" scent vanished and the crackling, sizzling ozone returned. It was clean and eye-opening, lingering on the skin just as nearby lightning lingers in the air. It is definitely reminiscent of the castle in Stardust. On a distant, lightning-struck peak, little vegetation. On the Skin, Next Morning: I left this one on my skin overnight and in the morning, the sharpness of the ozone had faded into a baby-powder softness; an unidentifiable, slightly sweet, slightly flowery clean scent with no hint of rain or storm. Final Thoughts: Very interesting stuff! I am amazed that some perfumes can truly smell like weather experiences. It really reminds me of a desert storm. I have added it to my wish list.

I loved this one! It's very straightforward for me. In the Bottle: Rich, honey-amber serum. Intoxicating. Reminded me of warm mead at a Renaissance Faire. Application: The "liquor" value of the honey-amber combination intensified with a swell. On the Skin: After settling in for a few moments, it returned to its familiar, velvet mead and incense glow. On the Skin over Time: As time passed, "O" stayed the same on my skin. In fact, after the initial application swell, it settled in and smelled exactly like it had smelled inside the bottle. It had a strong body and remained dominant, with full aromatic values, for hours afterward. In fact, I did not remove it in the evening and wore it all night. This morning it has the same sweet-warm scent, but it has lessened in strength by only about 30%. I really liked this one. I am a sucker for amber and honey and for me, "O" was a stable, reliable scent.

In Vial: Like wet cypress tree after rain, plus the sharp scent of a very green cleaning solution (not meant to sound negative--it just really does smell like a fresh, eco-green juniper oil cleaner). Floral scents are not apparent. Wet on Skin: Fresh clipped cypress branches, oozing green sap. A punch of juniper with a hint of chamomile tea. While Drying: On my skin, the juniper lingered longer than the cypress scent and the chamomile (hinting at lemon) with rose began to emerge. The rose was soft, not sickly like some rose scent. The chamomile was decidedly citrusy. Later: The woods have faded into the background but still ghosted, leaving a less lemony chamomile and soft rose. Overall: I love the sharp, clean smell of cypress and juniper. I have trees in my yard and have been known to stand near them after rain just to inhale. Since cypress and juniper are common on the Roman landscape, they do invoke a certain sense of the ancient civilization. I wish the chamomile were more present, but it's still nice, and the rose isn't that same fake sickly sweet rose you so often smell. It's much more modest. I am considering a 5ml of this one.