shayelea

First of all: 16 days total to receive this order! Go team go! In the bottle: Rich, sweet, but light. I smell the caramel and the black currant. Wet: Oh. This becomes incredibly complex when it's on. It's got a whiff of something that reminded me of Eden - I'm asuming that's the coconut. It's lovely mixed with the caramel. There are also some other scents starting to emerge; I definitely still get the black currant, but it's also got a bit of that warm amber scent. This has a LOT of throw. Drydown: Mm. The tobacco starts to come out, but it just adds a bit of structure to the overall scent. I still smell mainly the "wet" scent unless I put my nose right up to my wrist; then the tobacco gets overwhelming. The spice is coming out more, too. This is SO lovely. I can't believe I received it in time to buy another bottle! I don't get much of the delphinium, which is fine, because florals tend to go icky on me. And I'm not sure what opium smells like, but it could be part of that firm, spicy undertone I'm getting from the tobacco and spices. Overall, still rich and sweet, but very complex. Not TOO sweet. I LOVE this.

So I work for an importer of natural stone - marble, granite, etc. Awhile back we had a slab of white onyx break, and I got to haul home a big chunk for use as a bathroom vanity. Except it was heavy and I had nowhere to put it until I could find someone to cut it down for me, so I ended up hauling it around it my car for the whole weekend. I was very surprised to learn that onyx - which is just a rock, after all - has a very definite smell to it. Delicate, soft, sweet. (Way too cloying to have that much of it in my car, but that's another story!) I really do think that Black Opal has a little of that smell in it - or if it's not derived from onyx itself, it's certainly a good approximation. To me this is slightly vanilla-ish, with a bit of that "onyx" scent (the mineral scent some are picking up?) and a good dose of light musk. (I think the musk is similar to that in Dorian.) The vanilla is stronger in the bottle but the rest comes out very soon after it's applied and stays through drydown, which is proving to be nicely long indeed. This is definitely going on my list of bottles to buy. It's great because it's such a soft, sophisticated scent; I think it'll be great for work.

Whoa. Honestly, I was not expecting this scent to live up to the hype. Patchouli is an iffy note for me, and evergreen scents can also go spectacularly wrong. (For example, me + cedar = dill pickle. Love pickles, don't want to smell like them.) This was very sharp in the vial, and I can see how some people might be getting the "medicinal" quality I've seen described. The fir's maybe a bit reminiscent of, say, Vick's VapoRub. But there are definitely the damp woods underneath that. Once on my skin, however, it warmed almost instantly, and there was the *exact* scent of autumn that others have raved about. Sort of a sweet apple cider note on top, then some of the roundness of the pumpkin and spices, and then the *woodsmoke,* oh, how LOVELY. Over the last six months or so I've been going to the other girl I work with whenever I get a new imp to try and holding out my wrist to see what she thinks of it. This is the first time that she actually said something right off when she came by my desk about how GOOD it smelled, so I let her try some. I also gave her the necessary URLs! All in all, this is *heavenly* and lasts *so long* and I'm so glad that this decant happened to arrive just in time for me to squeeze in an order under the wire. (Oddly enough, this also has just a hint of the way my house smelled when I first moved in. It hadn't been lived in for a long time, and it was October, and the smell soon faded. But it's a lovely sense-memory, even if I was weirded out by the smell at the time.)

In the bottle: A bit sweet, with a dark, musky base. It's actually hard to get a bead on this one in the bottle: Wet: Whoa! The musk I know and love so well from Dorian is there, with a bit of a burnt-sugar scent as well as the same boozy note I get from Hellcat. I actually swapped my imp of Hellcat after ordering a bottle of this, because it ends up being everything I like about that scent, along with several others aspects I like even better. Drydown: Warm and autumny and lovely. The sugar and the musk blend well. The only disappointing thing is that it doesn't last beyond about four hours, but it'll be good for the evening, especially!

I swapped my 5ml of Freak Show for this without having tried it, so I was apprehensive, but quite pleased. In the bottle: Mmm, sweet, nectary honey with a hint of spices. I also get a whiff of the florals, which concerned me, I admit. Me + florals = badness, but this turned out really well. Wet: For a LONG time this smelled just as it did in the wet stage; which is, the ginger was prominent, with the honey in the background. I never really got the florals on my skin. But the ginger didn't smell like the usual ginger; also, after awhile it started to smell almost incensey. In fact, the surprising thing is that I ended up deciding that it smelled familiar because it smelled exactly like Athens, without the red wine. Which is actually GREAT, because that note was the too-sweet note that ended up making me feel nauseous when I wore Athens too many days in a row. Drydown: Yep, this has a very similar drydown to Athens, as well - again, without being as sweet. For some reason, on me the ginger smells similar to the myrrh, but just a little sharper and, well, gingerier. I love the drydown stage most of all; it's lovely, and it's lasting a long time, with good throw.

In the bottle: Um. FRUIT. It's hard to pick out which kind - I definitely get berries, and maybe something less acidic - bananas? I don't even know if banana is one of the fruits in the scent! Sweet, but fresh and not overpowering OR fake. It's nice. Wet: After a few minutes it kind of gets a little...Victorian. I don't know how to explain it except that is smells like this knick-knack shop I used to frequent in my hometown, back when I was obsessed over Victoriana. Nice, but a little more room-scenty than person-scenty. Still, it's actually quite sophisticated for being so FRUITY. Drydown: Whatever note that was making that Victorian-shop smell come back to me has faded, and dried to a nice fruity sweetness. This will be great for summer. It's quite light, though; faded on me after only about 3 hours.

In the bottle: This is a very clean scent. Sort of like laundry detergent, only not really soapy. It's funny, but I don't get any tea or cherry blossom from this, and almost no fruits. It's hard to explain. Wet: Very true to the bottle. Nice laundry detergent, still not soapy. Drydown: Unfortunately, it doesn't really make it to drydown. It sort of disappears before that can happen. Huh.

in the bottle: Mmm, apples (or apple cider) and...chocolate?? Huh. Wet: At first, the apples are front and center, sweet and spicy and wonderful, with the black amber (I'm assuming that's the "chocolate" I was smelling) backing it up. It quickly starts to go soapy on me, however - which is, sigh, usuallly what happens when "herbs" appear anywhere in the lab's description. Nuts. Drydown: Ah, but the soapiness fades almost entirely away on drydown! And it's a nice long drydown, too, with the apple cider (definitely cider now) and the black amber (really does smell chocolatey) wafting through the background. Overall, I like Harvest Moon 05 better for the apple cidery smell, but at least when I run out I can turn to Verdandi, so long as the soapy stage continues to be relatively short.

In the bottle: I can smell the cocoa, but this is a very complex scent. Can't pick out specific notes other than that, but they are sweet but not overpowering. Wet: Just at first, the cocoa depeens and it's WONDERFUL. And then... Drydown: I honestly don't know what happens. I cannot describe what this smells like. I suppose it's the florals taking over, as they tend to on my skin, but I'm not actually getting a floral scent. It's just very...mild. It smells like a fancy spa. Really nice, actually, but...not at all what I was expecting. Also, it fades very quickly. Gone after about three hours.

This started off a nice, sharp lavender, with just a hint of something softer (a bit soapy?) underneath. Unfortunately, I discovered that on my skin, lotus goes *unbearably* sweet. I had such high hopes for the lavender in this one. Mmph.

In the bottle: This is all bitter orange in the bottle. I like it, I'm just not sure about it as a perfume. Wet: Mm, the lavender comes out more when it's wet. Bitter orange and lavender. It's nice. Drydown: Hm. Still very pretty, but it smells a bit too much like a room scent, not a perfume. The jasmine and the herbs are probably making this a little too soapy on me for that.

I LOVE this scent. Except for the part where it dries down to something weird and powdery and not nearly as nice as the initial stages. In the bottle: Seriously, this smelled like spicy cocoa. No idea why. Later, I can definitely pick out the cinnamon and the peppers and all that good stuff, but at first I swear I could smell chocolate. Wearing: Wonderfully warm, with the honey sweetness on top, just at first. It did dry down to a powdery scent which sort of pricked my allergies. The weirdest part? This oil totally pass the wrist test, but when I reapplied for the full experience, the insides of my elbows and my neck turned RED and started burning. Ow. Guess if I decide to keep this one I'll have to remember it's a wrist- (and oddly enough, chest-) only scent for me. *g*

In the bottle: Ooooh. *Berries.* Sweet, juicy berries. Not a fake smell at all - like actually crushing a handful of berries in your fist on a hot summer day. Wet: The juicy scent remains, but there's a bit of sugariness to it as well, which is nice because it balances out the acidic nature of the fruit. Drydown: This one stayed *very* true to the wet stage, and lasted at LEAST ten hours. Even twelve hours later, I could still smell it, but it had faded by then to a more run-of-the-mill sort of base scent.

In the bottle: Hm. Floral and spicy. Wet: SOAP! Spices and soap. Without looking at the notes, I'd guess this has either rose, jasmine or gardenia in it. And then I checked, and yep. Jasmine. It wasn't a bad scent, but, you know. Soap. Drydown: Stayed pretty much the same through drydown. Might have gotten a little sharper as the spices started to fade.

How could I pass up a scent named after ZOMBIES? Zombies are the BEST EVER. This scent didn't like me so much, though. In the bottle: Sharp. Citrus-sharp, but also perfumey-sharp, which I think is the white musk. It's the same sharp note that didn't agree with me in Zephyr. Wet: A bit milder, a bit sweeter, but still too sharp for my taste. Didn't really mellow any on drydown, so, off to the swap pile we go.

In the bottle: SOAP! Oh, I mean, ROSE! It's possible that I've just come to associate the scent of rose with the sharp scent of soap, but I didn't get such a strong soapy vibe off of, say, Rose Cross. Wet: Oddly enough, this mellowed a little on my skin. Still ultra rosy-soapy, but sometimes it almost smelled like fresh roses. Drydown: Got a bit softer as it dried down, but ultimately not for me. I was expecting nothing less for a rose scent, but I've made it a point to try all of them that come my way just in case.

First of all, this is a GORGEOUS color. Deep, dark red. In the bottle: Oh, I LOVED this in the bottle. Sweet, juicy black cherry. Bing cherry, my favorite. And the most delicate whiff of star anise. I'm not a huge licorice fan, but I decided to try this because I recently bought an herbal tea with anise as an ingredient and it smelled heavenly. That's exactly what the anise note in this smells like. I'm not getting a lot of the red musk in the bottle. Wet: The sweet juicy cherry/anise scent, and then, WOW, it turns so sharp I actually recoiled, but only in a brief burst. Then the sweet cherry scent comes back, with the musk underneath. Drydown: As this dries, the cherry goes away and it settles into anise and red musk - although I still get some cherry from the throw, just not when I sniff my wrists. Still nice, but I'm thinking this is one scent I'd use a scent locket on - I just LOVE the very first bottle/wet stage. (ADDED LATER: The second time I wore this, the cherry stayed with me all day, and was only backed up by something a little powdery. Whee!) I love that this smells like fruit but isn't childish at all. This is the kind of scent I need to wear when I've got on my black lace skirt, my fishnets, and some red lipstick!

In the bottle: Not at all what I usually associate linen with smelling like. At the same time, this is definitely the linen scent that's in White Rabbit, and now I understand why I kept thinking there were all sorts of fruits in White Rabbit that aren't really there. This is very sweet, clean, nice. Wet: Still sweeter than I was anticipating. I love linen scents, but they tend to be sharper and less sweet than this. It's still very nice. Drydown: When I sniff my wrist directly, I get the same as the wet stage, but sort of whafting around me is the scent of clean laundry. This is actually a very comforting scent. I like it.

In the bottle: Hm. Well, there's definitely ginger. Sharp and just a bit soapy to my nose. Not really what I was expecting - with the ginger and milk and honey I was thinking maybe it smelled a bit like chai. Wet: Oh, it's like a milder version of Kumiho! Which I suppose makes sense, since the milk would calm the ginger significantly. It's definitely the same ginger note, but it works much better on me in Sudha Segara. Instead of being intensely sharp and unpleasant like in Kumiho, it's just sort of generally sharp. It would make a great spring or summer scent; it feels cool and refreshing without being citrusy at all. Drydown: Lasts a long time, very true to the wet stage on drydown. Mostly I'm glad it doesn't go funny on me later.

This is a nice scent, a bit aquatic and sweet, and stays very true to the bottle-scent all the way through drydown. Unlike most aquatics on me, it doesn't turn weird. Unfortunately, after awhile I start to think that it smells like it could be some sort of household cleaner with a name like "Spring Rain" or "Mountain Breeze." Not for me.

It's hard for me to describe the stages this one goes through, but to me is smells very, very similar to Tamora, only maybe a *bit* fruitier (peach instead of peach blossom, but really, I get mostly "peach" out of Tamora, too.) The peach-heliotrope is very nice, but it's also not quite as complex in Fae; Tamora has the sandalwood and amber anchoring it, while the white musk and oakmoss in Fae doesn't feel quite as rich, at least on me. I think this would be a great scent for someone who's tried Tamora and liked it in the bottle, but can't wear it because the sandalwood or amber doesn't work for them.

In the bottle: Oooh, chocolate, and fruit, and some other more incensish smells. It's complex, and taking a deep sniff reveals a pallette of scents unfolding as the breath goes on. Wet: Just at first, the chocolate scent deepens, and then other scents start to unfold. The fruit first (and the pomegranate note in this is just right; not too sweet, a little on the tart side.) Then the same kind of golden note you find in (for example) O starts to come forward, then the fruits (pomegranate and the richness of fig) take dominance. This is all within the first several minutes. This scent makes my mouth water. Drydown: Mellow and warm, and then begins to turn a soft, sweet powdery scent. Not unlike the soft, sweet powder my skin gets from Buck Moon, but not as strong. I'm getting a vague citrus note, too - lemon or bergamot, I couldn't tell which. The spicy chocolate is still hanging out under there, too. It's very light on me; doesn't have a lot of throw, and I suspect it will fade rather quickly (which up until now I haven't had much of a problem with.)

In the bottle: Mm, yes, violets. And sweet florals. Wet: So far, still violets and sweet florals. Not powdery yet, but well, give it time. I have smelled this or something very like this before - I can't tell if it's another perfume, or just something from my environment like so many others. Oh! Lemonade! Why does this smell like lemonade? Actually, it's like lemonade without the lemons, if that makes sense. Sugary and tangy, and then there are still the spring florals. Drydown: Unfortunately, while I still think it's lovely and the actual scent is pretty true to what I described above, it has developed a hint of powderiness, and along with that, the ability to prick my allergies something fierce. Meh. It's too bad, I was really liking this, unexpected though it was.

In the bottle: Blackberries, just the right sort (not too sweet, not too tart), mixed with something sort of aromatic and, hm, almost soapy? Huh. Wet: Wet, unfortunately, I'm getting more of the aromatic/soapy than I am the blackberry. It sort of - and I don't know if this is the power of suggestion or what - smells like a bath shop I went into when I was in Haworth. Still, it's not pleasant enough to wear as a perfume, at least on me.

In the bottle: Hm, something sweet, almost nectar-like, mixed with something aromatic and a faint trace of incense. A little sweet in the bottle, but it could play out much differently on my skin. Wet: Ooh, immediately the sweetness gets tempered by the aromatic note, plus something spicy comes out that I didn't smell before. Over the next several minutes it morphs into a sort of sweet-smelling woodsmoke that is at the same time not in the least overpowering. So far, it's really lovely. Drydown: Okay, so the smoky/incense smell is the myrrh, which as gone just a wee bit powdery on me (as most resins and woods do.) But it's nice all the same, tempered by the richness of honey and wine. Not at all like the scents I normally wear, but I can definitely see using this when I want a change. The longer this dries down, the less powdery/incensey it gets; it also becomes sweeter over time. I wore this again the next day, and it got to be too much. I think this is one I won't be able to wear two days in a row - it just feels *too* sweet after awhile. So, for occasional wear, then.