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Imp: Dirty, sweet, dusty, overpowering floral and... incense-y baby powder? Definitely not my bag but I'll try it. Wet: Heavy florals and a thick, resinous vanilla that smells, on me, like bathroom spray. It smells rather like a heavy old-fashioned perfume that's been left at the back of a cabinet for twenty years. I get vague impressions of caramel (which may be where the dust is coming from, since the Lab's caramel turns funky on me) and a little bit of something like... caraway seed maybe? Dry: Oppressive, old-lady perfume on my skin. I love heavy incense and even a lot of florals, but this one just... doesn't work on me at all.

Imp: Salty, floral, citrussy, tangy and windy-- smells like Jolly Roger but with some added sweat or blood or iron. I don't love salty aquatics and I don't love florals, but I actually like this! Wet: A soft aquatic, a floral dragon's blood, and, unexpected and gorgeous, a deep and incensey orange with touches of cinnamon and iron and something else dark and sweet and smokey. Dragon's blood has a tendency to go bathroom-cleanser on me due to the high-pitched floral nature of it, but there's something in here, a dusty note that is so so familiar from buying incense at head shops. Champaca? Patchouli? Sandalwood? Whatever it is, it's saving the whole thing from disaster. Dry: This dries into one of the nicest aquatics I think I've ever smelled, ozone-y and fresh but with that underlying layer of floral and heavy incense. I'll have to see how much I reach for it, but I could see using this to scent my clothes or my skin when I'm in a sultry, summer-y mood.

I'm feeling pretty low-energy this morning, and am hoping for a citrus-ginger pick-me-up! Imp: Sweet grapefruit and ginger and lovely, light, fruity apple blossom. Smells like a really expensive, lovely shampoo-- but that's definitely not an insult in this case! Wet: Oh, delicious. Sweet but tart grapefruit and that clean white tea smell and fruity apple blossom and just a hint of ginger. This is springy and pale but sturdy at the same time. Dry: This settles into a slightly bitter grapefruit and tea scent with just a hint of blossom and ginger. It's lovely and prickly and clean, but I'll have to see how much I reach for it.

Imp: A fuzzy, fluffy, fruity scent with a strong dash of lemon cleanser. (I think the combination of all the citrus with the lavender?) Wet: Lavender and oakmoss and hints of peppermint and a lot of fizzy, fruity candy. It should be pretty, but it actually smells kind of overpoweringly sweet and artificial. We'll see how it develops. Dry: Sadly something in this kills my head and ends up smelling like bathroom cleaner on me. I think perhaps there's heather in here somewhere, since the only other scent I remember doing this to me is Glasgow.

Imp: A warm, slightly soapy rose. Very femme, very classic. Wet: Classic, sharp, feminine rose. Miraculously, it doesn't go soapy on me, although something in it is.. a little bit old-lady? Dry: Sharp, green rose, the 'classic' rose scent. Doesn't go soapy on me, which is GREAT (and rare!), but it's such an unadulterated hothouse rose that I'm not sure I'm head-over-heels for it. I much prefer the walking-in-the-garden rose scents, or the licorice-y or the fruity ones. Still, the description is dead on for this!

Aftershave, embalming fluid, and splatterings from a panoply of reanimation reagents. Imp: Embalming fluid, yum! That same gorgeous lemon, tea and musk scent, with a hint of something manly and almost sort of Dorian-ish underneath. Oh, deeeeelicious. Wet: Musk, musk, musk, but it's all so light and crystalline that it's not overpowering! I get the lemon and tea still, but there's also a hint of that perfect clean-sweat manly-smell that comes with Dorian, and something a little green and herbal. Oh my Gawd. I want to gnaw my arm off. Dry: Pitch-perfectly balanced between Dorian, Embalming Fluid, and a traditional men's cologne. A tiny bit masculine for me, but totally swoon-worthy (and not overpowering!) on any man. Can't wait to slather a boytoy in this!

I love roses. I love cinnamon. Roses are iffy, but cinnamon's a winner. Let's see what's up! Imp: Oh man. Soft, sweet Ceylon cinnamon and a heady, womanly rose-- the real deal, huge and pink and white and blooming in a garden somewhere in the early morning sun. Gaaaaah. I will use this in my hair, on my sheets, as a room scent if it doesn't work on my skin. Wet: Dusty, powdery cinnamon, and up close, soapy rose. From a little further away I get something approximating that huge perfect bloom but it's not quite as glorious as it was in the imp. It's soft and clean-smelling and, weirdly considering how diva-ish these notes can be, not very strong. It's a very natural smell, it doesn't scream perfume (again, weird considering components!) It's just how I wish I smelled normally. It is kind of an odd time for me hormonally, since Shark Week starts tomorrow, so maybe that's affecting the throw and my ability to smell it from a distance? It's hard not to be cheered up and comforted by this, though, as faint as it is. Dry: Cinnamon and roses are two of my favorite scents, and even as faint as this is, I want to roll around in VATS of it. The rose is not overpoweringly perfume-y and the cinnamon is that perfect, dusty bazaar-incense cinnamon rather than a baking cinnamon. Perfect for days when I don't want to be like "HEY I'M WEARING PERFUME" and also perfect for scenting shampoos and sheets and rooms and towels and.... gaaaahh. I'll wait until I empty the imp but I bet this will end up being a 5mL purchase for me.

I could have sworn I'd already reviewed this, but perhaps not. I got a bottle of this for my boyfriend at the time, and on me it is all alcoholic bananas (the whiskey note) and a strong, green, bitter oak note. Pretty, but definitely not for me! On him, it's whiskey, masculine cologne, and wood. Fortunately, we're still friends, so I still get to smell it!

Imp: Bananas! Sweet, sweaty bananas. And metal, and the tang of incense. Not unpleasant, but certainly weird! Wet: Bananas, brown sugar, incense and a faint tang of what might be beer, alcohol, metal, or blood. And something floral? How very very strange. But it's actually quite nice! A little powdery perhaps but not anywhere near as dark or scary as I expected. Dry: Floral, powdery, perfume-y (definitely dragon's blood in here!), banana-y, grain-y and sugary. Oddly pretty, but nothing I'd really wear. Glad I got to try it, but this tester will be off to a new home.

Imp: Cloyingly sweet florals, a bite of spiced rum, and a lot of VERY heavy, incense-y tobacco. Didn't like it on the first sniff, but a few more warmed me up to it. It's got potential? It's certainly strong! Wet: Heavy, heavy blooms that are trying to go super-sharp and unpleasant. Deep, dark tobacco that smells... almost musty at first. Fortunately, the bay rum is coming up from the back to save it all on a breath of masculine, old-fashioned cologne. Considering how my skin behaves, I almost never say this, but... I wish this were sweeter and more feminine! Except that the flowers have such a strong old-lady presence that it's not unfeminine, exactly, it's just... very dull and heavy and not at all what I expected. Dry: This dries down to a sweet but somber blend of musty tobacco, traditional flowers and herbal bay rum. I expected a lot of liveliness from this blend, but it's the hot, dusty backrooms of Caribbean shops instead. It's certainly interesting and a little bit dark. It could be fabulous on the right person, but that person is definitely not me!

Imp: Clean, creamy skin. The soft rose and sense of cleanliness reminds me a lot of Othello. Wet: Sweet, creamy, soapy rose, a lovely carnation, and the gorgeous honey note from Katrina Van Tassel, with a bit of the milk from White Rabbit. A few years ago I had this really lovely, lather-heavy carnation soap that I really liked, and this is very similar. The carnation and honey are holding this down and keeping it from going totally soap on me though. Dry: This dries down to a snuggly, soft, soapy scent that smells like clean skin rather than perfume. I didn't anticipate liking this, but I can see keeping it for days when I just want to smell comfortable and happy. I can also foresee using it on my sheets! I expected something more spicy/floral from the description, but am pleasantly surprised with this one.

Chocolate is hit or miss on me. Imp: When I rolled the imp, little globules of chocolate oil started floating up from the bottom. How cool! It's like a lava lamp. It smells wonderful, like fresh melted chocolate and delicious fruit. Wet: Ohhh! Mostly honey, but a wonderful, spiced, orange honey with a hint of tart liqueur from the pomegranate. The chocolate is really a background player, soft and velvety and delicious, and I think maybe there's a blondewood or mahogany note in this? I definitely get a gorgeous impression of soft-grained wood. Honey, chocolate and pomegranate are all notes that can be very iffy on me, but thus far this is really nice-- sweetly edible but not overwhelming and very well-balanced. Dry: The pomegranate and orange try to go a little Sweet Tart, but are kept in check by the wood and the dry, lovely chocolate note. I did not expect this one to be so nice! I will almost certainly use up my imp, particularly in the cooler months.

I like herbal scents, so, high hopes. Imp: Sharp, sweet, and spicy! I get big round florals, bitter greens, and something that actually smells a bit like... bubble gum? And carrot. And onions! I have no idea what's going on. Wet: Big delicious sugary lotus, or maybe jasmine! Yum! That's where the bubble gum was coming from. It's backed by a number of more delicate, papery white florals, but unfortunately no herbs or sharp greens or vegetables any more. This is rapidly turning into a lovely floral, but it's much more in the vein of, like, Th Witching Time of Night than it is an herbal blend like Mantis or Sundew (which is what I was hoping for). I wish I got the sage and wormwood and the darker stuff. Dry: Soporific white funereal blooms drooping in the heavy spring rain. Not unpleasant, but very somber and feminine-- and not quite the wild herbal blend I was looking for.

Imp: PINE. And a bright cleaner-y ORANGE. Wet: PINE PINE PINE eucalyptus ORANGE ORANGE PINE PINE PINE perfumey orange EUCALYPTUS PINE. Dry: This is a surprisingly sharp and perfume-y pine and orange scent. Not something I'd wear (I like Nero a lot more) but I might dump it into some vinegar and make a lovely scented cleaning spray!

In the Imp: Melon so heavy and sweet it's almost nauseating. WAY too sharp a gin and a hint of spicy. Don't like it at all, despite liking all the listed notes. Wet: Almost immediately loses the heavy, sick-making edge and turns into a watery honeydew and sweet honey with a heavy twist of dark tobacco underneath. There's a little juniper on the edge of it, making it smell like a very strange soap. The throw is honey, chili peppers and gin: very ceremonial, very strange, very fierce. Beeswax candles and tobacco smoke and juniper branches and lots of honey and fresh-cut fruit. Dry: A powdery (that's the honey, I think) sweet melon with a huge waft of sweet-spicy tobacco and beeswax and juniper. Very very odd. Not unpleasant, just... different. It could be a good summer scent, but I will have to hang on to it and see how much I reach for it.

Imp: Cool, airy, sweet cologne. Definitely more than a hint of sweet-smoked champaca, and the bright bitter snow note. It's the musk and the fir, I think, that are lending it a foresty, masculine edge. I like it, but it's quite strong. Wet: Warms up right away to an almost powdery white musk and airy champaca. From farther away the fir needle and something citrussy comes out. Grey amber (ambergris) is one of those YES notes on me, so the base of this is a lovely sweet warm round... something. This sexy and close and surprisingly 'perfume-y', but not overpowering. It almost smells like a very high-class winter-themed dryer sheet-- but not in the bad way! Dry: Warm, sweet ambergris, champaca flower, smoky fir, and citrus musk. This dies down to a close-to-the-skin, pull-you-nearer scent with just the right amount of warmth for winter. For something that started off so masculine, the end result is very feminine. I'll put this back in the stash until colder weather comes, but when it does, I'll wear it quite a bit!

Imp: Strong, strong, strong soapy floral and dark resin. Wet: Stale florals and rich dark opium-like resin without the smoke. Cloyingly strong and sweet. Dry: Didn't make it... the lily of the valley rises up and overwhelms, becoming a hugely strong, sweet cloud of soap that gives me a headache. This one will be moving on to a new home.

Imp: Complex, bitter, and floral. Dry white mint, geranium, lavender, citrus, over a bed of pale sandalwood and a bone-dry patchouli. Very interesting indeed. Sharp and light and herbal and empty all at once. Wet: Heavy sandalwood and geranium surrounding by a powdery lavender and the strong bite of citrus. The vetiver is fairly subdued, but it's definitely the heavy, grassy, dry kind, not the swampy one. Dry: This one vanishes quickly on me, which is strange! Mostly I can smell a faint hint of citrus and lavender and sandalwood and patchouli, but everything else has vanished. I really wanted to like this one, but if it keeps this up it will be going onward to a new home.

Bottle: Mmm, caraway and maple syrup! I wasn't expecting that-- is there fenugreek in here? I think it's the combo of ginger/orange/pepper vanilla, but it really smells exactly like a caraway-scented maple syrup! Not bad at all. Wet: A dry, spicy, lovely maple syrup still. I get a huge hit of caraway, a big blast of pepper, what must be vanilla orchid, some incensey myrrh and a citrus zing that must be the orange peel or mandarin leaf, but the overall effect is a deeply spicy maple. It's a bit woodsy too. I'm really really not a foody/sugar scent person but this might be balanced enough to let me wear it. Dry: Much the same-- a woody spice-syrup! I'll have to give this one more skintime before I make a decision, but right now it's just... odd. Not unpleasant, but certainly not what I expected!

Imp: Strong, awful, medicinal bourbon and heavy sugar-- really medicinal and unpleasant. The mint is trying to peek through but it's just not working. Wet: Instantly strong powder, then a bit of mint and sugar to lighten it up. Booze notes almost never behave on my skin and this one certainly isn't. It's got a slightly charred smell, like burned dust, which is too bad, because the mint in Lick It, is bracing and lovely and once again spoiled by it supporting cast, even though there's a nice golden musk trying to come out to play too. Dry: A sweet green powder with a lovely musk drydown. I can see how this would be dynamite if booze worked on you but it is definitely not for me.

Imp: A sweet, nutty, bready, creamy smell with a hint of spice. Smells like the batter for a really tasty tea bread or poundcake. Yum! Wet: Hazelnuts, almonds and sweet bread. There's a divine Scandinavian nut cake that tastes like this smells! I'm getting a hint of a buttery note but it doesn't go to dry dust and playdough on me like so many others do. Instead it stays a gentle, nutty, cakey smell, rather like the sweet components of Hearth made into their own scent. I want to say there's a touch of musk and something gently floral in here, too, to make it wearable. Dry: Alas, by the time of the drydown the butter has turned, just slightly, sour and playdough-ish on me. That's too bad, because it was lovely at first. I'll pass this one on to a happier home.

Bottle: Yesss. A big waft of awesome sweet orange and pink pepper and warm ginger, backed by rose and gardenia and other florals. A bit of pine and vanilla are hanging out in the background. It smells like a bright, summery drink in a overgrown garden full of blooming flowers. Wet: Amber and gardenia and a foody, not spicy, ginger, accompanied by vanilla, pine, and tropical pink pepper. This is so bloody summery it's criminal to be wearing it in December! The rose and gardenia are going a bit powdery but not enough to ruin the blend. It's also quite strong-- in fact I think I put on too much! Dry: This calms down a lot in the drydown, becoming a cool, sweet, spicy scent that's predominantly ginger/pepper/floral with a smooth pine backing and a hefty dose of vanilla. I honestly can't tell you whether I love it or not, although it is really beautiful, and nowhere near as floral as I was expecting. I'm going to have to wait for warmer weather and then see how much I reach for it!

2011 Version. I love heavily herbal scents so I have high hopes for Yule. Imp: Sharp and green and forest-y and wonderful! Lots of strong thyme, which is grand by me, and a hint of sharp red berries, almost like a fresh redcurrant. Lots of sweet frankincense and just a bit of heavy hemp and myrrh. Mmm, lovely. Wet: A sweet, almost sugar-dusted herbal scent with a fresh citrus note. Juniper, thyme, evergreen and verbena (the citrus, I think?) on top, accompanied by a slightly powder rose and a hint of resins and berry. Up close this is lovely but from far away it has the exact clean, slightly herbal smell of very high-end cosmetics. Dry: This ends up a lovely, thyme-forest powder on me. I think maybe it's the combination of the verbena and the rose? This isn't the best time, hormonally, to be testing scents, so I will probably have to try this one again later. I hope it evens out, because it's got that great cold-forest winter-herbs feeling that I really love!

Imp: A sweet melony aquatic overlaid with bright, clean floral. Very strong! A dab will do me on this one. Wet: Interesting. Salted honeydew melon, clean laundry, and a freshwater breeze with a hint of seaweed and cut grass. There's something warm and powdery behind it, maybe a light musk or a sweet resin. Part of me loves it (honeydew is one of my favorite fruits) and part of me says, "Deodorant!" It sort of has the same feeling as Tempest but I like the melon a lot better than I liked Tempest's cucumber. Dry: Unfortunately something in here goes a bit soapy on the drydown, which is too bad, since I was really warming up the honeydew/sheets/seaweed combo. Olokun ends up being another exercise in why I don't usually wear aquatics! I might try it once again just to make sure but I'm pretty sure this one will be frimped away.

Hellz yeah to the snow note! Imp: A soft, sweet idea of snow with a lightly floral component, and something strong and musky behind it. There's pine and a gorgeous vanilla in there too. It smells like a dream of a winter's day in the high mountains, or like walking on the fresh snow first thing in the morning as dawn comes red and rose. It also makes me want a proper winter and not just this constant cold rain! Wet: A prickly, pine-y sweet musk with a soft berry and winter floral over it, and distinct snow in the background. A flush of something vanillic rounds it out beautifully with a warm, sweet, almost slightly waxy smell. The floral/snow/pine combo in here reminds me a lot of Snow Moon (one of my favorites), but this has a lot of other things layered all around it to make it distinct and different and beautiful. Now I'm getting an almost spicy note, like a very soft cinnamon, over the berries, but it doesn't smell like a Christmas store. Dry: The snow comes back to the front, settling in, with a winter white-and-yellow floral just behind it, and a big mix of pine trees, pale berries (like golden raspberries, almost), vanilla and musk behind that. I'm such a sucker for snow scents! This is lovely.