AliBabble

an interesting scent - starts out sharp and lemony, makes me sneeze a bit. becomes more herbally, the longer i wear it. still, a bit sharp. has a very antique, old-fashioned feel to it, which i like. it is invigorating and bracing. kind of a "pick-me-up" feeling. i don't get much fig, moss or tea, but i do smell ginger and a fresh grassiness. it goes a bit soapy ultimately, and i'm not sure this one is "me".

this was a frimp from the generous lab. it is indeed a "glittering" scent, regal and royal, and i've been going back and forth about whether i like it. it's an odd one, becuase it smells differently to me at different times - sometimes i think it's too rosy - a very intense, sweet rose. but the golden citrus definitely gives the rose an interesting, elegant spin that's very lovely, and almost "honeyed", in its golden feeling. eventually, the jasmine arrives and i quite like this phase. part of me thinks this scent is beautiful, and part of me feels it is too formal and old-ladyish. something also is a bit plasticky on me. so i'm on the fence about it. i'd say though, if you like roses, this one is really nice.

harvest moon '05 was a favorite of mine, and i'm not sure this year's version lives up to the same magic, but it is still quite lovely: out of the bottle it's very juicy, fresh apples with a hint of spice in the background. tart and refreshing. on my skin, the apples have a very real presence, like the skin of an apple. within minutes, florals and perhaps the wheatiness emerge - very soft and pretty, and rather light actually - last year's was stronger, with more throw. eventually the hickory wood comes out a bit - a really neat smell that definitely evokes autumn. i can't tell if i'm smelling the hazelnut or not...i was hoping for more. eventually it becomes a great mix of woodsiness and floral, with just a hint of the apple. very pretty and autumnal. i can't wait to wear it to the farmer's market!

this was a frimp from the lab. a rather gentlemanly scent, a bit cologne-y, but very light. i get the lavendar, but it is toned down, with a hint of woodsiness in the background, and the fresh citrus - again, light and not too sharp. i like this for the lavendar, but the cologne-y bit feels more "guy" to me, than i usually wear..overall this is a gentle, clean scent, not as scary as most men's colognes, with more of a transparent quality than a loud, in-your-face smell.

i've been waiting a long time to try this...out of the imp, the first thing i notice is an almond-cherry smell...the cherry blossoms. very lovely, reminds me a bit of budding moon, in its gentleness. the bright citrusy bamboo is there too, and i'm getting a bit of holiday moon, too. on my skin the ozone comes more, which was my fear, but it's not too bad, - it's fresh and bracing, and i can still detect a hint of the fading cherry blossoms. this is a lovely, clean, fresh scent. the "fresh and clean" category is not my favorite tho, as it tends to smell a bit soapy on me, but the subtle lingering cherry blossom and bamboo keep me liking it for its delicate quality.

this is very nice - out of the imp, and on my skin, i'd say it's more spicy carnations, than the plum. the plum is definitely there - and this is a nice pairing - but it's the spice of the carnations that hits me first. the plum comes out more as it dries down. it's got a cinnamon, candy-ish feel to it, yet not overly-sweet. i could see wearing this in a variety of situations, including at work. will wear well into the fall and winter, too. smells like warm plums cooking with cinnamom and cloves..pretty.

peitho is an odd one, on me. half of me likes it, but the other half finds it smelling sort of plasticky- i get the jasmine at first, and i like jasmine, so this is not a problem...but something about the way the other notes blend, feels kind of disjointed to me: i get the clove, not much sandalwood, and then the vanilla and lily..the overall effect is maybe just too "heady" for me, slightly overwhelming.

i love what ogun represents, but unfortunately this scent doesn't work well on me. it starts off with a nice canteloupe smell and a hint of the chilli, but with something very heavy and dark in the background, hard to identify, it strikes me as incense-y, but i see now that it is cigar smoke. ogun is very STRONG. it gets stronger and stronger on me - actually the scent woke me up during the night (i wore it to bed) and it is still going strong on my wrist today. this is very long-lasting, but unfortunately turned to a deep "old-lady-perfume" smell on me. an interesting, intense scent though.

another frimp from the wonderful lab. iago starts out mostly vetiver. i like vetiver, although i don't wear it very much. anyhow, i also smell the leather, and something smoky, dark, almost like burning leaves, or burnt tobacco... i like this! although it is rather manly, it is sort of sexy. the leather comes out more and more on my skin, till it is mostly that - leather. i find the smell of leather rather sexy, so this could be a good bed-time scent for me when i am in a certain mood...

this was a frimp from the lovely and generous lab. i had smelled it once before at the black broom. it is very watermelon-y, and not much else. like watermelon juice, that's what it reminds me of. it's a fun, vibrant scent. not sure i'll wear it very often - it would be nice to wear to the beach though, near the ocean, for yemaya...

yep, this is a good one. i think it's all been said: very soft and creamy, ginger and a very delicate honey which develops after the ginger..i'm not sure what ambrosia actually is, but this is just heavenly, divine, etc. it's creamy and sexy, but innocent and nurturing, all at the same time. milky and velvety, delicately sweet and so soft. this will be an addicting one!

i've been waiting to try the lion for a long time, and wondering if it would live up to the hype. i like it! it's different than i expected...spicier...i'm getting more cinnamon and clove, than amber. as it dries, more amber comes out, very warm and lovely, but it doesn't do the amber-baby-oil-thing, which is nice. it does feel golden, as people have said, and very snugly. seems to blend nicely with my skin, nothing jutting out in an unnatural way. just a warm, spicy, cozy scent.

wow. this is a great one - it really does give me a sunny, happy, calm feeling as soon as i sniff it. out of the bottle, it smells quite rich and luxurious, not sharp florals at all, but delicious ones..i'm thinking it's the heliotrope i detect most, but who knows...the lemon peel is definitely there, but mixed so well with the vanilla-musk, which comes out fabulously on my skin, making this wonderful honey-lemon-vanilla sweetness. the florals in this are just so pretty, too. i'll be using this a lot. (pretty label too!)

wow. this is a soft, cool, gently sweet scent with a lot of complexity...while wet, it strikes me as cool and green, like the inside of an aloe leaf, but i also smell the spicy ginger candy, and what i think is the rice wine, a little tart. a sugariness is there, but very subtle and sparkling, and a bit of fruitiness, but it reminds me of a white peach, rather than a real citrusy grapefruit. this is a gorgeous and very interesting scent, which gets sweeter and softer as it dries, a bit creamy. energizing and calming at the same time.

this was a frimp from the lovely and generous lab. it's got a leaky cap on it, so it's been leaking all over my apt. it makes the apt. smell very good, but on me: nope. this doesn't work. i mostly smell the opium, with a touch of the narcissus, i guess, not so much myrrh. opium sometimes smells "old-lady-perfume" on me, as is the case here. it does capture the darkness...a little dusty, musty, but somthing tickles my sinuses. i don't think is is a good one for me.

this was also received as a frimp from the lab and...i like it! i was actually able to guess it was patchouli, myrrh and musk, so i'm pretty proud of myself for figuring that one out. i don't actually smell much ylang ylang, which is a shame, cause i like ylang ylang. anyway, this is darkly sweet and sensual - it's got a powderiness which i'm attributing to the patchouli, which tends to do that on my skin. it is a lusty smell, but in a soft, fuzzy way. i can see this as a good bedtime scent.

pain is all bright and jagged mint, at first - refreshing! very soon tho, it turns into more of a turpentine smell on me, then it kind of softens and gets mintier again....i've always liked the smell of turpentine, but i'm not sure i need to smell like it...i think i like scents to make me smell a bit softer. however, pain really gives a bit of a "kick" or "jolt". kind of good for waking you up, when your energy is sagging...

salty sea, ozone and i smell rose too...reminds me of moonrose, actually, a lot. but mixed with ozone - it's very strong on me. i don't respond all that well to ozone, it's always a bit too "cologne-y/perfume-y" for me, too intense or something. i do think it captures this "bracing" quality of the sharp flashes of lightning in a summer storm, tho, and it's a well-done scent, but not really my thing.

i really like this scent - it has a happy feeling to it, comfortable and comforting. in the bottle, i get a citrus-y booziness...like lemon peel or orange peel, with a bit of sugar sprinkled on, in a tall cool glass of heifewiessen (spelling?) beer. i'm thinking maybe i'm smelling the vervain - isn't that lemony? i mainly get this lemony, yeasty (as in beer yeast) smell. it is just a carefree smell, like sitting outside on a beautiful summer night. there are touches of sweetness - honey or honeysuckle - but nothing overwhelming. also the slightest hint of something darker underneath - maybe copal, i don't get much frankincense, and i definitely smell the carnation, the longer i wear it. nice! this is one of those "close-to-the-skin" scents on me, and it seems to blend really naturally with my chemistry, so i can see wearing this a lot!

bat-woman is very airy, and very fresh. it does remind me of night air, spiked with sharp night-blooming white flowers. i like it, and can see wearing this one to bed, with the summer breeze blowing through the window. one other weird association i get is clairol herbal essence shampoo, and i can't figure that one out, but i get a touch of that, when it's on my skin. it's really very evocative of floaty, sheer night-things. summer night air, and strange overgrown white blossoms. reminds me of sleepwalking out into a moonlit overgrown garden.

this is really beautiful. in the bottle, it is complex, mysterious and vibrant. a little bit spicy violets, floating in an almost syrup-y richness. a drop of the mandarin, like just a little bit of dried orange peel. on my skin, the violets come out even more - i adore violets, so - yay. the iris is very strong, blending with the violet and vanilla musk to create an almost "candied" quality, like candied violets. but this is not at all overly sweet, due to the fantastically balanced wood and amber. there is a soft powderiness, a little bit of an old-fashioned "haunted" feeling to it. ladylike, delicate, and kind of seductive. so nice.

oh yeah! fresh juicy orange/kumquat...very sparkling, tart and juicy. almost moxie-ish - with something a little sugary, and the lovely white pepper peeking out. a lively - wake -up! - scent. i like it a lot. mad tea party is becoming my favorite category.

well, this is fruity, i didn't place it as mango at first, but i guess it is somewhat tropical in feeling.. maybe i smell more fig..anyway, it's fruity, stony and woodsy at the same time...like fruit cocktail spilled on wet cement in the woods, or something. it lightens to some kind of sugary fruity candy, like pez, with a bit of woodsiness. then the woodsiness just takes over on my skin, i guess this is the patchouli? interesting, but i'm not in love with it.

this reminds me of a flower stall, or a greenhouse full of flower bulbs - it's like my nose is inside a flower - the petals, the pollen are very real and present. it's like rain-freshened tulips! and i guess peonies too. fresh-cut stems and flowers. after some time, this scent does get a bit thin and soapy, not bad, but not as realistic-flower as the intitial stage. very pretty though.

out of the imp, this is sharp, wet grapefruit. astringent like something i'd put on my face, a bit like rosemary oil - oh i guess that's the lavendar and chamomile - so nice. on my skin, it softens up, and sweetens up. gets gradually more candy-like:sugared grapefruit jelly-candies (like what you eat at passover). anyway, it just gets better - eventually becoming a soft, sweet musky grapefruit! this is when it reminds me of petting soft cat fur. me-oww!