Voleuse

Oooh. This definitely strikes me as a masculine blend, but I think women could wear it as well. The evergreen notes are strong and brash, but the presence of vanilla lurks in the background, tempering it. As it dries, the pungent evergreen fades a little, but not much. After a while, it becomes an enticing mix of evergreen, smoke, and a smidgen of vanilla. Hours later, it ends up being a gorgeous, musky vanilla. Mmmm.

This is, yes, a pale blend. Very light, very sweet, very airy. It strikes me as a floral blend, but I can't detect the floral notes in it. Instead, I smell the lemon, the musk, the sage, the wood. And yet, I think floral. This is a pretty, wild blend, and extremely complex. I wish it lasted longer, and had more throw--it disappears quickly on me. While it's around, though, it's gorgeous.

On first sniff, this is rose and pear. Fresh, sweet, and subtle. The pear note is quite juicy, and the other floral notes support the rose beautifully, creating an overall lushness I like. This is a very light scent, however, and as it dries, it gets even lighter. After ten minutes, it's almost disappeared on me.

Apple, honey, and orange bloosom, yum! This is pretty, sweet, but with a touch of "generic" perfume in the background. As it dries, the perfumey note clarifies into rose and the barest tinge of musk. After that point, however, this scent doesn't morph much. It stays sweet and light and sensual until it fades away.

This is a spicy sandalwood on first application, with a round almond note following almost immediately. Mmmm. There's a fresh floral note--the jasmine, I think--dancing behind it, as well. Wow! I expected the almond to turn on me, but this blend is staying wonderful. After a while, the sandalwood and spice grow stronger, though I start to get a hint of musk behind it. I think the jasmine balances the blend, because otherwise it would be too spicy and dry. My eyes are actually watering a little, from the dryness. I should probably only dab this one.

Bitter and sweet, with a round note that reminds me of almonds. After a moment, I can smell the sweet tart citrus, and something a little soapy in the background. Over time, the blend gets lighter, more floral, and more soapy. That bitter tinge stays in the background, keeping this from becoming too generic, but it's nothing remarkable on me. Pretty, though. Clean.

Green, florals, sandalwood. It's a little disconcerting to my nose at first--the usual dryness of the sandalwood is submerged in something sharp, wet. Maybe the neroli? It's puzzling to my nose. This almost strikes me as an aquatic scent, with wood, petals floating over it. It's light, feminine, but elusive. Enthralling, but also confusing. Hm.

...Who says librarians can’t be sexy? A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli. This does, actually, remind me of a library on first sniff. There's dust, lemon polish, and a dry note that reminds me of cracked bindings. The anise is quite strong, and the lemon gets stronger over time. Interesting, and not at all what I expected. Alas, as it dries, the rest of the ingredients do not appear. The lemon fades, but I get no leather, no patchouli, no tonka. I do smell the lavender, now. This ends up being a light, slightly herbal, slightly dusty blend. A weaker Clio, to my nose. Nice, but not quite what I wanted.

WOW. On first sniff, this is a spicy, heady honey--it reminds me of Honey Moon, actually. As it dries, the honey gives way to warm vanilla, just a little. This isn't foody to my nose, but it's sensual, sweet, decadent. It warms over time, and it's so compelling. I love this.

The patchouli is earthy and sweet on first sniff, though a bit lighter than I expected. I'm not very experienced with the other notes, but there is a sweeter, woodsier scent behind the patchouli. This is a confident scent, but not a brash one. I like it.

Warm, dark, a little spicy. A little sharp, as well, though it's hidden by the swathed incense of the blend. Sensual and shadowed, a hidden and wicked smile. In the end, this is earth and smoke on me, leaning towards masculine. Velvety, almost. I like this.

OMG. This is all thick, creamy, buttery sweetness on first sniff, though not any particular flavour. As it dries, however, I smell caramel, vanilla, and a bit of something boozy. After a while, the hazelnut and toffee emerge, too. Over time, the boozy note gets stronger, but the sweetness never diminishes. Weirdly, I don't smell the chocolate at all, but the other notes pop up. Overall, it's a hedonistic blend, sophisticated but overwhelmingly sugared. YUM.

Pretty! This is violet on me, and warm amber, and cool vetiver. It's androgynous to my nose--not neutral, but androgynous. Hm. Subtle, smoky, with a hint of musk. It skirts around sweet, but never quite approaches it. This is a sophisticated scent, with layers upon layers, and while it's not welcoming, it's pretty. I like it.

Sweet ozone, mild and not at all sneeze-inducing. This is very clean, but also very subtle on me. It's pretty, but fades almost completely within ten minutes.

On first sniff, this is all opium and sweet smoke. This is very much like Laudanum, except with a stronger floral note. After a while, the lily notes clarify themselves, lending a breath of fresh air to the blend. Overall, however, it's a hazy scent, sweet and sleepy and dreamlike. Lethargic.

This is smoke on first sniff, and something medicinally-sweet. Herbs mimicking plastic, if that makes sense. It smells woozy, a little delirious. Warm. Ashes and flowers, mixed. Compelling, but not intoxicating. I can't stop sniffing this.

On first sniff, I think of a study, the old-fashioned kind with heavy leather chairs, a roaring fire on the hearth, pipe smoke still swirling in the corners. The incense appears soon, a dark, sweet smoke. Interesting! The leather is definitely there as well, but it's subdued under the palette of smokes overlaying it. I don't know what ambergris particularly smells like, but there is a sweetish, almost musky note I don't recognize. This isn't really a heavy scent on me, but it definitely strikes me as masculine.

Vetiver, definitely, sleepy and masculine and heavy-lidded. I can't particularly identify myrrh, though there is a hint of sweetness behind the vetiver. It's nice, dark and woodsy, but ends up smelling a little bit generic on me.

Phoof, eucalyptus. I think that first sniff cleared my sinuses. This is definitely a wake-up scent, though my Vicks Vapo-Rub first impression eventually mellows to a bright pine and eucalyptus balance. After a while, I can also detect a bit of dirt, a hint of orange still in its rind. This is bright, and brightening. I don't know if it's one I'd wear a lot, but it would certainly perk up my mornings.

On first sniff, this is a very salty aquatic blend. After a minute, I can discern something floral, but it's overwhelmed by the salt. Neat! Over time, the aquatic gives way to a confused floral note--light and feminine, but hesitant. This isn't something I'd necessarily wear, but it's a perfect match to the description.

This is calla lily and cherry to my nose, clean and playfully sweet. For all that, however, it's strong, almost demanding. Dignified and feminine. I really like this, even when it fades to a faint, sweet lily.

To me this is cake, hazelnut, and sharp fruit on first sniff, with just a hint of sourness. Foody! I agree it's reminiscent of Beaver Moon, but this goes ozone and plastic on me very quickly. There's always a strong sweetness underneath it, but it ends up smelling fake on me. Alas!

Usually, apple blossom turns herbal and faint on me, but I think the dragon's blood resin and the musk have amplified it. On application, this is a bright mix of apples and musk, sweet and airy and delicious. Over time, the throw fades, but the scent itself doesn't morph at all. Beautiful, and definitely something apple fans will want to try.

Wow! This is a heady pomegranate on first application, but the cassia and patchouli quickly swirl over it. This is much heavier, darker than the other scents I've tried in this collection. It's sweet, earthy, smoky. As this dries, the dragon's blood resin pops out beautifully, and the myrrh lends a bit of incense to the blend. Gorgeous.

Absolutely sandalwood, so dry I almost feel like it's leaching the moisture from my arm. Yikes! In a minute, however, the dragon's blood appears, turning the blend into a pleasant incense. I like wood scents, and this one is gorgeous, sun-cracked and sweet and a little smoky.