melange

Imp: mandarin. Wet: mandarin candle. Drydown: much the same. Worn: The fig helps keep the mandarin from feeling sticky, and the mandarin livens it up, but there's still that waxy scent on my skin. Conclusion: it's fun to read how this scent can vary so much on different people! That also inspires me to play with the frimp, trying it again in a week or two, layering, or even waiting for summer. I'd really love to get those earthy notes.

Mmmmm. Imp: rosemary-lavender goodness. Wet: lavender and lemon verbena. Drydown: the frankincense begins to slowly emerge. Worn: I have to admit that I want to just keep sniffing my wrists instead of picking out notes or even evaluating them. Sniffing makes it harder to type, it's true, and that's just the sacrifice I'm going to have to make. Let's just say that it's more of the same, a really nice blend that manages to be both fresh and (thanks to the frankincense) rich, which lasts a few hours on me. Last thoughts: mmmmmmm. This could certainly become a daily scent (although I'll have to try it a couple more times to make certain). Why didn't I get it before?

Imp: apricot, a touch artificial to start out with, like Jolly Rancher apricot-or-is-it-peach candy. [i hadn't read atomic*orange's review when I first wrote this!] Wet: veiled apricot, as the musk begins to emerge. Drydown: the veil deepens and the orange blossom gives it more shape; the apricot starts smelling more natural now, as with Tamora's peach. Worn: assertive behind the veil but still juicy. it lasts a couple hours on my skin. Conclusion: I like it and I'm glad I got it. However, in the Celebrity Deathmatch for 'that kind of scent,' Tamora still comes out on top. I'll give them another go, though!

Bottle: woods/herbs/musk, unsurprisingly. The not yet three-year-old wandering by stops to demand a sniff, then announces, "Good... tha's good, Mommy! Tha's spicy!" Wet: I can detect the grains now. Drydown: now I get some spiciness, and some distance that makes "feral" indeed seem right. There's a fore-scent that reminds me of almond in its bitterness, along with the musk. When I first wave my wrists around I think there's not much throw on me, as I can only really smell it at 1-1/2" to 2" or closer, but then I turn my head and catch a good whiff in the air. Worn: it smells a little peppery on me; to the extent that it's cinnamon, it's a dry, dessicated cinnamon. Over time, there develops more throw, and the vanilla-resembling softness comes out as a halo that entices one just a little closer... before the fangs come out. I get the sense that this one plays with its prey. In the end: this is not a scent to relax with. It's interesting. I'm going to mess with it some more.

Wet (as best I can tell*): cologne, a sharpness that's wood+leather+incense. Drydown: it all starts warming and softening up, a well-used chair instead of a new one. It still feels as though it's more at the front of my nose, but it's deepening. The incense emerges further. Worn: comfortable as it is, and hinting of thorough studies, it could be mistaken for a simple scholar's scent if it weren't for its additional hint of adventure. Conclusion: on me it's a comfortable yet directed scent, one that doesn't thrust itself forward: targeted speech instead of a shout, academia donned for a purpose. I bought the imp more out of curiosity (and the great reviews) than specific expectations, and because Dee is somewhat more all-around than some, I'll have to try him out again before I know just how he fits into my personal library. (* Caveat lector: the label was soaked in two other scents due to a mishap in the mail, so I can't get an accurate smell by sniffing the imp directly, and the scents rubbed off onto my fingers just a little.)

Wet (as best I can tell*): orange blossom tinged by jasmine. Drydown: I feel pressure at the front of my forehead, the lavender starts coming up, and the herbs begin to warm up as well. Worn: while orange blossom starts out champing at the bit, the rest really does temper it, the notes close enough to each other that it feels like a fairly unified herby lavender + orange blossom scent with a barely-detectable sweetness in the background that I think is the jasmine. It lasts all day on me, at least when sniffing my wrists, since there isn't much throw. Conclusion: this reminds me of my grandmother's apartment, not because it's particularly grandmotherly, but because she used a scent similar to this to keep a particular small, enclosed room fresh. Which it did. I don't really want to try and look at this scent on its own merits; instead, I want to keep the frimp as a tool for memory, so I can sniff it every now and again to remind me of our visits to her. (* Caveat lector: the label was soaked in two other scents due to a mishap in the mail, so I can't get an accurate smell by sniffing the imp directly, and the scents rubbed off onto my fingertips just a little.)

Imp: red wine plus something sweeter. Wet: flowers heighten as the wine fades, already, with one note right at the front of my nose that I can't identify. Drydown: it's already blending further, and I can barely pick out the wine amid the rose and other flowers, and notice the chocolate/tobacco only if I really reach for them. Worn: this is a much more blended scent than I imagined it would be. I get a little pressure in the front of my forehead, but it stays relatively minor. When I wave my wrist in front of my face, I get primarily sweetness, with depth like a fallen shadow beneath. After a while, I notice a hint of smoke and wonder where it came from, only to get an aha! moment: it's the perfume. After a little longer, the same thing happens, only with the wine. I'm really liking how this perfume blends but still lets individual notes wander out. Later on, it becomes a complex honey-tinged sweetness, the sort I imagine Kali might employ for distraction while all those hands of hers were busy. Oddly, my right wrist smells sweeter than my left. Even after reapplying from the frimp, the whole thing fades fairly soon, but it's cheerful. Conclusion: of the scents I've tried so far, when worn this is the most like department store perfume on first whiff, but that first resemblance is deceiving. It's more complex, it's more interesting, and it doesn't give me headaches. In fact, it sounds like a good scent to try for church: exciting when you put it on at home, then fading enough to not make anyone sneeze or wonder too much at what you're wearing, but still teasing you with a surprise now and again... a private, yet occasionally exhibitionistic, amusement.

Wet (as best I can tell*): Lilac. I felt it towards the front of my forehead like an approaching storm... which is to say, headache. Drydown: Surprisingly, the buildup of pressure fades somewhat; if this were a commercial perfume, right now I'd be washing it all off to avoid the pain to come, but I'm trusting in the Lab that the pressure-fade will continue. As it is, I smell floral; I don't know enough about dragon's blood resin to be able to tell whether I smell it. This has a lot of throw. Worn: The lilac and lily of the valley (I can't identify galbanum either, yet) wind up blending well into one broader-band scent with only a slight pressure on my forehead, which doesn't hurt. It lasts for a while but eventually fades on my wrists, while somehow still leaving me with the impression that the room smells like it. When I sniff my wrists directly, it sometimes smells a little wilted, but when I wave my wrists in front of my nose, that brings me back to the broader floral. I may be able to smell just a hint of the salt others mentioned, but it could easily also be my imagination. Conclusion: I like stretching my limits sometimes, and this scent does that. While it doesn't suit me right now, I think part of that is the season, so I'll save the frimp for spring and try it on when I go for a walk. I think it'll be great. (* Caveat lector: the label was soaked in two other scents due to a mishap in the mail, so I can't get an accurate smell by sniffing the imp directly, and the scents rubbed off onto my fingertips just a little.)

Preparing to write this review, I washed my wrists with anticipation. The Hesperides was purchased in my first order on little more than its name and a whim, and it turned out to be my favorite with its quiet notes and morphing qualities. Bottle: a sort of woody, leafy apple, like playing in a pile of leaves where apples have fallen. Drydown: even more of the leaves. Worn: a rich scent emerges that must be the bark, because it has a strong/deep quality I finally tracked back to cinnamon sticks without, thank goodness, actually being cinnamony. Every now and again the more misty element drifts out and away and back again, while the apple adds a subtle freshness. I never do get any of the buttery caramel that others do, and like it just the way it is. Conclusion: I love this and just can't help sniffing my wrists. It's a private, interconnected scent, good for quiet reading or gardening on an overcast afternoon; it welcomes the wearer rather than demanding or overpowering. If it lasted longer on my skin, I would like it even better, but I still want a bottle when the LE list isn't so crazy prolific. And after reading other TH reviews, it makes me want to try Verdandi, too. Very nice.

A decadent, deep perfume, lusty and luxuriant. The scent evokes images of velvet-lined Old West cathouses, tightly laced corsets, rustling petticoats and coquettish snarls of pleasure. Bawdy plum with amaretto, burgundy wine and black currant. Wet (as best I can tell*): Red Vines + Smarties. Drydown: plum/currant juiciness comes out to play, deepened by the burgundy wine; I can't smell the amaretto yet, and I'm grateful for that. Worn: I'm trying to pick out the amaretto, and on my skin, I think it just adds a little sharpness without really being noticeable on its own, just leavening the sweetness. I wouldn't call the fragrance deep or luxuriant at this point, but bawdy works. It's as though it refuses to be too heavy, and has a sense of humor instead. After a little while, the wine starts to smell just a little sour and the currants head toward Red Vines again, so I give it another swipe to freshen it up and this time let it sit. The Red Vines fade, and there's a faint sort of greenness, and it reminds me of booze-free cherry lollipops. After a while, it's more like strawberry lip gloss, and it seems to be staying there. Conclusion: when it comes to sweetness, my skin apparently seems to like amber and vanilla better than berries and plums, at least in this combination. While this fragrance isn't "me," it was fun to get to experiment with it, and I think I'll try the frimp again in a couple of weeks and see what my body chemistry does with it then. If it's noticeably different, I'll edit. (* Caveat lector: the label was soaked in Casanova + Snake Charmer due to a mishap in mail, so I can't get an accurate smell by sniffing the imp directly, and C+SC rubs off onto my fingers just a little.)

Bottle: amber, but cool rather than warm. Drydown: distance with warmth beneath. Worn: glassy; very, very faintly floral; just enough amber to keep it on your side. This is your mirror. Conclusion: this scent felt grounding and, at the same time, as if it were keeping a clear shield's distance between the wearer and those around.

Bottle: woody-spicy-pungent. Drydown: the same, but sharper. Worn: spicy-woody-warm. I really like how I can't really pick out individual notes and it blends without being overpowering; even the cinnamon settles down with its cousins. Conclusion: I particularly like this scent for cooler weather and when I want a sort of warm energy that's not just desert, not quite a market, not as epic as Lawrence of Arabia, and definitely not a blacktop-and-concrete city: a comfortable traveling tent, perhaps, one that's sheltering rather than stifling, with colorful, textural pillows and rugs strewn about.

Bottle: a peach that feels artificial, supplemented by various other notes. Drydown: the peach becomes warmer, much more natural, and blends. Worn: golden and luscious, mellow but with some energy. The amber gives depth to what otherwise could be too much fruity sweetness, and in general it's peachy without being foody. It lasts nicely on my skin, with just a hint of throw. Conclusion: of my first set of imps, this is one of two that I'm most likely to buy in a larger bottle.

Bottle: a lovely blend of apple, amber, and something unfamiliar that I can only guess is the myrtle; the carnation blends enough that I don't smell it as a separate note. Drydown: blends further, and gets a 'flowers left too long in the vase' scent. Worn: after a little while, the carnation comes out just enough to give it character and clean it up again. It is still missing a lower note to connect it to my skin, though, until at least an hour later, when the other scents fade in favor of the faint warm amber that clings closely to my skin. There is little throw at this point, but it does smell nice. Conclusion: I had high hopes for this imp, because I adore amber and really like apple and carnation, and the reviews were almost all glowing. I do like Brisingamen's smell both at the very beginning and near the end, but it takes a while to smell good on my skin, and even then it's a little bland. The rest of the imp will probably wind up as an air spritz rather than worn, or possibly layered. My search for the perfect amber blend (or blends, if I'm lucky) continues!

Bottle: while juniper and pine predominate, the warmer vanilla and amber undernotes keep it from smelling too much like car freshener. Drydown: pine with a hint of juniper; the vanilla and amber are hiding. Worn: after a while, the pine/juniper calm down and let the vanilla/amber buoy them up, with the rosewood adding depth without really making itself known. It's still definitely a 'get moving' over a 'relax and take it easy' blend, but at least it's a 'get moving and I'll be good to you later if you're lucky' over a 'get moving and then we'll crash.' It isn't having much throw on me. It does fade more quickly than I'd like, but I rather like how its blend becomes more subtle at the same time, the vanilla finally giving it a warm halo of a glow. Conclusion: this imp will be good for me when I'm wanting some energy that's not in my usual line. I also feel comfortable wearing it in public, unlike with O!

Bottle: Strong red wine, flavored like sangria but stranger, with rose petals preserved in ice. Drydown: The myrrh starts to darken the drink, blended with the musk, and the rose is aging, becoming overblown. Worn: When I wave my wrists around, the wafted scent is not only intense but pleasant in the air, heavy on the wine-and-rose; I have to resist the urge to sniff my wrists directly, because then it smells more wilted than anything. It does calm down somewhat after close to an hour, and if for example I'm typing, every now and then I get a whiff of dark rose-wine or sometimes dark wine-rose. I quite like this later stage, including how it lasts, and its throw. Conclusion: This is a fragrance I'd choose only in the evening, and not often: just when I'm feeling decadent, perhaps a little dissipated, and not inclined to be logical. While it won't be a frequent scent for me, I'm definitely glad to have this frimp in my stash.