lilyliza

The embodiment of Classic masculinity. A warrior's scent: the green hills and grasses of the battlefields, the resinous incense from the prayers to his Gods, and a touch of the musky leather of his armor. Ambergris and frankincense with sage, and basil. I got this as a frimp from the lab. This is definitely a man returning from the outdoors kind of scent. It's not a super-heavy, in your face kind of masculine, but it's still a confident, herbal-tinged scent with plenty of leather. I like it, but it's too masculine for my personal tastes. That and even though ambergris is suprisingly good at keeping the nauseating tang that comes with frankincense at bay, it's still there, cutting into my enjoyment of this scent. Sigh. I think this would smell really good on a guy, though.

Got this as a frimp from the Lab. In the imp: This definitely gives me the impression of a fruit I've never smelled before. All the different fruit notes together make a really unique scent. There's a tiny bit of cinnamon, but I smell the fruit notes more than anything. On my skin, wet: The cinnamon blooms on my skin beautifully, and it's not overpowering at all. Now there's warm spicy woods surrounding that interesting fruit. I really like this. Dry: The fruit eases up and softens to a full and sweet complement of the woods. The whole thing is slightly powdery now, but not very much so. I never do get much almond- I can get a faint whiff if I concentrate, but mostly I don't even notice it. This is a wonderfully different woodsy fruity scent. I think it'd be nice to wear in early fall especially.

I got this as a frimp from the Lab. In the bottle: I can't smell a thing but vetiver, lol. On my skin, wet: The opium and honeysuckle come out immediately, and it creates a dark, somewhat sticky-sweet scent that does evoke darkness and debauchery. The honeysuckle becomes the main note before long, and now it's a pretty sweet floral with a few unsettling notes behind it. Drying: Okay, now this is too sweet. It almost makes my stomach turn, and the opium isn't helping. This is too much for me. Super sweetness aside, this is a little bit too dark for my personal tastes, although I can appreciate the scent and it fits its description very well. I would like to see how this ages, though.

This is definitely one for the patchouli lovers. The other notes are just there in the background to make things interesting, but the patchouli is the main player here- it's nearly like wearing single note patchouli. I like it, though- I'm a big fan of patchouli, and I like the way the other notes blend. Plus, when the patchouli finally dies down a few hours later, I'm left with a spicy but soft cocoa and vanilla scent...mmm. I think this would probably be good for layering too.

This is pretty much lavender honey cheesecake, like it says. When I first put it on, I get a blast of cinnamon and crust that overpowers everything, then lavender overpowers everything, but eventually both settle down into a nice blend. I wish I got more cheesecake than I do since I like creamy notes. It's nice and comforting, but it doesn't really grab me.

I can vouch for the lilac in Lady Almathea- it's a very pretty scent, and to me, it does have that kind of mysterious vibe you're looking for. You might want to try Cordelia or Lysander in the Illyria section too for lilac notes. I know Cordelia has plenty of lilac and is one of my favorites, although it's more quietly pretty than alluring. I've heard Lysander is similar to it, but its other notes seem a little darker, which might be more up your alley.

On me, it's white florals and a sharp note from wet to dry. There's a little bit of sandalwood. It reminds me of a high-end perfume. I like that it puts a twist on a traditional white floral perfume by adding a little bite, but there's so much of whatever this sharp note is that it's close to giving it that tang I hate so much from incense. Otherwise, it's very pretty.

On me, this stays true to scent from the imp to wet to dry- sweet vanilla cream tempered by linens. There was a burnt smell that cut a little into my enjoyment of it in my initial test, but now that I've let it rest, I'm happy to report it's disappeared. There's a decent amount of throw and pretty good staying power. It's sweet, creamy, and uncomplicated, and some days that's exactly what I'm in the mood for.

2011 version In the imp: I guess this unfamiliar smell is the vetiver. It matches the descriptions I've heard, a little feral. This could easily turn to funk on someone's skin. I can see why so many people dislike it, but it doesn't bother me so much in the vial. On my skin, wet: I probably wouldn't like vetiver by itself, but somehow with patchouli it is a winning combination. This is spicy and smoky. There's a little sourness behind the smoke that is unsettling; it does evoke kind of an eerie feeling. The bourbon geranium is holding its own though, even among all these strong scents, so it's not manly at all on me, although it's very deep and dark. Drydown: Briefly the sour, sweet, and clove registers to my nose as apple cider, and it's hilarious. This effect was way more prominent in my initial test, but it blends more with the smoky, uncertain background now that I've let it rest. Smoky apple cider...I kinda like it. The leaves and balsam are there, but they're way less prominent and blend so seamlessly in the background I have to be looking for them to notice them. The oakmoss is virtually indistinguishable from the patchouli, adding a bit of a woodsy vibe to it. This is just a really well-blended scent in general. I'm starting to get some throw now, and man, this is creepy. I can't explain it. I like it, but it's definitely keeping me off-kilter in a good way. It's fascinating. Dry: It's so girly now, lol. The patchouli has faded to the point where it's almost musk-like, and there's a little bit of spice left, but the bourbon geranium is holding on. I think I just amp bourbon geranium to high heaven, but it's a good thing here since there are so many other pushy notes. This is a really interesting, evocative scent. I don't see myself wearing this often, but I would totally wear it to a Halloween party or a gathering with a dark theme.

In the imp: White tea, violet leaf, a little bit of wormwood but not too much to be obnoxious. Wet: Whoa, I thought this said a dribble of red musk! My skin amps it as soon as it makes contact, and I am suddenly reminded of Hygeia. It's probably the red musk/olibanum combo, since red musk and incense is so much of what makes Hygeia Hygeia. It fades quickly, though, and then I can barely distinguish the scent from my natural smell. Now I understand why I couldn't for the life of me remember what this smelled like from the initial test. It's a little icier than me, but this is still pretty much a dead ringer. I don't think it's just an olfactory blind spot; I mean, I can smell it, and there are small differences, but it seriously smells a lot like I do after I've just taken a shower and dusted on some bath powder. Drydown: I start getting more myrrh and white tea, so it gets easier to tell the difference between me smell and perfume smell. This is definitely semi-powdery, but not multiple florals-powdery. I guess that's from the crypt dust? Now, it's still close to the skin, but it's a very pretty scent with a little iciness. I really love the violet leaf here; it goes very well with the other notes. Elemi is only faintly in the background, giving it a little bit of that bright tinge that I love so much about it. And then the violet leaf just asserts itself all of a sudden. Wow, that's pretty. Dry, a few hours later: Violet leaf note, you are amazing and it pleases me that you have become the center of this scent. Very pleasant even as it fades away. This is very nice, but not for me due to several personal biases I have (my newly-discovered dislike for incense and my disinterest in close-to-skin scents). I would definitely recommend this to those who like softer scents, though.

2011 version In the imp: Leaves and sap. I really like the sap note. It smells a lot like the real thing- slightly aquatic, a more natural, subdued sweetness, and a tiny bit green. Wet: The smoke comes out pretty quickly, and the effect is dead sexy. It goes slightly men's cologne-ish for just a second, then the leaves and sap round everything out. I would say I smell like a forest, but the forest wishes it smelled this good. Drydown: I think the reason this isn't going men's cologne on me is because there's a fair amount of sap to keep it just sweet enough, but not enough to overpower everything else. Plus, I really love the smoke here. There's just enough in the background to keep it interesting. It is kind of peppery, but it's not blatantly spicy. It becomes smoke-centered for a little while, but this phase is beautiful too. I don't smell like the woods at this point, but it still smells amazing. Dry, a few hours later: Greener now, but a pleasantly warm, slightly sweet and smoky scent. Lovely from start to finish. This reminds me so much of the scent from the woods surrounding my house when I walk outside this time of year. This has a bunch of my favorite smells- smoky, spicy, woodsy, sweet- in the perfect proportions for me. Definitely a keeper. I want a bottle so much.

I remember not being that impressed during the quick initial test, so we'll see how this goes. In the imp: Leaves. If I concentrate, I get a whiff of white cocoa, musk, and incense. Wet: Pretty bland, honestly. Lackluster leaves- these are definitely dry and dead- along with something vaguely minty. I can tell the white cocoa is "vanilla-infused"; it's blended so well it doesn't really smell like white cocoa but something creamier. Musk in the background, but not too much, a tiny, barely noticeable touch of amber...the incense gives it an overall slight tang. Right now my reaction is largely "meh". Drydown: As more white cocoa comes out, this vaguely reminds me of Lady Almathea, like someone else mentioned, but much less sweet. Whereas Lady Almathea was a deep blue-violet, this is more tan. The amber's coming out more now, and it adds a bit more elegance to the scent. When a lot more amber and vanilla show up, it's a very quietly elegant scent. It definitely has an end-of-autumn/transitioning to winter feel. I get a blast of incense briefly that pretty much takes over, making me smell like the yard outside a church, but it thankfully calms down. Dry, a few hours later: A slightly sweet, creamy scent. It's impossible to pick out notes now, but it's pleasant. This was okay. I like this only about half of the time it's on, and even then I'm not that crazy about it. I'm thinking I probably just need to leave incense alone, no matter what the qualifier is. I think this would be a dream come true on the right person, though.

I had a body wash that was rose and sandalwood-scented once that I liked a lot, so I got a decant of this in the hopes that it would smell similar. I wasn't disappointed- in fact, I like this a lot more since it's a little more complex. In the imp: I smell the familiar combo of rose and sandalwood, but where my old body wash had a very dry scent, the other notes are smoothing out things to make the overall scent more rounded out and almost creamy. Even though there are three sandalwoods here, it's not taking over by any means. Wet: The smoother notes are actually what hit me first, then bam! sandalwood, then just as quickly, tea rose makes an appearance and tells it to simmer down. It's a slightly creamy scent with a nice, not too strong floral base, spiked by sandalwood. The creamy floral is the maiden, the sandalwood is definitely death. Drydown: This scent stays close to the skin. Sandalwood pops up and tries to assert itself now and then, but the other notes always quickly calm it down. I was wondering where the guiac wood was, but it pops up eventually. Dry, several hours later: A warm floral, spicy at first from the sandalwood, then just mostly tea rose as the other notes fade quietly into the background. Sigh. This is beautiful, and I'm seriously considering a bottle, but I'm waffling because it stays so close to the skin, which isn't really my thing when it comes to perfume. It's a very nice scent though.

In the bottle: Leaves, a few flowers. Mostly leaves though. I totally get what people mean about leaf note = bell pepper. It really does smell like that wet; you just have to wait for it to dry a little. Wet: The leaves are strong enough to temper the flowers a lot, so right now it's a pretty bland, vaguely flowery but mostly just green scent. When I did my initial test yesterday, I gave up on it about 15 minutes in, but then I happened to sniff it about 2 hours later and went "OH MY GOD." So I know it gets better this time- looking forward to it. Drydown: The bourbon vanilla seems to be helping round things out, although not in the form of sweetness so much as very slight creaminess. The chamomile is probably doing the same. The scent is getting pleasantly fuller, but it's still not very sweet. Eventually, the flowers quietly make their way to the forefront, and the leaves take the background. Now it's a pretty autumn floral with just enough sweetness and a tiny bit of zing. Dry, several hours later: Gorgeous. Pretty florals complemented by a touch of vanilla, and the leaves ground the whole thing while keeping it from going powdery at the same time. Throw like whoa too. I love it. You have to give it a little while to work its magic, but this is amazing. I love my florals, but most of them are so spring-like it feels weird wearing them in the colder months. This scent is just right, and I'll probably be wearing it a lot for now. I'd definitely say this is bottle-worthy.

In the imp: Cake, lots of it! It smells delicious. On the skin, wet: Okay, forgive my meandering for a minute. There are these things, I think they're called dessert cups, that are tiny angel food cakes with an indentation in the center that you can fill with whatever you want. My dad used to put strawberry glaze in them and make them all the time when I was a kid. This smells exactly like that; it's insane. It also reminds me vaguely of Froot Loops in cake form, if that makes any sense at all. I used to inhale Froot Loops when I was a kid, so either way this is taking me back to my childhood. Drydown: Lots more cake until it becomes the main part of the scent. Sugar seems to go burnt on me, but it's behaving itself, so it only smells like a very well-cooked, definitely golden-brown cake. It's already calmed down some from my initial test yesterday, so I think this tendency will probably fade with some aging. Anyway, I think it adds some "home-baked" charm to it. Then this light fluffy cloud of vanilla comes out, and it is sugar rush city. It's definitely a fanciful vanilla cake with sugar sprinkles now. Dry, several hours later: The sugar calms down and it becomes a pleasant cloud of mostly vanilla. I get a whiff of frosting at this point. This is such a fun, delicious scent. If you want to smell like super-sugary cake, this will definitely do it.

You know when you have sweet pea and watermelon notes in a scent, it's going to be sweet. Luckily, it's tempered a lot on me by the lilac musk, oakmoss, and later the pale woods. It really does remind me of a sweet, naive, somewhat spoiled princess. The earthier notes give it a little bit of a fairytale air. As it dries, the lilac musk is what I smell most, with the other notes playing nice in the background. That's just fine with me, as I'm realizing lilac is one of my favorite floral notes.

The most surprising thing about Lady Amalthea to me was the white mint- this isn't the strong mint I'm used to with scents like Shattered. Instead, it's very subtle, to the point where my nose is interpreting it almost as fizzy instead of minty. With the white chocolate, when I first apply this to my skin, it kinda reminds me of cream soda as a result for a short while. The tuberose is the most prominent note for me while this is wet. The combination of lilac and wisteria with tuberose is a little strange to my nose, but it evokes an ethereal effect. The musk, mint, and white chocolate are in the background, adding to the effect. There's less tuberose and mostly white chocolate as it dries, creating a faintly sweet and slightly wintry creamy cloud of scent.

My skin seems to amp bergamot as well as some other scent I can't place (mate?), so at first it's a very green scent on me with no florals at all. The florals come out on drydown and quickly take center stage. These are very strong, powdery florals, so if that's not your thing, stay far far away from this one. For me, it's a very elegant floral mellowed out with some greenery, but it's a little bit too strong and heady for my taste.

This is less sweet on me than it is in the bottle. In the bottle, there's a lot more of an almost berry-like sweetness- I guess that's the red musk. On my skin, there's a lot more sandalwood and a little bit of smoky tobacco, creating a scent that's just sweet enough. I can smell the frankincense and sweet incense at the back, with just a tiny bit of amber. After a while, a very light and subtle floral pops out. I guess that's either the orris root, helichrysum, or both. I smell more of the golden musk as it dries too. All in all, it's a very classy scent- I think this would be a big hit with fans of musk who don't like overly sweet scents.

I'm thrilled that this smells exactly like I pictured it would- slightly foodie woods. For those not that into foodie scents in general, don't let that deter you; it's very subtle in the mix of things. It's mostly woods with cocoa in the background from beginning to end, sweetened very lightly by tonka, deepened by sage and matcha, and brightened just a little with mandarin. The mix of cocoa and matcha might sound a little weird, but it is heaven, especially with the sage holding it all together. It's a very comforting, slightly sweet and bright, but mostly earthy scent. I can't stop smelling my wrists- I think I may need a bottle of this.

I got this because the notes intrigued me, although I was a little concerned that the cumin/saffron/cinnamon combo would leave me smelling like a spice cabinet, and not in a good way. But that's not how it turned out at all- the blend is amazing. I can definitely pick up all the spices along with frankincense and myrrh. The cedar is there, but it's in the background, sort of holding everything together. I can smell a little bit of sweetness in the background as well- it's mostly osmanthus, but I think I'm smelling a little amber too. It's spicy (but not in a foodie sort of way), full-bodied, and a little mysterious. It's not until later that the mandarin comes out, and it subtly brightens the overall scent. A few hours later, the spices aren't as readily prominent, but they're still there in the background, creating a beautiful soft golden sort of scent.

This is pretty much the same in the bottle and on my skin from wet to dry- slightly fruity booze with a definite fizziness and a strong but not overpowering juniper note. It's a playful and fresh scent. I think it's nice, but since I'm generally apathetic about boozy notes and juniper, I'm not in love with it personally.

In the bottle: I guess what I'm smelling is oppoponax- this has an even worse nauseating tang than the myrrh note that messed up my enjoyment of Nefertiti. I think oppoponax and I aren't going to be getting along. Wet: Lots of lily and lots of oppoponax. Even though I don't like the smell, I have to admit they go well together. And then the lily promptly goes super-bland and soapy. I was expecting this after what happened with Viola...oh, well. Dry: Hours later, the lily note goes back to smelling like it's supposed to, and it's a pretty nice combination, even if I personally dislike it. I have learned from this frimp to avoid BPAL scents with lily and oppoponax from now on- it probably won't end well. And I really like the smell of lilies too...maybe someday I'll happen upon one that doesn't go bland soap on me.

In the bottle: Peach and amber. Really sweet. Wet: Peach is overruled pretty quickly by patchouli. There's a weird, warmly sweet scent just under a whole lot of grassy smoke, which is a little strange-smelling. Drydown: Once the patchouli dies down, it's a lovely warm, peachy smell. The amber, musk, and leftover patchouli add depth and keep it from becoming too cloyingly sweet. This is a great summer scent, warm and fruity.

In the bottle: A lovely bouquet of florals (I smell a lot of carnation) with some spicy frankincense at the back. Wet: An almost equal blend of florals and frankincense. It's a very clear, warm scent that's both sweet and a little sharp. The florals take over, and they're sweet, white, and creamy, further mellowed slightly by the chamomile, with warm, sharp frankincense at the back. Drydown: Mostly frankincense, but the chamomile and a little bit of carnation stick around to keep me from smelling completely like a church. I liked this one- the florals in it are beautiful, and the incensy base is a nice touch.