lilyliza

Wet, this gives off a sweet tang that reminds me a lot of canned fruit (maybe the lotus blossom and honey together? I'm not sure). Eventually this subsides to a very vanilla (in a good way) smell deepened by the honey and amber and made more seductive with copal and florals. It's sexy, but in a more understated way than the more in-your-face scents. To me, it's very much a "lady in the streets but freak in the sheets" kind of smell, lol. Although it's a lovely scent, I ultimately decided against getting a bottle but enjoyed using up my decant.

I don't know, I'm just sort of apathetic about this one. It's exactly what it says- pear and vanilla cream with a touch of honey. I think if it smelled like more of a natural pear on me, I'd like it more, but this is like super-sweet candy pear. Thankfully the cream tones the sweetness down as it dries. I don't find it offensive in the least, I'm just not a fan.

This smells pretty masculine when it first hits my skin, but the flowers come out pretty quickly and soften it. The wet stage reminds me too much of bathroom cleaner to really appreciate it due to my skin amping the citrus, but dry it's a nice herbal floral that's not too strong, clean and fresh rather than perfumey. It's nice enough, but it reminds me a lot of about five other scents I have and doesn't really have any qualities that make it stand out from them in my mind.

In the imp: Heavy on the roses and peony. The other notes help round out the overall scent. I really like the combination of notes here. Wet, on my skin: The base is rose, but the peony and rice flower are prominent, adding brightness and a sort of Asian-inspired flair to the scent. I don't get much lilac, but I can detect it very lightly at the back. Drydown: The lilac is coming out more now. White honey deepens the scent and holds it all together. Fabulous. Dry: A very well-blended soft floral. This is really nice, and it makes a great spring scent. If you're into soft, feminine florals, this just might be your holy grail.

In the imp, I get a lot of incensy champaca. There's also quite a bit of coconut. Once it hits my skin, The scent is immediately lightened and sweetened with sugar cane and ambergris. The ambrette seed helps hold everything together. It makes for a very sensual scent that reminds me very much of a slightly less in your face Follow Me Boy (without the deep florals, of course). When it dries, the sugar cane becomes the most prominent note. It's very sexy but it reminds me of hair products in the beginning like others have mentioned, probably because of what the ambergris is doing here. I like it dry the most, but I think it's too dramatic to warrant a bottle for me. That and Follow Me Boy acts almost exactly the same on me for most of the time this is on, so I'd probably just buy an imp of that when I'm in the mood to smell like this. The right person would definitely fall in love with this, though.

On me, this is a darker version of Aelopile (they do share amber, citrus, and cedar notes). The darkness is especially prominent in the beginning, when the vetiver is strongest. The vetiver eventually calms down a lot, and the scent becomes primarily cedar. Tangerine is always there, beginning as an odd brightener of an otherwise menacing scent and developing into a really nice, full but not overpowering note. By the time it's dry, it's almost sweet on me- mostly cedar with a heavy dose of tangerine and amber. I never do get much saffron. It's an interesting scent, but I think in a death match, I'd go with Aelopile.

I meant to review this earlier, as I've had this imp for a while now. It definitely has a bright green feel to it. It's very fruity and very floral- I get a lot of honeydew, guava, and freesia. It smells a lot like commercial perfume. What makes it stand out is the addition of white amber and salt air. The salt air note is uncanny- it definitely gives it a mysterious vibe. I noticed that as this dries, I get something faint in the background that reminds me of banana, of all things. It's not Laffy Taffy banana, but it's a very natural banana, and it's not intrusive at all. I guess this happens from some combination of the notes on my skin. Overall, I was very impressed with this one; I adored fruity florals when I was in my teens and I would've snapped this up in a heartbeat.

This is one of those scents that seem like a mishmash of notes, and it kinda is, but the beauty of it is that it evokes a really clear feeling or place. This feels a lot like running around outside around Christmastime, the aroma of baking Christmas goodies wafting from houses nearby. I get mostly pastries and dirt at first, but soon, a really nice natural floral note peeks out. I think I'll really enjoy wearing this around Christmastime next year.

In the imp: Why does this remind me of mustard? The only note I can really make out is lilac, faintly. It's not quite as strong as mustard, but it has that same sharp sour tang. Wet, on my skin: Sour. So sour. Well, this is certainly making me feel miserable. Drydown: Once the violet leaf beats down the sourness, it allows the lilac and lavender to make small supporting appearances. Now it's a very soft, quietly sad floral. Dry: The same quiet floral, although the sourness pops up now and then. It blends better and isn't as offensive now, though. It doesn't have much staying power. Dry, this is nice, but it's not worth the wet stage and lack of staying power for me.

In the imp: Ambergris, vetiver, something slightly sweet. Wet, on my skin: The ambergris lightens this up a lot. It seems like slightly sweet dirt. Drydown: Oh body chemistry. What have you done. Why did you turn this into something that smells very close to BO? I'm not even kidding. I'd take pot over this. Eventually the patchouli and ambergris get stronger, and this begins to smell better on me. Dry: It's spicy, slightly sweet, and it smells a whole lot like dirt and decay. That makes a lot of sense for something called "The Triumph of Death". It's very interesting, even if it is a little unsettling. I think this one captures the painting that inspires it very well, but I probably won't wear it often because it's so depressing. It does what it's supposed to do, lol.

It's nice otherwise, but the saffron ruins it for me. I am amping it in this scent, so what is supposed to be sweet and orangey is overpowered by what smells very much like tomato juice for some reason, and I'm not very keen on smelling like tomato juice. The saffron (and the tomato juice effect) lessens as the other notes become more prominent on drydown, but it's still there enough to bother me. This is not for me- but on the bright side, I have discovered gingergrass through this scent and it is fabulous.

In the imp: Oh my gosh. I can smell all the notes except almond, but they are so well blended even in the imp. It's beautiful. Wet, on my skin: At first, rosewater is the most prominent, then it's fig and almond that take center stage with a lot of spicy patchouli in the base. Before long, the jasmine makes itself known and adds a perfumey vibe to the whole thing, while honey adds a subtle sexy sweetness. Drydown: The patchouli is less strong and adds a more subtle depth. The jasmine is tempered more by the rosewater and almond. It's all very beautiful- it does give me a sort of Persian sweets vibe, like someone mentioned earlier, although it isn't foody in the slightest. Dry: A soft, well-blended floral anchored and kept from being too floaty by the other notes. Very pretty. I would say this is probably my second favorite of the Yules this year, definitely.

In the imp: Pear is the main player here, juicy but softened by vanilla bean. Actually, I'm really liking the pear/vanilla combo. I smell a bit of gardenia and touch of red currant brightening up the whole thing. Wet, on my skin: After an initial burst of super candy-sweet, mostly gardenia with the other notes in the background. Drydown: The rose musk mellows out the gardenia into a more well-rounded floral scent, while the vanilla bean smooths it out further. The honey, pear, and currant add even more sweetness, although the fruits are much fainter than the honey. Dry: Pear nestled in a gentle bouquet of flowers drizzled with honey. I thought it was pretty. This is definitely one for fans of gardenia and ultra-feminine scents.

In the imp: Fizzy, playful fruit and a touch of soft white florals in the background. I'm liking the buoyancy of this scent already. Wet, on my skin: It blends so beautifully, way more than it does in the imp. There's a surprisingly deep and warm base in the background (I'm guessing from the sandalwood and white patchouli), and now there's more flowers than citrus, but both are far more subdued and held together and smoothed out by the vanilla. So pretty. Drydown: The citrus comes out a little more, and now it's a bright but complex scent, retaining its buoyancy. It just makes me feel happy. Dry: Soft and warm with just a hint of playfulness. I like this one a lot. It's a bright but grounded, optimistic scent.

2011 version In the imp: A really innocuous scent that's hard to describe. Airy, a little watery, slightly creamy. Doesn't offend me, doesn't grab me. Wet, on my skin: Innocuous scent plus a piercingly sweet note. It reminds me of Sprinklecake, it's so sweet, only it's drowning out the rest of the notes. I don't mind sugar rush-sweet, but definitely not as a single note. Drydown: After a deathmatch on my skin between the sweet and the innocuous (which the innocuous wins, thank goodness), this starts to blend more. Now it's creamier, still pretty sweet. I like it better now- somehow it reminds me more of snow, I guess because it is just the tiniest bit powdery. Now I finally get the flowers. I don't mind the sweetness from the florals, as it's a lot softer and smoother. I think the sweet note from earlier was some kind of almond- it was just really sharp. Dry: The same smell, but softer and a little bit more powdery, although not overwhelmingly so. It is pretty, but it's not my style at all.

2011 version In the bottle: Goodness, something is sour in here. I smell the resins, and they're very pleasant, but there is a definite sour note hanging out loud and proud. I've never smelled several of the notes before, so I can't pinpoint which one. Wet, on my skin: The sour note almost disappears until it's just adding a subtle higher pitch to this, and oh my gosh this is gorgeous. I love resins and this is perhaps the nicest blend of resins I've ever smelled. There's a spiciness I'm picking up that really adds some personality to this. If I had to guess from googling note descriptions, I think that's the galbanum? The tonka adds a slight creaminess to the whole thing, and it's just sweet enough. If I had to describe it, it evokes white gold to me. Drydown: It's getting a little powdery, but not overwhelmingly so. The sour is completely gone now, and I am firmly in love. Dry: A very well-blended soft, slightly creamy resin. This completely caters to my tastes. So elegant, so pretty, just. Ugh. Yes. Bottle now.

In the bottle: I don't get a thing but leaves, lol. That tends to happen to any scent I get with a leaf note though, especially fresh ones. Wet, on my skin: It disappears. I seriously smell absolutely nothing for 2 minutes. I think it's because fresh skin musk seems to be a dead ringer for my natural smell. Drydown: A healthy dose of carnations and mums come out, creating a soft floral, with just a touch of rose in the background adding some extra elegance. There are some leaves, and I think I might smell some very faint linen- it just blends so well with the leaves and skin musk that I can't pick it out. Dry: Floral-kissed amber with a touch of linen. This thing blends like a dream at this point. It definitely evokes a sense of sunset and gentle sentiment. I really like this. This is a lovely floral scent, somewhat low-key with the linen and leaves. It's definitely a close cousin to La Calavera Catrina, but this is more subdued and low-key, while Catrina was a proud early fall scent with louder and somewhat brighter floral notes. I'd definitely recommend this, especially to fans of carnation.

In the bottle: I can't place any notes. It smells a little odd to me, and it's not very sweet overall. Wet, on my skin: Jasmine only goes powdery on me when it's with certain other flowers, and apparently honeysuckle is one of those. I don't think I like the honeysuckle note very much now that I've smelled it in more than one scent- it goes musty and way too sweet on me. Between the jasmine and honeysuckle, they pretty much stamp out the other notes. Drying: The rosewood fights its way to the surface first, then the indigo musk. Iris appears to add some complexity to the floral note, but it's getting almost too much for me to take. This is reminding me very much of Donna con Ventaglio. It's like Donna's slightly mellower, nighttimey cousin. It gets better once iris takes over as the main floral note- the other two calm down. I think the orris root probably mellows things out. Drydown: Powdery, musky, musty. This close to giving me a headache, even though it smells nice. It's not bad-smelling by any means, but it's a lot more classic powdery perfume than I expected. I suppose I was expecting something akin to The Moon Gazed Upon My Midnight Labours, but they're completely different. I don't think I'll be reaching for this often, but if classic perfumes are your thing, I would pick this up, especially if you liked Donna con Ventaglio.

I agree that this one smells just like herbal cough drops on me when I first apply it, but the sharp, medicinal smell goes away after a few minutes. It's a very herbal, musky, slightly sweet, contemplative scent. This isn't a bright, vibrant sunset; it's the sky just before darkness falls- soft, somewhat somber, but beautiful. It reminds me of sitting down and meditating on your day as it comes to an end. It really gets pretty as it dries and the flowers come out. The jonquil here is gorgeous, and the white honey has that golden sweetness I love about the normal honey note without that super sticky-sweetness that comes very close to being too cloying. The notes blend amazingly well together. This is definitely for people who enjoy herbal and musky scents, because there's a whole lot of both. I thought it was very pretty, and it reminds me of a perfume I've smelled before, but I can't put my finger on it. I think this one improves on that scent, though.

From when I sniffed this in the imp to when it first bloomed to my skin to the drydown, I kept saying the same thing: "Ooh, this is sexy!" It definitely is a nighttime, indigo- almost black sort of scent. The orris root here is beautiful, and the black opium poppy adds some sweet, dark complexity. The spicy Moroccan musk and just enough clove make this thing gorgeous. It's sensual and powerful- so much so that it nearly skews masculine. When it dries down, I get what smells a lot like the way amber smells on me dry- a deep golden vanilla, along with the other notes faintly in the background. It's less in-your-face but still just as gorgeous. Possibly my favorite of the Yules this year, seriously considering a bottle, generally in love with this.

This was a frimp from the Lab. In the imp: Deep, almost smoky woods, a healthy helping of citrus and verbena, and some faint amber in the background. On my skin, wet: This definitely reminds of steampunk, wood and gears. The amber and citrus brighten and sweeten the scent enough for it to be unisex. I'm not sure how I feel about the amber/citrus combination though. Drydown: Smoky wood and a beautiful amber note makes this smell grounded, warm, and welcoming. The citrus has died down to the point where it's just subtly brightening up the overall effect. Dry: Mostly amber with a tiny bit of wood and citrus left in the background. I thought it was nice. I could see myself wearing this on days when I'm in a certain mood.

2011 version There's not much to say about this- it's a lovely, deep rose that smells uncannily like the real thing. In the drydown, I even get stem. It's very simple but very pretty.

2011 version In the bottle, it just smells like cake. I amp the vanilla in here, so instead of vanilla and rose prettying up the snow note like it is dried on cloth, it's VANILLA with poor snow just mananging to assert itself and rose managing to hang on. It still smells nice, but I prefer the way it smells unadulterated by my skin chemistry. It's more like a rose sugar cookie than a vanilla rose snowball. This is an extremely girly, wispy, sugary and sweet scent, so this should be heaven for fans of those kinds of scents.

This was a frimp from the Lab. In the imp: Flowers, very pretty ones actually! I get a lot of almost medicinal-smelling herbs too, along with a strong metallic tang. Wet, on my skin: The moss, patchouli, flowers, and herbs mix together to create a scent that smells eerily like the forest. The iron is also prominent. The flowers become the main part of the scent, and it's a very pretty bouquet. These aren't fancy flowers, these are the wildflowers you would pick in a meadow. Drydown: The herbs and iron become more prominent, and now it's a thick, sweet, but not too sweet scent. Dry: It's almost masculine now, with heavy iron and herbs and patchouli in the background. It's just a little spicy. I like it. I seem to be partial to scents that make feel like I'm outdoors, and this one definitely fits that description.

I got this as a frimp from the Lab, and I was thrilled because I've been wanting to try this. In the imp: I agree that it smells like there's lemon verbena in this. But I don't mind, because I love lemon verbena. I get a fair amount of tea leaf, a little bit of moss, and a whiff of fig. Wet, on my skin: This is what I imagine an apothecary shop smells like: clean and fresh, but tinged with the scent of herbs and concoctions. I can smell all the notes, but they blend amazingly well. Drydown: Mostly ginger and fig now, with the other notes in the background. Dry: A gorgeous tea scent sweetened up by juicy fig and brightened with just enough lemon. Overall, I like this one. Very fresh, very pretty.