Prolixity

Piss off, Saint Valentine! Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration, held on February 15th, that kicked in the advent of Spring with a very, very festive purification, fertility and sexuality ritual. The ritual began near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine, an area sacred to Faunus, as well as Ruminia, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Vestal Virgins first made offerings of sacred cakes to the fig tree under which the she-wolf suckled the Sacred Twins. A dog and two goats were then offered in sacrifice to Faunus. The blood of the sacrifice was smeared onto two naked patrician youths, who were assisted by the Virgins, and the blood was wiped clean with sacred wool dipped in milk. The youths donned the skins of the sacrificial goats, wielding whips made from the goat skins, and then led the priests and the Virgins around the pomarium, and around the base hills of Rome. This was a ceremony of great happiness and merriment, and was of particular interest to young women: being touched by the goat-whips young men that led the procession ensured their fertility in the coming year. It is believed that, after the initial rite, male participants would draw the name of an available maiden, with whom he spent the rest of the night. This scent is for the Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw, down and dirty patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk. ... am I really the first? Oh dear! Stage fright. In the bottle: Patchouli, smacking me in the nose! Beeswax, moss, earthy, dirty, powerful. The husband likes this. Wet on skin: Patchouli and juniper, with a honey-sweet undertone, but the sharp woody note is on top. Dry on skin: Patchouli and a heavy, sweet musk. Juniper's still there, but the musk is overpowering it. Over time: Woody and sweet and musky. This is a heavy, woody, honey-sweet scent; patchouli likes me, as usual, and is sticking around as the strongest note. The juniper has receded almost entirely, leaving me with only a quiet sharpness in the woody scent to remind me of its presence. Overall: I expected to like this, and I'm not disappointed. It's a very earthy, sexy kind of scent, not a pretty or delicate scent; this is precisely what I wanted and expected out of it. Elf still likes it, too. Bonus. I used to wear patchouli straight, but I like this more; it's more complex and appealing. 4.5/5 - not hoarding like I do with Geek, but I'm glad I got a bottle, so it will last me a nice long time.

In the bottle: Hmm. Sweeter than I expected, and I'm not sure I like the linen note. Is the blood note dragon's blood? On skin: The sweetness settles, smelling clean and slightly metallic. Oh hello, there's the clay, a strong earthiness amping up. Drydown: I mostly get the clay note out of this, the "blood" secondary. I don't like the scent wet in the bottle, but wearing it is very different, very pleasant. A rather neutral scent, not too strong.

This is nice, but it surprised me - I think I expected a more metallic note out of it. In the bottle, I get all musk and amber sweetness, with a bit of patchouli. On me, though, the patchouli amps way up and it goes a little soapy. I haven't yet decided if it's a keeper or not.

In the bottle: Sweet, stark, sharp wet floral. Like walking into the cooler in a florist's. Wet on skin: Wet, reedy green. The watery cold scent of floral greenery. Dry on skin: A large, lush, soft blossom. Something astringent. This isn't sweet powdery perfume floral, but green fresh wet floral. Over time: The reedy and woody notes are coming back up, sharp, biting, and damp. Wet wood and mud with an overlay of blossoming flowers. Overall: A cold wet thaw; the riverbank in spring, muddy and sharply cold and wet, with flowers beginning to open here and there among the new green. Absolutely beautiful. 3.5/5

The devil’s herb, which he cultivates with skill and pleasure. According to lore, the spirit of this plant may take the form of a breathtaking, achingly beautiful woman, deadly to behold. This scent is a tribute to such a dark and magnificent plant: a rich green and floral blend, earthy and haunting. In the bottle: Fresh, powerful, strong pine, needles and bark; a sweet undertone - mint? Maybe? Wet on skin: Sharp rich woody freshly-broken pine branch. Dry on skin: Pine on top of everything, and there's definitely something minty in this - it's got the very particular bite of mint to my nose. Juniper? Over time: Sappy, sticky, resinous evergreen, juniper berry, and clear green mint. Oh hell yes. Overall: Oh yes. This is what I expected and wanted out of Hemlock. This is delicious. So green and sharp and planty. It's not a winter pine; it's a warm dark midnight pine, a forest at night in the deepest darkest part of the woods. The husband finds it too medicinal, but I love it. 4.5/5

In the bottle: Musky sweet liquor. Candy-sugar with the sweet liquid alcohol scent. Smells like a shot of something. >3 Wet on skin: Candy apples, cotton candy, thick rich sugary sweet. Is this going to set off my "food" aversion? Dry on skin: Vanilla-sugar-candy, and here comes the musk. Ooh. The fruity undertone is leaving, yay! Over time: Rich and musky, with the candy-sweet-liquor scent hovering over the top. The faintly fruity tone remains, just a little; in spite of the candy/fruity notes, it's not pushing the bad buttons. Phew. Overall: The candy sugary sweetness made me a little wary, but now that it's mellowed into this gorgeous sweet liquory musk, I'm lovin' teh Smut. Not an everyday scent, by any means; it's suggestive and aggressive. But mmm, good stuff. 4/5 Husband says , and it makes me FEEL sexy. Woo!

In the bottle: Old dried roses, soft and herbal. Wet on skin: Soft clean roses ... and fresh dirt. o.o Dry on skin: Ohhhh, this is lovely. Like sticking my nose in a real rose, one of the huge, fragrant old-fashioned kind. Over time: I'm not getting much of the earth and moss. Just big, fluffy, soft, dry rose. Overall: Most of the rose scents I've ever tried either go to powder on me or get suffocatingly powerful. Zombi has settled into a nice, soft, delicate, true-rose scent, with that lovely rich earth note underneath. I don't need a bottle, because I don't wear rose that often, but it's a definite winner. 4/5

In the bottle: Rosemary, lavender, verbena. Very fresh. Not particularly sweet. Wet on skin: Sharp and fresh and lemony. Lemony, herbal, and soapy. I'm not getting any incense out of this. Bright yellow. Dry on skin: Sugary and lemony - juicy, heavy, sweet lemon. The lemony note that came up after it hit my skin has taken over entirely. Over time: The lemon is GONE and has been entirely taken over by incense! Smoky and herbal and thick, though not powerful. Overall: This isn't bad, but it doesn't glue my nose to my wrist either. This can go to someone else. 2.5/5

In the bottle: Sweet, aquatic, ozoney, metallic. Complicated. This scent is very wet. Wet on skin: Sugary, fruity, and clean wet bamboo. Huh. Dry on skin: Ozone and rain and soft woody bamboo. The sweetness has gone off somewhere else entirely. Over time: There's a very soft fruity-floral note underneath this, but it's mostly clean, fresh, wet bamboo and ozone. Overall: Rain and wet wood and wet fruits and wet air. Neo-Tokyo is absolutely drenching wet, and I'm not entirely sure how that works, but it does. It's beautiful and complicated and not really my thing. But beautiful. This will be going to a friend who expressed interest in fruity/floral/aquatic blends, but if I get another imp I'll hang onto it for the occasional watery mood. 3/5

In the bottle: Eucalyptus and lavender! Woody and floral. To my mind, a distinctly purple scent. Wet on skin: Lavender. Something - lemony? Oooh, I think I smell anise. Dry on skin: Lemony and soft, sweet lavender. Sharp, but not too sharp, and rather soothing. Over time: Soft, smooth lavender, with a low gentle note of anise in it. The sharper notes have calmed down, leaving me with this incredibly smooth, sweet, herbal-floral scent. Overall: Oh, I like this very much. It's smooth and relaxing. Unfortunately, elf likes neither lavender nor anise, so I won't be wearing it too often. Maybe a night scent, like Dreamland. 3/5

Created to invoke the ancient Greek deities of dreams. On the shores of the ocean, somewhere in the West, they dwell behind their gates of horn and ivory. Soporific, dark and unfathomable: a somnambular blend of deep lavender, white sandalwood, jasmine, bergamot and mugwort. In the bottle: Very floral. Jasmine and faint sandalwood. I only get a little lavender. Wet on skin: A lot of jasmine. Something almost soapy about this. Dry on skin: Oh, there's the lavender. The jasmine is really sticking around so far, very strong, powerful throw. White and floral. Over time: There are a couple of notes that fade in and out, something citrusy that must be the bergamot, and now and then the sandalwood. The lavender isn't very strong on me, and the jasmine continues to overpower everything. Overall: I don't hate this, but it's just not me. Jasmine is not my favorite scent, and Oneroi is mostly jasmine on my skin. It'll join the extra imp of Jabberwocky in the package for Mom. 2/5 [edit] Description added.

In the bottle: Sharp, distinct cherry-tobacco out of this. Smoke and tobacco and leather. Wet on skin: Oh oh. Sugary candy-sweet. This does not bode well. Smoke scent still there, but that sharp artifical scent is already coming up. Dry on skin: Artifical cherry. ._. Over time: Sugary sweet, fake, and horrible. The leather and smoke are still there, but the artificial sweetness is overpowering and sickening. Overall: Oh, man, what a massive disappointment. I think this must have the note my skin doesn't like - maybe it's the smoke note? No, Cracked Bell was fine on me ... but at any rate, the moment Herr Drosselmeyer hit my skin it went all to awful artificial sweetness. 1/5, into the trade pile. Maybe I can trade it for Lick It or Nuclear Winter.

The Native American Creator / Trickster God of Chaos and Change. The warmth of doeskin, dry plains grasses and soft, dusty woods warmed by amber and a downy, gentle coat of deep musk. In the bottle: Very, very grassy. Grass, soft smoke, and musk underneath. Wet on skin: Grass, dirt, something almost fruity - kind of reminds me of cherry-tobacco scent, before it's been smoked. Dry on skin: Grass and dust fading back a bit, and the musk note is turning sweet and sharp. I'm still getting that almost-fruit note. Over time: This is turning sweet and almost floral, losing its dust/dirt note. The amber and musk are still there. It's a dry grassy musky kind of sweet. Sunny. Overall: I wanted grass and hot dirt and animal musk out of this, and got something sweeter and more delicate. I don't dislike it, but I'm a little disappointed and won't be ordering any. 3/5 Personally, I don't get "coyote" out of it at all, which is my main source of disappointment. I love the concept of coyote and of Coyote, and this just doesn't feel like my thoughts about him.

In the bottle: I smell almonds strongly. Sweet amber, soft musk. Very distinctly bright gold and sweet. Wet on skin: Almonds - candy-sweet marzipan and sugar. Spicy and edible. Mmm! Dry on skin: Oooh. Musky soft incense coming up. The sweet almonds are receding slightly. Over time: Musk and resin and amber notes - the almonds have left the building, but the spicy scent is still there. From sweet to fierce. Overall: I was surprised by the sweetness in this when I opened the imp. On me, it's gone to distinctly perfumey, but not in a way I dislike - it's all incense and resin, with spicy sweetness underneath. It went from bright glittering gold to deep, roaring ambery gold. Bastet is really rather sexy. Not an everyday scent, but certainly a night-out scent, maybe something I'd reach for if I wanted to feel feminine and confident. 4/5 I have personal history with the concept and aspect of Bastet, so I had high hopes for this scent - luckily, they were quite well fulfilled. I like it very much indeed. The husband approves, too, so I'm quite happy.

In the bottle: Sweet and almost sugary. ... Whaaat? Not at all what I expected out of this. It's vegetative in an oddly dry, sweet, bright way. Not quite floral. Wet on skin: Still sweet, but now it has a dry hot grassy undertone to it. Dry on skin: ... I smell like a banana popsicle. It's that same sweet-artificial-yellow scent. Officially weirded out. Over time: Banana popsicle, now new and improved with powder scent. Overall: I wanted this to smell like hot dry grasses and dirt. Instead I got ... nasty banana popsicle. T.T Maybe it's my skin chemistry? Either way, yuk, not for me. 1/5

In the bottle: Dirt, juniper, pine, very woody and earthy. There's that dust scent I recognize from Black Annis, but it's not accompanied by stone in this one. Wet on skin: Freshly crushed juniper and dirt. Not strong, really, somehow. Dry on skin: Juniper, dirt, patchouli. Not dirty, but very dirt-y. This is a very earthy, loamy, foresty kind of scent. Over time: Juniper and patchouli. The dusty note is fading down; this is sharp and thick. A little scary. The husband doesn't like it. Overall: I'm not sure. I was really looking forward to this one, but it's not quite what I expected out of it. No flowers in this for me, only heavy thick woody scents. The description "the dark side of earth" is very fitting. I'd prefer an earthy scent without this kind of sharp heaviness to it. 2.5/5 Burial strikes me as a very androgynous kind of scent, and while ordinarily I'm a big fan of that, there's something that repels me about it here. It's quite genderless to me, in a bizarrely unsettling way.

In the bottle: Light, clean cedar. Mint? If that's mint, it's really faint. Catnip, maybe! It has that dried-herb smell. I think I smell musk, too, faintly. Clean and woody and almost soapy. Lemony soapy. Wet on skin: Cedar & patchouli. Definitely a hint of mint. Not candy-mint; this is dried mint leaves, vegetative and soft. Distinctly soapy now. Dry on skin: Sweet and utterly clean, herbal and woody and spicy. The musk is faint, but it points up how absolutely clean the rest of the scent smells/feels. Over time: Sweet-sharp-herbal. Vetiver, maybe? Sharp and gold and clean. The musky, patchouli scent is coming up, but not in a way that makes me feel dirty. I smell like hippie soap. Overall: Oh, I like this. Requesting it was a gamble based on my personal interest in cats and curiosity as to what that description would smell like. I was a little apprehensive, since the person who gave it to me said it hated him and I had no idea what it would smell like, but on me it's clean and playful and lovely. A solid 4/5. I'm not getting the rose out of this that other people are, how odd! I guess it just goes to show how different a scent can be on different people. [edit] Right after I posted this, I walked down the hallway to put the imp away, walked back to my computer to sit back down, sniffed myself again, and *fwip!* Roses! *fwip* Oh hey, back to soap and no roses. WTF? Black Cat's chasing its tail!

In the bottle: Wow. I smell cave! Damp stone, that unique wet-leaf-mulch scent, a faintly animal undertone, something sharp and green and growing. Wet on skin: Dirt, rock, wet leaves, water. Sharp green herbal. Dry on skin: Sharp vetiver, just a touch of that anise, and this layer of dirt/stone/dust/mud scent. This is a limestone cave in early May, muddy and thawing and starting to get wildly green with moss and plants of all sorts. Over time: Anise! My god, I smell like licorice. The dust-earth-stone note is remaining an quiet constant in the background. Green growing anise, wild, not candy-anise. Overall: I picked this for a wishlist scent on the strength of the description, and it's better than I hoped. I'd say this is feminine, but it's not a girlie feminine, and kind of mysterious. This is another scent that gives me powerful imagery and associations - applying this brings up vivid memories of scrambling around in the woods at Quarry Hill, mud and limestone and water and green growing things in spring. This is a very solid 4, possibly 4.5/5. The husband doesn't like anise, so I'm not going to go hunting for this, but I'm pleased to have a full imp of it. Maybe a small bottle sometime.

I'm starting to get a sense for what scents I'm going to like; from the description of Jabberwocky, I was really looking forward to trying it. No disappointment here! In the bottle: Pine and eucalyptus TO THE HEAD. WHAM. Wet on skin: Pine needles, sharp and clear and crisp. Not fake pine - freshly broken pine needles. Summer pine, at that; it's not winter-snow chilled pine but August-air hot dry pine. Dry on skin: Here comes the eucalyptus again, but the pine is very dominant. This is a very sharp crisp vegetative scent. Over time: Orange! Juicy and sweet and making its way up through the pine. The pine has mellowed a bit. This is turning sweeter, but still with the sharp herbal vegetative scent I'm a big fan of. Overall: This is a keeper, oh my god is it ever a keeper! Woody and vegetative, androgynous, refreshing. Clean and not too sweet. My only hesitation about this scent is that my husband might not like it; I can't recall if he is neutral on or actively dislikes eucalyptus. If he doesn't mind this scent, though, it's on my next order as a 10 ml. 5/5

I was a little nervous about this scent, because most florals go to powder on me and I'm not a big florals person in the first place, but the "dream" theme is not something I can easily pass up, due to personal obsessions. In the bottle: Jasmine isn't listed as a note in this, but I'm definitely smelling jasmine. Jasmine and iris. This smells white and glowy. Wet on skin: Sweet and very flowery. This is soft, soft, soft. I'm barely smelling any rose. The jasmine has vanished, the iris came forward powerfully, and now I'm smelling a flower I can clearly picture but can't put a name to. - Vinca! Vinca flowers. Light and sweet. I'm not getting carnation out of this. Dry on skin: There's the rose, but more delicate than most rose scents I've tried. It's drying into a heavier scent, soft and smooth. Still not the cloying nasty heaviness I associate with rose. The iris-y scent fades in and out. Over time: Whoa! There's the carnation, very suddenly. Spicy bright carnation, and the soft musk I wasn't getting before. The rose isn't going to powder on me. The "color" of the scent has gone from delicate creamy white to vivid soft green and pink. Overall: I like this a lot. Florals are not often my thing, but this is a very different sort of floral. Clean, green, spicy. It's a rather feminine scent, but doesn't make me feel girlie. It doesn't strike me as a nightmare, but it's my kind of dream: mercurial, shifting, exotic. Keeper, and one to keep an eye out on for sales. 4/5

Got an imp of this today in a package of imps from a swap - my benefactor was far too generous to me. <3 In the bottle: Chocolatey cocoa-y, but with a heavy nut scent. Where's the pumpkin? Wet on skin: Hazelnut chocolate. .. There's the pumpkin! Buttery, chocolatey, pumpkin-y, with that heavy nut scent scaling back a bit, much to my relief. Dry on skin: Pumpkin, chocolate, hazelnut - nutmeg? Getting sweet and oddly delicate, almost vegetative. Over time: Pumpkin, sweet and spicy. A little dash of sweet cocoa, a little more hazelnut than cocoa. This is an incredibly familiar smell upon drying down: House of the Crafty Mouse around Halloween. Whatever potpourri or scent or combination of scents they used, Pumpkin Patch #2 is so close to it that I'm getting powerful memory triggers. Overall: I was reluctant to put this on my skin, given how strongly it smelled of nuts, but it's not so bad upon application. It doesn't make me smell too much like food. Still, it's not something I'm going to be wearing on a regular basis, maybe not at all. I might hang on to it for use next year around Halloween.

In the bottle: Incense, very powerfully. Strong incense, with the smoky burnt scent of it. Something sharp underneath, but the incense note overpowers it. Wet on skin: Woodsmoke. Sweet smoke and woodsmoke, with the sweetness scaling back as soon as it hits my skin. It's immediately a very smoky, ashy scent on me. Dry on skin: The incense is back. ... I smell like a head shop. This is not necessarily a bad thing, mind you. Sweet smoke, and the sharp undertone is coming up again. The smoky scent is there but quieter, and the sharp note comes up. From the description, I'd bet this is the "blood" note. I'm wavering as to whether I think it smells metallic. l sniff it once, and decide it doesn't resemble metal at all; then a minute later, it seems distinctly like a copper/iron tang. I don't know. Over time: I thought this was going to turn to powder, but it's quieted into a very soft incense-smoke scent. Very delicate, actually. Overall: This isn't something I'd wear often. In certain moods, though, it'd be perfect. A definite keeper, but I don't think I'll be hunting for a bottle. 3/5 [edit] Some ten hours later: I can't believe it - there's still this delicate, soft, haunting touch of incense on and around me. Staying power like WHOA, and the longer it floats around me, the more I'm liking it. Revising to 4/5, thinking of loking for a 5ml.

This is my first scent, impulse-bought from the description, and oh, am I ever glad I did. In the bottle: Sharp! Cedar and cinnamon, sweet, musky, earthy. Wet on skin: Cinnamon, almost overpoweringly so. Cedar, pine and patchouli, but drowned out by the intensity of the cinnamon. Dry on skin: The cinnamon settled down nicely to just a hint, and the pine, cedar and earthy grassy notes came up. If I pay attention, I can detect the leather and something musky, but they're very subtle. If it were just the cedar/cinnamon, it would make me think winter, but there's something about the blend that makes me think sun and hot grass and dry earth. Very summer, not feminine or masculine particularly. Love love love. I've been looking for a scent like this all my life.