emerald_ibis

Miskatonic University smells of spiked coffee and old books. Some batches that I've smelled have been more coffee scented than others.

Black Pearl smells like a day at the beach to me. It gets that combination of salty air and coconut suntan lotion and everything else that you described to my nose just right. It doesn't hurt that this was my "beach" scent when I lived in Florida

I'm trying to find something similar to Ostara. Light, fruity florals are pretty much the only thing that I want to wear right at the moment (springtime in TX is short, and I'm trying to live it up as much as possible). I've tried Titania, and the mood is the same (so to speak), but it's a lot fruitier than Ostara, plus I amp the peach ridiculously. I can't do heavy florals. I have and love 51 and Amsterdam, to give you an idea of some other light scents that I have in rotation at the moment. Help? Thanks in advance!

For Christmas I wore my '05 Gingerbread Poppet (which is delightfully sweet and smells EXACTLY like what my grandmother makes). For NYE, a light application of Mme. Moriarty or Temple Viper, which are interchangeable as signature scents for me. Manthing and I are staying in, and I want to smell like ME. Or possibly Beaver'versary, as Manthing has something of a sweet tooth, and I think would be intrigued by me smelling like cupcakes.

Wet and initial drydown: PINE! PINE, IT SMELLS LIKE PINE, NOBODY ELSE SAID IT SMELLED LIKE PINE, OH EM GEE, WASH IT OFF WASH IT OFF WASH IT OFF WASH IT OFF!!!!! After a few minutes: wait, there's something nice. kind of spicy. hey, resin. or incense. the pine's going away, and I'm pretty sure it's snickering at me. the pine mocks me. dastardly, mocking pine tree. Much later: very nice, and I will keep the bottle. I layered it with some aged Dorian, and it's absolutely lovely. Keeper. 3.9 of 5 stars - loses points for the initial OH HAI, I M THE PYNE TREEEE blast of evergreen.

I like to use Masala with Temple Viper / Western Diamondback / straight Snake Oil -- adds a nice spicy touch Jai Mahal also goes well with the Snake Oil blends, methink.

I cheerfully admit that my chemistry is, occasionally, strange. That said, for those people looking for something even remotely similar to Black Lace, might I suggest Dorian? My skin loves to amp musks and vanillas, and that's what I get a lot of with Black Lace and Dorian both. Dorian's lighter, though, and just a touch sweeter. (As a side note, my bottle of Dorian is almost two years old, so this may also make a difference)

Is anybody still reading here on page 9? Anyway, this is specifically on the aged version of Mme. Moriarty, because I personally plan to have a hefty stash of the stuff before the Carnaval leaves town and thought that perhaps other people would be interested in how this blend ages over time. Beautifully, by the way, if you like patchouli, musk and vanilla. And I happen to love them a great deal, so this is wonderful. The older she gets, the deeper and heavier Mme. Moriarty becomes. The fruit notes, sadly, fade a great deal over time. The plum that I loved so much when my bottle is fresh is now very faint. It's still there, but is just barely hanging on in the face of the strong trio of patch, musk and vanilla. Aged, this is like Snake Oil's more serious, more sophisticated cousin. It lacks the playful sugary edge that Snake Oil always has on me. It has a stronger patch vibe, and just a the tiniest touch of fruitiness to make things interesting. DEAD SEXY, though, and I always, always get compliments on it. I'm nearly finished with my first bottle and already have two backups hanging around in my box. More will be ordered ... I never, ever want to be without this scent, if at all possible. Definitely top ten, maybe even my number one.

At last! A dragon's blood blend that I can wear!! Seriously, most of the time, dragon's blood gives me a headache, and I cannot stand it. However, when mixed with leather and smoke... In the imp and when I first apply it, all I get is dragon's blood and just a hint of leather. It may be due to the age of my imp, but the dragon's blood note is not terribly overwhelming, either. It fades pretty quickly and becomes a gorgeous, sweetly smoky leather. I am planning to order a fresh imp soon so that I can compare it against the aged version (no seriously, dragon's blood frightens me 99% of the time), but if the fresh version is just as nice, this may very well be a bottle purchase in the near future.

Either my imp of Erato is rather aged, or my wacked-out body chemistry is striking again. Because my experience with Erato was very different from most people's, from what I've skimmed on the review page. Wet on my skin, Erato has a rather heavy, smoky scent. The orris and the myrrh, maybe? My skin tends to amp resinous scents, soooo maybe that's it. Anyway, as it dries down, it remains somewhat heavy on my skin. The smoky, woody scent fades and the flowers do come forward a little bit. I never catch more than a faint whiff of rose (which is good!). This is a very smooth, lovely blend, and it goes so well with the idea of it being an ode to the muse of romantic poetry. I admit that I only tried it because it's being discontinued soon, but if I had tried it sooner, I would still have a bottle on the way right now. On me, it is gorgeous on its final drydown - very earthy and sweet at the same time.

I didn't expect to, but I really love this scent. I generally (to my heartbreak) do not have good luck with "wood" notes (they tend to go pencil-shavings on me pretty quickly). This, however, is lovely. It does start out very strong in the wood and dusty-Bible department. Then it goes very strongly pencil-shavings on me for a short period of time (which worried me a great deal). The blend smooths out beautifully, though. I can still smell the blonde woods, but it blends beautifully with the musk and "old books" smell in the background. Overall this is very clean and ... quiet, I suppose, is the best way to describe it. It's not like anything else in my collection, and I very badly want a bottle!

The grey and ghostly flower that fills the fields of Hades. I received this as a Lab frimp ages ago, and it was in my "keep" box, so I must have tested this at some point, right? I couldn't remember it, though, and that's usually not a good sign. In light of the coming discontinuation, and also because I have a character called Asphodel in one of my favorite writing projects, I dug out the imp and decided to test it again. In the imp and upon initial application, this is a fresh, sweet floral that I enjoy a great deal. It smells crisp, cool and refined. Then, for some strange reason, it goes through an extremely odd morphing phase where it smells like ... fresh corn. Yeah. As in, just purchased from the farmer's market, unshucked, with silk spilling out one end. That doesn't last too long, fortunately. While I can still smell hints of corn, it is now a pretty, if somewhat unremarkable (at least on me), clean floral. I like it, but I don't love it, and wouldn't wear it. I'm glad I got to try it, and I will keep my imp, but it's not going to be a bottle purchase for me.

Seconding Amsterdam. It smells exactly like sweet, freshly cut grass and cool water on me.

Spooky on Christmas, mostly because I was entertained by the idea of going about smelling like coconut rum when I had to GO TO WORK (*grumbles*). Wore Coyote and the Coiled Serpent for New Year's Eve (had to work again). Coyote because of both the Trickster and 'God of change' aspect, and the Coiled Serpent because wearing it makes me feel grounded.

Montresor, this is Coyote. Coyote, allow me to introduce Montresor. Now, dance. Dance and mingle and let the best of both of you rise up into the air in a cloud of beautiful soft musk and rich wine. And they did. And when they were done, Hunter Moon '07 was born. Yes. I really, really like this one.

Starts out smelling of a very traditional men's cologne, though I cannot place it. It's very clean, sleek and almost smoky at times (the cedar and sage, I assume?) I don't ever get more than the briefest hint of lavender, and no carnation whatsoever from this. I liked it a great deal when I first applied it to my wrist, but did not think that it suited me for at least the first half-hour. It was much too "men's cologne" for a while, and had a brief pencil-shavings period due to the cedar, but ultimately dried down to a very smooth, well-blended vanilla-leather-musk-cedar. Ultimately, it is lovely. I will enjoy it at bedtime, and may eventually order more, if I finish the imp. However, it was not an immediate OMGMUSTHAVE.

When I wear this scent, I am strongly reminded of the smell of a bag of SweeTarts. You remember it too, that sweet, fruity, cavity-inducing aroma. I love it, but I like smelling like SweeTarts. It's tangy and fizzy, and actually smells a whole lot like Glitter on my skin. I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison, but from what I remember, it is nearly identical. I smell no tomato, and no apple, interestingly enough. Just sweet, tart fruits and fizzy white wine all blended up into a smell that I want to eat. I love boozy scents, and this is one that will wear nicely all summer.

When I really love a scent, I always have a moment when I fall over and just inhale long, blissful whiffs of whatever beautiful thing I have anointed my wrist with. It's only happened a few times. I was pleased and surprised when I had that reaction with the High Priest. At first, the imp smells of nothing so much as strong black pepper. I don't know why - perhaps the pimento blends with the white pepper, or some such thing. I am reminded of the spice aisle of my favorite gourmet grocery. When I wear the scent, though, it blossoms into something truly gorgeous. It stays strongly peppery at first. Gradually, the pepper evaporates to reveal the most perfect combination of leather and incense that I have ever sniffed. It is a wonderful balance of spice and leather that makes me wonder why I have so many other vials of perfume, and what I will do with all of those little vials now that I have clearly found my One True Love. The High Priest is, however, is nothing more than a fling. After a strong seduction, he remains lovingly close for a brief period of time. Then he begins to disappear, until he's simply gone without a trace. I cannot detect more than the smallest bit on my wrist (after applying less than an hour before). Now, the pain and sorrow of heartbreak and abandonment. I love this scent, and I may see how it fares in a scent locket (once mine arrives), but it doesn't last nearly long enough on my skin for me to allow myself to get any more involved than I already am.

I really, really like this one. Good thing, because I bought multiple bottles unsniffed. On me, it goes on with a lot of heavy sweetness. I smell chocolate and caramel almost right off the bat. Lately, the cherry note has just FINALLY started to come out to play (hurrah for aging). The candy smells start to fade and the spicy cardamom comes blasting onto the scene. There is still some chocolate in the background, but it plays nicely with the spice. The cherry even remains for a time before vanishing into the mix. It lasts all day, and I love it. I smell like spicy cake and that's perfectly OK with me. I'm so glad that I have this and that I have several. It's one of those scents that I sniff and wonder why I own so many other bottles...don't I ALWAYS want to wear this? Also, it's one of the few gourmand scents that I have been able to happily wear in the humid Florida heat. I haven't touched things like Eat Me or Shub in months because it's just too hot. Somehow, this one just works. The ONLY bad part is that I cannot apply it until after I've been out of the shower for at least twenty minutes, and even then sometimes I get a bit of a red reaction on my neck and inner elbows. I'm just a bit saddened that more people have not liked this one, but on the other hand, it means more for me *embraces weird skin chemistry*

In my ever-continuing quest to find a fruit scent that plays nice on my chemistry, I gave this a try. It didn't work. It initially smells like children's Tylenol, and then goes into an almost cotton-candy like sweetness that's tempered with something savory that I assume is the chili. It doesn't change much after that. I like cotton-candy. Normally I can wear coconut, apple and pomegranate scents very well. However, the banana and pineapple took over and formed an unholy alliance with the sugarcane. This killed it for me.

I love cinnamon and leather, and can usually wear jasmine after the initial sharpness wears off, so I thought I had maybe a fifty-fifty shot at being able to wear this. Unfortunately, despite an early hint of the florals, this is what I imagine to be almost straight vetiver on me. I can kind of smell the jasmine and the rose when I first apply, but this very soon wears off. This leaves behind a smell that I've only encountered once before: in my great-grandmother's cellar. There's dirt (which I can tolerate in a few other blends), but there's also a musty, unpleasant, almost moldy smell that accompanies the dirt. Not for me, but might be good for earth-lovers.

I agree with the person who said that this was a magenta sort of scent. I, too, was expecting something very rich and somewhat spicy. I was mistaken. It is exactly what the description promises: rose, rose, and more rose. I don't get even a hint of cinnamon, which is disappointing to me. I LOVE cinnamon, and have previously been ambivalent about rose. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to go play in the no-rose camp...this doesn't suit me even a little bit. It's not a bad scent at all. I'm sure that anyone who can wear roses would love this. It's not even that it's bad on me. It's a pretty (if somewhat soapy) scent, but i just don't care to wear it. *shrugs, wanders into the no-rose playground*

This scent really matches its description perfectly! In the bottle it smells like a spring garden. I can pick out the flowers, the grass and even the water if I concentrate. It didn't change much when I wore it, either. I would not categorize this as as "aquatic" scent, fresh flowing water or no. This is a fresh floral scent that even I (not a fan of florals in general) love. It blends together beautifully in a clean, cool way. It will be perfect for summer months.

In the bottle, this did not smell good at all. It was the first bottle I sniffed when my order arrived yesterday -- even over my much-anticipated bottle of 13. I'm not sure what that odor was, but it was pungent. Anyway, I shoved it back in the box and took off for an appointment. When I got home last night I sniffed it again. It was still strong and herbal, but perhaps it needed to settle? Anyway, I decided to give it a try at bedtime. I have not been sleeping very much lately, and the sleep I have been able to manage has been fitful. The oil turned into something very pretty once I had it on. It was still herbal (even more than most lavender scents are on me), but it was also lightly floral. I could not detect even a little of the sandalwood, which is strange as it is a note that my skin usually emphasizes. As long as the scent was tolerable, I was determined to use it for the sleep benefits that it offered. The fact that it is pleasant on my skin is an unanticipated bonus. I have to admit, I was skeptical about how this would work. I have had mixed results with Somnus and TKO, so I wasn't going to hold my breath on Oneiroi. I slept ten hours. I don't know if it was the placebo effect. It is entirely possible that it was just my body having enough and giving up, but it was good, deep sleep that I really needed. I do remember more about my dreams than I normally do. I'm planning on trying this again in a few days, and will update my review if I notice any differences. Overall, though, I am glad that I bought a bottle of this, and am going to cross my fingers that it continues to work as well as it did the first time.

In the bottle: lemon. Lots of lemon, and a touch of something herbal. Maybe a dash of coconut. on wet: still lemon. Verbena has taken over. There's still a touch of something herbal, which I take to be the lavender. No coconut whatsoever. dry: at first there is nothing but sweetness and light. Antonio is cheerfully beckoning you towards his innocent little sideshow. However, that sweetness and light fades and the rich plum comes out to play. The plum has brought out the musk as well, and the scent is starting to go much deeper. On me, Antonio dries down to a lighter cousin of Mme. Moriarty (which I take to be the fact that this is white musk instead of red). This would be much better suited for warmer weather than Mme. Moriarty, but they have the same feel on me. They share the same beautiful, rich plum note. I will be buying more of this.