meyerlemon

I got such wonderful recs the last time I asked this question (for instance, I never would have thought to order Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, but now it's my absolute favorite) I thought I'd try it again! I really like Xiuhtecuhtli (the notes I love in it are the orange, smokey, wetly floral ones) and I'd love to explore more in that area. I LOVE the smokiness, and I'll try anything (as long as it's not musk. Musk hates me.) Thanks so much for any thoughts!

I just received a 5 ml of the first scent I fell in love with, Bordello. What I love about my imp of Bordello is the sweet/sour plumminess, with the teensy hint of almondy chocolateness underneath it-- just rounding out the corners. Sadly, the 5 ml is a noticeably different smell. A half-sister, or cousin of the imp: the layers are reversed, with the dominant note being a fairly bitter almond, then a chocolateyness, and only then a faint plumminess. It's actually, and I hate to say this, slightly icky on my skin, and although it dries down to something less bitter and more pleasant, it's not what I was hoping for. I'm not well-versed in how particular notes age-- is it possible that this will become more like my imp, or am I stuck? As much as I *adore* my imp, I'm not wild about the 5 ml, and if I'd smelled it as an imp, wouldn't have ordered it. *cry* Are there things to bear in mind when deciding which imps translate fairly consistently to bottles (ie, are there some notes that are more likely to smell the same in each batch, and others that are more likely to be a wild card?), or is it a bit of a gamble each time? I fully recognize that the oils vary across batches, and must be hand-blended, but I'm a bit leery of purchasing a bottle of something that may or may not resemble the fragrance I like. Thank you!