Diva Urd

In the vial: A mixture of floral (jasmine, I'd say), herbs (hard to tell which one exactly) and vanilla, it seems. On: Sweet jasmine with a hint of spice and a hint of cream. I think there may also be dragon's blood in there, because this has similarities to Wolf's Heart (where many agree there's DB in there) and multiple Ars Draconis blends. No more herbs. A very sweet floral with a little zing and a bit of creaminess. I like it. Later: This has quite a bit of staying power - it barely gets weaker over the course of a couple of hours. I don't know that I need a bottle, but I'll keep the imp.

In the vial: Sharp citrus, but the florals on top soften it enough to where it may just be wearable for me. On: The citrus takes over - I smell like lemon candy. Initially, there is just the tiniest hint of flowers, but the citrus screams them into submission. Later: Now it's a relatively strong heliotrope/honeysuckle mixture. The citrus has left the building. Now it's actually quite nice, but I really didn't like the beginning. Swap.

In the vial: Ethereal frankincense and lilac, and a brown/black tobacco note. There's some sharpness too - that might be the tea. On: I dunno whether this is a psychosomatic reaction, but... this scent makes me hungry! That aside, it smells hollow, a bit gritty and a bit girly - chainsmoking model? I kinda like it, although I'm not head-over-heels for it. Later: I like the frankincense/lilac combination, but the tobacco makes it smell a little off. The tea has left the building. If sniffed from further afield, the wrongness is not as easy to detect, only if I get close. I will have to ponder this one some more, so I'll keep the decant.

In the vial: I get a smorgasbord of woods in the vial. There is only a hint of frankincense, and a small amount of pepper - nothing that would make you sneeze. On: Spicy woods, and something that almost smells fruity. The scent feels a bit flat to me. Later: Just a slight hint of spices is left. I don't think this is for me.

In the vial: Coconut, leather and just a hint of lilac. Wow, this one's interesting! On: This blooms on my skin. I still get all the notes I sniffed in the vial, but now they're mingling with bay rum and tobacco. Very interesting. Definitely unisex to my nose. I like it, but I don't know that I'd spring for a bottle (this might change if I find myself reaching for it more though). Later: Slightly floral bay rum. Quite faint now, but I DID apply on the wrist and it may have rubbed off some. This IS nice, but I'm not in insta-love with it. The decant stays, though, and maybe I'll change my mind later.

In the vial: Wow, it smells like a humid summer night. There's a bit of ozone, I believe, some lavender and some amber. On: This doesn't have a lot of throw, but it stays virtually the same on my skin - primarily that "night" accord, with hints of amber and lavender. Soothing and unusual. Later: Humid night, a bit rosy. Okay, but I probably don't need to hunt for more of it.

In the vial: I get a lot of lemon verbena out of the vial, with florals in the background. On: Initially, this smells like a lemon Ricola with indistinct florals. I also get a lot of dust. Later: Weak, slightly lemony floral. Not for me.

In the vial: The plum blossom is front and center. There's a slight tanginess from the rosehip and a bit of powder from the amber. On: This becomes a bit less fruity and gains a floral note that has just the right amount of sharpness - the jonquil, I would assume (I have a jonquil soy candle and that smells similar to this note). Quite nice, although it doesn't floor me. Later: Plummy floral! It's most similar to Kitsune-Tsuki to my nose, which is easy to explain, as jonquil and daffodil smell a lot alike. I do like this, but I think I'd order Kitsune-Tsuki first, since that one also has orchid.

In the vial: Cinnamon, ginger and wood. A very brown scent. On: I'm testing from a sniffie and the blend is older, so my experience may not be representative, but this is mostly brown, angry, somewhat peppery spices on me. There does seem to be a backdrop of woods, but they're not strong. Honestly, I could imagine a vampire smelling like this, because it makes me think of something undead in a dusty coffin. Also, I'm surprised the cinnamon hasn't gone all Big Red on me yet. Later: Slightly stale spices. I don't know, it's not something I'd wear regularly.

In the vial: Ozone, a green note (bamboo?) and something sweet. On: Primarily metal and greenery. Initially, there is a note in this that smells just a little... poopy in the background. However, as it dries, the odd poopy vibe goes away - I think it was a reaction of one of the florals in this. This is a cool, fresh, green and ever-so-slightly sweet fragrance, very sophisticated. I don't know whether I'd desperately hunt for a bottle of this, but it is very nice. Later: This doesn't morph much as time goes by, but it loses its initial oomph relatively quickly. It's still not too weak a blend on my skin, it definitely retains enough throw to keep me happy. I'm sure I'll be in the mood to wear this once in a while, particularly when it's hot outside.

In the vial: Lemongrass, but its sharpness is dulled by something. I believe there's musk, but that's not the only thing in here. It's very hard to tell in the vial, because the lemongrass dominates. On: Very lemongrass-y at first, grounded by musk. The lemongrass amps. I'm now stuck somewhere between citronella candle and lemon dish soap. Pleeeease, lemongrass, calm down! Later: A remainder of lemon, musk and... maybe tonka? It's this almost-creamy, matte note, not sweet enough for vanilla, not juicy enough for coconut. Hm. I don't think I'd wear this a lot because it's just so LEMONGRASS! at first, so I may swap my decant.

In the vial: This smells a bit like herby soap in the vial. On: After initial application, there is something that nearly makes me sneeze. However, it doesn't stick around long. At the moment, this smells like the marigolds in my grandma's garden, with some vanilla in the background. It has very little throw. Later: Vanilla sandalwood with a hint of floral. Still no throw. It's quite nice at this stage, but it doesn't have enough oomph for me.

In the vial: Orchid and champaca with a background of creaminess! On: Sweet, slightly musky floral. It reminds me a little bit of Prague, or of Vasilissa, and yet it is neither. As it dries, it becomes less fruity. It seems to me that the orchid is taking charge. I don't have a problem with that - I love smelling like a big, exotic orchid Later: The WHOA ORCHID phase has left the building, now orchid and champaca are playing together nicely as a sweet floral again. No creaminess anymore, which makes me a bit sad, but it's still a nice blend and I'll keep the decant.

The two BPAL scents that came to my mind immediately when reading the notes, as well as your description of how the scent smells on you: Belle Epoque: Belle Epoque: "The Pretty Era", France's Golden Time: an age of beauty, innovation and peace in France that lasted from the 19th Century through the first World War and gave birth to the cabaret, the cancan, and the cinema as well as the Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements. Sweet opium, Lily of the Valley, vanilla, mandarin and red sandalwood. and Ouija: Lush parlor rooms draped in thick velvets and gilded in gold, unearthly whispering in the distance, fleeting flashes of wraithlike figures rushing just outside your vision, the chill of a phantom presence brushing by your cheek, the inscrutable knowledge that disembodied eyes are peering at you from darkened corners… this is the essence of Victorian-era spiritualism: rosewood, oak and teak notes with wispy blue lilac, tea rose, dried white rose and ethereal osmanthus. These blends are both GC and easy to get a hold of. I have to admit that I have never smelled "Contradiction", but these two scents dry down fresh and somewhat powdery with a woody background on me.

In the vial: Woody apple! On: Apple tree. Beautiful ripe, red apples and a sturdy trunk. Later: An apple tree next to a patch of roses. Quite enjoyable! It reminds me a bit of "Ladon" though. If you don't like DB though, this might be just the thing!

In the vial: The leather in this is brown-ish and reminds me of "The Red Rider", but this smells a lot less overwhelming in the vial. None of the other notes stand out in the vial. On: Now I get frankincense and sandalwood softening the harsh edge of the leather. There may be a hint of violet in there, too. No overt cedar or nutmeg, which is fine with me. Quite nice, though I don't know I absolutely need a bottle. Later: Brown leather, everything else seems to have left the building. It's okay, but I don't need more.

In the vial: Musk and orange blossom. The result is soap to my nose. Let's hope it works a bit better on my skin. On: Whoa!soap. Soo much soap. Dusty soap. Gah. Later: Nasty soap. Blech.

Creosote, coal, and industrial waste. In the vial: The vetiver in this is surprisingly tame... and is that cardamom I smell? Yup, it seems industrial waste smells like cardamom. On: A hint of vetiver, cardamom and a vague metallic edge. And really, the vetiver is on its best behavior - it deepens the spiciness, but it does not overpower anything. This is like a less-smoky cousin of Rumpelstilzchen. Later: Doesn't change, doesn't appreciably weaken within an hour. A hint of smoky vetiver, cardamom and a tiny bit of metal. I do like this, but I think I prefer Rumpelstilzchen, because as weird as it sounds, this is not smoky enough for me.

In the vial: Skin musk and leather are in the forefront, and there's some myrrh too... this reminds me of "Loviatar", only with an underlying powderiness. On: Initially, skin musk tries its hardest to drag this into baby powder hell, but the leather and patchouli are putting up a good fight. It IS a more powdery Loviatar! Later: The powderiness tones down and leaves a very nice scent. I don't know that I would spend beaucoups bucks on a bottle, but I will not let go of my decant under any circumstances.

In the vial: A hint of pine, but overall, this smells a bit like... earwax. Huh. On: Piney earwax! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, skin?! Later: No earwax anymore - pure, unadulterated pine tree instead. Not Pine-Sol, an actual pine tree. If you love smelling like a pine, give this a whirl (I'm sure I'm the only weirdo that had this turn to earwax on her!). If you don't like pine, this is totally not for you, because the pine IS the star in this even without weird reactions of the other ingredients.

In the vial: Incredibly strong cough-syrupy cherry, though I do detect wood in the background. On: The cherry recedes once it's on my skin and... uh, what? *sniffs* Ladies and gentlemen, I believe I have just had my first Play-Doh experience. It's a total dead-ringer. Within five minutes. Later: Play-Doh dust with the slightest hint of cherry. Swap.

In the vial: It's... snow. And some frozen mud. How... how do they DO this?! On: A bit sweeter and slightly less cold than in the vial, but otherwise unchanged. It has good throw and seems like a scent that will stick around for a while. I'm not sure I am enough in love with it to find a bottle, but I can see myself wearing this multiple times during this sticky-hot summer we're having. Later: Cool, slightly earthy and a total energizer bunny. Yes, I'm going to enjoy this this summer, though I still don't think I need more.

In the vial: I primarily get blackberry out of this, and not much else. On: Blackberry and blackberry, with some blackberry. It's almost fizzy and very sweet. Later: Very faint blackberry. Yeah, I'm afraid I am not really into berries, and this is all berries all the time on me. I'm glad I got to try it though!

In the vial: Ambergris and honey. Very fresh and I totally get an oceanic vibe from this. On: Wow. Oceany honey. Blue-green and golden, with a very tiny hint of mint to keep it fresh. Different, interesting and really lovely! Later: Slightly kelpy honey. I need at least a full decant of this, because it's pretty awesomesauce.

In the vial: Wow, what a beautiful tropical bouquet! On: Oh yes, definitely geranium and agave nectar, with a hint of orchid. An interestingly cool bouquet of flowers, perfect for summer! Later: Still cool florals. This reminds me a bit of Hi'iaka and Midnight. I wish the geranium had stuck around a bit more, as it is now mostly faded, since it was what made the blend stick out for me. Now it's just a generic, but nicely cool, bouquet. As this IS nicer than Hi'iaka (which I recently sold), I'll keep the tester, but it's not bottleworthy for me.