Diva Urd

In the vial: Lots and lots of pine and juniper, but there is a fresh note to it that I think comes from the ambergris. On: Very, VERY piney. Not like Pine-Sol, but natural. It's still not a scent I am excessively fond of at this point. Later: Still pine, with some ambergris to freshen it up. A bit too forest-y for me, but if you're looking for something that smells like evergreen woods, this and Thanatopsis are a must. I'll pass this one on.

In the vial: Very strong on the almond, with a floral background. Nothing but the almond stands out. On: The almond immediately recedes into the background (it did so on me in Bastet, as well, so that was to be expected). At the moment, it is very jasmine, I don't get a lot of musk just yet. Later: Jasmine and almond are starting to be on more equal footing, and I am getting some musk. It's quite nice, although I have to say that it is in a scent family I already have other favorites in, so I don't think I will need more than the imp (which I will keep, however).

I agree with unlaced, Dee sounds like it would be right up his alley. And if that one isn't smoky enough, I found Rumpelstilzchen to be a much, MUCH smokier Dee: He might enjoy Kroenen, as well - this one is unimpable, but GC, and decants can be found in the Sales and Swaps forums: HTH!

In the imp: What a strange blend... I definitely get smoky vetiver (it's just a tad bacon-y), patchouli and tonka. In the vial, I can't seem to catch the other notes. It smells interesting. On: Wow. Supersmoky, fresh-burned log with patchouli and a hint of Tonka. On me, it smells like "Dee" if you threw him into a campfire for a few hours! Definitely smells like a diabolical creature. Thankfully, no bacon-ness from the vetiver anymore, and it doesn't perform the Vetiver PUNCH in this, either. I do rather like it. Later: Smoky patchouli with just a hint of tonka. I still enjoy it. I'm not sure this is bottleworthy for me just yet, but I will gladly hold on to my imp.

In the bottle: A metric ton of sandalwood and a hint of musk. On: Lots and lots and LOTS of sandalwood, the barest hint of musk. No leather so far. Once it's completely dry, the sandalwood turns a little powdery, but something keeps it from completely going that way - I think it's a hint of leather, coupled with the musk. This smells warm and cuddly. Later: Lots and lots of sandalwood! Sometimes almost powdery, sometimes a bit more woody-sharp, but oh-so-very-much sandalwood The musk gives the sandalwood depth, and here and there, the leather peeps out. I wish the leather was just a hair stronger, but I am quite happy with this as it is *tries and fails to cuddle own arm* I shall have to try to smear it on the DH, too, though I'd be quite happy wearing it myself.

In the vial: Lots of vanilla and tonka with a hint of lilac and just a smidgen of sharp wood. On: Thick, heavy, creamy vanilla with lilac and galbanum. Mhmmm... almost good enough to eat (but I'm happy it's only an "almost", as I still have issues of smelling like something I would like to bite into ). As it dries down, the creamy notes recede just a little and let the lilac come out a bit more. Niiice. Later: Creamy, but non-foody and slightly smoky vanilla and lilac. I like this. And I have to keep the decant for the name alone (telling people I'm wearing this is even funnier than talking about Sacred Ho ).

In the vial: Hm. Fresh, a bit sharp, with an odd note underneath. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say... my grandma's "4711" splashed over a band-aid. Strangely, this scent is not really repulsive. Just odd. On: Still the same - 4711 plus band-aid *scratches head*. As it dries, the band-aid starts to go away, but as a result, the whole scent becomes rather faint. What's left still has this almost-cologney sharp booze-like vibe. Later: Faint, vague, after-shave-y. This ain't meant to be.

In the vial: Definitely lavender, and I'd also put money on chamomile being included. This does smell very calming. On: This reminds me of a friend's bedroom - she uses lavender sachets in all of her cabinets and closets. I'm usually not a lavender girl, but this, I can totally see using as an aromatherapy blend, not a perfume. It's incredibly calming. Sniffing it, I can feel my muscles losing their tension (and I didn't even know they were tensed!). Once it's dry... uhhh... Rose? Later: Damn. You. Rose. *sigh* I'll keep the imp. I can put it on my pillow, maybe that'll keep the rose of doom from showing up...

In the vial: I definitely get sandalwood and musk, maybe a hint of carnation and a peppery cedar edge, but the latter is VERY faint. On: The vanilla musk releases its vanilla component as I put it on my skin. There is definitely carnation now. Everything else is delegated to the background. Oddly enough, even though the combination of notes sounds lovely, on me, they turn into something incredibly non-descript... like there is a skeleton of a scent, but the body has left. I get the slight powderiness of the amber, the hint of vanilla, a touch of cedar and a top of carnation, but... I don't know how to describe it, it just feels like my skin needs something else in this to make it work, and I have no idea what it is. Later: Carnation and vanilla. I don't know, it's nice enough, but it completely leaves me cold, I'm afraid.

In the vial: I mainly get the vanilla musk, the white tea and the ambergris - this is very bright and fresh, with an almost aquatic vibe. On: Ahh, there IS gardenia in there! The floral provides a needed counterpoint to all the freshness of the other notes. This is polished, gleaming, ice-cold metal with just a few flower petals to insinuate femininity. Probably a great summer scent! Later: Fresh, slightly floral and still going strong. Really quite nice! I'm contemplating putting this on the bottle list.

In the vial: Ohh yeah, this has a vetiver punch. There is a musky freshness to it, as well, but vetiver is front and center in the vial. On: Vetiver. Strong, overpowering, pretty much single note. I was hoping the other notes would calm it down a bit on me, but no, at least at first, this is VETIVER! Upon drydown, I get hints of the other notes, but vetiver punches them all into submission like the resident schoolyard bully. Later: Vetiver with undefinable sweetness on top. If I want somewhat powdery-sweet vetiver that works a lot better on me, I'll grab "Van Van." This goes up for swaps.

In the vial: Huh. A mushroom in a vial. Slightly sour, but DEFINITELY a mushroom. On: Sour mushroom. Smells a bit like rolling around in the woods. It's definitely true to concept, but I'm not sure I approve of smelling like this. Later: Mushroom mushroom... Again, this is fascinating, but not particularly appealing as a scent. I'm glad I got to try it, but I doubt I'm going to keep it.

In the bottle: This is much fresher than I expected from the listed notes. Smells quite masculine while still in the bottle. I get wood and a hint of vanilla, the freshness might be the castoreum note (since I gather this is a type of musk). On: Wet, there is definitely a soapy twang to it. Somehow, this scent is very reminiscent of something at this stage... Irish Spring. That's it. How... how did that happen? Later: The Irish-Springy vibe has mostly left, but somehow, this still doesn't work on me. It has no throw, but if I get close enough, I get a noseful of after-shave-y powder. I think I'm going to pass this on.

While I don't suffer from depression, myself, I find "Tweedledee" to be incredibly uplifting. From what I read, orange-y scents are one of the prime aromatherapy recommendations for depression, and "Tweedledee" is a beautifully sweet orange with a fresh edge.

In the vial: Chocolate cupcakes and something off. On: A chocolate cupcake that fell to the ground. The dirt is clean, but it's dirt. Sadly, it doesn't make this any less foody. This is VERY chocolatey and I'm definitely also getting a cake batter note. Later: A dirty chocolate cupcake. Very faint. It doesn't smell terrible, but it's not superb.

In the vial: Oh yeah, there's quite a bit of pear, and I also get the plumeria. This has some similarities to "Thalia" in the vial, only with more florals where "Thalia" has the champagne. On: I love the pear/plumeria background, but on the top, there's a note that is apparently trying to veer off into soap. So far, a pleasant, slightly bitter edge is keeping it in check, but I'm fearing it might vanish upon drydown - and then there's the disastrous relationship roses and I tend to have... Later: The pear and plumeria are still there, but the remainder has turned a bit dusty. While it didn't turn into rosy soap hell, this is not a good scent for me, I think.

In the vial: A load of amber! I think I may also detect cinnamon, which is a bit scary, since cinnamon sometimes amps like crazy on me. On: Still a LOT of amber. Upon initial application, the spices behave, but I'm getting an amber single note as a result. Don't get me wrong, it's not shabby, but it's a bit boring. Later: Ah. There's the cinnamon - it's ambery cinnamon. Sadly, this isn't really my thing, I'm afraid, but if someone is looking for ambery cinnamon, this is the scent for them.

I've had Layer Fest 2011 today, and here are my results Lawful Evil Dwarf Cleric The "Dwarf" and the "Lawful" component dominate this combination, with a bit of smokiness from "Evil." "Cleric" got lost in the jumble. It's a combination that smells smoky-brown with a tangy-bitter edge to me. It's not terrible, but I'm a bit bummed that the Cleric left the building. True Neutral Dwarf Paladin I gave this two layers of "Neutral", and this is the strongest component. The hops of the "Dwarf" come next, with a hint of sweetness that might be from "Paladin" - this works surprisingly well, smells good, and symbolizes the concept for me. Neutral Evil Rogue Half-Elf The "Evil" got lost a bit. I get the slightly floral musk of "Neutral", the interesting beeswax from "Half-Elf" and a hint of leather from "Rogue." Not too bad of a combination, smelling woodsy, yet musky AND fresh. Neutral Evil Orc Mage ... Mhm, I like Neutral Evil Orc Mages! There definitely is the funky green zucchini vibe, the fresh galangal of "Mage", "Neutral"s floral hint and a wisp of smoke and plum from "Evil." Chaotic Evil Half-Elf Fighter This is giving me a shoe-polish vibe. It seems like whatever went wrong on me with "Fighter" is amped here. There is a bit of residual sweetness from "Evil", otherwise it's all "Fighter" amped x 1000. "Chaotic" is totally lost and I cannot detect a distinct trace of "Half-Elf", either. Neutral Evil Dwarf Mage This retains a little bit of all components - "Dwarf"s hoppiness, "Neutral"s freshness, "Mage"s darker notes and maybe a hint of galangal, and a hint of smoke. Quite nice!

In the vial: Oatmeal cookies and graham crackers with a hint of cinnamon On: The same, with a bit more cinnamon and nuts. From a pure scent perspective, it doesn't repulse me. However, I don't enjoy it as a perfume (I am a confirmed foodie hater, and this is all foody, all the time). It turns into faint cookie dough within 15 minutes of application. Later: Cookie dough, now with a slight berry-ish note. Man, I'm happy I don't tend to play Halflings, because this doesn't do it for me.

In the vial: Very sweet, white and... wow, that is the most prominent acacia I have ever smelled in a perfume. On: The combination of honey and vanilla turns rather pastry-ish on me, which not a good thing in my book... the acacia retreats, as well. Strike 2. Also... what is that soapy edge? Okay, I'll give it more time, but I have the feeling this isn't going to work out. Oh well, I already determined I was an Evil girl, all the way, anyway Later: Overly sweet honey soap. Ick ick ick. Good's just no good for me.

In the vial: I get no musk or honey. This is incredibly fresh, woody and screams "winter" to me, with the tiniest hint of berries. On: Evergreen woods, a few red berries and something almost minty. I don't know, this doesn't really appeal to me as a scent, although one can definitely make a case for Elves smelling like this. Later: Pine with a hint of berry. A bit cleanerish, or like generic Christmas oils for oil burners. Kind of ew on me.

In the vial: Wow, that is some powerful balsam! Balsam sometimes goes horribly wrong on me, but hopefully the frankincense and dragon's blood are going to keep it in check. On: The balsam seems to behave, though it is definitely present. This smells very similar to "Magus", which may be due to the galangal/frankincense combo. However, this is not quite as fresh and more resinous than "Magus". It's also a bit sweeter. Not bad! Later: Pretty much the same as when I first put it on. The scent still has a duller edge than "Magus", but if it didn't, it would likely not layer as well as it's supposed to. This smells very base-note-y to me and needs something a bit more high-pitched to really make it shine.

In the vial: Yup, it's skin musk. Smells like freshly showered skin. On: Very fresh at first. This smells almost as if there is something floral in there to me. As it warms up, the floral-i-ness is retreating in favor of - you guessed it - musk. This is definitely more of a layering ingredient than a stand-alone perfume. It is quite nice, though, and I will enjoy trying this in some upcoming layering experiments! Later: Clean, fresh, just slightly floral musk. Nice!

In the vial: Sharp oak, tangy rhubarb and a hint of chamomile. On: Primarily chamomile and rhubarb, with a hint of oak. I don't detect any overt fig, which makes me happy, since it doesn't tend to work on me. This is an interesting scent. Later: Rhubarby twang with a hint of oak sharpness. Probably an interesting layering component, though very faint on its own.

In the bottle: VERY cologne-y - but this smells like a very NICE cologne and I was looking for something tending into manly territory On: Sweet incense-y cologne. This may not be terribly unconventional, but I LOVE sniffing my wrist. There may be just a hint of leather to this, and I think I also detect just a smidgen of musk. Very nice on me, but man, if the husband's skin doesn't eat it... Later: This is incense-fest 2011 with a hint of musk... but I do believe I spy some parchment! Yes, this is going to receive much love in this household On the husband: Turns faint very quickly, but that might have been because I didn't apply a lot, and because he did a lot of stuff after I applied it, like prepping food, going to the bathroom, washing his hands (he might have gotten some water on his wrist, too)... At any rate, it does smell nice on him, too! Hope I can get him to wear it more often!