juniperus

Bottle: hello lavender, hello verbena, hello sinuses Wet: same, no hint of the other notes, yet. Dry: aaand hellooo vetiver. no fig or coconut or plum (darn, I like plum), just a sharpness and darkness with no center. Later: hints of coconut, with bitter, dirty, morphing, unhappy vetiver. this hates my skin, it's indescribably bad.

Bottle: fir and leather, primarily, with a darkness I can't quite pin down Wet: the smoke comes up behind, I so love cedar smoke... Dry: the leather has calmed some, thankfully, and I can identify the amber coming up behind, still very subtle. Later: once the leather backed off this became OMGgorgeous.

Bottle: lemongrass, and the tea, and honey - this is sippable, makes me want to put the kettle on Wet: sweet, lemongrass dominant, and something here that's twinge-ing my sinuses. Dry: something here is hitting me like an aquatic. the mint? the sugar? this isn't morphing much, just softening. Later: fading dead away, in fact. but that's ok, because so did that errant, mean, ouchie note.

Bottle: violet, mimosa, and a hint of the vanilla. wow, this is lovely! Wet: the same, with the addition of jasmine moving in and out, sort of floating over. Dry: the jasmine is present, but not taking over yet..I can still discern the violet and mimosa, but no musk yet. Later: the jasmine is amped, but it'a not out of control nor has it grown to a sweet/sourness of rotting florals as it's been known to do on numerous occasions.

Bottle: rose (complete with thorn) and teak. I need to periodically oil all of the damn scandinavian-design teak desks and bookcases and whatnot at work, teak oil...gah. Wet: much the same.. even sharper, actually. the rose in 2,4 & 7 did this, too - ouchie. Dry: this is still so sharp, the woodiness less present except for a sort of damp wood feel. Later: this was the one that I thought was closest to a sure-thing....and it's heinous. I can't even describe the way it's twisted and malformed once touching my skin, but I'm bummed.

Bottle: musk and plum (I'm learning to love the plummeh), a hint of vanilla Wet:more of the vanilla, and hints of the pom joins in. Dry: More of the pom's sweetness, but the vanilla isn't taking over yet.there is a bottom I can't quite get, must be the leaf..I'm unfamiliar with it. Later: unexpectedly lovely on me! vanilla very present, but not morphed or amped to the edge of insanity, the plum faded quite a bit, alas. first hit of the carnival group, however!

Bottle: OMG sweet, the sarsaparilla and almond milk like nutz. Wet: much the same, fruity and milky and sah-weet. Dry: smoke, patchouli both joining in. that slightly sweet tobacco reminds me of Grandpa's pipe...immediately I associate the smell of Old Spice with him, as he always wore the after shave, but pipe smoke...yeah. The patchouli in this reminds me of the ashtray with fresh tappings still warm. Later: I really think black patchouli dislikes me, vetiver-lite - it's morphing into bitterness and ugliness in a similar way. I really had to get this one - my grandfather's handle on the CB years ago was Organ Grinder. Sentimentality. Alas, it's really and truly terrible on me. eta: on a whim tried again and I think hormonal issues were amping the patchouli...it didn't morph to that unpleasant 'later' stage this time. *whew!*

Bottle: maraschino, but not that odd sweet-maraschino-cherry that almond can take at first.. and verbeeeeena. Wet: cardamom, wow that's awesome. right past that cherry, tempering it. Dry: spicy and almost too-sweet but still grounded. complex, very interesting...I have to sniff and sniff again - like there is so much going on I'm afraid I might miss something. Later: later it's the same, just softer. It's still a little food-y, but not overbearingly so. Another reminds-me-of-Grandpa decant selection. He always loved calliopes, I still have clear images of riding and passing him, off to the side, pipe in hand, as we rode round, and round, and round. I hear their tiny cymbals crash and that pipe music now, even the fake stuff, and I tear up.

Bottle: translucent. musk and vanilla and...the fougere, maybe? Wet: much the same. masculine but not hard-edged, not dark Dry: it's grown faint, subtle..but there is a...something bitter. Later: going, going, gone. I think I need to try this one on Bri. It doesn't seem to work well on me.

Bottle: interesting combination of rose and patchouli, almost..sweet & sour at first sniff Wet: grounded, now, this has lost that strange quality and the rose is definitely floral (as opposed to oddly food-y) Dry: no sandalwood yet, the patchouli bringing up the bottom and rose the top, tho. this seems to be taking a while to blossom, as it were. Later: the sandalwood finally appears, filling the center and allowing this to have some richness. there is a sharpness here, the thorns of the rose, no doubt.

Bottle: fruity in an indeterminate way, slightly sharp but I can't identify what note might have that edge Wet: very warm, with an aftertaste of smoke. the fruit seems like apricot with some sharp citrus, but I can't really identify it clearly. actually, it reminds me of these little orange fruits that are served at the Chinese buffet my parents like to take the kids to when we visit (they have a big waterfall in the lobby and we've put in our share of pennies)..I don't know the name of the fruit. Dry: still very sweet, and I'm teetering on the edge of a headachey reaction to the fruit note/s. Later: headache. damn.

Bottle: orange blossom and tea, with a whisper of opoponax Wet: karakarounde is supposed to have a scent similar to that of jasmine. it's combining with the orange blossom in lovely ways. no hint of the bottom notes. Dry: the mahogany must be what I can detect bringing up the rear, an odd dark red behind the paleness of the top notes. Later: aaand here comes the vetiver. damn vetiver doing it's vetiver thing on my skin. bah, I say.

Pale musk, green mandarin, neroli, benzoin, citrus peel, blue lavender, narcissus, stephanotis, crushed green stems, willow branch and cedar. Bottle: floral and very pale green, sharp but not Sharp (if that makes sense) Wet: I can pick out the citrus peel, the stems, and floral (not sweet floral, mind you, but a present flower-ness lingering in the background) Dry: the sharpness of fresh spring green stems and leaves, still soft but that pale green sharpness of the inside of a dandelion stem straw. Later: there is a hidden woody center, here, but it's faint. this feel classical to me, very Roman, complex, and fresh. and it's a fresh I can wear, as opposed to all of the aquatic notes that give me such glorious sinus headaches.

Bottle: both light and smokey, transparent..almost. like looking at a distance through a light fog. Wet: the same, only richer in a way I can't quite describe. Dry: sweet incense, smoke, and cold, deep chill. Later: this has deepened and darkened a bit- a smokey, incense-y masterpiece. I was concerned that the metallic would foretell a painful note for me, but none such has surfaced.

Bottle: warm, almost buttery, pumpkin..like a tart. Wet: the same Dry: hints of the sandalwood move in and out, making this warmth less food-y but no less inviting. Later: finally the sandalwood grounds this is a more complete way, and the orris hasn't done it's usual amp-and-grow-sickly trick, for which I am grateful as this is very interesting.

Personally, I tried everything I could get my hands on, partial imps, sniffies with a drop of oil...the key is to actaully wear it, not just sniff it, because many scents make radical changes from bottle to skin. I forced myself to methodically review every imp so I could eventually find patterns: I noted my response to bottle, wet on the skin, dry on the skin, and about a half hour later (once it really warmed to my chemistry). I discovered a lot of things that were awesome on that were pretty meh in the bottle, and only by doing that did I discover my serious Trouble notes (because most of them won't blossom to badness until I've been wearing the oil at least 15 minutes). I had an inkling of what I didn't like and what I did (knew I liked musk, but not which kinds specifically, for example), and what myrrh and frankincense and amber notes smelled like - but not what they'd do on my skin. Trial and error. Take good and consistent notes. I post my reviews here, there are a lot of reviews to read that can give you an idea of ways to note your preferences and reactions. Heck, I even try blends I figure will probably not work just as an effort to learn more, and because there are a few miracle blends with Trouble notes that, for some miraculous reason, do seem to work on me nonetheless. (I don't know if I'm an oil addict or a review addict. heh) Cheap imps from lj forumites and Ebay lots (although our discussion on resellers brings up cautionary tales on Ebay and one lj'ers, alas) are what I started with while I waited for my first Lab order, and helped me formulate the contents of subsequent orders.

Bottle: all I can detect is the floral Wet: floral with a bare hint of myrrh Dry: very subtle, not quite barely-there Later: this should be stunning on me - I can wear sandalwood, amber, and myrrh very well...but somehow with the addition of the lotus this goes all wrong on me, it seems that lotus is another one of Those Notes on me. What a shame...

Bottle: red musk and patchouli dominate Wet: there is almost a dragon's blood resin affect at play as the red musk and ylang ylang interweave. Dry: the myrrh is in play, and the ylang ylang hasn't tried morphing and amping, yet, but the patchouli is really sharp underneath the rest. Later: another of the 7 deadlies I can wear - all I have tried so far have been, at least in my estimation, wonderful representations. all have been evocative and complex...

Bottle: crisp linen, dead on, with a hint of citrus. Wet: the same, line-dried linen. Dry: a light citrus and very light floral over the linen that gives the affect of a vase of fresh-cut soft blooms of early spring next to a big featherbed with fresh linens warmed by the sun. Later: it's faded to almost nothing...but it was lovely while it lasted...

Bottle: cypress and lily, primarily, with hints of the juniper wafting in and out Wet: same, with more juniper in operation Dry: the cypress is heavier, I worry that it's beginning its bid for dominance. I can barely detect the lily, the juniper and violet are stomped flat. Later: uber-cypress. it's amped beyond all recognition. aw, nuts.

Bottle: peach and oakmoss, followed by the tiniest hints of light floral behind Wet: much the same Dry: this reminds me of Imp, somehow, with heliotrope heavy in front but not taking over. Later: still very peachy, and while this is very pretty, warm and blooming, on my skin, I'm uncertain it's me.

Bottle: mint! eucalyptus! Wet: the effect of the neroli with the violet gives me the impression of one of my violet mints in the package in my desk drawer at work. C Howard, I think, is the brand. Dry: violet mints, and the eucalyptus in the background. I use a eucalyptus mint linen spray often, as I find it very relaxing, and this is, to me, that spray with sugared violets strewn across the pillows. the neroli isn't doing it's usual thing, and for that I am grateful. Later: this both sweeter and cooler (temperature-wise) than I usually wear, but I find it such a relaxing scent..I might save the imp for bedtime until I can acquire a larger bottle.

Bottle: like rum cake, the rum, fig, and walnut are prominent Wet: I can detect the juniper berry, and a hint of the chocolate, now, as well Dry: the musk appears, this has much less of a food-y feel now. warm and complex. Later: the complexity of this reminds me of Shub, not in scent but in personality. this is complicated and warm and strangely familiar...very interesting.

Bottle: light and perfume-y Wet: even lighter, a whisper of a scent Dry: dusty incense has crept up, no longer light nor a whisper. and an aquatic/ozone-y note that I recognize and fear. Later: mmm...siiiinus. and an oddly sweet incense. this is really strange on me. and headache-inducing.

We often have rainy autumns. I've been wearing my Samhains (04 and 05) more, recently, so I guess I'm thinking seasonal. I've also had Lenore in the rotation, and Alone, PP#5, and Haunted Palace. We've had a few sunny days to enjoy Harvest Moon between the several-day stretch bouts of rain and grey weather. I can't wear 99% of aquatics. Alas, so rainy rainy-day blends are out.