juniperus

Bottle: Patchouli and peach, heavy patchouli hit me in the face..I got visions of fancy-pants hippy-chicks who wear too much patchouli and sit around looking artsy in coffee shops. Good lord, you know the type. Wet: oh my the peach, the peach, the peach! I'm not much for fruity or sweet, so I was a wee bit afraid. Dry: the amber and musk come up with the peach and mellow it out considerably. The patchouli steps back and grounds everything nicely - a real summery scent..and the peachiness ends up less sweet, more spicy..sort of the smell of sunshine as it dapples through the leaves of a peach orchard. Later: the peach doesn't much fade, but the patchouli and amber are both very evident and balance it well..a very golden, warm scent..

Bottle: oh, rose! Wet: the sweet undercurrent of jasmine is apparent. Dry: the myrrh is rounding it out nicely. Subtle, complex, womanly in a way I like to think of womanly. Not matronly, not merely feminine, but a woman fully-into-her-own-power womanly. Later: Lovely, lovely. The jasmine hasn’t stepped in to take over, I am so in love!

Bottle: immediate orchid and meadowsweet. Not overpowering even in the bottle, but a scent of strength nonetheless Wet: More of the meadowsweet and the apple blossom coming through. Dry: A soft floral, but not mamsy-pamsy - this definitely tells of femininity and fierceness. Hints of the steady, woodier, non-florals come through seductively, just wafting hints and teases at this point. Later: More of the herbals than the floral now, a deepening of the scent. Not a maiden-y scent, nor mother-y..those Celts really don't ft that simplistic pattern-set, who does, really? Aside from that rant, it's mature, but not Mature - it's a woman who holds her own sort of mature. Not young and innocent and unwise. There is definitely a sense of the wild in this one, it feels Celtic in centuries past in ways I cannot describe - sometimes I get images or colors or physical sensations from scents and tastes (stop laughing, it's not as Woo Woo as it sounds, and I'm not a nutcase) and I get one from this. I am so liking this scent, and I really hoped I would since the Morrigan is one I feel deep connection to (and all those reading this who were at that particular Samhain observance those many years ago now are shuddering, aren't you?) War and sex. Of course.

Bottle: Sharp and green - the rosemary and something else...sinister. None of the sweetness I'd expect from the rose or the orange blossom. Wet: Rosemary and rose, less sharp and more full and complex. Dry: A hint of the orange blossom top note, it's gone from green, then rose, to rose then green...but barely. Still pretty balanced between the two dominant scents. Later: Went through a phase when it really wanted to go soapy on me...I don't know if that's the orange blossom at work, this has totally different ingredients than the last one that turned soapy on me, so I waited it out with the scent teetering on the edge of madness. Happily, it didn't fall off the edge, so it faded to the rose with the dark green underneath that, less sharp than earlier, just gave it a mysterious quality. I like darker rose blends when I'm in a floral mood, and I love the smell of rosemary...Rosemary for Remembrance. Dandy happy.

Bottle: Lots of orchid, and something following that I'm not quite putting my finger on. On the sweet side but didn't make me jump at first sniff. Wet: That note behind the orchid must be the currant - it's sweet, but not really fruity...maybe it's the cereus - not sure on the exact nature of that one. Anyway, that note is a little stronger now, but it's still a lot of orchid at first whif. Dry: I'm getting more hints of the mid-tone green woodiness and the incense-y stuff is peeking, but not fully exposed. It's bringing the sweet down some, and that's happy. I hope the myrrh comes out more, I think this would be good on me if it were just a bit darker. Later: Not a lot of myrrh. *sigh* But more of the cypress, and a hint that the current fruity is there without screaming 'fruit!' (which I appreciate). I think I like it - it's a darker, more mature floral blend without being Mature. Complex, suiting it's namesake, IMO. I've always been fascinated by the story, so I was excited to try this..what does vengeful sorceress smell like, anyway? hee. She smells of sinister florals, dark incense, and higher almost aquatic notes - an ocean during a storm, maybe, because there's nothing peaceful here. I was pleased that the currant didn't get all over fruity and heady, it just added a bit of deepness and punched the floral with a sweet that wasn't quite sweet. It ends up on the sweet end for my tastes, but has enough else going on that I won't hold it against it.

Bottle: massive evergreen-ness. Like sticking my face in a juniper bush. Whoah. Wet: same, fresher and more zow-ee as the eucalyptus comes forward. Dry: woody and green and forest-y and..primeval. And it's definitely not a pine-sol uber-pine, too. Complex, invigorating...I rather like eucalyptus' freshness. Later: much the same, with somewhat less eucalyptus. Less wild than I thought it might be..the galangal didn't have much of a showing.

Bottle: neroli and a hint of something sweet and sharp Wet: bergamot rising, and hints of the mimosa. the sharpness is less sweet, now, and more..dry. Dry: still sweet and sharp enough to be a little owie. Later: the sharp has abated some, and there are hints of orange blossom, now...with the bergamot and orange it's almost like a rather floral tea...rather nice, actually, but it's just not a good fit for me.

Bottle: gardenia, mostly, and a hint of another, very light, floral Wet: water lily coming through more obviously as that floral, still mainly gardenia Dry: nothing of the musk, the aquatics are coming through more now Later: a very light floral, high pale floral notes, but not too-too sweet. lovely, but I'm not certain it's for me. Ah, but I am still a sucker for Tennyson...And at the closing of the day/She loosed the chain, and down she lay;/The broad stream bore her far away,/The Lady of Shalott

Bottle: Rose all the way, a bright rose..not terribly sweet. Reminds me of old fashioned rose bushes gone a little wild, full of fragrance..not the uber-bred kind you get from the florist that have practically no scent at all. Wet: I'm catching hints of the spice behind the rose, but can't pick the notes out quite yet. Dry: There is something sharp, sorta sweet, and rather green in those spices...tuberose? I can't put my finger on it... Later: The spices are warm and reminiscent of spiced cookies..but very subtle. Nutmeg, maybe...Very Victorian, yes. It's not got a (vampire's) bite, tho, which I rather expected. Interesting. Starts out smelling..youthful. As the spices come out a bit it seems a little more sinister. The rose, the thorns, the green stem and all. Wistful. I think I'll tuck it away with the other rose blends that seems to work on me, and eventually I'll have to do a snif-test to pick one or two to keep..rose doesn't do the ugly things on my skin that jasmine does, and it's not as sinus-grabbing for me as many of the white-flower blends can be, but keep every rose blend seems a bit excessive. At least I feel fairly confident that I know one floral that doesn't do strange things with my chemistry...

Bottle: The white florals (esp the lily) are immediate Wet: florals, then the woods appear quietly from behind Dry: Musks show themselves after a bit, rounding out the layers nicely. Later: This is pretty. No better word, delicate and pretty, like Raphael's Madonna in a chair. Not much of the peel or sage. I normally don't like stuff like this, but it's just complex enough, and the woods round it out enough to not feel too flowery. Very feminine.

Bottle: Something very sweet over the merlot and leather. An Ugh moment. Wet: Wine and flowers, and that odd sweet note. Dry: The musk I'm catching is really nice and I can detect the leather underneath...the rose and violet are there, but under that weird sweet - the myrtle making bad friends with the merlot, I am guessing. Later: Much like the dry-down, that sweet thing is just getting me in the throat. Lovely musk underneath, but I can't manage this any longer.

Bottle: Lime, and a sharp lime like sour candies or the pith of the rind. No real hint of the floral except for a hovering sweetness. Wet: White flowers, esp the lotus. Dry: lime retreats to support the white flowers quietly - I have to strain to catch it, but it's not gone completely. more of the jasmine, but not overpoweringly so (jasmine is not one of my faves - too much and I get headaches, and it's darn sweet and swishy to me) , and hints of the tuberose I think (I don't know what that smells like, but it's gotta be what I'm getting hints of here), which is creamier and balances the headiness some. Later: More of the jasmine, now, and I can't find the lime at all. I am surprised at my non-aversion to the immediate lime, and I'll have to remember that - it both cuts and supports white flowers, making them a lot more wearable for me - no insta-headache from the cloying. Very light, pretty, floral - very pretty. I'd be totally down with it had there been a darker note somewhere, and maybe this would work well layered over a darker, spicy blend...but I'm just not sure how it's working on me by its lonesome. Subtle, delicate..and floral but not so heady or deep to become elegant, per se, it's got presence without having Presence (which is something I have a hard time with, florals that take over and strangle with their opulence). I like it, but it pushes my envelope - it's a clear floral that smells young and fresh, and I'm neither..so I'm undecided on this one. Maybe I'm just a head case.

Bottle: heady floral, a sweetened lavender (perhaps the orchid there) plus rose. Wet: very lavender, less of the rose, a hint of the darker resin underneath. Dry: more of the frankincense, and the rose is making a slight comeback. little of the musk as yet. Later: more of the musk, now, and all very balanced. pretty, a definite floral but it isn't cloying nor headshoppy. more spring than winter, I think, and I'll likely save it for an appropriate time of year.

Bottle: bitter, dark patchouli, oddly reminiscent of damp, black tobacco...like a pipe that's been left in the rain. Wet: same, no sign of the apricot, yet. Dry: the sharp bitterness has lightened up, some, and if I really try I can detect a hint of the apricot, but it's barely there. Later: warm and rich on me, the bitter faded and the apricot just added a little complexity, no real fruitiness or sweetness..but you know me and my unfortunate patchouli associations...still, it was nice and mellow after a while.

Agony and ecstasy: black leather and damp red rose. Bottle: Rose, much darker than in Lucy's Kiss. Wet: I can smell the rose and leather in equal proportions. I'm thinking leather doesn't like me, I'm already getting a funny nose tickle. Dry: The leather is really stepping forward, and it's clearly the bit grabbing the end of my nose and making my forehead furrow. Later: Ok, Spill rose oil on the leather seat of a Harley Davidson. Add something, I don't know what exactly, sharp-smelling and the sweet of flowers destined for the trash. That is what this smells like on me. Gah. Not a rose blend for me, nope.

Bottle: Sharp, sweet honey, hits me between the eyes sweet honey. Wet: Honey, with the sweetness of the orange coming through in a way that rather exacerbates the honey sweet instead of tempering it. I'm not excited about this so far. Dry: The sandalwood is coming more to the fore, and while usually I like sandalwood (and I find it more on the grounding side) it's almost choking me because none of the floral is present and it's all sweet honey and oddly-sweet sandalwood. O.M.G. Later: I catch a hint of the rose, but it's still mainly all honey. the sandalwood never has established itself as a grounding presence, and clearly honey notes do not work on my skin. I usually like rose (actually, often better than some of the more popular white flowers like jasmine and gardenia) but it simply can't make it past the honey on me. And there's this sort of baby powder affect on me that I've not noticed with the other scents I've thus far tried. sweet baby butt. mmmno. This is a horrifying scent on me.

Bottle: Sharp. Green sharp. Wet: Still sharp, more of the sweetness of the jasmine coming through. Dry: Hints of the rose behind the frangipani (which I assume is the green sharpness), but it's a sweet rose (maybe that's the tuberose with it) and the jasmine is pounding right along as it always does with me. I don't think I can wear this blend. Later: I'm being belted with, in this order, jasmine, sharp and sweet and green, and an almost sickly sweet rose that smells of Eau de Old Lady.

Bottle: sweet opium with some musk undercurrent Wet: sweetening some .. I'm detecting something juust behind the musk wanting to come forward - the civet, I expect. Dry: The civet has stepped forward slightly, and in combination with the opium is bringing up a scent reminiscent of dragon's blood resin. I'm liking this, the sweet isn't too heady. Later: It stays true, growing a little warmer, and the civet coming up somewhat.

Bottle: earthy and very perfume-y without being floral-perfume-y. I like the relative weight of amber so the heaviness wasn't a turn-off, YMMV. Definitely very feminine. Wet: similar, somewhat less heavy once grounded, a sort of almost-minty after affect that I assume is the myrtle (I haven't smelled enough myrtle to be able to comment on that - it's cold up heyah..Only met crepe myrtles once, when in Nashville visiting the Sis) Dry: More of the floral has stepped forward, but is still certainly not at the front - maybe the carnation. Later: amber and the lighter apple blossom coming through. yay! The golden notes more intense than I had anticipated, and brighter, so it has a sort of reminiscence older-lady's-perfume sort of affect at first that I was unsure of. I still think it's a more mature scent (than the one yesterday, for example, which was definitely Maiden to me, this one is more Mother, more mature, if I allow my shameless Pagan-ness to shine for a moment.)(Freya - I can see that, this isn't a sweet and innocent love-goddess maiden sort of scent, a Persephone, it's a Baby Got A Brand New Bag Demeter in Control and having a wild fling sort of scent for those of you more familiar with Greek)

Bottle: almond, sweet almond. Wet: hints of the moss (I hope they get no stronger, moss doesn't seem to like me), the sweet is clearly the edge of the jasmine (again, I hope it stays back) behind the almond. Dry: the sandalwood is really broadening, not quite covering the initially heavy almond. the moss and jasmine haven't tried take-over yet, and the musk is subtle behind it all - that's the note I hope I get more of. Later: ahh, there's the musk! the musk and sandalwood are neck-and-neck in front of the pack, followed by jasmine that, to my delight, hasn't completely taken hold of the blend as it usually does on me. Complex and exotic, warm and red-gold, lush is right-on. Beautiful!

Bottle: high sharpness, not quite sweet, but grabs me in the same way. Wet: much the same, with orchid surfacing Dry: the rose has stepped up, and the sharpness has receded. light, very floral, and melancholy. Later: it's fading quickly, nearly all-rose at this point with a hint of orchid. pretty, but not very complex.

Wet: magnolia, yes, and the jasmine, but also orchid and a hint of the rose Dry: Much more of the rose, the jasmine isn't trying to take over, and the magnolia making a strong showing. really lovely. Later: same, with some of the amber peeking through, and the bit of sweet the jasmine lends isn't as large or cloying as it tends to turn on me, so I'm pleased. really very lovely, but we know how I feel about rich, darker rose blends.

Bottle: Very vetiver, with a sweet, yet very fresh..something backing it up. Wet: same Dry: less sharp with the vetiver, still on the sweet side...not totally off-putting, but really not working. vetiver tends to smell like..very strong, dirty herbs on me. Later: the vetiver has backed off some, but it's still not working on me in a big way. it's growing steadily sweeter, almost reaching the point where I can really feel it between the eyes, so I'm washing.

Bottle: Pungent. Spanish moss all the way. Good lord, like I stuck my face in it whilst standing on moist, fragrant dirt. Wet: Same, with the addition of the sort of brown dampness of leaves that have dropped and have been tramped into moist earth. Dry: Wet, brown/green dead things. Unpleasant images. Later: Must wash, can't wait. I'm having a really visceral reaction to this one.

Bottle: The woods stand out, more of the juniper than the pine, and it's a very real combination, if I close my eyes I am transported to a pine forest at night, along the lakeshore so there is a lot of juniper around, and it's a little chill. It's like that scent that comes up from dropped needed with each foot fall. Wet: Still the woods, although on skin they take on a warmer edge. I'm not getting much of the musk, yet, but this is like a more juniper-y Black Forest, so you know I am liking this. (I'm rather predictable, always have liked more traditionally masculine notes.) Dry: Now the musk is coming to the fore, and it's wonderful. It's not a feminine musk, but I think I'd call this gender-neutral overall (leaning to the masculine). Caveat: see above comment. Later: Oh that yummy, yummy musk, with hints of the juniper behind it (less so of the pine), is so grounding for me. I find musks calming, for some reason, so I agree with the 'solemn' description from the catalog, dark and enveloping. I wanted to try this because it looked as though it was full of notes I like. I wonder if I can get Brian to wear it - I really like it!