juniperus

Snake Oil with blood orange, red apple, lemon peel, plumeria, and gardenia. Bottle: mmm, fresh macintosh apple Wet: I can catch hints of floral behind the apple, but only very faintly Dry: lemon peel in da house, florals working in concert in da house, not so much of the orange, but the apple is still very present. Later: fruity, and that bit of floral in the background, and I can't really pick out the snake oil behind the fruit. they are lovely fruit for a while, and then not so much, sort of air-freshener-esque...which I rather what I feared given my history of wonky skin chem, but it was worth a shot!

Bottle: cocoa, just cocoa Wet: same Dry: yep, I smell the teak. I smell like my desk at work were I to spill hot chocolate made with rice milk on it about a day after oiling it. Later: less of the teak, thankfully I no longer smell like my desk, and I can really catch the snake oil. After a long while the snake oil is dominant, but slightly sweet..and none of the teak. Very nice!

Bottle: clean, this just smells clean Wet: mostly the same, but with more of a floral feel - I bet that clean is linden blossom. Dry: very delicate and pretty, and I can just baaarely catch the snake oil beneath the florals. Later: this is really lovely, and amazingly enough the lily doesn't seem to be amping out of control..oh it's pretty large, but it's not taken over. it's really...innocent. strange and innocent and alightly sexy...rather Lolita in feel to me. and fresh and clean...lovely really.

Bottle: slightly sweet vetiver and....hm. something. the opoponax I think. Wet: same, but darker. it'll be interesting to see if vanilla and vetiver duke it out for ebil supremacy. I'm putting my money on vetiver. Dry: interesting, the vetiver started in the lead, but that vanilla is amping like a sonofabitch and they are a damn interesting combination. it's pretty much just them at this point, with a hint of the coconut that wanders in and out of the fray. Later: vetiver is morphing like it usually does on me, and the vanilla isn't keeping it as much at bay..I think vetiver is winning by a nose, but only because of the morph. I knew this wouldn't work, but I just had to see the fight!

Bottle: caramel and cardamom Wet: the same, with a hint of the vanilla moseying around with the caramel like they're friends Dry: I can catch the musk, but the chocolate covered cherries are a no-show. Later: you know foody isn't my thing....but sometimes curiosity just gets the better of me. interesting, the musk plus cardamom almost mimics the tang of a liquer, so this is a rather like an alcoholic dulche de leche...and it smells very nice, but it's just not something I wear.

Bottle: light, clean aloe, like the scent that comes from a freshly clipped plant Wet: hints of the musk are present, but it's still such a very clean scent.. Dry: there is a dusty quality behind the aloe, not sure if it's the papyrus or white sandalwood...but it's so very light without being..not present. how it manages to do that I can't say... Later: ok, something here is getting me in the sinus like aquatics do - I'm guessing it might be the papyrus since I don't think I've tried that note before...but it's really grabbing me in the head and pounding like a jackhammer.

Bottle: lovely spicy flowers, like my grandmother's nutmeg/cinnamon-smelling forsythia bush Wet: the cardamom is blooming, wow Dry: cardamom and the forsythia - really interesting, and really beautiful Later: such complexity here, fascinating and gorgeous...wow. I just keep saying that over and over to myself: wow

Bottle: amber, spices...mmm Wet: lovely hyssop, and hints of the patchouli beneath Dry: the hyssop is really fantastic, it's a floral that really seems to do well on my skin - and the spices? gorgeous! Later: this is amazing, especially as the amber deepens.

Bottle: heady florals Wet: sweet, heady florals Dry: the orchid is, as always, lovely, but I think the amaranth is growing sweeter, and I'm noticing signs of vanilla ampage beginning. Later: sweet floral growing sour, plus the amping vanilla. drat.

Bottle: orchid and musk Wet: the same, with rose peeking out gently behind Dry: oh the creamy musk! oh the orchid! oh this is faaaabulous on me! Later: Hellyeah am I going to get a big bottle of this, it's gorgeous, seductive, and delicate. breathtaking!

Bottle: fresh, cold, mint Wet: the same, even colder..this smells like the image of breath making condensation clouds- not that this makes sense, but it's evocative of that image Dry: ozone headache. yep. not that I'm surprised, mind you. no frankincense yep - all very chill musk and mint. Later: sadly ouchie, no frankincense (which was what I was really looking forward to)...but I did want to try. I am ever hopeful. Love this painting...

Bottle: snake oil with dark greenness behind. looove snake oil! Wet: the same, deepening a smidge. Dry: it's a deeper green, but the snake oil is still the grounding factor. I can pick the oakmoss out, but barely. Later: gorgeous, very grounded and earthy snake oil. Oh, I need a big bottle of this one!

Bottle: holy fargin' leather-rama! Wet: I can just barely discern the snake oil behind the OMG leather Dry: OMG leather, followed by sage, snake oil, and I can barely discern the red sandalwood behind Later: same. saddle with a side of sexy. Is this how a hot gay nightclub in Chicago, LA, or New York smells?

Bottle: sweetness, second sniff I recognized the snake oil, but none of the other notes yet. Wet: opoponax and hyssop can be identified, but mainly just slightly sweet snake oil. Dry: much the same, but deeper...the sugar isn't going strange places on me yet, mainly it feels like it's taking the hard edge from the resins, and the hyssop is just loverly. Later: it's gotten a bit sweeter, and in the bargain lost a bit of depth...but very pretty, delicate.

Bottle: dusty orris at the fore, and I can discern the frankincense juuust barely Wet: frankincense and copal stronger, I can't readily identify the snake oil by itself anymore Dry: lovely resiny snake oil, and the orris is playing nice with others Later: more of the orris now, but at least it isn't amping to high heaven. it's surprisingly light for a king, but very regal.

Bottle: almond, almond, and did I mention the almond? (but it's not that strange over-powering cherry-almond that Hecate is for the first minute or so) Wet: still with the almond, and only almond Dry: I can pick out myrrh behind the almond, no sign of the mandarin, and I can identify the snake oil, but faaar behind. Later: more myrrh than almond, still none of the mandarin. pretty, but if I take too long a sniff it turns sharp.

Bottle: wow..this smells like fresh, damp breeze through the flora that grows next to rivers. seriously. Wet: the same light wind now carries florals, and the sharp edge of frankincense resin burnt by itself, bubbling on a hot coal Dry: florals are primary, I can discern the hyssop, and what must be the hibiscus. Later: same to the end, not overmuch a morpher, just delicate and lovely.

Bottle: lemon, coconut, and the vague impression of flowers Wet: sweet lemon and flowers Dry: there is darkness below, the musk a shadowy presence, and the vanilla and coconut are hovering just behind the lemony florals Later: I can catch the smoke, and a floral, I suspect heliotrope, is amped oddly and making unhappy friends with the coconut. My weird skin..

Bottle: omg patchouli! Wet: deep, the fruits hint behind the pine. Pine...I used to wander campus and collect the hardened sap to use as incense...it was wonderful stuff. Dry: the tobacco is noticeable, but not overwhelming. this is dark, and the pepper is...peppery! Later: and the tobacco has...amped. and made friends with the patchouli in the same way cypress makes friends with patchouli. Oh dear.

Or in my case, the agony of emo. Bottle: blackberry, citrus, and sage Wet: more of the sage...with the blackberry behind it reminds me of the local farm market, there is often someone there selling herb plants amidst all of the local fruit growers... Dry: sweet and light, but grounded by the patchouli so the sweet doesn't seem too...much. Later: the sage and berry are still at the forefront..a little sweet and fruity for me but intriguing. It's curious on me.

Fresh-and-clean mint, a little sweet. An apertif.

Who doesn't want a monster in their pants? Sexy sugar-smeared saffron sandalwood over lickable vanilla cream with a splash of butter rum. Bottle: butter rum, a little sweet Wet: vanilla sneaks in, and a hint of saffron..a dessert, yes, but more savory than sweet, I think. Dry: glorious sandalwood, a little sweet, a little creamy (and the vanilla didn't amp this time! w00t! and the sugar didn't morph!), but as the rum backs off considerably the sandalwood takes over and struts its stuff. Later: I recall seeing this, but foody scents don't work on me, so I didn't order. Then I had the opportunity to get some, but begged off because I assumed this would be terrible on me (and underbed and closet certainly were, I got sniffies of those in various swaps by that time). And I was stupid. This is fantastic, sandalwood with a kick! WAH! (but massive huggles to my switch witch for sending me a decant!)

Bottle: sweet violet - like the violet candied I have in my desk at work Wet: still those violet mints Dry: tarting to increase in sweetness Later: even sweeter, and still in the realm of violet candymints. Darn.

Bottle: sweet rose Wet: more rose than sweet, not the fresh blooming rose of Rose Red, but this reminds me of that scent. Dry: the same Later: Hope is a sweet rose, but not cloying or candy-like..not quite my beloved Rose Red, but a very wearable rose for me.

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