reynardine

Very soft and pretty floral blend. I’m especially getting orchid, pair and musk with a touch of moss and clove. Sophisticated! Dries nicely. Not much throw, will have to slather. But I do love this one!

In the decant, this was piercing and pretty, but went soapy on my skin. Sorry, no luck on this one.

I must really amp grass notes, because upon application, that is most of what I’m getting here. There’s a touch of aquatic there, but otherwise, this one fails utterly on me. I’m certainly not getting the same scent that everyone else seems to be! Barely any florals and no sugar at all. Just grass…

At first application, the musk really comes out. I don’t care for that, but it settles pretty quickly. Then I pick up wild plum and beeswax and incense. It dries down pretty, but with so much musk, it’s not really my thing. This is in the same class, scent-wise, with Mme. Moriarty. If the good Madame seemed a bit much for you with the patchouli note, give the Witch Queen a try.

The scent of the winds beyond the wall: bluebonnet, passion flower, freesia, jasmine tea, mint, thyme, and redcurrant. Decant. At first, there was a piercing shot of something sharp, and then the bluebells came forward. Breathtaking floral mix, every note well balanced within. Not particularly long-lasting, so will have to slather, but regardless, I am going to get a bottle of this for sure. EDIT: Added description since top of page.

Blackberries and beeswax, that's what I'm getting from this blend. The man picked up a bit of creaminess that I missed. Mainly the blackberries are dominating on me. This is a GORGEOUS blend. Now I have to go and find a backup bottle...

HATMEHIT The Egyptian fish goddess, orginally a deification of the Nile River, the Great Flood, and the Waters of Creation. The scent of the depths of the River, teeming with aquatic life, sanctified by holy herbs. In bottle: almost minty herbal Wet: light, very green smelling. There’s an underlying floral I can’t identify. Also aquatic tinge. Drydown: Very clean scent. The herbs stand out pleasantly amidst the aquatic. Reminds me a bit of Leanan Sidhe, except the herbs have a different tinge to them. But very similar. Later: The herbs deepen—that’s really the only word I can think to describe it. Still a touch of aquatic, but this is mainly a very clean herbal fragrance. Not what I would think of in winter—this seems to be a perfect springtime scent. Also, I still get a touch of mint, I don’t know why. Lovely. I’m glad I went ahead and got a bottle.

In decant: Rooty, herby scent Wet: Very herbal. Touch of woods in the background, one of which is giving me allergy issues. Nope, have to wash it off. Allergic.

In decant: Light floral Wet: A bit of floral with a LOT of grassy notes. Drydown: Very grassy. Quite pleasant. Lasts a few hours. I think people looking for grass notes will want to stock up on this one!

Full disclosure: I did not get this decant based on the notes. The Gilman House Hotel is a running joke in our house, due to my husband’s last name. So of course I had to try this one out. In decant: Swamp gas and paint thinner Wet: Getting dust with a perfumey smell. The same note that was in Storytime at Dark Delicacies. Strangely, it works with the swamp gas and paint thinner. However, it kills the scent for me, causing my eyes to water. Had the same problem with Storytime. Drydown: Remarkably stable. The irritating elements calm down a bit, but it keeps one in mind of decay. Those may be the wood notes a previous poster mentioned. It is beautifully blended and an exercise in scent storytelling. This is what I imagine a haunted house would smell like. However, there is no way that I would be able to carry off wearing this scent. Some could, and more power to you.

In decant: rice powder Wet: powder scent, a touch of chesnut and geranium Drydown: This scent stays stable and doesn’t morph much. It’s a quiet scent, reminding me of very early spring days before it is warm enough to go outside (that’s probably the geranium). Not something I’d wear, however.

In decant: Sharp Wet: Opens up with amber and myrrh. Getting some of the mandarin in the background. Drydown: Fruitiness is coming out now. Citrus with some tea. No vanilla that I can pick up. Later: Has some staying power. Medium throw. Very citrus, so if you like citrus, this might be worth trying. I like this blend. It’s a nice balance. Going to test a second time before I decide on a bottle, but this is a possibility.

In decant: sharp scent (cedar?) Wet: Woodsy smell, more like an autumn or winter scent than spring. Masculine. Drydown: And there’s that tobacco again, messing things up. The cedar was behaving. Getting some mint here now, too. I want to like this scent, but that one death note ruins it for me. It’s one of the more interesting of this season’s line, though.

Wet, this goes on a heavy musk. The drydown has amber, honey and currant, which isn’t that bad. This musk isn’t working for me, though, and something in this is going plastic on me. Wash off.

In decant: very pretty floral Wet: Violets! And something else behind them, but mainly violets. Drydown: Oh, I am just reeling in the prettiness of this blend! There’s just a touch of vanilla—not enough for the dread plastic tinge, but to give it a sweet taste. Later: That’s it. I must have a bottle of this.

Smells almost like chocolate mulled with warm spices. Do not like.

Note: had to look up what Ganache was. Had no clue. In decant: amazing milk chocolate note Wet: Whoa, it’s all tea now! There’s a creamy undertone, but it’s mainly tea. Drydown: Just the tea scent. It’s a good tea note, but I already have a couple of scents with a decent tea note. If the chocolate isn’t coming out on this one, it’s not worth my paying for a bottle.

In decant: Smells pretty good, actually. Wet: Musk that works on me? Amazing… Drydown: Too much musk. For those who like musk, this will be amazing for you, but it’s just not me.

In decant: Modified Snake Oil (vanilla w/spices) Wet: Got that snakey spicy going on. Not getting any honey at all. Drydown: It’s a bit plastic (that’s the Snake Oil again). Still no honey. Later: Sorry, this one is a failure on me. Just doesn’t work with my skin chemistry at all.

In decant: pleasant scent Wet: Oooooh, the anise! It’s taking over everything, making it a rooty smell. Drydown: Okay, getting the violet leaf and peony, but the anise is still very strong. And no vanilla to be found anywhere. Later: No, not what I was expecting at all. Almost all herbal and medicinal at that.

In decant: lavender Wet: lavender, lilac, musk and ginger. Nice and light, rather pretty. Drydown: very light, liquid floral. Lilac dominates here—I’m barely getting the lavender, a note which I dislike. The ginger keeps things crisp. Later: Lovely light floral, a shade aquatic. I’m getting a bottle of this!

In decant: creamy raspberry Wet: Well, getting the black raspberry and apricot cordial, but not much else. No chocolate. Drydown: No, this isn’t working for me. The cordial isn’t blending well and I’m not getting chocolate

In decant: Quince and something nasty. Wet: OMG, this is awful!!! It’s the tobacco, I think. Very strong. And tobacco and I do not work well together. Trying to last this out to see if the drydown is any better, but the tobacco note is getting even stronger. I will say I’m getting some honey and mandarin also, but that tobacco completely ruins it! This is why you learn to track your bad notes. Every other ingredient in here was perfect for me, but that one note ruined it.

In decant: Rich dark chocolate Wet: Weird! The chocolate is shot through with a piercing citrus—not the creamy Key Lime scent, but lime itself. Drydown: Fading into place, but the citrus is a bit sour on me. Unusual, since usually citrus is my friend. Later: Settled into a pleasant light dark-chocolate scent. The lime calmed down considerably and it ended up smelling pretty good. Will have to test again before deciding on a bottle, though. It’s not love at first sight.

In decant: sharp scent Wet: Getting the wax and herbs. Not so much the fruits I was hoping for. Drydown: Smelling like a really fancy candle. It’s nice. Not my thing, but nice. Later: Went to nothing within an hour.