In the bottle: Cinnamon and thick berry tones, obviously mulled wine and bayberry
On the skin: Oh wow, cinnamon! Dragon's blood lingers in the background, and wow, bayberry amps really strongly on me. There are faint hints of leather, but they mingle with the pine-notes in this blend very smoothly. I can see this as being absolutely perfect for around Yule, it certainly feels that way from the cinnamon-clove-bayberry.
20 minutes later: Oh wow, the cinnamon isn't so much center stage; at first this scent cried out CINNAMON like a toddler screaming in a crowded store---it's hard to ignore, whether it's your kid or not, and it is very, very demanding for attention. The hawthorn, wine and blackthorn are all merging beautifully to take control of the situation and put cinnamon in its place. Now it's a much more behaved scent---spicy and sweet, with leathery-tobacco notes, full, round berries, with the bayberry still evident on my skin. Bayberry and elm are the green contrast that elevate the berry notes to an entirely new level. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how often I'll be wearing this in the spring or summer, the bayberry notes and pine notes remind me too much of Yule. I guess it's good that I'm wearing it now.
After an hour or so, the spices are there but faint, it's all bayberry and berries on me. Not a bad thing, but certainly unlike anything else I've ever tried. =)
