tidesong

In the Bottle: Sandalwood and sweet floral. On Application: Oof, patchouli that's so strong it's making my eyes water. I'm also getting a hint of something that reminds me of jasmine. After a few minutes, it's really calmed down a lot. I smell an incensy rose, and something a little more bright than rose. What a morpher! A couple minutes later, I smell a citrusy-woody note. I want the rose back! On Drydown: Hmmm, strange. This one can't decide how it wants to settle on me. Just when I think the rose is back, it disappears behind this citrusy note. Then it comes back. I'm going to give it another 15-20 minutes and see what happens. 15 minutes later -- the deep rose never came back. The little bit of rose I smell now smells like cheap perfume rose. Sigh. Comments: Florals just seem to not play well on my skin. This is no exception. Verdict: Swap.

In the Bottle: Cinnamon-scented leather. After my experience with Spanked, I'm nervous. On Application: Leather, but not as strong as in Spanked. Very nice faint touch of cinnamon, and a lingering scent of cedar. Interesting. On Drydown: Leather with a subtle cinnamon undertone. Comments: While this is better than Spanked, I still don't like the "leather" note. It dominates everything else, and just doesn't smell good to me. Verdict: Swap.

In the Bottle: Green and chemically fruity sweet. It smells exactly like laundry detergent to me. On Application: Laundry detergent, with a little bit of a cherry edge. On Drydown: Soap, soap, laundry detergent. Comments: Nothing else to add. Verdict: Swap.

In the Bottle: Very gentle scent, mostly vanilla, with a touch of musk. On Application: Oh, this is nice. Sugary vanilla tea is a close description on the part of the Lab. A base of very gentle musk comes out after the vanilla. I can't wait to see how this dries. On Drydown: Mmm, this is very pretty. It's very light and subtle. Mostly vanilla, a touch of a separate sugar note, but very light, which balances nicely with the subtle musks in this blend. Comments: This is a definite keeper. I love this! Verdict: I need a 5ml. Oh, yes.

In the Bottle: Sandalwood, rose, and a slight honey sweetness. On Application: Woody floral; the sandalwood is prevalent, but sweet. There's a touch of something fruity to my nose, but it's mostly a sweet incense. Pretty so far. On Drydown: Blah, I get none of the notes I was hoping out of this. No honey, no amber, no sandalwood, no vanilla. I just get more of that heady floral. It's killing everything else in the scent. Comments: I'm extremely disappointed with how this turned out on me. It has so many notes in it that I just absolutely adore, and NONE of them came out on me! Verdict: Swap. *sigh*

In the Bottle: Sweet, almost fruity, light musk. On Application: Mmm, very light, delicate floral with a fruity edge, and faint touches of musk. On Drydown: This has turned into the "cheap heady floral" commercial perfume that I despise. Major headache. Comments: This had potential on my skin at first, but it's turned unpleasantly dizzying on my skin. I couldn't wait to scrub this off. Verdict: Swappage.

In the Bottle: Oh wow. Strong! Slightly boozy, with a strong dark patchouli -- not your local hippie's variety -- with whiffs of cardamom, and underlying leather. How interesting. On Application: That leather is strooooong! Leather and booze, so far that's all that's coming out on me. On Drydown: The leather has calmed down a bit, but it's still mainly what I smell. There is only a faint, faint hint of the cardamom, which disappoints me because I love cardamom. I don't like the patchouli in this, and the bourbon I catch is almost sticky-sweet. Comments: I wanted to like this, I really did. It's not an unpleasant scent once it dries down, but it really just doesn't work as a perfume on me. Verdict: Swap, I guess. *cry*

In the Bottle: Smoky, spicy incense. Peppery. Strangely sweet. How complex! On Application: Lots of pepper, a little orange, but the sweet side of orange, which must be neroli. A touch of resin, and very gentle earthy florals. Very interesting. On Drydown: Mmmm, the neroli is very strong, but very sweet. It's what I love about citrus, but without the sourness I got from Fortunato… the sweetness of the floral aspect of it really balances nicely with the rich resin that lies beneath it. A touch of red rose sneaks in at the end. It smells very much like incense, but before it's burned. The smokiness I smelled while it was in the bottle disappeared, along with the pepper. Comments: Quite lovely. This is not at all what I was expecting from the name, I imagined something much darker. This is bright, but well balanced by resin. I didn't think I would like it at first from what I smelled in the bottle, but I'm glad I stuck through the drydown. I could see getting more of this. Verdict: Definitely keep the imp, and try to track down some more.

In the Bottle: Floral. Strong floral, wrapped in musk and spice. On Application: Interesting. There's suddenly a frutiness to this, playing around the florals. Berry maybe? There is definitely spice to this, giving it a "red" scent without cinnamon. The florals are tickling my nose though. On Drydown: Heady, dizzying florals, with a little musk. Comments: I don't get anything 'flame' from this at all. I am, however, getting a headache. Verdict: Swap.

In the Bottle: All I smell is gardenia. *wrinkles nose* I was afraid of that. On Application: Hmm, the jasmine is stronger on my skin, which is a good thing. That's what I mostly smell, and a touch of a spicy herb. I don't, unfortunately, smell any honey yet. On Drydown: Jasmine, lots of it. There's a faint sweetness underneath it, but all I really smell is the jasmine. That's okay, I like jasmine. No gardenia, thank goodness. This is very pretty. Comments: I'll definitely retest to see if more of the honey comes out, but I'll likely wear it anyway because I like the jasmine. Verdict: Keep, find a partial or empty bottle to combine imps.

In the Bottle: Musky, and kind of generic "perfumy" in the bottle, with very little complexity. On Application: Oh there's the complexity. Hmmm. Musk hits my nose first, and then the warmth of amber. A little vanilla, and something "dark", almost smoky but not quite. Very spicy on the base, accompanied by a touch of dark fruitiness. On Drydown: It's hard to place what I smell here. Almost a touch of plasticky, but that may be because I tested this on the same arm I had Egg Nog on. Other than that, I just smell non-descript musky perfume. Comments: Very disappointing. I'll try this again later to see if I'm having a weird skin chemistry day, but otherwise, I'll probably swap what I have. Verdict: Retest.

In the Bottle: Sweet, sweet butterscotch! Yum! On Application: Mmm, rich brown sugar, with a touch of that butterscotch. Faint creaminess. On Drydown: Sugar, sugar, sugar. Very sweet, but rich. Not as creamy as caramel, but definitely more like brown sugar. Very buttery undertones. Comments: Fun to try, and it smells very good, but I don't think I'll keep it. It's not something I'd wear, and I know there are people who love it. Verdict: Spread the love and swap!

In the Bottle: I definitely smell cream and sugar and nutmeg. Faint touch of rum, but not much. On Application: Hmmm, strange plastic smell, faintly covered by butter, slightly sweetened by sugar. Hardly any throw, which I suppose is good, because the plastic smell is strong in this scent. On Drydown: The plastic has faded a bit into a vaguely alcoholic scent, but it's still plasticy in undertone. There's definitely cream, but it's almost a rancid cream on my skin. Comments: Egg Nog doesn't like my skin, apparently. Oh well. I don't think I'll hang on to this imp. Verdict: Swap!

In the Bottle: Weird. There's something *cold* about this. Almost like there's a touch of mint. I smell the resin, and a touch of citrus, then cold. On Application: Strong geranium, with an undercurrent of citrus, and then that lingering cold scent. After a little bit, I can smell touches of amber, but not as rich as I normally prefer. On Drydown: Mostly resin and citrus, but unlike the citrus in Fortunato, this citrus is pleasant. There's a base of floral to this. Comments: It's okay, but nothing I'll wear.

In the Bottle: This kind of smells like toothpaste. Minty, with a touch of anise. I hate anise. On Application: Anise. And plastic. And a little pepper. After a few minjtes, the plastic smell fades, thank goodness. It's a sweet anise, made spicy by pepper. On Drydown: Licorice, licorice, licorice. I dislike black licorice a lot, and therefore I really dislike the scent of this oil. Comments: I'm surprised at the deepness of this scent for one of the higher chakras. I expected something much more light, perhaps a bit minty. It might be useful for ritual, but I wouldn't use it for any other reason. Verdict: Keep, but only for ritual use.

In the Bottle: OMG brownie batter! Maybe a little hazelnut. *mouth waters* On Application: I want brownies. Right now. I can't believe how rich and chocolately this smells. This is evil! On Drydown: This hasn't really changed. It smells so good! A little more nutty undertones, but it's pure brownies alright. It's very mouth watering. Comments: I think this is more of a novelty than anything, because I don't know if I'd want to smell like brownies all the time, but goodness it smells divine. I really wouldn't mind getting more of this, but I know that's not likely. Verdict: Definitely keep the imp, and if I can find more, I'd be happy.

In the Bottle: Hm. Sickly sweet, with a lingering sourness. Almost nauseating. On Application: Gah. I don't know what this sour smell is in this. It's not attractive at all. Luckily, a little bit of rose is coming through, but not enough to hide whatever it is that I perceive as being sour. Sour roses, that's all I smell. I wonder if it's the 'red wine'. On Drydown: Ick. Artificially sweet, syrupy rose. This is really not pleasant at all. Comments: Nothing else to add. Verdict: Swapporama.

In the Bottle: Wow, very multidimensional! Jasmine is the first thing that touches my nose, sweetened out by almost tangy apricot. Then ginger tingles my nose and lingers. On Application: Sweetness, it must be the apricot, but it's so sweet! There's a slight edge of ginger, very spicy, but the apricot is almost overwhelming. After a couple minutes a very faint note of jasmine comes out. There's something about this that smells artificial to me, almost like those candied "orange slices". On Drydown: The strong artificial smell isn't there any more. This has dried down to a nice slightly sweet, spicy scent. There's a faint fruitiness of the apricot, and while I'm not usually a fruity scent person, this is balanced out quite nicely by the spices. Anything floral has disappeared. Comments: Like I said, I'm not really a fruity scent person. While I don't mind how this has balanced out, I don't think it's something I'd normally wear. On another sniff, I'm not convinced I *wouldn't* wear it. Interesting. Regardless, I'll keep the imp. Verdict: Keep the imp, test again.

In the Bottle: Strong lily of the valley, kind of soapy. On Application: Again, strong whiff of lily of the valley initially, then it grows very faint. A touch of rose comes through and compliments the lily. The scent is quite faint; I have to have my wrist almost to my nose to smell it. On Drydown: Heady, heady floral. All I smell is florals. It's giving me a headache. It kind of reminds me of the Off bug spray that's in the form of botanical lotion. Not unpleasant, but eehhh. Comments: It's pretty, but really giving me a headache. I was hoping for more of the incensey scents to come out to balance out the florals, but it didn't happen. I don't mind smelling lilles of the valley, but I don't want to smell like them. Definitely not for me. Verdict: Swap!

In the Bottle: Mmmmm, creamy honey! Very delicate. On Application: Wow, this is making my mouth water. It almost smells like marzipan to me; like almonds. Honeyed almonds. Very sweet, but not sickly sweet. On Drydown: This is a very delicate scent. "Crisp" smelling honey, smoothed out by cream. I still catch a faint bit of almond, maybe it's from the grain. It's very, very nice. Comments: This is honey scent #2 that has NOT turned to powder. I might be one of the lucky ones that can wear honey. I'm not sure I'll order a bottle, because I think I like O better, but I'll definitely hang on to the imp. Verdict: Keep the imp.

In the Bottle: Green, very green. Hint of sandalwood and ylang ylang. On Application: Very faint on my skin, it's hard to smell almost anything. Very faint indications of the same greenness I smelled in the bottle. The poppy has made itself known, but very faintly. The traces of sandalwood and ylang ylang have almost disappeared. After a few minutes, this has warmed up on my skin, the scent is much stronger now, though it's still very delicate. Lots of poppy, and that's really all I can make out. It's tickling my nose. On Drydown: Soft, delicate floral. All I smell is a soft floral. I think it's poppy, but I'm not certain. It's intoxicating -- slightly tart on my nose, but rounded out by a subtle sweetness. Comments: It's pretty, but not me. Too floral; not enough sandalwood came out to tone down the florals. Verdict: Swap; I'll never wear it.

In December, the skeletal, ice-rimmed fingers of winter take hold, and the nights are long, chill and dark. The first flurries of snow touch the land, and the earth itself becomes quiet. A scent of purity and silence, soft with falling snow, as dark as Midwinter: an icy flurry over the winter blooms of narcissus, pansy crocus, dahlia, tulip, chrysanthemum and white rose, with a hint of fir and birch. In the Bottle: Pine trees! Not a strong spruce, and a little sweet. On Application: Strong pine, but it's not as earthy as juniper. There's a touch of something sweet (berry?), and a touch of peppermint. It's clearing out my sinuses! The peppermint lingers, but it's strong like a peppermint oil; it is instead sweet peppermint, like a candy cane. Almost a cross between a wintergreen and a peppermint, actually. It's cold, definitely a cold scent. On Drydown: My skin is tingling! The pine scent has faded drastically. There is only a hint of it left. In its place, cold; the sweetest beautiful flowers, covered in ice, shining in moonlight. This is the first scent that's really given me such a strong visual when I smell it. It must be the mint that is coming through. There is just a lingering touch of spice at the end. Comments: I'm surprised at how well this scent conveys "cold". The pine scent makes it something I don't think I'd ever wear, but it's still very pretty, and I think it would make a good room scent. The visuals it presented, though, intrigued me. Verdict: I won't go out of my way to get more, but wouldn't be upset if I managed to get it. I'd be curious to see how this works in a room burner.

In Bottle: Oh, yum! The honey and vanilla are just decadent! On Application: Smooth, sweet vanilla. The honey smells like something fresh off a honeycomb. No amber is coming out yet, just sweetened vanilla. On Drydown: Oh, my. This has turned out just lovely. I had my doubts. I was so afraid the honey was going to turn to powder on me, but it didn't. I was also worried it was going to be too sweet, but the amber has prevented it from turning sickly sweet. It smells rich and golden, with just a touch of the vanilla lingering. This is very warm and sensual. Comments: Doesn't it figure I'd like something called 'O'? I didn't think this was something I was going to like when I smelled it in the bottle. It's turned so delicious on my skin. I need more of this. Final Verdict: 5ml. Mine.

In Bottle: Mmm, the lavender is very strong. It's overpowering everything else in the bottle. There's a touch of something a little sweeter, but I'm not sure what it is. I would guess the rosewood or the amber. On Application: This is what I was looking for the other night when I tried Sophia. Very nice, soft lavender. On my skin, it warms very quickly, most definitely the amber, softening out the normally sharp edge of lavender. I don't get any of the patchouli, and only a faint, faint whiff of rose. On Drydown: Interesting. There's a bright citrus type note coming out, I'm wondering if this is the tonka, but I'm not sure what tonka smells like. The lavender has faded, I can barely smell it now. It's really become too bright. Comments: This had potential in the bottle, it was a lovely lavender scent, but my skin makes it turn very citrusy. It's not something I'd wear, but I think it might work nicely in an oil burner. Final Verdict: Try it as a room scent in a diffuser. I'll probably decant it out and keep a little for myself, unless it's absolutely fabulous as a room scent. I won't be ordering more.

In Bottle: Jasmine hits my nose first, but it's quite a more delicate jasmine than I'm used to. I smell the musk, which actually is balancing out the brightness of the jasmine. When those scents fade, I can *taste* the lavender, which is an odd sensation indeed. On it goes. On Application: Whoa, there's the rose. Immediately, the rose comes out. It blends very nicely with the jasmine, again, very delicate. I don't pick up any lavender, and only the faintest scent of spice is coming out right now. After a couple minutes, jasmine is the dominant scent again, along with a sweet musk. Wait, there's the rose again. On Drydown: The florals are very, very delicate on drydown. Rose is what I smell the most, with the slightest touch of jasmine. The sweetness is balanced out by the darker scents of the musk and spices. On my skin, I don't smell much lavender at all. Maybe the faintest touch, but hardly any at all. Comments: This is really a beautiful scent. As I said, the florals are very delicate, and the blending with musk makes it a floral I could actually see myself wearing. I like it a lot. I could see wearing this; it works well on me. Final Verdict: Keep, and ponder a 5ml.