Rheliwen

In the bottle: This smells creamy with a hint of chocolate. Very warm and inviting. Wet: Cold pine! This smells nothing like the bottle. There is aquatics in this for sure. Combined with the pine, this is a very sharp blend. The first time I tried this I thought it smelled exactly like Cold Moon minus the berries. I think it now smells like a mix of Ice Queen, Mistletoe and Skadi. Dry: This is strong!! It's not quite as cold as Skadi or Cold Moon, but it still has that wintery feel. As it mellows something fruity starts to pop out from behind the pine, though overall, this blend stays very true to its sharp notes. Overall: I think it is beautiful and definitely gender neutral. I think it's too close to Cold Moon for me to keep though.

In the bottle: I smell sweet grains, that's for sure. It's very clean and warm. Wet: Oh this one is sweet, like Gluttony and Grog sweet. Honey just does not like me at all!! It had a strong alcoholy element lingering there...very moist and sharp. Dry: Ok, now it's a bit more oatmealy. I can totally see the comparison to Snow White. It's like Snow White with a hint of honey. It's slightly warmer and a little more comforting though. I do really like the drydown. I'm getting a little bit of the coconut plasticy scent, but not as strong as with Snow White. Dana also has a bit more throw and staying power. Overall: The drydown sold me. As long as I can get past the tooth-rotting sweetness of the wet stage, I'll be good to go. This is so warm and comforting. Though it is a food scent, it's not the normal kind you tend to associate with "foody scents."

In the bottle: A light incensy floral. I don't really detect the cloves or tonka bean. Wet: There's the clove! Wow, it's totally overpowering this entire scent. If I get my nose right up to my wrist I *think* I can smell violet. It smells like a headshop full of light flowers. Dry: I keep getting whiffs of this as I type and can't get the headshop aspect out of my mind. If I sniff my wrists I can smell more sweetness, but when it's left in the air, it's all clove and incense. Overall: I don't want to smell like a headshop . I'm also sad that I can't detect the tonka bean at all. I think I am coming to realize that clove is another scent that gets amped up by my skin. It smelled like it had so much potential during the wet stage when I could get good whiffs in.

In the bottle: It smells like booze to me. Like a bottle of slightly ripe riesling. Wet: Very green and bright. I have this quote on my spreadsheet from another viewer that pretty much sums up The Hermit for me: "It is a unusual light scent blended with notes of light florals, watery scents, and faded incense." Dry: This is dew covered grasses and sweet watery florals. It's a bit soapy now, which is so sad because the wet stage is the ultimate come to me spring scent. Overall: It is very light and innocent. It doesn't expect anything, it isn't out to wrangle in a man or get you riches. It's sweet and unassuming. I'm going to have to give this another whirl to see if the soapy scent lasts.

In the bottle: Very light and a tad bit musky. Wet: This was all honey and milk. Honey turns to sour ickiness on my skin. This is the best honey blend I have tried so far in that the icky factor was not so prominent. Dry: Ok there wer go! The milk and honey disappear and I am left with carnation and bergamot, two of my favorites . It has that distinct musk/spice floral that carnation is so good at, but with a tinge of light sweetness. After a while this turned into spiced baby powder. I have not decided whether that's a good or bad thing. Overall: It was pretty much how I imagined it would be. I am thankful the honey didn't ruin it. It would be beautiful scent to wear this spring

I think Morgause would be a beautiful, subtle floral for a wedding. It's not cloying at all...just beautiful And congrats on the wedding!!

For that you'll be looking for the LE Rose Red...but I think Ophelia is a good alternative to RR.

I'm beginning to wonder if my Lady of Shalott was mis-labeled. I got no aquatic from it...it was more peppery to me...

In the bottle: Sweet and light. Smells like a summer floral. Wet: I smell a subtle rose and a slight alcoholy smell. It's very sharp and is sort of making me sneeze in this stage. Dry: As it dries, it mellows out a ton. I am starting to get whiffs of the cala lily. The sandalwood and francinsense are only afterthoughts, lingering on the very edge. Though over about an hour, they have made their attack on the lily and the blend is now a dry, lightly spiced floral. Verdict: The final product is definitely the best. The initial stages were making me sneeze, which has rarely happened with a BPAL blend. This is a glowing cream floral with a touch of spicy musk.

In the bottle: Simple dragon’s blood. Sweet and resiny Wet: All I smell is dragon's blood. It likes to usurp power from other notes on my skin, which can be somewhat disappointing. Oh, wait. Do I smell? I Do! I smell currant very faintly in the background. There’s not enough there to even have a fighting chance against the dragon's blood, but it’s trying. Dry: Ok, there we go. The dragon's blood has settled down. I am now also getting a feral muskiness... a nice dry, clove/tobacco-y goodness that is creating a lot of depth. I can smell the fig a lot better along with the currant. They create just a hint of juiciness. Verdict: This is my favorite of the Ars Draconis that I’ve tried. It’s fairly similar to Blood Amber, but more dry and dusty. When I sniff my wrists I get warm fuzzy feelings in my gut…it makes me swoon. If this is a dragon’s heart, it’s a fiery, tempestuous, and sometimes heartbroken and lonely heart.

In the bottle: Wet and bright. I sort of smell the mint, but it's more vague with an overall bite. Wet: This was almost all mint on me. As it began drying, I started to smell the mosses. It was an interesting combination: dry mosses against the wet mint. I thought it worked well. Dry: Hmm, not so much minty anymore. It smells like citrus with a touch of green mossy earthiness. Maybe the citrus is the ambergris (no idea what it's supposed to smell like)? Verdict: This one smelled very nice in its wet stage, but has dried to something more sweet and floral...sort of like gourmet dryer sheets. If the mint had stayed around longer, I might have liked this one a lot more.

Mmmm, what a comforting scent! In the bottle: I mostly smell cedar, but there is a tinge of sweetness lurking in the background. Wet: Vanilla and cedar. My skin really love to amp up vanilla for some reason. Good thing the cedar is willing to go to bat with it, otherwise this would be pure vanilla on me. Dry: Oh good! I can smell the sassafras now. It makes a nice subtle sweet smell. I almost think this should be a wanderlust because I get images of the old Tombstone: wood plank sidewalks, leather, dry and dusty streets, men drinking and smoking tobacco at the saloon. Verdict: I didn't think I'd fall in love with this and expected to send this off to the boy. But I think it's definitely gender neutral...and I want to keep it! It's simply and warm, comforting scent.

:D I am so surprised I like this one since food scents are definitely not my thing In the bottle: Dry and woodsy. I could not pick out any distinct notes other than the woody ones. Wet: Cocoa and woods...omg! The cocoa is NOT chocolate. It's more like bakers unsweetened cocoa. It's like a lake of hot chocolate in the middle of a cold, damp forest. Dry: The cocoa has blended more with the woods and now I get something fainly floral. Sniffing again, I notice it's a fresh, green scent...I'm thinking this is the palm (how lovely!). The fig is starting to come out as well. All the pieces blend together so well! The cocoa and fig temper the woodsy notes. The woods and cocoa temper the fruity sweetness of the fig. And, the fig and woods balance out the foodiness of the cocoa. Verdict: I've been drawn to sweeter scents this past month and have been looking for darker blends that aren't completely resinous or biting. Intrigue is perfect! It's sweet and deep. Imagine the most decadent pure chocolate (no added sugar), put it in a cedar treasure chest, bury it in the ground for a decade and then dig it up...Intrigue smells like that to me.

Got another one for you: Haunted ~ French Creole. Their wet stages are very similar. Haunted dries to a more resinous spice, but they both have the same type of tart, sweetness to them. I think I like Haunted better, which is great because it's not discontinued!!!

In the bottle: Sweet and resinous. It has a juicy quality that is making me thirsty. Wet: French Creole anyone? Haunted has the same feel as it, with the tart, sweetness swirled over something more sensual. I mostly smell the amber, bright and vibrant. The musk is rounding out the background creating a sub layer of darkness. Dry: The wet sweetness is more muted now, but definitely has not gone away. The two layers have merged, the black musk poking its head out. This smells like deep, sweet incense and spice. It's a person who's all sweet to your face and conniving behind your back. Sinister with a smile Verdict: I love Haunted, and it's very true to its name. The scent lingers in the air after I take a whiff, making me feel all woozy and giddy. Yum, yum, yum!

Lady of Shalott smells extremely similar to Scorpio. It has a teeny tiny more floral in it, but otherwise, I can't tell the difference.

Yummmm!!!! In the bottle: Very cold, frozen berries. They smell similar to the berries used in Skadi...which is such a good thing! Wet: It's amazing how Beth can bottle cold! This is wet, like frozen berries that are just beginning to melt. This stage reminds me of Ice Queen meets Skadi minus the pine...or Ice Queen meets a more subtle Midwinter's Eve. It has that cold mintiness to it that Ice Queen has. This is how I wished Ice Queen would smell, so I am so happy Dry: The Ice Queen mintiness has died away and I am left with a musky berry that's almost floral. This stage reminds me of the drydown of Red Moon. Verdict: I Cold Moon. I think it's my favorite lunar oil (of the ones I've tried). It's sweet without being overpowering like Midwinter's Eve. But it's the cold part that really makes this one special.

Wet: This one smelled very floral at first. I was puzzled over this since there are no florals in it. I soon discovered that it was the tart ginger creating it. Dry: As it started to dry, I could definitely smell the green grasses and tea. The fig is rounding out the blend and combined with the ginger, is making it very juicy and tart...almost lemony. Thankfully, the lemon scent does diminish over time. I'm now left with green tea with a spike of ginger. It's more green tea ice cream mochi balls than actual green tea. Verdict: I almost see The Apothecary as Sudha Segara's sister. I'm thinking it's the ginger in each that makes them similar to my nose. While Sudha Segara is bright lemony yellow, The Apothecary is sweet grass green. Sudha was way too citrus tart for me, and I find The Apothecary is giving me the same qualities I liked in Sudha Segara, but in a much more rounded, softer blend. What a great scent to wear for Spring!

Wow, Golden Priapus was a MILLION times different than Skadi to me. I'd compare it more to Aureus. But then again, the scent is in the nose of the sniffer.

Wow this one has the most drastic change from wet to dry that I have ever seen in a BPAL. Wet: All cherry cough syrup, all the time!!!! Oh how I detest cherry!!! Dry: Wow! Where'd the cherry go? Now I smell clove and dragon's blood. It's turned into a very spicey, burnt scent...whereas the wet stage was juicy and fruity. I really enjoyed the dry stage. It's a bit like Hellfire meets Blood Amber. Now I'm going to have to consider this one some more...

I did not expect to fall in love with this one (mostly because I don't like violet that much), but I did! In the bottle: Clean florals. I tend to classify scents by color, so this one was parchment and linen to me. Wet: I mostly smell the night blooming florals. The violet (which is very dusky, just as described) blends into the background, providing a nice base for the night flowers. It prevents them from getting too sharp like they do in Midnight. This stage is a beautiful musky floral. Dry: Initially it retained the same qualities as the wet stage. But, after about 1 hour of wear, those purple fruits decided to make an appearance. It's much juicier now and less dry / musky, though it still retains the night blooming florals. The violet has sort of combined with the fruits and is less noticeable. Verdict: I am contantly smelling my wrists, this is so good! It evokes the image of clean linens drying on the line in the windy English countryside. This is a definite big bottle.

In the bottle: Light, green aquatic floral. Wet: This is very juicy and aquatic. It smells divine! The florals are bright summer blooms swirling in dark water undercurrents. It smells a lot like R'Lyeh to me. They both have the purplish dark water thing going on and the florals give it a similar sweetness. Dry: This turned very powdery and soapy on me and now smells more like desdemona. It packs a lot of punch in the nose department. It's still aquatic, but it's more blue ocean, whereas it was deep purple water in the wet stage. The florals have pretty much taken over and are very potent, bright and white. I quite liked the wet stage, but alas, it went really soapy on my skin.

In the bottle: Bright pineapple and fresh flowers. Wet: I'm getting an interesting mint scent from this. It's also a bit like spicey/musky floral (similar to how carnation smells but not that). I definitely smell the sweet orange, which is much juicier and brighter than madarin orange. Dry: It's definitely pretty musky now, which is causing it to turn a bit powdery. I still smell the orange, and the plumeria is finally coming out a tiny bit. The other florals in this one are like nothing I know and can't compare them to anything. They feel very tropical and slightly aquatic, like blooms out of the depths of the Amazon (go figure ) The incense listed in the description is not the same kind you find in Snake Oil and the other egyptian / mediterranean incense blends. It's much lighter, but with a deep, musky undertone. I am amazed at how I can feel the duality of its namesake. Light in the darkness...this feels light and airy, but there is a bit of darkness lurking in the background. I can't really compare this to anything I've ever smelled before, but I suspect that if you love R'Lyeh, you'll like this one as well. They are completely different, so don't rule this one out if you don't like R'Lyeh. To me, they have similar imagery.

Wet: The cherry is pretty prominent at first. I get a hint of the honey and wine. Combined together they really smell like amber to my nose. This is a very primitive and wild scent...I'm guessing the feral musk is causing this. It smells somewhat similar to civet, but without the cat piss...much better! Dry: The cherry dies down (thank god!), and the clove comes out. The red wine is still very much there, making this scent deep and sexual. The poppy is making it dryer than it was in the wet stage, almost like when it was wet, the blood was very much fresh for the taking, and now that the blend is dry, so is the creature whence the blood came. Verdict: The feral musk combined with the wine makes this a very deep, primitive scent. I almost imagine wolves on the hunt, and this is the scent of their triumph. I also imagine this smelling like a goblet full of blood. I'm warming up to this one as I wear it. I absolutely hate the smell of cherries, but the wine eventually takes over the cherry smell. This is not a daytime scent, but would be perfect for a night of debauchery and primal dancing...like the bloodbath scene in Blade 1

In the bottle: Smells exactly like Wrath did. A bit sweet and bitter at the same time. Wet: Ok now it smells like Wrath on too, just not as peppery! I am getting a TON of tobacco from this one. It makes it a very scorched, dry scent. But then I also smell something very similar to dragon's blood that makes it a little sweet as well. Maybe a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg in this? Dry: The tobacco is the most prominent scent. I imagine scorched desert. The dragon's blood sweetness is more in the background. Overall this blend hasn't changed much from the wet stage, it's just mellowed out a bit. This might be pretty interesting on a guy, but is definitely great on a woman too. The sweet/dry contrast makes this a very compelling blend that works.