isyche

I loved the "cerebral, white, dry" description and was thinking I would really like Berenice. It's watery, white, and pretty in the vial, but it sadly turns to some kind of shampoo or lotion-esque scent on my skin...generic and sweet in the wrong way. I blame the aloe and lily. It's okay, though, because Usher on me is what I thought Berenice would be like.

Pale, silvery tea-citrus...clean and light...I love this. It's lighter and less sweet than Dorian, and there's that slight watery note in there, but it has a similar androgynous, refined delicacy. It's not super-masculine on me, and I don't get the currant scent, just the tea/mint/citrus/water/very light fougere. Usher is totally like Dorian's more withdrawn/introverted brother; Dorian knows how pretty he is and uses it, but Usher is too distracted to notice. I also see the pairing with Berenice, but Berenice was a little too sweet for me or something and this is perfect. I adore it. Must have a bottle to go with my decant.

Pretty! Asphodel smells like carrying an armful of fresh-cut spring flowers back from the garden. Tulips and daffodils, I think, and a bit of the green stem smell. It doesn't seem grey or ghostly to me, but colorful and sunny. It faded lightning-fast on my skin, so maybe that's the ghostly part – now it's only a memory of the lovely spring flower scent.

Old Scratch starts out on me as lavender and wood, a little bitter, and then softens to a nice, complex scent that's masculine and warm without being too cologney or overly sexual. It kind of smells fatherly to me for some reason, so I think it would be great on an older man.

This reminds me somewhat of Tears as well, which makes me very happy because I have a much-loved hoarded bottle of Tears, and I think Ode on Melancholy might make a good non-discontinued alternative. On me, it's a light, clean, unsweet, pale lavender-floral over saltwater...the rose in this must be very light because I can't distinguish it. It does feel melancholy or wistful, like a pale figure at a window looking out over the sea for someone who will never come. Love it, adding it to my bottle list.

As everyone has said, Red Lantern is strong caramel/sugar at first, similar to the sweetness in Misk U, but there's dark fruit under it (currant?). As it dries on me, the currant comes out more and is joined by tobacco and spices. Eventually, it becomes a cloud of spicy smoke without the sweeter notes. This is slinky, exotic and sophisticated...I feel like I should be wearing a red silk cheongsam and jewels with dark red lipstick and red nails, smoking a cigarette in a long holder. It brings up Asian-noir-esque associations...triad gangsters, shady backroom drug deals, etc. I like it, but as a definite special-occasion scent, like a costume -- I love the image, but it's not very me so I wouldn't wear it every day.

Whatever rose is in The Peacock Queen smells very heady and perfumey on me, to the point of making me want to sneeze. It works for the description, but there are other roses I like much more (like Rose Red, which is perfect fresh rose on me). I guess the Queen is too mature for me. I'm glad I got to try her, but I'll probably swap the imp.

Clio starts as a dry orange/lavender scent with a woody undertone, then quickly dries to just an earthy/dusty scent on me. I think I'm getting the patchouli and parchment mainly...it does make me think of old forgotten historical things, books, attics, catacombs, antiquities. It's interestingly evocative, but I'm not sure I want to smell like the dust of ages. I might try it as a room scent for a certain atmosphere, or else I'll just keep it to sniff occasionally for the images it gives me.

Pretty! Euterpe is a sweet but slightly tart, fresh, pale floral at first, which must be the honeysuckle/carnation/lemon, but I can't tell, it's very blended together. It's a little effervescent-smelling, which may be the white musk? It doesn't smell anchored by anything heavier on me, just these sparkling top notes. This feels airy and light to me, like the notes want to float away – right on for the muse of music. ETA: just realized how similar my review is to yeahbutnobut's -- so, yeah, what she said!

When wet, Terpsichore is a sharp floral that must be neroli? It goes through a distinct sweet pea/sweeter floral phase afterwards, then shifts to a more carnationy scent. I love how the scent morphs so distinctly, like it's twirling. Unfortunately, the final drydown on me is a musty nose-wrinkly carnation that reminds me of how Morocco smelled on me. I don't think the vanilla/carnation combo is good on my skin.

Like everyone else, I get lemon at first from Polyhymnia, but it's a soft, calm, herbal lemon, solemn in a way that lemon usually isn't. Then it fades to a light, warm sage/wood/incense scent that also gives me a feeling of serenity and sacredness...like something a cloistered nun or priestess might wear. It seems very non-sexual, so it would probably be a good work scent. I like this, and it's very appropriate for the muse on me -- I'll definitely hang on to the imp at least. ETA a little later: The herbal/wood/incensey phase is really, really nice and lasts a long time. there's some compulsive wrist-smelling going on...maybe I want a bottle.

Wow, I completely adore Holiday Moon. I think it's my new favorite Lunacy. I thought I would like it, because I love tea and bamboo and green scents, and I was so right. It's similar to Neo-Tokyo and The Dormouse, both of which I like a lot, but it's less sweet than either of them -- just this gorgeous misty, fresh, pale greenness anchored by the oude note. Meditative, simple, pared down...it definitely calls to mind the mountains and clouds in Chinese ink paintings. Lovelovelove. I kind of wish I had another bottle, even though I usually don't do the multiple bottle thing.

I love the orchid in Phantom Queen, Regan, Queen Mab, and Magdalene, so I really wanted to try Shadow Witch Orchid. It's lighter than those, not the same note -- very close to the skin, appropriately subtle and shadowy, elusive, hard to identify. It doesn't immediately smell floral on me -- it's more of a honey-ish warm sweetness, one of those me-only-better scents. I don't get sharp and green or soapy at all. At first I was unimpressed, but I keep smelling my hand and it's really growing on me. I think it could be a good everyday alternative to the heavier orchid scents.

How can I not have reviewed this yet? Rosalind has had a permanent spot in my top ten since I got it as a frimp in my very first order (oh so long ago). It smells mainly like fresh, dewy green grass on my skin, with the berries/flowers as a faint sweetness in the distance. (I love green/herbal smells, so that's great.) It's not heavy or sharp or too sweet or perfume-counter-y on me, just springy and uncomplicated and pale and wild and beautiful, and it makes me want to run through the Forest of Arden in an innocent maidenly fashion wearing white. Also, it lasts for a decent length of time on me, but I wouldn't care if it didn't. In short, I adore it and never want to be without it, especially for spring.

I got a frimp of Dirty in my most recent order, which was great because it was on my wishlist. Thanks Lab! I like it. This is the linen note from White Rabbit, but it works better on me without the other notes. It does smell like clean wet sheets on the line on a sunny day, or stepping out of the shower – the scent is reminiscent of soap, but also comforting/nostalgic. It would probably be nice for summer. I'll save the imp.

On me, Black Opal goes strongly baby powder-like – the mineral smell reminds me of talc – with a teeny bit of vanilla...or maybe baby powder mixed with powdered sugar. Whatever it is, it's very powdery. It smells more interesting in the vial, so I think my skin is killing it. The result's not bad, but not really me either.

I don't get spices, sweetness, or grains from Blood Moon - on me, it's a very dark, dry, feral red scent, much more so than Hunter Moon. It is a lot like Bloodlust – vetiver and dragon's blood and patchouli, I'm guessing. It starts out very vetivery/musky and just stays that way. It's really not me, and I was expecting to like it. Oh well, it seems to be a hit, so it shouldn't be too hard to swap!

wet: whoa, sweet and sugary. but it's not cloying like Sugar Skull was...it's a cool sugar with a tang of booze to it. I rather like it. dry: now the smoke is coming out beind the sugar and this is completely a Halloween night smell. candy, night air, dead leaves, smoke...nice. the dead leaf/smoky note is reminiscent of Samhain 04, but the blend isn't as heavy as Samhain was on me.

Harvest is my birth moon and last year's didn't work so well on me (I blame the pumpkin), so I was excited to get the 2005 version. On me, it starts out as fresh tart apple, then the spices and other notes come out and it morphs into something a little like Mabon with apples instead of blackberries... the ivy and flowers back up the apple. It's a cheery, autumn afternoon sort of smell that makes me think of Wisconsin apple orchards I used to go to with my family as a kid: the trees, apples, fallen leaves, cool air, afternoon sun, and the hot cider they would serve. I like this a lot, but Mabon is still my ultimate autumn/harvest scent.

On my skin, Bengal is a light, powdery, sweet scent with a bit of peppery-ginger kick...it makes me think of opening a baking-supplies drawer with powdered ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and flour. It does remind me of chai, but it's not what I was imagining for this scent at all; it's soft and white on me where I had pictured bold, hot, and red-gold. I do like it, but I have a bottle of Sudha Segara already for a light sweet ginger-milky scent, so I don't need more of this.

in vial: spicy lavender with an underlying sweetness. (checks the description) oh wait, not lavender. I guess that's rosewood? It's softer and not as bitter. on me: that spicy-herbal red-brown rosewood scent with the smooth sweetness of tonka underneath, and maybe a little incense, and now I think I get the parchment...they combine into a light, dry woody-papery sweetness and spiciness. I don't get much leather. Ohh, I love this! I can't stop smelling my hand. It's a little similar to Saint-Germain, but warmer, and I do get a sense of a firelit study with old books and notes everywhere. It's also totally sexy, but in a slightly different way. I'm two for two with the Alchemists so far...love them both, want bottles of them, wish I had a man to slather with them.

in vial: ooh, interesting. pinelike spicy wood and leather and a red sweet wine smell with a coolness laid over it, like the cold wind in the description. on me: whoa, this is stronger than I thought it would be. very leathery-resin-spicy, kind of Loviatar-ish, or the woods/incense are a bit like Hexennacht. I can still smell the wine behind it a little, but the leather is really amping up. as it dries it starts to smell more like the bottle scent, smoky leather and wood with that cold quality like a long-extinguished fire. darkness, ruined tower, ashes, dead trees, ivy, leather armor, chilly wind -- exactly. The Black Tower is very evocative and different, one of those complex BPAL scents that seems to tell a story, and I love that. I think it would be awesome to wear in a medieval RPG or something, but it's too much for everyday use -- nevertheless, I love the images it conjures up, so the imp must stay with me.

On me, Amsterdam is a lot of tulip, a little bit of grass, and a touch of dew...it's fresh and springlike and it makes me think of looking for Easter eggs under tulips in the morning. However, after a few seconds the floral and aquatic go all artificially perfumey on my skin and they overwhelm the rest. It actually reminded me strongly of some sort of lotion or shampoo or something that I had smelled before, but I couldn't pinpoint it. Anyway, I think I'll stick with my beloved Rosalind for a green grassy scent.

This was a frimp from the lab that I hadn't thought of getting. In the imp, Santa Eularia is jasmine and lavender and lemon, kind of like one of the Somnium blends – maybe if Somnus and Nanshe mated. On me, it stays the same herbal, lemony jasmine. It is very breezy and Mediterranean, and the herbs help cut the jasmine down to size, but it's not really my kind of thing to wear, so it's off to swap.

Tamora smells sweet, fruity and creamy in the imp. On me, it's very peach. PEACH! it's almost like March Hare in its strong fruitiness. It's yummy, like a peach pie or cobbler or something, and it's making me hungry for a peach-based dessert, but it's not a smell I really see myself wearing. A little bit later the sandalwood comes out and it reminds me of the sandalwood in Velvet – Tamora is like peach-flavored Velvet, not brown but pinky-golden, lush and warm. I still like it, but I don't identify with it. If I had a friend into fruit scents, I'd give it to her so I could smell it on her....as it is, I'll probably swap it.