sabrebabe

In the bottle: Ooo! Lovely! Rich incense and heady florals, but not sweet. And leather as a supporting note! Wet: Okay, there’s the sweeter florals, but not sickly or cloyingly sweet. And the amber and orange blossom are picking up in strength. Leather has faded. I recognize this from somewhere in my past, but I’m not sure where. Dry: Aaaaand there’s the rose. And I remember where I’ve smelled this before: one of my Grandmother’s friends used to get this very fancy French-milled soap. It was lovely and creamy and smelled just like this! I think I’m going to hold on to this one. Not as something to wear, but this is definitely going into sachets to go into the linen closet!

In the bottle: Irish coffee, with a little extra cream. Very sweet, but I like the smell of coffee, so we shall see. Wet: Really strong coffee, straight from a proper coffee shop. With a lot of extra cream. As is settles down, there is more Irish cream and less coffee. And ever so slight… something like baked sweetbread in the background. Uh-oh, it’s going a bit coconutty now. Dry: Oh no! Now it smells like fresh Play-Doh! This is a bummer, I had such high hopes for this one. Trade pile.

I received an imp of this and I'm absolutely delighted with it! It's a wonderful, happy Autumnal scent that is everything about living out in the rural backwoods! In the bottle: Very strong! Something green and astringent. Definitely cedar, balsam fir and juniper. Wet: Oh, I like this! Very spring-like. Grassy, not mown. Warm night breeze. Again, lots of balsam fir, juniper and cedar. And a bit of sage. Dry: Yes, more of the fresh late evening breezes. Sage, fennel, and now I can smell the black cherry and aloes. The woods are starting to take a back seat, but still there. Will keep this one. Is a very happy scent. Later: Aaaand there’s the plums and grapes. Good staying power on this one, too! Now I just need to find a few more imps of this. Or someone willing to part with a bottle!

This, I absolutely adore! Now I have to find someone willing to part with a whole bottle of it! In the bottle: Smells like a very mellow version of a high-end perfume. No hard biting notes to scald the nose hairs (like the ones in the store do). Smells very balanced, can’t pick out any one note over another. If I focus, I can just barely pull out a rose scent. Wet: Very delicate, I can smell fresh flowers. Not too sweet, nor too “floral”. The spices are keeping them grounded without overpowering them. Smells like a floral display at a funeral. More and more rose coming out as it dries. Dry: More old world roses coming out, softly. Not heavy. Should I be looking for vampires? Ah, there’s the copal and tobacco! And the woods! This is very lovely, smells like something my Grandma Chavez wore. Very elegant and ladylike. Much later: Roses, roses and more powdery roses. Light, not overpowering and the most ladylike perfume I’d ever dare to wear. BUY A BOTTLE!

Why is it my favourite holiday is rife with foody scents (of which smell terrible on me)? In the bottle: Definitely latte. And vanilla and nutmeg, in that order. I’m almost afraid to put it on, as it’s a very, very sweet scent. Just a hint on pumpkin. Wet: Lots and lots of latte, vanilla, nutmeg and a bit more pumpkin. I smell like a Halloween candle. Dry: Oy! There’s the pumpkin. And the milk. Now I smell like a pumpkin latte. Still don’t like it much, though. Later: more and more vanilla/pumpkin, less and less latte. Some nutmeg and cinnamon, not much. Still milky. Still Halloween-candle smell. Trade Pile

This made me sad, because I love going appling in the fall and stomping around in the leaves and climbing the apple trees for the best apples. Sadly, because it's a fruity scent, it didn't do well on me. I could have at least used it in my melty scented wax "burner", but it just wasn't...right. In the Bottle: Fake apple candy and orange candy smell! Very, very strong! Yuck! Am hesitant to put it on my skin. Wet: same smell, but I can smell some of the lemon now, too. Still yuk. Dry: apple cider candle. Nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves are finally coming through. Stronger spice scent, less candy fruit smell. Still not liking it much. Tried to wash it off, now I smell like an apple-cinnamon candle! Trade pile

In the bottle: astringent, sharp. Reminds me of my grandfather’s aftershave. Not horrible. Wet: Ah, now there’s a slight sweet flower coming through. The sharp, astringent note is mellowing very quickly. Still, it smells like my grandparent’s bathroom. Clean, but that peculiar after-shave smell. With a hint of flowers. Grandma wore rose, but his is something different. More delicate. And something slightly medicinal. Like Watkin’s brown salve. Dry: It’s gone very powdery and flowery. Very dainty. Very grandmother-y. Nice and comforting, but not something I’d wear. Trade pile.

In the bottle: Oh, definitely a perfectly balanced blend of roses, red sandalwood and patchouli. Very nice! Wet: red sandalwood, roses, slightly powdery. Patchouli has lessened a little bit, the flowery rose is stronger. Dry: Okay, more powdery and more flowery, with just a smidge of the sandalwood and patchouli in the background. Very powdery, in fact, and sweet. Not as nice as it was in the bottle.  Much later: Now it’s all soapy. Cheap, fake rose scented soap.  Trade pile.

In the bottle: WoW! In the face with wood smoke, black pepper and vetiver! Lovely! It seriously smells like where I used to live in Southern Germany! Which makes me very, very happy, indeed! Wet: more firewood, smoke, ash, lots of black pepper, and vetiver and tonka bean to smooth it out. Not too much cardamom, but I can pick up the nutmeg and the myrrh, just as a back note. Yum! ::happydances:: Green, green, and deep Black Forest smells (not the imp, the real thing!). Makes me dream of gingerbread houses and hot chocolate. The little stream that ran through the woods near our village (which the village was named for) and the woods up on the hills overlooking the farmland. Picking wild mushrooms in the woods and eating wild strawberries. I should also mention that this is a *very* masculine scent! I’d place it with a woodchopper/woodsman/huntsman. Someone who worked very hard outdoors. Dry: Oh, the cologne! Firewood, vetiver, old leather, woodsmoke, and spices! All the lovely spices are now coming in, with black pepper in the forefront! Myrrh is coming forward and the tonka bean has pulled away. The vetiver is holding strong and latched on to the “leathery” scent. Patchouli is finally making an entrance. And now, just the tiniest hint of a sandal wood in the back. Lovely, lovely, lovely! Buy a bottle! (and try it on the hubby!)

In the bottle: Rose, rose, rose, rose powder, and something lush and green. Wet: rose water. Rose bath? Rather light. The green bit seems to have run off. Dry: How sad. I had hoped for much, much more out of this one. It promises roses galore, but as it dries, it nearly completely disappears. Just the faintest hint of rose. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely rose, but it just…lost it’s head. The green grass finally comes through now that the rose has nearly faded away. It’s a lovely delicate balance. Might be lovely in a sachet in my lingerie drawer. Otherwise, into the Trade pile.

In the bottle: Wow! Hit with honey and ylang-ylang. Hard. Very sweet, like a very rich hard candy. Wet: more sweet rich candy, honey, and spices. Nice and tasty, but for a perfume? Candles, maybe, if you like that sort of smell. It’s very cloyingly sweet on me. Not a good sign. Dry: Okay, this has gone really bad on me. Pure sweet candy and nothing else. Fake “fruity” candy smell, too. Which is a bummer, as I was kind of hoping for a more earthy honey scent, but it went to pure candy store hardcandy/fake flavour smell. Trade pile.

In the bottle: Bitter and rose. A very bitter rose. Wet: clean, clear and bright. Very light rose, right out of a shower. With a light rose powder afterwards. The bitterness has disappeared for a light, bright scent. Dry: Ah, the bitterness has returned. Still with a powdery rose. The two are fighting against each other rather than blending and it’s giving me a headache in the process. Trade pile.

In the bottle: Definitely heavy on the patchouli and dragon’s blood, with a kick of vetiver. Slight musk underneath. No sign of the cinnamon. A bit sweet, as well. Slightly sinister. Wet: Still sweet, but not sugary. Serious incense shop smell. Patchouli and dragon’s blood, musk is stronger. Still no sign of cinnamon. Is getting sweeter. Dry: It’s gone very light and sweet on me. I smell like my sons’ clothing after they’ve been out smoking with friends, and I don’t mean tobacco! There’s a hint of… a swear it’s maraschino cherries. I can’t pick up any of the patchouli or dragon’s blood anymore. The musk has long gone as well and all that’s left is the light spicy cherry smell. Trade pile.

In the bottle: Oh, yum! Vetiver and leather! And a smidge of cinnamon for a spicy bite! Wet: Still vetiver and leather, less cinnamon. Much more jasmine and a hint of rose. Something slightly medicinal in the background, like rubbing alcohol, but not quite. Rich, green and loamy. And smoky. A bit sinister. Dry: A spicy musk, with something that hints at old leather, and dark nighttime forest. Still something slightly medicinal, like bloodied bandages, and smoke. Very secretive. Definitely a keeper! Wonder what it will smell like on the hubby? Or the sons?

In the bottle: dark, dirt, dust. Something dry and sandy with a splash of musk. This has promise. Wet: It has become grassy green, with a little bit of loamy dirt. Not nearly as dry and dusty now. Picking up some incense and sandalwood. A smidge of warm air and sunshine. More wood. Dry: Less “green” and more wood: oak and pine, I think. More oak than pine. Like walking through a lumberyard. Still sunny, maybe a smidge of lemon? I’m enjoying this very much. Summer in the woods out back. Very nice. Definitely a keeper.