mymymai

ITI: Jasmine. Yep, that's jasmine alright - strong and imperious, pushing almost all the other notes out of its way. Lemon does try to make a showing, but it soft and timid against its assertive note "companion". Wet: Okay, at least the jasmine is somewhat tempered by the honeysuckle and lemon on my skin, but it's still way too much. It smells like crazy disinfectant, lemon cleaner, and jasmine deodorizer. Well, at least I smell clean. Then again, my skin just doesn't like jasmine. Dry: It's just jasmine and lemon, but mostly jasmine now. Alas, into the swap pile you go.

ITI: Spicy, warm, daunting, darling, and sexy as hell. I'll be over here, fanning myself like a Southern bell fully dressed for my debutante ball in the middle of July. Wet: The Arabian musk here is dark, almost inky, carries a bit like cologne, and provides a very masculine and exquisitely smoldering base for the spices, which have some fuzzy brown notes, so I'd assume cinnamon, nutmeg, and perhaps allspice are present here. As it starts to settle a few seconds in, rose rose emerges, the spices shift, and I get sun-dried,f freshly laundered bed-sheets as well. It smells great, but it's no longer that menacingly delightful scent that I so enjoyed at the start. Drat! Dry: Othello settles down into a lightly spiced musk. Nice, but that's it.

ITI: Sharp white florals and Glade plug in or air freshener with a touch of salt. It isn't what I was expecting out of the imp. Wet: And that's an aquatic. I put this on as I have to run to an appointment and hesitate as I'm walking out the door, contemplating whether or not I have enough time to wash it off and make my appointment on time. I don't, so I have to deal with the damp, chilly aquatic notes, but at least the white floral keep it from being too overwhelming. The do bring a softness to the scent, but the aquatic, saltiness is dominates. Dry: Thankfully, it fades to a combination of watery florals and brine in the distance, which isn't too bad. However, that just doesn't make the cut in my imp box.

ITI: Bewitched is dark, musky, and perfumy. It makes my nose twinge just a tad, but I persevere to find berries, although on the slightly soapy side, and faint, fresh sage. Interesting, but I'm not sure about whether or not I like it. Wet: The scent stays oddly close to the skin. It's a combination of blackberries, sage, musk, and green tea, but it does evoke overall muddied, dark imagery, which seems to be fitting for its namesake. Dry: I get musky berries and a touch of tea after 5 hours. It's okay, but not something I'd actively seek more of in the future.

ITI: Loup Garou is crisp and refreshing, like an evergreen forest during a thunderstorm. Juniper and eucalyptus rule all others in the imp. Wet: IT's very similar to the impression I received when I unstoppered the imp, although I'm getting a touch of cypress and a hint of spiciness from the galangal, but these notes I have to try to tease out over the other two. Dry: It's a much drier scent after four hours. It's mostly dried cypress and faint enough quantities of eucalyptus and juniper to give it a slightly crisp and astringent tone, but not enough to overpower the drier nature of the cypress note.

ITI: Tea rose is surprising clear in the bevy of other rose notes, but wine rose curls up to greet my nose slightly thereafter, like a shy but intriguing friend. In the background, there is the greenness alluded to in the shrub and green grass notes. It does smell just a touch like a covert operation involving roses. Wet: The grass note is just a tad stronger on my skin, but the tea rose is still dominant, not followed by the Damascus rose and a slightly more candied rose note. I like that the sheer variety of notes keeps the scent as just reading "straight" rose, but instead adds a little complexity and depth to keep it interesting. That being said, it's not the best scent while having a migraine. Dry: The scent takes on a bit of a sugared quality after it has sat for a while. Rose is certainly there, but I can no longer pick out distinct rose notes or even green notes - it's just sugar and roses.

ITI: Maiden is a balmy white tea and rose out of the bottle. It reminds me ever so slightly of a garden party in mid June. Wet: The carnation on my skin is light, pleasantly spicy when paired with the gentle Damask rose along with the soothing, almost lemony white tea. It's pleasant, soft, and rather innocent. Dry: While not giving it the whole day to settle like I normally do, the dry down is a bit more powdery and spicy, the carnation and white tea contributing to the bulk of that. The rose is present, but it's just enough to sweeten everything rather than distinctly engage as a rose note. Nice, but not bottle worthy.

ITI: Okay, this is really strange, but I initially picked up wood and green, but that quickly changed into shredded carrot and sawdust. Wet: I’m not sure if it’s the privet, which is a privacy shrub common in England, with the combined shellac note, but it really smells like freshly shredded carrot to me. Sawdust is still there along with a touch of sap. It’s a rather curious scent more than anything. Dry: Ok, I’m surprised. The scent has morphed into a lovely, soft, resinous woodsy scent. I’d swear there is myrrh here along with other fragrant woods, although there is a touch of sawdust, but it’s so faint it’s pleasant.

ITI: The herbs here are soft and slightly medicinal when paired with the iris and olibanum. I was expecting something a bit more regal and slightly haughty, perhaps with an orchid or even a jasmine note, but this is a bit watery and unassuming. Hopefully this develops a bit more on my skin. Wet: The iris is a little stronger and I get a subtle hint of olibanum, but myrrh and sandalwood are sadly lacking, which would give the scent the depth I think it so desperately needs. It's a bit too herbal and green, like Garden of Death. Dry: Once dry, the sandalwood emerges and settles on par with the iris and olibanum, just over the herbs. It's still a little medicinal, but not overwhelmingly so. It has taken on the more regal quality I had wanted from it, but it still just is a little lacking, in terms of purple florals and strong resinous tones (myrrh, I'm looking at your no-show note).

ITI: Dragon's blood resin and salt. The salt note is rather distinct, but it actually tempers the resin, which can be quite overpowering at times. Wet: It's interesting. Usually, I'm not a fan of aquatics in the least. The aquatics here are similar to water lilies rather than brackish aquatic notes I've smelled in the past. The salt still soothes the raging dragon's blood to create something that is both wonderfully resinous, smoldering, but at the same time, soothing and reflective. Dry: It ends up drying down to just soap, like the soap presented to you in generic gift baskets. Aww, I really wanted to like this one. Sadly, into the swap pile it goes.

ITI: Lovely teakwood and dusky rose otto and oudh create and old, pained, but hauntingly lovely scent that fits the name well. Wet: The wood notes here are brilliant - it's clear, with what seems like lemon juice, honey, brandy and tea undertones (like a watered-down Hot Toddy), sweetened with rose otto and mellowed by oudh. This was nice in the imp, but it is fantastic on the skin! Dry: As the scent settles, the cedar becomes dominant, reminding me distinctly of the cedar carved chest in my living room, but deeper and more natural thanks to the addition of the teakwood, yet the oudh adds a phenomenal indolent quality alongside the rose otto that is deeply meditative, earthy, warm, and seductive.

ITI: The cherry here is a gorgeously dark cherry, like maraschino cherry, only with the Rainier variety. There is something that reminds me of amaretto as well, and the chocolate note is more of a chocolate liquor rather than the overtly sugar chocolate note I've smelled before from the lab. So far, this is very nice. Wet: Ah, now I know what it reminds me of: cherry cordials. It makes my mouth water! The orange blossom keeps the scent from being completely foody, adding some light and innocent floral to something that would otherwise be very hedonistic. Woo, this is awesome! Dry: It's less foody and just wonderfully charged due to the distinct cherry and chocolate liquor notes, although the orange blossom here is essential in making this a very pleasant and alluring scent that is both indulgent and inviting, even to a non-foody like me. I think I might even consider getting more of this!

ITI: Calla lilies and roses - the first notes out of the imp - strike me as imperious, pure, and lovely. Wet: The calla lily and wisteria are incredibly strong, like soap meant to mask months of odor, although with the addition of the rose that's peaking thought, the scent, although strong, isn't bad. It's just not something you'd want to douse yourself in. Dry: Once dried, it skews all the way over to too soapy. I certainly smell clean, like a combination of Irish Spring without the harsh green and Ivory soap. I'll pass.

ITI: It reminds me of Trappist monk holiday cake - very sweet, almost candied orange, with a heady floral and resin, but combined to read almost bread-like. Wet: Soft and gently wafting plumeria and jungle blossoms intoxicate while copal and burning incense lulls my senses into a lackadaisical sense of hazy bliss. Wow, this is much nicer on. Dry: It's soft and pleasant - plumeria and incense are balanced perfectly to create a lovely daytime or evening scent.

ITI: The cypress and pine pitch make the scent initially very astringent, but useful for a stuffy nose. However, second sniff reveals a sub-layer of resins and spices that tone down the astringency and add some lovely exotic undertones. Wet: IT's still very close the the bottled impression with just a bit more clove, musk, and sandalwood. It reminds me of a wooden incense box. Dry: It's definitely a strongly wood and resin scent. After a few hours, it is the scent of pine pitch, sandalwood, tobacco, musk, and clove that remain. It's pleasant, but very strong and non-floral.

ITI: It's sweet from the apple blossom, while being deliciously refreshing from the heavy melon note. Wet: I actually get happy when I apply the perfume. It reminds me of something familiar that I can't seem to place. It's a lovely musky white melon flesh note with a touch of the fizz from mandarin and the subtle softness from apple blossom. Dry: It fades pretty quickly, but what is left is still pleasant and evocative, like a warm spring day amongst the flowering apple trees and beds of early flowers, but suffused with a sweet muskiness and a touch of spice from the melon, oakmoss, faint nutmeg and bergamot. I really like this scent and I'm more than a little upset that I just picked up an imp of it.

ITI: It's lightly floral and strongly herbal with chamomile, thistle, ginger, and carnation being the strongest notes on first sniff. Wet: It's more herbal with chamomile and then lavender taking center stage, I still can pick up on the thistle, but not much else is coming through. It reminds me of a poultice. Dry: After 12 hours, the chocolate peppermint comes though all the herbal notes, leaving the scent to be what I imagine a chocolate Star-mint on a bed of thistle and lavender smell like.

ITI: Oh, that's a deliciously seductive scent there. The lilac cologne is sophisticated, slightly haughty, yet alluring and charged when paired with the vanilla, leather, , lemon remind, and mahogany. Wet: The vanilla, musk, and red patchouli are stronger on my skin, making the scent even more intoxicating. I would have a hard time not swooning if my man were to wear this - it's gentlemanly and fiercely sexual, but still very wearable by any gender. Dry: It's musky, still very red from the patchouli and mahogany, and very much a delightfully sinister and alluring force from the leather and vanilla with the faint hint of cologne that remain.

ITI: It's very perfume-y: strong indigo musk, jasmine, and cereus resonate with the patchouli and dark olibanum. I'm not getting any spiciness from the Ceylong cinnamon, which I think would make the scent more appealing as a whole. Wet: Ah, there's the lovely spice that makes the generic "perfume" scent something more esoteric and inviting. It enhances and deepens the other reins while it keeps the florals from getting too dominant and turning the scent into a Glade reprieve. Dry: After just over an hour, the scent has dried down to a pleasant, warm, and darkly maternal combination of musk, vanilla orchid cereus, super light jasmine (thankfully), with a dusting of patchouli, olibanum and Ceylon cinnamon.

ITI: It's foody, but I feel like I've smelled this before. It's thick, cloying vanilla cream infused with gobs of juicy, ripe cherries and currants. Ah, that's it! It's very similar to Isle of Eden's "Can't Sleep, The Clowns Will Eat Me." Wet: Okay, now it's a bit different, but I still get the heavy, cloying vanilla cream, but now the marshmallow, sandalwood, and ginger notes emerge, tamping down the overt candied fun-house sweetness of the in-the-imp scent. Dry: It once again smells faintly of candied fruit and cream in a highly carnival-esque way. I'm not a huge foody fan, so I'd need to be in the mood for this one.

ITI: I'd call this a round scent. I pick up on the cotton and lavender immediately, but there's a slightly denser note that keeps the scent from beeing too buyoant. Granted, the top notes are really rather pleasant on their own. Wet: The lavender note here reminds me of the lavender note in TKO, except that it's a bit softer without the vanilla and with a touch more sweetness from the spiced oreintal blossoms (which are faint) and the bergamot, lending a soft sophistication to the scent. Dry: It goes through a powdery, almost soapy stage, but once dried for some time, it becomes pleasantly floral with a touch of vanilla and cotton.

ITI: Sweet and inviting almond lures me closer while rose subtly emerges just in time for the dragon's blood to pounce on the false sense of innocence fostered by the other notes. I like it! Wet: There's almost a citrus quality about this, but more of a citrus tea than a straight tangerine. I think much of that stems from the combination of the white tea, the white rose, and the dragon's blood resin, with some sweetness from the almond. There is also a touch of powderiness to the scent as a whole, but it's very pleasant - feminine without being too floral, too cloying, or too exotic. Dry: Lightly powdered roses and fragrant tea with subtle almond powder and just a hint of dragon's blood - like a proper lady's dusting powder to soften the skin with just a hint of intrigue.

ITI: On first sniff, the scent is rather smoky - opium poppy and wafting vetiver overwhelm the other notes completely. After some time, I can tease out the indigo, musk, and plum, but not much else. Wet: Wow, much more complex on my skin. The opium is much stronger now and the incense cuts through the vetiver along with the musk and indigo, making for a really interesting combination when paired with the violet, like a Victorian head shop where you'd expect to have high tea set against luxurious silk pillows obscured by billowing opium smoke. Dry: It's soft from the swirling incense and "blue" in a sense from the vetiver, violet leaf, indigo, and musk. It's a bit strong at first, but it certainly tones down to something a bit more wearable, but still heady and indolent.

ITI: The scent is bright and golden. The citrus reminds me of kumquat, but the harshness of it is tampered by the fragrant roses and jasmine. The amber and orris both add a sumptuous and powdery tone to the scent as a whole, which reminds me of the quaffed wigs indicative of the era. Wet: It reminds me of sipping rose-infused lemonade on a warm spring afternoon in a blooming garden. Very nice. Dry: It's like orris and amber-dusted roses. The citrus has completely faded, but the scent is still gorgeous.

ITI: This 's deliciously woodsy (a nice, full-bodied wood) with an overlay of cinnamon. It's warm and comforting. Wet: The cinnamon is stronger on my wrist, but the cedarwood along with the patchouli are much more distinct as well. I do pick up on a little smokiness, but it is faint. Dry: It's a lovely, round, warm, comforting scent - woodsy, slightly resinous, and spicy from the cinnamon. I wish I had more.