blackfelicula

In the bottle: Katharina is sweet, fruity, and slightly spicy. I smell the apricot most strongly. Wet: This smells like a sparkling mimosa: apricot and orange, warmed. Drying down: A little perfume, a little spice: this is a spirited, mischievous scent. Dry: It is sweeter and richer now, almost purple to my nose. It is more perfume-t but the fruit balances that nicely. It gives the blend stubbornness and makes it more grown-up. Later: This blend makes me smile. Like in Imp, the fruit gives it playfulness and life. For situations where I would like the energy of Imp but want to smell more adule, Katharina would be great. It fades more quickly than I would like, though.

In the bottle: To my nose, this is solidly floral. I can smell rose, but the other notes are difficult to distinguish. Wet: So far the rose does not overpower the rest, but it is strong. Drying down: Something deeper is coming out. The rose is taking a supporting role. My nose is not very skilled in discriminating floral notes. Dry: Le Fleurs du Mal is flowers, flowers, and more flowers. It is sweet, dark, and heady. Later: This is definitely too floral for my taste. I can see how some will enjoy it, but it overwhelms my nose.

In the bottle: The imp wafts a light, moist, pale floral. Wet: This is soft and sweet, almost creamy. Drying down: This is definitely floral, but not in-your-face. It is quiet and pleasant. Dry: Juliet is beautiful, innocent, clean, and slightly melancholy. Later: This is a very pretty light floral. I can see myself wearing Juliet again.

In the bottle: This smells buttery and resinous. Wet: Hunger is warm, smooth, creamy, and rich. Vanilla sugars it. It reminds me heartily of Snake Oil. Drying down: To my nose, the Snake Oil resemblance is growing, but with a strong vanilla note. Dry: This is sensual, yes, but since my skin softens and sweetens it, it turns into an enthusiastic vanilla. Later: I like it, vanilla is a note I enjoy. However, I do not see a lot of occasions where I want to smell like a giant marshmallow.

In the bottle: Soft sweetness with a dissonant side note. Wet: Sweetness pairs with a deeper hum that is almost salty. Drying down: It grows softer and blends together more. As it is, the mix comes across as perfume-y. Dry: It has undertones that are bitter and salty, but the body of the scent is smooth and sweet. Later: It smooths out more, but that converts the bitterness and salt into more perfume-like smells. The combination is interesting, but stronger than I would have expected from the description.

In the bottle: This smells fruity and earthy, with a bite. Wet: It warms up right away. Something floral and something almost resinous joines in. It is feminine. The fruit and flowers are dominant so far. Drying down: This has a cacophonous clash of scent families. Chaotic is right. Dry: This has the feel of a women's perfume of the nondual variety. You ask if it is floral, fruity, earthy, or musky, and she answers with an emphatic "Yes!" and a twinkle in her eye. Later: Fruit has emerged as the champion with floral coming a close second. Her accompanying notes clamor just beneath, creating a blanket of sweetness. This is not quite my cup of tea, but is appropriate for Eris.

In the bottle: This smells like melted butter with a hint of caramel. Wet: To my nose, this is butterscotch and fruit that is heavy on the butter and light on the scotch and fruit. Drying down: A nutty scent has arrived on the scene, like walnuts or cashews. Together with the butter and fruit, this smells a little like maple. Dry: The butter has lightened significantly, but it is still buttercream icing, to me, with fruit and nuts topping it. Later: Neither my husband nor I am fond of buttery perfumes. (The exceptions so far have been Haloa, in which the other notes skillfully keep the cakes in check, and Pumpkin Queen in which I love the drydown even though my husband does not.) The finish of Eat Me is pleasant enough, but it takes way too long to get there.

In the bottle: I smell quiet spice, something that resembles aquatics, and dried roses. Wet: The rose reminds me of when I have left roses too long in a vase on the table. The buds are wilted and drying, the stems are getting fuzzy, and the water smells like roses and decomposing leaves. Drying down: This is not the kind of roses that clobber me over the head and drag me off. They're not the roses I get along with either. The spices, rather than livening the blend for me, contribute to the sense of beauty decaying within. Dry: The spices have warmed up and the rose seems drying but no longer decaying. It is an interesting scent, but it reminds me of visiting my grandma and my great aunt: strong and floral. Later: This is more floral than I prefer. It is like a strong, old-fashioned potpourri.

In the bottle: Cedar wafts up at me when I pop the imp. Wet: The cedar is softer, and something sweeter pairs with it now. Drying down: Is there orris in there? It is soft and dusty though the heart of it is still cedar. Dry: This one is holding its scent: woody, earthen, with a touch of sweetness. There's more to it in there, but Mandrake is not revealing them fully. Later: Mandrake is right up my alley as earthy scents go! It is not as strong a scent as some I wear, but I thoroughly enjoy smelling it.

In the bottle: I smell rose tempered by a sweet darkness that must be the violet. Wet: This is a heady floral. The rose and violet face off in what smells like even measures to me. Drying down: This reminds me of an elegant woman. It is also a dark scent. Now that I can single out the violet a little better, I can see why it is in a number of dark blends. Dry: Amazingly, the rose is not overpowering as it can be on me. What Maiden does with rose and carnation, Marie does with rose and violet. Where Maiden is drop-dead sexy and feminine on me, Marie is the woman who's jaded to the point of callousness. Later: Though the rose is well balanced in this blend, it is still more floral overall than those I gravitate towards. Occasions I would be inclined to wear this, I am more likely to put on Zorya for her watchful elegance.

In the bottle: To me, this smells like water and flowers. Wet: I can smell orchid. This is a dark, deep scent that is more cave-dark than the cool, distant dark of the midnight sky. Drying down: Orchid is still the foremost note to my nose. I can tell there are others beneath and behind it, but that's the one my nose and skin are focusing on. Dry: Medea is richer and fruitier now. The orchid holds its own for me. It is complex and pretty, but rather floral. Thankfully, orchid is one of the florals that I get along with more often than not. Later: This is sweet and heady. It is more floral than most of the ones I wear, but the fruit is bringing my nose back to it frequently. I think this imp will get some love.

In the bottle: This is very astringent, like rosemary and lavender over a quiet sweetness. Wet: The sweetness is coming out much more strongly, but the rosemary and lavender are still at the forefront for me. Drying down: I have an incensey note picking up a bit more, along with what I think is the cypress. A fruity sweetness emerges a moment after. Dry: Despite the medicinal quality that is lent by the rosemary and lavender, this is still sweet. Its richness swells the longer I wear it. Somehow the chaos all goes together well. I doubt my husband will appreciate its astringency. Later: This is one of those blends that keeps my nose coming back to it. The earthy fruitiness of the blend reminds me of Mme. Moriarty, but with a sharp blade hidden beneath the folds of its robes. This imp is definitely a keeper.

In the bottle: This reminds me of Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper but sweeter. Wet: This has a similar cherry/almond note as in Bastet, but smoothed out as if by vanilla. I smell orange and possibly neroli. Drying down: It is smelling more like orange than cherry/almond. This is sweeter and more mellow, as if swirled with a giant marshmallow. Dry: The blend does have a mysterious, come-and-find-out quality to it. It is fruity yet perfume-y. Later: The more it mellows, the more smooth, sweet, and sensual this gets. However, I think it is too perfume-y for my taste.

In the bottle: I can smell citrus, tea, and a note that is sharp like vinegar. Wet: Thankfully, the vinegar-like note is subsiding. At the moment it smells like tea with lemon. Drying down: The citrus is strong enough that the tea scent is more difficult to pick out. Something sweetly floral is just peeking through. Dry: The overall effect is unconventional but pretty. It is light and clean without being overly soapy. As it mellows, the honeysuckle emerges more. Later: Shanghai softens quickly, so reapplication while wearing is useful. I like it, though the mid-to-later stages are what I enjoy best.

This frimp's label got soaked by a leaky Lady of Shalott, so that might influence how it smells in the imp. In the bottle: A sharp scent greets my nose, floral but almost vinegary. Wet: Rose comes out right away. I get an undertone of other notes, but not strong enough to identify. Drying down: There is definitely something sweeter in there, but the rose is drowning it out. Dry: This is the kind of rose blend I try to avoid. It tingles my nose, threatening sneezes and makes the other notes go hide. Later: This is definitely too floral for me.

In the bottle: I find this cloyingly sweet. This is floral a la restroom handsoap. Wet: I cannot seem to get past the restroom handsoap associations enough to pick out notes. Perhaps I'll try it again before finding another home for it, but it is getting a wash-off for now.

In the bottle: To me, this smells strongly of birch or wintergreen: sweet-spicy. This is likely from one or both of the trees included. Wet: It warms up and brightens a touch when it is put on. It is making my tongue tingle just to smell it. It smells like sweetened and wetted wintergreen. Drying down: This is sweetening up some more. I think that might be the lily's doing. The birch scent is losing some of its bite. The net result of this is somewhat soapy. Dry: The mix is turning the birch scent into something that resembles dead leaves, with a touch of spice. The flowers are indeed out more now. Later: This is an odd combination, yet an interesting one. The wintergreen cool still bites my nose, but it is much mellower overall. I think I'll be trying this imp again.

In the bottle: I smell juniper and mint: herbal and medicinal, evergreen, with a touch of sweetness. Wet: It took on a hint of citrus, reminding me of lemongrass. This is an unusual one, for certain. Drying down: Rather than acting like a holiday evergreen, this blend has decidedly taken a turn toward cat pee. I can still smell the juniper underneath. Dry: It's warming up and mellowing out a bit. The juniper is brighter again. That nagging feeling of cat pee is still in the background. Later: I can see how this can be a really intriguing scent on some. It is herbal and floral, medicinal and green. Yeah, the juniper is not for everyone. It works on me in Yule. In Belladonna, the cat-pee thing is off-putting.

In the bottle: This reminds me of Nuit and Muse. Nuit is more overwhelmingly perfume-y. Muse has the lime that kicks up its energy level and makes it more wearable. Wet: This is definitely softer than Muse and less perfume-y than Nuit. It has a powdery undertone to it. I think the benzoin might be performing in Urania the function that the lime lent to Muse. Drying down: Urania smells like she has a note in common with Zorya. This has Zorya's quiet beauty. Dry: This is a clean scent, though not soapy enough to be off-putting. Later: To my nose, Urania is more classically perfume-like than Muse, and less distinctive than Zorya. Since I have bottles of each of those, I do not think I will be needing one of Urania.

In the bottle: This smells sweet and floral to me, almost too floral. Wet: Sweetness is first, then floral, but there is a light orange citrus in there too. Drying down: It has a powdery, earthy undertone to it which creates a richer texture. I think that's the copal and the incense. The mix is interesting, but tickles my nose. Dry: As a whole, it is starting to smell like a creamsicle with a floral edge. It makes a rich and lovely orange scent. Later: I am not sure this one is really "me." I like oranges and creamsicles, but the floral edge in it makes seem like a foody scent that went floral rather than the other way around.

In the Bottle: It is giving me the same hum as patchouli, but with undertones like High John the Conqueror and Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo. Wet: This is an odd combination. It reminds me of lilac and amber, earthy like patchouli yet floral and sweet. Drying down: It tickles my nose and makes me feel like I might sneeze. This is one I am not likely to wear just as a perfume... Dry: I actually got used to this combination. It is very different, but it grows on me. My husband liked it as well. Later: Wow. After a few hourse this turned into the same lasting scent as Van Van. So far I have not used this properly for financial benefit. I shall have to check back later after I do.

In the bottle: I smell tobacco, with wood, leather, and something sweet almost like anise or licorice. Wet: This smells like someone smoking a flavored cigar or preparing a pipe for lighting. Drying down: More of the sweetness comes out. This is a masterful, confident scent and a masculine one (to my nose). I'm smelling less magic than machinery. There is craft, artifice, and self-assuredness. It is more logical than sensual. Dry: The scent is melding more. It represents Herr Drosselmeyer well. This is where the scent on me diverges from it on my husband. I am starting to smell the linen, which I do not get as much of on him. He smells yummy in it anyhow. Later: As my skin warps this scent, it takes on a maple-like quality. My husband jokes about smelling like a pancake. I think that's part of the play between the tobacco, leather, and linen scents. Still, it is a neat blend. The bottle is my husband's, and it suits him.

In the bottle: This is 100% yummy-smelling resin incense. Wet: This is awesome as an incense blend: resinous, a touch smokey, an undertone of wood. Drying down: This is actually smoother and richer than the incense they used when I followed my Catholic parents to Midnight Mass. That is fine with me, since the stuff they used stung my eyes and make me cough. Dry: This scent wafts up around me like burning incense! I would love to have incense in this house that smells this good. My skin is amping the myrrh, which is one of my favorites. This shares similarities with Schwarzer Mond. Later: It wears a lot like Schwarzer Mond! To me, this is an excellent perk. I love incenses and resins, and Midnight Mass does not dissapoint me.

In the bottle: What a rich holiday scent! I smell evergreens ans spices, with the touch of cold that several of the Yuletide 2006 blends have exhibited. Wet: I smell berry, juniper, and herbs joining the mix. This is bright like a room with a fire in the fireplace, lots of candles lit,a decorated evergreen in the corner, and some food laid out. Drying down: This is festive and joyous. It is much more rich and textured than commercial "holiday" scents. It feels like the captured spirit of holiday celebrations. Dry: Yule is mellowing out a bit. Now it is creamier and more foody. It is still rich with seasonal scents in the background, as if people are sitting down to desserts in front of the fire. Later: This softened into a gorgeous soft scent with a holiday feel. In this stage it lasts and lasts. A touch of spice, a little juniper and fruit, and a warm wool sweater. This is my pick for wearing to holiday gatherings!

In the bottle: This is sharp citrus to my nose. An undertone reminds me of mandarin orange. This is bright and chill. Wet: It is not as sharp on my skin. It is still very citrusy: citron and orange. This is the blinding light of a winter sun glaring off new-fallen snow. Drying down: As it dries, it is becoming more like a citrus cleaner. It is going soapy on my skin. Dry: Alas, it is soap: lemon/citrus soap. Sadly, this blend does not love me. It is softening more, but that only underlines its resemblance to soap. Later: I did not keep this on long since I do not get along well with it. I hope I can find my bottle a good home.