Magycmyste

In the imp: Definitely new leather..... but I'm also getting a floral edge to it. O_o Weird. The more times I sniff it, the stronger the leather gets. Maybe the label's picked up some of the other scents from my imp box? Wet on skin: Oh yes. Fresh leather. I think the floral I was getting before is just the edge of that leather, as though it were freshly cleaned, and possibly off the label rather than the oil itself. Dried down: Sweet leather, lovingly worn with hints of perfume and sweet grass. This is delightful. Throw: This definitely has some throw on me. Verdict: ***** I don't think this is a scent I'm going to want to wear often, but one that I think I'd save for those special occasions, when I want that specific scent. IT does make me think of sex, though. Might be a good one to wear next time I think of writing erotica (I don't think I've been successful at that, yet). And honestly, if I come across a bottle, and I can afford it, I am SO buying it.

In the imp: Lavender and honeysuckle....and something chemically alcoholic on first whiff. Doesn't quite seem like the jasmine. The chemical-ness isn't there on my second sniff, though. Wet on skin: Heavy on the lavender, I'm getting more of the jasmine now, though I seem to have lost the honeysuckle. Dried down: About the same, with lavender as the top note, and an occasional whiff of honeysuckle on the throw, though I have to say, something seems off about this scent on me. There's something very dry about it, like sand in the desert, which doesn't seem to mesh well with the sweet honeysuckle. The longer it stays on, the more I like it, but every time I get that dry whiff, it takes it down a notch. Throw: I have no need to sniff my wrists to smell this floating around my head. It is a pretty scent. Verdict: *** 1/* This is very pretty, but that dry/chemically note I got near the beginning was very off-putting. I think I'll keep the imp around for a second chance, at least, because I'm enjoying the scent a lot more now, but I'm still undecided about it.

A new year’s blessing! Peony, China’s national flower, with bamboo for flexibility, Buddha’s Hand for introspective spiritual growth, plum blossom for perseverance, courage, and hope, coconut for camaraderie, chrysanthemum for a life free of grief and struggle, tangerine and orchid for wealth, orange for happiness, lychee for household peace, pine resin for constancy, golden kumquat, pussy willow, and quince for prosperity, sesame for sweetness, narcissus and King mandarin for good fortune, and peach blossom for longevity, with a splash of blazing red of dragon’s blood… to help you scare away the rampaging Nian. In the imp: Very lemony - kind of reminds me of lemon pledge, actually. That makes me a little nervous... Wet on skin: More like orange pledge now? Probably the mandarin and tangerine, though I've got a little bit of a floral edge to it now. Dried down: I'ts not bad.... but it's still got that fruity cleaning product edge to it. And I'm not sure I want to smell like that. Throw: barely any on me. Every once in awhile, I get a whiff of orange pledge, but that's about it. Honestly, I'm kind of glad it isn't stronger. Verdict: ** 1/* ::Sigh:: Another one for the swaps, I suppose. I really ought to get some Fire Pig to test out - I don't quite remember how it works, but Fire is my inner or moon element or something, and I've always identified with it more than Air, anyway.

I have no idea what rosin smells like, but I've been wanting to try this for soooooo long for the leather note (I don't really know if 'll be a fan of hemp or not) In the bottle:Interesting - the scent I get from the bottle is almost sweet and minty, and a bit grassy. Wet on skin: About the same, though now it smells more like pine trees. Which, now that I've looked up rosin, makes sense. I might have hesitated more, had I known that, because I feel like woody scents don't play so nicely on my skin. Dried down: I get the leather, but the piney scent is still overpowering it. The hemp mixes in nicely with the pine. Throw: I'm not getting much throw here. I have to sniff my wrists to really get anything. Verdict: *** 1/* This wasn't quite what I was hoping for, but it's not bad. It's almost a 4 for me. But I think I prefer Fetish.Goth for my leather scent. But I'd like one in the GC. I might try layering it with something else (Good, maybe?). Though I haven't tried that one on its own yet.

In the imp: Well, I definitely get the pinot noir. I think there might be some other notes in there (I'm getting the barest hint of incense), but they're pretty much being overpowered by the pinot. Wet on skin: Mmmmm.... the wine made me a little nervous,, but now I'm getting a soft, dark rose and incense (not sure if it's the myrrh or patchouli), with a bit of sandalwood on the edge of the rose. I'm not sure I love it, but I'm liking this a lot more than expected. Dried down: Honestly, I probably waited a bit too long to do my wet review, but it's about the same dry. I'm not entirely certain what attar of rose is, but it smells like rosewater to me. If I sniff my wrists, I get a drop of wine swirling through the rose. The incense is actually fading pretty quickly this time Throw: There is some definite throw to this. I'm getting the attar of rose edged with wine. Verdict: **** I don't really mind not picking up the jasmine in this - i'm pretty pleased with the other notes. I don't know if this is a scent I'll be reaching for often, but it pleasantly surprised me - I think because the wine is there, but it didn't take over everything. I might get a bottle of this in the future, but in the meantime, I'll definitely keep the imp.

I've used this a few times - I don't get mad very easily, but I do get annoyed often. I do tend to forget to use it, but when I have, it's been amazing. The coconut edge to the lemon is wonderful for me, and honestly, the only adjective I could use to describe this scent is pleasantly cold. It doesn't make my irritation magically vanish, but it does remind me not to focus on it. And usually, a few minutes later, my irritation has come down a few notches. Enough for me to feel like I can deal with it clearly, or move on to something else. I usually wear it on my heart, throat and forehead chakra.

In the imp: At first, I was getting grape Flintstone vitamin again. My second sniff got a deeper hint of fruit. Wet on skin: Honestly, I'm getting something between blackberry and grape, with a hint of "kids' vitamins." It is a very dark scent. I wonder if the honey is giving it that vitamin edge I'm still getting. Dried down: Less vitamin, more dark fruit now. It's a little closer to gummi bear for me now. Throw: There's barely a hint of fruity scent around my head as I type, although maybe I didn't wait long enough. Verdict: *** 1/* I don't know if I really like this or not. I definitely don't dislike it, and I think it's different from most of the others I have and like. I just don't see myself reaching for it as often as some others.

In the bottle: I'm getting what could be described as a tart floral scent. It reminds me of a lemon, except floral instead of citrusy. Wet on skin: Still the tart floral, though I can pick out the oolong tea and a hint of ginger in there. And maybe the lavender. I have no idea what delphinium smells like, and I don't think I could pick out wisteria, tough, so I could be missing those. Dried down: Still pretty similar, but another note is coming through, a little sweeter, and almost minty, like dried toothpaste, or those pillow mints. I don't know what it is. During the wet stages, the scent was nice, but I was kind of hoping something would sweeten it up. This does that, but I'm not sure it's the right note for it (granted, I don't know what note it is). I think I'm getting a little too used to sweet scents - vanillas, honeys, and sugars - and I'm starting to want them everywhere. I probably shouldn't be wishing for that. This isn't bad, but I'm kind of wishing that sweet note wasn't around, though. Throw: Not much of one, and what I do get is powdery sweet with a hint of something less tart - either the tea or lavender. Verdict: *** 1/* I wanted to love this so much, but I didn't. I'll probably give it another try before relegating it to the swap pile, but on this run, it just didn't work out for me. It's sad, because I keep getting drawn to gingery scents, and while I like the ginger, there tends to be another note that keeps putting me off in those. Oh well.

I have the 2012 version. In the bottle: sweet, slightly incensey - ooh, that's pretty! I think it's the benzoin, vanilla, patchouli and myrrh I'm getting here. Wet on skin: More myrrh and benzoin than anything. I think I get the slightest whiff of the red chili if I try really hard to isolate it, but it doesn't smell spicy - just the dry scent red chilis have Dried down: Sniffing my wrists, I get patchouli and myrrh, but there's a dark sweetness hanging in the air around me - definitely fits a smoky vanilla. Theres also an almost soapy quality to it. There's a possibility I'm getting the ebony musk, but I'm not really good with pinpointing musks yet. I'm not really getting any other notes, unless they're toning down the sweetness of the vanilla. Honestly, this kind of reminds me of Heretic, but not as strong. Throw: Dark and slightly sweet. Verdict: **** This scent is very pretty. I was hoping the red chili would play more into it, but oh well. And maybe the nutmeg, though I don't really mind that I'm not getting that, for some reason. I don't think I'm going to need a second bottle, though. I am glad I have one, though.

I've been looking forward to trying this one - partially because the notes sound wonderful (though I'm a teeny bit hesitant about soft woods and rosewood - most wood scents tend to go a little too dry on my skin), and partially because Dee is a prominent figure in one of my favorite books - the book, in fact, that bridged me from reading legendry and folklore into more contemporary fantasy. In the imp: wood and incense. At this point, at least, I'm not turned off by the woods - the incense helps out a lot, I think. And there's something a little bit sweet tinging the scent. Though, I am wearing Charisma already (I usually try to do my scent test before putting on any TALs, but that didn't work out today) - I don't think this sweetness is coming from there, but I'm not sure. Wet on skin: On my skin, this is mostly incense and paper. Still pretty. I'm not really getting the leather at this point. Dried down: I had to run some errands, so this has been on me for about an hour or so now. This is GORGEOUS. It's a very incensey blend - I get the feeling I might like wearing this while writing or anything else that might involve thinking. I'm not sure I can pick out all the notes, but I would LOVE for my library to smell like this. I would be there all the time. I do pick up a bit of the leather amongst the incense. I'm still not sure what tonka smells like, but so far, it hasn't hampered any other perfumes I like. This is just pretty. Throw: There isn't a whole lot at this point, though I get a whiff of incense around my head. I think there was a bit more incense in the throw earlier, just after it had dried down. Verdict: **** 1/* I do have a few incensey blends that I love, so I probably won't seek a bottle of this out immediately unless I find a good price. Sometime in the future, though..... it will be MINE! Muahahahaha!

I'm pretty excited to try this. While I'm still holding out hopes that they might someday do a Krishna scent, I do love Kali. I'm also a little apprehensive though, mainly because of the red wine note. I haven't had the best luck with boozy notes yet. In the imp: I definitely get the chocolate and red wine. Possibly the honey and/or a floral, but they seem to blend pretty well into the first two notes. Wet on skin: The dark chocolate is still the heavy note here, with a bit of the wine it the background. Dried down: Unfortunately, the chocolate seems to have completely died down, and been replaced with florals. On the bright side, the florals are BEE-U-TI-FUL! I mean, seriously, these are nice. Throw: I get a little of a floral throw here. In all honesty, I'm also wearing Charisma for other reasons, and I'm getting more of that than Kali. They blend together beautifully, though. Verdict: ***** I'm not entirely sure this isn't also because of Charisma (which I also love the scent of), but I love the way I smell right now. This makes me very happy. I even liked the booze note, since it wasn't too boozy. Whoo!!

2011 version In the imp: I'm not quite sure what I'm smelling in the imp, but it's stronger than I had expected. It smells a bit floral and...sharp. Wet on skin: Ok, this is nice. A sweet floral. I'm not really getting any of the frankincense, which is a little disappointing, but there's still time for that to come out. Dried down: Ok, there's the frankincense. I'm not really familiar with osmanthus, so I don't know what that's like, but this is very pretty. Good floral/incense blend. Throw: It's got a little bit of throw. Mostly floral. Verdict: **** This isn't going to be high on my priority list, but I'll grab a bottle of this for a good price.

In the imp: Very dry leaf and sandalwoody. It's the sandalwood I'm getting, but I'm a little surprised that I'm not immediately turned off by this scent. When I put the imp down, I also get the slightest hint of sweetness and fruitiness. Wet on skin: Still very woody - more something else than sandalwood, though. Dried down: Wood, wood, wood..... with a hint of floral that I think is actually the currant mixed with the wood. Throw: Not a whole lot. What I get while I'm typing is the currant, I think, but tempered by the wood, whereas it's the other way around when I sniff my wrists. Verdict: *** 1/* I'm really surprised I like this as much as I do. I'll probably keep the imp for awhile, at least, but I don't think I'll be searching out a bottle. It's a pretty scent, but I have others I like a lot better.

In the imp: Green plants. Wet on skin: Wow...even greener. Dried down: Hmmmm... This is going kind of bitter on me. I was hoping the honey would come out more and balance the plant, but i'm not really getting it, except for the faintest bit in the throw, and there's not much of that. Throw: Not a whole lot. But I like what I'm geting. I just wish I liked the scent that was coming off my wrists a bit better. Verdict: *** I need a bit more honey in this to really enjoy it. I think it will be going into the swap pile.

In the imp: It's a very sharp fruity smell - I definitely get the booze, but the fruit, it smells like apricots if I really think about it, but my first reaction was pear. Wet on skin: Oh yes. That right there? Is apricot. With a bit of rum. Well, maybe brandy, but it reminds me more of rum. Dried down: Ok.... now I'm not really sure what this reminds me of. It's a wood smell, and I wasn't expecting that. The apricot booze seems to be gone. Throw: The apricot booze had some good throw, but the wood doesn't throw as far. Verdict: *** Again, not really bad or anything, but I don't think this one is for me. To the swap pile it goes!

In the bottle: Sweet chocolate mixed with a wooded, earthy scent. It's almost bitter, and I normally don't like those, but it mixes well with the chocolate. Makes it almost a green chocolate. Wet on skin: About the same. Dried down: The chocolate's still the same, but the woody, earthy scent has almost become floral. The chocolate still dominates, though. This is beautiful. Throw: This definitely has some throw. No wrist-sniffing needed, here, though I'd gladly do it! Verdict: ***** This scent makes me happy, and want to bounce around the house singing "I smell pretty! Oh so pretty!" And frankly, West Side Story is one of my LEAST favorite musicals ever, and that song annoys me. I love this scent THAT MUCB. I may need to get myself a backup bottle of this one.

Before I even open up the imp, this smells sweet............... In the imp: Whoa! The sweetness here is a little overpowering. I'm definitely getting the wine grape and cocoa more than anything else. Wet on skin: Still sweet grape and chocolate. Dried down: Well, it's calmed down a little, which is nice, but it's getting more grape-y than chocolate. But the chocolate's still there. Throw: I can smell both grapes and chocolate just fine while I type. No wrist-sniffing needed. Verdict: *** Normally, I love sweet scents like this, but something about this one kind of disturbs me. It doesn't smell bad on me, but it's definitely not my favorite. I might give it another try before swapping it out, but I think there are other scents I like much, much better.

In the bottle: When I first open the bottle, I smell lavender, and something else, though I'm not sure what. Maybe the benzoin or frankincense - it makes it a little sharp and chemically. Wet on skin: About the same. Dried down: Mmmmm, much better. This is soft and calming - I'm still getting more lavender than anything else, but...the other notes are there, softening it. It's very pretty Throw: A little, but not much. Verdict: **** I may try to find another bottle of this for a backup, but this is a beautiful scent.

In the imp: I'm getting pine with a hint of Vicks. And maybe a splash of patchouli. Wet on skin: There's something a little soft and woody, but it's being overpowered by the Vicks scent (any eucalyptus in this?). I actually like the scent of Vicks, but I probably wouldn't pull it out for perfume purposes. Dried down: Still reminds me a little of Vicks, but now I'm getting that smoky incense scent someone mentioned earlier, although it does morph back and forth into a mildly lemony, piney scent. Throw: Not a whole lot. Verdict: *** 1/2 Honestly, I'm kind of indifferent to this scent. I like it, but I don't see myself wearing it too much, so I think it will end up in the swap pile.

In the imp: Something sweet and delicious, like cinnamon toast crunch pancakes (yes, I have a recipe, and yes, it's delicious) with a touch of maple syrup on top. Wet on skin: Sweetly sugary with a bit of spice in it. Dried down: Smells less like pancakes now, and more like spiced, sugared pecans or walnuts. Still delicious smelling, though there is a little bit of a sharpness to the nutty scent. Throw: This one has a bit of throw. I don't have to sniff my wrists to smell it, and I don't get anything different than the throw when I do. Verdict: **** I really like this one a lot! I don't think I'll be in a hurry to get a bottle - my imp will do just find for now - but I might invest in one in the future.

In the imp: I'm getting leather with a hint of rose when I open the imp. Wet on skin: The rose is a bit stronger on my skin, and I'm getting what I'd identify as tar, in that it reminds me a little of a freshly, freshly paved road or a tire. (WHich I don't think I'd normally want to smell like, but it's a subtle note, and blends witht he rose and leather beautifully) Dried down: Interesting. The rose seems to be staying close to my skin, while the leather and opium tar float around my head, and there's a whiff of sweetness there I can't identify. Throw: The scent floating around my head is dark, with little whiffs of brightness (that sweet scent I was getting) scattered around, like a bunch of fireflies that decided to play around in smoke. It's interesting. There's maybe a hint of rose in there, and it flares up every so often, but I have to sniff my wrists to rally get the rose. I love the scent close to my wrists, and I wish the scent in the air had a little more rose in it. But I do like it. Verdict: **** There is something keeping me from giving this scent a five. I love the scent on my wrists, but I don't love the throw quite as much. But I'm definitely happy to have it.

This is actually my second test of the scent, but I didn't write the first one down. I remember thinking it smelled beautiful, though. Hopefully, this second test will live up to the first. In the bottle: A fruity scent, sweet, but not too sweet. I think the grape and pomegranate are strongest, but the fruits blend together pretty well, honestly - I could probably pick out all four in there. Wet on skin: Still mostly the fruit. I thought I remembered smelling the milk and honey more last time, but maybe that was after it dried down? Then again, the honey could just be blending in with the fruit. It's like each of the notes are a piece of a costume, and when it's all put together, you can't differentiate any of the parts. Dried down: Same as before, though I'm starting to get a whiff of the milkiness, still a bit overpowered by the fruit, though. Throw: A little throw of fruity milk, with nothing but fruit on my wrists. Verdict: **** This is still a very pretty scent, although I kept hoping the milk would stop hiding behind the other notes. Oh well.

Ok, so this is one I really wanted to try. Mostly for the green mango, so I'm hoping that comes out strong on me. In the imp: Sweet and fruity - I think I;m getting more of the fig than the mango. What mango is there makes it seem like a ripe mango rather than a green one. Wet on skin: Same so far. A pile of figs with a slice of mango. I'm not even getting the green tea or patch. Dried down: ::sigh:: This isn't changing at all, except that it's smelling less and less like mango. I love figs, normally, but that'a not what I wanted out of this scent. Throw: There isn't much. There's the bare fruitiness wafting around my head, but I need a wrist sniff to really get anything. Verdict: *** I'm giving this a three, because I don't really hate it. I wanted to give it a two, for not doing what I wanted, though. Diwali and Epibulia are still my mango scents. I'll keep searching the GC for one, though. And maybe I'll give this another try sometime. It's not going to be a high priority, though. I think I'm going to put on a little Epibulia and get some real mango scent.

In the imp: I'm pretty much getting all incense here, with a bit of a citrus backdrop. Wet on skin: Eh, it's about the same right now. Very pretty, but I'm waiting for some of the other notes to come out. Dried down: Oh there's the beeswax.... mmmmmm... Sweet mechanical bliss... I have to admit, I can't identify half the notes in this scent, but itdoes come together really well. Most of the notes blend into Incense, and if it was just that, I think I might let this pass. I have several incensey blands, and while I love them, I don't need any more. But the beeswax (and I think the saffron's blending into the beeswax a bit) really adds another layer to this that I don't think I've found in my other incense blends, and makes me want to just breathe it in. Throw: This one has a soft throw, with the incense sticking close to me skin and the honeyed beeswax wafting in the air around me. Verdict: ***** Ok, that's another bottle to add to my list.

This review is for a bottle whose number I can't really make out, but the seller labeled it as C. My guess is XCIV or XLIV (or the last number could be an X), but I think there's a letter before (possibly C? that's just missing - there's just a couple of silver dots in a line. I bought it on the LJ marketplace awhile back. The seller had mentioned that it smelled like salted caramel toffee popcorn, so my test is probably slightly biased. In the bottle: Salty sweet popcorn. There is a distinct popcornness to it, but the sweetness is similar to regular Snake Oil. But I could see it passing for caramel/toffee. Wet on skin: A bit heavier on the sweet Snake Oil at this point - I barely get the salt and butter. Dried down: Oh my Snake Oil, all of a sudden, I want to put you in the bath and bask in this scent. Still heavy on the Snake Oil, but heavy enough on the salt and butter that it complements the sweetness (and makes me want to pull out the bag of toffee popcorn I've got stashed in the pantry) Throw: There's some decent throw to this. I'm good with that. Verdict: ***** You're mine... all mine. I may not know exactly which bottle you were, but I shall love you and wear you and keep you safe in a box....Muahahahaha!! And now, back to your regularly scheduled lives. Edited for spelling and more guesses on the number.