Magycmyste

In the imp: There's a sweet floral scent like gardenia I wasn't expecting here, followed by some woodiness. Wet on skin: The floral note I was smelling earlier turned a bit aquatic, which I guess makes a bit more sense. Dried down: Same as before, but a little softer - a little saltier, actually. I'm having trouble finding the wood note I caught in the imp. This reminds me more of Dragon's Tears. Throw: Not getting much at all, unless I sniff my wrists. Verdict: **** I like this a lot! But I'll have to test it again next to Dragon's Tears to decide which one I like better for that aquatic note.

... Golden honey and moss, with honeysuckle, chamomile, parsley, white gardenia, frankincense, carnation, vervain, gum arabic, yarrow, and liquid copal. In the bottle: I'm not sure what I'm smelling, except to say it's kind of a dark and herbal smell. Wet on skin: Getting a bit more floral now, but still dark and herbal. It's almost like the other scents are a little hesitant to come out and play in the darkness. Dried down: It gets a teeny bit sweeter as it dries down, and I can finally pick out the frankincense note in the darkness. Throw: I'm getting the teensiest bit of dark floral scent while I type. My nose is still a little stuffed, though, and this bottle had an orifice reducer on it, so my normal testing dots were a little thicker than usual. This probably has a decent throw. Verdict: ****? This one surprised me. I didn't get any of the sweetness and light I was expecting, but a rather dark, herbal scent instead. And normally, I do pretty well with the sweeter scents, so I don't know where the honey honeysuckle and gardenia went to hide. But I like it, for some reason. I'll keep it for now, although I don't think it's going to be one of my more used scents, and I might change my mind in the near future and decide to swap it instead. It's definitely a mysterious scent for me.

In the imp: A slightly sweet perfume scent. At the moment, my nose is a little stuffed, so I don't think I can get more specific than that, unfortunately. Wet on skin: I'm getting something floral, tempered by a bit of sweetness, though I'm not sure is it's the honey, sugarcane or vanilla. Actually, since it's vanilla flower, maybe that's providing the floral quality I'm getting. Dried down: A little bit sweeter, but still heavier on the floral. Throw: I'm not getting much unless I sniff my wrists, but my nose is stuffed, as I said earlier. My OH said he couldn't smell it, either, though, and he's about a foot away. Verdict: **** I think this scent is really pretty, but I'm not crazy about it for some reason. I think this will either end up in my second chance pile or my swaps pile, unless something catches my attention as it stays on my skin that makes me really want to keep it.

Rosewood and chamomile with bergamot, violet, red sandalwood, primrose and Arabian musk. In the imp: This is a very interesting mix of scents. I think what I'm getting the most of is sandalwood, but mixed with something sweet, like grape - except a grape about to ferment into wine. Maybe? Wet on skin: Wood. Pretty much pure wood. Dried down: It dries down to what seems like a one-note sandalwood on me. I like sandalwood, but it's taking over everything here. Throw: I'm getting almost nothing on this as I type. My nose knows there's something in the air, but it's not really picking up what. If I sniff my wrists, I still get pretty sandalwood, and that's it. After a few minutes, the throw gets a bit stronger - it's still pure sandalwood, though. Maybe even sandalwood powder. Verdict: **** I'm thinking a 4 might be a little high for this one, but I do love sandalwood. Dried down, this reminds me of sandalwood talcum powder, which I used to love. Still, I think this is going in my second chance pile, instead of my keep pile. I'll need to try it again before deciding what to do with it.

In the imp: Interesting.... I definitely get the men's cologne. I'm not really sure of the notes, but I think I can tell spot the lavender and jasmine whirling through there. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about putting it on myself, since I've never been much of a cologne person. And my fiance doesn't really wear it either. Wet on skin: Ooh - the first sniff of my wrists is undeniably pretty! But I could see this smelling divine on F. MY skin, at least, is definitely playing up the jasmine. Dried down: I'm still mostly getting jasmine, but it's gotten a lot softer. Throw: I went very light on my test application - I didn't even bother to redip the wand in the imp on the second wrist. So, not getting too much throw off of this - just the slightest hint of scent in the air. Verdict: **** I am actually very surprised how much I like this. I don't think I'd wear it as a scent too often, but I'm dying to get F to try it. We'll see if he'll indulge me. If he will, and he likes it, I think I'd bump my rating up to a 5. ETA: He liked it, so it's now a 5 for me.

In the bottle: This is a sweet scent, though I'm not quite sure what that sweetness is - it reminds me a little of camphor and baby powder, but not quite either of them. I should probably mention that I have no clue what oudh, bois de cade, or myrrh smells like, but if I can figure out the notes, I might be seeking more perfumes with those notes. Wet on skin:Definitely more incensey on my skin - the sweetness is just about gone. I like the incense, but I hope it comes back. I'm definitely getting more of the spiciness, and I'm understanding the "animalistic" description now. Dried down: Ooh, this is interesting - when I'm typing and have my hands away, I get that sweet scent that drives me wild. If I sniff my wrists, I get that spicy, incensey fragrance. This is pretty cool. Throw: I'm definitely getting some good throw here. But I have to admit, I slathered this one on a bit, so, um, it could be lighter? I dunno, but it's making me happy. Verdict: ***** Now, I think I'm going to wait on getting a second bottle out until I'm nearly done with the first, but I do like this. A lot. I don't think I would have been nearly as happy with it if the sweetness hadn't come through in the drydown, though. But it did, and it makes me just feel calm and easygoing.

In the imp: Definitely sweeter than I expected, based on the description. Somewhere between hay and nuts, but a leetle bit sweeter. Like, hay and nuts roasted in cinnamon sugar. Wet on skin: candied nuts. Definitely candied nuts. I think I get a bit of the thatching in there, but mostly, candied nuts. Mmmmm........ I probably shouldn't have done this review before eating. Oh well. Dried down: Still candied nuts, though it's softened a bit now by....something - maybe the wood, maybe some of those burnt herbs. Throw: This has a bit of throw. I get this sugary whiff while I type. Verdict: **** I like it when scents surprise me, in a good way. I don't know if I'll get a bottle of this or not, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise, and I'll consider it when I'm looking at bottles. II don't think it will be in my first round of bottles, though.

In the imp: I'm getting some aquatic floral notes. I don't think I can identify the individual notes in this. I'm wondering if it's the dark and airy musk, but something in this reminds me of watermelon. More it's juiciness than it's flavor. Wet on skin: Same. Juicy florals. Dried down: Mmmmm...... The sandalwood's coming out to play more, now, and it mixes with the florals beautifully. There's still a little juiciness there, but not as much as before. Throw: Oh yes. This one definitely throws, and it seems a little goes a long way. Verdict: *****. Oh, this is a pretty "floral" scent for me. I love the juiciness I get from it - it seems to cut through the pure flowery-ness of it. I do think I may seek out a bottle of this if I see it come up.

Honestly, I don't know what any of the scent notes smell like, so my impressions probably won't use those notes. This is a 2006 bottle, so it's definitely aged. In the bottle: I can tell where one of the above reviewers said it smelled like Coco-cola. It does smell like that to me, but a bit sharper, like alchohol. So... more like a rum and coke, or a vodka and coke, to me. IT's got a subtle sweetness to it. Wet on skin: There's a soft, nutty scent coming out now. This is beautiful. The Coke-ness is fading to the background a bit. Dried down: Oh, this is soooo pretty! The nuttiness is still prominent, but mixed with some soft spices (almost ginger-y, but not quite), and a floral. I'm not getting the Cocoa-cola scent at all now, but I'm not complaining. I think I'd rather have this one. There's something remniscent of sandalwood or incense, the nutty scent makes me think of almonds or pecans, and I honestly have no idea what the floral is tying it together, but it's a beautiful blend! I'm pretty sure one of the notes I'm smelling is the Tunisian black amber, but I have no idea which one. Throw: I get almost no throw from this at first, but after it's been dried onto my skin for a few minutes, I'm surrounded by this beautiful scent. Verdict: ***** This was just so pretty, from start to finish! I think the aging helped. This is definitely a keeper for me.

In the bottle: This is a warm scent. I'm getting the ginger and vanilla most prominently, I think, with a bit of lime. Wet on skin: Same, but with the lime coming out stronger now. I'm not really sure what angelica smells like, so I don't know if I'm getting it, but there might be a bit of fig in there. Dried down: Same, with the lime mixing with the vanilla for a sugared lime/Sweettart scent. Throw: I'm not smelling anything as I type, but the lime lingers in my nose a bit when I sniff my wrists. Verdict: **** 1/* I really like this scent a lot. I do wish the ginger had been a bit stronger in the drydown, and that the coriander had shown itself more, but I still love the sugary lime scent I ended up with. I'd like to find one closer to my initial impression as well, though.

In the imp: A sweet scent, but not overpoweringly so. It reminds me of a cross between jasmine and watermelon. It definitely has an aquatic quality to it. Wet on skin: Same. Well, I'm not thinking of watermelon anymore. Definitely salty, and watery, but there's still a sweetness to it - which is probably the dragon's blood. I like this a lot. Dried down: Same. Throw: I can smell it as I type, but it's not a heavy throw. This is very pleasant and light. Verdict: ***** I actually really, really love this! It's very different than most of my favorite scents so far, but I think it's earned a place among them. Once I start ordering GC bottles regularly, I think this one will be in there.

I'm testing this with a little trepidation, since so far any dirt/earth scents I've tried end up as dirty wet corn cobs, and as much as I like corn, corn cob is not a scent I tend to wear on purpose. In the imp: Sharp and floral with a little sweetness (like wine or grapes) and a little "dirt" Wet on skin: I'm getting a sharper, camphor scent now. At the moment, this is quite pleasant. There's still a hint of the dirt, but it's more like incense ashes than corn cobs (I'm guessing it's more patchouli than dirt). I am REALLY hoping it stays that way - I'll finally have found a dirt scent I like. Dried down: Still the same, but a little more floral again, and a little softer. Throw: I'm not really getting much of a scent while typing on my laptop, but when I sniff my wrists, the camphor and floral scent really lingers. Verdict: **** I really, really like this sent a lot, but I don't know if I'm going for love yet. I think for this type of scent, I might still like Namaste better. Both are camphor-y and bring back happy childhood memories of running around at my temple. I'll have to try them both again. But I'll definitely be holding on to what I have.

In the imp: a sweet fruity scent with a floral background Wet on skin: Sweet, but a little dirty - a little gritty, as the description says - like dirty, wet corn cobs Dried down: Same, but a little heavier on the corn cob Throw: Not much of one. Verdict: *** Eh, it's not horrible, but this scent isn't for me - I don't think I really like the "dirt" types

In the bottle: A sweet floral smell, but it reminds me a little of cherry cough syrup, if there was a flower cough syrup. Wet on skin: Flintsones vitamin? Um, definitely not what I was expected from "flower song." I'm assuming the pomegranate wine is responsible for the fruity sweetness I'm getting while this is wet. Maybe with the lotus root enhancing the sweetness? I've never smelled lotus root before, but so far, all the blends I've tried with any lotus are on the sweet side. I would think river reeds and barley would be more...planty than sweet - more green and grainy. but again, haven't smelled those before. Or hyssop. Dried down: Ok, this is getting much better. I'm definitely getting a little more "pomegranate" now, but without the fakey sweetness I was getting before. And I think a few of the drier notes are coming out now, to balance it out. TThis ia actually rather lovely, and more what I was hoping for from this perfume. Throw: Not much. I get the barest hint of fruit while typing on my laptop. Verdict: **** I wasn't overly fond of the wet scent on this one (too sharp), but it dries down nicely on me. I'll have to remember to apply it a little while before I go anywhere. Especially anywhere with heat. I doubt I'll try to get another bottle, but I'll keep the one I have.

In imp: I'm getting a light, fruity note first and foremost. It actually reminds me a little of Flintstones vitamins. Maybe peaches. Wet on skin: I'm getting a little more floral out of this now. Not sure if it's the rose or jasmine (not sure what orris smells like), maybe a hint of amber. Dried down: This is getting a bit traditional sharp perfume on me, but it's not unpleasant. I still get a fruit note,but only if I sniff my wrists really hard. It does seem to be softening a bit over time Throw: This has a very subtle throw to it - I'm not really getting more than a hint of it unless I raise up my wrists Verdict: **** I actually really like this, which is a little surprising considering the traditional scent I get from it during the drydown. It seems like that's just the early drydown, though. I like it more as it gets softer.

In the bottle: Something sharp and medicinal along with strawberries. The something sharp smells almost a bit like anise. And soap, now that I think of it. Definitely soapy. Wet on skin: I'm getting an almost nutty scent mixed in with the others now. Dried down: This dried really quickly on my skin today - not sure if it's the heat or something in the perfume. I'm getting the same scents I did when wet, though a bit more blended together. Throw: This has a bit of throw on me. Soft and pleasant. Verdict: **** I kind of don't really know what to make of this scent, except that I like it. It's very soft and pretty. I almost don't want to like it for the soapy note, but I like it anyway. Probably won't seek out a second bottle of this, but I'll enjoy my first.

Silken coconut, angelica, soft golden incense, tiare, carnation, and Asian pear. In the bottle: this is very sweet, and I think I'm getting the pear more than anything. Pear mixed with a bit of coconut. I'm not really sure what tiara is or smells like, so l probably won't recognize it if I smell it. Wet on skin: the scent has softened from being in the bottle, but I think it's the same as before - a little more pear than coconut Dried down: I think I'm getting the carnation now, over the others. Throw: surprisingly, based on what I smelled in the bottle, not much - I really have to sniff my wrists to get the scent. Then again, if I leave my wrists alone and stop trying so hard, I think I can smell it, too. Verdict: **** It's a really pretty scent, when I can smell it. I don't know if I'm going to seek out another bottle, though. I like the pear well enough, but it doesn't make me go crazy for it. ::shrugs:: glad I found a bottle, though.

In the bottle: Chocolate! Deep, dark, chocolate.... Wet on skin: It takes a few seconds but the apple and honeysuckle blossoms out from beneath the chocolate. I don't tink I'm getting much of anything else. Dried down: Softer apple apple and chocolate, now. I'm getting the barest hint of the spices, but I think that's more because I want to smell them, to find those notes, more than I'm actually getting them. Throw: This seems to have a decent throw. The scent of f mostly chocolate and a hint of apple kind of hovers around my face without my having to lift my wrists. Verdict: ***** I really, really like this one. It's primarily a chocolate scent to me, and it drowns out a lot of the other notes, but I'm certainly not going to complain about more chocolate!

Stash rec. In the imp: Very pretty - I'm smelling almost pure rose here, the kind of scent I get sniffing a rose in my mom's garden. A very fresh rose. Wet on skin: About the same, a little softer. Dried down: Definitely a drier, woodier, scent. It's not bad, but I liked the fresh rose better from when it was wet. Throw: Not much of one, but maybe my nose is a little stuffed, cause my fiance said he could smell it a few feet away. I'm getting a little bit of a whiff without lifting up my wrists - that whiff still makes me think of fresh rose. Verdict: *** 1/* I took away a * because I didn't like the dried down scent as much, and I took away half a star because my fiance didn't like the scent out of the imp, or as much wet on me. I think I'll still hang on to this one and give it another try, though. That really fresh rose was very appealing to me, and I can think of a couple of other people I know who might want to try it.

Stash rec. In the imp: Is it weird to describe this as a pleasant sour floral note? Because that's what I'm getting, and I like it. I think it's primarily the rose. Wet on skin: Same as before. Dried down: Ooh, this went to sharp rose place. I was really hoping to get more sugar out of this (and maybe a little of the absinthe), but I'm not getting that at all. There may be a bit of lilac in the background, but that's not softening this up enough for me. Throw: Not a whole, whole lot, which is probably a good thing. I can smell it on my wrists, but I think I would hate being surrounded by a cloud of this scent. Verdict: ** I like the description, but this scent really doesn't work for me. Which is a little surprising, because rose scents usually do pretty well on me, so far. As do sugar scents. Ah well, swap pile.

Stash rec. In the imp: very sharp, herbal scent Wet on skin: same as before, with a little more wood. I think I'm mostly getting the patchouli, with hints of the lavender and rosewood Dried down: is it weird to say it smells kind of lemony or limey without being citrusy? I think the patchouli or rosewood cancels out the "citrus" for me After about five minutes dried down: ok, this is softer and I like it a lot better now - more of the lavender comes out to play Throw: I'm not really smelling it unless I lift my wrists up, but.... My eyes kind of started hurting and I got the beginnings of a headache when I put this on. There's a possibility there's other things contributing to that, but I think this perfume might have something to do with it, too. Ugh. Verdict: *** I might give it another try, but I think this imp is going to be swapped or frimped in the future for someone else to try. I did like the ending scent which emphasizes the lavender fougere, but I didn't really enjoy the journey getting there, and I have other scents I like better than the ending, also.

Stash rec. In the imp: Sweet apple, with a different note balancing it out. Not entirely sure what though - it could be a bit of the almond or tamarind - and there's a hint of the grape Wet on skin: I'm getting more of that "other" note, which I'm leaning towards saying that's the tamarind. I'm not entirely sure, though, since I have no clue what spikenard smells like. There's still a bit of apple and grape, though Dried down: Nice blend of the tamarind, apple, and grape. Throw: This one does have a bit of throw - very fruity Verdict: **** I actually do like this a lot, more than I expected. I probably need to try a few more, but this may become my go-to fruity GC scent, and I think I might pick up a bottle when I get to buying more GC bottles.

Stash rec. In the imp: This is a very sweet, earthy smell, like dirt and wet corn cobs Wet on skin: Even more corn cob, with a little less dirt. Dried down: Corn cob with a hint of dirt. And there's a bit of vanilla coming out in it Throw: There is a bit of throw here. And the longer it's on me, the more vanilla is coming out. The vanilla actually does throw a bit more Verdict: *** I'm not really sure what I was expecting from this "lethal poison," but soft ruddy earth smell hits the nail on the head. And corn cob. I found it intriguing and not unpleasant, but not a scent I think I'm going to seek out. As much as I love the smell of fresh corn, corn cobs tossed onto the compost heap isn't a scent I think I'm going to want to smell like too often. Still, glad I tried it.

In the bottle: Mmmm... sugary coffee..... It's actually not overly sweet, there's another note playing around in there - possibly the leather, or the Middle Eastern spices. But the coffee is definitely there. Wet on skin: It smells almost like sweet spices on me right now (I tried it once before without reviewing it, and I could have sworn I'd gotten more coffee out of it). If the leather is there, it's a very soft leather. Dried down: This is about the same as it was wet, but a little softer. Throw: It's got a decent throw. I do not need to hold my wrists up. Verdict: **** 1/* It's not my absolute favorite scent, but I think I'll be getting a backup bottle if I find one. I love the smell of coffee, and this had it the first time I wore it, though not as strongly this time. For that matter, I feel kind of energized just smelling this one - like it has a more immediate "coffee" effect for me than coffee actually does. I'm hoping next time I try it, I'll smell the coffee better again, but it's still a lovely scent either way.

In the imp: Lemon, lemon, lemon. Wet on skin: A sharp lemon and sandalwood, as others have been saying, a bit more of a classic perfume scent. For some reason, that's not really turning me off to this. Dried down: A slightly sweeter sandalwood, along with (I think) the champaca flower. This is actually rather beautiful on me, and while it's close to the classic perfume smell people have mentioned, on drydown, it shies away from that a little - it's nice. Throw: I'm not getting much of a throw off of this right now, which kind of surprises me. Still, that's good. Verdict: **** Surprisingly, this is my second-favorite of the Pickman's Gallery (I thought it would have been [Redacted] Dragon, but I think that one had a touch too much vetiver in it for me). I'm still not entirely sure if I will get a bottle, but I'm definitely tempted. Somehow, I think this one might be even better after aging.