welcometothefamily

In the Imp: Wow...a lemon-lime punch in the face. -looking at notes- whaaaaat? Wet: Lime and grapefruit. 10 mins: Citrus and pine scented toilet cleaner. Drydown: Wow....snake oil and grapefruit! I was very worried when this turned to toilet cleaner, but I actually kinda like this. It's got the velvetyness of snake oil with a WHAM BAM punch of grapefruit on top. Verdict: I don't think I'd ever buy a bottle of this, the combination of resiny SO with astringent citrus is just a little too discordant for me. Nice though . 3.5/5

In the Imp: Mmm....peach and white musk. Maybe a hint of bergamot. Wet: Still peach, but now with a floral undertone, must be the heliotrope. The white musk is creating a beautiful breezy top note. Drydown: Light peachyness, and I LOVE the combination of white musk and heliotrope. It's a little sweet, a little fruity, a little floral, and just gorgeously smooth. Verdict: While I like this, it's just not quite me. I'll keep my imp however, and I think I really like white musk notes . 3/5 P.S: I swapped this with a friend of mine for How doth the little crocodile, which I love. I think we are both very happy with the trade . I may buy another imp at some point though.

In the Imp: Slightly sweet leather. I think I can smell the tobacco lurking in the background :/. Tobacco doesn't normally work on me so we'll see. Wet: Sweet leather. The tobacco has come out a bit more, and yay! It's not doing the maple of doom thing on me! Drydown: I don't know what snakeroot smells like, but I can smell leather. The date palm and tobacco is mingling to create a caramelised base. Verdict: This is too masculine for me. I'm veeeery wary of tobacco in perfumes. 2/5 P.S: Take my review with a grain of salt, I hate tobacco. It smells like crusty old powdery (the horrible cloying type of powdery) maple syrup on my skin. It's just wrong. It puts the HELL NO in NOte.

In the Imp: Super spicy pumpkin Wet: Wow. This is all spiced pumpkin. This is definitely the highly spiced pumpkin note that I recognize from Snakes in the PP. Just maybe not as crazy strong. There's something intensely sweet lingering under the surface too. Drydown: This is really strange. The spiced pumpkin note has completely disappeared, and I'm really not getting any vanilla at all. At least not anything that reads straight vanilla. This smells fruity, like white peach or something. Shill does the same peachy thing on me so maybe buttery vanillas just react weird with my skin? A couple of hours on the skin and it's very faint, and smells like maple syrup. The real Canadian stuff. Verdict: Veeery disappointed. I wanted vanilla . This isn't horrible by any means, it just didn't meet my expectations in any way whatsoever, and consequently, I'm disappointed . 2.5/5

In the Imp: Bread and sugar, and butter! This is real butter too, not the yellow smell you get from cake blends. Wet: Still bready and sweet, and the butter is getting stronger. The butter actually reminds me a bit of sunscreen, it's very pale and creamy smelling. Sunscreen in a nice way . Drydown: The butter is still real and slightly sunscreen smelling, and you can still smell the bread and sugar. This actually reminds me of the brown sugar toast I are when I was a kid. Literally just bread, butter and brown sugar. Verdict: I like this. Not sure yet whether I'll need a bottle, but it's nice enough for me to keep the imp and maybe order another one when it runs out. 3.5/5

In the Imp: Honeyed carnation with maybe a hint of milk. Wet: The rose comes out, mixed with honey, and some spiciness from the carnation. Sweetly floral, not getting any milk at this stage. Drydown: It's all carnation with a hint of honeyed rose. Verdict: While I like the smell of carnation, this blend is more spicy than sweet, so not really for me. Nice though. 3/5

In the Imp: Honey, red musk, maybe a slight hint of caramel. Wet: Honey is gone, I think I'm smelling the Moroccan unguents with red musk and an underlying note of caramel. No wait...maybe a hint of honey. Drydown: Still Moroccan unguents and red musk, the honey and caramel has completely disappeared. Verdict: Disappointed in this one unfortunately. Hoped it'd be sweeter. Not for me. 2.5/5

Olive blossom, honey, smoky vanilla, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood, and champaca flower. In the Imp: Smoky vanilla and honey, I'm smelling a light floral. I don't know what champaca flower or olive blossom smell like, but I know this floral isn't jasmine. Wet: Still honey and vanilla, slightly smoky, and I think it must be the olive blossom. Drydown: I love the drydown of this. It's clean and fresh, and slightly sweet. Its like fresh sheets hanging outside on a clear spring morning, but not overwhelmingly clean smelling. (I'm looking at you Dirty.) I'm fairly sure I'm smelling the olive blossom, and there's the smoky vanilla and a hint of honey. Verdict: I really like this. It's a little sweet, deceptively simple, slightly floral, and clean smelling. Something in this blend also reminds me of the boy, so it has the comfort vote too . I think I might need a bottle of this. 4/5

In the Bottle: Fruity bubblegum. Smells nice, but hints at becoming dangerously sweet. Wet: Wow, juicy fruits bubble gum! Very much fruity bubblegum. 10 mins: Fruity with bubblegum lurking in the background. Drydown: The pepper has come out and made the fruits a little spicy. Still the bubblegum hint in the background, and I'm getting a twist of...pineapple? Verdict: I like it. Not too sure how often I'll wear it, but I like it. 3.5/5

Soft, yet sociopathic: white carnation, iris, orange blossom, and sugared cream. In the Bottle: Definitely orange blossom, but has a hint of something quite sweet on the exhale...must be the sugared cream? Wet: Orange blossom (REAL orange blossom, slightly bitter, lightly floral) with that yummy caramelized bpal cream note. 10 mins: Creamy orange blossom (still slightly bitter) with hints of brown sugar. Drydown: Creamy, caramelized florals. Still has that bitter edge. Verdict: This is everything I hoped it would be. I was really worried that Zarita would be either too floral (read: old ladyish) or too sweet. But no, the bitter edge of the orange blossom tempers this scent very nicely. 4/5 ETA: This scent surely is sociopathic as it's given me a headache the last two times I've worn it. Off you go Zarita

In the Imp: I can smell overripe mandarins, and something a little medicinal. This isn't looking good. Wet: Still reminiscent of overripe mandarins, but now with floral tones. Maybe slightly sweeter than in the imp. Drydown: Floral mandarins. If there was such a thing as mandarin blossoms, this is what they'd smell like. Verdict: Pleasant enough, but not a favorite. 2.5/5 Note: After trying Shub-Niggurath, I don't think I like ginger very much.

In the Imp: Creamy pineapple. But it's kind of off somehow. Wet: Pineapple. And....custard? Maybe a hint of the buttered toast? It's kind of odd, but pleasant enough. Drydown: Still smelling pineapple, but the custard has turned. It's got a tart, slightly sour edge that I normally attribute to homemade yogurt. Verdict: This is alright, but I don't think I'll wear this much, if ever. I don't particularly like the sour homemade yogurt smell, and I definitely don't want other people to think that's what I smell like. 2.5/5

Samhain 2013 In the Bottle: Similar to Samhainophobia, but a lot softer, less earthy and smoky. Can smell the pumpkin, maybe a little apple, and veeeery soft spices. Wet: I can smell apple, and spices, and it's quite earthy too. Vaguely watery, but my nose might think that because its not as dark smelling as samhainophobia, and slightly sweeter. 10 mins: Can definitely smell apple. Drydown: Still apple, but this isn't fresh cut apple, this is pie filling apple that has been stewed with spices. It's quite yummy. Still a little earthy too. Like eating warm pie filling in the woods. Verdict: I like this. Not as much as I like samhainophobia, but I like it. It's light and yummy, and foody without being foody, if you catch my drift. It smells like pie filling but not like 'oh my GOSH who chucked a pie at you' pie filling. It's probably not fair to compare this to samhainophobia because thats so much darker and earthier, but I think this one is like a lighter, more airy cousin. Yum! 4/5

Bought this from the lovely KawaiiKai! In the Bottle: Quite sweet and perfumey. I think I can smell the hay. This actually reminds me a lot of a (much) lighter and sweeter Chanel no 5, or some other such highclass, sophisticated perfume. I like it . Wet: Still perfumey, but the dried grasses are coming out and that sweet hay note is still there. Drydown: This is golden smelling, and slightly sweet from the honey. The amber is doing it's lovely slightly powdery thing, and the dried grasses are swaying in the breeze. The hay must be mingling with the dried grasses. Verdict: I like this a LOT. It's a little sweet and powdery, and the dried grasses are lovely. This really makes me think 'highclass expensive perfume' for some reason. I never get a WOW this is HAY moment with this perfume, so it's a little different to how I expected/hoped this would smell, but nonetheless, this is beautiful and I love it. 4.5/5

Bought this from the lovely KawaiiKai! In the Bottle: Mmm...strawberries with an undercurrent of lavender. Wet: Sweet, ever so slightly soapy strawberries. A hint of lavender in the background. Drydown: Sweet (from the honey), powdery strawberries. Still a little soapy, like a little girl's shower gel. I'm not smelling lavender anymore. This is such a cute perfume....definitely smells like a young girl . Verdict: I like this a lot, although it is very young smelling, so probably not an every day perfume for me. It's an 'I'm feeling happy and bubbly' kind of scent. 3.5-4/5

In the Imp: Sweet, gingery, and surprisingly foody. Wet: Veery gingery, and quite sweet and bakery smelling. It's like smelling gingerbread men. Drydown: This is very spicy, very gingery. And quite dark smelling too. It's still sweet and a little foody. I'm not really sure whether I like it or not. It smells nice enough, but my nose kinda shies away from smelling ginger for some reason. I don't want to smell it, but at the same time, I can't help it. Verdict: It's nice, and I'll probably keep the imp, but no bottle for me. 3/5

In the Imp: Mmm. Minty. Wet: Minty, slightly herbal smelling, but in a soft, green, gentle way. Drydown: This is still minty, and I can now smell anise. But it's very light and gentle, not like WAM BAM BLACK LICORICE. It's light green and herbal smelling, but still sweet, and I actually quite like it . Verdict: This is quite nice. It's light and gentle and just yummy . I'll keep my imp for sure. 3/5

Sensual, robust, and silken: voluptuous red rose bursting with lascivious red wine and sultry dragon’s blood resin. In the Imp: Rosy (duh) and sweet. Wet: Still smells rosy but slightly less sweet, and somehow velvety. This rose is gentle and unassuming, and in no way old ladyish or overpowering. Drydown: This is lovely. I can smell gorgeous fruity dragons blood, and the rose is giving it a beautifully light and velvety overtone. If there's wine in this, it's only adding to the fragrance as a whole, as I can't pick it out as an individual note. It's sweet, but naturally so, not sugared or syrupy. Verdict: This is beautiful. I really like it. I'll definitely be keeping my imp, and possibly a bottle some time in the future. 4/5

In the Imp: Mmm. Minty. Wet: Minty, slightly herbal smelling, but in a soft, green, gentle way. Drydown: This is still minty, and I can now smell anise. But it's very light and gentle, not like WAM BAM BLACK LICORICE. It's light green and herbal smelling, but still sweet, and I actually quite like it . Verdict: This is quite nice. It's light and gentle and just yummy . I'll keep my imp for sure. 3/5

In the Bottle: Cakey, but not overly sweet or rich. Can smell some light resins. No currants. Wet: Very light cakes, barely sweet. Can smell the incense, but still no currants. Drydown: The cakes have been gobbled down leaving a bare few crumbs strewn over light, rosy incense. A few wayward currants have finally decided to join the party, but sadly, missed the bus home. Verdict: This is pleasant, but doesn't scream WOW to me. I'll let it settle down for a while, then try it again. Not sure at this stage. 3/5

In the Bottle: Ooh yeah, that's snake oil alright. This is very richly cakey, dusted with SO. Not too heavy though. Wet: This is so yummy! It's snake oil, but it's mixed with deliciously rich spiced pumpkin cake. 10 mins: This is quite heavily spiced, but the spices aren't cloying. Can still smell that delicious rich cakey undertone. Drydown: Recognizably SO, but probably a little heavier on the spice than vanilla. Has a deliciously caramelized, cakey aspect that lurks underneath the spice. Verdict: This is good. Really good. It's spicier than straight SO, not as vanilla. And the pumpkin definitely gives it a golden, caramelized feel. I like it a lot, and will definitely be keeping my bottle. 4.5/5 ETA: Tried this again today for work, and got walloped over the head with cinnamon. The spices in this are drowning my beloved SO unfortunately. And boy this sucker is STRONG. I've been wearing it for 8 hours, and can still smell it on my wrist. It's not quite faint, but not a huge throw either. At the moment, the spiciness is REALLY grating on my nerves for some reason, so I think I may have to let this age and hope the cinnamon fades and the SO becomes more apparent. Updated rating: 3.5/5

In The Bottle: Earthy, sweet-ish, syrupy. Can definitely smell the patchouli, it's like Lush's Tramp shower gel except sweeter. Wet: Very much the same as in the bottle, except maybe a little more caramelized. It's got a slightly syrupy, mapley thing going on. Can definitely smell the patchouli in the background though. 10 mins: Not sure if I like this...it smells a lot like Perversion on my skin, with the maple thing. I didn't like Perversion at all, and this is pretty much Perversion rolled in earth. Drydown: Hmm. It is becoming a little more earthy vanilla now, not as harshly MAPLE. Maybe sliiiightly smoky. Ish. Can still smell the patchouli in the background. I like the drydown more than wet for sure, but I really wish there was more patchouli in this. -brainwave- I've been trying to think what this has in common with Perversion, and I think it must be the tobacco absolute that smells like maple to me -sigh- I was hoping for dark, smoky, earthy deliciousness. Stupid tobacco >.>. Verdict: At the moment, I don't think I like this. It's not repulsive, but not amazing either. I might sit on it for a while and hope that it'll age more patchouli-like. 2.5/5 ETA: This has had a month of aging on it, and the tobacco is a little less harsh on my skin now. I still don't like it, and honestly, I don't think I ever will. This would be interesting to smell on my man, but otherwise, I'm gonna pass it on.

In The Bottle: WOW. This actually blows my mind....it smells EXACTLY like dirt flecked moss, and cold, wet stone. Wet: Still rocking the dirt flecked moss. But now it's more like STONE with a tiny bit of moss growing on it. And wow this blend is cold. You know when you sniff mint and the back of your throat goes cold? This is like that, except not as intense. Doesn't smell minty though. I think I might actually really like this. 10 mins: Damn this is good! Drydown: Still smells like dirt, but this isn't a harsh, DRY, dusty dirt note like Burial, this is soft, moist, dirt after its been raining. Still smelling the mossy stone in the background too, and SOMETHING in this is translating as slightly rosy to my nose. Maybe someone has left a single faded, white rose next to this grave in remembrance. Verdict: I love this. This is the earthy blend I've been looking for. It's very gentle, not harsh at all. Lovers of burial, check this out! 4.5/5 Note: I am a foody girl normally, so people who like earthy perfumes but can't normally wear them should try a decant of this. You might be surprised!

So glad I got this as a frimp! It was on my list for my next order! In the Imp: Sugared vanilla tea with a lemon wedge! Combines to smell a little like those starburst fruit gummies . Very gentle, sweet and tart, yummy! Wet: Lemony, still tart and slightly gummy-like. No...lemon meringue pie! Seriously! It's sweet, tart, lemony filling with a delicious sugary, vanilla-y meringue! Drydown: Cold vanilla tea, with a sugared lemon slice. This smells cool on me, it's definitely not hot tea. Verdict: This smells yummy. Not sure how often I'd wear it, but I like it a lot. It reminds me quite a lot of Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden, except sweeter and with lemon. My mum also likes it a lot, so I may buy her a bottle, and it may go on my bottle list too. 4/5

Frimp from the lab! In the Imp: Oh no...almond of DOOM! I hate the smell of almonds :/. This is not looking good... Wet: Almond, and something floral...must be the heliotrope. Drydown: As this dries, it loses the almond note, and I'm left with something reminiscent of...baby wipes? I think it might be the cinnamon turning this to baby wipes :/. It's still golden smelling, sweet and slightly floral, but reminds me of baby wipes unfortunately :/. Verdict: This was just not to be. It's pleasant enough that I'll keep my imp, but no bottle for me, and definitely not one I'll reach for often. 2/5