october

Now that I've had this scent for almost a year, I can also add that this fragrance ages very well. I smell the sandalwood a lot more than I did when I first got it. For me, it has a nice strong chocolate scent when I first put it on, then the sandalwood really comes out when it dries down.

When I initially received my Velvet imp a few months ago, the fragrance didn't last, and the cocoa and vanilla smelled almost unnatural. However, allowing it to settle and age slightly has brought out the sandalwood and myrrh and warmed up the cocoa and vanilla. Velvet is now one of my favorite fragrances. It is deep and luxurious, yet the "foodie" fragrance of the cocoa and vanilla give it warmth. I've heard you have to let fragrances age and settle before using them, but I didn't listen. I will certainly do this from now on.

In the bottle: Couldn't make sense of it; too much going on to discern any single notes. Wet: Smelling a lot of lilac. Dry-down: Tea rose is starting to come out, followed by the teak, and a soft, slightly powdery scent. Dry: Soft wood and tea rose are the heavy notes for me. Still not smelling the white rose. A couple hours later/final verdict: The white rose has come out. It's soft, not overwhelmingly floral; the wood notes give it enough balance. A little too floral for me for regular wear, but perfect for the right mood.