Lunasariel

In the imp: My family used to keep chickens, and this is the smell of the coop in summer. Dead-on. They hay (going a little moldy in some places where they won't let us change it) and dirt of the chicken run, the dried grasses and thirsty trees surrounding it, and even a touch of the warm, living, slightly musty smell of the birds themselves. The only thing that's missing is the ever-present and strangely pervasive smell of chicken shit, which, believe me, I'm glad isn't here. Wet: Very true to ITI - sun-warmed hay and chickens with some extra herbage. I can't tell whether I'm drawn in by the warm, comforting scent of the hay, put off by the smell of chickens, or both. Dry: It settles down into a scent more reminiscent of a barn full of hay - soft, warm woods, a breath of herbs, and yep, still the hay, although nowhere near as strong as it was. When I first opened this frimp, I was so knocked over by the "CHICKEN COOP!!!" scent, I was actually afraid to put it on. But the BPAL psychics once again prove accurate - this is the sweet, warm hay scent I didn't know I needed, grounded by woods and rounded out by herbs.

In the imp: I assume this frimp has been aging for several years. Right off the bat, I get lush florals, almost fruity in their intensity. I'm guessing this is the black rose, but wow, that's rose like I've never smelled it before! It's kept from growing cloying, however, by soft, subtle, rather omnidirectional green notes. And perhaps there's a touch of ambergris in there somewhere? (I hope that's not just wishful thinking on my part - my skin loves ambergris but turns a lot of other aquatic ingredients to soap, alas.) Wet: Oooooooh. Oooooh. I'm getting dark, lush greenery, bursting with life! I was afraid of so many conifers going sharp or Christmas-y on my skin, but instead, I've got a lovely, resinous, and very, very alive forest - the benzoin and labdanum (and sandalwood?) provide a nice strong base, so I'm getting the entire forest instead of just the leaves. There's still a lingering sweetness from the rose, and the lily provides brightness, like small flowers beneath the dark branches or a trickle of clear water. Man, I'm going to have to test this against Druid - both such wonderful forest scents! Dry: After a few hours, everything burns away but but a soft, resinous floral (I'm thinking the labdanum, with maybe a bit of help from the black rose) and a gentle sort of woodsy feeling. Mellow, warm, and lovely!

In the imp: A light, springy, very green scent. I definitely get the Embalming Fluid comparison above! However, Embalming Fluid has always felt so faint and anemic on me, whereas this one is definitely grounded by the moss and herbs, and rounded out by just the faintest hint of sweet fig. Normally I can't stand fig, but here it provides the perfect finishing touch, anchoring the light, airy tea and grasses and giving the whole thing some body. Wet: A zingy, lemon-ginger scent with some herbs for roughage. However, the tea and general greenery instantly faded to almost nothing, as did the fig. Immediately after application it's a very soft, barely skin-level, lemon-ginger candy. But after barely a minute, a distinctly soapy note emerges. WTF, skin? This is the second promising green blend I've had turn to soap on me in as many days - blech. Yesterday's was Envy, and I'm inclined to think that lavender may be the culprit there, since fougeres go soapy on my skin every. single. time, and lavender is also an ingredient there. But there's no lavender listed here, and I didn't smell any ITI... maybe it's one of the "medley of herbal notes?" Dry: And again like Envy, a quick fade from herbal soap, to soapy soap, then nothing, all within a few hours. And I really slathered this one on, too! Hints of sweet, slightly fruity ginger hang around on one wrist, but not the other, but fade about as quickly as the soap does.

In the imp: A scent that's both herbal and herbaceous, if that makes sense. The lavender is herbal and woody, like a real lavender plant just out of the ground, and the mint adds some nice zing without being too sharp or menthol-y. If there is any lime, it's hiding behind the mint. The whole thing is rounded out by ineffable green herbs - I can't distinguish any in particular, but the overall effect is brisk, outdoorsy, and invigorating! Wet: Interesting - a woody, almost camphor-like lavender, with the lime and mint fading until they're just enough to give the lavender an edge. But worse than that, a distinct soapy note is developing. Blech! And I had such high hopes for a nice herbal lavender, too... Dry: Well, that was... disappointing. It leans soapier and soapier, losing that herbal edge, until it's pure soap. And then, after only like three hours, nothing. Even shoving my wrist into my nose and huffing gets me nothing but the actual soap I washed my hands with. A resounding meh.

In the imp: WYSIWYG - herbal, mossy mint rounded out by the soft, mellow salty-sweetness of ambergris. A brisk, zingy, energetic scent, but not as sharp or astringent as mint would be on its own. I'm really loving how each note is distinct here, each one building off of the best aspects of the others and reining in the bad aspects. Wet: This scent is green, green, green! Not, like, punch-you-in-the-face-with-a-fistful-of-grass-clippings green. It's just...pure green. But that's not to say it's simple: I'm getting zingy, herbal, and cooling aspects of "green-ness" all at once, and I love it! The throw is fairly low, but I can definitely get whiffs of it when I turn my head. I can still distinctly smell all of the listed notes, but they're melding into something wonderful. Moss has a tendency to go dry and/or rotten on my skin, and mint often smells synthetic and too sweet, but they're all definitely putting their best feet forward here. Dry: Unsurprisingly, the mint burns off after a few hours. I'm left with mostly a "your skin but better" ambergris, with an herbal edge from the moss. Throw is even lower now (after ~6 hours), basically skin-level only. I was expecting something more ozonic/sharp/mad science-y, but what I ended up with, I LOVED! This one is definitely going to be in heavy rotation this summer...and probably the rest of the year, tbh.

In the imp: Not as Snake Oil-y as I was expecting. Yeah, the SO is definitely there, but the sweetness is cut by leather and...sandalwood, I think? And maybe sage, but for me sage is more often an accent than a main player, so I'm not awesome at distinguishing it. But there's a brisk sort of freshness here that I hope will carry over to my skin - something that will make thick, sultry SO wearable for summer. Wet: Oooooh, now that's interesting! Hardly any SO at all - leather and sage and dry sandalwood, with some soft tonka for sweetness. The Snake Oil is only a subtle accent, making what would otherwise be a very dry blend just a little bit juicy and androgynous-leaning, instead of straight-up masculine. Dry: As expected, it becomes softer and sweeter, but stays largely itself. The leather is still dominant, but the tonka puts in more of an appearance, as does the Snake Oil (although it still plays a secondary-at-best role). The sandalwood is also much softer and less...woody. It blends with the sage wonderfully to provide a soft, herbal, resinous edge that helps to temper the sweetness of the tonka and SO as well as the leather.

In the imp: A surprisingly light, well-blended scent! I have a lot of trouble picking out individual notes - the closest I can get is soft, fresh citrus (with maaaaybe just the faintest sliver of ginger?) and some airy white florals. But unlike a lot of lighter scents, this one has some real grip to it. I can't smell the sandalwood, oakmoss, amber, etc. on their own, but they anchor the scent and keep it from drifting away. Wet: Still primarily a zingy citrus scent with some floral accents, but... WTF is that? There's something lurking at the base that I can feel as a physical presence in my mouth - something smoky, almost nutty? It could be the oakmoss, the "blackened" and "husk" parts of "blackened vanilla husk" (although I've had a few other scents with this ingredient, and it's never done this before), or maybe the cardamom... yeah, probably the cardamom. There's initially quite a divide between the airy top notes and the earthier base notes, but after only a few minutes, they meld into something I can only describe as voluptuous. It's sensual and a little unsettling - very Faiza! Dry: A light musky citrus with some very faint floral overtones, somewhat similar to Philostratus' Phoenix, albeit fainter and a little more anemic. It's still too well-blended to pick out individual notes, but the white honey, tea, bergamot, and black musk and/or amber seem like likely candidates. Muskier and more mysterious from further away, and a little sharper up close (the sandalwood, perhaps?). I don't know if it's just because they're both CDs, but this reminds me strongly of Iulia, L'Artiste du Diable - light, summery citrus scents with a surprising amount of depth. This one is less sweet and more musky-herbal, but at least cousins if not sisters.

In the imp: Upon first uncorking my imp, I got a bit hit of, of all things, toothpaste! Where did that come from??? Especially since it quickly settled down into a dry, heady white floral (although I believe I can also distinguish a bit of rose). Wet: Sexy, slinky, musky roses, with the myrrh adding a dry, aromatic, incense-y note. A little heavy and traditionally perfumey for me at this stage. Dry: Huh! Despite my less-than-stellar expectations, the myrrh really comes into its own after about an hour. It adds depth, character, and frisson to what would otherwise be a very lackluster, drugstore-perfume rose. I believe I'm also getting a touch of the dark musk, grounding everything and really rounding it out. If there is any ylang ylang left at this stage, it's blended seamlessly into the rose, so well I can't even detect it.

Balm of Gilead, benzoin, frankincense, balsam of peru, beeswax, saffron, galbanum, calamus, hyssop, mastic, lemon balm, and white sage. In the imp: A big ol' hit of sharp herbs and resins with an interesting spicy edge. There's maaaaybe a hint of benzoin-y, beeswax-y sweetness to soften the edges, but primarily, this scent is SHARP. Wet: Ah, now that's what I'm talking about! On my skin, it settles down and opens up into something broad, warm, and sweet. The shriekingly sharp resins mellow out, the beeswax note becomes a main player, and something distinctly floral emerges. The herbs, too, become fresher and...wetter? I'm getting fresh-cut herbs, not dried ones. Dry: The florals gradually overtake the resins, although the resins never completely disappear - they end up providing some lovely grounding for the florals, so they don't drift away entirely. The incense is still providing some frisson throughout, but, surprisingly, it blends very well with the florals and resins. Incense and/or resins tend to go unpleasantly sharp and sour on my skin, so I'm glad they avoided it here! And the beeswax is soft but notable throughout, making everything play nice with each other.

In the imp: A big, zingy hit of juniper with maybe just a whiff of florals for levity. Brisk and lovely! ...No dirt, though. Wet: I'm still getting a lot of juniper and maybe a touch of patchouli, but now it's almost...rotten-smelling? I don't have a lot of experience with BPAL's dirt note, but this does indeed bring to mind juniper needles decaying into the earth. It's my policy to test every frimp I get just in case I end up finding a new love, but to be honest this smells more unsettling than the brisk, outdoorsy scent I was getting ITI. Dry: Warms up to a surprisingly soft, cuddly patchouli. However, this one doesn't hang around for long, and disappears after about four hours. Eh, I think someone else will appreciate this one more than me. I've been sniffing around (har!) for a good outdoorsy herbal scent, and while I do like the juniper and patchouli, I wish it was, y'know, actually juniper and patchouli instead of loam. However, dirt lovers rejoice - you have a winner here!

In the imp: Primarily violet right now, with tuberose adding some non-intrusive grounding and slink. I don't have a great scent profile for lilac, but this violet smells dewy and fresh, not starchy and powdery, so I'm totally willing to believe that's lilac at work. Wet: A heady, candy-like sweetness. Less distinguishable as any particular floral; just a general impression of candied flower petals. Dry: Gets softer and drier remarkably quickly, and ends up as a soft, powdery violet. As mentioned above, I might have to test this against Le Serpent Qui Danse - they're remarkably similar!

In the imp: A soft, mellow rose - "white rose" sounds entirely appropriate! There's also a fresh, creamy, citrus-y scent that could be the bergamot and bourbon vanilla, or could be me just trying to smell the listed notes. Or, hell, it might just be an aspect of the rose itself. Either way, it's a fresh, innocent scent - so far, so good. Wet: An earthier, "dirtier" scent overall. I'm definitely getting the patchouli, a sort of violet-like floral that I assume is orris, and a touch of creamy sweetness that's probably the bourbon vanilla, but may also be the way the white rose is interacting with all of the above. Dry: Soft, powdery sweetness - orris with tonka and/or bourbon vanilla, and occasional flashes of patchouli. Huh, I'm surprised the rose didn't last longer - rose may go sour on me sometimes, but it's never faded this quickly. Hopefully aging will take this from something good to something great. I love the idea, I love all the notes, but together...somehow it just doesn't wow me.

In the imp: Primarily lavender, complicated by the faintest whiff of other florals. It has a dry, woodsy feeling, like a living lavender plant - both the flowers and the woody stems. Wet: Lavender, but lavender like I've never smelled it before. It's now balanced by something incredibly difficult to describe - the closest I can come is a woodsy-floral-hollow-herbal scent. ...And then, several minutes in, a whiff of what I could swear is the vanilla/bourbon vanilla/tonka that samarablackcat described. I could definitely see this as a spring scent, but it's neither a light, feminine floral nor a cheerful, juicy citrus. It's entirely itself, and I have no idea how to describe it. It reminds me of harp music. Dry: From afar, I get whiffs of soft, flowery lavender. Up close, it's a woody-floral-herbal scent, leaning more and more towards the woods as time goes on. Eventually (after about eight hours) it's a soft, mellow, woodsy scent, rounded out by the barest breath of lavender and what I still swear is tonka. My skin chemistry went NUTS with this combination of notes, and I love it! Ineffable woodsy-florals for bright spring days, and warm, cuddly woods for cool nights.

In the imp: An elegant, sophisticated, grown-up rose. Wet: A little drier, almost spicy, but very true to ITI. It's like the drugstore English Rose body splash I wore in junior high grew up, went to college, maybe did a year abroad in Europe, and now wears black velvet and diamonds and probably owns an art gallery or something. Dry: It grows deeper and broader over time, with the oudh actually being distinguishable as itself, but overall, it's a fairly linear drydown, and I mean that in the most wonderful way possible.

In the imp: Exactly what it says: thick, spicy, sexy Snake Oil with a dollop of beeswax-y honey. While this works out to a spicy-vanilla-honey scent, it's very non-foody. I'm actually a little nervous at this point - Snake Oil amps to hell and back on my skin, and honey is usually a pretty strong player, too. Good thing I decided to test this on a day I don't have to go anywhere. Wet: An initial blast of SO as I'm used to it - big, bold, and brassy. But within a couple of minutes, it becomes...springtime SO? Like, I'm still getting the sexy spices, but it doesn't smell as thick or heavy as usual. In fact, I'm getting something almost brisk or fresh. This is Snake Oil's sweeter, milder, more innocent little sister, but there's still a definite family resemblance. Dry: Becomes more and more straight-up SO as it dries, losing that "breezy little sister" aspect. Now the honey is just intensifying the sweet, slinky feeling.

I'm thinking a dark, slinky floral (jasmine or ylang ylang, for preference, but I could see her going for something fresher and younger, like rose or violet, if she's trying to seduce poor innocent d'Artagnan) with a heavy undercurrent of vetiver. Or maybe patchouli? One of those scents that could go epically wrong, but she makes it sort of darkly seductive instead of skunky. It would be sexy and enticing on top, but once those notes burned off, BAM! Vetiver city. I did a bit of checking around, and it looks like Marquise de Merteuil, Serpent's Kiss, Tombeur, A Countenance Foreboding Evil, and Highwayman (oddly enough) all fit. This is actually a question of great interest to me, since my plan to go as Milady for Halloween last year was sadly thwarted by being unable to find a costume that cost less than like $200. But if I find one this year, I'm totally wearing one of these!

In the imp: My first impression was "soap and water." I'm a little worried, since aquatics usually come out soapy on my skin, so to smell soap ITI does not bode well. There are some lovely light spring florals under there, though - here's hoping these come out more strongly on my skin. Wet: At first, it can't seem to decide which to settle on: fresh water, light florals, or soap. As time goes on, it settles more firmly on soap, but it's a pleasant, nicely-scented floral soap. Dry: Unusually for my skin, it leans more floral and less soapy as time goes on. But it was never strong to begin with, and even the the faintest of florals are gone by about four hours. I think this one is going into the swaps box - my "soft, feminine, princess-y florals" category doesn't really need any more rounding out, and this one just has so little oomph to it. Plus, the whole soapy thing.

In the imp: Soft, lush nighttime flowers, primarily jasmine. And, yeah, I agree with LexieBlom; I would have sworn there's apple in here! I realize this sounds WAY too sweet, but there's something reining it all in - herbs, maybe? It's a dignified, almost austere take on florals right now. Here's to the next stage staying true to ITI! Wet: A restrained, dignified jasmine still. Mostly jasmine goes very va-va-voom on me, but this is a jasmine that likes to play behind closed doors. Perhaps just the barest touch of moss (hey, that could be where I'm getting that refined, austere vibe), but no dirt or incense yet. This is actually a plus for me - dirt scents have never been my favorites, and incense tends to go A) strong and sour on me, but neither of these have happened yet. Dry: I've been dragging my heels on trying this one - I've been drawn to warmer, amber and/or leather and/or vanilla and/or boozy scents while the weather is cold - but I'm sorry I did! Now it's soft jasmine, anchored by moss and/or (non-sour!) incense - delicate without being fragile, understated, and utterly lovely. Still no dirt anywhere, surprisingly.

In the imp: Mostly musky sandalwood, with the woodsy note putting its own spin on things. There's a touch of sweetness from the rose and/or amber (I'm thinking rose, since it doesn't have much of the expansive, warm sweetness that I associate with amber), but it's a faint second at best. Wet: After a worrying initial blast of dry woods, it settles down into a musky, woodsy amber. Still not quite as primal as I would have expected from a scent called Fenris Wolf - more subtle strength and femininity. Oddly enough, this melds with my skin chemistry incredibly quickly! After the aforementioned initial blast of dry woods, I went to sniff my wrist and got... nothing. Maybe a hint of sweet musk. But my boyfriend confirmed that he could smell it from a foot and change away, so I guess this is just something that melds with my natural skin-scent (at least to me) incredibly quickly? Some determined sniffing revealed the musky, woodsy amber mentioned above, but I don't notice it nearly as much as usual. Dry: Musky sandalwood, with a touch of amber for sweetness - nothing groundbreaking (this is a scent combo I'm drawn to, so I have plenty of variations on this theme), but brings a smile to my face just the same. It grows woodsier over time, but my old friend amber keeps it from veering into plywood territory.

In the imp: A woodsy-herbal scent, but a very dry woodsy-herbal scent. Instead of fresh-cut timber and herbs right out of the ground, these are dry, dusty planks of wood, cut long ago, and dried herbs hanging in bunches in a kitchen. Alas, I can't pick out any specific woods or herbs. Wet: Ooh, now that's more like it. The herbs are more dominant and a bit greener. I can almost pick out...pine? basil? Something brisk and fresh-smelling, on the verge of foody but not quite. There's also a sweet element rounding it all out, but it's more of a resinous sweetness than a floral one. Now it's a brisk, outdoorsy smell, like walking in the forest after a heavy rainstorm, smelling the sap from the trees and the wild herbs crushed under your feet. Dry: Like others are saying, this one fades FAST. Barely an hour after application, it's a barely discernible, vaguely herbal soap. Very "meh" and underwhelming. I know aging can bring forward a great drydown to compensate for an unfortunate opening, but is there any way to extend an opening and nix a disappointing drydown?

In the imp: Primarily an earthy scent (from a combination of the saffron, incense, and "vegetal" musk, I think), with the amber and/or honey casting a soft, vaguely sweet golden veil over everything. The citrus is notable, but it's a soft citrus, not an in-your-face citrus like it usually is. Wet: There's an initial blast of incense, but the citrus quickly becomes dominant. I'm really liking what this vegetal musk is doing to it, though - combined with the amber, it's an earthy, gilded citrus, not a juicy and/or bright and glittering citrus like I'm used to. This is going to be perfect for days like today, when I need a little pick-me-up but can't stand the aggressive cheerfulness of straight-up citrus. Dry: A soft, herbal, musky amber. Cuddly, unisex, and delicious! There's little to no citrus left, but citrus does tend to burn off quickly instead of hanging around (at least on me), so that's to be expected. A whiff of honey turns up at the veeeeery end (around 11 hours on me - great wear time!), after being notably absent throughout. This is the blend I was most on the fence about for my Yules/Anniversary order, but out of all of them, I think this is my favorite! I really don't have anything in my collection like it. I've got some dark, juicy, sexy citruses, some bright, get-up-and-go citruses, and plenty of lovely glittering citrus-amber combos, but nothing quite as earthy and mysterious as this.

In the imp: When I opened it fresh from the mail (I know, I know - I'm terrible at waiting!), I got a massive blast of cinnamon that had me worried (lately, spicy scents, especially cinnamon and/or clove, have caused my skin to react in a... non-optimal way). But upon opening it again a day or two later, this was gone - thank goodness for settling! Now, it's a smooth, sweet, and VERY sexy tobacco-leather blend, sort of the more masculine equivalent of my beloved dark, smoky vanillas. Actually, maybe it's bourbon vanilla giving me the scent association - I'm not a big drinker, so I'm not great at picking out boozy notes, but the impression is very similar. Whatever it is, it's thick and sexy enough to sink my teeth into; just this side of gourmand-sweet. I can also detect just a hint of incense and/or spice way at the back, but I have to pay close attention to do so. Wet: Fairly linear, albeit drier. The tobacco especially feels dried, lacking that almost vanilla-y/juicy aspect. Similarly, the leather is now that of an old book cover or armchair, not warmed by body heat. The woody and/or incense notes are also more prominent, but the spices have fled entirely. It's still definitely a sexy man-smell, but now more austere and less front-and-center sexual. Dry: Slowly but surely warms back up to something close to ITI, although it never regains that lovely, juicy, overtly sexual element. The incense fades into the background, and the leather becomes more prominent. There's still a faint, woozy note of rum running throughout, giving the leather some depth, although the sharp alcohol element is pretty much gone. (Huzzah!) Throw is okay, but not enormous - which is a plus for me, since I occasionally amp sweet smells to high heaven. I have a weakness for tobacco/leather/rum/wood masculine scents, and this is an excellent addition to the collection! Nothing incredibly outstanding, just sweet, sexy, and comforting on a cold day.

In the imp: Soft, sweet, woody florals, but with a chilly edge that reminds me of traditional perfume. Specifically, it reminds me of the glamorous women of my grandmother's generation. It feels nostalgic, almost sad - I imagine this to be the scent my grandmother would have worn when my grandfather went off to war. Wet: The woods and greenery take a huge step forward. Holy crap, this is indeed like walking through a forest with just a dusting of snow on the ground! The I can almost taste the sweet, crisp scent of the snowy air on my tongue. After only a few minutes, the snow note (if this is what BPAL's snow smells like all the time OMG WHY DIDN'T I BUY ALL THE SNOW NOTES THIS YULE) becomes dominant, and the woods, sage, and oddly unmistakable tree moss take a backseat. Dry: Fairly true to ITI. Soft, sweet, and nostalgic, and stays close to the body. In my mind, this is the perfume of a girl just growing into womanhood in the 1940s or 50s.

In the imp: A sharp, herbal-resinous smell (most likely the frankincense, but may be the sage as well), coupled with a honey-floral sweetness that is almost definitely the honey myrtle. Right now it's simple and pleasant. Wet: Jasmine and sage - what a combination! The jasmine is fresh and mysterious, in a real "magic conducted outdoors" way, not languid and overtly sexy like it usually is. There's still a honeyed edge from the honey myrtle, but I'm not getting any patch or oudh so far, and the frankincense has done a disappearing act. But instead, I could almost swear there's a note of lemon blossom honey or something in here - I'm getting something distinctly zingy and citrus-y. Dry: Fades into a skin-scent remarkably quickly - four hours, tops. But while I can still discern it, it moves more and more jasmine-dominant, with just a hint of incense/resins. These tend to go a little funky-sour on me, but the jasmine (which, on the other hand, plays quite well with my skin) keeps this from getting too bad.

In the imp: A smooth, warm, golden scent. Amber and vanilla are prominent (two of my favorites!) as is sandalwood. There's also a whiff of resins/incense way deep down, but they're not immediately apparent. Wet: I got a big ol' whiff of cinnamon before I'd even finished applying, but that faded almost immediately. Instead, the incense and leather take a big step forward - very unisex! But that warm, smooth amber-vanilla-and-a-bit-of-sandalwood from ITI is still there; I just have to sniff a bit for it. Overall, it's a very cuddly scent, but not in a "grandma's house, fuzzy crocheted afghans, a cup of tea, and a purring cat" - cuddly in a sexy way, like getting a hug and a thick blanket from a sexy dude when you've had a bad day and it's cold outside. Or maybe I'm just projecting. ;P Dry: The incense/resins are mostly still dominant, but the amber manages to keep them entering funky-sour territory, as they so often do on my skin. Instead, they blend beautifully with the amber and the leather at the base. But this is a smooth, well-worn leather, as in Paladin or Blood and Judgement So Well Commedled, not the sharp, new leather of Whip or Iago.