n1k1ta

Brunt earth with wilted carnations straight out of the roller bottle. There's a little meat powder note in Mandrake that hits me in my throat. Mandrake is dry wood, almost dry rot, and a little herby. Luckily, the throw is pretty weak so I don't have to smell it unless I bring my nose to my wrist. Once dry, Mandrake is more tolerable. Powdery pine resin leaning towards an old crayon box.

The beginnings of Tamora were simply amber and sandalwood. Kinda blah, but pleasant. Once fully dry, the peach blossom came out. I think there was a little bit of the heliotrope in the mix as well. After an hour or so, Tamora ended up smelling like Aglaea on someone who is not me. Very bright with a hint of wine (?). At the end of its short life, less than four hours, Tamora went back to sandalwood. I'm not sure this is a good pick for someone whose chemistry brings out the darker side of a perfume. Tamora never went nasty on me, but it just didn't do as well as I thought it would.

The first two hours of Intrigue was smoky wood with a touch of old-fashion root beer. It was the best combination! It was a little sweet, but not sugary. The wood and smoke notes were mellow and smooth. After the two-hour mark, the deep, almost bitter cocoa overpowers the root beer note. Intrigue becomes more rich because of that. I wasn't sure about this combination at first. I mean, cocoa and wood?! It just didn't sound very yummy. But, man, was I wrong! Intrigue is warm, dark and definitely sexy.

Sharp bite in Lightning! It's almost manly, but not quite. I can smell the charged water notes. It's very similar to Cathode, but lighter. There's almost a minty tingle, but it never fully develops. I feel fresh and cool in Lightning. This has to be one of the best summer scents I've tried yet. The longer it's on me, the more I like it too since I seem to bring out a pale floral in Lightning. I would recommend this for people of the male persuasion as well. When it comes down to it, Lightning is sexy.

Thalia is definitely plumeria and pear. There is a hint of grape-y tartness in the background. This perfume is radiant and stayed true throughout its life. I see a pale lilac color when I smell it. While it's friendly and bright, downright cheerful, I'm bored with it. I must be weird because I like complex or, dare I say it, strange perfumes. This is a little too "vanilla" for me.

Poisoned Apple is a very tart, crisp, green Granny Smith apple for about half an hour. Then the darker side comes out and the opium and oleander slithered their way out of such a luscious apple perfume. After about six hours, there's no apple to be detected but the opium and oleander are floral and strong. The hemlock must be the backdrop note adds something like a mellow pine to the floral. Poisoned Apple is a really lovely perfume! I'm so surprised by it. I might have to wear this another time to really know if it's a bottle-buy or not, but I love my little imp!

Rose, dark red rose. The almond swirls around the heady rose so Seraglio is almost overwhelmingly sweet. There is a touch of orange in the rose/almond mixture. However, it doesn't lighten the perfume at all. There's also a bitter note that I can't pinpoint the source of. It hits me in the back of the throat. It's not pleasant. After two hours, the nutmeg and clove seep out and Seraglio becomes a little more spice. The orange peel is a wonderful contrast with the spice since the rose has become less aggressive. After four hours, Seraglio is sandalwood with orange-y spice. I can say that this perfume is not anything like what I go for. However, it did stay true and never soured. If you're a fan of sweet/spicy rose, this is right up your alley.

Drydown is, whoa, Lemon Pledge! Strong and strident, and makes me want to wash it off. It brings back memories of cleaning. However, something pleasantly floral comes out after twenty minutes and Nine Muses turns light and citrus-y floral. I want to say lemon verbena with wildflowers. Nine Muses went a little powdery after four hours. Still good, but fading. I'm not sure if it was inspirational, but I did enjoy it.

Spicy berries and amber, oh my! None of the harshness of Snake Oil at all. Delicious, warm with a touch of vanilla. After about two hours, Australian Copperhead turned to plain Snake Oil without any harsh incense-y downtime. Lovely!

Only Beth knows what's in this, I guess. I smell gardenia and lavender. Maybe a little jasmine in there? It's a little grandma in the beginning, honestly, but very relaxing. The grandma vibe disappeared after thirty minutes, so I'm pleased. I had to do stressful stuff today, but I didn't feel stress at all. Actually, I'm feeling a little sleepy as I type this!

Sweet berries and a hint of mellow cream was what I got during dry down. However, it turned and stayed cherry candy until it faded after two hours. Bloody Mary was a very red scent, which is something I love, but smelling like candy isn't my thing.

Beckons all giant creatures from gargantuan reptiles and humongous moths! These babies are sure to crush everything from dollhouses to shopping malls! Can even be used to summon colossal robots in a pinch! A sweet and crisp vanilla mint! I didn't get much time with Tokyo Stomp. The mint burned the crap out of me. My neck was pink and burning only minutes after application. I washed it all off and was left with a vanilla on my wrists that was pleasant, but not something I would buy.

Bliss is definitely pure, unadulterated chocolate. Best chocolate scent I have ever encountered. After an hour, it went a little spicier, like Aztec chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne pepper. I need a vat of Bliss!

I didn't get any vanilla from Terpischore. Mostly this perfume was neroli with general sweet floral in the background. It was a very happy, bubbly perfume though. Terpischore wasn't a very inspirational scent on me, honestly. I liked it, but I'm not gaga over it. The throw wasn't very strong either and it went away within three hours.

For the first two hours, Kuang Shi smelled like the Strawberry Shortcake doll from the 80s. You know the one. It's scented and real cute. Yeah, that. It's like Chinese zombie strawberries. It's very interesting. At the five hour mark, I'm still getting sweetly smelling toys, but there's more to it. The musk and sandalwood take the edge off the plastic smell. It's now pleasantly fruity and not RAAAAR, STRAWBERRY SHORTBRAINS! I never got a definite orange note. I think the mango and orange really compete here and become something else altogether. Overall, Kuang Shi is weird, but I kinda like it.

Amber and myrtle with a touch of flirty apple blossom is what I get. Very charming! Brisingamen stayed true for about an hour and a half. Then something happened with the ambers and it went a little harsh. There's a bite from something - the carnation? - that doesn't sit well on me. Brisingamen stayed harsh too. The throw is long-lasting though. I can still smell it eight hours after application. Despite its long life, I'm not really fond of Brisingamen, but I know someone else will be. C'est la vie.

I am so disappointed. Habu is just watered down Snake Oil on me. I didn't get any of the woods. Only the earthy, spicy vanilla of Snake Oil. Color me all sorts of sad.

Ylang ylang ylang! Loralei bashed me about the head and shoulders with ylang ylang. And I mean that in a totally awesome way. I didn't catch the neroli nor sandalwood at all for almost thirty minutes. The sandalwood deepened the ylang ylang so it wasn't quite as magnolia/jasmine-y. Oh, but then the neroli added this floral-citrus note. I'm not sure how Loralei can be deep yet bright, but it is! In about two to three hours, Loralei went to a incense-like perfume. I wish that the ylang ylang and neroli stuck around a little longer or were stronger. However, Loralei is definitely worth a second application to get the ylang ylang and neroli back.

Honestly, I'm not having much luck with the South American perfumes. They die very quickly on me. Unfortunately, Tenochtitlan was no different. The little time I did get to partake in Tenochtitlan was wonderful ambery tulips. I did catch an herb note from the sage, coriander and epazote. If this line of South American perfumes would last on me, I'd be so happy! I've enjoyed each one. Perhaps it's time to invest in a perfume pendant...

Morgause is sharp, pungent, spicy and aggressive. The beginning was floral, very floral. I never caught any fruit, but there was a tangy note whispering under the heavy floral. What really came out on me was the incense. After about two hours, the incense was mellowed by the violet, luckily. There's something very old school about Morgause. It's like a classic Chanel perfume. Granted, it's sexy and grown up, but it's not really me. Morgause is a serious perfume. I recommend it when serious facking business is going down.

The star anise is the strongest note in this mix for the first hour. I've discovered that I'm not really a fan of anise, so I wasn't thrilled. I kept an open mind about Kyoto though since I thought the cherry blossom and sandalwood would take over soon. They did, actually, but the sandalwood overpowered the cherry blossom. I ended up with this woody yet almost floral perfume with a hint of herby anise. It was pleasant enough. I was wanting more cherry blossom and less sandalwood. Kyoto, all in all, is for someone else with a different chemistry.

Burial is very earthy and floral with a hint of Embalming Fluid. I smell lily and something else for the floral. The earth note is...well, earthy. It's not quite petrichor, but there is something very forest/dirt/pine bark. It's not musty or dank though. The patchouli is very spicy and fully develops after about two hours. It adds a depth to Burial. It overpowers the Embalming Fluid note which makes the crisp quality evaporate completely. I know the juniper is in there, but I can't quite make it out. Burial is a strong perfume with staying power. I highly recommend it for lovers of foresty scents.

There is a coconut note in Maenad. Which makes the perfume very tropical with the poppy and hibiscus. The orange blossom and strawberry are a natural sweet and never sloppy saccharine. I was concerned about the carnation. I don't really like carnations, honestly. I never picked up on them though, so I'm relieved. I received compliments on this perfume all day too. Men wanted to smell me and women wanted to know what I was wearing. I think Maenad is a success!

The Unicorn is very unexpected for me. It's so light, delicate and pure. The throw isn't strong, but it's enough that my nose is teased by this diaphanous perfume. I only get linden blossoms from The Unicorn, honestly. It takes me back to my backyard when I was a teenager. Those were bittersweet times. All I can do is sigh happily and sniff my wrist.

I usually steer clear of rose. It reminds me of a funeral parlor. I was hesitant about wearing Catherine, honestly, because of the rose note. It just doesn't seem like my type of perfume. I'm not sure, even after wearing it for seven hours, if it will ever be "my" type. Catherine is never grandma powder though. It's rich with a deep undercurrent of rose. The rosemary really comes out on me. The orange blossom brings a gentle sweetness to the heaviness of this perfume. It is a great combination, really. I enjoy Catherine. I don't think it's a bottle-buy, but I will definite keep the imp I have for special occasions.