Hel

In the bottle: Strong musk with a very sharp edge. On the skin: Calms down, the musk is still real prominent but the heliotrope and plum intensify and it gets rounded out. I can definitely smell the ylang ylang as well, it really softens it and makes me think of something like jasmine (only without the jasmine). Its also smoky and incensey - makes me think of Madame Moriarty a little, just like, instead of this being the tarot reader herself, its like the tarot reader's cute little sister who lurks in the doorway. A very nice scent overall, a little more flowery/feminine than I was expecting but overall quite lovely and complex.

This is one of those scents I've gone back to periodically for years. I'm always perplexed because there's no guidance from the Lab regarding what's actually in it, but it always keeps me coming back. And I always expect it to smell different on me, as time tends to change your body chemistry slightly, but I've been testing it on and off for maybe 6 years and it never seems to change. For which I am thankful. Immediately opening the bottle I smell a very deep rose scent, something that might evoke images of a Victorian brothel. It also makes me think of how certain flowers were used in that era to hide the smell of death and decay; its a nice scent but its definitely strong in the bottle. It quiets down after application, however, and softens to something a little lighter - still the roses, and some type of lemon. Maybe a little lemon verbena, the kind of sachet Scarlett O'Hara talked about her mother smelling like in Gone With the Wind. Something very feminine but still with a little edge. There's something else hiding in there as well, though, some other type of floral (lavender? magnolia?) I've never been able to put my finger on. Its too well-blended. It fades pretty steadily but never entirely, and every once in awhile throughout the day I find myself getting a quick whiff of it even if I don't continue to smell it strongly. Its one of the scents I can never seem to break away from. It seems much too strong for some people, but there's a unique, bright floral quality to it that stands out even among the floral scents.