ThreeFates

In the imp: Oh, beautiful! Why have I not tried this before? Such a gorgeous, post-summer rain rose. GET ON MY SKIN. Wet on skin: Immediately it reminds me of a single note rose perfume oil I got with a pot pourri kit as a little girl, which is neither a good or bad thing, just a very, well, rose thing! It does seem quite sharp in places, ever so slightly like an expensive soap an elderly relative would have that you'd sneakily sniff and wish you were allowed to use. The rose is most definitely announcing itself loud and clear, but o leather, where art thou? Hiding in the background, too shy to say hello it seems. Because, really, I'm not picking up any leather so far. Dry on skin: Still not getting the leather, but it's early days and that rose is so dense that it may as well be a single note on me. Morphing even soapier now, but not in an unpleasant way. Soft like how perfumed soap bubbles or lather smells. Later that day: The rose is still kicking butt and taking names, but I'm getting an ever so slight leather presence now, albeit a very gentle, sweet leather. I'm finding it to be very sweet overall actually, but softly so and it is certainly quite beautiful. All hints of soapyness have completely gone now too. This is seriously feminine. Conclusion: I think this one's going in my let-it-age-and-test-again pile. However, I started baking while wearing this earlier and the smell wafting in from the kitchen really mingled beautifully with it, so perhaps layering with a more foody scent would be just what it needs to take it to the next level for me. Still, I was looking for something more sexy and domme-y, and on this occasion I didn't find it with Whip.

An imp bought as part of the leather pack, it wasn't something I was especially excited about trying, 'though with hindsight I'm surprised at that due to my general love of metal, blood and musk. Bottle: Firstly, WOW. I definitely got the polished leather through nice and strong, but the steel was especially hitting me... along with an antiseptic note. Wet on Skin: OK, this is actually incredible. The leather is fighting through the steel and the antiseptic note has backed off a bit. It's actually really, really sexy. (Disclaimer: I have a huge thing for leather in every way, so leather notes will usually get similar reactions from me.) I'm also getting transported back to my childhood days working at a riding school, where one of my frequent tasks was to help clean the tack and/or the tack room itself. Lovingly cared for and polished leather and steel? Definitely. Still, it's a bit odd having feelings of childhood nostalgia mingling with what I feel is such a sexy scent. Dry on Skin: The leather put up a valiant fight, but was just no match for the steel on my skin, which has become quite rich and ever so slightly cloying on me. I'm still not picking up any blood at all, and what musk I've snatched has been a suggestion at best. Towards the End of the Day: Musk, you showed up! Pretty late to the party, but at least you showed up. Blood didn't even bother. The polished leather is also back, and I'd say is actually even lovelier than earlier (not as overly polished as it was). Not even a hint of that antiseptic-y note I was picking up before. I don't actually have much experience with metal notes on my skin, so I'm guessing that I'd amped it immensely causing it to overpower everything else, and now that's faded there's a softer balance overall. Unfortunately everything else has faded somewhat at this point ('though not as much of course), and I'm quite disappointed about that. Conclusion: I'll be keeping the imp, but it's jumped from my buy-a-bottle list to my give-it-some-time list. I'll either try it on a certain someone and see how it works with his skin chemistry or I'll give it some time and try again myself at a later date. It was definitely a very enjoyable experience, however it just morphed a bit too far from what I was enjoying in places.