murqmaid

I have a bottle of this somehow I can easily see this going soapy on some. I'd agree with it being gender neutral, leaning "perfumey" rather than "cologney," in that it's higher pitched. in the bottle: herbal fougere with powdery florals and an astringent twang at the end of the sniff. on the skin: high pitched, clean fougere with flowers. i can't really picture the metal or rust here, so maybe that's the ending twangy note that was in the bottle sniff? the only metal notes I've had xp with are in fighter and MOMC, and this is not like that. Im getting a teeny bit of muskiness, which im guessing is from the saddle leather. finishes to a soapy fougere for me.

on application i swear this smelled green at first, but then i get a hit of lemon followed by almond, the almond disappearing quickly. (i wonder if that green note is what DD described as bitter?) the oak and fruity lemon are the "high and low" notes on the bounds, while the frank sorta blends and fills in the middle. this dries down into a soft frankincense, a bit powdery and perfumey, with a pop of fruitness and oak. wish i could pick out that russet brick note, it's why I got the decant, but i dont think its pronouncd enough for me to have that Aha moment. i like this more during the dry down. not bad, but not a favorite.

i really wanted to love this, but I just don't. im getting the bay leaves, fig, amber, and balsam/cypress in that order. this wore kind of perfumey/cologney on me, and i much prefer Diana.

this has changed with age CONSIDERABLY. i remember it being acrid/sharp when i first received it. when wet, the sandalwood and rose are most prominent on me. i hardly get any amber until it dries, but it does peek out eventually, adding more warmth. when dry, the rose quiets down considerably, but is still very present (atleast, to me. i say this as someone who doesn't wear or enjoy many florals, and is just beginning to accept rose into their collection). after an hour, the sandalwood dominates and the scent leans more woody. this blend is dry, warm, golden, and wears a little perfumey on me.

decant rested 1 day the introduction to this scent is spot on, "A melancholy scent, somber, smoky, and dark, but with a memory of a brighter time, a more innocent time." alot going on here and there's a little bit of everything, but the sweet oud, (sweet) lavender, and cashmeran musk are most prominent on me. i can definitely pick out the tobacco, black tea, oakmoss, and carnation, but the black leather is MIA (however, i'm used to wearing more leather forward scents). the smokiness note made me pause, but this isn't charred smoke (like in Liz). it's more of a hazy, sexy whisper that adds character, which i think contributes to that somber, melancholic edge. this would be a going out scent for me, and if i smelled this ON someone, they would have my attention... like, hello there. slightly perfumey, musky, medium sweetness. strong throw.

tested from a decant, rested 1 day on application, the sandalwood and bergamot hit loudest, followed by the lavender, pink rose, and vanilla bean. this sandalwood is dry and warm. i was surprised to pick out the vanilla bean so distinctly, and although it sweetens things up, this scent is far from gourmand territory. i wasn't in love at first, but the drydown really changed my mind, as that's where the marshmallow and pink rose really sing! the marshmallow here reminds me of poesie's base layering note, which fluffens things up. soft, innocent, and pillowy. lower throw, wears close to the skin.

I've been dying for a paper scent that isnt dominated by leather or go cologney, and this is it! im not a huge lavender lover so i was apprehensive upon first sniff, but this lavender isn't strongly herbal and is actually kinda sweet. now that my bottle has had a chance to age, the paper note is getting much stronger and is becoming the dominant note 😍😍😍 i do think the lavender makes it somewhat perfumey, but not intolerably. i personally don't get any ink, and like it that way. MORE PPR PLS YANA is soft and comforting. its my favorite sleep scent thus far, and im stoked to have found a back up.

more apple-y than anticipated as this trio lists "apple peel," but im not mad about it! the apple brings a delightful fresh and crisp sweetness to the vetiver and patch, which are both very gentle and gorgeous. I didn't get dirt from those two notes, but i would've welcomed it. I absolutely love the vetiver in this. good throw but does not stick around long. ill probably make an EDP out of this.

regular alice was a sleeper hit for me, so I'm wearing **queen alice** to bed tonight. right away there's that familiar, pretty carnation note, and I smell some complementary florals which i assume are the posies. the light, pretty notes are ruined by what I'm guessing is the *hint* of inky treacle??? (a dark, syrupy type of molasses?). it makes the blend smell kinda off, and adds this spoiled note that doesn't belong. thankfully it wears off a little and I'm able to enjoy the sweet, fruitiness from the cider and wooly wine. kinda pretty on the drydown, but that treacle messes with things.

seconding bear prince! I especially like applying it after a shower/before bed for max snugs. I'm not a huge fan of rose, but BB'd the 2020 version since snow and fur are two of my favorite notes. the rose isn't heavy or old fashioned, it's dewy and fresh💧 i also loved the small brown cat and would die for a fur SN to layer with 😍

this started off with a lovely spicy sandalwood, but went powdery on me. it actually reminds me of chanel powder foundation that my mom used to use. i can see how others consider this cozy, but i can't escape the image it evokes. i had a similar experience to vetchvesper- this scent reminds me of older homes with the creaky, unpolished, hardwood floors, old cabinetry, and antique hanging chandeliers. dusty and musky. this is like walking behind a powdered, perfumed, poised lady in one of those houses.

a strong tobacco at first that mellows out with a smooth back drop of rice milk. im *in love* with rice milk and wish it were stronger here, but im glad it made an appearance. i dont get any frankincense, but im totally okay with that. this scent is elegant, feminine, and just makes me feel so luxurbrioussss. so glad i held onto my bottle 🥰

loved this when it was wet, as it was mostly "dirt" and patch, with a little bit of sweet from the fig. really loving the dirt element to this, which i suspect are the "mushroom caps" and oakmoss notes. grave pig would've been a bottle buy if it stayed in the wet phase. as it dries, the fig takes over, and it just becomes too forwardly "feminine" for me (i prefer to blur those lines, and sometimes feel uncomfortable smelling "pretty"). HOWEVER, this scent really allows you to enjoy the fig without it being too overwhelming or cloying (for me, eden was this way, and i suspected the honey). death pig is really lovely and i like it. very wearable, and imo, "office appropriate." as it's dryin, i'm sniffin, and i'm likin it.. i'll need to bury this in more dirt before buying a bottle.

i was hesitant to write this reivew but wanted to get something down because so little has been said. i've skin tested this a couple times now, and i still don't know how to feel about it. wet: spicy, moss fougere with musk. the nagarmotha is yelling at me, and i don't like it. dry: i prefer it much more in this phase. the musk is strong and balancing, and it really makes this blend enjoyable for me. the nagarmotha has settled down *alot* and i'm getting to enjoy the other woody notes i love (patch, moss) verdict: i like this when dry, but it isn't a bottle for me.... i prefer it over st. lois; and it's definitely an interesting one to test and analyze. this imp should definitely go to someone who will love it more than i.

yuuuuuuuuuuusssssssss, this is such great news! I hope those crumbling pages come out too. can't wait to read your review @niffler