Mermaid-on-Land

Omg this is amazing! When I first put it on I thought 'whew that's a strong musk' but it literally settled down immediately into the most beautifully sweet and languid scent. The honey and flowers come together to remind me of star jasmine a tiny bit, I have a plant growing on my back wall and love the way it smells. One of the flowers is pulling a bit "orange" so I feel like there's a hint of like, candied orange to the blend. The cognac gives it this ambery, illuminated quality, like the way a glass of cognac or something looks in the light, and the myrrh, musk, and patchouli blend perfectly without jumping out on their own. I love myrrh and this is a really pretty musk. I'm hesitant about patchouli if it's too strong but it is very well blended here. The throw on this is fantastic! It stayed strong all day too, without much slathering. This is one I decided to try for the hell of it, and it turned out to be one of my favorites from this order!

Lab frimp! The hops are very sweet and floral-smelling right on application, they are almost bubblegum-like for a second before settling. That is most of what I get to start. There is a bit of the dusty leather but not much. There's also an undertone that reminds me of the 'thin oil' or bronze note in The Robotic Scarab, that I really like. I never really get the mineral or metallic qualities that everyone else seems to. This is very pretty and not nearly as masculine as I'd pictured from the description. This dwarf is a total girl next door that probably sings Taylor swift songs in the mines... 😂 I applied quite a bit so it began very strong. It became less noticeable over the course of a couple hours so sadly it didn't last as long as I'd have liked. However I liked this a lot more than I thought, it stood out as fairly unique! I've never looked much at the RPG line, just not much of a layer-er(?) with my scents, but this was cool!

A cool, almost minty violet! But definitely very violet dominant. Dry rather than sweet, and cool rather than warm (like all violet scents are to me) but the mint pushes that impression even further. Not quite as chilly as Ultraviolet though, it’s more shaded plants than cold metal. The opoponax warms it a bit a couple minutes into wear and it becomes more complex.

Sharp bitterness (bitter almond perhaps? Or the same bitter-sweet-burnt note from hemlock) and peaches at first. It begins to settle into something poisonous and sweet, musky and not quite fruity, not quite gourmand. It's amazing already, damn it. I'm getting tiny hints of everything, saffron, honey, palm, myrrh, frankincense, etc.something mildly floral, maybe the aconite (monkshood). I really need more perfumes with this bitter almond I love it omg. Very sophisticated and complex. The bitterness creates an almost alcoholesque scent, smelling like an expensive peach liqueur or something. The only thing that saved my wallet from immediately tracking down all the old bottles is that it doesn't last long on me I'll save this one for special occasions (or possibly apply it to my wrist and just sniff it for an hour straight when I'm at home)

Ok so since i hated Djinn and don't seem to do well with 'burny' or fiery scents, this is one I basically got an imp of because… well the name is really cool 🤣 I just really wanted to try it. To my absolute surprise, I loved it! It's smoky in a floral candle smoke kind of way, but light as well. I think there might be some narcissus in this because it has something in common with Darkness, a smoky 'after a candle is out' quality. It seems very appropriate for an enchanted fire in a fairy tale to be a bit more *magical* than just simple fire. It was also sweetened with a different floral, one I didn't recognize (but for some reason thought might be lotus? I could see where it could be compared to bubble gum), and honestly some other scents I have no idea what they might be. I really liked this one and will wear it again! Oh. Some reviews mention ginger and a fruit. possibly a charred fruit? Dragons blood giving it a resiny sweetness? I think maybe a hit of pepper as well, at one point it kicked up pretty strong. It lasted really well and I was surrounded by a nice aura of perfume for like 6 hours. Sweet and a bit spicy, this is pretty in an unexpected way. (And, as a bonus, still has a cool name)

Sharpish floral aquatic, reminds me of Waves of Mist a bit, which I love. Has a ton of ingredients I'm unfamiliar with so it's hard to pick out notes. This reminds a bit of Lady of Shalott minus the very prevalent ginger note. The parsley is very interesting here, it's herbal and the violets play very well with the seawater. Sort of fresh but not dryer sheets, and definitely floral with a slight herbal tinge. It's sophisticated. Very hard to review because there are soooo many notes I'm unfamiliar with, but I definitely enjoyed it!

Trying this relatively fresh, I need to go back eventually and retest it after a bit of aging. Powdery vanilla with a strong sharpness when I first put it on. Eventually it begins to soften and smooth out. Vanilla with a powdery feel, and a slight medicinal tinge reminiscent of Laudanum (I guess since it's called Snake Oil, a medicinal twinge makes sense! 😆) Eventually the powder fades and a spiciness comes in. I feel like there is something in here that behaves on me in a similar way to gardenia, going floral powdered sugar. Or perhaps it just shares a note with Sacred Whore. Not that that's a complaint! Great throw, it actually gets stronger further into drydown. The more it dries the less powdery it is and the more a scent of warm, saturated spices/oils soaked in vanilla comes out. It definitely seems exotic tho. I like it but think I need a couple wearings to get a feel for it. On my second wearing, I'm getting a lot more of the vanilla and "exotic oils" and really liking it. It's sweet and does have a 'sugared vanilla' feel but not overly sweet. I really like it, I can see why this is so universally popular!

Very gardeny when first applied, I can see how this relates to the queen's rose garden lol. It’s also quite strong on rosewood which is a note I’ve loved since I tried Ouija. It’s not overly ROSE but a nice combo of cherry-rose-rosewood with a bite of lavender. Very unique. It’s a sweet, fresh, powdery floral that’s pretty unlike any others I’ve tried (though the lavender recalls Lurid a bit). 15 min in, lavender is beginning to dominate. Goes a bit powdery then rosewood comes up to meet it and it creates a lovely spiciness. The overall vibe is a dusty, medium purple and red velvet. I quite like this, it’s unlike anything I already have! Sadly there’s not as much throw as I’d like and it doesn’t last longer than 6 hours before fading to a skin scent

Beautiful sweet vanilla and sweet pea. It’s soft and snuggly. The sandalwood is in the background and the sweet pea is far more sweet floral than planty floral. Eventually the dry down develops a similar light fresh vanilla to dorian. This is like scent comfort food! A light pink and cream Sherpa blanket to snuggle in by a fireplace.

A beautiful rose with a creamy vanilla. Oh wait, no, on reading the description that’s the “coconut tinged orris” which is an absolutely beautiful note in this! It’s a very pretty and coconutty light floral that plays perfectly with the freshness of the rose. The musks are a light, sparkly background note. It’s so funny how the orris perfectly invokes the creaminess of pearls and the musk is the crystalline quality of diamonds! I really like this one, it’s elegant and while it’s not quite light in a crisp, clean sense, it’s bubbly and fun for a sweet, warm, gourmand scent.

The florals are of the deep and intoxicating variety rather the light and fresh variety; it's more classically ‘perfume’ floral rather than walking in a garden. Jasmine comes in strong, and possibly carnation or neroli in second. I also get something that reminds me of narcissus, possibly that’s the iris? The incense notes deepen it a bit and the moss, patchouli, and vetiver add earthiness. The patch is fairly strong at first but settles down nicely. Now the florals are, as promised, drifting lazily around with the incense. No surprise, I love this, as I love heavier oriental florals 😂 Beautiful, not too sweet or heavy though. Reminds me almost of a darker version of Moscow?

This is a beautiful vanilla and sweet pea. It’s soft and snuggly. The sandalwood is in the background and the sweet pea is far more sweet floral than planty floral. Eventually the drydown develops a similar light fresh vanilla to dorian. This is like scent comfort food! A light pink and cream Sherpa blanket to snuggle in by a fireplace. I really love this one, it's one that you could pretty much wear for any occasion.

Lab frimp! The hops are very sweet and floral smelling right on application, they are almost bubble gum-like for a second before settling. That is most of what I get to start. There is a bit of the dusty leather but not much. There's also an undertone that reminds me of the 'thin oil' or bronze note in The Robotic Scarab, that I really like. I never really get the mineral or metallic qualities that everyone else seems to. This is very pretty and not nearly as masculine as I'd pictured from the description. This dwarf is a total girl-next-door type that probably sings Taylor Swift songs in the mines.... I applied quite a bit so it began very strong. It became less noticeable over the course of a couple hours so sadly it didn't last as long as I'd have liked. However I liked this a lot more than I thought, it stood out as very unique! I've never looked much at the RPG line but this was cool.

Very gardeny when first applied, I can see how this relates to the queen's rose garden from Alice in Wonderland lol. It’s also quite strong on rosewood which is a note I’ve loved since I tried Ouija. It’s not overly ROSE rose, but a nice combo of cherry-rose-rosewood with a bite of lavender. Unique. It’s a sweet fresh powdery floral that’s pretty unlike any others I’ve tried, though the lavender recalls Lurid a tiny bit. 15 minutes into wearing, lavender beginning to dominate and goes a bit powdery, but then rosewood comes up to meet it and it creates a lovely spiciness. The overall color impression I get is a dusty medium purple and red velvet. I quite like this, it’s unlike anything I already have! Sadly there’s not as much throw as I’d like and it doesn’t last longer than 6 hours before fading to a skin scent, but it's really unique and cool!

Cool! I was expecting something leafy fresh and super herbal but this has an underlying burnt smoky note that I can really get behind! A bit of darkness because this is an *evil* plant 😈 is it maybe creosote? It reminds me just a touch of Smokestack but more pleasant. There may be a sliiiight touch of eucalyptus which I haven't liked in similar scents but it's only ever very faintly there and only if I look for it so I don't mind it. It smells really good and I love the things that make it not 'just' herbal because I'm not so much a straight herbal person, I like other stuff added. Other than these impressions I have no idea, the description doesn't list notes and my nose isn't quite educated enough to pick them out with any authority. Not much throw sadly and doesn't last long even with slathering as much as I do

I mostly smell an oak note that reminds me of Black Annis. Another wood, similar to the dryest aspects of Ouija, comes through as well. The farther drydown reveals the dark tobacco sweetened by vanilla. I dk, need to test again. It was very masculine for me. One of the woods is so light it's almost citrusy... I think my chemistry was off the first test day, because the second try was much nicer. The tobacco was smoky and heavy and the vanilla was rich and sweetened it nicely. The woods gave the effect of the box holding the mechanism. Beautiful woods and the heavy darker sweetness and depth of tobacco and vanilla. THIS is what I had expected the first time I tried. The wood notes lend an image of an old desk in a Victorian study. After a couple of wearings I really love this one!

Very fresh and windy, this is an airy scent without being imperceptible or too light. It has a similar wine and leather aspect to Wanda, with a very rounded grapey wine note that's fresh and not overly sweet, and the leather is somewhat newish and reminds me of a shoe store. There's a mild powderiness from the ambergris and the rest is mostly that airy ozonic quality. There's also a hint of greenery from the ivy. I didn't get much of the burnt smell, and only a tiny bit of metal in the beginning. It's definitely one that is gender neutral. There was also something about how the wine and ivy mixed that reminded me a bit of Nosferatu's wine and herbs.

Ehhh as far as pirate scents go I prefer Anne Bonny. It had more leather and gun powder and salt soaked woods to add interest to the ocean scent. This is pretty much a salt water scent with a tiny tiny hint of wood. Maybe I get a little of the bay rum but I've never been able to smell it clearly in any scent I've tried with it, it seems to be one that vanishes on me. Either that or it's what smells cologne-like in a few of them. Oh well, it smells pleasant but too cologneish on me, and while I definitely like a few masculine-leaning scents, this one doesn't really stand out much.

Beeeeeergamot when I first apply. Bergamot with the astringency of tea. Sweet lemon cookie. With a tiny bit of the lavender from the fougere. Eventually the tea fades to the background a bit and the vanilla comes out to the forefront. I love vanilla notes, which is very fortunate for me because my skin chemistry also loves vanilla notes and tends to push them front and center on a scent. The musk tempers the sweetness of the vanilla a bit i think, but it's not noticeable so much in its own right, more so as an accent. The fougere was most noticeable upfront with the bergamot, it doesn't stick around on me so much. I like to wear this on days I want a lighter, only slightly sweet perfume. It's a good balance of 'earl grey tea with milk' and a slight bit of vanilla. It's soft and fresh on me and not at all sinister like the description lol.

This smells honey-vanilla and almost peachy close to skin, very sweet and clean. The throw is something else entirely, a very similar (and hella strong) musk to Bastet, which I kinda compare to the smell of a pet's coat that's been sitting in the sun. So far, not sure here. Eventually the musk settles a bit and what's left is lovely. It's a warm, musky honey-vanilla, saturated, almost sticky in texture. It reminds me of the sweetness of Blood Kiss, and the musk that's in here (again) very much reminds me of Bastet. It's strong and more on the animalic side. It's throw is great, and the wear length is great as well. Trying this, i suddenly realize I have no idea what amber smells like in a scent. I can't pick it out in this or anything else. It has to be mixed in there somewhere but I dk where? I don't turn amber powdery so I'm not sure what it actually smells like. Anyway I quite like this! Gotta wear it a few more times and see how often I reach for it but I like how the honey and vanilla combine with the musk. On a second wearing, omg I'm in love, def in my top faves! Also I think I'm starting to notice the amber now.

Omfg this is BEAUTIFUL. It's a musk-floral aquatic. This is simple but captivating. It's got a nice strong throw and do I smell a hint of gardenia? (oh wait *checks list* it's muguet. No wonder I like this) The ambergris is giving it that musky, soft, nearly powdery quality, I think. It's the best I've been able to smell ambergris so far and I love it! This is not the light clear clean ocean scent I was expecting. I thought it would be very light and unnoticeable but the sillage is fantastic and I'm kicking myself for procrastinating so long on trying it. It's ethereal and mysterious, a garden maze in full bloom at night shrouded in heavy mist. I keep sniffing my wrist compulsively. Damn it why are LE's so pretty?! I have zero chance of ever finding more of this, it's from 2012 *pouts*

Very oceany with a dragon's blood scent overlying it. If Dragon's Tears is a dragon's blood scent with an undercurrent of saltwater aquatic, this is a saltwater aquatic scent with an undercurrent of dragons blood. The aquatic seems to be the most prominent note. The dragon's blood starts off fresh and light, the "cherry-floral" side that I see in so many reviews, and over the course of the dry down it deepens into a more resinous aspect and competes more strongly with the aquatic notes. I enjoyed it but want to wear it again to get a better sense of it.

It smells like seawater mixed with cream, which doesn't sound appetizing lol but scent-wise it works! Throw is great. It's a sweet, almost gentle aquatic, as though the addition of cream smooths off all the rough edges. I can see how it might veer into dryer sheet territory for some but on me it stays just on the right side of it. For a little while all I could smell was the aquatic in the throw but a little ways into drydown it balances out perfectly. The color impression is a deep but desaturated blue and off white. I think this is almost cuddly, and like, the closest an aquatic can get to seeming warm (blanket warm, not tropical beach warm, it's not tropical at all) Very unique!

Pure dude's aftershave on me, and way too sharp, like a guy who over-sprayed axe. Swapped away to a co-worker who loves fresh aquatic scents and it wore really well on her tho! She brought out all the subtly floral notes and complexity of the scent. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ skin chemistry is weird. Oh well, I have plenty of other nice aquatics I can enjoy 😊

Ooooh this is nice right on application. It's a deep, dark, cherry-tinged wood scent. There's a depth that's almost chocolatey without being actually chocolate or foody. Maybe it's the tobacco note everyone's mentioning. It's rich and heavy, with a chewy solid quality. The cherry is not cough syrupy or artificial at all. It's really integrated with the dark woods and mahogany. It's sweet but not overly so. Overall the color reminds me of a reddish gleam coming from a polished, lacquered dark wood. The woods disappear behind the cherry note a couple minutes in which disappointed me a bit but oh well. I still like it. Gets a vague medicinal tinge as the woods fade. Eventually dries to a dark cherry frangrance with mahogany undertones. Doesn't last as long as I'd like but was very nice while it stuck around. Gonna test further to see how much I reach for it.