Casablanca

Wet on my skin: I don't smell much to Bat. It's so low-throw that I slather on another dose, but it smells faint to me even so. What there is of Bat on my skin is a soft, subdued purple floral with a slight grey fuzziness that I take to be the musk. When I next check two hours later, Bat is just a fuzzy grey musk.

Wet on my skin: Slightly bitter berries mingling with bubble gum-toned lotus and a little rose that blends in. It seems like, in addition to the blackberries, I smell a few unlisted red currants. Maybe that's the poppy? I also get a note that reminds me of the lab's blue musk, and wonder if that's blue hibiscus. Basically, Bitter Moon starts off a slightly bitter, and kind of tropical, berry floral. Dry: A little more fruity, a little more tangy. The latter might be coming from the hibiscus. I pick out a ghostly, hollow sage, barely there, but find no tonka, peony, or vetiver. I wonder what the berries were like before this aged 10 years. But anyway, I like it.

Wet on my skin, this smells like heavy lilies that just got a dusting from a shaker filled with darkness powder. It's a fine powder texture, like cocoa powder, but without any cocoa. Soon, though, the powdery sense dissipates, and the lilies smell smooth and satiny again -- just, now black. I'm reminded of the playing cards painting roses different colors in Alice in Wonderland. Before much longer, the lilies settle down and give off a faint impression of vetiver. It's the sort of usual vetiver that I find pleasant, like that from black musk, rather than the ashtray vetiver I got from Azathoth. Actually, I think it might be part of black musk in this. I'm smelling that coming out now. Lilies in black musk.

1. How about Shattered? A blend of white champagne notes, grapefruit, lotus, slivered mint and crystalline aquatic blooms 2. Maybe some Dormouse - A dizzying eddy of four teas brushed with light herbs and a breath of peony or Soirs d'Automne from Pretty Indulgent lily, tulip and rose shimmering in the moonlight, brushed by a quiet autumn breeze. 3. That's a tough one. Akuma? blood orange, neroli, and raspberry. 4. Even harder! Ginny, The Reaper of Vengeance Sharp tobacco flower and white cognac, a thin layer of smoke, and dusty black pepper pierced by the amber of her eyes. (I am not even sure why I think this'll be in the same vein....) 5. I don't think there's anything remotely similar to Morocco. But maybe you'd also like Lyonesse Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss. These all sound absolutely fantastic, especially Akuma - blood orange and neroli? Yes, please! Just looked at the reviews for Ginny. It's been around since 2014 and only 9 reviews? I'm thinking this sounds like a hidden gem. I'm going to order some imps of these and report back. Thank you so much for the thoughtful suggestions! The current LE Leo has the spiced carnation in common with Morocco, with more saffron, and is more of an herbal take on the theme (chamomile, angelica), which may or may not also appeal. I love them both. This past week after a bad day I showered and put on some Morocco lotion (just Morocco I mixed with unscented lotion) and layered Leo on wrists and neck. Then I was floating in spicy floral heaven. Coral Snake also makes me think of Akuma. Akuma is much simpler, and sans the apple-spice thing, but worth a try? I've been thinking about Leo, but haven't pulled the trigger. Layering it with Morocco sounds amazing and may be just the thing that sways me. Neat about Akuma. I'm definitely giving that one a try. Nice! Mama-Ji might be another to think about (spices, cardamom, nutmeg and flowers). I've enjoyed it as another spicy floral.

It looks like the new unicorn Allegory of Chastity will be super pink! The Book from the recent Lupers is a rose I keep returning to (brown leather, tonka, bourbon vanilla tar, and a thin whiff of rose). The "thin whiff" is dominant and smells like a deep pink rose to me, wrapped in soft brown leather. I see it as earthy-toned reddish pink.

The current LE Leo has the spiced carnation in common with Morocco, with more saffron, and is more of an herbal take on the theme (chamomile, angelica), which may or may not also appeal. I love them both. This past week after a bad day I showered and put on some Morocco lotion (just Morocco I mixed with unscented lotion) and layered Leo on wrists and neck. Then I was floating in spicy floral heaven. Coral Snake also makes me think of Akuma. Akuma is much simpler, and sans the apple-spice thing, but worth a try?

I haven't reviewed an atmo before, but I have some samples. Gotta start somewhere. Might as well start by speaking of the Unspeakable. This came out a little odd at first, in that I had just read the listed notes and no reviews, so I wasn't expecting the distinct dark and smoky vetiver note that was the first thing I smelled, mixed with damp mosses. Whenever that happens I have a minute of, "Why am I smelling X?" But there it is. After vetiver and damp mosses I get a short kaleidoscope of different earthy and rooty things, with a faint wetness like there's a lake hidden in the back of a lightless cave -- still and out of the way, and only guessed at, because you can't see it. And then in a couple minutes the blend settles into lovely dark resins. Mm, resins. I'm wearing The Lights of Men's Lives on my wrists and they go together splendidly.

Strawberry Moon was the first hair gloss I tried. It was beautiful and surprisingly long-lived, and now I'm back to the sample today. This gloss has a strawberries-in-the-field smell. It's neither super realistic nor artificial in its smell, just carefree and playful. I like it quite a lot, and unlike the other glosses I've tried since, it lasts on me for at least a half-day. I'm quite sorry I didn't get a bottle of this when it was available -- I just have a sample. I'd pick up more if I saw it.

Ah! On my skin, this v5 Strawberry Moon is sunny strawberries in the field. I think I smell dandelions and sap and spring greens alongside the bright red berries. Maybe a little chamomile. I keep sniffing. Dried: Sunny strawberry fields, undimmed. Gorgeous. Love.

I love these notes and foresee no particular failure here before trying it. On my skin: Shiny, bold blood orange, given more red and just a little tartness from the raspberries. There's a background of the orange lollipop thing that neroli has been doing on my skin this week, but the blood orange and raspberry save this from going too far that direction. Dried: The fruity oomph of this fades quickly, and what's left of it moves toward soapiness, but doesn't reach it. Not quite soapy, not quite chalky -- it smells like the waxy feeling of unscented lotion. A little blood orange and neroli's orange lollipop are still there alongside this, more subdued. Fun but a little too bright and fleeting.

Wet on my skin: Pale, peachy musk with a twist of bergamot. Then I get the cherry-tinted vanilla that is how heliotrope usually smells on me. This is a punchy, giddy peach. A practical joker peach. I don't smell oakmoss. Dried: Little change. Still no sense of oakmoss. I'm not a huge peach person, but for that mood, I could do worse... This is impish and playful.

Wet on my skin: Mandarin-neroli opium. I'm smelling a little of the orange lollipop that neroli has been doing on my skin this week, although neroli isn't listed. I get a breath of lily of the valley, but mostly this is mandarin-neroli opium. Dried: More neroli. I tend to amp the stuff. Mostly neroli. I don't pick up any lily of the valley or sandalwood. This turns to neroli orange lollipop on me. Not for me.

Wet on my skin: Strong, heady floral that immediately goes a little soapy -- but not all of it does. Soapy always makes me suspect white flowers... I'd guess gardenia and/or magnolia, muguet, jasmine, and a little lilac. I also smell a light almost citrusy fruit, but nothing I can name. Lemon is usually so piercing on me, and this fruit isn't, so maybe it's just a mist of it. Dried: Just the same notes, plus a pinch of ginger -- more blended, and very sweet. Too floral and soap-leaning for me.

Yuzu, grapefruit, and kumquat mingle on me to bring to mind all the girly drinks I enjoyed on a cruise a couple years ago. This tickles a happy nerve for sure. After the first impact, I start to get the soft, snowy floral note, wholly out of context for the image I was liking there for a minute. Then it goes partly soapy, and I think, "Cruise soap?" Good times. So, I think I like this. I don't necessarily see a bottle happening, though.

I ordered this one -- not a freebie -- because I'm enjoying incense and usually like whatever the lab calls ozone. Unfortunately, in this case, "flashes of ozone" seems to mean "streaks left behind from Lemon Pledge." This might be my lately nemesis, lemon verbena, smelling extra chemical-medicinal. Waiting for any incense to appear. It's a long wait. When it finally emerges, it smells like incense mixed with a little stinky pit. Weird. Nope.

The first impression on my skin is smoky saffron and cigarette-tray ashes, tinged with tangerine. Vetiver's usually my friend, but this vetiver is having a bad day. I can only imagine that this must be what vetiver smells like for people who hate vetiver. After a minute, I get just a tiny hint of amber and cedar. What an odd smell. I like all these notes separately, but they aren't working together on me at all, and don't improve on my skin over time.

On my skin, this is very heavily salted water and a coppery red note. I get no spa-like oceanic air vibe from this as I do from The Sea Foams Milk. It's more like boiling saltwater in a copper kettle on the stove, without the heat. Dried, it smells like salty copper. Did I mention this is salty? You'd send this soup back at the restaurant.

Oceanic air, saltwater, and a little milk that, on my skin, disappears almost immediately, leaving a plain oceanic spa scent that vanishes soon after.

I knew I needed this from the name. It makes my heart pitter-pat. Lovely, soft, silvery mint -- possibly spearmint -- both refreshing and calming. There is an electric and metallic edge to it, if a blend so softly foggy can be said to have an edge. This has aged six years and I don't catch any other notes. Not long-lived on me, but lovely and unchanging while it lasts.

Aged six years, Fezziwig's Ball is delicious, fun, drunken comfort. Cookery and beer and cozy and yum. Mince pie is the strongest note, followed by a smooth, non-boozy blend of dark beer and warm, polished wood. I can smell there's more, which would be resin and any unlisted notes, but I don't know that I can pick any of that out specifically. Mostly, this is the pie. Lightly spiced mince pie. Good pie. Great fall scent. Two thumbs up.

I expect a wave of stinky patchouli as soon as I apply Masquerade, but instead I smell... lollipops? Yup. On me this smells like a sticky-sweet orange lollipop. Just slightly creamy, enough to make me think of creamsicle, but it's not committed to creamsicle. Not the expected. And it doesn't change.

Wet on my skin, Rocking Horse is woody wood wood, and sawdust. Privet is a flowering tall shrub or small tree, and I'm not sure what part of it was added to the blend. There's a hint of sweetness in this, behind and mingled with the sawdust, so it might be the flowers. Later, I smell just a little vanilla. This is mostly straightforward. It might be close to the smell of a friend's wood shop when woodcutting things are happening.

What a pretty cocoa. This goes on my skin as a more layered cocoa than I thought it would. The cocoa is clearly dominant, but it's allowing for some complexity. I smell cocoa, incense, and a faint floral coloring the whole. I get a vague sense of spices after a minute or so. No leather or patchouli. If I were to be picky, the cocoa is medium-powdery at first, but this went away in an hour or so on me. Eventually, I find a lil dusting of patchouli under the other notes, but it's not too much for me to handle. Damn. I really like this.

At a glance, I like these notes. Amused at the paddle wood. Wet on skin: Paddle wood and a little brownish leather. In the bottle this smelled more floral, and almost a little spicy, but I'm not getting that on my skin. I'm surprised to find no berries at all -- they usually come out early. So far, this is flat and plain. Dry: A pinch of amber comes out and warms the blend a bit, but mostly, this is dull varnished wood. Disappointing. This has settled a few days, but I'll see how it ages further. I don't expect it will bring out the MIA berries, though.

Wet on skin: A musky white floral. I think maybe lily of the valley, magnolia... and this just went soapy. Before I finish guessing at things, they turn to musky soap. Dry: Slightly musky soap. Nothing to add.