Casablanca

Wand: Sweet, woody resin. Wet: Sulphur, hey there. I didn't smell you on the wand at all. You're interesting, but you remind me of first-year college chemistry, and that stereotypically eccentric prof who held a burning sulphur mix under the nose of a student who collapsed asleep on his desk. It wasn't our fault that the course was at 8 a.m. for a whole year, you know. We were all a bit rough and dead around the edges. Which brings me back to this fragrance -- it too is a bit rough. I like it in the same tentative, experimental way I liked trying to run down a steep hill without bending my knees, when I was 5 or 6, to see what would happen. (I probably won't end up in the ER this time.) Anyway, that's sulphur. I love its smoke but it's quite a yellow-toned smoke, and hits somewhere left of perfect for me. The myrrh grounds it in resin, clove is a spicy sidekick, and I get a little cedar and sandalwood, too. And maybe a little unlisted benzoin? Dry: The sulfur gradually loosens its hold and starts to disperse, as reluctant to go as the real stuff was in Chemistry 101. Myrrh is spreading out now. The spiced woods support it, but don't take over. I'll be looking for clove with myrrh and woods again -- maybe with a different smoke. That would be one of many possible heavens for me.

Shifting into gears... Wand: Well, I'm totally suggestible, and this fits the description. The tangy citrus ozone (an aquatic plus grapefruit and maybe a drop of orange?) and metal (um...) and flowers (uh...) are all there, and give an impression of lots of very blended components. This is mostly a soft floral, which I normally don't go for, but the metallic lightning draws me in without singeing off my face (always appreciated). Wet: Tangy ozonic citrus atop a soft floral. Not much metal on me, alas, though a little of it hits on the end of an inhale. Chinese astrology tells me I'm metal, but this is a robot woman with bloody digits and something gross in a sack, and she doesn't look like she holds with such things. But I kind of want more metal and lightning, dayum. Dry: Are the metal and lightning strengthening as the flowers fade? The citrus part of the lightning has drifted off, but I'm still getting an ozonic something here, and the metal is hanging in. Later, this goes... a little smoky? I was dreading it turning to powder, but it hasn't. I get a soft, sweet smoke. Nice, but faint. I like this. This is a soft floral I'm pleased to do, which is saying something good for my least favorite scent category... but if I come across metal alone, I may add some. Can I hope for a "scrap metal" single note?

Wand: Honey and a nose-punching boozy red wine. That syrupy dread in your mouth as you think, "That was one too many." The smell in the air right before the big party's surprise fist-fight. Wet: A combo of booze and syrup almost knocks me out. I feel like I just smeared honey, wine and canned peach syrup on myself. It smells like a harmless personal issue and maybe a little too much free time. I can't help but picture it attracting bees. Dry: Myrrh, like that one responsible person at every party, is trying to wind things down, but the honey and booze have locked her in the closet. Canned peach syrup is seeping into the rug somewhere. At this point no one remembers how it got there, but remember that time someone threw a strip of uncooked bacon at the ceiling to see if it would stick (it totally did), and yeah, no one has any attention span right now. I don't think this is my thing.

Oh gods. I love this. Smoky vetiver-myrrh goodness and something from the brown sugar-maple-caramel department and I love the art because it reminds me of playing City of Heroes and yay! I'll write a proper review when I calm down. I mean if.

Nasty sour red wine used as an overnight hobo skin soak.

Wand: Cheap whiskey, a little honey, and avuncular merriment? Wet: At first I get honeyed whiskey, and then something like a little cologne comes out. Call it the power of suggestion, but this is a smell of the relative whose habits kind of amused you as a kid, but wear on you as an adult. You probably hope to catch a seat away from this guy at dinner, and then drink plenty yourself. Dry: Bay rum honey and a little cologne. Perfectly unappealing.

Wand: Resin, resin, a little more resin, and cinnamon. Wet: Myrrh resin, possibly including opoponax, with a little smoky vetiver and cinnamon. This is an uncomplicated myrrh lover's blend, but having different myrrhs seems to bring some depth, which increases as this warms on my skin. The spices are mild at first on me, but increase as this dries. Cassia and cinnamon bark together give some depth to the cinnamon, too. Dry: This wears very close to the skin for me once it dries: I can no longer detect it more than an inch or two away. The elements are all still there, still pretty, just quieted. I could wish for some woodsmoke in this to go with the vetiver, but I like it. Bottle, pleasey!

Wand: This smells strange on the wand. There's a tin-like green smell, sharp, a little metallic, and a little medicinal. The liquid itself is also a green-tinged yellow. Is there galbanum in this? In the background, I get a little lilac, like a blue-purple ghost. Wet: The intended notes happen on contact with my skin. Lilac, leather, plum. Boom. The plum is faint on me, as it was in Bathsheba: a purple fruity impression more than omgthat'splum. Dry: The plum has blurred into the lilac as a softly backgrounded, purple fruit-floral note. I start to get a little aromatic smell now from the herbs, and some of it smells like lavender. Now I wonder if that was part of the sharp green note I got on the wand. It blends into the purple lilac-plum zone. There might be something else a bit sage-like, but it's barely a trace. The leather is there, barely, like a warmth over the cool colors of this blend. I feel like this is the sort of scent that will give me different impressions on different days. Should be an entertaining imp, though I'm not drawn to bottle it at this time.

Wand: Purple fruit juice (which doesn't quite smell plummy to me), spicy floral and musk. Smells a little strange on the wand, but... Wet: This comes together on my skin. Plum at the top, and then the faintly spicy carnation and musk, all blending well. Dry: Most of the plum bows out once this dries, leaving the pretty, spicy carnation musk reminiscent of Morocco. This is mostly Morocco plus plum. Purple scents aren't the most me-like things ever, but I still enjoy some quite a bit, and I like most spicy florals. I'll enjoy this imp.

Bottle: The blue musk I remember from (and loved in) Night Scene, sugary incense, and pink lotus bubble gum. Two men sniffed this perfunctorily and said, "Baby powder." This isn't powdery while in the bottle. I can see some other nearness to baby powder, but it's not much like that scent to me. Wet: Deep, sugary blue musk on a sultry-hot summer evening. The bubble gum in the scent (presumably from lotus) smells to me like the exact pinkish-purple color in the art, and this is the first time I've been happy to have that note there. It supports the blue notes well and fits the theme. The sugary note contributes to the ozonic sense of lightning (which might have a little grapefruit?). The sugar and ozone work well with the night-blue musk and what seems to be a little supporting jasmine. The incense -- is there frankincense in it? Seems like it -- adds a hint of carnival-gone-askew. Dry: As this dries, the bubblegum fades and the blue musk takes the stage. This also finally goes powdery on me once dry. In this case, it doesn't bother me -- I think the blend has already evoked its images for me and they're firmly in place! This is a fun scent for a summer night: playful, dark, and just a little wacked.

Bottle: An airy, fruity floral, so light I barely catch it. Wet: Honey and orange combine with other parts to almost smell like neroli, but lighter and flightier. For all the darkness in the notes, this is mostly a fruity white floral -- though I get a little hint of vetiver casting a shadow through the musk. Dry: Lasted about a half day on me, but had almost no throw. There's nothing especially snake-like in this, but it's a pretty garden scent. I'll enjoy this bottle, but I don't anticipate getting a second one (if it were to come back in stock).

Wand: Blood orange and red apple on a floral background. Wet: Lovely blood orange, red apple, and plumeria. A little gardenia and perhaps an unlisted benzoin. I don't smell any Snake Oil, but this is pretty on its own as a fruity floral. I love blood orange. Dry: During drydown, I get a sense of distant spices, as though the Snake Oil base is slithering around behind some foliage a few hundred feet away. I have to wonder how it would go if I just added a little more SO to a decant as a test. I want a little more of that spice and grounding, and a little more throw, but still, this is lovely. As time passes, the Snake Oil slithers closer, but it's being as shy as a real Coral Snake. And then, sadly, it all starts to fade. Glad I got a bottle, despite its low throw and wear length. This lasted only about an hour on me before mostly vanishing.

Wand: A woody, sage-like mint, chocolate and pistachio. This smells minty grey-green. Wet: That woodsy mint, chocolate, pistachio, and now also vanilla. Dry: The cedar and oakmoss woodiness, and the vanilla base, come forward as this dries. I still get sage, but can't tell if that's just from the mint-oakmoss combo. There's likely some galbanum, too. I like this stage best, as it's very much a hiking-in-arid-woods smell, reminding me of Colorado, and it's pretty. It's also not foodie anymore. Crocodile goes from playful and foodie, like a vanilla mint-pistachio pudding with chocolate shavings, to a sunny day hiking in dry, rustic woods. I'll enjoy the imp for odd occasions.

I liked the berry woods thing in Elf, so I've been looking forward to sampling this one. Wand: Berries in the woods -- I get notes of blackberry, black currant, and assorted berries -- and a little green tea on the back end. A faint sage when I look for it. Wet: Sage and dark berries outdoors with only a hint of green tea. A musk comes forward after a minute or so. Dry: All elements have come together to make a lovely perfumed, dark berry tea. I feel like I want to put on a lot more of this and go tea-tasting. This is a yes.

Wand: I could smell the buttery honey and almond of this as soon as I opened the vial. Up close, the mead and booze notes are also strong. Wet: Buttery honey mead, almost sickly sweet almond, and booze. The booze goes a little sour or stale on my skin for a while -- something there is off. Then the whole settles into a warm, sweet, nutty, and slightly spicy rum smell. Dry: That rum-dominant smell continues through drydown. This reminds me of the holidays -- at the least, it seems a cold-weather scent. Eventually, it leans back toward marzipan. Once this settles, it's likable. I'll enjoy the sample but feel no need for a bottle.

Wand: A rich, buttery almond with a little darkness. Almond haters, beware. This is not friendly ground for you. Wet: An engrossing buttery almond. Its trace of darkness keeps this from becoming foodie for me. Dry: The black musk and myrrh emerge as this dries. The almond steps back but still contributes some nutty sweetness. The early dry stage seems best. Likable. Uncomplicated. This is to almonds what Haunted (amber and black musk) is to ambers. I bottled Haunted and may eventually bottle this.

I like all these notes, so I chanced a bottle with this one. In the bottle: Orangey mandarin, almond, and just a trace of spices. Wet: The same. Mandarin dominates, with a bitter green nip to it. I love almond, but I'm glad it isn't taking over here, because I already have lots of strong almond blends to play with. There's no Snake Oil in this yet for me, but I get an impression of spices behind the nutty citrus. This seems like it would make a fun hair gloss. So far so good. Dry: The lightly bitter green note accompanying the mandarin is amping on me. After a bit, the myrrh comes forth, calming the restless mandarin. The almond is just a trace at this point, and the blend hangs in a lovely balance. Almost two hours in, I get a little more of the spice and can smell a little Snake Oil. The asp is a snake that sheds its skin a few times! The blend reads to me as orange, green and brown colors (nothing like the purple in the bottle art). I'm glad I took a chance on it!

On the wand: Powdery incense. Wet: Powdery iris incense -- with Snake Oil behind it. Based on some of the Snakes I've been trying, I didn't think the SO would come through at this stage. The SO is lovely as usual. However, I'm not an iris person, and also not a frankincense person, and I smell those, though I can't pick out the copal. This smells to me like some soft floral baby powder trying to hide something that smells good. Dry: Less iris now, and a touch more frank, but this is now mostly SO. Overall low throw. Edit: Addendum to my earlier review. King Cobra has sat for a couple months, at least, and I just threw it on again on a whim. It's now mostly Snake Oil, but with a soft floral, resinous tinge. I like it now. Maybe a first for me with iris.

Wand: On smelling this, my stomach wants to know if it should turn over. I can at this point identify "earthy black" patchouli as a patchouli that's not my friend. This even smells a bit like tobacco. I love apricot, but it's mostly buried in the murk. Wet: Hurk. Where's the apricot? Only a faint hint in a mighty black quake of patchouli. Dry: Gag. I had to wash it off, but I still smelled it. Verdandi was a good cover-up at that point. I like fruit with black tea, fruit with black vetiver, and so on. I recognize my urge here is to continue the trend with fruit plus anything black, and figure it has a chance. But for me, black patchouli is a destroyer of chance, and makes for a certain fate. But, goal accomplished: I've now tried a fruitchouli, and will steer clear henceforth.

Wand: The bright tang of acai. Wet: Tangy, slightly tart acai berry. At this stage, this is an almost garishly bright pinkish-orange scent. It's a scent of fun, but it's just single note at this point. Dry: Acai with smoky vanilla, which is nice. I think I get a little neroli, too, but it's kind of hiding up in the acai palm. No sign of the snake oil base yet, unless the smoky vanilla counts. No trace of spice. Three hours in: Oh, hey. There's a little snake oil here. This is quite pretty with just a bit of acai over it, now that the acai is calm. Took a while to get to this point, though. This is pretty once dry, but kind of single note until then. I'm curious how it'll age.

Wand: Deep, smooth apple and something warm brown and a little creamy, like a caramel or fig. Wet: I'm getting primarily this figgy caramel on my skin, with apple behind it, like a caramel-coated apple. This is not a tart apple. There's a trace herbaceous smell that grows as this dries. It's pretty. Lemon basil? Dry: There's such a mellow warmth in this scent, and that comes out more with the amber as it dries. This is a green scent, which usually makes me think spring or summer, but this smells more matured and sophisticated. Apples are also fall-like, and this should be a great scent for (anytime, really, but especially) the fall. This will be a bottle for me.

Wand: Vetiver, coconut and a little sweet vanilla. I like it on the wand, but I'm highly vetiver- and coconut-friendly. My coworker was unconvinced. Wet: Once this hits my skin, it's divine. Granted, I love these notes. But I think there's some extra magic here. Rich and smooth vetiver, coconut and vanilla. A haunted beach scent. I wanna slather (and then go to the beach). Dry: Once dry, the throw drops dramatically -- I need to press my nose to wrist to get it. A bit later, I barely get anything, just a faint spicy vetiver shadow. Layering this on a few times helps, but not enough. I was gonna get like a four-pack of this, because it's so good, and so me, but, like Boomslang, it's a vanishing act on me. Addendum: It's now afternoon, several hours later, and Death Adder has resurfaced. I didn't apply more, yet I can now smell it on my wrist again from a few inches away. It's now a smooth, spicy, sexy, almost perfumey vetiver. You sneaky devil, you. I might need to rethink not getting a bottle.

Wand: The oil is sable-black. I sniff. Oh my god. I think my eyes just popped out. I give it to a coworker, and her eyes pop out. This is good. Deep, enveloping cocoa, powdery, just a little creamy, on the spicy vanilla of Snake Oil. Wet: Beautiful spiced, powdery cocoa, the one to make me forget I don't like foody blends. The Snake Oil is easy to smell through the Boomslang additions. Barely getting teak, and no rice milk yet. Dry: Balls. The fabulous spicy cocoa smell doesn't even survive through drydown on me. There's still a little oil sheen on my skin, and the best part's gone. All that's left is a very weak Snake Oil, and maybe a breath of rice milk when I look for it, and then another 10 minutes... and it's mostly gone. When I layer this on three or four times, it hangs around very faintly. A ghost of its former self. The sadness is real, because it's just not enough.

My first thought on opening this bottle: Embalming Fluid? Yes, this makes me think of Embalming Fluid, with the mild green and lemon, but I only get a hint of lemon in Shamisen. It's instead like a nice, gentle lemongrass. The colors of this are green, yellow and white: bamboo is dominant, and there's a fragrant white floral closer to gardenia than anything else I can think of -- maybe wisps of gardenia, jasmine, white rose? -- and the "silk," which smells so like a body wash from Caress I forget the name of. It reminds me of recreations of orchid scent that include rose and jasmine. I'm not sure I get any wood besides giant green reeds of bamboo. It's a little smoky, but the smoke seems like part of the "silk" thing to me. Anyways, I love it!

Wand: This reminds me of maple syrup. Smoky tobacco is right there as well. On second sniff, the boozy part comes through, but I'm still mostly smelling maple syrup. Wet: Sweet floral tobacco and maple syrup. I'm picturing a sunny Sunday morning table of syrupy waffles, flowers, and a bag of Drum. Dry: Tobacco usually comes out more on me in this base note stage and it does so again here. This comes across to me now as a drier tobacco than in Elegba. But they could be the same, and this could have more to do other ingredients. Whichever the case, I don't like it as much -- it's not a stale tobacco, just a little closer in that direction. It's a tobacco that makes me think of tobacco stains. I loved the kinda-similar Elegba. Santo Domingo is fun and evocative for a while, but dries into the tobacco qualities that usually keep me away from tobacco notes.