ralenth

Wet: Sweet iris twinned with violets and a heavy splash of lavender. A bit tart at first, but that goes away quickly. Drydown: The heady intoxication of the florals wears off and the scent deepens a bit as the sandalwood comes to the fore. The sweetness of ylang ylang also peeks out. Dry: Soft, feminine and barely there, Veil clings closely to the skin. Nice, subtle and definitely a great work scent. Verdict: Classic. I could see myself owning a bottle of this.

I placed a CC-Now order last week and it canceled, saying my card was expired even though it is not. My order this morning is having payment issues. I swears, I will use Paypal in the future. I can't deal with this.

Wet: Cinnamon? Did I somehow get a SN? Drydown: The boyfriend says this smells like potpourri on my skin. Oh noes! Dry: Thankfully, it morphs into a mulled cider. This is delicious, but it fades to a whisper within a couple of hours. Overall: It smells much better on him than me. I think I will pass this one on to someone who will appreciate it more than I do.

Wet: Jasmine, immediately. Warm and lush, but pretty much dominating the show. Zorya's not a shy one. Drydown: As she dries, Zorya becomes faintly spicy and a touch powdery. Dry: The iris continues to peek out a little more as time wears on, giving lovely Miss Z. a bit of sophistication to temper her bawdy entrance. Overall: Zorya is very bold as well as floral. She's pretty, but I don't think this one is balanced enough on my skin to warrant a bottle.

Ultraviolet is like a minty smack in the face at first. Then, violet blooms gently underneath, giving UV more depth and sophistication. This is definitely a work friendly scent.

In the imp: Roses! Wet: A soft, sweet rose scent. I have trouble with roses, so it should be interesting to see where this goes. Drydown: Carnations dipped in cream. This is quite lovely. There is an underlying muskiness tantalizing my palate. Dry: Vaguely green and cream. I'm not used to scents becoming less defined with time. TUC is certainly a nice blend at this stage, but it is tough to put my finger on it. Overall: Pretty, but not a must have.

Wet: Wet and woodsy. Intriguing. Drydown: The woody smell becomes distinctly piney. There's a hollow aquatic scent that I cannot quite place. This is delightful. Dry: This reminds me of a rainy city day. There's a depth to ST that seems earthy, though the pine still dominates. Overall: This is quite lovely. I could see myself owning this one if she wasn't such a rarity.

I want to preface this review with a note that I am not a foodie. However, that being said, I am grateful for the opportunity to test this sought after blend. Wet: Warm currants and pastries. If you gave me a scoop of vanilla ice cream, I think we'd be in business. Drydown: As it dries, CR becomes more tart berry goodness and less flaky pastry. Dry: Mouthwatering blackberries with a hint of currant. Even though I've just eaten, I find myself lusting after dessert. This smells divine but I could never keep this around for fear that I would gain an exorbitant amount of weight. Overall: Nom nom nom. CR is delicious and affirms why I can't keep these kinds of scents around. I'm like a hungry, hungry hippo!

Wet: Indistinct heady white floral. Drydown: Lydia is a wreath of gardenias, with a hint of greenery tucked inside. Dry: Gardenia and not much else. A lot of people noted this as a jasmine SN type scent, but on me Lydia is all Gardenia and smiles, that shameless hussy. Overall: Lydia is nice and I am grateful for the chance to test her, but I don't need to have a bottle of this.

Decant RIS. In the imp: Warm, peppery. Wet: Ginger. Patchouli creeps up on it and clobbers it over the head. Drydown: Full on patchouli with a bit of muskiness to it. In the distance, I sense the hollow cries of honeysuckle, which gives War an odd echo. Hrm... Is Honeysuckle Strife, then? Dry: War fades quickly. I was hoping for more of the pepper I sensed in the imp. It mellows out a bit, sadly. Overall: Not quite what I expected, but I'll try her again before I send her off to swaps.

Warm, resiny juniper and pine. It is a deeper, more delicious older brother to Golden Priapus, soaked in amber. As it dries, a berry note comes out to run through the crushed needles, almost playfully. I am definitely in love with this wild blend.

At first, Penny Dreadful smells like I spilled the contents of my spice rack outside (for whatever reason): warm, evocative, dirt. As it dries, that earthy note becomes more pronounced. I feel like I have been rolling around on the ground, which is strangely appealing, though definitely not something I would always want to smell like. Perhaps my nose isn't really well practiced with earthy scents like Penny Dreadful.

Soft sweet pea with traces of ylang ylang. Erato smells a touch powdery, though not full on baby powder, on my skin. As it dries, the ylang ylang becomes more pronounced. I don't get rose any where on my skin, thankfully. This is lovely, though perhaps a tad too girly for me.

Golden Priapus smells like pine sap and crushed juniper on my skin. It has a delicious masculine warmth. As it dries, the vanilla deepens the scent. This may be a touch too masculine for me, but I can't wait to try it on my SO.

Dare I dream of a rose blend to love? Nyx doesn't give me any trouble but I don't detect any trace of the befarious prickly rose in it. Nyx is full-on, in your face jasmine. There is a bit of spiciness, but hardly any of the other notes come out to play. I really like it. It's like my very own jasmine SN.

WoND is a delightfully light green aquatic splashed with rose. It has a bit of an odd note, perhaps the melon, that reminds me of my handsoap. It is rather calming. It may not be bottle worthy, but I will cherish my imp.

Warm, softly spicy and musky, Scherezade is absolutely lovely. It seems like the younger, sweeter sister of Malice. Definitely bottle-worthy.

Imp: Soft and musky. I want to dive right in but must control my inner slathercat. Wet: Ylang ylang comes to the fore. Being one of the few notes that my nose instantly recognizes, I am pleased. I also get a hint of clove here as well. Yum yum. Drydown: Amber begins to deepen the ylang ylang, and I suspect, also contribute a powdery tinge. Dry: Soft, sweet and musky, but a tad powdery (though not unwearable). Verdict: Definitely likable, but perhaps would be better in a locket.

Imp: Wet roses, quite lovely. Wet: Green, a problem that I seem to have with rose blends. Drydown: Nauseatingly grassy with a hint of tilled earth. Absolutely disgusting, but I decide to stick it out. Dry: Still very grassy, but I can detect lush roses blooming underneath that. Unfortunately, the sharp green scent does not go away, so it's another rose blend off to the swaps!

Ooo, I think I have found an aquatic to love at long last. At first, The Gibbous Moon smells wet and green, almost grassy, but I detect the nefarious influence of cucumber there. As it dries, the greeness lessens and dark, shadowy pale florals come out to play, dancing along my wrist. The Gibbous Moon conjures images of deadly creatures lurking beneath the still moonlit waters: enchanting and lovely but with a bit of hidden danger.

This one is definitely tough. At first, it is a warm ambery floral. As it dries, a bit of sweetness pops out (almond, perhaps?). On me, The Sportive Sun clings really close to the skin, hardy any throw at all. It is a lovely blend, but I'm not sure if I would keep coming back to it. It turns powdery after about fifteen minutes. Off to the swaps, it is!

Decant received in an imp pack. Imp: Tart and citrus. Wet: Citrus. Mmm, smells yummy. Drydown: Effervescent and citrusy. Kinda like a morning mimosa combined with a bit of a kick in the face. I like it enough to want to gnaw on my arm. Dry: Fades quickly. If it had more lasting power, I would get a bottle.

Frimpage from the lab. Wet: Sharp and astringent. Drydown: Still astringent, but also a bit like fresh herbs from my garden. Dry: Honestly, it smells like I crushed pine needles into an herb sachet and liberally doused it with lemon. It is oddly refreshing, if a bit medicinal. I think I might have to retest this one later on.

In the imp: Floral and musky. Smells delicious. Wet: Floral, really heady. A bit surprising with the range of throw. Drydown: A bit more manageable, but still very floral. Dry: Baby powder. Off to the swaps. Couldn't leave it on long enough to tell if it made a difference or not.

Mmm, leather and myrrh. It's sexy, but it doesn't grab me the way Succubus or Perversion do. Muted and a bit naughty, it quiets down to something softly spicy after a few minutes. I like it, but I'm definitely not in love.