ralenth

Samhain 2007: Smooth, spicy apple and smoky leather. It reminds me a lot of Arcana's Guy Fawkes (which is my annual scrub hoarding purchase). This has aged very nicely. Yum. Samhain 2009: Apple and woodsy, a bit more potpourri than its aged cousin. After a few hours, they smell similar, though 2009 isn't as tenacious.

At first, it was sweet puffed pastries with a hint of cherries. As the day wore on, it was creamy and sweet, very milk and honey. It hangs pretty close to my skin, but it lasted all day. I found myself craving sweets. Lovely to try, but I don't think I'll get more than the imp I've got here as there might be dangerous consequences. Overall, it is a light and playful scent.

I'll admit I wasn't a big fan when The Magician first arrived. But, now that it's aged almost six months, it's lovely. Warm, woodsy incense, with a bit of smoked incense in the background. I like it even more than Midnight Mass, which is my go-to for an incense scent.

In the bottle, Alice's Evidence is a beautiful spiced plummy scent. Unfortunately, it goes the way of Lambs-Wool on me: holiday potpourri. Off to the swaps.

Soft, clean aquatic floral. As it dries, it turns a little powdery and sweet. I think this would be perfect for a hot day.

Wet: Crushed mint and dandelions. Drydown: A bit of lavender mixed in with crushed dandelion stems. Very green. Dry: Bitey green with tinges of lavender. Stays fairly close to the skin, but seems to be lasting. Overall: A bit hostile, but it suits my mood today.

Wet: Sweet, spun violet candy floss with tinges of smokiness underneath. Drydown: Why hello there vanilla! This reminds me of what I thought Sachs would smell like. The vanilla is super sweet, but thankfully not cakey. Dry: CC: Female is kind of like the dainty version of The Bow & Crown of Conquest. It's delicate with a tad bit of apocalyptic menace. The throw is pretty minimal on my skin. Overall: Bow & Crown is one of my GC favorites, so I'm not sure that I need both of these in my arsenal. I wouldn't turn away a lady if she turned up on my doorstep, though.

Imp: Citrus with coconut. Mmm, real coconut. Wet: Bright lemongrass and tart lime. Drydown: Lemongrass to the point of me thinking this is a single note. Why must I amp lemongrass so? Dry: Lemongrass with a bit of coconut meat and peeps of white florals, though mostly lemongrass. Overall: I really wanted to like this as other reviews made this sound great. Curse you, skin chemistry. ETA: An hour later, Shoggoth becomes this gorgeous, light creamy coconut with a little floral tinge. I take it all back. Love.

I'm a huge leather advocate, but for some reason Red Rider turned into sweaty man in leather. Not the sexy kind.

Wet: Musky, spicy woods. Like Scherezade sans the cinnamony note I get. Drydown: Manly spice cake. What? Yes, really. As Oblivion dries, it goes back toward a dark woodsy scent. Very, very dark. Dry: Barely controlled sexy woodsman - this is bordering on pornographic, folks. After an hour: Apparently, this woodsman likes a cuddle. It's still dark and sexy, but there is a sweetness to it that I wasn't really banking on. Overall: Conflicted. It's like a one-night stand with amazing raw primal sex who wants to talk about feelings the next day. I just don't know what to do. ETA: Hour Four: We're back to musky sexiness (but now times a billionty). This man came into my office and I thought he was the source of divine aroma, but then I discovered it was me. If I can get through the sweet stage, this is ridiculously amazing.

Verbena hates me, I think. I love the scent, but it always does nasty Lemon Pledge type things on my skin. Aelopile is no exception. Wet, Aelopile is a bright lemon zest. As it dries, it goes through a Lemon Pledge stage and then a bit of a Lemonheads stage, where it pretty much stays. Off to the swaps, sadly.

In the bottle, Khalkorustês is a soft, golden floral. Jasmine and I don't usually get along too well, so I was surprised that this was sweet, juicy dripping pears with delicate jasmine petals once I put it on. As it dried, it became more dominantly jasmine, but it never went to kittybox on me (yay!). I get teensy peeps from the champaca gallery, but Khalkorustês is astonishingly floral on my skin. I was hoping for more cedar and pepper, but it is still lovely.

Bottle: Vetiver and pepper, yum! Wet: Pepper and a bit of grapefruit bite in a hot rush of scent. Drydown: Rhinotoros goes a little tart for a bit, but it settles back into a smoky, gritty vetiver scent. Dry: Earthy, but not too visceral, this is fairly light as far as vetiver scents go. The pop of grapefruit seems to lighten it. Overall: Nice, but I like my vetiver with a bit more punch. I think this would be a good scent for people who are on the fence about vetiver.

Wet: Incense and aged leather. Reminds me of Ü , but a bit muted. Drydown: As Dee dries, it smells like a sexy bookish man, surrounded by well-worn leather tomes. There's a bit of a hint of arcane ritual going on there in the background. Maybe The High Priest Not To Be Described is in the next room over... After 2 hours: Soft, musky woods with a tinge of leather and a whisper of incense. After 4 hours: If a man smelled like this, I would follow him home without hesitation (and I do not say that lightly). Holy hotness, Batman. This just gets more amazing as the day wears on. Verdict: Bottle purchase.

Bottle: Aged leather with a bit of bright citrus. Wet: At first, Olisbos is sunny fresh orange juice spilled on well-worn leather. Blasphemy, true, but kind of fun. Drydown: As it dries, the leather asserts itself. Oh, swoon, it does smell like a citrusy Dead Man's Hand, but the throw is far less. The olive oil peeps in a little bit, but it hangs out in the background. Dry: Very faint, but definitely a leather-clad optimist. Olisbos will definitely give you a spanking and smile cheerily all the while. Overall: I knew I would love this. My only qualm is that it is so faint that I feel like I might bathe in it.

Wet: Smoky teak wood. I have a distinct urge to nuzzle up to my arm. Drydown: As it dries, The Antikythera Mechanism gains a bit of sweetness from the vanilla. Dry: Still predominantly wood and musk, TAM stays close to the skin. It has amazing staying power (all day!) and doesn't make me nauseous like most vanilla blends. Overall: It's like Liz, but with a woodsy boost. It's sexy and sophisticated. Definitely a bottle purchase. I also really enjoyed it layered with The Bow & Crown of Conquest for added oomph.

Soft, musky masculine lavender. As the evening wears on, the muskiness becomes more dominant. If I walked past a man wearing this, I'm pretty certain I'd give chase. I definitely need more of this.

Imp: Dark green floral. *swoon* Wet: Soft, crushed herbs and peonies. Drydown: Black Hellebore is a little powdery, but still a lovely delicate floral. Dry: Spring! Soft floral without the dreaded rose rearing its nasty head. Overall: I could see this being a nice go to on lighter scent days. ADDED March 3: Bright peonies and sharp green vines. As it dries, it tends toward powdery sweetness. Overall, it's a nice, light floral perfect for a spring day.

Bottle: Sharp, musky orange. Wet: Biting citrus, not much else. Drydown: As it dries, Kiss Amongst Discarded Tissues goes sour on my skin. I get a bit of an herbal green undertone, but it's going antiseptic. Dry: Orange antibacterial soap. Overall: Sadly, not for me.

Gentle, floral aquatic. Stays close to the skin, delightfully girlish. I'll definitely be keeping this one on tap for days when Danube is a little too heady for me. It's slightly salty too, but I think this adds to its charm. This is the best LE surprise I've had in a while.

Bottle: Bright, sweet, golden sunshine. Wet: Lemonheads rolled in crystallized sugar. Drydown: Softened a little at the edges, but still a strong core of Lemonheads. Dry: Bright, sunny, citrus sock to the jaw. So cheerful. Oy. Overall: If I ever needed a pick-me-up, I might reach for this, but it's not my normal game.

Herbert West seems like the lovechild of F5 and Embalming Fluid! Bright green tea with a splash of lemon. As it dries, it becomes a little herbal. Very refreshing.

Wet: Softly herbal, faintly aquatic. Drydown: River grasses swaying gently, water lapping against the banks. Dry: Very vividly a riverbanks scent. It's a little too much dirty goodness for me, but wow!

Sharp, pungent floral with a hint of soap.

Soft hazelnuts, lightly salted. Pleasant, but too foody for me.