PersephonesChild

In the imp, this was pure sugar cookie-- foodie and kind of vanilla, slight hint of lime. On my skin, this suddenly became the booziest thing in the world. I haven't experimented with boozy scents much, so it's possible my skin amps those notes. I swear, I smelled like I'd smeared rubbing alcohol on myself for a good half hour, or like I was waiting for the alcohol to burn off in a generic scent... ick. At this point, I've rinsed my hands, which I think took a bit of the scent off. I'm getting a bit of the tobacco, and for he first time, that's not going horribly wrong on my skin. I definitely still smell a hint of the rum, and maybe a faint mist of lime. Not for me-- just too boozy.

In the imp, I can smell light musks and slight sweetness. It's very fluttery, papery, yes. Once on my skin, the vanilla flowers open, and it becomes a vanilla musk scent. It reminds me a lot of Antique Lace, although Antique Lace isn't nearly musky enough on me, and ends up being flat vanilla-- this is what I imagine Antique Lace smells like on everybody else. It's a translucent kind of scent. I like it, so I may keep the imp, but I don't think it's a grand prize winner. As a whole, the scent is too vanilla for me. Oh, in subsequent sniffing, I'm drawing out the sandalwood, which is nice, since that's one of my favorite notes. It doesn't have the grittiness of red sandalwood, which is my favorite variety. I feel like this is Belle Epoque, but a little cleaner.

My goodness! In the imp, I caught a strong whiff of rose, underscored by darker flowers-- it really reminded me of a richer version of Marie, which is really what I was hoping for. However, one my skin every last one of those flowers opened, and for perhaps the first time ever, I got out-floraled-- in fact, I couldn't put my wrist near my face without catching a serious headache. This has ambergris in it, and I was hoping it would better help me to understand what ambergris smells like, but the florals were just pummeling me. I decided to wiki ambergris (I'd been discussing it with my boyfriend last night, and wanted to confirm that what I'd said was correct) and saw that wiki claims that ambergris smells like a less sharp isopropyl alcohol-- bizarre. I started to wonder if maybe that was why this blend was coming off as so sharp to me. In reality, I think this gardenia just has fangs. Oddly, I kind of liked it, even though it was causing me pain-- it had a department store sort of aura to it, in the kind of way where I hoped people smelled it on me and were impressed by it, so I didn't wash it off. Finally, after an hour and a half, it settled down into a close-to-the-skin floral-- a thickly filled vase full of vibrant and living flowers with a touch of hautiness that gives it an ever so slight sting. This may be too much excitement for me to wear on a regular basis...

Sometimes honey is sexy (yay!) Sometimes honey is plastic (boo!) In this case, honey is... plastic. And it's too bad, because in the imp, this is a lovely crisp floral with some herbal notes and a dash of sweetness giving it a real richness. In my skin, it's plastic honey with a slight hint of that lovely apple blossom in the background. So sad.

I'd been dying to try this one-- something about the notes in it have been calling to me, and I was not at all disappointed. My initial try, I got a lot of chestnut blossom, a light, nutty floral with a hint of tantalizing musk. There's a fullness to this scent, but not a thickness, if you understand-- it's feminine and a complete blend, but I don't feel like I'm in a cloud of perfume. I adore the lily of the valley-- it's a note in some of my favorite blends, and I really finally recognized it as such when I smelled it here. The magnolia doesn't smell "old" as I had worried it might, but lush and spring-like. I reapplied a little thicker later, and as I did, I noticed that there's a sharp citrus edge in the imp-- I rather like that, a subtle bit of violence in the blend, as in the painting. The blend is alluring, but vibrant and unexpected. I'm very pleased. ETA: Also, it lasts and lasts! It's been close to 11 hours since I applied it this morning, and I can still smell it.

A resin and spice blend. It comes across a little like chai-- that's the cardamom, I'm sure. However, something about the spices ends up smelling powdery on me-- like a dusty old lady's potpourri. I was hoping for something less dry, but this really conjures up images of old women. I don't think I can wear it.

This may be the sexiest scent I can wear. It's rich, sweet, resiny, but the honey does not over power. The apple lends on edge of crispness, the almonds are earthy and delicious, but not quite foody, the ambrette doesn't turn to bubblegum on me, and it doesn't make me feel like I've just smeared myself in honey. It's also got incredible lasting power, and intense throw-- more so than any other bpal I've tried. Mmmyay.

I find Moana and 51 to be salty in the same kind of way.

Something slightly astringent and I would say "classic" about this blend... I think it's the white sandalwood, which is so much less gritty, dirty, smoky than my beloved red sandalwood. The florals have a slight citrus tone to them. It's very ethereal. In terms of notes, it has a lot in common with some of the church-y blends that are light florals and sandalwood (Ave Maria Gratia Plena, etc...) but I think it smells a lot less like my grandmother. There's something very playful in it. The pikaki doesn't doesn't go crazy like Jasmine does (yay!). I'm not getting much spanish moss, but I suppose it does have a little bit of a damp smell to it... in general, very lovely. Light, not old fashioned, suggestive, but not over-powering. ETA: Unlike a few other reviewers, this blend is really sticking around for me. And it's so fruity for something without fruit in it! It kind of reminds me of Kitsune-Tsuki-- somehow, it's sort of smelling like Asian plum.

haven't smelled it, but try these:Zarita: Soft, yet sociopathic: white carnation, iris, orange blossom, and sugared cream.Jezebel: Biblical witch, priestess of Astarte, and general troublemaker. A true role model for today's upwardly mobile Modern Woman. A gloriously decadent blend of honey, roses, orange blossom and sandalwood.Lolita: Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality. Glittering heliotrope, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon verbena.Ravenous: An utterly feral, thoroughly rousing perfume. Red patchouli sweetened by orange blossom.And the kickers:Vicomte de Valmont: I promised her my eternal love, and I actually thought that for a couple of hours. Rake, scoundrel, demon in a frock coat. Devilishly seductive, ultimately tragic; a villain undone and redeemed by love. Based on an 18th century gentlemen’s cologne: ambergris, white musk, white sandalwood, Spanish Moss, orange blossom, three mints, jasmine, rose geranium and a spike of rosemary.Masquerade: A festive, dazzling blend, layered in mystery and intrigue. Patchouli, ambergris, carnation and orange blossom. How about Salome: A scent that is both coquettish and sinister. Exotic and lush, brimming with grace and viciousness: almond with star jasmine, oakmoss, red sandalwood and Egyptian musk.Or Eclipse: All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun -- darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon.Also, Asp Viper: Snake Oil with red mandarin, myrrh, and almond. (Sounds like it might be a little citrusy/resiny)And... Hellcat: A soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite: hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond.Ooh, and if you're ok with coconut and honey behaves on you, Eden: fig leaf, fig fruit, honeyed almond milk, toasted coconut and sandalwood.

The drydown of Moana smells very similar to 51 on me...

What hits me first in this is certainly the coconut, which I LOVE, but there's a wonderful rough, dark, woody feel to it. It reminds me as much of the outside of the coconut as the inside. The black musk is delightfully dangerous and masculine (and doesn't smell a bit like baby powder on me!) and the ironwood bark... just WOW! I think of this as being a cousin to Polyhymnia, which also has the barky, smoky, lemony feel, but this is less herbal overall, and the coconut adds an interesting creamy undertone. I love this. I can imagine wearing this in many circumstances,

From the imp, I got a strong, fresh jolt of ocean spray. I love it. It's wet and frothy and foamy and salty. Wonderful. On my skin, it stays sea foam for the first half hour, and then starts to transform tom something dryer, saltier, softer. Inevitably, it smells very similar to 51, and I absolutely love it. 51 is one of my go-to, all-purpose scents, and I'm delighted to have this as a variant.

Laudanum smells like darkness closing in around to me... you're sucked in by the sassafras sweetness, but the myrrh and nutmeg and opium just bottom it out. It's intoxicating-- if only it didn't turn to powder once it hits my skin!

Well, as a coffee lover, I really do think the note should be in more things. I know it's really not the same at all, but Severin is leather and earl gray tea--still caffeinated.

The florals have a nice glaze of sugar on them that keeps this from being strictly a "floral" blend. There's a hint of woodiness from the mahogany, and when it's dry on my skin, I do faintly smell the strawberry. Fear not, all you enemies of rose, I smell next to none of it in this. The floral I get the most hint of is violet, which adds a dark astringency to the blend. I agree with everyone who said this comes off as slightly boozy, and is a relative of Red Lantern-- fortunately, a relative that doesn't start to smell like plastic on my skin! I would also say it's a relative of The Dodo, since sugar cane is the main note in both of them. ETA: It's now 1/25/09, and I just want to comment on how this has aged-- the sugar cane has really come forward, and the blend now just sparkles with it. It smells like crystals. Kinda cool, although I loved it before!

I'm so happy with this! It's resiny, but not in an over-poweringly masculine, or churchy, or somber way. It's sweetish without being syrupy. I'm a fan of myrrh, and this may be the best myrrh blend I've sniffed.

I find that really funny, since so many people on the forum call Snake Oil a really sexy blend. It's amazing to discover how youthful our grandmothers' tastes actually were!

I caught a sniff of Gucci Pour Homme II last night, and I think it smells just like Bluebeard. I checked the notes and didn't see vetiver, so I'm wondering if it might in fact smell more similar to The Raven-- in any case, if someone liked one, they'd probably like the other.

Just remembered another one of my favorite scents that has been called 'Old Lady-ish"-- Madame Tracy.

I'm with you-- I happen to really like a lot of the scents that are labeled "old lady" scents by everyone else. In particular, I am in love with Belle Epoque and Marie, both of which have been called "old lady" scents, but which smell young, fresh, flirty, and feminine to me. Oddly, the scents that smell like my grandmother generally don't read that way to other people-- things like Ave Maria Gratia Plena, Sheol, and Shroud. Those three seriously smell just like my grandmother, and I haven't been able to reconsider wearing them because of the association. But who knows, maybe my grandmother just had really youthful taste in perfume...

I was surprised when I put this on my skin by how much it reminds me of Bluebeard. I suppose it's no that odd-- they share violet, sandalwood, and musk as notes, but I'd thought the vetiver was accounting for more the the scent in Bluebeard than seems to be the case. This is definitely the smoother of the two blends, and there's thankfully no lavender in it. The neroli darkens it quite intensely, and I smell no sandalwood. Musk has always been a background scent to me. The violet behaves interestingly-- when you think about it, it does smell like violet, but in the blend, it just seems to take up all the space between all the other notes.

I was trying to put my finger on what unpleasant sweet and plasticy smell this was, but you've put your finger on it. I'm satisfied that I can go wash it off now.

Haven't sniffed it, but by the notes, what about Cordelia: The essence of faith, love and devotion: lilac, lemon, green tea, wisteria, osmanthus, white cedar, and Chinese musk. Also, possibly Orpheus from the Salon: Pale musk, green mandarin, neroli, benzoin, citrus peel, blue lavender, narcissus, stephanotis, crushed green stems, willow branch and cedar.

Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla, (sandalwood!), vanilla, vanilla. That's how this smells on me. Lemon? Verbena? Neroli? Musk? Uh-uh. VANILLA. In fact, it smells a lot like that perfume Vanilla Fields, which I was devoted to in middle school. I'd like to think I've come a long ways since then. To be fair, I sniff a passing resemblance to Antique Lace and to my beloved Belle Epoque, but this is generally just too creamy and sweet for me.