torischroeder9

In the bottle: Honey, with extra sweetness (floral -- in this case, probably the magnolia), and something deeper (the skin musk, yes; the patchouli, maybe -- I can't detect it specifically). On my skin: Sweet, deep honey. I get the floral aspect, and maybe the immortelle -- but the musk temporarily disappears (normal for musk + me: it's slower to rise up). This is lovely and luxuriant. The next stage of the blend is carnation-spicy honey. You want this. I want this. I want more of this. My skin likes both honey and carnation, but it sometimes amps honey to the point of being cloying, and it sometimes eats carnation's spicy floral goodness. This is like carnation is riding the top of a wave of honey, so the honey showcases the carnation and the carnation occupies the aspect of honey that can go too sweet. Several minutes later, the magnolia makes a bit of appearance, and... something (I'd guess the patchouli) is grounding the scent a bit more. These additional notes don't seek to compete with the honey and carnation, just accent it in different ranges. Eventually, the skin musk makes itself known, softening the scent and making it more delicate. It's still quite nice this way, but I miss the absolutely divine quality of the pure carnation honey phase.

In the bottle: Is it weird that the first smell I get is chocolate? After that, it becomes immediately more woodsy and less sweet -- even that hint of chocolate was just a touch sweet -- even pungent. On my skin: Wet -- Again, there's the barest flash of something sweet -- this time I'd call it baking spices -- but it's gone before I can investigate further. The next phase is woodsy and almost sharp. At this stage, at least, I'm definitely having the "pencil shavings problem" with this blend. A few minutes later, and the sharpness subsides, leaving behind a slightly spicy wood. A few minutes more, and I do get just the hint of the sweet smell again. It's still woodsy at its forefront and at its core, but there's something just a touch sweet peeking in at the edges. It's not strong enough to identify definitely, but it's a scent I associate with sweet baking or sweet bread products. Cocoa, sugar, vanilla -- none of them would surprise me if they were in here. Okay, I'm calling it -- It's woods (no, I cannot tell what kind) with just a hint of spiced coffee cake. As it emerges on me, I'd call this scent unisex to masculine. Throw is on the lower end of average for me. Though this is probably not a blend tailored to my unique skin chemistry, I am very much impressed about how some of the subtler notes had the chance to emerge here.

In the imp: sugared citrus candy On my skin: Grapefruit makes a beeline to be the top note. As it first dries, the grapefruit softens so we're back to sugared citrus again. After several minutes, the lavender and oakmoss emerge. They ground the blend, but at this point, the citrus all but disappears on me, so it's almost all earthy greenery. And unfortunately, this is where it stays. I say "unfortunately" because with such a varied list of ingredients I expected something... more unique.

Trying out some Evil Gnome. It starts out surprisingly well. Where Gnome was simple ginger ale fizz on me, this is ginger over something deeper, smoother, and darker. The ginger is completely overshadowing the actual notes in Evil, but its definitely lending a sense of substance. Just over ten minutes in and... hrm... the Gnome seems to have taken over the Evil? Evil is usually a pretty solid scent on me -- lots of strong notes that stand up to my skin chemistry -- but there's barely anything more here than Gnome's ginger fizz. Another ten minutes, and I can detect a bit more of the Evil again. The opium comes out under and a bit through the ginger. The result is almost... metallic? It could be one of the metallic notes from the Gnome, but it really does smell like the combination of ginger and opium. It's very unusual and difficult to place, but it's more pleasant than unpleasant. But even the opium fades, and I'm left with... ginger, but not the same feel of effervescence that I get from Gnome. I do like this better, but I'm hard-pressed to say now the Evil is coming into play.

Smouldering opium tar, tobacco absolute, green tea, black plum, kush, ambergris accord, ambrette seed, and costus root. Fair warning: I do not know what all the listed notes actually smell like. In the bottle: I can pick out opium, tobacco, and something round and sweet that could be the black plum. Overall, the scent is resinous and just slightly sweet. There's nothing I'm getting that's overly sharp or divisive. On my skin: Wet, something lighter -- that is not the green tea -- springs to the forefront, but it has enough of the other notes in the background that I can't really isolate the smell to describe it. That's fairly short-lived, though, and then we're back to the bottle scent. This is "femme fatale as a unisex scent" kind of evil. Several minutes more, and the scent loses some of its sweetness. The opium and tobacco become more pronounced. It doesn't smell bad on me, but I was really loving that sweet edge to it. By the time it reaches a really settled point, a bit of that sweetness -- it could be partly plum but isn't completely so -- comes back, but opium remains the dominant scent. It's nice and very wearable on its own -- but the sweeter phase was absolutely fabulous on me, so I miss it. Should definitely consider layering this with something sweet.

In the bottle: First orange blossom, followed by a resinous note. On my skin: Amber actually jumps out right away, which is rare for amber on my skin -- but orange blossom isn't an instant note for me, either, so -- Once it's dry, the orange blossom does come out at the top note. I don't say "dominant" because on me, this is a very gentle blend, without notes fighting for front row. A warm vanilla note emerges as well. The amber is still there; it's just happy to be accented by the other notes. At this stage, it reminds me of a similar stage in O (the vanilla on me is wonderful but short-lived). Where O's honey eventually wins dominance, Khrysee's orange blossom isn't fighting anything. It sort of floats along the top of the amber but never really mixes with it. Several more minutes in, the vanilla is the main note I smell -- totally unusual for me -- with a base of amber and an accent of orange blossom. It's very nice. Seriously, tho. Vanilla never owns a scent this long on me. I think this is why I love this blend so much. Eventually, it dies down to perfectly nice but unexceptional amber on me that lasts for days. But it stays a harmonious combination of vanilla plus amber plus orange blossom for record time beforehand.

In the (aged) bottle: Mellow, earthy patchouli with the light floral sweetness of orange blossom and just a hint of ginger spice. On my skin: Wet, the patchouli dominates, though this patch isn't overbearing. A minute later, the ginger starts to creep through. At this point, while the orange blossom isn't detectable on its own, something is acting to counterbalance the patchouli and ginger. A few minutes later, the orange blossom does become distinct, which adds a sweetness and lightness to the blend overall. This remains multi-layered on me: All 3 notes are detectable, and I think that's why I like Vixen so much. The patchouli is earthy and woodsy, without being funky (like some patchoulis can get). The orange blossom is light and sweet, which adds a touch of femininity to the blend. And the ginger is a fun, spicy note that complements both of the others. Throw on me is medium, but it lasts just about forever. I've worn it to work and out for the evening. It works in both places, and when I wear Vixen, I always get compliments on how I smell.

In the bottle: Mostly pomegranate and plum, with some other notes going on in the background. On my skin: Wet, the pomegranate jumps out most, with the plum quickly playing catch-up. After a few minutes, the fierceness of the pomegranate fades, and the other notes start to come forward -- rose first, then orchid, then pale musk. (Interestingly -- I accidentally spilled a drop of the oil on a piece of paper while I was testing. At this point, I do very much smell apricot on the paper -- just not on my skin.) Ultimately, it becomes a beautiful softly musky floral with sweet fruits in the background.

In the bottle: Juicy, tart, and fruity. The first comprehensive way I can describe it is that it smells like the green Lifesavers (the fruity kind, not the minty kind) taste. On my skin: Wet, I immediately get papaya as a distinct note, followed by the grass, and just a hint of the mint. Just a few minutes in, however, the cucumber, green musk, and green tea become the dominant notes on my skin. That's the only big morph I get out of this one. When it finally settles, the musk is the note in the forefront, with cucumber and green tea still detectable in the background. The cucumber and green tea give this a very clean, fresh feeling while the musk helps it feel like it belongs on my skin, if that makes sense. Like, it does feel clean, but the musk keeps it from feeling soapy. Throw is very light on me.

2008 version. In the bottle: Dry sweet cocoa, like perfectly sweetened hot cocoa powder. On my skin: Cocoa with the amber peeking out as it dries. As it settles, the amber becomes a little more pronounced -- but not really all that much. The scent stays with cocoa in the forefront with the amber hanging out around the edges.

In the bottle: Honey with clove and cinnamon. On my skin: Wet, it's the same as it is in the bottle. After a minute, my skin starts to prick and tingle, which is definitely the cinnamon and possibly also the clove and pepper. At this point, the pepper starts to make itself known too. The spices now are mostly pepper and clove, but they're still well balanced by the sweetness of the honey. Eventually the skin musk comes out, softening both the sweetness of the honey and the sharpness of the pepper and clove. After even longer -- several hours' wear -- the skin musk and spices both fade on me, leaving only the honey. (This is definitely a Thing between honey and me.) On me, it's a very close to the skin scent, which is probably for the best since I think the spices could become overwhelming with a lot of throw. Still, I wish for just a bit more amp, because this is a delicious, exciting blend.

Nasty Woman: black fig and patchouli, filthy bourbon vanilla, honeyed amber oud, and loukhoum. In the bottle: Patchouli up front, something musky (the oud?), and deep down, the round sweetness of the fig. On my skin: Wet, it's patchouli and fig in equal amounts, with patchouli very quickly snatching the dominant role. At this stage, it's earthy and almost smoky. Ultimately, the fig does come out to play a little bit on me, but overall, the blend remains a sweet, smoky scent. Sadly, it's not a scent that's quite "me" so I don't have occasion to use Nasty Woman all that much.

In the vial: Mostly fig, brightened by a touch of mandarin. The fig is very earthy in this; it definitely reminds me of the fruit directly rather than any sweetened or candied variation of it. On my skin: On the initial wet application, the mandarin comes out very quickly and brightly. It's pretty great, probably as close as one can get to happy sunshine in a bottle. After a few minutes, the fig comes up to meet it. At this stage, it feels really balanced. I can see where some people described it as candy-like because it's so well blended here, I can't quite pick out the individual notes. It's a fruity smell that's sweet and just a bit tart at the same time. Ultimately, that's where this scent stays for me -- seamlessly bright and grounded. It's a great energizing fruity scent that doesn't smell like any kind of cleaner (a problem I sometimes have with citrus). It would be a great scent for a long workday. My only complaints are that it wears very close to the skin -- it's not faint, but there's almost no throw -- and its wear life is relatively short on me. Both mandarin and fig are virtually eaten up within a few hours.

In the imp: Honey with a sharp edge, a smell that to me is almost like the tartness of green, unripe berries. On my skin: On the initial application, the green, tart smell rises immediately to the surface. Within a few minutes, that dies down, and I'm left with a soft, almost powdery honey. I could definitely see where it could turn soapy on some skin chemistries, but so far it's avoiding that with me. I also think the powdery aspect is keeping the honey note from becoming cloying, which is my main pitfall with honey.

In the (aged) bottle: Red musk. On my skin: Immediately, it's red musk with throw for daaaaaays. It's probably Schaerezade's fault any time I'm disappointed by any other red musk blend. After the initial drydown, the scent profile is deepened by spices that I can't quite place. They're spices that I'd describe as "gentle" rather than sharp, and they're ones I don't typically associate with sweet or dessert foods. I agree with reviewers who described this as a bold, round scent. It's not a scent that's overtly sexy or seductive on me, but it's still very much a scent that calls attention to itself. It's a scent that couldn't help but get me noticed in a smoky bar or crowded room.

In the bottle: Vetiver and woods rounded out by... probably the vanilla. I think I am getting hints of both mandarin and anise, but I could just be projecting from reading the scent description. On my skin: Vetiver and more vetiver, sharp and woody and smoky. Anise does poke its nose out during the drydown; it doesn't take over, but I can identify it as a distinct note. As the blend warms on my skin, the dark musk makes itself known as well, softening the overall sharpness -- as the anise continues to strengthen in prominence. There's a bit of creaminess to the blend, so I'm thinking that's the vanilla trying to make its presence known, but with all the competing notes going on on my skin -- especially the anise -- that's about as distinct as it can make itself. After several minutes, the woods (and maybe the vetiver too?) emerge as a grounding note, which I'm liking because they're substantive enough to stand up to the anise. The anise isn't gone, but it's now become an accent note to the woody base. Also, at this point, is it weird to describe the dark musk as both "soft" and "animal" in a way that does not at all imply "soft animal"? Really? More morphing? Several minutes more, and woods decrease while the musk increases -- yay! -- but the anise also makes a comeback. Fortunately, the musk is the stronger of the two notes, but I'm definitely having a hard time loving the anise in this blend. Finally, in what I believe to be its ultimate morph, the blend does settle down to be a balance of musk and woods and anise. It's not as sharp as it was in other phases, but it's also not really something I can categorize as a scent to enjoy.

This is for the 2009 version. In the bottle: Red musk and sweetness, I think from the currant. On my skin: It's now more apparent that the sweetness is currant; it and the red musk swirl around together on the initial drydown. I can start to pick out moments of the clove, tonka, and tobacco, but they serve to accent the base blend rather than to overtake it. Then a little bit of peach blossom, and my arm starts to tingle just a bit, which may be from either the redwood or the clove. Oh -- the tingling must be the redwood, because in the next stage of the drydown, this note starts to make itself more known. For me, it's a beautiful grounding balance for the red musk and currant, and it has me thinking this scent would make a good unisex scent (prior to this, the currant's sweetness was lending itself toward the feminine, at least on my skin). And ultimately, this is where the blend stays for me. The other notes may be minor players, but this is primarily red musk, redwood, and black currant on my skin. It's actually a very pleasant and harmonious blend -- deep, heady, and definitely a cool weather blend, but nothing particularly sinister or unnerving for me. It has pretty strong throw and long wear life on me, as red musk blends tend to do.

In the bottle: Sassafras with a bit of vanilla It does smell like root beer -- but lighter, not as thick and syrupy as I associate with actual root beer smells. On my skin: The vanilla quickly warms up and amps -- giving the blend a touch of creaminess -- then dies back down. A few moments later, the oak leaf makes itself known, providing a grounding, slightly woodsy tinge to the blend. After several minutes, a different kind of creaminess -- that I would have to attribute to the CO2 butter extract, since it doesn't have vanilla's pronounced scent -- emerges, taking the harder edge of the blend and settling it back toward root beer. Even longer, and the "creaminess" becomes identifiably buttery. It's not overpowering and not at all out of place in the blend. It's almost as if this were a scented cocoa or shea butter body product. For me, the vanilla also starts to make a comeback, which ends up being a nice way to link the buttery note and the sassafras. Overall, this takes longer than average to settle on me, but I don't mind since none of the stages is unpleasant. The fragrance stays pretty close to the skin on me, which is also probably my preference for a very non-traditionally perfumey scent.

In the imp: Red musk, patchouli, and ylang ylang. On my skin: The red musk is a steady note as the patchouli becomes the most aggressive. I can also smell the faint emergence of myrrh. Interestingly, I also notice my skin start to tingle and turn pink. It's not enough to feel irritating or unpleasant, but I wonder if that's the ylang ylang or the myrrh. (I've tried red musk and patchouli in lots of blends, so they're likely not the culprit here.) Dry, it's almost all patchouli and myrrh. Going to let this imp age for a bit. My skin usually plays much more nicely with red musk than it's doing here. Update 11/25 -- Wore Lust today and again... maybe about a week ago? The red musk now remains the prominent base note, with ylang ylang adding some floral sweetness on top and patchouli and myrrh adding some grounding weight. I'd say the patch/myrrh combo is a touch stronger than the ylang ylang because I'd describe this blend overall as on the "less sweet" end of my red musk blends.

In the bottle: Coconut and a touch of lemon. On my skin: Lemon swims to the surface first. After a moment, I can also feel the warming that is my skin reacting to black coconut. (Context, for anyone who is uncertain and/or needs it: My skin reacts to a whole host of notes. The warming reaction to black coconut is noticeable but not significant enough to be unpleasant.) Pretty soon, I also get a bit of wood as a grounding note. In the next phase of the drydown, the black coconut reemerges as a distinct note although it still plays background to the lemon. There are a few fleeting instants when I think one of the other notes -- once the coconut, once the musk -- is going to come out ahead of the lemon. But no. What is nice is that the lemon blossom is fairly light and the other notes play close to the skin. It does make for a nice subtle perfume on very hot days.

In the bottle: Poppy and musk. (My bottle is obviously old, but I'm genuinely not getting any patchouli from it.) On my skin: Just like the bottle. Shortly after it dries, it's almost pure opium poppy. Given time to settle and warm, the musk emerges (musks emerge?), adding a bit of grounding and softness to the scent. Some time later, and it's still musk and poppy. Whatever patchouli is in this bottle, it's no longer a discernible note on my skin.

In the bottle: Citrus and white musk. On my skin: The citrus comes out first. It's fairly strong and singular. I don't get lemon cleaner from it, but it's difficult to discern this from the lemon oil in my aromatherapy diffuser. After a bit, the white musk becomes more evident, which softens the scent a bit for me. A few minutes more, and I can make out the lilac tickling the edges of the scent. Ultimately, this scent settles into white musk and a tug-of-war between lilac and citrus, which is a shame. The white musk and lilac are lovely, but the citrus ends up being sharper than I really want it to be.

In the imp: Mostly violet with a touch of rose. On my skin: While it's first drying, rose makes a power play to become the dominant note (which my skin chemistry is usually only too happy to let rose do). After a few minutes, however, the violet starts to make a comeback. A few minutes more and while the violet does start to go a bit powdery, the tea rose comes back stronger, keeping the "powderiness" of the violet scent in check. The result at this stage is a blend that has the softness and depth of violet along with the brighter and fresher scent of the rose. The resurgence of the rose also increases the scent's throw for me. Although the scent itself is light and floral, its throw is solidly "medium plus." (The scent's only applied to my inner elbow. I have no trouble smelling it without raising my arm to my nose, but it's also never too strong or overpowering.) As time passes, the two notes remain teetering back and forth near a center point: Sometimes rose is ever-so-slightly the dominant note; other times, the edge goes to violet. Both notes remain clean, true florals on me, so this works well. I don't often prefer pure floral blends, so my imp should be plenty -- but this one is done very well.

In the bottle: Bright pomegranate -- I agree with folks who describe it as candy-like -- as the first note, followed by the sweet headiness of Snake Oil. On my skin: As in the bottle, the first note to emerge is the pomegranate. The more it dries and warms on my skin, though, the more the Snake Oil takes over. By the time everything settles, it's predominantly Snake Oil accented by the fruity note of the pomegranate. On me, the effect is to make the blend much more of an "anytime" scent. Update 11/3 -- For whatever it's worth, I've found myself reaching for this a few times after experimenting with less successful scents. I don't know that it's ever a "wow" scent on me, but it is very nicely balanced, without any notes that my skin overly eats or amps.

My bottle was purchased via another BPALer, not direct from the Lab. In the bottle: Soft, sweet clove. On my skin: As it's drying, the patchouli pokes its nose out for a bit, but it's never really more than an undercurrent. The rose does the same, but it's only distinguishable in fleeting moments. Ultimately, it goes back to the more straightforward sweet clove as in the bottle -- only with considerably more throw -- laced with the barest hint of rose. I never do get any of the cacao or cherry, which is fine with me since this blend is exquisite as-is. Edit 2/20/19 -- Coming back to add that the wear length on this is pretty great. I kept catching myself today -- seven, eight, nine hours after applying -- and thinking "wow, I smell great!"