Dancing Raven

It starts out quite interesting. Wet: Cherry cordials. I definitely get both chocolate and tart cherry, which is odd because neither is a listed note. I do know that patchouli sometimes goes chocolate on my skin, particularly the aged type, and some roses have fruity overtones. I'm guessing that's what's happening here. A little more of the actual rose is peeking through after a few minutes. Drydown: Rose and sandalwood. For about ten minutes it's almost "fizzy". This stays a distinct rose otto and dry, woody (not sweet or powdery) sandalwood. Patchouli isn't really present. I adore roses, but this scent is so "two note", that it isn't really worth seeking out because I have so many rose perfumes from BPAL that are far more beautiful.

I'm not a huge fan of carrot seed, but I like the other notes, so I thought I'd give this a shot. Wet: Carrot seed and ambregris. Something about this is almost chocolatey and woody, which I'm guessing is the carrot seed. Drydown: Orris, ambregris, and some carrot seed. It's warm and slightly woody in a sweet (ish) way. 30 minutes in: The orris overtakes the scent, and it's woody/powdery with just a touch of ambregris continuing to keep it warm. This remains very orris forward to the point it's almost orris SN on me. Overall, this is mainly a dry scent with just a tiny bit of powder. I think the mid to base are the best parts. It's stark, and I wish I got a bit more ambregris. Hopefully aging will bring it out. Wear time is several hours, and this is totally unisex. 4 out of 5 stars.

I'm surprised there isn't more love for this. Wet: Cacao - smooth milk chocolate and some fizzy copal. It's just a touch bitter, but just enough to add some texture to the sweetness. Drydown: Copal overtakes the scent, but cacao is still keeping it just a bit chocolatey. 30 minutes in: I am getting something lotus like alongside the copal and cacao. It sounds strange, but it's actually pretty. About 3 hours after application: Dark chocolate and a nonpowdery amber warms everything up. It's a little foody, but not overwhelmingly sweet. I think this one is very nice! Throw is moderate for the first few hours, then becomes a skin scent. Wear time is several hours. I already am digging this, and I think it's just going to keep getting better. 5 out of 5 stars.

If you fear black leather because it is too harsh on your skin, you will be hardpressed to find it here unless you are the hardcorest of all hardcore leather ampers. Wet: Vetiver and fir needles bordering on gin. I would have sworn there was juniper and fir in this one. Petitgrain brightens it up, making this unisex and keeps it from reading as too foresty. Drydown: Petitgrain, fir, and grassy vetiver (brimstone?). It's now firmly masculine on me. Somewhere around twenty minutes in, I thought I smelled labdanum, but this could be the crushed pinecones. 7 hours after application: Crushed pinecones which my nose still reads as labdanum and red musk which is playing nice and is creating a lovely sweet, resiny scent. A touch of oakmossy patchouli. Black leather never really showed up. This is another one that I think needs aging to really shine. 3.8 out of 5 stars.

I'm getting a totally different experience than everyone else. Skin chemistry is crazy. Wet: Air & cake. Really. Foody vanilla, something that smells like butterscotch, and a non dryer sheets ozone. There must be vetiver in here because there's something slightly burnt rubber, but not overwhelming. Suddenly, within a few minutes of being on my skin I get something herbal - almost like rosemary, cedar, and pepper. This one morphs A LOT in the wet phase. Drydown: Peppery woods with just a touch of sweetness lingering. I also smell my arch nemesis cumin. I think the smokiness is coming from the cumin, rather than the usual bonfire smoke I'm used to from the lab. It stays smoky woods for about six hours. Base: I get the sweetness of the vanilla again, and I think the labdanum, amber, and frankincense are blending to create a general resiny sweetness. I still smell something herbal, which I suppose could be the oakmoss mixing with the acorns. The chestnuts are just a little bitter, but are fairly unnoticeable in this blend. I have Chestnuts and Hearth Smoke, and on my skin these two are totally different. C&HS was almost entirely vetiver on me. This one is complex, and has a rich, savoury smokiness alongside a sweetness at the opening and close. I adore the beginning and the base. I hope with aging the rougher notes smooth out because this is a really nice one. 4 out of 5 stars.

I am an avowed banana hater. I cannot stand the taste or smell of them. Through some kind of sorcery, I felt compelled to blind buy a bottle of this. I figured if anyone can make me tolerate them, Beth could... and she did! Wet: Sweet, fruity banana liqueur. After a few minutes the initial blast of BANANA calms down. I smell something peppery/gritty beneath all of the banana, so the fig is giving it just a touch of earthiness. This is actually pleasant. Drydown: Sweet banana and ylang ylang along with the faintest bit of fig. I'm not a big fruit fan, so I don't know what guava smells like, but it may also be contributing to the sweet fruit smell. 45 minutes after applying: The tonka and amber come in to give the aforementioned notes a smokiness. It almost smells like banana bread, but with a touch of smoke to balance out the sweetness. Throw is good for the first few hours, then it becomes a skin scent on me. Wear time is good. I'm surprised at how much I like this. I thought it would be a novelty scent, but I would actually wear this on a regular basis. I think it would be good in any weather, and it's completely unisex. Fruit MOOOON is a win. Thanks to the video from Tom and Galen, I won't be able to say it any other way. 😉 4.8 out of 5 stars.

This one is odd. Wet: This one starts out as oudh on me. It's more bandaid than faecal, but there is definitely some barnyard action going on. I am going to hazard a guess and say this is indolic jasmine (which is odd because night-blooming is usually not at all bad on my skin), narcissus, and lemon peel. I'm going to be brave and tough this one out through drydown and beyond. Drydown: I am getting the same oudh like note, but now it's blending in equal parts with sour labdanum. I wish I could say this is pleasant, but it's really harsh. Throw is good, of course. Three hours later: Now it's actually quite nice. Everything has calmed down. The oudh note is gone, and I'm left with labdanum, still a bit sour from the lemon peel, and a beautiful, powdery moss. The plum and maybe some nonherbal lavender are noticeable to a small degree. The quiet sigh in the description was one of relief as I sat at the edge of hoping it would get better. I really like the final product, I'm just not sure if I can endure the first three hours to get to it. I wish the throw were as good as when it smelled bad on me, but it's pretty much a skin scent when it gets to the pretty part. Hopefully aging will improve it. 3 out of 5 stars.

Oh - this is gorgeous! Wet: Eucalyptus and pomegranate, along with what smells like white lilac (which smells like honeysuckle to me). The scent begins to sweeten almost immediately after application. Drydown: It becomes a sweet floral. I get purple, slightly powdery lilac now, and a touch of herbal sweetness from the indigo. The eucalyptus is adding some freshness, but it doesn't go cough drop or medicinal in any way. It stays sweet lilac and indigo for about three hours. At that time a non powdery amber and myrrh join the lilac. I associate lilac with spring/summer, but this has a rich warmth that makes it a good autumn scent as well. It's comforting, and is a good representation of the period where it isn't quite night, but darkness is beginning to envelop everything. There is peace and calm, everything becomes quiet, and the scent of flowers is permeating the air. My description fails at getting across just how pretty this is. The world is going crazy right now, but this scent brings me peace. Thank you, Beth for creating something that makes me feel cocooned in safety and brings back memories of playing in my grandmother's yard when I was a child. The smell of her lilac bushes just before I was called back into the house because it was getting dark. Brilliant. This starts out feminine, but as time goes on it becomes more gender neutral. Throw is low, and it becomes a skin scent after about 3 - 4 hours. Wear time is good. 5 out of 5 stars.

I adore magnolia, so I knew I had to get this when I had the chance. Wet: It starts out as a sweet, powdery floral with just a hint of green. The honey, musk, and magnolia must be combining to give the impression of wisteria and honeysuckle, along with the magnolia. It's definitely much more complex than just magnolia to my nose. Drydown: Sweet vanilla joins the magnolia. About an hour after applying, I swear I get non spicy carnation. This might be the honey? I don't really get any musk. It ends up being a sweet vanilla and magnolia/carnation (honey?) fragrance. It sounds so simple, but this is beautiful. I LOVE it! It's not heavy or cloying at all despite the sweet notes. I would definitely describe this as ethereal. Stunning from start to finish. I'm so beyond happy that I was able to get my hands on this! 5 out of 5 stars.

This is definitely one of those 'exactly what it says on the tin' scents. Wet: Whiskey - like a punch to the nose. It's very realistic. This smells bitter and nutty with no sweetness. Drydown: It calms down a bit about 10 minutes later. It remains bitter and nutty, like hops with whiskey underneath. 20 minutes after applying, something that smells like bug spray enters the mix. I'm thinking this might be the gold component. 45 minutes in: Sweet bug spray 90 minutes in: I get clove and powdery honey, and this is how it stays. It's definitely evocative, I just don't know if I want to smell like this. I might try layering it with something sweet to see if it can be dialed down a notch. It's perfectly unisex. Throw is good, and wear time is average. 3 out of 5 stars.

I generally don't do well with aquatics, but I was hoping the sea salt and kelp would take this away from the usual men's cologne I get. Nope. Wet: I smell something nutty? Also, it's strongly aquatic, so... soap/ detergent. Drydown: Still soapy, but now I'm getting the driftwood which is giving off a slight leather scent. I can very faintly smell the salt. I will happily take some of it off of those who are getting it too strongly! It stays this way for about five hours. Five hours later: The white patchouli must be giving off a sweet vibe, because this ultimately ends up as a vanilla driftwood scent on me. Just a touch of salt underneath to boost it into a beachy seaside fragrance. I like the drydown, but it's a faint skin scent by then. It's still new, so I'm hoping the soap tones down, and the other notes come out more with aging. If not, I will pass this on to my son because I think this would be fantastic on male skin. Throw is good for about five hours. Wear time about 10 to 12 hours, but very light. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I almost didn't buy this because of the listed agarwood which almost always becomes faecal on me. Be assured that there is no barnyard in this. Wet: The bourbon vanilla is the strongest note for the first five minutes, and it's sweet and smooth - not foody at all to me. Shortly after, I get the faint spice of champaca joining the vanilla. It isn't giving off any grape notes on my skin. Drydown: Vanilla, copal, and champaca blossom. The copal is almost fizzy. Two hours after application I get just a touch of powder under the copal. This remains a lovely, rich copal and vanilla for the majority of wear. Five hours later I get the base. Smooth chocolatey patchouli, copal, and vanilla. I'm hoping the frankincense and tea come out with aging, but it's perfect as is. This is absolutely beautiful. What a wonderful tribute to true love, and may there be many more years for them! Throw is good for the first three hours, then it becomes a skin scent. Wear time is excellent - 12 plus hours. 5 out of 5 stars.

2006 version. This is a frottle from the lab. Thank you! Wet: Minty pineapple - heavier on the mint (spearmint?). Drydown: Same as above, but a non foody vanilla is sweetening it up. This is so not me, but I'm really enjoying it. There's something slightly jasmine like in the background, but very faint. 40 minutes in: Spearmint tea. This isn't a complex scent, but it's really nice! 2 hours in: Vanilla floral. I think there's some heliotrope and ylang ylang, although magnolia is also a possibility. Definitely a white floral, and not overwhelming at all. I don't think there's anything aquatic in this because those almost always become soap on my skin. It's a skin scent on me, but wear time is about 9 to 10 hours. This would make a beautiful layering oil to lighten up heavier scents, or to make things more wintery. I'm glad that the lab was generous enough to send this my way. 4.7 out of 5 stars.

This one is interesting because it smells so different than what I expected based on the notes. Wet: The cacao and vetiver are blending to create what smells to me like patchouli of the chocolatey/herbal type. It smells like a hippie dark chocolate bar in a good way. Drydown: The above poster is correct. It smells like leather (non chemical, but raw) along with the minty patchouli scent. About 20 minutes in, I get an impression of honey or amber. That must be the tobacco coming through. 40 minutes in: The queen of the night smells like slightly spicy carnation. I think I am getting some black musk. Leather remains the dominant note. At some point, the queen of the night equals the strength of the leather. 3 hours later: It's now slightly woody, and there is definitely black musk in the base. It's a little sweet from the benzoin, but not powdery. I didn't smell any tuberose or opoponax (which has a cola like scent on me usually). Throw is low, and within a couple of hours it's a skin scent on me, but my skin eats perfume. I would say it's gender neutral for the most part, leaning masculine (ish) in the base. Wear time is about 8 hours. I did just get this in the mail yesterday. I think with aging the notes will blend together more, and this will be fantastic. Definitely one to get if you like leather scents, despite the lack of it in the notes. Fortunately, I do. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

First time being first! Hopefully I do it justice. Wet: Cherry/lemon cough drop. That must be the pomegranate along with unlisted eucalyptus? Usually I don't like to smell like cold medicine, but this is actually kind of pleasant in an odd sort of way. Drydown: The cough drop smell goes away after about 5 minutes. The pom is reading as sweet cherry on my skin. The eucalyptus remains (she must smoke menthols). It's definitely more on the feminine side, though on the right skin it could be gender neutral. It takes about 10 minutes for the tuberose to come forward. There's nothing carnal about it. It's a lovely, creamy tuberose - big, white, and sweet. If you amp tuberose and don't love it, beware. I adore it. It's present on my skin, but not cloying or overwhelming. There is something that reminds me of anise lurking just beneath the tuberose. At a distance, this smells almost tropical. The pomegranate is lending a juiciness to the scent. 20 minutes in: The tobacco leaf is adding a hint of smokiness (very subtle), and I'm getting a whiff of something root beer-ish. I think the tobacco is blending with the tuberose to create that impression. The tuberose remains buttery smooth. The pom has all but disappeared on me. I think there may be some musk in here because there is something that wants to go powdery, but hasn't. I amp powder notes, so if you're afraid of it going that way, it's probably safe to try. It reminds me of Serge Lutens Datura Noir (which I own and love), as well as some Frederic Malle scents. It smells like a high end commercial fragrance, which makes it totally safe for work unless you're in healthcare. It's all tuberose and (non powdery) musk from about an hour in, and it stays that way for about 3 hours. It ends up smelling fruity from the fig, and possibly the pomegranate, in the base. I'm not really getting any tobacco or smoke, which I was hoping for. It's fresh out of the mailbox, though. I think if it's given some time to rest those notes will come out. If not, it's still very pretty. 4.5 out of 5 stars Summary: Fruity pomegranate and tuberose are the main notes. I will update if it changes after it settles. ETA: Throw starts out moderate, and becomes low after about the 3rd hour. Wear time 6 + hours.