SlySionnach

I ordered this off the BPAL Etsy site because I saw some reviews mention that it smells like a cinnamon version of Mum Moon. I love cinnamon to bits, even if it doesn't love me most of the time, so I took a chance. So happy I did. On me, it really is like a Red Hots Mum Moon. After the initial blast of bright red cinnamon, it fades into this gorgeous warm, smokey scent.

Bottle: The Lab's snow/slush note is definitely prominent with a soft pine underneath. Wet: Pine, pine, pine. I'm in a christmas tree farm during the first winter snow, trying to find a tree for the year. Florals are very, very faint but I can detect what I think is the white rose and the mum underneath it. Could be the tulip instead of the rose. They're buried in needles. Drying: More flowers coming out. The pine is a sweet one on me, not a harsh one like it has been in other blends. I can also smell some spiciness when I take deep breaths, and assume it is the mum. Dry: This is gorgeous. I bought it from the sales forum a while ago, can't even tell you when, and hadn't properly tested until today. So silly of me. This really does bring me to a forest of winter evergreens but the first bits of spring peek out from the pine needles and snow. Verdict: So so so glad I bought this when I did. My brain must have knew something it wasn't telling me.

Decant: Light musk with a hint of Lily. Wet: Resiny, woodsy musk. Still bits of lily here and there, but it's behaving, to my surprise. Dry: In the end, this is a woodsy light musk. There's lily, but it's not the top note. The top note is definitely this perfect white musk with hints of frankincense and some floral. Very light and, for some reason, feels like "fall." Verdict: I got this decant during, I think, my first purchase ever on the forums. It's only taken me years to review it but the first time I sniffed it, I balked. But now? Why didn't I find a bottle? This is gorgeous!

Imp: Oh god, it's rotting. It's some rotten, salty mess. Wet: Still rotten salty mess. Like bad BO mixed with garbage. It may be the ambergris, but it usually plays well with my skin. Ugh. Dry: After the wet phase is over, the aquatic scents come out, but it is dark. Like dank water instead of something refreshing. And it still has so much salt. Definitely not grapefruit! Verdict: No, no, no, no.

Imp: Fruit! Luscious fruit! I would say peaches, definitely Wet: Instant powder, which is probably from the amber. . The vanilla starts to come out, at least, and I can get wafts of the peaches. Dry: In the end, it smells like a mix of honeyed peaches and vanilla cream. It's not candy or syrup - it is really surprising that honey is not a note. I'm lucky for that, though; this would smell like bad BO otherwise. Verdict: Keeper. Imps, for now, but I'll have to try it a few more times to see if a bottle is required.

Tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses. Imp: Soapy clean. Afraid that this will go floral soap on me now. Wet: Very aquatic. I can smell the flowers and I think I can pick out the tulips and peony (the latter being one of my top notes). Not soapy yet! Dry: Not soapy at all. I'm in love. This is like fresh flowers floating on a river. The throw may not be great but I don't care. Verdict: Bottle. Hands down bottle required. It's on my "Next Order!" list.

Imp: Anise. And something...old smelling. Wet: Thank god for anise-amping skin! Really afraid of getting too much civet here. Smelled it once and it was a smell I could forgo from now on. Also getting vetiver and the oak. Drying: And there it is: the first whiff of something like cat pee. Civet did this to me the first time I tried it and I had to wash it off. This time, it's not nearly as strong so I may make it to the dry stage! The anise is still making itself known loudly. Dry: I don't know if it's because I put so very little on (very afraid of the civet!), but the cat pee has faded and left this anise-on-oak behind it. I can't tell if it's all oak or oak and lichen, but it smells like the woods. Verdict: Not a big bottle, for sure. In fact, this imp may last me a lifetime - as well as any descendants I have if they're blessed/cursed with my skin chemistry.

Bottle: Apple slices. Wet: The freshest apple I can ever imagine. Like I'd just bitten into it. Definitely a sweet, juicy apple. Drying: The apple is blending with the flowers, which aren't fully center stage but definitely getting there. I love the Lab's white and blue musk so it makes a perfect stage for the other notes. The vanilla isn't strong, but it is there, sort of like the curtains, if we keep up this theater metaphor. Dry: Definitely a winner. The apple and florals mix together in the most wonderful way. The vanilla has come out to play as well to make this magical, and gets stronger and stronger. Verdict: Oh, I am so glad I hunted this one down. This is absolutely amazing.

Imp: Dirt. And not YAY dirt but dirty dirt. If that makes sense. Wet: Now it smells like I was playing in the dirt for a couple of hours and it has seeped into my skin. It's all I can smell, though it's getting "fresher." Drying: Ginger! I can smell you, faintly, mixed in the dirt. It's like I'm digging out a ginger root. Dry: Oh thank god. The dirt has faded and the yummy ginger has come up. And it smells like some sort of citrus - maybe lemon? I can definitely smell the "soft perfume." Verdict: Every time I opened this imp, I put it away as quickly as I could. But after it dries down, it is gorgeous. It may go into general rotation and I may need to replace this imp when it disappears. Proves that you really need to skin test every imp! (Minus allergies)

Imp: I can't even begin to describe this. Herbal, definitely. Clean linen, as well. Wet: Ack! Almond! Definitely not a keeper. Almond makes me feel bleh after awhile because it amps so heavily. Drying to Dry: Powder on top of almonds. And now powdered sugar. Bleh. Verdict: Not keeping not keeping not keeping

Imp: Minty melon. Sort of a honeydew-ish melon. Wet: A bit of lime (my skin adores it) mixing with the melon and mint. Bubbly as well. Drying: Fizzy fruit soda. Something lingers underneath, making it deeper and richer. I can't really decipher what it is. Dry: Just like it is while drying: Fizzy melon-lime soda. It's bubbly, making me smile, and has my favorite note (lime!) prominent. Verdict: What a fantastic summery scent! Definitely a keeper.

Imp: Something fruity and sweet and clove? Maybe dragon's blood and clove? Wet: Definitely getting a clove/cinnamon spice. And sandalwood. On top of that, definitely some lilac a la dragon's blood resin, I believe. Drying: The spiciness isn't overpowering, which is nice! It's starting to blend together in just a warm scent. Dry: Definitely a spicy, floral scent, though at this point, I can't tell what specific notes. It just is delicious. Verdict: I wasn't going to try this one because in my mind, I thought it would be too strong. But I am so glad I tried it. Keeper for sure!

Imp: This smells...clean. That's the only description I could think for it. Wet: A bouquet of white flowers. Reading that there was gardenia in it, I expected it to come out full force but it smells like white rose. Let's see how long that lasts. Drying: Oddly enough, it starts to become almost watery at this point. As if flowers lying in a fountain. It's really nice but I'm not sure where that's coming from. Dry: The gardenia behaved itself! It's still a white rose prominent blend. There is a touch of powder, not sure which note is causing that, but I think it gives it a bit more love. Who would have guessed? Verdict: Not sure if this is bottle worthy. May have to wear it a few more times.

I love lemons but this is lemon candy on me from imp to dry. While it is dry, it has a hint of depth beyond Lemonheads but really, my skin is amping lemon like no other right now. Verdict: One imp is more than enough.

Imp: Leather and rose. Wet: Still leather and rose, but to my surprise, neither is taking over the other. Every sniff I take I can detect them both in almost the same amount. Which is shocking for my chemistry. Drying/Dry: Combined because it is still just these two notes making amazing scent-music together. I'm in awe at how a "simple" scent can be just as amazing as ones with eight or more notes. It's also lasting QUITE a long time. Verdict:I was frimped this by someone (lab, forum, honestly I cannot remember. I haven't been keeping good notes lately) and was afraid to try it with the way my skin can be with leather. But I'm so glad I did! This is going on the GC bottle list immediately. It's my new BAMF scent