Gwydion

In bottle: (Aged sample). Cocoa and incense over Snake Oil, with sugar, probably nuts and extra musk, and maybe a touch of berry. The incense is strongest with cocoa second. Wet: Cocoa dominant with incense a strong second with musk and snake oil in general in third. It is less complex on my skin. As it warms the musk and insence move into first place. Dry: Incensey Snake Oil.

In bottle: Strongly orange blossom dominant grounded by a hint of sexy patchouli, This is lovely, but there is no chance of this working on me. Iof you love orange blossom, this is your scent.

In bottle: This has a hint of bubble gum about it. The grapefruit lends the strawberry accord some bite and they do go surprisingly well together. The musks infuse everything with a bit of sex appeal. The combination looks a bit odd on paper, nut makes perfect sense to the nose. Wet: Very strawberry bubble gum, with the other notes dancing in the background. This scent is way too young for me, but would be excellent on a young woman. Dry: Smells like rose. Is rose part of the strawberry accord maybe?

In bottle: Significantly more floral than I’d hoped. The aquatics are pervasive and bridge the floral faction with the green notes. In the green faction, the moss is slightly dominant, but really this is about the florals. No skin test as it’s rather much for me in the bottle.

OAKMOSS ACCORD Oakmoss is a lichen that grows on the branches and trunks of conifers and deciduous trees. Oakmoss' scent can vary, depending on how it is grown and which tree has housed it. Generally, it is deep, earthy, green, moist, and tenacious, though oakmoss grown on pine trees may possess a thinner, sharper scent. Some extractions smell vaguely leathery, and some are velvety green, while others can be dry and woodsy. In perfumery, oakmoss is considered a base note, and it is often employed as a fixative. It adds depth, a sense of grounding, and solemnity, and acts as an anchor for more capricious notes. In bottle: Yep that is oakmoss: Mossy green and vaguely masculine, one of my favorite base notes. Wet: By itself, you can start to pick out components of the accord, but they still read as a united whole. It's little juicy, very sexy in an aftershave/men's cologne sort of way. Dry: Exactly the way oakmoss smells on the drydown. Slightly powedery moss, with the more complex elements burned off.

In bottle: This is fascinating and surprisingly sexy. The sages are dominant with herbal support. The tobacco is second strongest with oak and accorn support, and is bringing and unexpected sexiness to it. The hyssop ties the sage and herbs to the tobacco in a graceful fashion. The honey is soft and smoothes the edges. The flowers are gentle and enhance the hyssop. There is a wildness and kitchen garden feel that combined suit the concept well. Wet: Very herbal on the skin. The herbs and tobacco are strongest with sage in support of the herbs, and the oak/acorn in support of tobacco. The unusual and delicate flower blend is stronger here, dancing wonderfully with the herbs, with the understated honey tying the whole blend together. This blends beautifully together and is evocative while being hard to pin down. I really like this. Dry: Really lovely. The herbal mix and the flowers twine gently around the hyssop, oak, and tobacco as it fades slowly down.

In Bottle: Surprisingly sharp. It is lavender dominant. The carnation gives it a characteristic floral spiciness that blends wonderfully with the lavender. The oakmoss gives it a darker masculine feel. The sage dances gently with the oakmoss and lavender. The vanilla sweetens the florals. The leather and polish are soft support for the oakmoss. This is complex and interesting. I love the use of the word dapper in the description, as this does have a dapper, yet chivalric feel. I am thinking of both Lancelot and Ser Loras, Knight of the Flowers. Wet: Oh god, where has this been all my life? This is so me! The Lavender remains dominant, but the carnation really pops as my skin warms it. The bourbon vanilla embraces the florals, enhancing them. The leather stays soft, but dances with the oakmoss, sage, and polish to create a counter balance to the brasher elements. This is beautifully balanced and surprisingly subtle. I think I’m in love. Dry: Mostly oakmoss and lavender fougere with a sharp hint of sage.

Review: This does have a chilly feel to it somehow. It is mildly berry dominant, with a kiss of peach, smeared across a creamy vanilla canvass, gentle, but pervasive. I’d swear there is a touch of mint to lend a chill.

In bottle: The rose is strongest with amber support. The woods are understated, but warm and ground the blend. This suits its concept well, but I will not skin test due to rose.

In bottle: Strongly honey dominant with Spikenard in second. The myrrh gently darkens it, while the cassia and cinnamon spice it up. The effect is similar to honey and carnation. It’s quite pretty. Wet: The spikenard strengthens on the skin, so that it’s more spiknard sweetened with honey. The spices are gorgeous here and the myrrh is understated and well blended with the other elements. Dry: Mostly honey kissed with nard and cassia.

In bottle: Sweet and smooth. Very sexy. The amber, oudh, and vanilla complement each other so beautifully that it’s hard to say where one ends and the other begins. It’s slightly amber dominant. Wet: The Oudh really sings on the skin, and I’d now call it oudh dominant, with amber second and vanilla accents. They still go beautifully together, but my skin chemistry switches up the balance. I liked it in the bottle, but love it on the skin. I admit, I’d like a bit more vanilla, but aging should solve that. I think this is going to be a classic. Dry: Mostly Amber kissed by oudh.

If you want to give it a try, I'm pretty sure you could find a goblin squirt of Erebos for sale on the forum (or post an ISO) Ooh that sounds good as well! Maybe I'll try to find some. I've actually never tried the atmo sprays but I'm curious! I definitely recommend the Erebos.

GRAVE MOSS AND UPTURNED SOIL The scent of an ancient, long-abandoned churchyard: weed-choked crumbling tombstones under the shadows of midnight and thick black soil disturbed by inhuman hands. Unburned: This really fits its concept. It’s got a strong dirt and moss feel to it, the weeds are a pleasantly sharp counterpoint to the darker tones of the dirt and stone. Call it earth dominant with moss in support and the weeds third, but clearly defined. Burned: The moss and weeds are both stronger with the heat. The dirt backs off a little as the stone strengthens. The result is it’s more green burning than it is just sitting around. I’d call it Moss strongest, then earth, then weeds and stone about equal.

I haven't tried burning it, but you mkight want to try Temple of Dreams. It's a lovely sweet lavender.

In Bottle: Fresh crisp sliced apples are strongly dominant. Autumn leaves and grave moss blend to make a beautiful bed for the display of the apples, with the earth note in support. This is gorgeous and perfectly autumnal in a sharp but pleasant way. Wet: The apple is gentler and more like fallen apples on the skin, the edges fading right into the moss and leaves, with the damp earth smoothing things together. It is not quite as lovely on my skin as it was in the bottle, though still quite interesting. It is water color rather than the crisp lines in the bottle. Dry: Mostly Autumn Leaves and moss.

In Bottle: Hazelnut dominant. I will be honest that I have no idea what bilberries smell like and am vague on elderberries, not being found of gin, so I can not tell you which is which here. I’m just going to refer to them collectively as berries. The berries are second strongest, with carrot and honey support and blend in a lovely and interesting fashion with hazelnuts. The hay is a soft canvass that shows off the stronger elements to advantage. I was skeptical of this blend when I read the description, but it came in a swap and I am now pleasantly surprised. Wet: Oh man, this is rich and unusual. I admit that these are not the berries I’d have picked for this. (I’m blaming the elderberries as I’m pretty sure they are the issue, though grain of salt here. One of the berries is a little too ginlike, while the other pleases my nose). The slightly off edge is not enough to put me off and they are a beautiful dominant note complimented by the carrot and honey support and the more delicate hazelnut, which is doing a lovely dance with the more delicate hay. This is gorgeous and unusual and a clever way of expressing the concept. Dry: Delicious what I think are bilberries and honey.

In bottle: This is extremely well designed. Seriously, I’m someone who hates vetiver and who can’t wear two other notes in here and I think this is beautiful. The balance of this is brilliant. Patchouli, pine sap, and vetiver form a dark faction in which each is distinct, yet cooperative with the others. This is balanced by a sweeter, juicier faction formed by cherry, jasmine, and fruit gums, in which all are also distinct yet beautifully consonant. The balance is perfect and each element shines. I wouldn’t have guessed this would work from the description, but oh, was I wrong.

In bottle: I’d call this blood musk dominant, with shadow musk and opoponax support. Patchouli is as strong second, with soft leather support. Pepper and clove give it a spicy edge. Wet: Mildly patchouli dominant, with strong musk seconds. The shadow musk does a lovely job tying the patchouli, leather, and blood musk together. Of the musk/opoponax complex, the blood musk is still strongest. The clove is stronger on the skin and lovely with the leather musk, and patchouli. This is a touch more patchouli and musk than I like, but the scent is so beautifully designed and blended that I don’t think it matters. Dry: Nuanced musks mostly.

In bottle: Damp autumn leaves crushed under foot, with fresh snapped twigs. Wet: more delicate and less nuanced on the skin, but still essentially as advertised. Dry: The leaves get less sharp but stay lovely as they fade and blur.

In bottle: Snake oil dominant with strong pumpkin. They go together surprisingly well, the vanilla in the snake oil bridging the gap with the pumpkin. The effect is complex and hard to describe. Wet: I don’t generally do well with the pumpkin accord, but this may actually work. The snake oil stays dominant, with the pumpkin sweetening and mellowing it. Dry: Mmmmm… Sweet snake oil with all the things I like about snake oil amped.

In bottle: Fresh gourd. It still has the pumpkin spice feel to it, but it does smell fresh. Wet: There is a yellowish feel to this gourd. I love this, but am worried how it will age. It’s so perfect now, but delicate. Dry: Wears well fresh gourd with extra sweet.

In bottle: I’m picking up mint, lavender, musk, ozone, musk, amber and some sort of incense, with a hint of floral. It is deep, dark, and velvety with a chill to it. Wet: My skin eats it. What’s left is mostly lavender and amber, with something that reminds me of iron accord, though it could be another metallic. Dry: Mostly amber and musk with a touch of incense.

In bottle: Lovely dark pomegranate with a smooth incense blend in support. The chypre blend is unusual and less overwhelming than in the atmosphere spray from last year. Wet: The chypre really comes out on the skin, pushing the pomegranate into the background. This is rather a shame as the balance in the bottle was unusual and gorgeous. The amber dominant incense blend is still lovely, but rather strong on me. If you love chypre incense this is for you. Dry: The chypre calms down as it wears and ends up doing lovely things with what remains of the pomegranate. The effect is smooth and sweet.

In bottle: This is sharp and rather unsettling. The brimstone, copper, and labdanum combine to create a dangerous impression, with the musk adding sensuality and the clove a hint of spice. Wet: Labdanum dominant, with strong musk support. The copper, brimstone and clove modify the dominant scents. I’d call the clove as second tier strength with the musk. This is clinical, unnerving, and dangerous all at once, fascinating, but hard to wear. Dry: Mmmm.. lovely. Clove and labdanum, smooth and spicy. I’d be iun love if it were always like this.

In bottle: Pumpkin dominant with a strong butter cream second. The marzipan is third, tying them together. The spicing is delicate and the zest gives it a touch of zing. You really need to like butter cream for this to work and I can tell from the bottle scent it’s too much for me, so no skin test