Gwydion

In bottle: Almond dominant, with strong mead and rum support. The butter cream is ubiquitous, tying it all together. The hazelnut is soft, but distinct. Wet: Much as in the imp, with dominant almond. The butter cream is stronger than in the bottle, if anything. Dry: Mostly honey meed and rum. Yummy.

Review: Deliciously autumnal. The evergreens give it a late fall Winter is coming outdoorsey feel, while the florals give a sweeter last gasp of summer sort of feel. It’s gorgeous and just right for the turning of the year. I am not familiar with all the notes, so I can not tell you which thing makes the bitter berry scent that is dancing with the dominant evergreens, but trust me, it’s perfect.

I received such a frimp as well in a decant circle package, but it also says "Solstice Scents LE 2012" on the label so I'm guessing it's from that e-tailer rather than from BPAL. i got a "Master bedroom" from a decant circle with the same solstice label, and i assumed another etailer also.

In bottle: This is a multiple stone blend, which means I may have trouble telling which accord is meant to be what. It’s surprisingly industrial, and reminiscent of a construction site which makes sense. It is very much a stone blend, indeed the strongest stone blend I’ve encountered. The rhododendrons are pervasive and actually contributing to the industrial feel through accidental accords with some of the stones while still being clearly floral. It suits it’s art concept beautifully and is quite unusual and subtly unsettling. I don’t know if I want to smell like this, but I am fascinated by it. Wet: Much as in the bottle, only with the clay more differentiated and the rocks more nuance. As it warms, the rhododendron spends less time smelling industrial and more smelling floral. Dry: Above average staying power for a stone blend. I suspect it is bulstering by clay and rhododendren that make it possible. Still, it evenually goes mostly to clay. I’m not that big on clay, as it turns out.

In bottle: The Pimento stands out because it’s effect is so unusual with the mimosa and bergamot on the one hand and the caramel and current on the other. This is actually strongly current dominant though, with the caramel adding an extra sweetness and the florals providing variety. I’m calling the pimento second, a strange savory voice in the midst of sweet. The clove ends up hanging out in the background making eyes at the current. It’s interesting and intense. Wet: Still current dominant, but now with the bergamot a strong second and the pimento pulling up third. Do not get this if you don’t love current and bergamot. This is fascinating and quirky, while also being unsettling.. Dry: Current and strong clove. Yummy!

In bottle: The snow note is similar to the Death of a Gravedigger and very intense, maybe too intense. The deodar is a weak second, with sandalwood support, so the result is SNOW, WIND CHILL, cedar and a touch of sandalwood incense. It works for the concept and the smell suits the art beautifully. I am worried it may be too much for me. Wet: It is much the same only stronger and mintier. It did remind me why I fell in love with the Gravedigger in the first place. It’s a non-peppermint mint, BTW. Dry: Still mostly snow, only softer and the accord has less internal differentiation, with the ghosts of deodar and incense.

In bottle: Surprisingly pale and juicy. This is nearly all resins and as two are unfamiliar, I’m going to have a hard time telling you what is strongest. It’s a strong resin blend with Valarian standing out bright and clear from the pack. The sandalwood and musk are understated and mostly supporting the incense. I suspect the dammer of being the thing doing the lovely dance with the styrax and the galbanum of giving the streak of pale green with the white musk, but that’s guessing based on word descriptions of scents, not visceral knowledge, so again, don’t quote me. This is surprisingly complex and subtle, and while I’m not a big fan of olibanum I think it’s playing well with others here. Wet: More sandalwood on the skin. The complex dance of the resins continue, the valerian moves into support and blends better than it did in the bottle. It’s a good fit for a warrior angel, all that elevated incense with a sharp edge of danger under the devotion. As it warms, it gets a little pencil shaving adjacent, but mostly this is about the resins. Dry: Soft, sweet resin. I suspect a lot of people will misidentify it as vanilla or power, but it retains a surprising amount of complexity until late in it’s process, along with a sexy hint of musk. I think this may have been what I wanted from Paladin without knowing it.

In bottle: Intense and fascinating. I am not sure I approve of the mugwort, which is a little overwhelming here. It does smell like sand, though I can’t tell you how. The Myrrh, musk, and opium form a faction with the mugwort. Another, more subtle faction is formed by the sand, ho leaf, oudh and bamboo. I love the second faction, and am fond of much of the first, but all together, it may be too confusing and overwhelming for me. Wet: It settles down a bit on the skin, though is sytill strong. It creates the feeling of balsam without containing it. The musk moves into the strongest position, though the mugwort stays strong. The second, more delicate faction makes its move with the wood striking out hard together to become nearly as strong as the musk. After an awkward five to ten minutes or so, it becomes a quite lovely oudh dominant blend. Unfortuneatly, the mugwort strikes back and ends up coequal with the woods again fairly quickly. It’s heartbreaking as I fall in and out of love as it morphs. Dry: Still a bit too much mugwort, but mostly woods with a bit of myrrh.

In bottle: I’d astutely call it predominantly musky woody with a strong incense presence. I was expecting o hate this as juniper and frankincense are not my friends, but it’s quite sexy and intriguing in the bottle. Wet: Oudh dominant. It turns out the bois de cade is more woody and less juniper than I expected. Sort of juniper adjacent. Together with the oudh, the result is rather like cedar. The beeswax blends well with the woods, smoothing the edges between them. The Frankincense and myrrh wind through the scent. It gets significantly more insensey as it warms, while remaining wood dominant. It is beautifully designed and blended but too heavy and intense on me. Dry: It goes all traditional perfume with the oudh standing out from the throng.

In bottle: Yep, carnations. I am actually quite fond of carnations and they are my second favorite floral scent (after hyacinth). I am not a big floral person, but carnation is on my list of one I often like in blends. This carnation is rich with that classic spicy edge and the full overtones of the real flowers. Wet: Just as rich and right on the skin. It manages to imply the stems as well as the flowers themselves. My skin amps the spiciness over the more traditionally floral tones in carnation and this is definitely happening here. I am really loving this. Dry: Fades fairly quickly along the same trajectory as a real carnation. Seriously, it’s like a time capsule of how a fresh buttonhole fades in the course of a day. It’s lovely, but expect to need to reapply.

In bottle: Spiked Pumpkin latte dominant. The coffee note is very espresso rather than sweet. The pumpkin is sweeter and trying to blend with the beans. The result is interesting with the booze note forming the third vertice of the love triangle. It’s one of the dark liqueurs, like whiskey, so that’s to the good for me. It’s gorgeous with the pumpkin. I like the distinctness of the espresso, but I’m not sure if that will work on my skin. There is also a spiciness that suits the pumpkin. The parchment and wood are more canvass for the spiked pumpkin latte to paint on. The cologne is soft, twining through the other notes. Wet: Initially too much espresso, but the spiced pumpkin starts gaining on it. After a bit, the booze and cologne get over their shock and try to mix it up. The library scents are strongly present, but again as background on which the more dynamic elements dance. I have a bad history both with coffee and pumpkin, but so far, it’s holding together surprisingly well. I think the booze and spices are really helping. Dry: Mmmm… Library. Paper and wood mostly, with some spice and a touch of the booze. I wasn’t sure about this one, but now I am. It’s gorgeous and well designed for it’s concept.

In bottle: Balsam dominant. I am not a balsam fan, but this version is quite lovely with the wood, cumin, and incense. The cumin is really clever here, giving a real sense of place. The musk is darkly sexy. There is a sense about this of mysterious rites and solitude. Wet: Musk and balsam dominant with a strong cumin presence. The wood supports the balsam and musk. The incense twines with the cumin. This really does suit it’s concept. It shouldn’t work on me, but it does. Lots of throw. Dry: Mostly balsam and musk. I’m heart broken as I loved it onfirst ablication, buut it’s not good on me in the later stages. Odds are it’s skin chemistry as the blending was brilliant and I amp musk and don’t usually do well with balsam, so I’m betting it’d be glorious on someone else.

In bottle: Yep, apple cheesecake as promised. It’s cheesecake dominant, but the tart apple is quite strong and the contrast is remarkable. Wet Apple dominant on the skin, with the cheesecake softening it and providing background. There’s a touch of spice, maybe to suggest the gingerbread crust or cinnamon spicing on the apples, or both. The apple starts a little shrill, but goes warm and gooey as it wears, suggesting baked pie rather than fresh green slices as it does when first applied. The cheesecake starts to make it’s move at this point, reasserting itself. There’s a lovely long period of balance at this point. Omnomnom. Dry: Cheesecake with a touch of apple. Lovely and unobjectionable.

In bottle: I’m guessing licorice tea, because I’m getting licorice as the strongest note. I am not familiar with sweet gum resin, so I’m guessing it’s the resiny scent that isn’t the labdanum. If so, it’s kind of cool and doing interesting things with the tea. The leather is medium strength and mostly working with the resin I’m not a labdanum fan, but it’s clever here, giving it an edge it wouldn’t otherwise have without taking over. It seems well blended and unusual. Wet: Tea dominant on the skin with the liquidamber as strong support. It’s still licoricey, but less overwhelmingly so. The labdanum stays in similar proportion, working with the sweetgum. The leather gets stronger as it warms, eventually overtaking the tea to become dominant. The leather and licorice are really good friends, and I like the result, so it’s all good. Dry: Mostly leather and.. clean laundry? No really. It smells like cotton tee shirts and de4nim fresh from the dryer. No really. I have no explanation, but I love it. Leather and clean laundry is a fine scent.

In bottle: That’s a whole lot of jasmine. Did I mention the jasmine? Seriously, jasmine. It’s eating the honeysuckle up, so that separating it takes real effort. The lemon is a weak second, and the spices are more edge than distinct in themselves. There is o chance of anything nice happening if I combine this with my natural scent, so no skin test.

In bottle: Patchouli dominant, but with lots of smoky vetiver. The work well together, but this is skin chemistry anathema and I’m already a touch queasy from the vetiver, so no skin test.

In bottle: Ooo! Pretty! The Amber Tobacco, Mandarin, tea leaf, and vanilla are strongest, but the florals make a strong showing. I’d call the lily dominant, but they are all working well together. Opium twines around everything, adding a sensual feel. The leather is soft and well blended. The ginger is supporting the tea leaf; the balsam and sandalwood support the tobacco. Frankly, I can barely detect the hay in all that complexity. Wet: The vanilla and tea leaf really pop on the skin. The tea leaf is unusual, and this is a lovely setting for it. I’m putting the lily in second, supported by the ginger. Leather and amber tobacco are third. It morphs though and the lesser threads are all present and floating to the surface at different times. It works well with its concept and is well blended, but a bit too floral for me. My personal skin chemistry does weird things with lily as it wears. It does settle into lily and leather dominant about fifteen minutes in. Again, this is an interesting idea, but weird with what my body does to lilies. Dry: It’s lovely on the dry down, with rich, creamy vanilla, with sugar, opium, and a touch of sandalwood.

In bottle: Peony dominant with strong tea backing. They work together well, supporting each other beautifully. I’m a little bummed out it’s so floral though. I was hoping for mostly tea. The herbs give it a touch of green to go with the purple. Wet: More tea on the skin and a little less floral, though still in that realm. The herbs come out a little more as well, creating a tea party in the garden sort of feel that suits the concept. It’s pretty and delicate. I am picking up anise as it warms, which goes well with the tea, even as the peony continues to soften. Dry: Peony and herbs.

In bottle: Patchouli dominant, to a worrisome extent, but not as over the top as Occupy. The leather is a distant second, but a good choice with the patchouli. The sarsaparilla and vanilla are soft, but pleasant with the stronger notes. I can barely find the honeysuckle at all. Wet: Still a bit too much patchouli, but not as egregiously so. The vanilla and honeysuckle strengthen and form a weak second together with the leather starting out just behind them, but moving up to challenge the patchouli, carrying the honeysuckle and vanilla along with it. The result is sweeter and more feminine than in the bottle, but still patchouli strong. The sarsaparilla hovers in the background for a while, then edges into support of the leather. It morphs a lot. I had such hopes for this, but think it’s just too much patchouli for my taste, even with that gorgeous honeysuckle/vanilla complex. Dry: Pretty on the dry down where the patchouli and leather blend better with each other and the vanilla. It’s still not me, but I have hopes of it being good on someone who’s skin is better friends with patchouli. I also suspect this will age beautifully.

In the bottle: This has the same red musk and elemi thing going on that Third charm does, but this has tea and violet leaf as it’s dominant combination. The elemi plays well with the white tea and the red musk both and the result is more pale, while still having a touch of sensuality. The other elements are all present, but more support than strong voices on their own. This looks delicate, but feels dangerous, which suits the idea well. Wet: I didn’t have big hopes for this, but it’s gorgeous. The white tea is strong and lovely with the violet leaf and elemi. The red musk is soft and clever with the elemi and myrrh. This shouldn’t work, but it does. Dry: Fast fading. Weirdly mostly honeysuckle, elemi and olibanum, but really not much left in a very short time.

In the bottle: Red Musk dominant with strong patchouli and elemi support. Think sticky sexy resiny musk. The champaca is lovely support. The woods and hemlock form their own, more complex faction, dancing with the first and the honey ties it all together. It interesting and intense, but I’m already suspecting the red musk will be too strong with my skin chemistry. Wet: Surprisingly, the hemlock makes its move, doing startlingly lovely things with the honey, champaca, and the musk. It’s more femine than I’d have guessed and a little weird on me, but I am thinking this would be gorgeous on many women. Dry: really pretty on the dry down with elemi, ho wood, honey and a touch of hemlock lingering.

In bottle: This suits its idea pretty well. I’d swear there was wood in it, maybe as end tables or picture frames. I’d call it wood and tobacco dominant. There’s something suggesting canvas or old wall paper in there. The cologne and opium twine together beautifully to dance with the tobacco. The cala lilies are delicate and present, but not overpowering. The sherry, which I was worried about is extremely understated. Let’s hope that holds on when it hits my skin. At this stage, I am hopeful. Wet: Much as in the bottle, with less cala lily if anything. If you fear florals or wine this should be fine. I’m loving this, the way the wood, canvas, opium, tobacco, and cologne work together. It’s ghostly and androgynous and wonderfully compelling. Dry: Mostly cologne and opium with a rather more cala lily. I like it, but not as much as wet.

In bottle: Pomegranate dominant with a strong cider bite. I am not sure I am liking the mulberry which is a strong third. (I am classing Azaroles and apple blossoms in with the apple pulp as my understanding is medlers are like apples). The blackberry is soft and supporting the mulberry. The nuts are soft and delicate as is often the case and are mostly tying the rest together. I like the pomegranate/cider concept and they are strong and delicious together. Wet: Mulberry is now coequal with the pomegranate, pushing the cider down and making me a sad panda. The mulberry may be too much, but I’ll see if it improves once it settles. Dry: Better on the dry down, as the blackberry has a bit more stay than the mulberry and the pomegranate ends up dominant with blackberry and apple support. I like the dry down, but it was disappointing compared to the in bottle glory.

In bottle: Strongly pear with a powerful ally in vanilla. A lot of pear. Wet: The pear is still dominant on skin, but the vanilla softens it’s edges as it warms. It’s lovely and pleasantly sweet. I am suspecting honey despite it not being listed. This is must have if you like pear scents. Dry: As it fades the vanilla lasts slightly more than the pear, slowly shifting the balance in vanilla’s favour, but it’s lovely throughout.

In bottle: Pine dominant, but with a strong milk component. The fabrics work well with the milk particularly, but also surprisingly well with the pine. I don’t know what is standing in for ectoplasm, but it has a radioactive day glow green sort of smell, if that makes sense. It supports the pine the way the fabric supports the milk. It does smell rather like little kid only nicer. Wet: Ectoplasm is now being supported by pine and I’m calling it dominant, with the milk/fabric combo more backgr4ound. I’m not sure I like the way the ectoplasm is playing with the milk. The effect is rather curdled on me. Dry: Much better. It’s fast fading. The ectoplasm stays dominant, but calms down to the point of interesting. It’s not my thing, but might be someone else’s.