Gwydion

In bottle: chocolate dominant with labdanum as strong support. The dragon’s blood gives a fruity resiny sort of feel to it. The peppers are strong and sharp. The myrrh is soft and well blended, functioning as a sort of glue to all the strong personalities that make up the blend. The clove is understated, but pretty. I am liking the way the chocolate, labdanum, and Daemonorops are working together. Wet: Chocolate, labdanum, and Daemonorop dominant. It’s dancing at the edge of something that would be too much, but staying on the side of lovely strong. I’m really loving the way the cloves and peppers give this teeth. The myrrh is still working it’s magic quietly in the background. Dry: Surprisingly pink. Daemonorops dominant with lots of labdanum and touches of myrrh and spice. It’s much lighter and more upbeat than I thought at first.

In bottle: Oooo! This is so up my ally. The rich dark leather softy presides over a masculine blend in which musk, pine, copal, and saffron form a strong second rank. I am fascinated by the way the copal and saffron make a lighter counterpoint for the darker leather/pine/ musk combination. Patchouli is providing an earthy sort of grounding. The clove, sage, oakmoss add edge and complexity. This is complex and beautifully balanced, and does suggest a bard moving quietly through the forest. Wet: Leather dominant still, with pitch a strong second. The copal and saffron start out third strongest, but rise to being strongly dominant, pushing the leather and pitch down to second. Talk about fast morphing. O.o the other elements are now serving as a lovely and complex background to show off the four strongest notes. It’s not what I expected at all, but fascinating in it’s own right. Ten minutes later, I’m wondering if this might be a touch too much copal and saffron for my taste, but it’s a small quibble. Dry: Heaven. Spicy, musky, leather with lovely hints of pine and incense. Sexy and glorious.

In bottle: Bergamot dominent spicey florals. I’m not convinced the neroli and the bergamot both were a good idea in the same blend when that blend is so delicate. They seem too strong for mimosa, orange blossom, and cloves. Wet: The bergamot softens on the skin, which really helps. (I like bergamot in fragrances generally, it was just this blend was a problem). It’s still a lot of neroli for the mimosa and orange blossoms, but the balance is not as off. I can barely smell the clove It’s really still not working for me. Dry: Mostly mimosa with a touch of neroli, bergamot, and orange blossom.

In bottle: Very foody. The plums plus cream come off rather more baked goods than fresh fruit, but in a rich, delicious sort of way. The wildflowers are a good complement to the plum, working with, rather than shouting their presence. Wet: still plum dominent with the strong cream note turning it baked goods, but the florals are stronger and interesting in their own right, though still providing a good compliment to the fruit. Lovely and rich. Dry: Mostly wildflowers. Very pretty wild flowers, mind, but I was hoping more plum would survive.

In bottle: The apple notes and dragon’s blood combine into an apple accented fruity dragon’s blood dominant affect, with the musk and hyacinth almost entirely subsumed under the stronger notes. The effect is almost the feel of without quite smelling like grape. Wet: More distinct on the skin. They all switch sides, and the dragon’s blood and musk are now facing off against the apples and hyacinth. The feel is now as much floral as fruity, though the apple is still holding it’s own. It’s very much about dragon’s blood, so you have to like that to where this. The perfume as a whole is sexy and womanly. It’s a little weird on my skin, as is often the trouble with dragon’s blood, white musk, and florals just generally, but that shouldn’t be a problem for most folks. Dry: Musky dragon’s blood with a hint of hyacinth.

In bottle: Wow! This does have a complex, late season vegetable garden scent. This is actually what I wanted that Pumpkin III with the gourds and thiongs to smell like. This is the late summer/early fall counter part to Planting moon, and I wish I had a whole bottle of this glory. It is faintly fruity for no reason I can pin down, though I suspect it’s an accidental accord involving the squash and one or more other elements. I am really impressed by them capturing delicate notes like salad greens and snap peas. It is warm and homey and delicious. Wet: Even better on the skin, which I didn’t think possible. The notes are even more distinct. It’s still squash dominant, and that faint and lovely accidental fruit accord is still haunting it. The mixed greens are second, and they really pop on the skin, taking the other kitchen garden elements for a dance each in turn. If you were worried about the green onions, don’t be. They function more as a delicate accent than a strong scent. Did I mention how lovely the squash note is? It’s so fresh and bright and sweetly delicate all at once. Dry: Less stunning on the dry down as the accords start breaking down, but still on the unusual end. The shards of the squash accord stay dominant, with peppers, onion, and silphium still discernible over the break down products of the other elements. I worry about how this will age, so best to use quickly.

In bottle: Mostly rich, complex fruit. The barks and leaves are soft and deliciously grounding. The musk does add a darkly sexual tinge to the main orchard scent. Wet: The leaves and bark are much stronger on the skin. It’s still fruit dominant, but not as much. This rebalancing works well for me. The musk is a dark untertow, but my already naturally musky skin works well with this instead of making it too much. It’s a luscious and sexy fruit blend that smells more like ripe fruit on the bow and vine than in the bowl, if that makes sense. There is something a little wild about it. Dry: Muskier and darker. I’m calling it musk dominant now, with the fruit remaining fairly strong, with a hint of bark and leaves haunting. I liked it best wet, but this is still quite lovely and it has decent throw fairly late into the process.

In bottle: Soft, very herbal in a chalky sort of way. I’m guessing that thing that smells like green wood is the hiba wood as it’s unfamiliar but logical. Let’s call it hiba dominant, with ginseng and mushrooms blending with and supporting it. The ginger and hay are present and make a pleasant background, with the ginger giving it a little edge. The mushroom note contains either death Cap and/or devil’s claw. I’m forgetting which is which as it’s been a while. I’m not a fan of either, but it works okay in this blend where it isn’t dominant. Wet: A lot more mushrooms on the skin. It’s less chalky, as the mushrooms warm up. The ginger root comes out a little slower, but wow, is it doing gorgeous things with the mushrooms, hiba wood, ginseng, and hay. I’d call the ginger root strongest, but honestly, this is very balanced, with the ginger a bit stronger and the ginseng a bit weaker. The mushrooms are strong enough here to make it not quite work for me, but it’s close. Dry: Not as unusual, but still lovely. Ginseng fades least, and ginger second least, with the rest mostly fading to background.

In bottle: It’s got a dark of the year sort of feel to it. All those woods, sharp and deep, the chamomile and bay giving a sharper, more viscous feel to the warmer trees and plants. The bay berry adds a touch of fruit, the apple leaf is very understated and the touch of softness to what is otherwise a very masculine sort of scent. I don’t normally like chamomile in fragrances, but here, it’s working so beautifully with the rest of the blend that I have hopes. Wet: Evergreen dominant. The herbs stand out more on the skin than in the bottle. This has lots of throw. Very woody and still hinting of late December nights. Dry: Still evergreen dominant. The rest is a gentle background, nuanced and soft.

In bottle: This really does smell as you’d expect from the description. I’d say bayberry, pine, and amber are strongest in no particular order. The honey is lovely support for the amber; the cranberry does the same for bayberry. The pumpkin is understated, but definitely adds to the richness of the scent. Wet: The bayberry is now supporting the cranberry, and together, they are dominant, with pine a close second. The amber, honey, and pie are forming a sweet foody background to the more powerful notes. It definitely has a Christmas morning feel to it. Dry: The cranberry and bayberry are nowe about coequal with the amber and honey. Together they are quite lovely and more delicate than when fresh. The pine is quite soft, but present. The pumpkin pie is stronger and shows off its nuance. I am saying this as someone that the pumpkin note generally doesn’t work for. It’s really quite beautiful and special in each incarnation.

In bottle: Oooo! The mango blossom is unusual and lovely. It is also quite strong. The black tea and wolfberry make an excellent and interesting support for the dominant mango note. The oakmoss and anise are understated and more accents that scents in their own right. This is all about the mango. Wet: Warmth brings out the oakmoss, though the mango stays dominant. Similarly, the wolfberry grows more distinct. The result is more wild and outdoorsy than foody. The black tea really ties the whole thing together beautifully, and the anise remains an accent. I’m loving this. I can think of nothing like it in the catalog, though it reminds me a little of march hare in spirit more than specific notes, if that makes sense. Dry: Not quite as special, though still lovely. The mango and oakmoss are still strongest, with the wolfberry holding it’s own. The black tea mostly fades out and the anise was never strong.

In bottle: Oooo! The acorns are lovely. The acorns are a gorgeous centerpiece wreathed by the leaves, bark, and sap. It’s really well balanced and blended. It smells like hugging and oak only more so. Wet: Still acorn dominant. Strength in order from second to last: leaves, sap, bark. The lunar oils are gently supportive. I love this, it’s perfect for it’s concept and unique. I would also call it androgynous and I can imagine it opening up in all sorts of interesting ways depending on the wearer’s scent profile. Dry: Very soft and delicate. Mostly lunar oils with a woody feel. It makes me think of amber, herbs, and delicate florals. Its very pretty, but nothing like than the wet version.

Thanks for call this wonderful input, and i'm glad it's helping other people. I'll let y'all know how it works when it gets here.

In bottle: Wow! Turns out I don’t like kudzu. This sure has a lot of kudzu in it. Did I mention the kudzu? So chalky, charred, vine dominant. I’d call the honey a weak seconed, sweetening the vine a tad. There is a touch of grass, and you can barely pick up the ginger. Wet: Kudzu, kudzu, kudzu. The ginger cream is making it’s move into second though, growing more distinct as it warms, with the honey now supporting it. The grass is stronger too and actually does play nicely with the other notes, even the kudzu. It’s sort of like they are burning a kudzu tangle next to a pastry shop and started a grass fire by accident. Interesting, but not quite there, if you see what I mean. I think I would like this on someone else, but on me it’s unsettling and a little off. Dry: Sharply pleasant outdoorsy, with the gingergrass strongest. The kudzu calms down and blends well with the other notes. It’s quite pretty.

In bottle: Buttery popcorn mostly with something sweet. Maybe caramel or that kettle corn sugar. Wet: still buttery popcorn, but the sweet note resolves back into that lovely whipped cream note I associate with boo. Yummy and distinct from the final release. Dry: Mostly the vanilla whipped cream note common in boo, but with a touch more butter.

Green tea dominant. The sake makes it smell a little fermented. The cherry blossom is pleasant and very understated. Really, this is all about the green tea and I’m calling it a win.

In bottle only: I really love the pine, basil, clove, and cumin, which make an unusual and interesting spice combination. I’d call it pine dominant. The musk and vetiver are too heavy for me and weigh the whole thing down. I could

In bottle: Lots and lots of red musk. The saffron is a strong second and it does smell like the spices in the air at my neighborhood greek restaurant/grocery store. The red musk is already too strong for me in the bottle, so no skin test. I find it a little cloying rather than sexy.

Gack! Lots and lots of vetiver, with the violet vaguely sweetening it. This is so impossible notewise that I couldn’t bear to sniff more than a few seconds and I don’rt want it anywhere near my skin

In bottle: Strong dirt dominant. The herbs give it an interesting grounding and complexity. I don’t normally like the wine note, but it really fits here with the dirt and herbs. It fits it’s concept beautifully as well. Wet: Still dirt dominant. The herbs now smell a bit like niter as well as medicinal herbs. I definitely gives the impression of the tomb. The wine note is pleasantly understated, more an accent to the other notes than standing on it’s own, so perfectly giving a sense of decadence and soft decay. This is the only wine note to ever work on my skin. Impressive! Dry: Herb cellar. No really. It’s mostly soft dried herbs, with a hint of dirt and wine. I can’t believe this scent works on me, but it really does.

In bottle: It really does make me think of lions. The amber in this is almost musk or civet accord. It is warm and spicy. It is like the good bits of the smell of lions without being as intense. Wet: It is faintly cinnamon though I can’t place the rest iof the spices. It’s still that warm, musky, civet like amber dominant. I do not like civet accord normally, but I love this amber. The spices are pleasantly sweet. I’m really liking this. Dry: Mmmm…softly spicy amber. This iteration of the amber smells more like itself, but in a good way. This was a surprise in how well it wears. Lovely, warm, sexy, a little dangerous.

In bottle: Violet dominant with red currant a strong second. Moss and patchouli provide an earthy background. Wet: Lots and lots of violets. The red currant and patchouli blend beautifully and ground the violet well. The moss is understated, but sharp. It’s way too much violet for my skin chemistry. Dry: Dried medicinal herbs in affect. Mostly patchouli and moss with a hint of the others.

In bottle: This is beautifully blended. I’d consider it lemon dominant, but really, the lemon brings out the crispness of the apple; the sweetness of the apple compliments the rose; the rose softens the lemon. I am not skin testing as rose and lemon are terrible on me. Still, consider this a blend tat is more than the sum of its parts.

I've got Erebos on order. I wish they made Temple of Dreams Atmosphere spray for bedrooms. I bet it would sell well.

2007 (very aged sample) In bottle: Mmmmm….Egg nog. Very boozey egg nog. It's pretty much exactly as you'd expect from the notes. Wet: Brandy dominant with strong rum and sweet cream. The touch of nutmeg makes it perfect. If anything, it's richer and more distinct on the skin. Dry: My skin loves hard liquors and this scent is no different. The booze softens as it wears, so you end up with a gentler but still rich boozey cream with a touch of spice. Omnomnom. 2011 version: more creamy egg nog, with a lot less booze. I suspect it’s an aging thing.