Gwydion

In bottle: on paper I should love this. It's very soft, though and not all that impressive. It's mostly patchouli and mushrooms, with fig a distant second, and the oakmoss barely there. Wet: The mushrooms are now stronger than the patchouli, though not particularly wholesome. The oakmoss warms up on the skin and edges it's way to dominance fairly quickly. The fig also warms up and sweetens the other elements to their benefit, I think. This isn't foody, but more a dried moss, mushroom, and patchouli sort of thing, even with the fig as a counter weight. I had no idea why one would wear this in the bottle, but on the skin, it makes sense. I am a bit allergic to fig, which prevents me wearing this beyond the small skin test, but it's a pleasant, subtle thing I wouldn't onject too if it weren't making me itch. The effect gets wetter over time, so that the dried arrangement effect shades towards damp mossy, fungus covered log with the sweet earthy fig keeping it lighter and sweeter than one would expect. Dry: Surprisingly long lasting. Mostly oakmoss.

In bottle: I am not familiar with many of the elements in this blend, which will make this rather harder to describe. There are dark dusty herbal elements in this that remind me of things from Rappaccini’s garden, like Devil’s Claw, without actually smelling like that blend. The patchouli blends with those dark roots scents to create the dominant impression. The rose and vanilla lighten it rather, but the effect is still rather dangerous, like a sweet cordial or pastille laced with poisonous roots. The cacao is dry and lies between the bitter roots and the sweeter elements, smoothing the thing out rather. It’s fascinating, rather, creating a unique scent poem. Wet: I normally don’t skin test rose as it and my skin chemistry do not get along, but I took a chance given the make up of this blend. The rose clawed its way to the top, along with something vaguely citrus. I can actually pick out the cardamom now. The patchouli and root-like herbal scents have been beaten down to a soft background. Really, it’s rose citrus with a hint of something dark swimming underneath. It’s a shame, as the in bottle scent was more interesting, but it’s not that surprising given my skin chemistry. Dry: It chills out to a soft chocolate, vanilla rose, with just a touch of spice.

Re snow: Death of the Grave Digger, also from the salon: Snow, soil, opoponax and myrrh. I don't like mint or eucalyptus either. I can wear this so it should be safe for you.

Red Moon, Dragon Musk

This would explain why a lot of my scents still work.

It's a shame Chanukkiyah is so hard to get these days, as it's likely what you are looking for. (Olive oil, beeswax, glowing amber, sweet sufganiyot, pomegranate, and fig.) In my experience it's mostly candles.

In bottle: The aftershave element is particularly delicious. It is unusual, while still being clearly aftershave. The industrial elements blend beautifully with each other and support the aftershave in a particularly sexy fashion. Wet: The brass is dominant on the skin, which is interesting in an entirely different way. It is not quite is sexy as I thought at first, as one of the aftershave component turns a little on my skin, but I’m still loving it. Dry: I’m wondering if there isn’t a sandalwood component in the aftershave, as it smells rather like sexy sandalwood dominant men’s cologne now. I really do love it, despite its imperfections.

In bottle: Tea and cream dominant. The next strongest scent appears to be anise, though that’s not listed, so I’m not sure where that’s coming from, although it may be me parsing the bread into components, since the anise scent appears to add up with some softer notes to almost make bread. I’m guessing it’s an accord. The sugar is folded into the tea, making it slightly sweeter. Wet: Pretty much as in the bottle. The tea and anise are about even now, the rest is a bit softer. It’s nice and pleasantly delicate, but hasn’t much throw. Dry: lovely cream, sugar and a hint of tea on the dry down. Alas, my skin rather eats it, but it’s quite pretty.

Marquise de Merteuil maybe?

I wear a lot of the ones that smell like places.

Boomslang, Chthulu in Love, and a variety of chocolate boxes and thirteens.

In bottle: It’s very much what you’d expect from the description. It’s a darker, richer sort of bayberry: dark ripe berries, with a complex dark green herbal thing going on around it. It’d be excellent in December, I think, and I genuinely like it, as it’s managing to be fruity and vicious without being foody. Nice. Wet: poison berry dominant. The dark green herbal thing is, if anything, more rich and complex than in the bottle. It makes me think of decorative advent greens without being pine and all. It stronger and has more claws than the average bay berry scent. I keep wanting to sniff it again. Dry: It is less sharp and striking than it was, and rather more candle store/bath and body. It’s still quite nice, but no longer mesmerizing.

In bottle: There is no point in skin testing given the mess my skin chemistry will make of all but two notes. The lavender gives the roses teethg. It’s lovely really. The cherry is good support for both the rose and lavander, smoothing the path between them. The musk mostly blends into the cherry, giving it extra body and some sex appeal. This is beautifully blended

In bottle: This is softer than I expected, but beautifully blended. It’s marginally ginger dominant, but all elements are well represented. Wet: The cloves catch up to the ginger, leaving the honey the softest element, but honestly, this is a gentle, nebulous sweet blend, with the spices well complimented by the cream and honey. It strengthens a little on the skin as it warms, but it simply hasn’t much throw, which is a shame, as I’m liking it. Dry: Mostly ginger with a touch of clove and a softening caused by the tail end of cream and honey. As I like ginger, this works for me.

In bottle: Ginger dominant, chocolate second, butterscotch mostly supporting the chocolate. This is not nearly as exciting as Mother Ginger, but what could be, really. Wet: Better blended on the skin. The chocolate and butterscotch fold into the ginger, leaving the ginger still dominant, but it smells more of a piece and less like factions. It’s nice, but not stunning. Dry: Nearly all ginger and very like Mother Ginger with just a touch of chocolate. Works for me.

In bottle: Patchouli dominent with strong balsam. All elements are easily discernible. It’s rather medicinal under the patchouli, though the honey tries to sweeten and soften it. I do like the lemongrass and lavender here. I’m not fond of the myrrh. I was not sure about the gurjum, but it really grew on me, giving an unusual woody balsam effect to the blend. Wet: It’s much fresher and greener on the skin. The patchouli backs waaaay down and blends into the balsam dominant mix. The lemongrass lends sharpness, the incense elevates, the lavender grounds, the honey sweetens. This is utterly delightful on the skin and not medicinal at all. It is so much better than in the bottle. My skin loves this. It’s a lovely early evening in Spring sort of scent, unusual and alluring and light. Dry: The gurjum balsam is still dominant and pleasantly woody. The other elements fade much faster, though hints of them remain discernible. I would not wear this if you don’t like sandalwood and balsam, as the scent is somewhere between ordinary balsam and sandalwood in its feel. I am really glad I got to try this as there is nothing quite like it.

In bottle: Richly nutty on its surface, with the rest swimming in it’s depths. This is the strongest non-almond nut scent I’ve encountered in the catalog. I am not sure that thyme was the best idea for this blend. It stands out rather, while the other elements seem to be playing well with the nuts. The lavender/bergamot/tonka combination is quite lovely. Wet: Ah, that is what the thyme is for. It now turns the lavender to make a more springlike affect. This is still strongly nutty, tough a touch less aggressively in the bottle. If anything the non nut elements are even more striking on the skin and the clove comes out a little, though itr stays soft. This is beautifully blended, with the nuts lending a warmth to the other, more outdoorsy elements. I manages to invoke cookies and tea and spring gardens at evening all at once. Dry: Less striking on the dry down. Because the clove has more staying power, it ends up even with the nuts and thyme. The result is pleasant enough, but disappointing compared to the opening volleys and a little odd. It is certainly wearable, but leaves me a little sad.

Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality. Glittering heliotrope, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon verbena. In bottle: This is utterly imposible with my skin chemistry, so I’m only doing in bottle. This appears to be a battle between the heliotrope/honeysuckle and the citrus factions. The citrus appears to be winning. The orange and lemon are balanced. The heliotrope is stronger than the honeysuckle. All elements are distinct.

IMPERIOUS TIGER LILY (Mad Tea Party, the Garden of Live): In bottle: This is strongly purple. The lily/fruit/frankinsense combination is quite the power house with the other elements providing more delicate support. It is lily dominent and is a fine showcase for that flower’s scent. Wet: More neroli and ginger on the skin. It is less startlingly purple as the balance shifts. Ginger turns out to go beautifully with tiger lily. The franknsense is less pleasant now, but that is often the case with frankincense and my skin. It goes more off on my skin the longer it wears, clashing with my own natural scent and leaving me smelling rather dirty. It’s a shame, but not unexpected given my skin chemistry. Dry: neroli and fruit dominent with the other elements lingering. It’s still a bit unfortunate in the effect of the frankincense, but more pleasing than wet.

In bottle: White tea really blends well with this collection of florals. It’s sweetly delicate and surprisingly heady. It’s very springlike and light. It is completely inaproprate for me, but that doesn’t stop me finding it lovely. Wet: More complex and nuanced on the skin. Also rather darker. Who knew white tea and flowers could manage to be this ominous. I suspect this is my skin chemistry playing silly buggers. It’s still fascinating, but more than a little odd on me. I still love how it’s blended and I do think this is a fascinating set of florals to float over a tea base. Dry: Wow, there’s the sandalwood. Sandalwood dominant with delicate floral/tea grace notes. This is a lovely blend.

Um...damn. Should not have read that. *wants* I think they expanded the order time. It looked like they were still open today.

I third Mother Ginger for fresh cut ginger needs.

In bottle: Fascinating. I’m not a big frankincense fan, but it blends beautifully here with the white tea, lavender, and amber. The dragon’s blood is understated here and plays well with the other resins. The musk is soft and warm. This is a complex resiny blend with a lot of character. Wet: sweeter on the skin. The musk is stronger, but not overwhelming. The tea really comes into it’s own as it warms. The Dragon’s blood steps forward rather, but doesn’t overwhelm the other resins. I like what the frankincense is doing here, joining with the lavender to give what would otherwise possibly a little too smooth and sweet the scent equivalent of spikes. I’m loving this. I’m also struggling for words to properly describe this. It manages to be elevated and a touch sensual at the same time. It’s delicate, yet strong all at once. Dry: Less appealing. It turns out the frankincense has the most staying power. It does retain some amber and a hint of Dragon’s blood.

In bottle: This is aptly named. It really does give a honey heady insensey slightly herbal/grassy impression that suits the idea of a fortune teller caravan. The gunpowder gives it a smoky dangerous edge that blends well with the incense. It is quite strong. I am really liking how the sweetness of the hints that all might not be as it appears. Wet: Oh wow! My skin loves this. It’s still incense dominant, but the honey blends in better. It is almost fruity now, but a tart fruitiness instead of a sweet one. I like the way the herbs give it edge without overwhelming it. As it warms, it does this lovely gunpowder/leather thing under the incense and grass/herbs. I can’t think of anything else like this in the catalog. Dry: Mostly a soft, honey sweetened leather with beautifully blended soft incense.

In bottle: It’s making me think of sweet tarts rather more than I’d hoped. It’s very, very honey sweet with the plum and sweet pea quite prominent. The pomegranate, bourbon vanilla, sandalwood, and carnation form a sort of second tier of strength, with the other notes as back up singers. It’s very feminine and ladylike with a hint of fruity ripeness underneath all that lace and decorum. It’s not what I’d hoped, but it’s really well designed for a scent of it’s type. Wet: The plum really comes out, presented like a jewel on a bed of vanilla adjacent scents. The pomegranate blends beautifully with the plum. The honey lends it a sweetness and softness. The sweet pea is such a delicate grace note. The longer it wears, the clearer the sweet pea sings, balancing out the fruit better with some support from carnation. This is all wrong for my personality and rather strange with my skin chemistry. This is not designed for me, which is fine. If you are the sort of person that can pull off vanilla florals, than this would be stunning, I think. It’s complex and lovely as warmth and air exposure change its balance. Dry: Ah, there’s the sandalwood. It’s a sandalwood dominant vanilla scent with touches of fruit and florals. It’s quite heady, really. Totally wrong on me, but well blended.