Gwydion

In bottle: opopponax and polish mostly. I like what the pepper is doing. The whole thing is vaguely unsettling as suits the name and concept. Wet: There’s the sandalwood! The polish generalizes over metal and wood. It’s a touch gentler and sweeter on the skin, more intriguing than unsettling now. I wasn’t sure about it in the bottle, but my skin seems to really like it. As it warms it goes spicy on top on the polished wood and metal. It’s fairly androgynous and oddly fresh smelling despite the oiliness of the polish/opopponax. Dry: It turns sharp and viscous all over again. The mix goes very fierce and dark and aggressive. The polish blends better with the other elements once it has time to settle. I think I can pick out the costus now, as there’s a strong scent I don’t recognize, so I figure that must be it. This manages to imply predator without resorting to actual predator scents. This is not for daily wear as it’s not an easy scent to live with. It sure is interesting and appropriate to it’s concept.

In bottle: Pretty much as advertised. White flowers with an ozone edge and a hint of rain’s softening. Wet: Elegant white flowers blend. The other elements are detectable, but weaker. Dry: Fast fading, and goes a bit sour with my skin chemistry.

In bottle: Vaguely fruity honey with a hint of aash. Wet: Honey candy. It’s still weirdly fruity, though the ash really comes out as it warms. It’s quite pleasant, but not stunning. Dry: It’s strangely clean and sharp while retaining it’s sweetness.

Man, that was what I was going to suggest.

not at all, really.

In bottle: This is a little weird in the bottle. I’m thinking it’s the balsam interacting with either the gum or bark, neither of which I’m familiar with. It’s vaguely medicinal and alcohol scented. Wet: Starts out much as in the bottle, but quickly sweetens. The softer notes emerge. I’m definitely picking up the two new notes as separate entities, though I’d need more samples to really pin them down. The whole blend shifts more towards the woods and is vaguely spicy. I’m liking the use of pepper in this. It’s been shifting steadily away from the effect that wasn’t working, but I’m still ambivalent. Dry; Sandalwood and balsam. It’s not bad, but not right for me.

In bottle: Ginger and floral most dominant, with a smooth milk and honey undertow. This is lovely in it’s richness. Wet: Vaguely cakey now, but otherwise much as in the bottle. I’ not sure if ambrosia is meant to smell like lilies, but it does. This is an excellent use of the ginger/honey combo. It is too feminine on my skin, but would be lovely on most people, I think. Dry: Fast fades to a soft honey ginger blend.

I've heard Cnoc pronounced by someone who knew what they were doing as something like Ka-nook, with the short oo as in book. Alas it was paired with something different, so I can't help with the second.

Review: A dark melange of wood on first sniff with some patchouli, but the sweet cardamom rich undertone soon comes out. I think I’d like a bit less patchouli, but it’s lovely and very much what I’d hoped for.

In bottle: This has a strong, sharp, watery dirt/loam note. The florals are very understated, so I have real hope. Wet: I am finding the loam edge fascinating. It stays watery dirt/loam dominant. The flowers come out a little more, but aren’t too intrusive. It’s weirdly decadent. Dry: More floral now, though gently so. The dirt softened and the loam nearly disappeared. It’s a lovely, delicate thing, and an excellent use of the dirt note.

In bottle: This is lovely, delicate and pale green herbal with a gentle aquatic effect. It’s a touch floral, but not aggressively so. Wet: Yum. It’s a stronger version of what’s in the bottle, deepened and made more rich by my natural musk I’m pleasantly surprised after reading the negative buzz. Dry: Faint earthy aquatic.

In bottle: Creaky leather and tobacco are strongest. Wet: Oo1 ther’s the resin1 it’s softer, sweeter, and more androgynous on the skin. Leather retains dominance, but it’s a much softer leather. Given a little time, the herbs and gravel peek out. This isn’t the dirt note, but one of the stone variations. The effect of the whole thing is pleasantly sun warmed. It is a touch chemical though, but in an appealing way. Dry: The lingering scent of leather.

In bottle: This is golden smelling. Amber is dominant, but the vanilla sure tries. It’s more than a little decadent in a slyly sexy way. I’m liking the cardamom in this and the vaguely cake approach to the incense blend. Wet: This is what incense would smell like if it were a cake. No really. It’s peculiar and delicate, but surprisingly pervasive. It stays amber dominant. Dry: Ah. There’s the sandalwood, at play with the lavender. It’s a pleasantly woody insense blend. It’s not as interesting as it was wet, but it is quite pretty.

In bottle: The vanilla clove combination is striking. I’m liking the rich combination of more subtle elements and the way it works with the more dominant notes. Wet; More leater and… I’m guessing it’s galbanum, as that’s an unfamiliar note. It’s lovely. The leather quickly dominates, but everything continues to work together well, particularly the clove and vanilla sandalwood. I think the iron gives it an interesting edge. It’s reminding me of western diamondback, if it visited a head shop, only in a good way. Dry: mostly leather on the fade with a hint of vanilla.

In bottle: Blossoms and cream is right. Wet: I wonder if snow drops are in this. It’s a lovely, delicate floral with an unusual blend of floral notes. It got a rich purple undertone to the dominant delicate whiteness. It does suggest the first flowers of spring and melting snow. The cream comes out as it warms. It’s not really me, but I think it would be lovely on a young woman of the right core scent. The lunar oil blend also comes out more as it warms, but it’s really about white flowers. Dry: This rather curdles on me, though something is doing some interesting things with my natural musk.

In bottle: limeade and lemon, mostly. The lilac is noticable, the musk gets eaten. Given what my skin does to citrus, I know this will be lemon pledge on my skin, so I’m not skin testing. It’s alrady overwhelming in the bottle.

Gentle tea rose, lilac, Calla Lily, and Somalian Rose layered over golden Peruvian amber, Spanish moss, red sandalwood, rosewood, and myrrh, with the lightest touch of Mandarin. In bottle: Rose and orange mostly, with the incenses pleasantly mingling. Given what my skin does to rose and citrus, this is not a good thing to skin test, but it’s okay as such things go in the bottle, though way not my thing.

In bottle: Pretty much as advertised. Tea rose with a hint of green leaves. I’m not skin testing as my skin does horrible things to roses, but if you like rose, you’ll likely love this.

In bottle: Vetiver, vetiver, vetiver. I see no point in trying to skin test this as it’s not going to go well.

In bottle: Apple blossom dominant. It’s a lovely little floral blend with the honey smoothing it out. There is no point in skin testing as my skin will do horrible things with the rose.

In bottle: Brownies. Wet; my skin eats it somewhat. Still milk chocolate. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I have more interesting chocolate blends in the collection. Dry: chocolate powder.

In bottle: Wow, that’s a lot of smoky vanilla. The wood and lilac make an intriguing combination. Do not try this if you dislike galbanum. The elements are all so assertive here, I’m not so sure if they’ll get along. Wet: I’m still not sure if they get along, but I’m fascinated. It’s very late spring garden. The foody and the outdoorsy bits make a sort of jagged effect as they fight for dominance. It’s weirdly feminine for something with penis in the title. Dry: This is lovely if a touch opowdery on the dry down. The lilac and vanilla make friends and twine together attractively. It’s very feminine and delicate, but quite pleasing.

In bottle: This is lovely. The fir is marginally strongest, but all the elements are beautifully present. It is delicate and atmospheric. Wet: The balsam comes out more on the skin, taking fir’s place at the top. It stays androgynous, though the apple blossom comes out a little more too. This smells like a damp morning in spring. I really like it. Dry: Not quite as lovely, but still interesting Myrrh dominant. Addendum: I appear to be allergic to something in here.

In bottle: This is caraway dominant. I mean very, very caraway. Realistically so. The other elements are detectable, but comparatively weak. Wet: Caraway, caraway… ah,, there’s the incense. I can’t tell if I like this one. It’s really confusing to my nose. Bread and incense… I’m just not sure if I can wear it. Dry: Okay, this is not working. I just don’t like smelling like pumpernickel.

In bottle: Wood and tobacco, mostly, with leather support. It’s surprisingly green and yet utterly fierce. It’s a dark androgynous scent tat does bring warriors to mind. Wet: The cognac is understated, but present. The leather strengthens a lot as it warms. I’m finding the elderwood fascinating. It’s just on the right side of attractive, but vicious and wild. I think it’s making the tobacco rougher and less cozy than in other tobacco scents. Dry: much gentler and sweeter than when fresh. I think the cognac gentles the tobacco and leather while the wood softens. I’m really liking it in the dry down.