squirrelmonkey

Nicely floral -- I'm getting apple blossoms, maybe orchid, and I think dandelion. On dry down, it becomes almost a dead ringer for Phantom Queen -- which is to say, I don't get much creaminess at all. It stays a very pretty floral scent, and lasts all day.

Ozone and shiny copper! As it dries, the copper becomes more prominent -- on a close sniff I can almost taste it; then again, I do like this sort of thing. After an hour or so, more of a machine oil note develops. I won't wear it daily, but it is perfect for certain moods, and very evocative.

This is the first jasmine blend where jasmine did not take over and murdered every other innocent note. It actually never showed up, so I was left with delicious honesuckle and fig, with apricot becoming stronger on the drydown, and honey prominent but never taking the center stage. It's not as sweet as I expected, but has a heady fragrant scent of middle of July. Verry nice!

Boozey rum! leaps out of the bottle; on skin, it calms down a bit, and sweet custardy goodness comes to the forefront. It's a bit eggy, with sweet nutmeg note on top. Disappears much too quickly, but lovely nonetheless.

Chocolate-covered violet, is that you? A very unusual combo on me -- initially, I very distinctly smell white chocolate and violet; after an hour or so, the violet fades and the lilies become more prominent, with sugary background. Edible floral -- very lovely, with a nice throw and very distinct character.

Oh, how lovely! I'm really not a musk person, but this one was named after a childhood fairytale favorite, so had to try it. In the bottle, I smell a very soft musk and not much else. Wet, it sweetens and deepens, and there's a dry leaf note coming out -- a little similar to October, but lighter and without bitterness. It dries to a really gorgeous woody sweet smell -- not quite October, but maybe September? There's still the musky sweetness and dry leaves, but very light and not at all bitter-crumbly... just like freshly fallen birch leaves underfoot. A very evocative smell. Will be keeping the bottle. Oh, and one of the cats really likes it!

Wulric the Wolfman had the same non-sweet cocoa note; there's some lavender too though. But it's a nice cocoa scent.

Wow, and another surprise winner! Wet, it's all grapefruit and green tea with a hint of ginger -- it's like a lovechild of Cheshire Cat and Kumiho at first. The grapefruit settles down and gets cold -- I get a distinct sense of coldness from it. In about an hour after drying, it warms up with wisteria and reinvigorated ginger. And at later drydown, only hints of grapefruit remain in the soft florals. A very interesting blend, morphing yet always pleasant. Amazingly, jasmine never visits -- perhaps it learned where it's not welcome.

Oh, I so didn't expect to like this one -- it's sharp in the bottle, with definite lime. But as it dries, it blends so that it's difficult to pick out individual notes. Woods and leather are most prominent, but it's not brand new squeaky leather but rather well-worn cowhide... saddle leather maybe. And there's sweetness and an almost comforting note there. It's like a plush pirate scent -- very lovely and summery and comforting. A definite keeper, perfect for lazy summer nights.

Wet it's a very grassy, juicy scent -- reminded me a little of Orpheus because of this grassy crispness. Dry -- ah, now we're talking. Very cold scent, leaves and smoke -- exactly like a night in October should smell. A lovely unisex blend, and I suspect that the better half will help me finish this bottle. Not my usual style, but quite wonderful.

Oh, a wine scent that works! Very sweet and juicy; the patchouli/fruit combo reminds me a little of Crypt Queen -- it has that dark-red, slightly sinister quality. As it dries, the booziness of wine disappears and only shining red grapes remain, sweetened by cocoa. Very nice, and contrary to expectations it has a mild throw.

Oh, yum. I feel like I'm cheating on the previous version, but this one is lovely -- creamy berries, sophisticated vanilla... tes, strawberry cheesecake with a marascino cherry. Not much to add, but this is just wonderful.

Oh, love! In the bottle -- sirupy pear with sweet vanilla. Yum. Wet -- pear and vanilla ice-cream! It has a creamy sweetness, but stays pretty light. Dry -- pear is gone, but vanilla that lingers behind is just divine. It's very delicate and creamy, in Underpants kind of way. It lingers very faintly for a good while. But definitely can be slathered, which is a good thing.

And the notes sounded so perfect! It's just caramelly pumpkin on me, with an occasional whiff of pomegranate but not enough to make in interesting.

For me, the most prominent note was birch sap, both in the vial and wet on skin. A very strong, nostalgic woodsy and sweet smell. As it dries, it backs off a bit and I get more flowers - I swear I smell tulips in there too. A very unusual scent because of the birch sap note, and a keeper.

In the bottle: Rum. Wet: Rum+lime; a hint of pipe tobacco Dry: Sugar cookies with a hint of lime. This is delicious! Sugar Cookie 2005 is one of my all-time faves, but Mr. Nancy is fearsome competition -- lime definitely gives it a zing, something to offset sugary, buttery sweetness. A very worthwhile scnt, and a wonderful tribute to one of my favorite folklore and literary characters.

Oh yes! This is delicious sugar in its most perfect form. There's definite marshmallow and slight fruitiness, a hint of tart hiding behind all this sweetness to offset it. It is definitely not bland. Aaand... familiar Midway notes are there as well, although it smells less like fried dough and more like cotton candy. Very yes. This will take its rightful place along Midway and Beaver Moon 2006 in delicious rotations.

In the imp and wet it's very sugary and not much else, but as it dries a hint of spice comes to the forefront, and a bit of tang. For some reason it reminds me more of cotton candy or even some hard candy rather than candy corn -- not that I'm complaining. It's a great foody scent, light and less decadent that more creamy varieties, but lovely nonetheless.

One of the few florals I really like -- it's a very gentle, very white smell. Neither jasmine nor ylang ylang are prominent in this one, and the blend is all about orchid and lily of the valley, which is fortunate. It stays light, but lasts a while -- a perfectly nice, gentle scent , perfect for work or those occasions when more exotic blends would be inappropriate. A keeper.

This is the truly sinful scent of a sticky, thick, dark and rich fudge brownie. And yet another review attesting to the brownie nature of this blend. Got an imp in a swap, and it is delicious fudge browinie, warm from the oven. Amazingly long-lasting too. This is a good scent to wear if one, say, is participating in a bake sale -- I'm pretty sure that it will increase slaes. Yum!

I have a bottle of it, so I'm a fan. Definite Irish coffe+caramel, with just hints of wood lurking on the drydown. Very creamy, mellow blend with a nice throw.

Yes! No burnt sugar of Knave of Hearts or sour butter of Drink Me! This is a cakey, delicious blend, livened up by sour red currants. Black currants lurk in the background, but on me it's mostly vanilla cake with red currants. It has an almost giddy sweet-and-tart smell, and I can almost taste it on the back of my throat. Being one of those people who enjoy smelling like desserts, this one is definitely a keeper. Can't imagine ever being without a bottle of it.

This reminds me of Queen Mab without the excessive sweetness -- Phantom Queen is all orchid, tempered with moss and green. A very light, lovely scent; I rarely like florals enough to get a bottle, but Phantom Queen is it. It's a light mutable floral with green undertones and hints of something wild and dark lurking underneath. Lasts a good while, and has a decent throw (but not too much) -- perfect for work and formal occasions.

Ah, my perfect foodie scent -- sweet and creamy, with a hint of nuttiness (hazelnut?). It lasts for hours and morphs little -- an amazing scent, really. I wish there was a more easily found analog for it, and surprised there isn't one, because it is such a simple scent (well, it seems simple.) I so hope that the Lab/TP bring it back!

Well, I'll be damned. A patchouli blend that doesn't smell like patchouli squared. Victory is mine! In the bottle and wet, it starts out with raspberry and plum, very fresh and juicy and dark. It's very cartoon villainess dark and red -- Cruella de Vil level of villainy. As it dries, I smell the flowers more -- rose and gardenia both behave (ie, don't turn into soap or wet dog), and there is a nice light muskiness to it. I can't really smell pepper as such but it's there, giving the blend a crisp and almost alarming bite. Patchouli comes out after a while, but everything else keeps it in check. Overall, a very nice blend; I would describe it as paradoxical -- it is both juicy and dry, fruity and dusty. I think I will have to test it a few more times to figure out what it's really all about. But even when I catch a whiff of notes I don't particularly like, I still keep huffing my wrist.