ceiswyn

In the imp: At second sniff, this is a lot more 'green', and a lot less 'floral'. A dry green, rather than a wet one; light and a little astringent, with an unexpected soft sweetness. But... is that just the teeniest hint of aquatic? On the wrist: Light, dry, astringent, oddly warm; that must be the tonka coming through. A gentle hint of sandalwood. The sharpness of rice wine. A subtle, sophisticated scent that seems to change every few seconds. One hour later: Gentle. Subtle. Sophisticated. Slightly powdery. Light and sweet, but with an astringent quality to it. Sadly, it's fading very quickly. A commendable 7/10.

In the imp: An initial rose-sweetness is almost immediately overpowered by patchouli and wood, inextricably blended together. It's a little dirty, earthy, but still with that rose-sweetness layered over the top, that I couldn't smell last night (presumably interference from all the other imps I had out is to blame for that). On the wrist: An earthy, warm rose, quite gritty. I'm sensing a lot of clod and very little pebble. The rose is stronger in the throw, the patchouli and woods close to the wrist. The clove and nutmeg are barely detectable, but as I begin to crave hot cross buns I begin to suspect them of sneaking in under cover of patchouli and just adding an extra richness and warmth. One hour later: The rose is now faint, and no longer as fresh or sweet, and it's the gritty, earthy, dirty patchouli and woods that are the strongest note in this scent. It's rather faded, though, and has developed a trace of 'perfume'. Nice, but a little disappointing.

(Note: I always do the first sniff without looking at the description) In the imp: It smells sweet, backed by something dry. After further sniffing and some brain-wracking, the sweetness is a little peachy, which surely can't be right? It also has a flower quality to it, and something like tobacco - but not, I think, actually tobacco - behind it. Oh, yes. Patchouli. You'd've thought I'd've recognised patchouli, wouldn't you? But for some reason I never, ever do. On the wrist: At first this is a faint wreathing of peach (I know it says apricot, but it really does smell more like peach) twining through smoky patchouli. Then the patchouli seems to suddenly catch fire. It smells almost hot, now; smoky and spicy and, yes, dirty and dark, lifted by a tenuous veil of peach (admit it, BPAL, it's peach really, isn't it?) One hour later: This is strongly patchouli; a kind of earthy, gritty patchouli, blended with a hint of peach. I rather like it, actually. 8/10

In the imp: What a lovely warm tawny colour. This biases me favourably towards it even before I sniff And oh, it has a lovely nose. Serene flowers; a rose/neroli quality, slightly sweet, and I think there's a trace of something woody in the background too, grounding it. This is a scent with depth, richness and calm. ...and then there's a bit of an applicator-nose issue as I try to analyse it more. On the wrist: In the imp, the scent was strongly rose/jasmine. They're still there, but now the lemongrass comes through sharply. Really quite sharply. Yes, there is definitely lemongrass, especially on my left wrist. Behind it is just the faintest trace of sandalwood, and I see I once again failed to recognise the patchouli. The right wrist is balancing better, with the lemongrass just sharpening the rose, and the woods and patchouli giving it depth. It seems to have good throw, although that could just be because I've got it on my sodding nose. One hour later: The flowers and lemongrass have faded, and this is now a dusty cedarwood on both wrists. The right seems to be dustier, while the left has more of a touch of sandalwood and rose to it. Still, it's a shame.

In the imp: I'm feeling wary of this. Florals so often go wrong on me. But when they go right, I like them so much... It's a lighter colour than Snake Oil, or the other members of the Snake Pit; the amber of malt whisky. I'm putting off opening it, aren't I? OK, let's have a sniff. ... That's gorgeous. Really, really gorgeous. Apple's the prominent scent, with a backing of spring blossoms. I can't detect the Snake Oil at all. On the wrist: Still mostly apple (quite sharp apple), but now it's balanced by Snake Oil's vanilla in the throw, though close to the hand it's all sharp, fresh, fruits and florals. Did I mention that this is gorgeous? One hour later: It's no longer quite as sharp, especially on the right wrist where the Snake Oil has come through a little, but still... I'm overusing the word 'gorgeous', aren't I? Fresh, sweet apples, light, fresh flowers that don't smell at all 'perfumey', all mellowed and sweetened by vanilla... This is like a picnic in an orchard on a bright spring day, with everyone wearing frilly and lacy confections of dresses, with the apple blossom thick on the trees and falling around like snow. Strangely, a new bottle seems to have appeared in my next order.

In the imp: A deep, rich, sweet, almost edible flower scent, with a dark and solemn woody backdrop. On the wrist: The cinnamon really comes through, mixing with the violet to make a rich, sweet, foody smell, anchored by the frankincense. This smells like... mmm... opulence and power and temptation. The throw doesn't seem strong at first, but I'm catching whiffs of it, first violet and cinnamon, then frankincense, then all three inextricably intermingled, like robes of soft purple velvet. For OWoD fans, this is the scent of the Hermetic Order One hour later: This is mostly violet, but still given depth by the cinnamon and frankincense, just detectable in the background. As time wears on, the frankincense slowly strengthens. A lovely, unusual scent.

In the imp: Oooooooooohhhhhh . This smells of distilled gorgeous. Smooth, dark and woody/resinous, and cigar-smoky, with just a trace of something dry-floral, or maybe citrussy to sharpen it. It lies on a scale somewhere between Red Lantern and The Pit And The Pendulum, but has a quality to it that distinguishes it as a scent in its own right. On the wrist: On the wrist this becomes a little dryer, but still; this is an old-style men's smoking room, with leather sofas and leather-bound books, late at night with heavy curtains drawn over the windows and a haze of white smoke lazily drifting and whorling about the ceiling. There may be no whisky in the ingredients but I can smell it anyway, just because it has to be there. One hour later: It seems to have faded quite quickly. Close to the wrist it's still incense and tobacco, with a hint of wood, but no longer quite the glorious scent it was. 8/10

It's apricot jam. Definitely apricot jam. If it's a tart, then possibly it's the filling of the tart right after it's come out of the oven and is bubbling hot and caramelising around the edges. That seems quite plausible, actually. Maybe it's the hint of clove that's giving it that 'warm' feeling, because heaven knows it's not making itself known any other way. Nice, though.

In the imp: This smells like pure Amaretto. Mmm. I love Amaretto. On the wrist: Amaretto and something. I think it's something a little green, but it's hard to tell. A hint of rose, perhaps? A trace of something woody? This is turning quite complex... One hour later: Talc. Just... talc. I think I should avoid almond.

In the imp: There's gotta be orange blossom/neroli in this. And rose, too, I think, though those can be very similar scents at times. But there's something else too; a soft, rich, spicy note that mellows and enriches. I know what it is - I recognise it - but I can't separate it out enough to identify it; wait. Marzipan? Yes, marzipan. Must be almond, then. On the wrist: Did I say neroli? I meant rose. I meant rose a lot. Brightened by other florals and a trace of herb green. It's particularly sharp and bright on the left wrist; on the right there's just a hint of something warm behind it. One hour later: Yep, that was definitely rose all right. Rose, orange blossom, and soap. Quite strong on the soap.

In the bottle: Ooh, yes. Very smoky. I think I can detect frankincense and sandalwood, but they're definitely a bit charred around the edges. On the wrist: Smoky incense thrown on a wood fire. The throw is more incensey, but close to the wrist it's all charred wood; mostly the sharp woodiness of cedar, I think, with a little sandalwood and frankincense to make it aromatic. One hour later: Woodsmoke and incense. This is really quite lovely. Definitely a keeper.

There are times when I wonder whether I have the same sense of smell everyone else does, and this is one of them. Because on opening the bottle, all I can smell is slightly sweet ethanol. Not overwhelmingly so, but still; ethanol, like the commercial perfumes I avoid. On the wrist: It still smells of ethanoly perfume base. Wait; there's something a little musky coming through. And just a hint of vanilla. One hour later: Faint and musky, with smoky tobacco, and sweetened by vanilla. A subtle and sophisticated scent but not, I think, for me.

A very short review, since I put it only quickly just to find out if it was a must-have scent and haven't analysed it... Pure vetiver to start with, then vetiver sliced through with lemon and a hint of thyme, then a blend of musk, smoke, lemon, thyme and wet earth that gradually fades away. 8/10

A very short review, since I put it only quickly just to find out if it was a must-have scent and haven't analysed it... Cocoa and dragon's blood, a little reminiscent of Vice (though not so edible, and certainly not so artificial-smelling) fades gradually to something a little woodier, and oddly reminiscent of The Perilous Parlour. An 8/10.

In the imp: I'm getting rather attuned to the smell of vetiver How I love vetiver... Anyway. I'm mostly smelling vetiver, but there's a hint of leather behind it somewhere. And something just a little flower-sweet, though I can't place what. On the wrist: The bitterness I have come to expect of vetiver, cut through with sweetness (jasmine? It's sharp-sweet), with a rounded hint of leather in the afterscent. I'm doing this analysis with my nose two feet from my wrists, which may give you some idea of the throw. One hour later: This smells of leather, with a hint of vetiver. I disbelieve in the flowers and the cinnamon. I do like leather, though As time goes on it gradually becomes more leathery; six hours after applying I'm still catching odd whiffs of leather, though turning increasingly myrrhy with age. Which is odd, as there's no myrrh in here. Still, not complaining

In the imp: The flower sweetness of jasmine or honeysuckle, with a drier afterscent that could be a faint touch of sandalwood. On the wrist: Honeysuckle/jasmine. Did I mention honeysuckle/jasmine? The throw is all rich, sweet flowers; close to the wrist it's much drier, with some kind of dry flower-scent such as orange blossom inextricably blended with a trace of light wood or musk that must be the incense. One hour later: A dry, dusty jasmine/honeysuckle. I think they were just lying about the violet and fruit.

In the imp: Well, I can certainly smell the khus. Oh boy yes. And... other stuff, but I don't recognise any of the scents. Maybe something a little frankincensish; but I don't remember seeing frankincense among the ingredients... It's definitely bitter. Hot, and very, very bitter. A dark, slightly woody scent, with a hint of sharpness, but mostly bitter. On the wrist: Bitter and bitter and sharp and bitter. Lovely, lovely khus, with a dark and smoky edge to it; quite strong, and positively acrid on the wrist. But what a delicious, bitter, woody, smoky throw; is that just the faintest trace of myrrh? Oh, so harsh, and dark, and hot, and bitter, bitter, bitter... One hour later: Myrrh is definitely present, as is khus, and something that sharpens them a little. I'm wreathed in the smell of hot, acrid, bitter, and I love it. As time goes on it becomes gradually myrrhier, but hey, I like myrrh A bit of Googling suggests that many of the ingredients I didn't recognise are old friends in disguise: - Olibanum is a type of frankincense - Opoponax is a type of myrrh - And of course, khus is a kind of vetiver

Well, it's like a rose scent, only it works on my skin... In the bottle: Rose. Very strong, very sweet. More of a Floribunda rather than a Hybrid Tea, I would say; reminiscent of the little low bush carrying large trusses of pink-tinged white flowers that I loved as a child. This is going to go badly on my skin. On the wrist: I am surrounded by the sweet, wondrous rose scent of my childhood. I await the soap. Half an hour later: That's odd. I keep catching a whiff of pear drops. Is it a trace of tuberose in the perfume, or is it the mid-morning snack of one of the other people at this desk? One hour later: It... hasn't turned to soap. Nor has it muddied. It's softened somewhat, so is no longer as clear and sharp as it was when I first put it on, but it's still a lovely, sweet, Floribunda rose. I need every drop I can get my hands on.

In the imp: This is chocolatey, with an acrid edge that resolves itself into coffee, and just a trace of cinnamon. Promising On the wrist: On the wrist this becomes sweet, milky coffee, with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and maybe just the faintest hint of cocoa. Close to the wrist, however, there's an acrid/metallic tang which I worry will become stronger. One hour later: It takes approximately twenty minutes to turn into pure metallic tang. Pah.

In the bottle: This is a gentle scent. A flower/fruit sweetness, not sharp - fig? - over something herbal. Faintly bitter round the edges. It doesn't smell wintry to me; more like a wet spring. On the wrist: Whoa. Suddenly I am wreathed in what seemed a faint scent, and it's lovely. Softly sweetened herbs and fruit, with a bitterness close to the wrist that must be the dandelion, with only the tiniest hint of clove. One hour later: The throw is much fainter now, but still a soft, sweet herbal, with the clove a little stronger adding warmth. Close to the wrist it's mostly sweet and figgy, with just the faintest trace of dandelion. Nice. It lasts about two hours, but it's a nice two hours.

In the imp: This is egg nog for adults. It's the kind of egg nog you take a sip of and then wake up two days later under Magdalen bridge, cuddling a door. It smells distinctly Baileys-esque; presumably that's the whole brandy-cream-vanilla thing. There's some nutmeg in the background, though. I fear my colleagues may look at me funny if I try this on. On the wrist: Ohthankgod. The intense brandyness has died down a littlen and the nutmeg has picked up; it's now in equal parts Baileys and nutmeg, though a softer, creamier scent than either. The rum now starts to come through and drown out the brandy. It's a warm winter evening scent, though I still fear that just sniffing it may make me drunk One hour later: I smell softly alcoholic, with a hint of nutmeg. It's a nice scent, but my old enemy metallic-tang is trying to creep up on it from behind; and anyway, I don't want to smell quite this boozy

In the imp: Hmm. In the imp, it's amber with blobs of dark brown, a little like a lava lamp. I suspect the cocoa of separating out for some reason. Once I've shaken it up a bit it's rather pretty, in a leopard-spotted way. It smells like smooth, good quality chocolate backed by an equal share of lavender. On the wrist: A bright, strong lavender, darkened by a little chocolate and something else faintly woody and warm, probably a blend of the khus and the birch tar. I disbelieve the vanilla. One hour later: Largely the same. The lavender has become a little stronger, the cocoa and khus have weakened slightly, and it's all faded a little. Overall it's rather nice, but not as nice as I hoped from the ingredients. 7/10

In the imp: Ooh! A warm spring. Light florals, with a hint of cherry, orange peel and cinnamon. On the wrist: Take the traditional Christmas smell of orange, cinnamon and other spices. Lighten it with flowers, sweeten it with a hint of cherry, soften it with a hint of musk, then add to it the mouth-puckering astringency of strong black tea. It is, in short, quite nice. One hour later: Strong black tea and cherry blossom, with a hint of orange and spices in the background. The cherry is very slightly chalky, but otherwise this is really lovely. 8/10

In the bottle: Light and woody at first, with something a little flowery and sweet in the afterscent. It's hard to place individual scents. On the wrist: On the wrist it becomes a lot more flowery. Which is impressive, since there aren't any flowers in it. It's not particularly sweet, and the afterscent is dry, musky wood. Like Scorpio, it doesn't have a very strong throw; but what there is appears to have a hint of date in it. One hour later: It's faint and generically perfumey. I'm not entirely sure how that happened. Very disappointing

Gunpowder and woodsmoke, gradually edging into rusty iron and woodsmoke over the course of a few hours. I ordered a bottle...