omnistraight

Blood (1997) is a 3D first-person shooter video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by- Sorry, wrong Blood! As a massive Blood (the video game) fan, I knew I had to try this scent out the moment I came across it. WET: Black cherry candy and clove. The combo is almost a reminder of days spent drinking Cheerwine and smoking clove cigarettes, but I digress. ON ME: Unfortunately, very 'perfumey'. I'm not sure what alters so strongly on my skin (perhaps the dragon's blood?), but it quickly turned from cherry and cloves to banana laffy taffy and my grandmother's powder puff. The longer it stayed on the more powdery and almost licorish-y it became. I will leave Blood for the blood gods (and skulls for the skull throne).

Extremely subtle! So much so that it fell neglected into my "satchel of forgotten scents" never to be smelled from again... Until this week, when I found it while cleaning. Not sure if it was aging it a year by accident, or if I'm just in a more subtle place in my life, but I truly enjoy it this time around. WET: Bright, lightly floral. Like clean, polished leather and meticulously well maintained books. ON ME: Something older and warmer settles in. Dusty, but not unpleasantly so. It smells calm somehow, as if our good philospher has finally gotten himself a few interns to do the heavy lifting. The leather scent clings in much the same way it does when you're working with it (which I often do for both hobbies and work), but the parchment and tonka kept me from smelling too much like my workshop. Still very clean to the end, but a warm, lived-in clean, rather than anything sterile. Extremely limited throw and staying power. More a comforting waft for yourself or an extremely close loved one. It's already becoming an office wear staple for me.

You can't fool me BPAL, this is just a small bottle of sarsaparilla soda! All jokes aside, this one did hit the sarsaparilla/root beer notes hard on me. I'd definitely say more sars than root, since it's not as cloyingly sweet as I would expect root beer to be, but the other notes are all very much a glass bottle of the high quality sarsparilla you get at a renassiance fair or specialty soda shop. Unfortunately for me, the vanilla quickly overpowered the herbs and woody notes, as often vanilla does on my skin. That being said, if you're hoping to expirience the lifecycle of a rootbeer float through scent, this is the best possible choice.

This is my favorite summer scent, and tied for my favorite all-around. Cigars and dark rum (neat) on a white sand beach, a light breeze carrying the smell of flower blossoms gently through the air. It makes me feel like a man retired, lounging in a gold chain and a guayabera shirt, relaxing confidently after a long life of questionable 'businesses' have made me extremely wealthy. Santo Domingo makes me feel like I have all the time in the world, which pairs well with the fact that it lasts a long time on me. 10/10 will be buying again as soon as it's back in stock.

Hey there, hope I'm not too late to post to this, but I'm looking for some new scents to try, preferrably more masculine ones, since my top two are out of stock. Following illuviel's layout for this cause I found it really helpful! Top 5 Faves: Antikythera Mechanism: teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco. Tied for 1st. Nothing but compliments when I wear this one Santo Domingo: tobacco leaf, bay rum and heady Caribbean blossoms. Tied for 1st. One of my favorites to smell on myself, makes me feel strangely powerful, like I've got nothing but time. Perversion: smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka. Date night go to! Tlazolteotl: chapapote and black copal with cacao, black honey, maize, and cotton blossoms. First scent I ever tried - a gift from a friend - and quickly fell in love with BPAL over. Not a scent I would have considered on my own, but I get a lot of compliments on it also. Bewitched: blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. Another scent I was surprised to enjoy as much as I do. I wear it or Dee when I'm in the office, since they both have something light about them that makes me feel a bit more professional than my heavier go-tos. Currently wearing: Sin: amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon. The first time I put this on it felt like I was trying to wear a costume, but after trying it again few years later, it's really challenging Bewitched for a spot on my top 5. Notes that I know work: tobacco, rum, cinnamon, clove, bourbon, tonka, woods. vanilla and leather also, but it's always a toss up if they'll overpower the rest of the scent on me. Scents/Notes that haven't worked for me: Fighter & Brimstone: Both of these were instant headaches. Troll & Black Forest: I really wanted these two to work, but something about both of them just went full tar/pitch on my skin and I needed to wash them off imediately. Aquatic Scents: Hit really soapy & sunscreen-y on my skin. (i.e. Jolly Rodger) Floral Based Scents: Florals in the mix are fine, but most floral based scents go really powdery on me and smell too feminine. (Esp Rose and Jasmine) Thanks in advance yall!