Penance

Preconceived notions: Another one that I want to love for the imagery alone. I don't normally love mints (although there are certainly exceptions - Snowblind being one of them), but something about this was calling me and I had to try it. First sniff: Smells a bit like those after dinner mints...spearminty and pepperminty at the same time. Warmer than I'd expected, but not as warm as Snowblind. This certainly isn't sharp and stabbing the way some mint blends can be, but it's not a soothing, creamy mint, either. Wet on skin: Creamy but not as creamy as Snowblind. Sweet and pepperminty, but not sharp and stabbing. It is a bit candy-like, but at the same time it's almost like freshly picked peppermint sprigs. I smell something almost like fir or evergreen in here, too, which is odd since it's not mentioned in the description. Dry down; There's something almost aquatic here, too...a bit snowy, but a bit sweet. I get mint and evergreen and something akin to BPAL's sweet aquatic blends (the ones that normally make me break out in hives for some reason). No hives yet, but that could be because this isn't really a sweet aquatic and just smells like one (there is a hint of ozone here that suggests that it's not). This is completely not what I was expecting but quite beautiful! The bottom line: I was expecting pure mint, but Nuclear Winter is so much more. Mint, evergreen, ozone...this is a very unusual, barren cold scent. I love it!

Preconceived notions: I want to love this so desperately. The description just drew me in like a magnet and I adore the imagery. Birch and fir sound wonderful and the snow doesn't sound bad...this sounds a bit like Skadi, which could be very, very good. I really, really hope this works for me. First sniff: Ooh, pretty...it is a bit like Skadi and a bit like Mistletoe. Slushy snow and fir needles with a touch of wood. It's not as close to Skadi as I'd like, but it's very pretty! Wet on skin: Very similar to Mistletoe on me. A sort of slushy snow and true pine scent with just a hint of something that could be winter berries. There's nothing artificial about this at all...it's so...wintery. Dry down: Sharper than both Mistletoe and Skadi, almost like Yuletide in some respects...not red like Yuletide, but sharp like it. This one's a hard one to explain for some reason, but I really like this. This is winter in a bottle, pure and simple. The bottom line: I really like this! It combines aspects of two of my BPAL winter loves, Mistletoe and Skadi, with something unique to itself to create a lovely, slushy, crisp winter scent. I really like this!

Preconceived notions: I'm fascinated by the imagery in this one...I love incense and metallic blood sounds good to me (see Bed of Nails for more on my love of metallic smells) but I'm nervous about it being dragon's blood. I used to love dragon's blood but all of a sudden I developed an aversion to it that even I can't explain. I'm definitely curious, though. This could go either way. First sniff: Odd...it smells almost cologne-like but with an incense undertone. It's not metallic, really...it's more...astringent somehow. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this or not. Wet on skin: Wow, that's...weird. It's slightly metallic but not quite...right. There's something musky here, too, that's throwing my nose off. I have absolutely no idea what it could be, but it reminds me strongly of all the BPAL musk blends I've hated (Haunted is the first to come to mind). I don't get incense anymore, just sharp muskiness bordering on the ever-dreaded cat pee. Dry down: Eww, eww, eww! Musk, screaming, in-your-face, cat pee musk! My skin chemistry loves to latch onto anything even remotely musky and turn it into sometihng overpowering and downright unpleasant, which seems to be what's happening here. The bottom line: I wanted to love this, but it's just not happening. Something in here is distinctly musky and it's getting amped up in a bad way on me.

Preconceived notions: I want to love this. I love rats and the dust and wood sound wonderful, but the "feral" part worries me, as does the "sharp" undertone. I have a feeling this is going to be a love/hate scent for me. I'm either going to love it or I'm going to hate it. First sniff: Eww, sharp and sour and musky all at once. This reminds me a bit of cat pee for some reason. Wet on skin: The wood and dust are coming out more now. It's dusty but still...sharp, somehow. That has to be the musk. For some reason certain musks strike my nose as very sharp and offensive and I'm not sure why. I do like the dusty part of this, though, even if it's making me feel like I'm about to sneeze. Dry down: Interesting...very much a BPAL kind of scent. What I mean is it's unusual, certainly not like anything I've ever tried before scentwise and strangely alluring even in its oddness. This reminds me of something, but I'm not sure what...it's a bit dirty, but in a dusty way...could be the smell of our old basement (it's not as bad as it sounds, really...I like the smell of dust, even if I'm allergic to it). This is really strange...I'm not sure if this is me or not yet. The bottom line: This one's going to have to be tested a couple more times before I make up my mind. It's strangely appealing...it keeps urging me to sniff my wrists but at the same time there's something about it that puts me on edge. Odd, but in a good way.

Preconceived notions: I was one of the few people who loved last year's Hearth (at least once it got past the candied cherry stage), so I'm curious about this year's, but the chestnuts worry me. I love cedar and pine and brown sugar and honey could potentially be good (but they'll probably be bad), so I'm not sure how this is going to go. First sniff: The butter note reminds me of my favorite Chaos Theory (CLVI, I think it is...whichever is in my signature image) and of the original Hellfire, but only in passing. There's wood and smoke underneath it and a hint of nuttiness that worries me. I have a feeling this is going to be a near miss...I love most of this, but the nuttiness doesn't bode well. Wet on skin: Oh, wow, this is similar to my Chaos Theory. The pine ratchets up as soon as it hits my skin and this is far less foody. It's like buttered pine trees. As odd as that sounds, it's really not bad at all. Quite Christmasy and comforting. An odd combination to be sure, but quite nice. Dry down: How weird...I expected this to go wrong on me because of the chestnuts, but on me Hearth 2005 is a strong pine blend (similar to Mistletoe) with an overlay of sweet butter. Very interesting and definitely unusual. I actually like this quite a bit, surprisingly. The bottom line: This was way different than I'd expected it to be. I was afraid of the chestnuts, but all I get is brisk pine with an overlay of sugared butter.

Origin: Oneheart on the Lush NA forum. Preconceived notions: Mitzvah was the only Nice scent that appealed to me (I hate lemon and melon as scents), so I was upset to find Snow Angel in my package instead of the Mitzvah I was hoping for, but I managed to find a lovely swapper and now I have a bottle. I know people have been calling this super sweet and foody and likening it to Sugar Skull, so I'm expecting something sweet and syrupy rather than the sweet cream and toffee type scent I'd initially imagined. First sniff: Oh, wow...foo-dy and intense. This is similar to Sugar Skull but more toffee-like as opposed to syrup-like. I don't normally do foody scents (especially not super sweet ones), but this is surprisingly appealing to me, possibly because of my newly acquired love of Lush's Honey I Washed The Kids soap, which smells of toffee and honey. Wet on skin: Ooh...caramel, toffee and heavy cream. It's not cloying in the way I would have imagined this kind of scent being (more like Hellcat or Gluttony, I mean). It's somehow light-hearted and comforting...very homey and soothing although it's not my normal kind of scent. Dry down: Heavy cream with just a touch of toffee. This is what I'd imagined Mitzvah would smell like and it's wonderful! Sweet but not cloying, comforting and homey. This suits me so much better than Snow Angel even though I normally avoid sticky sweet scents like the plague. The bottom line: I love this. I only wish we could buy more of the Inquisition scents that we love so I wouldn't have to ration this.

If you like almonds, I think you'd most likely love Baron Samedi even if he doesn't. I, on the other hand, am allergic to almond essential oil and can't wear any perfume with it in it.

I've never smelled the Burt's Bees bay rum version, but just keep in mind that Baron Samedi is extremely strong on the almond note, which a lot of bay rum scents aren't. Which is a damn shame because I wanted to love the Baron and he was the single worst experience (aside from maybe Voodoo, which I also wanted to adore) of my BPAL experience.

Origin: I got an imp of this from a lovely LJer who answered my plea to be Spanked. Preconceived notions: I wanted this more than any of the scents in the Inquisition, even Snowblind that I'd given up hope on ever getting to try. It sounded absolutely perfect for me and I quite literally cried when I got two bottles of Snowblind with my Inquisitions instead of the hoped and prayed for Snowblind and Spanked. So now I get to try it and I'm all atwitter with excitement. First sniff: Hmm, spicy, a bit leather-like with just a touch of booze. This is sexy! It's a bit like Loviatar but mixed with cardamom and a hint of bourbon (one of my favorite notes in the whole world of wonderful scents). I don't smell any patchouli which is a bit disappointing since I love patchouli even more than I do bourbon, but this is still gorgeous. Wet on skin: Whoa, spices! The cardamom kicks into overdrive on my skin and I smell a bit like Villainess' Ginger Snapped smooch if it were mixed with their Antihero soap. Not a bad thing at all...spicy and warm with a hint of leather. This is sexy! Dry down: Oh, God...that's what I was waiting for. The cardamom suddenly takes a nosedive and out comes the bourbon and patchouli, mingling with the leather and putting all sorts of naughty thoughts in my head. This is debauched pure and simple. Is it hot in here? The bottom line: Whoo, baby, this is everything I'd hoped for! I wish I could buy 4 or 5 more bottles of it. This is going to be an instant favorite.

Preconceived notions: I don't know if Lenore will work for me, although I hope it does. I like vetiver and thyme and love white musk, smoke, patchouli and plum, but the lemon peel worries me. First sniff: Strong vetiver with a background of plum and patchouli. Very dark and somber smelling and extremely intense. This is a bold scent, no question about it. Wet on skin: As soon as Lenore hits my skin, the lemon comes rushing to the surface and I get a strong lemon scent with a bit of patchouli and thyme. Dry down: Lemon, patchouli and plum. If it weren't for the lemon, I would love this, but I just can't get past the lemon being so prominent in this one. The bottom line: I wanted to love Lenore, but apparently she has other plans.

Preconceived notions: I really want to love this because I adore the name. I don't see anything in here that should really be a warning flag, so here's to hoping. First sniff: This reminds me of a combination of The Apothecary (which I like) and Embalming Fluid (which I don't). It's a very sharp, intense green with a lemony edge to it. Unfortunately, I hate lemon. Wet on skin: Less lemony, but still very, very green. It's a sharp, almost nose-stinging green that has to be the green tea. This isn't a white scent to my nose; it's definitely a bright green one. think: Dry down: Less sharp and lemony and more dry and slightly floral. This is more what I was expecting, but it's still not quite me, unfortunately. The bottom line: Unfortunately Spirits of The Dead isn't for me even though I want to love it.

Preconceived notions: I know I won't like this. I hate the smell of nuts and I really don't want to smell like cocoa, but I'll give it a shot. First sniff: Smells like pumpkin brownies! I don't want to smell like them, myself, but I'm impressed all the same. Wet on skin: More pumpkin and slightly less cocoa. I don't smell the walnut or hazelnut, which is good, but I really don't really want to smell like this Patch member anyway. I actually prefer this to the scent in the bottle, though. Dry down: Pumpkin brownies, heavy on the pumpkin. This would make an awesome autumn room scent as long as it was in someone else's house (I'd prefer my house didn't smell like chocolate, thank you). The bottom line: I like this more than I'd anticipated, but not enough to keep it. It's going to a loving new home with someone who will give it the love I can't.

Preconceived notions: I got this mainly out of curiosity since I don't want to smell like candy corn, so I'm not sure how well this is going to work out, but I had to try it. First sniff: That's...weird. It really does have a sort of creamed corn smell in the bottle...with a hint of caramel. Wet on skin: Oh, wow, it smells like melted brown sugar and butter! It reminds me more of caramel popcorn than candy corn for some reason, but it's definitely an edible scent, very foody (and not me). Dry down: A bit more like candy corn, but more like caramel. This would be perfect for an autumn room scent, but not for my house. The bottom line: Not meant for me, but I didn't expect it to be. Still quite nice and autumnal, though.

Preconceived notions: None of the Nice scents really appealed to me, although Mitzvah sounded nice enough, but I had to make a Nice plea for the shirt. Snow Angel, though, is the middle choice of the three for me...I think I'll like it more than Fee but less than Mitzvah. I hate lemon, so I'm not seeing myself liking this, but we'll see. First sniff: Smells like lemondrops...like lemons and a generous helping of sugar. Very much a good girl scent and very much not me. Wet on skin: This actually isn't bad even if it's not something I'd normally wear. It's dead on lemondrops. Sweet, fruity, girly and innocent. Dry down: You guessed it: lemondrops. This is an extremely stable scent on me and I actually rather like it although I don't think I'd really ever wear this. The bottom line: This will be getting swapped for Mitzvah since I won't actually wear it enough to warrant keeping it.

Preconceived notions: I've been wanting to try Snowblind since it first made an appearance in the reviews section of the forum in spite of my general aversion to foody scents and especially sweet, candy-like ones. I love buttermints and something about the smell of them really appeals to me - it's innocent and sweet and homey somehow, even if Snowblind is a Naughty blend. First sniff: Oh, my, Beth's done it again! She's bottled the scent of buttermints, pure and simple. There's nothing artificial about this and it's not saccharine sweet. It's buttery and minty and...comfortable smelling somehow, perhaps because it reminds me of winters at home with my parents. Wet on skin: As soon as Snowblind hits my skin, the buttery vanilla note takes a backseat to the mint and this veers dangerously close to peppermint candy territory, which is odd given the fact that my skin normally amps up butter notes. I'm hoping this goes back to the buttery scent in the bottle as I'm not a fan of pure peppermint scents. Dry down: Phew, back to the butter/vanilla/mint scent of the bottle. This is sweet and soothing and homey and comforting and not at all naughty to my nose (not that I'm complaining, since I love this). Snowblind really does smell like the scent of liquified buttermints...the extra rich ones that melt in your mouth as soon as you drop them on your tongue. The bottom line: Pure wintery comfort. I'm so glad I got this one; I think Snowblind and I were meant to be together, although I do wish I could buy more.

Sugar Skull '05 Origin: Imp from my imp pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I didn't order Sugar Skull when it returned this year because I still have 2 bottles from last year and couldn't see myself using or needing more since it was more of a nostalgia scent than an everyday wear scent, but then the reviews started calling it boozy and sugary, which sounded good. I was still waffling over ordering a bottle or two when Diana forced me to take a decant of hers (she really had to twist my arm ), so I'm excited to get to try it and find out if I like it enough to order a bottle. First sniff: Mmm, Diana was right, this does have a sort of whiskey scent to it. Last year's smelled like rum rolls to me (confectioner's sugar, butter and rum flavoring). This year's smells like whiskey sugar syrup with just a touch of some sort of fruit. Wet on skin: Wow, holy quick change, Batman! On me, Sugar Skull '05 suddenly loses all of its syrupiness and turns into a genuine sugar skull scent. Sort of a light sugar scent with just a hint of vague fruitiness to it. I like this, too, in spite of my hatred of foody scents (and, most of the time, sweet scents), but I prefer the scent in the bottle. I'm hoping it changes back as it dries. Dry down: Dry, Sugar Skull '05 strikes a balance between the bottle and wet stages and manages to capture the best of both. It's lighter than in the bottle, less intensely syrupy, but with the same whiskey-like booziness. This is wonderful! The bottom line: Color me surprised. I didn't expect to like this more than last year's, or to need more, but I'll be ordering a couple of bottles. This is a winner!

Wow, I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet...I'm getting forgetful. Origin: Imp from my incense-loving soul sister, the lovely sarada. Preconceived notions: I was intrigued by the name of this one and liked the idea behind it, but when I saw sarada's scent I knew I had to have it. I've been needing a good meditation scent (aside from Tushnamatay) and if it smelled wonderful, so much the better. Scent impressions: Oh, beautiful...just...beautiful. It's definitely an incense scent, but with a hint of candle to it, sarada's absolutely right about that. It reminds me of freshly blown out candles mixed with a wonderful blend of incense and a touch of wood. I get the distinct mental impression of a Buddhist temple, which was what I was hoping for. This smells exactly like I'd imagined. Effectiveness: I used this as a perfume before settling down to meditate (I'd also try putting it in a lightbulb ring, but I've only got an imp and don't want to waste any until I can get a bottle or two. The first thing I noticed was that I felt calm even before I sat down. I normally have a bit of a hard time getting into the meditation frame of mind because my brain won't shut down without a struggle (too much stress or something, I suppose), but I felt relaxed even before I got started and found that I fell right into the mindset with no trouble at all this time. Breathing in the scent of Temple: Daoist was like sitting in the middle of a Buddhist temple with my eyes closed, breathing in the scent of incense and wood from the timbers framing the roof. It was so easy to visualize with this on and so easy to relax. The Verdict: This lives up to my imagination's rampant speculation and even goes beyond my expectations, both scent-wise and effectiveness-wise. I'm going to need at least 2 bottles of this once the TAL site has it up for sale.

Ooh, squee! I ordered all the Come and See scents and I'm planning on keeping them all regardless of whether they work because they just speak to me, but if they've got pretty labels, that's all the more reason. I you, Macha.

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. Chaos Theory CDLXV (465) Origin: Sniffy from Quimerula for review purposes. First sniff: Lemon...I'm not sure if it's lemongrass, lemon balm or lemon verbena, but I'm leaning toward lemongrass right now. I'm thinking there could be anise in here, too, but I may be imagining it. Wet on skin: Now I smell something similar to a combination of lemon and horehound...I'm almost positive there's anise in here. Not much, but enough to give this an herbal/sweet kind of vibe to it. Dry down: All the herbal/anise bits are gone and I get nothing but lemongrass (I'm almost positive it's lemongrass and not lemon balm or lemon verbena.) Lemon's one of the notes my skin amps up, so there could be more to this that's getting drowned out on my skin, but lemon's all I can smell. The bottom line: Not a big fan of lemon, personally, so it's not for me, but I always enjoy trying the Chaos blends. Previously reviewed by Quimerula Chaos Theory DCLVI (656) Origin: Sniffy from quimerula for review purposes. First sniff: Initially, I thought this smelled like apple, but now I'm not sure that's right. It could be...smells a bit like macintosh apples, but I've got a nagging feeling that's wrong. There's not much oil in the vial and I'm having trouble getting a good sniff here. This smells almost effervescent somehow...like champagne. This is an odd one. Wet on skin: I'm still getting a bit of a macintosh vibe from this, but it's changing almost immediately. There's definitely something fruity about this, but I don't think fruit is the main component here. It's sweet, too, almost sugary. I'm having a really hard time pinning this one down for some reason. Dry down: Sweet, sugary and a tiny bit apple-like. I'm still not sure what's in here, to be honest. It's got a certain appleyness (making up words again, sorry) to it, but I just feel like it's not apple...maybe it's red relicious apple, that could explain my confusion since red delicious apples have never smelled particularly appley to me. The bottom line: Confusing. I keep waffling over this one. Not sure if I like it or not. Previously reviewed by Quimerula and Galen. Chaos Theory DCLXXIX (679) Origin: Sniffy from Quimerula for review purposes. First sniff: This is a tough one. The only real impression I get is that this reminds me of a caramel apple candle I smelled recently. It didn't really smell like a caramel apple somehow, but that smell (the not quite caramel apple) is what I get from DCLXXIX. Wet on skin: Still smells a bit caramel-like to me. A little sweet, a little sticky smelling and a tiny bit vanilla-like. I keep thinking I smell like a candle wearing this, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Dry down: Pretty much the same as when it was wet. Caramel/vanilla-like with maybe a bit of apple. I love caramel apples and even though I generally avoid foody scents, I always figured I might like to smell like caramel apples, but I'm not so sure it's working for me. The bottom line: A bit too foody for my tastes, but nice enough. It'd probably make a nice room scent, though. Caveat: For some reason, my skin tends to make certain notes smell like caramel, so I can't say for sure that there is a caramel note in here...could be something else that's getting turned into caramel on me. Previously reviewed by Quimerula and Galen.

Enabler! Enabler! :peek: ...and the sad thing is you're right. Thanks, Macha! Ooh, lovely! Thank you!

Anyone want to post the new Snake Oil label so I don't have to buy another bottle just to see it?

Preconceived notions: I've been hanging onto my White Light, waiting for the moment that feels right to try this. Today feels right, although I can't put my finger on why...I suppose because I'm irritated today and feel about ready to put my foot through the wall for various reasons. I just need a fresh mental start, I think, so I'm hoping White Light does as much for me as it's done for everyone else. Scent impressions: This strikes me as a very pure, clean floral, one I recognize but can't place. It does smell white to me and even though I don't normally care for floral scents (at all), this appeals to me. It somehow smells not cleansing but cleansed. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this...maybe citrus or some sort of aquatic, but somehow this still fits my mental image of what White Light should smell like. Effectiveness: White Light evoked an immediate reaction as soon as I finished applying it to my palms - out of nowhere I started crying. Not sad tears...the kind that seem to come when you're getting rid of emotional baggage. Purging would be a good word for it. At the risk of sounding like a twit, it's like all the irritation and frustration and anger I've been bottling up came out in those tears. It was almost a physical lightning, that's the only way I can think of explaining it. The verdict: Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. I really needed to let go of some things and White Light let me do it.

Preconceived notions: This one certainly sounds interesting and I love the label (so cute!), but I doubt it's going to work for me. Pomegranate has an inexplicable tendency to turn into gummy bears as soon as it hits my skin and that's not really something I want to smell like, but I'll give it a shot. First sniff: Almost all I get from the bottle is pumpkin. Buttery pumpkin. That doesn't bode well, either, since buttery pumpkin tends to make me a little queasy (although it's certainly not something that happens every time I get near a buttery pumpkin scent). I don't really smell the pomegranate, but I do get a very vague sense of fruitiness in the background. Wet on skin: Okay, there's the fruit. So far, this is only bordering on gummy bear territory - it hasn't made the full leap yet. I do have to say that this is the truest BPAL pomegranate scent that I've smelled yet and I'm in a good position to judge, having just eaten one of the little beauties...pomegranates, I mean, not the BPAL scents. This may actually work, surprisingly enough. So far, there's no real gummy bear vibe to speak of (just genuine pomegranate) and the fruit is tempering the pumpkin quite well. It's unexpectedly likeable for me. A very unusual combination in a good way. Dry down: How weird...one of my wrists smells intensely of slightly gummy bear-like pomegranate with a hint of pumpkin and hte other smells mainly of delicious pumpkin with just a hint of juicy fruit. This is my first experience with different smells from different wrists and I'm amazed. I definitely prefer the more pumpkiny side, but the other is surprisingly likeable as well. The bottom line: I didn't expect this to work and I didn't expect to genuinely like it, but I've been proven wrong on both counts. A beautiful, unique combination.

Preconceived notions: I love sandalwood in practically all its incarnations, so I'm really looking forward to trying this. I never would have imagined pumpkin and sandalwood going together, but it sounds surprisingly appealing, and not just to my inner hippie. First sniff: I took one sniff of this, did a double take, and handed it to my mom for her analysis and we both agree on what we were smelling: yellow cake batter. I have absolutely no idea why this would smell like cake batter, but its uncanny to my nose (and my mom's...could be genetic, I suppose). My best guess is it's the butteriness of the pumpkin mixing with the orris that's doing it, but that's no more than a fairly uneducated guess. I like this, I really do. It's just surprising. Wet on skin: No more cake batter (that was truly bizarre). Now I get...pumpkin incense. It's not as strange a combination as it sounds, either. The pumpkin warms the sandalwood and keeps it from being overly dry without jumping out and screaming "Look at me! I'm pumpkin! With incense! Crazy!" I'm not sure I would have known that the warmth was pumpkin if I hadn't been told, it's so well blended. Dry down: Warm, pumpkiny incense. This is what I'd love to have my house smell like at Thanksgiving. It's got sandalwood's peacefulness and the pumpkin's warmth and comfort all rolled into one (and I love the sad little pumpkin label, too). The bottom line: This exceeds my expectations. I expected something more jarring, but this Patch member is perfectly blended. Hippie Thanksgiving, here I come!

Preconceived notions: I ordered an imp of this thinking that it could potentially be good (love incense and parchment and soft woods sound wonderful, but the rosewood and tonka made me a little wary), but then Diana told me that I'd love it so I'm looking forward to trying it. My imp pimp knows her girl, so I've got high expectations. First sniff: Sort of a combination of men's cologne (that sort of generic smell you get in department stores and the like - not a bad smell, but not fantastic, either) and a sort of soft wood and leather scent...like a den with bookshelves wrapping around the walls and a soft, well-worn leather chair in the corner by the fireplace. It smells masculine, but I love masculine scents, so this could be good on me. Wet on skin: Mmm, I love this. All the cologney overtones disappear once this hits my skin and I get a sort of leather and parchment scent with a touch of incense. It's an instantaneous shift from generic masculine cologne to warm and comforting. I'm not sure why I have an emotional connection to masculine scents that remind me of dens and leather armchairs, but I do know that those scents evoke an instantaneous feeling of safety and security and make me feel warm and safe. Dee is no exception to that rule, even though I don't have any conscious memories to connect it with. Dry down: I put this on and then went about doing something else that needed to be done and didn't really think about what I was wearing until I got a strong whiff of tobacco out of nowhere and had one of those "What is that wonderful smell? Oh, wait, that's me!" moments when I realized that it was Dee that I was smelling. There's no tobacco in here (at least there's none listed), but that's the dominant impression I get once Dee dries. It's not an overwhelmingly cigar store kind of smell, more like loose tobacco with a hint of leather and wood and a tiny touch of vanilla (the tonka, I'm sure). Up until this point, I've been having a troubling day. I've been anxious and unable to sit still and unsure of why I was so worked up, but Dee's been an instantaneous calming factor for me. The bottom line: Diana was right, I love this. Not only does it smell beautiful, but it makes me feel secure in a way that I really need right about now. This is the effect (and, to a certain degree, the scent) that I've been anticipating in Herr Drosselmeyer, so until my Yule order comes in, I've got something to fill the void (and something that will, no doubt, remain a favorite of mine).