fairnymph

Light gold oil. Boozy black cherry - reminds me of Suck It - but with a hint of mulling spices and sweet nutty/creamy grains. But it's very black cherry forward, above all. Spicier, nuttier, more complex. This reminds me now more of Pomona and Fearful Pleasure. I get a definite apple cider note along with the black cherry. Stlll boozy. The mulling spices are stronger, and I definitely get some cinnamon and clove - along with some allspice and ginger, I think.. Very autumnal-festive. I also get a wisp of woodsmoke (maybe some vetiver?) and some evergreen notes, pine pitch maybe and some sweet fir. The grain note reminds me of the one from Dana O'Shee, quite creamy, reminds me a little of sweetened oatmeal but there's more nuttiness. The spices are amping like whoa on me with cinnamon in the forefrunt - blended with the apple I'm reminded of cinnamon flavoured applesauce. I also get a dry floral that I suspected earlier - sunflower, and I'm pretty sure there's some heliotrope here too because I get its distinct golden glow. There's a lot going on here - it's a very complex scent. The apple cider is now on par with the black cherry booze, but the spices and smoky vetiver and woodsy notes have now overtaken the fruit. Still, plenty of flowers and fruit just below, along with the foody, nutty grain note. This blends and harmonizes beautifully over time, and the apple cider and black cherry wine notes really make me think of Mabon in this scent's later stages. The baked apple note actually AMPS on me - apple is nearly always ephemeral on my skin - and the cinnamon and other spices soften, with clove being the strongest - but a nice clove, for once, not too sharp - and then the cinnamon lightly in the distance, and the other spices indistinct. The evergreen woods and woodsmoky-vetiver have softened to a lovely deep backdrop along with the almost creamy,nutty grain note that's only slightly foody now. Baked, slightly spiced apple is foremost with a bit of black cherry booze and some golden heliotrope and dry sunflower just blow, over a slightly smoky woodsy & gently sweet grain base. This is absolutely gorgeous despite some notes I really don't generally like in perfume. Masterfully blended and superbly well balanced with moderate throw and great longevity. I see why this is popular!

Walnut brown coloured oil. Very dark, intense, masculine. Woodsy - lots of pitch-like, resinous pine, heavy vetiver and dark earthy patchouli, and some pretty darn intensely spicy black pepper, sweetened by heavy black musk. Eek, I'm scared! A bit lighter and fresher, the pine is not the lab's typical Pine-Sol but a deeper more pitch-pine note, but on my skin it's much greener and more evocative, like trampling through the woods - I strongly suspect some Cypress bc I get a bit of its citrusy tang, and quite possibly other evergreens too. Very woodsy. The vetiver and black pepper are the next strongest notes, and while the former is dark and strong, it's not gritty or too oppressing - just earthy and manly and rather sexy. The black pepper on the other hand is well, peppery, and it reminds me of those packets of preground pepper - blech. Oh, still plenty of almost-cloying sweet black musk. The patchoulit's a bit dirty and rooty, and the myrrh dusty and bitter and dark, but these are the lightest notes, although the sense of DUST generally is quite strong. This was slightly sour when it first went on, and it's still quite sour if not more so - I strongly suspect some elemi, which could be that citrusy note I initially interpreted as Cypress. But this note is so bright and so citrusy and now so sour, I think it MUST be elemi. The pine and patchouli and vetiver have settled down into a beautiful dark, earthy backdrop that's deliciously manly and sexy. Unfortunately, the dusty myrrh and black pepper are totally ruining my buzz - as is the sour elemi top note. The musk has amped and deepened as usual on me, and is a bit too sweet and heavy, but would be bearable were it the only less-than-lovely note. This becomes more and more seamless over time, and for what it is, what it's meant to evoke - it's very well done. The black musk really takes hold in the later stages, slightly powdery and sweet and indeed velvety feeling, with the incensey, dusty myrrh to add to the powdery feel. The vetiver, patchouli, and pine pitch continue to be beautifully dark and earthy-woodsy, with only a touch of rootiness from the patchouli remaining. And only a hint of sneezy black pepper remains - it's less cheap preground pepper packet, but it still nags at me. Not a blend I'd wear, but well done. Good throw and great longevity.

Deep reddish brown , auburn oil. Dark, smoky, earthy, resinous, spicy, and INTENSE - with only the sweet black musk a respite. The clove in particular is piercingly sharp. Definitely some vetiver, and I suspect not the sort I like... Oddly, quite sour - from the labdanum, I suspect. More woody, like bonfire smoke or even BBQ - yeah, disturbingly this reminds me a bit of roast flesh. Eek. Definitely the smoky, gritty, sooty sort of vetiver. The clove though continues to be the worst for me in this batch of badness - it's the very loud, bullying, almost mentholic or medicinal sort that my skin amps. The black musk makes this dark mess cloying and even more repulsive with its heavy sweetness. Hi I'm CLOVE and I'm here to STOMP STOMP STOMP! Um....still some gritty dirty vetiver and that odd sour note, still a whole bunch of smoky resins and some powdery-sweet black musk, whose sweetness makes the evilly sharp and horrific CLOVE all the more sickly and revolting...time for sink. Strong throw and longevity, naturally.

Golden oil. Warm, woodsy, woody. Sandalwood and juniper are the strongest, with maybe a little cedar too. Heliotrope is quite present, but the citrus is woefully light. A little brighter, sweeter, fruitier, with both lime and orange and I swear some lemon, too. Still very woody and warmly so, with a dry, sawdusty edge. However, the citrus balances the dry wood and makes this work, though I definitely find it to be a masculine blend. The heliotrope is amped on my skin, and as usual is a gorgeously golden and glowing. Very slow to dry, but the citrus is coming back a bit and this has sweetened. Still a lot of dry to the point of dusty wood and that juniper berry almost spicy woodsiness, but the strong heliotrope and return of the citrus balances this blend. I think it fits the concept very well, sunny and bold and masculine. I think this is the same delicious lime note from Mr. Nancy, though of course faded with time. Not a morpher, really. It remains a slightly green-woodsy and fresh, slightly sweet lime-and-orange citrusy, bright golden heliotrope and dry, somewhat dusty and sharp, warm sandalwood - with perhaps a bit of cedar, too. I like it quite a bit, but for a man - and I'm not distraught that I can't acquire a bottle, but very glad I got to test this. Low throw but great longevity.

2009 Light yellow oil. Bright, very slightly sharp citrus and florals. Heliotrope, frangipani, hibiscus, citron, tangerine and mock orange (a little bitter) as well as lots of orange blossom (the slight sharpness). I get a definite sense of warmth and a bit of a perfumey feel from the amber and I can't pick out the saffron or frankincense. More floral, perfumey, and a little soapy - I think the latter due to the orange blossom. A little powdery, too, from the amber. The orange blossom, frangipani, and heliotrope are in command, and the citrus has faded and turned a bit like Pez. I get a sort of dark sweetness now that could be the saffron and/or the frankincense - this has more depth on my skin. Still going down the soapy-powdery route, alas - and it's a shame because this is otherwise the nicest frangipani blend I've tried, and actually all the florals except the orange blossom (which is the soapy sharp sort) are ones I really like. And the citrus isn't as strong as I would like, but it's holding pretty well for BPAL citrus. The saffron unfortunately has amped and is doing that weird mentholic wintergreen thing, and I'm getting much more of the sweet and woody frankincense. More and more soapy and powdery over time. In the end it's golden, slightly citrusy, resinous and mentholic-spicy floral soap with perfumey, powdery amber. The powder puts it into old lady territory for me, if the soap wasn't unfortunate enough. Moderate throw but fades quite a bit.

Sweet, spicy, exotic! Sweet juicy mandarin and licoricey, also-sweet anise jump out, with slightly curry-ish clove and cumin behind these two. Definitely unique! Spicier, and very foody in a savoury way. Curry all the way. The cumin explodes on my skin, thought the mandarin is still going strong, as is the anise. It smells like Mexican meets Indian. Or maybe just fajitas marinade, with the now-tarter and still very juicy mandarin standing in for the lime. Also, the mandarin-clove combo makes me think of pomanders. Lots of associations with this scent. As usual, my skin is amping the hell out of these spices. Anise is in the forefront, but cumin is just behind and clove a very close 3rd. The mandarin is still there, but it's definitely a background note. The anise amping this up has turned this into licorice curry, which is even grosser than it sounds. And the throw on this blend (i.e. - powerful) is NOT good. Time for the sink.

Golden oil. Sweet, creamy, honeyed beeswax, light and glowing and warm. Simply lovely. Richer and creamier - is that coconut? I do think it is, or else it's something nutty/grainy. The honey note is rather boozy, very much like mead. This is more syrupy sweet. The waxiness is stronger too - overall, this scent is stronger and with better throw. I get a hint of something sort of plastic that reminds me of how O is on me...eek. There's a freshness that I agree is likely skin musk. I still can't firmly place that nutty note - but it reminds me of a lot of creamy blends, like Dana O'Shee. The skin musk is a little soapy, and its almost-tart freshness doesn't really work with the sweet, creamy warmth of this blend overall. And the honey has faded, especially its boozy/mead-like edge. It most reminds me of old wax - beeswax that's several years old and is dry and crumbly and lost most of its honeyed odour. This oil doesn't really dry. It goes a little rancid on me, like nuts sometimes do, so I really do think there is a nut note of some type here - or maybe it's a nut oil - I definitely get an oily feel. Musk, creamy and sweet but softly so throughout. The drydown reminds me a great deal of Mead Moon, but with the added waxy quality. Based on the notes and other reviews I should love this, but there's something a bit 'off' about this on my skin, a bit old and dry - it's just not working. The throw is rather close to the skin, but great longevity. I was hoping for a delicious beeswax scent, but this is just very mediocre.

Light peachy amber oil. Sweet in an almost berryish way, a little creamy and rich from the coconut, slightly powdery soft from the orris. Not particularily musky. Dustier and powdery - the orris explodes on my skin. I also get bit of that soapy, nasty dragon's blood air freshener note - that must be the 'blood' effect and contribue to the light sweetness, though I still get something berryish as well. A tart berry - raspberry - oh wait, this is BLOOD orange - and quite lovely. I get dry, warm wood, I think that's contributing to the dusty effect - I'm positive it's cedar. The coconut strikes me as black coconut, because it's not very foody and has a more 'masculine' tone and depth to it. Of course whenever there's my beloved blood orange in a blend, it's with a bunch of other notes I really hate, point in case. SIGH. The orris continues to dominate, very violety and very powdery,and the coconut has amped up a little bit but remains only lightly sweet and foody. The blood orange is holding pretty well, but combined with the orrisy powder it makes me think of orange and raspberry flavoured pixie stix - a definite flavoured powdered sugar effect. The cedar has faded quite a bit, just lending a dry warmth without actually being distinct. Warm powdery, citrusy-berry blood orange pixie stix with lots of violety orris and a faint hint of dry wood and dry coconut and teensy bit of soapy dragon's blood. An odd blend, and not what I expected - but definitely too powdery and dry for me. Moderate throw but fades quite a bit.

Deep orange-reddish amber. Heavy, intense DRAGON'S BLOOD with a little warm, indeed golden, soft amber. I am rather terrified. Super lilacy dragon's blood, headily floral with a soapy edge. But I get much less of the fake cherry and intense soap that I typically do - it's almost just straight lilac. The amber is soft, and pretty overwhelmed - but it's actually quite nice, with a faintly but not unpleasantly powdery edge. There's some sweetness here too that I can't attribute to either of the listed notes. Lilac amping, in fact, this is one of the most strongly LILAC blends I've tested. Very heady. Still not sure of the mystery sweetness's source - though it does strike me as something fruity, maybe citrusy, like pink grapefruit? There's a tart edge. There's a deep warmth that permeates the blend and a little bit of baby powder from the amber. Definitely grapefruit, but it goes rather bitter, like I'm getting mostly pith and peel - it also reminds a little of the 'evil grapefruit' note from R'lyeh, but it doesn't really have that rotten aspect. It's not a bad grapefruit note, it just clashes oddly with the heavy lilac. The amber has faded, and it was never strong - it's just a very mildly powdery gentle golden warmth. The dragon's blood is only a bit soapy, since it's comprised almost entirely of lilac. So - LILAC with a little pink grapefruit, a bit of dragon's blood soap, and faint warm, slightly baby-powderish amber. Interesting, but it doesn't work on my skin and it's not something I'd wear. Great throw and longevity.

Light peach coloured oil. Dry, warm, woody, earthy, herbal, and a little spicy and sweet. I definitely get the patchouli, bay, tobacco, amber and sandalwood most strongly - I have to seek out the citrus, verbena, and clove. I think it's the lime that's adding the hint of sweetness to this blend. The patchouli is the rooty sort, the bay's a bit bitter, and I don't get a 'blackened' feel from the sandalwood. Definitely a masculine blend IMO. More citrus, yay! Also much more tobacco. The combo reminds me vaguely of Mr. Nancy, though this is much less sweet and not nearly as foody - but the tobacco is the same note. The lime is not, I don't think - I'm not sure I know this particular lime note - it's sweet, but not really tart or juicy, oddly. The orange peel is similar - a little sweet, and a little bitter the way peel is, but pleasantly - but I don't get any tartness. And the verbena is behaving itself and barely present at all, yay! I do get more clove, but I think it's the bitter clove note from The Blood Garden, which is nice on me. The sandalwood is very smooth now, almsot creamy, and quite musky, while the amber is warm and golden without being at all powdery. Overall, this is shockingly better on my skin than expected. Becoming more and more lovely! Definitely the same rich, delicious tobacco from Mr. Nancy, which I find has a gourmand quality, and almost vanillic-chocolately tone to it. The bay has softened a bit and faded, but I rather enjoy its slightly sharp bitterness here, and it truly smells very much like actual bay leaves, which are strongly associated with good food in my mind. It is a tad dry, but that's my only complaint about the bay note.This has become even more musky on me - fantastic sandalwood note. And the amber is warm and truly golden, but soft and still not at all powdery or perfumey. The lime has amped on me and become a little juicier, though mostly it reminds me of a less-sweet green Skittle. Verbena is just gone, and the patchouli has faded as well as turned more earthy rather than rooty, yay! I love the overall complexity of this scent and how quickly it has harmonised into a seamless blend. Not much morphing after the initial drydown, other than the scent becoming more and more seamless, the patchouli amping a bit, and the freshness of the lime fading. Most of the sweetness seems to come from the tobacco at this point. The bay has completely smoothed out and is no longer at all bitter. This feels warmer, so perhaps the amber is a little stronger? My roommate says it smells 'potpourri-ish' and it does, sort of - I think that the effect of the orange peel and clove together. But I'm pretty happy because this is one of the few clove notes I can wear, though I still don't really like it on myself. Warm amber, rich sweet tobacco, spicy clove, rooty-earthy patchouli, slightly dry musky sandalwood, and some sweet orange peel and lime. This one reminds me quite a bit of Torture King. Definitely masculine but some women could pull this off, though it's not my style personally. I think it's a beautiful scent nonetheless and I can see this layering very well with both Black Lace and/or Black Heart. Good throw and fantastic longevity.

Extremely pale yellow oil. Rose geranium, fennel, and maybe some lavender and some type of mint? Definitely the first two. Surprisingly light and soft, a little soapy, definitely smells therapeutic but not in a harsh medicinal way at all. A bit stronger and more mentholic and herbal; some lavender and mint for sure, and the rose geranium has amped quite a bit and is lovely - the fennel is still there clearly, but remains light and is pleasant as a result. Appropriately, this is very soothing. There's a definite light herbal sweetness that I think may be from the fennel. Surprisingly this is less soapy on my skin - there's still a soapy edge, but it's more just 'clean' than SOAP. Oh, this might be my favourite geranium blend ever - and I ADORE rose geranium in particular. I think the mint is spearmint, but it's very light - it does add a nice calming coolness, though. The lavender is a gentle, floral, cool-pastel sort, pure and clean, and while usually I dislike fennel in perfume, it's perfect here, adding that touch of compelling herbal sweetness. This has fantastic throw and is really incredibly soothing! I get a sort of herbal floral here, not the lavender, something a little dry? This amps on me - it has incredible throw for how little I applied. The fennel is turning just a tad licorice-y, but is still tolerable, just not quite as nice as it was earlier. Also, this is a little soapier, but again, within reasonable limits - and I think this is due to an actual rose note of some sort, a very light one, and a type that turns a bit soapy on me. The rose geranium is still the star of this blend, thankfully. Lavender remains light. That dry herbal floral note, which almost reminds me of tea - it finally hit me, it's chamomile, and it's almost a little spicy, as well as a little bit sweet. The fennel softens after a while as does the soapiness, and this becomes more like the wet stage, though it's warmer, drier and less fresh than it was earlier. Bright rose geranium and dried, almost peppery chamomile lowers are front and foremost with soft floral lavender and sweet fennel below and a hint of soapy-clean rose. Very calming, almost sedating! Fantastic throw and longevity, too. Definitely a bottle of this one.

Colourless or virtually colourless oil. Intensely mentholic - EUCALYPTUS GALORE! - in a way that is medicinal and reminds me a lot of Vicks - but this also has a nice sweetness to it that tempers the medicinal sharpness. And it's somehow strangely compelling - I want to keep sniffing it! Still very sinus-clearing, but softer on my skin, with the sweetness more apparent as a result. It's possibly a fruity sweetness - it's familiar but I can't quite place it. The eucalyptus note here is really gorgeous too, very vivid - green, bright and fresh, invigorating without being biting. Okay, as it dries - very quickly too - a sparkling lime note emerges! A delicious sweet, almost candied lime, juicy and fresh and truly sparkling. This blend is quickly becoming all about the lime and less and less about the eucalyptus. Well, like all the citrus in the Panacea blends, this goes to that powdery Pez very rapidly - such sadness! The eucalyptus fades pretty rapidly imparting a cooling sensation to my skin, so 15 minutes in this is 90% Lime Pez with fresh Eucalyptus. The throw initially was great, but as the eucalyptus faded so did much of the throw. Wow, the later drydown has even more citrus, which is totally unusual for me. A blend with no intial citrus reveals citrus over time that AMPS? Is this really my skin still? I get fresh squeeze orange juice for the most part - it reminds me A LOT of Gaiman's Orange - with a fair bit of juicy lime (as it was when it first appeared) as well as a hint of that powdery Pez note, but mostly it's juicy again. The eucalyptus is long gone, but this is a lovely, juicy, refreshing scent. It fades a lot but then holds pretty decently. Bottle! Oh yes, definitely the best of the Panacea blends for me - bottle and a backup, ASAP! I'll update more when I've used it for actual therapeutic purposes.

Colourless oil. Straight up, super strong Vicks. PURE 100% MENTHOL. I actually have clogged sinuses at the moment and this certainly helps them, even briefly sniffed! Quite medicinal, obviously, but not totally unpleasant. Still incredibly mentholic and wonderfully sinus-clearing, but it's more complex on my skin. The Vicks (i.e. mentholl) is still strongly dominating but there's other stuff in here. I get some sort of a sweet spice that's maybe a little woody, and maybe a tiny bit of sweet orange way, way in the distance? Breathing it in feels wonderful - it really does relieve the sinus pain and is very invigorating. A strong cooling sensation on my skin, the strongest of any Panacea blend. Dries quickly without changing or fading significantly. It's perhaps a little sweeter, but I still can't pin down how. It continues to be verrrrry mentholic and very effective on the sinuses. This is making my skin itch...in fact I seem to have scratched most of it off and need to reapply. Ooh, maybe that was a bad idea. This is now making my skin BURN and it's visibly red. Alas, time for the sink. :\

Colourless oil. Fairly strong and medicinal peppermint and quite possibly some other mints. It reminds me a lot of my Trader Joe's peppermint toothpaste. Refreshing, mentholic, sinus-cleansing and invigorating PEPPERMINT. A bit less sweet on my skin. Still reminds me strongly of my toothpaste, but I really like my toothpaste so it's a pleasant association. It makes me feel very clean and fresh! It also reminds me of this peppermint caffeinated breathspray I have, and it has a little of that spray's bitterness, as soft of an afternote. Strong cooling sensation on my skin as it dries, almost as strong as Ugh's. It goes oddly plastic on me, like old gum, or peppermint gum that has been chewed for a long time.. In fact it's almost waxy with a weird dustiness - definitely a dry wood of some sort though I can't identify it. Oddly dusty wood and plasticky dried peppermint toothpaste. Initially has decent throw but fades very rapidly to almost nothing.

Light golden oil. Foody, spicy, intense, deep/dark, sweet and a little boozy. ALMOND EXTRACT jumps out most strongly by far, but everything else is present.The rum is more buttery than boozy, but it's definitely DARK rum, reminds me of Captain Morgan's in fact. More distant are a little bitter herbal bay, sharp clove, and faint sassafras. Still super benzaldehydey from the almond extract, but the spices start to amp immediatley. This feels quite complex. The clove is that sharp, intense sort that my skin amps like crazy, and the sassafras is coming out strongly now too, definitely a bit root-beerish but in a darker, not really sweet, woody sort of way. The bay is a bit dry, like dry bay leaves, but adds a definite almost-sharp greenness and its own sort of spiciness. More of the rum's sweetness comes out and more of the rum in general as the butter's a little less overwhelming. WHOA. The clove has completely amped and completely taken over. It is 99% SHARP, SPICY CLOVE and it's very dark and harsh and nauseating as a result. If I hunt, I can pick out hints of the other notes - bay and almond hold up the best, but really only if I sniff very closely and seek them out. Off to sink. Powerful throw and longevity, naturally.

Light yellow oil. Sweet, nutty, spicy, foody - definitely cookies! - basically, exactly as the notes say. Exactly. The buttery and nutty aspects are pretty cloying, as expected. The spices are really well balanced, and I even get some salt and baking soda - very realistic and fairly yummy! Perhaps a bit less buttery, but still super sweet, very sugary, very foody. Something here is a bit plastic and sharp - I think it's the type of clove note, the one that amps on me horrible. The nutmeg's the next strongest, then cardamom (reminds me of Lamia), and amazingly the cinnamon is lightest. Still very well balanced with all notes present and none dominating or faint. I feel like I get a sort of mysterious fruity note now, too. It's going a little bit musty/powdery in that way that many baked goods do on me. Also, the tonka in here is amping quite a bit, so this more buttery again and intensely, cloyingly, nauseatingly sweet, especially with the powdered sugar note. The hint of nuttiness is also revolting, although that is less apparent on my skin than sniffied. Cardamom has amped quite a bit, to be on par with the clove, and is lovely but too spicy-hot as usual. Cinnamon remains very light, while the nutmeg has amped slightly too. Spicier and warmer overall as a scent - actually this scent is stronger in all ways. This has gone totally to that odd baked goods musty powder and is also quite PLASTIC, reinforced by the sharp clove amping further and dominating along with the former note. I think also maybe the vanilla in here is the sort that turns to plastic on my skin? Still buttery and spicy and nutty, but really it's the plastic, mustiness, and clove that rule here, even eating up the formerly insane sweetness. My skin absolutely fucked this one! Good throw and serious longevity.

Extremely pale yellow oil, virtually colourless. Sweet, fruity LAVENDER. It's a rather medicinal lavender, not the more floral lavender of say, Yvaine, and the lotus is not the typical pink bubblegum note but more of a berryish fruit, though still very sweet - but tempered here by the lavender. Not getting any spice. More lavender, more mentholic and sharp - definitely medicinal, and a little soapy. It reminds me of the lavender note in Temple of Dreams - I'm pretty damn sure it's the same. The lotus is stronger too, and more bubblegummy now - a weird clash with this particular lavender note, especially. I feel like I get spice now, but I can't say what - I just get a feeling of heat that wasn't there in the imp. Ughh, this is getting more and more revolting in a chaotic way by the moment. Lavender, still medicinal, going intensely soapy; lotus going to straight cloying sweet pink bubblegum, and I think the spice is that nasty sharp sort of clove that amps like crazy on me. So this is very intense over all with very intense throw and totally jumbled, completely disharmony. Oh, and it's still not even dry and it's doing all this intense nasty morphing! In the end this blend does coalesce more, and become tolerable - in that I'm not restraining myself from scrubbing it off - but it's still very soapy lavender and too-sweet pink bubblegum with too-sharp clove and thus all things I dislike, mixed together. I am sad that poor Paris gets this scent to represent her; that city deserves better! Strong throw, but it does fade somewhat.

Dry, sharp, powdery and a little...musty? I almost get like a fungus or mold note, that's a little 'green' and sour-sharp - maybe the 'fang' note. Definitely some dusty, dry wood. And some sort of warm almost amber-y musk. Even more musty, lots of that weird green-sharp note, which could also be some sort of wood, or a dark, bitter herb? It's very bitter on my skin, like eating a leaf you shouldn't, maybe an oak leaf. I get some sandalwood, which is actually fairly nice, less dusty and more smooth on me. The musk is black as it has that warm slightly powdery sweetness. I also suspect some sort of dark wood note like mahogany. This is more and more green in a sharp and bitter, herbal-leafy sort of way - that note amps on me like whoa. It must be meant to convery the 'fang-sharp undertone' though it's definitely the dominant player in this blend on my skin. This also still smells really musty and dusty. The wood and musk are overwhelmed and must be sought out with effort. Wow, this has morphed a lot. After an hour it's become ALL about the MUSK, sweet, rich, dark black musk galore. There's still a hint of that green note, but it has lost its bitterness and is now just sort of green and bright and a nice counterpart to the musk. The dusty wood and weird mustiness are still around and still pretty strong, but not as strong as the musk. Essentially it's dark, dusty, woody, slightly sweet MUSK with a hint of greenery. It feels dark and yes, a bit feral. It also feels quite warm and furry, in the way of Ivanushka, and I think there might be a bit of amber in here, just the nice rich warm sort, to lend that warmth. Definitely masculine, with lower throw but great holding power.

Dry, sharp, woody, with a little boozy, rich sweetness from the cognac to soften the blend a bit. I get a lot of wood and leather and light tobacco. It really does feel like a light-coloured blend despite its drily sharp intensity. WHOA leather. Sadly, it's the chemically-sharp and powdery sort of De Sade, that I rather expected from the smell in the bottle. And I hate this sort of leather and I amp it insanely, of course. The wood is still really strong and dry, in an almost herbal way, and it has almost a dustiness to it. The tobacco and cognac are gorgeous, but are both very much not able to stand up to the leather and the latter especially is woefully faint. 90% De Sade awful sharp powdery LEATHER, 8% dry, sharp light wood and 2% other. This is also has INSANELY strong throw on me and it's making me feel quite ill, so time for the sink (oh yeah, and of course it doesn't want to wash off). Boo evil leather ruining my pretty blend. At least it's appropriately sharp and masculine?

Deep orange oil, definitely can tell there's dragon's blood. Sharp and floral; lots and lots of dragon's blood, the sharp tang of irony steel, the sharp chemically powdery De Sade style leather, some sharp and spicy black pepper that blends with loads of dusty, bitter, incensey myrrh. Not getting labdanum or benzoin. Dragon's blood galore, super soapy and makes my face itch, that evil slightly sweet air freshener. Way more leather, too, super strong and sharp and powdery. Almost as much leather as dragon's blood. The myrrh and pepper are a bit overwhelmed by this, though I get a mildly greenness that's almost aquatic and sort of refreshing from the labdnanum and a touch of sweetness that must be the benzoin. The steel note is bright and gorgeous and true, less irony, more chromey. The leather is completely taking over. This is De Sade with dragon's blood and steel, essentially. Other stuff is definitely there if I sniff more closely - the black pepper and myrrh are still pretty strong, but the resins are very faint - it seems they just briefly appeared and then mostly just vanished. The leather actually tempers much of the horrible soapiness of the dragon's blood, but it's a note I hate only minorly less, so this is still just dreadful on me in every way. Definitely fits the concept, though! Good throw and longevity.

Pale yellow oil. Sharp and dry; white florals, dry resins and loads of white amber and dry, dry sandalwood. A bit powdery - definitely orris. Bright from the tobacco flower and white amber. Softer, less sharp and bright. More orris, and the tobacco flower and white amber are smoother. The sandalwood's less dry. This feels more resiny, more grounded, and sadly quickly more powdery from the orris. A little soapy - like Ivory Soap or Irish Spring - must be those 'white petals'. Much nicer! It's lost most of the soap and all of the sharpness, though the tobacco flower is still beautifully luminescent - it has amped up, and it works wonderfully with the sandalwood which has become more musky. I still find this quite dry, too dry for my tastes, but it's no longer unpleasantly dry. The orris a very light and surprisingly pleasant powdery note, like well-behaved violet (think Violet Ray). This is a pretty unisex scent, and actually, I think it'd probably be better on man. There's a definite cologne aspect and the dry whiteness of this brings to mind businessmen in crisp white shirts who've been spending a lot of time in an expensively wooded boardroom. Not my style, but a surprising and lengthy evolution. Low throw and decent longevity.

Tart-juicy blackberry dominates, and there's a bit of creamy, slightly sour milk that reminds me of Nonae Caprotiae - sheep's milk for sure - some ozone and softly, sweetly minty snow - very light and pleasant snow, a la Ded Moroz or When the Winter Chrysanthemums Go. On my skin there is something spicy-woody, almost like cinnamon - maybe that's the quickening tree? Still lots of ozone and cool minty snow, and these are more on part with the blackberry which is still strong but more balanced now. The milk is the lightest note, and quite pleasant and inoffenesive so far. Actually, no, the beeswax is the lightest note - if I really strain I get it, gently honeyed far in the distance. That wood note has amped. I think it's cassia,, because it's not quite spicy enough to be cinnamon and it's woodier and warmer. The milk note has faded to a soft creaminess with a hint of tang that's totally lovely, and spicy/warm wood and sweet creaminess remind me a lot of Morocco. I'm pretty sure the minty snow note, which is hanging on though always remains light and an interesting cool contrast to the warmth I just described, is a spearmint note, because it has that smooth sweetness. So yes, totally the mint from Ded Moroz/Winter Mums, which is the ONLY snow note I can wear. I'm getting a very little bit of wax, but barely any. So sad, where's my wax? I get more a sort of candle smoke effect - reminiscent of Gypsy Queen - than the honeyed beeswax I hope for. This scent on the whole is reminding me a lot of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, overall - it has the same musky, sweet-tart, creamy fruits and spicy woods, but with the cool touch of mint differentiating it most. It's almost foody but not quite. Good throw too; it's light in the bottle but amps on my skin. Not much morphing after initial drydown, although the blackberry amps up a bit and becomes sweeter, as does the general sweet creaminess of this scent (but NOT the milk specifically). It's a creamy, fruity, slightly tart-juicy, sweetly candle-smoky waxy, spicy, warmly woody and coolly minty blend that's reminiscent of other lovely scents (Ded Moroz, Tree of Knowledge, Morocco) yet definitely its own unique blend. Very complex; there's a lot going on but it works. It's almost foody but not quite and definitely, those who fear milk and honey and snow notes should NOT fear. VERY strong throw and longevity, too. Not my thing, but a superbly blended scent.

Light lemon yellow oil. Sweet, sweet honeyed mead and fruity wine, something buttery (foody-baked goods-ish), and hints of roast greasy meat and pine. Not getting anything else...it sort of reminds me of Jolasveinar. Less sweet and boozy, with more meat - now slightly salty - and much more pine. In fact the sharp, rather generic pine is very PineSol-ish and the strongest note. The meat really DOES smell like roast meat, not red meat but beyond that I couldn't specify - I don't eat pork, but it does seem like it could definitely be pork. It's strange, the saltiness of the meat note and the pine sort of combine to remind me of a woodsy aquatic. The honey and mead notes hold decently but I can't smell red wine or grapes any more, nor much of the buttery foody whatever. I'm getting a sort of clean, woody slightly smoky note - I think it's that cologney type of vetiver - I really like it here, it adds a lovely depth and sort of masculine/unisex aspect. The buttery foody thing is almost completely gone and this continues to become lighter and less sweet. Now I get a sort of sparkling slightly spicy ginger beer note? Very refreshing and surprising! Now I get a fruit note, some baked apples - it must be the grapes/wine but it really smells much more like apples?Or even berries as others noted - but gapes, no. The pine has faded to a faint trace that I find perfectly acceptable. I finally get the bread note, which I agree is a dark wholegrain bread, like rye or pumpernickel. And I get a sort of molasses-ey note, so I can see the Sugar Skull comparison. The vetiver is going a touch soup as the cologney sort can on me - Death on a Pale Horse's vetiver note does the same thing - but I'm still enjoying it and how it balances the foody aspects of this blend. This is a very unique scent that morphs quite a bit of my skin before settling into foody, fruty, honeyed dark bread scent with a little smoky, cologney-clean vetiver and spicy fresh ginger. I think this is a very much unisex scent which I'd particularly like to smell on a man. It's not me, but this was a fun one to test. Lower throw and longevity.

Dark amber/root beer coloured oil. Sweet, deeply musky, darkly woody, with some bright woodsy greenery. it feels defintiely deep and resiny, but no myrrh at this point. Quite smooth. It reminds me of masculine Snake Oil, minus the red musk. Identical feel and similar overall scent. Much fresher and brighter, with bergamot amping instantly and leaping out, and fir just behind it - really nice, as the lab's bergamot rarely even registers for me. The ambrette and musk and bark are stronger too, making this even more musky and deep and rich. A touch sour-sharp from something, I'm presuming the bergamot, and little spicy. The bark and musk feel very warm and the former a little dry. I get a sort of teak feel from that massoia bark - it's sort of creamy and exotic and almost foody, especially combined with the strong honeyed deep sweetness of the benzoin. A hint of bitter dusty myrrh. This dries rapidly on my skin and it starts to evolve just as quickly - as I was writing the wet notes it kept changing, although in a smooth, seamless manner. The sourness is becoming much more pleasant, more of a bright note that cuts the sweet and deep notes, not something sharp and jarring. Myrrh is amping quite a bit and the wood is drying making this more dusty and incensey. A hint of soapiness, maybe from the fir or bergamot? Also, this could be my dry skin of late, but this is itching/burning on me a bit. There's a pleasant, smooth and round sort of oiliness from the musky ambrette seed that makes me think of massage oiled skin. I now get some red musk, but it's really well blended, much smoother than usual with only a hint of that medicinal cola note. Huh, the sourness has amped up again and regained its jarring quality, and this has gone more soapy. Soapy in a sort of powdery almost floral way that makes me want to sneeze. The sweet and deep notes have faded greatly and within minutes - bizarre! Unfortunately the myrrh has NOT faded and adds to the dust/powder sneeze effect, and the fading of the benzoin, ambrette and massoia has made the red musk stand out more and thus much less pleasant on me. I do get the Indian musk though now as a distinct note and it's really lovely - definitely giving me a bit of a Black Lace, sexy feel. I'm also getting a little balsam, I think - possibly it's contributing to the sour effect. This scent also reminds me of Red Rose a bit, though obviously sans rose. Maybe my nose (or skin) is broken, because this seems to morph back and forth from minute to minute. Still vaguely itchy as I tested another oil for comparison, but less so than before. Definitely increasing in dusty and soapy powder, that's a constant trend, but the green sourness alternates in waves with the sweet exotic resiny wood, while the Indian and red musks remain another constant at the base of everything. A strange and rather mesmerizing blend that I think could be excellent on the right type of skin. Pretty unisex, but as I said I consider this a 'green' masculine version of Snake Oil. Good throw and decent longevity.

Warm golden oil. And odd and jarring jumble of notes - definitely bittersweet cocoa, a little powdery and almost savoury, sweet boozy rum, the sweetened and spiced dark sort, and a light hint of sour, almost vinegary red wine. I'm not clearly getting the blood; it could be melding with the wine. Foodier - more chocolate, especially. I definitely get this note I was hesitant to comment on earlier - of corn tortillas. It reminds me of the note in the Feast for the Greatly Revered ones - this scent is not that different overall from that blend. Still loads of rum, which is also smelling like coconut now - it smells like Captain Morgan's mixed with Malibu Coconut. The wine is more winey, less sour and more rich with some sweet grapeyness. I can pick out, if I sniff really closely and carefully, a little tang of slightly metallic blood - nicely done. A little less sweet and foody, but the cocoa is still in command, along with that corn tortilla note. It's pretty dry and warm in feel, and kind of reminds me of mole. There might be a hint of spice, like this is Mexican chocolate sans the sweet creaminess. Something is turning is turning a little sharp and plastic on me, I think it's the sour wine, whose grapes have faded so quickly after their brief emergence. The blood has faded back into indistinction and overall this scent has faded quite a bit throw-wise. Slow to dry, with the cocoa and corn notes continuing to amp as it does. It's actually still foody, really, just not in the typical sweet way. Mole spread on a toasted corn tortilla and sprinkled with unsweetened cocoa and weak red wine that's been left out for days and has started to turn to vinegar. I think the blood, barely ever apparent, is gone for good. There's still a touch of booziness but most of the alcohol has burnt off, and the rum overall has faded greatly though it remains as sort of a slightly sweet, deep creamy base that helps ground and bind the blend. It does settle into something cohesive and not unpleasant, but not up my alley at all. Great throw and longevity after initial fading.