fairnymph

Sniffed: Sweet, resiny, herbal. Not as dark/incensey as the notes would incline. Rather dry and light, almost a little cologney. The coconut, cedar, hyssop and chamomile jump out. I get a masculine vibe. Wet: This makes me think of Black Pearl + Herbs for Men. Same coconut note, with a similar orris note to bolster it. The chamomile and especially hyssop is REALLY strong, but nice - fresh, almost minty - reminds me of herbed green salads, and almost dill? But seriously, in a good way. Yes, DILL. Dry: Z_Z asks: do you smell like pickles now? Well, since you made me THINK of it -- yeah. Damn it. This is definitely a bit sweet, too, so the benzoin is coming through, but not in a strongly honey/vanillic way as it often does. Cedar amping, as usual -- dry pencil shavings. Later: Orris, why hello you powdery beast, allying with cedar I see? Yeah, this has become a very dry, white, almost dusty blend - with the coconut only further adding to that feel. The herbs have largely faded, though I still get a herby dill vibe. Sweeter, more benzoin emerging. Still no incense notes. Summary: I had to wash this off. The terrible orris/coconut/cedar combo - which had crazy strong throw - made me feel ill. I don't like any of those notes alone, and together they're worse. Sweetened as it was over time by the benzoin, it became really unbearable. Definitely a very unisex blend. Lasts and lasts. My least favourite of the bats by far.

Sniffed: Deep orangey-red oil. Fruity-sweet, almost boozy/winey/grapey, rich floral. I do get a sort of aquatic soapiness underneath. Ylang-ylang and lotus? Wet: Lighter, definitely more aquatic. Still fruity, and I do think it's a wine note that boozy, sweet-tart grapeyness, as well as slightly bubblegummy lotus. A little powdery, in a floral way, though it could be an aquatic thing. Dry: I definitely get some of the florals from The Unheavenly City (and I'm convinced they are responsible for both oils being red). Ylang-ylang perhaps? I almost get a citrusy note - a very juicy grapefruit, maybe, too. Later: More aquatic-soapy as it dries down, and sort of powdery (this could be the lily someone detected) - mostly the florals stay rich and creamy, and some of the boozy fruitiness dies off. Summary: Ylang-ylang, lotus, and wine with a little bit of soapy/cologney aquatic. Possibly some other florals like gardenia, honeysuckle and lily - it's a complicated floral blend that's hard to pin down. Good throw & great longevity.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Sagey, floral powder. Orris and iris, whoa. The sage isn't too harsh or medicinal, and I'm not really getting any civet. Wet: Soapy, and much more powdery. I'm reminded of old lady violet-scented talcum powder with dried powdered sage on top. Hmm, but it is a little nicely musky, too. Dry: I really like the civet! It's basically a really rich, sexy musk - I think this is the first blend I've tried that has it officially listed as a note. Later: The orris is quite powdery and the sage soapy. I like the iris here, but not enough to override those two. Summary: Great throw and difficult to remove. A little goes a loooong way.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Soft, sweet, and a little floral. Definitely minty. Definitely some tea and cherry blossom, but not really getting any rice wine. Something's a little soapy. Wet: Quite minty, with really strong, almost piney-harsh black tea. I am getting some sake now, and it reminds of the harshness of Manners in the wet stage. Pretty masculine/cologney. Dry: Booze [note: possibly, I am conflating sake & ho wood, and did likewise in Manners] amping, whoa. Really minty, harsh sake right now - almost unpleasant enough to wash off. Where is the cherry blossom? Also, a sort of sharp, slightly powdery hint of calla lily - not a favourite floral of mine. Later: I think some of the sharpness is actually a rather strong green woodiness from the ho wood, and the black tea here is SO strong - it reminds a lot of the note in Nostrum Remedium and Severin. It's annoying waiting for the sake to settle on my skin, though I do like it once it does. Summary: I like mint in theory, but I don't think it really works in this blend - it makes the whole thing too sharp. Even though the calla is light, that hint of powder puts me off. It also amps up in throw majorly and then begins to fade to almost nothing, all within hours. Definitely a masculine blend. Honestly it reminds me a lot of Manners, but I prefer Manners and already have a bottle of it. Okay so, hours later, I really like this, though it's very faint. I just don't think it's worth the early stages. Sigh. Maybe in a scent locket? ETA: Totally agree it's similar to Men Ringing Bells. I completely forgot about that, since I tested that one so briefly. While there is that woody/boozy phase that's almost exactly like Manners, on the whole I think this has a Men Ringing Bells feel.

Sniffed: Yellow oil. Sweet, strong, syrupy. A little spicy and resiny, with a slightly bitter/sharp edge. I get lots of almond, peach kernel, honey and saffron. Wet: Much the same. Very strong throw, but dries instantly on my skin. More green - palm, hemlock, and hyssop emerge. This definitely has an exotic, warm-climate feel. Myrrh emerging. Dry: I love the honey and peach kernel on my skin and the saffron settled immediately - it's not the mentholic note here that it can be in so many blends. Lighter, less sweet and cloying. Later: Smooths out more and more with time, becoming quite unisex. Other than an edge of myrrh, I'm not getting my incense - it's a fresher note than one would think. I almost get a white peach note, too, in drydown. Summary: White peach, honey, hyssop, and palm in final drydown. Amazingly light and fresh- this one is a real morpher. It goes through a greener, more masculine phase and then settles into a softly sweet & fruity feminine blend. Good throw; fades fast. I have a thing against white peach, but this turned out be very pleasant and the honey note is gorgeous. I would have never thought I'd have liked this at all from how it smelled in the imp, either. The Salon scents continue to wow me on the whole.

Sniffed: Yellow oil. Sweet, sugary, floral - in a light, feminine, not too-candyish or artificial way. I do get the strawberries, but they're nice. A little spicy phlox and creamy carnation and daffodil, too. Wet: More sugary-sweet, almost in a tooth-aching way - I'm reminded of pink cotton candy or thickly dusted powdered sugar. The florals are lovely though and really cut the sweetness, and the strawberry is pretty light on my skin. Dry: This has really sadly low throw - I even slathered more, and I have to sniff closely still. Lovely spring florals, and a little honey coming out on my skin. This strawberry doesn't go plastic! I also love how truly PINK this feels as a blend. Summary: Sugared strawberries and spicy, creamy pink florals. Spring-like, sweet, feminine and gorgeous with good longevity despite the lousy throw. I absolutely love every floral note in this blend! An incredible wrist-sniffier.

Sniffed: Deep golden oil. Softly sweet, light, delicate, feminine floral. The gardenia is very gentle, and I do definitely get some orchid. A faint wisp of incense. Wet: Dries almost instantly, and goes more planty-floral, sharper, less sweet. More heavy and cloying, I think from the orchid - I sadly don't really get any vanilla. All florals amped. Dry: Gardenia really amping, whoa. And the orchid too. This has gone quite sharp, quite quickly - but it's also really heady. The incense to me smells a little copal-like, green-resiny with a distinct burnt edge - though it's faint. Summary: Really strongly orchid, even stronger than the gardenia which is also strong, in a sharp, heady, planty way. I'm not getting any sweetness or incense in the drydown - just extremely strong florals that make me feel a little ill.

Sniffed: Cherry cough syrup and cherry candy, in that benzaldehyde-y almondy way. Maybe a little leather and tobacco if I strain? Wet: A little more cherry, a little less almond extract - but still pretty medicinal and almost cherry SN - red, red cherries. There's a bit of leather below - but it's not worn leather, it's the plasticky leather of De Sade. Dry: The cherry's settling more, more like cherry pie filling now, and I am getting a woody note/feel/depth. The pipe tobacco is gorgeous, here, but rather light. A tiny bit of woodsmoke. Later: Whoa, going way more woody and dark - I totally get a mahogany note - with amped tobacco and leather, too. Still a strong, slightly medicinal, heavily sweet cherry note. Summary: Sweetly-smoky rich dark wood, stewed cherries, and pipe tobacco with slick leather on drydown. It morphs nicely, but it's too strongly red-cherry for me personally. Strong throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Yellow oil. Lemon verbena, lemon oil, and sugary flowers. Very lemony-citrusy, a little-soapy clean. Wet: Somewhere between Lemon Pledge and Lemonhead candies, as others have noted, with a distinct soapy edge. Less sweet, a little sharper, almost mentholic on my skin. Dry: Going a bit herbal, but mostly this is just unpleasantly harsh lemon with an undercurrant of soap. Where did the sugary note go? Later: Harsh lemon cleaner with insanely strong throw - time to wash off.

Sniffed: Sweet, salty, and fresh! I get something minty, and some melon, almost a candied honeydew like in Earth Rat. A touch soapy in a nice clean way, and some sort of musk, maybe green musk, gives it a bite. Wet: More heavily salty-aquatic. A little less sweet/fruity. Loads of ozone - this is really zingy and incredibly breezy. I get the same clean-breezy-airy note that is the bulk of Yog-Sothoth, overlaid with the musky ocean, ozone, and hint of fruit. Dry: The melon is now more the watery-cucumber cool note that's in Blue Moon 04. I also definitely think there is green musk in this - I get the same sort fresh, slightly cologney and slightly sharp note from Serpents, Pollution & 51. I'm also getting a little bit of a fruity floral that I really think is freesia, which reinforces the 51similarity. Later: Definitely some freesia - and it's holding so nicely, which is good because the melon note is sadly faint. This isn't going too soapy or harshly musky, and the saltiness is perfect. It's a little sweeter in a nebulous, clean-air sort of way. Summary: It fades a lot, and is rather low-throw, which makes me very sad as I absolutely love it and find it very evocative, sort of soothing and refreshing and sexy all at once. It's oceanic and bright but also subtle. While it's like many scents I own and love, it's utterly unique, too. A new favourite - oh why must it be so rare, and require such slathering? *wrings hands*

Sniffed: Pale yellow oil. Booze, booze, booze! Whoa. Rum? Vodka? Gin and/or vermouth (something herbal-ish)? The fruits below smell entirely booze-soaked, a little fermented, and indeed punchy. Wet: Still booze galore, with an awesome fizzy note like sprite or 7-up - reminds me of Independent. Definitely some cherry fruit - the kind from Neo-Tokyo. Sweet lime and orange - this is pretty citrusy and overall 'bright'. Dry: The booze starts to fade quite rapidly to a much more enjoyable level. I don't think there is rum, but definitely vodka, and I think vermouth and a red wine note, too. As in Independent, the 7-UP is going a bit soapy/powdery, but here other notes keep it in check. Later: Clean, sparkling, slightly boozy citrus fruit with light cherry - really gorgeous and light, not too sweet at all! I absolutely love it. It totally has a Delousing Powder/Independent aspect. Summary: After a couple hours it fades to very faint, slightly soapy-powdery (but in a good way, like the citrus powdered dishwasher detergent I so love) 7-up, vodka & vermouth blend with faint cherry. Low throw but decent longevity.

Sniffed: Deep golden oil. Super, super dry sandalwood. Sooo dusty. Reminds me of the sandalwood note in Dragon's Bone. It's really sharp and masculine and not pleasant. Lots of sort of dank/musty moss, too. Wet: Yep, still dank, dusty, musty and dry. Now a little soapier, with the vetiver coming through cleanly - it's sort of saving the day. I think maybe part of the 'acridness' is supposed to be gunpowder? I am not a fan. A little bit of metal now - not any blood, yet. Dry: I think this is Spanish moss, which is a type I really dislike because of how dusty and moldy it smells, like a rotting basement. More and more metal - a really tangy, sharp, awesome metal, chrome-like as in Torture Queen emerges, as well as a sort of irony-salty blood note. Later: The moss has faded a lot and the sandalwood has settled into a pleasant fragrant creamy note. I find the vetiver a bit strong and cologney-masculine, but this could work in a man's favour. The metal and blood notes are DELICIOUS. Summary: Tangy silvertone metal and salty blood with dark, slightly soapy vetiver, creamy dry sandalwood, mildewy moss and a hint of something acrid - it improves a lot on my skin, but I still can't handle those last two notes. Powerful throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Orange-coloured oil. Extremely, extremely sweet. Candyish/sugary, tooth-aching. Sweet pea (by far the strongest note), strawberry, and a little pear. Powdery edge from the sweet pea. Wet: Artificial strawberry fruit and pear are a little stronger, but still mostly sweet pea. If I inhale with force, I can smell some syrupy honey below the sugar/florals. I'm not sure if I get vanilla bean - this is just so sweet, who the hell knows. Dry: The sweet pea is going even more powdery, the strawberry is going plastic, and the sugar is so, so strong. I'm almost getting some soap from the sweet pea, or maybe something else, as well. This is a mess! Off to sink.

Sniffed: Very pale yellow oil. Sweet, floral, and VERY tropical. A delicious juicy, fruity tartness from the pineapple, passion fruit, papaya and hibiscus. The thankfully light coconut gives a mild Pina Colada feel, and the vanilla flower, frangipani and orchids blend together beautifully. Wet: Super sweet, sweeter and less tart on my skin - lots of vanilla bean, more coconut, CREAMY. A little cloying. Still some pineapple, but the other fruit is pretty much GONE. One of the orchids or maybe the bouganvilla, which I don't know by scent, is giving this a heady/heavy floral richness I don't like. Dry: This is almost spicy in a woody way? Oddly dry, almost dusty - bouganvilla, I'm pretty sure - and lots of orchid, as well, are dominating. Frangipani is pretty much gone. The sweetness has faded a bit, and it's no longer as creamy, while the pineapple is tarter and I get some papaya again. Summary: Dry, dusty wood and floral with sweet, almost candied pineapple and vanilla bean. A little bit of orchid, but a surprisingly simplistic (and disappointing) final drydown. Decent throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Extremely pale yellow oil. Sweet DIRT, whoa. A little bit of tomato leaf, but I get more of the green bean (like fresh grean beans) and squash blossom. There's a faint wildflower haze in the background. Overall very fresh and delicate despite the strong earth note. Wet: Greener, fresher, brighter - green beans the strongest - I've grown them so I know! Extremely planty, new-leafy. A little more tomato leaf but it's still light - I wish there were more. The earth is surprisingly okay - I don't really like soil in perfume, but I'm not bothered by this. Less sweet, a tad more floral. Dry: Not really morphing. The wildflowers don't go crazy or soapy as they do usually on me - they are very light, making this barely floral. Floral-haters - don't be afraid of this one. I get a little bitterness, and the suggestion of other herbs, but I can't pick them out. Later: Sweetens a little more and more tomato leaf emerges over time, while the flowers go very slightly, pleasantly soapy-clean. That dirt note just holds, and combined with the now more apparent wildflowers - I sort of take back what I said earlier - this is definitely not for me. Summary: Soil & floral soap with fainter green beans and tomato leaves. Low throw, decent longevity.

Sniffed: Pale yellow oil. Tart-sweet, fruity, floral asiatic scent. Reminds me of other Japanese scents (Aizen-Myoo especially) a bunch, and the Chinese new year scents. Clean, slightly aquatic. Wet: Less tart-juicy yuzu , persimmon like whoa with a little mandarin orange and fruity plum blossom. Lots of osmanthus, slightly heady magnolia, and clean bamboo. So far, not any wisteria. *crosses fingers* Dry: Okay, a slightly wisteria-powdered edge. FUCK YOU SO HARD, FUCKING WISTERIA, FOR RUINING EVERYTHING. The yuzu, amazingly, has tarted back up, and a really nice edge of resiny-pitchy pine has emerged, providing lovely depth. Later: Fading a lot overall - this would be a slatherer, though it has decent throw. The magnolia & cherry blossom are emerging a bit more, and most of the citrus has faded, while the plum, persimmon and osmanthus, and bamboo hold. Summary: After a few hours, it fades to a very soft and mostly fruity blend of persimmon, plum blossom, magnolia and a bit of musky-resiny pine. Whispers of the other notes, maybe. It's similar to several scents I own, but unique enough that I want a bottle. Dismal longevity.

Sniffed: Pale yellow oil. Fresh, light, gently herbal and surprisingly sweet. I can smell each note distinctly. It's floral, but not quite too strongly so. The sweet/violet combo reminds me of Faith. Wet: Still that sugared violet note, though the mint, lavender and sandalwood cut the sweetness a bit. Actually less floral on my skin - I was afraid it would be heady, but it remains light. Very clean, with a soapy edge. Dry: Dries quickly. This really does remind me STRONGLY of Faith before the vanilla-sugar turns sickly sweet and cloying. It's sugared violets, with a lightly soapy lilac haze hovering above. Faint ylang-ylang and no more lavender. Later: The florals fade to virtually nothing along with the mint, and the vanilla-sugar settles beautifully. Surprisingly lovely, and quite an evolution. I do wish I got some musk - but purple musk doesn't ever seem to show up on my skin. Summary: Soft, creamy sandalwood with slightly powdery sugared violets. Delicate and feminine. Low throw and fades quickly. I'm not sure if I need a bottle, but I will definitely keep my imp for now.

CCXX - 220 Sniffed: Golden oil. Passionfruit! Almost SN. Tart, sweet, and gloriously juicy. Something mentholic lingers indistinctly below. Wet: Guava joins the passionfruit. It's a guava-passionfruit party, but now that guava has arrived, passionfruit is fading a little bit. The mentholic note is pretty Vickish, but still not annoyingly so. Dry: Here comes frankincense...myrrh, not so much. A definite sweetly-smoky, slightly woody/resiny edge, thought this is still a mildly mentholated fruit party. Later: The menthol wears off and an edge of dry, almost dusty myrrh emerges. Still, this is only lightly incensey on the whole. Summary: Passionfruit and guava over light frankincense with a glimmer of myrrh. Strong throw, but does fade significantly. The fruit notes do hold quite well, better than most tropical fruit notes.

Sniffed: Pale peach oil. Tangy metal galore - a la Galvanic Goggles - and motor oil, a bit like Toad. Sweet-spicy star anise and a strong spike of slick leather. Faint frankincense - this is surprisingly light, verging on cologney. Wet: Very light/low throw on my skin; just much fainter overall. A little less sharply metallic, though I can still detect the metal. Much less anise, and the leather is lighter too. Masculine. Dry: Star anise amping up, though it's not spicy, more aromatic and woody - it reminds me a lot of mulled cider and gives the blend a lovely autumnal feel. A bit less cologney. Some sweet, lighty smoky frankincense emerging. Later: While this is definitely the leather note of De Sade, it is light enough (read: not plastic/chemical power doom) that I don't mind it at all, as it in Whip. It sort of works, here. This felt like a cool blend at first, but it's warmed up from the woods/incense. Summary: On final drydown, it's lightly spicy, almost foody star anise with soft, sweet, mildly spicy frankincense and light slick leather. The motor oil lingers, but the metal less so - and this reminds me quite a bit of Toad, overall. Sadly really low throw. I quite like it, though it's not my style. So far, I've found everything in this line but The Obsidian Widow pretty damn outstanding.

Sniffed: Amber coloured oil. Tangy, almost metallic. Not really oceanic, more of rain/thunder note. Slightly sweet/fruity, and I get a bit of powdery-edged, perfumey amber. This has weight, as suggested by the description. Wet: Much fresher and cleaner, now distinctly an aquatic with a mildly salty edge. Lots of ozone. Still pretty perfumey, and more cologney with a slightly soapy edge. I'm pretty sure the fruity note is grapefruit, and it reminds me of Szepasszony as a result - though this is a sweeter grapefruit, more like in Croquet. Dry: Masculine in feel. Going more and more salty/aquatic and as it dries (albeit very slow to dry). Also more dark, almost incensey or maybe woody? It's still very refreshing though. It DOES feel deep/black/brooding, paradoxically. The fruit/citrus note smells oddly rotten on me now, though. Summary: Sweet & sour, almost fermented-rotting grapefruit, salty rain, amber, ozone and some sort of dark, vaguely incensey/woody note. Intense throw that fades a bit with time.

CCXCVI - 296 Sniffed: Warm peach-coloured oil. Sweet, almost fruity, super-honeyed O. Possibly a white grape note. Almost syrupy in its sweetness. Wet: Now I get more of a berry feel, almost (?) - though white grape is still my best guess. Something slightly smoky/incensey, and LOADS of O. Dry: Definitely some sort of resin or incense note (copal comes to mind). Smoky, and I get some beeswax too which probably contributes to the strong honey vibe. The smoky resin cuts the sweetness a bit, though. Later: More amber emerging, but not going powdery. The resin/incense has amped to an insane degree. It's not quite as smoky as copal but it has a definite evergreen component. The amber is also very strong, but not typically O-ish - it's very perfumey but not at all powdery. Summary: Balsam, frankincense, and benzoin over honey galore and rich beeswax with lightly plasticky vanilla. Final drydown reminds me ALOT of No. 93 Engine, with a bit of honeyed amber thrown in. There's also an oddly (but pleasantly) salty note. Great throw.

Sniffed: Extremely pale yellow, nearly colourless oil. Light/fresh and almost aquatic, with clean sandalwood and slightly sweet but not bubblegummy lotus. A bit of dry cedar. Lots of saffron, and...root beer? Wet: Still light, almost crystalline feeling. More cedar, but it's behaving. Slightly sharp-medicinal saffron, and that almost medicinal root beer, maybe even wintergreen note. Dry: Less sharp/medicinal, and a bit more sweet lotus. The cedar is a bit dry and masculine, but not overpowering. Still clean and fresh despite the woody/spicy notes. Later: Reminds me a bit of Bony Moon, with a similar sort of lunar feel, and the sandalwood/cedar combo. The saffron and root beer notes smooth out further with time into pleasantly exotic nuances, and the lotus is just lovely. Summary: Final drydown is white sandalwood and light, dry cedar with faint spices and soft floral lotus. Unisex, a very slightly more feminine twin of Bony Moon. Low throw.

Sniffed: Deep orange oil. Sweet, warm and woody. Lots of red musk and rosewood especially. A bit syrupy/boozy. Very dry, almost dusty. Wet: Snake Oil-ish red musk galore. More perfumey amber, and warm/exotic red sandalwood, less cedar-y rosewood. Dry: Very slow to dry. Rosewood amping majorly, and the amber turning a bit powdery. The red musk isn't as harsh as it usually is - I think the sandalwood smooths it out, here. But it's very sweet/cloying. Summary: Settles to a surprisingly nice, if slightly medicinal-boozy red musk base with warm sandalwood, subtle amber and only slightly dusty dry rosewood. Decent throw.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Sparkling delicious ginger ale with dirt and spices. Fresh, tangy, and a touch cologney. Wet: Spicier, with hotter ginger and distinct cinnamon & clove. Still very much a soil note, but it's not obnoxiously strong. The leather is light, and to me smells like the nice suede/worn leather note. Dry: Dries very quickly; my skin seems to soak it up. Still incredibly sparkling. Clove and cinnamon amping a bit, especially the former. There is a mild metallic tang that could be the dried blood. Quite clean and brisk. Later: The cinnamon is really amping now, too - turning a bit red-hot. The soil note, as well, is holding a bit too much for my liking. I wish I got more leather. Still no cumin that I can detect. Summary: Not a morpher. Fizzy ginger ale spiked with spicy cinnamon and clove over dirt and very faint worn leather. Great throw & longevity. Unisex. Surprisingly light and refreshing.

DXXXI - 531 Sniffed: Sugary Dorian and a soft floral, maybe iris or lilac? Rather lavender and delicate in feel, but I also get a hint of something spicy. Wet: Whoa, spicy. Cassia, I believe, and maybe some bitter clover. Still the floral, which does strike me as lilac. The black tea note is SUPER strong, and lots of almost-creamy vanilla and sugar, too. Dry: This stuff has crazy strong throw. The cassia has settled a bit and is actually really nice, exotic without being red-hot like cinnamon. The floral is a bit heady and cool, but still well-behaved. Clove & tea are really dominating, vanilla-sugar just below. Later: The clove continues to amp strongly, and a bit of the sugariness has faded. Cassia, tea, and lilac hold. I do think it's definitely lilac, but the rare kind that doesn't turn to soap on me - it reminds me exactly of the lilac note in His Station and Four Aces. Summary: It has gone oddly smoky, almost incensey...I think there is tobacco in this, like a cigar tobacco - it's a little bitter and harsh, and reminds me of Champagne & Cigars. Even less sugar, and far less vanilla, than earlier. Cigar tobacco, clove, & cassia with faint lilac & vanilla-sugared tea in the background on final drydown. Too spicy/smoky/masculine for me personally. Fantastic throw, decent longevity. My one lab-ordered bottle...off to swaps.