fairnymph

In the bottle: Pale lemon-yellow oil. CYPRESS, thyme, and other herbs over fainter mixed flowers and myrtle. Quite strong, and reminiscent of Ars Moriendi scents. Wet: Waaaay more floral, definitely funereal. Still pretty herbal and heavy on the cypress, which is intensely sappy and woodsy. This is almost a bit soapy. Dry: The thyme has amped majorly, and the flowers have gone quite soapy. The cypress has mellowed a bit, and a bit of the sweet, grainy amaranth has emerged. Summary: Thyme-scented floral soap with hints of cypress and amaranth. I love thyme and I probably would like this as a soap and now that the florals are so faint, but it's not something I'd wear. Lower throw.

In the bottle: Goldenrod coloured oil. Sweet and fruity from the grape and pomegranate. Hint of leather and green-fresh galbanum. Wet: Similar, though a bit less grapey, and more of the tartness from the pomegranate is showing through. I think tonka is making this as sweet as it is, but it's barely distinct as a note. Dry: Slow to dry. The metallic-tanged blood - which isn't overly dried-smelling - has emerged. Wine is still grape. It's become a bit incensey now, though, and resiny from the onycha (benzoin). Summary: The odd incense note and leather amp over time, creating a smoky, rustic haze over the sweet, resiny base. Only hints of the fruits remain. The emergence of the leather makes this quite unisex. Decent throw. Not my thing, but definitely an interesting morpher!

In the bottle: Deep golden oil. PINE, herbs, and rather high-pitched florals. Reminds me a bit of L'Inverno with the sharp hairsprayish thing (snow note, maybe?), but this is not as sweet. Wet: Softer and nicer, with more of the gentle, almost honeyed oily-flax sweetness shining through, and less of the PINE and chemical-y flowers. Still quite herbal and on the whole very woodys-outdoorsy. Dry: Very slow to dry, with the musk emerging quickly - it is a really nice, deep, sexy musk. This is feeling decidedly masculine, and even going a bit soapy-aftershave. The sort of sweet-spicy-planty flax offsets this a bit. I love the flax. It gets sweeter and sweeter over time. Summary: The flax and musk, sweet and deep and sexy when combined, rule in the final drydown. But enough of the pine and sharp flowers remain to make this unworkable for me, which is a shame because I adore the concept and the flax and musk notes, and the sweet, rustic herbs are lovely too. I think this is pretty unisex, and it has good throw and staying power.

Description: No notes given. In the bottle: Sweet and spicy (like mulling spices), slightly foody, a bit resiny. Possibly some fruit and Snake Oil, with that sort of cola-note. Maybe even a hint of something like anise or licorice. Wet: Brownish oil. Spicy, whoa. Still sweet, but not truly foody. It's not buttery or cakey or really 'edible'. It reminds me more of holiday spiced potpourri and pomanders. There are some light dried flowers, and some dried fruit notes (orange peel, pear, apple). Dry: Dries very rapidly. The spice holds but it's less powerfully pungent, smoother. Definitely cinnamon in this, lighter clove and allspice too, star anise, and some dried ginger for kick. It has lost some sweetness even after just minutes and has become deeper and woodier. Later: Spices remain the most prominent, but the fruit notes have amped a little bit, especially the baked pear (Perilous Parlour-like) note. I do also think there is some teak or mahogany in this - some deep, smooth wood. Still gently sweet in a pleasant, soothing manner. Summary VERY well blended; one of those seamless scents where all the notes settle into perfect harmony. Cinnamon, clove, star anise, allspice, and ginger over baked pear, dark, rich polished wood, and possibly a deep resin/incense note. Hints of dried apple and orange peel. I don't even like spices usually but this is really gorgeous and the fruit notes shine over time, accented by those very spices like fruit in a pie. It absolutely evokes the holidays and is a slightly feminine but overall unisex scent that would also be lovely in an oil burner. I don't know if this is something I'd personally wear, but I can't stop sniffing my wrist. I especially love the wood and pear notes.

In the bottle: Sweet, floral, a little dusty, a bit creamy. Violet, rose, vanilla cream, and mandarin are all distinct, along with the cola-esque red musk that reminds me a bit of Snake Oil. Wet: Red musk, whoa! Sweet and more dusty-powdery, only barely kept in check by the sweet-tart mandarin and the smooth white tea. Dry: It's become more powdery, and a bit soapy too - the violet is the powder, the rose the soap I think, and then the poppy is a bit dusty, too - sniffing closely, the combination makes me want to sneeze. Summary: Sweet, boozy, powerful red musk and creamy vanilla with powdery violet, soapy rose, dusty opium, and rich white tea. The mandarin doesn't linger and the red musk amps over time. Strong throw and lasting power. This doesn't work on my skin with the vanilla, red musk, and particular florals. I do think it actually smells a bit like baby powder, too, which I do not like at all...alas, and I had such hopes for this one. I guess the Lilith scents are not for me.

In the bottle: Pale lemon-yellow coloured oil. Wildflowers, dandelion, grass, and wet towels (?). Very summery and outdoorsy smelling; evocative. Wet: A tiny bit sweeter, almost like a whiff of honey...actually, I think it's clover. This is a very green scent, and it's dewy and fresher on my skin. The grass and flowers remain strong, almost overly so. I detect a bit of daisy. Dry: Definitely clover. It and the dandelion are strongest, with grass and daisy just behind. I find this very fresh and bright, and the light sweetness keeps this from being too sharply green. Sweetens over time. Summary: I love this and it's pretty unique, being green, grassy, fresh and floral all at once. There is a sunny, summery warmth to it as well, and that undertone of golden vanilla'ed honey, making it distinctly feminine. Fabulous throw and good lasting power. *Oh, wait, I know what this sort of reminds me of - Fairy Market! Definitely the closest scent I've sniffed.*

In the bottle: Light lemon-yellow coloured oil. Sweet, buttery, foody. Vaguely maple-y, quite creamy. Reminds me of vanilla buttercream frosting. Wet: Ahh, there are the berries - light, but there, adding a juicy note that offsets some of the intense sugar and butter, though this is still very sweetly foody. The berry is dark and a bit herbal-wild, quite natural. Dry: Very slow to dry, with the berry note amping over time. A rustic, farmy, wooly note that is definitely the goat butter emerges, too; it's totally unique and makes the sweetness more bearable. Summary: My mom thinks it smells like curry (lol!), but I think it fits the description very well - exotic, creamy-buttery pancakes and wild, juicy berries - but sadly it's just too sweet and foody for my tastes. Great throw and lasting power.

In the bottle: Orange-gold coloured oil. Spices, apples, and a hint of smoke. It really does smell like orange and mulling spices in cider, juicy apples, wood smoke. Wet: Spicier! Cinnamon and cloves, holy moly. The apples are less fresh, more foody-baked. Hint of sassafrass, like root beer. Otherwise this reminds me a fair bit of L'Autunno. Dry: Cloooooooooove and cinnamon and dried fruit. Woody notes, both smoky and rich, have emerged, but remain lightly in the background. Hint of earthy oakmoss. Later: More woods and smoke emerge over time as the fruit fades further. I'm reminded rather of clove cigarettes at this stage. Summary: Final dry down is stale clove cigarettes and earthy woods. Warm and autumnal indeed, but too much clove for me. Quite a morpher overall. Unisex to masculine. Low throw, fair lasting power. Yeah, not my thing. But I expect this to be popular!

In the bottle: Almost juicy and fruity, but mostly herbal. Light and fresh. Wet: Similar - still that juiciness - but orris begins to emerge in a major way, rapidly. Dry: Pungent, super floral, soapy orris. No juiciness, no herbs. Hint of milky baby powder base. Summary: Final dry down is intense floral-soap and baby powder. Had to wash off. Strong throw and lasting power. Carnation, where art thou? And oh Orris, you are so harsh.

In the bottle: Bright golden oil. Light, herbal, fresh, with a faint waft of incensey woods. Faintly soapy. Quite green, and a little medicinal. Wet: More subdued, earthier, darker. Still herbal, but the sweet frankincense comes through more as does the moss and bark. The rose is the soapy sort, with a bit of a tang reminiscent of white rose. Dry: Why hello fruity-herbal blackberry! What a pleasant surprise. Sadly, this has gone more soapy (the roses), as well as more dark/earthy, almost smoky, thought the frankincense is light. Later: The medicinal herbal notes are long gone, which accounts again for the mellower feel. The blackberry cuts through some of the soapy rose, but not enough. Summary: The blackberry amps over time, so it's blackberry, earthy moss, smoky bark, and soapy roses with light frankincense and dark herbs. Unisex to masculine. Good throw and lasting power. Too dark and soapy for me.

In the bottle: Colourless oil. Delicately sweet, lightly aquatic, softly floral, and a tiny bit creamy. It's fruity, yes, but gently so. The cucumber note jumps out to me, as do the squash, quince, and honey and fig. Wet: Fresher, brighter, a bit tarter. Juicier. Carrot and pomegranate and pear. Soft bergamot. The other notes are still detectable, new ones have just joined the mix. The cream note is very light, but soft and sweet. Dry: Even tarter and juicier, with the pear, pomegranate, quince, cucumber and bergamot in command. Much fruitier, though still vegetably, and honeyed cream remains a light base. Only delicately floral - the crocus is stunning. Later: It's odd because while it's definitely vegetal - the lettuce is now distinct, and well the carrot and squash - it works. I don't smell like a grocery. It's utterly unique, although the overall 'feel' reminds me of Blue Moon 04 crossed with Schlafende Baigneuse. Summary: A tart, juicy, creamy, sweet bouquet of fall vegetables and fruits over soft honey and cream, touched lightly with gentle crocus. The quince and cucumber stand out, but it's a truly harmonious and stunning blend. Feminine. Good throw and lasting power. I oh so desperately want more of this, as I knew I would.

In the bottle: Colourless oil. Slick leather, almost sharply so - not the old, weathered sort - and bright, slightly astringent herbs and greenery. Wet: Much lighter and a bit softer, too. The leather is older, smoother, and the herbs are still medicinal and slightly mentholic but less bitingly so. The fern is distinct, and smells somewhere between grass and ivy. Dry: Yup, this is a nice leather on the skin, masculine, sexy. Manly but not brash. The fern is a lovely fresh, green note that gives this an almost cologney feel over the leather, but the herbs are turning a bit soapy. Later: The fern has faded and the herbs and leather have amped, making this firmly masculine. Something medicinal - maybe tea trea oil - amongst the herbs, maybe some bay too? Summary: Deep, smooth, masculine leather and sharp, astringent, herbal greenery - tea tree, bay, and very faint grassy fern. The fading of the fern and amping of the herbs makes this rather harsh. Good throw and lasting power.

In the bottle: Pale yellow oil. Carrots, hay, grains and wood. It smells rather like a farmer's market; very rustic. It's unlike any perfume I've sniffed. Lightly maple-sweet. Wet: PWoodier - oak, I think, but otherwise much the same. A bit of apple is coming through, but it's mild. The carrot, maple, and oats are strongest. The hay has amped a bit, it's lightly sweet and almost honeyish in combo with the maple and faint molasses. Dry: The galangal and overall masculine feel remind me a bit of Hellhound, but the grains really dominate here. The carrot has faded and the apple disappeared, while oak and hay have amped. It's less sweet and almost a bit spicy now. Later: Hay and wood continue to amp, making this quite dry. The galangal is almost gone and the carrot's a bit fainter, as are the grains and overall sweetness. The musk is soft but feral, almost furry. Summary: An atmospheric, appropriately autumnal scent - though not really something I imagine many people wearing. Men, definitely, if anyone. Hay, oak, and maybe other spicy wood with softly sweet mapley oats, dusty chaff, and warm animal musk. Wisps of carrot and molasses. Low throw, good lasting power.

Sniffed in imp: Light goldenrod-coloured oil. Woody, nutty, a tad spicy. The poppy and dry leaves lend a bitter edge, while the nut is both creamy-foody-rich and sweet, enhanced by citrusy galangal. Autumnal indeed, and rather masculine.

2008 version In the bottle: Perfectly colourless oil. Indeed very sugary! Brown sugar jumps out the most to my nose, with a burnt sugar/caramel/molasses tang, but there's powdered and white sugar too. Almost boozy. Wisp of fruitiness. Wet: Much lighter and gentler, though still quite sweet. Less of the darker sugary notes. Now I get more of a sugar cane note predominantly, with its fresh, almost woody undertone. I swear I almost get a smooth herbal note too! Dry: Still no fruit, but incense (?!) is emerging, smoky and dark, and greatly reminding me of a Buddhist temple I once visited. A hint of spice now too - clove? A bit of the caramel note has returned, too. Later: The incense, spice, and caramel notes keep amping, and it's gaining a much darker feel as a result. More throw than wet, too. Summary: Burnt sugar, molasses, smoky incense, spicy clove and a hint of fresh sugar cane. Sweet, but not at all cloying; more menacing than saccharine. The only constant is a certain booziness. On the feminine side. Great throw, fabulous lasting power. Not my style but really fascinating to test! Where the hell is the fruit?!

CDXVI - 416 In the bottle: Sweet/buttery/foody, citrusy too. Gah. Tonka, again. And grapefruit or tangerine. Sort of pink and girly with a tart edge. Wet: Less foody, soapier - a white floral of some sort (honeysuckle?). Less tart, but still quite fruity. Creamier and softer, less bright. Dry: Definitely a floral or two - iris or orris, and perhaps some piercing white musk, because that combo tends to make my head pound. I had to wash this off as it made me ill and couldn't therefore assess it fully. MCCCX - 1310 In the bottle: Fruity, juicy, tart/citrusy! Fun and fresh and sweet too, with a strong streak of slightly herbal BLACKBERRY, and some darkish woods and/or herbs lurking behind. Wet: Yes, definitely blackberry, but something more tart, a citrus, and some herbal, almost astringently green notes too - blackberry leaf as well as fruit, and maybe a hint of mentholic something, eucalyptus? Dry: The herbal-blackberry combo reminds me greatly of The Oblation, but here the menthol has replaced the lavender's role, leading to an almost more masculine blend, but the blackberry is stronger here, so not really. Later: There's other fruit here, which seems to potentiate the blackberry - peach (and maybe black cherry?)! The mentholic note has faded so that it provides a bright, green edge but isn't overly sharp. Musk, too, definitely, most likely white; it's quite strong, almost creamy. Summary: Blackberry, peach, and rich white musk, with lighter herbal blackberry leaf and faint mentholic eucalyptus. Bright, fruity, and feminine but also a bit deep and edgy. A unique blend that works somehow, with the greenery balancing the sweet, creamy fruits. I think I'm holding on to this one, at least for now. It's sort of like a weird cross between Fae and The Oblation, with eucalyptus thrown in. Previously reviewed by SurrealReality.

Tested at EC Will Call: Sniffed, it's PUMPKIN (ie butter) which annoyed the hell out of me, thus foody, also a bit spicy. On the drydown, a hint of that sharp chrome note (the same one from Torture Queen) emerges, the pumpkin fades somewhat, and the scent become warm and dry (though I could not detect any hay note disctinctly) with some greenery, presumably from the vines. The least buttery/foody pumpkin scent I've tried. Unisex to masculine.

Sniffed at EC Will Call: Sweet and powdery floral, due to the STRONG lotus and wisteria which assault me immediately. I immensely disliked this one as expected based on notes. I couldn't pick up any other notes beneath the overwhelming force of those two florals. Definitely feminine.

Tested at EC Will Call: I liked this better than I expected, but it still isn't something I'd wear. A clean floral, with herbal and green notes too, hemlock and ivy especially, reminds me of lunacies and ars moriendi floral scents , somehow melancholy. It fits the notes, description, and concept beautifully. Feminine.

Sniffed at EC Will Call: Very much liquor and grains, SOUR, and quite acrid and pungent. I don't get any blood, but sniffed I think the whiskey, BEER and barley overwhelm it. I can't imagine a woman wearing this, so masculine? It's rather what a drunken bum smells like and fits the note description quite well.

Tested at EC Will Call: Not like I expected at all, very faint and light and fresh. Citrusy GALANGAL, with a bit of foody, sweet, Bourbon-boozy vanilla, and then more faintly herbal and spicy - boozy/herbal from the bay rum. Whisper of light tobacco. Definitely a masculine scent.

Sniffed at EC Will Call: Actually does smell like wool; also peppery and a bit creamy, and quite sour - really convoluted and discordant. While I must say it's very true to the note description, I would never want to smell this on a person or in a room. I dislike this one intensely. Asexual, or more accurately, anti-sexual perhaps.

Sniffed at EC Will Call: Dark, intense, evergreens, smoke and incense - totally fits notes which are distinct yet work harmoniously together - reminds me of a darker, more masculine version of The Illustrated Woman.

Sniffed at EC Will Call: SOIL and the butter-note that is pumpkin to my nose. I don't really get much of the other notes, but I only sniffed this. Unisex to masculine.

Tested at EC Will Call: GRASS, dandelion (no one else got this), dry leaves. Rather bitter, very green. Incredibly true and natural; exactly as described in notes and just as evocative. Unisex to masculine.