fairnymph

DISCIPLINARY action?!?! Want me to come DISCIPLINE these jackasses? WTF!

In the bottle: Colourless oil. Cool, intense, slightly harsh herbal lavender. A bit sharp/medicinal. A hint of sweet anise. Wet: More complex, less overwhelmingly lavender. The anise is a bit more apparent, and I suspect other herbs. This is overall quite herbal, but now more like a garden, less like a therapeutic extract. Dry: Dries quickly. This has a very mentholic feel overall and I suspect mint and eucalyptus, the latter has amped making this more medicinal again. The sweet, slightly woody anise (or fennel or licorice, they all register similarly) does provide a bit of depth. Later: Ahh, another one of those herbs has become clear - sage. It could be the mint or in addition to the mint, as many sages have mentholic minty notes to my nose. The sage and eucalyptus are strongest, with mint and lavender (now bright and lovely as in Yvaine) next, then sweet anise. Summary: Harsh, astringent, medicinal sage and eucalyptus, followed by cool mint and floral lavender, and sweetly woody, licoricey anise as a base. It's herbal-woody and very much a therapeutic-smelling, sinus-clearing blend. Decent throw, fades off rather quickly. Too sharp and purely herbal for me, and I dislike both eucalyptus, and anise, as well as this particular sage. I don't think I could even use this therapeutically.

In the bottle: Nearly colourless extremely pale yellow oil. Extremely strong mint and very faint florals. The mint totally reminds me of gum. Wet: Still extraordinarily minty, with a sort of bitter, harsh edge that reminds me of pennyroyal or sage. The sweet osmanthus is faintly detectable, as well as some soft violet and palmarosa, and faint rose. These temper the mint a bit. Dry: Slow drying. The rose has really amped incredibly and the mint has lost much of its bite, so this is slightly soapy rose followed by cool herbal mint, then honeyed osmanthus, powdery violet, and herbal-floral palmarosa. It's a complex floral, and hard to pick apart other than the rose. Later: Wow, this has morphed incredibly! The sandalwood, indeed the light fresh white type, has emerged, and makes this quite dry, though cool in combination with the now bright but pleasant mint. The palmarosa has amped and is now the strongest floral note, with rose and osmanthus, then powdery violet. Summary: Dry, slightly sharp sandalwood and herbal palmarosa with a bright spike of cool mint. Softer notes of lightly soapy rose, powdery violet, and honey-sweet osmanthus. Woody floral, unisex. Good throw and lasting power. Not my thing - too dry and sharp.

In the bottle: Deep orangey red, the colour of carnelian stone. Dark, incensey, woody with deep ripe purple fruits. Not as sweet as I expected- much woodier and almost smoky. Red musk is that you? Wet: Even woodier and more incensey, the frankincense especially. Patchouli (rooty-dirty) and dry-deep mahogany just behind. Consequently this has a 'churchy' feel to me. I can smell a bit of benzoin, but it's overwhelmed by stronger notes. Fruits are even weaker on my skin. Dry: The frankincense is SO strong and the patchouli has amped further and is that dark soily type I don't like. The mahogany - this is the most distinctly I've smelled it in a blend - is third strongest, and verging on cedar-dry, but has a beautiful depth - I think I do like it. The benzoin is more resiny than usual, less vanillic - and light. Hint of artificial raspberry but otherwise fruits are still GONE, and this has lost much of its sweetness. Later: Frankincense still very strong and dry mahogany (it's become more cedar like)has amped, while everything else has faded, other than the raspberry and benzoin which are holding, and some sticky plum and pomegranate have returned. It's almost dusty at this point. The sweetness has increased a bit. Summary: Frankincense rules with dry and dusty yet still dark mahogany just behind. Very incensey, woody and slightly dirty in overall feel with mild plastic sweetness; the fruit definitely plays second fiddle. In the second layer are rooty patchouli, syrupy plum and a bit of tart pomegranate, artificial raspberry candy, and resiny benzoin. Decent throw and lasting power. Wow, the new CD I thought would be best failed epically (as did the runner up, Eisheth)..and two I thought wouldn't work did. Just goes to show I should never presume.

In the bottle: Virtually colourless oil. Vanilla, sugary cake. Faint hint of violet. Light candy grape. Wet: The same, pretty much. Extremely creamy from the strong vanilla note. Violet still very faint.The combo reminds me of edible sugared violets. Still faint, artificial grape or berry. Dry: The violet has finally amped enough to make itself known in the presence of the powerful sugary vanilla, but it's gone a bit powdery. Not overwhelmingly, but noticeably. The cakey and fruity notes have dissipated, and this is no longer foody. Later: As with Hope, the fake sweet vanilla in this becomes unbearably cloying on me, and combined with the now heavily powdery violet (though still some pleasant floralness), it's a very intense sugar-powder. Summary: Sugar, super sweet cloying artificial vanilla with waxy, rancid shea buttter notes, and heavy violet powder that's lightly floral. I had to wash it off. Good throw. You'd think these should work on me as a rose lover and violet liker and identical twin...but alas, no. Vanilla is cruel.

Note: I don't read reviews before writing mine, so I'm glad to see that other people agree that this smells a) LIKE CK ONE! and fairly masculine. In the bottle: Extremely pale yellow, nearly colourless oil. Ck One (but way better) is the first thought that hits me - I think it's the tea, florals, and musk combo. But yes, this smells very unisex, clean, and fresh - almost cologne-y. The white tea and musk are strongest, followed closely by fragrant floral gardenia, with a bite of metal and a sweet resiny base. Wet: A bit less fresh (it was almost citrusy sniffed, and that note has dissipated), though slightly soapy (ambergris, argh). The gardenia is a bit stronger and headier, and the chrome is very so slightly sharper. The white tea is more resiny, and really is so distinct, it's more like a green or black tea note - with the grassiness of the former and slick piney depth of the latter. Dry: This has gone increasingly cologne-y over time, I presume because the ambergris has gained a thicky, soapy edge. The amber's a little dry, almost like sandalwood, another note that I consider rather masculine and associate with cologne. The chrome has amped a bit, but it has an edge I like - very unique and evocative of a razor sharp, cold, shiny blade. As a whole, invigorating. Later: Alas, this has definitely gone too soapy and cologney for my tastes, and is firmly in the masculine realm. The amber has gone a bit powdery, and I do think there is likely some sandalwood in this. Sniffed more closely, the blends is sweeter and deeper and less dry and unpleasantly astringent the way it is from more of a distance, but I don't walk around with my nose to my arm. :\ Summary: The fresh-clean feel has become somewhat acrid and muddles. Salty-soapy ambergris based cologne, with bright white gardenia, a bit of soft, sweet, slightly dry and powdery amber and lastly, but only at very closely range, lightly sweet musk and smooth tea. Chrome has vanished completely. Quite masculine. Decent throw, good lasting power. For the first 30 minutes and sniffed this is a gorgeous, gloriously improved version of CK ONE, but it morphs into something on me that is a inferior version of that same perfume. It's still not bad, but the change disappointed me greatly. The chrome note was the sharpest metal note I've experienced so far and just stunning - I mourn it! Maybe since it's still pretty yummy up close, it'd be good on the neck of man I were nuzzling...but would he want to wear something called ' The Torture Queen'? I think in any case I will hang on to it for men or I will try it with my scent locket. I must say, I was pleased that the amber didn't go very powdery nor the gardenia intensely heady HI ME, nor the ambergris excessively soapy, though the last definitely took over the blend on my skin and was still too soapy for my tastes (at least I wasn't running to the sink). Try this if you like slightly white florals and aquatic or herbal colognes: Lightning, The Tempest, Wilde, Vicomte de Valmont, Szepasszony, The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, Thunder Moon, Parsifal

I used to work at BBW though I didn't use most of their products (not natural enough for me). There isn't a BPAL I've come across yet that is that intensely and purely PEONY, but some suggestions, as I too love peony: Amsterdam - a very light trio of well balanced peony, tulip, and grass - it's very faint though and fades a fair deal, so must be applied very heavily. Black Hellebore - not actually peony, but it may contain it as an unlisted note, and to me it smells like peony, rose, and light evergreens - it's a soft, fresh, woodsy floral. The Dormouse - piney-herbal fresh teas and light peony, another fresh scent, but stronger than Amsterdam - can be smelled from further away and lasts longer. The Grandmother of Ghosts - peony, stargazer lily, and a kick of white pepper with a strong musky base on me - it's muskier and more strongly floral than the above-mentioned scents, so probably closer in spirit to the BBW scent, despite being more complex and less purely peony. LEs (harder to find and pricier): Budding Moon - VERY sweet lotus root and peony and musk, on me. Has an asian feel. Mi-Go Brain Canister - tropical fruits and peony, this feels very PINK and is sweet-fruity and floral and girly, with a bit of a kick from ginger and pink pepper. It definitely has that fruit which the BBW scent doesn't, but it's gorgeous and is something to consider if your mom likes fruity scents and again wants something a bit more complex. It's not that hard to find either. I don't get much peony in the Peony Moon drydown, which to me is smoky, spicy,woodsy STRAWBERRY, and not very floral at all. You could get her a set of three, and hope that she likes at least one.

In the bottle: Light amber coloured oil. Sweet, smoky, woody, resiny. STRONG. All the notes jump out pretty distinctly, especially the pine pitch and vanilla. Unisex. Wet: A bit softer, but still very intense. The smoky vanilla and tobacco seem strongest now, followed closely by complex resin base. The pine is more resiny, less woodsy - it's not at all like wintry pine notes. The patchouli is light right now but fairly rooty/dirty, honey likewise is light and almost floral. Dry: Ack, I'm having that same red-itchy skin reaction I had with Bezoar. Very slow drying oil, btw. While it reminds me of other blends I can't place, it's pretty unique. I'm positive one of the resins in copal...it has that hot/dry smokiness. The earthy and smoky and deep notes keep the vanilla and honey from being overly sweet, and it's even less sweet now than initially. Summary: Dry, hot smoky resins and tobacco, which has an earthy edge abetted by the somewhat dirty patchouli. The pine is definitely a resin, not woodsy, but there may be other wood notes here. The vanilla and honey are lovely natural notes, but balance by the resins so this is only gently sweet. Unisex. Good throw. Too smoky/dry/hot for my tastes in terms of actual wear, but it's a gorgeous scent that I'd love my apartment to smell like - and will doubtless be a very popular scent. Overall, really complex and unique and I wish I hadn't had reaction so that I could have seen how it evolved further over time. If you are afraid of pine, try this! It's not your typical pine, it's more like balsam or a resin - sappy. I grew up with pitch pines (Cape Cod) and it's a perfectly nostalgic and evocative scent. It and Bezoar are the only two oils to have caused a visible skin reaction - I'm guessing the culprit is a resin of some type?

In the bottle: Nearly colourless extremely pale yellow. Floral, fresh, fruit, a bit herbal. Light and feminine and spring-y. Strong bright tea note, juicy acai, white florals. Wet: Still very bright and refreshing, in fact almost citrusy. I don't know if that is the chrysanthemum, which I've not smelled. The tea is SO strong, the strongest and cleanest tea note I've ever smelled. A bit of sharp white musk. Jasmine is light, acai is fruity and a little medicinal. Dry: This must be the first floral that doesn't amp on me. It's all glorious slightly citrusy and piney tea leaf, and with what I presume are fresh herbal notes from the chrysanthemum. The white musk has amped on me and has a bit of an edge. Loving the acai and true jasmine in the backseat. Later: This has sweetened a little, with the acai amping a bit. It is a bit like cough syrup, but I find it sort of intriguing, not unpleasant. I'm also getting a root beer note all of a sudden! Tea and crysanthemum are still strongest, white musk just behind. Jasmine is soft and romantic and is not going to soap. Summary: Sweet, piney, citrusy fresh glorious tea that develops lovely mossy and resiny undertones on drydown, with light herbal chrysanthemum, slightly medicinal yet still fruity acai, a strong spike of bright white musk, and faint lush jasmine. Unisex to feminine, very refreshing but also soothing. Decent throw and good lasting power. Oooh getting 2 bottles of this one. Love! It's the ultimate musky-resiny fresh-herbal tea scent IMO. I was so surprised too because jasmine rarely works on me and I don't always like acai. A very pleasant surprise and my favourite of the new CDs. So true! And I love K-T. Fabulous description.

In the bottle: Honey coloured. Sharp, masculine, woodsy. Fresh citrusy petitgrain, vegetal-spicy pimento (really intriguing and distinct!). Birch is strong, oakmoss light. Wet: Softer, almost a little sweet! Spicier, and a bit soapy (I think from the petitgrain). Quite clean and fresh smelling, as opposed to the medicinal astringency of sniffed. Still pretty woodsy and definitely an edge. Dry: Eep, the pimento definitely amps on my skin and it totally makes me think of olives by associatio. It's quite spicy and has a distinct vegetable note, like bell pepper - with a sort of acrid, pungent edge. Behind it the birch has notes of root beer and oak. Petitgrain and oakmoss are faint. Later: The birch and oakmoss have amped up, especially the former, which is now on par with faded pimento, making this spicy-woody, hot verging on dry blend, as the birch has gained a papery and mildly cedary feel. Petitgrain has mostly evaporated, and the sweet musk is slowly emerging. Quite a morpher! Summary: In the final drydown the pimento is mostly just hot and spicy and a bit herbal, and not clearly vegetal. It and the slightly anise-y, drily woody birch dominate, with gentle earthy oakmoss and soft, sweet, sexy musk in the background. Intriguing, masculine woody scent. Low throw, fades considerably. The blend does come together eventually into something quite pleasant, but I dislike the earlier stages (especially the acridness of the pimento). I also wish the petitgrain stuck around and the birch didn't go so dry. In any case, too masculine for my personal wear.

In the bottle: Dark golden brown amber oil. Sweet, foody (but not excessively) fruity, a little tart, a little perfumy. White cake, creamy vanilla frosting, tart jelly and deep jammy fruit, with a hint of florals. Wet: Less foody, less sweet; more fruity and perfumey. Still a lot of cake and especially FROSTING. I'm reminded of Coldstone cake batter ice cream. Definitely a CREAMY scent, but offset by the dual currants, which are both bright, juicy and deep all at once. Contrary to others this is not the most foody scent I have tried by any stretch. Dry: Less and less cakey. Still quite creamy, but in a way that's not quite foody anymore. It is rather rich and decadent feeling, but not cloying so. The vanilla is light, and there's a lovely cream note that reminds me of the cream accord in Schlafende Baigneuse. The juicy red currant has faded a bit, but jammy black currant holds and has taken on earthy and herbal notes. Still lightly floral. Later: Drat, this is a slatherer for sure. It fades very rapidly, which is very unusual for sweeter scents on my skin. The currant is the note that holds best, but even it doesn't last long. beyond that annoyance, this settles into a creamy, fruity scent - it's really unlike anything in BPAL I've tried, though I imagine Crumpet Rebellion might be similar. Summary: The black currant note in this, which dominates by far, is so unique and reminds me a bit of the huckleberry in April Fool. It's got some lovely earthy, herbal undertones, while also being dark and ripe and rich. The red currant is sadly lighter but does provide a bit of tart juiciness. These offset the light but velvety vanilla base perfectly, and faint white florals keep the blend from being foody. Sweet, fruity, creamy, feminine and surprisingly complex. Great throw but poor lasting power. I would have never tried this on my own or sought it out but I love it and will probably get a bottle. BPAL, you constantly surprise me!

In the bottle: Medium bright peach coloured oil. Sweet, fruity, slightly resiny and utterly feminine. White peach foremost, then rich golden honey and slightly sharp floral neroli - but a pleasant bite that cuts through the sweetness which would otherwise be cloying. Soap/clean note reminiscent of Ebisu - ambergris? Wet: Sweeter, gah. For once I'm thrilled about neroli's presence, as it's the only thing making this bearable. The white peach is beyond syrupy, the honey is incredibly thick. Pleasant sparkling quality. The ambergris is clean but also sort of deep and heavy. This scent has tremendous heft. No patchouli or cocoa. Dry: Ahhhh I know what this reminds me of - Les Bijoux, with the bitter neroli subbing for the myrrh and orange blossom. Yes, this is very much like Les Bijoux. I just don't think I can do white peach - it's too cloying. So far, no significant morphing. Later: Still reminds me, rather unpleasantly, of Les Bijoux. The neroli has amped a bit, and is quite sharp, while the white peach remains sticky sweet. Any cleanness from the ambergris is gone. The honey is there, but it's overwhelmed by the cloying peach. I have abandoned hope for the patchouli and cocoa. Summary: Cloying, incredibly sweet white peach and bitter neroli, with light honey and faint, heavily resiny ambergris. Very similar to Les Bijoux, and some similarities to Katharina. Strictly feminine. Very strong throw and lasting power. Yeah, I was so sad not to get any of the darker notes. This smelled promising in the imp but my skin amped the sweet notes beyond sanity.

Wet: Medium reddish cola coloured oil. Candy grape first! Darker hints of wood and spice below. There's a nice tang from the currant, and some blackberry too. Very fruity. Evokes dark red-purple. Dry: Slow drying oil (seems to be a trend with the new CDs, or else it's the weather today). More floral (spicy, clean, faintly soapy), less sweet. A bit of the fresh, herbal ivy has come out and it lightens the blend pleasantly. The oak rounds out the blend, providing a smoothness combined with the leather note - but both are definitely in the background. Later: The oak, blackberry and blackberry leaf (I get both notes), and currant have amped nicely and further balance and improve this blend. The lily is spicy in a wonderful floral way, like carnation (maybe that's here too). The leather is well-blended and not going to plastic. No clove, thank god. Grape, blood, and ivy hold. This fits the description so wonderfully! Summary: Sweet-tart grapes, bright currant, ripe blackberries, metallic, heavy blood, clean spicy lily, rounded earthy oaky and soft worn leather, fresh ivy and herbal blackberry leaf, and a deep musk note that emerges to bind it all together. Amazingly well balanced. Sweet but kept vivid not cloying, deep, dark and sexy. Pretty feminine, but I wouldn't rule it out on a man. Decent throw, great lasting power. Getting a partial bottle of this, the only new CD to work me so far, and one I didn't initially order in the decant circle I joined.

In the bottle: Medium golden honey colour. Fresh, bright, though somewhat heady feminine floral. Lightly sweet. Honeysuckle and jasmine strongest by far, but orris, some other florals, and very faint moss and sweet benzoin. Wet: Honeysuckle! Definitely by far and away the closest to a SN honeysuckle blend I've tried. Very true and strong. Fresh and mildly sweet, but a bit too much, and with a soapy edge. Jasmine is just below and merges with the honeysuckle, also quite heady, with a powdery edge - like the orris, below it. Florals in command. Dry: Very slow drying oil. Amazingly, so far, not much morphing. The florals, with honeysuckle leading, still reign, but are a bit less overwhelming and haven't gone to powder or soap though the hints are still there. The sweet, resiny benzoin and some gentle musk have emerged and balance the flowers nicely. Mosses still faint. Later: I don't think this will ever dry. Sadly, the honeysuckle has faded such that the jasmine is foremost, and the blend on the whole has gone a bit more soapy and powdery. Orris has amped further. Benzoin still strong, but musk remains light, mosses even more so. Summary: Eventually, this did turn to generic floral, soapy powder on me, alas. The oakmoss never really appeared, and the benzoin and woefully light musk are sweet and grounding, but don't save this blend for me. Definitely feminine, and rather traditional perfumey. Lowish throw and lasting power. I'm not sure why I thought anything could save a blend of orris AND jasmine on my skin, and honeysuckle seems to turn to powder/soap often too.

In the bottle: Nearly colourless extremely pale yellow. Surprisingly fresh and light, but still quite SMOKY. Planty and a bit spicy, too. Piney-resiny balsam, spicy-smoky copal, spicy-fresh cardamom, and a soft clean wood note. Masculine. Wet: Wow, the hay came out! I love this! It merges really well with the cardamom note. It's warm and sweet, neither wet nor dry, but very golden and grassy and true. Gorgeous! All the notes are very much distinct but mingle wonderfully too. The hiba has amped and has a dry cedar like tone. A bit less smoky and spicy than sniffed. Dry: Very slow to dry. The hiba is amping further, unfortunately, and is like a blend between white sandalwood and cedar - both dry woods I dislike, though fortunately it's not overwhelming (yet). Still, the blend has a much drier and hotter feel now. The cardamom has amped too and is spicier but still has very bright. Later: Whoa, my skin is BRIGHT red where the oil (still not fully dry!) is. This is the first visible reaction I've had to an oil on my wrist. It has also begun to itch a bit. Scentwise, it's hasn't morphed much - it's softened overall, and the previously strongest cardamom and hiba have receded. Summary: Beautifully balanced warm, dry, masculine blend of smoky copal, resiny balsam, bright and spicy cardamom, golden grassy hay, and dry woody hiba. All notes are distinct and settle into a harmony where each is equally strong. Masculine. Decent throw and lasting power. Sigh, this is really gorgeous (except for the hiba which while not terrible and it doesn't amp like other dry woods often do, still isn't my thing) and I especially adore the hay note, but it's not something I'd wear and the skin reaction was scary. Even after washing it off, my skin is still very angry. :\

In the bottle: Rich amber coloured oil. Sharp - almost a bit bitter - and fresh. Masculine. Lime, bay rum and gin are strong, with orange blossom and tobacco coming just behind. Notes amazingly distinct but work well together. Wet: I swear there is ginger in this, it has a fresh bite that is just sooo gingery - it reminds me of ginger beer. Otherwise pretty similar to sniffed. It's perhaps fresher, brighter. The astringent bay rum and junipery gin blend wonderfully, and the lime sweetens this mix. This is almost potable! Dry: The bay rum has amped, and is probably the strongest note now, but it's pleasant. The ginger and juniper and lime are just beneath, along with the tobacco which is grounding everything - it's light and smoky and earthy, really fabulous. Orange blossom has dissipated. This is the longest lime has ever lasted on me, btw! Later: The fresher notes have faded a lot - this includes much of the ginger, most of the juniper and all of the lime. The bay rum has amped further, it's extremely herbal and reminds me of sage - it's almost medicinal and I don't like the edge it has gained, which seems embittered by the also-amped tobacco. Black musk, where are you? Summary: Strong, sharply herbal and astringent bay and bitter, dark, earthy tobacco, with light spicy ginger and faint fresh juniper. I never got any musk, and this morphs from something fresh to something rather darkly sinister. Absolutely masculine. Decent throw, fades rapidly. This could work really well on the right man, but it's not for me. And I'm super sad that black musk (my favourite sort) never appeared, but the fresh ginger note was a very pleasant surprise.

In the bottle: Dark cola-brown, viscous oil. Sweet, a little bitter, and oddly sparkling. A bit fruity. Definitely picking up on the red musk, lotus root, and patchouli. Dark and languid in feel. Wet: Less harsh and bitter, and less sweet - softer overall. The patchouli is the 'rooty' sort which I don't much like - it's sort of dirty and cloying. The mimosa is bright and both a bit sharp and sparkling - it was the bitter note. Light currant and bergamot provide some tartness. Dry: The mimosa and rooty notes in this remind me a bit of Thierry Mugler's 'Atelier Grimal' fragrance, but this is darker and sweeter. Still, there's a similar rustic feel. The sparkling sweetness makes me think of cola or root beer too. Later: The bergamot has mostly gone, and the orchid has emerged, but it's not too overbearing. The lotus keeps this sweet but not quite bubblegum - the bitter edge of the mimosa and the cloyingness of lotus seem to cancel each other out. Red musk is sexy but not harsh as it often is; patchouli is still very much dirty roots. Summary: Fragrant mimosa, tart currant, syrupy lotus root and dark, soil-like, rooty patchouli balance each other over fainter red musk (has an edge, but it works, definitely the best red musk blend on my skin so far) and deep, gorgeous orchid. Unisex to feminine. Sophisticated. Decent throw and lasting power. Reminds me of: Midnight Kiss (strongest resemblance by far), Kabuki and Mme Moriarty to lesser extents - definitely some boozy, earthy, and anisey notes, though Not my thing, but better than I expected! The lotus and patchouli here are sadly deal breakers.

In the bottle: Deep golden honey colour. Whoa. Strongly green, astringent, pungent. Hyssop and lavender are very herbal and a bit medicinal, balsam has a piney edge, elemi's a bit sourly citrusy, and jonquil is a sharp floral. Masculine. Wet: The jonquil totally reminds me of lily of the valley and lilac, so it's a softer, fresher note on my skin, but it's also more cloying. The green and herbal notes have backed down majorly. It's a jonquil party, with elemi and lavender faintly playing along. Dry: This is turning sweet, and becoming even more of a jonquil single note. It's a bit - uriney though? Like civet or black currant can somehow go. Very strange and unpleasant at times. Hint of elemi. Later: Okay, it morphed again. The jonquil has lost the urine aspect, and the balsam has reappeared majorly, with a lovely piney resiny base that ground this and gives it warmth. Lavender and hyssop (sort of hay like and grassy) have returned too, just lightly herbal. Elemi holds. Summary: Warm, deep, resiny balsam leads the way with with musk, light, fresh jonquil, grassy hyssop, soft herbal lavender, and a spike of lemony elemi. Really well balanced once it evolves after a couple of hours. Masculine. Great throw and lasting power. Too masculine for me, but this is surprisingly lovely on the skin, and reminds me a fair deal of Galvanic Goggles.

Sniffed in imp: Medium golden brown oil, somewhat viscous. Extremely dark, dirty, soil-like, rooty patchouli - the kind I do not like - over somewhat faint, syrupy-sweet, overripe apricot. Fits the concept perfectly, but not my tastes.

Sniffed in imp: Light yellow oil. Sweet, powdery floral. Sweet pea and tonka jump out strongly. Faint hint of herbal, slightly soapy and mentholic sage. Feminine. This would go to straight soapy powder on me.

In the bottle: Very pale peach coloured oil. Sweet, rich, and fruity. Syrupy verging on candied; like roasted, baked or caramelized pears drizzled with vanilla. Wet: Very sweet with rich vanilla, and quite foody. It's definitely like a baked fall dessert. The vanilla is stronger on my skin and sweeter. Still, I can detect the warm, juicy pear. Dry: This reminds me a bit of the Thierry Mugler 'Virgin No. 1' scent, with the juicy, over ripe fruit, super sweet vanilla, baked foody warmth, mulled boozy notes and very very faint hint of spice. Later: Absolutely an autumnal scent, it's snuggly and is what my kitchen often smells like in the Fall. Sadly, this is the type of vanilla that takes over everything and becomes absurdly sweet and cloying. Some soft musk sweetens the mix too. Summary: Thickly sweet vanilla syrup and musk with a soft, distant baked pear note and a faint sprinkling of edible spices. The vanilla dominates and most of the pear disappears as the spices emerge. Feminine. Strong throw and lasting power. Too sweet/vanilla-y for me.

In the bottle: Very pale yellow oil. Sweet, complex, intense floral. Immensely feminine and delicate, soft and rich but rather clean and fresh as well. Honeysuckle, carnation, lily, and rice flower. Wet: Less sweet, fresher and brighter. Almost a bit soapy with a cleaner edge as a result. Super sweet rice flower lightens, while carnation (the creamy sort) and fragrant, slightly heady honeysuckle amp. Lily holds, clean and gorgeous and not powdery. Dry: Dries rapidly. By far the strongest honeysuckle blend I've tried. The lily, citrusy fresh behind it, is beautifully distinct as well. The carnation, though softened, still provides a creamy base, along with the light but sweet rice flower. Soapy edge - maybe from the bluebonnet, which I'm not familiar with. Later: Arrgh, this is definitely going soapy, and fading rapidly overall. The honeysuckle has weakened tremendously, so it turning soapy in part would make sense, in addition to the bluebonnet. Lily has faded to balance carnation in control. Vanilla musk has crept out, blending sweetly with the soft rice flower. Summary: Creamy carnation, fresh, slightly powdery lily, heady, somewhat soapy honeysuckle, soapier bluebonnet, and faintly sweet, gentle musk and rice flower. All the notes appear and remain, but the blend loses steam over time and becomes increasingly soapy. Good throw, but weak lasting power. This is one of me to retry. It's similar enough to Victoria and The East that I'm not sure i need this one as well, especially as I like the others ones more, but I do love the strong honeysuckle stage. This could be one best used in a scent locket and applied to hair. If you like this, try: Tamamo-no-mae, Victoria, The East.

In the bottle: Colourless oil. Sweet, rich, slightly buttery dark chocolate. VERY much like ganache, and also the LE Dark Chocolate SN. Rich, gourmand, foody. Unisex, I'd say. Wet: A slightly sweeter and creamier version of Dark Chocolate, but only barely. Definitely the same note that's in DC and in Kali, but with smidgens of crystallized sugar and heavy cream. Very much fitting the description at this point - precisely. Dry: Very little morphing. This stays true and rich and natural. It's really only BARELY off from DC from what I can recall. The cream touch is barely there, but the sweetness seems a bit more apparent, and an increasingly strong note of vanilla which on me adds its own creamy sweetness too. Later: Over time, I smell some of the components more distinctly - deep cocoa powder, waxy-earthy, almost shea-like cocoa butter, amped vanilla, dark bar chocolate, boozy chocolate liqueur. The shea-like cocoa butter and vanilla notes are becoming cloying, verging on plastic. Summary: Earthy (almost like oakmoss or patchouli!), waxy cocoa butter and cloying, slightly fake vanilla over a lovely pure dark chocolate note. Possibly the cream is merging with the waxy or vanillic notes, but it doesn't smell like the cream in other blends, so it's different or has dissipated. Very strong throw, good last power. At first, this was a ton like SN Dark Chocolate, but the waxy/creamy/cloying notes which emerged are unique to this blend, and sadly took over on my skin. It's pretty foody, but in a way that is so specialized it's more gourmand. I don't think I'd wear DC even if I had a ton of it, and I wouldn't wear this, but it's by far the closest approximation, and comes very close indeed. If you like this, try: Kali, Bliss, Dark Chocolate SN

In the bottle: Sweet and spicy! The ripe juicy citrus fruits, nose-tingling pepper, slightly bitter, very earthy vetiver and smoky,herbal tobacco are distinct. Unisex. Wet: So sweet, almost vanilla-y - definitely very ripe orangey fruit with only light tartness. The pepper is a bit less harsh, while the tobacco has amped into a deep sexy note supported by the soft touch of vetiver. Dry: Still too peppery for me - which always smells savory-foody to my nose, which is a shame, as the tobacco has taken on a sweet depth reminiscent of leather, and the vetiver is that sexy earthy sort that reminds me of the best types of patchouli. The sweet citruses hold. Later: The pepper has faded, but so has pretty much everything else, and the leathery-ness of the tobacco is so distinct I think there may be actual leather in this. The only note that has held or amped is the vetiver, making this rather masculine, but still not overly bitter or dirty. Summary: Very faint sweet orange citrus, slick and darkly sexy, leathery tobacco, spicy black pepper, and earthy vetiver. Well balanced; unisex to masculine. I'd actually probably really love this without the pepper, and it'd be even better like that on a man. Decent throw but dismal lasting power. This is much how I'd love Crypt Queen without the black pepper. It's just not a note I like in perfume. *sigh*

In the bottle: Pretty much colourless oil. Warm, soft, sweet, and lightly spiced. Carnation, cassia, amber, saffron, cardamom, vanilla. A faint woody note. It's like sweet, creamy chai - not spicy at all. Or like Alice, without the rose and bergamot. Wet: Very light - definitely a slatherer. Carnation definitely jumps out first, and then the vaguely citrusy cardamom. This is creamy and warm, and very, very soft. Cassia and vanilla are faint and natural. Much more delicate and feminine than I had anticipated. Dry: More floral - the carnation here is more like the dianthus, soft floral sort, not spicy. This is SUCH a creamy and comforting scent, I feel like it envelops me in cashmere. Faint hints of incense now, but cardamom reigns, with lighter cassia and saffron below. I'd guess golden amber, vanilla and saffron provide the creamy depth. Later: This is a very stable oil - not a lot of morphing. I still think there is amber here, but it's not powdery. I do wish this had more throw - it's such a skin-hugger, and as is, smells very skin-like. The musk has emerged more noticeably and is very sexy and smooth, wrapping everything together seamlessly. Finally a bit of faint dry sandalwood. Summary: Sweet, creamy, luxurious chai, but not foody. It's very soothing and perfectly balanced - not too sweet, spicy, or incense. Floral carnation, softly spicy cardamom, saffron and cassia (NOT cinnamon), sweet vanilla and benzoin and warm amber, sexy smooth musk, and dry, slightly cedar like sandalwood in the distance, adding extra warmth. It is warm and exotic and magically creamy. Low throw but good lasting power. The sandalwood that emerges makes this a touch too dry for me (as it has a cedar-like tone) and this is just not my general style, but it's so gorgeous that I'd probably get a bottle otherwise. I absolutely understand why this is so popular, now!