fairnymph

In the bottle: Sharp, fresh green floral; iris, I think? Wet: Definitely the dreaded iris, which smells to me a helluva lot like lily of the valley. It's amping incredibly so I can't smell anything else. Powdery-heady overkill. Dry: It's turned all sweet and sugary, on top of the heady powder, BLECH. I ran off to the sink with this one.

In the bottle: Hyacinth, lily of the valley, and hints of heliotrope and beeswax. Very green and a little sharp. Wet: Beeswax stronger (a caramel note on my skin as in Channukiyah), carnation, tiger lily and honeysuckle peek out. Hyacinth and lily of the valley dominating. Green-white floral. Dry: Wow, the carnation is really amping - carnation lovers take note! Still quite sharp, green, floral and strong. It's turning a bit powdery, and the beeswax has receded. Sadly, I have yet to detect any wild rose. Summary: Sharply green and floral - carnation, hyacinth, lily of the valley over a hint of amber and caramel-beeswax. Strong throw and lasting power.

In the bottle: Fresh, clean masculine cologne with ozone and musk. Mmm! Wet: Same. Good throw. It's amazing how clean this is to me without being soapy. It's a bit herbal and floral, too. And the ozone is sharp, I can see how it is 'metallic' but it's really NICE. Dry: Slow drying oil, and it amps as it dries. This reminds of Archangel Winter, Sea of Glass, and even Usher a bit - all slightly masculine but verging on unisex scents I love. But this is more manly. Summary: Sexy, manly musk, metallic ozone, herbs and a wee touch of flowers and woods make delicious, shower-fresh masculine cologne. Getting a bottle for the man in my life!

In the bottle: Herbs, citrus, and darkest patchouli. The sage and patchouli are almost terrifying. Wet: Yay, blackberry! Much fruitier. The sage is still very strong, but the patchouli has softened. The citrus is still light, but definitely lime-y. A light floral note. Dry: Dries very quickly. The sage takes on a sort of minty note; it's quite astringent. The blackberry and lime fade, and can only be detected close to the skin, while the floral note has disappeared entirely, such that the patchouli seems stronger again relatively. Summary: Sharp sage and patchouli. Raw and masculine, and too rough for me. Strong throw and moderate lasting power

This is a review of the 'original', older blend. In the bottle: Sparkling fruits. Like eisswein. Wet: Still sweet and sparkling, with hints of berries and grapes. Maybe a hint of something floral. Dry: It's sort of sweet and spicy now? Still not really getting any woods or flowers. This is nothing like I expected. It's also fading very quickly. Summary: Very faint sweet spice, with maybe a tiny hint of woods. Dismal wearlength.

In the bottle: Sweet, very lightly green but in a weird way I can't place, I swear almost minty. A hint of floral, light musk, light citrus. Wet: Much more floral, perfumey but not heady - it's a very clean floral. Muskier, as everything is on my skin. Still sweetness but it's milder; green/mint and citrus have mostly dissipated. Maybe the 'cleanness' is the 'aquatic notes' ? Dry: Fruit is coming out more, and I can smell the wild rose. It DOES have a sort of autumny scent - maybe the combo of freshness and fruit. Definitely a very feminine scent. There's an herbalness to this but it's not that green/sharp/fresh herby - it's very soft, soothing herby. The floral notes seem to be fading quickly on me which is strange because usually those are the notes that linger longest on my skin. Summary: It's mellowed to sweet, soft herbs and a smell I'd almost call incense-like. It's a nice scent, but not for me. Too sweet, not fresh and green and citrusy enough; it's a very soothing scent. Decent but not strong holding power.

In the bottle: Sugary florals. Hint of something aquatic and citrusy. Wet: Very faint. Floral, fruity-citrusy, much more aquatic. Less sweet. Definitely some rose. The citrus is much stronger on my skin -smells sort of like white grapefruit to me, and/or lemon. Dry: The citrus seems to be stronger, and has become slightly sour and bitter. I think there's some violet in this too. Summary: Rosy-floral over slightly powdery citrus.

In the bottle: Sweet apricot liquor. Spot on! Wet: Still that sweet apricot scent, but spicy too. Cinnamon, and a sharper spice, clove I believe. The spice is not too much, it's well balanced by the apricot. There's a hint of a smoky smell, that I actually like (usually I hate smokiness) - it's like the first wood smoke of autumn. Dry: The apricot-sweetness fades quickly revealing more of the spice, which is still lovely. Summary: Sipping apricot-brandy spiked mulled cider in front of a fireplace - I'm right there. I find this scent so completely evocative. This is NEVER a scent I would have thought to try, but it is actually delicious. I'm not 100% sure if it's something I would wear, though. Perhaps in late fall as a room scent?

In the bottle: Sweet, slightly earthy floral. Violet hits first, followed by ylang-ylang. Wet: Ylang ylang takes over on my skin. The violet and hyssop are delightful but hidden. I can tell this will go powdery, sadly. Off to the sink!

In the bottle: Green, fresh, and white-floral. Wet: Way more floral, but still some of that fresh-greenness.. Maybe a HINT of soapiness, in a clean not yucky way. Very classic-purefumey to me, feminine. Maybe that's the violet? I think my skin likes violet. I'm not getting any fruit or incense. Dry: The fruit is coming out now - weird! The floral is still strong but has become less overwhelming. Summary: White floral with hints of purple fruits. Quite nice! Very strong throw.

In the bottle: Honey, ginger, and milk! Slightly sweet and spicy. Wet: Pretty faint. The honey and milk notes are weaker. There's something a little herbal in this. Dry: Very faint, spicy ginger-milk. Fades SO fast. It's pretty foody, but not in a baked goods sort of way. Summary: Delicate ginger-milk. Soothing and yummy, but such low throw and dismal wearlength. Not really my style, thankfully.

In the bottle: Dry, sharp and planty - a little spicy too. Wet: Citrusy, fresher. The lavender in this is floral, not astringent. The mosses are deliciously earthy. Carnation is faint, but sexy. The amber isn't amping, keeping this balanced. Dry: Drier, more woody - the mosses and amber now dominate. Definitely quite masculine. Could be too dry-warm for my tastes. Summary: Sweet, warm amber over earthy moss and deep sexy musk. Hints of carnation and lavender. As I suspected, not my thing, but it settles very nicely.

In the bottle: Peach, bergamot, flowers (heliotrope?). Quite sweet. Wet: Still very sweet, candy-like. More musk and heliotrope. I can smell hints of the woodsy oakmoss too. The peach is the overwhelming note, however. Dry: This has softened to a light musky peach with a hint of oakmoss. I mourn the dissipation of the heliotrope. Fortunately the peach has faded alot on me, so it's not so much PEACH PEACH PEACH. Summary: Overall, the oil is much less potent, which is good in this particular case. At first I thought this was going to be way too foody/fruity for me, but peach is the one fruit that seems to be able to twist my arm...the musk and oakmoss ground the peach in the long run nicely, enough for me to stand the sweet, ripe fruit.

In the bottle: Incredibly, overwhelmingly sweet. Bubblegum and fruit. Grapefruit (the really sweet kind), and maybe berries. A hint of something sharp and green. Wet: Sharper, greener, less sweet - thank god. Fresher and cleaner but still pretty fruity. Mint coming out a bit. Grapefruit coming out more - ruby red grapefruit cocktail. Something else sweet, I think it must be the lotus? This is not boozy at all. There is barely any floral - I'd like a little more. Dry/Summary: It's faded alot, but otherwise is virtually the same as earlier - maybe a bit less sweet and a bit more floral

In the bottle: Apple cider and sweet buttery cake. Wet: Apple, peaches and spices, only a hint of cake. Mulling spices out the wazoo! Dry/Summary: The fruit has faded, the butter has come back...bizarre. Buttery spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Maybe even some allspice. Not my thing.

In the bottle: Foody-sweet (like a black currant pie) with lavender and musk. Wet: Very similar to in the bottle. It sort of reminds me of a tarter version of Fae. The lavender is much lighter on my skin. I'm not getting any resin. The ozone is like a weird tingly smell - very hard to describe, but I like it. It's zing-y. The musk is amping as usual. Dry: Tangy black currant, a hint of resin now, but it's not too heavy or dark, strong musk and grounding lavender - it's stronger than wet -with a zing of ozone. Summary: It's a very balanced and unique oil, but it's not grabbing me. Strong throw and lasting power.

In the bottle: Fresh, lively limey-citrus with some underlying spicy woods and a hint of something greeny-floral. Wet: Much the same, but spicier. I think that's the chocolate mint - it's very nice and not too much, giving a fresh coolness in addition to the spice. I can tell there are multiple citruses but the lime dominates. Pleasantly, this is not a very sweet blend. Dry: The tangerine and grapefruit emerge as the lime backs down a bit, and that greeny-floral note, which I think is in the geranium family, peeks out. The much beloved oakmoss is shining lightly through as well, providing a nice herbal-earthy foundation. This one's a wrist-sniffer for sure, and is delightfully balanced and intriguing. Summary: Cool, complex, herbal-woody citrus. Bottle buy. After a few hours, the oakmoss takes over on me, but I love oakmoss, and I can smell hints of the other notes, so it's okay. In the extended dry down, it reminds me heavily of 51. It's as if both SC and 51 have the same base, but one has citrus-mint top notes and the other has floral-fruit. They are versions cut from the same cloth, just slightly different shades.

Clearly, the Shunga line was made for me. This is the 5th blend I've tried, and the 4th bottle worthy. This update is slaying me! But it's SO DIVINE! *sigh* In the bottle: Sweet, fresh, slightly spicy floral. Honey and ginger and aquatic notes. Wet: Wow, amazing delicious musk. The vanilla flower is really delicate and soft and floral-feminine but not foody or cloying. VERY strong on the delicious honey. The osmanthus is a touch heady, but playing nice. The ginger is a fresh-sharp note, not a dry spice. Dry: Amazing throw! This is sweet and almost edible (cantaloupe?), but not quite foody. It's warm and fresh and feminine and soothing all at once. Definitely the most delicious, potent honey scent ever. All the notes blend in such perfect harmony. Summary: This stays true and strong for ages. Lovely honey, musk, and floral blend with a fresh ginger note and something fruity. It's a bright, golden, and enticing scent. Intricately blended. Try this if you like: Itaso Kansei Nenkan Joro No Fuzoku or Faiza, The Black Mamba.

In the bottle: Fresh, green, and woody. Yummy! Wet: A little minty and citrusy, I swear. It's a cool, aquatic scent. The moss, green sandalwood, and slightly boozy rice wine are prominent. A tiny hint of sweet tonka, but it's very light, more sparkling than foody. I'm not getting any tea. Dry: Nooooooo! It is going to toilet cleaner scent of doom! I wish I knew what note this was; something in the mint family, that much I know. The scent is also much more blended now, and softer; it's nearly impossible to pick out individual notes. Summary: Thank god, the minty doom was just a phase. In the final drydown the tonka really amps, turning this into slightly sweet, creamy tea & green sandalwood blend with a hint of rice wine. It's quite nice, complex and very unisex.

In the bottle: Sweet, sparkling, citrusy fruit. Wet: Floral (definitely apple blossom first, rose second) and headier. There's barely any lemon balm left. The champagne grape is very fruity, but not overly sweet. Dry: The lemon balm has reemerged, and it's a perfectly pitched citrus note. The rose has also amped significantly, matching the apple blossom in force. The sweet grape is still there, but it's overshadowed. Summary: After an hour or so some delicious musk emerges and dominates. The citrus and florals have faded substantially (the rose going a bit powdery), and the grape even more so. It's a slightly sweet, springlike fruity-floral musk. Low throw, and it fades very quickly. I'm hanging onto my decant, but I don't think this is a bottle buy for me.

In the bottle: Fresh, green and resiny; a little soapy and sharp. Wet: Softer and fresher; less medicinal. I can smell the carrot seed, benzoin, ambergris, and faint hints of orris root and orange blossom. I love the green scent, which is maybe the jonquil? Dry: Much more floral. The orange blossom has amped and the white rose, which I find a bit powdery, has emerge. I'm getting a tiny bit of citrusy lemon balm now. Ambergris has gone predictably soapy. Summary: Powdery, floral soap with a hint of orris root. Decent throw and lasting power.

In the bottle: Herbs and fresh, juicy nectarine, a hint oakmoss. Clean and aquatic. Wet: Very similar, but fainter. Lighter on the nectarine, sadly. This is a slightly green nectarine, not a fully ripe one. Overall, quite a green-herbal scent. Sadly low throw. Slow to dry. Dry: Okay this one takes ages to dry - wow. It's not morphing much, though a hint of faint musk has emerged. The oakmoss is quite light. Summary: The oakmoss emerged completely, the nectarine returned, and the musk is very light and natural. The throw stays very low, sadly, but the lasting power is excellent, so if I slather properly, all should be well. I adore all these notes so much...and it's a slatherer, so should I get 2 or 3 bottles? Egads!

This is a review of the 2007 version. In the bottle: Exactly like gingerbread! Amazing. On me: Too spicy for me though. Ginger is the only spice that actually works on my skin (and as a fresh not, not a spicy one); the clove, nutmeg and cinnamon in this are too much. Very strong throw and lasting power. The foodiness calms down enough for me, but I just don't like spice. Ah well!

In the bottle: Sweet herbal resin over ozone. Wet: Even more herbal, almost astringent. Some pine too. The ozone here is lighter than in say Archangel Winter or Mechanical Phoenix. Still quite sweet - must be the olibanum. Dry: The ozone is a bit more apparent, the pine has amped, and the olibanum has calmed down a bit. Still quite sweet. Summary: Sweet, almost fruity pine and frankincense with a whisper of ozone. Not particularly cold or masculine, imo.

In the bottle: Spicy-tart pomegranate. Wet: Tarter AND sweeter, fruitier, less spicy. A wee bit floral. Something incense-resiny underneath, but it's faint and not powdery. Dry: Soft, woodsy patchouli and black musk, wtf. With the faintest hint of pomegranate. Totally bizarre morphing! Summary: There was an incensey period I didn't like, but I liked the initial smell loads, and I do like the end result - though it's very similar to 51, which does the same thing (totally morphs, with final drydown woods and musk, despite different starting point). I think the pomegranate is stronger in Persephone than here, and also, I find this oil very weak in throw generally. It's a major slatherer. I get MANY compliments from both men and women when I wear this one. LOVE it. At one point I had 3 bottles...now only 2!