alianthe

In the imp: high and light and pretty, with a quite floral overtone. On my skin: FLORAL! AHHH, here comes the ravening flower monster!!! Conclusions: I was hoping that wouldn't happen. Occasionally, the florals can be overcome... this time, nope, my skin did its normal thing and took that nectar and AMPED it. Loudly. Le sigh.

In the imp: Juicy and fruity! The strongest note is melons, with a hint of sharp white topnote, and a blend of darker warmth (dragon's blood?) with more juicy juicy fruit underneath. On my skin: At first touch, the pine swims up to the surface, pulling the narcissus behind it, and floats around on top of all that fruit juice. Then, they build a canopy of the dragon's blood. After a while, they fall back under the lychee and bamboo, and the other fruits eventually equalize. The end result is round and yellow and fruity like a cross between a treefruit and a bouncyball. On me at final drydown, there's an unpleasantly sour backnote, like fruit juice gone bad (but not sharp like it's been fermenting). Conclusions: Juicy! Not what I would've thought of as earthy, and definitely not (to my western city sensibilities) very ratty. But definitely grounded and playful and forward-moving and abundant and... well, it smells kind of lucky. So it's definitely a good new year scent for our active and pioneering little friends. Fairly high throw, though it appears to disappear close to my skin fairly quickly and linger in a cloud around me instead. Quite unusual! Personally, it would work best on me as a locket scent, and I wouldn't reach for it every day, so I'm glad I got a decant and passed on the bottle. However, if you love Titania, you should really try some Earth Rat.

In the imp: Sharp and high, almost piney, with a bitterness that is bright (shiny!) in character. Underneath is just a hint of a thread of a smidgen of sweetness. Sharply and gratingly unpleasant, but strangely attractive. On my skin: Starts out burstingly sweet and sharp and almost woody. Definitely getting the fruityness, but it doesn't quite smell like actual fruit. After a while it gets woodier and less sweet, and finally settles down to a soft, orangy (color, not fruit) musky woody warmth. Conclusions: Definitely a keeper! The idea of mixing vetiver with sweetie fruits and musk was a very good one - it's not so bitter it bites you, not so sweet it amps up and becomes tooth-rotting on me, and has a delightful depth and well-blended dichotomy of character.

You probably already know this, but I thought I'd mention it, in case. While the currently in-use search engine says that it will default to searching multiple words in the database as AND ("vanilla brains" returns any record that has both "vanilla" AND "brains"), a search I did yesterday (the 25th) showed that the results still come up as OR ("dragon amber" returns any record that has either "dragon" OR "amber" (or "ambergris") in the name OR description). Thanks for leaving it capable of searching all scents, not just the available ones, by the way! Also, I am really looking forward to being able to specify whether I want to search AND or OR (and possibly NOT). I recall you mentioned it, and I just want to say "yes, please, thankyou!" Is there a way for us to communicate that desire with the search engine now, or is it in development? PS - I realize you're doing this part time, so I'm not trying to be pushy, just put my say out there for when you get a chance to get to it. Thanks for all the work you do!

Almond milk, sarsaparilla, tobacco smoke, black patchouli and white pine bark. In the imp: Sweet and sharp and orangy. The pine comes to the front, melding with the almond and sarsaparilla behind it. Thankfully, the two iffy notes in this blend - tobacco and patchouli - aren't coming forward. On my skin: The sharpness of pine receeds in time, leaving a woody/spicy, but round rather than sharp, warmth. The tobacco smoke is NOT touching off my cravings (thank goodness!), nor am I being assaulted by patchouli - they appear to be playing nicely for a change! The almond and sarsaparilla lend a sweetness and roundness to the scent, without moving it to the realm of foodiness. Perhaps it's the lingering woody/smokiness. All in all, a delightfully warm and vital scent. Conclusions: Practically no throw (on me, that's no surprise), with medium lasting power - I could barely smell it on my wrist 6 hours later, but it was definitely there. Glad I got the decant. Debating on getting a full bottle, as purse strings are tight lately.

In the bottle: Spicy! Winter spices, mostly nutmeg. It's not in the description, but nutmeg is what I'm getting here, with a blend of balsam and cypress, and a darker backnote. Very winter-spicy-woodsy. On my skin: The amber musk comes up and wraps around the spicy-woodsyness, blending them in together. The result is dark and spicy and sinuously inviting, with an uncompromising sharp-bitter edge. There is enough similarity in the bottle to Samhain '07, which touched off a migraine, but it didn't happen with Mort de Cesar. This is almost as I would expect the demons of The Hallows to smell, but reassuring instead of frightening. That's probably the woods coming through. Not sure why, but today I want to bathe in it. Conclusions: Delicious! A warming and bracing winter scent, perfect for days like today. Very glad I bought the bottle after reading the reviews. ETA: name of scent that made headache

In the imp: Sweet, sharp, with glittering bright notes over a dark depth. Incency, but also bright and spicy. On my skin: Patchouli! Overwhelmingly patchouli, wiping out every other note. Medium to high throw, which is hard to produce on my skin. And very very PATCHOULI! Conclusions: Oh so dissapointed Who knew I'd amp patchouli?

In the imp: Light, sharp, woody & herbal. Very refreshing, but not terribly bewitching. On my skin: Juicy! Extremely fruity. It's very... juicy berries, with a bit of musk underneath, drawing you down. Note to self: do not get perfume on lip when sniffing. Yuckyuckyuck! But, that's how glued to my hand I was! Conclusion: Yum! I'm sniffing someone else's, but I think I want an imp of this myself.

In the imp: Light, floaty, very tea-rosey floral. Drydown: Powdery. Himself said "it smells like a daycare center I used to go to." To me... it's a light, pretty, powdery floral, edging towards slightly bitter. Definitely getting some of the "debauche" here. No throw. Disappears in about 30 minutes flat. To be honest, since it shares a name with a woman who stalked me (in the scary, creepy way, not the SW way) as a child, I'm actually relieved not to have fallen in love with. Conclusions: A pretty floral. Not really my thing, but glad I got to sniff it.

Sweet, juicy, sugared plums. There's not a lot more to say about this, really. It's just candied plums.

In the bottle: Bright and sunny, spicy, hot, like sun beating down on your face. On my skin: Mm, spicy! Warm and round. Definitely smelling the cedar. At the trail-down, it's mostly cedar, with a little sweetness and a little amber. Soo glad the flowers didn't come out as much. Conclusions: A good, light summer blend. But, I'd wear it in a locket on winter days when I'm craving sunshine.

In the imp: Mmmm, warm and sweet and round and sensual, with something high and bright and golden yellow on top. On my skin: The first hit is amazingly sexy, hot, sweet and skin-musky. After a while, though, it settles into my skin in such a way that it's barely there, but in the same way that a little negligé is barely there. Definitely getting some of the daemonorops and honey, and the amber is there but not running the show. Conclusion: I think I might need a bottle, just to see how it ages. Fresh in the imp it's lovey, as well. Definitely a keeper. ETA: I've come to refer to this as the perfume that "smells like lesbian sex." It's as female-sexy as Br.om B.ones is male-sexy. Also, quite potent.

In the bottle: Herbal, a little juicy, with a floral note that feels sort of half-smelled, like how you can't really see a blacklight and can't hear a dog whistle at all because they're out of your sensory range. Sort of like that. On me: How do I describe this?! Herbally florally juicy, but in a different way than it was in the bottle. And, which of these descriptors is more prominent is a thing that changes from time to time as it's worn. I'm actually shocked, now that I read the description of the notes, at how well the freesia and gardenia play together with my skin, considering that I tend to turn sweet florals into stomping slobbering rampaging flower monsters. When he first smelled it, Himself said that it was lovely and he liked it, but it smelled like "somebody else," as in somebody who wasn't me. And, I'll grant him that it's not for every day, but it's delightful on days when I'm feeling a little off-kilter. Personally, I like it. Conclusions: Delightful, light, pretty, and yes, a bit mad. Stays close to the skin, but lasts a while.

In the bottle: Warm spiced caramel popcorn, steamy hot and delicious! With other, sinuous side notes. Hot, round, silken, red-gold, delicious, languid. If it wasn't a Bad Idea [tm] to eat perfume, I'd want to slurp this stuff down. On my skin: Immediately it changes! Sharp, spicy, cooler, and smokey. The various notes rise and fall. Tobacco surfaces for a moment, then is brought down in the swirl of satin skirts and dusky knowing laughter. There's a little luscious berriness, but it's brought down as well. Finally, I'm left with just a breath of warm swirling smoke and spices, the memory of debauchery. I think I'll wear it more in the locket than on my skin, but both incarnations are incredible. Conclusions: Ohhhhh yeeeeeeaaaaaaah. That's what I'm talkin' about, baby. (Picked up a 5mL at Will Call, and SO glad I did.)

In the imp: Definitely smelling the grapefruit! But it's extra bitter, almost like somebody was zesting it and went a little too deep into the quick. Also smelling some of the bitter components of the jasmine, but thankfully not the sweetness (because I amp sweet like nobody's business). I took a chance on the jasmine because I'm such a lover of amber, musk, and citrus. Rose can go either way on me. On my skin: Still smelling the bitterness, alongside a spritz of citrus brightness, but it's starting to mellow out. Definitely getting more of the floral now, but the amber isn't very apparent. It's bright and light, sharp and pretty, and WAY more floral than I expected. But then, I do amp that up. After a while, the musk comes out a bit more. But mostly, it's a light and lovely citrusy floral, with depth. Conclusions: Definitely good for somebody who likes pretty, light, happy floral scents, and likes citrus. They're playing pretty nice together, but it just doesn't smell very... me. I guess I need to stick with Egyptian amber and darker musks, and keep steering away from the florals.

In the imp: The first thing I noticed is a high, sharp, green herbally scent that immediately reminded me of October and Oberot (two of my favorites!): that really unpleasant note in the bottle that resolves to something so incredibly wonderful on my skin. So from the beginning, I'm hopeful. Next to that: fresh florals, like in a florist's shop rather than sniffing a tropical flower. Under that... more of the same, light and bouyant and fresh and pretty. I'm not getting a hint of the amber, but maybe a teensy edge of the vanilla-yness, and none of the beeswax. Nope, just pretty and fresh florals. On my skin: This goes through a lot of transformations. High and sharp, then unpleasantly green (rather than pleasantly green), and finally duskily but pretty floral. It ends up quite lovely, although probably not something very consistent with my identity. However, I'm starting to warm up to it. At which point, BAM! Quickly-descending headache. Conclusions: Not another headache inducer! Good thing I just bought a new bottle of GRR... ETA: Wow does it have staying power! I've scrubbed it 4 times...

In the imp: Round and warm, and sweetly floral. I can see what she means by "opaline notes," and it's really the only accurate description. All together, it's... pale and shining, at once round and sharp. Something there on the side that worries me, though. I'm beginning to feel a little nauseous. On me: Those opaline notes went... weird. White like coconut. But it's ghastly, sticky sweet rotting coconuts. Like, I'm expecting to see maggots. I'm so sad! I thought amber couldn't go wrong on me, and I *love* ozone, but between the sweetness of the flowers and... I'm not sure what else. I couldn't stand it all the way to drydown, to be honest. It made me feel ill, and my gentleman sneeze repeatedly. Yes, it's almost kind of rubbery... but also like sugared decomposition. Conclusions: An unhappy surprise: one for the swaps box.

Extremely medicinal, and very reminiscent of old-time sore-muscle salve. Hello, eucalyptus! That said, it works very well, particularly in the massage oil form. When I'm really bound up, besides rubbing it in to the achey muscle, I find a couple of drops in a hot bath does wonders. It is the perfect thing after a long day in the garden. Goodbye aches!

This scent is just delightful. Minty and clear, sweet and light. Very uplifting and soothing at the same time. One of my favorites to turn to for relief of minor tension headaches and sleep deprivation muzziness. Like other reviewers have said, this is not for heavy-duty killer migraines, but it's great at stopping a minor tension headache from becoming a crushing migraine.

Lathers up wonderfully, leaves my skin feeling soft. When treated properly in a well-drained soap dish, this soap is lasting a looong long time, which is good, because I love it. Kumiho is one of my favorite BPALs, and the soap smells just like the oil, to my nose. It's a little softer and more subtle, but just as light and bright and clearing and delicious. An absolutely delightful way to get clean.

I was delighted to find that the notes in the oil that go "off" when I wear the perfume don't come to the front when I'm using the soap. Nope, for me it was all luscious lather, mocha goodness, oh-so-soft skin, and a little coffee zing. I swear, I felt just a little low-dose caffeine zip after using this in the shower, and that was before I knew there was coffee in the bar. All in all, it's my favorite morning shower soap.

In the bottle: Warm and welcoming! Hot beeswax candles, some but not all of them blown out, a little fruity, a feeling of warmth and friendliness. Community? So much of this blend bypasses my scent analyzing capabilities and hits me straight in the emotional subjectivity. If it wasn't for the fairly forward element of blown-out candles (an odor I've never much enjoyed), I would really like it a lot. ETA: I've decided to age it a bit more to see if the amber comes out as more than the warm, friendly aura it seems to contribute fresh.

Black amber erupting with a dark volcanic surge of fiery dragon's blood and a burst of melati, rose geranium, mandarin and black currant. In the bottle: dark and delicious, burning red and resinous. On me: Hot amber rock candy. Yes. Jaw-breakingly hard, tooth-achingly pure and sweet, amberlicious candy, warmed but not melted on a fire-heated stone. Not spicy: hot and RED and sticky sweet. It's more a taste than a smell, and I want to suck on some amber candy now! THIS is what red "hot" candies should taste like (cinnamon candy has always dissapointed me on that score). Conclusion: SOOO glad I bought a bottle before it came down. I hoard my imps, and jealously guard my bottle, for this is the first time that my skin's tendency to wring out and present every possible molecule of sugar has been a boon. Lip-smacking, jaw-cracking delicious. ETA: spellcheck.

In the bottle: sweet and resiny-spicy, with a hint of sharpness and a warm round behind. A quite complex blend. On me, drydown phase: It starts with a bit of a clamour, and definitely takes its time to calm down. The myrrh is warring with my skin's predeliction for turning heady florals into rampaging slavering flower monsters. Amazingly, the floral seems to have been shouted down (thank goodness) by strident myrrh and surprisingly uncompromising sandalwood. I'm thinking argument between priestesses in a twilit temple, for some reason. The amber seems to be looking on in amusement, unseen in the background. I am a big fan of amber, what can I say? Other than O, which I am aging in the hope that it improves, I haven't met an amber blend I didn't like. I'm not sure of the age of this imp, but I'm amazed at how little the amber character seems to be coming out, given my skin's normal temperment. In fact, I can hardly tell it's there at all. If it weren't for earlier argument, I probably wouldn't pick it out at all. Instead, the amber seems to be embracing and supporting the other notes. Nothing floral appears to be in attendance, amazingly. The resiny spice of myrrh is the focal singer in this blend, but it is supported by the sandalwood and the two are embraced and backed by the amber. The priestesses are now in a state of civility, if not complete and smooth accord. The result is harmonious, very spicy, and has sort of a... violet flecked with gold... forward, rich, and brash... velvety texture. On me, dry: Eventually, the amber embraces and cushions and slooooowly softens the harsh spiciness of this blend. At finish, it is rich and complex, and complete. Harmonious in the manner of a group of people who have their tensions and differences, but through time and experience have tempered themselves into a smoothly working team. At this point, the individual notes are indistinguishable within the whole, but each clearly lends its character to the blend. Mysterious, warm, rich, complex, resinously spicy, delicious. Conclusions: Oh, lovely! I think it gets beat out by The Lion when it comes to favorite quite power blends, but it's definitely a keeper imp. ETA: The more I sniff it on me, the more I like it.

Teehee, Dirty. I was GOING to mention Dirty, but I decided not to, since it was sort of off topic. Dirty to everybody else is clean and fresh, or laundry-soap floral. It is to my nose in the bottle, too. But when I put it on, it goes all misty-dusky-musky-gorgeous-sexy. Himself starts salivating, it's really cute. It's weird, because normally I amp florals to an uncomfortable level, but in this case I wouldn't think there's a single flower in the bottle. Maybe everybody else is wrong, or maybe it's just my freaky skin. So yeah... when I want to get seductive, I wear Dirty. When I want to feel clean and fresh, I wear Kumiho or sometimes Embalming Fluid. Also, Tempest! Holy rainstorm, Tempest! In the bottle it smells like impending rain. On me it smells like monsoon. It's fabulous, if you like aquatic scents. Which Tehriaz said she doesn't.