Chaos Theory V: Recursive Self-Similarity v2

[gaai]

CVI

 

In the bottle I smell grass with the O-base.........very promising!

 

On wet and during dry down it goes from grass&honey through grass&lemon&honey to honeyed lemon.......it's gorgeous and perfect for late spring early summer!

 

 

 

[sfsassy]

This one is CTV: O CXXXII . Also a second hand forum purchase. Described as "Bright! Lime and O. Slight tropical vibe"

Pretty accurate. I would add that I get a creamy cream soda lime vibe too. another winner!!!

[astarinel]

CCXXXIII:

 

In the bottle, this has some prominent weird minty thing going on. I'm going to call it sort of herbally mint with menthol? It overwhelms everything else.

 

Once on my skin, however, this minty thing immediately fades. Like magic! The scent left behind is definitely an O base, but it smells like it also has the creamy beeswax from Hanerot Halalu mixed in. It definitely reminds me of HH, but without that citrussy olive aspect, and with a darker musky honey from the O. It's also missing the smoke, with that touch of something resinous. Maybe more or a different amber? Or something like myrrh?

 

It's nice, but as I have a bottle of HH and a bottle of O already, it's too similar to stuff I already have to warrant keeping.

Edited April 3, 2009 by astarinel

[kohaisama]

CIV:

 

In the imp: smells like O

 

Wet: violets & honey

 

Dry: violets, rose and honey and it's very close to the skin.

 

 

CXV:

 

In the imp: something sweet like candies

 

Wet: Watermelon jolly rancher!

 

Dry: Fresh cut grass, rose leaf and a touch of rose maybe. Good throw.

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

CXV:

 

I agree with the above review of this O CT. It smells like watermelon candies, which I would guess is O plus hibiscus. In any case, this is summery tropical honey goodness. I likey!

 

:love!:

[lothien]

CXV:

 

I agree with the above review of this O CT. It smells like watermelon candies, which I would guess is O plus hibiscus. In any case, this is summery tropical honey goodness. I likey!

 

:love!:

Three in a row! Summer was the first thing this one reminded me of, too. I haven't had a BPAL with hibiscus, yet, to compare, but that would make sense.

Very nice for sundress weather!

Edited April 3, 2009 by dragonsidhe

[faylie]

LIV

 

This is such a beautiful blend. At first it smelt like strong O with a bit extra vanilla, now after a few hours it has a slight touch of black musk to it on top of the vanilla. although it is quite similar to the original O it is so much better as I don't tend to wear O as it is. I couldn't have asked for better, it's like they took O and tweaked it to be made perfect for me. I think this will age really well too.

[Victory]

CLXXIV (174)

 

The bottle itself smells like O, but really there's very little O inside. Wet, it's a sweet (maaaaybe honeyed) rose, but dry, this is a total retread of Gladdener of All Hearts. Whatever it is that makes that smell like chalky candy is in this. I mean, it's an amazing replica. I loved the note list of Gladdener, so if I'd had a list of notes, I'd probably have bought this too, but. You know. Chalky.

[marared]

CLXXXI (181)

 

In the bottle: strawberry! Reminds me a lot of Pumpkin V, very sweet but not quite so cloying.

 

On my skin: buttery strawberry. Perfect for a sunshiney spring day like today. After a couple minutes it's not quite so sweet or buttery and ... suddenly disappears from my skin altogether, except for a very faint hint of amber. Huh.

 

Edit: changed my mind. It's not strawberry. It's cherry, perhaps mixed with something else, but it's a darker fruit than strawberry. Still intensely buttery and fruity on first application.

 

Second edit: with a heavier application, it dries down to a sweet amber that's very reminiscent of Khrysee (although it's very different when wet) and lasts for quite a while.

Edited April 5, 2009 by marared

[riflmom]

CCVII -

This started out flowery when wet, but on drydown that disappeared (did I imagine it?) and I'm left with a very elegant O with some sweet warmth behind it. Is it chocolate? nutmeg? musk? Don't really know, but I'm loving it!

[aedes]

CCVI

 

I get linen and/or cream, which is a shame because my skin chemistry (or maybe my nose) turns both of those into rancid white ick. But someone who likes White Rabbit or Alice or something else with linen/parchment/cream in it will prolly love this.

[fortytricks]

CLXXIII

 

It's very creamy in the bottle. On my skin, it's LEMON . Oh dear, lemon does not like me.

 

As it dries, the lemon doesn't turn to pledge as it usually does on me, but it overpowers the initial creaminess. There's maybe a touch of something floral in here? I can barely detect the O underneath it.

 

This could be very pretty, I think, but not on my skin. I believe this one is a swap.

[Little Bird]

I had a friend send me decants from her Chaos bottles, but she said that she couldn't make out what numbers they were.

 

In the vial, this really smells nothing like O. It's been a long time since I've tried O, but I know that it didn't smell like a mix of dry grass & green grass, lol. There's something like sharp, bitter, dry herbs in here as well.

 

On my skin, this reminds me of some of the MVJBA blends. Dry, grassy qualities with a hint of sweetness. It smells grainy, and perhaps there's a hint of apple in here somewhere.

 

As it dries down, this is soft, slightly honeyed grains & drying meadow grasses. I might be smelling a hint of a clean, springy floral in here as well. It's really pretty, and gets more of a clean feel to it (but not soapy) over time.

 

Surprisingly, this has been one of my favorites of the Chaos decants I've tried so far, though I don't think that it smells anything like O.

Edited April 6, 2009 by Little Bird

[ouch!]

LXVII (67) (I think...some of it has rubbed off)

 

Oh no I got one I'm not crazy over, this is heavy on florals, and O sits behind. The florals are lovely nonetheless..I'm trying to figure out what it is. There is a fresh element to this too. And a bit of powder. The wet stage is not really for me.

 

The whole blend softens alot in the drydown stage, and it turns a whole lot prettier, still that floral/powder element..and the O is coming forward a bit more. This is much more to my liking but I can't see me grabbing this to wear often. The honey gets stronger still as more time passes and it's an even mix of honey, flowers and powder until it fades on me.

 

[devilbunnyart]

O CT CCXLII:

This first one smells very flowery and that breaks my heart a little. (I'm not a floral fan.) I don't wear florals and can only identify a few floral notes easily and this isn't any of those. Probably a complex blend of notes I'm not familiar with. Possibly some jasmine in there, but I'm not certain. I can only barely pick out the O in the background.

 

I don't think I can keep this one, which makes me sad. It's not my style at all.

 

 

 

O CT CCXIX:

in bottle:

Smells like something fresh and clean in the bottle. A little sharp, Green and pleasant. Maybe aloe or something sort of like a nice cucumber/melon shampoo. Reminds me of something like Green Phoenix, but I like this better.

 

on skin:

The scent softens a good deal on the skin, but my impression remains about the same. I don't smell O at all in this. I'm hoping that aspect strengthens a bit over time.

 

This one's a keeper. Will be lovely summer scent...in the same general category as scents like 51, Green Phoenix and That!. Surprised that I don't smell the base scent in these as much as I was expecting. Interesting.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Jennifer Rodgers

[cuervosueno]

I have bottle CCXXX....at least I think so. It is true the ink rubs off of these pretty much immediately.

 

I was very eager to try this and was on my way to work when I picked up the mail, so I pretty much just put some on, and what I got was O plus a bright note which I couldn't figure out. At first I thought it was frankincense, but I don't think it is. It is a bright, almost citrus note which quickly fades, and the scent begins to have a bit of a men's cologne phase, which worried me. But not to worry--O pretty much overwhelms that quickly, and what I'm left with is a brighter and cleaner version of O.

 

I tried it again at home, trying to figure out the very familiar top note. Not frankincense. I KNOW what this is...but what? Sniffed it in the bottle after dinner and it was slightly O but mostly a bright, greenish note, and then...hmm...did I need to wash my hands? What was the wierd (and faint) onion-like scent? (I'd cut an onion for dinner). After a thorough washing, came back, and could still smell it underneath the bright greenery....Odd.

 

So I went to my cabinet of essential oils, because I figured the men's cologne note was either bergamot or oakmoss. And I think it actually might be both in here. I sniffed my very old, sludgy oakmoss oil in the bottle, and yep, it has a very very faint oniony note. But the bergamot is bright, slightly green and lovely, and of course both are a mainstay in men's cologne.

 

So it wouldn't seem like this would all work together, but it does, beautifully. The bergomot is bright and adds a freshness to the heavy sexiness of O, and the oakmoss grounds it, gives it a very vaguely aquatic note. But O is so strong and sweet that on me, it quickly overwhelms and I'm left with a gorgeous, sexy sweet O that is more bright than the ohmygod sex of O on it's own.

 

It's like O, but better and brighter and more golden. I really really like it, and several people commented on how good I smelled today.

 

Oh, and I compared it to Faiza the Black Mamba, which has amber and bergamot and oakmoss, and I'd say they are definately in the same family, though the jasmine in Faiza overwhelms which doesn't happen in my lovely O CT.

 

Yay! I like it!

 

eta: got to say that I really think there is a resin in this, probably frankincense. I'm sure of the bergamot and pretty sure of the frankincense, not sure of oakmoss. On my t-shirt, this retains its brightness, and the bergamot/resin combo is very clear, very bright and golden. Lovely!

Edited April 9, 2009 by cuervosueno

[obsidienne]

My CT5: V2 (O) was marked "LV", but some of it may have rubbed off. It turned out quite odd in that there is almost no O at all; only the faintest hint of vanilla seems to show up.

 

When I first put it on, there's an impression of strong florals, fruit, and of pale pale musk or something else. It is overall a very powerful blend, with a lot of throw. The overall effect is a wet fruit & florals sort of thing. I can't say these are in the same notes category (I have NO idea!), but this blend reminds me somewhat of Chuparosa or Moon Rose in some respects, perhaps the florals? That said, I am AWFUL at accurately determining any notes I am not already extremely familiar with. So. Worst review ever.

 

Edited for an updated impression.

Edited July 5, 2009 by obsidienne

[naeelah]

CVIX - this one is like a cross between O and Aries '07. It isn't half as sweet as plain O. The oil has a pale orange-red tinge and I think it contains dragon's blood. There's something that goes straight to my sinuses. The jury is still out on what it is, but it fades as it dries.

 

The strongest note is a light, clean but sweet floral. Maybe honeysuckle or orange blossom. There's definitely a little dragon's blood, and as the blend dries, I can smell more of the amber and vanilla, which combine to form a nice, round, golden, slightly sweet core. There's a little bit of waxy honey.

 

I'm still not sure what the sinus piercing note was. I initially thought something like pepper or cardamom, but the more I sniff it, the less I feel like there's any spice. There's something a tiny bit fuzzy about the blend that gets stronger and stronger over the next couple of hours. Definitely some kind of resin, I think frankincense.

 

This is really lovely. It reminds me a lot of Khrysee, but softer and sweeter. And with frankincense.

Edited April 9, 2009 by naeelah

[VioletChaos]

it's almost rubbed off, but i think the number is CCLXXXVIC...maybe?

 

in the bottle: omg BUTTERSCOTCH! seriously, people. straight up butterscotch. good goddess, what a treat!

 

wet on skin: it's changed slightly, with the butter getting replaced by honey a bit.

 

dry down: this is honey butterscotch, pure and simple. i feel so unbelievably lucky!!!

 

 

bottle # CCCII

 

well, it's hard to follow an act like that first bottle i just reviewed, and while this one can't be put in the same catagory, this one is rather lovely.

it's more of a honeysuckle as opposed to the rich honey of standard O, and there's just a *hint* of something floral, adding to the honey suckle idea.

i will totally be wearing this one through all the warm months for sure, and that top butterscotch one whenever i want to make other people swoon

[naeelah]

The O bottles from my decant circle:

 

CCXLVI: a tiny amount of O + leather, red musk

 

Smells like leather with a hint of cherry and just a little O. As in the other O chaoses so far, it has been much softer, waxier, and less sweet for me than pure O.

 

Once dry it's almost a leather single note. It's a cool leather just like in Western Diamondback. In the bottle it smells a little like cough medicine because of the cherry, but the cherry vanishes into the ether as soon as I put it on. (It has taken me several tries to even guess that it's there.)

 

It's actually pretty cool, if you like leather. Since the O isn't very strong, it just adds a faintly sweet, waxy edge to the leather note. A warmer, rounder De Sade. Or, a version of Western Diamondback for people who don't like Snake Oil.

 

ETA 5/6: I no longer feel like there's cherry in this. But I do get a suggestion of red musk, so this is rather like Krampus crossed with O.

 

CCLVIII - O + white musk, dust? white linen? the ghost of frankincense

 

I really can't place much in this. It has white musk for sure. On the whole it has a bright, dusty quality, and it's very white. There may be some kind of white floral, but the blend isn't floral. There's a slightly smoky note in the background.

 

This one sounds like it would be vile, but somehow, it works. I think it's kind of musty and awful for about 10 minutes but it settles into a lighter, clean smelling O. The O-ness actually gets stronger as it dries, now, so the longer I wear it, the better I like it.

 

Reminds me of Eshe.

Edited May 7, 2009 by naeelah

[topaz]

CCXLIX (249)

 

This one definitely has an O base. I can smell some green herbs but nothing I can identify...just a touch of, well, "green". There is some citrus in the background too. Must be lemon or grapefruit because it is a bit tart. I get some skin musk on the dry down too. This is fresh, clean and stays close to the skin. I can understand all the reviews where scents smell like "me, only better" because that's what this one does.

 

Keeper :love!:

[greenranger]

CCCXXVIII

 

If I read the number correctly, since it is smudged.

 

O and something fresh...There's a flower here, but, not one I can instantly identify. There's pollen, and spring...Plus honey and amber.

 

For a non-floral person like me, this is actually pretty nice. It's mostly the vanilla amber and honey with just a hint of some not overdone flower. I don't feel like I am being whacked over the head with a bouquet, but rather presented with a single bloom picked from a garden rather than purchased from a florist.

[schackjj]

CCXXXV (235)

 

The love child of O and Milk Moon. MM makes me turn as green as a landlubber in choppy seas. I'm rehoming this sucker ASAP.

Edited April 15, 2009 by schackjj

[lothien]

CLXVI

 

The first thing this reminds me of in the imp and wet, is lemon-lime Bottle-Caps candies, but more lime, and with honey for sweet instead of sugar. It's almost effervescent! It's very pleasant on this unexpectedly bright Spring day.

 

It settles down and blends nicely. Maybe a green tea back there somewhere? I'm still not getting flowers, which is good. The O isn't dominant here - the skin musk doesn't take on the dirty smell I sometimes get from it. It's greener than I usually like, but it's got that thing that tells me I should keep it: I will wake up on a summer morning and say "ooh, lime bottle-cap O sounds yummy!" I look forward to seeing how it ages.

A little goes a long way, but it's refreshing and not too sweet or heavy, but also not so light and girly that it doesn't feel like "me."

 

One I'll hang onto!

 

[PlasticBlue]

XXXIV

 

In the bottle: wet greenery. No O in sight.

 

On wet: Wet, rotting greenery with massive throw. Still no sign of O.

My mom's reaction is "Bleargh! Smells like pine trees, and not the good pine trees!" She says the smell is making her sick.

Oddly, the cats don't seem to mind it.

 

After 10 minutes: No change.

 

After 1 hour: No change.

 

After 3 hours: Ah, there's the O at last. My mom agrees that now it smells nice, but really, taking 3 hours to get there?

 

Verdict: It's funny, usually I like greens and aquatics, but something here just didn't like me at all, which is a shame as I really like O. What a disappointment!

Let's hope I have more luck with my next dip into the O well...