Chaos Theory V: Recursive Self-Similarity v1

[khazakant]

God, this is a strange one. What is in here? Patchouli, bergamot, grapefruit, blood? I'm getting a very strong aquatic feeling from it, a darker aquatic, and if I had to describe it would be Dorian watching on the shore as The Sea Foams Blood. This is an overcast beach in autumn. Melancholy, beautiful.

[angelamaria]

Either CCCLX or CCCIX, I'm not entirely sure which. I think it is more likely it is CCCIX.

 

This is...interesting. It's a far cry from Dorian, really. To me Dorian is a bit foody, mellow and smooth. This one is...not.

 

I can sense the Dorian base sweetening this up certainly, but over that--I would say "under that", but the non-Dorian-y qualities are front and center rather than the Dorianness--and that is SO a word, I say so--over that, there's a very striking resinous, almost incensey note.

 

Sadly, my nose is too inexperienced to really know what note/notes I am smelling. I think frankincense, or sandalwood, or leather, or all damn three. I don't know. SOMEthing.

 

This made me think about how I wanted Celeste to be this lovely soft vanilla-ey goodness with a touch of resins, but however it went reins with a touch of vanilla. That's what happened here. Also that resinous spiciness in Celeste? Tone it down, make it softer, and give it a manly punch, and that's what I'm smelling here.

 

You know how Jareth is like Dorian with leather? Crank that up a notch and add woods and a softly peppery feel and maybe a hint of smoke, and you've got this one.

 

It's actually pleasant, in a definitely masculine way. I'm almost tempted to keep this blend, just because I find it utterly fascinating, although I'd never wear it really.

[alterosen]

A few bottles that have passed through my hands lately & I don't think they've been reviewed here:

 

Dorian (unknown # ) lemon verbena & strong tea with a melony vanilla finish, brief brown sugar phase

 

Dorian CL (150) candy-coated fruits, possibly apples, berries, hint of melon - kind of pink feeling overall

 

Dorian CXC (190) lots of resins, incensey with a vanilla finish - this one also has a bit of a clean topnote at first that I find familiar but can't identify

Edited August 29, 2012 by alterosen

[Zii]

LXXX

 

Wet: HELLO CEDAR!! YOU ARE ALL I CAN SMELL AND I LOVE YOU YES GOOD.

 

Drydown: Still very very cedary on me. There's a hint of something creamy in the background, which must be Dorian, and there is some depth to the typically spicy cedar that may be Dorian's tea note, but it isn't obviously separated from the Cedar note.

 

Conclusion: I amp cedar to high heaven and this is just another case where it's drowning out most of the other notes. Fortunately, I have been in love with Beth's cedar since I first smelled it, and this has been glued to my nose since I tested it.

[zankoku_zen]

CCCLXL? (360) - This one is a slightly more mentholic Dorian with sassafras in it. It's not all that foodie/sweet, and its more sassafras than a rootbeer scent.

 

CCXCIII (#293) - This one is a Dorian with a fruity floral note in it that I wasn't able to identify. It was sweet, nondescript fruity floral to me.

 

 

Both Chaos bottles are the property of jewelbug

[jewelbug]

Posting because its just not right to not review your own chaos, and I see Zee-Zee beat me to it.

CCCLXL? (360): BOTTLE: smokey dorian?; WET: Smoked leather, perhaps some anise, and dorian--Black jellybeans and dorian? DRY: still smells a bit anisey but a wood note comes out--sassafras, maybe? Ends as a slightly darker dorian, sassafrassy, and maybe a touch of anise and leather (though I wonder now if that's just the sassafras?)?

CCXCIII (#293): BOTTLE: light rose + dorian? WET: sweet light floral (not sure if its rose, as I am not good at identifying florals, but if it is, its a light one), more florals than Dorian to my nose. There is something dry underneath, maybe a sage or one of the orreratory scents form DDLM? DRY: Dorian with gentle sweet rose and dry sage is my best guess.

[alterosen]

Another one CXXIV (#124):

The person I got this from thought it was Dorian & patchouli & I agree there's a little patch in here but overall I get an impression of golden woods & creaminess. Smooth yet rugged & sensual. On the masculine side but could be worn by wood lovers in general - I could easily see this belonging in a Shunga series.

[brineydeep]

XV

 

This on goes on fruity, I think it's pear. Drying down, it becomes pear tea with maybe a hint of spice. The sugar note in Dorian often overwhelms the rest on my skin, but that is not happening here. I surprisingly like this one.

[donkehpoo]

Dorian X(10) -

 

Wet: Vanilla, and something woodish.. oak, maybe? (It's definitely not my nemesis, cedar.) Dorian is lingering in the background.

 

Dry: This has become Dorian, with extra vanilla. There's some depth that I think the (supposed) oak note is adding. It is... glorious.

[alterosen]

Dorian CD (400)

Not too sure what I'm smelling here but I'll try: starts out with a something evergreen-ish (not pine, cyprus maybe?) could also also have some tobacco, then some nice sweet tea with a bit of a masculine edge. The fougere seems to come out at the end rather than at the beginning like with regular Dorian & is slightly sharp. It's sweet but the vanilla is mostly hidden. Reminds me a bit of Theodosius on the drydown so perhaps there's some bergamot, too. 

 

Dorian CDLXXIV (474) 

Citrusy fougere & fruity vanilla at first, little bit tropical (I want say pineapple, could be a citrus mix), quite sweet, lightly musky, vanilla finish, very pleasant for warm weather  

eta: Tried it again today & there's also a bit of faint carnation midway through. Hard to believe I didn't notice it previously but it doesn't last long before the musky sugared vanilla covers it up.

Edited August 19, 2019 by alterosen
updating

[monocainsheresy]

First character or two got rubbed off, ends in XVII

 

Very similar to Fate's Jester, but lighter and less foody. Definitely sugar and lemon, grounded by Dorian. Pretty sure there's ginger and maybe coconut, and the slightest hint of an oudh-y funk. A wee bit grassy. Summery, soapy, and tropical. Leans heavily toward the feminine side.

 

I like this very much, but I wish it was stronger! 

 

EDIT: after settling for about a week this is much warmer and muskier - this is an autumn scent more than it is a summer one!

Edited September 3, 2019 by monocainsheresy

[alterosen]

A couple more:

 

Number very faint: appears to be CDXCXV which is nonsense as Roman numerals but works to identify it.

Resins, some cedar, then frankincense galore. Dorian has been completely overwhelmed There's maybe a tiny bit of musky vanilla lurking way in the background if I really huff my wrist but it's mostly a resin-fest.  

(edited to add: tested again & once it's dry I get spiced vanilla)

 

Number mostly rubbed off but there's a V under "self" in the Recursive Self-Similarity V printed on the label.

Citrusy tea with tropical flowers. Not a sharp white floral but something creamy & glamorous. Don't think it's gardenia or tuberose because I tend not to like those. Doesn't seem like jasmine either but it could be one of the well-behaved varieties. Gets a bit fruitier as the vanilla warms up but I can't pin it down to a specific fruit. I quite like this blend even though I don't know what's going on  Languid warm weather vacation in a bottle!  

 

Edited September 27, 2020 by alterosen

[torikitty]

Chaos Theory V: Recursive Self-Similarity v4 - Snake Oil series - CCLIX (hard to tell, it's smudged)

 

It's Snake Oil, but maybe a tiny bit cleaner. Or there's a woodiness that is cutting through the sweetness to tamper it? Very, very nice!

[alterosen]

DXLIV (544, recent purchase from ETSY)

 

First impression: a purpley pink fruity/floral. I'm guessing grape or plum with maybe a hint of gardenia. A bit of citrus, too. As it dries, the fruit changes to berries & a mild incense-y/smoky note develops. I'm starting to sense a little Dorian in the background - some fougere & vanilla overlaid by the smoky purple notes.

Edited September 27, 2020 by alterosen

[alterosen]

Dorian (starts with CD so it's 400 something but the rest is too smudged)

Beginning is strong tea/citrus with a whiff of something off-putting.  Maybe a hint of oudh, not poopy exactly but ever so slightly rank, kinda like leftover water from an old flower arrangement. Fortunately that note fades fast & the citrus becomes predominately bergamot: orange-y, slightly sharp. My husband thinks there's some rose here but I don't sense it. The drydown is vanilla musk with a citrus that is a little bitter. Intriguing.  

 

Dorian CDIII (403)

Dorian with sweet strawberries and lots of white musk. Simple but good. I love this one!

 

Dorian CDVIII (408)

Hint of evergreen, then nice strong Dorian vanilla musk. Maybe a bit of moss. This seems a bit more masculine than regular Dorian but still fairly unisex and is perhaps a little less sweet.

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by alterosen

[LavenderCoffee]

I just acquired Bottle 557 (DLVII?) from Etsy. As others have mentioned, these were numbered with silver pen on a black label and it seems to have faded a lot over the years.

 

I'm calling this one Sailor Dorian, as it is full of, but not dominated by, aquatic goodness. In the bottle this reads as a salty sea breeze, but freshly applied on my skin there is no salt. It waves in the direction of Irish Spring soap but never goes all the way there - I think this is due to how it has blended and aged alongside the Dorian notes. I've never smelled Dorian straight up, but there is a warm, sweetened vanilla tempering the light marine experience. It's definitely not one of the foreboding deep sea scents, and any strong resemblance to Irish Spring is gone after 10 minutes or so. Now I feel like I am smelling the captivating scent of Dorian sans sailor cap, and the sea is in the background. Ahoy! 

[forspecial_plate]

CDXIII - purchased from the Lab's Etsy in 2019, this is orange creme Dorian, and doesn't change much throughout the time it's on my skin.  Very sweet, smooth, a little creamy.  Sooo yummy.