The Butterfly

[hkhm]

THE BUTTERFLY
Then one afternoon the butterfly wobbled out of a breeze and lit on the tip of her horn. He was velvet all over, dark and dusty, with golden spots on his wings, and he was as thin as a flower petal. Dancing along her horn, he saluted her with his curling feelers. “I am a roving gambler. How do you do?”

Fuzzy brown tonka bean, golden amber, bergamot, and petitgrain.

imp: getting pretty strong bergamot from the imp.

wet: this sort of reminds me of sol invictus, but with bergamot. very bright citrus and amber.

dry: as this dries, the bergamot fades so a nice understated note. this is mostly amber on my skin with hints of tonka.

[tartsquid]

This does smell fuzzy and brown! The bergamot gives it a very bright note and makes me think of the Butterfly flitting around and singing his songs (perfect!). Petitgrain gives it a touch of a woodsy smell and the tonka keeps things sweet. It strikes me as a sweet herbal scent, spring-like and very fitting for the Butterfly.

[marared]

While it's very delicate, the bergamot is surprisingly bitter and sharp, and it reminds me strongly of the CTV Amber I got over the summer, which had a note that I had parsed as lime peel, but after having smelled this? Could very easily have been bergamot as well. I think this will be a lot more interesting in 4-6 months when that's burned off a bit...

[zankoku_zen]

I really get the bergamot and amber in this blend. Soft citrus, and then just some glowing amber.

 

Gorgeous.

[skyelyric]

Oh, wow. This is totally a Butterfly scent--fuzzy, soft, but with a kind of iridescence from the bergamot.

 

The bergamot is a very clear note here, which I love, but after it's burned off a bit I get a soft, powdery amber mingling with it and it's just such a soft, lovely scent. It threatens to pick up a tiny bit of sweet plastic from somewhere, but never quite goes that far. Just gorgeous.

[Little Bird]

The Butterfly is all baby powdery amber and a bright, sweet, lemony bergamot. I was curious about the "fuzzy brown tonka bean," but I can't pick out any tonka here. It's pretty enough, but too powdery on me, and simple and not all that unique. This one is also rather subtle and only lasted about an hour on my skin.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Little Bird

[Invidiana]

At first I thought this was a total fail on me; wet and in the initial drydown it's mostly petitgrain and bergamot, and I'm not very fond of petitgrain. Howver, I could tell that underneath it there is some beautiful tonka bean and amber, so I gave it a chance for a couple of minutes. It actually does have a "fuzzy" feel to it like the description says. After several minutes have passed it seems the petitgrain has finally receded to the background and the dominant players become the tonka, amber and bergamot, in that order. It has a certain glowing quality, like the honeyed light of a sunset, that makes me keep sniffing it. The tonka really takes center stage now, almost like vanilla bean but not as foody, backed by the warm musky amber and a hint of bergamot. The petitgrain has left the building. This clings close to the skin but it’s beautiful definitely worthy of a bottle for me.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Invidiana

[edenssixthday]

The Butterfly - When this is wet on my skin, it smells quite strongly of bergamot, a note that I don't enjoy at all. As it dries down, the bergamot goes away, and what's left is that "fuzzy brown tonka", which oddly, is quite "fuzzy", which I've never noticed with tonka. It smells almost as if there's a bit of brown musk in there, too. The petitgrain adds a really nice slightly earthy note that blends beautifully with the tonka. The amber takes back seat to the tonka (and whatever I'm identifying as possibly brown musk), but it rounds the scent out quite nicely. I've only tried three of the Unicorn Horn scents so far, but so far this is my favorite. It's definitely a gender-neutral scent, and would smell quite lovely on my husband, if I could only get him to wear it.

[crebbsgirl]

Oh, I really like this! Sweet and citrusy. The bergamot and petitgrain add a citrus and woods vibe respectively, while the tonka lends a fuzzy vanillic tone and the amber smooths the whole thing out. I cannot wait to see how this ages! It's soft, fuzzy and warm with a bright splash.

[Ryokumuji]

Fuzzy, brown, sweet, and I would agree that this is a gender neutral scent although I find it to be more on the masculine side. I have no idea what petitgrain smells like, but I can definitely detect all the other notes. The bergamot fades more into the background as this dries down on me, with the tonka being the most prominent note and the amber coming in close after. I would love to swipe a little of this on a man.

[SophieCedar]

Wet: Ohh, the petitgrain does not like my skin all that much... sharp! Combined with the bergamont and my Monday morning nerves, it caused a sensory explosion. Which, thankfully got me past my Monday nerves and onto other things.

Drydown: The tonka and amber are 2 of my favorite notes and quickly take over as the petitgrain and bergamont settle down, making this a pleasant, resinous, sweet citrus scent. The bergamont and petitgrain continues to keep my focus, while the tonka and amber is tempting my mind to wander and disperse. Funny how it causes a sensation similar to the butterfly's erratic ramblings and movements.

[cfrancesca]

This starts out as mostly soft, golden amber and bright, citrusy bergamot, eventually the "fuzzy", warm tonka comes out and really develops beautifully on my skin and makes it almost smells like creamy vanilla. It reminds me of fresh Haunted, with the golden amber and the musky, powdery, citrusy feel. I like The Butterfly much better, though!

[ajansuz]

In the imp: This has kind of a dry, woodsy scent. It's like a suggestion of something that wants to make me sneeze without making me feel sneezy. I know that sounds weird, but I can't explain it better than that, like a little tickle. The bergamot is bright and lively, and I can smell the sweetness of the amber. I also smell what seems like brown musk, even though it's not a listed note. I've got no idea what petigrain smells like. Is that what's dry?

 

Anyway, moving on. Wet, this is so pretty and fun. It's a very cheerful brown little scent. I get the fuzzy impression, too. I always amp amber, and since I love it, this doesn't bother me. Amber makes this very sweet and creamy. The bergamot softened really quickly on me.

 

Dry down is where I get what a previous reviewer compared to Haunted, but without the play-doh I get from black musk. It does kind of smell like Haunted's fuzzy cousin. Tonka finally peeks out and says hello, too, with a kind of gentle hint of vanilla. I still swear I smell brown musk, like in Whoso List to Hunt, but not as strong. It has low throw and only lasts a few hours on me.

 

I really like this scent. Like with The Last Unicorn, I don't think I quite bottle like it, but I'll very happily use up the imp and probably buy another.

[Altaira]

Fuzzy, brown and dry, indeed! The Butterfly reminds me of dry late summer meadows. When the sun is warm, the grass is dry and flowering, and the pollinating insects are out in force. Long lazy days before harvest time.Faintly sweet and comforting.

 

I'm going to have to test it longer with fewer scents around to get a full impression, but it is a keeper so far.

Edited January 29, 2011 by Altaira

[Lorelai1945]

This is very sweet and soft, bright citrus. I usually don't like citrus scents, but this is so well-blended that the sweetness from the tonka and the amber really helps to round out the bergamot to the point where I'm not amping it like crazy (still am, but it's definitely not as strong as it usually would be). Others are saying this is dry, but it's not super dry to me- in fact, the bergamot seems a bit juicy to me, especically in the earlier stages. It's very comforting and cozy in feel- and happy! It is sweeter and I like it even better in the imp than on my skin, but I actually think this is something I could wear. It's not an absolute love, but it's nice, and I like it a lot more than I expected to.

[pixiedoo]

This is absolutely beautiful

 

In the imp: It has a really strong citrus tang to it and a sweet woodsy smell. The bergamont is somewhat overpowering at the moment and this combined with the citrus overload is a bit on the harsh side.

 

Wet: Pretty much the same as in the imp but the amber has appeared and it smells a little powdery. Amber can either smell wonderful on me or turn to an awful icky baby powder mess. I have my fingers crossed that it will end up wonderful. It still has a sharpness to it and the bergamont is still a bit on the heavy side. I can't detect the tonka.

 

Dry: This is where the magic starts to happen. About half an hour in the notes all melt together producing a scent that is warm, enveloping, fuzzy and distinctly comforting. The amber has mellowed beautifully and is accompanied by the warmness of the tonka. I can smell a slight hint of vanilla that gives the scent a gentle creaminess. The bergamont and petitgrain add a brightness to the whole affair and the overall effect is truly beautiful.

 

It is for me the perfect embodiment of a butterfly. It's a definite winner and I will be replacing my imp with a bottle.

[milo]

This starts out kind of citrussy, with a bit of musk. As is dries, it kind of smells a bit bitter. Not unlike a squished bug, only not bad if that makes sense. Still, this blend is just too 'odd' for me, luckily it fades really fast.

[Ramen]

The Butterfly is completely beyond my experience, but I'm so not complaining. It starts out light and citrus-sweet over something warm and dark, drying to what I assume is the tonka bean based on my inability to describe it as anything other than warm and fuzzy. I can see this becoming a bedtime favorite if I can find the spare funds for a bottle while it's still available.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Sweet amber and citrus. It has a powdery-fuzzy feel, like butterfly wings.

[grrrlennyl]

The Butterfly

 

On: Bright, sunny bergamot. It isn't a note I usually like on me, but it isn't too sharp right now. Very pretty. I can get some of the amber, too.

3 hours in: Powdery and sweet with a bit of sharpness.

5 hours in: There's still that sharpness that I don't like.

Overall: Another case of me not liking the smell of bergamot on my skin.

[unlaced]

In the bottle The Butterfly is soft citrus and not much else. It was really hot yesterday so I decided that soft citrus would be really nice

 

On my skin The Butterfly starts out very citrusy with the tonka and amber very soft and delicate underneath.

 

As it dries the citrus kind of reaches a balance with everything else and it turns out to be a much more complex and beautiful scent that I expected. There is a lovely woody and slightly spicy-incensey scent to it yet it's still sweet. I like it a lot and I think this bottle is going to get a lot more wear than I originally thought.

[changeling]

In the bottle: Swirly, blue-purple citrus

 

Wet: Amber!

 

Dry: A warm, fuzzy woody tone with enough bright notes to fill a chord. I can actually catch a glimpse of the fragmented, storied world of the Butterfly--it's safe, brown center and the strange, sometimes dark things that trail behind it, caught in its wings.

[theseagrows]

aw, what a pretty, soft scent this is! i think i am mostly getting amber and petitgrain, because i get a slight white-floral scent in the background, and the only thing that seems close would be petit grain. this is a very warm, fuzzy scent. slightly sweet and very comforting. it kind of just brings a smile to my face i don't know if i need a bottle, but i will definitely keep my imp.

 

 

 

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Bergamot dominent. The tonka, petitgrain, and amber give a gentle, but pleasant support. It’s rather sweeter than I expected, but nice enough. Wet: both sweeter and sharper on the skin. It’s still bergamot dominent, and you really would need to like bergamot to like this. The petitgrain moves to a strong second, with tonka the softest note. I really do like the way the three smoother notes display the bright jewel of the bergamot. The whole thing is delicate, feminine, and utterly lovely. Dry: The tonka and Amber come into their own as the others fade, warm and friendly and sweet. This was not what I expected, but it is very pleasant indeed.

[Doc M]

Aged imp from 2010 horn set.

 

In 2010: I would not call this fuzzy per se... It's mild and sweet, very warm, and dear god, insanely strong on me. Headache inducing strong, can only wear in small doses. Also insane throw. Mind your neighbors... I think I'm amping the amber. I'm not familiar with tonka and petitgrain but I imagine that's what's rounding this scent out.

 

Will update for 2012.