Category -- Ars Amatoria
Mmmmm. Up close and personal, it's pine. Big, manly, rugged pine. And then, as my wrist whisks away, it leave behind a tantalizing blend of spicy vanilla -- the pine's still there, but now it feels more like a blend of juniper and herbs, the same sort of sexiness that I love about Himerus.
To me, this is the male companion to Flowering Chrysanthemums. FC is all wet, dusky petals, and GP is a thick branch brimming with sap, and both of them are bathed in fragrant vanilla. That's hot.
Delicious.
Category: Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
I get a lot of mint -- as in spearmint, a sweetly herbal scent. As it dries, I get maybe a hint of lemon, and a bit of a...fuzzy note. Not exactly powdery, but more like the light fuzz atop a cat's head; that sort of aura.
While the scent itself isn't really my cup of tea, I think it's a really cute concept, and it was definitely worth a try!
Category: Bewitching Brews
In the imp, it's vanilla and mandarin; once on me, the florals start coming out, but there is always a continual theme of vanilla to it. In fact, the vanilla amps and throws the most in this one. There is a slight powdery quality to it. If you like vanilla, go ahead and give this one a try.
Probably not bottle-worthy for me, though it is enjoyable. It reminds me a bit of Antique Lace.
Category: Wanderlust
It's a strong, pungeant, incensey scent on me...sort of like frankinsence, maybe. Something very woody and cedar-y. Unfortunately, incense just does not seem to love my skin. There's also a sweet note, or pack of them, lurking underneath the smokey, dust-covered surface of it all; and though sometimes the sweetness comes out to assert itself, it never quite reveals just what the heck it is. Could be florals, could be herbs, I really can't tell.
While redolant and persistant, it's just not doing anything for me. Off to a home that will appreciate you, little imp.
Fresh on, it's very strong and strident with an air of cinnamon to it, as well as sweet florals. Like a spark, it flares up, and then settles down to the grim business of burning. It smolders all day long, and hugs my skin like the ember-flames of a fire licking at wood.
It was really pretty, so I think I will hang onto the imp for a little while, at least.
Category -- Ars Amatoria
'Lotus bubblegum' is a good descriptor for it. It's a very sweet, lush scent, though on me it doesn't have a lot of throw, and wore off fast. Definitely recommended for those who like lotus, as this is the predominant tone.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
This is pretty much the sweetness of dragon's blood. Early on, the cherry and clove make for a tart note that can be detected close to my skin, but the dragon's blood pretty much takes everything over and is the most easily-smelled. It's a durable scent with a nice amount of throw. It reminds me a lot of my first love, Wrath. I think that a side-by-side comparison of both Blood and Wrath are in order.
Category -- Ars Amatoria
As a rose scent, it's very nice and pretty. It actually reminds me of what a little girl's room would smell like -- very light and floral and feminine. Not very harloty AT ALL.
It faded very quickly on me, and didn't have much throw while it was there. Pretty, but fleeting.
Category -- Rappacini's Garden
A rather innocuous rose. The dragon's blood gives it a sweetness that threatens to send it into the same icky rose territory that I amped like crazy in Rose Cross, but it stays okay for the most part. It actually ends up smelling soapy more than anything. Decent throw and staying power, just not for me.
Category: Ars Moriendi
At first sniff, it's very green and a bit herbal; I definitely get the funeral boughs, as well as the dried stems of leftover, long-dead bouquets.
As it warms up, it does get a little bit sweeter, and more floral, in a very subtle way.
It has very little throw, and average staying power. If you enjoy piney scents, I'd say to give this a try.
Category: Ars Amatoria
This is a very pleasant, mellow floral that is nicely balanced by the neroli. It has a very slight bit of warmth to it. It has staying power, but I didn't detect all that much throw out of it. I feel it could possibly be a good 'crossover' scent for people who don't usually like florals, as the other notes keep it from getting too sweet or overpowering. Unfortunately, it just doesn't have enough kick to qualify as a favorite for me.
Category: Ars Amatoria
In the imp I could smell musk and a hint of lemon. It was a very elegant mix.
As it joined with my body chemistry, the lemon grew a little bit stronger. Unfortunately, it grew faint and wore off really quickly. Just not for me.
Category: Wanderlust
I could definitely smell the cinnamon in this one. Oddly enough, there was also a strong chocolate smell as well. I constantly had images of a cup of dark hot chocolate spiked with cinnamon...either that, or a cinnamon-colored, chocolate-striped tiger. It's not bad! Must have been the way the clove and honey were mingling together, with perhaps the ginger as well...it fooled me. All in all, I like it.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Definitely mint and lemon...those two scents predominated. Also a very faint hint of orange, and the rosemary gave it a peppery kick. Unfortunately, as strong as these elements sound, it really did not linger long at all. I can't say that this one did much for me. I would recommend it to mint-lovers.
Category: Limited Editions: Yule 2007
I didn't really get any tartness from this; sweetness, yes, but never shrill or sickly...it had a nice, full body to it. I think my only complaint about it would be that it doesn't throw quite as far or last as long as I would like. But it's quite a lovely scent, and sensual in its own way (which I suppose is appropriate...)
Category -- Sin and Salvation
The magnolia and jasmine blend really nicely, creating a sweet floral effect. There is a hint of rose there, as well. I don't get any amber at all...nothing but florals, here. For me, it falls in along the lines of Bathsheba, and Sacred Whore of Babylon...so if you like those scents, give this one a try, too.
Category: Rappacini's Garden
In the imp, it is a very moist, almost dewy green scent, one one might expect to find in the stem or bulb of a plant, rather than nestled between its petals, although there is also a faint, sugary sort of note as well.
Once on, it gets a bit of tartness and bite to it. As if one has plucked it from its watery nesting place, crushing the stem in the process; it is pungeantly sweet, like oranges, and yet when I place my nose close against my wrist, I can smell the peppery tartness of clove, the serpent's bite amidst its strangely-configured petals.
Oddly enough, the edge to it never gets horribly overwhelming. It is very tantalizing, in fact.
This also had a fairly strong throw, and lasted throughout the day. Very nice. I'm finding I like the Garden scents quite a lot, and this one wants to edge into my favorites.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Sweet, yummy apricot; the brandy gives it a warm edge that balances out what could otherwise have been a cloyingly sweet odor. I have to slather it quite a bit, but when I do, it treats me to warm, fruity sweetness throughout the day. Very pretty.
There's definitely lots of cedar...it's a wet sort of smell, very definitely like freshly-upturned earth and roots, and it's very fascinating in that regard.
It has little throw, and clings very close to the skin. While appropriate, it lessens the enjoyment somewhat for me, personally. And it seems to wear off pretty fast. Not for me.
Category -- Diabolus
Sweet cherry-rose, with maybe a very faint hint of almond. Throw and staying power are both of average quality. Recommended if sweet rosey blends like Kurukulla work well on you.
Out of the nine scents I've tried so far, there have only been two that I didn't like: Akuma and Tushnamatay. The rest I would love to keep around, though I don't need bottles of all of them. In order of preference, I would rank them:
Wrath
Absinthe
Aglaea
Aeval
Aizen Myoo
Al Azif
Fruitcake
So far, I seem to like citrusy/fruity scents, florals, and just sweetness in general. I despise raspberry. It amuses me that I seem to amp musk and clove (or whatever that sweet scent in Wrath was). The verdict is still out on incense and foodie scents; I liked Al Azif and Fruitcake, but need to experiment more in that regard.
My second order has arrived and is waiting patiently for me to experience it. Awaiting me are Alecto, Alice, Al-Shairan, Amsterdam, Anathema, Anne Bonney, Asphodel, Clio, Erato, and Urania. I also have a bottle of Angeronalia! I'm looking forward to discovering more lovely scents.
Category: Illyria
In the imp I can detect incense with a great deal of sweetness to it...the sweet herbs and grasses, perhaps. As it goes on, it gets more of a woodsy tone to it -- the frankencense, perhaps? Over time, as it dries, it turns spicy (and most stereotypically manly) to me.
Overall, it's a nice scent...while it does not scream 'HI I'M A DUDE' to me, that's fine with me, as most of the 'mainstream' male scents have a nasty overspiced air to them, while this is a lot more mellow and subtle...and besides, I like wearing it. I'm half-tempted to smear some on the BF and see what effect it might have.
What I liked: It's nice and mellow.
What I didn't like: Nothing in it really seems to stand out for me. Like the vast majority of these scents, it's nice, but not a must-have. Then again, isn't half the fun having something new to experiment with all the time? So I guess I shouldn't feel so bad about not going OMG MUST HAVE BOTTLE for more of these guys.
Someone else compared this to a 'high-end soap', and I totally agree! Not that it's soapy in a bad way; it's just really, really fresh and clean-smelling. It's almost minty, in a way. There is a definite air of teal-blue; brisk, cleansing water sudsed with sea-foam. Like nearly all the Phoenixes, it tended to hug very close to my skin, but was quite strong should I come nodding back for a sniff. I'd say it had about average staying power, say five or six hours.
Category: Phoenix Steamworks
Dark wood, seasoned with a splash of manly vanilla. (Do you doubt that there is such a thing as manly vanilla?) It hugs fairly close to the skin, and seemed to evaporate after a while...didn't last the whole day on me.
Category: Marchen
I get a lot of peach from this, though this perfume is in general a very light scent. There may be some other florals hovering around, but they never really seem to take anything over. The faint aroma lingers all day long. This reminds me of the Gaoler's Daughter, but Belle Vinu is braver and possesses more personality.
