Nightroad103

I've had my imp of Zombi since October, and it is one of my more frequently-worn oils. I plan on getting a 5ml of it when I place my next order within a few weeks. In the imp it smells very strongly of roses to me, with the hints of dirt and moss. Wet on, it's still very rose-y, which is not something I like. Drydown, the moss and dirt begin to take some forefront, and once it's dry it's a nice blend. It takes a bit for the rose to settle out on me, but usually within an hour or so it's more a moss-and-dirt scent with some rose. Or, if you like, Zombi in five words: Dirt and roses - love it!

Seriously, how have I not reviewed this yet? I've had this imp for over 2 years and loved it and not reviewed it yet? What is wrong with me? In the imp now, it smells mostly of amber to me, with a hint of dragon's blood/floral. When I first got the imp it was a bit more astringent than it is now - that's what made me fall in love with it. Wet on, it smells strangely like vetiver - idk what this is all about, but it's whatever because I do like vetiver on me. On drydown, it's still smelling like vetiver but now with the amber and dragon's blood and florals coming out. I've never really been able to smell the mandarin or currant in it. And dry... I love it. That vetiver-like smell is gone. It's all amber and dragon's blood and melati and rose geranium. And oh, hey! I found the mandarin and currant! =D They're almost an after-scent, though - they're like the last thing I smell as I sniff, if that makes any sense. ffff, I wish I'd bought a bottle of this before they discontinued it. My imp will run out one day, and I will be a sad panda.

In the bottle, it's almost overpowering plum blossom and wild rice. Smells WAY sweet and fruity - this is a concern for me. However, as I bought the full-size I'm going to try! Wet on, still has that sharp, overpowering plum blossom smell. Drydown, still quite plummy, though the vanilla sandalwood and nutmeg are giving rise. (Had wondered where those were!) Dry - at almost 7 hours after application - It's very light. The plum blossom has toned down quite a bit and it's balancing well with the vanilla sandalwood & nutmeg, and I'm guessing that (as many others have said) the wild rice is lending to a "creamy" sensation. I like it on me, but it's not one I can smell in the bottle again.

In the imp, almost all I smell is the bitter almond. I see to be particularly sensitive to smelling it - because every other oil I've smelled that has bitter almond, that note sticks out to me. Wet on - no sooner have I put a bit of the oil on my wrist than I smell cinnamon, quite strongly. Drydown, it's still very cinnamon, and a bit worrying at that: I didn't buy this to smell like those cinnamon-disc candies. Dry, initial - It's still quite cinnamon-y but the almond & balance it out. It's pretty nice, though we'll have to give it a wear to determine lasting power, throw, et cetera.

In the imp, it's really floral, with some citrus and ozone-type notes. Also a bit something else, because it DOES smell a bit industrial. Wet, I'm getting a lot of that "bit industrial" scent, with just a bit of the floral. Maybe the "industrial" is from the davana. Dry, it's not very floral on me (a big plus!) but it's not very strong, either. I think my skin ate most of the scent. It's a bit industrial still, but there is just enough floral to keep it from being weird. I'll have to see how long this lasts and try it one more time before I make a decision about it.

In the imp, I smell a lot of eucalyptus and mint -- the floral is there, but only just. Immediately putting it on, it's very minty, with the eucalyptus lending a slightly biting, nose-clearing edge. It's settled down to a nice, minty, ozone scent. The orchid is almost nonexistent, but the passionflower and white ginger make up the floral side of this scent. It's very clean, very light -- a fantastic summer scent. We'll see how long it wears, though, before deciding whether to buy a big one or not.

I have to agree with everyone who's said this is sort of a James Bond scent. I also have to admit that when I opened the imp and smelled this for the first time, my thought was *nom nom nom* -- and don't ask me why. In the imp: freaking AMAZING. It's a very green scent -- I almost couldn't detect the metallic notes in the imp. Wet on me: Still very green, and the Indian musk amps up a bit, which results in a vaguely soapy scent on me. Hope this doesn't last -- I'd hate for such an amazing scent in the imp to turn into soap on me. Drydown: Thankfully, it's not soapy anymore. The musk isn't so strong, and the metallic notes have come out more. This is turning out well. Dry, initially: It's mostly metallic on me now, with the greenery and musk balancing it just enough to give it more depth. So far, it has a decent throw -- I catch whiffs of it as I'm typing this. Still AMAZING. ETA@1917: I can still smell it -- it's been about 6 and a half hours now. I am definitely buying a big one of this. It may have even pushed Fenris Wolf and Dee off of the top on my list.

In the imp, it's a sharp, almost acrid scent. It's not bad, but doesn't really seem like something I'd wear often. Wet on -- it's like a few of the first posters (and possibly others) have said: It smells oddly like Kitsune-Tsuki. Same with the drydown. I think it's the floral. Dry, the merlot and leather seem to be top notes. The floral is pretty much gone, which is good for me. Overall, on me... it smells kind of like a friend of mine after a day of outdoor work. I am going to try it again before I stick to this, though.

In bottle: Wow, honey and ginger. I get a teeny bit of osmanthus, vanilla, and musk -- but not much. Wet on, it was almost cloyingly sweet from the honey, and that overpowered most of the other notes. As it dried, though, the ginger came out more, as did the floral -- not much of the musk, but on me I'm not particularly surprised. Sometimes it's strong on me, sometimes it's definitely the opposite. This was one of those opposite times, I guess. Can't say much for its wear time, as I was a genius and decided to wear it the day I spent in the hospital's nursery and had to do a five-minute hand/arm scrub first thing when I got there. Will try it again in a few days, see if it's still so sweet.

In the imp, it smells mostly like grapefruit, with some kumquat. A sharp, almost biting, but somewhat sweet scent. On my skin, the grapefruit mellows a bit to allow more of the kumquat to be smelled, as well as the yuzu. The floral, whatever it is, actually works on me -- which is somewhat amazing. It adds just a hint of sweetness to the scent, and balances out some of the sharpness of the citrus. I might have to buy a bottle of this once the imp runs out.

In the imp: Very aquatic, and a bit flowery. Wet on: Still aquatic, but more floral now. Dry on: I'm smelling a lot of the clear, airy notes and slashing rain -- not so much flowers anymore, which I don't mind at all. I really like this one.

In the imp: It's a very, very sharp note of lavender, rosemary and a hint of lemon. Wet on me: Thankfully, the lavender is not so overpowering as it smelled in the imp. It's a lot of lemon and neroli on me now, with a hint of rosemary. I haven't picked up the frankincense. Dry on: Still lemon and neroli, with a hint of rosemary. There's only enough lavender to barely smell, and I can also slightly smell the frankincense -- as an afterthought, almost. Hopefully the frankincense won't turn this into powder, as it has a bad tendency to do on me. Edit: On a second run, it's a little different: Wet: very lemony. Drydown: also lemony. Dry: The other notes finally make an appearance. It's definitely mostly lemon and neroli, but the rosemary and lavender give a nice edge. I can smell the powdery smell that frankincense turns on me when I sniff right at my wrist, but we'll see if it overpowers everything else. ... Nope, it's powdery. And soapy. Swaps pile for this one.

Imp: Almond, mostly, but I can pick up on the vanilla. Wet on me: It's still almond, but the cinnamon is huge now. I can sort-of smell the vanilla. Dry on me: It's almond and vanilla and cinnamon, a nice combination. It doesn't smell foody on me. However, after a few hours... frankincense makes an appearance and turns it powdery. It's not powdery like Faustus turned into on me, but it's still powdery. I'll try it again before it goes into the swaps pile. [05/23] Second try! Really almond-y on me, wet, with some vanilla and a lot of cinnamon. The heliotrope starts coming out a little as it dries, and now it's quite a pleasant scent -- a great blend of heliotrope, bitter almond, and vanilla, with a twist of cinnamon. The frankincense hasn't made it powdery yet, but we'll keep an eye on that over the next hour or two.

In the imp, I picked up a lot of sandalwood, and some clove. Wet on me, it mostly smelled like sandalwood... but as it dried, I started smelling more clove and possibly vanilla -- I'm not sure if it is vanilla, but it had the faint sweetness that vanilla turns into on me. Dry on, it smells mostly like clove and sandalwood, softened by that maybe-vanilla. There was something else, too, but I don't remember what it was and I can't really smell any of it anymore... I'm going to have to buy a bottle when the imp runs out. I'm not sure if it's coincidence or not, but we had our first exam in second half today and I passed with 90% -- this is supposed to be the second hardest exam of this half. Maybe it helped, maybe it didn't. I'm going to wear it for my next couple of tests and see if there's a pattern. (ETA, 04/30 -- wearing this oil for every test, including the final, I have kept a 4.0. I'm still not sure if it's coincidental or not, but I'm going to keep wearing it for exams.)

It's very heather, both in the imp and when I first put it on. After it dried, it's turned somewhat powdery. We'll see if the powdery thing stays all day or if the blackberry comes out later... Then I'll determine whether this is keeps or swaps.

In the imp: It's mostly patchouli and vetiver; I can smell the pine some, too, which irritates me (that is, I'm not allergic to pine but it still creates a similar reaction) On, wet: It's still really vetiver, but I could smell the lime at a sniff and also the clove. Dry, after 7 hours: It's mostly vetiver, with clove -- I can smell the vanilla at a distance, when I catch a whiff of it without actually putting my wrist to my nose and sniffing. It's funny, I don't like the smell of vetiver on its own, but it turns into something fantastic on me. I really like this scent. Will have to buy a bottle when the imp runs out.

In the bottle, I could smell mostly melon, with some tangerine and orange. The lychee and plum blossom were a little more noticeable at the second sniff, though. Wet on me, I can still smell the melon, but the citrus notes come out more, along with just a hint of dragon's blood. About two hours after it dried, the pine had come out just enough to make my migraine explode, to the point that I almost couldn't see anymore. I washed my wrists/hands at the first chance I could, and that took the pine right out. I had been afraid that I would have to put this with the swaps pile, but after washing my hands I decided that I'll have to keep it and try it at least one more time. ETA, for round 2 (04/30): Wet on me, I smell candied melon, with a bit of bamboo and just a touch of pine resin. As it's drying, the plum blossom comes out, with the lychee and citruses hinting at being there. The dragon's blood lends a touch more to the floral side, which has only happened in one other scent I've worn with dragon's blood (Wrath, and that turned into pure flowers on me). I like it. It's not too strong, the pine in it doesn't bother me, and it's not overpoweringly floral or foody -- it's a fantastic balance of floral and citrus and fruity.

In imp: Kind of leather. It smells a bit like my leather jacket does. I've tried this twice -- once over Namaste after it turned into soap on me. Combined with the notes in that, it smells like the place where I got my industrials done. Kind of incense-y, kind of tobacco-y, kind of leather. Alone, it's leather and patchouli and spices. Rather masculine, but I like it.

In the imp: Patchouli and cedar make the biggest appearance, a hint of lemongrass. On me: Lemongrass comes to the forefront, with a little of one of the woods -- I can't tell which one, though. (Start working, nose!) ETA: Dry on me: I can smell the jasmine and patchouli now. It's rather pleasant, if not still a bit too lemony. We'll have to see how it lasts over the day, and if it mixes well with any of the other oils in the imp box. ETA2: Aw, it smells like soap now. ): Have to try something else.

In the imp: Vetiver. Lots of it. It's almost too much. Wet on me: Still vetiver, but it softens to something more pleasant. It reminds me of the chardonnay we sometimes drink, even though I'm not fond of chardonnay. Drydown: The leather is coming out. I'm not really picking up the florals. Dry on me: I can smell the cinnamon now, along with the florals. I still get the leather, and the vetiver has calmed to blend nicely with the rest. Smelling my wrist from hand's length (i.e. resting my chin on my fist and smelling it that way), it smells more like gardenia, vetiver, and leather. ETA: 12 hours later, I can still smell it -- it's faded to a nice, soft scent; somewhat floral but not in the manner of one that I can't wear. I think I just might have to buy a 5ml of this when the imp runs out. ETA, 01/15/09: Wow, I still think, "God, this stinks" when I first put it on. Ah, vetiver. I love it. It smells awful wet, really, and it does smell like Jordan chardonnay. As it's drying, the awfulness diminishes. It's still got that kick from the vetiver, of course, but the leather and florals are balancing that. It probably doesn't help that I put verbena-mint lotion on this morning, but I don't care. I love this scent.

Imp: Mostly frankincense. Wet on me: Still mostly frankincense, though I can smell the violet, too. No cinnamon. Dry on me: I can smell the cinnamon a little, and the violet a little, but still mostly frankincense. It's a pretty light scent on me, final verdict will be decided by this evening. ETA: It's real powdery. Boo.

In the bottle: I smell violet and musk, mostly -- just a hint of the iris and sandalwood. On me, wet: Definitely violet. On me, dry: Still violet, and nothing else really shows up. I'll have to try this one again, sometime later when I feel like smelling like flowers. edit: Rinsing with water helped to reduce the violet -- the iris was more noticeable. That's a plus for this on me, so I'll definitely have to give it another shot.

In the imp, it smelled very strongly of cherry, and I could pick up a little on the musk -- the anise, not so much. On me... anise for the win -- or, not. It doesn't wear well on me. My problem with anise/licorice is the smell, so this is definitely not the oil for me. This one has to go in the swaps pile.

In the imp: Definitely smell the neroli, a little of the jasmine. Green tea and lemon verbena, not so apparent. On me: The green tea gives rise to cut the sweetness of the scent, and the jasmine and neroli blend together to create a softer scent than I expected from the imp. It does fade a bit quickly, though -- I put it on about 4 hours ago and I can't smell much of it anymore.

It is a very flowery smell in the imp, which tends to be a deterrent for me because I don't wear florals too well... however, jasmine works fairly well for me, and the white musk theoretically would help to balance out the floral smell. This is another one of the Secret-Santa imps, though it possibly was a frimp because I don't think I wrote it down on the list. In the imp, I still smell the flowers, though the jasmine and plum seem to be top notes -- this is good, perhaps it means that it won't be overpoweringly floral. On me, the musk tones down the orchid and daffodil, though I can still smell them, and the jasmine and plum are still top notes. Overall, much as I was torn between interest in and fear of this scent, I like it a lot and will order a bottle when the imp runs out.