spinsterwithcat

Jeeezus. In the imp this was SO strongly dry and woody I almost didn't dare apply any. Then I read the note list and thought: meh, there's nothing I abhor in there, lets see how it gets on with my chemistry. WELL. I'm glad I did, because it was an interesting experience if not a wholly pleasant one. Truly the lab's genius knows no bounds, for they have managed to bottle the smell of Primary school PE class. Distinctly sweaty but lacking any trace of adolescent pheromone; its that curiously clean, unisex, childhood sweat, layered over the polished wood of gym floors and wallbars, plimsoll rubber, canvas kitbags and beanbags, thick ropes with their ends dipped in wax, and right in the background sits a suede-covered vaulting horse. Perhaps Mr Magus was the name of Beth or Brian's gym teacher at school; I can think of no other reason for it being so named, Nor can I imagine wanting to go about smelling like this but I might keep the imp for sniffs and giggles.

well, while I personally wouldn't call it old-lady because in my head that's code for "choking floral aldehyde failing to mask a depressing care-home cocktail of medicine, industrial detergent and stale urine", I bet Black Dahlia would be right up your street. It's the ultimate 1940s couture scent, fabulous but way too heavy for me, although I hope it's still around when I reach my elegant 60s and can carry off a collarless bouclé Chanel suit and a Hermès scarf in navy and gold decorated with that rope motif or maybe tigers on it, and go about aiming piercing, tight lipped glares at uncouth youngsters.

First sniff: BAM! O boy is this GREEN! A great big fat WET luscious rose dripping with new life. The flower may be red but it's a budding, pinky, youthful, light and vivacious one not the deep, dark, velvety, fullsome bloom I usually associate with rose. If this flower were a woman she'd be the kind whose spellbinding attractiveness is ever so slightly disturbing because her charm lies in an almost adolescent freshness and lack of inhibition. This might sound idiotic but is there mint in here? That dewy ozone note has an ever-so-slightly minty twinge to my nose. On the skin it's still super-lush and green but the chill intensifies and (unusually for my skin) the sweetness of the floral remains in the background. I used to work in a florist's and this is the smell of standing in the back room over a freezing cold bucket of water at 7am with numb fingers, dethorning hundreds of wet, crisp budding roses fresh off the refrigerated lorry that morning! In drydown the cold dissipates and Rose Red becomes a much softer, more traditional floral reminiscent of the hand cream my mother used when I was about 5 or 6, which is lovely but I do miss the spectacular vivance of the wet stage. My skin really laps up rose, though, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the more conventional floral aspect ends up trouncing the greenness in the end. This could be one for a big bottle - I can't get enough of rose scents and I'm hoping that by slathering at regular intervals I might be able to cling onto that chilly clorophyll a while longer.

Today I received my first ever LE decant circle package, containing Yules from nisaba, so I decided to celebrate by popping my review cherry! In the imp November is strong, cold and sharp - 1 note in particular (which I think must be the snowzone) reminds me of a very old skool men's cologne, but not in an unpleasant way. It's crisp and bracing like the air that hits you on the first proper winter morning of the year. wet on skin there's more of the same, underpinned by a faint wisp of smokiness and something richly organic, which quickly develops into a dark, damp soil full of crumbling leaves. This is such an excitingly cold, damp scent! And overwhelmingly brown! The leaf mould intensifies during the dry down and there's a threat of mustiness creeping in that I'm a little wary of - I fear the consequences of wearing this anywhere that might be warm or stuffy, but it's perfect for a walk, watching fireworks, curling up with a book or having coffee at a pavement cafe on a brisk morning. a while after drying November reminds me of 2 things - the first is this ramshackle old wooden scout hut in a village I know, which is tucked away down a woodland lane and is gradually being reclaimed by nature. There's not a dry fibre in the building and despite the trees growing through the roof and mushrooms on the walls it's still full of mildewed canvas tents, canoes and ropes, as if waiting for the scouts to return....Simultaneously magical and grotty! The other memory evoked is of huddling amid a pile of ancient tomes in the freezing basement library at Somerset House, listening to the faint, echoing laughter of skaters on the rink in the courtyard above. Although I can't imagine getting too many opportunities to wear it I absolutely LOVE this atmospheric scent and will cherish the imp. I might even try to pick up another so I've one to dab on now and again and one to keep, but it's too niche to justify a 5ml purchase. ETA: I've got Rose Red on the other wrist and simultaneous wafting results in a rather gorgeous combination of bright floral and damp earth. It's the smell of raking up leaves and pruning roses on a frosty, foggy morning. May have to reconsider a big bottle so I can try layering them!