suki

in the imp: lemon and lavender. wet on skin: lavender is VERY strong in this. dry down: lemon verbena, with lavender holding it's own. in all: a clean blend, reminds me of soaps i use in the winter to unclog my sinuses. not a bad scent, but with all the really, really amazing things offered by the Lab, i think this one can wait. i hope not to offend!

in the imp: sandalwood. wet on skin: sandalwood and something sweet- i'm thinking the musk? it's REALLY nice. dry down: wow. this is GORgeous. the sandalwood has none of the usual bitterness. the musk adds a warm note, and there's also a sweet resinous element that i can't place but is just fantastic. in all: sexy, mysterious, sultry. makes me proud to be part Arabic!

in the imp: gardenia, straight up. wet on skin: same. dry down: same! in all: a solid gardenia to be sure. it read as a single note on me- i seriously didn't get so much as a trace of anything else. so if gardenia is your holy grail, stock up on this one for sure.

in the imp: citrus! wet on skin: yup. citrus. the pink grapefruit is what i'm getting the most at this stage. dry down: aw nuts! the citrus has become shampoo-like! in all: yep- all body wash, all the time.

in the imp: sweet, musky and a bit spicy. wet on skin: same. the labdanum, as often does on my skin, id emitting a vague grape-kool-aide scent. not unpleasant, but definitely...kool aide. dry down: the musk comes out, but that slight persistent grape-ness has remained. in all: for someone else, this may just be the musk they've been searching for. on me? not so much.

in the imp: interesting. i get lavender and cypress, though i don't recall either note being in the blend. wet on skin: same, with a hint of something very "green" coming through- myrtle? dry down: very green now, in deed. changed completely, as sometimes happens. reminds me of being in a green fern-filled wood after a heavy rain. in all: not so much my particular thing, but this smells lovely and full of nature regardless.

in the imp: like super-cheap penny candy and cough syrup wet on skin: the cough syrup is mostly gone, and is replaced by a rather nice spice note. but the sticky candy part is still the dominant here. dry down: the candy has fled and now what remains is a light, spicy cinnamon-esque perfume. surprisingly gentle, actually. in all: if you like spicy perfumes but generally find them too heavy, give this one a try.

in the imp: the sort of rose i'm not fond of: too sweet, too cloying, too much like perfume. wet on skin: same, but AMPED! dry down: yep- strong perfume-y rose, a hint of musk, but not enough to pull this one through. in all: i'm picky about my florals, so this is a pass. but if you like your rase STRONG, maybe you'll dig this blend. :shrug:

in the imp: whoa. and also, YUM: cool and soft is right! wet on skin: same. the coconut and milk of Eden are here, but somehow, probably because of the absence of fig, it smells quite different. the shea butter gives it a delicious softness that makes it lovely and yummy, without being too foodie. dry down: oh YEAH. i don't get the water note at all- just lots and lots of sweet creamy light yummy goodness. in all: TOTAL keeper! gettin' me a big bottle ASAP, yes i am!

in the imp: rose, of the darker variety. wet on skin: oh yes- THERE'S the musk dry down: strong musk, but the rose still hovers in the back there. sadly, no spices on me to speak of in all: sadder still, it's the "turns to baby powder" variety of musk. oh well- it sounded so good, but is clearly for someone who is not me.

in the bottle: a lemon coconut combination that is out of this world. wet on skin: i'm getting some strong almond notes tossed into the mix, but it doens't take away from the others at all. dry down: like...lime/coconut...cookies? confused! and yet delighted! in all: not necessarily the way i picture The Star smelling, considering it's my favorite card in the Tarot. and yet, it's sweetness, it's playfulness, does not in any way disappoint. thrilled to have this to add to my collection.

in the bottle: sweet musky amber-tinged goodness. wet on skin: the golden-scented heliotrope is coming out, and i'm also getting some of the spiciness of the carnation. dry down: sweet, almost-but not quite-powdery. the 'not quite' is what saves it! :whew!: in all: reminding me more than a little bit of Pink Moon, with a dash of Sportive Sun tossed in for good measure, this is a warm, golden scent that i will likely use in the dea of winter when i feel the chill and the grey all the way to the core of my bones.

in the bottle: lime and bourbon. like a mojito! wet on skin: same, but with a hint of leather snapped in for effect dry down: a lovely citrus based oil. more well-blended than Pirate Moon, more sultry than some i've encountered. a fabulous, underrated scent. in all: i'll let the boyfriend try it, but he'll have to get his own!

in the bottle: wintergreen and something spicy. just lovely. wet on skin: fizzy is the word that comes to mind. wintergreen, sparkly, sweet. a slight hint of a smoky note, like vetiver perhaps, but only faintly. dry down: a superior blend, the notes keep changing, keep switching out on each other, and i find inexplicably that i am filled with a sense of possibility, a sense of joy. in all: this *perfectly* encapsulates the tarot card known as #XXI The World.

in the vial: yeah, that 'jolt of peppermint' just comes out to say HOWDY immediately. wet on skin: the mint is still dominant, but yes, i'm getting something akin to raw rum-soaked cookie dough now, too. dry down: hmmm. well, the mint is still present, but the dough has gotten sort of noxious on me, like a recipe calling for equal parts mint, rum, sugar, crayons and cardboard. in all: i really, REALLY wanted this to work on me. but it SO doesn't.

in the vial: whoa lime! wet on skin: yep. lime some more. but also a nice surprisingly subtle leather note. it's rather a good combination, strangely. dry down: this is still predominantly lime on me. i get a hint of the coconut but only in a mixed-with-lime-tropical-drink way, and something else fruity that isn't actually foodie. in all: a clean multi-gender scent, i'd wear this on a hot day or have my boy flame wear it to a nice dinner

in the vial: cavity central! sugar, sugar and candied sugar to top it off. (and watermelon jolly ranchers crushed thoroughly into the mix!) wet on skin: yep. melon. not the sweet, natural summertime melon of Yemaya, no. this is PURE candy rock sugar. nothing else. and it is GOOD. dry down: sweet yummy hard candy. it flits from watermelon to cherry and back again but no worries- either way it's getting the job done! in all: SUGAR RUSH!!!

in the vial: oh. holy. moly. like yummy hazelnut yummy yummy yummy yumminess wet on skin: the tobacco is lending the same delectable sweetness that was in Pinched with four Aces and it's working just as well in this blend! dry down: a delicious, slightly more smoky alternative to Pinched alright. sweet, slightly foodie, but spicy and mellow at the same time. in all: just wonderful- now i just have to find a whole bottle!

in the vial: dark thick floral. wet on skin: floral is still heavy, but a current of something sweet -not vanilla- is peeking out. hmmm dry down: sadly, i'm not getting any of the musk, the leather or the vanilla. it's just a dark floral. :shrug: in all:well, i like it enough to keep the vial around, use it once in a while when i'm feeling like a naughty witch, but i don't think i'll both searching out a big bottle.

in the vial: cardamom! (oh, and some notes in the background ) wet on skin: that cardamom is STRONG. this may be the cardamom scent i've been waiting for! dry down: sadly, the cardamom seems to have vanished entirely. however! the sweet resinous tolu balsam has picked up the slack, and it's really nice. in all: turns into a sweet, warm scent, without being food-y. i could see this being good for layering, or wearing solo on crisp Autumnal evenings to come...

in the vial: dark, musky, sweet. like wearing black musk while drinking a rich, red wine. wet on skin: there's a slight aqua note that's coming out. it seems weird in this blend as it is now. dry down: the red-grape-wine thing has stayed, which is lovely. unfortunately, that aqua note has persisted as well. in all: a strangely masculine scent- i'd like to see how this would smell on the gents before i give up on it entirely.

Babylonian musk, vanilla tea, tonka, tobacco, coconut, hyssop, and lilac. in the vial: lilac. wet on skin: sweet lilac. it's nice. reminds me of being in a field somewhere, full of wildflowers. dry down:lilac, but with some other floral peeking in from under it. in all: i sadly didn't get any of the musk or tobacco notes i was hoping for. this read to me as a pretty straight up floral scent. if that's your cup of tea, you'll adore this one. for me, though, i think i'll pass. :shrug:

in the imp: thick, heavy vetiver. wet on skin: yup. vetiver. dry down: straight vetiver. no change. in all: if you adore vetiver, get this. perhaps you can detect some variation that i couldn't pick up on with my nose.

in the imp: vetiver that has a strangely light touch. wet on skin: it's like vetiver mixed with Tombstone. smoky, but also sweet and kinda sandal-wood-y. dry down: wow. it's smells *just* like desert rocks. when they've been baking at the mouth of a cave in the sun all day but then a cave-dwelling animal comes out and tracks water over the surface at sunset. that's what this smells like. in all: if you are a fan of the more 'elemental' kinds of oils- Moai comes to mind- then you will LOVE this.

in the vial: strong, heady blend- i can't pull out any individual notes on this one. wet on skin: sweet, musky- but still have a hard time defining it! dry down: damn. this is the sexiest thing i've ever smelled. ok now i know what all the fuss is about- sweet, resinous musky. it hints at Smut, and at Vanilla Bean, but it's totally different from either. whoa. this is special stuff, alright. in all: well, if i have to pay $100 on e-bay, then i guess that's what i have to do.