suki

in the bottle: a strong combo of eucalyptus and geranium wet on skin: more of the same, but the geranium seems a bit stronger dry down: a change of the main notes into something very, very similar to chamomile. later: all chamomile. very soothing, but not making me sleepy. a nice winter reprieve!

in the bottle: an odd combination of something nutty (the tonka?) and very citrus, more grapefruit than anything else. the notes are at odds, but not unpleasantly so. wet on skin: the citrus continues but the nuttiness has faded a bit. like eating hazelnuts and drinking loads of lemonaide at the same time. dry down: a gentle lemon, like lemon drop candies has taken over. the roast nut is there, but it's more like an afterthought, something that only registers after the scent has left my nose. all in all, pretty interesting, but something i'd probably like more in high summer than the dead of winter.

in the bottle: all chocolate. rich, yummy cocoa and nothing more. wet on skin: an almond note comes out strong and mingles with the cocoa making something totally foodie and delicious. dry down: the more complex undercurrents show up. i detect the vetiver quite a bit and it mingles in a surprising floral way with the chocolate quality later: something more complex, sexy. the food aspect is gone and what remains is something sweet without being cloying; sensuous but soft. this is one of my favorites.

i intentionally waited to try this one, because of it's following and all the hub bub. that said, i'm starting to see what all the excitement is about! in the bottle: straight up bourbon vanilla. more or less what i pour into my french toast batter. wet on skin: the vanilla gets...thicker. less foodie, but more swoony, if that makes sense. dry down: what i imagine walking through the markets of madagascar would be like: sweet, spicy vanilla, with a strong under current of indian cooking spice. mmmm! a while later: strong, sexy, potent. this is one to wear out to the clubs, for sure!

i'm pretty picky about my rose, and once i was thoroughly smitten with Faith, i felt resigned to not like Hope, but i do! in the bottle: like i said in the Faith review, the two smell exactly the same in the bottle, just as it should be with conjoined twins. wet on my skin: the rose comes out hard and fast with the sugar seeming a bit cloying. i don't dislike it, but it's a bit granny-esque for me. dry down: it all changes, the rose and sugar mingling together more an hour later: the sugar has mellowed to cream and the rose becomes round, not grandma and not overly floral either, just...rose-cream. yummy- i will DEFinately wear this one lots!

i'm a violet fan. the sort that eats violet gums and candies and people nearby ask if i've eaten soap. so no surprise that i fell instantly in love with Faith... in the bottle, i found Faith and Hope indistiguishable: lovely sugar on both counts. i thought that was brilliant, what with the whole conjoined twins thing. wet on my skin: Faith's particular presence starts to make itself known: the sugar starts to mellow and the violet comes out sharp. dry down: the sugar becomes more creamy, the violet becomes more candy-like, less floral an hour later: exactly like candied violets. delicious, soft, sweet. the sugar has become a vanilla creme and the violet isn't floral so much as food like. love!!!

in the bottle: sweet, and strongly of vetiver, with a cinnamon under note wet on skin: the spicy cinnamon comes out in front, with the earthy vetiver a close second dry down: the dragon's blood fruitiness becomes obvious, with the earth and spice taking a well-mixed secondary quality. overall, this is rich and a bit sweet, but a mite too overwhelming for the likes of me. those that like strong spicy notes will likely love this.

The embodiment of Victorian funereal elegance. A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense smoke, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. this one easilly makes it into my top five! in the bottle: funeral flowers emit strongly, that scent of lilies and carnations near a big open casket, with an under current of that cognac coming through. wet on skin: delicious! the vanilla comes through, and the floral eases off. the cognac stays the same, giving the impression of being comforted by a caring uncle who's grieving the same loss. dry down: it gets more complex and more beautiful. deep, sweet notes of vanilla, a resinous sweet note, like rum cake, the cognac and tobacco adding something more adult to the mix, taking it away from being foodie and making it something mysterious and sexy. LOVE!

boy, do i dislike this one in the bottle: like hair conditioner. the kind my older sister would've been into in the '70's that came in a big green bottle. wet on skin: it gets worse. strong and floral, not unlike air freshener. dry on skin: it's tenacious, aquatic in a cloying way, with a freesia that's too-sweet flowery and burns my throat. meh.

oooohhhhh boy is this a goodie! in the bottle: sweet, dark smoky and resinous. i pick out frankincense, amber, myrrh. wet: it's all about the amber dry down: amber still strong, the frankincense making a come back. later: resinous without being over powering. like spending a day in church, reading old texts and coming out a changed person.

in the bottle: clean, fresh, light, reminds me strongly of green freshly-mown grass wet on skin: a bit more like laundry detergent- clean, but more in a cologne way as opposed to a nature way. dry down, sometime later: the cologne aspect has evaporated, and leaves behind a light linens smell. not much for it, i don't really like light floral-y scents myself, but i could see this making someone else quite happy.

i have already promised this one to my boyfriend and now i'm sorry i did! in the bottle: lovely! the aquatic element in there, but not overpowering. i smell cucumber, sea grass and a bit of orange citrus under it all. in the dry down: the honey sukcle is there and the cucumber comes out more strongly. an hour later: more subtle mixing now, a return of the watery element and a tinge of ozone with an afterthought of honey. i swoon from it all! i might have to steal this back from boyfriend afterall...

In the bottle: like cherry cobbler, hot, plus cream. there is a tiny undertone of plum, but it's very faint. wet on my skin: a strong cinnamon of the candle shop variety emerges, as many have said. i get sad at the disappearance of the cherry. an hour later: like a musky fruit incense my dad burned in the house in the '70's. also reminds me of what we called 'head shops' at the time, a sort of mix of sweet hippy incenses and oils. in all, not my favorite, but a decent winter time oil that i'll wear again.

I was very excited to get this one in the mail and it didn't disappoint, though it smelled different than I had anticipated. in the bottle: sweet and fruity, like a fruit salad that someone poured sugar on top of and let stew for a few hours. this worried me. dry down: the amazing pina colada pineapple-coconut thing happened and took over for about an hour or two. that's all i could smell! frothy umbrella drinkiness! hours later: a gentle honey remains, not foodie, just subtle and sweet, a little sexy. definitely a keeper!

I read the description and was immediately intrigued: I had to know!!! in the bottle: syrupy, like brown sugar and maple in one dry down: retaining sweetness, a warmth comes into the mix, making it have a cream undernote. hours later: still strong, delicious, warm and sweet, without being too foodie. i LOVE this one and will clearly have to stockpile more!

i got this imp in the post a few days ago and was dying to try it immediately. in the bottle: sweet, and very cake-like. it reminded me of angel food cake, very sugary with a hint of something strong under it- rum? on the dry-down: the rum went away and the sweet got stronger, to be added by a fake fruity smell. a few hours later: it was like i was a walking candle shop. specifically, like i'd become a mall branch of the yankee candle company. *sigh* not what i'd hoped for. oh well. my chemistry isn't for everything i guess. off to swap!