Aredhel

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Laundry soap. In the imp: Hmm. This reminds me of Zero's florals and Toxin's... watery-ness. On skin, wet: Flowers and grass and water, and something citrusy? I wasn't too keen on it in the imp, or the first minute or so on my skin, but after that, it settles down and really starts to remind me of Toxin, with something else I can't pin down (besides the much stronger floral element). On skin, dry: Laundry soap and flowers. Where did that come from? Something that could be called "Fresh Spring Rain" or "Sun-kissed cotton", etc. I keep getting whafts of something that reminds me of cotton blossom (which I'm not terribly fond of), which adds to the laundry-soap bit. Conclusion/Notes: This would make a wonderful spray for scenting linens, etc, but as for a perfume, it's not for me.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Peony! In the bottle: Freshly-cut peonies. On skin, wet: Plum blossom, something faintly woody, and, of course, peony! Very nice, this one, despite the fact that after the first sniff, I sneezed. On skin, dry: This isn't much of a straight-floral scent on me; it's more like a green, almost watery scent with a woodsy edge and a thin something of peony draped over everything. Floral yes, but not strongly so. Very spring-like, as others have said. There's almost something herbal about it. Conclusion/Notes: I love this, which really surprises me — if flowers are a big part of a scent, I usually hate it (with the exception of gardenia, and sometimes jasmine).

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Lemony! In the imp: ...Ew. Lemon peels and something rancid, like the smell of rotting lemon peels. On skin, wet: First on, it's a strong, sharp industrial cleaner. Lemon-scented, of course. Not so much with the digging on it. On skin, dry: As it dries, something tea-like appears, and the lemon/citrus softens a hair. Very much a pick-me-up scent, this one. Very bright and fresh. I will agree that there's something smooth and creamy about it as it continues to dry,. This has no staying power, but as it's precisely a perfume, it doesn't matter. Conclusion/Notes: There's definitely something... spring-y yet calming about it. I'm not sure I could get over the smell of it in an oil burner, but I might eventually pick up a bottle to wear on my skin when the need arises.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Floral honey and sage. In the imp: Honey! Very sweet honey, at that (a bit like the honey in O). On skin, wet: Hoooney. Sweet, rich honey and a dusting of herbs. I'm not always a fan of honey, but O taught me not to rule honey-heavy scents out. Very rich, almost edible. On skin, dry: There's definitely a "green" element to this. It's not particularly sweet any longer, though, which doesn't count in Osun's favour; nor does the floral edge. As for the herbs... sage? It seems similar to sage, and as sage turns rancid on me (I'm looking at you, Aeval!)... Conclusion/Notes: Nice, but I'm not in love. Even while wet, I found myself comparing it against O, and thinking that, while nice enough, it paled in comparison to my beloved O. If I liked warm, straight-up honey mixed with something like sage and a floral touch, I'd probably scramble for a 10ml. As it is, I'll stick with O and continue on me "try all honey scents" journey.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Fruit, then pepper. In the imp: Banana, coconut, pineapple, and... chili pepper. What an odd thing to smell thrown into what is otherwise a scent not unlike a fruit smoothie. On skin, wet: ..... Fruit. But not syrupy, cloying fruit. Fresh, warm fruit and a dash of sugar. I don't think I've ever smelled something so very fruity, but also so... unsweet. Not bitter, just not sweet. The chili pepper lends a wonderfully spicy quality to it. On skin, dry: Suddenly, Shango is very sharp. It's a spiced, predominantly apple sort of scent now, and I don't wear apple well. The other fruits linger, but not quite as they did while wet. As times goes on, the chili pepper becomes ever stronger, until it dominates the entire scent. Conclusion/Notes: This goes into my "to try in the scent locket" pile. If I can replicate the wet stage there, I'll be snagging a bottle with my next order. If not, then I probably won't, even though after it dries, Shango would make a great room fragrance.

Rating (on skin): 0/5 Summarised in a word or two: Acrid floral. In the imp: Cold rose and myrrh. On skin, wet: Eh, rose. Something about this is almost sour; it may be the combination of the warm rose and cold jasmine on my skin. On skin, dry: I love jasmine, but I can rarely wear it, because it starts to do just what it's done in Wicked: become warm, strong and heady. The rose, which my skin sets fire to, because "amping" just isn't good enough, isn't helping. And don't get me started on the acrid quality myrrh takes on when it hits my skin. This is a sharp, biting, warm, smokey and heady flroal. Conclusion/Notes: "Sharp, biting, warm, smokey and heady floral" really says it all.

Rating (on skin): 0/5 Summarised in a word or two: Dirty hippy sex. In the imp: Red Musk and patchuli. Faintly reminds me of my beloved Vixen. On skin, wet: Red musk, patchouli and ylang-ylang; mostly red musk and ylang. The patchouli grounds the scent a fair bit, keeping it from floating off into "Heady floral"-land. As neither ylang, red musk nor patchouli (usually) are among my favourite notes, this isn't winning me over. On skin, dry: A musky, dirty hippy getting' it on with someone wearing a strong, thick heavy perfume. Followed by the random addition of myrrh! Nope, not digging Lust. Conclusion/Notes: Red musk, patchouli, ylang and myrrh? I had no hopes for this, and if I wasn't intent on trying everything that passes through my imp box, I wouldn't have touched Lust with ten-foot pole. That said, I'm not surprised it bombed on my skin.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Floral soap. In the imp: Herbs and flowers. On skin, wet: Flowers and herbs, emphasis on "flowers." Very light, soft and white flowers. Maybe jasmine? On skin, dry: Bright, soft, white flowers. Nothing left of anything herbal, and no sign of mists or dew. It's also quickly becoming rather soapy. High-end, expensive soap, but soap all the same. Conclusion/Notes: Flowery soap. Very nice for what it is, but it's not something I'd ever wear, floral girl that I most certainly am not. Floral-scent lovers will, well, love this, provided it doesn't go soapy on them, as it does me.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Pine! In the imp: Pine! And perhaps juniper? On skin, wet: Something distinctly minty, specifically pennyroyal. There's nothing approaching berries, nor anything that resembles wood. Very much pine and either juniper or mint. That said, it is lovely. On skin, dry: Pine usually stands at attention and screams on my skin, but Yew Trees, as it dries, becomes a very soft, almost muted pine scent. There's still something fresh and minty about it, but it's no longer something very prominent. Conclusion/Notes: Yew Trees is a lovely, simple pine scent on me. I'm not someone who likes smelling of pine all day. It'd be a perfect before-bed scent, however, so I might dump an imp or more into a bottle of unscented lotion.

Rating (on skin): 0/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sour rose. Preconceived notions: Three lotus blooms? Three roses? My horror grows with each addition. I don't like lotus or rose, but I can't let an imp go untested. In the imp: ....Apples? The hell? On skin, wet: The lotus blooms die off almost instantly, leaving room for the rose to bloom, and bloom, and bloom. A very warm, smooth rose, but rose all the same. On skin, dry: Rose! Nary a trace of anything approaching lotus. There is, however, something sour around the edges. Might that actually be lotus? Hmm. Whatever it is, it's fairly odd. Conclusion/Notes: Sour edges aside, this is a fairly nice rose scent, as rose scents go. If I liked rose, I might be adding a bottle to my wishlist. As it is, I wouldn't have given this a go if I didn't have a strange need to test everything that comes through my hands. Rose-lovers will love Kurukulla, and rose-haters like myself will... not. Glad to try it, though.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Rose. In the imp: Eeep. Rose. Faintly soapy. On skin, wet: Rose. Nothing but rose. My skin takes every presented chance to amp rose to the nth degree, as it has with Viola. On skin, dry: Rosewood and a bit of sandalwood and moss, but mostly rose. Strong, heavy, warm rose. I don't like rose. Conclusion/Notes: I don't like rose, and the feeling is apparently mutual. I mostly knew this would be a disaster on my skin, but I can't let an imp pass through my hands untested, and I'm glad to have gotten to sniff it regardless.

Rating (on skin): 0/5 Summarised in a word or two: Dirt and mushrooms. In the imp: Wet dirt and mushrooms. On skin, wet: The very scent of a mushroom growing in earth. Nothing more, nothing less, and not a fan of earth/dirt, this is making me a tad queasy. On skin, dry: I'd have loved for Death Cap to turn out on me as it has on others, and become a rich, warm, spicy and mildly earthy scent, but on me? It's all mushrooms and dirt. It reminds me very much of Graveyard Dirt, but with, of course, the addition of mushrooms! Conclusion/Notes: I'm not the kind of girl that digs smelling as though she's just taken a dive under a pile of dirt-covered mushrooms, so Death Cap will be finding a new home.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Myrrh. In the bottle: Sassafras! Not much of a fan of sassafras... On skin, wet: Eep. Spicy, myrrh-thickened sassafras. Already very heavy, weighed down by the myrrh that I dislike so. On skin, dry: Thick sassafras and myrrh, and smokey, almost heady black poppy ...And there's the tell-tale headache. Conclusion/Notes: Absolutely not for me. It's a very weird combination, sassafras, nutmeg, poppy and myrrh. It borders on intoxicating, but not in a good way. Much too thick, dark and heavy for me.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Efficacy (if applicable): Leaves! In the imp: Chalky.... something, with an unsettling sweetness. On skin, wet: I know this smell. Wait for it... Eden! I thought what I'm smelling now in Eden was coconut, but I'm starting to think it's actually fig. And my, for some reason, fig is good suddenly. Strangler Fig is truly green: it smells like leaves! On skin, dry: There are trees less than a foot away from one of my living room windows, and every so often, if I have the screen open, leaves will drift in. When they do, I pick them up, tear them apart and put them in small glass bowls around my apartment. I love the rich, faintly sweet smell of torn, fresh green leaves. Strangler Fig smells exactly like them. Therefore, I am heartily in love with Strangler Fig. There is also a faint fruity-ness (the fig) beneath the green leaves. That reminds me of the smell of said leaves mixing with the scent of a tart (like, say, cranberry) burning in my living room. Conclusion/Notes: Much love is had for Strangler Fig. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't the smell of fresh leaves I've adored for years on end. A 5ml will be included with my next order.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Orchid, musk and jasmine! In the imp: Orchid, jasmine, plum and white musk. Very cold, in a 'fresh/clean/spring/summer/rain/" after-shower body-spray kind of way. On skin, wet: Musky jasmine and orchid. Very floral and musky, but as I love white/light musks, orchid and jasmine, I say that as a good thing. On skin, dry: I love the way the jasmine and orchid don't warm much as Kitsune-Tsuki dries. I like cool/cold/icy floral much more than warmed floral scents. The jasmine, while by no means faint, doesn't overpower the other notes, as it is wont to do on my skin. Orchid, jasmine and white musk in equal. beautiful amounts. The plum appears, but lingers beneath the other notes. Conclusion/Notes: Kitsune-Tsuki is beautiful. A bit too floral for daily fare, but perfect for work, weddings, funerals — anything that calls for me to dress up or otherwise be "respectable"; times when scents like Smut, Snake Oil and Vixen just won't do. Also perfect for days (I'm thinking spring/summer days, mostly) when I feel like something light and airy, floral and a bit sweet. A 5ml will follow soon.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Outdoorsy. In the imp: Dark musk, woods, saffron and spice! On skin, wet: Eep. Thick, heavy dark musk, strong woods and dirty patchouli. This does not bode well. On skin, dry: Woods, musk and patchouli. Very 'high-end men's cologne'-y, or maybe aftershave. Something "manly" and outdoorsy. Something my father would probably love, but is way too thick, heavy and woodsy for me. Conclusion/Notes: Musks, woods and patchoulis are three notes that can go either way on me, and in Oblivion, they've decided to rail heartily against me. I don't usually think of scents as "feminine" or "masculine," but I've made an exception for Oblivion, which fairly screams "I AM THE SCENT FOR A GUY THAT CALLS HIMSELF A MANLY MAN!" at me. It's interesting, and not bad, but I can't see myself wearing it. Ever. However, I love the colour of this oil — that deep, earthy shade of green is one of my favourite colours.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: *sneeze!* In the imp: Musk, herbs and elm bark. On skin, wet: Woodsy, sweet herbal musk, and amber? Vaguely reminds me of Wolfsbane, but not quite as "green." On skin, dry: This is strangely pretty. It's just a little too... dusty? I'm not sure. Besides that, something about it triggers a sneezing fit, and that just won't do. Conclusion: Sneezing aside, as I said, something about this isn't for me. I can't figure out exactly what it is. I like musk, herbs and, at times, elm bark, so why don't I really like Odin? It's a mystery.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Cranberry incense. Preconceived notions: I heard tell in some thread that Lampades is a wee bit similar to my much-beloved King of Spades, so here's hoping it is. In the imp: Cranberry, ginger, spices and musk. KoS or not, this is good. On skin, wet: Cranberry! But also, unfortunately, incense. A very bland thing, this, so far, and very flat. On skin, dry: Much spicier now, and the cranberry's returned! At times the incense seems to linger about the fringes and stay mostly out-of-the-way, and others, it stomps into the middle of everything and makes its presence clearly and painfully known. Conclusion: Cranberry incense, nothing more and nothing less. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish it were a bit fruitier — stronger on the cranberry, to be precise. I say this, really, only because I'd hoped this would be at least similar to KoS (and sans incense, it sort've is). Another to try in the scent locket.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Cedar! In the imp: A freshly-turned root in dirt. On skin, wet: Cedar! More specifically, a freshly-turned root, covered in dirt thrown in a pile of dusty cedar chips. I quite like cedar in small amounts, but this is no small amount of cedar. On skin, dry: Among the smoothest, softest cedar I've come across. Lovely, this. Warm and dry (no longer dusty, however) cedar that really does remind me of dirt, though without smelling like dirt. It isn't just cedar, though. There's something herbal as well (which makes sense). Herbs and cedar? Why yes, I do really, really like Mandrake so far. Conclusion: As much as I do like it on its own, I can't see myself wearing this as a perfume. It would, however, be wonderful layered with... something. I'm not sure just what. Something that could stand a bit of earthy, grounding cedar. I just don't have any idea what that might be.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Fruity incense. In the imp: Plum and herbs. On skin, wet: Fruity and floral. Not so much herbal or plum(y). A bit sweet, and with a cherry-almond sort of something. On skin, dry: Fruity... candles. Something has become distinctly waxy on my skin for some reason; smokey, like incense, as well. Conclusion: Fruity? Waxy? Incense? Surprise surprise, it's not for me. I may give it a go in my scent locket eventually, in hopes it'll stay the lovely herbal-plum there, but until then, I'll pass.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sandalwoody vanilla. In the bottle: Vanilla and rum! Kind of smells like a Creme Brulee fragrance oil I have. On skin, wet: Vanilla, sandalwood and saffron. Very sandalwoody and dry, almost dusty. Sandalwood has the tendency to do that on my skin. On skin, dry: Sandalwood, saffron, vanilla, and butter-cream, in that order. Not my cup of tea at first, but it starts to grow on you (or on me, anyway). The vanilla balances out the otherwise-too-dusty-for-me sandalwood very well, and it's very... well, not foody per se, but close. Conclusion: When I first tried this, I didn't like it. But, as I continued to try it from my partial bottle, it started growing on me, and I can can say now that I really do like it. Maybe not desperate, spending-$70-on-Ebay love, but love enough to have hunted down more, with the idea in mind to maybe swap for yet more.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Pretty. In the bottle: Cotton blossom, musk, clover and powder. Reminds me of dryer sheets in a "Soft fresh bright light spring flowers"-esque scent. On skin, wet: Eee, cotton blossom and powder. I'm not especially keen on cotton blossom. Fairly dislike it, even. There's something beneath that, though. Something soft and sweet; something smooth. I don't know what it is, but I wish it were much stronger. On skin, dry: Oooh. The cotton blossom is much lighter, and that Something turns out to be a lovely mixture of white musk, clover and powder. I'm not usually a fan of something so very, terribly girly and almost white, but this... Conclusion: This is pretty, all-in-all. Springy and fresh. Girly. Not particularly enraged. I really can't see this being in heavy rotation in my box, however. Glad to have gotten to test a wee bit of it, though.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Banana! In the imp: Banana candy and flowers. On skin, wet: Banana and coconut? Very fruity indeed, and I'm not big on fruity scents. On skin, dry: Very tropical and fruity. Banana, coconut, and maybe vanilla? Something smooth, rich and creamy beneath the fruit, whatever it is. It kind of reminds me of those small banana-shaped candies found inside those quarter-operated candy/toy machines found in groceries, laundros, etc. Conclusion: Nice, and it'd be great for scenting lotion for using using the summer, but I can't see this as a perfume for myself. I'm just not into fruity scents.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Sweet floral, lemony tea. In the imp: Sugary lemon, peach and tea! Very floral. On skin, wet: Eep, lemon. A very floral, sweet lemon tea with a bit of something almost like cotton candy (that particular element reminds me of Midway!). I'd like this very much, I think, if not for the strong florals and/or the lemon. On skin, dry: Similar to Midway, but floral, lemony and not as strong. Very sweet and innocent. Still not a hint of peach. Conclusion: Most certainly not my cup of tea. It's nice, but very sweet, candyish and lemony.

Reeking of: Dragon's Milk. Ugh, I'm such a drama groupie. Months after the fact, I'll go sifting through threads, digging up old drama to read through all over. Thing is, the stuff usually amuses me — not to the point of joining a comm like fandom_wank, mind, but it does tickle me in a sick kind of way. I say "usually," because it doesn't here. I hate wank here. I want everyone here to get along and sing cheesy songs (just not that one about rowing a boat ashore!) and make pretty necklaces out of flowers while sitting in a huge circle. (heh.) On other Forums, I'm more of a lurker. I'm more... removed from it all than I am here. Not that I'm an especially-noticed member 'round here (heh, hardly), or that I'm among the most active, but still, I'm more active here than in any other fandom/community I haunt ("haunt" is also a perfect word for what I do on other Forums). Besides that, Beth (and Ted et al) is/are far more involved with their customers/fans/love-monkeys than any other... *what's the word? Subject of Fandom? Something along those lines* I've encountered. I mostly frequent Forums devoted to... things. Lush-type forums. I guess it's a "More involved + Cooler/More Involved *whatever that word is!* = Not so amused by the snark and drama between forumites/thrown at *that damn word again!*" sort of thing. Plus, Beth is freakin' awesome, so it's not the same when wank's directed at her here than it is when people go on tangents about how much **** sucks and that ****'s owner needs to get a life/die/whatever. Kind of like the difference between someone berating your first cousin and the 38747276546th cousin you know about, but have never met/seen/spoke to/etc. This all probably ties into my "Why we're not part of some perfume-related cult" rant from the Confessional thread. Same thing, really, just not in the very same vein. I don't know. It's early, and this whole post-o'-pointlessness started when I started sniffing through old threads on another Forum and found a sticky pile of wank. I should either sleep, or go back to reading some of the (relatively) better smut over at RestrictedSection.org. Luuuucius.