Ajila

In the bottle – Jasmine, jasmine and yet more jasmine

Wet on me – Jasmine is still the only note that I can smell. It’s less astringent than it was in the bottle, but it’s still jasmine

Dry on me – A faint, powdery floral

Overall – Jasmine and I really do not get on so this blend is not for me

CDXI (411)

In the bottle – The initial whiff is sweet, almost butterscotchy, followed by orange blossom and topped off by washing powder

Wet on me – It’s weird I would have said that it was orange blossom and melon, but the sent is much heavier than that and I’m getting washing powder as well

Dry on me – It settles as a strong sharp floral, that I would guess is some form of lily, but also very dusty

Overall – I have to say this just doesn’t work with my skin chemistry at all

CDXXIII (423)

In the bottle – Almost nothing at all, perhaps peach and possibly watermelon

Wet on me – Faint candied watermelon with a hint of something floral, but I struggle to identify florals

Dry on me – It disappears quickly in a haze of melon

Overall – I think it would have been quite pleasant and refreshing had it lasted just a little longer

In the bottle – Green leafy woods

Wet on me – A kind of murky green scent, with something almost acrid about it

Dry on me – Dry green and musky, with faint floral highlights

Overall – I’m sure some people love it, but it’s really not me

In the bottle – Sweet plum with the lily and musk in the background

Wet on me – The pine wood comes immediately to the fore. There is a little softening sweetness to it, but mainly it’s pine

Dry on me – It goes a little perfumy, but eventually it dries down to a sweet, musky plum

Overall – I like it more than I expected to. I need to decide if my desire to keep it is actually a ‘must keep the set’ mentality

In the bottle – Sweet, slightly spicy apples. More like an apple flavoured sweet than an actual apple

Wet on me – Still that candied apple, with a hint of something green, it might be the hawthorn

Dry on me – Initially it goes very smoky, but then it settles to a very dry, green apple scent with a layer of musk

Overall – It’s a little smoky for me, but when it settles it’s the perfect apple scent I didn’t know I wanted

In the bottle – Very faint amber, which surprises me, because the atmosphere spray and bath oil brimmed with scent

Wet on me – Soft, sweet vanilla and amber, with the sharpness of the lily in the background

Dry on me – The blend settles into a sweet, golden vanilla

Overall – I like the dry down, but the blend seems a little flat and one dimensional on me

In the bottle – A hit of sweet tuberose – very similar to the atmosphere and linen spray

Wet on me – Again with the tuberose, but now with a slightly bitter greenness from the oakmoss

Dry on me – The florals gradually fade to leave a green, slightly airy musk

Overall – Whilst I doubt that this will ever be a favourite of mine it is much better on me than I anticipated. Perhaps appropriately it shares a feeling with Beltane

In the bottle – Yep, that’ll be mead then

Wet on me – Mead, extra honey and … strawberries?

Dry on me – Sweet, soft, sticky honey

Overall – On me this might as well be a honey single note, but as I love honey that’s fine by me

In the bottle – Something dark and green like vetiver, but very, very dry

Wet on me – Soft, warm hay, smothered under what I’m convinced is vetiver

Dry on me – I’ve done this without looking at the notes, but I can’t get away from the bitter earthy scent that my nose interprets as vetiver

Overall – Not for me

In the bottle – Soap –I’m guessing that it’s the gardenia, but I could be wrong

Wet on me – I can only presume that it’s the white tea I smell, but I would have said that it was a pale citrus

Dry on me – A soft, slightly powdery floral

Overall – It didn’t last on me at all and what there was of it was not me anyway

In the bottle – Initially a hit of cinnamon and then the clove and pine get involved to form Herbals

Wet on me – I presume it’s the clove giving it that sharp medicinal scent

Dry on me – Warm sweet vanilla with hints of spice

Overall – I like this a lot and it was a winner with my friends, even if they did think that it smelt floral

In the bottle – Sweet, thick butterscotchy caramel, with just a hint of salt, which I can only assume is the peanuts. I will lay money on this blend turning to ashes on my skin

Wet on me – Thick, buttery caramel

Dry on me – Wow, a sweet, butter blend that doesn’t turn to ashes on me. It gets pretty damn close, but then veers away, just as I think that there is no hope left in sight. What remains is a thick, cloying butterscotch scent, which to my work colleagues translated as peanut butter (without being told the notes)

Overall – I like it, but it is a ad overwhelming so I don’t really know about the practicality of it as a blend

In the bottle – Red musk, with a slightly sweetened edge

Wet on me – The red musk still sits on top of the blend, but is now backed by the earthy patchouli

Dry on me – Initially it’s just straight up red musk, but eventually it settles into a sweet, custardy skin musk (no, I have know idea where that combination is coming from, either)

Overall – Not what I expected, but still the sort of scent I could happily wear all the time

In the bottle – vanilla musk, carnation and just a touch of cedar

Wet on me – Sweet and light and airy and just a tiny bit soapy

Dry on me – Oh joy! Warm sweet – almost honeyed vanilla with a soft, sexy musk undertone

Overall – I expected to love this and wasn’t disappointed. Warm, inviting and sensuous, but still a wearable every day ‘work safe’ blend

In the bottle – Typically the two notes I was hoping wouldn’t show dominate, the pitch pine and the patchouli, which combine, to my nose, smell like hippy toilet cleaner. Let us hope that my skin chemistry can do something with this unpromising start

Wet on me – The pine pitch is still the main event, but there is now a touch of vanilla

Dry on me – The warmth of the musk and the vanilla come through to settle into a very come hither sort of scent

Overall – Once I’d got over the pine I loved it, although I would have liked more from the honey and the tobacco

In the bottle – Sweet, slightly peppery, green plants

Wet on me – Sharp florals with a slightly powdery back drop

Dry on me – Warm, dry florals

Overall – There’s nothing offensive about this blend, but it’s not really me

In the bottle – High, heavy gardenia

Wet on me – Lush green and slightly harsh florals

Dry on me – As it dries the patchouli comes through, giving it a warm spicy base

Overall – I like the dry down more than I expected, but even that’s overly patchouli for me

In the bottle – Very little, a slight hint of rose and an even slighter hint of red musk

Wet on me – Soft, sweet iris, deep red musk and in the back something I would have said was patchouli

Dry on me – A faint, slightly sweet floral

Overall – I guess I expected this to be rather more full on. I like it, but it’s more the memory of a lover who has gone than a full blown Grind House

In the bottle – All I get is the white musk and the powder notes

Wet on me – Dry and clean powder

Dry on me – Very clean, slightly warm white, musk, with just a hint of sweetness

Overall – Perhaps a grown up version of Antique Lace

In the bottle – Bright juicy peaches bursting with flavour

Wet on me – The peaches and honey sit on top of the thick, gloopy cocoa absolute

Dry on me – Soft sweet peaches fading into the white musk

Overall – Very nice, very nice indeed

In the bottle – Something quite sharp and chemical, I can only assume that it’s the blonde wood

Wet on me – Dry, slightly sharp sandalwood with a hint of the Dragon’s Blood Resin in the background

Dry on me – Dry woods, which disappear quickly

Overall – A bit neither here nor there on me

In the bottle – A plum and raspberry gin cocktail

Wet on me – Initially a sweet berryish hit, but then going softer and more feminine, but still with that slightly boozy background

Dry on me – A soft, warm, slightly musky vanilla with just a hint of fruits to round it out

Overall – My favourite Grind House Lady so far

In the bottle – Warmed grapefruit

Wet on me – Grapefruit and washing detergent

Dry on me – Poof! Gone in a soapy citrusy flash

Overall – I’m impressed, normally sea scents are grapefruit ot washing powder on me, this was both

In the bottle – Warm, sweet coconut and moss – very odd

Wet on me – Again that sweet, almost coconut smell, overlain by the sharp scent of decay

Dry on me – It fades very quickly to leave a soft sweet, slightly spiced, but very dry scent just lingering on my skin

Overall – I liked it more than I expected, but it’s just a bit much for me to get my head round

In the bottle – Parchment and an odd, green leafy scent

Wet on me – An odd musty green scent. I don’t know where I’m getting it from or how to describe it

Dry on me – A warm dry vanilla that sits close to the skin

Overall – I love the dry down, but somehow I’m not as excited as I expected to be