arabella
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Everything posted by arabella
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... Their scent is a mishmash of snow, dirt, Icelandic moss, marsh felwort, and the smushed petals of buttercups and moorland spotted orchids, with the barest hint of the scent of pilfered Christmas pastries. First Impression: Sharp, earthy, woody Dries down to: There's no change, except it becomes woodier Additional Comments: This is a very earthy forest scent - Hansel and Gretel in wintertime. I get no sweetness whatsoever. I've come to realize that woods really amp a lot on me and, unless they're a very miniscule proporation of the blend, they're going to "scream" on my skin. Lasted: A few hours Rating: 3 out of 5
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First Impression: Creamsicles drenched in honey. Dries down to: Much the same but considerably toned down. Additional Comments: I seem to be getting the worst of this. It must be a blend that, on me, obscures the individual notes. I should at least have twigged to wine grapes and cake. I'm not familiar with myrrh or olive leaf. I can't pick out the frankincense at all. It's okay but nothing great. Lasted: 3-4 hours Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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2006 version First Impression: Citrus, resin, floral Dries down to: It settles down and becomes creamier. Additional Comments. Again better than last years. Its' Christmas in the desert. I picture a nativity scene in the Arizona desert. Lasted: Several hours Rating: 4 out of 5
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2006 Version First Impression: Black pudding with anise. Dries down to: Spice cake that's a bit burnt around the edges. Additional Comments: I prefer this version to last year's. It's sweeter but still masculine and comforting. The leather works for me this time - sometimes it can go very sour on me. This is a great winter room scent. Lasted: A long time. Rating: 4 out of 5
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First Impression: Sweet and fizzy - like champagne. Dries down to: Fruit notes - peach emerging from a bed of herbs. Additional Comments: This has good throw. I don't get any violet at all. I think it's the orris that's amping up and it feels like there's musk in here instead of amber - very confuising scent for me. Lasted: 2-3 hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Minty floral. Dries down to: Tones down a bit but stays pretty much the same. Additional Comments: I'm totally off on the notes in this one. I get the "cold" but there's nothing in there like 'smoky asphalt'. The vetiver is there but barely so. It is refreshing but only fleetingly so. For me, there are many better blends. Lasted: 1/2 hour. Rating: 2 out of 5.
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First Impression: Clean - can definitely detect the bamboo. Dries down to: Hints of citrus, bamboo and pine peek out, lightly dusted with icing sugar. Additional Comments: This one surprised me. I expected it to be much more floral. I love peony but I can't pick it up at all, nor any of the other florals listed in the description. Dragon's blood is missing, too. Normally, pine resin would drown everything else out but I took a chance here and it seems to have paid off. Although I'm not getting the notes I'd hoped for - peony, plum blossom, narcissus, dragon's blood and peach blossom - and the tangerine and mandarin notes I love are quite suppressed, the total blend is a lovely, light clean scent that will be perfect for summer. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Jasmine. Dries down to: a soft, bright, fresh floral. I can detect the lotus now, but not the tuberose. It's unusual for me not to amp any type of rose, so this is a pleasant surprise. Additional Comments: This is a lovely blend. The lime isn't obvious but serves to keep the florals under control. A great everyday scent that would suit almost everyone. Lasted: 3 - 4 hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Sweet tea with grapefruit. Dries down to: A nauseating, sour, plastic note emerges, almost immediately, and overtakes everything. Additional Comments: I should have expected that honey would be a problem but sometimes I get lucky and I was hopeful that this combo of notes would keep it in check. This one could have gone either way on me and, unfortunately, it went very bad. Lasted: Way too long. Rating: 1 out of 5
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First Impression: Very dry dragon's blood. Dries down to: The blend softens and warms up. Additional Comments: This is simply perfect harmony. It just feels like a warm enveloping glow. I probably wouldn’t wear this out but I'll definitely be using it as a comfort scent. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5
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First Impression: A softly sweet floral. Dries down to: A sweet and muddy floral, that gets muddier with time. Additional Comments: This is okay but far from what I'd been hoping for. I guess I expected it to be my holy grail scent and it just doesn't measure up. I think it's the myrrh that's killing it for me; or, maybe, there's just a touch too much fruitiness. I would have preferred more lilac, wisteria and African violet to come through. I like the undertone of the Burgundy wine grapes but can't detect the cognac at all. The combination just doesn't come together well for me but I'm hoping aging will help. Lasted: An hour or so. Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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First Impression: It's definitely bitter. I know this scent but can't quite place it - Angostura Bitters, maybe? Dries down to: Some of the florals start to emerge but the heart stays bitter. Additional Comments: This one is quite intriguing. I think it's the combination of blackberry, vetiver and sage that's giving it the bitter heart. Rose, generally, amps way up on me but I can't even detect it here and I can usually pick out lavender and peony but not in this. I'm not quite as familiar with the other notes so I'm not sure how they fit into the whole. All in all, it certainly lives up to its name. I'm quite impressed by the blend but it's just not something I'd wear. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Resin and incense. Dries down to: There's not much change. Additional Comments: Another dark, heavy scent. Not bad but not really my cup of tea. Lasted: 5-6 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5
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First Impression: Autumn fruit. Dries down to: Fades very quicky and leaves hardly a trace of fruit. Additional Comments: It was lovely to start with but, sadly, was completely gone within 15 minutes. I'm glad I still have some of the 2005 version left. It has much better staying power. Lasted: Fifteen minutes. Rating: 1.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Patchouli and musk. Dries down to: A very faint hint of night blooms emerges. Additional Comments: I was wrong about the patchouli; it's actually jasmine. (I don't know why but I always confuse the two, even though I know better.) It's dark yet fresh and lovely. Definitely not for the daylight hours. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Smoky October air. Dries down to: No change. Additional Comments. It feels like taking a walk in the woods after dark in late October. Regrettably, I don't get any sugared currant or anything resembling cake at all. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 2 out of 5
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First Impression: Apples and leaves. Dries down to: Not much change. Additional Comments: This is exactly what it is - crisp apples - the tart variety, not the sweet. It's nice but I like a touch of sugar with my apple scents. Lasted: 2-3 hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Sweet cream with rum. Dries down to: The apple becomes more apparent in the mix. Additional Comments: This is like toffee apples for grown-ups. Another bottle candidate. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5
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2006 Version First Impression: Patchouli and incense. Dries down to: Tones down a lot into a lazy, smoky wisp of a scent. Additional Comments: I can't detect any of the spices or the apple but they're serving to keep the whole from being too heavy. Not bad but nothing special either. Lasted: Overnight. Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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First Impression: Resin and smoke. Dries down to: A melange of sharp layers of spice and resin. Additional Comments: This is slightly exotic smelling yet very fall-like. It's well-blended so no one note stands out. It just doesn't particularly do anything for me. Lasted: 5-6 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5
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2006 Version First Impression: Soapy rose. Dries down to: Gets soapier and no other notes are ever discernible. Additional Comments: Unfortunately, the rose really amps on me in this blend and all the other notes get drowned. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 1.5 out of 5
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2006 Version First Impression: Burnt sugar and rum. Dries down to: Settles down to a nice buttery rum before the burnt sugar creeps in. Additional Comments: This is perfect for a crisp fall evening. The burnt sugar isn't nearly as obvious as it was in last year's version but it's what keeps me from rating this higher. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 3 out of 5
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First Impression: Spiced Pumpkin Pie Filling. Dries down to: The sharpness of the spices mellows and it turns into a lovely, rich and creamy pumpkin blend. Additional Comments: This is bottle-worthy. The orange peel and mandarin keeps it very fresh and the amber softens the edges. My absolute favorite of the Halloweenie series. Lasted: 2-3 hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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2006 Version First Impression: Incense, Citrus and Flowers. Dries down to: Mellows to a lovely scent but nothing stands out in particular. Then, a while later, the florals start to amp and drown everything else out. Additional Comments: If it stayed at the in-between stage, I'd rate it much higher but once the florals start to amp up, it's over for me. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 2 out of 5
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First Impression: Smells citrus-y but exotic - like starfuit or kumquat. Dries down to: Becomes creamier and sugar dusted. Additional Comments: There's rose in here but it's very well tamed by the mandarin and amber. The creaminess is from the tonka and benzoin. The other florals - orchid, calla lily, carnation and vanilla flower - lend a sweet spiciness and keep this from feeling like a strictly floral blend. Sandalwood provides the accent. Absolutely lovely. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5