arabella

First Impression: Airy, green, medicinal, dry - mostly poppies. Dries down to: The acai berries add a brightness and tone down the poppies. It's very fresh and the honey is just a nuance. Gets better with time. Additional Comments: I'm very pleasantly surprised that I can't detect much of the honey which usually amps up horribly on me. This is lovely - a gorgeous summer evening scent. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Oily Fruit. Dries down to: This settles down very quickly. The oiliness tones down, the tea steps forward and it turns into an exotic but very faint, fruity tea blend. Additional comments: The red currant is more prominent than the blueberry on me. I can't detect the spices nor the vanilla but they must be what's keeping the benzoin in check. In the middle stage, I feel as if I dribbled juice while eating fruit but can't find it to clean it up - it's just a faint, muddled mess. Finally, it becomes more crisp - I'm guessing from the ginger and musk - and the notes come together. It's okay but nothing special. I like some fruity scents but this is more of a generic tea with fruit sauce. Rating: 2 out of 5.

First Impression: Sweet with a hint of wood. Dries down to: A very soft, slightly sweet scent that stays close to the skin. Additional Comments: I don't get any apple blossom at all and, thankfully, the honey is beautifully contained by the amber, teak and musk. Honey, normally, amps up horribly on my skin and was the reason I hesitated to get this "lady" but I'm glad I did. After the first few minutes, it's almost impossible to pick out any individual notes as they all blend and become a soft, warm veil around me - a great blend for daily wear as it won't offend anyone. It does, however, fade very quickly on me. Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Moonflower, Madonna lily, orris, white ginger, cucumber, hyacinth, and Irish moss. First Impression: Hyacinth. Dries down to: A slightly spicy yet watery floral. Additional Comments: This is a gorgeous summer blend. With time, it becomes sweeter and softer - absolutely lovely. I do wish it lasted longer, though. Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Sweet mint. Dries down to: Stays the same except for the vanilla becoming more obvious. Additional Comments: This is a lovely summer scent. Refreshing without being too 'cold' as some mints can be. It only lasts a couple of hours, so I'll have to carry it with me on days I wear it. Rating: 4 out of 5.

First Impression: Sweet, nutty wood. Dries down to: Patchouli emerges almost immediately and the sweetness tones down considerably. Additional Comments: I had hoped for more apricot but didn't get it at all. On the other hand, the sweet notes, which normally scream on me, are held in check by the woods. The hazelnut is the predominant note and lays like a creamy veil over everything else. It's not what I'd hoped for but it'll be okay once in a while. Probably more as a room scent as it's a bit too masculine for me to wear. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: Rose. Dries down to: Sweet rose. Additional Comments: Hope - Rose usually amps up incredibly on me. The sugar in here makes this one of the few rose blends that actually work on me. A very pleasant surprise. Rating: 4 out of 5.

First Impression: Violets Dries down to: Sweet. Additional Comments: This doesn't quite live up to my expectations. I love violets but I can't get past the "musty" note in the early stages. Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Apple strudel. Dries down to: Apple squares. Additional Comments: I have no idea where I'm getting the apple from but that's definitely what I'm picking up from this combination of florals and cream. 'Zarita, the Apple-Head Doll' is pretty enough but that's all. Rating: 3 out of 5.

First Impression: Resin and cinnamon. Dries down to: Stays cinnamony. Additional Comments: Myrrh isn't a favorite of mine and I'm surprised the smoke isn't showing up at all. This is strongly cinnamon and not much else. Rating: 2 out of 5.

First Impression: Fizzy fruit. Dries down to: Initially, I get a burst of blueberry; then, it settles down to papaya and lemongrass with a spritz of gin. Additional Comments: I really thought the blueberry would dominate this blend but, on me, it's just a whisper. It's not what I expected but I really like it. It'll be especially refreshing in the summer. Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Hot chocolate with vanilla. Dries down to: A melted chocolate bar. Additional Comments: I like the early chocolate-y stages. After a while, the other notes, although never individually distinguishable, smother the chocolate and it all turns muddy. Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Lemon. Dries down to: Creamy, lemon flowers. Additional Comments: This is barely there, lemon foam. Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Sharp, biting opium. Dries down to: Tones down somewhat. Additional Comments: I think it's the wet tobacco providing the sharp edge. It's reminiscent of a "men's only club" whiskey and pipe tobacco - very masculine. I expected Tiresias to be wet and this one to be dry, based on the notes, but they're the opposite. Rating: 2 out of 5.

First Impression: Very spicy wood. Dries down to: A dry masculine scent. Additional Comments: Hints of black currant, tobacco and caramel appear intermittently. The spicy dryness must come from the cinnamon leaf, patchouli and sandalwood. I detect no muguet whatsoever. It's interesting but not what I want my man to smell like. Rating: 2 out of 5.

First Impression: A very light resin. Dries down to: No change until the florals appear much, much later. Additional Comments: This is a very innocuous blend and considering all the notes, it's surprisingly bland. The florals don't appear until much, much later and, then, just barely - but it is lovely at that stage. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Coconut crème brulee. Dries down to: Coconut crème brulee spilled in a florist shop. Additional Comments: For the most part I really like this but occasionally I get a whiff of something going bad. Fortunately, it passes but I wish it didn't show up at all. Lasted: All day. Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Dusty coconut. Dries down to: A few drops of lemon join the mix. Additional Comments: I don't like this one as much as I'd hoped. I love coconut but this blend is a bit too dry for me and disappears much too quickly. Lasted: 1 to 2 hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

First Impression: A fizzy fruity floral. Dries down to: A refreshing, pretty floral - like a citrus rose champagne punch - but without the alcohol, just the fizzies. Additional Comments: This is a really nice surprise. I hadn't expected to like it as much as I do because of the rose, which usually screams on me. But, here it's lightly floating on a bed of citrus with the other florals and not being bratty at all. I'm so glad I took a risk and ordered a bottle. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 5 out of 5.

First Impression: Watery resin. Dries down to. There's no change. Additional Comments: This is the 6th blend I've tried in this Act of the series but nothing is impressing me, so far. Considering how many notes are in this one, it just comes across as insipid. Maybe there's too many in here and they're all cancelling each other out, just before they all do a quick fade. Lasted: 1/2 an hour. Rating: 1 out of 5.

First Impression: Metallic, oily incense. Dries down to: Resiny incense and greenery. Additional Comments: The mental picture I get is of patchy grass in the parking lot of an industrial complex covered in oily residue from the surrounding smokestacks. This one's not for me. Lasted: Barely two hours. Rating: 1 out of 5.

First Impression: Ammonia and mint. Dries down to: A sweet note appears and the ammonia goes away. Additional Comments: I have no idea where I'm getting mint from. None of the notes are obvious to me and it's also very short-lived on me. Not one I'll miss when it's gone. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

First Impression: A very fresh aquatic. Dries down to: A fainter version of the same. Additional Comments: I thought I'd be able to detect at least the almond and/or jasmine but I can't. This blend stays purely aquatic from start to finish. I like aquatics for hot and sticky summer days, so I'll use this then. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

First Impression: A very sharp resin. Dries down to: Pied de Pepper wannabe until the moss and patchouli start calling for attention. Additional Comments: This is a "no-go" for me. I think it's the moss creating the problems here. Most of the time I like blends with patchouli in them but it all depends on the other notes and this blend is just bad on me. Lasted: All day. Rating: 1 out of 5.

First Impression: Floral over musk with a hint of fruit. Dries down to: A bare whisper of patchouli joins the mix. Then, in the end, the currant starts to scream. Additional Comments: Initially, this blend is very soft on me. "Hypnotic" is a good description as I find it very soothing and relaxing at this stage. A perfect sleeping scent. Then, all currant hell breaks loose and ruins everything. Lasted: Fortunately, only about an hour. Rating: 2 out of 5.