ReikoSazanami

A scent aflame with rage, swirling in the red haze of hatred: dragon's blood spiked with black pepper, clove, and cinnamon. In imp: Eep. This one made me recoil. It’s an angry reddish oil, very pungent. This is dragon’s blood from a very pissed off dragon, not a headshop. Wet on skin: Sharp and the pepper is making me a bit sneezy. This isn’t the cozy Christmas kind of cinnamon; it’s the kind that climbs up your sinuses and yells. The clove is making everything smoldering and dark. There’s something almost fruity buried under there, like cherries (fitting, since they’re red and can be bitey). Drydown: After the initial claws-in-the-face, it has burned down to a cinnamon note, still the aggressive kind and not what you’d want to eat on toast. I was expecting a foodie scent after most of the notes were things I can find in my spice cabinet, however this is anything but that. The clove and black pepper have slunk back in, burning alongside the dragon’s blood. Overall: I like spicy things, but this was a bit much. I’m too used to soft cinnamons, I suppose, and the combination is somewhat off-putting. But it still interests me on the other hand! Maybe I’ll let it stay around for a little and see what a few months does.

In imp: Men’s cologne at first, kind of heady and musky. I smell some leather, but it’s like a new jacket, not a well-worn piece. After a moment it smells fresh and breezy, a good sign. Wet on skin: STRONG leather! I thought I picked up De Sade at first, not Jolly Roger. I’m not really smelling “ship” or “pirate” yet, but I don’t exactly have experience in those scents. There’s now a tangy scent coming out that tickles my nose, so I think I’ve found that sea spray note. The headiness from earlier I believe is the rum. Drydown: The cologne is back, but it’s more of a classic smell, not Axe or those other scents that are popular now. The rum and leather have mixed together pleasantly, and that overall sea breeze is still there without being astringent. Just now I’m starting to get a whiff of “Beach!” from the breeze and dry wood notes. When it all settles, I get well-worn leathers that have been cracked by salt and sand airing out on the beach. In a good way. Overall: Definitely a man’s fragrance, but I want to keep it for myself! Friends and I have dubbed it as smelling like “a rather sober Jack Sparrow”. The beach scent isn’t all hot sun and lotion, but rather wild spray, coarse sand and the scent of traveling on the seas. There may be a bottle of this in my future.

In imp: Strong florals (must be the rose) and some lemon, definitely. Reminds me of a shampoo I’ve used, maybe my green apple kind. Wet on skin: It’s my green apple shampoo! That note was hidden in the bottle, but on skin, yipe. Very crisp and tart like a Granny Smith. After a few minutes, the apple stops jumping up and down (I think the lemon was amping it) and a softer note comes out, which I assume is the rose. Drydown: The scent has calmed down and softened, and I can distinctly smell all three notes now. The rose reminds me of the kind of scent you would use before a formal event, or that first whiff of flowers when you walk into a greenhouse. The apple is now a soft scent like that in an orchard, not green-apple tart candy. I’m not sure of where the lemon has gone, though. There’s a light tang underneath the softness, but it’s close to the skin. Overall: After the initial shock and chaos, it softens into a comforting rose and apple blend. The first burst is a great wake-up call, though. It’s definitely a female scent, to say the least. I like it, but it reminds me a little too much of ladies bath products and a well-kept powder room. A little bit old for me.