stefrand

ITI: Oscar by Oscar de la Renta*! It smells like traditional perfume in a light and lovely way. Wet: Pleasant aquatic floral. Pretty, generic, and still very much like Oscar. It's difficult to pick out any individual notes at this stage. Dry: Sweet and rosy...definitely not bad for a rose scent, which are usually too cloying on me. Still rather generic. Drydown: Settles into a light, rosy floral. Final Thoughts: Pretty, light, and nice enough, but not a favorite. *for those of you interested, the notes in Oscar: "The top notes include orange blossom, basil, coriander, galbanum, peach and gardenia. The heart of this composition encompasses ylang-ylang, jasmine, tuberose, rose, rosemary, cyclamen, lavender and orchid. The base includes opoponax, carnation, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, lavender and amber."

ITI: Chocolate. Wet: The Lab's chocolate note smells fake and musty on me. While Gelt is better than most, it's still not getting along with my skin. Dry: Musty chocolate. Drydown: Same as above. Final Thoughts: I am officially giving up on the Lab's chocolate. Not for me.

Red sandalwood, vanilla, rosewood, osmanthus, and white peach. ITI: A sweet, woody, astringent floral. Wet: The peach is more noticeable, causing a wood/peach smell. Dry: Not much vanilla or peach at the moment...mostly woods and flowers. Drydown: Starting to sweeten up with more vanilla and peach. Still very woody...overall, "peachy wood" describes it for most of the drydown. A bit fruity, and a touch sour. Nice enough, but it's not quite for me. Final Thoughts: Sweet, woody peach, but not something I'd wear.

ITI: This is a fun smell! Bright, fizzy sweet citrus and musk. I like it! Wet: Still bright, sweet, and citrussy, with no soap or "home cleanser" smell. The currant keeps it from getting too acidic, and the herbs add a nice undertone. Cool and light. Dry: Wonderful! Warm, light, sweet citrus and fruits. A little herbal, a touch musky. Very layered and deep. I like it very much. Drydown: Fruity, but not foody. Sweet currant with an herbal, musky, sharp undertone...that's the snakeskin, maybe? It keeps the scent from becoming too young. A wonderful spring/summer scent, although I could see myself wearing it anytime. Light and clean. Final thoughts: Definitely a keeper.

ITI: Very dry, dusty, and a bit soapy smelling. Wet: Warm, dusty, and kind of richly nutty. It is dusty without smelling like BPAL's dust, which goes crazy on me. I am not sure whether this is soapy or not. It smells very unique, and not at all sweet. Dry: Not as dusty, but still quite dry. The sandalwood has started to come out to lovely effect. It's starting to smell like slightly dusty sandalwood, almost a sandalwood SN. Drydown: Warm, dry, slightly soapy sandalwood. Like a wood shop of some kind. Not at all girly...masculine, or at least unisex. As time passed, it developed more warmth and a bit of sweetness. This would be a great room scent..it's very comforting. Eventually no dust, just warm sandalwood. It's really rather nice, but it wouldn't wear it as a perfume. Final thoughts: Interesting and pleasant, but not for me seeing as I am looking for oils to wear.

ITI: Very strong! It smells...kind of like grassy barbeque smoke. Wet: Strong, smoky, grassy. Weird! Dry: Same. Drydown: It got less weird and more grassy with time, but something about this was just off on me. I got no lovely soil or herbs, just this kind of odd grassy smell. Final Thoughts: This is the first scent I've ever tried with vetiver, and I don't think it agrees with me. Ah well, off to a better home!

ITI: Lovely! Soft, woody florals, a touch soapy. Quite gentle. Wet: Yes, a bit soapy. Some adjectives that come to mind: soft, dry, cool, slightly sweet, complex. Not too feminine. Dry: Very pretty. A light, dry floral. It's very interesting and smoky...frankly, it's becoming rather delicious. Drydown: Love. Reminds me a bit of Perversion, but not as masculine or obviously sexy. I can smell the sandalwood and the tobacco flower. The amber and resins keep it warm. Keeps getting better with time. Smoky, sweet, woody floral, with plenty of throw but not too much "volume" on the scent. Final Thoughts: A delicious, feminine, light, smoky, sexy, floral morpher. Bottle worthy, without a doubt.

ITI: Very, very sweet. I can smell the sugared tea well, and the musks make it smell quite delicious. Wet: Wow, yes that is sweet. The tea adds an interesting note...it is stronger in this scent than it has been in the other BPALs I have tried. The musks add a lot of depth. Hopefully they will cut the sweetness and keep it from being too foody or too one-note. Dry: I smell like sexy tea. How is that possible? Do I want to smell like sexy tea? Yes. Yes I do. Drydown: The musks are coming out to play now. The vanilla is threatening to go plastic on me. I am picking up a light floral. It smells less like straight up tea now...it is mellowing wonderfully. After four hours, faint & musky vanilla Final Thoughts: Good to layer with, but too foody and simple for me to wear on its own. Later: I ended up pairing this with Severin, and wow! Perfect! It's a sexy Victorian tea party!

ITI: Sweet, lemony, leathery tea Wet: Very lemony on me! Like lemon herbal tea/soap. The leather is picking up, drying it out a bit. Sweet lemon and lightness. I like it! I hope the soapiness goes away. Dry: Smells like a lemony floral tea right now. I still like it quite a bit. Drydown: Light and sweet, lemon and tea. Final Thougts: I think this is delightful, but it is missing something... Later: I ended up layering this over Dorian, and OMG it is awesome. Like a sexy Victorian tea party!

ITI: Smells lovely! Like a sweeter L'Occitane Green Tea. Wet: Smells a little sharp and soapy at first. Not really getting much of the honeysuckle or green tea at the moment...just verbena. Dry: Smells a lot lot lot like the green tea soap my Mom uses all the time. It's a nice smell, but not something I want to smell like unless I use the soap. The soap might smell a little better...there is a tinny note in this that I don't like. It smells so much different ITI. Drydown: It didn't change much, and faded very quickly. Green tea soap. Oh well. Final Thoughts: I really wanted to like this one! Waahh. It smells good, but I think this combo is just too much like the green tea soap. I am passing this on to my Mom...I bet she'll love it!

ITI: Smells both good and strange. I can smell the herbs. I suppose it smells like sour medicinal wine. Wet: Sour. Musty. I don't know about this. It smells the same as it does ITI. Dry: Starting to mellow out...it smells a little more like fragrance now. The sourness is gone. Surprisingly floral and perfumey now. A little soapy. Is there verbena in here? : Not getting any earthy or dirt smells. Drydown: It has become sour generic perfume. It might be giving me a headache. No wine, just sour soapy herbs. Do not like. Final Thoughts: Smells like a department store ladies bathroom more than vampires. Maybe vampires smell like department store bathrooms?

(this was tried on my DH) ITI: Astringent, sour leather. Almost a leather single note, I guess. Wet: A bit sour at first. Musty, sour leather. This isn't soft, buttery leather, but something a little harsher and newer. It makes me think of a new soccer ball or something. A new baseball glove. Dry: Raw, new leather. Shoe leather. Not sexy...cold and sour. Drydown: Nope. Same Thoughts: Not for D!

ITI: Hello apple! This smells like a very sweet, sharp apple. There's also a hint of something that reminds me of Nosferatu...maybe a blood note, or a creepy herb note, or a wine note of some kind. Wet: There is a Jolly Rancher of doom on my wrist. Very sweet and apple-y, but I do not want to eat these apples. I want to run away from these apples. There is indeed something in here that is also in Nosferatu, but I don't know what. Dry: The sour, creepy, Nosferatu-ish note has already faded. Now it just smells like musky apples. There must be some grass or herbs or something in here. Is there a wood note in here, too? Drydown: Quickly turning from strong apple to musky floral. Odd. Very odd. Compelling, though. I do keep sniffing myself. But I don't know if I like what I smell. Wow, fades super fast. Just a hint of apple herb flower wine. Final Thoughts: Y'know, it smells good, but I don't think I'd wear this. I'm not really one for foody scents.

(This was tried on my DH) ITI: Leather! Musk! It smells just like the description says, and it smells great. It isn't heavy, but is light and astringent like a lot of lab scents tend to be ITI. Wet: Leather is the strongest note. It smells like ITI on the skin pretty closely but is less astringent. Dry: He smells like spicy, musky leather.. Drydown: Musky leather still. Strong and very masculine. The longest notes are soft leather and soft musk. It stays remarkably true. Final Thoughts: He smells good! I'm not sure that it's a good fit for D, though. He needs something a little more subtle and a little less, "Hi there, I'm a MAN...a MANLY MAN of MANLINESS!" to wear on a day-to-day basis.

ITI: Very strong, musty, and smoky. Wet: Surprisingly sweet, though, and not as smoky as I thought it would be. Very powerful, not at all perfumey. There is something cooling in this...almost like camphor. Dry: I'm picking up some woods, and I think something is giving me a false leather note. It's quite intense still. I'm not sure when I would wear this...it isn't an everyday scent. Drydown: You know what, it smells a lot like the shampoo from Nature's Gate I used to use...the Herbal one , before I switched to the Hemp. Yep, smells exactly like that right now! Funny. Final Thoughts: This smells good, but I don't think I want my perfume to smell like my former shampoo.

ITI: Very strong! Smells like butterscotch and coffee more than Irish creme coffee. Slightly astringent smelling, but not much. Wet: Coffee!!!!! Dusty, alcoholic coffee. There is something plasticky about this at first. It smells very...fake. I hope that goes away. It's certainly different from anything else I've tried! It smells a little like coconut. Or sunblock. Weird. Dry: Still smells very fake, like plastic smeared with sunscreen. Drydown: Play-Doh. This smells like a dusty container of Play-doh covered in sunblock Final Thoughts: Really really not for me! Too bad...I was so looking forward to this one.

ITI: Smells light, clean, and surprisingly floral. It's a little "perfumey" but I'm betting that's the amber. Wet: I like it! It is light, yet has a lot of depth and a little sweetness. Crisp and warm...I guess that's the ginger & aquatics against the sage & amber. I can smell the grass now. It is very clean and springlike. Dry: Sweetly floral, with some chill and wet to it. Like an early spring day....cold, rainy, but with the promise of blooms. Ah, there's the sage! Oh, I do like this. Drydown: The cold, clear, spring rain starts to warm up, eventually letting the amber take the wheel for the rest of the drydown. Final Thoughts: I like it very much, moreso because it is insanely evocative of spring. How did Beth put spring in this tiny imp? Might have to get a bottle.

ITI: Very rich, warm, and layered. There is a lot going on in this fragrance! It smells kind of perfumey, but I bet that's the combo of florals, woods, and amber. Rather sweet...I wonder where that sweetness is coming from? Wet: The orchid, leather, and woods jump out right away. Gosh, this is lovely. The citrus and mint keep it from being too heavy. I'm guessing the sweetness is the amber and the green tea. Dry: This is fascinating. I can smell the leather, but it is a sexy, slinky leather. There is a good amount of sweetness, but not too much. Floral but not overpowering. Drydown: Complex and compelling. I think this would make an excellent evening scent. It morphs. Every sniff of it I get smells a little different, but always good. It is hard to pin down exactly what this smells like. Final Thoughts: I need a bottle. This is riveting.

ITI: Rose with a hint of musk. It is definitely rose, but not at all cloying. I like it immensely. Wet: Rose. Soft, sweet, surprising true rose. Oh, I really like this. I am putting more on RIGHT NOW. It's what I wanted all my rose scents to smell when I was younger. Dry: Perfect blend of rose, dryness, and sweetness. I love this. I do not feel sneezy or headachy at all. Drydown: This scent has some throw! It is my rose HG. Must stop huffing my arm. Final Thoughts: Love it! I will keep my imp, and I will ponder getting a bottle!

ITI: Wow, that's pretty sweet. Rather strong. I can smell the vanilla and the sandalwood. I am not really picking up the sweet pea. Wet: Smells like the imp. The sandalwood is popping out, its woodiness tempered by the vanilla. I like it. Dry: Wow. Wow...this is....so good. It is soft and sweet and dry, with a touch of floral. Drydown: I cannot stop smelling myself. I CANNOT STOP. I love this! Can I say it too much? Love love love. OMG I smell good. I could see myself wearing it all the time. The sandalwood note keeps it from being too girly. The vanilla keeps it sweet, but it isn't cloying. The sweet pea adds a touch of delicate femininity, and the amber is anchoring it all and keeping it warm and light. Love. Final Thoughts: Need. Bottle. Now.

ITI: It's got that astringency that many scents have ITI. I'm not sure what this smells like, but it smells pretty good! Wet: Starts of quite strong with a blast of...I guess that's the ozone everyone has been mentioning? I can smell the dusty note, which I was hoping would stay in the far background because dust and I do not get along at all. Dry: Dusty detergent right now. Drydown: Whoo, the dust is powerful! This makes me want to sneeze. After time, it mellows to something completely different. It's very reminiscent of the title now. Smells like dreamy, dusty apples. Still a little ozone, but not much. Final Thoughts: This is rather nice...soft, fresh, and dreamy...but it's not worth the sneezy feeling it gives me early on. Swap/sell.

ITI: Soft, woody, and floral. It smells good, with a hint of astringenty-perfumeyness. Wet: The pine pops out right away, as does some kind of lemony scent. These florals smell familiar...what does this smell like? Aha! It smells like the flowers in my old copy of Pat the Bunny! That is weird. Dry: Same as above. Very little throw. Drydown: Meh. Generic floral perfume. Final Thoughts: Nope! Swap/sell.

This review is for Snow White, 2008 ITI: Play-doh. It smells like Play-doh. Wet: Yep. Play-doh + sunscreen. Awww...I was so pumped about this one, too. Dry: Play-doh-arrific. Drydown: This has mellowed to soft Play-doh with just a little throw. Final Thoughts: I don't think this is a keeper for me, but I won't commit to swap/sell yet. It's worth holding on to for a little while and trying again.

This is for Jacob's Ladder, 2008 ITI: It smells....good. Really good. Warm, soft, amber with a little incense. I was worried about this one, but maybe it was a good call after all. Wet: Wow, this is strong! Lots of throw right off the bat. Sharp amber to the face, with the incense. There is an underlying sweetness that is lovely. I don't know how "me" it is, but I like it so far. Can it be...an incense scent I like?! Dry: Perfumey incense. It's not sweet...maybe a little vanilla would bring it closer to a Stef smell. It's very grown up, very sophisticated, with a decent throw. It is smoky and a little mysterious. Drydown: I like this far more than I thought I would. I don't think I'd wear it on its own, but perhaps layered with O? That might add a nice touch of sweetness. Smoky incense and amber. Getting powdery as it dries down, but not unpleasantly so. Still has a bit of smoky incense bite for quite awhile. Final Thoughts: So far I'm keeping the imp, but definitely not getting a bottle. I'll try layering it with something else to make it a little more Stef-friendly.

ITI: Definitely grapey! Wet: Sexy grapes wearing leather! This is an unusual scent but I rather like it! It's very complex. I can smell the sweetness of the tonka coming out. I'm picking up some incense as well, but it's not too overwhelming. Medium-low throw. Dry: This has the potential to get too sweet and girly on me, but every time it starts to do that the leather reins in the pomegranate. Smoky, spicy, and pleasant, with a slight saltiness underneath...I'm guessing that's the blood, but it smells more like sexy skin saltiness. Drydown: I really like this. The leather is a little strong, but not in a bad way. It's a sweet leather note, not a sour one. The pomegranate works well with the wine, making it smell fresh and grapey instead of sour (like wine usually does on me). The galbanum & onycha anchor everything in spicy incense, and the tonka wafts around sweetly. Lovely. Unusual, but I think I might actually wear this sometimes. It would be a great fall perfume. It's a little too outdoorsy for an evening scent, but a great smell for a festival or a walk in the park. I bet this will age beautifully. Final thoughts: I was not expecting to like this! So, apparently with the Yules this year I hate the things I was expecting to love, and the last minute wild-cards are going really well on me. Weird. Keeping the imp for sure. Maybe even getting a bottle! I ordered this for Daniel, but it is mine! Mwahaha.