lwhitesel

What IS this? I think the frankincense and beeswax stay forward on me, and I think beeswax is a new favorite -- it's like honey without being overpoweringly drippy and sweet. Very incensey, with the rose just hovering in the background. Basically like a candle that I want to bite, but probably should not bite because it is a candle...but in a good way. I would do this as a room scent in an instant. Obviously I'm having trouble describing this one, but it's a mix of sweet and spicy, not too floral, with just a hint of cocoa. I am a fan.

2017 version. I was concerned about the fir and/or patchouli overwhelming the rest of the scent, and indeed it had a strong patchouli-and-something-else on application, but it's dried down into sweet fruits -- apple/pumpkin, I'm guessing -- mixed with something just plain autumnal. Most of my other "autumn" scents are a little intense and this is softer. I find it absolutely delightful for this dreary November. I only have an imp -- perhaps next year I'll get a whole bottle.

I want florals to work, but I usually end up liking scents that are darker/earthier better. I bought this on a whim and it's WHOA FLORAL in the bottle, I couldn't pick out any individual notes. All the flowers chill out and the mint adds some sweetness on drydown. It makes me think of an unseasonably warm autumn night.

In the bottle and on first application, this smells super-duper floral. However, it soon calms down to a sweet flower -- I can definitely pick out the tuberose, which is good since I got this after liking tuberose in another blend -- which just seems a little dark. I was wondering about the imagery, because it doesn't feel autumnal at all, more like being outside on the sort of night where it's still 90 degrees at 1 am. The scent doesn't stick around for long on me, but I do like it.

I was really hoping I'd like this, but all it smells like on me is sweet. Before I re-read the ingredients, I thought for sure it would have honey in it, since honey amps horribly on me. I also thought it would be more "masculine," but all I get is sweet and maybe a little herbal. Not for me

Right away, it smelled like dry wood. Kind of like being in a wood-paneled room with lots of wooden things, but it is not an intriguing room. Just a lot of wood. Then, 100% rose all the time. I guess I really amp rose? No thanks. It smelled much more complex in the bottle.

I bought this bottle way back in 2012, sampled it, and thought, "Ugh, I don't want to smell like cake," (I don't want to smell like cake!) and put it in the pile to swap someday. Just dug it out again, and I'm really liking it. I can't pick out either the mango or pumpkin, but it's a fruity-spicy that I don't mind wearing now. Still not my favorite, but it's not as heavy as a lot of other spicy scents, and it seems to work for where I'm at this season (a cold spring after a winter without snow.)

So I've been looking for something to replace Saint-Germain, and I think this might be it. Of course, I'm wearing it now, and I need to see if my partner likes it. It has some similarities to Saint-Germain, but it appears that the only thing they have in common is lavender, and that isn't really very prominent. It's not as deep -- it's a little lighter, citrusy and even aquatic. I'd say that I could wear it, but I would prefer it on my partner.

It's spicy and earthy. I'm not getting any of the fruity notes other people have mentioned. It's also surprisingly masculine, in a way. I think this is going to be one of those scents that I like more each time I wear it.

In the bottle and on initial application this was straight-up incense, which is not terrible but also didn't seem particularly interesting. However, now that it's dried down a little, it's sweeter and floral. I like it; glad I have the imp. I should probably just admit to myself that I like patchouli. Damn hippie.

This is great! I think I was expecting something more floral/green, but what I got is even better. It starts out as a little too woody for me, and I initially worried that it would turn out too masculine. The vanilla comes out pretty quickly, and it turns into some sort of spicy-vanilla that's a little foody...an overcomplicated homemade frosting recipe, and I do mean that as a compliment. I think I'd be happy if it stayed there and keep it as something to wear occasionally, but eventually some of the flowers do come out, and now I think this is going to be my favorite for a while. The sort of not-too-spicy/not-too-floral mix that I'm always searching for. I'm going to go with the consensus on this review thread.

Where is that chocolate coming from? On application, it's chocolate and flowers. A few hours later, it's some sort of candied flowers, the kind that might be on a pretty pretty cake with pretty pretty frosting. Crystallized violets (which is what one sees on cakes, although I'm sure there's lilac or lavender somewhere in there, but you don't eat those) with a hint of chocolate and mint dusting on top. Not sure if I'm going to get a bottle of this, but I can see it making me happy once in a while.

This is a sweet, incense-y patchouli. I'm really liking orange blossom lately, and it blends with the patchouli really well, so that I can't really pick out the individual notes, but I know they're there. It's yummy. In the bottle, it made me think of Vixen, but I like this so so much better than Vixen, since it's sweeter and a bit more floral, and Vixen is borderline "hippie" on me.

I'm not so sure this works on me. On first application, I get something that's almost like cherry, a little sour, and a little woody. On drydown, it settles into something akin to snake oil, only a little more sour. Not sour in a good way; sour like "oh no the milk's gone off" -- from my limited experience with opoponax, that might be the culprit. Darn.

I really, really like this one, enough to perhaps get a bottle. It initially reminds me a lot of Kumiho, but Kumiho fades on me very, very quickly. This one lasts. It goes on almost a little too astringent - I'm assuming that's the grapefruit - but then becomes citrusy and sweet. I might need to try more things with apple blossom! Very nice for the springtime or summer...or for imagining warmer weather in winter.

None of the florals really come through, although there's a hint of lavender and citrus. This is strong! -- and I think it's the ambergis and ebony that make it dark, woody, and spicy. Doesn't morph at all, and stays on for a long time. This has a little too much of the "hippie" (really? no patchouli? really?) about it to be something I'd wear to work, but it makes me happy and I often wear it on weekends. I think it's going to age well, too.

It's a little spicy and incense-y in the bottle, but when I put it on it just smells like a pine tree. After a while there's a little bit of the patchouli/frankincense under the pine tree, but it's still a pine tree and not something I want to walk around smelling like. I think sandalwood is problematic with me. I might try to avoid it in the future.

This is one sexy scent! On me, it's the darkest of dark chocolates, with a tiny bit of spice. The first time I put it on, I was worried that it was a little too foody...and then I walked by my partner, who said, "What are you wearing???" I'm really rationing this out...too bad I only have one bottle (and I never thought I'd say that: one is usually more than sufficient." No caramel, though. On the other hand, I have no idea what a caramel note would smell like.

Goes on chocolate/cinnamon and stays that way: Mexican hot chocolate, and more Mexican hot chocolate. Which is delicious. I tend to veer away from foody, and there's something - perhaps the maize - that makes me certain that I do not smell like a bake sale. I really, really like this, and wore it every day for a fair chunk of the summer. I've been experimenting with cocoa-y scents recently and this is the only one that is not at all dark.

This goes on almost grapefruity, a little bitter even. Initially I'm only getting a really bright citrus and...the marigold? After a while the citrus becomes less sharp -- and the longer it stays on the mellower it gets. I guess that's the amber and myrrh coming through? It's clean and fresh and sunshiney, and does not quite match this dead-of-winter day but I like it already and can tell that it's only going to grow on me. Oh, and I love the bottle art Sunflowers are my favorite.

I do love this, but it's hard to pick out specific notes. The words that come to mind are dark and sweet. I think it's the initial smoky vanilla/musk/patchouli that come out on me. I was skeptical about the orchid (perhaps because I keep confusing "orchid" with "lotus" and "lotus" is a major ick for me) but I think the orchid, and perhaps the clove, are what gives it the sweetness. I got a bottle of Raven Moon at around the same time, and I think there are a lot of similar notes, but Mircalla is definitely more of a scent for a woman than Raven Moon.

In the bottle, this smells like boozy chocolate. Wet, it's a sort of chocolate-dipped fruit. Fruity doesn't work on me, but I was willing to give this one a try, but the prune is just too prominent. And then...it vanishes there's sort of an idea of spicy vanilla left, which would be amazing if it actually stuck around. So disappointing!

Wow. I had to try this one three times or so before deciding anything about it. First time? I have no clue what the specific notes were, but put it on and it just smelled like BOY. A nice scent for a man, but a no-go for me. Second time? The patchouli came through like crazy, and with the nutmeg combined to make a Crazy Cat Lady scent. Also a no-go, since I like cats but have about fifty years to go before I become a Crazy Cat Lady in earnest. I have no idea why I kept trying this one out. Maybe because it was so different the first two times, I just wanted to keep my hopes up. It's the first lunacy I bought, and it showed up right as I was thinking that I needed more not-summery scents. But! Third time? The undertones of vanilla and myrrh helped the patchouli and musk settle down. I don't think I've ever been able to make out the chili, but it must contribute a little bit to that nice, cold, autumnal spiciness. And now I can't get enough of this! I am using up my bottle so quickly!

I ordered this because I wanted a nice floral, and jasmine is one of my favorites. That's good, because when I first put it on the jasmine comes out like crazy, and I get a little bit of the ginger. However, on drydown, the honey amps up and there's a little more rose than I want, which is really too bad because I'd rather those notes stay in the background. I wore this today because I wanted something light, feminine, and "grown-up." I'm happy to keep this bottle around, but I don't think it's going to see much frequent use.