zankoku_zen

On wet, its cool strawberries and red currant with a hint of minty green. As it dries, the red fruit aspect dissipates and I'm left with a giant hit of oakmoss, pine and cypress. Green, woody, cool.

Lemon, white musk, and something that smells like bitter wood. It dries down to a citrusy, thyme and sage blend.

Bourbon vanilla, peach blossom, and hints of amber. I'm surprised at how much I like this blend. I thought the ylang ylang and freesia would be too much, but I am pleasantly surprised. Foodie, rich, pleasant. ETA: So, yes, this is vanilla/amber + light florals, and oddly enough to me, the vanilla + amber combo is strangely reminiscent to Amaterasu v3. Whereas I have a limited amount of Amaterasu v3, I think I may go on the hunt for more Serotine Bat. Oh yes.

At least for me, it's pretty obvious that this single note is quite old. On wet, it has a waxy, almost plastic quality to it which disappears as the scent dries and then the actual floral smell of the narcissus starts popping up (obviously narcissus is more of a heart/base note than a top note). It's lovely, rich, white floral. Highly pungent, no sweetness, slightly bitter. Leans toward the lily scent, with an occasional reminiscent whiff to daffodils. In some ways, it reminds me alot in feel and sophistication to Shadow Witch Orchid. ETA: Definitely rich and heady. And smells remarkably like daffodils. Hmmm.

Ded Moroz, is that you? Okay, so to me, On the Balcony smells very similar to Ded Moroz, with the rose infused amber and some of the ozone/air mimicking some of the colder snowier notes of Ded Moroz. It's warmer though, with hints of copal and myrrh. So yes, very closely similar. I like On the Balcony, but that's because I really enjoy Ded Moroz.

Amber, vanilla, hint of orchid. This is golden, heady and reminds me to Badgers, minus the honey leather component. Therefore, I adore it. Would absolutely love more of it.

You can't really add anything on this topic other than. THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. Strong, clean dirty, patchouli.

Lush tropical, edged with lemon. It's citrusy, white, and very tropical white flower. It sort of makes me think of sitting underneath a palm tree. Oddly enough, it does remind me a little to passion fruit. With that tart citrus zing.

Oh Dandelion, you break my heart. You start off as this awesome green sappy blend, but as you dry, there is a slightly bitter undertone that continues to come through. It's not a strong scent, very green, very realistic. I'm going to re-test again, but it looks like we may be parting. ETA: Again, same scent experience. The drydown on me is very bitter. SUPER SAD PANDA FACE.

Iris, pale musk, dark fruits and darker herbs. This one is an odd mix of dark florals and cooler white musk (I think its the iris + musk convo). It's dark, ethereal, floral.

Honey Moon 2013 The thyme/herbalness of this was surprising to me. It smelled like beeswax and herbal honey. It was comforting and soothing, and sort of reminded me to Ricola, but better. More honey, more sweet, more wearable. Herbal, honey, smooth.

Rosewood, honey, and musk. This one is rosey, very honey-like, and musky. With a touch of herbal background.

Vetiver, licorice and sandalwood. Smoky bacon on wet, and then a slap of licorice which gives it a weird anise sweetness. As it dries, the bacon part disappears and I get more of the licorice/sandalwood vibe going on. Slightly masculine on me. Dark, smoky, brooding.

I'm actually weirded out a little by how much I really enjoy this blend. It's blackcurrant, musk, and a teensy bit of rose. This smells like dark fruit, musk and a touch of the ink on wet. Funny, I keep sniffing it and being on the fence about it. Dark, fruity, mysterious.

Effervest vanilla, feather light violet. It ends up sort of soapy on me, but this is a light, feminine violet blend.

Oh Mops, you're an odd bat for me. On wet, you smell like a spicy husky cardamom musk. And then as you dry, you sweeten up a bit, the ginger makes an appearance, and you smell... well, better, but not quite what I was expecting. DAMN YOU CARDAMOM. Dark, husky, musky.

Smooth honey, sweet cola resin with a touch of woods. Stick close to the skin, has almost no throw on it for me. It does, however, smell like a better version of what your skin should smell like.

This has the same patchouli note as Badgers, with hints of black leather, and vanilla and almond. In other words, this smells like a leather version of Badgers. I prefer Badgers, but I can see why people love this blend.

Clean lemon, breeze... and laundry. I get some really nice and lovely dryer sheets. BOO.

I have to say that this is a gorgeous single note - in the same way that Sweet Alyssum and Red Spanish Carnation have been. Clean, musky, slightly tobacco-ey, aquatic. Slightly masculine. It's warm, and comforting, and hard to pin point exactly what it smells like. GORGEOUS.

Turkish Delight, coffee and roses. This coffee is rich, chewy, and foodie. And underneath, I get the rose note curling out from the thick, coffee overlay. Very arabic, exotic, and toothsome. Not my type of blend, but very interesting.

On wet, this is a huge note of tobacco and musk. And then it dries to an amber and musk blend. Heady, sophisticated, womanly. Sadly, it is not something that I am loving. BOO.

Gardenia, wet wool, tea biscuits and mothballs. This smells like someone's old grandmother's house. EPIC SKIN FAIL.

Green grass, skin musk, and detergent. This smells like your kid in a freshly laundered shirt with massive grass stains on it. And you can't be mad at them because its what kids do. This scent is evocative of the simple joys of being a parent, and having a kid that likes the outdoors.

Rosemary, oregano, and a hint of mentholic fur. This just smells, weird, to me. It's green, herbal, strange.