zankoku_zen

So when first applied, I do get a hit on mint - I think it may be wintergreen. However, as it dries, I definitely get the same spicy floral that I get from dragon's blood resin. Given the reddish color of the oil, I'm guessing its probably a component. There is a bit of a bubblegum like quality to the floral, which could be a trace of lotus. Not how I would have envisioned Ares at all but... hey, we should all keep an open mind.

This is a floral aquatic. I do believe it is rosewood, or perhaps yellow rose. This is the same aquatic feel as Allison Gross, but lighter and more feminine. Eh, not into rose smells in general. This is pretty, light, feminine. Sort of like a young teenage girl.

Very sharp, very dry, very vetiver. It smelled like smoky bacon on me when first applied, and as it dries, it's pretty much straight up vetiver and maybe myrrh. It makes me think of Djinn and Priala, but drier. Def. more of a masculine blend. Meh.

On wet, I can smell the red peppers and it's a very green like scent. I sort of enjoy it, it kinda reminds me to Green Party, not in the notes but the feel of it. As it dries, I get more of the 'snow' component, but its more perfumey and fragrant. I wonder if its the camellias I smell. It sort of smells like some nice expensive floral soap.

This is a bright fruity floral. It's peaches, jasmine and with a trace of bitter mum that attempts to combat some of the syrupy sweetness. It's a little too cloyingly sweet for me. I love peaches, but this is more like peach syrup. Too much and you get a tummy ache.

Woods... black pepper... and curry? I get a ton of turmeric from this, which just makes me think of curry. It's a woodsy curry blend. ... Odd.

Deep plummy incense. I am trying to wrack my brain to compare this with the released version - I would say not as musky? I think this is extremely plummy - sugar kind of plum if you ask me, a hint of patchouli and a lot of spice - like allspice, perhaps a touch of cinnamon and cardamom. Not a plum fan, so pass.

Yule Cat smells like an evil kitty to me. It's darkly feral musky, with hints of the outside, untamed forest. He also smells like the kind of cat that will pee on the couch. On purpose. And do it in front of you because you're too scared to do anything about it.

Dragon's blood + cedar. So I get this sweet flowery blend. With pencil shavings. Made of lose.

If there is coffee in here, it is utterly drowned in some obnoxious tropical flowers. Honestly, on wet, it does smell obnoxiously floral, with a sharp white shriek to it type. As it dries, and into the drydown, the florals fade and a get maybe a hint of coffee. Maybe. This is a tropical jungle, and if there is a coffee plantation out there, it's either miles away or *I* can't smell it.

Unfortunately, the black musk turns powdery on me. It's like cocoa powder, but sweeter. Meh.

This is definitely red rose. It's the same kind of rose as in Peacock Queen - big, red, voluptous. I think there is gardenia or lotus in it - I get a tiny hint of bubblegum. HUGE throw.

This one has anise. I can see how people get licorice out of it, but on me this one is anise/anisette to the nth degree, with a healthy dollop of sugar. Yowza.

Okay, so I don't really get pumpkin out of this. I think however it does have vanilla, ginger, cardamom, and I don't think its patchouli but sandalwood, as it dried, this became incredibly powdery on me. Perhaps a touch of cinnamon. Thankfully, the powderiness sort of overpowers everything, which means, its made.of.lose on my skin. WOOHOO for dodging a bullet.

This one is a fruity floral, very girly. My skin literally eats this up. Quite literally.

Okay, so I can see the early bright top note of eucalyptus, but it burns off fast, and then I'm left with the same creamy snow note from Snow White, so its slightly like a tropical coconut drink. Meh.

GaH! Peony! Tuberose! Pikaki! Warm, bright, lush tropical flowers. So not winter. Unless its like winter in Hawaii...

So at the beginning, I can smell the orange and frankincense. And as it dries I get a hint of the lemongrass and some of the bergamot. The orange in this reminds me more of Pez orange candy than actual orange/orange juice. Maybe it's the frankincense giving it a 'dusty' quality. Dries to pretty much frankincense. Meh.

Light, darkness, kindness, and malice: golden amber, white amber, redwood, teak, bois du rose, sage, tree moss, and snow. I am very torn on Ded Moroz. The amber is warm, and there is a hint of rose, but I love the cool aspects of it. It doesn't smell like snow per se, and the rose isn't obnoxious. It smells pretty, and it does the hot vs. cold thing very well. I might have to wear it more and see if I need a bottle. ETA: Totally got a bottle. The hot vs. cold thing was too intriguing for me to pass up! And I have to add, the more I wear it, the more I like it. I do think it is a winter blend, but I get green woods, with warm rose infused amber. LOVE IT.

Gah! Honeysuckle! Evil Jasmine. On the drydown, I get some of the tea and clove coming out. But overall, heavy floral not for the likes of me. *sigh*

I was most excited about the geranium, but I get mostly gardenia. The geranium makes an appearance in the drydown, but way later. Like way way way later. Pass. ETA: The Lulu prototype does not have gardenia. It has tobacco flower, a touch of bergamot or lemon perhaps and something else. It goes a little soapy on me but VASTLY better than the released version for me.

This one definitely is more akin to Skadi than the released Hearth. It's got pine, ever green, and more like tobacco smoke. No buttery. Just the chill of snow on a bitterly cold winter's day (did you run into a berry bush while carousing in the snow? perhaps you did!) contrasting against the smoke of a fire. MMM. Yes. Unfortunately my skin eats this up. Literally.

This one is a rosey, floral amber. It's pretty, in very girly way. The amber turns to powder on me. And this must have jasmine, because the florals turn a little sharp.

Floral Doom indeed. I think this has rose, jasmine and something that just dries to rose powder. EW.

Agreed. The leather in this one isn't chemically - combined with everything, it is a soft, musky kind of leather. It kinda reminds me to Quincy Morris, in that it was a softer/more subtle leather than some of the other leather blends that come out from the Lab. This one was like well worn kinda leather. I actually liked it alot.