zankoku_zen

OH, 2004 ARKHAM. I have been searching for you for 14+ years. Thanks to a generosity of another long-timer BPALer I finally, finally, can test out the original incarnation.

On wet, I got more of a verbena blend, with a bright lemon edge. As it dries, it gets DARKER. I now have a juniper + cedar blend with a slight edge of nutmeg. Through out it all, the lavender plays a ghostly presence wafting in and out. Ghostly woods. Low throw and average wear length.

Jasmine, green tea, touch of mugworth and herbs with some peony bursting through. This one smells like an aquatic herbal bath. It's cool, calming, and herby. Medium throw and wear length. It sort of makes me think of orange blossom water. That's the impression I get.

Pom, tonka, honey, cognac and a whiff of patchouli. This is a very fruity/complex blend. I am however, amping up the pom and cognac which I didn't expect. Sweeter and fruitier given that it has patchouli. Medium throw and wear length.

Licorice, tobacco, and patchouli. This is if anise decided to take up smoking tobacco and doused itself in patchouli. I don't know whats going on, but its a dark cabal. Very gender-neutral/masculine on me. Good throw and wear length.

Dark plum, tobacco, and patchouli. This is a smooth, woody patchouli, with tobacco, and plum. Darker than Mme. Moriarty. Dark, female, ready to throw a punch. Good throw and wear length.

Plum, white tea, and musk. This one is a crystalline plum-musky blend. It smells like a dark night with a full moon. Very velvety. Great throw and wear length.

Dark opoponax, salty spicy DBR, and a touch of amber. This one smells like dark thunderous sea on fire. Salty. Firey. Totally very Viking-esque. Medium throw and wear length.

 

Mostly gingerbread spices, a whiff of nutmeg, and that's about it. I don't really get eggnog. Low throw and wear length.

Oh, hey, Gelt! This is chocolate and a dusting of cinnamon. Yup. Gelt. Low throw and wear length on my hair though.

Green stems, a touch of orange blossom and mandarin. It's a very green stem + citrus mix. Honestly, this is making me think summer gardens, the smell of citrus off a navel orange and sunshine. Medium throw and wear length.

I get a ton of champaca and jasmine from this, and maybe a whiff of lavender. It's a very soft jasmine though. It smells like clean air and calm. This would make a great room scent IMO. Great throw and wear length.

Vanilla, orange, and a dab of strawberry. This one is sweet, pretty, and very uplifting. Also appropriate for a young girl. Medium throw and wear length.

Pomegranate and gin. This one is a minty, perfumey pom with enough juniper to give you that gin edge. It sort of reminds me to Manhattan - sans the leather. But yeah, definitely a cocktail. Medium throw and wear length.

Lavender, sweet pear, and a dash of white tea. I am really amping up the white tea on this. It's a very juicy fruity lavender blend. Good throw and wear length. Very happy.

Dark sexy clove. It's clove with enough patchouli to add a 'dirt' base to it. Very sexy and wearable. Good throw and wear length.

This one is chocolate powdery cocoa with just a whiff of mint on wet. But yeah, it totally smells like cocoa. mr. zee_zee even said "Huh, smells like cocoa!"

Sweet, caramel chewy tobacco and vanilla-laced resins. This one is a dark, snaky, blend. It slithers sinuously. Dangerous, dark. Good throw.

Rose, vanilla, and a touch of myrrh. There's a powderiness that reminds me to violets and its the soft pink roses. It's dark, velvety, and the vanilla sweetens up the myrrh. Good throw and wear length. Dark, softly romantic, and tragic.

Patchouli and oak, gilded by powdery black musk and a whiff of spicy peppercorn. It smells very intensely in the sprayer, but it calms down to a powdery, slightly dirty oak blend. Medium throw.

Indigo musk, with sharp accents of neroli, under a bed of amber. This one is a weird swirly one. The indigo musk is dark and greyish clouds, with the neroli acting like a shaft of light. Strange and disturbing.

Buttery cake with a bright edge of blueberries. Buttery, intensely foodie. Good throw and wear length.

Caramel brown sugar and a touch of pecans. Nutty, sugary, comfy. Good throw and wear length.

Caramel apple and a whiff of booze. This one is sweet, appley, and whiskey-boozey. Medium throw and wear length.

Rum, and buttery cream. This is a rich buttery note - that I tend to associate with Jack, for example. Buttery rum. Medium throw and wear length.

Honey with a whiff of pine. This a very heavy rich honey, and the sticky pine whiff is enough to make it Christmassy. Good throw and wear length.