sylvanusurban

In bottle: Spicy/woody. Patchouli! Cassis! Cardamom! Verbena! IN YO FACE! On me, wet: Still not getting the cherry. A pretty nice, but potent, woody/tea-y/licoricey blend. Definitely a dark scent. On me, drying: I guess I can smell the cherry, faintly. There’s a sort of licoricey spiced cherry thing going on here. I suppose it’s nice for what it is, but I don’t think it’s really my thing. Verdict: Yeah, I can recognize that this is a well-engineered scent, but it’s too heady for me.

In bottle: Zingy, slightly cloying citrus. On me, wet: Citrusy dish soap On me, drying: The sharpness of the citrus disappears very quickly, leaving a nondescriptly sweetish scent with a trace of muskiness. Bummer. Later: This totally smells like dish soap. Fake “lemon” scent without any of the brightness or freshness of real citrus. Helas! Still Later: Not so dish-soapy anymore, but also not citrusy. I guess I’m smelling the rose and “ornery hedgehog musk”. It’s not horrible but it’s also nothing special – smells like a generic Perfume Smell. Verdict: Sigh. This had so many great reviews, but for me it was really underwhelming.

In bottle: Cripes, it was hard to get that bottle open. I tried to do it carefully, and still it ended up popping open in an uncontrolled manner and spilling on me. Anyway, in the bottle it had a pleasant, fresh, youthful “pink” scent. Not exactly fruity, not exactly floral. I think I smelled some of the pink pepper from the description. Hard to describe. On me, wet: Pretty nice (though there’s more of it on me than I’d like)! I’m getting the light peppery spiciness of the pink pepper, the sweetness of the honeysuckle, the round goldenness of the golden amber and the exotic fruitiness of the passion flower. It’s feminine and fresh, neither in-your-face seductive nor naively super-sweet. I dig it. On me, drying: Somebody mentions “orangey spice” in her review of Hermia, and I can certainly see that. This could almost be a cider or a Christmas tea. It’s festive and zesty, familiar and cozy. Later: Mmm mmm, now it’s getting sweeter and creamier; the spice is mellowing and losing some of its prickliness. Nice nice. Verdict: This is really gorgeous. A possible future bottle. Hopefully one that won’t spill on me every time I open it.

In bottle: Smells like roses and something else that I like but can’t identify. Unidentifiable Scent is sweet and fresh. On me, wet: Yup, that there’s a tea rose! I don’t smell any wickedness. Just the rose. It’s pretty – reminds me very much of the wild rose bush in my mom and dad’s back yard in Kenora. Evokes a vivid sense-memory of going down to the dock for a summer evening swim, and smelling the pink roses along the way. I was beginning to think I wasn’t a big fan of floral scents, but this is very pretty – it smells less like a perfume than a real wild rose in liquid form. I could certainly see myself wearing this every so often. On me, drying: Hrm, only a few minutes in and this has gotten a little soapy and very faint. Still nice, though. Verdict: This is a thoroughly lovely, fresh, unpretentious rose scent. I’ll keep the imp and wear it with pleasure.

In bottle: Earthy and sweet. On me, wet: Earthy and sweet. It’s interesting – this is like the earth note from Zombi, but mixed with sweet milky coconut! It’s a pretty smell, but at the same time it’s an acutely weird smell. On me, drying: This totally reminds me of a coconut – the “dirt” note is the earthy, brown smell of the husk, and the sweet note is all smooth milky coconut flesh. It’s not artificial, cloying suntan-lotion coconut scent – it smells like it just fell from the tree! Not what I expected, but really nice. Later: The earth note fades into the background, and the coconut scent, now warm and vanilla-tinged, comes into the foreground. Eventually the vanilla/coconut starts smelling more “mature,” less fantastically delicate and fresh, but it’s still quite acceptable. Then the coconut fades and it’s mostly vanilla. Verdict: Lovely. Lovely! A keeper. Who knows – I may even want a bottle of this at some point. Probably the nicest thing I’ve tried so far, especially during that exquisite interim period before the final drydown. If only that lasted longer.

In bottle: Very green and herbaceous. Seems promising. On me, wet: Mmm, herby green goodness. I can really smell the lavender and thyme, and the brightness of the verbena. It’s a calming and refreshing scent, and it’s even playing nice with my headache (unlike certain Raptures I could name). On me, drying: Hmm, it’s becoming a “dryer” smell now – more like dried herbs than fresh crushed ones. It’s not quite as nice. I might also be smelling the bergamot more now, but I’m not sure. *Might* be getting just a whiff of the sweet orange, but if so, it’s very faint. Later: You know how dried herbs can smell kind of like pencil shavings? …Yeah, that’s what I’m getting now. Sadly, this has gone from fresh glorious herbage to dry, slightly musty, been-stored-in-a-bottle herbage over the space of a few minutes. It’s still nice, but it was nicer before. Verdict: I'll keep the imp, but I doubt any bottles are in my future. Wait, it's discontinued anyway. Well, I guess that settles that.

In bottle: Strong and floral, but there’s a note in here I like and don’t know how to identify. Is it citrus? It smells bright and fresh. On me, wet: Strong, kind of harsh, offensively perfumey. JASMINE, j’accuse! On me, drying: As it dries a bit, it mellows, becomes more floral and less intolerably perfumey. It develops a powdery aspect. The bright citrusy note I could smell in the bottle (mandarin?) is sadly not present on my skin, so this smells kind of generically “like perfume,” even if it no longer makes me want to rip my nose off my face. It’s also making my headache worse. In summation: Had to wash this off early because my headache was getting bad. I doubt that I'll feel moved to test it again. Not for me.

In bottle: Smells brown, musky, and leathery. On me, wet: It warms up some, and a sort of… berryish? … note is added to the mix. If I were to describe this in topographical terms, I’d say that the base scent is low, and then there’s a juicy, sweet “spike” that pokes up over top. I thought I smelled cocoa, and now that I’m looking at the notes, I see I was right. It’s not a “chocolatey” smell, though, in any sweet desserty sense of the word. It’s quite musky and potent. An interesting smell, but not necessarily “me” – though maybe I’ll feel like wearing it on those occasions when I feel a little bit slatternly. On me, drying: The leather smell recedes when it’s dry. Now it’s just musky cocoa with that “berry” sweetness. In summation: I don't know if this suits me, but it's a neat scent and I will certainly keep the imp around.

In bottle: STINKY overpowering perfume. DO NOT WANT. I think this is the pungent sickly-sweet chemical smell that’s been stinking up the whole bag of perfume. Is it the jasmine? Everyone complains about jasmine – maybe this is what they were talking about. On me, wet: The stench turns to an exotic floral smell. It may still be a bit much, but it’s certainly not as acutely offensive as the in-bottle aroma. In addition to the exotic floral, I detect a soapiness. Review truncated: I had to wash it off. I have a migraine and the jasmine was making me want to die a little. I'll not write myself off as a jasmine-hater yet, though -- maybe this just wasn't the right time.

In bottle: The usual chaotic strong smell, plus something lemony On me, wet: Floral soap On me, drying: Still floral soap. I might be able to smell the barest hint of the leather note described in the title, but on the other hand I may just be imagining it. The floral smell develops during the drydown, and becomes pretty pleasant. I can’t smell tea in this at all, nor citrus – I guess the lemon in the bottle disappeared on my skin. This is saddening, since I like citrus smells; I hope it doesn’t happen with every citrusy scent I try. I do not get a “depraved sadomasochistic relationship” vibe from this scent! Verdict: This was inoffensive but underwhelming. To the swaps with it. Later: Oh, interesting! I figured this had finished its run, but suddenly my wrist smells different again. A more mature, more assertive scent has arrived on the scene. It’s a seductive, not-too-girly floral, wound through with a breath of leather that makes it more sophisticated. Nice. I don’t know if it’s enough to make me want to keep it around, but it is nice.

In bottle: I dunno, smells strong and kinda dark? On me, wet: I don’t know exactly what I’m smelling, but it seems to be in the sandalwood/anise category. Maybe a bit of cedar? Cherry? It smells warm, woody and “red”. I guess it’s all right, but not really my thing so far. On me, drying: The cherry’s starting to come out more. I think I like it better with more cherry. I understand now why some people described this as “cherry cola”. <looking at description> Clove! Of course, I smell clove. Totes. I don’t smell any vanilla or (thank goodness) wine. Musk, maybe. I’m not entirely clear on what vetiver and poppy smell like, so I can’t really weigh in on them. I like how this is getting warmer and sweeter and more cherryish as time passes. It still has an underpinning of musk, but it no longer smells so powerfully woody. I might be getting some vanilla now. This has turned into a spicey, musky, full-bodied cherry-vanilla scent. Later: The woodiness is coming back. Woody incense – kind of a masculine scent. Still Later: PIPE TOBACCO! Right wrist smells like a distinguished gentleman’s wood-panelled drawing room. Total total pipe tobacco and wood. I don’t think I want to smell like a pipe bowl, though it is an interesting fragrance.

In bottle: Sweet baby powder. On me, wet: Sweet baby powder. On me, drying: Now the vanilla’s starting to come out, and it’s sweet vanilla-y baby powder. I’m not getting the "defiled" part of the description’s “innocence defiled” – this is all sweetness and girly pastels. Pleasant enough, though. It has a nice pale golden honey overtone to it. Later: This is very pretty and warm and inviting. Morning sunbeams and a saucer of sweet cream and lingering in clean rumpled sheets long past sunup. It isn’t a smell of raw sex to me – it’s a sweet, intimate cuddle. Still Later: I bet this would smell really good layered with a chocolate scent. Nom. Still Still Later: This is smelling a bit less like creamy honey and a bit more like a waxy honeycomb. It’s not bad but I liked the smoothness of the previous smell better. Finally: It fades to baby powder again. Boy’s input: “It smells like perfume. They all smell the same.” The Verdict: Nice enough to keep the imp, at least. Not instant Must-Have-Bottle-inducing, but we’ll see what future tests reveal.

An opiate torpor, soporific, trancelike, and sublimely languid. A poet’s morphine dream, a listless journey into a gentle dream and the precipice of intoxicated madness. Paperwhite and black narcissus, three lilies, black poppy and tuberose and a hint of hypnotic opium den haze. In bottle: Unidentifiable floral On me: Eep, spillage! I’m currently wearing more of this than I might have chosen to. It smells like a pleasant, sleepy floral, sort of hazy and warm. A slightly “oriental” smell, though not spicy. I think it reminds me of an Asian-styled perfume my grandmother used to wear. Mmm, I just put my nose to my wrist and got an olfactory impression of silky, blossoming pinkness. Soft, hazy pink. This scent has a “powdery” quality without actually smelling powdery – I guess it’s the cushiony softness. I feel like it’s a scent I could sink into. I don’t think that I feel quite myself in floral scents, but this is very nice. Soft but not babyish – dreamy and sensual. Not much change during drydown.

In bottle: Sandalwoody incensey smell. Less objectionably powerful than other in-bottle scents I’ve subjected myself to. On me, wet: Hmm, an interesting incensey sandalwoody blend. Definitely a warm smell, definitely dry. It smells exotic. On me, drying: I’m getting some spice now, in addition to the abovementioned notes. Makes me imagine a desert caravan with richly embroidered curtains and tingling bells, carrying chests of precious exotic spices through the hot desert. Later: Hmm, cardamom? …Maybe a touch of anise now. I like this. It reminds me of a nice spicy chai tea, and of some of the hippieish shops I frequented in my early teens (as well as the imaginary caravan mentioned above). Too bad they discontinued it! I’ll keep the imp around. Bonus question: Why do these scents always smell stronger on my right wrist than my left? It is a Great Mystery.

In bottle: I can smell the dirt note! Strange. On me, wet: Not too different from the in-bottle smell, so far. Smells like dried roses and dirt. On me, drying: I can smell the moss now, along with the roses and dirt. I don’t know that I’ll want to smell like this on a regular basis, but it’s really interesting and well done. It smells like a box full of old memories and secrets. Intriguing and mysterious and old. Later: The dirt smell is receding, leaving behind the dried rose. The smell might be turning a bit soapy? Finally it fades to the same vague sweet smell that many of BPAL’s scents seem to share in their late stages. Verdict: I don't know how often I'll want to wear this, but I'll keep the imp around -- this is a neat scent. Maybe I'll use it to scent some of my boxes or drawers.

In bottle: Banana! On me, wet: Banana! With a slight hint of… something else I can’t identify, something that makes this smell like a blended aroma, rather than just a piece of peeled fruit I rubbed on my wrists. A slight muskiness, or something. I don’t like bananas at all, at least for eating, but the scent is actually kind of nice. On me, drying: Now I’m smelling another fruit – melon? Ooh, I just caught a whiff of the coconut! I think I can smell the red apples too. This is nice and tropical and fun! It’s like the olfactory equivalent of lying on a white sand beach with a fancy umbrella drink in a coconut shell. Conga drums playing in the background, and surf swooshing on the shore, and nothing to do but relax and enjoy life. I can’t really smell any pineapple. Mmm, the coconut is coming out more. Sweet, milky, creamy coconut. Like very much. I’m still getting little whiffs of melon here and there, even though melon isn’t listed in the description. I might smell some pepper now, but it’s possible that I’m imagining things. Later: Fruity smells have mostly been replaced by a soft, musky sweetness.

In bottle: Pink bubblegum! I can smell a bit of the “womanly” undertone – kind of a slight waft of musk beneath the pink sweetness. On me: Pink bubblegum! Not so much womanly undertone while on my skin, I don’t think. I like it, but it’s not the best thing I’ve ever smelled – I guess I would give it a B. It dries down to a soft, warm, dusty bubblegum smell that stays close to my wrist. The boy said it smelled “harsh” and “like a machine shop.” He seemed to like the name, however.

This was a really odd one for me. My notes, such as they are: In bottle: Bleah, an assault of strong unidentifiable aroma. On me, wet: Strong! Perfumey – or cat pee-y? Agh! On me, drying: Getting better now. I can now detect the “sparkling” quality other people mentioned in their reviews. This is a peculiar, complicated smell and I still don’t know how to classify it. It makes my brain feel confused, and yet it’s kind of growing on me. There’s a sort of spicy zestiness to it – sometimes it seems vaguely cinnamon-y, but the cinnamon is layered and fused with so many other unidentifiable notes that I really don’t know for sure. Was expecting it to be fruity, but it’s really not. I don’t know what it is. Will I wear this again? I don't know! Later: I guess the deal is that I’m smelling only the notes I didn’t buy the imp for? “Tangerine, sugared lime, pink grapefruit, oakmoss, lavender, zdravetz, and chocolate peppermint.” I don’t smell the tangerine, sugared lime, grapefruit, or chocolate peppermint, but I guess now that you mention it “oakmoss” and “lavender” seem like likely candidates for what I’m smelling. And I don’t know wtf “zdravetz” is, so I can’t weigh in on that. Neat word, though. ETA: I looked it up and it's a floral. Okay, I can see that. Still Later: I read so many reviews of this one that described it as sweet, bright citrus, but I really don’t get much citrus at all except conceptually (there is a “zinginess” that I guess is… citrus-esque?). It's very potent. Finally it fades to a vague floral-ish sweetness. So long, Cat. It was... interesting.

In bottle: Doesn’t smell all that pleasant. Kind of harshly soapy-herbal, I guess? On me: Much better! Still herbal, but it’s lost the harshness and become oddly enticing. Vetiver? Anise? I can’t really recognize notes very well, but there’s something kind of woody/herbal/musky about this smell. Maybe a hint of soapiness, but not egregiously so. Not especially “feminine,” not what I would label “seductive” or “pretty” or “fancy”. But interesting, somewhat enticing. Also somewhat reminiscent of Thrills gum, in an odd way. I don’t hate it. Sadly, this doesn’t seem to be doing much for my headache. Seems to have levelled out to licorice/soapy Thrills gum smell. It’s not awful, but I don’t really see myself wanting to smell this way often. Into the swap/sell pile it goes.

In bottle: Blargh, PERFUMEY. Not pleasant. Nose can't seem to deal with in-bottle scents without freaking out -- Jailbait is the only one so far that has smelled like anything other than OMG WTF. On me: Warm, powdery vanilla with a bit of a “perfumey” edge. I like the vanilla smell, but this may be too perfumey for me. Maybe it’s the sandalwood that’s throwing me? Sniffing more. This is a pretty smell, a mature vanilla. I think, though, that it’s not necessarily “me”. Maybe I need a fresher scent. Later still: it’s growing on me. Later later still: I crawl into bed and wrap my arms around Boy. He sniffs at me and says “What perfume are you wearing? You smell like… something bad.” I guess that means Mouse isn’t a keeper.

Welcome to my very first review! I dabbed on some Unicorn this morning, and here are my observations. In the bottle: Bleah, Powerful Perfume Assault. I don't think my poor sniffer can deal with smelling these things straight from the bottle. On Me: Once this warms on my skin for a moment, the scent is soft, gentle, and fresh. Pleasant. The "worst" I could say about it is that it smells like a very nice dryer sheet. On Me, later: ...This really does smell like a very nice dryer sheet. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it may keep The Unicorn out of the upper echelons of Scent Heaven.