thebirdofhermes

This... really does not change at all on my skin from the scent in the bottle. It's just constant syrupy golden goodness. I can't quite define it beyond that. Where everyone else is saying florals or sandalwood or vanilla... I just don't ever quite pick up on that. If I had to guess at the notes, I'd say perhaps benzoin, lotus, and... I don't know. Part of me wants to say there has to be some note in common with Tzadikim Nistarim, as they both have a bright, fruity quality to my nose. However, this one is definitely more goopy sticky, whereas Tzadikim Nistarim is a bit more juicy. After around 12 hours, it's mostly faded, and I can kind of see where others get sandalwood from? But not really. I do like this one when I have a headache, as it doesn't aggravate things any. I am curious as to what this smells like fresh, as mine is from a very low 10mL bottle. I may have to pick up an imp next time I make a Lab order. I hope this isn't one of those blends I only like with three to four years on it, as my 10mL was originally much closer to half full and I would say it is now maybe a third full.

So, I will try to remember to edit with a full review when I get a chance, but here are my impressions after five hours of wear. It is a fairly close sticking scent in that I can smell it when I move my arms near my face, but if I'm still, it has to be in a few inches of my nose. However, it is still going strong. To my nose, the tagetes is a much more dominant player. It gives the scent a feel reminsicent of The Harp, but not quite so sweet. I find myself surprised that the musk listed is white, as it's behaving far closer to how skin musk plays on me. The honey wants to go powdery, which makes me suspect the O honey note, but it's only right up against my skin where that happens. The throw is all sweet and creamy honey-musk with tagetes. I don't really get more than the suggestion of blackcurrant rounding the scent out. Tangerine has not showed up yet at all for me. All in all, this reminds me of a less sweet and more demure version of Giant Vulva, or a muskier and somewhat sexier Harp. I will try to actually compare the three in the future.

I have to say, the prior review worried me about my bottle, but... Well, in the bottle it smells like grapefruit juice. Somewhat pithy, a bit more bitter than an actual grapefruit, but no wholly unpleasant. No varnish scent yet. And on the skin, it is not at all strong, but it seems a bit sweeter now and truer to the scent of a real... pink... grapefruit? Okay, maybe it's stronger than I thought; I can smell it while I type. Not the strongest ever, no, but it's not terribly weak either. Up very close, it reminds me of dusty candied peels. Maybe my skin chemistry is just very forgiving of very old citrus, though. I'd like to see some more recent reviews of this one.

So, I just got my bottle of Pennyroyal in the mail today. Totally purchased it having absolutely no familiarity with the note beyond it being apparently minty and also something not used in Chaos Theories. ONWARDS! The bottle scent opens with a blast of cold mint, backed by something distinctly medicinally herbal. It's actually quite pleasant, like a natural pain relief salve. On the skin, it retains those qualities, though up close and personal I find it falls flat and... dare I say... smells kind of like band-aids. Hiya, skin chemistry in action! But the throw is a sharp, yet somehow mellow mintiness. Kind of like wintergreen to my nose, but not quite. It's definitely sinus clearing, but unlike peppermint I don't find myself cringing away. It seems better in the throw. Very stimulating! I've been up since this time yesterday, and this has me feeling quite alert once more. It does seem to fade fast, but I can still smell a coldness as I breathe in. Very nice! (And I am too out of it to make this follow my usual format, but it's a single note so.)

Ah, where to begin, where to begin. Properly, I ought to begin with my initial thought of what this blend might smell like: namely, sweetened red musk. Sounded nice enough, but to be entirely honest, I really am most fond of Scherezade for my red musk needs. So I did not get a decant. Then the reviews came rolling in. They spoke of this most amazing scent, with creamy red musk. Oh, how lovely was the honey note and how beautifully did it mingle with the musk. Truly this scent, though simple, was most inspired and amazing. It was quite possibly the love child of O and Red Musk SN. At which point, I should have stopped right there and ran screaming. Unfortunately, I didn't. No, no. I knew better, you see. I went, "Surely it's just because it's honey and cream, and those notes are in O, that make people compare this blend thusly. Yes, that must be it, because it sounds divine and therefore it must be liquid awesome on me. Verily." So, spurred onwards, I ordered a bottle blindly with my Yule decants. Again, really, I shouldn't have. I should have saved the money. Maybe upgraded that half bottle of The Soldier to a full bottle. Picked up a GC. Except I didn't. I had to have this one, the one that everyone was talking about. Oh, she started off gorgeous. A pure, sweet red musk, reminiscent of Smut but not quite so boozy. Absolutely delicious in the bottle. Positively drinkable except for the fact that one should not ever drink perfume. I needed it on me. So, I slathered generously, because if it was anything like Smut and Scherezade? Oh yes, it would be love. For the first minute or so, all was right in the world. Creamy, smooth red musk. Soft. Pretty. Me, only way better than I actually smell sans perfume. I was about to regret ordering only one bottle. And then IT appeared. IT didn't just subtly waft in on the edges of the scent. No. IT reached out and grabbed my nose, hard. IT smacked me upside the nostrils, laying a heavy beating on my sinuses. There was no escaping IT. IT consumed the scent. IT was... baby powder. Lo, a great cry rose up from my breast, and indeed there was wailing and gnashing of teeth, for my ancient foe had reared IT's powdery head. Yea verily, I should have listened to the cries of "O and Red Musk!" for, in sooth, it was the honey of O indeed. O, being a great villain of my skin, turning instantly no matter the age into Eau de Johnson&Johnson. Alas, mourn for me, for I did not listen. I did not listen! And now, alone, I weep silent tears, for it is seriously like eight hours, some scrubbing, a lot of washing, and more rubbing alcohol than I care to think of later... and it's. still. on. me. GAH. FRIGGIN' O. (For those of you who prefer less flowery reviews... Bottle: Sweetened red musk Wet: Yep, nice, sweet red musk. Creamy and smooth. Dry: ...Baby powder. And maybe a touch of red musk. Definitely the same honey from O, because that honey note dominates as Johnson&Johnson SN on my skin.)

Wore The Russian Dance this morning for Mass and gift opening. The rest of the night shall be spent with Herr Drosselmeyer (2010). He seemed good for snuggling in with my new Kindle.

Okay, so. I've tried this before bed three times, and I have to say it actually does help me sleep, surprisingly. Unfortunately, because of this, I really can't do a proper review, since I can't stay awake using it long enough to get the full drydown. (And I'm NOT putting anything that soporific on in the middle of the day.) I will say that in the vial and initially on my skin, it is straight up lavender. Evil, hateful, quease inducing lavender. So I keep my wrists away from my face for the first ten minutes. Once the oil sinks in, though, it becomes a very sweet, soft, powdery herbal sort of scent. I can't really pick out any specific herbs in it, since my skin mostly makes it that sweet powder, but the herbal component is kind of like sniffing a bunch of dried herbs all mixed together. So, I can see where people say rosemary or basil or sage... but I just don't get individual herbs like that. Past that, I'm usually asleep fast. I will say that I really cannot wear this when I only have a limited amount of time to sleep (such as a nap), because it keeps me asleep for a good 12 hours. Which, considering half the time I'm actually sleep deprived, isn't so bad... but it's definitely not a sleep blend I can use if I don't have that half a day to sleep. Two of the three times, I got some pretty amazing dreams. This most recent time, I didn't remember any dreams, but to be entirely fair, I also had a migraine and was having an impossible time falling to sleep in the first place. So, I used Temple of Dreams to try and help me sleep. It worked like a charm. All in all, I'd say this is a blend I may end up getting a bottle of, just because it works and works well. I think I can ignore some initial lavender-ick because of that.

In Bottle: An alcoholic note, mixed with... Fruit Stripe gum. No lie. There's something faintly musty underneath, possibly the honey? but mostly it's sweet booze and Fruit Stripe. Wet: Strongly sweet, cloying, generic artificial fruit scent. The brandy is present, though more as a soft alcohol presence than an identifiable liquor. No honey, though, unless it's contributing to the sweet of the fruit. Dry: Deep, plummy, honeyed booze. Not cloyingly sweet; nor has it gone to baby powder like the reviews comparing the honey note to O made me fear it would. Minimal throw. Seems a bit... soapy? Yes, kind of like soap. All in all, very pleasant, but I'm glad I didn't pay full price for my bottle.

So, I got my bottle today, and let me tell you it was much anticipated. Several overnights at work, as well as closings, have left me very sore. While I'm sure it would be even more effective if I had someone to give me massages, from the limited areas I can reach on my own, it seems quite nice. I'm not getting any of the tingly feeling others report (but then, my skin is very tough and thick, I think, as even strong mint oils don't tingle), but the scent is quite soothing (herbal orange candy!) and... well, I do feel a little less pain. And the effect is lingering. I'll have to try and remember to update this review after some continuous use. I certainly like the scent, and the feel of it is amaaaazing. Very smooth, and not greasy or sticky. Makes it feel like your hands are just gliding across your skin. Let's hope the effects are cumulative.

Well, I can tell you this: It does not smell like a swamp. I live right next to a swamp...er, creek, technically..., and if the swamp creek smelled like this, that would be awesome. Alas, it doesn't smell like this, but this is the creek you wish your creek could smell like. It's on a horse. As far as the actual scent goes... I'm not quite getting the fresh aquatic everyone else is. It comes across as a bit murkier to me. Still more of a straight saltwater and ocean air scent than muddy, silty, and rusted shipwrecky... which is quite disappointing to me, as I rather do like muddy, silty, and rusty metal scents. That said, there is an edge to this that I would call metallic, and there is a definite musty, almost stale quality in the late drydown. Though, it's a lot more pleasant than the actual scent of stale water. It's definitely got that almost sweet tang of water that's been left to stagnate, though, which does give a thicker scent to it. Not quite as throw-tastic as some others I've tried; the throw is quite light. Gentle humid air. Kind of an idealised humid day near a large body of water scent. Not at all unpleasant, like such days can smell... more like the nostalgic memory of that scent, assuming the memories associated with that kind of day are good ones. Overall, it's definitely a new favourite of mine. Now, to get my paws on more...

So, because there wasn't a GC I've tried that I wanted a bottle of, but I was feeling independently wealthy, I got a bottle of Black Opal. It's been on my want to try list, and going by the notes I know I like, it seemed like a safe choice. In the Bottle: It smells cool... like the inside of the ice machine at work. Cool and watery. There's a touch of sweet cream rounding it out, and something slightly dusty. Wet: Subtle watery sweet dustiness. I think it's orris. It smells like orris does on my skin. Very close to the skin. Delicate and unassuming. Not too terribly much in the way of throw. I definitely recognise a note that reminds me of Inganok Jewelers... I would assume a similar accord to the gleaming stone note in Inganok. Dry: Occasionally, I do catch whiffs of something sharper. Whatever it is, it's minty... spearmint? Mostly, it's the same as it was wet. Subtle, dusty, liquid. Very light. I could probably douse myself quite liberally with this and not be too strongly scented. Would be a good scent for work. Overall, I do like it and feel like it was money well spent. Not so sure it'll be one I repurchase, but the bottle will definitely get used. I may try layering it with Inganok Jewelers to enhance the stone note of the latter.

Alas, I can't do the usual in the vial and wet stage reviews because the vial is all packed up to be swapped off and I did not take notes either time I tested it until the dry stage. So, dry. At first, I kept thinking it was the love child of Snake Charmer and... the uber-linen/"apple" version of Black Lace. That is seriously what it went to on my skin, with the caveat that it did not have the throw of either. (Though, really, nothing except Snake Charmer has Snake Charmer's insane strength and throw on my skin, so it's not fair of me to try and compare any scent's throw to that. Tombeur could have at least had the very nice throw of Black Lace, though.) It's like a fruity, linen-y Snake Charmer. I have no idea how the heck that happened with the note list, but there you go. Also, I think I'm finally beginning to pick out Snake Oil as a distinct scent. Which is also telling me that I probably shouldn't ever waste money on buying Snake Oil, but should I ever get frimped a bit, it would be a safe one to keep. Why, no, I have never tried Snake Oil straight. What throw there is keeps with the Black Lace/Snake Charmer mix, though up close after a while, a spicy dry bitterness comes out. The bitterness is distinctly recognisable as lavender, though it's not so bad, I suppose. With the fruits and sweetness, I'm put in mind of Lurid, just a little. I'm trying to figure out where I keep getting fruitiness from, and I must conclude that blood musk is a dragon's blood blend and not a blood accord blend as I had hoped. I also think it's the vanilla with the dry sandalwood that's reminding me of the vanilla cotton of Black Lace. All in all, not a terribly unique scent for me, and nothing I'll seek out a bottle of, all things considered.

Okay, so... I am looking for a BPAL with the same general feel as Ralph Lauren Polo Double Black. Notes are: Mango, Pepper/Roasted Coffee, Indonesian Nutmeg/Rich Woods, Cardamom, Juniper Berry It opens with a very fruity, almost mandarin and tamarind sort of note, with just a touch of spice. The drydown is a very creamy scent... it has a slight hint of mango, which lends a watery quality, but is primarily woods, cardamom, and a dash of nutmeg. Matching to either stage is fine with me. I'm mainly looking for something to layer this with to help the lasting power. Not that it fades fast... I just like layering for depth and weartime. Of course, I'll be doing my own tests and reporting back if I find anything.

In the Vial: Dry tea leaves, sharp and astringent, like sniffing from a tin of tea. Slight hint of what might be leather? Wet: ...Play-doh. Yep. Straight up Play-doh. Ick. Dry: Wafts straight earl grey tea, like I just brewed a cup. Very subtle, though. Very close sniffing right near my arm reveals a hint of play-doh, which I suspect is actually the leather note. This one I much prefer in the throw, as I am very much enjoying the refreshing tea-scent. There's not a lot I can say about this one, really, other than that it's subtle and nice and cozy feeling for lounging about the house. Not something I'd wear out, as I like my scent to be stronger if I have to leave the house, but very cozy for staying home. Might be a good sleep scent...

In the Vial: Strongly pineapple, though more of a candied or syrupy pineapple than a fresh pineapple. Quite delicious, very strong. Could easily smell it through a thick wrapping of plumber's tape. Wet: Hairspray. No, seriously. The moment this touched my skin, it turned into straight up hairspray. Not sure how much of this is just fruit notes not aging well and how much is skin chemistry in action, but it does make me a bit more hesitant to try pineapple notes. Dry: Has tinges of fruit scented hairspray up close. Further away, the throw is more creamy pineapple, but there's still a strong chemical undertone. Which kind of hurts my nose. I'm glad I had the chance to try this, but it's just not at all for me. Which is really a good thing.

55 Yep, the infamous Eris' Tilt-a-Hurl. Not only did I sign up for the experience, I asked for as much as possible of the experience. Yes, I'm insane. In Vial: Gloopy brown oil. Smells like chocolate, wine, and... yeah, there's a somewhat fermented note. Vaguely tar-like. Actually, my scent memory is calling up Zadok Allen Vineyard. I can see the vinegar comparisons, though I'm pretty certain it's some sort of wine note. There's a strongly tart and astringent quality. Wet: Yes, I'm willingly putting this on my skin. Woo, tingly! Instantly sweetens. Like, magical sweetening. Lightly honeyed. Softly chocolatey. Reminding me a bit of Athens, now, with the sweetness, because it's still got that wine note. It's very faint, though, which is kind of odd considering how strong it was in the vial. It's also tingly on my skin. Mostly soft, honeyed wine and chocolate. I have to get to work now, but I'll update when I get home and have the fullness of the drydown. Though, so far, it appears that my skin chemistry is truly forgiving of just about everything I throw at it! (Oh, and actually, if it stays this good on my skin, I may have to beg the other half-decants off of people. It's really nice on me, I think.) ETA: Dry: Very faint. Vaguely chocolatey. Mostly skin musk, however. Doesn't last very long, only a few hours at most. Has very little throw.

If you can get your hands on it, Rivet.Goth is a very powerful leather note. I also highly recommend The Traveller. I found Olisbos to have a strong leather note, but I know quite a few found it stronger on the wood and olive oil. Ivanushka I found to be more furry than leathery. Hmm, trying to think of other leathery ones... Ah. Liz had no leather to my nose. Neither did Dee, Hellfire, or Manhattan. So we miiight have similar noses for the leather notes. Black Rider was quite leathery to me, but I think it was a bit smothered by the other notes. Hrm... Unfortunately, those are the only ones I've tried with leather notes that I think you might be able to find easily.

I don't know how it is in your state, but... a BPAL package may not count as proof of residence. The state I live in specifically states that your proof of residence must be one of the following: * Utility Bills * Credit Card Statement * Auto or Life Insurance policies * Voter Registration Cards * Bank Account Records * Employment Records * Rental Agreements * U.S. Postal Service change of address confirmation form/postmarked mail with forwarding address label * Other non-personal mail postmarked within the last 60 days So a package? Would be personal mail. Just looking at the DMV information for other states I've lived in (only 5 out of the 50, so... 10% sampling), it seems to be the same across the board. The only one I can find that accepts personal mail such as a magazine (just saying that because it was listed as a specific example) only states that they'll take that if you live with someone else and have no bills in your name... but then you have to bring that person with their ID/driving licence AND a piece of mail to that address in your name. Hate to be a downer, but I don't want you getting all excited over both BPAL and proof of residence... then finding out that it's only BPAL. (Not that there's anything wrong with only BPAL, I just know it can be frustrating to expect that you'll be able to get your licence and then you get turned down because you don't exactly meet the paperwork requirements.)

First off, this bottle is second-hand and I am assured it is not the apple-y version. In bottle: Having said that... I smell apple. Faint, and lurking around the edges, but I do smell apple at first. It does resolve itself into a fresh note, like warm sheets straight from the dryer, so I imagine that the apple in the one batch is just a hyper-strong linen note. Aside from the linen note, there is a sweetness and a soft hint of alcohol. Wet: Pure linen single note. Close throw. Dry: Ah, holy carp! Where did this throw come from?! I only dabbed on enough to test, and it's got some crazy throw to it. Like, easily a good foot away from my arms. Oh, but aside from the shock, I have to say this is really nice. I'm getting a lot of linen in the throw, but there's definitely an over-layer of something sweet and rich, like a cream liquer. I can definitely pull out the sugar and the cognac if I focus, but overall they blend together with what must be vanilla (though I cannot detect it as a distinct note) to form the creaminess. I am, as yet, getting no incense or musk, though the tobacco rounds things out with a soft smokiness... not quite the scent of a room that's been smoked in a lot. Perhaps more the scent of a room that has stored tobacco for a bit. However, it's very subtle and only comes out after I've focused too long on the primary notes. I... ah... really like this, actually. Which surprises the heck out of me, as I got it hoping the linen and sugar would be very faint on my skin. They are the dominant players, yes, but... um... ::clings to the wee bottle:: You'll have to pry this out of my cold, dead fingers. EDIT: I just want to edit this to add that I, at one point, had a bottle of the original release version (ergo, there was no 'apple' note at all coming from the bottle). I did not like that version, as I found the linen note to be far more subdued, whereas the smokiness of the tobacco and incense, along with the musk, were amplified on my skin. It has since been sent to someone who loves that version. I now have two additional bottles that smell more strongly of linen/apple than my initial bottle, but as they dry down to the softly smoky, creamy fresh linen goodness I fell in love with, I have no complaints with them. Which practically cements in my mind that the apple note is really just a very dominant and aggressive linen note. (And, to be fair, I would NOT have termed it apple if others hadn't said apple. It has always come across as linen to me. I imagine it's probably the addition of sugar and cognac that tip things towards apple.) I still find it ironic that I, who ordinarily hates cotton/linen scents, prefer the more cottony version over the smoky musky version, which is what my typical scent preferences tend to.

Typed up from my notes. In Bottle: Very perfumey. Reminds me of a somewhat spicy resinous floral. There's a touch of musky sweet in the background. Wet: HONEY. Honey honey honey and oh, there's also sugar. All with a background of pale, soft musk... but mostly it is WHOAMG sweet. Hoping the sweetness backs off a bit, because this is kind of overwhelming and not something I would wear a lot of. Dry: Ehem. I take back any and all reservations I might have had. My skin loves musky notes, because the musk has strengthened considerably. I do particularly adore skin musk, because it really is a my skin but better note. The sweetness has backed off, becoming a delicate honeyed waft around the edges of the scent. It's slightly waxy, but in the good way. It's a very warm scent, with just the lightest touch of flower petals. Somehow, I find it both innocent and extremely seductive. Innocent because it's so light and not overtly sensual in the throw (because I assure you, my mother would comment if I smelled like walking sex)... but up close, it gives me the rather naughty mental image of a sweet young thing on a bed with red silk sheets and pale flower petals, trembling in pleasure while her extremely good looking lover drips hot wax on her body. Ehem. Er, yeah, it's a really lovely scent, and I do enjoy wearing it, especially because of all the secret naughtiness. It's especially fun when Mom goes, "Oh, that's such a delicate, pretty scent. It's very nice. What's it called?" "Ah... You know, I don't remember."

In Bottle: Green tea, lemon, and a metallic, chemical tinge. Wet: Green tea, perhaps too strongly brewed. Lemony musk is strongly present, as well as the continuation of that chemical sort of feeling. Currently quite masculine seeming, with a slight herbal presence and a very dominant musk note. Also, I would swear up and down that there is metal in here. Dry: Very fresh, clean exterior to this scent. The majority of the throw is subtle aftershave and tart green tea. Quite delicious and refreshing from a distance. Closer in, there's that metallic presence once more, as well as musk and something not quite right. Unsettling, but in a good way, not a queasiness inducing way. I would say it's more of a traditionally masculine scent, especially up close. However, I like it very much indeed, and will happily wear the decanted mini-bottle I have. Not quite certain if I love it enough for a bottle, but I will likely invest in an imp to top off my mini-bottle. I will say that this scent mostly matches the image of Herbert West I have in my head. It's not exactly it, but I'm not quite sure yet where the divergence is. Seriously good scent, though. Shame it doesn't seem to be more popular. EDIT: Coming back to this two weeks later to say this has pretty much shot up my list of favourites to be my favourite GC blend ever. So. Herbert West is addictive. Hnh.

In Vial: Chamomile orris. Very dusty and powdery, with a tinge of sour ambergris. Almost lemon-y, but I know that's the chamomile. Wet: Light, powdery, sweetened chamomile tea. Has a strangely aquatic, almost rubbing alcohol but not quite sort of note. I assume this is the ambergris. It feels like the smell of ice; smooth and not exactly noticeable until it gets to the back of your nose. Very subtle. The orris is combining with the sugar to make an extremely sweet almost-violet. Hmm. Dry: Distinctly chamomile and smooth ambergris up close, although the throw (which, on me, is a good 12 inches) is more the sweetness and slightly lemony aspect of the chamomile. The orris is a strong powdery almost floral background to the entire scent. It's subtle, and quite soothing in it's own way. Bottle worthy? Mayhaps. I'm trying to limit myself to only the Metamorphoses that really work, so I need to finish testing the other seven to know for sure if this is one of the best, or merely okay. It would be a nice bedtime scent, however.

In Bottle: Thick, rich, fudge like scent. Like the fudge we put on our sundaes where I work. Reminds me of El Dia de los Reyes, actually, although... not as spiced, I would say. Wet: Chocolate, mostly, with a vanillary edge. Still quite simple, I would say. I'm not getting any of the complexities others have mentioned. However, the cream has yet to go sour, so that's a plus. Dry: I... am reminded strongly of Hunger. More chocolate, I would say, but otherwise it feels the same. There's a soft, floral sweet something hiding underneath the sweet vanilla chocolate. I really am having a hard time shaking the similarity to review this properly. Okay, side by side against Hunger, now... The chocolate is coming across far stronger; a rich, high quality milk chocolate. Very gourmet; the sort of chocolate mixed with unusual flavours such as flowers for a luxury experience. The floral quality is very subtle, but present, making this a mature chocolate scent. Still very creamy. Not overtly foody, which is nice because I am not much of a foody. All in all? I do not regret getting this bottle, and will enjoy it... but I don't need more than the bottle.

I'm gonna have to recommend The Coiled Serpent. It kept going from dryer sheets to absolutely foul stench on me... And that's how patchouli tends to work on my skin. Either or. So I suspect a lot of patchouli in that one.

I can't believe I haven't posted my review here yet... Keeping in mind that I wrote this for my own notes the first time I wore this, and was reminded of this when I was reviewing another scent. In bottle: Yellow oil. Bright, golden yellow. Very potently sweetened floral. Not exactly honeysuckle scent at this point... more like a sugary version of honeysuckle taste. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who ate honeysuckle blooms as a child.) Wet: Still sweeter than honest-to-goodness honeysuckle, with an odd edge to it that I can't quite place. It's entirely possible the oil is going off; it is six years old and floral notes tend to be more fleeting. Still wearable, however, and I do see how one would call this honeysuckle. Dry: Oh. Oh wow. This isn't just the flower, this is the whole darn plant. That odd edge I caught in the wet stage has fully resolved itself into a soft, green background. Meanwhile, the overly sweet tone has burned itself off, leaving nothing but a strong, very true honeysuckle scent. I'm reminded very strongly of the honeysuckle bush in my Granny's backyard when I was little, and sitting nearby while playing because it smelled so pretty. I do not remember much of anything else about her house except the backyard, with the honeysuckle bush right up against a chain link fence, so this is quite the treasured scent for memory alone. Even without that, though, I loves me some honeysuckle. I will say that after multiple wears, it has some extreme lasting power and takes but a drop to scent me all day. It's gotten to be quite potent over the years.