Djaeno

Ugh, all I got in this scent is jasmine, which smells horrible and disgusting. On the other hand, I wasn't wearing this to smell nice, I was wearing it to sleep easier. And... I think it worked! I dabbed a little under my nose on a red-eye flight, and zoned off into deep sleep almost right away. And I do mean deep sleep: I never half-woke because of cramps or feeling cold or a crick in my neck until four hours later. In conclusion: smells gross, but it does the job if I try not to think about it too much. I'll use it on occasion until I get something that doesn't smell like jasmine.

Nocnitsa was really hard for me to define. The smell didn't evoke any images of dark woods or moss or earth. In the beginning it seemed a little medicinal, which might have been the fir. But when I put it on my skin... Suddenly there was a sweet note! It took me a while to nail it down, but I think it's like... plum. A single, solitary fruit note and I don't know where it comes from. It reminds me of the fruit scent in my beloved Dionysia, but much, much weaker and subtler. It's a pretty fruit note, but it just seems so out there.

In the imp, all I got was the strong scent of juniper. It smells way too strong and sharp for me, so I hoped it would settle down on my skin. It didn't just settle down... it disappeared! When I first put on Omen, I could smell a little background of juniper behind woodsy patchouli and sweet myrrh. It was like standing in a forest and smelling one juniper tree just out of sight. Unfortunately the patchouli and myrrh took over in the end and killed it, so those two notes were what I smelled during drydown. It's a light, sweet smell, but it's nothing remarkable on me.

I purchased a decant off the forum and immediately fell in love, oh my gosh. Dionysia on me becomes a rich, heady assortment of sweet flowers and perfectly ripe plums. But underneath that is a woodsy, dry scent that I think helps keep Dionysia from being too sweet. It smells so yummy, I go off to la-la-land every time I smell it. Which is fairly often, because this scent is STRONG on me. All I need is the tiniest dab on any part of my skin and I will smell it for the rest of the day. Good: it'll last longer! Dionysia makes me feel strong and sexy, even when I'm in jeans and a basic shirt. I finally bought a bottle of my own. EDIT: Like other reviewers mentioned, the fresh bottle scent is much different from the aged scent. It's definitely more fresh-fruit, with less of that beautiful woodsy note to balance it. I'll let my bottle age.

Named in honor of the most notorious female pirate to ever set sail. Wicked, cruel, beautiful, intelligent, resourceful and dangerous: a true role model. A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense. A million thanks to Juliana Williamson-Page for inspiration! I get a sharp wood scent, kind of spicy, although I don't know if that's the patchouli or the frankincense coming through. It's also very fragrant, and it lasts for a long time on my skin. For me, it seems a little one-note: woodsy spice, unlike some of the more blended perfumes I like. Which is not a bad thing; I like to wear it when I want a perfume that's simple and no-nonsense. Although I haven't tried layering scents before, I think this might be a good one to layer under my frankincense-based Chaos Theory, which doesn't smell very frankincense-y when I wear it alone.

#131 In the bottle, it smells very strongly of a kind of sweet citrus and the spicy frankincense. Once I put it on, though, I really can't tell the frankincense anymore! I get a nice, sweet citrus that makes me think of grapefruit -- maybe it's just the red/pinkish color that comes to mind. When it dries a little, I think I can smell something like rose. It got all powdery at that point and I was afraid it'd stay that way, but now it's back to being fruity. I can't really detect the frankincense, but I love my scent!! It's a perfect summer blend; I can switch it out with Giant Squid this season.

I bought a decant of this off a forum member, and it is definitely not what I was expecting -- but in a good way! It was surprisingly refreshing and clean-smelling. It was green in a fresh kind of way, not like new grass or sun-washed plants, if that makes any sense. It stayed pretty "clean" even on the drydown, but after 15 minutes or so the smoky notes started to emerge. They aren't overpoweringly fragrant; there's still a baseline of freshness that makes the blossoms and tobacco (I assume that's what they are) that balances everything nicely. I think what Invidiana said about a citrusy tang from the teas is just about right! Overall, it's very cool and refreshing with a little hint of the exotic to make it interesting. I find it a pretty neutral scent, actually, like something I could wear when I didn't want to smell "like" a specific mood/day/flower/place/whatever. I'm definitely going to treasure my imp!

I purchased my imp from a forum member, so I don't know how old it is and how that affects the smell. In imp: Definitely cherry right off the bat. But unlike Queen of Hearts (the only other cherry scent I've tried), this smells more subtle. It's less sugary-sweet, and I can smell the star anise like a light licorice behind it. Reminds me of cherry licorice, but without the sugary, candy smell. Wet: Now it's primarily star anise with a background of cherry. The sandalwood makes it smell "clear" and not cloying or overpowering. It seems really nicely balanced between the cherry, anise, and sandalwood -- they all work together in the right way. Dry: It is definitely cherry blossom, not the rich ripe cherry fruit I got in Queen of Hearts. It's subtle and sweet, a nice light fragrance for me: it makes me think of smelling cherry blossoms on the wind a block away from the tree. Definitely a keeper for me! I love the combination of floral and wood.

In imp: WHOA THAT'S SHARP. I am definitely getting juniper in here! It's really, really strong; almost strong enough to give me a headache right off the bat. That's not looking too good for this scent. Wet: It remains very strongly... bush-y. I am actually thinking of a cleaning solution or an air freshener when I smell my arm. It seems way too sharp for me. Dry: After maybe half an hour, the sharp bush smells faded and now I think I can smell the chamomile and the rose. It's definitely gone floral on me. Really strange, how this one works. Several hours later, I can't detect the slightest hint of juniper or cypress; it's all sweet flora, faintly. I'm torn on this one. I want to like it, but it doesn't seem to like me at all.

An exotic, sultry blend of tobacco leaf, bay rum and heady Caribbean blossoms. In imp: Oh, wow. It smells dark and strong; I think of really dark wood. I can't tell the difference between the tobacco leaf and the rum, but those are the two notes that are really standing out to me. Wet: It smells a little spicy -- or spiced, I suppose, since it has bay rum in it. It's actually a really lovely scent. Maybe it's because of the description, but I can sort of picture this fitting in with, say, the PotC movies or something. Dry: I can smell the Caribbean blossoms now! I assume that's what they are; I'm getting a ripe fruit/flower scent that I can't quite name. And yet it's still mixed in with the dark spiciness of the tobacco and rum; I don't feel that any of the notes are fighting (as they say on the forums). It's sweet, a little smokey, a little spicy. I'm surprised -- I love this one. The blossoms, I think, keep it from being a "masculine" scent on me. Also, I don't feel like a drunkard or a smoker. It's -- wow. This one is a winner. I am thinking of buying a 5ml of it. Later: it has a really long staying power. It's been almost three hours, and it still smells as strong as when I applied it. I'm getting a rather sweet scent I associate with tobacco, but it's lacking the smoky smell that makes me think of cigarette smoke. It is a little heavy, a little cloying? I will be sure to use it sparingly. Nothing I smell makes me think "soapy"? I guess it is my skin chemistry!

In imp: First I smell the lavender, but at the end of my inhale I get a faint whiff of something that reminds me of the dentist and the smell of the air in one of his instruments. Weird. Wet: I can smell the lavender, but it's definitely overpowered by the honeysuckle and jasmine. Those are sweet scents. Together they make me think of the mud left after a pond dries out in the sun: the sweetness of rot and decay. Dry: Nope, I'm still thinking of decay with this one. The sweetness is too cloying and strong for me. If it were a soap, I'd be all over this; but not in a perfume. Into the swap pile it goes.

Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry. In imp: Oh, but this is strongly cherry-flavored. If I concentrate, I think I can detect the lilies, but I am smelling mostly cherry. It's sweet, almost like a Maraschino cherry, but not quite as sugar-syrupy. Wet: Once I put it on, I smell lily first and cherry second, a nice bright background. Dry: It's a very layered scent. The strong lily gives way to cherry; it's like the smells constantly witch places. It still smells fresh but sweet as well. Unfortunately, after some minutes my arm smells like cherry Nerds. It has that tart, sweet quality that I associate with that particular candy. I really liked the play between lily and cherry in the wet and drying stages, but I don't know if I want to smell like Nerds.

In the imp: I get a huge rush of sugar, and underneath that it smells of spice, like gingerbread. It's very intense, and I instantly think of iced spice cookies. It smells delicious! On me: Both wet and dry, I smelled exactly like fresh-baked spice cookies. It made me want to eat something. When it dried, I could smell a slight hint of fruit; that might be the wine coming out. The smell did get a bit cloyingly sweet on me after a few hours, though, so I think I will have to use this scent sparingly. It lasted quite a long time as well, and my family could smell it from several feet away. It smells so delicious that I'm definitely keeping the imp! Even if I don't use it on myself, there are plenty of times when I want to smell iced spice cookies.