Lycanthrope

In the Bottle or Imp: Musk with a bright lily or tuberose overtone. Wet, on Skin: A very well blended floral! I can hardly pick out any of the notes individually, but it just sings 'Hail, for I am a glorious floral,' all the while dancing carefully over the musk base without overpowering it. Drying/Drydown: Jasmine jumps to the front here. I must amp it like rose and lily, but not to the same degree. Plus, I like jasmine, so no beef here. There may be some rose as well, but all the florals hold together and nothing goes out of check. Over Time/Longterm: This reminds me of Aveda. That same spicy, musky, woodsy floral with primary notes of rose and jasmine... I do like Aveda, however, and this is just like their Chakra line, complex and natural aromas that are unisex and unique. Final Verdict? Mmm. I don't know if this is bottleworthy since I have so much Aveda stuff leftover, and this is also another 'in the mood' fragrance.

In the Bottle or Imp: Spicy resin with a slightly aquatic floral. That would be the iris/orris... It's not as dark or deep as I expected it to be, and was my first Ars Draconis tested. Wet, on Skin: Sweet, with a hint of light musk, still with the pungency of dragon's blood resin. However, here it's very severely tempered by the dry notes of sandalwood and orris. Drying/Drydown: Odd, somewhat disturbing light floral woodsy note... with something richer trying to get out. Perhaps bones steeped with powerful magic. Over Time/Longterm: Goes mildly citrusy and powdery on me. Too bad. Final Verdict? Swap. It's nice, but just... eerie, and not my thing. Same effect with most of the Funereal Oils as well... they just don't sit well with me.

In the Bottle or Imp: Smack! Honey and wine. It's very sweet, very potent. I get a strong cherry whiff, too, which knocks me back some. Little imp. Lots of power. Wet, on Skin: Very edible honey aroma - it's dripping from the combs, and I'm sitting in full sun chewing on a touch of comb with some sweet red wine in my other hand. Drying/Drydown: Very syrupy, sugary honey. The wine is receding a bit, but this scent doesn't shift much. Over Time/Longterm: Potent golden honey. Final Verdict? A mood scent. The imp will last me... I have to be in the right state of mind to enjoy this one, as it is very luxurious, heady, bright and golden, which I'm... not

In the Bottle or Imp: A delicate floral on a base of darker, mellow woods. Definitely not cedar, pine, cypress, or darker woody scents like patchouli, more rosewood, mahogony, teak. Wet, on Skin: Punch of rose, which thankfully retreats behind the lilac curtain (to torture me some other day). Definitely getting more and more of the creamy teakwood aroma. Drying/Drydown: Rose curse returns, althought the pungent, grounded teak is doing its best to repel the screamin' rose on my skin. Over Time/Longterm: Less rosy than most rose-included blends that have gone wrong on my skin. It is definitely evocative - I think of a wooden chest or cabinet used to store perfume for years that has captured the combined little droplets of perfume from time to time, and now smells like none of them and all of them at the same time.

In the Bottle or Imp: Smells like... anise and bananas? That strange uberfruit scent that one gets when mixing a shake and you've just thrown in the banana. Very odd. Wet, on Skin: Quite pungent, very powerful citrus, and definitely a strong hit of anise. There's a slight alcoholic note here too, and a touch of mint. Drying/Drydown: Um. This smells like ouzo. Alcohol and anise. Over Time/Longterm: Faint minty anise ouzo. Final Verdict? I envision ouzo more than absinthe, because this scent doesn't scream 'green' to me, but I see more glasses of clear, potent and very alcoholic anise.

In the Bottle or Imp: Minty herbal, with a touch of lavender, not too much, and a definite citrus base. Wet, on Skin: Sweet peppermint and lavender, with a strangely pungent cooking herb undercurrent... Drying/Drydown: Slightly leathery, fabric scent, minty with a touch of bitter tea. Over Time/Longterm: Goes to a soapy, faint mint on my skin. Final Verdict? Interesting, but not a keeper.

In the Bottle or Imp: Delicious cocoa, chocolate and vanilla. It's really nice here. A touch of nut? Wet, on Skin: Mmm... chocolate. Oh... wait... Drying/Drydown: Dry sandalwood appears here, and the cocoa vanilla fades. Over Time/Longterm: The chocolate doesn't return... it's mostly a dry and powdery sandalwood now. Final Verdict? Applying this to my clothes or to a burner maintains the scent much better. It's not for wearing on me however...

Ugh, had hopes for this one. In the Bottle or Imp: Lemongrass and a swirling of dry, acrid woods. Wet, on Skin: Lemongrass, oh my goodness. I also get cedar. Drying/Drydown: A distinctly to my nose unpleasing combination of lemongrass and bitter sandalwood. Over Time/Longterm: Sweet and still quite lemony, with a dry woods base. Final Verdict? I cannot pull off lemongrass or lemon. Oh, well. Swap!

In the Bottle or Imp: Sharp, light herbal floral. A bit astringent. Wet, on Skin: Hello, deep and dark berries! There's a hint of grassy, very green herbal. Like when you're in a field and crushing grass between your fingertips and there are faintly fragranced flowers around. Drying/Drydown: Gets a touch lemony, and adopts a currant-like fruit tone on top of the green floral. Over Time/Longterm: Basically goes floral with just a hint of berry. Kind of Body Shop Dewberryesque. Final Verdict? Pleasant, but not really a keeper.

In the Bottle or Imp: Lemon, a hint of lemongrass, and perhaps a minty eucalyptus. Lemon always turns on me, so keeping my fingers crossed... Wet, on Skin: Geez! Soooo lemon, and it goes from rind-oil lemon to an herbal lemongrass. I was expecting hemlock to be... less bright! Drying/Drydown: Slightly minty lemongrass herbal, soapy florals emerging... Over Time/Longterm: Soapy lemon. Um. Final Verdict? Yikes. Not my thing at all. I think my skin decided to spite me by mutating this beyond all reason.

Again, crossing the gender boundaries I smell like a bouquet of flowers. Heh heh. In the Bottle or Imp: Lilac and jasmine. Both are blended well, so it comes across as a sweet, balanced, slightly spicy and powdery floral. Wet, on Skin: Lilac, my word. Drying/Drydown: Something here grips my lungs, oddly... I don't know what it is. Regardless, it goes away (thank goodness) and now the florals suddenly combine to make a tuberose, lilac and jasmine blend... with a hint of something dour and wet. Wisteria? Over Time/Longterm: Muguet and a touch of lily (well, actually, I amp lily so it's probably not...) A very well blended, dark and moody floral. Final Verdict? Pretty. Keep imp.

I really could have sworn I reviewed this one already. Hm. I guess I'm getting it mixed up with Storm Moon. In the Bottle or Imp: Bright, very much like Sea of Glass, a perfumey, sharp ozonic aquatic. Definitely not a seashore or breeze aroma, this is air rent by energy. Wet, on Skin: Gardenia and grapefruit to me, immediately, with a touch of green, plantlike aquatic notes. Very sharp, and reminds me of standing in an orchard or garden, the wet leaves around me shivering as thunder and lightning play above. Drying/Drydown: Oops. It's getting a touch of the dryer sheet here, but it's a dryer sheet that is crackling with power. Power, I say! Soften those sheets! Crack! Over Time/Longterm: Even with a reduction in overall strength, there's still a sharp bite to the fragrance. Impressive. Final Verdict? Maybe a touch too sharp for me, as excessive amounts eventually cause a slight headache. Not a salty ocean drydown like my beloved Kingsport.

This is gonna be a quickie. Just dabbed a bit on my upper chest, which is where most oils that I want to smell well go. Primary impressions of this is a strong, grated cinnamon stick scent mixed with a blend of fennel and some dry, aged wood such as aloeswood, perhaps a bit of darker, ambery teakwood as well. There's definitely sandalwood in this, with a touch of ylang-ylang. This is a very earthy, nutty blend. I don't know if this works, but it definitely smells different. Kind of like a burning stick of traditional Japanese joss stick incense.

In the Bottle or Imp: Whoa momma, that's some bitter almond there. And yeah, cinnamon. Wet, on Skin: This is mad crazy cinnamon with a bitter almond bite... EVIL MARZIPAN. When I sniff this as it's drying, I can feel a tingle in the back of my throat and my teeth literally sting with anticipation of the burn. Whoa. Drying/Drydown: Still a mad crazy cinnamon, the almond isn't as potent now. Black pepper? Over Time/Longterm: Cinnamon... but still that throat-tickling kind. Final Verdict? I cannot imagine wearing this. But, it really is an inferno!

In the Bottle or Imp: Very salty, brightly ozonic water scent. This is the same opener I detect in other ozonics like Lightning, Kingsport, Thunderbird and Storm Moon... It's a very strong, heady salty scent. Wet, on Skin: Sharp crackles of thunderous ozone, crisp and very, very strong. It's laid upon a very slightly sweet rain scent, which is definitely backseat to the potent ozone. Drying Down: It's sweetening, if that's possible, and just a touch too strong for me at this point. Yes, I do get the dryer sheet here, but only if dryer sheets were made of stormclouds and cracked with static electricity. Dry on Skin: I... detect... cucumber? Melon? This is as if the clouds are parting and the Tempest has resolved itself. I get a faintly cucumber melon aroma still mingled with rain and the remnants of the ozone. Over Time/Longterm: Surprisingly sweet melony drydown. I'm not sure I like this as much as Kingsport's drydown, or Lightning's... It's not bad, but a little too fruity for my tastes. Final Verdict? I'm waffling on this one. The opening clamor makes me say '10 mL!' whereas the gentle drydown makes me arch an eyebrow and think... I'll keep the imp.

I'll make this one quick. Rum. Butter Rum Lifesavers. Those Butterscotch hard candies in the yellow wrap. I smell like them now. I don't know if I like that or not.

In the Bottle or Imp: Smells pleasantly aquatic, with a hint of floral, probably rose (uh oh) and a green leafiness. Wet, on Skin: It's definitely a much more herbal aquatic than say, Kingsport, and it shares a similar feel to Sea of Glass. I can detect that the aquatic is retreating and the florals are amping up. Most likely this is because they are... Drying Down: ... rooooose. It's rose! On me, rose eats the other scents and dominates. Sigh. Dry on Skin: Still very much rose. I'm going to give it some time. Over Time/Longterm: The rose has faded some, and it's a sort of dry woodsy, still floral, lightly and misty aquatic. Not bad! It reminds me of what a cathedral or small church would smell like more than Cathedral does... woodsiness, a touch of resins and airy light, and roses in vases throughout. Final Verdict? It's pleasant. I'll hold onto the imp... just have to get past the rose phase.

In the Bottle or Imp: Roses with a slightly muddy, dirty, somewhat repulsive earthen aroma. Wet, on Skin: Definitely roses... with my skin, I expect this to go shrieking rose on me. I get a whiff of very realistic, brown, moist earth. Oh goodness... two notes that do not sit well with me. Drying Down: Rose comes up, but it's a corrupted rose, the damp earth keeps strangling down its purity and I feel... ugh, ugh. Dry on Skin: Rose with that same dark undertone. Zombi doesn't change much on me. Over Time/Longterm: The earthen smell fades away faster than the rose, but then again, on me, rose stays, and stays. There's still a touch of the dirty mossy aroma hanging around to dirty the floral. Final Verdict? I feel dead when I put this on. No, seriously, I smell like death. Props to Beth for blending that feeling in a bottle, but Zombi gives me the chills. ooooooogh.

In the Bottle or Imp: It isn't quite as potently ozonic as I at first thought it would be. It's a slightly salty fresh aquatic (yay!) that is tempered by the usual herbal sweetness I've found in the Moon blends I've tried. Wet, on Skin: WHAM! Helloooooooooo ozone! This is crackling sharp! Drying Down: The lunar oil base is coming out here, gentle white florals and soft herbal notes, still being assaulted by sharp ozone bursts. Dry on Skin: Doesn't change much, if at all. Over Time/Longterm: Akin to sitting near a briar of salt mist rose, not next to the ocean but in the dunes, a storm having just rolled through and moistened everything with a torrent of rain and crisped the air with searing bolts of lightning. Not oceanic, however... just a touch salty. Final Verdict? Akin to Lightning, in that it's a sharp ozone, but it definitely steps back after rolling around a bit on my skin, unlike Lightning which continues to be sharp and fresh even after drydown. I do like this, but it's not one of my favorite aquatics, like Kingsport or Thunderbird, as those dry to a more breezy, beachy/shore aroma. Storm Moon heads towards storm-crushed blossoms.

In the Bottle or Imp: Myrrh, sweet florals and definite evil, dark streak to it. There's something sharp, biting, and just amiss about these florals. Like it's a beautiful garden but something is just not right, there's something twisted below it all. Wet, on Skin: Something very unpleasant hits my nose first, like a sour resin, but it swiftly retreats and it shifts into a distinct floral and resin note. This is quite potent. Drying Down: Narcissus is another note I amp, so this is what I think I'm smelling. Underneath it, a powdery, slightly spicy wood base is trying to rein it in but it's not doing a very good job. Darned florals and my skin... Dry on Skin: The floral is actually retreating, and I can smell that sweet, resinous wood much better now. The narcissus is still driving me nuts though, and I cannot imagine wearing this in public without bowling over some compatriots. Over Time/Longterm: This smells like one of Aveda's discontinued chakra perfumes. Really. It's like a high-end blend of sweet spicy woods touched with a blend of exotic floral overtones. I really dig this drydown. Final Verdict? I like where it goes, eventually. But it's kind of unnerving to sit through the start, at least for me... cloying florals give me the mother of headaches. Absolutely rich and beautiful after about an hour however.

In the Bottle or Imp: I smell frankincense, sweet resins, and sweet ambery florals. Wet, on Skin: It's slightly grassy, very effervescent, almost bubbly. The frankincense (note) is definitely singing now, and it's pulling up the florals behind it. I envision a sort of whirlpool fragrance being pulled up by a bright beam of frankincense (... I need sleep). Drying Down: Oh goodness, is this sweet. Florals out the wazoo. And ... is that ... rose? Dry on Skin: Uh oh. The rose is amping up, and it's all I smell. Over Time/Longterm: Agh, this went the way of Old Rome on me. It's rose. Plain and simple. Final Verdict? Another perfectly good blend that my chemistry amped to rose. Sigh.

In the Bottle or Imp: A resiny cedarwood scent with a slightly herbal kick. Wet, on Skin: Sharp herbs, must be the vetiver's contribution, with a strong, strong cedar overtone. I don't get much else. Drying Down: Suddenly turns into a creamy, lightly berry fruit aroma. Odd! Dry on Skin: The cedar returns, and the fruit has gone dark and somewhat musky. There are sharp, biting leaves in this as well. Over Time/Longterm: An astringent green blend with a hint of fleshy fruit, and a spicy base. Dries down a bit like Nemesis. Final Verdict? Very interesting. I'm probably going to hold onto the imp, but this isn't a big 'un.

In the Bottle or Imp: How intriguing. This is a sweet, leafy cool green with light orange blossoms and a tiny astringent 'sting.' Wet, on Skin: Still citrusy, but the florals are rising up, a mix of waxy, citrus blossoms. The effect is of lime, lemon, orange orchards in bloom. Drying Down: It's going a touch musky, perhaps some amber now... Dry on Skin: This is a slightly gingery, lemon and orange blossom floral. Over Time/Longterm: A sunny scent, it settles down into a sharper tea with a touch of dry woods, but mostly a sugary neroli lemon overtone. Final Verdict? Nice and light, a bright fragrance, pleasant but slightly powdery.

Whoa!!! In the Bottle or Imp: Sweet dark myrrh resin with a sharp blend of burnt wood scents... and I can get a whiff of burning charcoal, which is really, really freaky. Wet, on Skin: Still sharp, the burnt wood coming to me first is cedarwood, the myrrh keeps a menacing dark base under the toasted woods and rock, and I can smell a roiling mix of pepper and ginger. Drying Down: Smoke is starting to come off of my skin... at least the fragrance... this is very potent stuff. There's definitely vetiver in this, because I suddenly get a whiff of the dark, dry, biting essence. Dry on Skin: Is there some palmarosa in this? Some kind of sweeter, sharp herb? Every now and then this reminds me of that fiery kick in Lush's Flying Fox. Over Time/Longterm: It's sandalwood, vetiver, and sweet myrrh, all touched with smoldering charcoal embers. Final Verdict? So much fire! It's not bad, but I don't know if I could wear this in public, it's such a scorcher...

I wanted to like this one, I really did. In the Bottle or Imp: Sharp, slightly apple, fruity perfume with very yellow, pungent florals like carolina jasmine or something similarly potent. Wet, on Skin: Apple blossoms, wild jasmine, and a subtle aquatic note. Drying Down: Melons? Cucumbers? It's gone very sweet aquatic on me, which combining with the florals and my chemistry is not making for a very subtle fragrance... and I just used a dot! Dry on Skin: Some herbs, but mostly very strong... hair salon? Hair spray? I think this smells a lot like when I get my hair cut at the Haircuttery. It's the combination of fruit and floral notes that seems to go into most of the product available there. Over Time/Longterm: Still sweet, but has died down after about an hour. Final Verdict? Can't wear this, sorry. I was expecting a crisper, mistier scent, but this would be pleasant for someone who enjoys a high end, wet floral.