countessmouse

NINON Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it. Philosopher, poet, author, patron of the arts, and protofeminist, Ninon de l'Enclos is venerated in France as Queen of the Courtesans. At a very young age, Ninon chose to be emancipated from the constraints society had imposed on her gender. She was orphaned at the age of sixteen, and opened her own salon in Paris rather than seeking succor in marriage. Her salon quickly became the talk of the town, attracting aristocrats, socialites, and artists. At thirty, she opened a school to share her knowledge of the ways of seduction, charm, and the courtesies of love. Both men and women flocked to her school, which endured as an institution in Paris for three decades. During her career as a courtesan, Ninon took many powerful men as her lovers, though she was faithful to each one while their liaison lasted. She never took payment for her affections, as she was fiercely independent and wished to rely on no man for support. An advocate of measured Epicureanism, she defended both her lifestyle choices and her philosophical views in her book, La Coquette Vengée. After retiring from life as a courtesan, she continued to write and promote the arts through her salon. Smoky honey musk, tobacco leaf, lavender, golden amber, Damask rose, hay, orris root, white sandalwood, and bourbon vanilla. Holy moley, what a lush and powerful scent! Redolent of honey musk, amber, florals, and vanilla, Ninon lasted ALL day! She is no fainting flower, that's for sure. I am certainly going to be hoarding this precious...

THE CREEPING MIST I stopped my horse, and looked round me again. Yes: I saw it. With my own eyes I saw it. A pillar of white mist—between five and six feet high, as well as I could judge—was moving beside me at the edge of the road, on my left hand. When I stopped, the white mist stopped. When I went on, the white mist went on. I pushed my horse to a trot—the pillar of mist was with me. I urged him to a gallop—the pillar of mist was with me. I stopped him again—the pillar of mist stood still. The white colour of it was the white colour of the fog which I had seen over the river—on the night when I had gone to bid her farewell. And the chill which had then crept through me to the bones was the chill that was creeping through me now. I went on again slowly. The white mist went on again slowly—with the clear bright night all round it. I was awed rather than frightened. There was one moment, and one only, when the fear came to me that my reason might be shaken. I caught myself keeping time to the slow tramp of the horse's feet with the slow utterance of these words, repeated over and over again: 'Jéromette is dead. Jéromette is dead.' But my will was still my own: I was able to control myself, to impose silence on my own muttering lips. And I rode on quietly. And the pillar of mist went quietly with me. My groom was waiting for my return at the rectory gate. I pointed to the mist, passing through the gate with me. 'Do you see anything there?' I said. The man looked at me in astonishment. I entered the rectory. The housekeeper met me in the hall. I pointed to the mist, entering with me. 'Do you see anything at my side?' I asked. The housekeeper looked at me as the groom had looked at me. 'I am afraid you are not well, sir,' she said. 'Your colour is all gone—you are shivering. Let me get you a glass of wine.' —Miss Jéromette and the Clergyman, Wilkie Collins A muculent, brumous, ill-omened scent: orris, yuzu, white ginger, linden flower, petitgrain, and lotus. The first to make a comment on a scent? This is definitely a "first" for me! In the bottle and wet on my skin, this is all lotus. After a bit, green (the petitgrain?) and the soft, white floral of the linden push their way in to take the edge off the lotus. Not getting much of a citrus note, however. Overall, this is quite a lovely, soft scent. Not a huge throw, but it seems to have some staying power.

Slightly disappointed with this one. It took several hours before it morphed past just a vaguely rose scent and the fig and vanilla finally appeared. This is nice (finally), but it just doesn't blow me away like I expected it to.

On me, tea rose = soap. I can smell a little of the lilac, but it's mostly just soap. Meh.

Lovely, spicy red carnation. My only complaint? It does not last!!!

Beautiful linden with a teeny, tiny hint of vanilla. This is my favorite out of the series - I don't smell like candy or hairspray...

It smells like...hairspray...hairspray that I used in the 80's that came in a pump bottle.

A very pleasant blast of minty lavender at first that calms down to a really lovely floral. The bad part is that it keeps calming down until nothing is left. Color me severely disappointed with this one!

I've decided that this one just needs to age. I got a tiny bit of sweet citrus with the lily, but none of the vanilla. And it had no staying power whatsoever. Horribly disappointing. This one is going back in the box with the intention of trying it in about 6 months.

A nutty floral in the imp, it changed to ashy, dry wood in seconds on my skin. I feel like I'm wearing an ash tray. Blech.

I had such high hopes for this one but, thus far, I have been disappointed. Almost immediately, it's all chocolate and pomegranate. Where is the floral? More importantly, where is the vanilla???? And, for god's sake, after two hours - where is the scent????

Lots of lovely dry, spicy lavender - but, dammit, it has absolutely NO throw on me. Three hours after application, I can barely smell it. I had such hopes...

In the imp - candy. On my skin - orange fizzy candy. Meh.

I'm getting magnolia...and nothing else. It's pretty, but it's all magnolia on me.

This one is odd. Started off with a blast of root beer???? and has now switched to dry sandalwood. I'm not getting any of the wisteria or verbena, which I really like. Just...odd...

Oddly, the 2011 version is much stronger on me than the 2010 version was, and maybe a bit spicier. And it is still one of the few rose oils that doesn't go all soapy on me.

I was kind of meh about the scent when I first put it on because I was mostly getting hemlock - which smells very much like caramel popcorn to me. Then the evergreen, wood and icyness hit and I was suddenly in the woods on a snowy evening. I could smell the icy wind and woodsmoke from a chimney somewhere nearby. Every once in a while I get a whiff and I'm quickly transported back to that spot in my mind. I LOVE this! Must get a bottle!

Almost overwhelming on the snow/slush note at first but, like others have said, this one is a morpher. Snow was soon enhanced by the hemlock and then the flowers were uncovered. The floral note is icy, as if the blossoms were rimmed in frost. Quite lovely. I'm glad a I have a bottle.

Dry sand and spices that was very light going on and faded into nothingness within a few hours. Too bad, though, because it was quite nice.

I honestly can't decide if I like this one or not at the moment. While I love the underlying spice, the musk is really kind of off putting.

I'm really loving the plum, orchid and musk...and then stupid jasmine shows up and ruins everything.

Usually, when one of the notes is dirt or soil, I NEVER smell it. This one, on the other hand, was so prevalent that I couldn't miss it: potting soil with a hefty dose of pomegranate. Interesting and fun to try, but not my cup of tea.

Out of all the Celestial Apples, I think I like this one the best. The initial blast of sweet green apple was sort of off putting, but it has given way to a lovely blend of apple blossom and violet leaf with just a hint of the tea rose and the sandalwood. What a lovely, sweet floral scent!

Mmmmmm, perfumy violet and aquatics. Love it, but I think my skin is eating it up. Not much throw at all.

Cough syrup. Blech.