Voleuse

This is a warm musk on first application, very "perfumey" to my nose. As it dries, however, the floral notes come out, mild and sweet and spicy. I think I catch a hint of cinnamon. It gets warmer and spicier over time, but it also blends together more, so I'm not able to name any individual notes. It's floral and peppery, and quite light. After a while, I get a green and smokey note, which I didn't expect at all, and it becomes a bit acrid. Interesting.

This is very "perfume" to my nose on first application. The initial throw of musk seemed very generic to my nose. As the scent dried down, however, I was able to pick out the complexities. It's sweet and hazy, not heavy, but not light, either. There's a hint of soapy citrus behind it, the slightest spice, but overall, it's generally nice, cloudy musk. Over time, however, the soapy citrus gets stronger, and somehow, it begins to remind me of formaldehyde. It's nice for a long while, though, before it gets weird on me.

2004 Version: Sugary fruit on first application--a bit like fruit-flavored candy, actually, with a bit of cold in the background. Simple and delicious. After a while, however, this becomes stale candy and plastic on me. 2005 Version: On first application, this is sweet and juicy plum, dusted with a bit of sugar. It's a purple sort of scent, at first. In a short while, however, it goes plastic on me, and while that goes away, eventually, it never becomes quite as delicious as it was at first. I end up with Starburst wrappers instead.

2003 Version: On first application, this is the prickly green of a winter garland, sweet and snowy pine. And then, ah me, it disappears almost immediately--and I really did slather this one on. What's left is evergreen with the faintest hint of fruit. A really gorgeous scent, but apparently not one that wants to stick around. 2005 Version: In the bottle and on first application, this is prickly evergreen with a hint of spice in the background. I don't get as much of a fruity note on this version--there isn't anything I would describe as sweet, at all. Sadly, this year's blend also disappears almost immediately on me. It's lovely while it's around, though. I adore evergreen scents.

This is cranberry and incense on first application, juicy sweet and musky at the same time. After a bit, I'm able to distinguish the liles, and the spices are certainly evident. I think I get a hint of the ginger as well, but it's not strong enough for me to be sure. Over time, the cranberry fades into the background, and it becomes this complex and sweet scent. Rich and the teensiest bit smoky, fruity but not too sweet. It fades almost immediately on me, but I really like it while it's evident.

Strong, strong cherry in the vial, but upon application, it's wood with a hint of sweetness. It smells, actually, like the inside of an empty desk drawer, in an antique furniture shop. With pencil shavings, and a hint of creaminess. This isn't a bad scent, really, but it becomes pencil shavings and cherry syrup on me. Nicely evocative, but not something I would wear as a perfume.

This is a pretty floral scent on first application. We used to have calla lilies growing in our front yard, and this reminded me of them immediately. There is also, at first sniff, a hint of the gladiola. A cool, clean floral. After a while, the rose starts to come out, but it doesn't dominate the scent--the rose and lily are quite evenly balanced. It is a little soapy, but not so much that I'm put off by it. This isn't a brilliant scent on me, but I'm tempted to get the Resurrected version simply for nostalgia's sake.

OMG YUMMY. This is sweet and caramel on first application. Faintly corn, yes, but in the way that fresh and delicious candy corn smells. Sadly, after the first bloom of sweetness, the scent disappears almost completely, to a faint burnt sugar. Luckily, unlike my unfortunate Midway experience, it didn't turn plastic, but it didn't stick around, either.

This is sharp and strong on first sniff, and the myrrh and patchouli stand out immediately. The vetiver emerges quickly thereafter. I wouldn't say this is specifically a masculine scent, but I can see how it might be perceived as such. After a while, the pepper and cardamom start to emerge, and I catch hints of the other notes, every once in a while. This is really, really strong. I'm tempted to sneeze. Over time, the patchouli strengthens with the cedar, and as the scent fades, it becomes a sweet patchouli and resin scent--the grapefruit, I think, tempering it.

Strong cinnamon and clove, right out of the vial. It smells like Christmas! There is a bit of the Red Hots vibe, but I think it's the initial throw of the cinammon. As the scent mellows, the cinnamon becomes less dominant, and the clove stays as a steady note. I'm not able to discern the white pepper at all. As it fades, it gets sweeter, but it keeps the spicy note. The scent fades really quickly on me--I'd have to slather it on to make it last. It's a lovely scent, but I don't think it's for me.

This is green and aquatic in a completely different way than Dunwich, though I'm having a hard time thinking of different adjectives. This is a little more masculine, I think, and more like an ocean than a lake. There's a sweet note, but it's not floral, it's simply verdant. Over time, this becomes less green and more ocean--like a cool rain over the ocean, even. I like it, but it's not something I would wear.

Green and aquatic and slightly floral. This smells incredibly fresh and clean, and not at all dark on first application. The floral notes get stronger and murkier over time, but the scent itself fades pretty quickly.

Definitely a masculine scent to my nose--resin and vetiver and wood. It's incredibly heavy on first application, but not necessarily overpowering. After a while, I get a hint of sweet citrus, and I think I can discern what must be the saffron in the blend. The vetiver isn't as strong as I've found it in other blends, instead it's balanced out by the other notes. It gets smokier and subtler over time. A bit acrid, in fact. This isn't a great scent on me, but it's a complex and sexy one, and strong. I like it.

On first application, this struck me as a strong, complex perfume. Heavy floral and incense (but not floral incense). As it dries, however, I get a woodsy note, and fruit as well. Dark and intoxicating. Over time, it becomes a lighter, sweeter floral, with a note of wine grounding it. It's a lovely scent, but not one I'd wear on a regular basis.

This is a really odd scent on me. There's vanilla, but also a weird, dusty note that reminds me of feathers. As it dries, it separates into powder and herbs and musk, sharp and bitter and a little bit sweet. Really strong, and not unpleasant, but not something I think I'd wear, either.

On first application, this is all sweet berry, with a fresh breeze in the background. The floral comes to the fore after a while, but by the time it does, the overall scent is already fading. This is a beautiful scent, but it doesn't last on me at all.

My imp is labelled "Old Dublin." On first application this is a strong, gorgeous forest in winter. Not quite pine--perhaps that's alder--and mist and barely sweet on the edges. Incredibly fresh. This fades quickly on me, but I don't use a lot on the first test. The forest scent stays strong, but I think the rose comes out a bit, after a while. I'm pretty sure I want a bottle of this one.

On first application, this much more mild and green than I expected. It smells like a garden at sunrise, and the rosemary is dewy and evident. After a little while, I get a hint of rose. For the most part, the scent is simply rose tempered with rosemary, or perhaps vice versa. I don't get any hint of orange blossom, which is disappointing, but it's still a lovely, herbal scent.

...huh. I can't quite describe this. It's similar to incense, but milder. It's almost sweet, but not quite. It's slightly smoky, slightly spicy, slightly fruity. It's enticing, because you want to get closer, sniff more deeply, and figure out what it is. After a bit, it becomes a spicy, murky floral--not sharp or sweet, but heavy in a way that's indolent. There's vanilla, and I think roses and gardenias. It's almost a bittersweet floral, if that makes any sense. Very complex, very sensual. It's strong on me, and the suggestion of incense grows stronger over time, but it never crosses over to actual incense. No cinnamon, but definitely some sort of spices. There's a brief stage when I get a strong cinammon, but then it disappears into the general floral-smoky-incense. I'm impressed with the complexity of the scent, but I don't think it's one I would wear regularly.

This is going to be a weird request, but I'm seeking a patchouli blend that doesn't have a very strong throw. I want to give a bottle to a friend for Christmas, and she loves patchouli, but the people she lives with can't stand it at all.

On first application, all I get is carnation, but in a few moments, the rose comes in. The white tea is faint at first, but over time it gets stronger, and it keeps the florals from becoming overpowering. It is a very maidenly perfume, I think--airy and a little bit sweet. It stays the same, as far as I can discern, for a few hours, and then disappears entirely. A nice scent, but not for me, I think.

This is lovely on first application, and absolutely blue-green. I definitely get the aquatic notes, and it's a cool and verdant scent. I can smell the moss and the evergreen, but it's muted, and the florals balance it out perfectly. This doesn't come off as strong on me at all, but more of a pleasant, murky, wandering fragrance. Humid and faintly blooming. As it dries down, the moss gets a little sharper, but the hint of florals stick around. After a couple of hours, however, it all morphs to a soapy, floral moss that makes me nose itch. I prefer the earlier stages to the end. I don't think I've ever been to the actual bayou, but something in this scent reminds me of somewhere I've been. I just can't remember where!

Ooooh. On first application, I get something very similar to Shug-Niggurath, I think. Faintly sweet and acrid and very gingery. After a bit, a hint of smoke seeps in. The smoky notes intensify after that, and the sweetness disappears entirely. I can see where it might be cigarette smoke on some people. After a while, this fades to smoke with a hint of florals. I'm not sure what I think about this yet. I've ordered a bottle, so I think I'll try it again later.

2005 Version This...is not like last year's formulation. Which is a little disappointing, because I love DDLM 2004. At first sniff, the scent is overwhelmingly honey and florals. There's a hint of something creamy as well, but it's very faint. After a while, it morphs into more of a floral incense, with hints of tobacco, and a mere suggestion of chocolate, but not much else. The scent stayed strong for about four hours, which is really good for me. Overall, it's a nice scent, and I'm glad I'm getting a bottle eventually. I still prefer DDLM 2004 a lot more.

In the vial, this even looks like its name, almost a vivid pink in color. On first application, the scent is floral and a little sweet. Warm with the tiniest hint of powdery vanilla, and a bit of spice. Pretty! I haven't tried anything with dragon's blood, IIRC, so I wasn't sure what to expect. After a while, it gets a little muskier, a little warmer. It actually reminds of Snake Oil, a little bit--must be the vanilla note. On the drydown, the scent becomes more of a warm floral, but then turns to floral soap. And then the same rose and almond note I got from #20 Love Oil. Maybe it's part and parcel with Voodoo Blends? It's a pretty enough scent, but not for me.