bellumed

I agree with the above description, Kiyohime does come across as a laundry detergent smell, though that's primarily in the imp for me. On my skin, the scent I get is of strong moss. It settles and the florals emerge (a little) on drydown. I don't get any fruit here, just watery greenery. I'll pass this one on.

I'm not entirely sure this sample is Fire Pig. I received this imp with its unreadable label from someone who was "pretty sure" it's Fire Pig. It certainly looks tattered enough to be 11 years old. But let's all take this review with a grain of salt.

First whiff is sweet sweet sweet lychee and light florals. There's something just a little bit tart in there as well. Oh, just lovely. As it starts to dry on my skin, I'm getting a little dryer sheet. Yet a very nice fruity dryer sheet. Yeah, I'd say it's becoming more and more dryer sheet-like. The fruits have softened up and are hiding behind something "white." I actually happen to like it, though.

I've had this imp for a year now and never tested it. It's now a big 10 years old, so let's see if it held up.

First whiff is pure resin. I like it even though I’m usually not a fan of dragon’s blood. On my skin, cedar, and then puffs of peppermint emerge. A little woodsy. I don’t smell a lot of the very distinct dragon’s blood scent, but it’s there lurking in the background. I think I’m getting some herbal lavender, too. Makes me think of going for a walk through some very fragrant woods. Definitely getting bergamot on drydown. A very calming nature scent.

Seems like it held up very well after a decade!

Immediate impressions are sandalwood, balsam, and earthy patchouli. There's a hint of greenery, too.

Whoa! Balsam-and-muguet explosion on my skin. I'm not really a fan of this stage. It kinda stinks, actually.

It doesn't seem to be settling on the drydown. :/ Nope, this is what Pteropus Leucopterus smells like on me. This might be more natural on a guy...

I recommend sandalwood lovers give this a shot, especially if you appreciate the masculine. With any luck your skin chemistry will be kinder than mine!

Nothing new to add!

Spicy and warm with a hit of bright, juicy orange. This is a hard, flat ginger cookie with orange icing. The orange fades a little on my skin, but this stays a spicy ginger cookie. Yum!

An interesting scent (in a good way). I suppose mint and pink pepper are the dominant notes, but there's a LOT going on here. There's a candy-sweet aspect here, but it is in the background, not overpowering at all.

The waft is fruity bubblegum, but up close, it's so complex! Fresh and springlike, this smells like it'd be a great laundry scent. I'm just thankful that the jasmine hasn't come crashing to the front.

I dig this. It's not like anything else.

Very much a gold scent. I mostly smell the bouquet; I have a hard time parsing out the notes otherwise. Mayyyybe a little vanilla musk in there as well. I'm really not getting anything exciting here, it's merely a passable floral with some amber coming out on skin. This one's a big ol' shrug for me.

The sweet citrus reminds me of Gobo and Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat. This smells just perfect, fruity and delicious. I agree with Andyl, it doesn't strike me as candylike and saccharine, but rather like the natural sweetness of the fruit, enhanced. Okay, with maybe a little cotton candy on top, Uncle Brian style.

On skin, it's sweetened, beautiful guava and orange-- distinctly the peel. This is a white-and-orange colored perfume, so bright and happy for such a sad clown!

Rich chocolate mint (like a ~fancy~ Peppermint Patty!) and smoke. After a few sniffs I catch a whiff of apple.

On me: schnapps and fur! On drydown, I get the metallic clang of chains.

Better in the imp than on my skin. I'll take a pass.

Moss and salt. Reminds me of the ocean. On skin, the (distinctly black) coconut starts to emerge. Smells like an off-season day at the beach-- no hot dog vendors or crowds or suntan lotion. Just cold salt spray and oceanic vegetation.

I know everyone's noses and chemistry are different, but I'm stumped as to why this isn't more popular. It's great!

Oddly sweet: not sickly, but certainly not candylike. The leather and candle wax smell just beautiful together.

Much muskier on skin, but it's really really nice. The wax is still strong. Maybe a little smokiness (ashes?) if I squint.

I am totally thrown! I never would have guessed this for a winner based on the notes. Shows how much I know, after years of testing.

MUSK! Wood! And civet/vetiver, oh my! Deeply animalic and leaning masculine. I predict frimping this to my brother.

Wet, this is strong, musky, and vetiver-licious. The drydown softens up a bit, and this is more woodsy than anything. It's pretty cozy now! Still, I dig more femmey stuff, so my bro will get a gift after all.

2013:

Sweets and flowers, beautiful! The lily is not at all high-pitched as it can often be. There's something else, too, dust maybe?

This is just plain pretty. Soft and feminine. I hate violet candy because it tastes like perfume, but as an actual perfume, it's nice.

Mild, very close to the skin.

I smell wood, patch, and myrtle in the vial, with some carrot seed in there as well. Herbal. When I apply, I am instantly hit with the aroma of a vegetable garden, which then becomes stronger on the wormwood again. Definitely smells like plants and dirty patchouli. Not bad!

The first sniff is rich shortbread cookie, then immediately, mint swings in and is the dominant note. On skin, the cookie is more present, but mint is still the most obvious note. As others have said, this is a very vanilla-mint scent. Lovely.

Powerful clove with a fruity background. I dig it. On drydown, the clove is a little more subtle, a dry orange emerges and… well, it’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas. I can practically see the garlands. Nice one!

Mmmmmmm, foodie and delicious, this is making me salivate. On skin, distinctly fruity. As it dries, though, it becomes a light nutty sweetness again. Nothing too complicated.

Smells like shiny strawberry lipgloss with a touch of sourness. That sour note reminds me of Thunder and Blazes, of all things. It’s overpowering, actually: on my skin I can barely smell the strawberry.

This just… doesn’t smell good. It’s kinda like powdery B.O. and a Strawberry Shortcake doll. Nooooo thank you.

2011 version:

Boy howdy, that sure is rose. But some rose! “Voluptuous” is right, this is a powerful and beautiful take on rose. Somehow, I can smell the curl of the petals. Rose isn’t always as pretty a scent as it is a flower, however, Peacock Queen is just gorgeous. This won’t be for everyone, but it might be a new favorite rose blend for me.

To me Aquae smells like, well, massage oil! I think I associate this with a "typical" massage oil because the massage therapist I occasionally visit uses a lavender chamomile blend. Those are the main notes I smell, and the result is an herbal, deeply soothing oil that both my boyfriend and I enjoyed. The formula was not too heavy and absorbed easily on skin, leaving only light residue. It also spread well when I put too much on one area. I recommend using this before bed; after a massage with this oil and crawling into my pajamas, I feel like I'm in the cozy aftermath of a warm bath. I am ready to go right to sleep.

Extremely mild in the imp. Doesn’t smell like much really, but what is there is dark and rich, with a sense of dryness at the end. Very obviously resinous on skin. I don’t get any fruitiness. As it dries, I get something planty here that I don’t like, the mandrake maybe? This was promising, but I think it’s not for me.

Ooh! I… what is this?? The white and blue are spot on: this actually makes me think of those gummy sharks. It does, somehow, smell like the beach, between the sand and the blue musk. But there’s none of the typical suntan lotion and salt spray you would associate with a beachy scent, nor the murky, planty scent of a lake. This is super interesting. In a good way! A very “full” scent.

Opium becomes more obvious on my skin, but the sand and musk are still playing in the background. Unusual, but really agreeable. A little sweet and even foodie, yes. I wish I were better at describing this because it is weird and great! Once it’s been dry about 30 minutes, I start to get the ho leaf and bamboo as well. A lovely, comforting scent.

Cinnamon SN at first sniff. On skin: ah, there’s that patch. Still cinnamon dominant, though.

Dusty, yes, but very warm. This doesn’t feel desolate to me at all! It’s downright cozy. This scent is like being curled up by yourself in an attic bedroom where all the heat has risen and is wafting around you. It makes me want a cup of chai.

Personally, I’m not getting a ton of nuance here. It’s a pure woodsy blend, with something a little soft in the background. There’s the lightest touch of sweetness to it. Cool smelling. On the first whiff, it smells a little medicinal, too.

The woods ease a little on drydown and the coolness remains. I finally start getting some of the other notes, but they’re very quiet. A little bit of tea. For me, this one is probably a swap.

I feel somewhat hampered in this review by the fact that I… don’t really know what half these notes smell like, haha. But I’ll do my best.

Sweet in a high-pitched way, delicate. The pear is also present (and lovely!). A “white” scent, shimmering in a way that makes me think of Unicorn Tears lipstick by Too Faced. Comforting on skin, somehow like falling onto a bed made of pillows. Hyperfeminine. I'm also reminded of LPMP's Upstairs, Downstairs. That is a lavender and mint blend, but somehow this feels the same.

I understand what was meant above, referring to this as “chemical,” but it doesn’t read in a bad way to me, more like a pointed floral. Yes, I like this.