seamor

In some cultures, the Dragon is benevolent, bestowing blessings and granting wishes. In others, the Dragon is an icon of destruction and harbinger of catastrophe. In all its incarnations, both baneful and benign, the Dragon is a symbol of strength, authority, and the raw power of nature. Our Dragon Moon represents the forces of rebirth and the vigor that springtime brings: dragon's blood resin, galbanum, blue sage, lavender, peppermint, sweetgrass, frankincense, moonglow magnolia, bergamot, and green cedar. Yipes ... I've never done a first review before. Please bear with me (and put this post where it belongs if I've failed to find the existing thread). * * * * * Indescribable, really. But I'll try. In the bottle: A strong, sultry, musky, amberish scent. Wet: Subtle ambery musk - very quiet on my skin. I am fearful that it will simply disappear, as has sometimes happened with other scents. Drydown: Blossoms rapidly into an intoxicating herby sweetness. Good throw of the sweet notes. I can pick out the peppermint close to the skin if I really try, but it blends so well that it is registering mostly as a clean freshness. Marvelously blended - none of the individual notes stand out. I get an explosive, almost overwhelming sense of lush new green growth and blossoms of all varieties, multiplying joyfully in a golden galbanum light. This is just perfect for Beltane, the day I received it, and this test definitely pepped up my personal celebration, LOL! A couple of hours later, the remaining scent is quieter, closer to the skin. Not much throw now, as far as I can tell. What's left is definitely dragon's blood, but a sweet, lightly floral, faintly herbal version. The undercover peppermint is still there, keeping the overall effect cool and fresh. Wow, I sure do like this! Beth, you are on a roll - It seems like my top five list changes almost every time I try a new scent these days! Kinda sorry now that I only bought one bottle, but I'm sure glad I've got the one!

I wanted this when it was available, but wasn't able to get my hands on it it until now. I know I liked the ingredients listed, but don't remember what they were. Trying it without checking on that. Rose. Just rose. Pure, simple, unaffected rose. Not the candy-and-chemicals rose ... Not your Granny's rose perfume ... Not that deep, luscious, velvety red rose with a twang of clove and citrus ... An elegant, perfectly formed, tall white rose, wearing a few tasteful dewdrops in the early dawn light. Clean, gentle rose, with just a hint of spice ... And that was it for the entire two hours it lasted on my skin. I adore this scent. The only thing I'd like better would be if it could last longer. ETA: Now that I review the ingredients, I see there's not a drop of rose anywhere in it. Isn't that something? On me, it's rose. Huh. Love it!

The lab sent me this imp and several others!! Such largesse! Thank you so much!!! I tried it without looking at the description ... At first I get an intense spicy incense note that dries into something gorgeously resinous and sort of green - Cedar? Cypress? It is strongest close to the skin, but does have a moderate throw. In the throw I begin to smell something sweeter - flowers? I don't expect that will last long - my skin eats flowers. Dry: It is a floral! Quite strong (even a little overpowering) at first (Lily? Tuberose? A heavy white scent.) but after about five minutes it backs off a bit and becomes softer. The resin comes in again, playing hide and seek among the flowers, and - Oh my goodness, this is just lovely! 2 hours later - A soft, graceful white floral with a gently resinous interplay. So lovely. And it's still with me - I am amazed! 4 hours later - It's softer and closer to the skin, but it's still there! This lasted overnight! I could still smell it a bit the next morning. Finally a floral that does not die on me. It's difficult to believe. And such a beautiful one, too! Happy, happy, happy!

A frimp from the lab! Thank you, thank you!!! On me this is pure, sweet, cherry blend pipe tobacco. As if I have my face right inside a pouch full of new, moist cherry blend ... Not a morpher. Warm, homey, brings back peaceful memories of a lovely man long gone. Mmmmmmm ... Wonderfully evocative.

I have an imp of the older Beltane, and although I like it, it is very soft on my skin and just doesn't stay, so I could hardly wait to try the new one! Wet: A distinct sweetened mint. Dry down: Mint ice cream. Dry: The mint has backed off some, and - Yup! I smell broom! Woo hoo! I probably wouldn’t recognize the broom separately if I hadn't been looking for it, though. This is very well blended - nothing is jumping out individually, now that the mint has calmed down. I’m getting an overall gentle herby scent with soft florals and a bit of a woody tang. The remaining mint lightens and freshens without being obtrusive. Definitely a light, bright, decked-in-flowers-and-giggling-my-way-through-the-forest scent. I am not kidding about the giggling - this is a genuine mood enhancer for me. Exactly the right feeling for Beltane! I will most certainly be wearing this one often! Hee hee! Update: Five hours later, Beltane is still with me. A couple of hours ago I noticed it had mellowed a bit, becoming a bit warmer with a hint of incense, though retaining much of the original mood. It even kept a gentle throw which wafted by my nose several times during the afternoon, a wonderful surprise. I can see that I am going to have to change my methods and start tracking my Top Ten. I had a Top Three, but too many beloved scents have been bumped downward lately, and with Beltane 2008 they are being bumped again... A Top Five isn't enough ... The Dormouse, Chrysanthemum Moon, Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, The Death of Autumn, Dragon Moon, and now Beltane 2008 have moved in and taken over - all new to me, each better than I could have imagined. I can hardly wait to see what Beth will come up with next.

Wet: Peach with warm depths - kind of reminds me of Mme. De Merteuil. I have no idea what either rice flower or benzoin smell like, so please bear with me on this ... Drydown: Peach still present, but something more herby coming through, kind of a dusty tea-and-herbs scent and a honey-ish floral sweetness (the locust, I think). Dry: More of the tea comes through. Republic ginger peach tea with locust flower (kind of like a heavier sweet pea), honey, and maybe drop or two of vanilla. And a hint of distant sandalwood incense. Yum! Later still the peach fades, leaving a flowery tea and incense scent, very sweet and almost edible. Tamamo-no-Mai stuck around for several hours (even through a major parrot cage cleaning ). Good stuff! I am so lucky to have gotten even a partial bottle!

A lab frimp. Thanks, lab! This is great scent, and oddly doesn't strike me as at all desolate. Solitary, perhaps. A bit wild. Definitely outdoor. Makes me think of hawks. Also makes me think of my erstwhile husband when he came home after a day out doing construction work (back when we were very, very young). Mmmmmmm ... It isn't something that I would wear myself, but slathered all over a lovely man, now …

Intriguing scent. The frankincense note I get first is deeper, more faceted that frankincense usually seems. I think I can recognize lavender in it, and probably the other notes are present but not making themselves individually known. Very well blended. I can't recall smelling anything quite like this before, and I am enjoying it very much. Later I get a stronger rose with the frankincense, etc, behind it. I never do pick out the orchid or musk separately, but I'm sure they are in there helping to make this scent fascinating and complex. I like Psyche a lot. Sadly, it only lasts me a couple of hours.

Wet: All that citrus does screech a bit at first, like a not-quite-ripe tangerine - intense, tangy, a bit sour. I'm not getting a booze note at all. And I'm sure the pineapple is in there, but I can't quite separate it. In spite of the initial sharpness, this seems to be a mood lightener for me - probably all that snappy citrus. Dry down: Not so intense now, and I would swear I'm getting tropical flowers - pikake? It's not listed, but .. oh! It's the ginger! Ginger blossom! DUUU-uuuhh! I was expecting ginger, the condiment! Okay! Wonderful! Fabulous! I love ginger! Gradually getting sweeter, sort of sugary, and milder, with something creamy playing hide-and seek among the flowers and citrus fruits. This definitely strikes me as tropical and celebratory. The perfect scent to wear to the luau! Two hours later: The ginger has gone. Of course. It's a flower scent, and it was on my skin. Almost goes without saying. Now I smell a lot like a pina colada. Mmmmm ... I am walking around smelling like coconut-pineapple-something-or-other with a twist, and I like it. Screeching Parrot is just plain fun. I'll probably wear it a good bit this summer. It definitely appeals to my somewhat neglected festive side.

Delectable! A wonderful vanilla sweetness with an amber/sandalwood foundation. I wasn't able to pick out individual notes until I read the description, and then thought "Oh! Of course that's what that is!!!" Of course. The sweet pea disappears almost immediately on me; naturally, being a flower note. The rest dries to a very stable, velvety, vanilla-sandalwood with a warm amber shimmer and a soft throw, and it stays on my skin for a long time - over eight hours! Nothing, literally nothing, has ever stayed with me that long before. (Except anise, but let's not darken our happy time with unpleasant memories ...) I like this so much, and am so comfortable and happy wearing it, that every time I think of trying one of my other new imps I just end up putting on Mouse's Long and Sad Tale again instead. I haven't worn anything else for a couple of weeks, and ordered two 5 mls this morning. Top three for me are now Mouse's Long and Sad Tail, Chrysanthemum Moon, and The Dormouse. Beth, you just get better and better!

Wet: A really, really good citrusy, spicy rose. Not sweet or submissive as I would have expected, but self-possessed and challenging. I LIKE it! Drydown: More of the same, with a bit less edge. A brief threat of the candy-rose effect that so often happens on my skin, but it passes. Mmmmm .... Dry: The citrus and the rose are eaten, and I am left with a warm almond, sandalwood, nutmeg, clove combination which is perfectly lovely, and lasts an hour or two. I like it, but am disappointed to have lost that first wonderful spicy rose scent. Maybe in a scent locket? The whole thing lasts about three hours on my skin, with rose for the first hour or so. Not too bad. For a minute there I thought I'd found a rose I could wear, but no ... If you you like rosy, spicy scents and do not have the flower-eating skin, I highly recommend Seraglio. Hey, can anybody make me an icon in which a many-toothed (in rows, like a shark) skin monster is seen gluttonously devouring bushels of flowers?

Wet: Stargazer lily. Dry down: I smell something red (musk?) coming up through the lilies. Dry: A nice - and yes, she is feisty! - combination of lily and red (musk?). Only lasts on me about an hour (leaving behind a hint of the red note), but that was only to be expected. After all, I'm the one with the ravenously floriverous skin. Even fiesty Tiger Lily doesn't stand a chance.

Wet: Oh! Apparently that sharpish spicy note that I have been thinking is red patchouli is actually sandalwood! (Further nose training desperately needed.) I like it! SOOOOooo much! The flowers come up on drydown - a little too sweet for me but, with my skin, they won't be here long. Dry: I was right. Now I have frankincense and sandalwood. This is a great combination! Probably not what Beth intended, and not particularly seraphic, but pretty darned yummy, ja, you bet! Uh-oh - I thought the flowers were gone, but now I'm getting wisteria. Well, gosh, that's not bad either. (Wow! Wisteria actually smells purple!) But again, too sweetly flowery for me. I guess I really just wanted that frankincense and white sandalwood combination. Maybe my skin will eat the wisteria pretty soon ... Yikes! The wisteria just keeps getting purpler and purpler. There's almost nothing left of the other notes. If this doesn't fade soon, I may have to wash it off. Bizarre. My famously flower-eating skin amps wisteria? Well, I love wisteria an' all, but this is just getting to be too much. I don't think I actually like smelling purple. Red, okay. White, okay. Tan, green, orange, yellow, yeah. Purple, not so much. Just not cut out to be a seraph, I guess ...

Wet: Red Musk! Red Patchouli! Take No Prisoners!!! Aaarrrrggghhhh! Drydown: The frankincense comes through now, but the reds are still very much in evidence. Dry: These notes blend very well, none overpowering the others, with one or another rising temporarily to the surface every now and then. Simple, straightforward, and very, very interesting. I love the listed components of this scent (which is why I wanted to try it) and I certainly do like the result. Very feisty. Very sexy. Very "Sit up and take notice." while not being what I would think of as a "loud" scent (at least, not after the first few minutes ...)

Wet: Smoky, herbal, and somewhat sharp, like a sharp incense. Dry: Primarily a lightly musky orange blossom, maybe some rose (but not the one I'm allergic to - yay!). No rosemary that I can find. Not much throw as far as I can tell. A very nice orange blossom scent. I continue to get a faint incensy note now and then, which keeps it from becoming too sweet. Could that be the rosemary? It doesn't smell on me like rosemary - more like a whiff of burning myrrh in the distance. It blends in so well that I can only catch the separate incense note every now and then. A surprisingly pleasant scent for a murderess, but I suppose the ability to appear pleasant and innocuous would be a a primary requirement for long-term success. It doesn't look like this will last long on me. After an hour, it's fading fast. If it suddenly resurrects (as a couple of Beth's scents have done on me), I'll update.

"Perfumey", but in a really good way. Shimmering, silken ... more scent in the throw than on the skin. Reminds me of Ted Lapidus' "Creation," which I adore, but where "Creation" shows me a deep night sky filled with moon and stars, Incantation brings me to a more intimate space, enveloped in soft darkness, with something shimmering inside it. Silk? Scales? A spell? This is the smell of power - esoteric, confident, subtle power, disguised by shadow, stretching out a finger almost languidly to ... ... do ... ... what? I really like this! While it does lose most of its throw after a couple of hours, it is still nicely present on my skin much longer, and the scent is remarkably stable.

I don't know if this is the original Luna, or Luna revisited. It's a very old imp with a tarted label which I recently discovered in my goodies box. I don't remember when or how I got it, but I think it's time to give it a try... Wet: Eeuuwwww … oh, no! Murky, musty jamine! Jasmine is bad, bad, BAD on me. Always. On me, jasmine becomes a sour, greenish, musky creature which has lived and sweated heavily (without bathing) its entire life in Her Majesty the Empress of Trolls' Interestingly Spoiled Odor Factory, mostly in the Scatological Effluvia section. But for some reason I don't immediately wash it off. (Olfactory masochism? I wait only for it to blossom into its truest rankness.) But wait! A thought I hesitate even to consider, but ... is it possible for there to be a "good" jasmine? I've been told that there is a vampire with a soul, but "good jasmine" is far more difficult to believe. Yet, I am finding it difficult to otherwise process what is happening here. Yes, there are other white flowers helping it along, and whatever Beth uses to create that amazing "cool night air' effect (I had had never realized before Beth's scents that that little tickle of wild liberation I feel outside in the dark actually does have - or is - a scent), but primarily Luna is good, gentle, sweet and lovely, softly and luminously white, jasmine! Who'da thunk it? Wonderful! Amazing! And it stayed with me for three whole hours, despite my flower-destroying skin! Luna is truly magical, I am blessed to have her, and I will wear her with great appreciation. Correction: Reading through previous reviews, I realize that what I am smelling may well be honeysuckle rather than jasmine, which would explain a lot, as well as replacing my basic concept of the universe on its foundations. Whew! Honeysuckle, huh? Just fabulously lovely, whatever she is. Definitely right up there at the top of my personal favorites list.

Wet: Strong, but not sharp, citrus. Grapefruity. Drydown: A faint, kind of standard sweetish musk (?) Is it the jasmine? Dry: I thought it had gone, but I suddenly realize ... Oh! Oh my goodness! This is SOOOooooo yummmy! The citrus has come back - definitely tangerine now. There's something flowery with the tangerine - Ah! Pikaki! I can't seem to pick out the other notes, but no doubt they're in there. The overall effect is light and bouncy, while at the same time seeming somehow luminous and rare. What an amazing combination! It's even got a nice little throw. Yes, yes, YES! I want to smell like THIS!!!! If this should by some miracle last on me at all, I will have to order two bottles. I have never done that before. Ah well ... two hours later it has faded. Is that a faint burning rubber scent remaining? Has this incredibly attractive scent ravished me, only to peel out, leaving tire tracks on the driveway of my soul? I reapply, and this time I slather, hoping to make the magic last longer. But no - now I have Lemon Pledge with a hint of stale tobacco all over me. I guess you just can't reproduce that initial glow of attraction. In about 30 minutes the chemical/tobacco reek has calmed down to something reasonably pleasant, but somehow I am just not enjoying it as much. I have fallen out of love so quickly! It was beautiful while it lasted, but I guess it was only infatuation. Reality behaves undependably and is sometimes harsh. *sigh* Twenty minutes later the beautiful, fun-loving scent I remember is back, begging forgiveness, charming me again. But I can tell it's been smoking and I still have the tire marks on my driveway from the last time. I'll think about it.

Based on the description, I wasn't even going to try this, but had the imp and decided I should. Guess what? I like it! Wet: It's right on the verge of stinging my skin and eyes, but smells to me so much like a really intense red musk that I just can't resist it. I think I may have a red musk addiction (certainly not suffering from it, though). Dry: There's the occasional whiff of questionable, sort of boggy, musk, but mostly clove and a bit of pine behind it. This is really quite nice. Perhaps I have a troll or two somewhere back in the family tree and am predisposed to "...lurching, hateful, bitter ... ghastly greens and blacks" sorts of scents. Or maybe I'm just olfactorily warped. There is a stage where I smell nothing but scorched cloves, and I find it quite wonderful, even though it makes me sneeze and my eyes are watering a bit. Then Troll settles down to something delicately sweet, with a just hint of clove in the background. What could that be? There's certainly nothing in the notes to make me expect sweetness. Makes me wonder if I somehow got a little Vampire Tears underneath my Troll ... but no, it changes again. Now I find the pine pitch, and a whisper of vetiver. The sweetness is fading. And still I like it. (Just adore vetiver.) Eventually I have a sweetened pine note with a touch of vetiver cycling with that sweet scent (cookies baking? flowers?) and pine in the background. I really, really like this last stage. I would certainly wear this. I'm just not sure I can go through the first stages very often. Too hard on the eyes and nose. Even though I genuinely liked them, too. So, my story for this one is: A troll (a young, probably handsome - but who can tell, exactly, with trolls? - and intensely spicy troll) happened to wander out of the forest one night. Intrigued by the scent of my house, he began to investigate. As an unforeseen side effect of his being so very, very hot and spicy, he accidentally set fire to the house. Everything burned, including several barrels of cloves I had stored inside (which may have been what attracted him in the first place). However, roused by my sneezing from the clove smoke, I was able to escape the conflagration. Once outside, I literally bumped into the young troll, who turned out to be quite friendly, took an immediate liking to me, offered me a cookie, and showed me the way through the nighttime pine forest to Troll Mom's house, where we all now live happily together. Troll Mom bakes. She uses flower flour.

Wet: Rose. That kind of sickly candy rose I get sometimes. Candy rose with baby oil. Oh, *checking description* it's jasmine? Wups! Okay, then, sickly candy jasmine with baby oil. Sickly candy jasmine and maybe some water lily. Yeah, pretty sure I don't care for jasmine … I'll wear it for a while and see what happens. Dry: A kind of sweet vanilla-ish scent, faint and close to the skin. No incense. Maybe a very faint whiff of red patchouli mixed in there, but maybe just my imagination. Not at all what I expected, and almost gone after only an hour. Just as well, since I wasn't enjoying it overmuch. *sigh*

Wet: Well, I'm learning that my skin amps eucalyptus. Eucalyptus isn't mentioned in the description, but that's what I'm getting. Another sinus-opener, although milder than Loup Garou. Something else here - cypress? Oak moss? Not noticing any vetiver yet. Nice combination, whatever it is. Smells to me like a bright but comforting light, kind of distant-lightning-ozone-y, and clean, clean, clean. Dry-down: A sweetness with a touch of spice is coming up - frankincense and a bit of fig, still with that bright airy top note in the background. Becoming more complex by the moment. Can't pick everything out, but I know there's cardamom in there too, and more fig (and tamarind?) coming up. Oh, this is becoming so beautiful! Aha! There's the patchouli! Not too much - just enough to ground that brightness. I'm taking it on faith that the vetiver is there, too - can't pick it out of the mix. Still with the (cypress? eucalyptus? lavender? not rosemary) clean resinous top note. Unusual and awesome. The middle notes are cycling back to fig now, and what I think is tamarind and hyssop in there, too ... more frankincense ... the top note is dropping back farther, almost gone. The scent comes down to earth, now that the bright top has faded. Now I smell lavender entwined with sweet fruits, a very mild patchouli, and spices. Now and then there is a still a diaphanous hint of that bright, ethereal top, but it is very faint and soon to be a memory. Sweet fruits and spices, frankincense, vetiver. A very pleasant scent. Only the middle and base notes remain. Another story, Beth? The slow loss of the light through small choices, until one gradually becomes more and more earthbound; still comfortable, still surrounded by plenty, and perhaps not even consciously aware of the loss ... The best part of this doesn't last very long on me (an hour and a half?), but while it does, it's quite a ride!

Wet: Not at all what I expected. Cigarette smoke over cherry sweetness. I’m standing in a smoky casino with a sweet fruity drink in my hand (something with lots of grenadine) and somebody near me is wearing a little girl's cherry perfume. Dry down: I smell the nicotiana flower sweetening the blend, but the cigarette smoke throw is almost overpowering. Or is it a cherry blend pipe tobacco? Not finding the other notes. I think I find a hint of red musk, but I'm going to have to wash this off right now, as it is giving me a sore throat and a headache. Casinos pretty much always do that to me. Amazingly evocative scent, but very definitely not for me. Into the swap pile with it.

Wet: A nice, not too sharp, grapefruit. [The air is buzzing. Something is about to happen. A little more aware than usual, a little on the alert.] Drying: A little floral with the grapefruit. [Graveyard flowers? A garden at midnight?] Drier: Ginger? Yes, definitely ginger! [it's happening now ...] Dry: Odd. An odd scent. I don't know how to describe it. I have no lexicon for this. A little dusty, a little sharp ... can this be the green tea? It doesn't smell like tea to me ... Whatever this is, it's not something I would expect to smell in a perfume - not what I would think of as a "pretty" scent, not musky or spicy - it doesn't remind me of anything I recognize. I have no basis for comparison, don't know how to categorize, can't intellectually put a finger on it. Is it salty? It is musty? No, not exactly ... Is it dusty? Just a bit. Something faintly feral, not exactly musk ... I can't stop sniffing at it, though, and - odd though it is - it is pleasant. The lab description isn't giving me a clue. This is something new and strange, and I like it. [Ahhhh... This would be the vampire! Yes, a vampire might well smell like this ... and naturally, the prey would like it.] The scent continues to morph. It becomes more watery, reminds me of Water of Notre Dame. [The tears, of course.] Later yet the tonka comes forward (I've learned to recognize tonka! Yay, me!), and with the tonka the scent becomes creamier, loses its remaining sharpness, and the florals pick up a bit. {Something has changed as a result of the vampire's tears.] These stages have taken place over about 2 1/2 hours, and I can tell there's more to come. As I write , the scent is becoming sweeter, with gentle florals in the background. 2 1/2 hours in, and I have florals! This is unheard of with my skin chemistry! Wheee! Amazing! [Gotta get to bed now so I can get up ridiculously early, but I feel there is more to the story.] Next morning: There is a gentle sweetness, lingering close to the skin. Honeysuckle? Lovely. A softly dew-covered daybreak, in a quiet garden. [Has the vampire been redeemed by his tears? He is no longer here. This smells like a blessing.] Vampire Tears is not a scent, but a saga. I love the ones that tell a story, Beth! [How the heck does she do that?]

Thanks for the swap, Savvy! Wet: Lots of myrrh, with some other spices. More spices in the throw than close to the skin. Not much scent at skin level. Dry down: I would swear I’m smelling cinnamon in this, but it's a soft, gentle cinnamon. Something very sweet here - is it hyssop? I can tell there's honey, but there's more to it ... This is a tricky one. Sometimes I can smell it close to the skin, other times there seems to be nothing there, and it's all in the throw. The ingredients are nicely blended - I can pick some out if I try (myrrh, honey, red musk, saffron, a hint of cypress, that extra sweetness I think is hyssop), but overall - after it settles down - it comes across as a single scent. Oddly, on me all these spices are coming together in a way that seems to create a phantom floral note. Which is really cool, since florals don't seem to stay with me at all. I love a good spice scent, and a little floral with it is even better. This reminds me of the final stage of Samhain, after all the cider has gone, leaving lots of wonderful spices behind. I love the addition of cypress - just enough to create an intriguing shadow of mystery. But where the spicy stage of Samhain sometimes lasts me as long as 24 hours, Great Cry lasts only about two hours ... what a shame. And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt is a beauty, and if it would only stay with me a little longer it would certainly be in my top five (or three). Good one, Beth!

Wet: Reminds me of Sol. Goes through a soft citrus phase while drying. After a while all Sol resemblances depart, leaving behind a soft, warm, spicy scent close to the skin. Not very strong on me, and not much throw, but if someone were to nuzzle my neck, I'd love to have them find this scent there.