Splendid Molerat

Elizabeth Báthory, also called Erzsébet Báthory in Hungarian and Alžbeta Bátoriová-Nádašdy in Slovak, was the Bloody Lady of Hungary. In order to preserve her youth and loveliness, the brutal and incomparably savage countess captured, tortured and slaughtered innumerable young women and bathed in their blood as part of her beauty regimen. Ah, vanity. Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry. I've used the entire sample of Blood Countess, and will require more. Between the plum, berry and spicy notes I could easily imagine the tart and metallic smell of fresh blood. The light florals added some fluidity, balancing an otherwise sticky fragrance. This is as close as I want to get to bathing in the blood of virgins.

You've snuck down to the beach, started a driftwood fire, and are now passing around the black currant wine and smoking menthol cigarettes. That would have worked for me at one point, but not now I'm afraid. Masabakes was meant for someone else.

Rome is dazzling cypress and pine for a few minutes, and then falls back to roses and rose leaves, crushed chamomile, and a smoky green background. I'm also getting a little waft of something like green apples. Clean and distant is the overall impression.

Lightning is the scent of anticipation, counting the seconds between a blue-white bolt and the incoming thunder. A little goes a long way, also.

Forbidden Fruit bends sinister for me, unfortunately. Just like my actual first, it seems inviting and fun initially, then takes me to a place I don't want to be. Sour and bitter. I just can't wear this one.

Bastet is warm and golden, stretching on a rock in the sunshine. It has a passing resemblance to Queen of Sheba, but more soft and furry. Bastet also has a self-contained quality, verging on indifference, and nothing at all like the enveloping, welcoming aura presented by QoS. This is the scent for having some luxurious time to yourself.

Danube is like the flip side of R'lyeh: Bright clear water, sunshine, and all kinds of juicy pale green plants. No lurking oily darkness here. Sweeter and less serene than Amsterdam. While I like Amsterdam as an ambient fragrance, I can see wearing Danube with a light cotton frock for a day in the park.

Twilight is like the cool side of the pillow. This blend of fragrances has a clearing and relaxing effect on me. It does remind me of that half-hour at the end of a summer day, when the sun has just gone down, but the shadows haven't taken over. The floral scent gradually takes over your consciousness as the visual input fades. This will be a candidate for replacing Chiroptera as a evening scent.

Do you think we leveled the forests as much from fear as greed? The horror of a deep and directionless forest is that it amplifies your helplessness. The trees are massive, tall, and indifferent, and you are small and alone with anything that may be weaving through the roots and brush. Black Forest has the beautiful trees, the cold night air, and something warm and alive that you can't see. Yet.

Glasgow is a lovely airy-aquatic, and lingers nicely through the day. The scent is like cold air over brilliant green, and the blackberry is barely sweet, drifting in and out. There are also tiny wild roses, the kind you have to look at twice to realize what they are. I should get more of this.

Oberon: Ethereal bergamot over clean, masculine warmth. Unspeakably gorgeous, and the scent lingers for a long while. Must get more.

Lascivious, flirtatious, and vampy as hell. A true heartbreaker’s perfume. The innocence of orange blossom tainted by the beguiling scents of ginger and patchouli. Vixen has fox-red hair and glowing brown eyes. Those eyes tilt up at the corners, and you know she's silently laughing at you the whole time. Dry, yet compelling. Somewhere between Shalimar and a torte with cream and citrus zest.

Siren. Bewitching, tantalizing and dangerously seductive. A thrilling, exotic blend -- deceptively sweet, but spiked with malice. White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla and apricot. Sitting in the shade by some overgrown jasmine, with a sun-warm apricot in hand and cool ginger beer to drink. There's also something like blood orange in the blend, a mild citrus. Siren retains more complexity applied to my hair rather than my skin (which tends to take ginger to a dry and dull place). Wafting, come-hither-ish. Also bears some resemblance to the scent of an Aveda salon, another place of which I'm fond.

I have a bottle of this on order. Bordello is juicy, creamy and bright. You would absolutely want to chase down and eat, drink or screw whatever pretty thing was wafting this scent. Similar in fruitiness to Swank, but not as sharp or energetic.

Wicked is a very womanly, feminine cloud of jasmine, trailed by ashy bitterness. There is a bruised rose scent, imagine nearly black petals, and a touch of something clove and cherry -- like blood spilt at her direction, but never touching her lily hands.

I wouldn't mind my own burial going this way: in the deep woods under tall trees, damp earth, a few flowers, and a spray of juniper and evergreens to mark the site. Burial has some of the astringent smokiness of De Sade, making for an overall masculine air. It makes me think of rest and completion.

Ravens are said to mate for life, which adds some poignancy to the Poe piece: a flying creature brought down to earth, wearing the colors of a widower for the rest of it's days. The violets and iris together are a glossy purple-black, and the sandalwood is like a shadow. The neroli pops out, incongruously bright, which sort of fits the profile of the Raven as clever and mischievous.

Verdandi: Necessity Food, water, shelter, heat, medicine. Verdandi opens with an apple, then is slightly aquatic, with a blond woodsy background, and a smoky blend of drying herbs. I see this as a scent appropriate for gathering today what will be needed tomorrow.

The notes in Skuld are elusive, after the opening burst of warm honey tones down. The ylang ylang and honey graft onto each other, a sweetness and warmth combination. They are supported by a very light smokiness from the resins, which makes the scent fade in and out -- at moments I can't smell it at all, and then it wafts back in. It reminds me of watching waves of mist obscure and reveal a far horizon.

Urd is the scent of a wine cellar. Astringent tannins, darkness, grapes and noble rot. It's waiting patiently for something complex and wonderful to reach completion. Living in wine country, this has a whole lot of appeal for me.

Jailbait I'm getting old-fashioned bubble gum with pepsin and wintergreen. A bit of cherry-orange sweetness behind that, and a sort of boozy intensity -- like she's stolen a swig of schnapps, or splashed on a cologne that hasn't dried yet. Then cinnamon lip gloss, with a pollen & perspiration skin-scent. Far to the back of this blend there's a touch of womanly amber and floral, but only a fool would really believe Miss Jailbait was of age.

Aizen-Myoo is a juicy-astringent, mouth-watering citrus. Sunset red and sparkling (to the mind's eye). A good fragrance when you need to be "on", and present in the moment.

Marquise de Merteuil is an older woman's fragrance, beautiful with a hard center. There is a definite air of luxury, indulgence, and darkness. The peach appears, goes cold, and fades, the way a powered rouge reveals true age when worn off. The galbanum lingers warmly through the day -- fans of the Lush shampoo Big could find this very complementary.

The saltwater aquatics might be worth trying -- Penthus, for example...

Centzon Totochtin gets a little better every time I try it. Bitter cocoa, red wine and rum. It does have a boozy quality initially, which the cocoa dries out quickly. The spice-cherry combination (drying blood?) stays more in the background. Similar to Kali, but headier, and without the womanly florals. Centzon Totochtin feels like drinking, but without the hangover.