Rouge

In the vial - sharp and woody, though not particularly rosy Wet on the skin - very plummy but again a little sharp. It mellows a little as it warms, with a tiny breath of sandalwood. Once the blend has had a chance to develop and the rose itself has stepped out from behind the plum and wood notes, it's lovely. One to wear when you feel like being cool and aloof. It definitely smells highbrow and supercilious, like a Victorian lady scholar raising her eyebrows at you when you eat crumpets at your desk and drip butter on her precious literary volumes .

Interesting.Very interesting. This is a truly mysterious blend - it keeps reminding me of other scents, but it shifts so much that it's pull out any one note to identify it overall. I think I can smell some of Scarecrow's oil and dried grass, some of Bastet's deep saffron, and the deep almond of Salome. There's a strange but not unpleasant playdoh note as well. It's a surprisingly attractive and sweet, not at all what I was expecting from the description.

Wow. This is a gorgeously sweet, creamy almond. There's something fresh and bright about it, though, it doesn't give me a particularly cakey vibe. It's not much of a morpher, but it does seem to fade quite quickly. It's very, very similar to Lush's Snowcake soap and would be amazing layered on after a bath.

In the vial, this is deep and resonant. There's almost a coffee-like note which I imagine is the blend of tonka and tobacco. Wet on the skin the pumpkin is drier and less immediately foody than in other blends - more resinous and woody. The carnation also lends a certain amount of nose-tickling sharpness. Not my favourite of the pumpkin blends, but still sure to be a regular in my autumn-winter scent rotation!

This blend is so delicious that I actually did little sex noises. Ahem. In the vial it's sweet mead and rum, but on the skin there's a wonderfully sweet and poisonous little note of almond, like a sinister marzipan. There's a slight sourness and bitterness later in dry down, possibly from the mead, but on the whole it's rich and delicious.

Wet on the skin this is a green and resinous scent with a feeling of great wisdom and age. It's quite calming - the sort of scent that conjures up ancient libraries full of arcane scrolls and magical paraphernalia. Later stages and dry down bring out the sweeter frankincense notes, leaving a soft and pensive air behind them. This is quite unlike anything I would normally wear - I steer clear of green notes ads they often turn very sharp and sour on my skin, but it's nonetheless a keeper.

In the vial, this is surpassingly lovely. it's totally a scent for a pretty pink princess, with fresh, dewy roses with just a little zing from the rosehips. Wet on the skin there's a sharp soapiness to the rose, which takes some time to mellow. Drydown sees jasmine peeping shyly out from behind the other notes, and eventually the vanilla cream emerges to warm the blend. It's almost a journey of seduction. ;-) If you like this blend but are feeling less modest and more openly seductive, try Marguerite.

The first note i pure opium, heady and smoky and ominous. There are strong flowers in the background too, like a floral tribute on a grave. The cocunut is more like evil sun cream than tropical deliciousness - the smell of a crowd on a wild night out in summer in a that could erupt into violence at any point. Despite the sinister opening, the bend soon lightens as the lemon flower becomes more prominent. Later it settles back into smoke and musk. A fascinating blend!

Elegant and intelligent, this is the scent of a Victorian gentleman inventor's study stocked with leatherbound journals, cigars and brandy. The vanilla isn't foody in the slightest, just a tinge of sweetness around the edges of a gloriously refined and woody scent. On me this doesn't morph very much, but it seems to become stronger with wear, with an increasing throw.

This is lovely, but very very light - almost too light to notice. In the imp and wet on the skin the white sandalwood is most noticeable, followed by the most ephemeral of musks and a tiny hint of florals. There's hardly any throw, but it's nevertheless a comforting, serene blend. It would be an ideal bedtime scent.

This is wonderful. Dark, rich and sweet, but with enough of a woody note to stop it from being cloying. It's not much of a morpher on me; it's deep sweet wood and honey all the way. It's wonderfully long lasting, though.

Strong, sharp, heady rose. At first I smell nothing else, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. It mellows a little after a while. but remains dominantly rose, with little of the other floral or wood notes coming through. Very elegant, though!

This is a heady blend, with the myrrh lending an almost incense-like tone. It's very feminine and all-enveloping - it's something I can imagine the adepts of Cereus House from the Kushiel's Legacy books wearing.

Wet, this is a wonderfully bright and striking scent. The citrus notes fade quickly to leave a wonderfully spicy and lush blend of florals. This is like the complementary opposite of Fallen - the same rich and imperious vibes but without the shadowy melancholia.

Oh my word. Wet, this is rich buttery pumpkin with an autumnal smoky backdrop. It's a quick morpher on me, and soon develops into something that's gloriously woody and rich or overly foody ( hough in my view, foody is never a bad thing) Bonfire night heaven.

LUSH. As in, the shop. At first sniff, this smells exactly like passing like a Lush store, but this is no bad thing. Applied to the skin, it's a good deal more fruity and sweet, and in fact reminds me of theTiki scents from a few years back. This blend seems to morph a lot in its early stages, and the creamy, musky undertone is quick to make its presence felt. Overall, a lovely, positive, cheerful, summery blend for garden parties and afternoons in the park.

This is a real morpher. First off there's a strong waft of coconut and a bright, almost dazzling whie musk. After a coupleof minutes wear there's a bright and creamy rose appearing. Not a scent for January but I think it will be gorgeous in the summer.

Wet on the skin it's almost woody, like sunbeams through a window warming a room full of old furtniture. It seems quite dry and gender-neutral. I can't identify ay particular notes in this blend at first, but I think I smell sandalwood after a few minutes of wear. As time goes on, it gets ever more woody. It's elegant, but perhaps not as welcoming or warm as I was expecting form the description.

In the bottle, this is gorgeous. It's an elegant, soft and wistful floral that makes me think of those wonderfully kitschy Victorian greetings cards with pink-cheeked cherubs and tatted lace edgings. Wet on the skin, it's a waft of the rose and something sweetly vanilla-like. No sense of volet as yet, which is good as violet is my Note Of Death. As the blend dries, I pick up the dusty note that I recognise from Miskatonic University. This is almost a feminine counterpart to the gribbly academia of Miskatonic's hallowed halls! There's not much throw - the blend stays cloose to the skin and develops into a soft, comforting and gentle powdery floral. I love it.

This is glorious. Straight out of the bottle, it's a powerful, resonant and punchy scent of buttery pecan and spices. When aplied to the skin, the first notes are a rich, toothsome pastry that makes me want to devour my own arm. A few minutes in, the pecan returns as the dominant theme, though there's something behind it that reminds me of dark edge of Shub Niggurath. This blend becomes less sweet as it dries down, but no less delicious. I'll be wearing this a LOT come the winter.

In the vial - Wow, this is different! I've never felt poppies had much of a smell, but this really does capture the feel of poppies in early autumn; a sort of peppery, dusty redness. The acai berries behind it are bright and sharp and juicy. Wet on the skin - acai. Lots of acai. Nothing much else. Next developments - Ooh, there's the honey, just in the very background. I'm begining to really smell the green note that others have described. It's like fresh sap cut from a cut flower. Over time this blend is becoming just too green for me. To the swaps pile it goes.

In the vial: A delicious mix of sharp and dry notes from the wood, and a rich foody background of pumpkin. Wet on the skin/ immediate thoughts: I recognise the woods from Miskatonic University but it's not as sweet. Development: On me, this is an enveloping, rich scent, with the wood notes dominating the others. Perfectly evocative of am autumn night and a woodland faerie returning to the forests of Arkham with a stolen child! If you like this, try: Red Lantern, Miskatonic University, Tushnamatay

I've been looking for something piratical for ages, but aquatic blends very rarely work on me. Come take me prisoner, Daiyu! In the bottle: Sweet, almost like sugar cane and jasmine. There's a juicy brightness from the Acai berry. Overall it feels very Asian. First impressions: Mm. Very sweet and floral with the berry note fading fairly quickly. There's something a little soapily astringent here too; probably the tea. Later: A couple of minutes in, wow this is a morpher! This quickly becomes an elegant, sexy floral with a creamy, luxurious undertone. Final thoughts: This is surprisingly conservative - not the bold, attention grabbing scent one might expect from the artwork and concept. It's gorgeous though! A definite keeper, and when the Carnaval opens its doors once more I will be sat in the front row for Miss Daiyu's turn on the stage. If you like this, try: Brides of Dracula

In the vial - A very strong, gutsy floral with dominnt notes of rose and bright mandarin. Wet on the skin - This smells like amber to me; a heady, rich, thick amber and deep musks. That's probbly the myrrh. Next stages - Rose starts to brighten the blend after a few minutes of wear, but like many rose blends it threatens to turn a little sour on my skin. Dry down - I seem to have escaped the curse of soapy-sour-old-lady rose. This is a beautifully sultry, deep scent for hot nights out (or in!) If you like this, try: Othello, The Lion, Seraglio, Jezebel

Vetiver is not usually a particularly good note on me except in very small doses, but maybe the neroli will brighten it a little. In the vial - Vetiver. Sooooo much vetiver. There's a lovely waft of sweet flowers as well, which stops the blend from being too heavy. Wet on the skin - Sweet and rich but with a citrusy overlay and a heavy, soporific base. This is a very resonant blend, for want of a better word. Next stages/ Dry down - Athough the blend remains balanced, ultimately the vetiver is too heavy for me, and given the mid note of sandalwood there's altogether too much dark woodiness going on for my liking. I shall keep my imp and let it age for a few months; maybe the vetiver will soften over time.