dementia_divine

In the imp: Herbs and flowers. I'm not familiar with a lot of these notes, so I won't be able to pinpoint exactly what I'm smelling. The only note I'm sure I'm smelling in the imp is the hyssop. Wet: Ah, there's the amber! I wasn't smelling it in the imp, but it was the first note to leap out at me once applied, backed by the hyssop, and the other herbs and flowers. The amber in this is a light, golden variety. Then, there ends up being a spicy quality to this (but not cinnamon) and a bit of a fruity vibe (is that the prickly pear)? And the floral aspect is beginning to become more prominent. Dry: Amber, spice, florals, herbs, and a bit of prickly pear. By this point, the scent is rather light. Verdict: This one is pleasant, probably the most pleasant of all of the scents I've tested today, but... it still didn't really grab me. So while it's nice, I doubt I'd ever reach for it.

In the imp: Smoky honey wine. Wet: It's even smokier on my skin. I'm getting the smoky incense intertwining with the honey wine. After a few minutes, the bay and laurel emerge, but remain in the background. Dry: The smoky incense is even stronger than before, but so is the honeyed wine. I'm also getting more of the laurel and bay than I did during the wet stage. The honeyed aspect of the wine is not as strong during this phase of the scent, so it's far more bitter now. Verdict: Smoky wine is not my jam, but I'm glad I got a chance to try this.

In the imp: Very green! The Spanish moss note is the strongest note I get from the imp, accompanied by an aquatic vibe and some flowers. Wet: The Spanish moss and florals reign. The moss and strong floral notes compete with each other for the main role for a while, before deciding that they can actually work together, although I had been thinking that the floral notes were going to win. As the scent begins to dry, the evergreen and cypress emerge, making the scent greener. Dry: The moss and floral notes are calmer now, and the aquatic blooms have finally made their presence known. The scent is more aquatic than green now, with the watery notes and swamp blooms becoming the strongest notes, with lots of Spanish moss and just a bit of the crisp evergreen. Verdict: This is a nice floral, mossy aquatic, for those that appreciate those scents. It's not one I could see myself reaching for, not generally being a fan of aquatics, but I'm glad I got to try it.

A reformulation and modernization of a true Classical Greek perfume, myrrhine: voluptuous myrrh, golden honey, red wine, and sweet flowers. In the imp: Mostly wine and honey. Wet: This is honey-laden red wine on me. After a few minutes, I start to get some of the myrrh, but it is in the background. Dry: This remains a honeyed red wine on me. The myrrh note is a bit stronger than it was before, but it is still confined to its background role. I'm also getting the sweet flowers now, but they are also no match for the honeyed red wine. Verdict: I tend to amp the Lab's red wine note, and here, it's mostly sweet honeyed red wine on me. Not bad, but the other notes just aren't doing enough to keep the red wine in check on me.

I'm testing a fresh imp and an aged one to compare the two. In the fresh imp: The candy-like watermelon is the most prominent note, followed by the strawberry juice, blackberry, and mandarin, with the woody, musky base in the background. Wet (fresh imp): The watermelon candy note reigns. I am getting more of the mandarin on my skin than I did in the imp. Then the strawberry juice and blackberry join in with the other fruit notes. The prominence of the watermelon in this makes it smell like watermelon-flavored Jolly Ranchers on me. The combination of all of the fruit notes makes this a bright, playful scent. Dry (fresh imp): It's still sufficiently fruity, with the watermelon still in the main role, but now the gardenia petals have emerged, and behind that, there's the musky, woody base (which I think contains some red patchouli) mingling with the other notes. In the aged imp: Not as fruity. The woody, musky base is more prominent. The watermelon note is still strong, but not as strong as in the fresh imp, and there's a strong patchouli note in this aged one. Wet (aged imp): The watermelon dominates, but it still isn't as strong as it is in the fresh imp. It still smells like I've dived into a pile of Jolly Ranchers, but the woody, musky base is more noticeable here. The scent is not as bright as the fresh version, as it is weighed down by the musk and patchouli. Dry (aged imp): A very odd musky, fruity floral and woods scent. The musk and fruit dominate (mostly watermelon and blackberry), but the fruits still aren't as strong here. The woody base, with what I believe contains red patchouli, is a lot stronger during this phase than it is in the fresh imp. Verdict: This is too strong on the candy-like fruits for me (I'm not a fan of watermelon or watermelon candy), but of the two imps, I actually prefer the fresh one. The musk and the woods just make the scent weirder as it ages. This isn't one I would elect to wear, but I'll hold onto at least one of the imps or Mad Tea Party completion purposes.

In the imp: What a curious combo! I can smell all of the notes. The tobacco and balsam stand out to me the most, backed by the black musk, and then I get the crushed mint and orange blossom, with the spices lingering in the background. Wet: The black musk, tobacco, and balsam notes are the first to leap out at me, followed by the crushed mint and a bit of orange blossom. The tobacco variety featured here is actually a sweet tobacco, and it's rather lovely. Dry: The sweet tobacco continues to reign, backed by the black musk, which is a lot tamer now, some balsam and fir, and a breath of the crushed mint and a much smoother orange blossom note. I normally amp clove, but it isn't a main player on me, and neither is the cumin. The spices just seem to be adding more warmth in the background. Although orange blossom can be problematic for me, it isn't a problem here. Verdict: This is lovely! I did not expect to like Dracul as much as I do, given that it had cumin and orange blossom listed among the notes. I'll be keeping my imp, but no bottle upgrade for me unless I either use all of my imp or start running low on one of the other tobacco scents I already have.

In the imp: The oil is a dark olive-y green! The notes that jump out to me the most are the dark musk, wood spice, and saffron. I'm not sure if it is the wood spice, resins, saffron, or all of those components, but smelling this makes me think of OLLA Eve (but not as complex). Wet: The wood spice, saffron, and dark musk notes are the first to emerge, and it's really warm and comforting. But then the scent takes a darker turn. Maybe the labdanum is beginning to peek out? Dry: Now, it's far muskier, with a lot less of the wood spice and saffron. The scent is actually rather soft now and is mostly just musk backed with light, powdery resins. I'm thinking it's dark musk and a soft myrrh, with just a little bit of spice and patchouli. Verdict: I liked this one in the imp and during the wet phase, but the dry phase was just kind of meh on me. I may end up holding on to the imp and doing a retest, but it's not a scent a scent I feel the need to obtain more of.

In the imp: Resins and citrus! I can smell the amber and verbena the most. Wet: Citrusy resins! The lemon reigns, followed by the golden amber. After a bit, the citrus becomes even stronger, and oudh emerges, making the scent darker. Dry: The citrus is a lot calmer now, but this is still a citrus and woods scent, with the other notes playing more of a role in this stage. The combination of the lemon with the woods smells a little odd on me. I actually preferred the wet phase of the scent because I got more of the amber. Verdict: I think there would have to be some sweet note in this to make me enjoy it more. I liked the amber during the wet phase, but the other woods, combined with the lemon, aren't really my cup of tea. Glad I was able to try it, though!

In the imp: Although cypress is listed as the first note, I'm mostly getting fig, dried rose, and ginger from my imp, with the cypress in the background. Wet: The rose, fig, and ginger are the most prominent notes on me, and the combination of the rose (which is a bit sour at the moment) and the fig just aren't good on me at all. Dry: The rose manages to calm down after a while and lose its sour quality, and the cypress finally gets a bigger role. The rose and fig remain the dominant notes, backed by the cypress, ginger, and patchouli. Verdict: The wet phase of this scent was too unpleasant for me, with the sour rose and fig. I bet it could be nice on someone else's skin chemistry.

In the imp: Spicy but green! The bay is the most prominent note, followed by the rosemary, and then the pine and juicy lemon. Wet: There's a coolness from the pine and a warmth from the bay. In the end, the warm, spicy bay note wins, followed by the rosemary, and then the pine. The lemon seems to be adding more of a light air to the scent instead of making this scent outright lemon-y. Dry: The bay note continues to reign, followed by the rosemary and pine and the lemon that seemed to be drifting over the other notes. But after a while, the lemon goes away, and the pine overtakes the rosemary, so that the bay and pine are the most prominent notes. Verdict: I'm glad that I was able to try this! It's nice, just not something I think I'd end up reaching for. I think my skin has tendency to amp bay.

When I first tried this back in 2013, I thought the scent was reminiscent of a pine-y Vick's Vapor Rub, something that would be good to wear to clear the sinuses while sick. But I guess I never actually properly reviewed it, and I only have a tiny amount left in my imp, so I suppose I should review it while it's not difficult to find. (I wonder if it will be discontinued since the Mad Tea Party has taken a lot of hits, and this has been out of stock for a while.) In the imp: Mostly pine and eucalyptus, with some orange in the background. Wet: I'm actually getting more of the orange on my skin. It's pine and orange, backed by eucalyptus. But the eucalyptus note seems to be going stronger as the scent begins its drydown. Dry: The eucalyptus note actually never managed to overtake the orange! In fact, the orange managed to reassert itself and is now stronger than before, so that pine and orange continue to reign, with the eucalyptus in the background. After a while, the eucalyptus fades, leaving behind a very faint pine and orange scent. Verdict: I like Jabberwocky, but I know it's not the type of scent I would reach for much. I'd still like to have more than the little testable amount that I do, though, so I'll have to track down another imp of this one.

MARS ULTOR Mars the Avenger Black amber and smoky vanilla with cistus, benzoin, caramelized tobacco, and blackened nutmeg. For those that are curious: the label art shows his torso. The text covers the lower half of his body. In the bottle: When this first arrived, I was mostly getting all the blackened things! Now that I have let it settle for a few days, I can say that the tobacco is quite prominent, and though I still get the black amber and blackened nutmeg, the nutmeg is not as prominent in the bottle as it was a few days ago. I can smell more of the benzoin now, the cistus, and a bit of smoky vanilla. This mainly smells like smoky resins to me. Wet: Benzoin and black amber dominate. I am also getting the rockrose (cistus) and nutmeg. I can smell the tobacco, but it isn't as strong as it was in the bottle. If I inhale really deeply, I can smell the smoky vanilla note, but it is in the background. After sitting on my skin for a while, the rockrose note has become more prominent, and the smoky vanilla note is helping to sweeten the scent a bit. However, I would still describe this as a smoky resin blend. Dry: Mostly soft benzoin sweetened by the smoky vanilla and caramelized tobacco. Verdict: I like this, but I don't love it. That said, I am going to hold onto my bottle, because I think this one will age well.

In the imp: Prickly, sharp greenery, indeed! Wet: This is a strong, green scent. It does have the impression of a barbed plant, but I also get this evergreen quality to it. As it sits on my skin, that pine-y quality becomes more apparent, along with something menthol-like (that doesn't have a cooling effect on my skin). Dry: The menthol quality to the scent is gone now, and now it is a soft pine scent accompanied by herbs (I think I am getting some sage from this). Verdict: An herbal, forest scent! I actually think this one is pleasant, although I doubt I'd reach for it over other forest scents in my collection. I'm really glad I got to try it, though!

In the imp: Very green. I'm getting this green, almost medicinal balm-like herbal, followed by the dark, rooty aspect of the scent, and the floral overtones. Wet: On my skin, the rose and peony overtones are more apparent. The rooty aspect of the scent is somewhat waxy on me. I'm not sure why, but this has happened with the last few scents I've tried with roots involved. It is primarily an herbal, green scent, with a bracing aspect to it when I inhale deeply (but isn't mint and isn't present on my skin). Dry: Now it's definitely a pale green herbal with peony and rose overtones (I am now getting more of a peony vibe than the rose now) with the waxy, rooty aspect in the background. It's not as dark or green as it was originally, and the bracing aspect has disappeared. Verdict: I don't think I'd ever reach for this, but I'm glad I had the chance to try it.

In the imp: Fig, backed by earthy patchouli and oakmoss. I'm not really getting the mushroom caps note in the imp. Wet: The fig note stands out to me the most, backed by the earthy notes, which are rather light at the moment. The fig isn't as strong on me as it was in the imp, though. I'm still not getting anything that really reminds me of mushrooms, but I suppose that's a good thing. Dry: The fig note continues to reign, followed by the patchouli, which I think is a red variety. It's earthy without actually smelling like dirt. Verdict: There are other scents fig scents I enjoy more, so I don't think I'll hold on to my imp, but if you're looking for an earthy scent that doesn't actually contain a soil note, give this one a try.

In the imp: Resins plus rose. The olibanum and elemi notes stand out to me the most. Wet: Really strong resins with some rose. As it sits on my skin, the frankincense becomes even stronger. Dry: Mostly strong frankincense and elemi. The rose is still present, but it isn't as prominent as it was before. This is really heavy on the resins. Verdict: The resins in this are way too strong for me. There would have to be something in here to help tame them in order for me to enjoy it. But the dark resins make sense for a scent named Godfather Death!

In the imp: Black leather, backed by some lilac and plum juice. Wet: The leather note is the strongest note on my skin, followed by the lilac. The leather was softer than I was expecting it would be from the imp, though. It's more like a well-worn black leather jacket. The plum juice note isn't playing a major role on me at the moment, and I'm fine with that, because I'm not particularly fond of plum in perfume. As the scent begins to dry, the plum juice starts to peer out, sweetening the scent. Dry: The black leather note continues to dominate, followed by the lilac, with the plum juice just adding some sweetness in the background. The plum juice note is stronger than before, but it isn't able to overtake the leather and lilac. Verdict: Not bad, but this isn't a leather scent I could really see myself wearing. I think I need my leather to be softened and sweetened by notes like vanilla and tonka in order to really enjoy it.

In the imp: The herbs and iron notes stand out to me the most, with the metallic twang of the iron being particularly sharp. Behind those notes, I can smell the moss, patchouli, and dust. Wet: The iron and herbs are the strongest notes, but I am getting more moss on my skin than I did from the imp. Then, the scent becomes sweeter. It's this tropical, fruity sweetness I'm getting, mingling with the herbs, one of which has a spicy quality to it, and something effervescent. Dry: Now I'm getting a lot of soft cinnamon backed by a soft floral and the spell-soaked herbs. Verdict: Baba Yaga is a morpher! It was an interesting scent journey, but not something I could see myself reaching for.

In the imp: The fig, frankincense, and hyssop notes stand out to me the most, and I can smell a bit of of cypress in the background. Wet: The fig note is the first note to emerge. I can also smell the hyssop, tamarind, and cardamom. Behind the fruits and spices, I get a bit of the cypress. And then some lavender decides to join in on the fun? Curiouser and curiouser. But it is mainly a spiced fruit scent on me. Dry: The fig note still reigns, along with the cardamom and tamarind. After a long time, the vetiver and patchouli end up adding a bit of earthiness and smokiness. Behind all of notes, I can smell some of the green notes, but they're pretty far in the background. Verdict: I didn't expect this one to be so figgy the whole time! My imp was aged and only contained a small, testable amount of oil, so I suspect that it would be quite different if it were fresh. This one was okay, but not really something I'd wear.

In the imp: The violet is the first note to leap out at me, but I can also smell lots of musk, sandalwood, and some vetiver. Wet: This one is sharp. I'm getting the violet, musk, white sandalwood, and the imperial florals. The violet note is by far the strongest note, followed by the musk. Dry: This is predominantly violet, musk, and dry, white sandalwood on me, followed by the woods. The violet and the dry woods still smell sharp on me. But on the plus side, at least the vetiver seems to be behaving itself? Verdict: Fallen is too strong on the violet and sharp on me.

I decided that I finally had to try this since opium poppy accord is listed as a note in Emerald Lace. In the imp: Very poppy. Much opium. Wow. Wet: I'm hit with a blast of opium, backed by the sweet poppy note. The poppy note is so sweet that it almost has a bubblegum-y quality to it, although not as much as lotus, and the opium note is helping to tame the sweetness. Dry: I am getting less opium during this phase of the scent. Now, the sweet poppy note reigns, with opium-brushed petals. On my skin, the sweet poppy just seems to be getting stronger over time. Verdict: This one is okay. It isn't a scent that I would reach for on its own, but I could see it playing well with the Lab's Lace base. I'm glad I got the chance to try it, but I don't think I need to hold onto this imp.

In the imp: The tuberose is the strongest note. Sometimes I get more lilac after the tuberose, and sometimes, more violet. Wet: The heady tuberose and lilac are the strongest notes on my skin, but the violet is there, draping them both in its purple cloak. There is a sour quality to the scent while the floral notes fight among themselves for the main role. In the end, the tuberose wins, but the lilac note is right behind it. Dry: The tuberose and lilac are still the dominant notes, with the soft violet draped lightly over them. The sour aspect of the scent that was present during the wet stage is no longer present during this stage, and the lilac and violet notes seem to be getting stronger over time. After a while, the violet does end up being the strongest note, followed by the lilac. Verdict: Violet is generally a note I dislike. But it was the heady tuberose in this that ended up being problematic for me during the wet phase, and while it was pleasant after the tuberose managed to calm down, the violet did take over in the end. I won't be keeping my imp, but I'm glad I got to try it.

In the imp: Very purple and very sweet! It's a fruity lily scent (perhaps the fruit is a combo of a sweet apple and grape?). Wet: Apple and lily. It's a crisp, green apple that has been bitten into... but then it morphs and it turns very green, like the scent of lilies and grass with an apple-y bite. Dry: It has morphed again! Now, it's candy-like. I'm getting a sweet, purple scent, like artificially flavored grape candy, and then another candy-like powderiness, backed by a soft lily. Verdict: Hairy Toad Lily was certainly an interesting scent experience on my skin, but the fake grape candy that I got in the end places the scent in the 'not for me' category.

In the imp: A bouquet of violets with some tea roses mingling right beside them (although they are not nearly as strong). Wet: The violet note reigns, but I am getting more of the tea rose on my skin than I did in the imp. Dry: This ends up being a pretty even mix between violet and tea rose. Normally, violet isn't my jam, but the rose in here complements it really well, and it seems to be keeping it in check. But after a while, the violet does manage to take over, and the tea rose remains in the background. Verdict: I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, given that violet is a main player here, but the violet in this ends up being too strong on me in the end. I won't hold onto my imp, but I am glad I got to try it.

In the imp: Effervescent, boozy pomegranate. Wet: This one is even fizzier on my skin! I'm getting lots of the booze and lots of the pomegranate, but the booze is by far the more prominent note at the moment. Dry: The pomegranate is stronger than it was before and now dominates the scent, with the fizzy booze note right behind it. After a while, it becomes mostly effervescent gin with a some pomegranate. Verdict: The pomegranate is too strong for me (as someone that isn't particularly fond of it in perfume), but if you're into fizzy scents and enjoy pomegranate, give this one a go.