dementia_divine

In the imp: This makes me think of Terry's Chocolate Orange, with the addition of black cherry. Wet: At first, it does smell like Terry's Chocolate Orange with some black cherry, but the orange blossom is quick to remind me that it is, in fact, a blossom and not full-on orange (much to my dismay). It's sharp and has a tendency to be problematic on me, so I'm hoping the chocolate will keep it in check. Dry: Orange blossom and black cherry, backed by chocolate. I thought the cherry would disappear really quickly and it would mostly be chocolate and orange, but now I'm mostly getting orange blossom and cherry with a light chocolate note. After a while, the cherry ends up being the dominant note, backed by the orange blossom (which is still going pretty strong), with the chocolate hiding in the background. Verdict: This one started off promising, but the orange blossom is just too sharp for me. I like that the black cherry note stuck around, but I wish I had gotten more of the chocolate. I didn't think the orange blossom would be a big enough bully to shove the chocolate into the background, but alas, it was.

Fresh imp from Lab: In the imp: Jasmine and cinnamon, with perhaps some lotus? Wet: Super heady jasmine, accompanied by some cinnamon or cassia. The jasmine note only seems to be getting headier over time. Dry: This is a dirty jasmine. I think this might be the Lab's jasmine sambac note, but I'm not sure. I think there may also be some dragon's blood in this, and maybe some musk, and some light spice. Verdict: This type of jasmine is not my jam, and dragon's blood can be problematic on me as well, so this one is not for me. Imp I decanted from a few years ago so I could have a little bit to test before passing it on to a friend: In the decant: Lots of cinnamon! It makes me think of cinnamon bark or the cassia in Plunder. Wet: Very cinnamon, but it's a soft variety that doesn't burn my skin. I think the cinnamon is accompanied by a creamy floral. I'd put this in the same family as Chimera. Dry: This is nothing like the Lab Fresh imp that I received from the Lab. That was very floral with some cinnamon, but this is all cinnamon with some floral. I don't get any heady jasmine or bubblegum-y lotus from this version. Just cinnamon or cassia with a creamy floral. Verdict: Either aging does this wonders, or the original imp I decanted from was a mislabeled imp. I prefer the cinnamon-dominant version! But I don't need more of it, because I already have a bottle of Chimera.

In the imp: Very musky with some spice. I think it might be a combination of red and brown musks. Wet: This is musk dominant with some spice. I think it's like a spice-riddled Smut. It has that grape-y, dark musk in it, for lack of a better description. Dry: I'm mainly just getting that dark, grape-y musk intertwined with some spice. Verdict: I wasn't a fan of Smut and don't like type kind of musk on me, so I'll be passing on my imp, but this was better than I thought it would be from the imp.

In the imp: Really strong tuberose, lotus, and jasmine, with a bit of lime in the background. Last time I tried something with a floral and lime combo, it was horrible on me (Whitechapel, I'm looking at you). Hopefully this one won't be like that experience. Wet: I'm getting a lot more lime on my skin than I did in the imp, and a lot of tuberose and jasmine. Then, the lotus emerges, and the lime, for the most part, fades away. Dry: The tuberose and jasmine reign (with more tuberose than jasmine), sweetened by the lotus. There's just a trace of lime left. I'm getting less lotus over time, so that it mainly ends up being heady tuberose and jasmine to my nose. Verdict: This isn't one I would reach for, but the combination of the florals and lime didn't end up smelling horrible on me, like I thought they might. It's just too heady for my me.

In the imp: Heady jasmine-y honey. Wet: Super strong jasmine, made even headier by the honey. It smells like baby wipes on me. WHY. Dry: Ugh, the jasmine in this is so strong, and not the type that plays well on my skin. The honey just seems to amplify it even more. It honestly smells like baby wipes on me. After a few hours, the jasmine does calm down enough to let the honey be distinictly recognized as such, but it still reminds me of baby wipes. Verdict: This one is on the train to NOPEville (or going to swaps), where it will hopefully find someone whose skin chemistry agrees with it.

In the imp: Fruity (as in squished berries) honey. Wet: Juicy blackberries and honey. This is the kind of honey a bear would love to eat. There's some greenery in here, and after a few minutes, there's a tartness to the berries. It's almost as if someone started devouring handfuls of these berries, and then they realized that these were the wrong sort of berries a few minutes later. The honey aspect to the scent isn't nearly as strong as the berry and greenery components, but it's there. Dry: The berries are still going strong, but I'm not getting the green aspect of the scent any more, and the honey note is more noticeable during this phase of the scent. Verdict: Most berry scents smell artificial on me. This one does not, but it's still not something I could see myself reaching for, since I'm not really drawn to fruity scents. But this was a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be, and I'm glad I got a chance to try it!

Hemlock honey. In the imp: I probably should have decided to test Hemlock first, since I have an imp of it. This reads as green and somewhat waxy to my nose. Wet: The honey note is the first to greet my nose, and then I'm hit with a blast of the hemlock, which is green and sharp. There's a coolness to this that actually has a cooling effect on the area on which I applied it, and it smells very green. It makes me think of a medicinal balm more than honey. Dry: Once dry, the scent loses it's sharp, bracing quality and smells a lot better, but it has this green, masculine quality to it that makes me think more of a honey-laden cologne than honey. I really wasn't expecting this one to smell so sexy! After a while, the honey note gets stronger, making the hemlock more appealing. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: The wet phase of this scent was a little too sharp for me, but I really liked the dry stage. I don't know how much I'd reach for it, but I think I'll hang on to my imp just because I liked the dry stage a lot (and I'm curious to try it on my boyfriend).

In the imp: I probably should have decided to test Black Hellebore first, since I have an imp of it. It reads as an herbal, green scent with a bite to my nose, and there's a coolness to it. Wet: An herbal honey, with the aforementioned coolness being very present on my skin. It doesn't smell like mint, and doesn't have a cooling effect on my skin, but when inhaled, that aspect of it is very strong. The honey itself is golden and heady. Dry: The cool aspect of the black hellebore is rather faint now, leaving behind a pale herbal, floral honey, with the floral aspect (primarily the peony) becoming more prominent over time. This one stays close to the skin. Verdict: This one is pleasant, but it isn't one that I could see myself wearing. That said, I'm glad that I was able to try it.

In the imp: Red musk. And it is strong! I'm also getting the resins, tobacco, skin musk, nutmeg, and something sharp – I'm not sure if it is the black orchid or hemlock accord. Wet: The musk notes are intertwining with each other, with the skin musk being stronger than it had been in the imp. I'm also getting a lot of nutmeg, far more than I did in the imp, and the smoky tobacco over the resins. The red musk note ends up dominating, as it is wont to do, but it isn't nearly as problematic on me as it usually is – I guess the other notes are helping to keep it in check. Dry: The red musk note is still going strong, as is the skin musk, nutmeg, tobacco, and resins. The combination of the skin musk and nutmeg with the tobacco and resins is really nice. But the red musk is still a little too much for me. After a while, the red musk does calm down enough to really let the golden skin musk shine with the nutmeg, tobacco, and resins. I wonder if there's golden champaca in this musk, or if the combination of notes here is just giving me that vibe. Verdict: The red musk is stronger than I would like it to be for a while, but the scent is really wonderful after the red musk has calmed down and it has been dry for a while. I'll be hanging onto my imp, but I don't think I need a bottle, unless I end up reaching for it a lot and the red musk becomes smoother with age.

2017 version. In the decant: I am mostly smelling the pine pitch, followed by the clean skin musk, and then the tobacco. It is lighter than I thought it would be. Wet: The pine pitch, smoky vanilla, and tobacco are the first notes to greet my nose, but the skin musk quickly emerges and takes over, so that it is mostly skin musk and tobacco on me. The pine pitch and vanilla are still there, but not as strong as they were when the oil was first applied. I'm also starting to get the patchouli, but it's a soft patch. Dry: The skin musk is still quite strong, and so is the tobacco. I'm still getting the pine pitch, and the smoky vanilla note is slightly stronger during this stage. But the resins are playing a role now, and the honey has also peeked out, but it's just a touch of it. This scent stays really close to the skin. Verdict: Like, but not love. It's nice, but I wish I had gotten more of the smoky vanilla and pine out of it.

In the imp: This smells like raw almonds to me, but instead of having a honeyed quality, there's these savory spices accompanying them, with a vibe that reminds me of peppers. Sriracha almonds, maybe??? Wet: The spices actually remind me of Doritos dust for some reason!? And they're what is dominating the scent. I wonder if this imp has gone off, or if this is just how the spices are meant to be. The honeyed almonds are buried far, far behind this spicy chip dust smell. This is not good on me. AT ALL. I swear there's paprika in this. I can't shake the association with pepper-y chips (pepper as in actually peppers, and not peppercorns). Dry: Same. There are only a few scents that I can think of that are just vile on me, and this is one of them. Verdict: This one may actually need to be washed off. It's just really, really horrible on me. I wish I had gotten honeyed almonds, but alas! On me, it's just chip dust.

In the decant: This doesn't smell like merely clove to me. I'm also getting that cinnamon-y clove vibe that others have mentioned. Wet: Very strongly cinnamon-y clove, like Big Red or those gummy cinnamon bears, accompanied by clove. It's tingling my skin where I applied it, and I hope it doesn't welt! Dry: Fortunately, I made it through welt-free. The cinnamon-y clove is still going strong, but I'm getting more of the clove aspect during this phase of the scent. Verdict: I am surprised by the presence of cinnamon or cassia in this. I like it, but I don't think I'd wear it on its own. I'm curious to see how it would be layered with Sweet Orange SN.

In the imp: An evergreen forest on a warm, spring day, with a field of sweet wildflowers right beside it. Wet: The evergreen notes stand out to me more on my skin than they did in the imp, but the sweet wildflowers make this forest seem inviting as opposed to unapproachable, and they end up dominating the scent in no time. It is hard to discern which of the flowers I'm smelling. But I do think I can smell the blue violet and the phlox, and the scent only seems to be getting sweeter over time. Dry: The florals are really cloying during this phase... with the violet being one of the main culprits. I cannot smell any of the forest anymore. It's sweet florals, all of the time. Verdict: I thought this was really promising at first, but some of the wildflowers in this end up being too cloying on me (violet, I'm mostly looking at you). I also wish the tree notes weren't so fleeting. I'd enjoy this as a room scent, but don't think I'd reach for it over something like Elf. Still, I'm really glad I got to try it!

In the bottle: Sugared lavender accompanied by some citrus. It smells like lavender candy. Wet: Sugared lavender and lemon. It's still reminiscent of lavender candy, with the lavender being stronger than it is in scents like Sugar Phoenix and Happy Baby in a Long Dress (on my skin, at least). After a few minutes, the citrus note is confined to a background role thanks to the sugared lavender, which is gaining strength as it sits on my skin, and then a white chocolate note emerges. Dry: In the early dry stage, it is sugared lavender and white chocolate. Then, the white chocolate note gets stronger, and the lavender begins to calm down, and I think I smell a hint of the strawberry note used in Love (from the Pickman Gallery: A Tremulous Song in 2013), or possibly the rose sugar. Or maybe it's a combination of those notes. There is something present in this that I am sure is present in that scent, and it only seems to be getting stronger over time, winding through the white chocolate and lavender. Then, whatever is reminding me of Love, whether it be rose sugar, or the tinge of strawberry, or both, ends up dominating the scent after hours of wear. By this point, it reminds somewhat of a sponge cake topped with cream and strawberries, although it isn't particularly cake-y. (And it's making me hungry!) I don't get any lavender from this anymore. Verdict: This one is a morpher! The wet and dry stages are really different from one another (especially after the scent has been dry for a while), but I really enjoyed every step of the journey. As a fan of sugary florals and of gourmands, I'm really happy to have a bottle of this in my collection.

A few years ago, I opened this imp and got some on me, and it smelled like wood varnish. I have been avoiding testing this once since then... but here goes. In the imp: I get both notes. The golden sandalwood jumped out to me first, though. Wet: At first, it's this soft amber, but then the golden sandalwood note emerges, along with the rose part of the amber note, and the combination is quite sharp and somewhat sour (but not nearly as sharp as it was when the imp was fresh). Dry: After the scent has been dry for a while, it becomes softer, and the amber gets to shine. I'm still getting a lot of the golden sandalwood, but the rose has calmed down significantly, so it's not sour anymore. Verdict: Although the dry phase was pleasant, the wet stage of the scent wasn't very nice on me. I have to say that a few years of aging really helped this scent, though!

In the imp: Rose and narcissus. Both are pretty strong, but the rose is slightly stronger to my nose. Wet: This one is very heady, with the rose and narcissus both vying for the throne. The rose note ends up with the crown. Dry: The rose still reigns, with the narcissus sulking behind it. Verdict: This one certainly fits its name, but it is far too heady for me.

In the imp: The citrus notes jump out to me the most! The tangerine is the most prominent, and I can also smell the bergamot, some of the dark musk, and then the floral notes. Wet: The tangerine reigns, and it's so juicy that it's making me hungry (and glad that I have some orange-flavored chocolate around). Then the bergamot peeks out and decides to join it, making the scent more perfume-y. The dark musk note emerges and gains strength pretty quickly on me, and the floral notes are starting to vie for attention as well (mostly the rose, jasmine, and lily, and not the carnation, which is surprising, as I generally amp that note). Dry: The dark musk is a lot stronger now. The tangerine note is still present, but it is not nearly as strong as it was before, and the same goes for the bergamot. The floral notes are stronger during this phase, and the carnation, which I was not getting during the wet stage, is beginning to peak out and add some spice to the scent. Then, there was a phase when the musk and jasmine were amping a lot with the tangerine adding some extra sweetness, that was almost too much to bear. After a while, it ends up being a predominantly floral scent, with the lily and jasmine being the strongest notes, followed by some musk, rose, and what remains of the citrus. Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet stage of the scent and the initial drydown, but it ended up mostly being a musky floral scent on me in the end, which is not my cup of tea. I'm glad I got a chance to try it, though!

In the imp: Fresh rose... perhaps tea rose? I'm not really getting any spice from the imp. Wet: Fresh rose (with that citrus-y element that Rose Red has) is all I'm getting from this thus far. After a few minutes, I do begin to smell the Victorian spices, but they are very soft, adding a little bite to the fresh rose. Dry: Still a fresh rose, which is somewhat sour on me, because that is what this type of rose does on my skin, with just a breath of the Victorian spices. Verdict: This rose note just does not cooperate with my skin chemistry.

In the imp: This is mostly Arabian musk and rose to my nose, with just a bit of spice. Wet: On my skin, it's still mostly musky rose and only a bit of spice. The Arabian musk note is stronger than the rose at first, but then the rose note quickly asserts itself. Dry: This is still all musky rose on me, with some faint,, dry spices in the background. I thought the musk and spices could mean Morocco plus roses, but that isn't the case at all. Verdict: This one isn't one I could see myself reaching for (I have a ton of rose scents as it is and prefer sugared florals), but I'm glad I got to try it.

In the imp: I smell flowers, lightly spiced. I'm thinking possibly jasmine, honeysuckle, and soft rose (maybe pink?), but I'm not sure. Wet: Honeysuckle accompanied by soft spices. At least, that's what I get at first, thinking of Chimera if it weren't heavy on the cinnamon. But that quickly goes away, and now I think I may be getting some lilac from this, along with honeysuckle. I think there may also be lily in this, and there's a bit of a green quality to it as well. There's a white floral note in here that is getting stronger as the scent dries. Dry: Unfortunately, the scent is so light during this stage that I can't try to pick out any notes that I'm smelling. The spices have pretty much dissipated, leaving behind a soft floral and just a tinge of spice. Verdict: This one was okay during the wet stage, but it became too faint once it was dry, just leaving behind a soft floral, so it's not for me.

I know I tried this a few years ago when Pele first appeared in a lunacy poll, but apparently I never actually reviewed it, and I can't remember my thoughts on it. So... proper review time! In the imp: Warm, white florals. Wet: Warm, tropical florals and Hawaiian white ginger, with the latter quickly becoming the most prominent note, followed by the lily and what I think might be gardenia. There's a creaminess and a warmth to this scent. Dry: The scent is much lighter now. I'm still getting a lot of the Hawaiian white ginger. The scent seems to be sweeter during this phase – I think I'm smelling some coconut along with the florals. After a while, it becomes a soft, white floral scent. It's still warm, but it isn't as creamy, and it has lost its sweetness. Verdict: This one is pleasant, but I don't think I'd reach for it. I wish the creaminess and sweetness had stuck around a while longer!

I know I've tried this before, but I guess I never ended up writing a proper review. In the imp: The mist and dew notes leap out to me the most, along with some herbs. Wet: Dewy, soft white florals and herbs. I think there's a moss in this, too, perhaps one of the mosses found in Cathode, which is adding some warmth to the scent. Dry: Now there is a bit of spice present when smelled up close – maybe ginger? I am not able to adequately pick out what I'm smelling, but this is a white floral blend accompanied by some moss, the aquatic mist and dew, and a bit of spice. After a few hours, the scent becomes sweeter, and the white floral aspect is more prominent. I wonder if this contains jasmine. This is something that jasmine usually does on me. The moss, spice, and herbs are not as strong as they had been, but they're still lingering in the background. Verdict: I'm enjoying this a lot more than when I first tried it. I'll be hanging on to my imp.

In the imp: Lotus and rose, with far more lotus than rose. Wet: The lotus note reigns, but I do smell more of the rose on my skin than I did in the imp. At least one of these lotus notes is of the sweet, bubblegum-y variety. But the lotus doesn't get to flaunt its full bubblegum-y glory, fortunately, thanks to the rose keeping it in check. I think I'm getting tea rose and red rose from this. Dry: The lotus is never allowed to make this full-on bubblegum, but it is really strong and sweet. It's a nice, youthful, sweet rose scent. Verdict: I was afraid of this one due to the lotus, but it actually ended up being a pleasant surprise on me. I can't see myself reaching for it over the other sweet rose scents I already have, and it's a little too heady for me, but I'm glad that I got to try it.

In the imp: Lots of plumeria, followed by a bit of pear and white champagne. Wet: I'm getting a lot more of the white champagne on my skin than I did in the imp, but I tend to amp that note. But the plumeria note is pretty strong, too. I'm only getting a bit of the pear note. Dry: The champagne note has been overtaken by the plumeria, so that it's mostly plumeria and pear, with some champagne lingering in the background. After a while, the champagne ends up reasserting itself, so that it becomes mostly plumeria and champagne on me. Verdict: The plumeria and pear end up being too heady and sweet for me. I'm not generally a fan of fruit and floral combinations (I prefer sugared florals), but I'd recommend it to those who enjoy that kind of combo.

In the imp: I'm mostly getting the bois de rose accompanied by the white musk with just a bit of the pear and lily. Wet: This is softer on my skin than it was in the imp. The pear note is more prominent on my skin and is helping to tame the bois de rose, which is still the strongest note, but not as strong as it was in the imp. I'm also getting more of the lily than I did in the imp. It's a musky, soft floral scent slightly sweetened by some pear. Dry: Musky bois de rose and lily of the valley with just a bit of pear. Verdict: This one is nice, but not one I could really see myself reaching for. I was hoping it would be sweeter with the presence of the pear note, but the bois de rose really dominates on my skin.