dementia_divine

In the decant: Lemongrass, coconut, lemon peel, and frankincense are the notes that leap out at me. Wet: Lemon, coconut, and frankincense are the first notes to appear, with the lemongrass being more prominent on me than the lemon peel. The frankincense in this one is light. As it sits on my skin, I start getting more of the lemon peel, but I wouldn’t say this is an in-your-face lemon scent. Yes, it’s lemony, but it is also rather soft and airy. Dry: It’s lighter and not as lemon-y as before. Soft lemongrass and coconut stand out to me the most. After a while, the sandalwood note emerges and becomes one of the dominant notes along with the coconut, with what remains of the lemongrass behind those notes. I get a little vanilla, but it is so light by this point that I have to press my nose to my arm in order to smell it. Verdict: This is a nice, airy scent. I wasn’t sure how the lemon and resins would play together, but this works. I will hold on to my decant for now, but I really wish this were stronger on me.

In the decant: Tea rose-infused resins and incense, with just a hint of bergamot and vanilla musk. I hope I end up getting some vanilla musk on my skin, as rose + resin combos aren’t usually my jam. Wet: The resins and tea rose mingle and are the strongest aspect of the scent on me. The oudh in this is pretty strong, and so is the somewhat sour labdanum and tea rose. If I inhale really deeply, I get some bergamot, but it is not a main player. And I can smell some musk, but no vanilla at the moment. Woe. Dry: Super incense-y oudh and a light tea rose. The oudh in this is very strong on me, it’s almost like a red patchouli oudh? There’s just a hint of the vanilla-tinged musk far in the background, with the tinged part of the vanilla descriptor being the keyword. Verdict: There is just not enough sweetness here for me. I really hoped I’d get more vanilla musk from this, and the oudh in this isn’t a kind I particularly enjoy (is this the kind in Half-Elf?). It was nice to be able to try it, though.

In the bottle: When this first arrived, it was strong on the vanilla mint. Almost a week later, I get the spun sugar, mallow, a little rose and tart currant, and Lick It-esque vanilla mint, but not the frankincense. Sometimes I get more vanilla mint or currant with each additional sniff. Wet: I get the creamy vanilla mint, mallow, and spun sugar at first, which is quickly joined by the currant and a little rose. As it sits on my skin, the currant becomes more prominent, so that it’s a slightly tart, fruity vanilla mint. When I tried this at Drag Con, I only got the creamy vanilla mint from it, so I was hoping the currant wouldn’t end up playing a big role on me, but it definitely does during the wet phase of the scent. The mallow is the next note in prominence after the vanilla mint and currant. Dry: Fortunately, the currant note has calmed down significantly. The vanilla mint is now the strongest aspect of the scent on me, followed by the tart currant, and some sugared rose. The mint part of the vanilla mint isn’t as intense as it is in Lick It, but this part of the scent, combined with the sugared rose and mallow root, make me think of a Lick It/De Vos’ Unicorn hybrid, with some currant thrown into the mix. After a few hours, it’s just really creamy, sugary mallow, vanilla, rose, and currant scent. I only get the frankincense if I really search for it, but it’s rather light on me. It smells delightful during this stage, since it is when I get the least amount of currant. I can barely smell any of the mint on my hand, but it's still very present in the crook of my elbow. Verdict: I had high hopes for this one, but the currant was stronger on me than I would have liked. I wonder if I amp it? I am going to let it age some, retest it, and see how it goes. I like it, especially once dry, but even then I wish got less of the currant. My guess is that it just needs a little more time to settle and that the bottle will be a keeper.

She’s the reason the club now has rules like “No liquids onstage unless you bring your own tarp.” Blobs of guava pulp with pink orchid, a splatter of liquid sugar, white rum, and a squeeze of pink lime. This was the Drag Con exclusive perfume oil that I was looking forward to most, and it did not disappoint! In the bottle, I get lots of guava pulp and lime, sweetened by the liquid sugar, with the white rum and pink orchid lingering in the background. On my skin, there's a blast of guava pulp at first, and then the lime emerges. These notes end up being the stars of the show. I get the sweetness of the liquid sugar, and the pink orchid is there, keeping this from being a strictly fruity scent. I love this and am so glad that I bought two bottles. It's a wonderful scent to wear during the summer months.

I am comparing this to the original. It’s an aged imp (from 2013) from one of my early Lab orders. I was sad when this was abruptly discontinued, so I am really happy that it was resurrected for a short time! In the bottle: This smells sweeter to me than the imp from 2013, and the aged imp smells lighter. The bread is definitely buttery, but I swear I get bergamot here (possibly part of the tea?) that I do not get from the aged imp. I get the sugar and cream behind those notes. Wet: Yes, there is a citrus aspect to this that’s quite prominent on me. It actually smells like an orange creamsicle on me for a bit, thanks to the citrus and cream (I get a lot more cream from this version than the original), before the buttery toast gains prominence. I never got this prominent of a citrus note from the original version, even when it was fresh. As it sits on my skin, the black tea base starts to gain strength. The original is lighter and cleaner. This is a lot foodier. The original is more about the tea, and this is a lot stronger on the buttered white bread (this is far more buttery). I feel like the strong buttered toast is more in the vein of Drink Me. Dry: The buttered aspect of the toast isn’t as strong as it was before. I am getting more of the white sugar now as well as more tea, but the tea note isn’t as prominent as it is in the original. After about an hour, the Resurrected version starts to resemble the original… you can still tell they aren’t the same, but it’s evident that they’re related. Comparing the two scents (one on each wrist) after several hours, they resemble each other a little more, but the above observations hold true (more buttery than the original but not as buttery as it was before, with more tea and sugar now, but the tea isn’t as prominent as it is in the original). Verdict: Of course, my imp is five years old, so the comparison is kind of unfair. But I think I may actually like the Resurrected version better? It’s stronger and far more gourmand thanks to the buttered bread and cream playing greater roles in this one. I like that I got some bergamot during the wet phase more than the weak (black) tea base. And while the Lab’s black tea note can sometimes have an anise-y quality to it on me, I am not getting any of that here. It’s not the same, but if you like the idea of the tea playing less of a role and aren’t averse to buttered bread, I’d recommend grabbing a bottle of it. I am glad I did.

This imp is from 2013, from one of my early Lab orders. In the imp: Lightly buttered bread, weak black tea, white sugar, and a bit of cream. Wet: Sugary, lightly buttered white bread toast and weak black tea. As it sits on my skin, the tea note becomes stronger. I think the tea is Earl Grey -- there’s a little bergamot at play here, but it is not as strong as the black tea base. The cream is present, but it resides in the background. Dry: The weak tea note reigns, with the warmth of the toast beneath it. It does not smell very buttery, not like the buttered toast of Drink Me. The sugar is still present, and the cream seems to be content with its background role. Because the tea is so prominent on me and the bread isn’t really strong and buttery, it’s not an in-your-face gourmand. It is actually kind of clean thanks to the strength of the tea note. After several hours, it’s mostly just sugared, weak tea. Only the crumbs from the bread remain. Verdict: The Mad Tea Party is what made me fall down the rabbit hole into the world of Black Phoenix, and this Mad Tea Party imp was from one of my early Lab orders (I think my second one?). So it holds a special place in my heart. I enjoy this scent and was sad when it was abruptly discontinued. I will continue to cherish my imp. And although it isn’t the same, I’m glad to have a bottle of the Resurrected version, so I don’t feel the need to enter eBay bidding wars over this one.

I have not tried the original. Berries aren’t normally my thing, but I was interested in trying this one because of the lime. In the imp: Berry-covered resins and jasmine, with a twist of lime. Wet: The jasmine is the most prominent note on me, followed by the resins and berries, and finally, the lime. As it sits on my skin, I get more of the berries and lime. It’s mostly the fruit notes and the jasmine on a bed of resins. Dry: Lime and berries over jasmine and resins. I am getting more of the opoponax than I did before. After a while, the jasmine reasserts itself once more, but it isn’t as strong as it was when it was initially applied. I get a faint hint of the berries and lime, and though I expected the resins to come out more after a few hours, as they usually do on me, the opoponax I am getting is pretty light. Verdict: I like that the lime ended up being more than just a sliver on me, but alas, that was also the case with the jasmine, which ended up being the dominant note on me in the end. It’s not a super heady jasmine, so it’s pleasant, just… not something I am likely to reach for. I am glad that I decided to try it, though -- I like it more than I thought I would for a scent with a berry note!

I have not tried the original. In the imp: The red musk stands out to me the most, followed by the leather, and then the resins. Red musk tends to declare dominion over other notes on me, so I do not have high hopes for this… but I couldn’t resist trying it! Wet: The red musk is indeed quite prominent, and the leather note definitely reads as hot. I am also getting more of the black amber on my skin than I did from the imp, which is a pleasant surprise. The red musk is going strong, but it hasn’t succeeded in stomping all over the other notes, which seem to be getting more prominent as the scent begins to dry. Dry: The red musk is still the dominant note, but the leather and resins are stronger than they were before. After a while, the red musk calms down a little to allow the hot leather to play a greater role. The black amber and myrrh are a lot stronger now, too. This is a warm, sexy leather and resin scent. Verdict: I am so glad that the red musk allowed the other notes to have a chance to shine! The wet stage is still a little too heavy on the red musk for me, but it’s pretty great once it is dry. I am definitely going to hold on to my imp, and I’ll give it a full-day test before deciding whether or not I need more.

In the imp: Lots of sweet peach, sandalwood, and rosewood with some vanilla. Wet: The white peach and rosewood are the first notes that leap out at me. I also get a lot of the red sandalwood and some of the osmanthus. The vanilla is present, but not a main player at the moment. Dry: The rosewood and osmanthus end up playing pretty big roles on me when it is first dry, with the sweetness of the white peach and more vanilla than before. After a while, the red sandalwood reasserts itself, so that I get sandalwood, rosewood, white peach, and a little creamy vanilla. Verdict: I was really curious about this one for a long time and was excited when it came back in stock so I could grab an imp of it to try out. Tamora was a little too sweet on me with its peach and heliotrope. This is decent, but peach in this is pretty sweet too, and I’m not sure how I feel about it in combination with these particular resins. I am going to hang on to my imp and retest it once it has aged.

In the bottle: Silvery musk, powdery benzoin, and just a little vanilla husk. Wet: The musk is the most prominent note on me, and I do get the crystalline quality of it on my skin. The benzoin is right beside it. I agree with the comparisons to scents like Lyonesse and Zorya P, although I get far less vanilla from this scent. This smells very powdery on me. Dry: This isn’t a morpher. It’s still a powdery crystalline musk and benzoin scent, which is slightly sweeter than before thanks to the vanilla husk. After a few hours, I get a bit more of the vanilla husk, and the benzoin has grown stronger and feels more resinous. I prefer this stage of the scent. Verdict: Alas, this is just too powdery on me. I just don’t think I’d reach for it over the other scents I mentioned. I am happy I bought it to support the cause, though!

Daisy, pink carnation, pink pepper, and sugar. In the bottle, the daisy note is the most prominent note, followed by the pink carnation. After applying this to my wet hair, sniffing my hair is like stuffing my face in a bouquet full of daisies. As it sits in my hair, the sugar starts to come out, as well as the pink carnation and pink pepper, but I get more of these notes in the perfume oil than I do from the hair gloss. It is not as sweet as the perfume oil is on my skin, but you can tell these daisies are sugared. The boy said my hair smelled good, so I am not the only one who is a fan! Some of the reviews for the perfume oil compare High-Strung Daisies to bubblegum. I can see how the combination of the pink pepper, pink carnation, and sugar might combine and give off that vibe on some people, although it’s not like that on me (if it were, it wouldn’t be a favorite sugared floral of mine, since I’m not fond of bubblegum scents). But unless you’re using this as a body spray instead of applying it to the hair, you don’t have to fear that with the hair gloss, which is not as sweet in my hair as it is on my skin. I let my hair air dry, and once it was dry, I got whiffs of the scent on occasion. Applied to dry hair, the scent is far more noticeable. It’s like floral cotton candy. It’s pink, but again, not bubblegum to me. I can still smell it after a full day of wear, but it is not one of the stronger hair glosses. I have been wanting this to be a thing for years, and now that it is, I am able to immerse myself in a cloud of High-Strung Daisies! It also pairs really well with Jiggery Pokery. I am so glad that I bought two bottles! Puddin’, thank you so much for making my dream come true.

In the bottle: Spicy clove, saffron, and resin-y goodness, with the amber being far more prominent than the sandalwood to my nose. Yaaaaaaaas. This is even better than I had imagined. Wet: The clove is the most prominent note on me, followed by the amber, saffron, and then, the sandalwood. This is a spicy clove, perhaps the Indonesian variety that was released as a single note (I no longer have the decant to compare), as it does have a bit of a cinnamon-y vibe to it. Dry: This is primarily an amber and clove scent. The clove remains the most prominent note near the crooks of my elbows, but on my wrists, the cozy, golden amber reigns. I can still smell the saffron, and the sandalwood is stronger than it was before, but the amber and clove are the stars here. After several hours of wear, what remains is a lovely golden amber. Verdict: I am so happy to have a bottle of this! This is one of my favorite Activism scents so far. It’s a really nice spicy resin scent, so if that’s your thing, grab a bottle. You’ll smell amazing, and it’s for a cause that still needs support even though media attention is dwindling.

I have not tried the original. In the imp: Oh, this is lovely. I think this is a conglomeration of leather notes rather than a single one. Black leather, brown leather, clean, white leather… all well-worn. Wet: This is a very realistic leather scent. When I smell it, I am immediately transported into a room full of leather and can even envision the texture of it. I still believe it is a mix of leather notes. The leather is fresh and soft… I’m not getting any harsh, chemical-y leather here. Dry: This one isn’t a morpher on me. There’s a point at which I feel like there’s a bit of a farm-y aspect to the scent (for lack of a better description), but that ends up going away. After a few hours of wear, it is somewhat softer, but it still smells the same. Verdict: I typically only appreciate leather scents when they’re paired with a sweet note. De Sade Resurrected does not contain one, but I still enjoy it. I will be hanging on to my imp, and I’m going to give it a full day test with Mikado Saloon HG before deciding whether or not I need more of it.

In the decant: Can I just say that I love that there’s pulverized pyrite in this? Also, it smells like the Trading Post’s Bourbon Vanilla Bath Oil as it contains the same vanilla oleoresin note, but with some cinnamon added to it. I loved that bath oil, so scent-wise, that’s a win! I dressed a candle with this oil and applied it to my skin. Wet: Soft cinnamon, bourbon vanilla, and vanilla oleoresin (with the resin being benzoin to my nose). This. Smells. AMAZING. It’s probably the best smelling TAL I’ve smelled so far. I get a bit of almond as well. It does smell kind of like the cinnamon and glaze on a cinnamon roll. Dry: It remains that way while dry at first, but then it very quickly becomes a skin scent. The soft cinnamon is super light now, and what I’m left with is a really soft bourbon vanilla and benzoin scent. Verdict: I really enjoy the scent, but I wish it weren’t so faint. If it proves to be effective for its purpose, I will likely buy a bottle. If not, I’ll probably be content with the decant. I did not notice any effects from utilizing this today, but I used it in combination with Block Buster while applying for a job that I really want. I’ll update if it worked for its intended purpose or if I receive results from future use.

In the decant: This smells musky and resinous to me. On my skin: I think I am smelling musk and a powdery resin like a soft myrrh, but I don’t know for sure. It’s soft and powdery on my skin with a dash of what I believe is black pepper. The second time I utilized it, I got some patchouli and something lightly cool (maybe a light mint note?). As far as its purpose goes, I found it to be very effective. It made me focus on what needed to be done, and I had a very productive day, revamping my resume, writing a cover letter, and tackling some cleaning that needed to be done. I am so happy to have a decant of this and may need to invest in a bottle for the purpose (not the scent). Thank you to the lovely forumite that frimped me this decant so long ago!

This is a review of the original release. In the decant: A treasure trove of cinnamon and cassia poured over Snake Oil. I really, really hope this one doesn’t burn my sensitive skin. Wet: Tons of cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger. The Snake Oil spices are also at play, but they are not as strong as these spices, and I’m not getting any vanilla at the moment. I’m not sure if it is the cinnamon or the cassia, but one of these notes is dry. Dry: The spices are still going strong, but they’re not as strong as they were before, and the Snake Oil base is far more prominent. Snake Oil’s vanilla is present now, but it is not nearly as strong as the spices. After a few hours, the vanilla does end up playing a greater role, so that it’s vanilla mixed with lots of spices, with the ginger standing out to me in particular. Verdict: I like it, but I am not in love with it. I have so many Snake Oil variants in my collection that I feel the need to be pickier about which ones join, and I just don’t think I’d reach for this one over scents like Pumpkin Spice Snake Oil or Gingerbread Snake. I am glad my skin didn’t end up being too sensitive for this one, though!

I have been curious about this goth for ages, because I love citrus scents and identify with the archetype. In the bottle: Fizzy lemon-lime soda! The Lab’s champagne note provides the fizz. The lemon-lime aspect reminds me more of Sprite than Mountain Dew, although I can see why some people have mentioned Mountain Dew in their reviews. The boy agrees. Wet: Fizzy, with lots of lemon and sweet lime. In the bottle, I got more of the lime, but on my skin, the lemon is more prominent. I don’t really think it smells like either of the aforementioned sodas on my skin. While Shade is the Lab’s champagne note plus pink grapefruit, Geek.Goth is the Lab’s champagne accompanied by lemon and lime. Dry: So. Much. FIZZ. It’s mostly a fizzy lemon scent on me for a long time. After four hours of wear, what remains is the lightly sugared ghost of the fizz note and a twist of lemon. Verdict: I kind of wish the lime were more potent on me, but I’m amazed at the longevity of the citrus anyways, since this is 8 years old! I am glad that I was able to get my hands on a bottle, and I will enjoy wearing it during the summer months.

Policemen, judges, Government officials and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority. Gleaming black leather with blonde tobacco, copal, and smoked vanilla. In the bottle: The leather in this is light. I do get the gleaming aspect of it from the bottle. The smoked notes follow, and the vanilla serves to lighten up the scent a bit. Wet: The leather note is still light, and it reads as more of a well-worn leather note to my nose. The smoked notes are present, but the smokiness in the scent is rather light as well. I get more of the blonde tobacco from this on my skin than the copal note as the scent begins to dry down. The smoked vanilla note begins to emerge more with time. Dry: It's very faint now. The smoky aspect of the scent has died down significantly, leaving behind a very light leather and vanilla scent with a small plume of smoke. Several hours later, the copal note remerges and becomes the dominant note. Verdict: This scent stays very close to the skin! I was looking forward to this scent because of the leather and vanilla notes. Leather can be iffy on me, and I have been wanting a leather and vanilla scent to pair with Mikado Saloon hair gloss. This will certainly go well with that hair gloss, but I'm not in love with it like I'm in love with Mikado Saloon.

In the decant: A really wonderful golden amber accompanied by some red patchouli. I sprayed three sprays into the length of my wet hair. I don’t always get good throw with hair gloss applied to wet hair, but this one definitely has it. I’m in a cloud of cozy, sweet, golden amber with the warmth of the patchouli underneath it. I was wary of this one for a long time because of the patchouli, but it isn’t the star of the show here. This is absolutely lovely. The next day, I sprayed one spray of the hair gloss into my hands and ran it through the ends of my dry hair. I felt like I got more of the patchouli from it this way, which I think may be a red (or as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, a brownish-red) variety, but the amber still shines. Verdict: I will be holding on to my mini decant of this one. Since I already have bottles of Revenant Rhythm hair gloss (for patchouli) and Implacable Beautiful Tyrant (for beautiful amber and resins), I don’t feel the need to leap for a bottle of this one just yet. But if I ever do run out of one of those and am not able to obtain more, I will consider a bottle of this one.

An ethereal vintage, steeped with dandelion, honey, and red currants. I do not use bath oils for their intended purpose, so this review is for the bath oil being tested on my skin. In the bottle, this is all about the wine and currants, although I can smell some honey and dandelion as well. On my skin, the wine and tart red currants are the most prominent notes. I can smell some dandelion in the background, but it isnt nearly as strong as those two notes. After a few minutes, the honey note emerges and becomes strong rather quickly, and I also get more dandelion along with it. Im getting more dandelion from this than I did from the perfume oil, but since I tested that at a convention, where my arms were covered with as many scents as possible, perhaps I just wasnt able to focus on it enough. After a while, the wine and currants remain as the most prominent notes, followed by the honey, and then some dandelion (and theres a lot more dandelion than before). I got more honey when I tried the perfume oil at Drag Con than I do from the bath oil version. The scent has been going strong for hours. This is far fruitier than I normally go for, but I wanted to get this in at least one form, and Im happy to have it as a bath oil. Id pair this with something with a wine or currant note (I could actually see this going well with Eat Me because the currant note is so strong on me).

Yeah… I haven’t tried straight-up Sin before now (only Sin in the Pumpkin Patch). In the imp: I’m getting lots of patchouli and cinnamon, with the resins in the background. When I first opened in the imp, I thought I was smelling red musk. It is not red musk, but I think the combination of the patchouli, cinnamon, and amber made me think that at first. Wet: The soft cinnamon is the dominant note on me, followed by the patchouli, amber, and then, the sandalwood. It still smells like it has a musk in it to me, so I’m not sure if it’s an unlisted note or me just associating it with other scents that contain these notes and have red musk. Dry: The cinnamon is softer now, but still a main player. I’m still getting the black patchouli, and there’s a lot more amber than before. I prefer this phase of the scent, since the resins are playing a bigger role. Verdict: Sin is decent, but ultimately, not something I’d reach for. But I’m so glad I was frimped this so that I could try it after all these years.

In the decant: I smell the sugar-spun lace note, the linen, cognac, Indian musk, and incense. It’s sweeter than I thought it would be! I suspect that the vanilla has come out more with age. Wet: The creamy vanilla is really prominent on my skin. I’m also getting the linen and cognac, followed by the Indian musk, tobacco, and incense. This is more vanilla-heavy on me than most laces are during the wet phase, which I think must be from aging, and as it dries down, I wonder if there is some Mysore sandalwood in the incense. Dry: Lots of creamy vanilla, cognac, linen, musk, and incense. I’m not really getting the dry leaves, which is fine with me, since that note can be problematic for me. After a while, I get the black tea note. Verdict: This is really lovely! I think I may need to try to hunt down more of this in the future.

In the decant: The papyrus reed stands out to me the most. It smells lemony to me. Behind it, I get some myrrh and a bit of the frosting. Wet: This is very lemon-y, fresh, and green on me, which I attribute to the papyrus reed. I get the myrrh in the background, which doesn’t seem to be a dark variety, but it’s also not the powdery, soft kind in scents like Bastet, either. I am not getting any of the vanilla cream frosting on my skin. Sad! Dry: The papyrus reed continues to be the dominant note, but I’m getting a little more of the myrrh now and a bit of the frosting --- it really is just a smear of frosting, as it’s described in the description. After a few hours, it becomes myrrh-dominant with just a hint of the vanilla frosting. The myrrh in this smells incense-y to me. After several hours of wear, I finally get more than just a smidge of the vanilla frosting. It has become a vanilla frosting smeared over an incense-y myrrh with a little papyrus reed. This is the phase of the scent I enjoy the most. If only it didn’t take so long to get here! Verdict: While I enjoyed the scent after several hours of wear, I spent about four hours wishing for more vanilla. I do not think I am patient enough to wait for it to become stronger since it spent a long time being mostly papyrus reed, and then mostly myrrh. I am glad that I was able to try it, though!

In the imp: Whiskey! Absinthe! Lavender fougere! Orange blossom! Tobacco flower! There’s a lot going on in this one. Wet: The lavender fougere is very prominent on me. I’m also getting the licorice-y absinthe, gardenia, and orange blossom, followed by the tobacco flower. As it sits on my skin, the tobacco flower becomes more prominent, and I start to get the ylang ylang. So… licorice-y, slightly smoky lavender fougere accompanied by some floral notes. And then the whiskey joins in. Yeah, there’s a lot going on here. Dry: The notes stop clamoring with each other, allowing the scent to finally calm down. The whiskey is now one of the main players. It’s now mostly boozy, tobacco flower and fougere with some florals in the background to my nose. I’m not getting any of the absinthe note anymore. Verdict: I was curious about this because of the lavender fougere, but there’s too much going on in this one for me.

In the imp: I smell the vetiver, soft cinnamon, jasmine, and a little leather. Wet: The vetiver, gardenia, and cinnamon are the first notes that leap out at me. Then I get the night-blooming jasmine, rose, and some leather. The cinnamon in this is definitely a soft variety, and the leather is well-worn. As it sits on my skin, the cinnamon becomes more prominent, but the vetiver remains the dominant note. The floral notes in this are soft and well-behaved as opposed to heady. And as far as vetiver goes, this is a slightly smoky variety that doesn’t smell like BBQ or beef jerky on me. Dry: Lightly spiced vetiver, well-behaved jasmine, and sweet gardenia in a well-worn leather jacket. But after a few hours, all I get from it is smoky vetiver. Alas! Verdict: This was a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be from the list of notes. It’s not really in my wheelhouse, but as far as vetiver and jasmine goes, the varieties found in this scent aren’t the kind to fear (although the vetiver does end up taking over completely on me after a while).