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dtp

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Everything posted by dtp

  1. dtp

    Nephilim

    In the bottle: Sweeter than I was expecting--the fig is the dominant note, but I can smell the patchouli. Wet: Mmm, vetiver! Earthy and smoky goodness. It's a little bit minty, which keeps the oakmoss and vetiver from overpowering the scent. It smells like woody groves in the Mediterranean to me. Dry: It's settled down into a softer scent. The minty smell has receded and the vetiver has faded somewhat, allowing the other notes to come into play. It smells of freshly cut wood and incense, with a hint of sweetness. Later: I really like this blend. It hasn't changed much, and it's got good throw and staying power. This'd be perfect for a cold day in autumn, because it reminds me of warm summers in Italy and Greece.
  2. dtp

    Perversion

    In the bottle: Sweet and spicy alcohol. Very boozy, but complex. Wet: 'Yum!' is pretty much all I can say. Tonka is the overwhelming note, and it's delicious. It's not too sweet--well balanced by the leather and tobacco. I can almost taste this blend when I smell it Dry: This isn't morphing particularly, which I'm glad about, because it's already perfect on me! There's a smoky dryness behind the sweet tonka. Gorgeous. Later: Good staying power, and good throw. Still delicious. This cries for slathering all over, so I'll be ordering more of this!
  3. dtp

    Queen

    For use only by women. An extremely potent passion blend, used to great effect when you're converting feminine sexual energy into power. In the imp: It smells like I've just walked into Lush--like a melange of different scents, but with an underlying soapy note, like a floral bath bomb. Wet: Sniffing my wrist is like sniffing a bath bomb. Dry: Thankfully, that soapy scent is diminishing. There's a muskier undertone, which I like. Still smells a little floral, but it's nicely balanced with something spicy--clove or pepper, maybe? This could be good after all! Later: ... playdoh. Plasticky, soapy playdoh. D'oh. It appears that it doesn't want to play nicely with my skin chemistry, so I won't be getting any more of this. [Edited to add description]
  4. dtp

    Baneberry

    In the imp: It smells like a car air freshener my ex used to have, which was supposed to be lemon. It doesn't actually smell like lemon, but neither did the air freshener. It's a very crisp, clean, almost citrussy scent, with an astringent or anti-sceptic type undertone. Wet: Thankfully it smells very different on my skin. It's still green and crisp, but there's a much softer, berryish undertone that begins to come out immediately. I thought I wouldn't like this when sniffing it from the imp, but I definitely prefer it on. Dry: Still green, a slightly floral berry. It's perhaps a little too crisp for me--it hasn't softened particularly, although all remnants of the astringent tone it had in the imp have disappeared. Later: Ooh, this is rather good. There's a slightly resinous scent to it now, which I like very much, and it's softened and sweetened. Resinous berry, with just a hint of greenery. I thought that I'd be swapping this as soon as I smelled it in the imp, but I really do like it once it's mellowed. The only problem will be waiting until that point! I might give this a few more goes to see if I can be patient enough, because the end result is lovely.
  5. dtp

    Kathmandu

    This morphed very quickly--in a matter of minutes. It's the blend that's changed on my skin the most so far. In the bottle: Wintergreen, and not a lot else. Not at all what I expected from the description (I don't like to read reviews before trying a blend myself, because I'm scared I'll be influenced by what other people smell--I don't trust my nose enough). It's vaguely spicy, but it's pretty much all wintergreen. Not a bad smell, per se, but one I associate with antisceptics. Wet: I smell like I've been smearing my wrists in Pepto-bismol. Dry: Thankfully, the wintergreen has faded and I can now smell the incense, which is sweet and pretty. It's very soft and gentle now, and not minty at all. It's a little too soft, maybe; I prefer my incense richer. Later: Not bad, but nothing special. Cedar and light incense. Don't think I'll be wearing this one, which is a shame, because I thought I'd love it from the description.
  6. dtp

    Dublin

    In the bottle: This is sharp and green--it's a lot more masculine than I was expecting. It reminds me of my dad's old aftershave that he used when I was a child. It's clean and a bit spicy, too. Wet: Wet forest, definitely. I'm really liking the smell--it's a lot more subtle than I thought it was going to be. It's a lot less masculine on. Dry: Soft, green, foresty, still a little spicy, but slightly sweet, too. It still registers as masculine to my nose, but I'm not sure if that's me being swayed by how it smelled in the bottle. It's definitely a soft and misty scent which reminds me less of Dublin itself and more of tramping through outlying woods. Later: Soft and delicate--but still masculine. I like this very much--it's the most evocative scent I've tried thus far. I'm not sure if it's one I'd wear, though, as it feels more inspirational than something I'd wear as perfume. It makes me want to get out my wellies and go for long forest walks, so I might just keep it for days on which I'm feeling a bit stuck in, to give me that 'oomph' needed to get myself out and about. It's a shame my boyfriend doesn't like this sort of thing, as I suspect it would be gorgeous on him.
  7. dtp

    Strawberry Moon 2005

    Strawberry Moon is a blending of strawberries and cream with light, dry lotus and soft ylang ylang and a touch of green tea and sage to bring it closer to Earth. Why, oh why, is this scent LE? In the bottle: Thick, plump, ripe, juicy strawberries. I'm a sucker for anything strawberry--I love all summer berries, but strawberry has to be my favourite scent. It's utterly divine, not fake or medicinal at all to my nose, just genuine berrylicious goodness. Wet: Softer on than in the bottle, which is good, because I think that the scent would be a little too overpowering if it was as potent as it is in the bottle! It smells like I've squeezed strawberry juice over my wrists. I want to lick them. There's also a green note that mellows out the fresh strawberry scent. I cannot express how gorgeous this is for me. Dry: Soft, delicate strawberries, with a hint of that green tea just to sharpen them. Lush and red and decadent. Delicious! This is my ultimate summer scent. I'm not a big fan of florals (so I'm glad the floral notes didn't come out on me), and I tend to prefer heavier scents that are more suitable for winter, so finding something so delightful and suitable for summer is a huge plus. I'll be on the look out for this at every opportunity. [Edited to add description]
  8. dtp

    Blood Amber

    Ooh, this is gorgeous! In the bottle: Spicy, a little sweet, and perhaps slightly floral. I love the colour, which might be biasing me towards the scent, I'm not sure. It's not what I expected--I've never encountered dragon's blood before, though, but I was expecting it to be more immediately resinous. Wet: Ah, there's the resin! This is just beautiful. It's warm and rich. Mmm. The amber comes out as soon as I apply it. Lovely. Dry: This softens and sweetens. I smell warm and spicy, and it's divine. A beautiful balance. Later: I could sit around sniffing my wrists for hours. It's delicate, but it's got good staying power. I am in love with this scent! Definitely purchasing more of this in my next order--I love everything about this, from the first sniff to the dry-down to the lasting hint after several hours of wear. This is definitely a winner for me! I'll have to look out for more dragon's blood blends to try.
  9. dtp

    Saturnalia

    I really cannot for the life of me decide if I love this blend or hate it. It's certainly one or the other--it's loud and potent and screams to be heard. I've tried it about four times--twice, I've run to the bathroom to wash it off because it smells like a corpse stuffed with Parma Violets, and twice I've been compulsively sniffing my wrists and the open imp because I can't get enough of it. In the bottle: Vetiver is pretty much all I can smell. It's smoky and earthy and musty--it makes me think of dark and haunted houses. It's spooky and mysterious and very, very strong. Wet: More balanced. This is smoky and damp, with an edge of violets. Dry: I can smell the violet come out, pushing the vetiver into the background, and so the fragrance is a lot subtler than when wet. It's got amazing throw--the whole room is permeated by the scent! Later: Sugary, musty violets. The scent is very sweet--my skin seems to make any blend sweet over time, though. There's a definite edge to the scent still, and the throw and the staying power is amazing. I think I prefer it in the imp, but I'm not certain. There's no rhyme or reason to days when I love it and days when I hate it, either. I'll be keeping this until I figure it out... and if I get through the imp before then, I'll just have to buy a new one! It's too 'touch and go' for me to invest in a bottle, though, even for the days where I adore it.
  10. dtp

    Al-Shairan

    In the bottle: Very rich and spicy. I'm not sure how it'll work as a perfume on me--it reminds me a little bit of a room scent, or perhaps something I'd use in the bath. Wet: Oranges! I couldn't really smell the citrus in the bottle, but as soon as it's on my skin the orange note comes out of hiding. I'm not a huge fan of citrus, so I hope it'll tone down. Dry: The orange fades, and the cinnamon and clove take over. I love both these notes--they're warm and comforting, and make me think of delicious spiced puddings and winter-scents. Not sure that I really like them as perfume on me--I'd be much more likely to use this as a room scent in winter, rather than as a perfume on me in the middle of summer. Later: Cinnamony orange is what's left. I don't dislike it, but I wouldn't wear it as a perfume. It's a shame the incense and peach notes weren't stronger, because I like them as perfume. I'll probably keep this to use in an oil burner on a cold day in winter, when I need the warmth and a pick-me-up scent.
  11. dtp

    Penitence

    In the bottle: Smoky and rich. I'm getting more frankincense than myrrh, but they're balanced beautifully. Wet: Warm, smoky, and slightly sweet--I seem to amp up sweetness in blends for some reason. It's almost got a slightly floral note there. Either way, it smells sumptuous. Dry: I lovelovelove this so much. The frankincense is kept in line by the myrrh which gives it some extra depth and richness. It's warm and rich and smoky and I'm in love. Later: This fades sooner than I'd like--or maybe because I keep compulsively sniffing it, I'm just getting inured to the fragrance? It has quite a good throw and doesn't fade too soon, though. I'd want to reapply after a few hours to keep the depth of the scent, though. In conclusion, I want a BIG bottle of this. It's so versatile, and so me that I'll be using it not just as a perfume but as a room fragrance, in an oil burner, in the bath... It's also a big hit with my mum! This is definitely going in my next order. It's divine.
  12. dtp

    Jack

    In the bottle: sweet, buttery fruit pudding. Very foody--definitely a 'pudding' smell, very rich and heavy. It reminds me of the puddings served in Hall at my old university. Wet: The butter really comes to the front. I can detect a hint of spice, which I like. It's not overpowering. I think I like it, but I'm not sure. Dry: Ack! I'm wearing bread and butter pudding! The sweetness and the butter has really amped up, completely overpowering the fruit notes and shoving the spices right to the back. It's too sweet for me--every time I bring my wrist too near my face I feel slightly sick. Later: It's got a good staying power. I can still smell it several hours later. My skin has continued to amp up the butter and sweetness, unfortunately. There's no way I'm going to be able to wear this. I might save this until autumn and see how it works as a room fragrance. I quite liked it in the bottle, but sadly my chemistry doesn't agree with it.
  13. dtp

    La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente

    Soft, lush myrtle and dry, sweet melilot with wild rose, pomegranate juice and peach blossom against a background of deep aquatic notes and a twirl of melancholy autumn breezes. In the bottle: Very fruity, very juicy. Strong, but not overpowering. I can sense a slight floral undertone, but it's mainly juicy fruit, which I'm loving. Wet: The fruit immediately fades to the background, and the floral notes take over. I'm not as keen on florals, but it's got such a light, lush, fresh scent that I'm still liking it. I wish it was a bit fruiter, perhaps, but it's still working. Dry: The fruit really fades, and the floral notes bloom. It's perhaps a little too floral now, but it's still a nice and crisp scent. Staying power: It's lasted about three hours without fading too much, but I'd still want to reapply to keep the same level of scent. I'll be keeping this--and by this I actually mean that I'll be passing it on to my mum, and then be buying her a 10ml bottle for her birthday. She seriously adores this. She's been sniffing my wrists all evening and gushing over how wonderful the scent it, and how much it reminds her of a perfume she got years ago and really loved. So, whilst it's not my favourite, it's a clear winner for her!
  14. dtp

    Lady MacBeth

    This was the first scent I tried, and I chose it because the description sounded amazing, and the gentle scent from the unopened imp smelled so good. However, as soon as I actually opened it, I suspected it wasn't going to work for me, and sadly I was right Bottle: Wow! Very sweet, somewhat overpowering, and nothing like what I expected from the name, description, or the scent from the unopened imp. It takes me a while to place the scent, because it's one I'm unfamiliar with--it's that artificial grape flavour/scent that I associate with my childhood trips to Florida. I can't tell yet whether or not I actually like it, though. I'm hoping it will grow on me. Wet: Grape, grape, grape. I love grapes, and I love fresh grape juice, and I love wine, but this scent is nothing like that. I'm still getting what I've come to think of as 'Orlando Mall'--I'm 10 years old again, it's my first trip to America, and my first encounter with this weird flavouring/scent that we don't have in England. It's kind of a nostalgic scent, but not something I'm sure I want to wear. Dry: I was hoping this would mellow on the dry-down, but I was unlucky. The sweetness is a bit sickly and cloying on my wrist, and I get a tickle in my throat if I sniff it directly. However, it's a scent that I want to like, because it has nice associations, and I'm still hoping for the other notes to come through. Later: This has very good staying power... which is sadly unfortunate, because I can still smell nothing but grape. After a few hours I have to wash it off, because it is just too sickly for me. A great shame. I'm going to see if this works for my mum, and maybe try layering it with something that'll tone down the sickliness of the scent on me. If that doesn't work, it's going on the swap pile. Sorry, Lady Macbeth! You just don't work for me.
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