mymymai

ITI: This scent is really gorgeous, invoking hints of spring from the nearly candied violet note, but there's also a coquettish tone to it thanks to the tonka bean and the heady, resinous incense. Wet: Yes, it's very much candied violet notes surrounded by bubblegum powder, sweet frankincense and a hint of sandalwood, followed by honeyed tonka. This smells like it would make an amazing aperitif. Dry: After 15 hours, it's still clearly discernible and incredibly enjoyable. Now that it's had a good time to settle, it smells like the most divine, fluffy, violet-infused creme brulee tart under thick, decadent whipped cream (that's how the incense and clove are reading to me and it's brilliant). I'm in love and it's worth every rich, fluffy, imaginary calorie.

ITI: It’s almost smoky in the bottle, like vetiver surrounding benzoin, musk, and something slightly tangy and almost minty, which might be the O3. I wasn’t anticipating the smokiness of the scent, but I can certainly see Wet: It smells clean and dangerous – the O3 and olibanum are light ephemeral when paired with the headier elements like the benzoin and galbanum, that yield a metallic, dangerous vibe. The pepper is present, but only enough to add an interesting depth to the scent. Dry: The sandalwood and ambergris are the notes that settle down for the long haul, casting the smoky, metallic notes into a more resinous and slightly sweet role. This gets a positive rating from me, but I wish the ambergris was more apparent.

ITI: Hmm, too green, too…sad. I’ll wear something else today. Day 2 – okay, again, I’m getting the same impression. It’s that carrot, wormwood, and mandrake. Boo. Wet: This scent makes me sad and mournful. The carrot, hemlock, wormwood, mandrake, parsley and vine notes are all nice green notes, but there’s something faintly aquatic to them and medicinal in the sense of need, not want. I just want to do nothing when I’m wearing this. Dry: At least it’s a bit more floral once it’s dried from the morning glory emerging, but overall, the wet greens and solemnity of the notes as a whole just aren’t for me.

ITI: Twenty One reminds me of the Lab's Champagne scents. It's bright and bubbly like their champagne notes, but there is a touch of citrus in there along with something lightly but pleasantly herbal. Wet: Woo, that's bubbly. It reminds me not of a martini in the strictest but of sparkling champagne, juniper berries, and mimosas. It's certainly very festive. Dry: Yep, it still smells like the Lab's dried champagne note paired with a touch of lemon rind, but I do pick up on the vermouth now that it has had time to settle. It's not so much a straight up martini, but a a sparkling martini, which I could get behind.

ITI: Wow, that smells good. Much better than I had anticipated. I was thinking I'd get a boozy wine scents with tones of sharp floral and pitched herbs. Instead, I get dewberry, fine whisky, subtle ambergris, and a gentleman's cologne when I inhale. It reminds me of a tavern that Manet would have visited. Wet: It still reminds me of dewberries strongly laced with gardenias, ylang ylang, a gorgeously expensive lavender fougere, a touch of ebony wood, and very nice aged whisky. It reminds me of slipping a refreshing beverage on a cool spring evening, sitting within the confines on a floral be-speckled terraced balcony in New Orleans. Ahhh! Dry: It's still wonderful - clearly floral (gardenia, ylang ylang), dewberry (I'm not sure what is giving me this not, but it's there), orange blossom, a touch of creaminess, and light splash of whiskey. This is a keeper!

ITI: Imperious jasmine, burgundy rose, and dark myrrh notes swirl around in the imp like some kind of magnificent concoction geared for evil dames. I like it in the imp, but I'm not sure how well it will behave on my skin. Jasmine, I'm watching you. Wet: The jasmine is more of a jasmine I'd associate with a sambac once on my skin. The myrrh and rose are both dark enough to offset with bombastic nature of jasmine, but I'd have to say that the myrrh - earthy, threatening, and faintly masculine - is what really makes the scent with the sweeter florals. Dry: As it dries down, Wicked does start to go a bit soapy on me thanks to the jasmine note. The rose shrinks back, which is too bad because the rose note is a really lovely, maturely dark but soft note. After about an hour, the jasmine calms down and the rose and myrrh take their stand - both a bit dusky and slightly aged, but alluringly feminine nonetheless. I'm much more of a fan once dry.

ITI: This is a very nicely blended mix of herbal, menthol-laced notes alongside fragrant woods and a touch of creaminess. Oh, I like it so far! Wet: My nose seems to think that the herbal and woody qualities comes from fir and rosemary notes; the creaminess is most certainly a light vanilla. The menthol note is still there, although it skews like eucalyptus. This actually helps my stuff nose. Hmm, I may keep this handy since we are getting into cold season. Dry: It’s now a creamy, calming, balm-like scent with overtones of fir and faint menthol. It’s really soothing, actually – more so than I expected.

ITI: I pick up on a note that reminds me of baby oil for some reason, specifically Johnson & Johnson's. There's a faint green as well as perhaps jasmine or gardenia paired with a deeper resin, like dragon's blood. Wet: Yeah, it turns rather soapy on my skin, so I'm thinking that the floral note I was smelling earlier is jasmine. It's undercut with a bit of dragon's blood resin, but not enough to combat the mineral oil-soaked jasmine screaming up from my wrist. Dry: This one doesn't really last all that long. After about 8 hours, I can only pick up a nondescript honeyed floral with the faintest impression of resin.

ITI: I know that it's supposed to smell slightly industrial, but I'm getting just a lovely blend of rosemary, eucalyptus, ozone, copper and coal. It reminds me of a smokier, sexier Loup Garou. Wet: Yes, this really is darkly resinous, with strong swaths of gleaming, oiled copper. The smoldering base does evoke smoke, it is rich, perfumey, dark, and enchanting, like incense and copper in the middle of a dense, woody, eucalyptus-laden park. Dry: Yummy, incense-y goodness. There surely is myrrh here with dusky coal, a bit of musk, gilded oil and a touch of fir or eucalyptus green. This is brilliant and will be a bottle of mine in the near future.

ITI: That neroli and bergamot here are strong, clear, and refreshing. It makes me year for a cup of Earl Gray tea. However, behind those notes saunters in a rush and slightly dangerous musk and sandalwood, lending a seriousness to what would normally be an indolent perfume. Wet: It still maintains the lovely tones from the neroli and bergamot, but the bergamot paired with the sandalwood and frankincense just flowers on my skin. It's glorious, like rose gold set before a wafting incense-laden censer. The musk, however,still provides a slightly threatening tone to the scent, like shadows that appear darker than normal in that gilded room. I love it and feel empowered for my procedure. Dry: After nearly 12 hours and begin scrubbed by prepping pads, Titus Andronicus endures. It's sweet from the amber, almost honeyish still, with darkly resinous notes of bergamot and neroli still ambling about below the musk. It's a strong bottle contender.

ITI: It reminds me of a tropical summer – suntan lotion, kafir limes, and pina coladas by the beach. Wet: Yum! Coconut cream, bright lime, a touch of sugar, and lemon balm. It’s a a very festive, summer scent. Dry: Interesting. It dries down into suntan lotion, coconut sugar, shredded lime and lemon, and something slightly basic underneath that I cannot place. The vanilla cream turns a little plastic-y on my skin, but I think that’s just me.

ITI: Interesting. I was expecting something very similar to its 2012 counterpart, but without the honey, the strawberry notes are much truer to reality to my nose, the vanilla-infused sugar adds some sweetness without being cloying, but the grass and dandelion sap are really what make the scent stand out. These notes help evoke the early summertime goodness of strawberries and the crisp greenness before the oppressive head makes everything overripe and dries out the green still succulent from the spring rains. Wet: The strawberry is just a touch artificial on my skin, but not enough to turn my opinion. It's still largely fresh and inviting. The greenness is what really makes this a "true" strawberry scent for me and keeps it from being too "lolita" for a woman in her 30s. It's just the right amount of sweet, fruity, and green. Dry: While this isn't exactly a marathon scent, I do still get faint Necco strawberry, sugar, and a touch of dandelion grass. It's not bad!

ITB: Oh, the leather has aged brilliantly. Thing London on a crisp, foggy evening, shrouded in a worn, black leather trench. I get the sense of being surrounded by slightly damp cobblestone speckled with lichen and oakmoss, the air effused with the fuzzy tones of cumin and a sharp cut of pepper. The hint of tonka bean keeps this scent as Scrooge rather than Jack the Ripper. Wet: The leather and oakmoss are more prominence on my skin, and the vetiver cuts in with a green and slightly heady charge through the remainder of the notes. It’s a rather evocative scent and I do like this quite a bit. Dry: Leather, oakmoss, and vetiver. The scent lasts for a good chunk of time and is plesant as it fades. Very nice!

ITI: Mechanical oil, ozone, myrrh, and ylang ylang. How odd. Wet: The impression is of something wet, dark, hidden in the hoods, slightly wavering, and just characteristic of ectoplasmic energy. I wouldn't have guessed that the combination of notes would yield that, but I do think the dark musk, really earthy, although patchouli-esque myrrh, and attar of rose yield a really haunting base, while the ylang ylang add s an ephemeral, ozone quality to the scent as a whole. I like it! Dry: I just get myrrh and attar of rose. Honestly, I'm really impressed that the scent has lasted 17 hours. Wow.

ITI: It's rather sweet, but in a baklava kind of way. To that extent, it smells like honey, almonds, dates, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Wet: On my skin, the scent takes on a slightly papery quality, which strikes me as odd. It still is very sweet, and a bit too heavy on the honey in my opinion, but then again, honey tens to turn on me. It still has elements of the sweet treat I sensed from the bottle state, but it does change based on skin chemistry. Dry: The honey dies down considerably, leaving a more perfume-y and slightly older smelling spice blend with a touch of aged almonds in the background. Again, I don't think this one is for me.

ITI: I’m not sure whether or not I should be bothered that my first impression is that I find the scent comforting. I really like that the patchouli is a subtle, earthy version, the oakmoss isn’t too green, the heliotrope isn’t too brashly floral, and the copal just offers a lovely, balanced, slightly resinous blend reminiscent of “Our Hearts Condemn Us” from the Only Lovers Left Alive release. Wet: It’s a touch sweeter and almost woody on my skin, but the wood is like a combination of balsam, aged cedar, and a more toned-down version of teak. The copal note in this scent is a real winner, as I believe it is what is reading as woody above the patchouli, oakmoss, and heliotrope (which now has a honeyed tone to it). Gorgeous scent so far! Dry: It mellows down a bit once dry, but it’s still a lovely blend – golden, harmonious, woody, resinous, earthy, and inviting. I want a bottle of it!

ITI: I get an interesting combination of jasmine, neroli, and lemon verbena. Jasmine usually overpowers many of it's accompanying notes, at least to my nose, so this harmonious blend is fascinating as I would describe the notes as well blended, delicate, and slightly ephemeral with the faint green tea note that remains hidden, but that brings something special to this blend. Wet: The lemon verbena is more assertive on my skin, but I actually quite like it with the jasmine and neroli. The green tea still stays in the background, but does add to the complexity of the scent. Dry: Oddly enough, the most lasting note is green tea, followed by lemon verbena. Even though it's lost the other two notes, I'm a fan of the scent!

ITI: In the imp, it smells like jasmine, dragon's blood resin, baby oil, a strong musk, and something sweet, perhaps a faint honey, beeswax, or vanilla, but it's too faint to tease out. Wet: Oh wow, that's impressive. It's not jasmine as much as jonquil. The oil itself looks and smells like dragon's blood resin, dark cherries, skin musk, baby powder, and brandy on my wrist. The color of the oil is even startling. It reminds me of Robitussin, but warmer in color, while still being deeply crimson and thick! Dry: After a few hours, it's soft, pleasantly musky with a tinge of powderienss, possibly from ambergris. While I'm not certain of the notes, I feel like honeysuckle might be part of this, possibly beeswax, as well as a healthy dose of rich vanilla. As for its purported abilities to attract, I'd say it certainly has some merit. Despite a draped black top, hair in a low ponytail, jeans, tennis shoes, and not an ounce of makeup, I noticed far more individuals paying farr greater attention to me that I would warrant necessary or typical. It's actually a little unnerving.

ITI: This reminds me of walking through U.C. San Diego’s Eucalyptus grove in fall, although with the deeper wood of cedar and the heady, blue, swirling herbal yet minty tones of sage. Wet: It’s a bit more herbal and clearly cedar, like carved cedar trunks specifically, it it still remains the lovely tones that I picked up on in the imp. Dry: I’m surprised by how soft this turns own when dried, like clean cotton drying outside a log cabin early in the morning.

A stirring yet gentle perfume. The scent of love and devotion mingled with an undercurrent of heart-rending sorrow. A bouquet of white roses, labdanum, and wild orchid. ITI: I was expecting overtly floral and sweet, but Magdalene is a bit on the acrid/bitter side, like roses and thorns with a touch of labdanum. Wet: The rose and orchid more clearer once on the skin, and while the bitterness has died down, a soft powderiness has settled over the top of it. It really does seem to do its name-sake justice. Dry: Softy powder, pleasant rose, and a touch of light distant ozone for some reason rain on my skin. It’s gorgeous and I’m not upset that it has been discontinued.

ITI: Stiff red leather that reminds me of riding tack, balsam wood, and a touch of damp green. Wet: The balsam and moss are a bit sweeter on my skin, but not by much. The leather still has that quality of stiffness about it that reminds me so clearly of riding tact. It just feels like the scent needs an incense or resin note to soften it up a bit. Dry: Unfortunately, it simply dries down into a stiff red leather and balsam on me. It just needs a bit more complexity.

ITI: Hmm, I'm getting coconut, light rose, and the impression of mounts of marshmallow-ish fluff. Interesting. Wet: It reminds me of what the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland would wear if she had a perfume. It's pleasantly powdery, delicately musky in the most ephemerally way, light coconut, and bedecked with gorgeous rose, even on my skin. Dry: It dries down into a gentle, comforting coconut-tinged skin musk with a dusting of rose- very pretty.

ITI: Jasmine. Yep, that's jasmine alright - strong and imperious, pushing almost all the other notes out of its way. Lemon does try to make a showing, but it soft and timid against its assertive note "companion". Wet: Okay, at least the jasmine is somewhat tempered by the honeysuckle and lemon on my skin, but it's still way too much. It smells like crazy disinfectant, lemon cleaner, and jasmine deodorizer. Well, at least I smell clean. Then again, my skin just doesn't like jasmine. Dry: It's just jasmine and lemon, but mostly jasmine now. Alas, into the swap pile you go.

ITI: Spicy, warm, daunting, darling, and sexy as hell. I'll be over here, fanning myself like a Southern bell fully dressed for my debutante ball in the middle of July. Wet: The Arabian musk here is dark, almost inky, carries a bit like cologne, and provides a very masculine and exquisitely smoldering base for the spices, which have some fuzzy brown notes, so I'd assume cinnamon, nutmeg, and perhaps allspice are present here. As it starts to settle a few seconds in, rose rose emerges, the spices shift, and I get sun-dried,f freshly laundered bed-sheets as well. It smells great, but it's no longer that menacingly delightful scent that I so enjoyed at the start. Drat! Dry: Othello settles down into a lightly spiced musk. Nice, but that's it.

ITI: Sharp white florals and Glade plug in or air freshener with a touch of salt. It isn't what I was expecting out of the imp. Wet: And that's an aquatic. I put this on as I have to run to an appointment and hesitate as I'm walking out the door, contemplating whether or not I have enough time to wash it off and make my appointment on time. I don't, so I have to deal with the damp, chilly aquatic notes, but at least the white floral keep it from being too overwhelming. The do bring a softness to the scent, but the aquatic, saltiness is dominates. Dry: Thankfully, it fades to a combination of watery florals and brine in the distance, which isn't too bad. However, that just doesn't make the cut in my imp box.