mymymai

Brian and I made this one for Ted to honor his undying, incessant, relentless love of Abba: silvery snow reflecting myriad glimmers of orange blossom, black currant, pink grapefruit, white mint, sweet plum, and Italian bergamot. ITB: This reminds me of the old-fashioned hard ribbon candy my grandfather used to have out each Christmas. I remember there being swatches of sweet citrus, berry, and peppermint, which is very similar to what this smells like to me in the bottle. Wet: The bergamot comes out warmly on my skin first, followed by the clean white mint, the slightly sugar grapefruit, the plum, and finally the orange blossom. The smells like a combination of fruits being preserved and made into the toppings for a wonderful set of pastries. Dry: After a 12 hour day, nothing remains on my wrist, which warrants a re-application assessment after a few dry-down hours. After a number of reapplications, the scent is warm and softly fruity, like black currants laced with orange blossom, warmed in a tart.

ITI: It's sweetly resinous with touches of dried fruit underneath. I'm just worried about the quince on my skin, but so far, so good. Wet: It smells like warm fruit cake, although I can detected the patchouli and bergamot. Surprisingly nice and warm. Dry: As it was drying, I remember having a favorable response. It becomes less fruit cake and more alluringly warm and resinous form the amber, coconut, and myrrh. There is a slight sweetness to it from the mimosa, but it just adds to make this a gorgeous, feminine scent that would be a great winter, fall, or spring scent.

ITI: It's really bitter and green. I was expecting super sweet and fruity, though. I do pick up on the strawberry, and mint, but they are covered by the mastic, cypress, and pine. Wet: It's still bitter, but now that the strawberry is stronger on my skin, it's not as bad. I still get the mint as well, and when paired with strawberry, reminds me of some of the new flavors of fruit gum that Trident is producing. Dry: This one vanishes on my skin rather quickly. I've reapplied it twice and tried to assess it after 5 hours, but it's virtually non-existent each time. On third reapplication, I get strawberry Smarties and oakmoss with a touch of petitgrain. It's okay, but I'm not thrilled with it.

ITI: It's like artichoke and salted ambergris. I know this sounds really strange, but I like it. It has an umami quality to it and it makes my mouth water. Wet: Yep, it's very much the same on my skin, although I do pick up on the aquatic tone (kelp, probably) as it starts to settle. Regardless, this scent is unconventional and oddly interesting. Dry: Once dried, I get more of the buckthorn berry, kelp, and salt, and less of my lovely ambergris. It's still an aquatic I like, so that's a huge win for this scent.

ITI: It's fruity, but in a fruit bubblegum way. I think part of that might be the combination of the sugar, cassis, and mango. Wet: Hmm, the bubblegum note reminds me of lotus, especially because there is that 1990's air freshener tone to it. It's sweet, but I can't shake the distaste for that first note. Dry: It strikes me still like a Glade plugin- sweet yet slightly bitter in its floral saturation. I do get the orange carnation and coconut, which soften it, but this one is just not working for me.

ITI: Licorice, orange blossom, overly ripe fruit (like a week overripe), and sandalwood. There's something just odd about this. Wet: Okay, the overripe scent is gone. Thank goodness! It's pungent licorice root (but in the best way), white sandalwood and patchouli on my skin. This is really nice, actually. Dry: There's only a ephemeral red fruity tone and a touch of sandalwood left after a full day of work.

ITI: It smells like myrrh and balsam and something that reads as "round" for some reason. Wet: It certainly does strike me as golden and warm. Now that it is on my skin, I'm certain there is amber in here as well as the balsam along with some kind of resinous incense not (I keep thinking of myrrh). Dry: After 15 hours, only the amber remains distinct on my skin, but it is still a warm and round scent. It's very nice.

ITI: It's lily fragrant orchids, lilies, and almond pastries with a hint of resin from the benzoin. Strange. Wet: The warm pastry note I picked up early is the ambergris paired with the gardenia, which I can now discern specifically because the notes become individually more distinct on skin. I also pick up on a touch of moss, lily, orchid, and resin, although all are much more subtle than the ambergris and gardenia. Dry: It's still soft and faintly sweet, but the notes are not distinguishable after 12 hours.

ITI: Yep, that's jasmine and that is all I get. Wow. Wet: I tried this on earlier but didn't have time to sit down and write anything. I remember thinking that I smelled...strongly perfume-y, which is the jasmine. Normally, I like the other notes, but jasmine is just a bully on my skin. Dry: Slightly powdery jasmine, a touch of rose, and lily. It's too overtly floral for me, so it's a pass.

ITI: I get a gorgeous lemon verbena note, but like lemon verbena tea paired with something more masculine and slightly peppery. Interesting so far. Wet: I still get mostly Embalming fluid ( lemon, tea, aloe, musk), but the aftershave tones down the sweeter aspects by adding something spicier and a little more sharp. Dry: After some time. it becomes a soft, slightly lemon-y, tea infused subtle scent. I like it.

An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry. ITI: I get effervescent champagne - which is a nice I really do like. I don't pick up any strawberry, though, with which I'm perfectly fine. Wet: Champagne and just a slight tone of strawberry - not cloying, but fresh and juicy. It reminds me of a romantic evening. Dry: It died out before I left from work, but when I did catch a whiff of myself, I smelled like fizzy champagne and strawberries. I felt bubbly and fantastic.

ITI: I just get fresh, clean lavender - not freshly picked, but something I'd smell in the bath section. Wet: Herby lavender and spicy lotus, but thankfully it's actually lotus on my skin rather than bubblegum! Dry: It stays pretty consistent, but it does soften pretty quickly. Overall, this is a nice, feminine scent, although not overtly girly, which I could wear as a staple.

ITI: Oh, that's pretty. It's white peach, rosewood, and a hint of osmanthus. This is feminine, pretty, and innocent. Wet: It's still lovely - peach, sandalwood, osmanthus, and rosewood combine beautifully together to form a scent I would consider wearing on a regular basis. Dry: It dries to faint peach and rosewood, which is still really pretty. This is a keeper for me.

ITI: I get the impression of something relaxing and clean, which must be the lavender. I'm not picking up much else aside from lavender, though. Wet: Yep, that's lavender. However, I'm now getting a bit of green from the mandrake and moss, and a bit of strong lily-like flower from the asphodel. It's a bit in-your-face soapy smelling, but it's okay. Dry: After a few hours and a mild workout, the scent is much less soapy. In fact, it's pleasantly soft and floral from the tuberose, asphodel, and frankincense (very light).

ITI: Oh, that's deeply earthy, rich, and "brown" from the patchouli and bitter almond. What a striking first impression! Wet: Odd. I'm getting something that reminds me of cough syrup, but then it gets covered by the patchouli, labdanum, and cumin, which lends a delicious warmth to the scent. Dry: The patchouli clams down a bit to allow the frankincense, which is gorgeous, to come out, which pairs so beautifully with the labdanum and cumin. This is a winning scent, especially if you enjoy earthy, resinous tones.

ITI: It's soft, reminiscent of sun-dried linen with a hint of rose and something that is skewing almost like a citrus note. Wet: The rose and cypress are a little clearer on my skin, and I can tell there is orris root here, but it serves as a slightly powdery base that displays the florals rather than competes with them. Dry: It's very light after about 10 hours of wear, but I can still tease out the rose, something slightly sweet, and a dusty myrrh.

ITI: It's papery white florals, lilac, and anise seed on first sniff. Interesting. Wet: It's warmer on my skin, with the benzoin offering a slightly resinous tone to the carnation and lilac. Just under both of those is the tuberose and the anise seed, contributing some softness as well as some of that pungent licorice smell that characterizes anise. Very nice so far. I like what the anise is doing here, but I do love licorice notes as well. Dry: As it was drying, I kept thinking about paper, but more along the lines of bamboo paper. After 8 hours, the scent is now primarily lilac and anise seed.

The essence of the most debauched hunger encapsulated into a perfume. Desire beyond love, anguish beyond sanity. Nutmeg, sassafras, black poppy and myrrh. ITI: It's smoky and black - that's about all I'm getting, but I really like it so far. Wet: It's like peppermint, sassafras, opium smoke, and subtle myrrh. This reminds me of a hookah bar. Dry: This one is also a scent that doesn't last long on the wrists, which surprises me as the intensity wet is so much. After only a couple of hours, the scent is softly sweet, like a very light, dainty apricot tart with a dusting of nutmeg. Ia actually really like how this changes. It's like a smoldering, exotic dragon when wet, but like a soft, feminine, comforting perfume when dried.

ITI: The fig is rather prevalent here. I get a little mandarin, but I'm surprised at how dominant the fig really is. Wet: Yum! It's like candied mandarin and sweet, earthy black fig. Wow, this is a great combination - sweet, but grounded. Dry: The scent vanishes on my skin pretty quickly, but when still there is a balanced blend of earthy, light citrus, and sweet.

ITI: I remember absolutely hating this one the first time I smelled it. It was just all jalapeno and chocolate. I wanted to toss it so badly, but I gave it a chance to age. Sure enough, I still have the overwhelming urge to gag when I smell it. There's just something about the jalapeno, xocolatl, and vanilla pod that turns my stomach sour. Wet: Yep, not liking it. I think it's the jalapeno mixed with the xocolatl scent. I normally don't like chocolate notes as it stands, and paired with a non-sweet spicy note, it just makes for a bad time for my nose . Dry: After a 17 hour day, all that remains is copal and a hint of vanilla pods with a slightly spicy tinge. It's even decent now that it's had time to settle, but I'm not willing to give it that time on my skin.

In the Imp (ITI): It's aquatic, but it has a masculine tone to the briney nature of the sent. Wet: Now it reminds me of Lysol disinfectant, salt, and ocean breeze Glade plug-in. Dry: It softens some after drying,but maintains that same Lysol, Glade and sea salt quality as it did when wet. It;s not bad - just not me.

ITB: It's super sugary caramel with a nutty undertone. It's really sweet. Wet: It doesn't change much, although there's more of a buttery tone to the overtly sweet caramel. Dry: It's still very much sugar, caramel and butter - all day. At least it lasts for a while.

ITB: It smells like cough syrup-infused rum and polished wood. It's a bit strange. Wet: Cherries, bourbon, rum, rich tobacco and just a hint of polished oak. It's very much something I'd imagine a "gentleman" smelling like. Dry: It's deliciously smoky - think and somewhat fruity - slashed with bourbon and good rum and just a touch of polish underneath. I like it and I want to smell my husband in it.

ITI: It's oddly papery on first sniff, which I think is the carrot seed, but then I can get the rose along with something that reads as slightly green. Interesting. Wet: Okay, that is certainly a change. It's a slightly powdery scent that evokes images of the Victorian era or a French bed and breakfast in the countryside. The lemon balm in combination with the white floral and light rose set against the powdery orris root is feminine, relaxing, but slightly provocative at the same time. Dry: It's lemon balm, orris root, jonquil; it's soft and powdery while being a little tart.

ITB: The moment I sniffed the recent BPTP release of the perfume, I knew I had to have Snow Maiden. It's everything I love about the Lab's snow scent (crisp, cool, refreshingly citrus tinged) plus red berries and faintly innocent florals. Wet: I get more osmanthus on my skin, but the citrus-infused snow is still very prevalent, as are the berries. I get just a touch of ylang ylang underneath, which is pleasant. Dry: It's soft like falling snow, floral from the ylang ylang, and slightly resinous (and powdery in the best way) from the myrrh. We have a winner!