cabinwench

Kuang Shi was also in my first box o' 5 ml. bottles, ordered because the imp was so appreciated. In the bottle AND wet: I got the fruity mango/orange, but over it was almost a resinous scent, which was confusing. It reminded me of the juniper tang you get when eating a fresh mango. Maybe the sandalwood? It was assertive, and that note lasted 30 minutes or more. This was not unpleasant at all: this was working wonderfully as a "get up and get going and today has happiness potential". Partially laid-back (the fruit notes) and partially ready to take care of business. Let's charge into a bright new day, even if it is a Monday. An hour later, it's mango with backbone. No juniper scent at all(still don't know where that came from). Even several hours later, with the mango giving way to the orange, I 'm not geting enough sandalwood to think "hmmm...there's a sandalwood note". Maybe just enough to give it structure, or the musk is softening it? It's still something more than fruity, which I like. I noticed more throw with this, but that could be because I used a little more than normal. This I would like to refresh mid-day. Oh...there's the sandalwood! That's not one of my fav notes, but now it's like a stick of sandalwood was placed in a jar of orange-mango nectar and soaked the juice into the wood. The juicy notes are cancelling out whatever aspect of sandalwood I don't care for. This will be a great work scent for me, especially in the summer.

This is the one of the first 5ml bottles I ordered scent unsmelled (like sight unseen for the nose), with no imp to guide me...just reviews. In the bottle, it was certainly a strong peach with a sharp medicinal tang--maybe that was the boozy note? Wet: happy peach, some musk. It's lifting me out of a very bad mood. Drydown, the peach is still strong, with herbal note coming out to balance it. Maybe the ambers? Almost sweet enough to make me a bit queasy--not a good scent to apply shortly before cooking dinner. An hour later: I'm finally enjoying this as I should. I tried it as soon as my order came in (last week) and loved it, but there was much less going on that day. The ambers have told the peach to sit down and be quiet. The musk is coming out more, and does smell more bright--either that, or the ambers are dominating--I'm not a huge lover of musk, although I'm liking them better in Beth's blends. Someone loving this would probably enjoy softer Sauvignon Blancs that steer away from the citrusy notes and head straight for the peach side, while keeping some of the herbal/grassy tang.

This was a frimp (Thanks!) that I wondered about because I still don't have a feel for "ozone" and am iffy on lavender. In the bottle--whoa. That's strong something in there! But fruity. Wet on skin: a jack-slapped berry/herbal scent. Took the man two deep whiffs to form an opinion--a good sign? initial drydown: the lavender seems to cut some of the "berryness". I loved the review that referenced those sugary black current tins--I loved those, and I can smell the connection. It's feminine for me, but for someone much younger, maybe too sharp? Soothing, but some happy energy, too. If you loved Bordello, this could be a less, um...saloon-slutty version? Getting some surgary plum, but still that backbone, plus the floral. The ozone is keeping it from getting too sweet. There's some earth in there. A Shiraz lover would like this, I think. Or a properly red zinfindel lover. I can make an emotional, but non-verbal connection between the images "Lurid" conjures up, and the scent. It's out there with no apologies. Not half-hearted. There's still some soothing, but that's not what this is about. It wants too much attention. I would wear this if I were needing to transition from a draining day at work, to a dressed-in-black evening out. Energy, some soothing, then ramping up the sophistication, while maintaining some dirty thoughts. Update: after an hour, this is very "grown-up perfume" in a good way. The white musk note, maybe?

Another frimp--I was dying to try this based on the reviews and the description! In the bottle, all I got was sweet-strong. Wet on skin = commerical bathroom freshener (the kind used in big rest stop bathrooms). Good Lord, THIS is the big deal? That oversweet topnote faded rapidly, and the honey with a bite/note of sharp (I guess the amber) developed into a lucious, more honey than vanilla (but still a touch of vanilla) rounded scent. Very relaxing...then the skin/sex scent showed up. Still relaxing, but in a drowsy, *been making love and too tired to move* kind of way. The amber really keeps the power of the honey restrained and under control. A little foodie; I posted somewhere about if this scent were turned into a solid, I'd want to slather it on home-baked toast. I keep sniffing to reaffirm that this is really -THAT- good. This is a big bottle and a bedtime scent for me!

This came as a frimp in a bodacious box of imps, frimps, and bottles. In the bottle, it smelled kind of like dirt. Then the woodsy note kicked in. Wet on the skin was all Lemon Pledge applied to furniture with old rags. Strong herbal notes with the lemon. After drydown, the dirt turned to cedar and the lemon muted a bit from the patchouli, I guess. Reminds me of sitting in an historical high church. More agreeable, but the cedar is catching my throat. The cedar finally calmed down and let some herbal through, which helped. At first, I looked up the wrong scent--it was next to "Midnight" and I was sniffing my wrist and trying to reconcile what I was smelling with what I was reading about Midnight and figured I'd finally lost it. "White flowers, my ass!" At least it now makes sense. But this one is a swap or sell, I'm afraid.