steffanina

Versailles- In Bottle: Orange is the dominant note; I can't put a name to anything else. Wet: I wish I knew what to call what I'm smelling. Dry: The lack of words to describe this wouldn't be so distressing if I were smelling anything I liked, but this is completely unexciting on my skin; like the memory of perfume only. As if someone opened an old empty perfume bottle, waved it over my arm and said, "There, how's that?" o_O Overall: Dull and nondescriptive. A swapper, sigh.

Carnal- In Bottle: I get a spicy candle scent. For a few seconds here and there I can't smell anything! It's like it just disappears. Wet: I smell spice, like a clove orange, like Christmas! If this is Carnal, it's the carnal of an eastern harem, not of motel rooms or cute bubble-gum chewing young harlots. This is a not-ashamed, everyday, we-live-with-our-sensuality-most-naturally carnality. Dry: I still get candles and Christmas. It's nice, though--it would be downright delicious, in fact, but I can't shake that waxy feeling, to go along with the candles, though. The scent itself fades before long. Overall: Okay. I'll try it again in greater quantity.

The Tell-Tale Heart- In Bottle: A little chocolate, a little sweet and sharp. Wet: A warm scent, and I think I can sense the pepper too. Dry: Rich and warm. Not a foodie smell but warm and comforting, like a den with books and a comfortable leather couch in late afternoon. The pepper recedes but is detectable, and while this seems masculine to me it's certainly not too much so for my chemistry. It's not necessarily going to be a favorite of mine but it's pleasant. When I make myself remember the name of the scent and the description and try to work that into the mood, I remember the protagonist of the story feeling happy and comfortable now that the deed was done and he was confident no one would know, and then I try to detect that little hint of terror that might underly that comfortable confidence, in the scent. Works for me! Overall: I like.

Bloodlust- In Bottle: Must and chocolate. Not completely unappealing, despite the must (which usually puts me off). Wet: Oh! I'm surprised how good this smells on me, even at first. A sharp woodsy smell, maybe even woody, with a touch of cedar. It's giving me a "yummy" impression. That sharpness seems to crawl right up my sinuses, when a take a good sniff. Yes, definitely cedary. I'm startled how much I like it since cedar smells like "hamster cage" to me usually and puts me off. Dry: I can't believe how much I like this one. Great staying power, and I keep sniffing and sniffing my wrists for more. It's absolutely yummy. I'm still getting chocolate when I sniff. Overall: I like a WHOLE lot!

Arachne- In Bottle: An acetone sweetness. (The person who said "Juicy Fruit Gum" knows what I'm on about.) Wet: That acetone scent blooms strongly at first, but recedes quickly into an undertone of sweet. A fresh soapy smell. Dry: Not that exciting. That acetone sweetness lingers and I fear in greater quantity it might give me a headache. Overall: A little interesting, but I don't think I'll come back to it much. I might swap it out.

Dance of Death- In Bottle: A rich, chocolate-like note (goodness, everything reminds me of chocolate recently!). Wet: Woody and very rich! A deep, hungry-making scent. Dry: Oh, this is so nice. You can't tell me there's no chocolate evoked by this! It's a rich warm scent, almost masculine but certainly not too much so. This has nice lasting power, too. Overall: I like a lot!

Santa Muerte- In Bottle: An earthiness here--no, maybe more like wood-- and a chocolaty note. Wet: A very fresh, resinous burst on my skin. As it sinks in I continue to smell that woody resin. Dry: A subtle touch is left. Fresh and a little soapy. Overall nice; I liked it a lot in the bottle and wet, but it seems to fade quickly. Overall: I like. (Afterthought: Vetiver is used so much in these scents and people here speak of it as though it's a scent one ought to know. One day someone will have to hand me something and say, "Smell that? That's vetiver. Now you know." Because I have no idea what vetiver smells like.)

Talvikuu- In Bottle: Sweet. And pine. Wet: More pine, stronger musk. Getting a little powdery. Dry: Oh! This has such a nice dry-down. It's powdery and woody and I don't get the mood of bleakness this is supposed to evoke at all. I get a warm impression like I'm standing in a kitchen, one where nothing's actually cooking (this is not a foodie smell) but I know that the place is well-stocked with good things and that I could start cooking something delicious any moment I liked. I wonder why I don't think of this as a "cold" scent at all? Overall: I like!

Baneberry- In Bottle: A very floral smell like fresh-smelling soap. Doesn't seem too heavy. Wet: Very nice, strong florals; not at all rose-like but like bold lilies and lilacs and...well, maybe not those flowers exactly but ones with big bold smells. Dry: It's not until the dry-down that I start to smell the berries! Yes, a sweetness like blackberries. Wow, I'm so impressed with the richness of the dry-down! Overall: I like a lot!

Gingerbread Poppet- In bottle: OMFG I AM IN LOVE. This is carrot cake WITH THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Oh! Wet: Less vanilla cream-cheese-y and more of the ginger blooming on my skin. Not quite so ecstatic as the first sniff, but still yummy. Let's see how it settles out. Dry: Ah, I wish that cream cheese yumminess had done its thang on my skin too, but the sweet ginger scent is very pleasant, though it does not seem to have huge staying power on me. Overall: I like. Will try again in larger quantity.

Frost Moon- In Bottle: The first note is spearmint. Just like I'd expect a cold scent to be, minty! Wet: Less mint and a little more floral. But still a cold floral. Dry: The mint fades quickly, but the fresh floral scent is quite nice. What a lovely scent--it's a little soapy but in a good way. Clean-smelling like laundry detergent. I keep sniffing my wrists to get the clean scent; it's a great finish, even if I wish the mint hung around a little longer though. Overall: I really like!

Bengal- In Bottle: I agree with the person who said it reminded him/her of crumbcake! Cinnamon and sweetness. Wet: Once it's on, I get a medicinal whiff. I think that might be the clove, as I associate clove with a numbing effect. It's mellowing some--so far this is nice. Dry: The fade on this is not as interesting as the start. It feels like it's over quickly, too. However it never gets noxious! I'll try it again, maybe using a little more. Overall: Smells nice, but fades fast. I'll try it again and see.

The Premature Burial- In Bottle: Oh! All these people saying dirt, I thought I would be turned off. But it's not dirt in a negative way; there's earthy loamy scent, but it's rich, not icky. And a sandalwood smell too. Wet: Wow! That same earthiness, and the sweetness accompanying it is like root beer. Not too aggressive at all. I really like the sarsaparilla tone! Dry: I love this scent. I mean, I love it, not just for the novelty of it, but it's wonderful all the way through the finish. I can't figure out how to describe the end here--sort of woody and delicious. Overall: I love.

Tintagel- In Bottle: My first impression of this is a whiff of female sexual musk. The kind that makes me say, "You gotta be kidding, it can't smell like THAT" and think it's gone off or something. Beyond that, there's a spicy blend I can't pick out any more than that. Wet: More spice, less of that musk. I really can't pick anything else out. Dry: Fades after a relatively short time, and the finish is unremarkable. I never got a mood from this one. Overall: Unremarkable. My first swapper. Sigh!

Eternal- In Bottle: I can identify the gardenia; no other notes stand out. Wet: More gardenia. Very sweet. Dry: Almost tropical in its floral-ness. Very fresh! It's fading quickly though. Another subtle one for me. Overall: I like, some.

Usher- In Bottle: Very faint citrus, the rest I can't pick out. Wet: Orangey, a little spicy. Masculine notes, definitely. Oh! This one seems to be fading quite quickly! Dry: Where did it go? We are talking TWO MINUTES!--Okay, I guess this one would be okay to use in quantity in order to get a little subtle scent. But I seem to have eaten it right up in a matter of minutes. I like the little residue-scent left. I think this one is more useful because of the fading, actually--otherwise it would be too strong for me. Overall: I like, some.

White Rabbit- In Bottle: A lovely foodie smell. Milky? Wet: Lime jumps out at me. Then it's gone, and there's a sweet powdery scent left. Dry: Oh! It fades so quickly! It hasn't been five minutes and I'm sniffing and sniffing my wrists to see what's left. It's like it's acclimatizing right into my chemistry.--Later, it's still there, but very soft and light and powdery. I think I like how subtle this one is; good one to wear when I just want a hint of scent for myself. Overall: I love it, but it fades so fast, drat!

Gaueko- In Bottle: Very strong, eye-watering smell. Like insect repellent. Wet: I just do not have the knowledge of what these scents are to describe them. The only thing coming to me is that it does feel like a masculine scent. Strong. I think it's another one of those that I mustn't smell too frequently or it will nauseate me. Dry: The finish is very nice, sandalwoody but stronger, but I'm not sure I want to go through the drying process to get to the finish. Have to see if I pick this one up again. Overall: I'll keep for the moment, but it might become a swapper.

Belladonna- The devil’s herb, which he cultivates with skill and pleasure. According to lore, the spirit of this plant may take the form of a breathtaking, achingly beautiful woman, deadly to behold. This scent is a tribute to such a dark and magnificent plant: a rich green and floral blend, earthy and haunting. In Bottle: Pine. Lots of pine. Wet: Pine, but there's more. Grass. I'm reminded of a farm in spring because there's almost an organic, animal thing going on here. Dry: A resinous smell that leaves me saying, "Huh. Interesting." Not one I'll come back to often, but certainly unique. Who knows; I might acquire a taste for it. Overall: Interesting. I'll come back to it.

Highwayman- In Bottle: I can't really pick out any one thing. It's all floral-spice unfamiliarness. Wet: Okay, this is much nicer now. Very sweet; if I didn't know the names of what was in here I wouldn't know how to separate anything. I smell the rose but it's not at all what I think of when I think of rose. Much more robust and less cloying. Sweet and floral and spice in general. I don't think this is too masculine but it does make me want to go put on jeans instead of a dress, if that makes any sense. Dry: Whoa. Okay, I keep sniffing my wrist to see if it changes, and about half an hour after I put it on all I'm left with is this intense sweet-spicy musk that is literally making me nauseated with every sniff. If I could wash my wrists off I would, but I'm in the car. So I make myself stop sniffing. When I'm not sniffing, the nausea fades, and I don't feel like I reek. In fact I like what I perceive I smell like--the odor-aura of me is a nice impression. And three hours after I've put it on, what's left is fine (and not musty at all). This is something I won't come back to often, but I won't get rid of it. The idea of telling myself "this one is okay, just don't keep sniffing at it" is too high-maintenance for everyday wear, but I'm thinking when I want to feel like there's a masculine aura on me I might bring it out. Overall: VERY conditional, but I won't get rid of it.

Velvet- In Bottle: Chocolate! Chocolate and mint. Wet: Now it's less like mint and more like...there's something woodsy under the chocolate. Like pine trees. I really don't smell the sandalwood at all, not in the way I'm used to thinking of sandalwood. Yum! That piney undertone really sets off the chocolate smell. I feel like a wood nymph who's been left a gift of cocoa beans. Dry: That piney scent is starting to smell more like sandalwood now and the chocolate is less evident. I really like how this is reacting on my skin. Overall: I like! Maybe even love.

The Black Tower- In Bottle: Sharp and sweet. Not like a body scent, but like...something you'd use to cover up something noxious. Wet: Very lightly musky. And the sharpness is almost wintergreeny. Dry: This has become a very soft, almost powdery fragrance an hour later. I can't say it evokes a mood in me, but it's a simple and nice fragrance. It's definitely not too masculine for a woman. And it never got musty, yay! Overall: I like.

Elegba- In Bottle: Butter Rum! Yummy butter rum! And a hint of something musty that must be the tobacco. Wet: The butter rum dominates but the mustiness is there too. I tell myself that that's the tobacco and it's not the mustiness that I often get when a scented oil fades on my skin, to try to convince myself. Dry: The tobacco lingers longest and makes me disheartened, despite what I tell myself, that it's the mustiness of a scent gone bad on my skin, because I get that all too often. Nevertheless I'm going to keep trying this one, because if that tobacco mustiness is purposeful, that's a different story, and I might get used to that. Overall: I want to like this, but it's conditional. I'll try it again in the future and see.

Whip- In Bottle- Leather and Rose! They weren't kidding. Wet- Unchanged. Leather and Rose. Dry- One of the most honest scents I've tried. Continues the leather and rose scent until it fades, neither dominating. And it does not turn musty! Straight rose is not a scent that usually attracts me, but mixed like this it's a different story. Overall: I like!

Clio- In Bottle: Orangey, with spicy undertones. Wet: I see why this is touted as being associated with old parchment. I'm reminded of used bookstores. Still spicy, too. Dry: As this dries and fades, maybe an hour later, I'm left with the overwhelming comparison to Opium perfume. This smells just like Opium does and that leaves me powerless to come up with any other descriptors. Fortunately I like Opium perfume a lot! But since I don't know how to break down that scent in words I'm stuck for describing it. Overall: I like!