Magycmyste

In the imp: I think all I'm getting is oakmoss - bitter and herbal.

Wet on skin: Still very bitter and herbal.

Dried down: It's softening a little bit as it dried down, but not really changing otherwise.

Throw: Almost none, but I'm kind of glad of that.

Verdict: ** Yeah, not for me.

I'm a little nervous about this one, since vetiver has a habit of going sour on me, and darkening blends too much, but I'm curious, and I've had success with a couple of vetiver blends, so I'll try it.

In the imp: Dark vetiver, definitely. Kind of smoky.

Wet on skin: Going a little light on this application. Still dark vetiver. This doesn't bother me as much as some other vetiver scents, though. We'll see if that lasts, though.

Dried down: I think I'm getting a bit of the carnation and amber now.

Throw: Almost none on me.

Verdict: ** 1/* I may have to give this another try later, but I don't think this scent's for me. But, a better experience than I've had with vetiver in the past.

Oh, I've been looking forward to trying this one.

In the imp: Irish coffee. With hazelnut. Mmmmmm.....

Wet on skin: Same. A little stronger on the hazelnut, though.

Dried down: Mmmm...... soft and sweet, coffee and cocoa and bailey's with a little bit of cinnamon sprinkled on top. There's a bit of dry paper there, but it's mostly overwhelmed by the coffee.

Throw: This has some throw to it, and it makes me happy.

Verdict: ***** Yeah, I'll want a bottle of this at some point.

In the imp: Interesting. This is kind of sweet, but not too sweet. It smells like amaretto to me.

Wet on skin: Still amaretto, but something else, too. Amaretto mixed with rum, maybe? Actually, there's a hint of fennel in there now.

Dried down: The is very soft now, almost powdery, like confectioner's sugar just sprinkled on my skin, but with a touch of... it's not quite amaretto now - more like rum.

Throw: Just a a tiny bit.

Verdict: **** 1/* I don't need this immediately, but I REALLY like it. Really. *sniff*

In the imp: Bubblegum sweet and fruity, but with a weird edge - I think from the sage and patchouli. It gives it a tinge of rubbing alcohol

Wet on skin: Still fruity bubblegum.

Dried down: grapefruit and lime close to the skin, but sage and patchouli scent the air a bit.

Throw: Only a little bit, the herbally sage with a whiff of patchouli. It's pretty, though.

Verdict: *** I don't dislike this scent, but it's a little too disjointed for my tastes. I think I'll pass on this one.

In the imp: This is hard for me to describe - I'm not too familiar with a lot of these notes. But my first sniff is of something dark and green and dirty, but then it immediately brightens a little - just a little - into a dark herbal.

Wet on skin: This is a bit nicer, a little more floral: stargazer lily or moonflower, maybe?

Dried down: Ok, pretty white floral now.

Throw: Almost none for me.

Verdict: **** I am liking this a lot more than I thought i would, based on the scent out of the imp. I might actually get a bottle of this sometime, but I don't know how often I would reach for it over my other scents.

In the imp: Why, hello, rose! And something else, sharp and a little sweet.

Wet on skin: About the same on my skin, though a little less sharp.

Dried down: More of a soft rose, now.

Throw: A little bit of rose.

Verdict: *** Very pretty, since I like rose. I'm a little surprised I didn't get any frankincense or myrrh or of this, since I tend to amp those like nobody's business. But I suppose if I had gotten them, they might have taken over on me. Oh well. I was hoping for a little more, but this is a perfectly nice rose scent on me.

In the imp: Soft amber herbal floral. Well, I don't know what myrtle smells like, but I can smell the jasmine.

Wet on skin: Almost a jasmine one-note on my skin. It's very pretty, but I hope some of the other notes are going to come out to play soon.

Dried down: Mmmmm...... Jasmine and bourbon vanilla, jasmine on my wrist, and vanilla on the throw.

Throw: Vanilla-y bourbon vanilla. Mmmmmmmm.............

Verdict: ***** I may have to get me some of this.

In the imp: Sweet with a touch of incense.

Wet on skin: Same, but a little dustier.

Dried down: This soaked quickly into my wrist, but it doesn't seem to be morphing.

Throw: I'm not really getting anything unless I sniff my wrist. Then again, Debauchery on my other hand is throwing all over the place, so it could be overpowering it.

Verdict: **** This is actually very nice. I don't know if I want a bottle of it or not, but I think I'd enjoy the scent.

In the imp: I have no idea what civet smells like... which is fitting, because I can't tlel what this smells like. But on first sniff, I get something sweet and floral.....like gardenia, maybe, but with a touch of incense

Wet on skin: I still get incense. And still not sure what else. It smells the same as in the imp, really. There is something green about it, which I wasn't expecting. I wonder if it has anything to do with the opium.

Dried down: Ok, this is really pretty. I still can't tell what it is besides the incense, but it's kind of blowing me away.

Throw: This has some throw on me, too. I'm kind of just sniffing the air as I type, breathing it in.

Verdict: **** So,I still don't know what civet is, but I think I like it! Or I really like opium. Or Egyptian red musk. Whatever it is, it works for me.

In the imp: Sharp, dry, and herbal, with a touch of incense.

Wet on skin: Very dry and green. I can't quite place what this makes me think of. Oh, wait. Ant poison. But green.

Dried down: A little softer and less ant poison-ish on me, but still very green and herbal.

Throw: Almost none on me.

Verdict: ** I don't feel the need to scrub it off, but yeah, this isn't for me.

Mmmm...... this was one of my wishlist scents to try! Yay! Here goes...

In the imp: Cocoa (like the powder), vanilla, and the softest hint of wood.

Wet on skin: Mostly cocoa powder, though it's cut through with the vanilla to give it extra softness - sort of like baby powder (though it doesn't smell like that - more like if someone made a baby powder, with that softness, that smelled like cocoa powder).

Dried down: Mmmm..... This is a dreamy, creamy cocoa vanilla on me. I keep trying to get whiffs of the sandalwood and myrrh, but I only get whiffs if I try really hard

Throw: I'm testing several different perfumesright now, so it's hard to say, but I think some of that cocoa vanilla is cutting through the older scents a bit.

Verdict: I was hoping to get just a smidge more of sandalwood and myrrh, but it's lovely as it is, too. Definitely a keeper, and I think worth a second test to determine whether I'd like a full bottle's worth.

In the imp: Aquatic fresh lemony floral.

Wet on skin: Still very lemon fresh, but not in a cleaning solution kind of way. Less artificial than that, like a lemon squeezed into pure spring water. there is still a floral element to it, but I can't quite place it. Maybe gardenia, though it's not quite as sweet.

Dried down: less lemony, more floral now, though a very aquatic floral with a hint of lemon.

Throw: I'm not really getting much throw off of this right now.

Verdict: *** 1/* Very pretty, but not something I really need. I'd be happy to try it again later, though.

In the imp: Tart green plant. I don't know if I could call it floral or herbal, just plant.

Wet on skin: Actually, it reminds me just a smidge of jasmine sambac, so maybe it tints a little towards floral.

Dried down: Still tart and green.

Throw: Not a whole lot, but I'm still getting the camphor scent from Belladonna on my other arm, so that might be the issue.

Verdict: *** Not bad at all, but not something I need on hand.

In the imp: Sharp green herby floral.

Wet on skin: Interesting. Still sharp and green, but I'm getting a distinct Vicks Vaporub scent off of this now.

Dried down: Ok, the Vicks scent is still there, but it's faded down to mingle with the green herbalness. It's more like camphor now.

Throw: Camphor, soft and sweet.

Verdict: *** 1/* I like this a lot, but I don't think I really need it. Mostly I like the camphor scent, but I have a few others that will do that job just fine, I think.

In the imp: A little bit sweet. There's a note I can't quite place, almost like banana, but not quite.

Wet on skin: Still sweet and light, almost like white musk, but a little bit heavier. Or like an aquatic, white floral. I can't quite make out the sandalwood at this stage.

Dried down: I can definitely get the "leather" now, although it's a very light leather scent. Very pretty, though.

Throw: It has some, a little aquatic and leathery.

Verdict: **** I really like this! It's very soft, but not completely floral. Even if I can't pick out the sandalwood, it's a pretty scent.

I'll apply this with a light hand, since it sounds like it's a vetiver base, and vetiver doesn't usually play as nicely on my skin as other scents (although the other notes sound awesome).

In the imp: ::sigh:: Almost totally vetiveer. I did get a hint of the cinnamon and leather, though.

Wet on skin: In the inner elbow - Slightly aquatic vetiver? Ooh, something's going a bit funky on me here.

Dried down: Ew. No. Too. Much. Vetiver. Not enough everything else.

Throw: Enough that I'm actually going to scrub at this one a little to get it off before I go out. Although there's a slight aquatic feel to the throw that I like.

Verdict: * It's a shame. Granted, I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into when I saw the notes. I just really wanted to like this, since (I know it's not the poem quoted above) the title makes me automatically think of The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes (which usually pops into my head as sung by Loreena McKennit), which is one of my favorite poems of all time. ::sigh:: Are there any scents like this that maybe replace the vetiver with lavender, or lavender fougere?

Ok, I'm going to go light on the application on this one, since those notes don't appeal to me all that much.

In the imp: Very dark floral, almost woody.

Wet on skin: Went for a dab on the inner elbow, and it soaked in almost immediately. Still very dark.

Dried down: Pretty much the same as above. Very vetiver-y.

Throw: None. I can barely smell it in my elbow, but maybe that's an issue of how little I put on/ Or that I don't normally test scents on that body part?

Verdict: ** Not for me, I think.

In the imp: Dark and sour, like an unripe blackberry

Wet on skin: This softens a bit on my skin. It's nice and complex, a little herbal. The sage and green tea, especially the sage, keep it from going too berry on me.

Dried down: Much berrier, but still softened by the sage and green tea.

Throw: Not much of one.

Verdict: *** I'm undecided on this one. I don't need a bottle right away, but I think it's something I'd like to wear every once in awhile. It's definitely different from anything else I have, I think.

In the imp: Sweetly floral. I don't know if I could pick out individual notes, though.

Wet on skin: Mostly gardenia, I think.

Dried down: Still mostly gardenia, but with the vanilla mixed in. I think the closest hint I got of the violets was in the imp.

Throw: Mild but definitely present, and it's a sublime vanilla.

Verdict: **** I think a bottle of this may be in my future.

In the imp: Sweet fruit. Possibly a little too sweet.

Wet on skin: Still sweet fruit, but a little softer on my skin.

Dried down: Soft and sweet.

Throw: Again, soft and sweet.

Verdict: *** I'm a little undecided on this one. I wasn't liking it too much at first, but I'm actually liking the drydown scent a lot.

Hmmm....... will the violet dominate on me or the vetiver? Let's find out!

In the imp: Hmmm...... rather nice blend of mostly violets, and as the description says, deepened by vetiver.

Wet on skin: Just a dab on the wrist this time. The vetiver is coming out stronger on my skin, but the violets are definitely still there. In fact, the violet's turned into an almost aquatic floral. Together, it almost reminds me of wet grass, a freshly-mown lawn.

Dried down: This isn't really morphing, exactly, though I'm now getting a hint of soap.

Throw: Not a whole lot.

Verdict: ** Yeah, this isn't really for me.

Ok, it's probably about time I tried this.

In the imp: Very amber-y with a touch of sweetness

Wet on skin: Same as before - sweet and amber. I'm probably getting both the vanilla and the honey, but they're blending into each other.

Dried down: Same as before.... but now I'm getting a faint rubbery smell. Or latex? O_o

Throw: Sweet and light.

Verdict: *** Honestly, I think I can do without this one. It's nice, except for that latex scent on me, but even without that, I have many other scents I like better.

In the imp: Honestly, I'm getting an almost sweet scent. Like anise.

Wet on skin: Sandalwood and leather. And maybe hints of that coffee bean. If there's vetiver here, it's actually staying nicely in the background for once.

Dried down: plain cologne? not bad, but not particularly special anymore.

Throw: Almost none for me.

Verdict: *** I think I might give this a second try. I have to admit, it was a pleasant surprise. I like a lot of these notes (leather, pepper, coffee and sandalwood), but vetiver has a habit of going sour and taking over on me, and it didn't do that here.

In the imp: sharp, herbal and very sour.

Wet on skin: Still pretty sharp

Dried down: ok, there's a bit of sweetness now, probably the honey coming out from behind the herbs

Throw: there's a bit from the honey - it's soft and a little powdery.

Verdict: *** 1/* ok! the honey pulled this from a two and a half to a three and a half. It's definitely interesting, but, I don't think this scent's for me.