DiesMali

In the bottle: Juicy blueberry and some lotus. Wet on my skin: Wet, juicy, sweet blueberry and lotus, and now there's a bit of what specifically smells to my nose like jasmine green tea. Dry: HAH. A berry that works on me! I love this. It's so unlike anything else I have, and it's a lovely spring blend that I'll be happy to wear...when my blueberry-hating S.O. isn't around (he took a whiff of it and made a very sour face at me). The sweet blueberry musk and green tea combine perfectly, with the lotus wafting around in the throw and not so much close to the skin. It retains the "jasmine green tea" that it had while wet, too, and I love that. That's my favourite sort to drink when the weather is getting hot, since it's lighter and a little sweeter than typical green tea. This is definitely one of the non-chocolate hits from this year's Lupercalia release, at least for me. Glad to have a bottle.

In the bottle: WISTERIA. Wet on my skin: HI, I'M WISTERIA. WISTERIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~! Dry: Whew, okay. That was a lot of wisteria, but it calms down quite a bit as it dries. There's a waxy tuberose incense that joins it, and a bitter green oakmoss deepening everything so the flowers don't go soapy. This is a mature, elegant, almost tropical blend of wisteria and tuberose incense in equal measure, and they switch dominance seemingly with every sniff. The moss remains a green grounding note all the way through, and lends the whole thing a mildly aquatic herbal feel. Foggy blue-violet clouds with wisps of pale seafoam green.

In the bottle: Harsh, cold, minty cypress. Wet on my skin: Harsh, cold, minty-snowy cypress and a whiff of a dark, cold musk. Dry: ...I kind of love this. It was a last-minute impulse bottle, because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and get something totally unusual that I might not have otherwise tried. As Little Bird said, it's reminiscent of a darker Ded Moroz, without as much sweet warmth underneath the chilly forest. This is a dark, icy evergreen with cold, black musk, a whiff of sweetish-salty animalic ambergris, and just a hint of resinous warmth from amber and opoponax. It's actually more like what I'd hoped a couple of my snowy forest Yule scents would be, which is very nice and very welcome. So glad I sprung for this on a whim!

In the bottle: Sharp and green. Wet on my skin: The dead leaves and fir combine to smell very much like a sappy, crunchy, freshly-picked dandelion salad, flowers and all. Dry: This smells like green dandelions and a bit of fir well into the drydown, but the honey musk starts to join them as its own note instead of adding a bit of sweetness after 15-20 minutes or so. The greens steadily fade into soft, dead brown leaves and a remaining bit of fir, and after about an hour on my skin, most of what is left is an absolutely beautiful sweet, soft musk. It's close to the skin most of the way through its wear, and just as I start getting tired of the greens, they dry and just add a bit of brittle "brown-ness" to the musk for a while. Definitely a scent experience as well as just a really nice thing to wear. I look forward to seeing if this ages as well as I think it will.

In the imp: Green and herbal. Wet on my skin: Bright, green, dewy-fresh herbs. Dry: This remains green and herbal the whole way through, though it softens partway through the wear and smells a lot like a fresh, sappy dandelion salad. I don't get any beer from it, sadly. Not a "me" scent, but might make a nice room scent.

In the imp: Deep, fruity rose. Wet on my skin: Deep, velvety, fruity rose - the lotus is taking it to the fruity side of things, I think. Dry: This is similar to Blood Rose on me, with a fruity and almost winey note from the lotus. It's a purple-red, rich, and sweet floral. Gooey in texture, almost. Not terribly complex, but pretty and surprisingly unobtrusive given how loud rose can be. This would be a good scent to wear somewhere that needs a traditionally feminine, almost old-fashioned scent that won't offend a slightly older crowd with either its throw or its name. I won't need a bottle of it, but it's nice enough to keep, even if it wouldn't be worn often.

In the imp: LEMON LIME Wet on my skin: This goes on similar to the zingy lime-floral of Whitechapel. Dry: I was hoping the citrus in this would be lime/lemon (which often work) and not orange/mandarin/grapefruit (which usually do not). Thankfully, it's zingy, bright lemon-lime similar to that in Whitechapel, and the orange blossom isn't quite "there" enough to send it into cleaning fluid territory - it does threaten it, early in the drydown, but gets over it pretty quickly. This is a bright citrus with soft springlike florals underneath, with a "clean" feel from the lavender. It's a slightly less unisex cousin of Whitechapel, with soft jasmine rather than lilac and lavender as the "clean" note rather than white musk. Pretty! I won't need a bottle since I own one of its cousin, but will certainly keep the imp.

Oleander with black patchouli, ylang ylang, and neroli. In the imp: Strong oleander and ylang-ylang. Wet on my skin: Soft patchouli and SICKLY SWEET OLEANDER with some ylang ylang. Dry: Okay, so I have somewhat unpleasant scent associations with oleander, and I've always thought it smelled poisonous even before the events of the summer that made me associate it with Bad Things. I knew I was taking a chance in putting this on my skin, but my personal policy is to test ALL imps because you never know what will or will not work until it's on your skin. I can see how it might be nice on others, and it's almost nice on me, but the oleander is just not something I think I can wear. There's just enough of its sweet poison mixing with the bitter neroli that it's dredging up all the bad memories and turning my stomach a little if I sniff it closer to the skin. The throw is actually rather pretty, making me sad that the scent association and close-to-skin scent are so poisonous to me. I know someone who loves these notes and who'll appreciate this, though, so it will find a good home.

... His ofrenda is the soft shea he shares with Obatala, forest herbs, and sprucewood arrow shafts. In the imp: ...there's no melon in the notes, but I could swear I smell a sharp, green, unripe melon. Wet on my skin: No melon once it's on my skin. Now it's sharp, green, almost medicinal herbs with just a bit of soft shea butter. Dry: Foresty scents usually range between decent and amazing on me, but I think the shea in this isn't quite working on my skin when combined with the green herbal and evergreen notes. I like my forest tempered by amber or patchouli, but this instead both sweetens and sharpens everything to GREEN for the first ~hour of wear. It's a bit medicinal and disjointed on me, and I think it would likely need a bit of patch or something "earthier" to temper the runaway GREEN. This had such potential, but the combination just doesn't do well with my skin chemistry. I am disappoint.

In the vial: Leathery, sweet tobacco. Wet on my skin: Reminiscent of Perversion, but somewhat drier and smokier. Dry: This is Perversion's somewhat more mature, slightly more no-nonsense cousin, at least on my skin. Glorious pipe tobacco and worn black leather combine with cinnamon, smoky honey, and benzoin to make a very sexy, slightly dangerous-feeling blend. The cinnamon behaves itself quite well, lending spice without being overpowering. The honey, too, lends its support without becoming cloying. Sultry and feminine, this is one classy dominatrix - one who smokes a cigarillo on a long holder and reads a favourite book while she's using you as her footstool. And she's so good at what she does that you keep coming back for more. Ahem. This really is a pretty great scent.

In the imp: Frankincense! And a little carnation. Wet on my skin: Something about this combination of notes makes me think of both a fresh-cut and polished wood, and oil paints on wood-handled brushes. Oddly nostalgic, somehow. Dry: This is a very frankincense-forward scent on me, which is totally okay because frankincense is one of my favourite notes. Frankincense with a bit of spicy carnation and ritual herbs. It's pleasant and unobtrusive, a bit ecclesiastical in nature, and I think I'll keep the imp. Don't need a bottle, but I think I'd like to try layering this with The Light of Men's Lives, which is on the other arm and smells pretty great when I put them side by side so I get both in my nose.

In the imp: Slightly bitter, powerful floral. Wet on my skin: Lots of lavender, softened by a bit of wisteria. There's something strangely candy-like, too. Grape candy, maybe? Dry: The throw of this scent is nicer than what's closer to the skin. The throw is a herbal lavender with soft wisteria and a bit of slightly bitter musky sandalwood. Closer in, it is a bit soapy, and further out it's a pleasant of purple-mauve-grey cloud of flowers with a little bit of musk and sandalwood toning them down. It's not quite my thing, despite being pretty and having wisteria (one of my favourite floral notes), so I'll likely either put it in a diffuser or frimp it to someone who would wear it more than I would.

In the imp: Sweet beeswax. Wet on my skin: Sweet beeswax...and a little bit of candle smoke. Dry: This is a true, sweet, slightly vanillic beeswax candle with wisps of candle smoke. Specifically candle smoke, not any other sort. It's warm and comforting, and I understand why it's such a popular and beloved scent now. There are other beeswax scents I like better, so I don't need a bottle, but I'm curious about how this might layer with a few other things. Definitely will keep and use the imp.

In the imp: ...dill pickles? Wet on my skin: Okay, so my skin did this thing recently where red rose smells like dill pickles on me for the first few minutes of wear. Don't ask me, I dunno. So yeah, for the first 2-3 minutes it's sour pickle. Dry: THANK THE MAKERS. As this dries, it's now a somewhat subtle, spicy blend of rose petals and cinnamon. This was worth the first few minutes of pickle juice. Sultry, warm, sexy. A good one for rose lovers who like their rose with a little extra "oomph" from spice instead of greens or dew. Sadly, it fades fairly quickly on my skin, but it's nicer than I expected while it lasts.

In the imp: Aquatic cologne. Wet on my skin: HELLO MY NAME IS SALTY SEAWATER AND I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE MY PRESENCE TO AN ENTIRE TWENTY FOOD RADIUS AROUND YOU. Dry: Once the initially overpowering rush of saltwater and herbs subsides a little, this is a pleasant, clean, fresh aquatic. It's not too complex on me, and smells like an upper-class sibling of Irish Spring. It's a little bitter, between the sage and salt, and very, very clean. It's not unpleasant, but not quite "me," as aquatics aren't quite my thing to wear. However, I like it enough that I think it's going to become a nice, summery room or car upholstery spray.

In the bottle: Slightly sour rose-tobacco and beeswax. Wet on my skin: This is so unusual that I'm having a hard time understanding what is what! It's a smoky purple-grey syrupy incene with a bit of powdery...stuff. Dry: I have nothing like this in my collection, not even my other beeswax-and-rose scent (The Library of John Dee). This is like a melty beeswax candle with a few curls of smoke, a bit of sweet pipe tobacco, and powdery rose-flavoured Turkish Delight. It's a fascinating and really enticing scent! Purple-grey and chewy, with a powdered sugar coating. Feminine and hella sexy, too - this is almost Halloweenie in its witchy seduction. I knew this was going to be glorious, and it IS.

In the bottle: All lilac and wisteria. Freshly-bloomed, damp flowers. Wet on my skin: WISTERILILAC. I get a great big whiff of hot, heady, dewy June lilacs after a rainstorm, then it immediately begins to settle into something a little less LILAC and more wisteria. Dry: Sweet, delicious, beautifully realistic lilac and wisteria, with wisteria definitely being the more dominant flower after the initial bloom of lilac burns off. Everything else is in the background, giving it a slightly spicy and "clean" kick so it's not too sweet or overpoweringly floral, but this is mostly a lovely cloud of blue flowers and I am in heaven. The lilac really does smell like freshly-bloomed June lilacs on the street and it's just so good when paired with the wisteria. This definitely scratches my "real lilac" itch. It almost verges on soapy from time to time, but never quite tips over that edge, probably thanks to the supporting notes. The white tea and benzoin do come out a little more after a while, but I don't get much pepper, clove, or sandalwood except as that faint bit of intriguing "oomph" in the background. At this point, it's similar to Night Scene from last year, but stronger and a little warmer in tone. If Night Scene was cool, resinous night-time wisteria, this is warm, slightly resinous/spiced day-time wistera + lilac. I really like this! It's more floral than most everything else in my collection, but it works well on my skin, and it'll be a great non-threatening sort of spring/summer scent.

In the bottle: Ambery, honeyed lilac. Wet on my skin: Creamy, ambery, honeyed lilac. Dry: Sweet, creamy, delicious lilac. This is so beautiful. Amber and lilac are the main players on my skin, with sweet honey and cream making it soooo smooth and pretty. Cardamom warms it just a tinge, but doesn't seem to be a discernible note on its own. I was hoping for a beautiful lilac, and this does not disappoint! It's not as heady as Initiation Sentimentale, which is on the other arm, but smoother and ...I think this smells like a Vulva, but with lilac instead of the usual lotus?

In the bottle: Boozy, sweet dark chocolate. Wet on my skin: Yummmm. This is delicious. Dry: Smoky dark chocolate like in last year's dark chocolate blends, but this one is sweetened by whiskey and herbal caramel. It's reminiscent of both my box of chocolates favourites from last year, including the amazing Dark Chocolate, Black Tobacco, and Vetiver, but the other notes are even chewier and sweeter under the smoky, slightly-bitter dark chocolate. Chewy, thick, rich, whiskey-blended dark chocolate coating a slightly herbal caramel. I want to eat my arm.

In the bottle: Thick, strong leather and dark cocoa. Wet on my skin: Beautiful. Rich, mellow, honeyed tea with wafts of leather and cocoa. Dry: That rich, mellow black tea with honey is the star of the show for about 2/3 of the life of this scent, with deep red woodsy leather (like a mahogany bookshelf with lots of dusty leather books on it) and wafts of smooth cocoa backing it up. It's unlike any other tea note I have, so that's nice. Later on, the tea fades and allows the dusty mahogany and leather to really come to the foreground, and this stage is also lovely. The chocolate is a supporting note through the whole experience, like you're drinking tea and reading a book in an old library, and there's a bowl of chocolate truffles on the table nearby, but you're so engrossed in your book and the gramophone recordings of Baroque chamber music playing in the background that you've not gotten up to sample them yet. ...there goes my imagination. Whoops.

In the bottle: Syrupy molasses gingerbread. Wet on my skin: EVIL GINGERBREAD. I know Shub is also evil gingerbread, but this one is darker and even sexier. Dry: The richest, spiciest, chewiest, smokiest evil gingerbread and I'm in love. LOVE. May need backup. I am going to wear this next time I see that one person, because if I can't resist myself in it, how could they? Unholy heck, this is the standout winner of Yule 2016, at least on my vetiver-and-clove-loving skin. It's so good. SO. GOOD. If I was a gingerbread person made of this stuff, forget the little old woman and the little old man - I'd eat myself and give Stephen King some new material regarding auto-cannibalistic evil gingerbread people.

In the bottle: Astringent, minty herbal snow. Wet on my skin: SNOW and bitter herbs. But mostly snow. Not sure how, but they've bottled thick, clumpy, wet January snow. Dry: Ah, there are the evergreens! Outside my front door, just a few yards away, are evergreen trees covered in that thick, clumpy January snow, and these are that. Also a hint of dead, wet leaves. It's pretty faint on me, and fades quickly, however. It's a very unique scent and I keep sniffing it to try and figure out exactly what I'm smelling - I wouldn't say it's one of my favourites, but it is just fascinating to smell. This probably needs some aging to see if it'll last long enough to be a keeper.

In the bottle: Chilly, slightly spiced orange. Wet on my skin: CHILLY, slightly minty and spiced orange, now with a hint of cold metal. Dry: This is a very, very odd scent. I haven't smelled anything like it, and there's obviously nothing like it in my collection. It's pretty masculine on me, with predominantly chilly, metallic aquatic and brightly-gleaming orange at the forefront, then wisps of all the other notes combining to add a spicy, almost mentholated touch in the background. I'm not totally decided on whether or not I like it enough to keep it, so I think this will be one to spend some alone time in the aging partition of my BPAL drawer. It's not cleaning solution orange, which is a good sign, though it does threaten to do that between wet and dry stages.

In the imp: Maraschino cherry juice! Wet on my skin: CHERRY and a bit of woods and currant. But mostly CHERRY. Like eating maraschino cherries whilst wearing cherry chapstick. Dry: This is definitely cherry-dominant for most of the way. However, after an hour or so, the mahogany and what smells like cedar shows up, making the cherry a bit less medicinal-sweet and adding a layer of almost dusty-spicy woods. Then, more of the currant comes out around the 3-hour mark and overshadows the cherry. At this point, this scent is actually rather reminiscent of Bordello on my skin. Definitely a morpher, and an interesting journey, but it takes about 2-3 hours to settle down to where I really like it. I think I'll keep the imp, though, cause it'd be a great costume or theme scent!

In the imp: Metal and engine oil. Wet on my skin: Oiled metal. Dry: It's...pretty much oiled metal through the entirety of its wear. There's a hint of musk and maybe a tinge of balsam giving it a more masculine cologne feel than just plain metal. It's a nice, clean, masculine scent, but not quite my thing (metallics just don't do it for me, usually). I shall be passing this to my S.O., who does smell quite nice in the metal/oil Steamworks blends!