Soupy Twist

have you tried it in a locket? That's the only way I can wear some citrus and tea oils, because otherwise they vaporize in 15 minutes.

I am pleasantly surprised by this on application. It's just pine, with a hint of vanilla sweetness to round it out. No gross amber. After half an hour I'm getting some sandalwood, though. Then it turns much more woody. Alas. The opening of this was wonderful.

Just what it says on the tin. Cocoa with mostly cedar and a few amber undertones.

Delightful! Ginger and fizz in the bottle, fizz and ginger on application. There's a blast of fresh-cut ginger root, with dashes of pepper and sweet sarsparilla, but it no more than waves at them as it rides by. It dries to a gingery version of 21, which is awesome because I love 21. None of the other notes (which is not a complaint). From the other reviews, it looks like I have an "old" imp, with the lighter oil. ETA: Got a sample of the new, darker oil: oh my thor there it is. Oil, smoke, gears, dirt. Nuffin else. Brilliantly done, but I'm hoarding the old version.

Green and sweet in the bottle and on application. There's a brief flirtation with a tea note, but it soon settles as a pretty if powdery lilac floral. Almost like a lilac-scented candle — there's a smoothness to the powder which could be wax. Nice, but not my cup of tea. Why was this a Yule?

Decant from a swap with no year on the label. More of an egg cream, really. Creamy nog in the bottle and on application. Nutmeg and sugar soon come in, and then there's a light alcohol note — I can't tell if it's brandy or a particularly delicate rum. It's a grace note, which is nice, rather than a big stompy booze. But as it dries, it develops a fizzy note, like tonic water. The sugary creamy scent returns, and it honestly finishes as a mouthwatering egg cream. A spectacular technical accomplishment, and it smells wonderful. This is something I would drink in a heartbeat, but I don't think I want to wear it. How ridiculously fickle.

This is delightful. Citrussy linen in the bottle. Goes on as sort of a light, spicy potpourri, but the spices soon give way to a grassy greenness as it dries. Similar to Sagittarius 2007. A lovely spring scent.

This was very hard to describe. I finally settled on "green/herbal" in the bottle, and a sweet green on application. Very fresh, almost like a dandelion or succulent. It slowly becomes more of a coconut sunscreen kind of note — not artificial or obnoxious, but a nice "day at the beach" fresh kind of generic floral. There is the briefest flicker of sandalwood, and then it turns into a lovely beeswax. I have no idea where the description is supposed to fit with this. Also, I get no resins, incense, molasses, maple syrup, or brown sugar. I have Sugar Skull so I know what that smells like, and this ain't it. (I like Sugar Skull, so it wouldn't be a problem if it did, but this doesn't.) This may be bottle-worthy.

Cinnamon and cocoa in the bottle, which continue to cycle on application and as it dries. There's a brief flash of creaminess, and then it's back to cinnamon cocoa. It's dry and powdery (not in a bad way — not "baby powder," but dry cinnammon powder and dry cocoa powder). Almost identical to El Dia de los Reyes, so if you like that, get this. Not getting any coffee, however.

Juniper in the bottle, which sours on application. This eventually sweetens into a chilly violet, continuing into cedar before it vanishes briefly before returning as powder.

Tea and maybe fig in the bottle. Goes on as tea, but not a sweet one; it turns bitter quickly — maybe the olive? A little lemon shows up as it dries, but overall this is a cup of unsweetened white tea. No honey at all.

Tuberose in the bottle. Goes on as a pretty but nameless floral. Orange blossom in the drydown, which continues into a kind of vanilla-tinged hyacinth (even though that's not one of the notes). This finishes drying into peach. A close sibling of Sea of Glass. Very pretty. One of the few florals I could see myself wearing. ETA Well, I could if the dang thing hadn't flat-out disappeared in an hour.

Well, now I know what oudh smells like on my skin: musty, rotted wood. Completely blots out the honey, and if there's any bourbon vanilla there I never got to it. Scrubber.

Cherry and mustiness in the bottle and on application. The sour lemon starts to creep in briefly, and then it turns to Jolly Rancher. This curdles as it dries into something sickeningly sweet, maybe with a flicker of patchouli.

A little tea and succulent in the bottle. Goes on as cut succulent, but something sour comes in — the oude? I'm not sure what oude smells like. The whole thing eventually dries to an unpleasant plant pulp. I want the sparkly green refreshing citrus tea everyone else smelled.

Buttery tonka and brûlée. Extremely similar to Sugar Skull, in a good way, although not as strong. I have to keep huffing my wrist to get anything.

An ethereal vintage, steeped with dandelion, honey, and red currants. Dandelion and honey in the bottle. Goes on as a nice honey note — just a breath of the one from Honeyed Appe. The tartness of the currants comes in, along with something which feels alcoholic — a bit of mead somehow, which makes sense. Dries as a sweet grassy note, a little like Squirting Cucumber but not as green as Sagittarius. Fades quickly, but the air is very dry right now, so I'll try again in May.

Amsterdam (Tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses.) Also: Lilium Inter Spinas (Hibiscus syriacus, white sandalwood, lily of the valley, apple blossom, and green fig) Sea of Glass (an amazing hyacinth) Titania (A nocturnal bounty of fae dew-kissed petals and pale fruits: white grape, white peach, iced pear, musk rose, sweet pea, moonflower and snapdragon) Nothing Gold Can Stay (Dewy green leaves colored by Moroccan amber, ginseng, and rooibos. On me it's grassy, cut succulent) Gorg's Garden (Radishes, freshly turned soil, and soft herbs.)

While this claims to be Caribbean, and starts out as a salty marine, it absolutely dries to the Lab's snow note with soap on top. I like the Lab's snow note, so this is not a problem for me, but if you're expecting something more aquatic or warm-water, this is not for you.

I could wish for more vino and less ligna in this Veritas. Frankincense and wood and I'm so done.

Wood? paper? in the bottle. It's hard to describe this. Twigs? The root of a plant? Maybe orris. There's definitely a paper/plant/wood thing going on. Not very pleasant.

Stale, bloomed chocolate. Nothing else. Yuck.

More like cherry cough syrup, honestly. A happy artificial sweet cherry-berry note. Fades quickly.

This is interesting. It's heavy berry juice, which deepens as it dries and develops an unspecified herbal edge — like you'd mulled some berry juice with herbs. It's more of a liqueur than a wine. I may have to try this in the early summer.

Candle wax with a breath of vanilla, wicks, and a wee bit of smoke. Astonishing. I don't need a bottle, but what a brilliant accomplishment.