mirei

In Bottle: I was suprised by the sweetness of this oil but it was a deathly sweetness. Like a sickness or infection. On Skin: The same sickly sweetness but with a definite male undercurrent. It's hard to explain but it was like a boy who had been exercising or moving. Slightly alcoholic, which I suppose was the red wine. The leather was starting to come through as it dried on my skin and there was a strange pine undercurrent, maybe the english ivy and burnt grasses. Even as I sat there smelling it the teak and ebony started to push through. Wet: The ozone was the first thing that hit me followed by the green of the ivy and grasses. Like the smell after lightning and rain in the forest. Drydown: The sweetness started coming back but it wasn't as sickly this time. Still foresty and definitely male. After Time: Faded to a pale sandalwood scent with a bit of the sweetness of the wine if you got too close. Final Verdict: It would be perfect for a boy but it's far too masculine for me.

In Bottle: Whoa, Sandalwood. That's all I got, like a pinch to the nose. On Skin: The sandalwood and patchouli fought for dominance but I could almost smell the cinnamon in the background. A slightly spicy, slightly sweet combination. I accidentally breathed in through my mouth and it tasted like cinnamon and then it made me sneeze. Wet: Pure cinnamon. Everything else faded to a background tickle. It was amazing because I honestly smell no hint of the amber. Drydown: The sandalwood came back first. But it appears once you wash away the initial sandalwood and patchouli it's almost pure cinnamon with a hint of amber. After Time: Strangely enough it went pure ginger snaps. Like i had lit a cinnamon candle, warm and spicy. Very nice. Final Verdict: I like it but I think it's a bit too heavy for me. It might do well as a bath soak because the water washes away all the sandalwood and patchouli and leaves pure baking cinnamon. Kind of brilliant really.

In Bottle: The rose came through even before I opened the imp, it was so strong. After opening it was a sweet rose scent that came through. Normally rose isn't my favorite scent but this was beautiful On Skin: The rose was...Well it was certainly rose but there was a watery quality to it, almost more watery than the "midnight dew" in the description. Like roses next to a creek and pond. Like you've washed your hands with roses instead of soap. Wet: The roses have been dropped into and under running water when you get this oil wet. You're constantly being exposed to a new wave of roses. Drydown: It became oddly sweet while it was drying. Almost like rose flavored turkish delight. As if a layer of sugar had been added to the mix. I kept putting my hand back near my nose because the scent was so delicious. After Time: After time the water went away and I was left with something that was like dried roses. Where you know they were roses at one point but they've faded and have a vague and papery smell to them. Final Verdict: I had Ozymandias on my other hand and putting them together was suprisingly beautiful. The old powdery scent of Ozymandias and the sweet rose scent of Moon Rose made me think of the Victorian Era, like reading about the Victorian Era in an old library. Sort of fantastical. I'm not a 'rose' sort of girl, but together they made me quite happy.

In Bottle: Papery powdery. Certainly old and slightly musty. Like an ancient library. On Skin: Strange to think, this reminds me of my grandmother. She was tiny and british and strict. A powdery smell with a hint of musky flowers, like those satchets you find in old clothing that has a hint of flowers that have faded with age. A dark, closed up house that has years of memories involved. A leatherbound book that has been packed in with other, more scented things. Like old knowledge. Wet: Oh, flowers, fresh bright flowers in the desert. Brilliant. I'd wear this all the time if I could keep it constantly wet. Drydown: The water dried pretty quickly, I sniffed while it was drying and it had a vaguely fruity odor, which suprised me. After Time: It faded very quickly but I loved the fade. If I wore it regularly I'd have to put it on well before leaving the house. As it stands though it became almost non-existant within minutes of the drydown, which suprised me as the one I tried before this, Hymn to Prosperine stayed apparent well after two days and three showers. This left a powdery smell I had to chase across my skin, almost like the scent was pulling away from my nose as I was sniffing. Final Verdict: Too old for me, and too many memories associated with it. The powdery smell is overwhelming to begin with and almost nonexistant eventually. The only way I could wear it truly is if I kept it constantly wet and that's just inefficient.

The darkening amber of faith’s sunset, deepened by the dark fruits of Proserpine. As far as first reviews go, I'm glad mine is for this one. I had just as much mental reaction to this as I did olfactory. In Bottle: Much sweeter than I anticipated, almost honey with a strong undercurrent of musk. On Skin: This ended up being a bit of an accident, my other imps opened much easier. This one was a bit tough and suprised me by popping open and splashing a bit. It was like I had been dropped nose first into a temple, strangely enough. Like silk and honey and smooth sun-warmed skin moving through incense. The amber musk was a bit overwhelming but settles slowly into a the sugary honey pomegranate. Wet: The musk scents became almost non-existant, leaving only a sweet sugary scent that smells almost like a pomegranate honey scrub. Drydown: As the water dries the amber slowly building blocks itself to become more apparent. After Time: Eventually, I suppose because of my skin chemistry, the amber tends to be the most obvious scent. The pomegranete takes a backseat, only becoming apparent as you get closer to the skin, literally nose to it. Final Verdict: If I did start wearing it regularly it'd have to be in very VERY small quantities as it overwhelms quite easily. It seems too strong to be a day-to-day scent but for a special occasion where you're going to spend a lot of time in low lighting where lust is a big factor it'd be perfect.