ralenth

Imp: Citrus with coconut. Mmm, real coconut. Wet: Bright lemongrass and tart lime. Drydown: Lemongrass to the point of me thinking this is a single note. Why must I amp lemongrass so? Dry: Lemongrass with a bit of coconut meat and peeps of white florals, though mostly lemongrass. Overall: I really wanted to like this as other reviews made this sound great. Curse you, skin chemistry. ETA: An hour later, Shoggoth becomes this gorgeous, light creamy coconut with a little floral tinge. I take it all back. Love.

I'm a huge leather advocate, but for some reason Red Rider turned into sweaty man in leather. Not the sexy kind.

Wet: Musky, spicy woods. Like Scherezade sans the cinnamony note I get. Drydown: Manly spice cake. What? Yes, really. As Oblivion dries, it goes back toward a dark woodsy scent. Very, very dark. Dry: Barely controlled sexy woodsman - this is bordering on pornographic, folks. After an hour: Apparently, this woodsman likes a cuddle. It's still dark and sexy, but there is a sweetness to it that I wasn't really banking on. Overall: Conflicted. It's like a one-night stand with amazing raw primal sex who wants to talk about feelings the next day. I just don't know what to do. ETA: Hour Four: We're back to musky sexiness (but now times a billionty). This man came into my office and I thought he was the source of divine aroma, but then I discovered it was me. If I can get through the sweet stage, this is ridiculously amazing.

Verbena hates me, I think. I love the scent, but it always does nasty Lemon Pledge type things on my skin. Aelopile is no exception. Wet, Aelopile is a bright lemon zest. As it dries, it goes through a Lemon Pledge stage and then a bit of a Lemonheads stage, where it pretty much stays. Off to the swaps, sadly.

In the bottle, Khalkorustês is a soft, golden floral. Jasmine and I don't usually get along too well, so I was surprised that this was sweet, juicy dripping pears with delicate jasmine petals once I put it on. As it dried, it became more dominantly jasmine, but it never went to kittybox on me (yay!). I get teensy peeps from the champaca gallery, but Khalkorustês is astonishingly floral on my skin. I was hoping for more cedar and pepper, but it is still lovely.

Bottle: Vetiver and pepper, yum! Wet: Pepper and a bit of grapefruit bite in a hot rush of scent. Drydown: Rhinotoros goes a little tart for a bit, but it settles back into a smoky, gritty vetiver scent. Dry: Earthy, but not too visceral, this is fairly light as far as vetiver scents go. The pop of grapefruit seems to lighten it. Overall: Nice, but I like my vetiver with a bit more punch. I think this would be a good scent for people who are on the fence about vetiver.

Wet: Incense and aged leather. Reminds me of Ü , but a bit muted. Drydown: As Dee dries, it smells like a sexy bookish man, surrounded by well-worn leather tomes. There's a bit of a hint of arcane ritual going on there in the background. Maybe The High Priest Not To Be Described is in the next room over... After 2 hours: Soft, musky woods with a tinge of leather and a whisper of incense. After 4 hours: If a man smelled like this, I would follow him home without hesitation (and I do not say that lightly). Holy hotness, Batman. This just gets more amazing as the day wears on. Verdict: Bottle purchase.

Bottle: Aged leather with a bit of bright citrus. Wet: At first, Olisbos is sunny fresh orange juice spilled on well-worn leather. Blasphemy, true, but kind of fun. Drydown: As it dries, the leather asserts itself. Oh, swoon, it does smell like a citrusy Dead Man's Hand, but the throw is far less. The olive oil peeps in a little bit, but it hangs out in the background. Dry: Very faint, but definitely a leather-clad optimist. Olisbos will definitely give you a spanking and smile cheerily all the while. Overall: I knew I would love this. My only qualm is that it is so faint that I feel like I might bathe in it.

Wet: Smoky teak wood. I have a distinct urge to nuzzle up to my arm. Drydown: As it dries, The Antikythera Mechanism gains a bit of sweetness from the vanilla. Dry: Still predominantly wood and musk, TAM stays close to the skin. It has amazing staying power (all day!) and doesn't make me nauseous like most vanilla blends. Overall: It's like Liz, but with a woodsy boost. It's sexy and sophisticated. Definitely a bottle purchase. I also really enjoyed it layered with The Bow & Crown of Conquest for added oomph.

Soft, musky masculine lavender. As the evening wears on, the muskiness becomes more dominant. If I walked past a man wearing this, I'm pretty certain I'd give chase. I definitely need more of this.

Imp: Dark green floral. *swoon* Wet: Soft, crushed herbs and peonies. Drydown: Black Hellebore is a little powdery, but still a lovely delicate floral. Dry: Spring! Soft floral without the dreaded rose rearing its nasty head. Overall: I could see this being a nice go to on lighter scent days. ADDED March 3: Bright peonies and sharp green vines. As it dries, it tends toward powdery sweetness. Overall, it's a nice, light floral perfect for a spring day.

Bottle: Sharp, musky orange. Wet: Biting citrus, not much else. Drydown: As it dries, Kiss Amongst Discarded Tissues goes sour on my skin. I get a bit of an herbal green undertone, but it's going antiseptic. Dry: Orange antibacterial soap. Overall: Sadly, not for me.

Gentle, floral aquatic. Stays close to the skin, delightfully girlish. I'll definitely be keeping this one on tap for days when Danube is a little too heady for me. It's slightly salty too, but I think this adds to its charm. This is the best LE surprise I've had in a while.

Bottle: Bright, sweet, golden sunshine. Wet: Lemonheads rolled in crystallized sugar. Drydown: Softened a little at the edges, but still a strong core of Lemonheads. Dry: Bright, sunny, citrus sock to the jaw. So cheerful. Oy. Overall: If I ever needed a pick-me-up, I might reach for this, but it's not my normal game.

Herbert West seems like the lovechild of F5 and Embalming Fluid! Bright green tea with a splash of lemon. As it dries, it becomes a little herbal. Very refreshing.

Wet: Softly herbal, faintly aquatic. Drydown: River grasses swaying gently, water lapping against the banks. Dry: Very vividly a riverbanks scent. It's a little too much dirty goodness for me, but wow!

Sharp, pungent floral with a hint of soap.

Soft hazelnuts, lightly salted. Pleasant, but too foody for me.

Minty aquatic floral. No leather here, sadly.

Knick knack smells like a clove studded orange, with a slight tinge of tea on the drydown.

Pine cake. What? As it dries, the pine recedes into the background and it becomes a peppery cake scent. Interesting.

Syrupy, sweet cherry. It vacillates between fountain cherry coke and cough syrup.

In the bottle, Dragon's Musk is lovely and deep darkness. Unfortunately on my skin, it becomes sharp, pungent floral. Boo, skin chemistry fail.

Icy evergreen with plum. It does seem a little more feminine than Winter Maiden, but they pair together really well. I bought another bottle this year as it's my favorite of all of the bath oils.

Icy blackberry. I especially love this mixed with Ice Prince. I will continue to snag this every year.