ralenth

I was generously gifted an imp by FallDaze in my PIF package.

imp: smoky, masculine, with some oomph (could it be vetiver?)

wet: mmm, creosote smoke (reminds me of childhood bonfires in the desert)

drydown: As it dries, it becomes vaguely metallic, but not overly so. The dominant notes are that delicious creosote and vetiver, but oddly clean green (though deep green). Manly green.

overall: I would definitely wear this. I could even see myself owning a bottle.

I was generously decanted a partial in a Pay It Forward swap by triptyenchanted because she saw clove on my favorite notes list.

Imp: Warm, spicy delicious cloviness.

Wet: Deep musk swirled in patchouli with peeps of clove.

Drydown: As it dries, this spider certainly has me smiling. The clove becomes more dominant, reminiscent of clove cigarettes, as others have said.

Dry: Mmm, yes. It's like holiday goodness, but without all that nasty fruit. Or like smoking cloves without inhaling fiberglass. Either way, triptyenchanted was right. It is the ultimate clove scent.

The throw is pretty good on my skin. I think I may need a bottle. Until then, I will savor my precious sniffie. Thank you!

Wet: Mmm... smoky leather.

Drydown: As it dries, the smokiness becomes more pronounced.

Dry: Delicious smoky leather.

Overall: De Sade clings closely to the skin. While the scent is utterly masculine, it is incredibly sexy on my skin. I'd expect nothing less from the Marquis. This scent is like pure pheromones. Mmm... I need a bottle.

Imp: Faintly spicy and musky.

Wet: Lemons and oranges, kind of a surprise.

Drydown: Lemon Pledge... ick.

Dry: Lemon Pledge and baby powder, with occasional flashes of spiciness.

Overall: The Baron clearly does not love me. Off to the swaps!

Wet: Smoky and masculine:

Drydown: All smoke still...

Dry: Smoke with traces of leaves underfoot. October is like smoldering coals with a few leaves dropped in...

Overall: Not for me. I like the concept and could see it as a room scent, but I'm going to have to put this one up for swaps.

Wet: Lightly green and aquatic.

Drydown: Cinnamon lightly infuses the scent. Verdandi seems like Autumn-lite, over a still pond.

Dry: Cinnamon with a faint tinge of baked apples.

Overall: Verdandi certainly wasn't what I expected. I loved the wet and drydown stages, but I think this one isn't for me, sadly.

Wet: Jasmine and iris dominate aggressively (as they tend to do on my skin).

Drydown: Urania is still all high notes, but mellows somewhat from the initial floral attack.

Dry: Florals, accented by white musk.

Overall: Sophisticated and elegant, Urania is a Muse that can move in higher circles. I think that I will love my imp dearly if not purchase a bottle.

Wet: Lemony baked goods.

Drydown: The oven heats up and Shub becomes a spicy cinnamon/ginger.

Dry: I smell like I have been rolling around in really sharp gingersnaps.

Overall: OMG, I must own a bottle. Like yesterday!

Wet: Bright, white floral.

Drydown: The jasmine in Eos is definitely center stage. The other notes nicely complement without distinguishing themselves.

Dry: Eos becomes a little less jasmine heavy.

Overall: Bright and feminine. I think Eos is much more suited to springtime. I like her, but I am going to have to hide her away until a more appropriate season.

Citrusy, followed by a vanilla-y musk. Theodosius is an olfactory delight. I would think dear Theo is a unisex scent, but he is just a touch on the masculine side. Nevertheless, I adore him.

In the imp: Fruity with undertones of musk.

Wet: Grape? A bit of sweetness.

Drydown: The grape aroma lessens and the muskiness comes into play.

Dry: Candied florals, with a touch of grape and traces of musk.

Overall: I'm not sure if this is really me, but I do like it.

In the imp: Sweet roses. Mmm, I hope this one works on me.

Wet: Roses bolstered by ylang ylang. This is shockingly sweet. Wow.

Drydown: Silentium Amoris begins to get a little sharp, which is a problem I often have with rose blends. It begins to powder out a bit as well, which makes for an interesting combination.

Dry: It's both prickly green and powdery. The ylang ylang really shines through, but my skin amps it like whoa. It's unusual and pretty, but I don't think I'll have to track this one down.

Forgive me if this has already been covered, but does anyone else pronounce "BPAL" like "Bee-pal"? I hate spelling out acronyms and Bee-pall is easier to say, but I'll feel like an idiot if no one else calls it that. :-P

I call it that too!

Wet: Honey and lemon with a splash of tea.

Drydown: As it dries, Shanghai becomes lightly floral on my skin. It blends rather nicely with honeyed lemony tea scent.

Dry: Very lemony. It's light and crisp and would make a perfect springtime scent.

Overall: Shanghai would be a great every day scent during the warmer part of the year.

Wet: Sweet iris twinned with violets and a heavy splash of lavender. A bit tart at first, but that goes away quickly.

Drydown: The heady intoxication of the florals wears off and the scent deepens a bit as the sandalwood comes to the fore. The sweetness of ylang ylang also peeks out.

Dry: Soft, feminine and barely there, Veil clings closely to the skin. Nice, subtle and definitely a great work scent.

Verdict: Classic. I could see myself owning a bottle of this.

I placed a CC-Now order last week and it canceled, saying my card was expired even though it is not.

My order this morning is having payment issues. I swears, I will use Paypal in the future. I can't deal with this.

Wet: Cinnamon? Did I somehow get a SN?

Drydown: The boyfriend says this smells like potpourri on my skin. Oh noes!

Dry: Thankfully, it morphs into a mulled cider. This is delicious, but it fades to a whisper within a couple of hours.

Overall: It smells much better on him than me. I think I will pass this one on to someone who will appreciate it more than I do.

Wet: Jasmine, immediately. Warm and lush, but pretty much dominating the show. Zorya's not a shy one.

Drydown: As she dries, Zorya becomes faintly spicy and a touch powdery.

Dry: The iris continues to peek out a little more as time wears on, giving lovely Miss Z. a bit of sophistication to temper her bawdy entrance.

Overall: Zorya is very bold as well as floral. She's pretty, but I don't think this one is balanced enough on my skin to warrant a bottle.

Ultraviolet is like a minty smack in the face at first. Then, violet blooms gently underneath, giving UV more depth and sophistication. This is definitely a work friendly scent.

In the imp: Roses!

Wet: A soft, sweet rose scent. I have trouble with roses, so it should be interesting to see where this goes.

Drydown: Carnations dipped in cream. This is quite lovely. There is an underlying muskiness tantalizing my palate.

Dry: Vaguely green and cream. I'm not used to scents becoming less defined with time. TUC is certainly a nice blend at this stage, but it is tough to put my finger on it.

Overall: Pretty, but not a must have.

Wet: Wet and woodsy. Intriguing.

Drydown: The woody smell becomes distinctly piney. There's a hollow aquatic scent that I cannot quite place. This is delightful.

Dry: This reminds me of a rainy city day. There's a depth to ST that seems earthy, though the pine still dominates.

Overall: This is quite lovely. I could see myself owning this one if she wasn't such a rarity.

I want to preface this review with a note that I am not a foodie. However, that being said, I am grateful for the opportunity to test this sought after blend.

Wet: Warm currants and pastries. If you gave me a scoop of vanilla ice cream, I think we'd be in business.

Drydown: As it dries, CR becomes more tart berry goodness and less flaky pastry.

Dry: Mouthwatering blackberries with a hint of currant. Even though I've just eaten, I find myself lusting after dessert. This smells divine but I could never keep this around for fear that I would gain an exorbitant amount of weight.

Overall: Nom nom nom. CR is delicious and affirms why I can't keep these kinds of scents around. I'm like a hungry, hungry hippo!

Wet: Indistinct heady white floral.

Drydown: Lydia is a wreath of gardenias, with a hint of greenery tucked inside.

Dry: Gardenia and not much else. A lot of people noted this as a jasmine SN type scent, but on me Lydia is all Gardenia and smiles, that shameless hussy.

Overall: Lydia is nice and I am grateful for the chance to test her, but I don't need to have a bottle of this.

Decant RIS.

In the imp: Warm, peppery.

Wet: Ginger. Patchouli creeps up on it and clobbers it over the head.

Drydown: Full on patchouli with a bit of muskiness to it. In the distance, I sense the hollow cries of honeysuckle, which gives War an odd echo. Hrm... Is Honeysuckle Strife, then?

Dry: War fades quickly. I was hoping for more of the pepper I sensed in the imp. It mellows out a bit, sadly.

Overall: Not quite what I expected, but I'll try her again before I send her off to swaps.

Warm, resiny juniper and pine. It is a deeper, more delicious older brother to Golden Priapus, soaked in amber. As it dries, a berry note comes out to run through the crushed needles, almost playfully. I am definitely in love with this wild blend.