ralenth

At first, Penny Dreadful smells like I spilled the contents of my spice rack outside (for whatever reason): warm, evocative, dirt. As it dries, that earthy note becomes more pronounced. I feel like I have been rolling around on the ground, which is strangely appealing, though definitely not something I would always want to smell like. Perhaps my nose isn't really well practiced with earthy scents like Penny Dreadful.

Soft sweet pea with traces of ylang ylang. Erato smells a touch powdery, though not full on baby powder, on my skin. As it dries, the ylang ylang becomes more pronounced. I don't get rose any where on my skin, thankfully. This is lovely, though perhaps a tad too girly for me.

Golden Priapus smells like pine sap and crushed juniper on my skin. It has a delicious masculine warmth. As it dries, the vanilla deepens the scent. This may be a touch too masculine for me, but I can't wait to try it on my SO.

Dare I dream of a rose blend to love? Nyx doesn't give me any trouble but I don't detect any trace of the befarious prickly rose in it.

Nyx is full-on, in your face jasmine. There is a bit of spiciness, but hardly any of the other notes come out to play. I really like it. It's like my very own jasmine SN.

WoND is a delightfully light green aquatic splashed with rose. It has a bit of an odd note, perhaps the melon, that reminds me of my handsoap. It is rather calming. It may not be bottle worthy, but I will cherish my imp.

Warm, softly spicy and musky, Scherezade is absolutely lovely. It seems like the younger, sweeter sister of Malice. Definitely bottle-worthy.

Imp: Soft and musky. I want to dive right in but must control my inner slathercat.

Wet: Ylang ylang comes to the fore. Being one of the few notes that my nose instantly recognizes, I am pleased. I also get a hint of clove here as well. Yum yum.

Drydown: Amber begins to deepen the ylang ylang, and I suspect, also contribute a powdery tinge.

Dry: Soft, sweet and musky, but a tad powdery (though not unwearable).

Verdict: Definitely likable, but perhaps would be better in a locket.

Imp: Wet roses, quite lovely.

Wet: Green, a problem that I seem to have with rose blends.

Drydown: Nauseatingly grassy with a hint of tilled earth. Absolutely disgusting, but I decide to stick it out.

Dry: Still very grassy, but I can detect lush roses blooming underneath that. Unfortunately, the sharp green scent does not go away, so it's another rose blend off to the swaps!

Ooo, I think I have found an aquatic to love at long last. At first, The Gibbous Moon smells wet and green, almost grassy, but I detect the nefarious influence of cucumber there. As it dries, the greeness lessens and dark, shadowy pale florals come out to play, dancing along my wrist. The Gibbous Moon conjures images of deadly creatures lurking beneath the still moonlit waters: enchanting and lovely but with a bit of hidden danger.

This one is definitely tough. At first, it is a warm ambery floral. As it dries, a bit of sweetness pops out (almond, perhaps?). On me, The Sportive Sun clings really close to the skin, hardy any throw at all. It is a lovely blend, but I'm not sure if I would keep coming back to it.

It turns powdery after about fifteen minutes. Off to the swaps, it is!

Decant received in an imp pack.

Imp: Tart and citrus.

Wet: Citrus. Mmm, smells yummy.

Drydown: Effervescent and citrusy. Kinda like a morning mimosa combined with a bit of a kick in the face. I like it enough to want to gnaw on my arm.

Dry: Fades quickly. If it had more lasting power, I would get a bottle.

Frimpage from the lab.

Wet: Sharp and astringent.

Drydown: Still astringent, but also a bit like fresh herbs from my garden.

Dry: Honestly, it smells like I crushed pine needles into an herb sachet and liberally doused it with lemon. It is oddly refreshing, if a bit medicinal. I think I might have to retest this one later on.

In the imp: Floral and musky. Smells delicious.

Wet: Floral, really heady. A bit surprising with the range of throw.

Drydown: A bit more manageable, but still very floral.

Dry: Baby powder.

Off to the swaps. Couldn't leave it on long enough to tell if it made a difference or not.

Mmm, leather and myrrh. It's sexy, but it doesn't grab me the way Succubus or Perversion do. Muted and a bit naughty, it quiets down to something softly spicy after a few minutes. I like it, but I'm definitely not in love.

At first, it reminded me of honeyed offering cakes: sticky and sweet. Fine minutes later, it's got spicy tones, and the honey is much more muted. I don't get much wine from this, but Athens does have a pretty, well rounded scent. It's nice, but I'm not convinced I'll need bottles of this any time soon.

Edit: The wine note showed up later. Now it makes me want to go get some baklava.

At first sniff, it reminds me of a dusty tea room. It turns resiny and sweet after a few minutes. I have a hard time pinning this down. It's soft, warm and sweet with hints of myrrh, which I adore.

Definitely keeping this, if only to decipher it further.

Dark, deep, mysterious and damned sexy. Sexy is not something I expected from Cthulhu. This aquatic is deep and green, almost piney at some points. It is strong and fragrant and would be incredibly sexy on a male, though it still smells pretty good on me too.

Tested it on the SO and yes, it is sexy on man. Mmm... Cthulhu is lust inspiring. Somehow, this seems wrong. I like it anyway.

The scent doesn't really corollate with what I remember hurricanes smelling like, at least not on my skin. At first, it has an ozone tang surrounded by light aquatic notes, but it sharpens into something astringent. Unfortunately not a winner for me. I'll try it later on in the month and then off to swaps.

Thank you for posting that link, portalkat. I can't brain today. I have the dumb.

Hello from another Aveda fan... addict, in my case.

I agree with pretty much every recommendation above and don't have one to add.

There is an entire thread discussing musks somewhere (I swear I did not imagine this, but I have not found it yet)...

I grabbed this lovely lady out of my box o' frimpage and decided to give her a go, thinking I'd get something spicy and naughty. Of course, it would have helped if I read the description first.

Pele is soft and lush, like rolling around in a bed of tropical blossoms covered in morning dew. Gentle, sweet and insistent, she lingers. Hate to sound trite, but boy, do I smell pretty now.

I love this one and will be coming back to her again.

A frimp from the lab:

Wet: Dark and mysterious. The pine jumps up and something darker creeps behind it.

Drydown: I feel like I'm rolling around on the forest floor at Christmas time. I am getting a bit dirty, mmm, but I smell like holiday. Not sure this was intended, but my sleep deprived brain likes it.

Dry: Mmm, there's some sort of berry sweetness in addition to the pine now. I don't smell like household cleaner, how delightful!

Overall: I'll definitely come back to this. It's so neat.

Oneiroi is like a bottomless pit of lavender that sucks you down into a deep, restful sleep. I sleep so well every time I use it. I haven't had as much luck with Somnus, but that's okay, because Mr. Oneiroi is a total winner.

I'm in love with the new Blue Moon, but cannot justify another bottle at the price when I am still building my collection. Can anyone recommend a GC that is somewhat similar?

Bottle: Full, lush roses in bloom. Mmm.

Wet: A little sourness creeping in under the roses.

Drydown: Oddly enough, it smells green, evocative of freshly cut stems.

Dry: The green scent is dominating, though I catch faint whiffs of rose.

Overall: Incredibly disappointed. Will test once more before kicking this one to the curb.