ralenth

Slick, soft leather and machine oil. It's got a gritty, sexy vibe to it. I am in serious lust with this blend.

Sweet, creamy sarsaparilla - sinfully decadent and naughty. I never really imagined one of my favorite childhood treats as a boudoir scent, but the Lab manages it, yet again. The throw was medium, but the staying power was phenomenal - lasted all day and could still smell it faintly the next morning. Delightful and a total keeper!

Sweetened red musk, cream and soft tea leaves. It's subtle, sophisticated and lovely.

Soft chilly snow, pine needles underfoot, and a chilly wind. Perfect for a hot day.

At first, St. Foutin is too boozy and I get green prickliness from the rose. However, after an hour, it has morphed into this gorgeous warm beeswax with a deep wine note underneath. I really regret selling my bottle now.

Atrocious Attic is soft linen and sandalwood - it really does remind me of Antique Lace. It has an ethereal muskiness to it as well. For me the throw is medium, but wear length is exceptionally long (all day!).

Soft, smoky floral with undercurrents of sandalwood. Understated, but completely lovely.

At first, I smell wildflowers, bright and sunny. During the drydown, it's predominantly sunflower, with whispers of magnolia and soft sage crushed under foot. I don't really get any fire here, though I do detect tinges of ozone. Definitely the standout of the Helicopters for me.

Wet: Tobacco blossom - reminiscent of The Body Shop's Tobacco Flower room oil.

Drydown: Giant squid begins to sweeten with peeps of aloe and juniper berry. It's playful and slightly aquatic. Giant Squid at Seaworld, anyone?

Dry: Once it's dry, Giant squid does have a slightly spiced apple scent. It grows spicier by the minute.

Overall: If I could somehow keep this locked in the drydown stage, I would buy a bajillionty bottles. Unfortunately, me and cidery apple scents, not so much.

At first, Lady on the Grey is a swirling, ephemeral musk with tinges of soft, white floral. She is elegant, but slightly aloof. However, after an hour, I get a bit of sharpness and it goes a bit powdery. I think this lady is locket-only for me.

Starts out a lovely, sophisticated floral with undercurrents of white sandalwood. Unfortunately, it turns green and powdery after a few minutes. Dratted roses.

Soft, creamy floral with hints of snow, but very muted. Bergamot and lilies are usually death-notes for me, but Okayaki remains balanced, delicate and sophisticated. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I think I am going to get quite a bit of mileage out of my bottle.

Bright key lime with a slight dash of dark chocolate. It mellows rather quickly on my skin, unfortunately. Pretty while it lasts...

Sweet, light and fruity. Very summery - like wind blowing through laundry lines and taking a stroll through the garden.

I sniffed this at my first WCWC a couple months ago and promptly went home and ordered a bottle.

Ekhidna is dark, clovey musky love. As it dries, sinister doesn't even begin to cover it. The myrrh and opponax coil around my wrist so deliciously. I'm a pretty big fan of the bold, heavy scents and Ekhidna doesn't disappoint. The throw isn't too oppressive, so I'm not dominating the whole room when I enter (even if this scent makes me feel like I'm overthrowing Olympians).

2010 vintage:

Smooth, boozy red musk romp. I can see why this is so popular. I actually prefer this fresh, as my older bottles smell more grapey on my skin.

At first sniff, Thoos is wham! Sharp tangerine in the face. But, as it dries, it mellows into a bright citrus with sultry musky undertones. I think this is going to get a lot of play during the hot summer months.

I think that this is the star of the Ode to Mars update. Aatos Polemoio is warm cedar with subtle spicy sweetness. I would love to slather this on a man, but it smells pretty good on me. Sharing is not an option here.

Bottle aged since 09/2007

Wet: Warm, smoky cloves.

Drydown: As it dries, Wild Men gets a bit fiery, though not in the cinnamon way. Patchouli gives it a bit of a dirty romp feel without tending to the hippy-ish that some patchouli blends have.

Dry: Dirty, sexy romp. Still has a warm feel, though not the flames that I was getting during the drydown.

Overall: The only thing missing is leather here. That would make this even more amazing. Then again, I think everything could use more leather. Hehe.

Sweet pears and lilies. I get teensy peeps from the nasty green rose gallery, but mostly it's a creamy white floral. Once it's dry, it's very vanilla-y and the throw is incredibly strong. Symmakhia is lovely, but not really up my alley.

Wet: It reminds me a bit of Smut. Lush, juicy musk with a slight tinge of grape.

Drydown: Gorgeous, warm, swirling scent, the grapiness has gone (unlike with Smut). It's red musk and cozy woods. So pretty!

Dry: And it's nearly gone within 30 minutes. It remains a faint, sweet, wooden presence, but I have to press my nose to my skin to catch it.

Overall: Very nice. I wish it was a little stronger on my skin. If it was, I could see it being a regular in my rotation.

Sadly, this soap didn't hold it's scent at all. I recently snagged a slice, as Perversion is one of my favorite oils, and the scent is very faint. I like the scrubby texture of the bar, but my skin felt dry afterward (though this is quite common with bar soap). I must say that the lather was impressive (so much!!!) even if the soap at this stage wasn't.

Thick, gorgeously spiced honey. There are hints of woods. I'm not getting much of the floral, but that could be because I am completely honing in on the gingery honey. It's like bathing in a golden cloud of happiness.

I remembered this being crushed sweet tarts and zealously hoarded it. However, now it gets this strange plasticky funk on drydown. Sad skin chemistry fail.

Source: Leftover partial from 2008 circle

Wet: Snow Maiden in the Pines! Mmm, I am really digging on snowy pine scents lately.

Drydown: The Snow Maiden vibe fades on Drydown, but it remains a lovely, soft snowy pine scent.

Dry: Snow, gentle pine and crushed herbs. Very pretty and chilly.

Overall: For a desert rat, I sure love snowy pine scents.