grashopper8

A clean, soapy floral. I can't pick out any notes or components, but it's a nice wildflower scent. A little too powdery and fresh for me to wear often, but it's pretty nonetheless.

 

3.5 out of 5

1st impressions on skin:

I'm so bummed! I don't know if I got a bottom-of-the-batch bottle or what, but the cedar is the only note that comes out on me. In the bottle, it's an interesting herbal scent with a hint of sweet resin, but 2 minutes on my skin, and all I can smell is "pencil shavings steeped in perspiration" (thanks to CordeliaSeduced for that quote). I guess Dragon Moon 08 just wasn't meant to be for me. It sounded so awesome, too! Sadness.

 

15 minutes later:

Hmm, the cedar note (sawdust B.O.) has really faded considerably. Maybe I judged this one too quickly. I was kind of jealous, reading all the rave reviews and just getting cedar once it touched my skin! But now that it's dried down, it's really strange. My overall impression is that I smell myrrh, and that it smells kind of like a drier, herbal-tinged version of Queen of Clubs. Which doesn't say anything too useful at all, now, does it?

 

I'm still not sure how I feel about it, I'm going to have to slather it on someday where I'll have time to give it more of a chance. Also, I feel that Dragon Moon 08 could benefit significantly from being set aside to age a few months. Feeling waffle-y....that cedar drydown is just truly awful on me!

 

For now, I'll say:

4 out of 5

I get a creamy vanilla tobacco from this. Maybe a swirl of musk...I can't pick up on the leather.

 

I bet if this was layered with Antique Lace, it would be reminiscent of Black Lace.

 

It's pleasantly decent, and simple. It's unremarkable and plays it safe with my chemistry. I like it, but I'm not swooning.

 

3.5 out of 5

Yum! This definitely has some cinammony-type note going on, with a smooth, rich amber. It's a little masculine, but still has a warm sweetness to it. I'm reminded of Chimera....This is like, Chimera for Him.

 

I don't know why I feel like it's manly, I just do. I'm sure tons of ladies pull it off just fine, but with my skin, I'm feeling like I smell like a guy. A warm, slightly spicy, proud scent. Impressively accurate to its namesake.

 

4.2 out of 5

Wow, add me to the list of people who are amazed by the clean-laundry Dead On scent. It's not just the smell of laundry detergent, it's the smell of sticking your face in crisp cotton sheets warming in the sun.

 

It's a wonderful scent-memory kind of scent. I don't see myself reaching for it on any regular basis, but for people who love clean, fresh scents, this is a must-try.

 

3.8 out of 5

Frimp from the lab - Thanks guys!!

 

Wet, this smells cloyingly buttery and foody, and I'm a bit put off.

 

However, after a few minutes of mellowing out, it dries out into a yummy, sweet, pumpkin-ey autumn spice blend. There's still a foody buttery note, but it's more in the background, giving the blend a foody quality.

 

I'm surprised at how much I like this. It makes me want Fall to be here! I can't wait for the leaves to start turning and for the cool autumn air to start breezing in. I am going to hold on to my imp 'till then, and if it gets a lot of rotation, it's a potential 5mL purchase.

 

This is like Pumpkin Pie, whereas Pumpkin Cheesecake is the creamy, more decadent version. This could help me stretch out my PC decant even longer, like eating an apple when I'm craving apple streusel heheh

 

Over 400 reviews! How have I missed out on a scent this popular for this long?? : -)

 

4.5 out of 5

A flirty, heady, happy fruity floral. It really smooths out after it dries down a little bit, and it's yummy. It smells like drinking tropical mixed drinks with gorgeous, lush blooms bursting out everywhere. It starts out a little candy-ish, but after a minute or two it just blossoms into fantabulasticness.

 

Love it! Absolutely appropriate, a summer scent that everyone should try!!

 

4.7 out of 5

Yeah, I have to agree with those that said this smells like Snow White, yet more pleasant (because SW was a dusty, awful mess with my chemistry).

 

Dana smells like any commercial "almond/milk/honey" product to me, someone above mentioned Burt's Bees almond hand cream and I was reminded of the same thing.

 

Still, it's really soft and pretty and subtle. If someone else was wearing this, I would probably sniff away. It's not really my style, but I can see its charm and popularity.

 

Pretty, just not me. Wayyy better than Snow White, in my opinion.

 

3.7 out of 5

Hmmm....I smell cheap leather and fake vanilla. I guess it could be nice on the right person, but my chemistry is turning this one plasticky, sadly.

 

1 out of 5

This scent smells like powdery wildflowers, and since I'm not exactly a gardener, I'm saying that it smells like a cross between lilac and lily of the valley.

 

However, overall it smells like laundry detergent on me. There's something about it that's almost pretty, but... dryer sheets at the same time.

 

Just not me, I guess.

 

2.3 out of 5

Sugary-caramel-custard-buttery...

 

This smells a lot like butterscotch on me. I am not picking out much fruit - if anything, maybe there's a hint of some generic fruitiness, I guess.

 

A cool interpretation, but not a perfume I'd be inclined to wear myself. It's not terrible, but just isn't quite right on me.

 

2.5 out of 5

Eh, well, this just smells too much like candy on me. It ends up feeling a bit shallow. Meck. Not my style, I'm afraid.

 

2 out of 5

Holy yum yum yo yeah!!

 

This scent is GORGEOUS at all stages, and a yummy morpher.

 

In the imp, it smells like Beaver Moon 05. I take a second whiff, and I smell tea. This is when I know I love teh Una.

 

On my skin, it's a gorgeous swirling of notes, dancing harmoniously. I smell honey, vanilla, berries, and tea. If I concentrate on one note, it stands out from the rest. If I sniff without thinking, it just smells amazing. It's sweet yet fresh, a difficult feat to achieve....it's hard to describe, but it has a beautiful yummy sweetness while avoiding any cloying vibe.

 

I am reminded of Gennivre, which is honeyed tea, but add blackberries and vanilla cream....and you'll have Lady Una.

 

I really love this! I can see 5mLs in the future : -)

 

4.9 out of 5

 

Edit to add:

I bought a 5mL fresh from the lab, and I have to say that the blackberry note amps the crap out of me and smells fermented and kind of nasty. It takes a while for it to dry down and chill out. I find that fruit notes in BPALs tend to mellow out as they age, so I'm hoping that my bottle of Lady Una will age into the scent I fell in love with as a decant. As it wafts, I can smell the scent I remember as Lady Una, but up close it starts out all berry.

 

Long story short: If you test Lady Una and it's all berries and it's not that great, let it age for a while and test it again - I think you'll be glad you did!

I have to agree that the vetiver note totally dominates this scent, but its initial burst of "HI!!!" chills out as it dries down. It's still definitely a vetiver scent, but there's an interesting, highly complimentary background with the pale sandalwood and the faintest hint of neroli (I can barely pick out the neroli, I wouldn't have guessed its presence without the scent description).

 

filigree_shadow said it best:

earthy, kind of woody, slightly grassy, and smoky.

 

I like vetiver, but usually find it to be too masculine with my chemistry (the main exception being Death Adder). I like this blend more than I like most, but I still think Love's Torments would smell fascinatingly different and fresh on a man. On me, I'd worry that I just smelled manly.

 

3.8 out of 5

Patchouli is the dominant note in Dance of Death. Despite its woodsy dominance, it is finely balanced by a sweet, resinous myrrh and a soft, deep musk. The overall impression that I get from this is Incense.

 

I do like this, but I'm not interested enough to slather it on and wear it today.

 

Dark and powerfully haunting.

 

3.5 out of 5

I bought a tarted imp of this on ebay (you know, the old-style kind of imp that had the label tied on with silken cord), so I know it's aged at least a few years.

 

It's a beautiful, soft white floral that is right up my alley! Gardenia is one of my favorite notes, so I'm surprised I haven't tried this yet.

 

I can pick out the gardenia, but it's definitely a white bouquet, and I can't say that the gardenia is overly dominant.

 

It's delicate, ethereal, and a little soapy (which is good on me), and although it's a blend with several notes, it maintains simplicity by being floral and nothing more. I can wear this by itself, or maybe layer it with something else (I was thinking White Phoenix, to add some white musk and complexity to the range of notes).

 

After it's been on for a while, it loses a little bit of its fresh charm and a faint rose-ish scent hangs out, but since this is the farthest thing from a fresh decant, I can't judge it that way. And, at this stage, it still smells really nice, just different. As it is, I think I've been convinced to go for a 5mL, so I'll be able to try it with a more valid experience when it's new. I've heard that florals don't age quite as gracefully as, say, resins.

 

At the outset: 4.8 out of 5

After it's been on for a while: 4.3 out of 5 (but this may not happen with a newer aliquot).

The spiciness in this blend makes me think of clove or cinnamon, but also makes me think of carnation, so I'm not sure what's responsible for the spice.

 

If you like carnation (think Lush Potion), try this one out. I don't really like it, though, to be quite honest.

 

2 out of 5

This is right in line with the description - a fresh, lemony tea scent. My skin tends to burn off lemon, and in this blend, the lemon calms down from its initial intensity while still maintaining a balanced presence.

 

It takes a few minutes, but the sweet, gentle honeysuckle comes out in the background, making the overall feel more complex and intriguing.

 

I got a little of the oil on my fingertips when I was opening the imp, and it's strange - the honeysuckle is much more pronounced on my fingertips than on the back of my hand, where I tested it.

 

A pretty, fresh blend, as you could already tell from the notes. If you like clean perfumes, this is a must-try IMO, because I normally don't gravitate towards citrus/tea scents, but I feel like this one is really nice.

 

It's also evoking scent memories - I feel like I've smelled it before. It seems to me like it would be a great scent for a young, ambitious girl.

 

4.1 out of 5

Awww, bummer!

 

I love all the notes in here, except the clove. I mean, clove can be nice, but it's more medicinal than perfume for me.

 

Alas, my skin amps the clove and that's all I can smell. If Blood had everything except the clove, I bet I'd be obsessed. Oh well! Plenty of BPAL that loves me to soothe my disappointment!

 

2 out of 5

This is pine, for sure, but....there sure is some other stuff going on, softening and sweetening the pungent note into something wearable. It's almost like a sweet, piney floral.

I wouldn't wear it again, but fans of pine scents should definitely try this, because it's really nice.

3.5 out of 5

Lilac and rose with a hint of wood. I'm glad that the woods don't dominate, and this blend is actually quite wearable. I expected to hate it, but this seems to be one of Beth's rose blends that actually work on me.

I'm not a habitual rose wearer, but I do appreciate this.

4.2 out of 5

The sweetness and fruitiness of this blend dries down pretty quickly on me, leaving a pleasant but unremarkable resinous Dragon's Blood/musk behind.

 

It's very nice with my chemistry. It's just that there are other ars draconis blends that freak me out with their awesomeness, and Dragon's Heart is not as impressive next to them. (I love D.Milk and D.Reverie.)

 

3.5 out of 5

Whoa, this smells just as dark as the oil actually is! It's a deep, reddish brown.

 

I'm getting mostly musk here. The opium adds a tinge of almost-spicy floral, and I swear that I also smell patchouli. But it's mostly dirty musk.

 

It's not terrible, but I'm not in swoon mode.

 

Sexy, dirty musk. Try this if you like Smut.

 

3.3 out of 5

An aquatic scent with a swirl of tropical flower. Nice, but not for me.

 

3.7 out of 5

Ashy vetiver. It's gross on me, frankly.

 

1 out of 5