Lethran

In bottle: Extremely lilac with some musk. Wet: Blends beautifully on the skin. The fougere morphs into a light aftershave with a moderate leather scent and a faint musk edge. This scent is highly androgynous, and I suspect will morph quite a bit depending on how much natural musk the wearer has. My cats find it disturbing however. Dry: As it dries, the musk smoothes the blend out, turning it into a light lilac musk blended seamlessly with leather. It slowly fades to lilacy leather.

My cats think Mandrake is possibly a sign of the apocalypse.

I think you've got the right idea, perhaps give Phoenix Steamworks a try? To me it has a slightly different vibe than Mechanical Phoenix (I think Mechanical Phoenix is a bit more bold and cologne-like), but even if they're not twins, they're certainly siblings. If I remember correctly a few of the reviews of Steamworks mentioned similarities and made comparisons between the two, which could be helpful as well. Steamworks is more androgynous, but similar. The main thing missing is the aftershave effect. perhaps layering Steamworks with a touch of Vicomte de Valmonte? Actually, I suggest Robotic scarab, which is fairly close.

In bottle: Whoa! It’s Drambuie in perfume form. Whiskey scent so strong, I choked on it, breathing it in. It also reminds me a little of bubble gum and nail polish. Wet: don’r wear this while driving. It is sweeter on the skin and the oak really comes out, but it retains a very sweet, boozy effect. Once it settles down, it is oddly, disturbingly sexy. It is a little like being molested by a drunken ent. In a good way. O.o Dry: Pretty much the same, less oak, more sweet, but the same glorious concept.

In bottle: Yum, rich buttery rum cookies with a lime citrus bite. The burnt sugar’s making me hungry. Wet: Lighter and less heady than in the bottle. More cookie, less rum, though still pleasantly foody. I could eat this right up. Given time, the tabacco will come out. The whole effect is surprisingly cozy. Nice. Dry: It retains a solid tobacco and rich baked goods effect right to the end of the fade, though the lime goes mostly dormant.

In bottle: surprisingly floral, sunny and clean smelling. Wet: Sandlewood and flowers, with a touch of musk. Smells like high end shampoo. Luckily, the shampoo fades into something a touch more complex and interesting, but nothing to write home about. Dry: This fades fast to sandlewood.

In bottle; Smells weirdly industrial, like chemical cleaners. Wet: chemicals with musk and civet. My guess is that I’m parsing the synthetic civet as it’s component parts. It lightens to something slightly sweeter and vaguely sexy as it blends better on the skin and heats. Almost no throw. Dry: super soft pleasant light musk.

You can see why I got it right off, can’t you. In bottle: More patchouli than I’d like, very “Mrs. Santa, the whip girl.” I am surprised there aren’t more obviously Christmassy elements in it like pine, as it smells vaguely that way. I am liking what the cardamom and bourbon are doing with the leather, I really am. Wet: Leather! My skin does tend to amp this and as I think it, it is pleasing. The patchouli really backs down, making more room for the cardamom/bourbon effect. Seriously, I am liking this, despite my lack of luck with alcohol BPALs outside the rum family. I wouldn’t drive wearing it, since that bourbon is just boozey enough to raise questions if one is pulled over, but it’s not super strong, especially with all that lush leather. Yum. Yum, I say! This one really lives up to the concept, I think. Dry: vaguely spicy leather.

In bottle: flowers in wets stone work, mud and sweet, green decay.. Sharp and more than a little vicious. Wet: I’m in love folks. Read the above, now imagine it made deeper and richer on my skin. This scent is visceral, compelling. I want so much more, but this imp is so precious, I must ration it tightly, since I may likely never have another or smell it’s like again. I could bath in this, and I’m not a floral fan. Dry: tea, wood, and earth. Maybe light spice and musk, though that could be the interaction with my natural scent. I would like to add, “Squee!” I got this in a swap with another rare, and I feel insanely lucky.

In bottle: Smells like high end bath products, rich and sweet and soapy, with an edge I can only assume is wasabi. Wet: The tea note comes out strongly at first, with the honey acting to sweeten, but not standing on it’s own. The wasabi doesn’t really stand out either, but I’m fairly sure that’s what’s giving it the sharper edge. If black tea blends are your thing, likely this will be too. The effect is rather invigorating and surprisingly green. Dry: Turns into a sweet woman’s perfume which simply doesn’t work for me. This is a shame as it’s quite pleasant.

In Bottle: Mmmm… wood, tobacco, and vanilla smelling vaguely alcoholic. This smells like display cases in Victorian gentleman’s study, fitting the concept beautifully. Wet: I know this doesn’t list a bronze note in the ingredients, but seriously, this does smell like polished brass mixed with the above. This is instant love. The wood gets so much richer on the skin and the tobacco and vanilla mellow into the others. I’m in love. Dry: The vanilla comes out turning the whole mix into something even more fascinating. I’m mesmerized. I can’t stop sniffing. The effect it androgynous enough to read as men’s cologne or darkly sexy women’s perfume. I can’t get enough of the way this smells on skin.

Seaweed, awapuhi, and sea foam. In bottle: Intensely tropical fruity. Wet: This is like good tropical punch made with real fruit juice and not corn syrup. As it warms on the skin, the sea comes out, like a light breeze blowing in from the ocean over a grove of ripe fruit. It is sweet and pleasant and it lightens in affect as it wears and the sea scent lifts it. This would be glorious on anyone liking fruit/aquatics. It is slightly strange on me, but that is not the scent’s fault, trust me. Dry: Goes a little strange as the oceanic and fruit elements separate out. It’s still wearable, but less striking.

Love me just gave me a rash akin to sunburn in colour and sensation all over my neck. Is there something in it that gets more virulant with age? I had a similar problem with sacred Whore of Babylon.

This has mint, so my review is in bottle only: This is surprisingly nice for a mint scent. The grapefruit, tea, wood combo is doing some really interesting things with the leather and lemon. This is complex and fascinating, but I know if I wore it, it would smell like lemon pledge. This is a shame, as the mint is so understated I could almost wear it. This would be lovely on the right woman, it really would.

In bottle: They are not kidding about the green. Grass, sage, ginger, verbena makes a sharp green, lemony scent. It is nigh eye watering. Wet: I am shocked there is no green tea in this, as it reminds me of several tea scents. This smells of spring. The amber slowly sweetens it as it wears, but the lemon remains dominant. Dry: Fades to a faintly floral rain scent.

In bottle: Fresh amber scent with florals. Wet: Inauspicious. Something vaguely earthy and wet under flowers. Dry: Boring light floral with amber underneath.)

It’s vetiver, so I’m sticking to in the bottle: This is shockingly good for a vetiver scent, really it is. I like the balance of quality florals over darker, earthier elements. This scent is beautifully balanced and smells like freshly weeded garden.

Any news on the MV peanut oil thing?

If you can't find it there, try keeping an eye on e-bay. it shows up there a lot.

I loved the Phoenix, but Djinn smells chemical to me and I'm allergic to it.

In bottle: Flower over wood and fruit and earth, sweet and decayed, but in a pleasant way. Wet: Mmmm… The wood comes out and a lush wet green mossy scent. This really does live up to it’s concept, the harsher elements balancing the softer ones, strange and atmospheric. The fruits and flowers are very subdued, presenting a softening effect to the bolder elements, rather than taking center stage. As this is how I like things, I am very well pleased. Dry: My skin loves this stuff. It is pleasantly masculine, but complex and ever shifting. I am in love, really I am. I might have liked a touch more dirt, but this is picking nits. Seriously, this is made of win.

In bottle: musk, amber, and leather with a hint of wood and smoke. Vaguely boozey. Wet: My skin eats it at first. It needs a little time to warm up. The woods and Amber come out first, light and pleasing, then the other elements slowly rise. I’m not a big fan if pine and musk is hit or miss with my skin chemistry, but this is pretty amazing. As the leather rises, it deepens the effect, creating something really nice on my skin. Dry: Leather on top of the other elements. The pine fades back on dry down, becoming a good companion to the other elements. This was a big gamble for me because it has two elements that are hit and miss with me, but it really did come through.

In bottle: jasmine on top with the myrrh and rose well blended. I’m not skin testing as I know my skin will just amp the rose.

In bottle: Men’s cologne, glorious incense, sage. Wet: insensey perfume, with a hint of something darker. It is like a very femme red moon. I am surprised there is no musk in it. Dry: Sweet incense with perfume. Disappointing on me, but likely cool on someone else with less natural musk in eir skin chemistry. This one’s a heartbreaker as it smells so good.

In bottle: sharp dirt scent over blood. Something vaguely green. Wet; Intense Dirt smell with pleasing light overtones. The perfume comes out slowly. This is no jazz Funeral, but pleasant. Dry: Wears nicely as a sweet dirty scent.