Penance

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab (eBay).

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This is one of those scents that managed to stay under my radar for quite a while until I saw a bottle for sale and randomly decided to read the reviews. I'm not sure how it is that this one didn't jump out at me, since most of the notes here are either ones I love or ones I like. The only things that have me worried are the neroli (I hate neroli if it's strong enough to stand out in a scent) and the ginger (I like the ginger you find in gingerbread scents, but not any of the other incarnations).

 

I have to admit that Sarada's description of Count Dracula as "the scent of a burning clove cigarette in a bondage club" spurred me into trying to win the auction for this one. That description gets me excited in all sorts of indecent ways.

 

First sniff:

 

Obviously, this is an aged bottle at this point. I'm not sure what it smelled like when it was fresh.

 

Straight out of the bottle, I get a blast of spices. Cinnamon, clove, ginger (which smells more like the type you find in baked goods than the ginger in White Rabbit or Mother Ginger). It's spicy, but there's more to it than that. There's a muskiness and a hint of leather lurking behind those almost-foody spices.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Still mainly spices with a hint of leather and musk. There's a hint of bitterness here from the clove, but it's faint. I don't get any neroli (yay!), here.

 

Dry down:

 

Mmm, I can see where Sarada gets the clove cigarettes/bondage club thing. The clove and other spices are still the strongest players, but there's a definite black leather in here. It smells dark and sexy. I wouldn't pick out patchouli if I didn't know it was in here, but it's there, adding a soft mustiness to the scent that I really like.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is beautiful. I'm really glad I ended up winning this one. Hopefully my one bottle will be enough because I gather this is hard to find.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Honestly, I had to have this if only for the name. And the mention of enormous magical chicken feet in the description.

 

That being said, the notes don't sound bad at all to me. I don't think I'd want to smell like actual chicken feet (they tend to be a bit...ripe, thanks to walking around in a barnyard all day), but I have no doubt that if anyone can make it work, it would be Beth. Everything else sounds good, too. I love wood and I like hay (thatching) and herbs.

 

First sniff:

 

I can see where people are getting oats/breakfast cereal/cream of wheat from. There is a definite grain scent to this that makes me think of breakfast (and warm blankets for some reason). I'm testing Halfling today and there's somewhat of a similarity between Halfling's porridge note and The Chicken-Legged Hut.

 

This isn't just oats/grains, though. There's something very slightly herbal here and something that just smells like a barn to me. In a good way. Not manure and trampled hay. Sort of old, sun-warmed wood, (clean) hay and a slight muskiness.

 

Wet on skin:

 

No real change. The Chicken-Legged Hut is one of those scents where, if you told me that it smelled like what I'm getting, I would have thought it sounded a little gross, but it actually works. I get warm, cozy grains with a hint of spice, just a touch of herbs and some very light, sun-warmed wood. No chicken feet, or at least none that smell like the chicken feet that I've smelled. Wow, that sounds strange when I put it like that.

 

Dry down:

 

Honestly, I would have kept this even if it smelled horrible. I would have set it aside and looked at it now and then and laughed over the name and the description. Luckily, that's not going to happen. Not only am I keeping The Chicken-Legged Hut, but I'm going to be wearing it.

 

It's a very stable scent on me. There's very little change from the bottle scent to the drydown on me. It stays a sort of "breakfast in a cozy, 'picture book' barn" on me. There's nothing evil or scary about this scent, but that's fine by me.

 

The bottom line:

 

I would have kept my bottle even if it smelled exactly like (real) chicken feet. Luckily it doesn't, so I can not only keep it, but wear it, too.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I passed Halfling up with complete confidence when it was released. I'm not a huge foody fan (particularly not when it comes to things like porridge and baked goods, although I do like some cake scents) and I despise anything with nuts in it. But when I read the reviews, it actually sounded good, so I bought a bottle on a whim, figuring that it probably wouldn't work, but it was worth a shot.

 

First sniff:

 

Om nom nom. Oatmeal cookies! I'm guessing that's the porridge combining with the pastry crumbs. It's got a sort of cookie-like base (with the slight grain scent that oatmeal cookies have) and a hint of spice. No nuts that I can smell, thankfully.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Still oatmeal cookies. There's a little bit of something else here, but I wouldn't pin it down as being nuts. It just adds depth without being identifiable. Maybe it's the nuts, maybe it's another grain in the porridge. I can't say for sure.

 

Dry down:

 

I genuinely like this! The porridge smell has gotten a bit stronger, but the oatmeal cookies are still there, too. It ends up being a sort of comforting, cozy spiced oatmeal scent. I swear, it's nicer than that might sound.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wouldn't have thought I'd like to smell like breakfast cereal (hot or cold), but Halfling is working for me. I think the soft oatmeal cookie vibe helps make this into something I enjoy. It's not really the sort of thing I'd wear every day, but I like it. I think this could layer really well with other scents, even non-RPG ones.

 

ETA: Now that Halfling has had a month to mature (a bit), I'm getting a sort of berry note, even though it's not listed in the notes. It smells like lightly spiced oatmeal cookies made with dried cranberries. I don't get porridge on the drydown anymore, either. This is all cookies, all the time.

 

It looks like I'm not the only one getting that, so at least I'm not crazy. I actually really like Halfling at this point.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I really wanted Dwarf based on the Will Call reviews, but held off when it went live on the site because I don't tend to get along with metallic or stone scents. Eventually, I had to try it, though. The reviews sound pretty good and I needed at least one of the Race blends to round out my RPG bottle collection (since Orc didn't work for me). I'm hoping this isn't too metallic or too sharp and ozoney like the Lab's stone scents tend to be on me.

 

First sniff:

 

Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's not bad, but it's a little bit cologney in a strange sort of way. It's not classical department store cologne, but it is cologney all the same.

 

Wet on skin:

 

We're getting somewhere, but I'm still not sure if this one is going to be for me. I can't really pick out any individual notes. It's still somewhat cologney, but less so than in the bottle. It's a bit metallic, a bit herbal and green, and a little bit dirty and leathery.

 

Dry down:

 

The cologniness never really disappears, but Dwarf settles into something that's not bad. It goes through a stage (which I really like) where it smells like Le Pere Fouettard if you took out the licorice (undoubtedly the soot-covered leather, since they share that), and then settles into a scent that's very hard to pin down.

 

It's got a little bit of everything going on and if I didn't have the notes in front of me, I'd never be able to tell you what was in here. It has sort of a slightly sour beer smell (which I wasn't expecting since hops don't smell like beer, even though they're an ingredient in it) combined with dark leather (although I'm not sure that I would have known that it was leather if I didn't have the notes; it's more of a feeling of darkness than a true leather smell) and...something.

 

The bottom line:

 

This isn't my favorite of the RPG scents, but I do like it. I'm not sure how often I'm going to wear it (on its own, anyway; I'll have to try layering it), but I'll be keeping my bottle.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on Etsy.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Coffee. It seems that everyone is in agreement on this one. I used to hate the smell of coffee. It actually made me queasy, but I've learned to enjoy the Lab's coffee notes. I bought this one more or less on a whim, but since I've had good luck with coffee blends lately, I'm hoping it works for me.

 

First sniff:

 

Yep, that's coffee, alright. Not cheap, Dunkin' Donuts coffee, either. The good kind that you'd get in the coffee shop where all the knowledgeable locals go.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This is very similar to the coffee note in Miskatonic University v3. It's strong, rich and black with just a little bit of sugar to take the edge off. I don't get any cream from this.

 

Drydown:

 

Same as the wet stage. This is rich black coffee. It's very much like Miskatonic University v3 but without the cinnamon toast. I like this.

 

The bottom line:

 

Just as described. If you like the smell of coffee, you'll love IXHV4.

Origin:

 

5mL from Mellifluous.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

The idea of smelling like a "dark, evil, earthy chocolate box truffle" appeals to me for some reason. I love earthy scents and I like a fair number of the Lab's chocolate blends (these days, anyway), so I'm hoping this works on me.

 

First snif:

 

I can definitely see where cfrancesca is getting the earthy chocolate thing from. This is definitely chocolate (dark chocolate or deep cocoa powder, not milk chocolate to my nose) and something earthy and a little bit musty. There could be some moss here, too.

 

Wet on skin:

 

An interesting tart almost fruitiness pops up when this hits my skin. It reminds me of the tamarind note in Dark Chocolate, Fig and Tamarind. The earthiness is still there, but it's being overpowered by this newcomer.

 

Drydown:

 

The tamarind (if it is tamarind; it could just be a by-product of my skin chemistry) has disappeared and I'm left with something that wouldn't be out of place among the Sugared She-Goat/Box of Chocolates blends. It's dark chocolate and something very vaguely boozy (it reminds me slightly of the apricot brandy in Grand Guignol). I don't get any dirt or moss at this point. It's just a nice, grown-up chocolate blend.

 

The bottom line:

 

I like this. It goes through some interesting changes on my skin and settles into a scent that I'd definitely wear. It doesn't end up being quite what I expected, but I think that might be for the best since it's more wearable this way than it would be as a chocolate, dirt and moss scent.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on Etsy.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

None whatsoever. I bought this one blind and haven't got a clue what to expect. The suspense!

 

First sniff:

 

Lavender. Strong lavender. Not as intensely herbal as some lavender notes can be, but lavender all the same. I can tell there are other things here, but I can't really get past the lavender to figure out what they are.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Lavender and fruit. Maybe some sort of citrus (grapefruit, maybe?) and berries (blackberry, possibly...it reminds me of Glasgow a little bit). It's pretty, but not really "me" at this point.

 

Drydown:

 

Non-descript. Sort of lavenderish, very softly fruity, maybe some very well-blended florals? It smells like expensive dusting powder on me at this point. I think my skin chemistry is playing havoc with this one.

 

The bottom line:

 

I so wanted this to work, but it evidently doesn't agree with my skin chemistry. This one has potential, but it just doesn't work all that well on me.

Origin:

 

5mL from The_Witching_Hour.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This is one of those scents that could be awesome or could go all wrong on me, but I'm more than willing to take the chance. I love the lab's black plum note and most of the other notes people are getting sound good, but I'm a little worried about the florals (which the lovely lady I got this from tells me she doesn't get) and the anise (which is iffy at best and a death note at worst).

 

First sniff:

 

Some sort of dark fruits, licorice (this is the dominant note for me) and something almost minty. It's vaguely similar to Chaotic v3, but with fruit and some smokiness added. This isn't my normal sort of scent, but I'm kind of liking this for some reason. My mom, on the other hand, thinks it doesn't smell very good, but we have opposite taste in scents (she's into florals and light, delicate, feminine scents while I prefer dark, heavy, gender-neutral to masculine scents).

 

Wet on skin:

 

Fruit Stripe gum!

 

Dry down:

 

The initial drydown on Black Widow Circus is a dark, rich licorice with a hint of dark fruits (black plum, maybe some cherry). I don't normally do licorice scents (the only one that's ever worked on me is Le Pere Fouettard), but I like it on me at this point. Maybe not for every day, but it is something I'd wear and enjoy.

 

The late drydown, though...that's another story. It's beautiful! I'd assumed that it was going to stay true to the darkly fruity licorice and didn't bother sniffing it again for a while. Then I sniffed it again on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. It turned from evil, dark licorice and fruit into a rich, deep blood red and deep purple fruit blend (I'm still getting plum, maybe some cherry and even a hint of wine) with a hint of spice and anise.

 

The bottom line:

 

Black Widow Circus is going to make a perfect addition to the CD line. It's very true to the concept. Dark, sensual, a little bit evil.

 

I'm really enjoying this. I'm glad that The_Witching_Hour decided to offer it up to me because I'm not sure whether I would have actively sought it out on my own.

Origin:

 

Aged 5mL from Midnight Aeval (from when the Snake Pit was released).

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I never planned to try all of the Snake Pit blends, but I'm getting there. There are only 4 that I haven't tried at this point, including Coral Snake. I originally passed Coral Snake up because I'm not a huge apple fan and I hate lemon and florals. But I read the reviews and saw people comparing this to apple cider and that did me in. I love the smell of apple cider. Fearful Pleasure is a year-round favorite of mine, so I'm hoping for something similar from this.

 

First sniff:

 

Definitely apple. Red, juicy apple. Not a Red Delicious; similar to a Macintosh, but not quite. It does sort of scream autumn straight out of the bottle, but it would be the early part of autumn, when it's still warm and the days are sunny. I don't smell any Snake Oil (although I do get some faint spices that are almost definitely part of it), lemon or florals.

 

Wet on skin:

 

I don't know if my skin is eating scents today or if Coral Snake is just fainter on the skin than in the bottle, because it loses a couple of notches in its scent throw as soon as it hits my skin. Instead of pure, juicy apple and a touch of spice, it turns into soft red apple, a touch of Snake Oil and a very faint hint of sweet florals (I'm guessing it's the plumeria, because it doesn't have the headiness of gardenia to my nose).

 

Dry down:

 

I think this is one of those scents that smells better in the bottle than on me. Actually, that's not necessarily true. The drydown is actually quite pretty, but it's not "me."

 

As Coral Snake dries, the florals come out more until I'm left with a pretty, feminine scent that's part sweetness with a hint of faint fruitiness, part gentle hothouse flowers (not heady or headache-inducing, they're softer and sweeter...more like honeysuckle than gardenia) and part faint orange.

 

The bottom line:

 

Honestly, I think Coral Snake would be quite pretty on someone else (assuming the drydown was the same on them, of course). It's pretty on me, for that matter. It's just not the sort of scent that I enjoy wearing. I do like it in the bottle, though, so I'll probably be wearing it a scent locket.

Origin:

 

5mL from Midnight Aeval.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been looking for this one for a long time. I love all things incensey, so PX23 was a must-have proto for me. I'm expecting dry incense, amber and linen, based on reviews.

 

First sniff:

 

I'm not sure of how strong PX23 is right out of the bottle, truth be told. The first time I smelled it, when it was fresh out of the mailbox (and hot, thanks to my being away from home all day and the summer weather we're having at the moment) it was pretty strong, but the second time (when I went to test it after it had cooled down) it was very faint and I almost couldn't smell it. It's entirely possible that my nose is just fatigued since my allergies are acting up, though.

 

Scent-wise, this is lovely. Definitely an incense blend. Dry but slightly sweet. Not church incense, exactly. It makes me think more of deserts and pyramids for some reason. I can see this being an Egyptian themed Excolo scent, maybe.

 

Wet on skin:

 

I'm still having trouble smelling this, but what I do smell is very pretty. There's definitely amber here. It's soft and slightly sweet, a bit like aged Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, but drier and very slightly powdery. There are also some lovely resins here, but I couldn't tell you exactly what they are. Sandalwood, most likely, maybe a touch of myrrh?

 

Dry down:

 

Still very soft, but it seems a little more noticeable than when it was wet. The drydown is soft and slightly sweet, but dry. It reminds me of a sandalwood incense I used to burn when I was in high school, but there's more to it than just sandalwood. I get amber and unidentified resins. I don't get any linen or wood from this, but it is rather ancient smelling somehow.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this and I'm glad I manage to finally track down a bottle. I'd prefer it if it were stronger, but I'm more than willing to wear it as is. After all, I don't need a super strong scent every day. And, who knows, maybe my nose is just on the blink and I'll be able to smell it more strongly again soon.

Origin:

 

5mL from a wonderful pickup angel.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I had to have this the moment I read the description. I've got a bit of a thing for the accouterments of the fetish scene, oddly enough, plus the notes sounded perfect. I love resins and I usually like leather. The only thing I'm even remotely unsure about is the latex. I'm not sure what I'm going to think of it or whether it's going to be too chemical, but I'm willing to take the chance.

 

First sniff:

 

Wow, this smells nothing like I'd expected, but it smells so good, anyway. I was expecting leather and latex with the resins in the background, but instead, this is all resins, all the time. I get a hint of sweet spiciness, too, which is probably the opoponax, since there's no cardamom or clove listed in the notes.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Fetish.Goth smells like a church to my nose. Wildly inappropriate, but it's beautiful. I get wonderful, deep, sweet incense and just a touch of spiciness.

 

Dry down:

 

No change. I was expecting the leather to come peeking out at some point (because I've never known leather to be bashful on my skin; I don't amp it but it doesn't disappear on me, either), but it never does put in an appearance. Instead it's just gorgeous, sweet, spicy incense. It's like someone's been smoking clove cigarettes inside a Catholic church. And that appeals to me on multiple levels.

 

The bottom line:

 

I can't say I'm disappointed by Fetish.Goth (far from it), but it's definitely not what I expected from the description. I actually love the way it smells, though. I'm a huge fan of church incense and this is another beautiful one for my collection. I can always layer it with Rivet.Goth or another leather blend to get something closer to what I was envisioning.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on LJ.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm really excited about this one. I love Panther Moon, but I find Fledgling Raptor Moon just...okay. Nothing special. I'm also not a fan of any nut notes, but everything else sounds awesome.

 

First sniff:

 

Definitely a relative of Fledgling Raptor Moon. I get the same toasted sandalwood note that FRM has, but mixed with what smells like some sort of spice (cardamom, maybe...something in that family) and musk.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Same as in the bottle. It's a powdery, spicy, dry toasted sandalwood, musk and spice scent on me. I was hoping for something smoother and more resinous. This isn't bad, but it's not quite what I had in mind, either.

 

Dry down:

 

This is pretty, but still not what I was envisioning. It stays mostly true to the bottle scent, but smooths out some on the drydown. In the end, it's fairly smooth toasted sandalwood, spice, musk and maybe tonka. If this were darker and less prickly smelling (the toasted sandalwood is the culprit there, I think; I love sandalwood, but I find the toasted variety a little rough).

 

The bottom line:

 

I'll be keeping my bottle and I do like it, but I don't absolutely love it the way I thought I would. I think maybe I just hyped it up in my mind and it couldn't live up to the imagein my head. It's still a really nice scent.

Origin:

 

Aged 5mL bought on LJ (about 1 1/2 years old when I bought it).

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This is one of those scents that didn't grab my attention the first few times I read the description. It sounded fine but not like something that would be amazing for me, especially since I find pine so hit or miss. But when I fell in love with the pine pitch in Troll and reread The Illustrated Woman's description, I knew I had to try it.

 

Theoretically, everything here should be good. Honey can be iffy (O smells simultaneously like sour vomit and cloying sweetness, for example, but The Infernal Lover is gorgeous on me) and I don't know what particular resins are in the "Indian resins," but as a resin lover, I'm sure they'll be fine.

 

First sniff:

 

Piney. Piney, piney, pine pine. Did I mention the pine? There's some sweetness here, too (the honey and vanilla) and a touch of muskiness, but the pine is taking center stage.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Still mainly pine, but the other notes are starting to peek out. I'm getting smoked vanilla and a bit of musk. It's like a more feminine version of Troll at this point, weirdly enough. That's not a bad thing since I really like Troll, but it's unexpected.

 

Dry down:

 

I've only tried one other pine-heavy scent that's changed so thoroughly as The Illustrated Woman has. That would be Stranger in Camp, which goes from all pine, all the time to a creamy, spicy, sweet wood scent.

 

The Illustrated Woman undergoes a pretty similar transformation, but in this case, the notes that suddenly come barreling out are ones that are actually listed in the notes. The pine disappears pretty quickly and I'm left with a smoky, sultry, musky vanilla and honey scent with a touch of tobacco. It's feminine, but not girly (in the sense that it's neither floral-heavy blend nor super sweet, both things that I associate with "girly" scents). It's sultry and a bit mysterious smelling, like so many of the Carnival Diabolique ladies are.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like The Illustrated Woman. The bottle scent is a little too intensely piney to be something I'd wear all the time, but the drydown is beautiful. It's similar in some ways to Inez on me (but darker and more sultry, rather than haunting and delicate), but it doesn't trigger a migraine the way Inez does.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from mxtine.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I haven't thought to try this one yet because there are some very iffy notes in this. I hate florals for the most part, and bergamot and black currant aren't really favorite notes of mine, either. Patchouli and red musk are made of win for me, though. Lotus root...well, I'm not sure. Lotus flowers smell like bubblegum to me and I can't stand the smell of bubblegum. I don't think I've ever smelled lotus root before. If it smelled rooty, I'd like it, but if it smelled like the flowers, I wouldn't.

 

First sniff:

 

Yummy aged red musk and patchouli. It's in the same vein as Lust v7, but they're not dupes of one another. Marianne is dark, rich and seductive smelling. She smells like a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to take it. I'm not that assertive, but I do love a strong scent.

 

Wet on skin:

 

About the same as in the imp. Rich, heady, almost incense-like red musk and patchouli. There's a very light touch of orchid here, but it's faint, and so is the bergamot. They give the scent some depth, but they're not intense enough to bother me.

 

Dry down:

 

This is a beautiful scent. The drydown reminds me of Scherezade meets Lust v7. It's musky, rich with red musk, and slightly incense-like with faint, exotic florals just barely wafting around the edges. This is about the only way that I can wear florals. They have to be very faint and mixed in with strong, assertive notes that I love the smell of and that's exactly the case here.

 

The bottom line:

 

I love this. It makes me sad that it was introduced and discontinued before I could lay my hands on a bottle, although I wouldn't have bought it unsniffed, anyway, because of the florals. I'm going to be keeping an eye out for a bottle of this beauty.

Origin:

 

Partial 5mL bought on LJ.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've had the worst case of BPAL lust for The Crumpet Rebellion. Normally, I'm not a big fan of foody scents, but I've got this fantasy in my head of a dark berry (blackberry or black raspberry) version of March Hare. Whether Crumpet has any chance of living up to that fantasy remains to be seen, but that's what it would smell like if I ruled the world.

 

First sniff:

 

Hmm...well, that's not quite what I had in mind. This reminds me strongly of the taste of frozen blackberries cooked into a cobbler. I know, that sounds bizarre and it's hard for me to explain. It's got a sort of slightly sour, slightly "off" smell to it that's the olfactory equivalent of the way that those berries taste. Mixed with the berries is a pie crust sort of scent. It's somewhat like the pastry note I get from March Hare (which isn't listed in the notes, but really shows up with age), but drier and less buttery.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Same as in the bottle. I feel like there's some orange zest in here, plus the dark berries (blackberries, maybe even a touch of mulberry). There's a certain sweet, citrusy zing to it that I also get from Hexahedraon v3.

 

Dry down:

 

Still the same. I was hoping that things might improve once Crumpet had a chance to work the kinks out on my skin, but it's still a slightly "off"/sour dark berry note mixed with sweet orange zest and pie crust. It's somewhat like The Knave of Hearts without the rose and with extra berry added.

 

The bottom line:

 

Not quite what I'd envisioned, but it's not bad. It just didn't fulfill the fantasy I had in my head, which happens sometimes. You get an idea in your head of what something is going to be like and then it turns out that reality doesn't quite live up to the fantasy.

 

I'm keeping my partial bottle (I got it for a good price and I don't regret grabbing it), but I won't need to track down any more of this one. Which is good because I'm already in love with enough HTF scents as it is.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

Everything but the jasmine sounds good to me. I've seen the comparisons to Dorian, so I'm expecting something similar from Theodosius in spite of the notes sounding different to me.

First sniff:

Dorian, indeed. If you replaced some of the tea in Dorian with a bergamot-heavy Earl Grey and toned down the vanilla, you'd have Theodosius. It's more citrusy and a little brighter and sharper than Dorian, although I imagine that it would soften up the way Dorian does with some age.

Wet on skin:

Vanilla Earl Grey tea, heavy on the bergamot, with a touch of musk. It's very much like Dorian, but Theodosius doesn't quite work for me as well as Dorian does. I think it's the bergamot that makes the difference. I've always wanted a touch more tea from Dorian, but instead of more tea, I'm getting more citrus from Theodosius.

Dry down:

This one's no morpher. It stays virtually the same from bottle to drydown. If you like Dorian and you like citrus scents, then Theodosius will probably be right up your alley.

The bottom line:

I like Theodosius, but I really don't need this and Dorian in my collection. Of the two, I prefer Dorian because I'm not a big bergamot fan (in spite of loving the smell of Earl Grey). Normally, I wouldn't mind having two (or more) similar scents in my collection, but when they're this close and one of them falls short of the other, it's easy to let one go. Theodosius has moved onto a new town, where he'll hopefully find a more enthusiastic audience.

ETA: Added the description. Didn't notice I was the first reviewer on a new page.

Origin:

 

5mL from a forumite (bought with some age to it, but I don't know how old it is).

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I want to love this. I really, really do, because it sounds beautiful. Carnation has me worried, though. I'm not a carnation fan and it has the potential to turn my stomach a little if it's strong.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, this is so pretty. Feminine and pretty without going the route of floral-overload-of-DOOM. I get sweet, almost syrupy amber (like Amaterasu v3), vanilla musk and a very faint touch of sandalwood and myrrh. No carnation at this point (and no cedar, either, which I would be disappointed about if this didn't smell so nice as is).

 

Wet on skin:

 

Sweet, golden and musky with a faint undertone of spiciness and resins. I don't usually gravitate towards truly feminine blends, but this manages to slip through the same loophole that Amaterasu v3 does. It's feminine but it's not your textbook, floral-heavy feminine blend.

 

Dry down:

 

About the same as when it was wet. It's a beautiful scent, but it triggers a wicked migraine within about 15 minutes of putting it on, which is breaking my heart. I've tried it several times, hoping it was just a fluke, but no such luck. I have no idea what's the culprit here. Everything should be safe (in that I've never had an issue with any of the listed notes giving me a migraine before). All I can think is that it's my issue with carnation rearing its head in a new and (not-so) exciting way, even if I can't really smell the carnation here.

 

The bottom line:

 

Inez breaks my heart. I can't seem to get rid of my bottle because it's just such a pretty scent, but I can't wear it, either. At least not without taking a prophylactic dose of pain medication to try to head off the migraine that's sure to follow.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe. From a forumite, I think? I don't remember, honestly.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This is almost guaranteed not to work on me. The only things here that I like are sandalwood and honey (and honey is iffy). Rose and orange blossom are almost uniformly death notes for me. So...I don't expect this to work and you may want to keep in mind my prejudices regarding florals (and rose in particular) and throw my opinion out the window if you're a floral fan.

 

First sniff:

 

Feminine, floral and slightly sweet. It's got some powderiness to it (the rose, I think...it smells like tea rose to me, but I'm nowhere near being an expert on different flowers, so I could be wrong), too. It's a mature, womanly scent to my nose. Not old lady perfume. Just grown up.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This isn't horrible. I know, that doesn't sound like high praise, but most rose blends are horrible to my nose. I wouldn't say I like this, but it's not awful, either.

 

It's a little more powdery than in the imp and the honey's starting to come out now. It's adding just a touch of golden sweetness. This makes me think of classic perfumes, but without the alcohol and harshness of traditional perfume.

 

Dry down:

 

All rose, all the time. Okay, maybe there's some orange blossom here, too, but the rose is dominating everything. It's intensely rosy and powdery. It makes me think of rose-scented dusting powder and vintage clothing from the 20's for some reason.

 

This is the sort of scent my mom would like. My mother-in-law, too, actually. Their age has nothing to do with it, so I'm not implying that it's a scent suited to older women (just clarifying, since I'm sure that could come off the wrong way). They're just the type that enjoy rose and classic perfumes.

 

The bottom line:

 

I knew this wouldn't work for me, so I'm not disappointed. If you're into grown-up, womanly, vintage-smelling floral blends, Jezebel is probably up your alley. But for me, it's not even in my hemisphere. Maybe not even on the same planet I'm on.

 

I've actually got a bottle of this coming my way, but only because I wanted the actual bottle itself for my collection (it's one of the old-school inkwell/squat bottles). I may decant out the oil and give it to my mom or MIL, so it'll be loved and appreciated.

Origin:

 

5mL's from various people.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I thought for sure I'd reviewed this, but I guess not.

 

This is one of those scents that sounds very close to perfect but could be ruined by one little note. Pomegranate smells like gummy bears on me 99% of the time. That wouldn't be a bad thing if I actually wanted to smell like gummy bears, but I don't.

 

Everything else here sounds wonderful, though.

 

First sniff:

 

I have bottles of Mme. Moriarty that are different ages, so I'm going to have to split this up between fresh(ish), aged (2 years) and very aged (4 years and a few months).

 

Fresh: Lighter than I would expect from the notes. It's in the same vein as Snake Charmer, but it's not even remotely close to being a dupe of it. This smells like soft red musk, vanilla and plum. It's feminine and sexy, although I'd prefer a darker, heavier scent.

 

Aged: Much better. Everything has darkened and deepend. This is a dark, mysterious scent. It makes me think of deep purple and red velvet curtains, black candles and curling incense smoke. This is very much a (mis)fortune teller's sort of scent.

 

Very aged: I didn't expect this to be too different than my 2 year old bottle, but the difference is noticeable. At this point, the fruity aspects have become more subtle and the strongest notes are the patchouli, red musk and vanilla. There's still plum and pomegranate here, but they're lurking under a dark, velvety blanket of earthy muskiness.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Fresh: This smells fantastic for about 10 seconds and then does something funky and turns into a strange, plastic musk sort of scent with an "off" (sort of curdled) smell to it. Weirdly enough, Snake Charmer used to do the same thing, but it's stopped. I don't know if that's thanks to aging or my skin chemistry changing (which would mean that Mme. Moriarty doing the same thing would be a fluke or the result of a different note than the one that gave me trouble in Snake Charmer).

 

Aged: More or less the same issue. So either Mme. Moriarty needs to be seriously aged to not do that or it's just going to happen with this scent no matter how long I let it mature.

 

Very aged: The funky stage is no more! Apparently it's something that does go away, but it takes quite a bit of aging to get there. It's similar to the bottle scent, but with even less fruit. There's still something deep purple-red here that has to be the plum and pomegranate, but I wouldn't call it fruity by any means.

 

Dry down:

 

Fresh: The funky curdled plastic note of doom disappears and I'm left with a light but mysterious dark purple/red musk, fruit and vanilla scent. I really like this, but I'd prefer a heavier, more intense scent.

 

Aged: Same as fresh, the "offness" goes away and I get a dark, sensual musk, vanilla, patchouli and plum scent. It smells like a really high class occult store mixed with a headshop, which I love. I don't mean to imply that it's a hippie scent. It just makes me think of dim lighting, flickering candles, incense smoke and musky skin.

 

Very aged: Similar to the scent of my 2 year old bottle, but darker, deeper and less plummy. The plum is still there, but it adds a synesthetic sense of deep purpleness rather than an actual fruit scent. I love the richness of this. The patchouli and musk have aged beautifully.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is a beautiful scent, fresh or aged, but I prefer it with some age to it (and it looks like I'm not alone in that). I feel sexy and mysterious when I wear Mme. Moriarty, but it also brings back happy memories of occult bookstores and shopping at Rocky Mudd's (a headshop near where I live), so it's a winner on two fronts.

 

ETA: Got my 4+ year old bottle in, so the review's been updated with my impressions of it.

Origin:

 

Tester from sunshinedaisybliss.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Somehow this proto flew under my radar until the lovely lady I got my tester from sent some my way. I love woods, patchouli, resins and I like spicy scents, so this should be right up my alley.

 

First sniff:

 

Mmm, that does smell good! It's in the same sort of vein as Jupiter--a spicy wood/resin scent--but lighter, creamier and sweeter. Very pretty.

 

Wet on skin:

 

More of the same. I've never tried Glowing Vulva (not my type of scent, I don't think, plus I hate lotus), so I can't say whether Osiris is similar or not. I'd say the wood in here is almost definitely teak...could be some mahogany, maybe. The spices are dry and mysterious, not foody. I'm thinking there's some vanilla here, too. Something is lending a creamy sweetness to the scent.

 

Dry down:

 

I think there's patchouli in this, too. As it dries, it stays mostly the same (a creamy, spicy resinous wood scent), but something very much like black patchouli is swirling around in here. It adds a musky earthiness.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this one. I don't know why I didn't think to try it sooner, but I'm glad I ended up testing it because it's a definite winner.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Fruity blends aren't generally my thing and neither are bright, summery scents, but I've been curious about the Atomic Luau scents. So far I've tried a few and none have appealed to me, but Red Tide is a little more promising than most. I've been waffling on ordering an imp to try and couldn't seem to justify doing it. Luckily, the Lab sent one my way as lagniappe with one of my orders.

 

I like raspberry, cranberry and mango, although they aren't necessarily things I want to smell like (raspberry would be the exception if it was black raspberry instead of red). Gin is the most worrying note because I find the smell of it really unpleasant and astringent.

 

First sniff:

 

Whoo, that is one red scent. It's bright, almost garish, which is an adjective I've never considered describing a scent with before. This is in-your-face red. Lots of bright, tart raspberry and cranberry and something boozy underneath. It has that tropical cocktail sort of thing going on and it makes me think of a drink that you'd buy at some over-priced tourist-marketed beach bar.

 

This definitely lives up to the concept, but it's not doing much of anything for me.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Raspberry Kool Aid. For serious. The booziness and the incredible tartness has disappeared and I've got raspberry Kool Aid on my arm. It's slightly sweet but still intensely colorful smelling. This smells like summer, but in a whole different way than it did before. It's gone from beach bar to kid's birthday party.

 

Dry down:

 

Still raspberry Kool Aid, but with some chunks of actual fruit floating in it, like a kiddie version of sangria. I don't get any mint at all and the gin disappears somewhere between the imp and my skin, which is good, but it wouldn't really matter if it did because this isn't really something I see myself wearing.

 

The bottom line:

 

Red Tide is a fun scent, but not for me (in the imp or on my skin). I'm glad I got to try it before the Atomic Luau scents rode off into the sunset, though.

Rogue + Ranger (again with the dual-class scent combinations, I know, I know)

 

The verdict: - I did a roughly 60/40 mix here because I wanted more Rogue than Ranger to let the leather shine through. I love this. It's similar to Fighter + Ranger, but with the hemp adding a slightly sweet greenness to the mix. I think I may actually prefer this to Fighter + Ranger.

 

Theoretically, I should be trying Neutral, Good, Elf and Ranger together to get "my" combination, but I don't see it happening. I find that Good clashes with Ranger and I don't even have Elf to try. But I'm having fun mixing up other combos. I was never into layering before, but it's kind of fun to play mad scientist, even if I do love the scents as stand-alones.

 

ETA: Typo. Just now noticing it.

Origin:

 

Decant in a bottle from filigree_shadow.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been waffling on trying this one for a while. My first instinct when I read the notes is to think that it sounds amazing and that I have to have it. But then I remember that pine can go all sorts of wrong on me (if it's the wrong type of pine; I find some very harsh and astringent), which brings me back to reality.

 

But it's going to drive me nuts not knowing how I feel about Stranger in Camp. The possibility that it's as amazing as my brain wants it to be is too much to ignore, so I'm giving it a try.

 

First sniff:

 

Whoa, pine! This is like standing in an extremely densely packed pine/evergreen forest. It's super strong and reminds me a bit of Nocnitsa. I don't really smell anything other than pine and/or evergreen at this point.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Much less intense. It's a bit like Hexennacht and a bit like Nocnitsa, but there's some spice here, too. I don't know where it's coming from. Maybe the birch bark? I don't think of birch bark as having a spicy smell, but birch beer smells somewhat similar.

 

This is like drinking birch beer in the deep woods. Strange as that sounds, it's pretty.

 

Dry down:

 

Crazy skin chemistry strikes again! This smells nothing like the bottle scent and only partially like the wet scent. Once Stranger in Camp is dry, I get soft, creamy spice and a hint of tobacco and wood.

 

It actually reminds me of Pinched with Four Aces (although I'm positive that it's my skin chemistry causing the similar scent, because they've got basically nothing in common), which is completely inexplicable but a welcome outcome, in spite of the strangeness.

 

The bottom line:

 

I don't know what is going on with my skin chemistry doing bizarre things to scents lately. The weirdest part is that none of the scents I already know and love have started smelling different on me. I guess it's been dumb luck lately that's to blame for my having found three scents in the last week that morph completely on the drydown.

 

At any rate, I really like the (unexpected) way that Stranger in Camp smells on me. I really like Pinched with Four Aces but can't seem to track any down, so Stranger smelling similar is okay by me. Now, the only problem is that I've only got a tiny bit of this one and I need a bottle (or three).

Origin:

 

5mL from mistressfizz.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I thought about trying Habu when I first came back after my BPAL hiatus but was put off by the bamboo. I can tolerate bamboo in some scents (Neo-Tokyo, for example), but it's not one of my favorite notes. I find it to bright and sharp. The rest of the notes sound great, though, and when I found a mostly full bottle at a good price, I had to give it a shot.

 

First sniff:

 

WTF? Apples? Seriously, I get what smells like pink lady apples straight out of the bottle. There's a hint of Snake Oil here, too, but it's mainly a sweet, juicy apple scent.

 

I see from reading reviews that I'm not the only one smelling apple in here. I guess the general consensus is that the phantom apple is bamboo, but I've never misread bamboo as apple before. First time for everything, I guess.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Still apples. It's sweet, juicy and softly fruity. I find it hard to believe that this is bamboo I'm smelling, but I guess it must be.

 

Dry down:

 

The Snake Oil has started to come out now and I get a very soft layer of dark wood, but it's sweet, fruity dark wood, like a teak cutting board that's been used to slice up a very juicy apple.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is nothing at all like what I'd imagined based on the notes. I was dreading Snake Oil + bright, sharp bamboo and hoping for Snake Oil + dark, rich wood and didn't get either one. The actual smell of Habu is completely out of left field, but I like it.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I really want to love this one, but the rose and the other florals have me worried. I'm not a floral fan (at all), so I'm hoping that the other notes overpower the floral evil. Fingers crossed!

 

First sniff:

 

Okay, well...that's not what I expected. I expected either a resinous scent or a floral scent right out of the bottle. I didn't expect a peppery scent, but that's what I'm getting. I'm guessing it's the Peru balsam that's the offender here, but I'm not positive about that.

 

Behind the pepper, I get lovely church incense thanks to the frankincense and myrrh. I don't smell any florals, but they could be hiding behind the peppery scent.

 

Wet on skin:

 

More of the same. I was hoping the pepperiness might let up once I put this on, but no such luck.

 

Dry down:

 

This one's no morpher. Oddly enough, the florals don't come screeching to the front like they so often do on my skin. Cleric ends up as it starts. Peppery wood and a background of church incense-style resins.

 

I could love this if the Peru balsam or whatever it is I'm smelling in the pepperiness wasn't here. At least I've got Paladin to satisfy my appetite for a churchy, resinous RPG scent.

 

The bottom line:

 

This went all wrong for me, and not in the way I expected it to. I would say it's a skin chemistry thing, but it smells the same on me as it does in the bottle. There's just evidently something in here that I don't like.