fairnymph

SWEET LIFE A luxurious blend of gardenia, pikaki, ylang ylang, and Casablanca lily. Bright, somewhat sweet, intense florals. Gardenia front and center, dazzling white, with heady ylang ylang and a lovely clean lily note just below, while sweet pikaki brings up the rear. Hmm. Not as bad as I'd feared, but the gardenia is intense, and the ylang ylang (a note I detest) is definitely noticeable. But the pikaki and lily are lovely - in fact, the latter is the loveliest lily note I've ever smelled. GARDENIA- quite intense, and it has that slightly...sour/off aspect that a certain gardenia note does on me. I can handle some gardenias, but this is not amongst them, I don't think. The pikaki (also amped) has a smoothness that takes it down a wee notch, though - takes the edge off. The ylang-ylang is magically much fainter on my skin, barely detectable in fact. Or maybe gardenia has killed it. The lily is about the same, but can't really compete with gardenia and I have to search for it. Still absolutely stunning - it reminds me of linden, or else there is linden in here as well - sweet and bright and yet soft and fresh. The lily is amping, and it has both citrusy and green qualities - it's so feminine and fresh and girly and innocent and mmmm I love it! It can't beat gardenia, but it can make itself known, at least. The ylang-ylang has also amped up a bit, unfortunately, and it's either merged with the gardenia or else my brain has grouped it that way - the two heady, too-much florals. But yeah, this is still GARDENIA. The pikaki has faded a little, so this is a bit less sweet. Huh. This is not so bad - the gardenia is still the sour kind (that z_z would call 'wet wool'), and ylang ylang is still heady, but the lily manages to shine amidst it all. It's not the least bit soapy, but it's gone a tiny touch powdery, in a very nice way. Most it's fresh and pure and girly, and it goes nicely with the smooth sweetness of the pikaki. The top two florals are dealbreakers for me, but I would LOVE to see more blends with this lily note. Great throw, but fades a bit over time.

Leather (De Sade/Spanked style, but softer and less overwhelming, at least in the bottle) and other stuff, but this was an overall light scent, as many at this trunk show were, and my nose was rather scent-exhaushted, so thorough skin test is definitely needed.

NOT at all like the proto at Will Call that I recall, from when I tested it about a month ago; exotic/tropical fruit, nectarine or peach, maybe some vanilla, juicy ripe citrus, green musk, skin and ozone - although I didn't pick up the ozone at first, because this is a well-blended scent and ozone in fruity blends often registers as just a sort of general fruity 'zestiness' to me. This was not a sharp blend at, but bright, fresh, fruity and just the sort of thing I'd reach for on a hot summer's day to feel refreshed. I love how this is such a complex scent with so many different aspects that work beautifully in conjunction with each other. It also reminds of a lot of favourite scents of mine but it is unique bc of its complexity and bc I don't know of any other scent that blends such a variety of sweet, juicy fruits, that soft creamy vanilla, fresh musks and zesty ozone - altogether, all harmoniously! Another personal favourite from this event, as well as a scent I definitely feel is polished and totally ready for release, upon which it would be instantly purchased by many. It sold out very rapidly if I recall. Re-test on skin at home, as it possible the above was a review of Tiki Princess - there was some confusion about what perfumes I put where at the Trunk Show: Honeydew melon, spearmint, mango, pineapple (and likely other tropical fruits), papaya, the general 'crushed sugary hard candies' sort of scent I get from Candy Phoenix in the bottle, with some tart red berry like red currant or cranberry - this is really well balanced, it's sweet but also tart, candyish but also juicy, very bright and fresh with that spearmint note keeping it from being too much of a one-dimensional 'sugary fruits' scent. There's another herbal or green note, too, that's grounding this - grass, balsam, bergamot, tea? Something along those lines. I get a little bit of rosacea flare which could mean grass, or the presence of sweet floral like plumeria. There's a definite tropical-asiatic feel, so possibly some chrysanthemum and/or magnolia. This is a complex scent with a lot going on! Still adore this!

Coffee!; creamy, foody, sweet COFFEE, like a milky espresso drink with flavoured syrup. I think this will be quite a popular one.

Sniffed: Pale gold oil. Less intensely appley than v2. Here I get some apple blossom and I think some cherry blossom. There's still a strong juicy fresh apple note, but some soft spring blossoms too, and an airy/misty/faintly aquatic note in the distance. Reminds me a bit of Nowhere in Particular. Wet: Tarter, crisper, more of that sour green candy apple note - same as when PA v2 touches my skin. I would say the blend of apple notes is the same, and this is verrrrrry APPLES on my skin, with the blossoms in the distance. Definitely a light, slightly soapy note from the blossom, but it's quite nice. And I stand by both apple blossom (definitely) and cherry blossom (almost definitely). Also maybe a hint of greenery? This is more complex than v2. Dry: The apples have faded quite a bit and most of the apple that remains is that baked apple scent, not fresh fruit. The blossom remain, and that note that was nagging me in the wet stage might be an herb or a type of wood - or maybe even a very light vetiver note, as this is going a bit soapy. That would also explain the sort of airy/aquatic feel I got earlier, as well. I also get something like, oh god, dragon's blood, or the way that DB dries down on me. Eeeek. Summary: This dries down to almost nothing on me after a few hours - faint baked apple, slightly cologney vetiver, and the teensiest hint of dragon's blood air freshener-ish drydown. But the baked apple note is in command, so this is wearable. I definitely prefer v2, but both these protos are way better than the released IMO. Low throw, poor longevity.

Sniffed: Colourless oil. O with extra honey and extra vanilla, and much less amber. I definitely recognise it as O, but it's like a Chaos Theory O blend - the proportions are different. Also, the vanilla note smells like it might be different, though the amber and honey notes are the same. Sweet, syrupy. Reminds me of Thaleia, too - so I'm pretty sure there is tonka in this. Wet: Sweeter and so, so heavy - more of that perfumey/floral amber note that's in released O emerges, quickly. It's going to powder within seconds, sickly sweet baby powder with that plastic edge. Just like O. Still, this definitely has extra vanilla, honey, and that almost-buttery, super-rich tonka. The honey is a really lovely true note, but is overwhelmed. I also get a sort of boozy, mentholic note that reminds me GREATLY of Love's Philosophy - it's that same vanilla note or saffron (and like with LP, I don't get it in the bottle but only on my skin does it turn that way). Dry: This has faded a lot - it initially had crazy strong throw - which is good, since O amps on me. That boozy note is almost slightly minty (kinda like how people got wintergreen in some bottles of LP, but it's not quite wintergreen), oddly cool & clashing with the warm amber. The latter has gone powdery but not POWDER DOOM as in O, and the honey has dried down beautifully. Actually this drydown reminds me a LOT of Mead Moon. The minty booze/honey combo is similar to them mead note. The vanilla & tonka are still creamy but less sweet and heavy than earlier. Summary: Oddly minty, slightly plastic, honeyed amber and super creamy vanilla and tonka. Soft and only lightly powdery on drydown, this is very much a 'skin scent'. Strong throw that fades to moderate throw and holds there for ages. Much nicer than released O, IMO, but still not my thing at all. But its evolution surprised me and I only very briefly had that plasticky powder strongly enough to be truly bothersome.

Golden oil. Wild grape candy! Smells a lot like the released version, but not boozy. No wine. Just straight up wild grape CANDY. Sweet & syrupy.

Sweet, tropical, slightly heady but well-behaved floral (plumeria? champaca? ) & soft incense with warm, golden amber that goes a tad powdery on drydown, but effectively evokes the dusty desert sand. Quite unique, both bright, feminine, fresh and smoky-warm-sensual but in a way that works really well. It is a subtle scent with moderate throw but good longevity.

Dark slightly reddish brown oil. Sweet, musk, and a little sharp - in a woody-green way. It reminds me of one of the Snakes. Definitely some red musk, and I think the sharp green note might be ho wood. But there is definite fruit here, too - maybe black plum? And some smoky, very dark and very smoky incense - maybe some vetiver, myrrh, frankincense, maybe some patchouli? There's a bit of a Mme Moriarity resemblance, too, but the strong green woody note makes this blend pretty unique. A little softer and more - rounded. Things are blending together. There's a tartness here that I think is from the plum - actually, I am almost positive this is the same wild plum note from the Witch Queen - it's much stronger and more distinct on my skin, juicy-tart-sweet and sort of exotic. The ho wood, or whatever it is, has softened noticeably - it's smoother and drier. I also get a hint of spice now that I think is - coriander? And that could be what I initially interpreted as ho wood. Dry, spicy-hot, but with a bright green, sour-sharp top note at first that burns off into something still bright, but no longer sharp. The dark smoke and incense are just as strong or stronger, and i'm not great at picking out such notes, but there is definitely a little gritty vetiver, some musty-dusty blackened myrrh, and I think some black/smoked sandalwood, too. And I'm still betting on some frankincense and patchouli, though the latter is pretty light and well behaved and has an herbal tone - it's like the patchouli leaf in very well AGED MM. This one dries rather slowly on my skin, as many of the red musk, incensey, and such type scents do. It really does remind me the most of the Witch Queen of all the scents I've sniffed because of that very unique wild plum note. The coriander has turned to dry, spicy-hot dust with no greenness remaining, and the dark, warm sandalwood note has amped up - it's pretty smooth and sexy, but too dark and warm for my tastes. The general 'vibe' of this blend and the slight floral tinge over a red musk base reminds me of Parker Lily, too. And I get a bit of Spawn of the She-Devil proto (have yet to try the released version) vibe. It's possible it's reminding me of one of the protos - NVPR4 - but without the smoky/dark/incensey base, and then it also reminds me a little of B.B3 but with way more complexity, darkness and depth and much less fruity-foodiness. This is going sour again. I don't know what's giving that effect, either. I think possibly there is a sharp floral, one of those 'sophisticated' types, that's doing it - narcissus, maybe? NO!!!!! It's neroli, definitely, without a doubt. And it's only going a little soapy, mostly it's just sour and quite a bit sharp here and has made a huge dominating emergence, though I can still smell everything below. To me, this is definitely a feminine blend, but one for ladies who like their blends, dark, rich, red musky and incense-heavy. It's very... femme fatale. The final drydown on me is a tie between narcissus and wild plum, over an extremely well blended and heady, dark combination of red musk, the incense noted above, dark sandalwood and vetiver with a spicy-dry kick of freshly ground coriander to liven things up. It's one of those blends that reminds me of a lot of other BPAL blends and is very 'clasically BPAL', yet at the same time, has enough unique facets to be very firmly its own blend, and not something one could substitute The Witch Queen or Mme Moriarty or a Snake Pit blend for. It has great throw and really fantastic longevity, too, and I expect it to be quite popular. But it's not for me.

Extremely pale yellow oil. Red cherry hard candy - like cherry jolly ranchers or lifesavers, exactly! Sweet and candyish and just exactly like cherry CANDY, with maybe a little watermelon jolly rancher thrown in there, too. Reminds me vaguely of Candy Phoenix but is more intensely fruity and juicy, less of the 'dusted sugar' thing, more just fruity hard candy, and simpler mix of fruits - just the cherry with a touch of watermelon. The roommate says 'cherry blow pops' which I also agree with, and gets the watermelon undertone, too. On his skin (I didn't test it as I don't care for red cherry), a lemon hard candy note came out in addition to those two fruits. Great throw and good longevity! I'm being redundant because there isn't much to say. This is a simple scent, but an incredibly realistic and evocative one that doesn't morph on the skin, as far as I can tell.

Pale yellow oil. Lavender! Very strong, a bit sharply herbal/medicinal, but also slightly floral. Same, but somehow a bit sweeter and rounder, less pointedly sharp and medicinal, more floral, and almost...honeyed? It's quite a beautiful lavender note. Something distinctly citrusy has emerged - I believe it's sweet orange, because it's going to that Pez powdery candy thing that the lab's orange note does. A shame because the lavender and orange are balancing each other perfectly. I'm reminded of Panacea blends. Lavender fades more and more while sweet orange amps - sadly, it also goes more and more powdery. It's still the strongest orange note (that lasts more than 10 minutes) I've ever smelled in any BPAL blend. The throw is strong in the earlier stages and less so in the later dry ones, but still not too bad for a citrus scent, and longevity after initial lavender fading down is good.

Sniffed: Fruity (berry - strawberry and/or raspberry?) soapy, powdery, slightly boozy. A little sharp on the finish, like mimosa or narcissus. Old flowers, dusty bouquests. Violet? Also a hint of velvety, slightly spicy-clovey carnation. Wet:: Sweeter but also more floral and going soapy - like floral old lady powder soap. ORRIS for sure! Mimosa definitely, too. It hink the berry is raspberry because it feels slightly fake/plastic as the lab's note tends to go on my skin. Dry: I'm getting a citrusy feel that remnds me of blood orange - maybe that's why I got the raspberry, which is much nicer on me than raspberry usually is. (Raspberry is an overtone in blood orange.) The carnation is very light here and sort of dusty though clove aspect is amping over time on my skin. Summary: Fruity-floral soapy-powder. Moderate throw and good longevity.

Extremely pale yellow oil, nearly colourless. Spicy greenery - think Host of the Air/Garden Path with Chickens/Green Party. Slightly soapy herbs and flowers, GRASS (a little bitter), and a touch of fizzy citrus - like lemon dishwashing soap, that same note from Independent and Delousing Powder. Fresh, springlike. For florals I'm guessing bluebell and phlox amongst others, although this is not heavily floral.

Deliciously bright, sweet, fresh, fruit but without the cloying aspect of the released version - a much crisper pear note and some other different fruits, too. Substantially different from released version all around, although unfortunately one major difference is that this scent has low throw and miserable longevity, such that my skin devoured this despite slathering within minutes. A favourite, but not sure it's worth it considering its rapid evanescence.

Colourless oil. Fresh, bright, sour-sweet, tart and juicy green apple - with a hint of a slightly soapy, airy sort of blossom floral note behind it, possibly apple blossom. Springlike and youthful in feel. Instantly much more floral - and there is a strong floral here I know, beyond the apple blossom of which I'm pretty sure. Something white? I'm not sure why my brain is broken. Possibilities that come to mind: narcissus, gardenia, neroli - there is sharpness to this blend.The apple is much fainter on my skin, instantly, than it was in the imp, and it has gone a bit artificial and fake, like the aftertaste of cheap sour apple candy. Still soapy in a slightly cleanerish way, like Comet - it makes me want to sneeze a bit. This is going quite strongly to artificial plastic chemical YUCK on me which make me bet on narcissus strongly as one of the f florals (but there are a few here). If the oil weren't colourless, I'd almost suspect some dragon's blood too because this has that odd sweet floral cheap generic air freshener soapiness that makes my face itch. I do think there is some 'strong traditional most likely white floral' bc this has just turned so INTENSELY floral on my skin. Oh, I'm an idiot - I know what the obvious classic floral is - ROSE! - and it's the exact same one from Rose Red 07 & 09. At this point about an hour in, the apple is 99% gone, leaving only a sticky artificial residue. But most of the plastic here is due to this rose note, which is the only one that goes plastic on me but in a very distinctive chemically way. I do still think there is some narcissus here because this is sharper and whiter feeling than Red Rose, and overall this blend reminds me a bit of Pride, which is a n/r blend. Yep, this is all the sharp, chemical, plastic rose of the later Red Rose blends with some also sharp and a little plastic narcissus and definitely at least one other floral, since this has been going soapy on me from the other start - apple blossom can explain some of the soap, but not all. A faint trace of artificially flavoured sour apple candy, but really the apple was gone within minutes on my skin as usual and then it turned. Initially low throw, this amps up to have powerful throw then fades quite a bit. A major disappointment, but I'm very glad I finally got to try it thanks to the always fabulously generous bookandbroom. *hugs*

Extremely pale yellow, nearly colourless oil. Dry spices and dusty wood. Cedar, black pepper, white pepper, dried ginger - and som sweeter, darker, dry wood - maybe mahogany or teak?

Sniffed: Light and airy, almost aquatic, along with a feel of dry sand or dusty winds. Definitely a sandy/crushed rock sort of note. But very light and wispy and quite nice. Faint sweetness below. Wet: Darker, spicier, heavier. Now I get a lot of the same resins & incense that I get from N v2., but more faintly. There is a slightly sour vaguely citrusy note here that N v2 lacks. Still lots of balsam. I think here, it's elemi that gives the sour citrusy note, but I also get a hint of sweet orange. This is a tiny bit soapy-cologney in that vetiver masculine way, but lightly and pleasantly - it's clean, not overwhelming. Still that dry, warm sand note - really amazing. Dry: Now it's softened again so that it's much more like it was in the bottle - that dark spicy phase was just a phasee. The sweet orange note has amped a tiny bit (!), but the sour elemi has almost completely faded. Light balsam and tobacco hold as does that vetiver which gives this an airy aquatic note and I think some of that sandy feel. I do still get the whisper of incense and resins, but it's more like incense that was blown out and only faint swirls remain in the airy. Summary: Airy sweet orange, dry sand, and a faint whisper of incense. Unisex, good throw and longevity.

Sharp, soapy, synthetic chemicalness (isopropyl/rubbing alcohol with a bit of fake butter); aptly poisonous. Please note that I really hate anything buttery personally, so I am not likely to review any blend that is buttery in a positive light, even popular foody GC scents, so your experience may differ. I also have yet to skin test this one. It did sell out though, I think?

Pale golden oil. Spicy greenery with spring florals . GRASSY. Phlox/nasturtium, daisy and something light and almost aquatic - clover and/or heather, I think. Reminds me a lot of The Host of the Air & Garden Path with Chickens. Almost identical to HotA except not berry note; less sweet and fruity. But both have a hint of herbal bitterness. Very green and springlike, fresh and outdoorsy. I look forward to testing this one further!

Sniffed: Light golden oil. Rotting florals (i.e. iris), spring flowers, white florals, soap, and maybe a soft aquatic rain-like note. Wet: OH HI GARDENIA. Stompity stomp! I'm not sure what that super-soapy note is - several florals go very soapy on me, but I strongly suspect moonflower because I get that sort of cool/lunar/blue feel that I associate with moonflower, and it isn't totally terrible or overwhelmingly soapy. The iris here is stronger than in AF18 or maybe it's just that because this gardenia note (which is different) is less intense, I can smell other things more. Dry: There are some herbal notes in this - some slightly bitter greenery, and a sort of sappy/crushed new leaves sort of note, and some cucumber, which I think gave it that aquatic aspect I picked up on earlier. I'm reminded of some of the floral lunar blends, it has that sort of feel. Gardenia is still the strongest note, but it's settled a bit and isn't totally dominating, though it's what I do smell first from faaaaar away. I do believe there is an orchid note in this and maybe a touch of ylang-ylang. Very complex, and pretty well blended. Summary: The orchid and ylang-ylang amp over time, and I also think there is a lily of some type and lily of the valley - there's a heaviness to this blend that I get with LotV. This reminds me of a few different BPAL blends - Eternal, The Lady of Shallot, Veil, Ace of Hearts, Kindly Moon and vaguely, Blue Moon 2007. There is a definite sweetness to this that builds over time, as does the heaviness, while the soapiness of earlier mostly dissipates. The drydown's not bad - a complex, sophisticated, feminine floral - but it's too heavy for my tastes. Powerful throw & longevity.

Spices, wood, woods and fruits - I think it's actually cassia, combined with clove, dry ginger, carnation and definitely cedar. At first there is a strong plum that fades or is overtaken by the cedar and spice which my skin love to amp, but I do still get the plum note on drydown - it's possibly that wild plum note from The Witch Queen. There's also a grainy/nutty note here, that reminds me of the Harvest Moons and a little bit of Pomona - maybe that azereole nut? I also get a more evergreeny sort of woodsy note, but resinous - copal, I strongly suspect, or maybe pine pitch - this reminds me of The Illustrated Woman & The Pickled Imp quite a bit but with fruity sweetness instead of vanilla. This becomes spicier and sweeter on my skin over time, unsurprisingly, as I tend to amp both of those.

NARKISSOS Thus did the nymphs in vain caress the boy, He still was lovely, but he still was coy; When one fair virgin of the slighted train Thus pray'd the Gods, provok'd by his disdain, "Oh may he love like me, and love like me in vain!" Rhamnusia pity'd the neglected fair, And with just vengeance answer'd to her pray'r. There stands a fountain in a darksom wood, Nor stain'd with falling leaves nor rising mud; Untroubled by the breath of winds it rests, Unsully'd by the touch of men or beasts; High bow'rs of shady trees above it grow, And rising grass and chearful greens below. Pleas'd with the form and coolness of the place, And over-heated by the morning chace, Narcissus on the grassie verdure lyes: But whilst within the chrystal fount he tries To quench his heat, he feels new heats arise. For as his own bright image he survey'd, He fell in love with the fantastick shade; And o'er the fair resemblance hung unmov'd, Nor knew, fond youth! it was himself he lov'd. The well-turn'd neck and shoulders he descries, The spacious forehead, and the sparkling eyes; The hands that Bacchus might not scorn to show, And hair that round Apollo's head might flow; With all the purple youthfulness of face, That gently blushes in the wat'ry glass. By his own flames consum'd the lover lyes, And gives himself the wound by which he dies. To the cold water oft he joins his lips, Oft catching at the beauteous shade he dips His arms, as often from himself he slips. Nor knows he who it is his arms pursue With eager clasps, but loves he knows not who. What could, fond youth, this helpless passion move? What kindled in thee this unpity'd love? Thy own warm blush within the water glows, With thee the colour'd shadow comes and goes, Its empty being on thy self relies; Step thou aside, and the frail charmer dies. Still o'er the fountain's wat'ry gleam he stood, Mindless of sleep, and negligent of food; Still view'd his face, and languish'd as he view'd. At length he rais'd his head, and thus began To vent his griefs, and tell the woods his pain. "You trees," says he, "and thou surrounding grove, Who oft have been the kindly scenes of love, Tell me, if e'er within your shades did lye A youth so tortur'd, so perplex'd as I? I, who before me see the charming fair, Whilst there he stands, and yet he stands not there: In such a maze of love my thoughts are lost: And yet no bulwark'd town, nor distant coast, Preserves the beauteous youth from being seen, No mountains rise, nor oceans flow between. A shallow water hinders my embrace; And yet the lovely mimick wears a face That kindly smiles, and when I bend to join My lips to his, he fondly bends to mine. Hear, gentle youth, and pity my complaint, Come from thy well, thou fair inhabitant. My charms an easy conquest have obtain'd O'er other hearts, by thee alone disdain'd. But why should I despair? I'm sure he burns With equal flames, and languishes by turns. When-e'er I stoop, he offers at a kiss, And when my arms I stretch, he stretches his. His eye with pleasure on my face he keeps, He smiles my smiles, and when I weep he weeps. When e'er I speak, his moving lips appear To utter something, which I cannot hear. "Ah wretched me! I now begin too late To find out all the long-perplex'd deceit; It is my self I love, my self I see; The gay delusion is a part of me. I kindle up the fires by which I burn, And my own beauties from the well return. Whom should I court? how utter my complaint? Enjoyment but produces my restraint, And too much plenty makes me die for want. How gladly would I from my self remove! And at a distance set the thing I love. My breast is warm'd with such unusual fire, I wish him absent whom I most desire. And now I faint with grief; my fate draws nigh; In all the pride of blooming youth I die. Death will the sorrows of my heart relieve. Oh might the visionary youth survive, I should with joy my latest breath resign! But oh! I see his fate involv'd in mine." This said, the weeping youth again return'd To the clear fountain, where again he burn'd; His tears defac'd the surface of the well, With circle after circle, as they fell: And now the lovely face but half appears, O'er-run with wrinkles, and deform'd with tears. "Ah whither," cries Narcissus, "dost thou fly? Let me still feed the flame by which I die; Let me still see, tho' I'm no further blest." Then rends his garment off, and beats his breast: His naked bosom redden'd with the blow, In such a blush as purple clusters show, Ere yet the sun's autumnal heats refine Their sprightly juice, and mellow it to wine. The glowing beauties of his breast he spies, And with a new redoubled passion dies. As wax dissolves, as ice begins to run, And trickle into drops before the sun; So melts the youth, and languishes away, His beauty withers, and his limbs decay; And none of those attractive charms remain, To which the slighted Echo su'd in vain. She saw him in his present misery, Whom, spight of all her wrongs, she griev'd to see. She answer'd sadly to the lover's moan, Sigh'd back his sighs, and groan'd to ev'ry groan: "Ah youth! belov'd in vain," Narcissus cries; "Ah youth! belov'd in vain," the nymph replies. "Farewel," says he; the parting sound scarce fell >From his faint lips, but she reply'd, "farewel." Then on th' wholsome earth he gasping lyes, 'Till death shuts up those self-admiring eyes. To the cold shades his flitting ghost retires, And in the Stygian waves it self admires. For him the Naiads and the Dryads mourn, Whom the sad Echo answers in her turn; And now the sister-nymphs prepare his urn: When, looking for his corps, they only found A rising stalk, with yellow blossoms crown'd. Gently blushing vanilla, haughty opoponax, duosmon, oude, and narcissus. Floral - in that rotten floral way I've been getting in many of the recent LE blends, a few of the Lupers included, and here I'm guessing narcissus is the culprit. Narcissus is never a note I like - usually it's sharp and harsh, but I prefer that to this heady, sour rotten note. The oude is very green and adds to the overall sour feel, I think. I don't know what duosmon is, but the only thing I could find from googling claimed it was either dill, anise, or cumin. I do get something a bit pickly, so it could be there is some dill here. Sadly, I'm not getting any vanilla. I am definitely getting some of the dusty opoponax (i.e. myrrh), however. This is an odd, jumbled blend that's I guess sort of masculine (appropriately), but not at all beautiful. I'm scared to skin test it. Better - I get some of the vanilla now, which I do think is 'gently blushing' - it's a light sort, almost floral like vanilla orchid, with a delicate sweetness. The narcissus is still rotting flowers, but the oude has smoothed out into a pleasantly green and woody note that's fresh but also adds depth. The mystery note now smells a little anise like, and for some reason this blend DOES remind me of Pink Mood (even though it feels utterly different), so I think that yes, anise is the duosmon here. The myrrh is still here, but no stronger, thank god - this is fresher and more balanced on my skin. Apparently narcissus now smells like lilac on my skin. This is the same foul note from Penis Admiration and is likewise dominating all the other notes on my skin - although a bit of that strange anisey note comes through too, and it's just as revolting. The myrrh has amped a little, particularly its dark, bitter aspect. The oude is overwhelmed, sadly. I can pick out more vanilla now, but as in Pink Mood, it seems to combine with the anisey note in a cloying and unpleasant manner - sickly sweet and anisey/spicy. This is going a bit soapy, and the overwhelming rotten-floral narcissus over cloying rich vanilla-anise (honestly, the vanilla is more like tonka here to my nose, or a fake vanillin note) darkened by bitter, dusty myrrh is making me feel nauseated, and the fresh, smooth green oude wood is not nearly enough to make this bearable. Masculine, definitely. Strong throw and longevity. If you like Penis Admiration and Pink Mood, give it a go, but personally I'm headed to the sink.

In the bottle: Grassy paper/wood pulp - much like Ü, but a much softer, lighter scent. On me: Greener, brighter. Definitely some fresh-cut grass, some of that same balsam note from Ü, some dry wood that could be a sandalwood, or a well-behaved cedar (the wood note reminds me a bit of the woodiness in Jolly Roger), and a light, sweet floral (s) which I am almost positive is cherry blossom - maybe some peony in here too, and something like a vanilla musk? It's slow to dry but sweetening rapidly on my skin. I also get a fruity edge, something-sweet tart and tropical - mangosteen? This is very multi-faceted and complex and doesn't fit neatly into one category of scent. It has green, woody, musky, floral and fruity elements but I wouldn't peg it as clearly being ONE of those - it reminds me of Croquet in that regard.

Sniffed: Colourless oil. Almost candied, vaguely foody, sweet-tart and bright citrus! Orange and lemon candies come to mind, but much brighter, quite a bit fresher. Something slightly creamy below, possibly a vanilla - reminds me of the creamy note in Absinthe v5. Wet: More lemony, but in a slightly Pledgey way, alas. Lemon verbena, though it's not taking over (yet). Virtually no trace of the orange in the bottle - oh why oh why does my skin eat (true) citrus? Now I get a licorice note, but it's different from the one in Absinthe v5 - lighter and smoother. I don't really get the wormwood here. This is lemon verbena, vanilla, and something licoricey. Dry: The lemon verbena isn't exactly amping, but unless I get close it's definitely dominating - the other notes have faded, perhaps, but if I sniff closely the extremely creamy vanilla-licorice base remains. It's not going powdery, either. This reminds greatly of Humbug's drydown, with a hefty lemon verbena note on top, of course. It doesn't go powdery like A v5 - no florals here, and while there is a similar warmth that could mean amber, it's a light and well-behaved type if it's there at all. Later: Surprisingly, the verbena fades so that after not even an hour, it ceases to dominate. The super-creamy (much creamier than Humbug!) vanilla-licorice base remains, and it truly reminds me of a less sugary/sweet/foody, verbena-tinged Humbug - with maybe a faint touch of booziness. The amazing creamy vanilla I now recognise as the vanilla from Antique Lace - oh yes, that's what I couldn't place! Summary: Humbug and Antique Lace's lovechild misted with verbena. It's surprisingly nice, though sadly I just don't like licorice in perfume - though I wish I did for the AL part. I expect this one to be quite popular! Lower throw and fades a bit, but longevity is decent after initial fading.

Sniffed: Kiwi and spearmint and honeydew melon - sweeter, less tart and less zingy than the released version. Less herbal, more straight fruit Wet: Uh...cinnamon? Or some kind of sweet spice? Way, way sweeter on my skin. I also get a berry-ish sort of note. No grass, none of that greenery from the released, though there is the same kiwi note. Dry: I definitely think it's cassia, NOT cinnamon. Carnation and/or bitter clove, as well? Still kiwi, but not much other fruit. Also, maybe some woody? This has a rich warmth to it, very unlike the released version. This has become insanely musky - green musk and possibly others, amping over time on my skin. Later: The light woods/musk drydown reminds me greatly of 51 - really nice - with the green kiwi taking the place of the green fruits in that blend. This is pretty darn spicy, in a warm/creamy, sort of exotic way. After a while it starts to remind me a fair deal of I Married A Vampire From Planet X. It lacks the cool cleanness of the released version; it's more rich warmth. Summary: Musk, carnation, bitter clove, cassia, and maybe some amber? Along with a ripe kiwi note that fades over time, those 'light woods' from 51, and a hint of some sort of citrus. This becomes mostly spicy, slightly powdery, woody MUSK after an hour or two. Good throw & excellent longevity. It's radically different from the released version which I tested side-by-side, well, on my other arm, that is! This is much spicier, stronger, muskier and richer. The released dries down to a faint, cool, minty clean scent, and this dries down to spicy, creamy, slightly woody MUSK and has way better throw & longevity. Note: I just noticed the 'released version' I refer to - the DD scent - is That! The Terror From Over There! - so there was a name change, too, apparently. But my bottle definitely says THING.