fairnymph

Tested at EC Will Call - 2008 version: A lot like l'autunno but with piney woods. Spicy (cinnamon, clove etc) mulled cider and ripe fruit with evergreen woods and dark herbs. Unisex to feminine.

DCXCV - 695 In the bottle: Sweet, fruity! A little tart as well, possibly some citrus. Several fruits, reminds me a bit of fruit punch, with a sugary edge. Tropical/exotic, too. Wet: Tarter, more citrusy, overall stronger. Lemon! Like lemon candies and lemon oil or zest. Definitely the strongest note, but there's straight white sugar too. Faint black cherry, and a red berry of some sort. Dry: The zest is definitely zest, it has that bitter edge, but this is less sour-tart. The red berry is either strawberry or raspberry because it's vaguely plasticky, though light. Later: As the lemon fades more, the other fruits amp. I'm thinking both raspberry and strawberry for the red berries, though the latter seems a bit more prominent. A hint of pineapple, and some musk. Summary: A citrusy fruit punch! White sugar, zesty lemon (much faded in final drydown), sweet strawberry and raspberry, rich black cherry, light, exotic, juicy pineapple, over a musky base. Possibly more fruits. Sweet-tart, well-blended, feminine. Amazing throw, great lasting power. My skin doesn't do strawberry or raspberry, alas! But for fruity candy lovers, this is a great scent. The person I bought this from described the citrus as grapefruit, FYI. DCCLXXXI - 731 In the bottle: Light and fresh. Green, citrusy, zesty. Both fruity and herbal, maybe even a touch aquatic. Unisex and very clean. Wet: Citrus, yep! Quite tart and sour, so I'm thinking lemon (verbena?), and maybe some white grapefruit. There's a faint creamy note deep below, sort of warm and soft and a touch sweet. Dry: Dries pretty slowly. Sadly, I think this is lemon verbena, not grapefruit, though it's not a horribly strong cleanerish lemon scent. It's definitely dominating the blend though it's not quite smacking me in the face. Later: I think the creamy note, which is softly powdery, is a nice amber. This coming from someone who usually detests amber. But it softens the LEMON nicely. Summary: Tart-bright lemon verbena nicely balanced by gentle, faintly powdery, creamy, warm and softly sweet amber. Unisex to feminine. Great throw and lasting power. It's a lovely blend, but I think lemony stuff is not for me. Swap! CMLVI - 961 In the bottle: Fruity! Citrusy, zesty. A little sweet and tropical. Possibly an orange citrus, mandarin or such. A sweet tropical floral, pikaki or plumeria. Wet: Nicely tart and zestier - tangerine, I think. Fresh and juicy, too, but this is slightly more rind than fruit. Underneath is that slightly creamy, warm-sweet-soft floral. Dry: Dries rapidly. Reminding me a ton of Lovers Parodies right now, though the citrus is stronger and tarter - so definitely tangerine and pikaki. Later: It's getting a bit more floral as the tangerine wears off a bit. Some creamy and heady white floral, but it's light and well-behaved - ah, magnolia I think. Some nice musk, too, has emerged. Summary: Tangerine, pikaki, magnolia, and skin musk. Fresh, fruity, softly floral and slightly sweet, gentley creamy and seamless. Feminine, rather youthful but a bit exotic. Moderate throw, dismal lasting power. I love it! It's a like a simpler, fresher, magnolia-version of Lovers Parodies. I just wish it didn't fade so much! Definitely needs to be reapplied after a couple hours.

Sniffed in imp: Bright yellow coloured oil. Tart, fruity, herbal woods. Cranberry and blackberry, definitely cedar and pine, astringent herbs and pungent tomato leaf. Masculine.

Spilled absinthe, scorched sugar cubes, opium smoke, lilac blossoms, and rose water. In the bottle: Extremely pale yellow oil. Roses and absinthe. Rather sour. Slightly sugary sweet and faintly smoky. Wet: Way more floral; rosier and the lilacs are strongly present too, in about equal force. Less sour, less booze, less sweet. Still that waft of slightly bitter smoke. Dry: The florals fade a bit, or else other things amp. I can smell the anisey-wormwood of the absinthe, and it's light, sort of herbal-woody and vaguely boozy, the most pleasant sort of anise scent I've encountered. Later: The sugar-light flowers-soft smoke-slightly green combo reminds me vaguely of The Fairy Market, though this is less fresh, dustier. Summary: The lilac is a touch soapy and rather heady and the rose is slightly dried-powdery, but both are kept in check by the slight anise tang and bitter opium, and then softly, subtly sweetened by pure sugar. Great throw and lasting power. So, so much nicer than I would have ever thought, but a bit too old feeling for me.

In the bottle: Juicy, herbal acai, fresh-spicy cardamom, a hint of sharp bright neroli, over a sweet warm base. Dark and unisex in feel. Wet: Sweeter and more feminine; richer and almost creamy, with the smoked vanilla amping strongly. More warmth, with only a slightly powdery edge, from the amber. Softer cardamom, sharp neroli nearly gone. Dry: Sweeter and more feminine; richer and almost creamy, with the smoked vanilla amping strongly. More warmth, with only a slightly powdery edge, from the amber. Softer cardamom, sharp neroli nearly gone. Later: More and more of the spicy-cola-patchouli Snake Oil base emerges over time. The acai has faded dramatically or been overshadowed. Summary: Much like aged Snake Oil, with extra warmth from rich, only slightly powdery amber, creamy, smoky, vanilla sweetness, a hint of extra spice from green-bright cardamom, and light, juicy, vaguely medicinal acai. Decent throw, great lasting power. A nice feminine sister of Snake Oil, but not up my alley.

CCXLIX - 249 In the bottle: Tart and juicy and slightly sweet fruit, yum! Peach and citrus, possibly exotic. Delightful and fresh and summery. Something vaguely herbal and green. Wet: Tarter, with almost an unripe green edge - ahh, it's NECTARINE, I recognise it from Ebisu. Still some citrus though as well, grapefruit or kumquat or yuzu, very tart and zesty but still juicy. Dry: Oh, this fades so, so fast, so I'm guessing grapefruit as that is highly ephemeral on me. There's a slight soapy edge, could be from a floral. But Ebisu had it too, so maybe it's an aquatic note or the nectarine. Later: Mint? A light one? Maybe that's giving some of that herbal/bright feel? I do think there is peach in here as well as nectarine, adding sweetness. And some musk, sexing this up. Summary: Clean, slighty soapy, green-tinged nectarine, juicy yellow peach, tart citrus zest, pale mint, and deep, sexy, earthy musk. Feminine, fresh but sophisticated, fun but complex. Good throw and lasting power. YAY! Finally a second score out of 20 or so CT IVs. I'm sad a bit has been decanted from the bottle, but totally thrilled I have most of it. It's a cross between Fae and Ebisu with a dash of Gennivre.

MCXCII - 1192 In the bottle: Herbal, woody, floral. A bit sort of dark and musty. Slightly soap-clean. Unisex. Wet: Spicier (soft carnation?), woodier, and more floral. Also soapier, I think from one of the florals. Powdery, too, perhaps? Dry: More and more powdery, sigh. I do think there may be light lilac, but there is definitely my dreaded nemesis, WISTERIA, and possibly some violet. Later: This has a very pastel mauve feel to it. It's sweetened a bit, in a sort of powdered sugar pixie stix way. There's a dryness to the wood - sandalwood? Summary: WISTERIA, with much fainter lilac and violet, and a dusting of sugar, over dry white sandalwood. Very feminine. On me, it's extremely dry, dusty, and powdery and unpleasant. Moderate throw, impossible to remove.

In the bottle: Very pale yellow oil. FIR and other sweet piney woods, hint of sort of rootbeerish birch, herbal chrysanthemum, that bpal SLUSH note, feminine floral bouquet. Cold, woodsy, floral, slightly sweet. Wet: Sharper, more astringent - mentholically so - eucalyptus? It's an evergreen mosh pit right now. Less sweet and less floral. Still slushy-snow cold. The birch is just as distinct, and maybe some other non-green woods too. Dry: It's sweetened up a bit, and the birch has amped which may partly explain it. It's drier, less cold and slushy, more deep forest on a dry night. Florals very faint, and sort of traditional perfumey. Later: The eucalyptus has calmed down a bit, and the sweetness sort of balances out, but this still PINEY WOODS WHOA on the whole. Summary: Sweet fir and pine, woody, root-beer birch, a hint of medicinal eucalyptus, with light snow and classic faint white florals. Unisex, I guess? It reminds me a ton of L'Inverno without the fruit. Stupid sweet pine, gtfo. Grr. Also not a fan of the hairsprayish floral notes.

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. CCCLX - 360 In the bottle: Light, clean. Faintly soapy. A bit citrusy and fruity with some heady classic florals in the background. Wet: Lilac and orange and tangerine. Fresher and zestier but also headier, more richly floral. A bit of a powder too, making my nose tingle - maybe another floral, violet? Dry: Ah ephemeral citrus, you are so fickle. Heady florals are totally taking over and amping like crazy. Still slightly soapy, but less powdery. Later: Lilac SN. Heady, faintly sweet, vaguely clean. Not powdery. Maybe a hint of some like skin musk because this has depth. Summary: Juicy, zesty orange for 3 minutes and then it dries down to virtually pure LILAC over a base of light but deep musk. Rich, heady, floral, and yet still sort of fresh. Feminine. Crazy strong throw, but fades a bit but does not wash off. It's too much straight lilac for me and the orange totally disappeared, as it always does on my skin. Previously reviewed by Bagfish.

In the bottle: Very pale yellow oil. Rose and intense woodsy pine. Deeper, rounded woody notes below. Quite sweet. Wet: Very similar. Reminds me of Tintagel and also Hemlock. The pine is so strong it's virtually mentholic, almost minty, and overwhelms the rose which is faint. Vaguely and oddly spicy. Dry: Slow to dry. The sweetness almost has a dark berry (blackberry?) feel to it. This is reminding me of Jolasveinar too. It does feel wet, humid, and foresty - but like a dark, deep forest. Later: Spicier - cinnamon, I think. I agree with others who totally get the Christmas candle and potpourri vibes. Some white musk, too, perhaps. No rose. Summary: After the INTENSE EVERGREENS wear off, a bit of rose shines through, but this is still mostly a very sweet, almost sugary pine scent with spicy cinnamon and blackberry notes. Powerful throw, great lasting power. Far too sweet and piney for me.

CIX - 109 In the bottle: Light bright yellow colour. Drily woody, slightly spicy, a little sharp and fresh. Sandalwood, heady florals. Wet: Softer, milder, sweeter. More floral - a lily of some sort, perhaps? Definitely white sandalwood. A bit dusty. This reminds me a ton of Dragon's Bone. Something a touch juicy-fruity. Dry: Definitely a lily, with a powdery edge, and I think some orris too. The florals are oddly sweet, sort of sickly, so I suspect some lotus as well, maybe root, which explains the fruity note. And a sort of salty note. Later: This shit doesn't dry. Fortunately, even accidentally slathered, it has low throw. It's gone oddly creamy...coconut! This makes it even sweeter and gives the blend a tropical vibe. Summary: Sweet lotus (root?) and creamy white coconut, with some form of lily and possibly other heady but faint florals, and a sliver of white sandalwood. Feminine, summery-beachy. Low throw, good lasting power. Do not want. CCLVI - 256 In the bottle: Virtually colourless extremely pale yellow oil. Herbal-green, woodsy, resiny. Fresh, aquatic. Somewhat cologney and masculine. Wet: Cleaner and brighter and wetter. Lavender, white tea, bergamot, musk. Classic/traditional. But not soapy. Very faint could be balsam, but this more just light herbs. Dry: Dries almost instantly and fades quickly, the musk coming to the fore. Reminds me of a lavender-tea version of Oisin. The musk is light in feel but strong in presence, and very smooth. Later: Hmm, maybe one of the herbs is a light, faintly sweet mint - white mint? This continues to fade dramatically and rapidly. Summary: Faint, fresh, herbal musk and white tea. Unisex to masculine. Clean, outdoorsy. Low throw and miserably brief longevity. Really yummy but oh so short-lived! DCCCLXXI - 871 In the imp: Dark honey/light amber coloured oil. Fresh, herbal, woodsy. Clean, almost soapily so. Masculine, verging on cologne-y. Wet: Sweeter, less sharply herbal, but still fresh and outdoorsy. Fir or cypress? Some sort of gentle evergreen, and some deeper green resins too. Hint of soapy, slightly heady floral. Dry: Morpher. That floral has emerged further but it hasn't gone too soapy. It's slightly bitter, not sweet, and sort of herbal but definitely a flower. A nice light musk has emerged. Later: Ahh a note that's been nagging reveals itself as the slick sort of leather, and the evergreen is a piney sort of deep tea note. The floral is chrysanthemum, and this reminds me a helluva lot of Daiyu. Summary: Tea leaf, brightly herbal chrysanthemum, slick leather and light musk. Unisex to masculine. Fresh, clean. Reminds me strongly of Daiyu without the juicy-medicinal acai or jasmine note. Lowish throw and lasting power. It's a bit masculine for me but I'm hanging on to my imp. MLV - 1055 In the imp: Rich golden yellow colour. Bitterly herbal (possibly floral, in a green way), with a buttery-foody base and a spicy, fresh ginger. Wet: Herbal and potential floral notes GONE. This is pure gingery foody cakey-ness - reminds me loads of Gingerbread Poppet. Sweeter and creamier. Dry: More spices emerging...clove and nutmeg and much fainter cinnamon. There's definitely some vanilla, a lighter sort. And cake, and a bit of musk too. Later: Fading rapidly in throw and mellowing a bit in terms of spiciness. There's some sort of milky note, like soy or rice milk, faintly nutty and not at all sour, but not rich either. Summary: Spicy-fresh ginger, nutmilk, light vanilla and musk, with cake and faint nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. Softly spicy, sweet, creamy, and foody. Feminine. Decent throw, fades quickly. More foody stuff, blech! Previously reviewed by elspeth.

CCXLII - 242 In the imp: Clear, colourless oil. Milk chocolate, clean herbs, and a hint of something bright and juicy-fresh, maybe an orange citrus. Light, distant spices. It's not overly sweet despite its obvious foodiness. Wet: Less sweet, creamy and chocolatey; fresher, and cleaner. The citrus is stronger and tarter - juicy tangerine and fragrant green bergamot. Some minty herbal, but it's not mentholic or medicinal - white mint? Dry: The chocolate has come back a bit, the tangerine has faded, and the mint and bergamot hold. I believe the faint spice I noted earlier is clove, the sharp sort. The blend is deeper overall now. Later: The clove has amped, as this sort of clove generally does on me, and possibly another woody note has joined the mix - something dark and a little earthy, not dry or dusty. Some musk perhaps as well. Summary: This morphs quite dramatically into a final drydown of sharp-woody clove and what I believe is earthy patchouli, faded deep milk chocolate, and the vaguest whispers of green mint and bergamot. It's a very dark blend; unisex to masculine. Good throw, decent longevity. The greenery can only be smelled within a few cm of my skin; otherwise this is all earthy, woody, spicy milk chocolate, possibly with some musk too. Alas, another one that doesn't interest me. CCCI - 301 In the imp: Clear, colourless oil. Super dark, rich chocolate with a bitter cocoa edge and a suggestion of light spice. Wet: Uhh, Dark Chocolate single note, is that you? Almost...you are BITTERSWEET chocolate and here there really is an espresso edge, with an almost boozy spike of rich vanilla. Devilish! Dry: The spice emerges more...nutmeg? And maybe some clove, too, the sweet woody sort. Evokes an exotically spiced pudding-like hot chocolate drink. Later: Not a morpher. There's so much dark depth, though, that I do suspect a musk of some sort, or perhaps a woody note. The blend's too seamless for me to specify. Summary: Dark Chocolate SN - a la super-rare Gaiman LE - as a base, but darkened by bitter espresso and sweetened by French vanilla. Lighter nuances of softly spicy nutmeg and sweet woody clove. Very rich. Amazing throw & lasting power. It's sort like Dark Chocolate SN, Boomslang, and El Dia de Reyes had an orgy, resulting in some blissfully, edibly sinful climax. I dislike wearing chocolate, vanilla, and spices, and I STILL *almost* want to hump myself regardless. CCCLVII - 357 In the imp: Light yellow oil. Sweet, buttery-cakey-foody, tart and citrusy. Fresh and light but intensely creamy. Wet: Much spicier and foodier, though less sweet. Also less tart, with nearly all tart citrus gone - making me suspect the typically ephemeral grapefruit. Ginger! and other spices. Dry: What a rapid morpher. Spices are in command, a both fresh and spicy ginger, along with nutmeg, cardamom and cassia. A dry woody base is emerging - red sandalwood? Later: That sweet buttery thing? Tonka. Which is either stalking me or my nose is broken. But there could be something nutty, like coconut or rice milk, because it's just so creamy. Though it's not milky and there's no tea note, the creaminess combined with spices evoke chai. Summary: Drydown is a soft, sensual skin musk with creamy coconut/rice milk, and possibly tonka as well. A nice spike of fresh and spicy ginger holds, with much lighter nutmeg, cardamom, and cassia over a smooth, warm red sandalwood base. Average throw & good longevity. Quite nice indeed; a sort of tropical, Indian-styled version of Morocco. Very soothing and unisex to feminine, but not my type of thing.

CCXCII - 292 In the bottle: Completely colourless. Chocolate and cake. Creamy, rich, extremely foody but not uberly sugary-sweet. Wet: Both milk and dark chocolate notes and some vanilla as well - this is really like a candy bar! The underlying cake is not buttery but light, like angel food cake. There's a dark wood note quickly emerging, too. Dry: It's a bit less creamy, with more of a bitter, espresso like edge - more dark chocolate, less milk chocolate. The wood has (mahogany? teak?) has emerged further. Hint of resin? Later: The wood takes on a dry edge, making me settle on mahogany, and this just deepens overall, without any dramatic morphing. The resin strikes me more as a smoky incense, maybe myrrh. Summary: Rich, super-dark chocolate tinged by faint creamy milk chocolate and vanilla, over deep woody mahogany and a brush of smoky, bitter myrrh. Unisex, foody, intense. Great throw and lasting power. Tasty and unique - reminds me vaguely of Boomslang without the snake oil and musk - but not my thing at all. CCCXXVIII - 328 In the bottle: Pale lemon yellow colour. Creamy, fruity citrus with a hint of white florals. Soft, feminine. Slightly sweet. Wet: Fresher, brighter - the floral is a green-white, dewy sort with a clean herbal edge. Chrysanthemum? Also, definitely a tea note in here. Orange-family citrus, and maybe bergamot. Dry: Tarter than before, without the creamy edge - much fruitier, and less floral, but that tea note is still quite present - piney and herbal and a touch smoky. Later: Arhhhh rosewood! That is what you are, you dry, woody, cedar-like archnemesis. It's overwhelming those other fresh-bright notes. Summary: Dry, slightly dusty redwood over herbal tea leaf, chrysanthemum, and a faint hint of sweet juicy mandarin and some slightly medicinal fruit. Unisex to feminine. Moderate throw & lasting power. This was a gorgeous citrusy-orange version of Daiyu until the rosewood appeared.

CCCXVIII - 318 In the imp: Medium honey coloured oil. Sweet, spicy, smoky. Incense and resins, and something evergreen-mentholic. Wet: More green and herbal, distinctly piney now, over that resin-incense backdrop. Slightly less sweet, and bit fresher in a rainy forest way. Dry: Evergreens (pine pitch, fir) and smoky resins, whoa. The sweetness strikes me as anise or fennel, and adds to the spiciness. Something earthy. Later: I suspect some balsam for the freshness, but there are other dark herbs I can't identify. Definitely getting an absinthe feel. Summary: Dark green herbs, evergreens and resins (pitch pine, balsam), smoky and somewhat earthy incense, and sweetly spicy, anise-y wormwood. Foreboding, intense, masculine. Powerful throw and longevity. Definitely not remotely my style. Reminds me a bit of a very masculine version of The Illustrated Woman. Previously reviewed by Katinka.

DLXXXVII - 587 In the imp: Light yellow oil. Melon, cake, and spice! Sweet and foody but also fresh and fruity. Cantelope. Wet: Same, maybe a bit less juicy. Very rich and creamy - vanilla or tonka. The spice is very light and fragrant - ah, cardamom. Really interesting mix that works. Dry: It's getting richer and foodier and spicier - clove, too. I do think it is tonka, but there are other foody-cakey notes too. Later: It's gotten tarter, or perhaps some sweetness has worn off. It feels more dual-layered, with a juicy fruit topnote over spicy-cake, more jarring. Summary: Juicy cantelope over a very rich and creamy base of tonka and buttery cake, spiced with sweet clove and bright cardamom. Sweet, foody, feminine. Great throw, good lasting power. Blech, why must the spicy-foody ruin my melon? And why is tonka stalking me lately? Previously reviewed by naeelah.

CMXLV - 945 In the bottle: Sweet, foody. Dark chocolate, berries, black cherries. Basically chocolate covered red and purple fruit. Rich, deep. Slightly tart fruit undertone. Wet: Yup, this the same Dark Chocolate note as in the LE single note/Gaiman and Kali. It has a very realistic bitter edge that reminds me of espresso, and yet still has a creamy, rich feel. It's overpowering the mix of fruits. Dry: Sweeter, a bit, with the fruit more prominent. Raspberries, strawberries, black cherry as noted. And a faint floral note, I swear - yes, rose - a rich red fruity rose. Later: Something earthy has emerged, a light patchouli with faint soil tones, and then some rich musk. At first it was more like a berried Kali, but now it's like foody-earthy. Rose is gone. Summary: Dark chocolate covered strawberries, raspberries and cherries with soft earthy patchouli and deep musk. Foody but not unpleasantly sweet. Feminine. Decent throw, great lasting power. Someone told me this was melon (um, no). It's kind yummy, but just way too foody for me. I am sad because 945 is an awesome number. Previously reviewed by Bagfish.

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. CCCXXII - 322 In the bottle: Medium warm golden yellow colour. Fresh, herbal, woodsy. Medicinal, mentholic (mint?) and woodsy. Masculine. Slightly spicy. Wet: Chocolate peppermint, is that you? Along with some horrible, Vicksian evergreen note. I now know people mean when they say something smells like a flea collar. Weird gross sweet note. Dry: That nasty mentholic stuff has faded a ton and it's sweetened further (tonka? again?). It's also gone soapy, though, so it's not any more pleasant. Later: Sweeter and soapier, and a bit more darkly woody. Still quite herbal, but the sharp medicinal notes have worn off. Summary: Tonka-sweetened, flea-killing mint and soapy herbs over dark woods. Masculine, revolting. Good throw and epic lasting power. Powder-soap remains despite repeated washing.

In the bottle: Light yellow oil. Bright, slightly soapy-clean, fresh floral. Complex. Gardenia, orchid, and champaca jump out. Slightly sweet and resiny. Wet: Very similar, but the pear note is now apparent and sweetens the blend. Jonquil emerges clearly, a fresh green note, and tonka makes this a bit foody and rich. Soapier - maybe the white amber? Dry: Very slow to dry, but as soon as it does, the pear's nearly vanished. It's less soapy, but still very floral. The floral trifecta previously mentioned still reigns, with jonquil secondary. Later: Soapier again, and less sweet with faded tonka. Some of that dusty blue musk deepens things, and a faint hint of oakmoss and clove add earthy and woody notes. Softer florals. Summary: Rich, heady florals - gardenia, orchid, champaca - backed up soapy-powdery white amber, heavy musk, woody-sweet clove, and faintly creamy tonka. Womanly, sophisticated. Darker and more blatantly floral than the earlier incarnation. Good throw and lasting power. Not bad but not me.

Sniffed in imp: Deep orange amber colour. Sweet, dark, resiny, incensey. A little spicy and a little smoky. Musky and a touch boozy. Earthy patchouli, but a bit of fresher woods too. Strong, masculine. On my skin, it was much the same with tremendous throw and lasting power. Not my style.

DXXXIV - 534 In the bottle: Very pale yellow oil. Tart-fruity, buttery-foody, and a tiny bit floral. Fresh and juicy yet also creamy. Wet: Minty! Less buttery and foody. Tarter and less sweet. Light vanilla - I'm getting a vanilla-peppermint feel. The fruit is sort of citrusy and exotic, like yuzu or kiwi. Dry: The sour-tart note has faded greatly, but the mint holds. Soft floral, blossom-like, emerges further. This isn't foody at all anymore, but still has a lightly creamy feel. Later: Why hellooooo musk! Musky musk musk! Mint, you have faded so much. Vanilla, you would probably be louder were musk not totally shackling you. Summary: The dry down is intense, almost feral musk over light creamy vanilla, tart exotic fruit, and a hint of bright peppermint. The notes don't really blend well and the effect is quite jarring. Unisex to feminine. Medium throw and wearlength. I like the early dry stage, but most of the time I'm not digging it.

CLVII - 157 In the bottle: Nearly colourless extremely pale yellow oil. Sharply bitter, herbal, tart-sweet fruity. A substantial woody backbone. Chemically-plastic. Wet: Sweeter, fruitier, less biting, or at least the top layer is. Below, it's MENTHOLIC, medicinal - that's part of the bitterness and the herbs. A touch minty, too. Pennyroyal? And something in the evergreen family. Dry: Most of the sweet fruit has worn off - I'm tempted to label it as an apple or pear note. Herbs and woods reign now. Even less bitter, but the woods have amped. Pretty masculine. Later: Less mentholic and minty. One of the evergreens - it's so woodsy there may be many - strikes me as juniper. I'm guessing fir or cypress as well. I can't place the bitter herbs, though the bitterness could be in part due to myrrh. Summary: Slightly bitter, dark musk, herbs and woods. A bit dusty. Masculine. An early stage of plastic fruit and mentholic pennyroyal give way to juniper, fir and other woods, along with myrrh and unidentified heavy herbs. Decent throw, poor lasting power. Not remotely my style. I should note that in retrospect, the fruit could be strawberry or raspberry as both of those go plastic on my skin.

DXXXVIII - 538 In the bottle: Medium golden yellow colour. Buttery-foody, slightly sweet, spicy, citrusy. Tropical and a bit fruity. Wet: Zesty-sour white grapefruit, a bit cleaner-ish. Coriander, spicy and fragrant. A little sweeter in a sugary way, but less foody. Also a touch creamy. Faint white floral. Dry: The creamy note strikes me as a very light coconut note, like coconut milk or green coconut - it's not rich or sweet, and feels tropical. White florals have amped, but remain in the background. Later: The grapefruit has faded almost completely, and the coriander has softened, retaining only a slight spicy kick. Musk and some sort of light wood have emerged, deepening the blend. The other fruit note is a bit clearer now - pineapple? There may also be banana leaf here, and there's some smoky-incense. Summary: A morpher. The final drydown is rich dusky musk, a blend of semi-dry and deep woods, softly smoky incense, sweet tropical fruit, faint planty leaves and the barest hint of spicy coriander. Unisex to feminine. Low throw, fades quickly. It's a bit too dark and woody for me but not a bad blend which evolves in a fascinating manner on my skin.

CDLXXXVI - 486 In the bottle: Light warm yellow coloured oil. Sweet-tart like sour candy, buttery-foody, and nutty? Hint of something bitter. Sweet enough to make my throat itch. Wet: Definitely something fruity, I think citrusy - it's very tart, but possibly more than one fruit. There's a perfumey, almost generic cologney scent emerging. And the nut is peanut; I'm totally smelling peanut butter. Dry: Some sort of white floral that explains the perfumey note is amping, and it's quite piercing - headache coming on. A bit of a soapy edge, too - it reminds me of scented laundry detergent. Later: I'm going to have to wash this off. It's making my head pound and my stomach roil. This is one of the most unpleasant BPALs I've smelled. Summary: Bright white floral laundry detergent, sugary-tangy citrus, and sweet foody peanut butter, which maybe a metal note or white musk. It doesn't mesh at all. Strong throw and lasting power. Last reviewed by sookster. DCCXXIII - 723 In the bottle: Light, bright watermelon-pink coloured oil. Fresh and fruity - crisp apples! Sweet, too. There's something foody, some sort of baked good, below it. Hint of spice, maybe clove? Wet: Ripe but tart and juicy candied apple, along the lines of sour apple gummies. The spice is definitely clove, as it gains a woody note. Less of the bakery scent, though the base is still warm and creamy below the apples and clove. Dry: Very slow to dry. Clove amps, apple holds, foody stuff fades a bit more. Still quite sweet, but no longer quite as tart or candyish. Later: CLOVE, spicy and woody and a little sweet. Apples have faded a bit, so that base is a bit more apparent too. Reminds me vaguely of the vanillic base in Perilous Parlor. Summary: Strong, slightly spicy and sweet, woody clove over crisp red apples and faint creamy vanilla. Very autumnal, and surprisingly not all that foody. Great throw, good lasting power. Unisex to feminine. Alas, I am not a fan of clove. Otherwise this is a pretty yummy blend. Reminds me of a CLOVE-apple version of PP. Previously reviewed by Delirium1009.

CDLXII - 462 In the imp: Pale peach coloured oil. Sweet and sharp. Flowers, fruit. A bit tart. Also a little creamy and foody. Makes my nose tingle. Wet: Mint! That's what the sharp-fresh note was. Spearmint, I think. Reminds me of gum with the sweetness. The florals are a tad powdery. Still fruity but I can't pinpoint how. Dry: Increasingly floral and less sweet. I'm pretty sure the sweet-powdery floral is sweet pea. The fruit strikes me as a berry, or maybe currant...wait, grape! Tart-sweet. Later: It's deepening a bit; musk, I'd guess. There's a hint of something spicy, too - carnation, possibly. I would no longer call this creamy. More herbal, too - thyme, ivy. Summary: Green, herbal drydown with the spearmint, thyme, and ivy, sweetened by the juicy-tart grape, somewhat powdery sweet pea, and rich, sexy musk. Also a deep, earthy resin of some sort - benzoin? Low throw, good lasting power. Reminds me a bit of The Blood Garden, crossed with Aeval. I'd really like it without the damn sweet pea. The herbs, resin, grape, and musk are gorgeous and the evolution is amazing - quite a morpher!

DLVIII - 558 In the imp: Very pale lemon yellow coloured oil. Sweet, buttery-cakey, spicy. Foody. Bright and fresh, almost citrusy. Wet: Ginger, for sure - but other spices too. Carnation? Less sweet and buttery on my skin, but still rather creamy. Vanilla or honey, but a light one. This reminds me a chai a bit...oh, cardamom! Dry: The creaminess is too light and watery to be cream, so I'm guessing it's milk. Very faintly sour on me, as milk can be, but not unpleasantly. Actually this is reminding me a lot of Morocco, maybe crossed with Dana O'Shee. Later: Maybe that citrusy note is tea? It's very light, but there. The spices have amped a bit, and a dry woody note has emerged - a type of sandalwood? Also, something grainy - barley? Musk, too. Summary: This settles into a warm, creamy, rounded, soft scent with light spices and a slightly sour edge. Milk, honey, barley, ginger, cardamom, carnation, musk, red sandalwood and below it all, earthy oakmoss. Fairly feminine. Low throw, decent lasting power. While quite nice and very soothing, it's not my style. Previously reviewed by sookster.