fairnymph

Sniffed: Peach coloured oil. Fresh and cologney! Ambergris and musk and white sandalwood are really all I can pick out, though it smells complex. Very clean, with an almost soapy edge, and an underlying sweetness.

Wet: Similar - definitely strong on the ambergris and the musk is just gorgeous! A little bit of lavender now, and the sandalwood has taken on a slightly dry edge. With effort I can detect a little caramel...and maybe some perfumey amber.

Dry: Definitely getting sweeter and more ambery-powdery, and the cedar is emerging too. Earlier it remind me a little of Vicomte de Valmont, but now not so much. Soapier too. Sigh.

Sniffed: Light gold oil. Clean, soapy, floral-powder. I definitely get some orris, and the soapy notes are unpleasantly acrid, perfumey-hairsprayish. I little distant sickly sweetness.

Wet: Softer, sweeter & less overwhelmingly powdery/orris/florals. Still rather dry and to me, 'elderly' feeling. The sweetness reminds me of (appropriately enough) powdered sugar, and with the orris I'm reminded of sugary violet blends. A bit of clean wet greenery from the clover pokes through, and some sort of spicy floral.

Dry: Huh, it's going oddly bitter-green, maybe one of the floral notes? Still very much powdery soap. The white musk has really come out, sweet and bright and clean, and it's helping a bit....but I still get this Comet cleaning powder thing.

Later: Green things - grassy? - powder, musk and cotton flower. This ones improves greatly after a while, but the greenery that emerges has a slightly bitter edge, and it's still too powdery for me.

Summary: Rich white musk, sharp-fresh greenery, soapy-clean (almost lineny) cotton blossom (and I swear I can smell the baby's breath at the end) with a mild underlying sweetness. Baby like, and very fitting. Good throw & fantastic longevity.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil - with a little cocoa absolute settling out. Verrrry foody. It reminds me of mole with some booze & corn tortillas. Quite sweet, definitely corn and chocolate and spices - cinnamon especially.

Wet: Maybe a little more chocolatey, and so strong on the agave - which I LOVE - a little more cinnamon, but it's a very sweet, rich cinnamon, not red hots at all. Still that STRONG stoneground corn note. The booze stings my nose at little, it's stronger proof on my skin, more liqueur than wine. I get a little sweet orange, too, I think.

Dry: Much less sweet, as the agave fades (woe!). More spicy, as the cinnamon turns to red hots (double woe!). Still chocolate & corn tortillas galore, and I swear I get a more savoury herbal note, like epazote or something? It's actually pretty nice.

Later: The cinnamon is amping and obscuring the other notes, but otherwise not much change. The booze has pretty much all burnt off at this point. For a cinnamon heavy scent, it's better than most. The orange note is holding, amazingly.

Summary: Cinnamon dusted corn chips with a spike of sweet orange. Not bad, but way too much like actual food and oddly savoury for me to wear. It is an extremely realistic and accurate scent. Decent throw, fades fast.

Sniffed: Deep yellow oil. Balsam! And cypress. A bit of bitter clove, some resins and sort of pleasantly bitter herbs. Masculine and woodsy and spicy-resiny. STRONG.

Wet: Sweeter - definitely some grapes and some musk, too - it's more balanced, less EVERGREEN BRUTALITY. Actually, I can get the blood too - it reminds me of iron metal notes, or the note in the Blood Garden. The cypress is a little citrusy.

Dry: Muskkkkkkkk, delicious musk! The resins also come out in a really nice way. There's a bit of sourness though to this that I don't really like - maybe one of the herbs? The clove has amped on me as it often does. Still loving the balsam and blood accord, though!

Summary: Now it smells like rotting diapers. Powdery and sort of fishy and foul.

Sniffed: Sour goat's milk and a bit of juicy fig, a la Carnal. Maybe a hint of dark spice? It's a little foody, but lighter in feel than I was expecting.

Wet: More fig and more spice - oh hai Clove, is that you? I also get a bit of smoky bitterness from the myrrh - this is a lot darker and less creamy on my skin. The milk is still there, but it's thin, sort of watery as well as still sour, and it reminds me of the note in Milk Moon 07.

Dry: The myrrh turns almost dusty, which is better than myrrh usualy does on me, and I think I was wrong about the clove, or it was just a phase, because I don't get it now. This is fruity intense FIG with a little sour thin milk. Not bad, but not fabulous. Fantastic throw & lasting power.

Sniffed: Dark golden/light amber oil. Sweet-tart super fruity! Black cherry, red cherry (the 'wild' type from Neo-Tokyo and Beaver Moon 07), black and red currants, raspberry, blackberry and I swear, even a little hint of chocolate. It's definitely candyish, and I get the sugar and cream notes clearly. Very sweet, but not cloying.

Wet: Darker; less red/fresh/tart on my skin, more about dark preserved/cooked fruit. Black cherry dominating with red cherry just behind and then a little bit of the currants. Less sweetly berried, just much less sweet over all. It's like I'm sucking on the skin of black cherry. Still a little hint of sugared-vanilla-creaminess, though.

Dry: The fruit in this has gone nearly entirely to black cherry-currant jam, although it also reminds prunes - it has that dark dried fruit quality. It's not boozy....but it kind of reminds me of Montresor, it's the same 'type' of dark non-fresh fruit. Still a tiny hint of tart wild cherry below things to perk it up, and the light cream holds below, though it's barely foody-sweet any more.

Summary: Dark, softly sweet stewed black cherries with a little creamy vanilla sugar. It's pretty nice, though it has a faint plastic undertone on me. Good throw but fades fast.

Sniffed: Chartreuse-khaki coloured oil. SOIL LIKE WHOA, with some minty hyssop and piney/mentholic balsam and cedar. Pretty manly, and very dirty. It does totally fit the description.

Wet: Much more herbal and woodsy, much less earthy. Mintier. I do get the 'snow' aquatic feel - it's a little piney-hairsprayish as the lab's note can be. And just a general bitter herbs/weeds vibe. This is a very outdoorsy scent, not really something I can see as perfume.

Dry: The cedar has gone dry and warms up this blend a bit, although it's still minty-snow-cold, which makes for an odd contrast. This is not a myrrh-heavy scent, but I can pick it out.

Later: The roommate says it smells 'like cleaning product' and I'm sorry to say it does - as minty things can, and hyssop does here. It's still shockingly mentholic and has become medicinal.

Summary: Disgusting mint and piney-harsh snow; the dirt dissipates until it's all gone. This gets worse and worse over time over me. Low throw but great longevity.

Sniffed: Clean, soft aquatic - sort of like rain, a little soapy/dry sheetish, but in a good way. I get a little tang of metal, but it's light, not as sharp as silver-toned metal is.s.

Wet: Much more cologney and tangy - much brighter and stronger overall. A little acrid - the gold note totally reminds me of the same note in Leiprechaun. Definitely no floral or citrus in this aquatic.

Dry: Going a little salty/beachy, or almost mineral-silty - I get the 'wet stone' effect that I also got from Erik, and these are related, while the aquatic brackish note reminds me of Sturgeon Moon. Still, I'm not crazy about the gold note - it burns my nose a little.

Later: It sweetens a little, but this one is not a morpher. Maybe the metal's a little less harsh, though still too harsh for me. The gold note is more shiny now, more piercing and obviously metallic.

Summary: Rainy, mildly sweet brackish aquatic with tangy gold. It's a soft scent that stays true; very much a neutral metallic. I like it best after a few hours, but I still find it mediocre. Decent throw & good longevity.

Sniffed: This smells extremely convoluted. Foody, with creamy vanilla/molasses and a whole lot of green smelly moss, with a sort of dirty patchouli below. Eek.

Wet: I think I'm confusing the moss and red currant, it's weirdly tart/green/astringent and not in a good way. It's almost a little soapy? Less heavily molasses, more vanilla cream.

Dry: This is not a good moss on me. It's like Spanish I think, it goes very dank and musty and dirty on me. The patchouli, too, is the soil-rooty type and these along with the molasses are the remaining notes on drydown.

Later: Appropriately dirty and horrible (not a fan of the tacky, even though I do like David the Gnome).

Summary: I find this revolting in every stage, and I never got any red currant (or as someone mistyped to my amusement, red current, which makes me think of some huge gushing menses). Lower throw at least, but this stuff lasts forever.

Sniffed: Bright lemon-yellow oil. Sweet, fizzy fruit! It kind of smells like those red-white-blue rocket popsicles. Or some summer childhood edible. As well as sherbert, sorbet, and Sprite. There's also a creamy candy undernote very reminiscent of Velvet Unicorn. The juniper is there, but well-behaved.

Wet: More juniper, which makes me think gin/booze, and it's still very Sprite-fizzy, the same lemon-lime soda note that I got from Independent. It dries nearly immediately on me, and starts losing the sweeter notes - the white grape especially. It's mostly citrus with a little hint of berry (not distinct - I can't pick out either raspberry or blueberry individually).

Dry: I like juniper, but must it always amp on my skin? It's even going sort of piney-mentholic, eek. To be fair, it could be that my skin eats citrus so here, the dissipating citrus makes the juniper appear stronger, too. It's not yet *bad*, but I liked it more the first 10 minutes on my skin.

Later: Aww. This does not dry down well on me - it goes to juniper, but as my roommate noted, there's also a weird nutty note, like peanut. And it's not pleasant. Maybe a delayed reaction to the raspberry and/or blueberry, both of which tend towards artificial/plastic on me?

Summary: Faintly fruity, nutty juniper. Low throw and fades extremely quickly on my skin. I'm sad because I love the smell in the imp and early stages. Maybe to retry in the scent locket.

Sniffed: Light chartreuse coloured oil. Red Rose, is that you? You smell shockingly similar. Red roses and rich spicy carnation in equal force, some rather piney-woodsy cedar (not dry), more distant clove and incense, and then a tiny hint of tart pomegranate fruit.

Wet: More carnation, lovely lovely carnation! More velvety-rich than spicy. I find the rose pretty minor in this, considering how rose can dominate. The cedar is lighter, less intense though still very evergreeny to my nose - I wouldn't have known this was cedar. I think the spice is the clove, and the carnation here is not actually spicy. Still a suggestion of tartness, but I can't pick out pomegranate.

Dry: Clooove amping, and this SO reminds me of Red Rose. The mysterious 'incense' even has a tobacco note to my nose, the rose note is *exactly* the same ,as is the clove, and I swear the cedar smells exactly like that blend's fir. The musk has emerged now, and it also smells like Indian musk. One difference is this is less sweet, minus the tonka, and I find it much less revolting as result, and then it has the amazing carnation note which has sadly faded a bit.

Later: This is going sort of...rancid on me. Sweaty. Like bad BO, which Red Rose ALSO did. I guess it's the Indian Musk, which without fresher notes, is really dank and manly mannish on me. The pomegranate is definitely just gone, poof. The incense is mostly tobacco, from what can tell - actually, it reminds me a bit of the tobacco/incense vibe in Black Lace, a resemblance most likely strengthened by both scents sharing the same musk note, too.

Summary: Rose Red with gorgeous velvety carnation and a less dominating (i.e. more bearable on me) clove. It sweetens up a little bit with me over time, probably due to the musk which amps and amps and becomes actually pretty sexy, if still a little manly for me. The fir-like cedar fades quite a bit, and in the end I find this okay. Great throw & longevity.

The rose doesn't dominate on my skin and I amp rose. I am blown away by this carnation note as others are - it's stunning. Oh, and I wish there'd actually been some pomegranate. It's simply not there. I cannot overestimate the similarities to Red Rose, and the colours of the oils are even nearly identical.

Sniffed: Soft, clean and cologney - with a little sweetness to it, almost melony (the cyclamen?). I definitely get the sandalwood, nicotiania (really bright and sort of smouldering) and some delicious musks. The soapy-powdery edge scares me a little, but it's light...

Wet: Instantly goes more powdery. ORRIS DOOM. And soapy. Not sure what's making it soapy...I also get the sharpness that I often get from stephanotis (I group it with narcissus mentally, a sort of 'masculine' floral note), and I can pick out the citrusy-sour elemi, too. The musks have amped and are truly divine, but even they and the sandalwood and nicotiana can't defend against ORRIS DOOM.

Dry: ORRIS HELLO MY NAME IS ORRIS I AM A GIANT POWDERY BITCHWHORE. I think I can smell some musk, nicotiana, and I can definitely pick out some sandalwood too - but barely. Orris is totally bullying. Also, the elemi has gone sort of cat urine-y on me as it seems to lately. Thankfully it's low throw.

Later: Orris still dominating, but it's less horrible now. It's turned to violet, and reminds me specifically of the Violet Ray, very strongly. Same sandalwood note, too, and general heady floral and musky feel, but this is stronger, more powdery, and has that sour-urine smell from the elemi if I sniff closely.

Summary: Slightly sour, sandalwoody ORRIS powder with delicious musk. The roommate thinks it'd be better on him, and I'm inclined to agree this is a unisex to masculine scent. Lower throw, great longevity.

Sniffed: Golden oil, with almost a slight greenish tinge. Quite herbal-medicinal, a little mentholic. I really get the parsley, chamomile, vervain and yarrow. Almost a little bitter. I do get some sweet warmth from honey, and a sense of resins though I can't pick them out. A light touch of florals, primarily spicy carnation.

Wet: Way more floral, and much sweeter - less green and medicinal, though the vervain is amped, and sort of lemony-minty. Honeysuckle lends a soapy tinge and the gardenia came out like whoa - thankfully the lovely carnation has amped too. I definitely get the frankincense and gum arabic now, sweet and incensey below everything. Oddly, I don't get the copal at all.

Dry: Much more blended, much less convoluted. The honey has settled into a gorgeous sweet golden musky haze that blends nicely with the resin notes & spicy carnation. I get maybe a touch of copal, more piney than usual, less smoky and gritty. It's still pretty green and floral, but again, blended. It hasn't gone to soap, and while the gardenia is strong, it's not domineering - same with the verbena.

Later: The honey amps back up, as do the chamomile and gum arabic, and I get a bit more of the copal. Meanwhile the parsley and yarrow have mostly dissipated, leaving this a much smoother, less herbal scent. The moss has come out too, giving this more depth. As with Litha 2006, I find myself liking this best after a couple hours on my skin, when the honey shines.

Summary: Sweet, rich honey with herbal-resin undertones and a little floral kick. Mostly honey, though - this is one of several scents that dries down to nearly Honey SN after a few hours, but the earlier stages are not quite my style. This is definitely unisex, and my roommate thinks it'd be better on him. Decent throw & great longevity.

Sniffed: Deep golden oil. It smells exactly how it sounds. Sweet berries I can't quite place, spicy carnation and bright slightly almost citrusy heliotrope with some perfumey amber and the suggestion of musk.

Wet: It's a really gorgeous carnation - actually, it reminds me very much of the carnation note in Maiden v2, rich and velvety and spicy. The berry smells a little like raspberry to me, ripe and juicy, a little tart. The heliotrope is a clear soft floral shining on top of the other notes. The amber and musk are sort of melded at this stage on the bottom.

Dry: The amber is amping and turning the tiniest bit powdery, but still not in a problematic way. Carnation, too, is really amping, and wow it's such a pretty note here! At this stage, the blend reminds me a whole lot of Maiden v2 overall. Very similar in feel, though this is a little darker and more complex, a little older and more sophisticated. The raspberry isn't going plastic!

Later: Hmmmm this carnation is veering into 'clove' territory for me - which was the problem with the released version of Maiden, as well as some other carnation-heavy scents. It never becomes quite TOO spicy and the amber stays true - this is amber at its best, I must say - the creamy warmth of L'Estate with a powdery edge but no more, and the musk ties everything together.

Summary: Spicy, rich CARNATION over warm deep amber and sexy musk with light raspberry and a lovely heliotrope note that keeps this from ever becoming too heavy. It's not traditionally the sort of scent I'd like...but I think I'd enjoy a bottle of this. The notes are all divine and go very well together. It also has fabulous throw & longevity!

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Surprisingly clean and cologney. I get a lot of woody notes - the vetiver forermost, then a little oak, a bit of sharp neroli and a touch of leather. Hints of vanilla flower and patchouli. Definitely masculine.

Wet: Vetiver! And more neroli, almost juicy-citrusy - a very nice neroli note. I get a touch of the dragon's blood, but it's bearable. Some fig, fruity kind, but these are all way behind neroli & vetiver. The leather is making me sneeze - it's that chemical-powder De Sade type.The vanilla flower is being so shy.

Dry: The leather is amping, and so is the dragon's blood and vanilla. The latter's turning a little sickly sweet on me, especially in combination with the oak which is dark and sort of vanillic itself. Still lots of clean cologney vetiver & neroli. This sort of reminds me of Death on a Pale Horse.

Later: It went all sweet and soapy and chemically, with the dragon's blood and leather aping unpleasantly, the neroli turning to soap as it often does, an the amber has evengone powdery. Plus, fig and vanilla have gone sickly sweet. This is an utter mess on my skin.

Summary: Sickly, cloyingly sweet vanilla-fig candy over dragon's blood air freshener, neroli soap, and chemically leather. Foul. The worst WQ on me by far. The lovely deep oak, now distinct, and clean vetiver cannot redeem this on my skin. Great throw.

Sniffed: Fresh, clean, a little cologney - quite unisex. The tea leaf definitely dominates, with a little bergamot and ginger below. I can pick out the leather and jasmine (which I most feared) but only if I strain, and they are definitely tertiary notes, well-behaved and pleasant.

Wet: More jasmine, bergamot, and ginger - stronger/more pungent overall, but still very fresh feeling with a gorgeous strong tea note. The jasmine is a touch soapy, but not acrid or urine-y the way that it can be. This is one of the strongest bergamot notes I've smelled in a BPAL scent, very green and verging on masculine. The ginger is fresh and almost juicy. Leather still faint, and totally not a problem note.

Dry: This reminds me a little of Daiyu, and I feel like there is definitely a white tea note, and I agree that it seems like white musk is present. I also find this a tad spicy in a way that i don't think is due to the ginger, and I think a little pink pepper is likely. The jasmine has unfortunately gone more soapy on me, and the bergamot has faded (sigh).

Later: The white musk, white ginger, and leather have totally amped, almost shockingly! This is much sharper overall, much more masculine.The leather is definitely the De Sade plasticky/slick/chemically type, and combined with the slickness of the white tea and soap of the jasmine, I'm not too pleased. the bergamot is still holding, though!

Summary: Drydown is powdery musk. Not bad at all, but there's a long stage of plastic powder that I quite dislike. I wish it had kept the early stages and developed musk - then it would have been gorgeous. Alas. Good throw & holding power.

Sniffed: Mandarin and florals. Pretty darn floral, but light and delicate. Orchid, cherry blossom, and lilac are what I can pick out. I also get the green-aquatic woodiness of the bamboo. Either the lilac or the orchid or something else smells a little 'rotten' the way iris sometimes does.

Wet: More mandarin (much more juicy) and maybe some tart yuzu too, and some plum blossom - I'm reminded of the Chinese new year scents a bit, that kind of vibe. I swear I almost get a melon note, or maybe I'm just so reminded of Earth Rat? I'm pretty sure it's the lilac that smells rotten, as well as a little heady and soapy. The cherry blossom is stronger, too - orchid and bamboo harder to pick out.

Dry: Even more sweet and fruity - plum blossom definitely amping and dominating, and though the citrus has faded a little, it's holding fairly well, better than it typically does. The lilac has faded a bit, and while it still contributes a soapy-rotten edge I dislike, I can sort of ignore it. The scent is much stronger on my skin now too, much more throw.

Later: The rottenness of the lilac seems to have dissipated, and there's only a touch of soap from it - which I can handle. It's still very fruity; plum blossom, mandarin & yuzu for sure. Along with the cherry blossom, it reminds me a fair deal of Aizen-Myoo overall. I get a curious sense of warmth from the sandalwood which contrasts with the coolness of the bamboo.

Summary: Drydown is very musky fruit with a sort of faint floral powderiness and I know what this reminds me of more than anything - Tanuki! The musk is really delicious and creamy, and I like how this evolves. But the early stages and the fact that I have other fruity musk blends I prefer make this unremarkable for me. Excellent throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Sweet tart fruit - currant and blackberry - with perfumey (and with a powdery edge, sigh) amber and rich honey. There's an exotic edge to this that must be the pink pepper, but I wouldn't have pegged it as such. The fruit & honey are gorgeous but the amber terrifies me.

Wet: Spicy honeyed fruit galore! The currant is definitely foremost in this, but the blackberry is just behind. I get the pink pepper now and it's a lovely note, not at all as I feared - it's not too spicy, just intriguing. The fruits stand out so much in this that the honey is in the background relatively, and seems to blend with the amber - to me, this honey/amber combo is very reminiscent of Mead Moon.

Dry: Blackberry & honey amping, and the amber is becoming increasingly perfumey - it's not fully powdery yet, but it has the pungency that I can't stand in amber - I really only like a subtle warmth, not an actual note I can smell. Actually - this is reminding me a little of Thaleia. It's that syrupy sweetness. There's definitely a Mad Kate resemblance , too. The faintly soapy edge of the amber (or maybe the pink pepper?) reminds me of Pepper - which just became too soapy-perfumey on drydown.

Later: This pink pepper is almost minty - it's spicy/sharp in such a unique way that I must say works really well here. At this point I find the fruits & honey to be melding together perfectly; very well-blended and balanced. Amazingly, the amber still hasn't turned to powder although it has become increasingly perfumey. This feels overall like a peachy-golden haze.

Summary: Not a lot of morphing, other than things merging into a very seamless blend of honeyed spiced fruit and perfumed amber. Great throw & fantastic longevity. I can see why this one's popular, but the amber is just too present for my tastes.

Sniffed: Very dark reddish brown oil, like concentrated cola. Medicinal red musk and fruity-floral orange blossom jump out. A little tart pomegranate below, but I don't really get any melon. This is fruity, but not that sweet, and sort of heavy feeling.

Wet: Still very heavy on the red musk and orange blossom, but more of the pomegranate comes through. This is surprisingly tart, almost juicy, and almost makes me suspect some sort of citrus fruit, maybe white grapefruit? It smells almost kind of green! Reminds me a little of Vampire From Planet X, actually. But less incensey, and the pomegranate note is pretty awesome.

Dry: My skin has absorbed this dark oil, as if by magic. The orange blossom has gone sort of sharp/acrid as it can on me, and mixed with the harshness of the red musk, it's a bad effect. I often find that a strong red musk note leads to a 'mentholic' quality, and that is definitely occurring here. The pomegranate and citrus are delicious below, but there's still no sign of the melon.

Summary: The red musk goes sort of plastic on me, the way it does in aged Snake Oil (which is much worse on me than the still-nasty fresh kind), and much of the orange blossom dies down, as does that mysterious citrus note. Medicinal-sharp red musk and a bit of pomegranate is what remains. Strong throw & decent longevity.

I only had a dry sniffie of this, so I apologise for the vagueness of my review.

Foody spice - I don't get pumpkin, but I get a delicious creamy-sweet, rich vanilla, clove, cardamom, ginger, black pepper and I'm pretty sure some gorgeous earthy patchouli. Chai with patchouli, essentially. Cinnamon too but a subtle cinnamon that doesn't bully. The vanilla/patchouli combo in this is amazing and reminds me of Storyville's vanilla/tobacco combo.

It feels very dark, intense, rich and manly - as well as appropriately autumnal, and sort of spicy-exotic while still being a touch foody-sweet. I can certainly see what all the fuss is about, but this one is not for me. I could see being tempted to use it to scent a room or a man-thing, though...

Sniffed: Delicious tart-crisp apple, and a slightly soapy-powdery sweet floral, amongst maybe others - not traditional or heady florals, though. Girly and fresh and sweet.

Wet: Almost candy-sweet - it reminds me of Pink Moon & Candy Phoenix but with apples as the fruity note. Almost a little spicy, and I get the impression of spring florals - maybe some phlox? Definitely more juicy apple than tart, I agree with the golden delicious description.

Dry: I don't get rose, and while there definitely could be some apple blossom in this - it's so richly and deeply apple-y that it seems very likely - the soapy floral is something else. I also think there may be a little carnation in this, because it's even spicier and warmer.

Later: The candy scent has a caramel/brown sugar edge, now. Definitely a vanilla note of some sort that's amping on me, and I totally agree with the 'baked apple' (though this still smells fresh as well to me) thing. There's also a warm sort of woody note. Oh! the floral is SUNFLOWER!

Summary: It smells pretty autumnal, and as it dries further it reminds me of Agrat-Bat-Mahlat, L'Autunno & above all, an apple-spiked L'Estate. I strongly suspect there's an amber note in addition to the sunflower producing the warm powder effect. Great throw & longevity.

It's really quite an intriguing wrist-sniffer and the apple note holds so much better than most, but it's a bit too warm & powdery for me. Thank you wednesday white for the chance to try this!

Sniffed: Orange oil. Sweet and spicy! Cinnamon, for sure...a little extra-fruity dragon's blood, definitely the slightly nutty grains (reminds me of Dana O'Shea), and some red musk, I think. Maybe some dark , rich wood like mahogany or teak in the distance?

Wet: Cinnamon, red musk, nutty grains - this is actually pretty darn FOODY, and reminds me also of Snake Oil/Snake Pit scents. I'm pretty sure there is some sweet black musk too, which on me is also almost foody at times. The dragon's blood is very light, giving only a tinge of soapy air freshener. Still not getting any herbs...

Dry: The cinnamon doesn't amp into red hots; it's balanced and well-behaved, but I still don't like it. This has actually faded alot even though I applied it liberally, and it reminds me of cheap potpourri now, with sort of sickly sweet black musk/nutty grain layer, and a hint of soap that makes my nose itch.

Summary: Sweet musk, nutty grains, light cinnamon. I do really think some teak, as well, though it never fully emerges, but teases throughout. The red settles a lot, behaving surprisingly well on my skin. Low throw and fades a lot.

Ehh.

Sniffed: Gin & tonic - almost exactly! Very junipery-herbal gin-y. Actually a little Sprite/ lemon-lime soda edge too; overall it's very effervescent. There's a syrupy sweetness to this as well, like simple syrup and maybe a darker liqueur, like a brandy or cognac - oh! GRAPPA. It totally reminds me of Gin & Tonic spiked with Grappa, with some lime and simple syrup. I think I've had that exact cocktail, once.

Wet: Whoaaaaaaa BOOZE. If I smelled this on a person, I'd assume he'd been drinking for 10 hours straight, or spilled a bar on himself. I love booze scents, but this is a lot even for me. It's not only boozy, it's VERY VERY high proof. It's not just 'I've been drinking cocktails!' it's 'I've been taking ALOT of shots and making poorly balanced cocktails.' Grappa is definitely dominating, in short, though I can still smell everything else underneath.

Dry: Okay, getting more ginny, though not quite evergreen brutality, and now I'm getting a cola smell - sort of woody and rooty and much darker & heavier in feel. Oh! There is a CARAMEL note, just as there is in some cola - sort of a burnt sugar/brown sugar note, that reminds me of Sugar Skull. Alas, not a note I like. The lime is holding nicely and really a very nice, strong, fresh lime - reminds me exactly for the note in Mr. Nancy. Within 15 min, most of the Grappa has evaporated.

Later: It's gone sort of spicy and woody, wow - almost like there's a tobacco note in this, or some sort of dark incensey resin - it reminds me quite a bit of Champagne & Cigars in this stage, but the tobacco-y note is distinctly different, not stale as in C&C. I quite enjoy it because it balances the syrupy sweetness of the brown sugar note. It's less fizzy, but holding the sparkle better than most scents that start out strongly effervescent. Also, this totally does smell like a Margarita. I don't like tequila or 'ritas so I didn't think of it myself, but I can absolutely see it. Spot on.

Summary: Ahhhh I know what this reminds me of - some of the Tiki scents, especially Te Po & Screeching Parrot, though this has the juniper-gin note as well. But now I definitely feel I get a strong GINGER note, and it reminds me exactly of the note in Screeching Parrot, and the the cola-thing is very much like the note in Te Po. And yet this is more Champagne-fizzy than either, and has that hint of Mr. Nancy lime/tobacco thing that's really nice. I do like how this evolves, but it is not for me. Fantastic throw & longevity.

Wow, the few reviews are all over the place for this one!

Sniffed: Colourless or nearly colourless pale yellow oil. Sweet, foody, and maybe mildly spicy. It smells autumnal, like apple or pear and some mulling spices, but there's also a richer creamy note below, like vanilla custard or pudding. Reminds me vaguely of the Perilous Parlour.

Wet: Oh, I know what the spice is - ginger! A pretty spicy-hot, dry, powdered ginger. I still get the sweet pear note, it's sort of syrupy and baked totally the pear note from PP. The vanilla is starting to a go a little plastic on me, though, and some cinnamon is coming out, giving a Red Hots feel.

Dry: This fades A LOT, and the spices calm down after their initial flare - though a soft powdery ginger note remains. Maybe the cinnamon was actually cassia, because I get a vague Morocco vibe. Fruit pretty much gone.

Summary: The light sugar-cake after the spices recede reminds me of Droian - possibly there is tea, but definitely it's the same 'sugared' note. Nearly all the fruit has dissipated after a couple hours, so it's vaguely gingered sugar. Low throw and fades rapidly.

I'm not so impressed. :\

Sniffed: Very pale yellow oil. Vanilla, sandalwood, and cardamom. The vanilla note reminds me of Antique Lace, and combined with sandalwood reminds me of both Underpants and slightly less of Jingo-Kogo (because the cardamom is not so unlike saffron in general effect).

Wet: Less sweet/rich - though still creamy and vanillic, it's much less foody, and not cloying like UP.The cardamom is stronger, almost citrusy-bright in its spicy green freshness. I also get a black pepper note - making this really incredibly like chai! The sandalwood, though, keeps this 'perfumey' and more wearable for me.

Dry: From the moment it touched my skin, this almost instantly turned into the very same vanilla/sandalwood combo as in Jingo-Kogo, though it feels a little dryer and less creamy than that scent, probably due to the dry heat of the cardamom and pepper. It's spicy enough to make my nose tingle.

Later: It goes through an almost woody-green stage that's also very spicy as the cardamom dominates. It stays green and bright but the but the het dies down after an hour or two and the scent really comes together, with cardamom and sandalwood merging over a soft creamy vanilla.

Summary: It definitely loses the foodiness though it's still quite chai-like and keeps the edge of pepper. Too peppery for me personally, as I am not a fan of that note. Still, it's faint enough that I'd almost wear this, and the blendedness of the final drydown is divine. Love the vanilla & sandalwood notes. Fantastic throw & longevity.

Without the black pepper I'd totally buy this, and maybe layer it with a little Antique Lace to up the creamy-sweet factor.