fairnymph

Sniffed: Golden oil. Pine, juniper, sandalwood and AIR. Surprisingly light and bright, as well as masculine, dry, woodsy, and bracing.

Wet: Sweeter and warmer on my skin - amber, more depth from the sandalwood, a little cedar and sweet tonka, and even some musk. I usually find the lab's pine note rather fake and unpleasant, but it works in this blend.

Dry: Dries very quickly, with more amber emerging (slightly powdering but mostly warm and a little perfumey), and a touch of orris, but not POWDERY DOOM. The cedar is very well-behaved, and the musk continues to amp sweetly & richly. Still loving the pine/juniper/sandalwood combo.

Later: Cedar has emerged much more strongly but is still really nice (for once!), and the tonka is sweetening up to a cloying extent. Everything else holding, maybe a BIT more musk, as usual on my skin with time.

Summary: Warm, sweet woods & musk. All the notes hold and balance each other well, and while it's too masculine and tonka-prominent for me, it's a nice blend. The amber doesn't go to powder. Fantastic throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Light gold oil. Creamy, delicate vanilla and sandalwood, with the faint suggestion of amber's powdered warmth.

Wet: More strongly ambery - both more perfumey and more powdery, with the vanilla a little amped (reminds me of melted vanilla ice cream), and slightly dry sandalwood. Very pure, soft, girly, pleasant.

Dry: Oh hai sweet pea, you powdery beast. I see you there, amping into powdery hell! The ambers, too, are headed increasingly towards perfumey powder. A shame, because the vanilla/sandalwood combo is lovely - and I love this particular vanilla because it's NOT overkill.

Summary: Yup, the sweet peas and at least one of the ambers killed this. It's still not BAD, but it's enough that I don't find this something I'd wear. Otherwise, it's a subtle, natural skin-scent. Moderate throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Slightly paler than the released's light gold colour. Something tart-sweet, almost fruity - maybe a soft orange citrus? Slightly creamy, but less strongly vanilla than released. No amber.

Wet: Tea! A definite tea note, I'm pretty sure white tea, which is a little 'slick' smelling. Here's it's a little piney and grassy, too, almost like there's a drop of green tea as well - or something like osmanthus, or chrysanthemum - something fresh and Asiatic. Still a little sweet and creamy, but not sure I would call it vanilla - basically this smells nothing like the released version, which I'm testing on my other note - I can't pick out any shared notes.

Dry: Okay, I think the fruit note is lemon - but a very sugared lemon, and NOT verbena - but juicy and fruity and edible.There is a vaguely foody/cookie/crust sort of smell - the roommate says 'buttery cake' which I find to be a stretch, but there is something of that nature.

Later: Something in this goes a little dry/powdery, so I do suspect an amber - but it's not horribly strong. I get a little musk on the drydown, and overall this sort of reminds me of Dorian, but with a more grassy/bright tea note.

Summary: The lemon/fruit (which is almost berryish on me), sugared white/green tea, and light cake note hold well & true on my skin, with an undertone of slightly powdery amber. I prefer it slightly to the released version, but it's still not my thing. Decent throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Extremely thick, dark brown oil. It's a little separated, and the appearance/viscosity reminds me of Dark Chocolate. I get rich dark chocolate, deep caramel, and a woody/earthy sort of note that suggests oakmoss. Foody but not cloying.

Wet: Same, maybe a little more chocolatey and foody. I get a ginger note - this sort of reminds me of dark chocolate covered ginger - deep and rich but sort of fresh and bright as well. I don't get patchouli. I love the cocoa-chocolate note. Still nicely oakmossy, and maybe a little musky?

Dry: More and more earthy, less sweet and foody over time. Still sort of vanillic/balsamic and the cocoa holds, though. I get maybe a little patchouli...but honestly this is more herbal, almost soapy or cologney? I can see it being even more awesome on a man.

Later: I get a ton of balsam, which I think was the herbal note I got a hint of earlier. There's a piney-woodsy feel that's very deep and rather masculine - this DOES have a wintry feel to me as a result. Still earthy and faintly chocolately-sweet, though, and still a faiint Sugar Skull brown sugar note.

Summary: The roommate smells celery - and I sort of agree, now that he's said it. So that, and balsam, brown sugar, cocoa and oakmoss - an odd mix of sweet and earthy/woodsy notes, that's not quite foody, and would definitely work best on a man. Decent throw, good longevity.

DXV - 515

Sniffed: Dorian and lilac? Or some other soft, Spring-like floral. It actually reminds me quite a bit of the CT Dorian I received from the lab and swapped away! Definitely primarily floral.

Wet: Greener, fresher notes emerge, and this becomes a bit spicy - carnation or phlox or a spicy floral of that natural, though I'm leaning towards carnation. Still that hint of lilac, and an unfortunate soapy edge. More of the sugar note from Dorian, and a little tea.

Dry: Insanely strong throw! More greenery has emerged - slightly bitter new leaves, not quite grassy - ivy, perhaps, and a tiny bit of dandelion. The slightly soap lilac remains by far the strongest note, alas. I suspect other 'old lady' floral notes, too. :\

Later: One of the florals is some form of iris - the sort that smells rotten and powdery to me. It reminds me a lot of the rotting flower note I got from Ides of March, which I also attributed to iris. Combined with the spicy carnation - it's definitely carnation, of the sort that is sharply clove-like - too-sweet sugar and soapy lilac - I'm nauseated. Sink.

Summary: After *attempting* to wash this off, I get a bit of citrus residue - that same lemon rind note from Ides of March. This is Ides of March with a tiny bit of Dorian and a hefty dose of lilac. TRULY INSANE throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Slightly greenish brown dark yellow oil. Tobacco, fir, velvety red rose, rich musk with spicy clove, and a golden sweetness underlying it all. Almost masculine, and surprisingly dark.

Wet: Tobacco/fir/clove domination! This is woodsy spicy and quite manly, but also sort of luxurious and decadent. The musk is so deeply sexy, especially in combination with the tobacco. The amber is perfumey, reminds me of the note in L'Estate. Not TOO sweet from the tonka, though it's a tad sickly.

Dry: Clove amping like crazy, as usual on me - it's woody and sweet as well as spicy. Still lots of woodsy tobacco and fir - these all overpower the musk and the rose, which is in distant third place. The sexy warmth of those latter notes is pretty awesome, though I have to sniff through the other stuff.

Summary: The clove-tonka combo is making me ill, and fir which is just a bit too close to pine makes the mix even more nauseating. The other notes cannot redeem this on my skin, alas. Sink. Strong throw & impossible to remove, alas.

Sniffed: Pale yellow oil. Slightly bitter, zesty citrus (maybe white grapefruit), wet greenery (like crushed new leaves, almost grassy), and clean white florals. Definitely both airy and aquatic, with a linen note and slightly soapy edge.

Wet: Similar, possibly a little more citrus (which is definitely grapefruit)? This actually reminds me a lot of June Gloom 2009.I get a little hint of sweetness from one of the florals, which along with the linen feel makes me suspect plumeria. This is actually clearer & brighter, less hazy and soapy, on my skin.

Dry: This must be the first time EVER citrus has amped on me, but the grapefruit is very strong. I do find it's turning a little on my skin, developing a sort of evil rotten note - possibly because it's intersecting with some badly behaved floral, I'm strongly suspecting jasmine. Soapier, too, and a little sour, the way that jasmine often is on me.

Later: Some 'traditional' dept-store style heady white florals are defnitely at play, I'm pretty sure gardenia amongst them. In a way the amping of the florals is good, as it overpowers the slightly evil grapefruit note. There's still a hint of some grassy greenery, but it's not really strong enough to hold up to the florals & grapefruit.

Summary: Bright white florals and white grapefruit. Gardenia takes the reigns, but I do think there's some milder jasmine and plumeria hiding underneath, along with something grassy and possibly some white musk. It feels classically perfumey, expensive, feminine. Great throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Golden oil. I get skin musk, with some honey, almond extract, and ylang ylang. Much sweeter than I expected.

Wet: The same, with perhaps slightly stronger ylang ylang. Still no myrrh present. It definitely fits the post-coital feel - rich and languid and a little sticky.

Dry: Slightly soapy and heady ylang ylang, but not unbearably. The honey and skin musk are in command, and most of that almond has faded. It's much nicer than I expected, and still no myrrh.

Later: Rich, sexy skin musk like whoa, with lots of honey and ylang ylang. Fairly simplistic, but nice.

Summary: Definitely a scent to wear on a date when you anticipate sexin'. I adore the honey and skin musk, but ylang ylang is just too prominent here for my tastes. Low throw & great longevity.

Sniffed: Golden oil. Fresh from the tang of the ambergris and orange blossom, over earthy, dark patchouli with a spike of spicy carnation. A little masculine/cologney.

Wet: Much more depth; the carnation is more apparent, and rather creamy as well as spicy. The orange blossom is more fruity, almost juicy, and less sharp/floral/verging on soap, while the ambergris is way more waxy-musky and sexy. The patchouli's still present, but not too strong.

Dry: Sweeter and sweeter as the orange blossom blooms into fresh, slightly tart orange on my skin - it's the same note from ravenous, but the patchouli here is much gentler. I adore the carnation here, which is JUST spicy enough and very much a major player, melding with the orange over the musky-earthy base.

Summary: The orange wears off and the ambergris amps greatly, with the patchouli amping to a slightly lesser degree. Final dry down is musky, masculine ambergris with lighter spicy carnation over deeply earthy patchouli. Too dark and masculine for me. Good throw & longevity.

Invigorating, cool, mentholic peppermint over fruity-berryish bubblegum. It's sort of bright and girly, and rather pleasant, especially for a ritual oil.

It becomes a little soapy over time though in a pleasant, soothing clean way. Overall, it's a nice herbal-fruit blend that fades away completely after a couple hours.

Ritualistically, I followed a friend's advice and applied it to my chakra points while visualising something I wished to happen (fittingly, winning an ebay bid for a bottle of BPAL, an imp of which I held to my temple as I visualised); I did find it uplifting and effective in bringing me luck.

I'll hang on to this one and experiment more.

Sniffed: Goldenrod coloured oil. Slightly sweet, rainy aquatic with sort of dirty, somewhat bitter and harsh, manly vetiver. It matches the description exactly!

Wet: More heavily aquatic and less harsh/dirty in terms of the vetiver; smoother and more well-blended overall. It has a definite cologney, masculine feel. It's a little scary and dark, but not unappealing. Very tangy.

Dry: It feels a little generic to me, like Axe or some masculine hygeine product. It becomes oddly sweet, and also sort of plasticky/chemically as it dries - the vetiver goes bitter, and loses its earthiness, though it's still dark and murky.

Summary: Dark, bitter, chemically, slightly sweet freshwater aquatic. Very masculine, and almost bitingly sharp. Strong throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Medium-darkish amber-brown-beigey oil. Fruity! Lots of grapey wine with only a hint of booziness, fresh red rose (a la Rose Red scent), and the slightly soapy cherry-lilac of dragon's blood.

Wet: A little...plasticky? Still very grape, in a candyish sort of way, with the 'air freshener' note of dragon's blood mingling weirdly. The rose is actually the weakest note, here, despite it being the very same chemically rose note I get from most years of Rose Red).

Dry: The wine note is the same as in Lady Macbeth- more fruity grape than booze, very juicy.The rose has amped a tiny bit, but not much, and it's merged with the dragon's blood so I can't really pick it out much. Grape in command, for sure.

Summary: Not really a morpher, though the dragon's blood becomes soapier and fades over time, as does the rose. Dries down to juicy grape candy with a hint of soapy air freshener and very faint red rose. Decent throw, fades rapidly.

Sniffed: Bright, slightly orange-gold yellow oil. Sweet, floral, and a little sharp. Ylang ylang, magnolia and maybe some hyacinth? It's almost slightly fruity, in a floral way. Heady, feminine, and a little traditionally 'perfumey'.

Wet: Sharper, almost green/medicinal, with the florals taking on a definite creamy edge. This reminds me a lot of The Unheavenly City, too. Very rich and bright, quite smooth and very well-blended. I get a bit of stemmy/wet leaves sort of greenness.

Dry: Wow...this is going very sharp and sort of bitter, which makes me strongly suspect narcissus - it's a green-white, harsh floral note that turns quickly on my skin, as this did. I get a bit of a soapy edge, now, and less creaminess.

Later: This has gone so green I think there has got to be something actually green in here making this so bitter, I'd guess maybe tansy & grass? Also, perhaps some mimosa (sour-sharp) and neroli (soapy-sharp) count among the many strong florals. I don't get myrhh, but possibly opium, or even poppy.

Summary: There could be some white peach in this, giving the fruitness which is almost cloyingly sweet, as that note is on my skin. It's becoming a tiny bit more soapy over time, but mostly this is heady florals and sharp greenery. It has INSANE throw.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. A stronger, more floral and 'bright' version of Antique Lace. Same vanilla note exactly, same linen note. This has many a hint of soap from the LotV and ginger, and I do get a tiny bit of dry sandalwood.

Wet: This sandalwood note is the same one in Jingo-Kogo, and combined with the creamy vanilla and slight fruitiness, I'm strongly reminded of that scent. I get a bit of butteriness from the tonka, but bearably - same with powder from the amber. I find this pretty 'perfumey' in a traditional way, though the LotV continues to behave.

Dry: Very slow to dry (slow as in never). Oak coming out more and more and sandalwood amping, while vanilla continues to dominate. Still very faint apricot and ginger, alas. This definitely feels dryer and more woody, but in a pleasant way.

Summary: The oak is amping and in combo with the tonka and vanilla, this sadly reminds me a bit of The Antikythera Mechanism, not a scent I enjoy. I almost get a teak feel. This feels just overwhelmingly rich and cloying. I had to wash it off.

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.

Sniffed: EUCALYPTUS, peppermint, spearmint, maybe some cucumber and/or melon? Very green and mentholic/medicinal from the eucalyptus, but slightly sweet from the mints.

Wet: VICKS! Whoa, very mentholic & sinus-clearing. More minty, too. Not getting much ozone, alas, or else I'm insensitive to it, or the eucalyptus has beaten it into submission.

Dry: The eucalyptus is definitely fading, while the mints hold. Maybe a fresh (white?) ginger note - that's what my roommate thinks, and he may be right.

Later: Eucalyptus is gone, and a slightly soapy edge has emerged. I'm vaguely reminded of some minty cleaning product. Also, I'm getting some of sort of white pepper or maybe wasabi note that's going a little dusty.

Summary: Starts out very strongly mentholic but quickly dries down to relatively faint, clean, herbal dusting of mints. It's somehow very familiar to me, like how Envy dries down, or maybe Cheshire Cat?

Sniffed: Soft rose (not strong or fruity or old, but pink and girly), sweet, rich honey, and slightly spicy, creamy carnation. I do get a hint of almost-powder, and this is both sweet and delicate but with that edge of something intriguing, from the spice.

Wet: Carnation and honey, whoa! These majorly dominate the rose. It's a very intense, dripping honey, golden and syrupy, almost sticky, without being too sweet at all. The carnation is an even stronger note, spicier on my skin but not to the point where I'd confuse it for clover. Still very creamy, with a slight powderiness.

Dry: The rose immediately starts amping up on my skin as this dries, such that this is mostly rose-carnation, and the honey's more a background note. I find the rose a tiny bit soapy-powdery, sort of 'antique' in feel, for lack of a better term - almost a dried-floral note. More and more creamy, from the carnation in particular (which is the same carnation as in Morocco), but the rose has lent a creamy quality to this, too. Combined with the honey, it's almost foody. There may be something else at work, too - a soft cream or well-behaved amber note, or sandalwood?

Later: This is very warm and golden in feel. Despite the edge of powder, this never really goes TO powder, and I can handle an edge. The spicy, creamy, and sweet notes keep it in check. This is not my favourite type of rose, but I like it, and it feels appropriate - pastel pink and Victorian. It settles down to be on par with the carnation, strength-wise. I wish the honey didn't fade, but at least it doesn't entirely disappear.

Summary: Creamy, spicy pink carnations and slightly powdery-soft roses, with sweet golden honey and light cream, maybe some sandalwood or gentle amber too. It's almost exotic and for me, it evokes a Morocco kind of creamy-warm-spice, in addition to LIGHT PINK, very strongly. Low throw but good longevity.

It's not my general sort of scent, but I VASTLY prefer it to the released GC, and it's the nicest carnation-forward scent I've tried. I do find myself wanting to sniff it repeatedly, and I love the name, so I think I will quite enjoy this.

Sniffed: Slightly soapy, metallic (chrome, a la Torture Queen) aquatic. A little cologney-masculine - overall it reminds me a fair bit of TQ. I'd guess there is some white amber & bright musk in this, for sure.

Wet: A little sharper, more piercingly metallic. I get the 'iron' note (which to me, smells a little like nutmeg) that I get in Iron Phoenix & Splatter Comedy, though it's not as strong as the chrome note. There's a bit of sweetness that I can't place, possibly from the musk?

Dry: It sort of reminds me a little of Hunger Moon, so I agree with the clary sage assessment. It has a slightly herbal feel. There is also a creaminess, as others noted, that suggests some sort of white floral - probably it is the same gardenia as in TQ, as this is quite similar to that blend overall, certainly more so than to anything else.

Later: I get a lot of motor oil/grease, and the more floral drydown reminds me now of Mechanical Phoenix, though this is far more forceful. The metal is also just OFF THE HOOK - this is by far the most metallic blend I've tested. The chrome and iron notes are now so strong on me they evoke shiny, razor-sharp blades.

Summary: Chrome, iron and motor oil/grease galore, over a pleasantly fresh & cologney blend of white gardenia, white amber, sweet musk and herbal clary sage. Invigorating, gleaming, and cutting, I find this a little masculine, but still wearable with my feminine skin chemistry. Fantastic throw & longevity.

Wear this when you want to make people bleed without getting dirty. Looking & smelling polished - you'll have no hair out of place or errant drops of blood to fear with Construct in the house. Needless to say, I fucking love this.

Sniffed: It smells ALOT like Snake Oil (or rather a Snake Pit blend). Red musk & a boozy vanilla note over earthy patchouli, and something else incense-y (maybe copal?). There is a hint of smoky-bitterness that could be myrrh, but that's something that typically comes out mostly on my skin. Red musk and patchouli are definitely the major players.

Wet: Deep orangey-red oil. A little 'brighter' somehow on my skin, fresher, with the cola-tang of SO-ish red musk. Perhaps a little less syrupy-sweet? Often red musk has an unpleasantly harsh edge on me, but as in SO, the red musk here is tempered a bit. The patchouli is still very earthy but not 'dirty', and it's less forceful on me. Still a light incense note that's almost spicy - there's a sort of dry edge, so maybe some sandalwood?

Dry: I'm very surprised by how subtle (in a good way) and clean this is - it's much more wearable and more like a 'skin' scent than I anticipated. Unusual for a red musk blend, it dries quickly, almost instantly, and doesn't morph much beyond that. I was asked if this is floral - and I don't think it is. I don't get any floral notes, at least, and certainly not ylang ylang.

Later: I almost feel like I get a tobacco note? That would account for some of the almost-smokiness, as well as the slightly astringent, clean, almost 'cologney' feel I get on my skin (the sandalwood contributes to this feel as well, no doubt). This is definitely more unisex than earlier, and oddly the patchouli has faded even more significantly.

Summary: Slightly cola-ish sweet, rich red musk with boozy bourbon vanilla, well-behaved, earthy patchouli, dark tobacco, dry sandalwood and light incense. Unisex-to-masculine, Snake Pit vibe. Very well balanced and blended, and it evolves beautifully on my skin. Still not my sort of scent, alas.

Sniffed: Slightly sweet, smooth, and deeply sexy. It's complex but so well blended that I can't really pick out notes, and it's much more laid-back than I anticipated. There's definitely ripe fruit, some dark resins, musk, vanilla, and tobacco.

Wet: Much darker, more incensey, and SPICY on my skin - there's also a pronounced herbal edge (violet leaf/tobaco?) and a bit of sour-sharp jasmine and mimosa make this noticeably more floral. I get LOADS of black amber and opopponax, and the musk has that cola tang of red musk, though it's smoother than usual. Lots of orange blossom and mandarin make this very orange in feel.

Dry: This is such a morpher - I'm liking it again - the orange fruit is really bright and much stronger than I find typical BPAL citrus - juicy! I find the mimosa blends with the fruit really well, and the jasmine has backed down. It still lends a slightly soapy edge, but only if I strain to detect it. The benzoin has emerged and the vanilla amped, and I get a very pleasant smoky edge - that does indeed remind me a bit of Black Lace (though this still strikes me as more Faiza-like).

Later: An incense/resin and mimosa-tinged creamiscle with earthy tobacco & patchouli. The mandarin, orange blossom, vanilla, benzoin, tobacco and mimosa all shine here, with deep musk, plum and black amber supporting more nebulously. Very, very seamless, complex, and sophisticated. Decent throw and excellent longevity.

Summary: This is not my style - too dark for my tastes - but I'm glad I tried it. The jasmine and red musk are NOT to be feared - they barely appear at all, and I have a tendency to amp both notes. If you love orange citrus or tobacco, this is a must-try.

Sniffed: Pale yellow oil. Banana cream pie. A little bit like banana candy, or banana bread made with lots of butter and really ripe bananas. I fear tonka is responsible for the buttery note.

Wet: Butterscotch-banana pudding, and Juicy Fruit gum. A definite spice note - I think clove, because it has that sharp-sweet-spicy pitch. This remains extremely creamy (in addition to the buttery thing) and rich, and very, very foody.

Dry: Less creamy, but still very sweet and foody. Clove amping, and a bit of metal (finally!) is emerging - this reminds me very much of the metal note in Iron Phoenix - it's a rusty, almost earthy metallic note, not shiny-bright like the chrome note in Torture Queen et al.

Later: Yeah, iron smells sort of like musky nutmeg to me (similar to how pumpkin smells like butter...wtf?). So I get that, but with a bit more sharpness, and the butterscotch banana cream pie with clove. It's much, much nicer than I imagined, especially as a non-foody generally.

Summary: The spicy-buttery-creamy combo reminds me a fair bit of Beaver Moon 2005, with a ripe banana candy element and the rusty (and thus truly a bit 'bloody'), musky iron note. A really intriguing blend, to the point that I keep sniffing my arm out of curiosity. Great throw and longevity.

Sniffed: Amber coloured oil. Very 'traditional older lady perfume'. Classic florals and amber, with an oriental twist. A little cologne-y. Honestly? I don't get musk. It actually reminds me a little of Thalassa - the same jasmine and bitter almond combo.

Wet: Same...maybe more incensey. Definitely that bitter almond note, that's a little benzaldehyde-y, but only barely, and does add a lovely creaminess. Amber, amber galore. I also get a hint of something medicinal, so there could be a little red musk in this. The jasmine is light, but there, and provides a touch of soap.

Dry: The fundamental sweetness of this blend does suggest some black musk, as others have noted, and while it's not jumping out, I suspect it's there. I really don't get citrus - but I think the sharpness of the amber and jasmine could produce that sort of brightness, maybe.

Summary: AMBER, whoa. Going super powdery. I do get the black musk more distinctly, but the powdery amber is definitely in charge, with the bitter, creamy almond just below. Faint wisp of soapy jasmine. Moderate throw and good longevity.

I don't really feel this is musky...and feel somewhat sadly misled as a result. :\

Sniffed: Clean, fresh, fruity and almost aquatic. Definitely some citrusy blood orange, a little mint, very soft eucalyptus, clean sandalwood and lily and the grassy tang of green tea - with maybe a little bit of 'mum.

Wet: Sharper, greener. More mint, eucalyptus, and green tea, and the sandalwood has a bit of an edge now. Still, the blood orange which has both citrus and berry tones, keeps this juicy and a little sweet. Less grassiness from the green tea, and still no licorice. A definite soapy edge.

Dry: Most of the blood orange has worn off (SIGH!!) and this is semi-masculine, slightly harsh elements - mint, a well-behaved eucalyptus, sandalwood, and a bit of now-astringent green tea. I also get a hint of the licorice, which reminds me oddly of artificial sweetener. Also, soapier.

Summary: Herbal, sandalwoody, beachy-salty soap. The licorice has definitely come out on me, and the mint has gone oddly medicinal and sharp. The lily has turned to pure soap, a la dryer sheets. No 'mum or blood orange remains, and the green tea's powdery and slightly bitter. *cries*

Sniffed: Orange/amber oil. Sweet and earthy. Lots of ripe, juicy fruit, a little creamy white coconut, with those earthy/woody notes below makign things more interesting. Almost a little foody, and spicy from the vetiver - reminds me a bit of Antonino.

Wet: Softer, subtler, and more blended, with less overwhelming coconut. Less foody, and more just sort of...luscious. Lots more white musk. There's a sort of autumnal feel - maybe from the dark fruit + woods combo? I get an almost smoky hint from the vetiver and opoponax.

Dry: Not a lot of morphing, although sadly the coconut holds, and I really dislike coconut in perfume. The musk does amp more, as usual, and I can pick out the vanilla, also a little amped. The other notes can be identified, too, but this is a very well-blended scent.

Summary: The blackberry and woods are fading a bit, and overall this fades - it's not nearly as strong as one would expect from in-the-imp. Plum. vanilla, coconut, vetiver and musk dominate, so this really reminds me loads of Antonino.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. TONKA galore with a tiny bit of foody-sweet coffee and a strongly woody undertone. I'm not getting any pipe smoke. Much sweeter and less complex than expected.

Wet: Spicier, somehow 'fresher', and less grossly buttery in that way tonka often is. I don't really get any coffee, specifically, but this does remind me a bit of Irish cream liqueur. A smoky edge, now, though I wouldn't have pegged pipe smoke.

Dry: Dries almost instantly. it's still very sweet and very woody, in a slightly dry, almost dusty way. Actually the wood may be amping, and this makes it feel somewhat unisex to me, despite the cloying sweetness.

Later: The Irish cream has definitely overtaken the tonka in terms of 'dominating sweet note'. I get some coffee now, very reminiscent of the note in Eggnog Latte. The wood seems well balanced by these notes at this point.

Summary: Dusty/dry, rich wood (maybe mahogany?) with Irish cream liqueur - as in ENL, the sweet coffee goes stale on my skin, and the tonka never fully loses its butteriness. Not a fan, as predicted. Good throw & longevity.