fairnymph

CLXX - 170

 

Sniffed: Peach oil. Something foody, like cake or cookies, light greenery, and the rotting florals of Ides of March.

 

Wet: Definitely buttery - oh yeah, hi tonka. Almost caramel-ly. Still a sort of citrusy green note - maybe lemon rind? I'm guessing the rotten/dank floral is iris.

 

Dry: Serious honey amping and it's seriously delicious. From a few inches or more, it's all I can smell. But then I zoom in and Ides of March lurks below.

 

Later: Cake dripping in honey, with gusts of honey-scented air wafting all around me. Some perfumey but not overly powdery amber.

 

Summary: Vanilla cake drizzled with honey and topped with irises. Quite light, feminine and pleasant on final drydown. Strong throw, but not that strong a scent.

CDLVI - 456

 

Sniffed: Goldenrod coloured oil. Clove! And a little crisp red apple behind it. But nearly clove SN - really.

 

Wet: More appley. Reminds me a lot of autumnal scents. The clove is a little spicy, very sharp, and a slightly medicinal. There's a bit of sweetness on my skin that may be the SO base.

 

Dry: Sweeter and much more pleasant. Though this is a very strong clove, it's not doing what clove typically does on my skin - which means it's bitter clove, the one kind I can wear. The apple is less fresh, more like baked apples.

 

Later: The clove is going quite woody, dark and deep. Also, it's a little smoky so that I'm reminded of clove cigarettes - I do believe there is tobacco in this. The apple is mostly gone, but the vanilla still keeps this a bit sweet.

 

Summary: Some really nice dark, sweet musk comes out, subtle but there, and almost boozy. I do get a bit of mentholic-cola SO, but not much. It's basically bitter clove with smoky tobacco, rich vanilla and musk, and a hint of baked apple. Decent throw, fades fast.

 

Not my style, but I bet a lot of folks would adore this.

 

What are some of the notes that you're seeing that you don't like at all? Like, which are the "instant turn-off" ones that keep you from being interested? I think it might be easier to make suggestions after knowing some of the things aside from aquatics that you aren't a fan of.

 

Okay, highlights on dodgy bits!

 

Gunpowder, charred wood, smoke, and rusty nails.

 

Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk- is the musk black musk?? because that is HORRID on me.

 

Sleek black tea, tobacco leaf, frankincense, lilac, and white musk - worry the tea will be white rabbit tea.

 

Camellia, jasmine, heather, orange blossom, osmanthus, wisteria, thyme, angelica, freesia, granny's nightcap, and English wildflowers.

 

Middle Eastern flowers, amber, honey(sweat worry!), blood red-berries, whip leather, and polished paddle wood.

 

Roll-ups, mildewed raincoat, sweet tea, and condensed milk.

 

Red ginger, black spices, patchouli, honeysuckle, and three blood-soaked red musks.

 

Like this in theory but scared of dust:Ethereal musk, blonde woods, and dusty Bible accord.

 

Like the sound of this also but the aquatics thing...Papyrus, vanilla flower, Egyptian musk, African musk, aloe ferox, white sandalwood.

 

I guess I don't really want to smell of dark patchouli, black musk,mildew,or anything super masculine in a seventies way, and I don't much like fruits (esp pear, apple), honey can turn to sweat, I really hate aquatics, some note in white rabbit I smell in most aquatics also, and I really really don't like DRagons Blood...ick, or rum, or whiskey, and vetiver.

 

This how I feel about vetiver, or more, how much vetiver loves me and won't leave me alone

 

"I AM VETIVER, JOLLY GOOD TO MEET YOU, FANTASTIC DRESS" he shouts in a public school accent as he looms over you enthusiastically pumping your hand up and down and does't let go as he chuckles and guffaws at the thrill of meeting you, puffing his chest out as you cringe and try to make your excuses to leave, but he slaps you on the back with good cheer and offers you a drink as he steers you towards the bar.

 

Man I'm hard to please huh.

 

ETA: Thanks everyone for suggestions. Oh and if Vetiver smelt like a book character, it would be Bunny from The Secret History by Donna Tartt, it just came to me, I knew I was thinking of someone!

 

Jasmine Cottage - this was JASMINE on me. Soapy/strong floral. I was really sad because of all the other awesome notes, but the jasmine totally ruined this for me.

 

Nanny Ashtoreth - I got almost NO honey, like 1%. I love honey and amp it so I was sad. NA on me is like 95% De Sade-type leather, 4% wood, and 1% honey.

 

Aziraphale - very very unisex, and not dusty at all. I HATE dust. Also not aquatic.

 

The others I haven't tried yet! Oh, and @ your perfect Vetiver description! That's like me and Tonka. It follows me around in the Chaos blends in particular.

CDXXXV - 435

 

Sniffed: Goldenrod coloured oil. Incense/smoke/resins. Myrrh, copal, and something more sharp-green and herbal.

 

Wet: Sweeter, with SO's vanilla emerging. Still very copal-y, and slightly mentholic from the green note. I get a sort of sour floral, either rose or jasmine.

 

Dry: This stuff doesn't dry. The base is generic resin/incense at this point - it reminds me of 'standard' cheap stick incense, sort of. I don't like incensey notes in perfume so I'm not great at picking them out. But it's smoky, and a little bitter, and almost powdery (possibly some amber?).

 

Later: The rose is that sour kind from the Empress, and while it has a soapy edge, it doesn't become soap. It stays sour and sharp on my skin. Actually, the incense has a very dark/woody drydown, like burnt firewood - I think there is vetiver in this.

 

Summary: Slightly clean/soapy sour rose, incense/resins, and vetiver over extra vanilla'ed Snake Oil. More musky on final drydown, and smoother/more melded as a blend. Feminine. Moderate throw & great longevity.

Sniffed: Extremely pale yellow oil. Pink, sugary candy. I get some vanilla, and this is creamy and somewhat foody. Merangue, yes. Sugar, yes. I can't pick out fruit though, and this doesn't smell nearly as sweet or artificial as I expected.

 

Wet: A tiny bit tarter and fruitier. The general creamy pink fruit feel reminds me a lot of Pink Kitty. I get a candy note that reminds me of candy corn. Also, it smells vaguely boozy on me - I don't know if it's the PK association or just insanity?

 

Dry: Very light throw, I really have to lean in to sniff this. Somehow it does have a fluffy, cloud-like, pouffy feel. Makes me think of marshmallows a little bit. An edge of cherry peeks out, tart-juicy like in Neo-Tokyo.

 

Later: Something citrusy in here; as in PK (these are really sister scents), I get a bit of sweet lime, and it helps cut the sugar. Finally a bit of strawberry, and it's almost exactly like strawberry Starburst (which I love). Not like typical BPAL strawberry, but not as nice as the strawberry note in PK.

 

Summary: The vanilla note in this is very 'white' and reminds me of the fluffy white vanilla cake of Eat Me - it's got to be the same note. Like Eat Me, this is foody for the non-foody types; it's not cloying and it doesn't amp strangely. Super creamy. It stays very true, possibly because it never dries. Low throw, but great longevity.

 

Definitely a bottle.

 

Note: LISA FRANK UNICORNISM review FTW!

CCCXLII - 342

 

Sniffed: Extremely pale, nearly colourless yellow oil. Fresh, green, herbal. Grassy. Perhaps a little minty, maybe some spicy floral - carnation or phlox. Sweet, sugary tea below.

 

Wet: Almost bitter green - dandelion! Still grassy and a little spicy; a mild carnation. Not actually minty, and not soapy despite its cleanness. Clover, too!

 

Dry: Very brisk. Reminds me intensely of a Gap scent. More tea and sugar emerges over time, and much of the greenery fades (but each note evenly) so that it's only lightly green-fresh over the amped musky sugar-tea.

 

Later: Seems extra musky, like Dorian with the musk ratio increased. Also, more fougere-like; I get some oakmoss in drydown, too.

 

Summary: Dandelion & fresh greenery over super musky Dorian. I absolutely adore it, and hopefully I can acquire the bottle! It's the only CT V I've loved so far.

cheshirecat's O Series #7

 

Sniffed: Warm peach coloured oil. Super honeyed O.

 

Wet: Same, but more powdery/plasticky as O is on me. I haven't tried O in a year or more, so it could even be straight O.

 

Dry: Extremely slow to dry. At this point, it's just O. Sickly sweet, plasticky, chemically, powdery/diapery O.

 

Later: Gahhhhh so sharp and plasticky as amber fully emerges. And so powdery. SINK.

 

 

^^^

Glad you agree. I wonder if maybe the floral you get is that 'gingery' note I got on drydown.

 

LXXI or CXXI

 

Sniffed: Colourless oil. Extra tea-spiked Dorian with smoky resin. Pitch pine, copal, balsam? Something along those lines.

 

Wet: Sweeter, more sugary. Black TEA! More masculine-herbal than straight Dorian, and definitely a pine-based resiny scent, but other than that and the extra tea, this is a pretty simple (but delicious!) blend.

 

Dry: Huh...I think this has chrysanthemum in it, in addition to the piney resin. It's a very smooth, slick scent, and that tea/mum combo always makes me think Daiyu in any blend. There's got to be white tea here as well as black.

 

Later: The sugar is settling down to a more bearable level for me. So far this is the most heavily Dorian CT I've tested. Note: the lightly piney resin is NOT the Pine Doom of say, wintry BPAL blends. Also, this is fading to nothing.

 

Summary: Sigh. The other notes fade, leaving musky, creamy vanilla'ed sugar. Really delicious musk, and really nicely creamy, but a bit simplistic and a tad too sweet for me. Still the best Dorian CT so far.

 

 

Sniffed: Chartreuse-tinged yellow oil. Spicy, green, and fresh. Masculine, a little cologney. Coriander, sage, and the sour-smoky, grassy tea notes jump out. Zing of wasabi. Loads of green cedar, and there's something almost fruity (maybe one of the teas?).

 

Wet: Really spicy in an invigorating, green way. The fruit seems citrusy/zesty...wait, is this bergamot? Or green mandarin? Totally smells that way to me. The teas are SO bright and grassy. The vetiver is giving that clean/masculine feel, and it's super sexy and well-behaved. This is very herbal,but it's not quite medicinal.

 

Dry: I'm getting mint, definitely mint - a sweet, fresh peppermint (this sort of merges with the sage, which is not harsh at all). It goes really well with the tart citrus rind and grassy tea. A little soapier, but pleasantly. The coriander and wasabi have lost their bite, but are still zingy.

 

Later: Soapier, but still in a good way. The sage and spices have calmed down completely; this is mostly tea and green cedar (which is a little dry, but mostly astringent-fresh). Still minty and grassy, and the vetiver holds. I'm not getting any myrrh. A lovely salty aquatic note has emerged.

 

Summary: An almost rotten sour note emerges - the fermented tea (pu-erh). Frankincense comes out more, and a little myrrh. All the fresh greenery is pretty much gone after a few hours, and this is darker and more woody (and almost dusty) in the end. Still aquatic, clean, and masculine. Decent throw, fades drastically.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Honey, skin musk, osmanthus, sandalwood and a little soapy lily. Very smooth and indeed glimmering, clean from the white amber, softly floral, a little sharp, complex, sophisticated, feminine.

 

Wet: Less honey and musk, more sandalwood, osmanthus, and white amber. Cleaner, sharper, brighter. The lily's a little powdery-soapy, but bearably. There is an almost peppery/spicy edge that reminds me of (traditional) Oriental-ish style perfumes.mes.

 

Dry: A little sweeter and more floral as plum blossom emerges, calla lily amps and the osmanthus continues to be very strong. The sandalwood is powerful here too, quite sharp and dry. For some reason, this scent reminds me of Les Bijoux, though this is more floral.

 

Later: Muskier, and I'm realising the floral blend here also reminds me of the florals in La Primavera. It feels very white and very bright, and HEADY, with another strong floral that's not listed - ylang ylang, not a favourite of mine.

 

Summary: The lily has quieted, so this isn't any soapier or powdier, but the ylang ylang amps so much on me that the florals become unbearable overall. It's a shame, because I enjoyed the amped musk and the return of the lovely honey. It's nice, but not quite perfect. Very strong throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Rich golden oil. Spicy, smoky resins and herbs with a hint of citrus. Tons of caraway, myrrh, sage, black amber, clove and cinnamon. The musk/melon/citrus layer reminds me of 51. Very 'incensey'.

 

Wet: Much lighter, fresher, and more cologne-y, with loads of grapefruit, mandarin, lemon balm and musks. A fair bit of slikc leather, too, and still lots of sage. Still spicy, but distantly. I get a bit of soapy-floral dragon's blood. Kind reminds me of Faiza, but a more unisex version.

 

Dry: This is a strangely mesmerising scent (appropriately enough!); it's not me at all - too much spice and smoke - but I can't stop sniffing. The leather is amping, which is not good with this type of leather (plastic/chemical), and this is going more and more musky. The citrus holds really well!

 

Later: Amazingly, the spices do not amp on me as they nearly always do. This oil also dries very slowly, which may account in part for the minimal morphing. Maybe a little more soapy? But it mostly just feels clean.

 

Summary: After a few hours it does dry down to mostly spices, resins, leather and musks, and is pretty intense and masculine. Still, there's sage and citrus to lighten it a bit, and it's a very complex and intriguing scent. Incredible throw & longevity.

 

Sniffed: Sweet, creamy, and - but not as boozy as I expected, nor as sweet. The strawberry smells natural, not fake, and seems to merge with the grenadine. There's a sugary note that's quite light. More vermouth than gin, though both are a little herbal.

Wet: More boozy-herbal, and the gin especially is stronger, junipery. Tarter fruit, and overall this is much less sweet. It's really not that sweet generally. The grenadine is stronger and smells almost limey to me. Still nicely creamy, in a delicious, almost foody, vanillic way.

Dry: The gin is strong especially in close proximity, but from a distance this is all vanilla cream and sweet-tart red fruit. The strawberry isn't going plastic on me, and I definitely get lime. The sugar level is just right; pleasantly sweet but not cloying. This reminds me a lot of Deck's 'Innocent' fragrance, actually.

Summary: After an hour, it's mostly sort of musky, herbal vermouth-tinged, junipery gin - again, this is close up. A few inches away, I get wafts of lovely lime, sweet red berries, and rich vanilla cream. The creaminess holds, too, which is rare with BPAL's cream note on my skin. Good throw, but fades rapidly.

I'm glad I got a bottle, but one will probably suffice. This is the first strawberry blend that has ever worked on me!

Sniffed: Light beige oil - an unusual colour. SAGE, whoa. Very strong and masculine, and almost smoky. Not that medicinal or harsh, at least. Loads of sweet smoky frankincense below. The musk is fantastically sexy, and the red currant is WOEFULLY faint.

 

Wet: Overall much lighter on my skin, with less forceful sage, though it's still the dominant note. MUCH less frankincense - almost none. A tiny bit more currant, but it's still very distant. Musk about on par with the sage, or almost. It's musky sage. Smells quite clean and very masculine.

 

Dry: The way the sage mellows on my skin and is sort of dry/brushy reminds me a lot of Western Diamondback (a scent I quite like). That glimmer of red currant - which truthfully, could have been my imagination - has completely dissipated. Frankincense amping, but smokier and less sweet than usual.

 

Later: I can see how this is part of a set with Marotte - they're related, as far as scents go, and I can also see how they would layer nicely with each other. Like Marotte, this is a more masculine one, but not to the point that a woman couldn't wear it.

 

Summary: As usual with most musks and Moroccan, this one really amps on my skin over time and is sinfully rich, strong, and sexy. It becomes the main player, supported by lighter notes of dried herbal sage and smoky-woody frankincense. Unfortunately, it's very low throw and even to smell it a bit required immense slathering.

 

 

Sniffed: Golden oil. Creamsicle-like: creamy vanilla, mandarin, musk and a little bit of anise make this pretty foody, but pleasantly. Dark, cool, slightly astringent woods below. On the whole, surprisingly light.

Wet: Much more anise, almost to the point of spiciness and this is less sweetly foody, though the vanilla is still rich and creamy. As usual, mandarin is woefully light . The musk is still delicious and the woods are still soft, although I now get some masculine (but not bitter or harsh) vetiver which deepens the blend.

Dry: The musk has amped loads, and I do think it's black musk, which is very intense and appropriately rich/dark on my skin. A bit sweet and super sexy, too. It goes well with the rich vanilla and vetiver. Amazingly, the mandarin hasn't faded that much - I can still smell some!

Later: Violet now, soft, almost a little powdery. Gaiac (oud) has emerged fully and is citrusy-green, while agarwood's more softly piney-smoky, The woods and vetiver on the whole have a amped a fair deal, making this solidly masculine in my book, especially with the spicy edge of anise.

Summary: This goes so much to woody spice; it's just how clove dries down on me. So I'd guess there is clove here, too, in addition to a strong star anise note. Dark, spicy, masculine woods, rich, sweet musk and vanilla in the end, with a smoky edge. Low throw.

cheshirecat's #2 (number rubbed off)

 

Sniffed: Golden oil. Foody! Chocolate, almonds, and maybe raspberries? But's super tangy raspberry, reminds me of watermelon candy. Whisper of resiny incense.

 

Wet: No, not almond - more like grains, honeyed grains that are nutty. Milk chocolae, very creamy. The fruit is lighter, sadly, and not raspberry because it's nice on my skin. Definitely sort of smoky frankincense.

 

Dry: More and more smoke, resin, and incense. Also more tart, juicy fruit.

 

Later: Resin! Smoke! Frankincense! Amping, wow. The nutty milk chocolate/incense combo becomes unpleasantly strong.

 

Summary: Milk chocolate and nutty grains hold along with tart red fruit, that I actually think is red currant, over strong frankincense and myrrh.

 

cheshirecat's Chaos O #8 (number rubbed off)

 

Sniffed: Deep goldenrod oil. GRAPE BUBBLEGUM whoa. Honey plastic below. Strange...

 

Wet: More berryish, less grape-overload...still very fruity and candyish. I swear there's raspberry in here too. I get amber, and the plastic base note of O, but it's not really O-ish.

 

Dry: Going reallllly powdery, fast. Yep, grape and raspberry candied amber powder with a hint of honey. Not horrible, but not really pleasant either.

 

Later: Huh, more honey amping over time. Also, this has crazy strong throw. Eventually, it turns in to honeyed grape Pez with amber.

 

cheshirecat's CT V Dorian #11: LXX or CXX, number unclear

 

Lemon yellow oil. Yuzu, WISTERIA, and sugary Dorian. Also, an odd grapey fruit note? Egads. This is so not going on my skin.

 

cheshire cat's CT V: Snake Oil #4 (numbers rubbed off)

 

Sniffed: Dark honey colour. Green, floral, fresh and bright. Smooth, slick white tea. No apparent snake oil.

 

Wet: Muskier and a tiny bit sweet. I can detect the sort of medicinal/mentholic red musk of SO. Also citrusy - white grapefruit zest. I'm reminded a little of Baohban Sith.

 

Dry: Actually, this reminds me of Shanghai, too. I think there's green tea as well as white - it has that grassiness, and honeysuckle, which always goes a little soapy on me. This stuff doesn't really dry...at all.

 

Later: Grapefruit is fading as usual. This is totally a cross between Baobhan Sith and Shanghia. The green tea has amped, and more and more snake oil emerges over time. It's sweeter, too, with some vanilla.

 

Summary: Honeysuckle, green & white teas over Snake Oil with a whisper of white grapefruit zest.

Sniffed: Deep orangey amber colour. Sweet, fruity, earthy, warm, musky. Lots of bright juicy pear on top, but loads of boozey (Smut-y) musk, oakmoss, patchouli, and wood below. Amber is present, too. Smells slightly soapy-cologney.

 

Wet: Pear! Oddly sharp, metallic - reminds me of the oil/metal notes in Galvanic Googles - must be the pyrite? Very nice, if a bit masculine - I think it's responsible for 'cologney' aspect. More herbal, too - fig leaf? And less deeply earthy/dark.

 

Dry: It's going more soapy/sharp/cologney, but not unpleasantly, just STRONGLY. The pear is holding pretty well, too, and the musk is amping a bit. Only lightly boozy/smutty now; overall less sweet and more like Arabian musk.

 

Later: The musk/oakmoss/patchouli/mahagony (not a super strong presence, but there) combo in this, along with the herbal fig leaf note and juicy sweet-tartness of the pear reminds me ALOT of The Wild Hunt (unreleased). The patchouli notes is definitely DIRTY and head-shoppy, but in a way that's just so appealing.

 

Summary: This would be so sexy on man! The pear and pyrite (or at least, the metallic glittering aspect - it's still cologney) do fade and the earthy notes and musk amp, but otherwise this one doesn't morph much. Good throw.

 

I am not very experienced with ambers, but this one is pretty light on me, more of a rich perfumey warmth than anything, and it doesn't go powdery at all. If you have issues with ambers, don't be afraid.

 

Rhubarb and Black Currant are making sweet, sweet love, so entangled in each other that I can't make out where one begins and the other ends; they are truly one. Their coupling fills the air with the aroma of real, not candied or fake, but juicy, fresh, real strawberries. As their pleasures build, their complementary rhythms stabilise, and they emerge individually briefly. Rhubarb, tarted up gleefully, gently rides the more traditional and staid Black Currant.

 

Just as I identify them, decaying Mushroom ninja grips me so fiercely, envelops me so utterly in his musty folds, that I can't detect anything else afterwards. I especially want to discover some lovely Champaca, and I'd even welcome bitter old Myrrh at this point - but alas, Mushroom Ninja won't share me. If I cautiously creep towards the scent and move back as soon as I spy Rhubarb & Black Currant intertwined, I can evade Mushroom Ninja - but I can't properly ogle the happy fruity couple, so what's the point?

 

Maybe if I leap right into the fray, things will be different. *holds nose, slathers copiously* Oh, god! now Mushroom isn't even bothering to sneak up - he's outright raping Rhubarb & Black Currant, marring their copulatory beauty, thrusting his dusty, rotting spores into any available opening. He has permeated them completely, and the once gloriously gleeful gays are now victims in a sadistic, grotesque threesome.

 

Like a car crash or that goatse meme, it's horrifying but I can't tear myself away. I blink, or glance away now and then, but my gaze returns each time. Champaca and Myrrh, similarly mesmerised, draw nearer. Even tiptoeing in and hunching her shoulders a bit, Champaca can't dim her innate loveliness, and as she approaches she gleams more and more brightly, like a candle as it gains wick.

 

Myrrh is the crafty sort, in that I never know quite what to expect from him. He's unpredictable in timing and appearance. In all incarnations he is old and wizened, with a long beard - a misshapen, scarred sorceror. I suspect he knows the secrets of ancient Egypt, so even though he scares me a bit and I don't enjoy his company - I wish I did. He seems so wise, if gruff in his ways, and I think he could teach me things.

 

Here Myrrh's experience shows - he waits until Mushroom has spent himself and rolled off Rhubarb/Black Currantm, though the sadist's stench still fills the air, but passively, or maybe I've acclimated. Alas, Mushroom has beaten down his victims beyond repair. Trauma and misery have united them more than ever; they cling to each other and raise their heads limply now and then, but collapse weakly each time from the exertion.

 

So Myrrh rolls in, and though he has taken his sweet time, he's not pulling any punches now. As he strides up, his heavy cloak unfurls thick fumes of black smoke which prickle my eyes and cloud my vision - both a pro and a con, in this case. Champaca has stronger glamour than I, and the noxious vapours seem to swirl around her without quite touching her. Somehow, she's able to stand apart - she's thrown off her gown and her pale curves glow like unicorn horn. I try to touch her - it's almost compulsive - but Myrrh's bitter smoke bites at me and the sticky residue of the earlier rape coats my skin.

 

This is so not my type of scene.

The number had rubbed off on this, but I shall refer to it as cheshirecat #6:

 

Sniffed: Colourless or nearly colourless oil. Nutty, spicy cake. Walnut, I think. And vanilla-foody spice cake. The walnut/spice thing makes me think carrot cake.

 

Wet: Less foody, more spicy, and I get a bit of the tea note from Dorian. Much more Dorian-ish, though less sweet than Dorian is on me. I believe the spice is cassia, as this isn't too spicy.

 

Dry: Sweeter, more sugary, and more musky. The cassia is extremely light. The walnut/sugar combo reminds me of the honeyed walnuts I got from Intergalactic.

 

Later: I think there is ginger in this, too. Since it can't actually be walnut, I'd say the note is a grain of some sort, which gives a vague Dana O'Shee feel.

 

Summary: Gingered walnutty grains, sugared vanilla tea, and cassia. It still strikes me as a bit foody on drydown, but it's pretty nice. Good throw and longevity, fairly unisex.

 

 

CCXVI

 

Sniffed: Light peach oil. Tart, powdery, sort of tropical fruit. Sweet tarts! Pineapple and maybe some banana?

 

Wet: More tangy, really zingy. Definitely pineapple, though there are creamy notes too and I really do think I get banana. More powdery, though, with strong amber.

 

Dry: No change, and VERY slow to dry. The tangy fruit is sort of mesmerising, but the powder...ugh.

 

Later: Powder amps and turns to powder detergent-amber with a hint of tangy pineapple. O's amber REALLY hates my skin.

 

Thanks to cheshirecat for the sniffie!

Sniffed: Pale orange oil. Tangy, sweet medley of fruit and flowers. Quince, pomegranate, pears (white and golden), plumeria, gardenia, and a little fig are all distinct. Very light and feminine.

 

Wet: Much less tart and complex. I can only smell the plumeria and gardenia now. Where's all the fruit? There's some fir and other wood, maybe the ebony. If I sniff very hard and ignore the flowers, I get a tiny bit of pomegranate.

 

Dry: Plumeria is the strongest note here by far, which keeps the gardenia nicely in check.. Dry, more fruit has returned - I get the quince and pears now, and the fig, which is a deep note on my skin. The fir and ebony have amped.

 

Later: Fig amping, and this is turning vaguely spicy, in an herbal/floral sort of way - maybe it's the grapevine? The ebony is super strong. Also, I think one of the gardenias (at this point I can tell there are multiple) is giving me a headache. :\

 

Summary: Fruits gone; this is GARDENIA with fir, ebony, and palm. The deeper woody notes really build over time, and I still get that odd spicy-dry herbal note. To retest. Good throw.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Very sweet and foody with bitter herbal hops behind. Caramel, buttercream, and toffee primarily. I don't get any chocolate. Extremely sickeningly rich.

 

Wet: Spicier, nuttier. Hazelnut for sure, cinnamon and ginger buttery sweets - reminds me of the 'base' of Gingerbread Poppet. The hops is MUCH nicer on my skin, fresh and tangy not bitter, and it helps cut the richness.

 

Dry: Much less sweet. Spicy-hot, nutty butter with burnt sugar caramel and herbal hops. Strange and unpleasant. Very strong throw, and impossible to wash off.

Sniffed: Yellow oil. Sweet, rich, spicy and boozy. Red wine, honey, balsam, cassia, and cognac jump out at me. It also has a deep resiny/dark feel below these notes. Slightly sour and slightly citrusy, and I almost get a hint of creamy coconut (?).

 

Wet: Less sweet, more citrusy, with lemongrass and elemi emerging. Still loads of booze (especially cognac, which is now stronger than the wine) and cassia, which to me smells very cinnamony in this blend. Barely-present myrrh, though I do get some very light frankincense (olibanum).

 

Dry: I think some of the olibanum is merging with the balsam, so I smell them as one - the combo with the honey and booze reminds me a fair bit of the base of Kali, but this is much more masculine. I do get a bit of palmarosa now, very lightly - sort of a faint, dry floral.

 

Later: Not a lot of morphing with this one, though the sweet/sour notes seem to have settled into a lovely balance. The honey here is a really lovely, rich, heavy honey, and it's strong on my skin. The cassia never becomes too spicy-hot, it's just an exotic edge.

 

Summary: Final drydown: faintly cassia-spiked honey with cognac, balsam, and olibanum. Quite pleasant, and unisex. A tad too spicy for me, but a lovely, very well-balanced blend. Low throw, fades really fast.