fairnymph

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Not nearly as sweet as I had expected. A soft sort of butter-vanilla caramel, not too buttery, a general booziness, slightly dry, strong sandalwood and a bit of slightly sharp saffron. Foody, but not cloying.

Wet: Really intense vanilla. A lot less buttery-foody on my skin, though there is still a boozy-caramel note. The saffron is still a bit sharp, almost chemical - but buffered by the creamy vanilla, and now smoother sandalwood. I agree that the vanilla is very similar to the one in Antique Lace.

Dry: The sandalwood is really amping on me, and I realise I was wrong about Jingo-Kogo. It does have sandalwood, most definitely, and this does remind me of J-K, though it's sweeter and much richer, and the sandalwood dryer. The saffron has taken on a slightly spicy edge.

Later: Saffron fading a bit, and it has lost its sharpness - it's very pleasant now. This is all sandalwood and rich vanilla on me, very creamy and intense. As with Antique Lace, it's a vanilla I like from a distance, but up close it's a bit cloying. However, AL becomes gorgeous after a few hours.

Summary: Dry, almost dusty sandalwood with intense, creamy, almost cloying French vanilla and some very nice musk, on final drydown. Still a little hint of exotic saffron. I do like the drydown, but I'm not in love and it's not worth the too-long VANILLA stages. VERY strong throw & longevity.

THANK GOD I don't love this.

Sniffed: Skin musk (which to me is always slightly astringent, like witch hazel) and gentle, citrusy florals. Very delicate and clean; mildly soapy, but not in a bad way.

Wet: More citrusy - definitely lemon, and maybe some white grapefruit zest - this is more like lemonade, not like Pledge Doom. The skin musk is a bit softer/rounder. Still a little soapy, like soap bubbles (this is what I imagined Gossamer would be like).

Dry: Very, very slow to dry. It's getting a bit more sweet and sugarcane-ish - which to my nose sort of smell like bamboo (watery/fresh, slightly woody) combined with diluted sugar water. Still a very delicate scent. I agree that this is similar in feel to Dirty.

Later: The floral smells vaguely tropical to me - actually, part of the citrusy feel might be hibiscus - yes, I really think it is! This is not morphing. Very true to the bottle scent. Also - I think there is peony in this. *compares to SN* Yes! There is.

Summary: Watery lemonade with loads of delicious sexy sweet musk, sugar cane, hibiscus, peony, and faint soap. Very likely white tea, too - it has the smoothness. It is very much a skin scent, very subtle, feminine and youthful. I love it. Good throw and longevity, too.

If you like this, you might like: Dirty, Ebisu, The Dormouse, Itaso

*mysterious double post, wtf?* I clicked edit...

Sniffed: Light amber oil. Dragon's blood, myrrh, and sandalwood. Lots and lots of the latter two. Where are the other flowers (other than the gross DB ones)?

Wet: A little blackcurrant, the gritty sort, but still MYRRH, soapy dragon's blod, and dry, almost dusty sandalwood. Maybe a tiny bit of soapy rose. This is oddly nutty/grainy...really strange.

Dry: The DB has gone quite soapy/piercing, and is melding with the rose that has amped a bit. I think there is a bit of soapy/heady jasmine, too. The myrrh has calmed down and the sandalwood smoothed out.

Later: Wow, morphing. The rose and sandalwood are saving this with their delightful clean purity, but I can still smell the myrrh and db, despite the fact that they've faded. The blackcurrant has turned into a pleasant wild-berry note, and some delicious musk has emerged.

Summary: Dry down is all dark, heavy delicious musk and sandalwood, tinged by myrrh, blackcurrant, rose and other florals. I'd love it without the damn myrrh, which is a nagging note I can't ignore. The sandalwood is a bit dry/woody/dusty, but bearable.

Sniffed: Yellow oil. WINTERGREEN with faint floral & earthy (oakmoss) hints below. But wow, people were not exaggerating about the wintergreen note!

Wet: Same, maybe a bit more mossy and I get some dry wood notes as well. Some rhododendron coming through and raspberry leaf and grass, as well as a general herbalness, but still sharp, medicinal wintergreen mints.

Dry: It's sweeter, almost fruity, berryish - currant and honeysuckle coming out a bit. The stuff underneath the wintergreen smells really nice, actually. And I *love* the Carpathians so I'm so sad the WG ruins this blend.

Summary: Final drydown is a pleasant gently floral, minty, mossy-earthy, woody berry-herbal blend. Really complex and nicely sweet. Still, it's a bit powdery and I'm not sure it's worth the WG overload stages.

Sniffed: Bright yellow oil. Dry, woody, and a little sweet - also a sour-tangy note I don't recognise. Definitely deciduous woods...not evergreens. Reminds me of Odin

Wet: More tangy-sour, sweeter, dryer. Extremely woody and warm, the latter evoking fur in combination with the thick/heavy feel of this blend. Not getting the musk.

Dry: Uhh...something nutty or maybe grainy - amaranth or sorghum maybe? A sort of 'wild' grain note, like eating wild rice. A little less sweet, and the sour note sticks very close to the skin.

Later: Hint of something spicy that makes me think cinnamon? I'm convinced frankincense is responsible for the sweetness. A bit of musky has emerged, but I honestly don't find this very musky.

Summary: Dry, almost dusty warm woods - some cedar and rosewood for sure - and I do get the dry leaves. A nutty grain, a dusting of cinnamon, lots of frankincense, some musk. Masculine. Great throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Nearly colourless extremely pale yellow oil. The lab's slushy snow note, and LOTS of fir. A creamy underlying sweetness hints at birch, but I don't get it directly. Zingy ozone. Cold and wintry but not the cloying pine of most wintry BPAL.

Wet: More birch, and I detect some sort of mint in the distance, but this is still heavy on the cold, delicious fir. Actually, reminds me a lot of Egle, but this is crisper. The lab's snow note is always a little hairsprayish on me, but that's not overwhelming here.

Dry: More gentle and almost aquatic (cucumbery?) as it dried. Birch can be too sweet and root-beery for me, but it's luminous here, and adds almost a sparkling note. It's a bit too woodsy to be refreshing, but I do find it soothing.

Later: This has super strong throw, and i keep getting wafts of it from my wrist...delicious wafts. While it's still a bit harsh up close in a that piney-snow way, it's incredible from afar. The birch turns into this creamy, almost vanillic note.

Summary: FIR and piney-cold slushy-snow with creamy, delicious birch. Fabulous throw and lasting power. Cool, sweet, and wintry. The first snow scent that has worked on me other than SGA.

Sniffed: Bright yellow oil. Herbs, booze, and blueberries! It reminds me of Blue Fire in that way, but this is more herbal, and the blueberry note is less candyish, more like the real thing.

Wet: Similar, though the blueberry's a bit stronger. Definitely some gin, but this is richer and boozier...maybe some rum? It's not buttery/foody or particularly sweet. More tart. Slightly mentholic quality that i don't think is just the junipery gin.

Dry: Definitely more and more herbal, though the blueberry note is holding. I really don't get any vanilla or cake. The 'blueberry wine' comment resonates a bit - I can sorta see that, and this DOES feel similar to The Blood Garden (which is dark fruit, herbs, and wood on me).

Later: Huh...this is going spicy on me (again, like the Blood Garden does a tiny bit) - I get clove and cinnamon. Also, the blueberry note has gone slightly grapey/fake on me. It's not horrible, but I'm not crazy about it.

Summary: I do not like spice and I amp it. I love the start of this, but my skin does wonky, wonky things to it. The final fruit drydown is pretty nice, not TOO artificial, but the spices take over. This has good throw and longevity on me.

Sniffed: Yellow oil. Sour, heady florals. Rose! Almost a little aquatic.

Wet: Brighter, a little citrusy, and something herbal-mentholic - geranium. Still very floral. ROSE.

Dry: There is something sweet here..and creamy! Definitely a cream note, and some vanilla, a very nice vanilla. Strong Katrina van Tassel vibe.

Later: Strong powdery/soapy edge, and this never lost its sourness.

Summary: Sour white rose with creamy sugared vanilla. Also makes me think of a white rose version of Hope. Too powdery and sour for me. Good throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Light golden oil. Sweet, buttery, foody. Tonka. Vanilla and cream too, smothered by the evil syrup and butter. I get a bit of carnation, and some rich booze.

Wet: Still way too sweet and loads of vanilla, but less intensely buttery and foody. More floral, with really gorgeous, slightly spicy carnation. Almost a little green/sappy. Even more boozy - I feel a little tipsy sniffing myself!

Dry: Slow to dry. Something fruity, and something minty that's not actually mint and I can't place it. I like the pineapple idea, because the fruit is tangy and exotic. This is still very rich, bordering on butter - it's a very full-fat cream with little fat globules floating in it.

Later: For some reason this reminds me of Kitsune-Tsuki's drydown - probably the musk, and maybe the sweet fruit and some daffodil? I'd swear it has that same jasmine from K-T (the ONLY jasmine I like). But it's just so heavily creamy and still so sweet...

Summary: I love the musk, carnation, and cream notes (cream is so often very faint on me), but it's just too rich and sugary - if I inhale deeply, my teeth hurt by association. Decent throw & great longevity.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Dusty, sweetened, hot cocoa powder. Like inhaling Swiss Miss - and similarly, a little artificial. :\ There's a bit of bitter undertone, maybe from the cocoa, and a dry, woody, slightly incensey amber note.

Wet: Same, with perhaps more amber than cocoa. it's a little more 'perfumey'. There's definitely a vanilla note in here, sort of a fake one that's slightly creamy. Light, though. This isn't all that foody, although there is a strange nuttiness.

Dry: Slow to dry. Vanilla and amber amping, and...oakmoss? Is that you? The woody note has turned earthy and...I get hazelnut? This is a lot sweeter and more cloying, due the vanilla, and the hazelnut has a sort of rancid tone.

Summary: Dusty hot cocoa mix with cloying fake vanilla, powdery-incensey amber, rancid hazelnut and earthy oakmoss. Really...strange, and not for me. This is sadly not the chocolate note I like in BPAL. Good throw & incredibly longevity (alas).

Sniffed: Light amber/honey coloured oil. Harsh-bitter VETIVER and dirty-rooty patchouli with a bit of lavender. Strong, masculine, a little scary...

Wet: Vetiver is still pretty sour, but less STRONG - it reminds me a lot how it is in Thorns. More herbal. Some mint and a little lime, but sadly no yuzu. Some slightly powdery lily.

Dry: More lime, less vetiver and less patchouli. Finally a little geranium. Some perfumey-fresh sandalwood. The lavender and mint continue to be pleasantly herbal. Much lighter/softer.

Later: Sandalwood amping like crazy! But in a good way. Lots of white musk has emerged. This feels very cologney, now, and a little dry. I guess after Death strikes, things only improve?

Summary: Musky, herbal sandalwood with hints of lime, earthy patchouli, light vetiver and very faint floral powder. Oddly dry-warm and fresh-cool at the same time. Masculine, clean. Low throw.

Would be really yummy on a man.

Sniffed: Extremely pale yellow nearly colourless oil. Lime and possibly other citrus peel, zingy white ginger and mentholic herbs...spearmint and lavender.

Wet: So juicy tart, very citrusy - the other notes are pretty seamlessly blended. Definitely very clean/refreshing/purifying. Faint sugary sweetness.

Dry: Very slow to dry. Unfortunately...it does that citrus Pez powdered candy thing that both Lustration and Moxie did on my skin. It still retains some juicy fruit, though.

Summary: This one lasts longer than any of the other so-ephemeral Panaceas, except TKO (which I dislike). 6 is also my favourite number, so that makes me happy.

Sniffed: Golden oil. Surprisingly sweet, and almost a little citrusy-fruity. Herbal, as expected, in a fresh green way. Earthy, almost like a light patchouli. It is a bit cool, maybe mint?

Wet: Very light, and still sweet. I get a sparkling note that really makes me think citrus, maybe tangerine? Less earthy, more mossy. Definitely mint, I'd say spearmint. I get some lavender, too.

Dry: Less sparkling, less citrusy - more sweet and peachy - which to me makes this more of a feminine scent. Musk coming out, a very light musk. The earthy note has turned oddly musty, the way that Spanish moss goes on me.

Later: I get a little bit of gin, or the way that gin dries down on my skin, so juniper in some form. This has such low throw and overall strength that's difficult to pick out notes.

Summary: Musky peach with faint herbal notes. I like it, but it has such DISMAL throw, and I'm not sure I need it when I have Fae.

Sniffed: Extremely pale, nearly colourless yellow oil. Fresh, crisp, a little biting. White amber. Ozone. Definitely a strong metal note, and also a warm/spicy/foody note.

Wet: Softer, gentler. A little less of that sweet note I can't place, which is more creamy here - coconut? White tea makes this slick and clean. Quite cologney on the whole. Reminds me of Iron Phoenix.

Dry: Going herbal, and the tiniest bit soapy. More resiny white amber. More floral too- gardenia? A green, aquatic vibe that makes me think aloe and/or cucumber. The citrus I get could be lime rind. I'm glad someone else got coconut because I kept thinking I was crazy.

Later: Going more salty-aquatic, that could be the gardenia though on my skin. The ozone holds very nicely. White musk emerges and amps. Someone found this similar to Bed of Nails - I agree! I also agree with the CK One comparisons.

Summary: Loads of white musk, white tea, muted citrus peel, white amber, gardenia, light ozone and tangy metal, with cool green notes and a slightly foody creamy note. Low throw, great longevity.

Nice, but the slight hint of coconut puts me off and on the whole I just find this rather generic. Final drydown reminds me of Dia, actually. I prefer Torture Queen in this scent category.

Ooh, I love this! It's mostly rich, gorgeous honey, with just a bit of almond to give it complexity. There is a floral quality, but the ylang-ylang doesn't stand out itself - it just adds unsuspectingly. Likewise with the myrrh - I'd never know it was there, but it rounds out the scent somehow, makes it a bit darker. Still mostly this is golden and sweet and soothing. Not too sweet, though - it's not foody.

I received this as an extra from alicia_stardust, so thank you!

Sniffed: Deep orange oil. Slightly spicy INCENSE, with a bit of dragon's blood. Definitely some amber, patchouli, and tobacco too - smoky. A little glimmer of delicious honey, and some slightly sour rose accord.

Wet: More floral, with lots of rose coming out and a little bit of jonquil and carnation. Reminds me lots of high quality incense. More clove, which is sort of woody and sweet as well as lightly spicy. Rich, warm red sandalwood - almost creamy.

Dry: Honey and carnation amping, while rose has faded a bit. More amber and clove, too. Very warm and spicy in feel, and a little powdery. The dragon's blood is faint enough that I don't find it a problem here. The tobacco is a dark, gorgeous note.

Later:Incense and honey amping further, and amber has gone distinctly but softly powdery. Jonquil gone, and I never got any myrtle. Going musky, and this stage reminds me a lot of Gypsy Queen, but with clove, honey, and tobacco added.

Summary: Expensive rose-scented incense with clove cigarettes, carnation and warm, honeyed ambery powder. Nice, but not me. Good throw.

CCLXXIX - 279

Previous reviews are here and here.

Sniffed: Pale yellow oil. Chrysanthemum, white tea, and sweet-tart green apple. Reminds me crazily of Daiyu, but with apple. I get that same slick/smooth combo of the tea and 'mum.

Wet: Crisp, juicy apples, with a zingy edge. Reminds me of sour chewy sugar-crusted candy strips. There's also definitely some white musk in here, too, even more like Daiyu!

Dry: Dries quickly, and as usual, starts fading and taking the apples with it, which are now less fresh, but still pretty tart and fruity. The tea/'mum combo is so strong!

Later: No morphing with this one. More white musk with time, as usual with musks and my skin, but the apple holds well.

Summary: White musk, chrystanthemum, white tea, and sour green apple candy. Not too sweet, though. Lower throw & longevity. Sexy and fun! I would love a bottle.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Salty, herbal, musky, slightly waxy aquatic. Refreshing, clean, but not soapy. I get lots of ambergris, and a tiny bit of eucalyptus...not any bergamot, though.

Wet: Very 'planty', like new green leaves with rain drops - dewy. Cucumber, and a little mildly sweet mint. Slightly mentholic, but just in a cool way - not medicinal at all. Still no bergamot. Super green in feel.

Dry: Going more floral, and a little bit sharp, but not too much. This reminds me VERY much of a salty version of The Macabray. This might be a little more green, I'm even getting some grass.

Later: The ambergris is SO strong after a bit - the strongest ambergris scent I've tested - and pretty damn musky. I love how the salty-aquatic note stays really strong, too. This reminds me of The Sea Foam's Milk, too, I get the same slightly-sharp green musk note.

Summary: Salty, musky ambergris on drydown. It's really yummy, but slightly harsh and masculine. I'm not sure that I would wear this having other aquatics that are more 'me', but this would be delicious on a man! Great throw and longevity.

Keeping my imp!

Sniffed: Golden oil. Very sweet, almost buttery, foody vanilla. Some powdery amber and boozy musk, too.

Wet: Same. Verrrrry sweet and foody. Syrupy/cakey. I fear this is the vanilla that goes crazy on me. Lots of perfumey sandalwood, too.

Dry: Horrible cloying fake vanilla amping, yup. And some nasty orris. Sink.

I can't use the lab's bath oils, so this is sniffed only.

Light yellow oil. Sweet and cold. Lots and lots of pine and sticky plum, almost candied - think Midwinter's Eve. I get a hefty dose of the lab's snow/slush note, too. I can't pick out lily, but I do get the impression of strong white florals, sort of hairsprayish - that same general blend of flowers in L'Inverno. No bergamot. The star here is the musk - strong, a bit sweet, and glorious - it's definitely that same note from Yvaine, and it goes deliciously with the plums.

Sniffed: Dark golden-brown oil. Extremely rooty, earthy, resiny, and dark. Patchouli galore (the dirty-rooty kind), orris, red oakmoss (presumably, doesn't smell like regular oakmoss).

Wet: Lighter, more citrusy. Bergamot makes a huge showing, followed by neroli, juicy-tart currant, and a little golden honey. Reminds me a bit of Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Tons of labdanum and ambegris, too.

Dry: Orris (velvety indeed, also sneezily powdery) is taking over, as it often does. The black musk emerges and it's gorgeous and strong, but it can't compete with the horrors of orris, or the soil-drenched patchouli.

Summary: Amazing red currant-bergamot combo sweetened by honey and black musk...totally ruined by the rooty/earthy/powdery notes. Stinkbombed village? Strong throw.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Cologne! Very manly, and indeed fresh-water aquatic. Reminds me of rain, too. A little soapy and woody, too. I can smell pretty much every note distinctly, except for the frankincense.

Wet: Fresher and brighter, a little more herbal. Balsam, zdravetz (i.e. geranium, which is very green and almost citrusy here, just lovely!) and blackberry leaf amped, and I get a bit of ozone, too. Still lots of prominent oud (sort of bamboo-like).

Dry: Slow to dry. White rose is a bit sour on me as it tends to be, and I think it might be what's going soapy.The bitter clove is just woody/aromatic, not spicy or sweet or cloying. Frankincense has emerged, and is sweetly smoky.

Later: Nm, that clove has become quite spicy, almost smoky, and is the strongest note, now, followed by sweet, incensey frankincense. Still a good amount of fresh, green balsam and geranium, and a whisper of soapy white rose.

Summary: Almost bitter clove SN with a touch of frankincense. Smoky-spicy-woody, dark, masculine. Reminds me insanely of clove cigarettes, though somehow cleaner/more cologney. Morphs loads. Decent throw.

Sniffed: Extremely pale yellow, nearly colourless oil. Daffodil! Loads and loads of slightly powdery yellow daffodils! Lots of sticky sweet honey too, with jasmine, wisteria, and honeysuckle below. Heavily floral, but not as complex as I'd expected.

Wet: Jasmine and wisteria amp IMMEDIATELY upon touching my skin, ugh. Sharp, powdery, soapy. Much less daffodil, and most of the honey is gone, too. Still plenty of honeysuckle, and I get some spicy phlox. But overall, it's sort of sour and sickly sweet at the same time.

Dry: Huh...it has faded DRAMATICALLY to lightly honeyed daffodils, daisy & jasmine with hints of phlox and only slightly powdery wisteria. The wisteria has not taken over, and the jasmine isn't really soapy - more just heady.

Later: The honey is quite waxy, more like beeswax, and it's really gorgeous on drydown - very apparent, and really sexy. I agree with others that it really unites the florals perfectly. Daffodils fading, alas. This reminds me a lot of The East.

Summary: Final drydown - delicious honey and jasmine, with an herbal edge. Reminds me a now of Honey Moon, actually. Much nicer than I expected. Almost wearable, but it's just too jasmine-y for me, even though it's very light jasmine. Decent throw.

Sniffed: Dark amber colour. Cough syrup red cherry and chocolatey cocoa, along with some boozy musks and allspice and something rooty. Not getting any bamboo. Slightly sweet & medicinal.

Wet: Boozy, artificial chocolate-covered cherries. More woody/masculine/dark on my skin; less sweet. The chocolate - on me it's creamy and intense - is a foody note, but this isn't really a foody blend.

Dry: The cherry is morphing, from the candy-cough syrup note to a darker, juicier, tarter note - more real, reminds me a little of the cherry note in Beaver Moon 07. It goes deliciously with the chocolate note!

Later: That strange rooty note - which is sort of herbal, and a little anise-y - has amped. Lucky hand, maybe? I don'tt get any caraway, and the allspice remains very faint. I do get a general sense of dark, polished, rich wood.

Summary: Very lightly spiced and anise-tinged dark, delicious chocolate with both real cherries and cough-syrup fake cherry, over a smooth base of masculine wood. The musks don't ever come out strongly, just linger softy and boozily.

Interesting, and not unpleasant, but not for me. Good throw, fades a fair bit.

CCXXXVIII - 238

Previous reviews here and here.

Sniffed: Sweet-tart juicy citrus - grapefruit and/or yuzu! - with herbs and resins.

Wet: I think it must be yuzu as well because the lab's grapefruit notes are never this strong. I'm reminded of Aizen-Myoo...although this has the herbal aspects like Croquet.

Dry: The citrus is fading a bit, and I detect some delicious, rich musk - I want to say purple musk, that musk from Penumbra? There's also a slightly incensey-woody note. It's an oddly warm, comforting scent.

Later: One of the herbs is...a gentle (but strong) sage? I get a somewhat masculine, cologney vibe. Also, some benzoin emerging, lightly. Oh...going to musk & oakmoss. Oh, hi premenstrual time!

Summary: Yuzu, pink grapefruit, sage, benzoin, purple musk, and oakmoss. The drydown reminds me a little of No. 93 Engine, but I think that's just the way my skin is during this time. Great throw!

I have to retest this in a few days, but I like it a lot! Unique, and one of the most long-lasting juicy citrus notes I've ever experienced. Other reviewers got lavender and tobacco as well as grapefruit, and I think those are possibilities, but my nose is being funky!