Chaos Theory II : The Butterfly Effect

[Penance]

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct.

Chaos Theory CLVII (157)

Origin:

5mL courtesy of mobilejessie.

Preconceived notions:

According to Jessie, this smells like either pine and rum or pine and vanilla, either one of which sounds damn good.

First sniff:

Ho-ly shit...this smells almost identical to my precious (original) Hellfire! :icon_eek:

Just to be sure, I got out my Grog (buttered rum, just to compare) and my Hellfire and, sure enough, this could be Hellfire's twin. It's not butterscotch sweet like Grog, it's buttery like Hellfire although it doesn't have that slight cream note that Hellfire has. I can't tell for sure at the moment if this is rum or bourbon, but I'm in love. I definitely wasn't expecting this at all.

There's the faintest hint of something that could be pine in the far, far background, but I barely notice it even when I'm looking for it. If this stays true to the bottled scent I'm going to pee my pants, I swear.

Wet on skin:

Oh my God, if I didn't know this wasn't Hellfire I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference! I'm not sure if it's skin chemistry or luck or divine intervention, but there's no pine to be found at this stage, just delicious buttery bourbon (I'm almost positive it's bourbon - it's not sweet enough or non-smoky anough to be rum). I may be hallucinating, but I swear I smell cream, too. Just a tiny dab, but beautiful.

Dry down:

Now there's an itty bit of pine, but the rest is a pure Hellfire doppelganger. Think The Hellfire Club meets a very sophisticated hunting club - a bunch of well-dressed gentlemen in frock coats sipping buttered bourbon and lounging around in a posh hunting lodge. I really like this. If I don't wear it directly on my skin, it's damn near identical to my beloved Hellfire and if I do wear it directly on my skin, it's a gorgeous variation on that theme.

The bottom line:

"The Hellfire Hunting Lodge and Debauchery Club." Words can't describe how thrilled I am right now. If I can't have a never-ending supply of Hellfire, at least I've got a full 5mL of this gorgeous blend to make up for it. I am in love.

Previously reviewed by mobilejessie.

[Penance]

Chaos Theory XV

 

Origin:

 

5mL courtesy of LunaSea.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

According to Luna, this is some sort of wood, so I'm expecting something...well, woodsy.

 

First sniff:

 

Smells herbal...somewhat like my "Ricola" Chaos, but different - less sweet and more woody smelling with a medicinal overtone. I've come across this medicinal note before, but I don't know what it is.

 

Wet on skin:

 

The medicinal note isn't as strong now, which is good because I was getting a headache from it. Now the wood that Luna mentioned is coming out. Smells like...oak to me. I'ts definitely not cedar, pine, balsam, rosewood, cypress or redwood (the wood notes I tend to see most often in BPAL scents) and it's too heavy to be birch. Smells just like a towering oak tree to me...the smell of rough bark and sun-warmed branches; no leaves, just comforting, solid wood.

 

Dry down:

 

There's a very faint herbal note here, but mainly it's just oak...like a living tree, not lumber. Very smooth and steady and comforting. Very simple, but I really like it and this stuff lasts. We're talking 12 hours or more with only a small application.

 

The bottom line:

 

Simple but comforting. Smells like childhood days spent perched in my neighbor's gnarled old oak tree. Love it!

[sigh]

Chaos Theory II ~ LXXX

 

The only description that even remotely comes close is warm, dark piney, bayrum-y goodness. If you followed Beth's Jolly Roger to his hideout deep in the forest, he would smell like this. The oceany tang of initial slathering mellows out rather quickly and lurks on the edge of each sniff along with the slightest hint of lime.

 

After wearing it for awhile, I've become convinced that there's the faintest dribble of patchouli lurking under there somewhere. My other half claims to smell woodsmoke mixed in there, but I don't get that all.

 

Overall ~ warm, dark, piney bayrum-y yumminess. Sexy, deep and slightly salty in tone.

 

[yeahbutnobut]

Chaos Theory CCCLXXIV (374, I think?)

 

In the imp: mmm, not sure what to make of this. It's got soapy florals, but it also has a tangy note and a milky note.

Wet on skin: now a greenish note surfaces, and there's also something citrus like in here too. it's a tart, tangy scent, but there's something smooth and floral in the background.

Dry on skin: now it smoothes out quite nicely. It's now a soft, creamy floral with a hint of something tart and fruity or grassy. It reminds me of a creamier, light, powdery version of Cheshire Cat. I'm not sure what the floral is, but it could be honeysuckle, possibly even jasmine. There's something cosy about this powdery floral scent.

After a while: oh wow, this is really nice. This is a soft, comforting creamy floral scent with just the slightest touch of something slightly tangy and fruity or green, to make it interesting. It's like soft white or golden-white blossoms in the first light of dawn. There's also a cool scent there, like a soft, fresh breeze-it's not really a smell, but a feeling of freshness, an airy aspect to the scent. I'm also getting something that reminds me of apples-apple blossom maybe? Or perhaps it's camomile?

After about 15-20 minutes, it starts to get more tart, more tangy. It now reminds me of green apples and grapefruit, but with something creamy and a background of light breezy floral. Intriguing.

Then after half an hour, it swings back to soothing creamy florals, but still with a fruity tang.

About an hour later, it smells of honeysuckle (I think) with a tangy note.

Verdict: mmm, interesting. It's a very complex, yet quite pleasant blend. At first I was worried it would smell too tart, verging on sour, or too soapy, but on the skin it changes into a light, soft, creamy blend of florals with just the slightest hint of tangy fruit and a fresh airy note. It also changes a lot on the skin. It's a lovely scent that's perfect for spring and summer, I'm not sure if it's a 'me' smell, I like it but right now I don't love it, the tangy note worries me a bit-I think this will be a scent that grows on me.

Edited July 18, 2005 by yeahbutnobut

[olympia301]

 

Buttery rum, hazelnuts and cinnamon in the background. A gourmandy orgy and very long lasting. This is a treat for my senses and a great foody surprise. I am entranced with it. Somehow, for all its rich beckoning, it isn't the sort of thing to set your hunger raging. It's not sweets, it's just the thought of sweet things on your tongue. This a wonder and I am very glad I got to try this chaos theory. I will love this imp.

[Penance]

Chaos Theory XVIII (18)

 

Origin:

 

5mL courtesy of Sarada who got it from Mobilejessie.

 

First sniff:

 

Sharp and herbal, but with an undertone that smells like rum. I'm almost positive that there's got to be rum in this because it's a pretty distinct scent and I've not come across anything that really mimicks it. The herbal note seems to be the same odd one that I've gotten from several CT2's that I've tried - I swear, it's haunting me.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mmm, rum! Sarada was right, there's a definite boozy note here that's pretty prominent. I don't smell any vetiver in here. All I get is rum, maybe some wood and a hint of vanilla (not positive about that one) and a light, light touch of that herbal note I smelled in the bottle.

 

Dry down:

 

The rum note isn't as prominent now. It's settled down into a sort of rum/vanilla/unidentified wood scent that's really very pretty. The vanilla type note (not sure that it is vanilla and not, say, tonka bean or something similar) smells a tiny bit plasticky, but only when my nose is right up against it and not too much even then.

 

The bottom line:

 

Nice! I'd love to know why that damn herbal note is following me, but aside from that this is lovely!

 

Previously reviewed by Sarada and Mobilejessie.

[Penance]

Chaos Theory CCCXXIX (329)

 

Origin:

 

5mL borrowed from Subbes for ID purposes.

 

First sniff:

 

There's definitely something strangely spicy in here. I recognize it, I know I do, but the name is escaping me. Not dragon's blood, not cinnamon...it bears a passing resemblance to black pepper, but not quite...actually, that might be it: black pepper mixed with something else that's confusing my nose. It strikes me as being somewhere between herbal and spice and it's naggingly familiar.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This smells almost identical to another BPAL scent and I can't place which one it is...I've tried so many that I can't call up the name in my mind. Floral...a floral I really don't care for. It's...neroli! I absolutely despise neroli - it gives me splitting headaches (that should have been a tip off right away) and I really don't like the smell of it, either. I believe the scent I was thinking of is either Catherine, Succubus or Naiad, although I don't have any of those to compare it to anymore.

 

Dry down:

 

The neroli is still prominent on me (florals love me, even if I don't love them back) but there's more to this...carnation, maybe? I smell a spicy floral behind the neroli, which might explain Subbes' impression of it being like dragon's blood - it's spicy and slightly red smelling while definitely not being dragon's blood. Strangely all of a sudden and completely out of left field I smell black tea (what I mean is that there no warning, it was just there all of a sudden, overpowering the neroli and brining a vague fruitiness - plum maybe? - with it). :icon_eek:

 

The bottom line:

 

Wow, this one is a morpher. It starts out peppery, veers into floral country and then throws in another dash of spice and a surprise splash of fruity black tea in the end. Very complex; definitely a challenge. Not me, but fun to try and pin down!

 

Previously reviewed by Subbes.

[Penance]

Chaos Theory CCLXXIV (274)

 

Origin:

 

5mL courtesy of Lysithea.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Lysithea described this as being a peppery resin/incense blend, which sounds wonderful, so I've got high hopes.

 

First sniff:

 

Mmm, pepper! Smells like black pepper to me. There's also something sort of sharp in the background...it's definitely resiny, too, though. I'm not sure what it is, but it's beautiful!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Almost all pepper now, but I love pepper so that's fine by me. I get a tiny, tiny bit of something like frankincense in the background, but the main note here is strong, musty black pepper. It's similar to Kweku Anansi, but without the grass and nutmeg. Very unusual.

 

Dry down:

 

Musty, peppery incense. I can't place what resin note this is...the pepper keeps getting in the way when I try to pin this down. Right now, I would say that frankincense is the most likely culprit here...maybe a touch of myrrh, but I'm not sure about that. This is really nice!

 

The bottom line:

 

Yummy! Spicy and musty and warm and resiny and just wonderful. This reminds me of a less sweet version of Villainess' Pyromania smooch. I'm glad I swapped for this!

[joseybird]

CXXXVII - 137

 

Lightly green and herbal in the bottle. Dries down to a vanillic scent with a soft herbal touch.

I would swap this one for a CT2 that's similar to Snake Oil or POTL.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Straight out of the bottle...

 

 

Fruit of somesort! A yummy, slightly tart fruit!

 

Omg...something sorta vanilla is coming out...and coconut...and pinapple...:icon_eek:....

 

Drydown it's pure milky coconut with a touch of pinapple

 

:icon_eek:

 

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE!!!

 

Thanks scarlet!!!

[Macha]

Chaos Theory #XIII (13)

 

In the Bottle: Oooo....sandalwood. That is the very first impression that greets me. It's not just sandalwood, but smells slightly alcoholic, highly drinkable. I think there's amber in here: it strikes my nose in much the same way the Lion or Silk Road did, and with the same urge to drink it. Must. Not. Drink. Chaos. Theory. (Good grief, that sounds like a superhero's origin story doesn't it? Mild mannered artist by day, defender of the city by night! All thanks to a bottle of Chaos Theory!!)

 

Wet, on skin: Oh, this is lovely. It's warm and golden and sweet, faintly spicy and feels just like sitting outside on a beautiful day and drinking King Midas' Golden Elixir. The sandalwood (or really, whatever that is: I could certainly be mistaken) is gorgeous and gives such beautiful depth to the whole fragrance. To me this feels like sitting on velvet on top of a golden pyramid and watching the sun rise over the Nile. It's just a glowing fragrance, elegant, regal, and utterly worthy of the sun-god of your choice.

 

Dry, on skin: The blend begins to morph as it ages. A few hours later, and it's changed to pure vanilla and amber, with a tiny bit of white musk. It is beautiful and cozy and very comforting, and while it's by no means a perfect match to either, I find myself thinking of two discontinued fragrances that I miss very much: Antique Lace and Unseelie. (Astarte, sweet woman that she is, sent me an imp of Unseelie that arrived just today, and this does at times seem a more golden version of that elusive beauty.)

 

In the Bottle: XIII has good throw and phenomenal staying power, and basically, is just perfect. I am thrilled by how beautiful this is, and it goes without saying that I'm going to hoard this bottle like a greedy, greedy wench, knowing that its like will never pass my way again.

 

Footnote: weird lessons in synchronicity. I just noticed that Aurelius, who lives (in LA terms, anyway) relatively close by, received Chaos Theory #XIV! That's spooky/funny, cause I know we didn't order our bottles at the same time!

[Galen]

Chaos Theory 2 CCCLI (351?)

 

Interesting - it starts out very spicy - I'm guessing I'm amping up some cinammon? and it then dries down without any cinammon at all to a soft very slightly spicy floral, which must have a little bit of gardenia in it, judging by the way it goes on my skin.

 

Not me, I'm afraid, so I'm currently swapping imps out for other people's Chaos-es.

 

What it has made me realise is that, although I can guess roughly what kind of note I'm smelling (flower, spice, etc.) my nose and memory are not that great at identifying notes unless someone (e.g. lab description or forum reviews) tells me what I'm smelling!

[Gin]

Chaos Theory II : VIII (8)

 

Also reviewd by olympia301 and ~AmusedMuse~.

 

Minty, minty grass. And something a bit spicy. I'm not sure if it's an actual cinnamonny-note or just a part of the mintiness (wintergreen tends to have that sort of spiciness). There's also... I don't know, a musk? that gives a sort of warmth to it. Very interesting, very pretty. Sadly, it disappears within minutes!

Edited July 20, 2005 by Gin

[Gin]

Chaos Theory II - CLVI ( 156 )

 

Buttery mint in the bottle, CLVI goes on the skin with the crystalline mintiness of Frost Moon. Then, there's a spiciness similar to Sugar Cookie, and finally settling into a cool watery Blue Moon-like scent. Although I know Beth did not make this with me in mind, it feels as though she did.

After letting it sit for a couple of weeks, it's changed a bit. The spiciness is less pronounced, and the mintiness goes more directly into the aquatic phase, with the spice emerging later. The notes have blended more and feel less like compnents of other oils. This is so lovely. I'm so glad I got it, but will be sad to see it go.

[shelldoo]

ct2 LXXVIII

 

 

in the vial: something edible, like ginger maybe. w/ sandalwood

 

wet:yeah i believe it is sandalwood and ginger

 

dry: cinnamon, spicey i do believe it is cinnamon and ginger and definitely a sandalwood base. i don't get any floral (thank goodness) just a yummy spicy very edible scent.

 

 

ty laochodia for giving me tha chance to try this i adore it

 

Previously reviewed by laochodia and olympia301.

Edited July 24, 2005 by Shollin

[Midnight Kiss]

DXXXVIV (539)- I. LOVE. THIS. !!!

 

First sniff is extremely sweet bubble gummy fruity berries, then it starts morphing into a fruity wine-boozy smell after application. It smells soooo good, AND continues to get better, because on the drydown, it morphs again into a sweet vanilla -musky yummy smell. I can't stop sniffing myself. It has extreme staying power too. I am so very happy!!!

[Gin]

Chaos Theory II : XX (20)

 

Also reviewed by hologhost, darkling and sarada.

 

At first, sharp but sweet floral. Then? Deep fuity sweetness. I don't even know how to describe it, but it's beautiful. It's not sticky-sweet, but sweet nonetheless.

Edited July 24, 2005 by Shollin

[sihaya09]

Chaos Theory LXXVIII

 

Gingery sandalwood. It starts off a little creamy, then settles into a spicy skin scent that sweetens with the drydown, as sandalwood is wont to do on my skin. Not a whole lot of throw, but this will make a nice supplement to my fall scent collection!

 

Previously reviewed by laochodia, olympia301 and shelldoo.

Edited July 24, 2005 by Shollin

[grrrlennyl]

i got bottle CDXCVIII (498).

 

at first: red! pomegranate and berries. fabulous!

on: amazing. this is still fruity, but there/s a softness there, too. i might be smelling a light musk or sandalwood. this is gorgeous.

15 minutes later: although this is nothing like my chaos theory from the first round (XI) at first, it's drying down a lot like it. powdery and gorgeous!

1 hour later: lovely. soft and powdery, with a hint of dried berries.

1.5 hours later: powdery and wonderful.

overall: this was a real morpher on me. i adore it. i really can't believe that it's so similar to my first chaos theory.

[ohm]

Chaos Theory CLXVI

 

Oh, wow. This was so unexpected. When I opened it and smelled it, it smelled of popcorn butter and a sweet alcohol (rum?) I smelled it and re-smelled it and thought, well, I'll try it. It stayed buttery on me for about an hour before dipping into this absolutely gorgeous floral. Not too pink and sugary, but mild and pretty. I've never experienced this sort of morph! This is a keeper, and one I will mourn when it is gone.

[inkstone]

Chaos Theory 2: XXXVIII

 

I ordered one bottle of CT2 on the assumption that if it was meant to be, it would be perfect and if it wasn't, it would be a disaster.

 

Instead I got CT2 38.

 

In the bottle: My first impression is that of commercial perfume -- light, spritzy & sophisticated. It reminds me a bit of Queen of Diamonds at this point, except less icy and more suited to a summer version. However, when I sniff it again, I can start to pick out a white floral and citrus. Either lemon or grapefruit, perhaps both.

 

Wet: Oh yes, it's definitely a white floral. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at differentiating white florals so that's about as detailed as I can go. There's still something citrusy -- I don't think it's the true lemon note as that becomes insect repellent on me. However it may be lemon verbena. It's subtle and not-at-all overpowering. At this stage, I'm reminded of Midnight without the night-blooming flowers and Szesspasszony without the harsh cruelty. Overall, though, it has a classy feel to it.

 

Drydown: Now here is where it becomes interesting. The white florals fade until they become an undernote and the grapefruit comes to the forefront. At this stage, it actually reminds me of R'lyeh -- without the madness. It's just a lazy grapefruit relaxing amongst the little white flowers. There's another note that's familiar, but is completely eluding my nose. I can't puzzle it out.

 

Final thoughts: I'm not crazy mad in love with this blend, but I don't hate it either. It's a bit of an enigma to me. I'm not thrilled about the wet stage, but I like the drydown. Very interesting.

[Janie]

DLV (555)

 

I have worn CT2 DLV (555) three times now in the hopes that I could write a decent review of it.

 

In the bottle I smell a slightly sweet, fruity scent with a light, airy feel to it.

 

As soon as it hits my skin it turns into strawberries. Delicious, sunwarmed strawberries, at their peak of juiciness.

 

It doesn't change a great deal at all, although as it progresses towards drydown, the underlying base notes become SLIGHTLY more apparent. I don't get any woods, no incense, certainly no patchouli. If there is musk it is a light, skin scent, like white musk . If anything, I *think* I pick up a tad more sweetness and it develops an underlying light creaminess. Vanilla I think, but not dark, dirty vanilla. Vanilla ice-cream vanilla.

 

Excellent sillage, and pretty good staying power. I have had it on for 7 hours and in that time I have done 5km on a horse, untacked, hosed the horse and completed various other chores around the house and I can still smell it. It's faint, but there.

 

So there. CT2 DLV. Strawberries and ice cream.

 

edited to add: I did a side by side comparison with Swank - it is similar, so perhaps I am getting pomegranate as well?

Edited July 23, 2005 by Janie

[arabella]

Chaos Theory II: The Butterfly Effect - CDLXVI (466)

 

I can't use my normal format for this review because this is one special oil.

 

Initially, just smelling it in the bottle, I had an almost physical reaction of being sucked through a powerful wind tunnel, so I quickly put it away. Then, a bit later, I braced myself and applied a tiny bit. For the life of me, I can't tell what's in there. It's not flowery, fruity, sweet, or resin-y, although there's probably elements of all present. There's also something in there I'm familiar with but I can't pinpoint it. The closest I can come to describe it is to say it's oriental, ozone-y, woody, and herby. I'm really going to have to keep working on this one. One thing I do know is that it's addictive. I don't know if I like it or not but I have to have it.

 

Lasted: Forever - overnight and through a shower and several hand washings.

 

Rating: I usually rate on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best) but how do you rate an addiction?

[strippedhalo]

Chaos Theory II: CCCL (350)

 

I'm really, really bad at picking out and identifying individual notes, especially when I have no idea what to sniff for, but I'll do my best.

 

In the bottle this is almost pure lotus, I think. Light and sweet. Not quite as sweet as Pink Moon, but definitely along those lines.

 

On my skin, the sweetness amps right up, as sweetness is wont to do with me. The only thing I can pick out is still lotus (assuming, of course, that I'm even right about it being lotus). There is also just a tiny, tiny hint of soapiness, but not enough to bother me.

 

Dry, it's still pretty true to what it smells like in the bottle. It warmed up a little bit at one point, and I thought that there was maybe some patchouli or cedar in it, but that went away again.

 

Overall, it's a really nice scent, very sweet, but not sickly so. I think I need to try it again in a few days to see if cyclical girly things affect it any differently.

[Barb25]

First of all, I'm sorry that my reviews aren't that great, but here you go anyways.

 

Chaos Theory CCCLXXVIII

 

In the bottle - very cinnamony and herbal. Looking good!

 

On me - Holy crap. Amazing. It's like a wonderful blend of Sugar Cookie, Gingerbread Poppet, and Chimera. A creamy, spicy, foody, wonderful scent. Great throw, and it lasts a LONG time, 8 hours or so.

 

Very good.

 

Chaos Theory CDXXII

 

In the bottle - very sweet, milk and honey-ish

 

On me - Again, very yummy. Milk and honey and vanilla with a little touch of something spicy to give it a little oomph. Almost a cross between Dana O'Shee, Snake Oil, and Lush's Creamy Candy Melt (the melt, not the bubble bar, there's a difference.) Nice throw.

 

I love both of them. I'm a very happy Barb!

[daybreaksdisdain]

Chaos Theory 2 CCLVIII

 

Opened the bottle and yum!

 

Put it on, more yum

 

Waked into the bedroom just after applying it and the hubby asked if I was wearing Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen To me, a compliment since that's some good stinky stuff.

 

Lasted pretty well too. Every time my co-worker opened her mouth and started to annoy me I just took a big sniff at my wrist and all was right with the world again.