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Chaos Theory II : The Butterfly Effect

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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 II: CCCLXXIX (379)

In the bottle: Wow~ the first thing that hits me is a strong boozy scent, with florals coming up right after it. Totally different from what I expected based on the description from the auction I got this from. I'm a little concerned.

Dry: The boozy scent has toned down, and the florals are coming out more now. It's starting to smell a little like soap~ the expensive kind you get from places like Crabtree and Evelyn.

10 minutes: Now it definitely smells like a very nice, expensive soap~ floral and clean. The boozy smell is pretty much gone.

30 minutes: Uh oh~ now I can smell a slight sour note in addition to the nice floral soap smell. It's not enough to overwhelm the floral, though.

Verdict: I love this! The only thing that concerns me is the sourness at the end, but the floral notes seem to cover it up well enough. This one is a keeper. Edited by Shollin

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CDXXXIII (433)

 

In the bottle, this is tangy and sharp with an almost ozone note in it and the fruits are sweet and nectar-y. On me wet, I smell peaches and orchids I think... cool and wet, like a garden just rained on. As it dries, the florals flare up into a bright bouquet of red and yellow and whites, sweet and pungent and quite over-eager to make themselves known; then it's a blast of fruit and berries that hits me, swinging up in a wet blast of freshly cut fruit salad with a dollop of soft sugary florals to mellow them out and a hint of something akin to an aquatic note that's blending the fruits to an almost smoothie-like smell. It warms and the fruits and florals settle down into a sweet but vague freshly picked blend that every woman wants her kitchen to smell like every morning when she opens the windows the first time. Over time, this softens and goes powdered sugar on me. You read that right, powdered sugar - not at all the unpleasant powder/soap scent some herbals notes take a blend, this is just getting softer and softer without losing it's sweet-and-shy tone. It lingers for hours after application but doesn't have any real throw to speak of, simply being notable but not definable from any distance.

Edited by Elri

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VIII (8)

 

In the imp: Faint minty toothpaste with herbal undertones.

 

On me: Still smells vaguely like minty toothpaste, now with some sort of floral coming through. Not faint, yet not strong either.

 

(Last reviewed by cranberry.)

 

DCXXXIII (633)

 

I googled the numerals to see what number this was and got this Crowley tidbit. Interesting.

 

In the imp: Sweet, sweet bubblegum.

 

On my skin: Bubblegum, but now with a shining note breaking through the sweetness. It quickly morphs into something recognizeable: clean, bright lemon with a slightly powdery (think confectioners sugar rather than baby powder) sweet tinge to it.

 

Dare I say this is sweetness and light?

 

(Last reviewed by Fefferbella.)

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CT2 - III, which I don't think is reviewed by anyone else.

 

I swapped for this decant when CT2 was just new, but I haven't yet reviewed it. The best I can describe it, is that it is similar to Hexannacht, but buttery. I get a similar note from Chaste Moon. Dark, smokey, autumn leaf-y, but with fluffy creamy bits - it's a little strange. In general, I don't care for smokey scents, and they do nothing spectacular on my skin. I think I'll finally be removing this one from the imp box, and passing it along to the girlfriend, who I know will like it.

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LXVIII (68)

 

In the bottle, this is very herbal with a note of sandalwood and musk. Wet, I get a citrusy note that I would bet good money is vetiver that's mixing with a floral I believe is ylang ylang. The sandalwood in this is very mild and mixing with coconut. I'm not sure I should even keep this on due to my allergies with coconut, but I am a fiend for punishment and want to see how this plays out. By the dry down, my arm is starting to itch and I had to remove it, however the coconut was extremely prominent as was the sandalwood in this blend.

 

(Previously reviewed by blackrayne.)

Edited by Shollin

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I have actually put off reviewing these just because I didn’t have the patience to go back and find everyone else’s reviews, lol. But, I am bored and avoiding writing some final essays, so here we go:

 

CXX:

I was surprised that some people mentioned fruity/wine notes with this one. On me, this starts out smelling very peppery, but also very clean. Like pepper mixed with some ozone and salty aquatics. In the drydown, crisp ozones and aquatics, still a hint of pepper, and some sweetly herbal or floral notes in the background. After an hour, I catch wafts of something like smoky-sweet incense coming up around the other notes.

 

 

Previously reviewed by laochodia, OriginalWacky, sarada, and roesmoker.

 

LXXVIII:

It’s warm, soft, slightly spicy, and comforting on me. I think that it smells a bit like powdery sandalwood with hints of warm ginger and/or cinnamon. A great combination of something that smells like warm woods and spice on me. After an hour or so, I also get a hint of something darkly fruity that makes me think of plum.

 

Previously reviewed by laochodia, shelldoo, sarada,

sihaya09, yeahbutnobut, and olympia301.

 

There. Now I feel accomplished :P

Edited by Little Bird

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CHAOS THEORY XIV

 

In Bottle: Floral baby lotion

 

On Skin: At first this smells like Johnson and Johnson Baby lotion with a light floral mixed in. Then the florals become much stronger. I get a bit of honeysuckle and jasmine. I also smell a light herbal note in the background that gives a green feel to the already very colorful scent. The herb may be mint since it’s crisp and fresh, but it is a background note and the florals overwhelm it. There is something very faintly resin or musky in the background as well, just soft enough to give it a bit of a sweet base. This stays pretty consistant through the dry down. Floral baby lotion. It’s not really me, but I don’t dislike it either. The throw is light as is the lasting power… it faded within an hour.

 

Previously reviewed by Aurelius.

 

CHAOS THEORY II The Butterfly Effect CCXXVII

 

In Bottle: Fruit and nuts

 

On Skin: This has a sweet fruity note, melon I think. There is also a nutty tone, something very autumn like. It’s an interesting mix, I usually get a spring or summer feel from melon, but here it is like fall, darker and mellow. I also smell a floral although it’s light, lily maybe? This is so neat! It’s not like any BPAL scent I’ve smelled before. Sweet and pretty with a dark undertone. The throw is VERY light and it also fades quickly. Too bad, because I love this scent!

 

 

CHAOS THEORY II: The Butterfly Effect CCXCI

 

In Bottle: Sweet overly ripe fruit

 

On Skin: First notes I get: berries, tea and cake. This is a sweet foody blend, yum! I smell a mix of berries and a light tea note, almost like an iced berry tea drink. There is also a heavier foody note in the background, I say cake because it does feel edible, fluffy and soft. This scent is so light, I have to slather it on because I love it and really want to smell it. The notes are mixed together so well it really is hard to pick them out each individually, so I just say it’s a fruity dessert cake. Maybe even with a little homemade whipped cream on top. Beautiful! As the scent develops I get a stronger vanilla feel, and even a VERY faint Milk Moon undertone… not buttery at all, just milky creamy. I LOVE this scent!!! I wish I had a bottle! Wear length is light to average.

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Chaos Theory II: CDL

 

In the bottle, it smells pretty and bright. On, it smells like Gingerbread Poppet with cinnamon and butter. It is so incredibly tasty and exactly the type of scent I enjoy. There's a very light floral/perfumey note that comes out when it's drying, but that just makes it more complex. It stays true for several hours and has great throw. This is my favorite of all this CTIIs I've tried, although they've all been keepers. I got this bottle a week ago and have worn it 4 times since then.

 

Chaos Theory II: CCXX

 

In the bottle, it smells like men's cologne. On, it smells herbal and slightly watery. It smells blue to me, which is odd because this is the first time a perfume oil has smelled blue. It's really quite lovely, and I think I'll wear it a lot this summer when it gets hot. It smells cool but not chilly.

 

Last reviewed by cuervosueno.

 

Chaos Theory II: CXL

 

In the imp, it smells herbal and golden, and very slightly astringent. On, it smells like a bright citrus scent at first, until it dries down into a sweet orange blossom. Really, really beautiful. It smells simple and sweet. The only thing critical I have to say about this is that the throw is very minimal and it doesn't last long.

 

Previously reviewed by UltraViolet.

 

Chaos Theory II: CLVIII

 

In the imp, it smells like sweet honey. On, it smells like a golden honeyed floral. I'm not good with floral notes because I don't usually wear florals, so I'm not sure what the flower is. I do know it's neither rose nor violet. There's a very light Irish Spring soap undercurrent to it, which always makes me wonder what herb causes that scent (I don't know which one it is). It's light -- crisp and creamy at the same time. Gets slightly watery when it's dry. More floral than I usually prefer, but this is one of the few florals I'd wear.

 

Previously reviewed by malanna.

 

Chaos Theory: CCCLXXIV

 

In the imp, it smells like a sharp floral. On, it still smells like a sharp yellow floral. I had some bath salts that smelled like this, but I don't remember what floral scent they were supposed to be, so I can't identify this scent. Gardenia? I don't know. It's a little bit powdery, and I never did like those bath salts a whole lot. The imp I got wasn't labeled as CT2, but I think it is.

 

Previously reviewed by yeahbutnobut.

 

ETA: Thank you, Shollin, for adding the links to previous reviews!

Edited by filigree_shadow

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Chaos Theory 2: XI (11)

 

This came to me in a swap with zenvodunista

 

In bottle: a blast of fresh sweet lime

 

On me: A fresh lime margarita! Oh I love margaritas!! I first I thought mint or orange, but no it is lime. I agree with the green description, but maybe the greeny yellow of Margarita mix (can't get that out of my head, may have to have one soon!). Throughout the day I kept catching the scent and the lyrics from Def Leppard kept running thru my mind, "I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head down to my feet". (oh yeah!)

I did become a bit sweeter and kinda reminded me of Fee, but not quite.

Another favorite! Thanks, Nicole!!

 

Previously reviewed by zenvodunista and olympia301.

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Chaos Theory II - DCXX (620)?

 

i got this as a decant from someone off lj.

 

in the imp- very sweet with a bit of a sour note peeking through. not sure what anything is, but i almost didn't try it.

 

wet- bubblegum scented soap. *laughs* almost too sweet, but it still smells pretty darn good.

 

drydown- starts to smell like strawberry bubble yum bubblegum. i suddenly feel the need to find some to munch on.

 

later- almost flowery, but still a hint of the sweetness. no longer strawberry bubblegum, though. very light scent. has fairly good throw for awhile, then it sticks closer to my skin.

 

all in all, a yummy scent. i still can't decide if i want to keep it or not.

 

Previously reviewed by Medici.

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CDLXXVIII (478)

 

Forgive my complete inability to distinguish notes. I love smellies, but I'm not so good at knowing exactly what I'm smelling. :P

 

MINT is the first and strongest impression and it never quite fades. There are also some pretty heavy florals mixed in which kinda take a stranglehold on your throat. I did manage to wear it long enough to notice that after drydown a vanilla-y scent started to break through the wall of minty florals, but not strongly enough to save it for me and I couldn't manage to wear it for more than ten minutes on my second try.

 

This is so not my kinda scent at all. :D I'd much prefer a nice, smokey incence-y or even sweet scent. *sigh* But I guess that's what swapping and the eventual CT3 are for. *g*

 

It's a very nice scent, slightly minty, soft; I didn't pick up the vanilla until I read this review. It could be tonka rather.

 

Overall, this scent reminds me in a very good way of Val Sans Retour. Which is good, because that's unreleased and I only have an imp and a half of that :D. it's an elusive floral mint, not light blue like Val, a little less cool, but I do get a slightly citrine floral, almost verging on glassy. With the mint and vanillaesque note, it curbs the normal migraine I get from glassy. It's very nice.

 

I'll call it my designer imitation Val sans Retour

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Chaos Theory 2 CCLXXVII - 277

 

This is driving me crazy because it smells exactly like another BPAL scent, and I can't figure out which one! I would guess that contains has oakmoss, perhaps a touch of honey, and maybe a sliver of patchouli. It's really difficult to tell as it lives up to its name by being a strange and chaotic scent. I think it has some other floral in it, as well, but I can't place it. Gardenia, perhaps? Maybe some oakmoss, as well. It's definitely predominantly floral with some deeper scents that keep it from being too heady. I can't decide if I like it or not! It's one of those scents where my initial reaction is that it's decidedly not for me, but I can't keep my nose away from my wrist because it continues to intrigue me. Definitely an odd one.

 

Chaos Theory 2: CCCXLVI - 346

 

This is pretty in the bottle. It smells fruity-sweet and slightly spicy. It’s invigorating and clears my sinuses. When I first apply it, it smells like a cross between Swank and The Hamptons – all pomegranate and orange –sharp, refreshing, and invigorating. I absolutely love it at this point. It seems the perfect “wake me up” scent for morning. As it starts to dry down, the fruit notes recede into the background, and a distinctly pumpkin scent begins to emerge, rounding out the sharpness of the fruit and giving it a mellower scent, and I get the feeling this is what I’d get if I layered The Hamptons, Swank, and Pumpkin Patch #3. Something slightly spicy is also beginning to move to the front, and I can’t tell if it’s nutmeg or clove. Upon full dry-down, the spices burst forth and become the dominant scent, resting on a bed of soft, smooth pumpkin cream. The fruit notes are nowhere to be found and it smells reminiscent of Harvest Moon with its artificial autumn potpourri aroma. As much as I love the scent of this in the vial and the opening notes, I don’t like the way it ends. I will try it in a scent locket and see if I have better luck with it retaining its fruitiness.

 

Previously reviewed by Tesseljoan.

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CDXXXVII(437)

 

In the bottle, this is all florals and very super sticky sweet. Wet, a blast of creamy cinammon and I think ginger plays up a blend of florals and berries. As this dries, a nice creamy-dusty blend of cinnamon and florals tangos up and down my skin. YUMMY. This is a luscious blend of slightly exotic berries and cream but the florals and ginger keep this from going TOO foody. Somehow, this just stays mildly tangy and sweet and ... well, downright friendly all the way until it fades out. There isn't much change, really. It's just good.

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CCCLXXXII(382)

 

Sniffy from a friend(thanks, Pen!!).

 

In the imp this is a lightly sweet, creamy floral, not unlike what I got from The Living Flame. A velvety, rich red scent. I recognize it but my mind is drawing a blank. Anyway, on skin it's more of the same, *very* similar to TLF. Fades to fairly light pretty quickly, the *squish my nose against my wrist to smell it* kinda light & then suddenly, it's back, then gone, then... Hmm, one of those... :P

Still, quite a lovely blend!

 

Last reviewed by Gin.

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CVI (106) smells like burned apple pie. It doesn't change much on my skin. I'm loving the Chaos Theory philosophy, but I'm not loving CVI.

 

LIX (59) smells like a fruity candy. It stays pretty true on me, and I'll be keeping it.

Edited by Sofia Blackthorne

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Chaos Theory: CDLXXII (472) - Wow, I don’t remember where I got this, but I sure wish I had more. The oil is a light green, so I expected a scent that was herbal or Rappaccini’s Gardenesque. However, what I got instead is a blend that should be part of the Monster Bait line. It is so sweet and gorgeous, full of the scent of sweet buttercream, perhaps the tiniest bit of coconut, a hint of saffron, and something far beneath the other scents that is slightly tart, but which I can’t quite place. It may be a wood of some sort. Bakery scents usually turn to plastic on my skin, but this one doesn’t. It does fade completely within about 90 minutes. The throw is fairly light, as well. I’m thinking this is going to make one heck of a yummy fragrance oil if I use it in my oil burner. This makes me so excited to get my Chaos Theory III bottles that are currently on their way to my house!

 

Made an educated guess and moved this review here from the original Chaos Theory topic. The original Chaos Theories ended around bottle #180. --Shollin

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DLI (I know this has been reviewed before, but I will have to hunt down the cross references later):

 

I swapped for this bottle based on a review of this as being fruity, and boy is it - on me it is basically like a musky pina colada, which for fun summer scent is just about perfect. Yay!

 

Last reviewed by t3andcrumpets.

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CCXXXIX (239) reminds me a bit of Underpants. It's not foody on my skin, though. I smell a latex note! Wonder what note my skin is rejecting this time...

 

There is something floral there, but I can't get past the WTF of latex.

 

Previously reviewed by minky.

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Chaos Theory: CDLXXXII (482)

I couldn't find if anyone had reviewed it previously.

 

I got this one off Ebay, and it is SUCH a me scent!

 

It's very pink in the bottle, very sweet, very candylike...It's just a happy, girly, young type of scent.

Very similar to Pink Phoenix and Pink Moon.

I wish I was better at identifying notes without some kind of guideline.

 

On my skin I get a sugary sweet treat with something that's a very light floral under it? Smells like strawberries, cream, sugar, some kind of sweet blossom and even more sweetness. This is sweeter than both Pink Phoenix and Pink Moon.

To me, this is the definition of a pink girly scent - and my gosh do I LOVE it!!!

 

I wish I could get about three more bottles with this exact same scent..it's THAT good!!!

Edited by BrightRedScream

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Another bottle that I got off Ebay and it seems like no one has reviewed it either!

 

So....

Chaos Theory II: CDIV (404)

 

In the bottle this smells like smokey fruit...with a bit of ozone?

It's very strange..and I don't think that I like it!

It's musty...citrusy...smokey....with water...

That's the best way I can describe it.

 

When I put this on my skin, it smells like smoke.

Literally.

Then as it starts to dry..a wierd citrus type of smell comes out...grapefruit rind?

I smell like a smokey grapefruit.

 

Maybe there's ginger in this?

There's something vaguely spicey under it...

Lotus root too? Bubble gum type dry down.

 

This scent morphs a lot every minute that it dries.

 

Once I got to a totaly dry down I got a very ozone type of citrus.

 

Not sure what I think of it...I don't think I can see myself wearing it often, but if my sister likes it - it's hers.

If not - I will see if someone else can appreciate it.

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My turn to do this one!

 

Chaos Theory II: CDIV (404)

 

In the bottle: I get a citrus hit at first...Not sure which one. It's not orange and it's not fresh enough to be lemon. Grapefruit? And then...MATCHSMOKE! I loooove matchsmoke. That's exactly what it reminds me of. But there's a shaprness too.

 

Wet: I still get that matchsmoke. But some fruit is coming through. I kinda like this so far.

 

Dry: The matchsmoke has faded a lot and that kinda fruity citrus is remaning.

........oh wait.....

Now it smells like...

Laundry detergent.

DAMMIT!

:P;

 

Oh well....

 

Previously reviewed by BrightRedScream.

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I just snagged decants of these from the lovely LiberAmoris, so here I am to add to her review (post #18 in this thread):

 

XXI: This is a freshly cracked peppercorn with a little herbiness in the background. I actually went to my spice cabinet to see what matched the herb(s), and I got thyme and possibly oregano. This is a fun scent and will be neat to wear when I'm cooking! :D

 

CCCXII: Plummy in the imp with the slightest hint of floral, this is nice to smell but dries to something like a slightly plastic-y Oya on my skin. I'm glad I got to sample it, but it's not quite for me.

 

CCXCVI: Oh. Dear. Gods. Above. Through you doth manifest all things good, and I sing a paean of thanks to you for Chaos Theory II: CCXCVI; yea, thy mercy and bounty are great. :D

 

I had really high hopes from Formula 54, but it went to a cherry cough syrup on me, and I swapped it away. This Chaos Theory is how I wanted F54 to be! It's the perfect sweet fragrance, elegant, like a glass of fine wine, with a bowl of cherries and a dish of small cakes set beside it. It reminds me of F54 crossed with a little bit of Beaver Moon.

 

I've just slathered myself in this stuff with the zeal of a chicken pox patient holding a bottle of calamine lotion...and then I realised, wait, I can't, because it's a one-of-a-kind Chaos Theory!

 

LiberAmoris, I hope you still have some decants left! *runs to check*

 

CCXCVI: :P

Edited by Shollin

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CDLXXXIII (483)

Thought it was about time I reviewed the first Chaos Theory I ever tried: my Chaos Theory II: The Butterfly Effect, since I’ve had it just over a year now...! It’s just as lovely today as the day I received it, though when I first smelt it, I was a little put off as as I’d never smelt a perfume combination quite like it before and it smelt a hell of a lot like a something you’d clear your nose with if you had a cold! Not like what I’d associate with perfume at all. But after wearing it a few times I discovered it was quite refreshing, and beautiful in warmer and cooler weather.

 

It took me a while to work out what might be in it, but it seems to be a mix of tea tree oil and/or eucalyptus, maybe rose geranium (just a hint of roseyness), and a big, gorgeous drop of Beth’s lovely lavender. These notes make it feel very fresh and herbal. As it dries down, a touch fruitiness comes out (which the man noted when he sniffed it), like a tropical fruit without being overly tropical, and a musk, that feels light pink, it might be white musk. All in all, this is uniquely light and refreshing mix of notes, a mix that I would never have imagined working on me, but it does!

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Chaos Theory 2: CCXXVII (227) - The decanter who sent this to me wrote "a very soft almond vanilla" on the back of the label. I think she is right. However, the almond is, more specifically, bitter almond and is the dominant note in this blend. The vanilla is sweet and soft, and overall, this scent reminds me of those candied Jordan almonds that are handed out at weddings as party favors. Once this blend dries down on my skin, I become absolutely convinced that there's a drop of mint or eucalyptus in this blend, too, as it chills my sinuses when I breath the scent in. It's a strange scent and not one I'd be likely to wear as a fragrance, although I imagine it would smell gorgeous in my oil burner.

 

 

Chaos Theory 2: LXXXIX (89) - The person I received my sample of this from wrote "peppermint, rose, lily - very soft" on the back of the label. I don't believe peppermint is the right mint; rather, I'm inclined to think that this is a wintergreen blend, although it doesn't yell "CERTS!" quite as loudly as most wintergreen scents do on me. The wintergreen overwhelms all of the other notes, and while I can tell there are florals in this blend, I'll have to take the decanter's word on it that it's lily and rose. I'm not a fan of any sort of mint, so I'll be passing this one on.

 

ADDED Sept. 20:

 

LXXXIX (89) - The top note in this blend is most definitely wintergreen. It's strong, bright, fresh, and clean. Underneath it is the soft, gentle scent of cucumber, and I think that underlying cucumber note makes the wintergreen bearable to me for the first time ever -- it makes it softer and more subtle, so that it doesn't blast CERTS!!! all around me. I really like that combo! Swirling in and out of the cucumber is a clean, aqua-blue aquatic scent, that makes the cucumber and wintergreen cool and more watery than they already are. I am almost certain that there is a sugar note blended in with this, as well, because it's sweeter than I would expect from the wintergreen or cucumber notes by themselves. I think this is the first minty scent I've ever worn that I don't immediately find unappealing and untolerable. It's very clean, fresh, crisp, and sweet. Definitely a winner!

Edited by Shollin

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Chaos Theory 2 CX

 

In the imp - Astringent, woody and maybe a hint of floral?

 

Wet on skin - Vaguely medicinal. With something herby that just jumped up my nostrils.

 

Dry on skin - Now it's smokey herbal with a touch of musk. It's definitely improving.

 

Later - I likes this one. It's rich and musky and I can't stop sniffing it.

 

Last reviewed by cuervosueno.

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