Chaos Theory IV: Edge of Chaos

[mawaridi]

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.

CDLXXVI (476)
In the bottle: Strong and sweet, but not a sugary or cloying sweetness; I smell almonds (oh noes!) and something fruity.
Wet on my skin: Thankfully, the almond fades pretty quickly (I usually amp almond like crazy, to the point where I can smell nothing else) and the fruit opens up into something sharply sweet, it makes me think of pomegranate, maybe? I was worried about the almond, but this is quite lovely. Despite the original strength of the oil in the bottle, it doesn't have much throw.
Dry: The sharpish fruity possibly-pomegranate note has softened out beautifully and it's quite a gentle, almost musky skin scent once dry. There's something a bit peppery coming through now, too.

I like this one a lot - it's not my favourite BPAL evar, but it's very nice and I'll hold on to it. Sadly, there's very little throw and although it's lovely when I get my nose right up close, it's very faint.

CDLXXXVIII (488)
In the bottle: a fresh, green, very clean scent. Astringent and slightly soapy, but not in a bad way. Understated.
Wet on my skin: Much of the same, but the soapy note is stronger now. The green is sharp, a little sweet, almost, like aloe. With my nose right up against it it's quite zingy, but the throw (which is pretty decent) is less green and more soapy.
Dry: Soaptastic It's nice soap, green and fresh and fancy-smelling, but still soap. Not for me, I'm afraid. Edited August 11, 2008 by Shollin

[eanewsom]

I ordered a whole bunch because I love surprises. It turned out I was right to do so, as I'm deeply in love with all but one.

 

LXXXVII (87)- in the bottle, it smells like pure, fresh melon. On, The melon stays nice and strong, but just enough cherry comes out to make it more complex. As it dries, I start to get some white musk and a faint touch of white florals.

Previously reviewed by savage_rose.

 

CCCXCVI (396)- In the bottle- imagine if you had so much Lump of Coal and Fruitcake sitting around that you dumped some together to see what would happen. On, it smells exactly like the bottle. Dang, I'm jealous of myself over this one!

 

CCCXCVIII (398)- In the bottle - I simply haven't the foggiest clue beyond it being sort of aquatic. I'd hoped that putting it on, I'd be able to pick out notes, but I can't. There's something sort of peppery in there, but I can't with any confidence call it pepper, either. Whatever it is, I'm not crazy about it. Swap bag.

 

CDVIII (408)- in the bottle, it smells very similar to Shub. On, it keeps a dominant ginger note, but it sweetens up, almost like ginger cotton candy.

 

CDXLVIII (448)- in the bottle, hooray! I got a popcorn scent! On, I get lotus! When I was in elementary school, we used to do fundraisers where we sold bags of flavored candied popcorn, and the best was bubblegum, and here it is on my wrists! There's also some resin popping out to ground it.

 

CDLIII (453)- In the bottle - really similar to Mr. Nancy, ie a sweet lime that doesn't smell like floor cleaner. On, that lime note stays there, but I'm starting to get some pine, as well. Normally I hate pine but this is so subdued that it just serves to give a hint of sharpness unless I really bury my nose in my wrist.

 

CDLIV (454)- In the bottle, woo hoo! Another melon scent! I love BPAL's melon and there just isn't enough of it around. On, I'm also getting... rose? And spices? Yes, it smells a lot like Lucy's Kiss plus melon. Which sounds freakish, and, well, it is, but it's also really, really good.

 

CDLX (460)- In the bottle, this is sort of a resiny aquatic. On, it stays pretty similar, but gets a bit sweeter. Is that sweetness fruity pebbles? It might be. Yes, I'm going to have to go with calling this one an aquatic fruity pebble scent.

 

 

Woo hoo, my second round arrived!

 

DCCXXIX (729)- In the bottle, sharp cough syrup. On, wet, it smells dark and green and resinous, very sinister and unsettling! As it dries, it's going grassy. I'll have to try it in a locket and see if it keeps that dark creepy smell, otherwise it's off to swaps. ETA: I had lunch with Wildbriar yesterday and had her try it since she likes grassy scents, and it got really rosey on her! No rose on me whatsoever.

 

DCCXXX (730)- In the bottle, some sort of citrus- pink grapefruit or tangerine, I think. On, that's definitely pink grapefruit! After a few minutes that mellows out a little and something else starts to come out... some sort of tropical white flower. Pikaki?

 

DCCXXXI (731)- In the bottle, I'm noticing some ginger but I can't tell what else is in there. On, hot damn, this is ginger popcorn! The popcorn is much more subdued and subtle than it is in CDXLVIII, really letting the ginger be front and center. ETA: After I wear it for about an hour, the ginger and popcorn fade out, and it gets smoky, but not smoky like burning leaves, smoky like bacon. (Not meaty, but definitely an edible sort of smoke.)

 

 

DCCXXXIII (733)- In the bottle, its sharp and resiny. On, it immediately gets very mild and subtle, and starts to get piney. Maybe pine and lemon, sometimes my nose blurs them together. Besides the pine, it kind of reminds me of Destroying Angel. Not a pine fan, though.

Edited August 11, 2008 by Shollin

[femmefatale]

CLXVII:

 

At first I was having a really hard time with this one. I was just sniffing it in the bottle since I've been having a hard time with scents going funky on my skin. I finally broke down and tried it though.

OMG, It smells like suncreen and salty ocean water and something else I can't quite ge ta fix on. It's right there behind everything but but just out of reach. At times I think it might be spice, others maybe musk? It reminds me of when hubby and I met and he was lifeguarding and I would go see him at the beach.

Safe to say, it's a keeper.

[fairnymph]

CCCXIV - 314

 

In the bottle: Extremely pale yellow colour. Sweet, brightly citrusy, buttery-cakey. Lemon cake with creamy vanilla frosting.

 

Wet: Less foody, more citrusy. Some tangerine now, and subdued florals - pikaki, maybe. The creamy sweet scent strikes me as tonka, perhaps. Still a nice zesty lemon rind, and maybe some lemon blossom and orange blossom too.

 

Dry: More and more floral; definitely pikaki and orange blossom, and I still strongly suspect lemon blossom as it reminds me of Tiki King. This blend almost has a tropical feel, and wait...yes, some coconut in here, that must be what struck me as tonka at first - very sweet and creamy, but natural, light.

 

Later: There's another floral I know but can't place, something green and a bit heady - hyacinth, perhaps, or a well-behaved magnolia. This has become mostly glorious, deep but not overwhelming green-white flowers, as the citrus notes have faded. A sexy musk, white I'd guess, has emerged too and makes this blend all the more alluring.

 

Summary: Citrus blossoms and rich white florals (magnolia, pikaki), over a creamy, tonka-coconut base, with an intense kick of sexy, rich musk and a hint of green-herbal freshness and woody-earth. Feminine, tropical, warm and summery. Exotic, sexy, complex. Great throw, good lasting power.

 

Not quite my style, but absolutely delectable.

 

 

XXIV - 24

 

In the bottle: Deep orange oil. Buttery, sugary sweet. Some creamy vanilla, and a hint of spice. Insanely foody.

 

Wet: Caramel, that's what this is! Creme brulée-like, slight-burnt-sugar edge. Some deep woods in here, too - something a bit dusty - mahogany, perhaps? The vanilla is dark and almost a bit smoky, and this reminds me a bit of Snake Oil. Something rooty, a dark patchouli I'm guessing, which gives this an earthy soil note.

 

Dry: Very slow to dry. This has developed a licorice note, and some clove, and I suspect some red musk...it's really reminding me a ton of Snake Oil with these notes. It's less overwhelmingly sweet, much spicier, more complex, exotic.

 

Later: On me, the wood note really amps over time, and the musk deepens. The clove is sweet, spicy, and woody all at once, and quite intense. Fortunately, the creamy, sugary vanilla-caramel sort of softens the intense spice and woods.

 

Summary: Burnt sugar caramel, creamy smoky vanilla, deep, dry-hot mahogany, intense clove, rooty-earthy patchouli, and bold, sexy red musk. Probably It reminds me a great deal of Snake Oil, but is sweeter, creamier, and woodier. A must for foody/spicy/woody lovers. Good throw and lasting power.

 

Sadly, this is precisely the type of scent I DON'T like, personally, so off to swaps. ETA: Having just tried Anaconda, I'm finding these two scents are nearly INDENTICAL. It's frankly eerie!

 

 

LII - 52

 

In the bottle: Crisp, tart green apples! In fact, the very same apple note from Snow, Glass, Apples (I did a direct sniffing comparison). There are some light white and exotic flowers too, and at least one other fruity note, maybe some honeydew melon. A fresh, green, fruity floral, with a yummy sour candy feel.

 

Wet: Very similar, oh it's delightfully sour, just like sour apple candy. A bit more floral, and lighter on my skin. The flowers remind me of springtime, and have a fresh, creamy feel. Daffodil, peony, and some stargazer lily, giving this a nice cleanness. Sweet plumeria or jasmine sambac, too. Deconstructing the fruit a bit, I suspect there is some sort of exotic citrus, like kumquat or yuzu.

 

Dry: Much of the sourness fades, and the fruit and flowers become sweeter and softer. The apples still resemble sour apple candy, but no longer the initial tart flavour - now it's the aftertaste that lingers sweetly in one's mouth. I was right about the melon note, which is twin to the one in Blue Moon 04. I'm getting a tea note, too - white and/or green, pleasantly piney-fresh, smooth, and soothing.

 

Later: Sweeter and sweeter, just barely straining at the limits of what I can bear, with probably some lighter tropical fruits - this has that Asian/tropical feel. There's another distinct fruit note, too - wild strawberry. Yep, WILD. It has that unmistakeable tart-herbal edge, and it's not plastic like the regular strawberry note is on me. A delicious musk has emerged, some sort of light musk, though it's potent to be able to stand up to the intense fruit.

 

Summary: Sour green apple candy which morphs to an exotic tart citrus and ripe red apples, honeydew melon, wild strawberries, and likely some other tropical/asian fruits. Just barely behind the fruits in dominance comes a strong musk, and then next a rich and creamy, yet clean and fresh boquet of daffodil, peony, stargazer lily, and jasmine sambac. Some smooth, gently herbal white and green teas round out the blend perfectly. Ultra feminine and superbly balanced. Good throw, fabulous lasting power.

 

Recalls Blue Moon 2004, Earth Rat, Mi-Go Brain Canister, Fruit Moon, Night-Gaunt and Kitsune-Tsuki. It's incredible, and I will cherish this bottle. It instantly skyrocketed into my top 10 of all time. Lab, you struck rhodium with this one.

 

LXXIII - 73

 

In the bottle: Predominantly green-herbal, but also some slightly heady florals (lilac? lily of the valley?) a slightly soapy-clean aquatic note, and some deep woodsy. Unisex.

 

Wet: Soapier, more floral - argh, I suspect jasmine, though still some lilac, too. The herbs include sage, I think, and then other greenery - ivy, perhaps. The sharp soapiness of the florals suggests neroli, too. A hint of citrus - bergamot, perhaps, or petitgrain.

 

Dry: Slow to dry. Increasingly, unpleasantly soapy - definitely neroli and jasmine, though the lilac is well-behaved, and other than being typically heady, the lily of the valley is not too overbearing. But the citrus and herbal notes are matchings the florals stride for stride. Something earthy emerging faintly, distantly.

 

Later: That slightly bitter citrus is holding on remarkably, but the soapy, heady florals are just too much for me. I can smell some sweeter, more neutral grounding notes (tonka, patchouli) but they are so vague and don't quite come through. Quite masculine at this point, I'd say.

 

Summary: Slightly bitter green citrus, herbs, ivy and greenery with somewhat heady florals (lilac, lily of the valley, jasmine). Soapy edge on my skin, due to the lilac/jasmine. Hint of white rose, and in the final drydown sweet tonka and light earthy patchouli finely shine through. Outdoorsy. Unisex to masculine. Strong throw and lasting power.

 

I can't take the double whammy of jasmine and lily of the valley, which are soapy and heady on my skin, respectively - but when they wear off, the tonka and patchouli which linger are quite sexy (and on a man, I would bet even more so) . It's just a bit too masculine for me, but it's a rather unique scent in the BPAL range. Off to swaps.

Edited August 14, 2008 by fairnymph

[Esmeria]

LIX (59)

 

I was so nervous of this one- I sniffed it last, after all the other bottles and the frimps. I was so worried it was going to be something like pine, or an aquatic, or something overly floral. I needn't have been.

 

Bottle: Um, hello Midway? :D

 

Wet on skin: There is definately some serious Midway going on. But with a hint of something from Snow White and something from Torture Queen.

 

Little bit later: still pretty much the same as above There's also something in the background that is also in Tiki Queen* but I don't know what.

 

*I can also smell the Tiki Queen note in the bottle, when I went back for another sniff. It isn't strong and is even lighter on.

 

Suffice to say, this is GORGEOUS. I'm having serious problems tryin to take my wrist away from my nose. Oh my. I think I won, heh.

 

to Beth, Brian and Puddin!

Edited August 7, 2008 by Esmeria

[sookster]

I went with 3 bottles and they all ended up really different. It was a blast!

 

CDXXXI (431)

Wet on Skin: Boozy. Lots of Booze.

 

Drydown: Pink Grapefruit, sharp and tangy pink grapefruit. Wet though, as if you had just sliced into it and the juice is on your fingers. The booze has faded into the background for now.

 

Dry: The booze is back and it's gin (arg!). Pink Grapefuit and Gin. This could have been in the tiki lounge, it smells so similar.

 

 

CDLXXXVI (486)

Wet on Skin: Ooh, woody. It is similar to Tombstone, I get wiffs of cedar over something creamy.

 

Drydown: A sweetness, cream and fruit? Nope. Milk and fruit. Strawberry maybe?

 

Dry: Warm wood, like the smell of a woodpile at camp after it has sat in the sun all day. Hints of the milk and fruit remain in the background.

 

CDLXXII (472)

This one was a morpher.

 

Wet on Skin: Creamy fruit with flashes of mint?

 

Drydown: A complete but fabulous change. It's that sweet aquatic I get from Selkie, the fruit and mint have gone leaving sweet watery fun. Awesome.

 

Dry: Crap! Something in here went soapy on me. Now all I get is soap soap soap.

 

Stupid skin. These would all smell awesome on someone other than me. Now it's time for another round!

 

 

ok so Robin and i swapped and i got these three which i shall review here...i like to leave her impressions as these are just so

interesting!!!

 

CDLXXXVI (486)

straight sniff from bottle is chocolate and vetiver....

once applied licorice/anise dance around with the chocolate...

then a fruity edge appears...with creaminess...and some nuttiness...

a serious morpher this is just marvelous...after 30 plus minutes i am

left with a resinous fruity blend...amazing!!!

 

CDXXXI (431)

straight sniff from bottle is a thick citrus and nilla wafer cookies...

once applied lots of buttery cookies and grapefruit...imagine!!

this is sooooooooo grand...

 

CDLXXII (472)

straight sniff from bottle is sharp cream...

once applied i get a jasmine note...some vanilla...

maybe some pine...watery...quite interesting

[Dark Alice]

I don't know what my number is, but I can still review it:

 

In bottle: Lemon and Lime lifesavers

 

Wet on Skin: Lemon and Lime Lifesavers

 

Dry Down: This is the weirdest scent I have ever had from the lab. This dries down to lemon lime pineapple upside down cake.

 

Complete Drydown: Pineapple upside down cake.

 

I don't know if I want to keep this scent, but I am going to wait and see what happens after it settles.

 

 

Again, the lab has managed to surprise me!!!

Edited August 7, 2008 by Dark Alice

[Melenass]

C (100)

 

In the bottle: orange cream.

 

Skin: sweet orange cream, jasmine and tuberose.

 

Later: sweet cream .

 

Very very beautiful

[Katinka]

CCCXI (311)

 

Starts out as a strong, sweet lemon scent, with a hint of floral and maybe soft herbs? After a few minutes, jasmine seems to take over, and I’m reminded somewhat of Eos. The drydown, however, is similar to more delicate Lolita – it’s a soft, sweet, slightly powdery floral. Really yummy, and I like it quite a bit.

 

CCCXVIII (318)

 

Er…men’s cologne? A woodsy sort of base, with a touch of some sort of spice? I tend to prefer what my friend calls “cleaning product scents”, so this is really not my thing.

CCLXIII (263)

 

This one also starts out with lemon, but it’s more of an herbal scent, like lemon balm or lemongrass. There’s also a sharp, pungent green note reminiscent of the discontinued Muse scents Melpomene and Calliope. I’m not terribly keen on it so far, but after 15-20 minutes, the green note almost completely recedes and a sweet resin base (amber?) comes forward. I’m left with a rather yummy lemony-amber drydown. I’m willing to wait out the initial stages for this!

[hackess]

I swapped #27 away to sookster for DXXVIII (528), and omg, it's awesome.

 

In the bottle, I faintly detect a super sweet mint in the background and something a little waxy up front -- it reminds me a bit of chewy toffees.

 

As it dries, the coffee note becomes much more prominent, with just a hint of sweet cream. Perfect for this foody lover!

 

Not terribly long-lasting, and very little throw, but it's great to toss on for myself just to sit around and sniff my arm.

[IronMollyBlack]

Two out of three ain't bad! Not crazy over my first Chaos, but these next two...

 

DCCLXVI (766): Fruity, don't ask me what kind of fruit. Haven't figured that out yet. Or what else is in there that makes it smell so divine. Some type of floral? But not one of the ones that gives me headaches. All I know is that I likes it!

 

DCCLXVII (767): Straight out of the bottle, chocolate. Like Thirteen 2008 chocolate. Then it morphs a bit fruity/floral with the chocolate. You'd have to pry this one out of my cold dead hands!

 

I have a feeling these aren't the last two Chaos Theories I will order before they come down!

[young_devilry]

CD: CDXXXIV - 434

 

This started out smelling like cake batter, with perhaps a touch of butter. After a few hours I got something that smelled like either melon or apple, I think green apple. The batter scent doesn't sit so well with me, so off to the sales page it goes, and another to hop into my next order.

Edited August 8, 2008 by wearing dangerous smiles

[ladyver]

CCCLXXXII (382)

 

you think about reaching for a caramel fudge bar, but instead take a bite into a green sweet and super juicy fruit in stiffling humid tropical weather

 

a brief tropical storm passes by

 

afterwards you take a book and your fudge bar and wander down into the garden where the scent of jasmin sambac, lotus and other tropical blooms are in the air following the storm, which has lowered the himidity a little, so you decide to relax in the garden under the jasmine sambac tree next to the pond where the lotus are flowering with your book, nibbling on your fudge bar every once in a while

 

 

It is like in making CCCLXXXII, they took some black lotus, some manila and a portion of a humid tropical aquatic, a dash of ozone and underlayed it with a caramal (who would have thought that would fit in a tropical scent) and lotus root or a wood - OMG - i love it - my perfect tropical scent!!!

 

no one... i say NO ONE.... is getting their hands on this baby!!!!!!

Edited August 9, 2008 by ladyver

[outofrhyme]

CT4: DCXXXVI (636)

 

So, I've taken a pretty long break from BPAL, and I probably should have tried reviewing something easier than a Chaos Theory scent for my comeback This is particularly rough because as far as I can tell, this bottle is comprised of notes I just don't wear, so I don't have a good idea of what's going on.

 

In the bottle:

Burnt plastic. Okay, that's really not fair. A more honest attempt... something really herbal (vetiver?), maybe some DBR or other resins. I think there's amber(?) and musk, and maybe a hint of cream. There's something in here that's really familiar, but I can't place it at all, and it's driving me nuts. Oil appears to be a light yellow, but with the dark bottle it's hard to tell (I'm basing this off using a white Qtip stick to apply).

 

Wet:

Herbs and more herbs. And yeah, I'm pretty sure there's some DBR. I don't smell the other notes anymore, but something is softening/sweetening the blend here -- maybe a floral, but it's light and I don't have a clue what it is. It's a warm scent with a bit of bitterness. This is not what I wear, and it's making me feel a little queasy

 

Dry down:

If I fan the scent towards my nose, rather than putting my nose against my skin, I get: resins with a touch of herbs and maybe fruit -- almost smells like bubble gum, though I really can't explain why -- and I still think there's a touch of cream or something a little bit sweet, but it doesn't smell like a floral now. This keeps getting sweeter and sweeter on me (BPAL blends usually do), and the fruity note reminds me a bit of the sugary plummy note in Baneberry or Frumious Bandersnatch.

 

Final Thoughts:

My original gut instinct was that this blend is utterly not for me. I hate it much less now, though. I'll think about it a little more, but I'll probably go for swaps.

Edited August 9, 2008 by outofrhyme

[smallvoice]

So, I have in my possession 724 and 725, aka: DCCXXIV and DCCXXV

 

I'm currently only reviewing 724. In the bottle, it smells like apples! Like bright red, juicy apples! And something a tinge soapy, which I'm guessing is rose. Hrm. Rose and I haven't been on the best of terms lately.

 

Oddly enough, on my skin, the rose takes a backseat to something that reminds me of the cream from Milk Moon '05, and possibly '07. It is sweeter than I remember '05 being, though. There is definitely rose in this. Rose, milk and apples. There's something deeper that's grounding this and making it something that is not the light, frou-frou scent you'd expect from hearing those three notes. Maybe another fruit? Fig or something. I absolutely cannot stand the milk/cream note. It's like what I remember from Obatala, so maybe it's coconut... weird. I think I'd recognize coconut. It could be coconut milk, but I don't know. As it dries, it becomes bearable. I thought there might be honey earlier, but I don't think so anymore. I think the fruit sweetens it up just a little and it would be way sweeter with honey in it. So it's kinda like Milk Moon with roses and apples in it.

[Delirium1009]

So, I have in my possession 724 and 725, aka: DCCXXIV and DCCXXV

 

I'm currently only reviewing 724. In the bottle, it smells like apples! Like bright red, juicy apples! And something a tinge soapy, which I'm guessing is rose. Hrm. Rose and I haven't been on the best of terms lately.

 

Oddly enough, on my skin, the rose takes a backseat to something that reminds me of the cream from Milk Moon '05, and possibly '07. It is sweeter than I remember '05 being, though. There is definitely rose in this. Rose, milk and apples. There's something deeper that's grounding this and making it something that is not the light, frou-frou scent you'd expect from hearing those three notes. Maybe another fruit? Fig or something. I absolutely cannot stand the milk/cream note. It's like what I remember from Obatala, so maybe it's coconut... weird. I think I'd recognize coconut. It could be coconut milk, but I don't know. As it dries, it becomes bearable. I thought there might be honey earlier, but I don't think so anymore. I think the fruit sweetens it up just a little and it would be way sweeter with honey in it. So it's kinda like Milk Moon with roses and apples in it.

 

I got bottles DCCXXII and DCCXXIII (722 and 723) and as for my review, I get that same tropical milkiness cordia reported from 723, plus apples (green, crisp apples) and grapes. Maybe some fig, too. I'm pretty sure it's coconut milk in mine, and after a little bit it smells like a tropical drink on my skin. It reminded me a little of Milk Moon 07 or Obatala, but I can't stand either of those (they literally make me gag) and this one was nice... it just wasn't me. At first, though, 723 is crisp green apples, white grapes, and a touch of cake on my skin. It's similar in the bottle.

 

As for DCCXXII (722), this one is odd. In the bottle it's sort of like cake and clean laundry. After I apply it to my skin I get that clean feel plus something lightly nutty and smoky, and some smooth fruit like dates. After a while a cool, bluish floral scent comes out. I can't identify a single note in this, but it's nice.

Edited August 10, 2008 by Delirium1009

[femmefatale]

CT: DCCCXLIV

 

Oooooh, I got my last (for now) bottle of CT. It is soooo yummy! In my locket it smells like sugared vanilla (almost like snickerdoodles) with a hint of creamy spice. Something in the background I can't quite pick up. Sniffing more, I think it's buttered rum.

 

On my wrist it's less sugary and more vanilla & spice w/something slightly floral. Hubby thinks it's hibiscus? I also think I pick up the barest hint of ozone, hubby thinks I'm crazy. LOL

 

 

Whatever it is, it is gorgeous! It's not overly sweet, just warm and yummy. I'm still deciding if it's me, but I'll keep it for now because hubby likes it and it will probably be great once the weather cools down.

 

ETA: Sadly, I just don't think I'm a foody person. It's given me a slight headache, which seems to happen with most foody scents. Maybe if I layer it w/Plunder the spice would help?

 

EDITED AGAIN:

 

Wow. Ok, yep, that was the trick. Plunder added the perfect spice to it. It is now absolutely perfectly yummy.

[bibliophile]

DXXXII (532)

 

abejita's review

 

abejita noted some similarities with Hungry Ghost Moon and Tamamo-no-Mae in her initial review; since both are on my "top 10" list, I jumped at the chance to take this bottle off her hands when it didn't work for her! Fortunately for me, I get the similarity as well. There's definitely grapefruit and ginger here, and I'm pretty sure that this blend has a white/"crystalline"/skin musk in it. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a bit of sandalwood in here as well. The major difference between this CT and those two blends is the blast of melon that I get when this is wet. For those of you who get a peachy feel from T-n-M: imagine it with honeydew instead, and you'll have a good idea what this blend is like. Dry, the melon is much less prevalent; it's blending really nicely with the grapefruit, and is very similar to a lighter Hungry Ghost Moon. I love it, and am ecstatic that this bottle made its way to me!

[smallvoice]

This is DCCXXV, or 725. I smell carnations in the bottle, and something familiar. Oh. Once I apply the oil, it turns into that coconut milk I found so disturbing in my previous CT. Yup, carnations and that horrifying milk note. And... body odor. Which means that ginger has arrived. There is something that I initially thought was beeswax but later wondered if it was olive oil. It's one of the two. What a strange combination. I want to say there's some pink pepper in here, but I don't know- it could be the carnation and ginger together. The body odor paired with that milk note is nauseating me, so I think I'll just let you know that the drydown doesn't relent. It stays the same on me, for the most part. Not that I've spent much time huffing a patch of skin that smells like it hasn't been washed in many years, I must admit. I do sniff it hopefully, now and then, to see if anything has changed. *sniffs* It hasn't. But it might have both beeswax and olive oil. Hopefully this'll find a happier home.

[nursekins]

am such a chaos theory vamp...on to more reviews

 

CLXI-.It is divine.I can not tell you all what the notes are but I will do my best to paint a picture.Ok picture yourself in a very old run down woodne home...the two story type with the peeling paint...you walk in the door are are hit with the scent of gloom and age.You smell the warped wood and moisture in the air.You decide the basement would be cool to explore so you head down the stairs. When you get there you smell the old wood from above.You smell cold rock with years of moisture and moss...just an aged dark scent.Not mold like...just very old...I LOVE..this scent

 

CLXXII-This was may not work.I love the mint that goes on the initial application.Like a green mint....Maybe violet??A cool green stem like note.After short drydown though I am getting a very strong floral note ...it started out like lilac but it is going lily...like a lily of the valley...I will have to ponder this one...

 

 

This was scotchbonnet's review

 

DLXXII - I have no idea. none. It's close to licorice, but it's not. It is also not a floral. Or fruit. Minty not-licorice?

 

Mine

 

DLXXII-This one starts out like a candy/strawberry bubblegum scent ...It begins to morph and I get almost a cake like batter...but not the type in eat me or yellow cake...this is almost like a pancake scent...buttery and with a slight hint of vanilla...the strawberry note is still there and this one is lovely..I had double check the numbers as this one is so different on me...it is the one...skin chemistry is so interesting:)

Edited August 18, 2008 by Shollin

[ForeverLastcXs]

DCCCXXI (821)

 

In the bottle - Oh wow, this is a tough one to pin down. I smell something floral and something sharp, slightly stinging, and sweet, but not too astringent. Apple or orange, maybe? I'm not quite sure what the floral edge smells like to me. I'm not good at identifying different floral scents as I don't wear too many of them.

 

On skin - I think I might smell something slightly grassy here too. This smells like springtime in the country to me - fresh, crisp fruit, sweet, blooming flowers, freshly-cut grass. I can't pin down the floral influence exactly but it is not too overwhelming - it is nicely tempered by the other notes. I definitely smell some sweet orange here - not a soft, mellow orange, but an in-your-face orange, like the scent you get when you split a whole one down the middle.

 

Overall, I think I'd categorize this as a "sweet, fruity floral." A definite springtime/summer scent!

Edited August 11, 2008 by ForeverLastcXs

[milo]

Bottle DCCX, (is this 700?) I like this concept, because it forces you to try and pick out notes, but I'm stiil not very good at it! This is a musky, fruity and the mood I get is careless abandonment. You may not want to wear this to a party unless you were looking for *ahem* trouble! To me, this is a dark, fruity Smut, and will only get better with age. I was expecting to not like a CT, as I'm picky enough as it is, but I am glad to be proved wrong.

[midnight_aeval]

DCCXXXV (785): I tried my one bottle today and it is delicious Grapefruit Bubblegum. Heh.. the grapefruit is strongest in the wet stage. Much like fruity bubble gum that loses it's flavor after about 10 minutes, the strong grapefruit smell mellows and the sweet bubblegum scent come through. I really love this blend!! I ordered some more and can't wait to see what's in store for me next

[donnatron]

XXXVII

 

Bottle: Lotus. Lots and lots of lotus. I kind of amp lotus, but I also dig lotus so this is a good thing. In the background I smell something crisp and green. Reminds me of granny smith apples.

 

Wet: LOTUS! SO MUCH LOTUS!!!! Also, a green apple sort of scent. Touch of wood. Not sandalwood, rosewood or teak. Maybe mahogany. If it's mahogany bouquet, they basically dripped one drop out of the pipette, because it's not dominant, it's just there.

 

Dry: Apple seeds. Spot on replica of crushed apple seeds. Sort of dry, slightly apple-y, sweet, touched with almond woodiness. It's awesome.

 

Throw: Apples throw most of all. The lotus is surprisingly close to the skin.

 

Overall: I'm happy with it. Luckily I'm not freakishly in love, but it's a nice, fresh scent and I do love to smell like apples come the fall months.

[porcelina]

cmxxx

 

i brought this to the woodfield bpal MnS and no one else had any idea what they were smelling, either. i think it is definitely aquatic and floral. it's a sweet, fresh scent, not too cloying. maybe sweet pea and freesia- i know i have smelled this flower before, in some other bath product. but there is a fresh, watery note, maybe a bit of salt (but much better than penthus or pool of tears, both of which smelled icky on me)... there might be a hint of citrus. it's pleasant, but sooo not my thing.