citharadraconis

Oh, I like this! I can't pick out which elements of this are doing what, but it smells fresh and airy: a light, fine shawl that's maybe been kept in a drawer with a bar of high-end perfumed soap, worn out into the countryside on a dewy, misty morning.

In the vial, it's quite sweet and creamy, all vanilla and very pretty. On me, though, the first impression I get is (of all things) grape Tylenol. I have no idea where that's coming from, but there it is. Grape Tylenol or possibly cough syrup; maybe it's the palm date combined with the dark sharpness of the oud. As it dries I get that Chapstick-like feeling that I got from Love's Philosophy and whatever that pear/vanilla Haunted House scent was, so I guess there's the same vanilla in this; and the cough syrup overtones still linger unpleasantly. I really wanted to like this (vanilla ginger? Yesplz), but I guess we're not to be.

The lab frimped me this, and it's one I'd never have tried on my own, but this is definitely not what I expected. Apparently, "unadulterated spiritual purity" smells like...peaches? I'm guessing it's the olive--it's not quite peaches, a little greener, sort of fuzzy-smelling. Straight-up sweet and fruity in the vial, grounded by a hint of sweet incense once it hits my skin, which gradually takes over. I can't really pick out notes from this. It's surprisingly bright and fresh, and I think it would make a nice spring/summer scent.

Yum. This is terrific. First bottle I've sprung for from the Lab unsniffed, and it was the right decision. In the bottle and wet, yep, it's root beer. Delicious. As it dries, it acquires a little more complexity--it's still root beer, but it's the REALLY GOOD home-brewed kind with real sassafras, not too much sweetness, and a wonderful herbal bite to it. There's something earthy and almost incensy grounding it (the onycha?), the oak leaf gives it a woody, rooty smell, and the vanilla and presumably the butter are adding depth to the sweetness of the sassafras. I was worried because I can't stand overly-buttery scents and BPAL vanilla often turns to ChapStick on me, but there's none of that here. I want to drink myself.

In the vial I get wood and perhaps tobacco with a hint of limey citrus--deep and a little sweet, but definitely masculine. On me at first it turns to aftershave and reminds me a little of the disappointment October was on me. As it dries and settles into my skin, though, it becomes rich, soft and creamy. I can't really pick out any of the notes; as others have said, this is beautifully blended. Tobacco is often headache-inducing on me, but I can't perceive it at all in here. It is indeed reminiscent of the ocean and tropical beaches, though not in a commercial-perfumey way, and it's definitely unisex. I like this a lot--very evocative.

Holy wow, this is a morpher. In vial: Musk with evergreens and a hint of wine. Not unpleasant, but not something I'd care to smell like, I think. On, after a couple of seconds: ...cake? I think the wine is amping, with sweet, almost creamy musk behind it. This is delicious, if not at all what I expected. Drying down: The wine recedes a bit, leaving a soft, "fuzzy" scent behind it. I can see the Buck Moon comparisons, but where that had an airy herbal undercurrent, this is all sweet wine. I like this a lot, and would welcome more than the half-decant I have.

In the imp, it smells pretty good, if a bit medicinal. On me... ...Chapstick??????? Seriously. Fruit-flavored Chapstick. WTF. On drydown, it mellows somewhat and is really quite pretty, if a bit faint and waxy. Maybe it's skin chemistry? I'll keep this around and retest, but really. Chapstick? Must be the BPAL vanilla--I've noticed it goes plasticky on me.

Smells quite masculine in the imp and goes on pencil-shavings. Stupid cedar. But after a few minutes, it turned into sexy root beer. I had no idea root beer could be sexy, or work as a perfume, but somehow this does. It's a bit more manly than I usually go for, but I like it!

Also, it's not technically in the Illyria collection, but I wanted to throw out Queen Mab--a sweet, dusky, almost fruity floral, it's a beautifully blended and complex scent, and one of my personal top 10. And any Mercutio fan will associate her with Shakespeare.

If she likes light, fruity scents I definitely recommend Katharina; it's a lovely, sweet, effervescent fruity scent. Titania, too--an enchanting, cool, ethereal fruity-floral. If she likes herbals, The Apothecary is great. I also second Tamora and Jester. (Actually, all the Illyrias I've tried have been lovely and very evocative of their characters. You probably can't go wrong with any of 'em. )

I don't think I've reviewed this scent before, but it's been one of my favorite BPALs for almost as long as I've been enabled. The chrysanthemum is dominant in the bottle, but on me it turns into a gorgeous, creamy-sweet-spicy-smoky blend that's heady, rich, sexy and subtle at the same time, with just enough throw to tantalize the nose and make you want to lean close to breathe it in. If it were a color, it'd be a deep, glowing autumnal red-orange with flecks of gold, a perfect fall scent. Not at all the sort of thing I'd imagine myself loving or wearing, but I do! (It really sticks around, too; I've worn it all day and woken up the next morning to a lingering hint of smokiness where I applied it.)

A light, foamy aquatic that mellows over time but remains, on me, fairly nondescript. Pretty, but there are plenty of aquatics I like better.

Oh ugh ugh ugh. Get it away. I seriously don't know what it is about this blend (maybe it's my skin), but something about the scent makes me nauseous and uneasy, both in the imp and on me. It's a weird, boggish, musky grapefruit aquatic--I normally love grapefruit and aquatics, but this just smells...off to me, like the slimy underbelly of something decaying in stagnant water. I suppose it fits the concept well, but it turns my stomach.

Oh, this is glorious. Light and sweet and soft, like a gentler Hungry Ghost Moon (that must be the ho wood and rice wine) without the citrus and with lovely cherry blossom and mint tea. I am absolutely in love--this could definitely be a signature scent, and it's perfect for the spring and summer.

Three white musks, ozone, frankincense, mint. This smells like a cross between Nuclear Winter and Snow-Flakes on me--a little softer than the former, a little sharper than the latter. Beautiful and evocative. I can see this being a great summer scent.