hkhm

imp: fig, carnation and apple. this is heavenly.

wet: this is all fig, carnation and a dab of myrrh with a halo of apple goodness. this is so lovely.

dry: this dries to a potpourri version of cidery scents like fearful pleasure or lamb's wool. this has more wood to it, more greenery. this is a perfect blending. i'm in love.

oh man. now i really need to order an imp of the light's of men's lives.

i was putting it off because i was not certain how it would smell, but these rec's make it sound perfect.

Purple Phoenix is the most purple scent I know of.

yep. to me purple phoenix is brilliant, true purple.

bordello is blazing magenta-purple, while the raven is a rich indigo-purple.

thanksgiving will be fearful pleasure.

christmas will be frumious bandersnatch.

new year's eve will be midnight kiss.

lunar new year will be bengal.

valentine's day will be imp...

imp: lily and... some sort of cola drink. odd.

wet: this is just straight-up lily.

dry: this dries pretty much the same, a soft lily scent. i was expecting it to amp but it never did, it stuck close to my skin and stayed very gentle.

imp: mossy dirt.

wet: the fir is present at first, hovering over the dirt and moss notes. it starts to fade pretty quickly though.

dry: the fir note is what sticks at the end, the dirt and moss are very soft. this is bottle-worthy for me.

imp: sugary green tea.

wet: the lemon verbena jumps out when this is applied, the tea is certainly the backdrop.

dry: this dries down to a very faint lemon vebena scent with only a tiny whiff of tea. a very reserved, clean scent.

Shattered looks interesting, is the mint strong?

 

I barely pick up any mint at all.... and as I recall, not many of the other reviewers did either. It feels a little cool on my skin at first, but that's all

yep, it's a minty feel, not a minty smell, so it feels clear and jagged.

shattered is really an incredible scent, i like it more every time i wear it.

imp: herbs and woods, somewhat sharp.

wet: lovely once applied, almost sweet. perhaps it's the apple blossom but it's sweetened everything in this blend.

dry: this dries to the most charming soft, sweet apple. i'm a bit surprised because it's apple blossom which is usually so delicate i can't pick it out. but this is pure and soft and gentle. this may require a bottle.

imp: dry, dusty musk. sexy.

wet: there's that yummy sweetness from the dragon's blood with the sexy smoothness of the red musk. i get a nice shot of tobacco above the spices. i think this one may be bottle-worthy.

dry: sweet and dry, dusty and spicy. this is so well blended that i can really only pick out the musk above everything else. i love this blend.

bottle: on first sniff this smells like smoky leather.

wet: ahhh... sweet vetiver... this is sweet & smoky charred wood. i like this a great deal.

dry: this is beautiful once dry, rich smoky wood with a slight leather-ish backnote. love.

imp: sweet anise and cardamom.

wet: the anise is fairly sweet but not quite jellybean sweet. it's backed with what smells like cardamom and cinnamon.

dry: in the end this smells like a cross between black jellybeans and red hots.

bottle: smoky musk with myrrh.

wet: this is like the death of autumn and mort de cesar had a love child. this is smoky, smooth, musky dark and grand. the musk and myrrh are so rich and almost creamy (must be the "smoky vanilla"). i can't describe how sinuous and lovely this scent is.

dry: a beautiful smoky, creamy finish. this is the smell of what the feel of crinkled velvet feels like... if that makes any sense...

imp: sandalwood with orris/violet.

wet: the gardenia is pretty strong on me, the orris/violet scent is in the background alongside the sandalwood and other florals. the ylang ylang is (thankfully!) nowhere to be seen.

dry: gardenia and orris. if the orris (or violet) were slightly stronger i would consider a bottle. as it is, the gardenia is just a little too strong.

imp: this is that scent you get whiffs of in springtime; it's fresh flowing water next to neatly fresh-cut grass that's still wet from a watering while the gentles breeze carries the soft scent of flowers.

wet: a crisper, watery scent. it's not quite as sharp as an aquatic, more soft and sweet. there is a hint of soapiness but it's not overpowering.

dry: this goes on soft and stays soft; watery soft florals. this is a scent for spring and summer, a scent for soft flowing clothing and afternoons with nothing to do.

imp: this smells kinda buttery, kinda butterscotchy. very sweet.

wet: yep. butterscotchy boozy goodness. i'll be needing a bottle of this!

dry: i think this will be one of my favorite layering scents. it's dried to an almost coconut butterscotch booze scent.

bottle: all musk, dark and heavy.

wet: musk and nicotiana, very strong and almost a bit sharp. the florals in the background just make this more pointy. but i do have high hopes for what aging will accomplish.

dry: as this dries, the patchouli appears, so it's a very deep musk and patchoul scent. i like it a great deal now and think it will age into something fantastic.

bottle: red musk and vanilla with something almost piney (perhaps the peru balsam?).

wet: i am a huge fan of red musk and this blend is incredible. the patchouli, clove and tonka warm this blend and turn it into a very sexy, sultry scent. this will be save for special occasions when i was a dark, sexy aura. i may need a back-up bottle. it's that good.

dry: clove usually goes strong and bitter on me but this one is staying sweet. combined with the red musk and patchouli/pine/vanilla of this scent... i am in love.

bottle: almost exactly like dirty, which is to say: soft florals over fresh greenery. the way line-dried laundry is supposed to smell.

wet: there's a sort of crumbly, dry, dirt feel here. not anything like the lab's dirt note but something which smells like dried, caked mud that's cracking apart. still with the soft linen scent. very pretty.

dry: nearly identical to dirty. honestly. i've got a dab of dirty on my other wrist and i can barely tell the difference.

imp: myrtle, lily and jasmine. very soft and pretty.

wet: jasmine. alas.

dry: the jasmine is fading somewhat. it's still the strongest note but at least it's becoming easier to bear.

imp: smoky wine. very pervasive myrrh over wine. not grapey at all.

wet: between the rose and the jasmine the other notes in this scent don't stand a chance. i'm a trainwreck of florals.

dry: the rose is extra-soapy on my skin in this blend. i love the name of this oil and had tiny hopes that perhaps this would be a rose scent i could wear. alas, it was not to be.

imp: mostly lavender.

wet: this is a sweeter lavender than usual, though it's probably the other florals that are making this blend sweeter. i get hints of jasmine behind the lavender most often. i think that this would be a good blend to scent my sheets.

dry: this dries back down to a sweet lavender scent. not astringent or medicinal, just soft and sweet.

bottle: clean aquatic over light wood.

wet: the aquatic is not sharp, very clean almost floral smelling aquatic over well-scrubbed woods. this really smells like the same sort of aquatic as in sturgeon moon.

dry: the woods are more prominent as this dries. still a hint of fresh aquatic hanging over it all. so glad i finally snagged a bottle of this.

Pleeeeeeze, Beth, bring back La Befana for Yule. It is my favorite violet: candied but dark and smokey (with no vetiver or mint, which I really don't pull off well). The Raven is my 2nd choice.

 

yes. please. i have one bottle of la befana left, it is so incredibly beautiful. interestingly enough, the raven is also my 2nd choice.

Are we scent sisters, I wonder?

i was also wondering this...

Pleeeeeeze, Beth, bring back La Befana for Yule. It is my favorite violet: candied but dark and smokey (with no vetiver or mint, which I really don't pull off well). The Raven is my 2nd choice.

yes. please. i have one bottle of la befana left, it is so incredibly beautiful. interestingly enough, the raven is also my 2nd choice.