kelpsoda

Somehow the rose finds a way to overpower everthing. Too bad. I'm sure it's beautiful on someone else, but it's just soapy florals on me.

Wet: Leather. with carnation? Maybe that's just wishful thinking. Dry: Leather, leather, leather. All I get - maybe I amp it? Wish I got more of a coffee scent.

Wet: Yep, those would be leaves. I think I can detect some white musk in there, but the leaf note is front and center. Dry: There's mint in there. That must be the "shivering white musk". Can't smell the leaves anymore, just mint with a hint of greenery behind it. hmm.

Wet: Somewhat sharp, bitter smell. Carnation? Dry: Wow! this is not the apple scent I'm used to. It's light, but not sugary. I can't tell it's apple, really - it's so well blended that nothing sticks out. Hmmm. I may be getting a lot of carnation/champaca, that may be why I'm thinking "flower? rose red?". Very fresh, and original.

Wet: I get apples, and liquor. No non-alcoholic apple cider here! Dry: sweet, sharp apples with booze and a hint of spice. Reminds me of a craft store, with all the potpourri.

I get a very strong, sweet wood note, along with vanilla. Smells delicious, but I was hoping for some pumpkin as well. Reminds me of Antikythera Mechanism.

This smells powdery/musky to me. It's a chypre for a grand old lady - not something I can pull off. Unfortunately, the powdery/floral/musk is all that wants to come out on my skin. no blood orange for me.

I must amp florals. I get the vanilla muskiness, but it's immediately overpowered by the florals - and they're cloying. It dries down to some sort of floral baby powder scent. yuck.

Wet - this is the most delicious chocolate, with a juicy pomegranate by it's side. Dry - chocolate backs off to a hint of cocoa, but I can still smell honey and floral (orange blossom?). Yum.

Wet - All I can smell is Marzipan. Sharp, like almond extract. Dry - marzipan almost dies away. Now I get nothing but rose, and maybe some tonka and musk. Ummmmm. . . where did the rosewood and sandalwood go? I think I amp rose too much.

wet - strong laudanum and iris. strong and Black smelling. I was hoping the champaca would come out, but it's missing in action. The ambergris (or something else?) gives it a very classic perfume smell - almost leather-y. I don't think I could pull it off, but this would be good for a powerful woman who is dressed to the nines. Whew! this is much too strong - I'm going to have to wash it off.

I get the most perfect, creamy coffee scent from the decant. I think my eyes just rolled back in my head, because: YUM. It's mixed with a sexy, smoky leather scent and faint spice. I must have a bottle! Sadly, the coffee disappears all too soon and I'm left with the leather. I'm not sure I need a whole bottle - the leather by itself is a bit too masculine for my taste.

In the bottle: candy sweetness. Yup, this is the watermelon Jolly Rancher stage. Wet - Still fruity, but really really faint. I can barely smell anything. Dry - It dries down to a pleasant plum/apricot (or watermelon Jello?) with vanilla sugar. The tiare and musk are there in the background and balance out the fruit. Not too sweet at all . This is has a bit of a generic fruity-floral quality, but I like it. Perfect scent for the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Very sugary lime to start out with. After awhile it dries to carnation, and fades quickly. hmm. wonder where the musk went?

Mmm. I get sweet pumpkin and spices, wiht a hint of citrus. The amber makes it creamy and good. It dries down to spicy-amber, with a bit of pumpkin. Not a lot of staying power. While not exactly like pumpkin queen, it seems similar.

This is a delicious honey. It reminds me of the one from O. I get a minty-pine scent mixed up with the honey. Fresh but not woodsy.

I get honey-ed grass, apparently. huh. . . . with a hint of leaves or plants. Very fresh, but not quite my thing

The anise starts out soft, but slowly gets stronger. Yep - this is licorice, all the way. I'm keeping the decant for the novelty of it, but I don't think I'll wear it too often.

I don't know what quince smells like, but my brain connects this with a mango smoothie. huh. could be the mandarin and honey? very sweet, but it's held back by the cognac and tobacco. mmmmm, so good.

This is a soft, pretty, clean smelling scent. I get mostly skin musk - and something floral/watery. Maybe that's the ambergris? and the ylang ylang? Not quite to my tastes, but it's still nice - and really long lasting.

NOTE: keep in mind that my nose is stuffed up This is pure saffron! with some caraway. Very dry and dusty. I think there's a hint of neroli, but it's WAY overpowered. I'm not a fan of dust, so this is off to the swaps.

NOTE: my nose is stuffed up - having a hard time detecting all the notes Wet: a hint of citrus, neroli and lime dry: my skin must amp rose, because all I get is rose Rose ROSE . . . with some spice? I actually don't mind the rose, but I wish I got more out of this. will retest.

This is very faint on me. Slightly fruity and a lot of carnation, but not very distinctive. I wish I got more vanilla or fruit or sandalwood or cognac - this is like a carnation single note. I'll keep it for a couple months and see if aging will do the trick. ETA: ok, I should learn to wait a full 20 min. before I post my review. 20 minutes in, the fruit comes out, and it's a mostly-fruity-slightly-floral blend.

MINT MINT MINT MINT! - I'm not getting much else. After 15 min, I get a lighter mint with an undertone of snake oil. I don't know what I amp in snake oil (red musk?), but it doesn't really appeal to me. ETA: ok, now I get nothing but mint. Nice, but not for me.

I smell snake oil at first, but it's quickly overpowered by the lily and narcissus. After awhile, it fades to just snake oil with an undertone of florals. I must amp the snake oil, or somehing - and unfortunately I don't like snake oil by itself.