akiko

I sniffed this at Will Call, and bought a bottle.

 

Bottle: Vanilla tea, plus something dark.

 

Wet: This is extremely complex! I can't discern any particular notes, but I like it a lot.

 

Dry: Vanilla musk. Very nice.

 

Edited to note: When I woke up the following morning, I could still smell Dorian on my wrist. Excellent staying-power -- the longest I've had so far, I think.

I had no idea what that would smell like, so I had to test it at will call last month. I liked it so much I bought a bottle.

 

Bottle: Fruity and spice, probably the mulled wine. This is what I wish red wine tasted like.

 

Wet: Changes a lot. Goes through a phase of smelling like cinnamon bubblegum (like Big Red chewed with Dubble Bubble, or Big Red soda, which is not-bubblegum.)

 

Dry: Something sweet and something spicy, which I can't quite define. Could be the mulled wine, could be the dragon's blood resin.

This was on my list of things to test at will call. I bought a bottle.

 

Bottle: Very light, vaguely cologney, greenish.

 

Wet: More green (sage, probably).

 

Dry: There are the berries I remember, and a hint of musk. Still pleasantly fruity without smelling like a basket of fruit.

Imp: Bitter orange (which is how kumquats smell to me.)

 

Wet: still bitter orange, with a vague floral, and some pepper coming out

 

Dry: Not as bitter, still orange/kumquat, and a dash of pepper. I'm not sure I smell the tea, but I don't know quite what it should smell like, either.

When I first got this a week or two ago, I sniffed it straight out of the mailbox. I didn't much care for it. Now, it's much nicer.

 

Imp: incensey

Wet: changes a lot - goes from incensey to vaguely floral to vanilla with some incense.

Dry: Definitely vanilla, with something else under it. Lightly musky or incensey. I like it.

Imp: lemony fresh, very clean

 

Wet: lemony, lightly floral, sort of sweet (honeysuckle?)

 

Dry: musky lemon? maybe that's the green tea. It's definitely like Phobos and/or Embalming Fluid's cousin.

Imp: cherries.

 

Wet: cherries, a little anise, and maybe sandalwood.

 

Dry: Oddly, smells like musky cherry. I like it, though.

A frimp in my first lab order.

 

Imp: This smells like cherry coke. I don't know where it comes from, either.

 

Wet: This smells fizzy. I don't know how perfume can smell fizzy, but this does.

 

Dry: It's starting to grow on me, I suppose. It reminds me of War, except fruitier and without the kick. I like it well enough not to trade it away, but not enough to buy a bottle.

Imp: Nutella, with a touch of something else I can't identify.

 

Wet: NUTELLA! with praline undertones

 

Dry: Pralines. I wish it kept smelling like Nutella, but pralines are good too.

Imp: Sharply lavender, with definite green

 

Wet: floral (lavender, probably), with still green. can't really differentiate particulars.

 

Dry: light lavender, something green. Mostly lavender, though.

Imp: citrusy with a weird perfume smell behind it

 

Wet: clean, fresh, and light, definitely citrusy.

 

Dry: citrus-musk-clean. It's kind of like Phobos' friendlier cousin.

I got this as a freebie from the forum - thanks!

 

Imp: Whoa, this is strong. Dark, musky, incensey.

 

Wet (tried on my SO): Mmm, musk.

 

Dry: I like it on him. It's a very masculine scent, with insane throw.

Another recommendation for my first order.

 

Imp: Perfume? Maybe that's the clean linen. Something a touch sweet.

 

Wet: Floral? What on earth? There's no jasmine in this.

 

Dry: I think I still smell the clean linen mostly, with a hint of the spices there.

 

When I sniffed it at Will Call, the (presumably) aged bottle smelled different - more spicy I think - so maybe I just need to let this one age a bit.

I got this in my first order, on the recommendation of a friend.

 

Imp: Cake. Definitely cake.

 

Wet: Vanilla, sweet, cake, yum.

 

Dry: There are the currants, peeking out from the vanilla.

 

Verdict: Edible.

Lab-fresh imp.

 

Imp: When I first got it, it smelled like chocolate-covered cherries. Today it smelled more like cherry syrup.

 

Wet: Chocolate-covered cherries, with a stage that was cherry blossom.

 

Dry: Subtle chocolate-covered cherries, with a hint of orange blossom. I like it.

Frimp from the lab in my first order (in which I bought imps of Gluttony and Vice. The lab is smart, I tell you.)

Imp: Holy cocoa, Batman!

Wet: Cocoa!

Dry: If you said, "cocoa," you'd be right. My SO kept finding excuses to sniff my wrist.

Mmmm. Cocoa.

Another imp fresh from the lab.

 

Imp: This smells so good. If Morocco is Silk Road minus the desert, this is Silk Road plus honey.

 

Wet: Nice and spicy, but definitely a honey to it. (I'd forgotten it was there until I stuck my arm under my SO's nose and he said "Is this the one you had yesterday with the honey?" [Athens])

 

Dry: Very soft, light scent. Still spicy, lost the honey. I rather like this one as well.

This is from my first order, fresh imp from the lab.

 

Imp: Wow, this reminds me of Silk Road, but softer, or something. Spicy and warm.

 

Wet: Floral? Where do you come from? Please go away.

 

Dry: It's still similar to SR, but not at all. It's got a darker note to it, and more musk I think. Definitely a winner.

I got this as a frimp in my first order.

 

Imp: cake. Sweet, vanilla, white cake.

 

Wet: vanilla, something dark, and flowers coming up. I'm nervous, because I don't like florals, and my skin amps them like mad.

 

Dry: Ooh, nice. It blends well, and the flowers aren't screaming at me. It smells like vanilla, amber, and musk, with just the hint of flowers. No sea moss, which is OK because I don't like aquatics, either.

I got a frimp labeled Delphi from the lab. All I can smell in it is roses. There's no rose listed in the description, but a few other reviewers smelled a mystery rose.

 

Could it be mislabeled?

A frimp from the lab in my first order. I'd been afraid of it, because of the "sweet flowers" in the description, but it's surprisingly not headache-inducing.

 

Imp: Honey with a hint of incense

 

Wet: Same, but there's something that smells like cars. Weird, but it makes me think of modern Athens, choked with cars.

 

Dry: Ooh, nice. Mainly incense, but there's a touch of honey sweetness. I like this one, and it may be vying for the "get a bottle" list.

I got this as a frimp from the lab. I was wondering if it could be mislabeled, because I get NO incense out of it, nor honeywine, nor laurel.

Imp: rose. I doublechecked the description, and there's no rose in it. My SO said he smelled some incense, but I just don't.

Wet: Rose. Just rose, and the nasty fakey rose that rose always turns to on me.

Dry: Still rose. Nothing else.

I see a few other people got a mystery rose scent, too, so I know I'm not just hallucinating. I'll see what happens as this gets older, I guess.

Edited 3/12/08: Mystery rose is still there, but I'm starting to get more of the honey now. Still, not something I'd wear on a regular basis, so off it goes to the swap box.

I can't decide if I like this one.

 

Imp: orangey, bitter, dark

 

Wet: Hello, orange blossoms. It smells like orange flower water.

 

Dry: Yep, still orange flowers, but not as strong. I can maybe catch a bit of spice, but mostly orange.

I got this one off the forum. I like almond and spices, but rose isn't my friend (turns into fake rose hand lotion on me.)

 

Imp: Smells like Amaretto

 

Wet: oh, look, there's the rose. Blech.

 

A few minutes later: the rose is going away, and a spiciness is coming out.

 

Dry: No almond to speak of, but there's some spiciness (clove, I think), and a very light rose, which smells fake on me. It's mostly gone after a couple hours, though.

 

Edited: what I interpreted earlier as "gone" is actually sandalwood. Very faint, but there's sandalwood.

In my quest to try new things and things I fear (read: florals), I picked up an imp of this off the forum.

 

Imp: fruity, mostly, with a hint of florals

 

Wet: plummy goodness, but jasmine jumps out. I hope it goes away.

 

Dry: Ooh, musky plum, with just a hint of florals. I like it.