Diana

Wet: Neroli, mostly.

 

Drydown: Wild. I can't nail down a specific scent, but a combination of sweet, floral, and fruity. I thought neroli & carnation were the two most obvious, but now it seems to be apple blossom and some of the sweeter florals. Sometimes I really like it, sometimes I am more ambivalent; it changes with each sniff.

 

I really can't tell if I like this one.

 

After a bit more time passes, a vanilla-iris scent comes out. It is creamy-sweet-floral now, and gets better the longer it sits.

 

I think I could wear this, even though it confuses me.

Wet: soft, smooth roses & other flowers. The roses remind me of something I can't quite put my finger on.

 

Drydown: The other floral notes fade slightly and one of the other notes comes into play. I'm not sure which specific ingredient is doing this, but it has almost a clay-like scent to it now, which later adds a dryness to the scent (it must be the orris). I really do like this type of rose used in here, but I think in conjunction with the other floral notes it vascilates between really pretty and a bit too cloying. However, the longer this stays on, the more it seems to be growing on me. It smells like dried flowers and fresh flowers all put together in one bouquet. An interesting blend; if you're a fan of rose scents, this one is really worth a try.

Wet: sharp, bright floral note

 

Drydown: There is a touch of ozone and there is also a hint of cool flowers. I stayed away from this because I thought with the flower combination + ozone, it would be too cloying and really not my style. But I'm learning that anytime the description says "crystalline" or "glittering" it is worth a shot; these almost always work for me. And this time, I'm really loving it. It is cool, soft & amazingly beautiful. I think this might be my favorite of all the muses.

Wet: Lemon rinds. Something herbal lurking behind the bright citrus notes.

 

Drydown: more of an herbal lemon, like verbena rather than lemon rinds. After a bit more time, it develops a greener type of herbal scent, probably the thyme. There's a slight coolness to the scent, but it dries down to almost pure thyme. It's an unusual blend, but a bit too heavy on the dry-herbal notes for my taste.

Wet: Neroli is most evident.

 

Drydown: Oddly floral, with another note that kind of disrupts it. After a bit it smells like a floral-scented olive oil soap. Not to say it smells bad, but it's just unusual and unexpected. After a while, it does become more of a sweet floral, which is pretty, but not really my type of blend.

Wet: bandaids + sharp perfume smell

 

Drydown: I'm not a big fan of opium-type scents, and this one is pretty much straight opium. It's not my taste at all; it ends up smelling soapy, perfumey, and sharp. This reminds me a bit of Debauchery, without the civet.

 

After a little while, some of the sharpness fades, and it smells more like poppy flowers, but it's still not really my taste.

Wet: really light, but a really nice fresh herbal scent. this scent reminds me of something, but I cannot place what. Actually, I think it smells almost spot-on like a bottle of expensive hair shine mist that I have from England.

 

Drydown: This is like being hugged by a soft pink sweater. This is not something I'd typically pick out for myself, but the herbal + light notes are really pretty. This is a really nice, non-offensive, light blend. I think I might need some of this for those "I want to smell nice, but not really smell a lot" kind of days.

Wet: ozone. slightly greenish, but mostly the ozone is the main note here.

 

Drydown: Wow, there's a change. Now it smells very sweet, berry like, and almost juicy like a pineapple. There's still a touch of the ozone note, but it's not as noticable anymore. After a bit longer, there's a sharper pine-like note that appears, but it is about equal in strength with the berry note, but doesn't stick around with as much intensity. This is an interesting and rather yummy blend!

This is one I'm surprised I haven't tried yet. Then again, I rarely order imps, so I guess leaving it up to chance to smell a specific scent is taking a slim chance with fate.

 

Wet: floral-cherry. This is mostly floral, but not overwhelmingly so.

 

Drydown: Lily overload! The lilies smell a little like canned air freshner--that "floral garden escape" type of scent. I am just not a huge floral-scent lover. The cherry's appearance isn't very strong in this scent, which is unfortunate, because I love the note.

 

After a bit of time, the flower notes become a little less cloying, but they are still a bit too sweet & soft & pretty for my tasts. This reminds me a bit of Titania, which I also found to be too light & floral. If you like flowers, this might be up your alley, though.

I'm so excited to try this. I'm a nerd, I know.

 

Wet: dirt, with almost a sweet chocolately-carob type of note to it.

 

Drydown: slightly earthy, but it's really mild. There is still an incredibly nice sweetness to it, almost like a light musk. This is so very lovely! I might need a 10mL of this to roll around in. This is a bit lighter than what I usually go for, and it doesn't seem to be very long-lasting, but the combination of the soil notes with the sweetness is just too nice to pass up.

Wet: plastic, artificial flowers/floral air freshner

Drydown: Painfully floral. The notes are fairly sharp, strong, and sweet. I generally like rose notes, but in this instance, it's just too much for me to handle. It's fairly cloying and overly flowery in this combination, in a way I can't stand. This is just not for me.

Wet: earthy, heavy on the patchouli

 

Drydown: smooth, silky earthiness. A powdery sweetness comes out--the copal, perhaps. This is so earthy and dirty, but sweet and awesome. The patchouli softens up quite a bit, and this rounds out to a nice, mellow fragrance.

 

I think I need to find me a big ol' bottle of this.

Wet, this goes on smelling almost like Jailbait + a plum factory. The plum notes are less sweet than Bordello, and pretty similar to the notes in Red Phoenix, without the cinnamon.

 

Drydown: the bubblegum-sweetness evaporates, leaving more of just the plum scent. It's still sweet, but not as candy-sticky as it was when it was wet. This still reminds me a lot of Red Phoenix without the spicey cassia/cinnamon. The carnation is there, but just as a note I can recognize, and not really describe with any efficacy.

 

It's nice, but not so utterly different than many of the other plum scents I already own. Doesn't mean I will give up my 5mL, though!

This is very aquatic. But strangely, this is one I can wear! It goes on smelling fairly cool and aquatic, with a hint of sweetness & a small hint of something that smells cologne-like in the basenote (maybe a citrus?). It lasts all day, and has descent throw to boot.

 

I really like this, but I have but a wee imp, and tracking down more is difficult.

Wet: very light. slightly powdery & herbal

 

Drydown: Sweet & amazing, but not much throw at all. I think I'm mostly getting the basil note, which smells so good. It's sweet, lightly green, and slightly herbal. I'm only slightly picking up any of the resins, but there is a hint of something powdery in the background, but the notes match well with the basil.

 

I wish this was about 200% stronger; I'd bathe in it. Hell, I might get a bottle to do just that anyway.

Wet: murky, herbal, dark (mmm)

 

Drydown: lightly spicy with a hint of softer ingredients. The rose note in this adds just the right amount of sweetness/lightness, without being super floral. The other notes maintain a deeper, almost woodsy-spiciness. I really like this a lot. It's really well balanced. It's soft without being very girly, and spicy without being uber heavy.

In the bottle & Wet: spicy, murky

 

On the skin: Ow! Cinnamon! I get a bit of contact redness in a few places. The other notes are a melange of spices, incences, resins, herbs, and probably a few flowers. I can't really pick anything out other than the cinnamon and a somewhat sharp note that might be frankincense or myrrh, or both.

 

Drydown: This lasts a fairly long time! I love long-lasting scents with good throw. After wearing this, there's a warm, dry, spiced aura around me. I can imagine this would layer amazingly with a leather scent.

 

Verdict: I'm glad to have this one in a bottle. It's really pretty & unusual.

Wet: Fruity... bandaids? No, wait, it's bubblegum + fruit.

 

Drydown: I'm trying to convince myself I don't like this, but every time I take a sniff, I can't be so sure. After a little while, some of the floral notes come out, which are soft & sweet, and there is just a tiny bit of a hint of a resin basenote, that warm, spicy nose-love. There's a wee sharp note of citrus, but it's fairly faint. It keeps getting better the longer it sits on my skin. It's mostly a sweet floral at this stage, and it's really growing on me (WHO AM I??).

 

Later still, the florals pick up a slightly artificial smell. I can't really explain what it is, or name a specific component that could be a culprit. It's an almost "green" note that is kind of throwing it off for me. However, it's mostly undetectable unless I stick my nose right up against my skin.

 

Still, it's not a bad scent. I don't know if I'll need a 5mL right this minute, but it's one to contemplate for later.

Wet: ROSE. something plasticky in the background

 

Drydown: The roses are pretty sharp, and the plastic note is still there, but I don't know if it's the narcissus or the roses. Usually BPAL rose blends work pretty well on me. After a bit, the plastic note dissipates, and this is a rose-rose-rose blend. It smells a lot like tea roses, and it stays a bit sharp.

 

I don't dislike it, but I think I like some of the more complex rose blends a bit better. It is pretty, and if you're a rose lover, you should check it out.

Wet: sweet, sandalwoody blend

 

Drydown: This smells a lot like blend of sweet, almost honeyed (Egyptian?) musk and sandalwood. Why have I gone this long without really trying this blend? Wow. It's a clean, light, fresh scent. The sandalwood is really light, and pretty, without the usual woodsy-spice note to it (which I do like), which just blends so wonderfully with the other mystery notes.

 

I can't really say anything more, other than to repeat "wow" about 76576 times. It's a bit lighter than scents I usually would wear, but it's just so beautiful!

wet: lotus (bubblegum!), very sweet!

 

drydown: The lotus picks up a spicy tang from the amber & sandalwood... an unusual scent. After a bit more time, this becomes predominately more wood/resin, but it retains some of the original sweetness from the lotus. It reminds me of a lighter version of Khajahuro (or however you spell that), without the champaca flowers.

 

I'm really surprised by this. Somehow I've never really tried any of the lotus scents, and I didn't know what to expect. I like the sweetness and the soft floral aspect, mixed with the beautiful resin notes that I often fall for.

Wet: tropical flowers + suntan lotion

 

Drydown: soft, exotic floral bouquet. Still reminds me of suntan lotion, but in my mind that's a good thing. This is so not really me, but I'm finding myself in love with the scent. It becomes a little less "coppertone" and more floral, but the flowers are just so wet and sweet and intoxicating, I can't stop sniffing my arm.

 

It's so pretty! I really want to go to a beach, slather myself with this, dig my toes into the sand, and watch the waves roll in.

Wet: sappy, piney fir trees and sweet wood notes

 

Drydown: the pine notes remind me a lot of Skadi & Snow Bunny. As it dries, a really nice, sweet fragrance comes out, almost berry-like. A bit later, it smells almost like berry incense and sweet pine. Wow. I'm in love with this blend!

Wet: violets + perfumey iris notes

 

Drydown: The violets actually manage to stay stronger than the iris. I have avoided a lot of iris blends because it tends to amp up, become insanely perfumey, and drown out all other notes. After a bit, the musk kicks in and lends a fresh-skin note to the blend, which ends up smelling like I had a recent shower & used a violet shower gel. Very soft & pretty!

Wet: Earthy, powdery patchouli. It almost smells like there is amber in it.

 

Drydown: Still earthy, but a slight resiny sweetness in the basenote. Nice slightly dirty, dark scent, with just a hint of a soft powdery edge to it.

 

I don't know why I thought I didn't like this. I've had an imp forever, and now that I've had it on for a while, I really like it. This is dark, deep, mysterious scent love. It reminds me a bit of Odin, FWIW.