helarctos

OK, the verdict is out: my skin chemistry must make me a total freak. In the bottle, Chaste Moon smells like butterscotch. On my skin, it dies down to an incredibly quiet blend of:

 

pineapple,

marshmallow,

and Cool Whip.

 

Like a family-picnic ambrosia. Really unexpected!

My impressions, too, are of aquatic notes and jasmine. The jasmine blossoms into a multi-floral scent on my skin -- I detect something like gardenia.

Very foresty at first. Definitely there is juniper in this. Pine also. But on me the drydown to vanilla is drastically sped up: within 10 minutes the foresty smell was gone. Even the vanilla that was left wasn't very strong. No scent throw on me. I'd use it as a room scent but not a personal scent. I can see it working very well on a man if he happened to have skin chemistry that made the scent last, or if it was fixed in a solid perfume or lotion.

 

ETA: I didn't realize there was rosewood in this! The rosewood didn't come out on me at all.

As usual, lemon on me gets magnified to the 100th power. High strong florals + ultra-lemon = headachey me. It did make me think of the high-pitched chirping of bats, and the keenness of their sonar, however!

You may want to give Embalming Fluid and/or Empyreal Mist a try.

Sombre woods... I recall something on the DSH site saying that oude is known as the "fragrance of God," and I can definitely smell it here. Exquisite melancholy.

Spicy, yes, but very woody -- the wood dominates the spice. It's deep but not heavy, as a result. It's not an unpredictable smell. If you like dragon's blood and you like woody notes, you'll like Dragon's Bone.

On me, Hell's Belle is sweet, and syrupy and nutty. Karo syrup and macadamia nuts. No floral at all.

On me, Hunger is a deep, dark smell. Maybe that's the black narcissus. However, I don't get the vanilla or the orange blossoms -- instead, the scent stays dark. It actually almost smells like patchouli, even though I know there isn't patchouli in it.

Tzadikim Nistarim is very fruity and light on me -- it smells of fresh peaches and nectarines.

Yow. All I get is citrus from this. At the same time, I know the ozone scents can tend to smell citruslike on me.

 

It's heavy heavy grapefruit. I don't smell any incense.

Shroud is subdued and warm -- not a tattered wrapping, but a secure swaddling for the dearly departed. It's a light woody herbal, soothing and understated.

It's fizzy pineapple soda! It almost smells a little alcoholic, on me. Boisterous and light.

The "splintered woods" are at the forefront. Floral wafts play a sweet counterpoint to the bite of pepper.

 

That having been said, the drydown of Grandmother of Ghosts smells a bit more like dusty furniture on me than I'd prefer.

I received this imp as a gift from the Lab with my Storm Moon order; I am not sure whether it was the old or new formulation.

 

It's very winey/grapey, and redolent of berries. I'd characterize it as darkly sweet. Those who would like Urd without the pencil-shavings element will like Lady MacBeth.

Delectable! It's a tangier version of Sea of Glass -- if Sea of Glass is a tranquil ocean, Tempest is its wild counterpart -- but light; a windy day but not a dark one.

 

There's not much sweetness to it. It smells almost, but not quite, like a light citrus. I suppose ozone defies description, but Tempest is definitely in keeping with the Lab's usual ozone scent.

Beautiful in the imp, but once it was applied to me Magdalene rapidly turned into a baby powder cut with sharp herbs, more a remedy than a meditation.

 

If the Mary who anointed Jesus' feet is identified with the Magdalene, then I can see how this herbal smell would befit her.

Mint and juniper dominate. Strongly herbal -- aggressively fresh. Puts me more in mind of a bath blend for sufferers from chest congestion than of a menacing ocean. I didn't catch the lotus at all, which is odd because I love lotus.

It smells like a kitchen!

 

I actually only whiffed it, because it was just too strong and spicy to wear.

You won't believe this, but... Deimos on me smells like canned peaches and mandarin oranges. Yummy, but not warlike...

A too-strong cinnamon and clove scent that puts me in mind of gum or mouthwash, at first -- but fades surprisingly soon. The sweetness of the clove scent defies the traditionally-masculine categorization of matters martial, so this would be a good scent for a power-suited woman who wants a bit of aromatic oomph.

Mine. Mine mine mine. I just got my 10 ml, I'm keeping the imp too, and no one can have any, I'm hoarding it all.

 

It's absolute bliss in the bottle, the quintessence of tranquility when worn. An aquatic to end all aquatics, with what seems like the faintest of citrus notes (and usually citrus becomes overpowering on me, whereas this doesn't) to keep things fresh and astringent. The aquatic lulls you to mellowness, the citrus cuts through everyday haze.

 

It doesn't seem to do much to combat my covetousness however

For some reason, Anathema is all ashes on me. Until it dries down. Then it's ashes and old lady powder.

 

I'd wear it if I wanted to meditate on the process of cremation...

On me Corazon becomes a mango fiesta! I become Carmen Miranda laden with tropical fruits. It's a lovely scent but it's just not what I want to smell like.

 

I get an animal smell from the bottle, but not when I'm wearing it. Just a bin of mangoes. *shakes maracas*

All right, I admit I can see the comparisons to laundry detergent and dryer sheets. But... I love those smells! And I love Storm Moon.

 

It's strong, it's fresh, it's clean. Soapy in that Irish-Springy way, but with an added floral. It's as though a torrent drenched a rocky field in bloom. Maybe this is what laundry detergent manufacturers are aiming for when they try to make things smell like a "mountain breeze."

 

I would think it would make for a good choice of workplace fragrance as well -- no distracting sensuality, nothing soporific, just a blast of freshness.