VioletChaos

in the bottle: fruity and yummy! like candied fruits and flowers. wet on skin: the rose starts to peek out, but the sweet fruit remains (must be the dragon's blood?) dry down: the rose comes out strong and this changes into something akin to being in the sorts of magic shops they had when i was a kid in '70's: incense, fruit smoke, and flavored rolling papers in all: a sexy little number, i'll likely wear this out dancing when i want to attract some attention.

in the bottle: cream and hazelnut, with a dark undernote of something sinister i can't name. wet on skin: i'm catching little whiffs of the cherry, but it's buried under the hazelnut/cream so that i only get it once in a while. dry down: the cherry recedes further, leaving me with a hazelnut/vanilla combo that is to die for. in all: SO glad i went with my gut and bought the 5ml bottle!!!

in the imp: lots of rose, but in a gentle, non-cloying way. wet on skin: rose rose rose. like being in a rose garden- it's really natural, not perfume rose at ALL. dry down: gorgeous rose! anyone that knows me knows that i'm not big on florals, but man oh man is this a keeper. in all: not only do i love this, but i think THIS is the one i've been waiting for, to enable my best friend with!

in the imp: the vaguely turpentine smell of a painting studio. not unpleasant, but... wet on skin: the turp becomes stronger. erm. dry down: more of the same, with an undernote of something citrus, like gum copal. in all: not for me or my skin chemistry, i'm afraid.

in the imp: i get dragon's blood, myrrh and orange mixing into a beautiful offeratory scent. wet on skin: the citrus and dragon's blood continue to dance and are now joined by something i can't quite name...something creamy-nutty-floral all at the same time. whatever it is, it's swoon-worthy. dry down: everything mixes in such a way so that i come to a point where i can no longer pull out individual notes, but just have something entirely new to smell. in all: and that smell is SO yummy!

florals are not my total thing, but i like *some* of them, so lessee what we can do here: in the imp: fetid. like stinky socks and grandma perfume. :shudder: wet on skin: a slightly musty rose element comes out. dry down: the sweat-sock thing goes away, leaving the dusty rose thing behind more strongly. in all: SO not for me.

in the imp: sweet and VERY lemony, like Lemonheads candy. wet on skin: more of the same. a persistent sweet lemon. dry down: a lemon verbena comes out full force. that's it in a nutshell. this could be a lemon verbena SN, it's so pure. in all: a good summer time smell for those who are partial to all things lemon-y.

A dizzying eddy of four teas brushed with light herbs and a breath of peony. in the imp: very lemony, with some heavy floral throw in for good measure. wet on skin: more lemon, and sadly, it's become a dishsoap lemon dry down: the lemon fades back a bit, and the peony comes up. i *can* smell the tea, but it's like a Lipton orange-pekoe sort of tea, and it's drown heavily in lemon. in all: not terrible if you're partial to floral/citrus mixes. which i'm not. off to swap!

LOVE!!! ok, here's why: in the bottle: CHOCOLATE. that's. all. swoon-worthy in it's richness, i might add. wet on skin: more chocolate, and a gorgeous, rich spicy note gets thrown into the mix. dry down: this is kind of what i'd thought Dia de los Muertos would be, and wasn't: a beautiful cinnamon-chocolate mix, very, very reminiscent of Mexican hot chocolate. mmmmm in all: a warm, foodie scent that lasts for hours to keep you going through the long, cold winter afternoons. ADDED April 2: in the bottle: that rich cocoa absolute that i loved with the white label version wet on skin: WOW! i get clove, something a bit citrus that might be the starfruit, and something spicy/sweet i can't identify dry down: chocolate-laden, but tempered with the clove and fruit- a little bit of peach now-and it's really a good food oil. in all: foodies will adore this one, but some open-minded spice fans should give it a try too!

in the bottle: pure, strong violet. no chaser, straight up. wet on skin: a strong mix of violet and gardenia, with violet in the lead. it becomes so strong that it smells like soap dry down: the violet mellows and softens as does the gardenia. i get NO vanilla in the mix at all. in all: after a time it morphs and on me smells *just* like Love's Baby Soft. this reminds me of my junior high school prom, and i don't mind that in the least, actually.

This is Dia de los Muertos 2005 version. in the bottle: sweet and floral, but not cloying. it's so layered, it's impossible to pick out a single note! wet on skin: more of the same, but with a slight fruity edge coming out. again, though, impossible to name anything distinct. i like that! dry down: an incredible throw, as people have said. it's mellowed now and reminds me *exactly* of this little tin of solid hippy perfume my mom had in the 70's. i loved it so much as a baby that i tried to take a bite out of it! she kept the tin, with my little baby teeth marks, until the day she died. in all: although i don't wish to eat it think scent is wonderful and evocative of some distant by-gone era. beautiful, timeless, nostalgic. simply gorgeous.

in the bottle: green cucumber-y goodness! wet on skin: more cucumber, with a *slight* hint of floral. maybe it's that hyacinth? dry down: the hyacinth comes out in a more pronounced way, while the green cucumber is still there, but lessens. in all: a lovely 'clean' sort of scent, the kind i like to wear when it's 105 outside and i'm melting in a pool of my own flesh.

in the bottle: cream, incense, grape. yum! wet on skin: something floral mixes with a sugary smell, like lilacs and funnel cake. dry down: the cream-incense combo make a comeback, the floral lightly coming out from behind. in all: beautiful, sexy and unusual. something i'd wear out dancing, or on a first date (if i wasn't about to get married )

in the bottle: this is so weird: it's like cream soda and magic markers. i seriously can't describe it any better than that. wet on skin: that root beer thing people talk about is showing itself, plus something sweeter and more resinous poking through. dry down: like cream soda and a light rose! in all: unusual, but i will keep it- it's pretty nice, actually.

in the bottle: damn! MUSKY! wet on skin: musky, with an undertone of ozone and dark, red roses. hmmm. dry down: reminds me of the cheap perfume my great-aunties used to wear when i was a wee one. in all: too perfume-y, too cloying, SO not for me.

in the bottle: darkly floral, resinous undertones. cloying. wet on skin: this smells like floor cleaner. dry down: wow. this is just horrendous on me. rose, but like the distillation of old ladies and embalming fluid fresh from the funeral home- and NOT in a good way. in all: this just does not work on me. trade, anyone???

i have waited oh, so patiently to get my hot little hands on any amount of this, and the fine miss ladybug and i were able to work out a trade. hallelujia! in the imp: delicious buttery, sugary goodness. wet on skin: WOW! i'm getting notes of white cake, a tinge of the blackberry, and LOADS of that afore-mentioned buttery, sugary goodness. dry down: it reminds me of warm scones with clotted cream and berry jam. i am SOOOO in love! in all: i will love this imp with all my heart, and then i will have to hunt down some more- immediately. :D

in the bottle: like strawberry vanilla ice cream. yum! wet on skin: the strawberry morphs into cherry. TREMENDOUS throw! dry down: the fruit becomes more complex. i can pick out notes of plum, cherry, perhaps pomegranite too. the cream is there, but more subtle. in all: i like! a little more sugary than i had quite anticipated, but a lovely, fruity scent. will keep!

in the bottle: butter and sugar. YUM! wet on skin: more butter and sugar, with the faintest, faintest note of pine. good! dry down: the pine comes out a bit more. yes, this smells like a cozy winter night in a cabin: pine and sugar and cuddling up by the fire. in all: i LOVE this- and kinda want to eat it!!!

in the bottle: how to say this? astringent spiciness. nothing definable, just...that. wet on skin: more of the same, but a note of vetiver is coming out now. dry down: a more perfume-y quality is coming out now. i get some heavy, deep florals, but they are again undefinable . and yes, there *is* a smokiness, but it's more of an afterthought than anything major. in all: a sultry, spicy floral. i think i'll need to try this again.

in the imp: straight up rose. wet on skin: more rose. really rosey rose. dry down: still rose, and only rose. in all: if you are a fan of rose, you will LOVE this one. me? i'm picky about my florals, so OFF to the trade pile with thee!

this was sent to me as a sniffie, but i'm feeling determined to make it work! in the imp: EXACTLY like the Lemon Merangue strawberry shortcake doll i had as a kid! lemony-sweet, but totally scratch n sniff style. wet on skin: the lemon backs off and a faint floral emerges. it reminds me of dish soap. dry down: more of the same- slightly soap, slightly sweet, not real. in all: glad i got the sniffie, but it's not for me. ::sigh::

my first acquired Monster Bait- i couldn't be more excited! ok, let's do this: in the bottle: as i had hoped, it's mostly a warm caramel, with a very faint undertone of cedar. but not hamster cage cedar, light forest cedar. wet on skin: oohhhh- the patchouli starts to come out and mixes with the caramel to make it a little warmer, maybe slightly less foodie. dry down: BEAUTIFUL- a gorgeous mix of earthy, woodsy smells and sweet, warm melted sugar. in all: i'm really happy with this, and relieved that my skin chemistry has been kind this time- i will totally wear this often!

in the imp: lavender. but not just medicinal lavender. this is sweet, and yes, it reminds me of paris in a wistful sort of way. wet on skin: a combination of the sort of refined sugar candy that adults like and kids do not- sweet without being overpowering- and a lovely floral french lavender. it makes me think of a Provence-based syrup that the upper classes would pour on their morning fruit. dry down: more of the same, with the lavender showing itself just a teensy bit more. in all: floral without being cloying; sugary without being food-like. simply lovely!

i must preface this review by saying that, as if you couldn't tell by my SN, i'm totally smitten with all things violet. how this will compare, i don't know yet, but i'm pretty biased at the outset. so let's go... in the imp: very sharp, very sweet. the violet only comes through at the very last second. wet on skin: a light floral, but i don't really smell any violet dry down: sweet and grapey, sort of like icy grape punch on a hot day. about 10 minutes later, the violet *finally* makes an appearance in all: a gentle enough floral, and a very light violet mix. i'll likely wear it on the hottest days of the year when anything strong seems to only smother the skin. otherwise, i'll keep it in the box.