tinyvulture

in a sense, this is comparable to O – honey, powdery, resinous. but there’s also a spicy peppery note and something that makes me think of a summer garden – ripe and green, like being among the tomato vines or something. the combination makes me feel energized, but also sexy and decadent. the perfect attitude for seduction! i see a bottle of this in my future.

intense milk chocolate! i don’t know what else to say. it’s not fake-smelling, it’s not too powdery or sweet or bitter. it’s delicious.

roses and holy water. a somber, spare yet beautiful scent. incense smoke lingers, and if i close my eyes, i’m in a cathedral. calamus seems to have a cool, clean scent. i must try this as a room scent; it’s calming in spite of its sadness.

first impression – herbal+incense. interesting contrast – the clean, green herbs play off the dark, sweet, mysterious myrrh and deep, woodsy balsam to create an exotic, otherwordly scent. truly makes me think of ancient rituals and Egyptian funeral chambers. unique and fantastic.

I loved the honeyed, powdery, intoxicating sweetness of O. Then I tried La Petit Mort, with its addition of spicy ylang ylang. I thought it couldn’t get any better. But now I smell this. It’s O+ylang ylang+more. An amazing, sexy blend. Hints of clove, patchouli and bitter fig add just the right amount of earthy complexity. Swoon-inducing.

apples! crisp green apples that seem to grow more ripe and sweet as the oil dries on my skin. clean herbal notes in the background and a hint of “apple pie” spice that fades in and out. i can’t pick up on the amber at all. i absolutely adore the oaken notes in The Hesperides, but this is a great apple scent in its own way.

roses and incense. the dry, spicy sandalwood is a nice complement and keeps the roses from stealing the show. a good, womanly floral blend. i like it, but i don’t love it because i can't smell the patchouli.

first impression - ripe figs with a touch of soft coconut and almond. i used up almost the entire imp before i got around to reviewing it, it's so good! i'm partial to all the Wanderlust blends and this is no exception. very sweet at first, but then the dry sandalwood comes out and the fig note becomes more complex – earthy, and slightly bitter. the bitterness is perfectly balanced, however, by the creaminess of the milk and honey. perfect.

to me, this is Dublin without the roses. the clean, green, sweet forest scent is exactly the same. it’s so strong it’s almost too much at first. as it dries, the “pininess” of the pine comes out more, and the sweetness dies down. it veers toward soapy, but doesn’t go over the edge. it's got a wintry feel –- there’s a slushy, icy note -- and the girly perfume is noticeable, although faint. the perfume makes this scent, in my opinion, the female equivalent of Talvikuu. i don’t know if i’ll wear this, but it will make a lovely room scent for the holidays.

at first, this is straight up root beer! the spicy nutmeg comes out as it dries. the myrrh adds sweetness and warmth, and the black poppy lends its exotic, powdery goodness. and there is a soft smokiness that really gives it that “opium den” quality. and is there a touch of leather, or am i just imagining it? this is wonderful. sweet, sexy mysterious! i can’t stop inhaling deep breaths of this marvelous scent.

in the bottle it smells sparkly and citrusy, like 7-up. but when it hits my skin it’s mostly deep woods – cedar and pine, i think. the sparkling note is still there in the background, however. as it dries, there’s burnt almond, a touch of sweet myrrh, and finally the vetiver shows up, lending its usual “earthy” note. no traces of patchouli or clove. i think without the vetiver this would be a cool, clean, outdoorsy scent – one i’d enjoy. but i don’t like the dank, dirty scent that vetiver brings. it overpowers everything else. so i’ll have to swap this one. i have to say, though, that even though it’s not for me, it is quite an evocative scent -- bringing to mind the dark, dangerous, mysterious qualities associated with voodoo.

straight out of the bottle, the buttercream hits my nose first, followed by the scents of gingerbread, cracker jacks, and peanut brittle. it dries to a sweet, foody, burnt caramel/praline scent. i do not smell any chocolate, but there are so many other yummy notes that i don’t even miss it. comforting and indulgent.

an aquatic scent with a touch of something cold and slightly medicinal –- eucalyptus? –- over soft white florals. like thick, foggy, wet air. this will make a cooling, invigorating room scent on a hot day.

at first, the gentle lavender is dominated by the heady jasmine. the musks add sweetness and warmth, and the rose adds a fresh tartness. after awhile it’s mostly rose and spicy musk. the lavender seems to have faded completely. it never really made its presence felt, but this is still a good, complex floral scent. i've never been a big fan of florals, but this scent makes me think i really like musky florals.

very green and herbal at first, with a touch of lemon. sweet tea and ginger come in as it dries. fresh, clean, and springy.

Fruity fig and slightly medicinal hyssop are most noticeable on my skin. The vetiver and oakmoss add their usual earthiness, and the tamarind adds a tangy note. The cardamom fades in and out. I do not smell frankincense, patchouli, lavender, or rosemary at all, but in spite of that, this is a bit too complex for me. Chaotic describes it perfectly.

Dark and masculine. Rosewood dominates, with its unique cedar/rose scent. Combined with the sandalwood, it makes for a very woodsy blend. The musk is strong and animalistic. The amber is soft and sweet, but fades out quickly. I think I’d really enjoy this scent if it had more amber. I like it, but I’ve already got so many favorite woodsy scents I don’t know if I have room for a bottle of this.

I thought this would be way too citrusy because of the bergamot and mandarin, but they just add a nice little touch of sweet sparkle to the soft warmth of the amber and musk. Saffron adds an exotic note and the rose is understated --I can hardly tell it’s there. The sandalwood is a nice woodsy contrast to the sweeter notes. I had no idea I’d love this scent so much.

Smells like barbecue! Very smoky and warm. The pepper is quite sharp, and it’s much stronger than the cinnamon and clove which linger in the background. I thought this would be a gentle “chai” type scent, and it really surprised me with its firey heat. It’s too much for my skin, but I’ll try it as a room scent on a cold night.

Definitely honeysuckle, bright citrus notes, and the sweetness of heliotrope. Girly and cheerful. Usually citrus goes bitter on me, but the orange blossom here is very sweet and adds a youthful, innocent quality. It's not really "me" but it is a nice scent.

So much jasmine! I like jasmine sometimes, but it’s too much for me in this blend. I really can’t smell too much else. A little bit of tart apple, and a touch of musk to soften and warm. But mostly, it’s jasmine. I can’t smell my beloved myrrh and sandalwood at all, so I’m going to sell this and let someone else give it some love.

The exotic tuberose and champaca (to me, smells like jasmine) are the stars here, but I think the davana is what gives it such a sweet, tropical, fruity note. The honey and vanilla add additional sweetness as well. The amber lays its soft veil over everything and the result is like a more floral, sexier version of Manila. This is for hot climates, for days spent lounging by the pool. Luxurious, yet playful.

in the bottle, the rosewood and sandalwood form a solid base, the violets are pretty, and the herbal chamomile is a nice touch. it smells like a real lady’s perfume, if that makes sense. like one you’d buy in an expensive retail store. bright, floral and womanly. however, my skin hates all citrus, bergamot definitely included. on me, it smells like the rosewood has polished with Lemon Pledge. off to swaps!

Bitter almonds – at first, that’s all I smell. Very similar to Port-Au-Prince minus the aquatic note. Don’t be scared -- the bitterness fades quickly! As it dries, the vanilla and heliotrope are noticeable and it morphs into a sweet, warm, foody scent. The frankincense adds complexity and the cinnamon is hardly there at all – very soft and powdery, not too spicy or overpowering on me. Over time it reminds me a lot of a stronger, longer-lasting Bengal. I might have to get a bottle!

This is truly a unique blend. The warm sweet myrrh forms a nice base. Because of the cypress/juniper combo, I thought it would be more woodsy/pine-y, but it's not. It's more "herbal" or "green." There’s a bitter note that I can’t put my finger on. After about 10 minutes, it reminds me of an Indian restaurant! Hey, that’s a good thing. But what is it? 20 minutes -- now it's very sweet. The myrrh has really come out. The bitterness has gone and it's more floral -- the violets have arrived. I liked it better before. But still, intriguing -- lots of layers.