donnatron

Imp: Sour skittles. SRSLY. Wet: Skuld is just so awful on me. I have been haunted by imps of it for years and rarely if ever have I let the foul stuff dry down totally on my skin. It goes on smelling like pruno some kid made out of home ec vinegar and skittles and usually gets washed off right away. It's really awful on my chemistry. I don't know what ingredients cause it to act this way because, mysteriously, all of them normally work really well on my skin. Dry: Some of the vinegar scent goes away and Skuld winds up smelling like evil skittles. It's one of those scents that is so godawful on my skin that I think the dry phase is really good simply because it is comparatively not as bad as the wet phase. It's not disgusting anymore but it's still pretty bad. I don't know what my skin chemistry did with it, but it needs to stop that. Immediately. Throw: Mercifully mild. Overall: Skuld is one of the great bpal mysteries for me. It should be amazing. Every single ingredient works on me and usually smells fantastic in other blends. In Skuld, they combine to create a super perfume that smells like skittles pruno. And, really, the eventual long term drydown is sort of pretty. But I am not willing to go through nearly an hour of smelling like locker pruno.

Deep, luscious green and berry scents that evoke images of woodland witchcraft and the raw power of nature: blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. Imp: Berries. Def. blackberry, this might end in tears. Also getting a soft sage (smells like turkey!) and green tea. Furry quality--must be the musk. Wet: Strong berry/tea blend. Reminds of what would happen if, say, Baneberry and Shaghai had an illicit affair. Very strong at this point. I'm in a cloud of Bewitched. Dry: It's pretty. Definitely shares a fruit note with Baneberry. It's a little nondescript on my skin and I think that's because it falls into the herbal fruit and savoury tea categories and I already have those covered by other scents. Probably this is just a victim of coming along long after I started collecting. The blackberry has been clobbered into submission by the other fruits and that's the top note with the tea and sage mingling in the background. The musk is barely sniffable but it's there. It gives this a bit of depth and also, because musk LOOOOVES my skin, it gives it a pretty good wearlength. Throw: Moderate. It's not skin close but it's also not overtly strong. It smells very natural--sort of like being out in the forest doing spritely magical things. Overall: I like it. I might use the imp but I just as likely might pass it along. It reminds me a LOT of Baneberry and I have a 10ml of that. Definitely a great herbal blend for people who want to expand their horizons but tend towards sweeter/fruitier scents.

Imp: You know, I like myrrh as a supporting note, but it's not really my bag when it's all up in my grill and telling me that it's myrrh. Especially sweet myrrh. Like I feel about many sweet things: in moderation. Strict moderation. Wet: SO MUCH GD MYRRH! WHY? Very little bit of lily of the valley. I like the soapiness of lily of the valley. It reminds me of when I used to work at Crabtree and Evelyn. Dry: Opoponax wins. Also: Opoponax sounds like the name of a deep sea monster in the vein of the Ogopogo. This winds up a deliriously sweet myrrh with a bit of lily of the valley swirling in the back and kind of smelling like public bathroom hand soap. Not pretty. Throw: Of course it's strong. It hates me. Why would it keep that to the world? Overall: This was not a great match for me. Love one of the ingredients. The other? Not so much.

Bottle: Oh hai, leather. This is seriously leather-tacular in the bottle and a little terrifying. It smells like it will go the way of Western Diamondback and C. Auguste Dupin, both of which were a little too... saddle-y for my taste? Wet: Leather and sweet tarts. I think that's the ginger and pink pepper doing its thing. However, this has a really long drydown and the longer it dries down, the more the vanilla and peru balsam emerge and add a really lovely, sexy sugared edge to this. It is complex. Very, very complex, but also very sexy. Dry: It... uh, it lives up to its name. I'm not going to lie, the leather in this takes no prisoners. But that's kind of its charm. All the other ingredients combine to make it so damn kinky that the leather sort of twists itself around from being a weird, dominant/crazy note to being... skin close? Sexy? I don't know how to explain it. I put this on early this afternoon and was like "RIGHT! VILF! YOU HAVE NOT LEARNED YOUR LESSON!" Instead of washing it off, I was a big girl and ran some errands and then let it dry down further and although I am not a fan of the early stages, I dig the dry stage and the continuous morphing of this scent. It's a weekend date night scent. Something you can put on several hours before you actually meet your paramour. Throw: Hella strong. Yes. Hella. Overall: I like it. It's a very specific type of scent for a very specific type of occasion. It evokes its namesake like nobody's business. I've been testing this for around four months before I took the plunge into reviewing it. Definitely one that I would recommend you hang onto if you're not sure in the first few tries.

So, to sort of distill it down: off-beat, intellectual, humourous and a little androgynous. Sounds sort of good? If you're a beginner, it's always good to try a good cross-section of scents because skin chemistry is a wonderful and varied thing. Wilde Bewitching Brews A sophisticated traditional gentleman's cologne, with just the slightest taint of patchouli's passion, tonka bean's decadence, the philanthropy of bergamot, moss' cynicism, the sharp wit of lavender, and the hopeless romantic longing of jasmine and thyme. A perfect starting point for a librarian This is a nice, "masculine" sort of scent that I find can smell very alluring on a woman. Nemesis Excolo Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen. This one is really interesting. It's a dry, earthy sort of scent with a creamy rose in the middle of it. Really walks an interesting, androgynous line. Death Cap Rappaccini's Garden A warm, soft, ruddy scent, earthy and mild. Simply put? Vanilla dirt. SRSLY. Tweedledee Mad Tea Party Kumquat, white pepper, white tea and orange blossom. And now for something completely different. Orange blossom is a good floral for grounding scents and adding a nice sense of such a fruity, absurd scent being something an adult can get away with (From personal experience, I love fruity scents but they need to be grounded by something or I smell like a thirteen year old who just got into the Calgon). Shub Niggurath Picnic in Arkham A blend of ritual herbs and dark resins, shot through with three gingers and aphrodisiacal spices. Evil gingerbread. This is a skin-chemistry dependent scent so it might run sweeter on you, but it's a good, dry dark spice scent. Robin Goodfellow Illyria Dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage. Fellow forum-mate Eyeska and I agree that this is one of those scents that is fantastic on men and a hundred times better on ourselves. El Dorado Wanderlust Copal resin incense blowing through halls of dazzling gold. Light, refined and sort of gentlemanly in a Victorian occultist sense. It smells like Aleister Crowly. Hope that gives you a good spectrum to start out with. And always try scents that come your way--it is amazing the way things can surprise you.

Urd has some of the sweet grapiness of Smut. It would do well layered with Scheherezade, which is a red musk/saffron blend.

Bottle: Shampoo. Oh apple blossom, why you gotta be that way? Wet: The mint starts to peak out and I am getting the distinctness of the honey. Reminds me of the honey in Queen, a little. Apple blossom continues to be apple blossom. I can't argue with apple blossom. It's just a big stupidfaced jerk. Dry: Apple blossom has finally sat the hell down. This is a sweet honey on me with a subtle mint and a little floral from the apple blossom. The honeys remind me of Mead Moon without the harsh lemon. It's very... pretty. Pretty is a good word for this. Sort of girlish and young and subtle. Throw: Minimal. Overall: I got this because it sounded sort of like Dream of the Fisherman's Wife which is one of the most mind blowingly inappropriate things I've ever smelled (I love it). This is nowhere near as all out smutty as DotFW (which clearly means I need to be trying more ambergris scents). It is very lovely, however and I will probably wear it a lot during the warmer months of the year. The skin close quality of the honey and the light, refreshing mint mean this will probably wear really well once patio season hits.

Bottle: Mmm... sweet, floral candy. Definitely getting the honey dusting powder and the carnation and rose. The mandarin gives this a very candied edge. It's kind of like the teenage daughter of Alice and Kubla Khan. Wet: Oops. Dumped it on me. At "dumped on" levels it is very, very strong but at normal application levels it is usually very soft and skin close. The honey dusting powder is definitely the top note. And it is also not powdery at all. This is one of the most beautiful honeys I've smelled in the bpal oeuvre. The florals are present but not overly so. Main notes are honey and mandarin. Dry: This is just beautiful. Honeyed mandarin orange with a soft rose and spicy carnation. Iris is usually kind of stemmy on me and it adds a little lush green to the overall scent. Ylang ylang is always subtle on my skin and it is with this blend--just adding support. It is very sexy but also very innocent. Just a fresh, subtle, feminine blend. Throw: Minimal. Very skin close. Overall: Klara didn't really call out to me with the yules but as they were heading away I knew that I would kick myself if I didn't get a bottle. I am pleased with my prescience because this is a magnificent scent that is absolutely gorgeous, very seductive and coquettish and innocent at the same time. Love it!

Imp: Ozone and leather. Weird and a little I was hoping for a good kick of anise. Wet: This goes on like a men's cologne. I'm assuming there is ozone in those "lubricating oils" because it is really, really piercing. There might also be mint in here because I am getting that tingle I get from anything with mint or menthol in it. The other predominant note is the leather and maybe a little citrus-like hint of the frankincense. Dry: In order: Leather, ozone, frankincense, star anise. It's not terrible but it's not drool-worthy on me. In fact, it's kind of... professional? Like a slightly twisted office-appropriate perfume? The sort of scent I'd wear for a meeting regarding my mortgage at the Arkham Savings and Credit Union? Throw: Close to the skin. Overall: It walks the line between "office appropriate leather" and "just really damn weird" on my skin so closely that I know I just would not be comfortable wearing this on a regular basis. It is damn weird, however, and I will probably hang onto the imp for sniffing purposes when I feel like messing with my olfactory sense.

Imp: The strong, horse-saddle leather I smell in Western Diamondback and C. Auguste Dupin. Hooboy. Wet: I agree that there appears to be a touch of red musk in here. However, the leather is steeeee-rong and the balsam is combining with it to make it kind of? Musky, but not in a good way. Like sweaty horses and men crowded into a corral musky. Dry: It smells like... a rodeo. A strong, intimidating leather with very light, semi-musky back up notes. The moss never showed up or if it did it is one of the supporting notes making this overwhelmingly horse-y. This is an experience scent. I have no desire to smell like this but I'm glad I tried it because it is so damn weird on my skin. Throw: Pretty intense. Overall: I might wear this during the Stampede just to mess with people. A very true saddle leather/cowboy sort of scent. It would probably layer well with lighter or sweeter ingredients but if you like the idea of smelling like saddle leather, this is definitely one to try.

Whip is an elegant, sensual rose with a naughty hint of leather in the background. It's a lush rose--none of that grandma/old lady feeling. Just straight up grown ass woman. There are all sorts of unusual vanillas in bpal-land. Liz is a sexy, smoky leather-vanilla (it is also unimpable so check the forums, for a decant, first). Lyonesse is a very elegant and unusual salty/aquatic vanilla. Peitho combines jasmine, musk and bourbon vanilla. Defututa is a kind of amazing honeyed, sexy vanilla with a smoldering champaca/incense-y floral feel. And Belle Vinu is a beautiful peachy, woodsy vanilla that is very appropriate for a Southern Belle. Of course, there are always the popular kids: Snake Oil, O, Dorian, Morocco, Alice, Dana O'Shee, etc... the most popular ones seem to be sweet, almost-but-not-quite foody and they are very, very gorgeous blends. For reaction, people seem to have really positive experiences particularly with Dorian and O but ymmv when it comes to skin chemistry. For the record, my sweet, semi-straight-laced small town BC boy goes nuts for Kabuki (I think it's the anise that gets him) and Masquerade (despite the fact that growing up in small town BC means running into a lot of hippies who stink of weed and patchouli).

Snake Oil, because I have a highly developed sense of irony

Bottle: Weird. Like dusty raspberries. Or... eating berries in your aunts attic if your aunt was Miss Havisham? Definitely getting the vanilla and the cotton-y aspect. The frankincense and patchouli make it dusty. Wet: The raspberry and pomegranate just soar on my skin. They're pretty high pitched and they are the predominant scent in the wet phase. The vanilla cotton lies close to the skin and lends a gentle, subtle sweetness. The cotton note keeps this from going to foody or childlike. The darker notes are just chilling out on their own, waiting for everything to calm down. Dry: Forget Black Lace. Seriously. This is that beautiful, soft, wistful creamy cotton of Black Lace with juicy fruits and dark, heady woods. Where Black Lace is reserved and elegant this is more youthful and lush. Vanilla cotton very close to the skin and the patchouli and frankincense combine to provide a beautiful, borderline church incense throw. The star is the fruit, though. The pomegranate supports the raspberry and this is just a perfect lush, juicy scent. Fruity without being girlish or silly. Sexy but not sleazy. It's a really lovely, womanly scent and I adore it. Throw: Medium. Overall: I like Black Lace but I found the res version was heavier on the powder and I preferred the lush cognac of my lonely imp of BL original. This is a perfect use of the cottony vanilla from that scent balanced with the juicy fruit. It doesn't really feel like a sister to BL, though. More of a cousin. If anything, this is the impish little sister of Crypt Queen and seeing as how I effing LOVE Crypt Queen, that is a good thing.

Bottle: Peach blossom dominates. Yes! I love peach blossom! This is the type of scent where I can pick out one or two notes merely because I know they are in here, not because I'm amazing at deciphering notes. Definitely can smell the gardenia and the lily. Very floral and sweet. I kind of wish it was a drink. Wet: On wet the blue musk amps up as does the lily and the lotus root. Again, I would not know this without a handy list of ingredients. It's very well blended and I can't tell if it's so complex that I can't identify what's going on here or if my skin is selectively eating half the ingredients. Dry: A warm, springtime sort of scent. Blue musk is the dominant scent and I can smell a blend of florals over top--very faint on the peach blossom but it is there. The beeswax and vanilla appear to be one and the same lending a waxy sort of sweetness to this. It reminds me of the sugared roses and violets you can buy to put on cakes. Not because it smells like either of those flowers but due to the sort of underlying warm sweetness from the base notes. The sandalwood is there, faint but there. I think it's a white sandalwood lending a sort of light dustiness to the overall blend. Throw: Mild with a short wearlength. Overall: Very pretty and good for warm weather. A little flirty but definitely not seductive or sleazy. Probably will enjoy wearing this one in the warmer months (when they EVENTUALLY arrive) or to the office. It's fun without being too oddball for corporate situations.

A voluptuous and brittle blend of lunar oils and white chypre shimmering with darkly glowing red musk, golden amber, black currant, patchouli, rose peppercorn, blackberry, ylang ylang, and daemonorops astride Yuletide’s holly berry, white pine, winter rose, and myrrh. Bottle: Oh Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse. I sniffed. I did this: and then I sniffed again and I did this: I get a high pitched white floral scent on top with really prickly wood and pine notes beneath. This is swirled in with a tart berry note and underneath all that, a faint hint of dragon's blood. This scent left a soapy aftertaste in my mouth after I sniffed it. It was WEIRD! Wet: There is definitely a public toilet cleaning solution scent to this. I am perplexed because on paper this scent is made of a million different win notes. Probably what is really killing it is that I do not smell any of the musks or patchouli, which is sad making, and the pine is really aggressive. Dry: Oh. I know what it is. Blackberry. When this dries down, I get a very faint, creamy red musk/dragon's blood combo and a bit of pine, which is aiding and abetting the blackberry to dominate on my skin. I don't dislike the scent of blackberry but I can definitely smell some of that cat pee note others have talked about when it comes to blackberry. In fact, the longer I sniff this, the more I am starting to think of it as a wintery counterpoint to Lady Una. Throw: The blackberry throws for miles. The rest, not so much. Overall: This is a really complex and intriguing blend. I think I will need to hang onto it for a while and let the blackberry settle down and see if it is more in line with my chemistry and tastes. It does remind me of a dry, wintery, sort of severe Lady Una and I would say that the one thing that might hurt it is that it doesn't have the same lush sweetness LU has to balance out the blackberry and if some of the stronger notes (musk, patch, amber) don't emerge to wrangle it this may be a swap away.

Bottle: Very sweet and candied and sort of like if a Turkish coffee with lots of sugar was turned into a gummy candy. This is a weird scent, man. Wet: The weirdness continues. For the first five minutes or so on my skin it smells like a box of Pot of Gold chocolates. It is exceptionally strange and I think it's a combo of the coffee, hazelnut (def.) and the spices. The leather is so smooth and warm and suede that it takes its time to subtly emerge and then the blend takes on a more adult air. Dry: This is fabulous. The coffee and hazelnut sort of merge into the background and create a dark, smooth richness that has a foody edge without being outright foody. The leather and tobacco take front stage and the tobacco provides an intriguing woodsy quality almost like a red sandalwood. The spices mingling in with the tobacco give me the impression of a really high end shisha bar. It's not a bubbling, cheerful scent but it's not a dark, brooding sort of scent either. It's warm and elegant and a little dangerous. A scent to wear to seduce, not to be seduced. Throw: Moderate. I was actually surprised by how well behaved this wound up because the wet phase is intense. Overall: I really like this and am glad I took the risk despite my admittedly terrible track record with coffee. It kind of makes me feel like a spy or like I am doing debaucherous things while keeping my identity a secret. Fantastic!

I am totally hoarding Glogg. The salesgirl suggested it as a sub of Tramp (it's not, sadly) and I fell head over heels. It's just utterly gorgeous and I love that it has the cinnamon/patchouli deliciousness and the citrus is present but not overbearing or over sweet. The closest BPAL scent I've found is The Phantom Calliope black cherry, patchouli, cassis, cardamom and verbena. The cassis is sharper than the cinnamon in Glogg and LUSH just has that distinctive citrus that no one else can replicate. It's not an exact dupe but it's pretty good. While I'm here--anyone have a good perfume dupe of Tramp? Greed is pretty close but, again, there is a very faint hint of citrus in Tramp that really brightens it.

Imp: It smells like these particular cookies I pick up at the Italian supermarket. They're very, very thin and kind of bake up with the texture of a really thin ice cream cone. It's nice in a foody sort of way. Wet: Mostly I'm relieved because I passed on this due to the creepiness and then regretted it because I'm the creepiest mofo I know and would have totally been able to handle it. But none of my beloved licorice is coming to the surface and this is really, really similar to Liz. Dry: Yeah. Actually it's almost a dead ringer for Liz on my skin. Slightly foodier and a bit deeper but not in a deeper way that I like. It's a dark, creamy, foody vanilla with a dirty slap of leather in the background. The vanilla is almost a little too cloying and I wish the licorice came into this to sort of cut the vanilla. It's beautiful and I really like it but it is also, thankfully, not something I cannot live without. Throw: Strong. Overall: It's nice. If you missed this and want to try it, Liz is a more than suitable dupe. I wish I could smell the licorice but honestly? Whenever I try a semi-Holy Grail it's always a relief to understand why it's loved but not have to undertake searching down any more.

Imp: The orange blossom dominates with a little hint of slightly dirty sandalwood in the background. Wet: Where is my champaca? This is strictly a sandalwood/orange blossom scent. It's a little gritty as orange blossom often is on my skin. Dry: I do like sandalwood. I honestly do. I just don't like when subtle sandalwood-containing scents have the sandalwood amp out of control and I wind up smelling like single note sandalwood. If you don't amp sandalwood? This would be a pretty sexy scent. On me, I smell like furniture. Amazing furniture but furniture nonetheless. Throw: Moderate. It lingers a long time. Overall: As all scents are, it comes down to skin chemistry. This is a great scent but it just doesn't work on me. If the notes appeal give it a try. It's a simple blend but sultry in an incense-y sort of way.

Imp: Light but a little dusty. I agree--sandalwood and vanilla or tonka or benzoin. There is a warm, creaminess here but the sandalwood is dominating. Wet: My skin kind of ruins the potential. This is all sandalwood and there is a rosy sort of scent that is not rosewood because it lacks the spiciness and it's not true rose. Maybe palmarosa? Dry: Sandalwood and sweetness. My skin just destroyed this one. It's not that it's not lovely, it's just that I smelled a lot more in the imp than I do on my skin. This is just like a straight up sandalwood that fades quickly. I can see how it would be soothing because it really is a background sort of scent but it ultimately doesn't speak to me. Throw: Mild. Overall: Not a match for me. I think if you amp sandalwood less this might be a good option.

Okay, I know you were like "no amber!" but I do not care for amber very much at all and one of my favourite vetiver blends is Prurience red amber and scorched musk with voluptuous carnation, charred vetiver, sensuous tonka, and orris. It's definitely in the Snake Oil/Snake Charmer/Mme. Moriarty family. If you feel like tracking down a (not hard to find) LE with a similar vibe to Prurience and a fabulous vetiver note, you can try Lunar Eclipse Red musk, black currant, violet leaf, wild frankincense, lavender, black orchid, Darjeeling tea, vetiver, red moss, myrrh, Moroccan spices, blackened fruit gums, and tobacco. Some other good vetiver recs: Queen Bewitching Brews Brews For use only by women. An extremely potent passion blend, used to great effect when you're converting feminine sexual energy into power. This, of course, is dependent on whether or not you choose to wear the Voodoo blends. If they are your bag this is a fabulous vetiver/honey/pine blend that is both enticing and a little threatening. Alecto Excolo Olive leaf, raspberry leaf, vetiver and cedarwood. Strong vetiver bolstered by the herbal quality of the other ingredients. The Scales of Deprivation Sin and Salvation lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum. A dry, herbal vetiver chypre. Very handsome and masculine. Anathema Sin and Salvation Black opium, with vetivert and honeysuckle. A bit sweeter. I find the opium to be the stronger note but ymmv.

Bottle: Dark, luscious, almost creamy in scent. The blood musk has mellowed since the last time I cracked this open. Strong cocoa note and some woodsiness that reminds me of cedar but must be the vetiver. Wet: Feral is the first word that comes to mind. This doesn't particularly smell like blood but evokes the feeling of a chase. It smells like blood pounding in your ears. The musk and dragons blood are mingling to make this smell both feral and ritualistic, like some sort of 1970s hysteric interpreatation of a satanic ritual. The cocoa does not make this cuddly--it has a stark earthiness that makes it contrast nicely with the creamier and warmer musks. Dry: It dries down to a sexy, earthy bloody sort of scent. I know that sounds totally nuts (or you're clearly just a lot kinkier than I am ) but it's the type of scent you'd expect to smell on a destroyer goddess or a goddess of the hunt, there's a smell of skin smeared with still warm viscera and the dirt of the forest floor. It's a respectful scent. This isn't a Gore Shock or something of that nature. This is a fearful scent but that fear was undertaken in the pursuit of something sacred. Or I'm just totally nuts. That is always an option. Throw: Strong. Overall: It's funny the associations that different scents can conjure up for us. I would classify this as very similar to Great Sword of War but I don't have the same visceral reaction to GSoW that I do to this scent. This is a very beautiful, bold and dangerous perfume and it makes me feel exceedingly confident and a little dangerous when I wear this blend. It's a little masculine and while bold it's not harsh. This is all smooth lines, warm skin and it's a very... voluptuous scent. The type of thing I wear when I know that I'm the one who's going to be in charge.

Your best GC bet would be Roses, Pearls and Diamonds[/i]. The notes are: Red roses, dazzling crystalline musks, and pearlescent coconut-tinged orris. You could also try London which won't be as sweet as Hope but has a similar tea rose note: Tea Rose… twisted, blackened and emboldened with wickedness.

I am always loathe to recommend limited editions but my absolute favourite aquatic is Dream of the Fisherman's Wife (Seaweed, honey, white mint, and ambergris). It is a light, fresh, feminine aquatic that is absolutely filthy. It is extraordinarily carnal and totally sexy and fresh and unique. Otherwise, from the GC: Olokun Excolo the glorious, unknowable gloom of the ocean floor. A clean, fresh, almost melony scent. It's strong but clean. Reminds me of Cool Water Woman. Port Royal Wanderlust Spiced rum and ship’s wood mixed with the body-warmed trace of a prostitute’s perfume and a hint of salty sea air on the dry-down. A warm, spicy sort of feminine sea scent. I was once told, "Your perfume smells like how I imagine the spice from Dune smells. At the ocean." I agree with that assessment. Lyonesse Wanderlust Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss. An elegant and feminine aquatic warmed by the vanilla and other elements. Pool of Tears Mad Tea Party A sea of salty tears drowning out Alice's light floral perfume. Where the saltiness of Dream of the Fisherman's Wife is kind of what makes it so raunchy, this is like the refined, childlike version of that scent. Mary Read Bewitching Brews Salt air, ocean mist, aged patchouli, sarsaparilla, watered-down rum, leather-tinged musk, and a spray of gunpowder. Yeah. So. I'm pretty sure this is an awesome, kickass female scent. Gunpowder is my nemesis and makes this smell like... gunpowder. But there is a few seconds before that happens where this is pretty awesome! Maybe someone else can attest to this? Egle Marchen Ocean water, hyacinth petals, star jasmine, and fir Depending on how you wear jasmine this might be a dark horse favourite. Very refined and elegant with a very realistic ocean scent (minus the nasty low tide scent). Dragon's Tears Ars Draconis salty aquatic notes and bursting with dragon's blood. Speaking of low tide. This reminded me of low tide at White Rock Beach near Vancouver. However, I was also raised landlocked and currently am landlocked so I think I have a slightly different olfactory relationship with the ocean. This is probably the most realistic ocean scent I have ever smelled and if you can handle dragon's blood it might be a match made in heaven.

Bottle: wut? It smells like the exposition in a crappy young adult novel. As in: it is familiar and I both know and don't know this scent and the resulting review will be a journey of discovery. However, unlike a crappy young adult novel, this is not a heavy handed metaphor for puberty, merely a perfume review. I cannot distinguish a single note in this blend. It smells sweet and borderline alcoholic and herbal and a little smoky. I smell it and I think about going to a specific library in my city. It doesn't smell like that library and I don't think about being in the library. I think about the walk from the parking lot to the library. The hell? Wet: Okay. Copal. Tobacco. Rose. I smell these. I know these. I nuzzle these things with my brain because I recognize and understand them. This perfume is messing with my mind, yo. It has an uncanny ability to just pull up random occurrences from my life and be like, "Remember this happened?" and I'm like, "Yeah. How random. Why am I thinking about playing hide and seek in my parents' basement while listening to "The Sunscreen Song" on Power 107? WTF? WTF, MAN?" Dry: This is an absolutely drop dead gorgeous perfume. The copal is the dominant note with a rosy/wood backdrop and then a spicy honey which I would assume is the agave combined with the spices. The tobacco is a sort of haze over the whole thing. It's beautiful and sexy and just a wonderful scent overall. It also... well, I'll cover this in the overall. Throw: Strong. Overall: I love this scent. It makes me feel beautiful and sexy and glamourous and fantastic. But whenever I wear it I have these really weird flashbacks to my childhood. I have no freaking clue why because it does not remind me of anything I have ever smelled before. But whenever I wear it just little things will come into my brain that I haven't thought about in years. It's not unpleasant, it's just kind of weird. I don't think anyone is aching to relive their junior high years but somehow every time I put this on I'll find myself dredging up a memory that will make me smile or cringe depending on the memory. It's absolutely fascinating because my brain does not discriminate and wearing this has drudged up some really hilarious memories as well as some absolutely humiliating ones. It's something of a shame because I feel so confident and wonderful when I wear this but I also cannot share it with anyone else because the memories and the experiences dredged up there are so personal it's something I reserve only for myself. I tried this on this evening because I forgot why I never wear it. This is why. It's a bedtime blend for when I'm feeling introspective.