nevermore

I was hoping for something akin to Hellfire, but with some wood. Hearth had other ideas - wet, it smells mostly like marashino cherries in syrup, and dries down to something like maple syrup and leather and occasionally a tiny bit of tobacco. Not at all what I was expecting, but still yummy. My mom actually asked me if I had brought home dessert when she smelled me one afternoon while wearing this.

Greed is indeed very masculine and very earthy. The copal in it seems to really agree with my skin, though the patchouli (which I like) is a bit too much for everyday wear. I like earthy scents, but I like them better when they're tempered by something sweet - like the orange in Xuihtecuhtli. I do like this one, but I wouldn't wear it enough to justify keeping it around, so I swapped it to someone who needed it for a gift.

I can see where people are getting the "candy" association from - this blend is really quite sweet and somewhat fruity. I don't think it's pineapple, but something else more exotic. I'm not really a huge fan of fruity scents, and was expecting something more resiny, but this is quite nice. I'll be keeping it, but I don't know about a bigger bottle.

Magdalene, on me, is a demure, innocent sort of rose (with the odd dill-pickle note I tend to get from orchid while it's wet). In all honesty, it's a nice blend, but it really isn't me. It is, however, very nice in the bath (I used up the imp last night by tipping it into the bath tub as I got in - quite nice).

In the bottle, Puck is mainly sage and oakmoss, a touch of grape and a bit of juniper berry. But, it seems civet is my nemesis - it took what was a nice blend that I would have happily worn, and turned it into poop. It's not fair, really. I really like blends with sage that I've tried (Ave Maria Gratia Plena, Lex Talionis), but the civet in this one just turns me right off.

I really enjoy Verandi. I think she'll be the most wearable out of the Norns (for me). It starts off with the same apple note as The Hesperides, but not as sweet. After a while, it dries down to a nicely herbal, slightly spicy apple - not apple pie/cinnamon spicy, but more apple tree + herb garden spicy, if that makes any sense. Anyway, that aside, I really like it. I think I may need a larger bottle for everyday wear. It's comfortable, and not too girly or sweet.

This is nothing like what I expected, but I love it anyway. On me, Belle Epoque is a quite light vanilla/sandalwood, with a touch of something insense-y that I assume is the opium. I was expecting more floral, but I can always layer it with my lily of the valley eau de toilette to make it a little stronger. I think this is the perfect everyday sort of scent for me - not too strong or too dark. I'm so glad I bought a 5ml unsniffed. Yum.

A gentlemen's blend, possessed of dignity, charm and refinement, but in truth masking a corrupted, hideous, soulless core. White musk, lime, lilac and citron. In the bottle, and about 5 minutes on my skin, Whitechapel smells exactly like lime lifesavers. Interesteing, but not something I want to smell like. Then, suddenly, the lime almost entirely dissappears leaving a floral and white musk. It took a few minutes to realize the floral was lilac, which is one of my favorite flowers. A keeper!

In the bottle, Delphi smells mostly like honey with a touch of insense - reminded me a little of Athens, but slightly green. My skin turns it into something awful - overly strong, and amps up the laurel and bay so much that it turns my stomach. I though I would like this one, based on the notes in it, but my skin makes it terrible. Stupid skin chemistry!

To tell the truth, I was kind of afraid of India Bouquet when I got it in a swap. I opened the bottle and could smell nothing but cumin and curry powder. I closed it back up and put it back in the "to try" box. I kept doing that - open, sniff, close - for about 2 months. Last night I finally had enough courage to try it on (of course, it helped that it was the last thing in my to try box). I was surprised when the cumin dissappeared and left anise and some other unidentifiable spices. It's quite nice, though I'll have to remember to put in on a few minutes before I leave the house (so as not to smell like curry).

I could have sworn I reviewed this, but it seems I haven't. *shrug* Anyway, I find Hellfire quite similar to O like many of the other reviewers - sweet, sort of musky, smokey, but with an interesting leather note that O doesn't have. It's very distinctive, but I'm afraid to wear it out of the house, because it smells so sexual. I really do enjoy it, though there are only specific situations that I can wear it in - like going to the bar.

On me, Embalming fluid is mainly tea and lemon, no musk at all. It's light and refreshing, and very cooling. In fact, it smells alot like the iced tea from the coffee shop around the corner from my summer job, which is why I find it so refreshing. I really have to slather myself in it if I want to smell it though, which I suppose is expected from such a light scent.

Neo-Tokyo isn't really my style - green and aquatic, with a touch of florals. I wore it a few times, but it wasn't really somethink I wanted to smell like. Last night, after a bit of a spat with my parents, I decided I needed a really nice bath and not having any good bath products at hand, I tipped the entire imp into the bath tub. It was wonderful. I think I may have to buy a bigger bottle of Neo-Tokyo just to put it in my bath.

On me, Jezebel is mainly honey and rose, with a little sandalwood. Eventually, the rose fades, and by the end of the day all that's left is honey and a touch of sandalwood. I think I'd like this blend a bit better if there was more sandalwood, and if the orange blossom came out more, but all in all, it's quite nice. I probalby would buy a bigger bottle of this if I didn't already have a bottle of O (which smells somewhat similar, just without the rose).

La Petite Mort is nearly straight ylang ylang in the bottle, but morphs on my skin. I think there may be some amber, and maybe a bit of something sweet - honey or vanilla perhaps. Also something a bit spicy, but I have no idea what it could be. This one is quite potent on me, and doesn't take alot to be quite strong. The comparisons to O and Snake Oil are apt, though the ylang ylang in this one is quite prominent, and those blends don't contain anything like it. I quite like this one.

I recived an imp of Kabuki from my wonderful swap faery, and I really like it. The cherry is all I can smell at first, but after a while, the anise comes out somewhat. Not terribly complex, but more simple and fun. It's not especially long lasting, but it's nice while it's there. However, I would like this blend more if it didn't give me big, painful, red welts where I apply it. It only does this some of the time (maybe half), so I can wear it some of the time. Since I can't wear this whenever I want, I won't buy a bigger bottle, but certainly another imp after the one I have is gone.

I've worn Perversion several times, but I have yet to decide whether I like it or not. The leather, tobacco and coconut come out most stongly, though I can smell the tonka and a touch of something alcoholic. It's sweet, but with something that "isn't quite right" - which I suppose is nessesary in a blend called Perversion. I don't know if I would buy a bigger bottle, but I will certainly use up my imp trying to decide how I feel about it. I'll update this review if I can ever make up my mind about this blend.

Whip is not something I expected to like, nor would I have ordered it myself (as I don't really care for roses or leather). But the lab was nice enough to include it in my last order, so I tried it and was quite surprised. It's a very forceful sort of rose - not mild and meek (like Magdalene), vaguely churchy (like Spellbound), or soapy (like Black Cat). It smells like rose petals picked straight from the flower and crushed up. This seems to be the sort of rose I like. The leather never really surfaces. I like this one enough that I might consider a larger bottle at a later date.

I really like Black Lotus. It's fruity, but not overly so, and insense-y, but not too much. Dark, sweet, resiny and insense-y. Luckily, the lotus in this doesn't turn to bubblegum like most of the lotus blends I've tried. I don't think I'll need a bigger bottle, but I think I would buy another imp after the two I have are gone.

I so wanted to like this one, but again, the curse that is skin chemistry strikes again. Chocolate and cocoa turn plastic-y and artificial on my skin, and it overpowers any other notes in the blend. Velvet sounded like something that I would love, but unfortunately, my skin hates it. I can't smell any vanilla or sandalwood, only the bad cocoa note.

I'm beginning to think that chocolate perfumes don't like me. Bliss smells glorious in the bottle, but my skin makes it smell plastic-y - kinda like the cellophane off of Cd or DVD cases.

In the bottle, Sugar Cookie is a lovely "baking" sort of smell with spices and sugar. However, my skin does unspeakable things with it - the spices become overpowering, and the baked goods smell "off", and in the end I feel marginally ill because of it. It's an incredible blend, but not on my skin. I've swapped this one.

Snow White certainly lived up to the hype that I had heard about it. It's somewhat coconutty, but not overpoweringly so. I can't really pick out any other notes, though there is some floral and something "cool" (but not mint). It's lovely and light, and I think it will be lovely to wear over the summer.

I don't really know how to describe this one. I can smell violet, bergamont and cammomile in the vial, but they blend so nicely that it's hard to pick them out on my skin. Luckily, the rosewood doesn't end up smelling too rose-y, but simply adds a nice base to the otherwise fairly lights perfume. It's splendid. Occasionally, I run across perfume that I know I need more of right away - this is one of them!

I so wanted to like this one, but I need to learn that there are some notes that just don't work with my body chemistry - lotus being one of them. In the vial, it's a very strong lavender, with a touch of fruity-ness fromthe lotus. Once it hits my skin, the lotus takes over, and I smell like bubblegum and nothing else. I ended up giving this one to my mom, and it smells lovely on her - lavender and cloves with the lotus in the background. *sigh* I wish it smelled like that on me.