galahad

In the Bottle: Black musk, quite oudh-like and a sour kick On the Skin: Straight up black musk and oudh. Gradually the labdanum sweetens and smooths out the blend and a very slight blackberry note murmurs beneath. Doesn't take long for the whole to become a delightfully sleek musk with a touch of sweetness On the Drydown: A little tart berry peeks though as this dries down further. Was hoping for more blackberry. This is a very dark blend and should be magical after prolonged aging. If find it a little funky as it is now.

In the Bottle: A floral goaty cream On the Skin: The nectar is apparently fairly fruity. Loving the goat's milk note, which is almost buttery and the sweetness from the honey I assume. On the Drydown: Liking this more on the drydown as the goat's milk gains a footing to give a savouriness amongst the sweetness of the nectar and honey. The drydown on this is so interesting and really quite nice. I would say this is really foody but its perfumey and almost floral as well. I don't think this will be in regular rotation but it has a warmth that I enjoy

In the Bottle: Patchouli and sweet cream On the Skin: That caramelised patchouli is really interesting with a slight charred edge. The cream is less evident but the honey more so. On the Drydown: The honey and patchouli play tag on this one, with each taking turns to amp up. The honey is less clear and sweet and more dark and golden. The cream mellows it all out but is pretty subtle. There is slight spiciness to this on the extreme drydown. I like it but it needs time

In the Bottle: Polished wood is right - smooth and slick with sweet patchouli On the Skin: Copal jumps out immediately and I love copal! Sweet smooth wood and patchouli. It reminds me somewhat of Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements without the creaminess. On the Drydown: This is a darkened version of El Dorado. It's all gleaming dark wood and golden copal with enough patchouli to add some earthiness and keep it grounded. Glorious and will age spectacularly. Worth getting a couple of backups to cellar

In the Bottle: Dry, golden hay and sweet flowers (with a honey-like nectar quality). Surprisingly sweet but in a gentle way On the Skin: Ah, this is stunning. It's pale but warm and sweet as well. The flowers are very prominent but delicate. I am loving the lab LE florals lately. A honey sweetness underlays everything but it's not a thick sweetness, more like the sweetness of pollen with flower nectar. On the Drydown: I had high hopes for this one and it turned out way better than expected. The perfect floral to wear on those early autumn days which are actually still a little uncomfortably warm, but the world is starting to slow down and the light is golden. On the extreme drydown I would swear there is actually a little vanilla and nutmeg in the mix

In the Bottle Definitely get the bay rum, whiskey and cigar smoke. Spicy and boozy On the Skin: Bay rum is prominent to start with but not harsh, tempered by the other notes. There is a distinct saltiness as this dries down further. The cigar smoke note is not a charred smoke scent but the fragrant tobacco of a cigar with just a tinge of singe. On the Drydown: Everything blends so well together but can still pick out elements. The black pepper rears it's head well into the drydown but never overpowers. This is a beauty. Dark but elegantly so

In the Bottle: Tart raspberry with a creamy base but it's all about the raspberry in the bottle On the Skin: Softer raspberry, tempered by the creamy goats milk but still an awesome berry scent. As this starts to dry, it becomes less berry-forward and little more perfumey red fruit but still lovely. I was expecting the goat's milk to be more animalic but at the moment it's just creamy bit not as thick as full on cream. On the Drydown: This stays pretty linear on drydown, remaining a perfumey raspberry with a touch of milk. I thought this would have been creamier. I like it but hopes it ages well

In the Vial: Woody, sweet plum. Surprisingly nice in the vial On the Skin: The oud comes to the fore with the sweet plum. Really lovely. The rose is just a tiny accent. Surprisingly close to the skin and the sandalwood reads more as redwood. On the Drydown: This dries down to a lovely fragrant rich wood with almost red wine notes. The rose isn't particularly evident. It's a bit light for me though

In the Vial: Slightly fermented apple with honey On the Skin: Quite pumpkiny with apple cider. A little effervescent. The honey emerges to sweeten up and round out the blend. On the Drydown: Quite dry and almost dusty. Still has a lightly beery vibe with apple and pumpkin with some spices. Not my jam

In the Bottle: Sweet powdery musk On the Skin: Smooth, sticky myrrh and a sweet musk with a faint aquatic vibe. The whisp of cigarillo smoke is way in the background but it's there. On the Drydown: Surprisingly not as dense as I expected. It is light and airy with a sepia tinge. It's a little too sweet and powdery for me

In the Bottle: Hay, pine and earth On the Skin: Warm, dry earth and wood with pine. I agree that the pine needles are dry rather than super green. Very complex and the pine is really soft but also bright. I do get some clary sage way in the background with it's tea-like mintiness. On the Drydown: As this dries, there is a herbal quality emerging. Possibly the mandrake? Lovely dusty grass, herbs and pine needles. Delightfully late summer/early autumn, IMO

In the Bottle: Sweetened patchouli and oudh On the Skin: Patchouli, fig and a light oudh. Absolutely gorgeous! The cream adds some roundness/fattiness and the tinge of vanilla adds depth. This is a blend verging on foodie but not actually getting there. A girlier version of Nasty Woman and worth backup hoarding. On the Drydown: The patchouli becomes huskier and more prominent as this dries down but seems to constantly change between gritty and sweet smoothness. Love!

In the Bottle: Grapefruit and honey On the Skin: Grapefruit with the effervescent cider adding a slight winey note (very slight). This is so fun and bright. The honey emerges fairly quickly and is very obvious but melds with the grapefruit nicely. On the Drydown: Dries down to a honey tinged with bright grapefruit. The grapefruit lasts quite a while which is unusual on my skin. Ultimately, dries to a light sweetish honey tinge. Nice

In the Bottle: Sagebrush, juniper and the strange but lovely California lilac. On the Skin: Initially, sweet and round but then becomes almost a rich caramel with dry grass and sagebrush herbalness. The California lilac lends it's almost floral note to the blend. Lovely, with the impression of heat and aridity. On the Drydown: Has a fairly linear drydown and ends as a sweetish herbal sage and dry grass which stays close to the skin. Would be delightful to cuddle up to on a late summers evening

In the Bottle: Wax, rose, incense and a touch of vanilla to smooth it out On the Skin: Beautiful candle wax, soft rose and little of the citrus from the Florida water. The incense is heavy, sweet and round - beautiful. This reminds me of my beloved Hand of Glory with rose and citrus, both of which just simmer under the surface. On the Drydown: This is hoard worthy and will become divine with age. The Florida water note is pure genius which could have gone wrong without the light touch. The rose, my least favourite note in many blends, is delightful and just adds to the whole without overtaking the blend. Stunning in it's complexity and in it's inspiration.

In the Bottle: Patchouli and oudh with a floral backing On the Skin: Definitely rich plum at the forefront, briefly, on application and then sweet, smooth patchouli and heavy oudh emerge. Deep, earthy and really luscious. The osmanthus adds a sweet floral undercurrent but intertwines with the other notes seemlessly. The patchouli rears up agan a little later but it is a truly awesome patch - smooth and sweet. On the Drydown: Dries down to a whisper of patch and plum. Lovely

In the Bottle: Very dark and almost treacle-like without any trace of sweetness. I think I get the saffron strongly On the Skin: Clove and saffron, creating a strange combo almost like brandy and bandaids. The sandalwood starts to emerge fairly quickly to dry out the blend and elevate it by adding a thin woody sweetness. On the Drydown: Dries down to a sweet clovey amber with the dryness of the sandalwood keeping the blend interesting. The clove is light, just adding a touch of it's unique spiciness. I'd wear this in the 3 months of the year that are cooler

Only one (two), huh? Snake Oil because it's a well loved classic. Rich, sweet vanilla/patchouli/spice goodness Jazz Funeral - humidity, dirt and tropical white flowers. My go-to summer evening GC

White lavender and ambrette seed, grey patchouli, rum absolute, and vetiver. In the Bottle: Rum and lavender with a faint ambrette whiff On the Skin: Rum and lavender. Almost cakey sweet. Ambrette always reads as grey to me so with the grey patchouli and white lavender this is definitely a muted (but strong) scent only warmed by the rum. The play of the rum and lavender together almost gives an anise vibe. On the Drydown: This has massive throw. It's not a happy scent but rahter broody and melancholy. The lavender is strong! and at times almost takes over but the rum always reins it back in. Eventually the vetiver creeps in and turns an already grey scent ashen. Masterful and lovely. A perfect winters day scent.

In the Bottle: Cardamom and a slight creaminess On the Skin: Initially a beautiful cardamom cream but the cardamom isn't overpowering. There is a slight carnation spiciness peeking through On the Drydown: There is a slightly uncomfortable period as the carnation and cardamom cross over with the cardamom moving to the background and the carnation coming to the front but that doesn't last long. This is a glorious beauty. The carnation cream backed by the cardamom is stunning. I did a full day wear and I got wafts of carnation all day.

In the Bottle: Snake oil and worn leather. More mature than Western Diamondback On the Skin: Almost a caramelised snake oil to start with with the leather slow to emerge but when it does - wowza, it is gorgeous! On the Drydown: The leather and snake oil are quite balanced in this one. Sophisticated, spicy and with good longevity

In the Bottle: Sweet, powdery black musk On the Skin: Black musk forward with the motor oil just peeping through to take the edge of the powderiness. The myrrh is there but not overly evident On the Drydown: I expected this to be grittier but it is quite black musk dominant. I do quite like it and it believe it needs a lot of aging. Has a bit of an 80's vibe

In the Bottle: Black leather, a coolness, musk and dust. Dark musk yet airy On the Skin: Musty carpet, a vague resinousness and black leather. The ambergris adds a lightness, There is a vague plastic quality which is actually quite nice. On the Drydown: This is really nice and comforting. There's the dusty lanolin of the carpet, black leather which doesn't over-power and soft resins in the background. Underlying everything is the plastic and metal which just add ambiance rather than featuring. Awesome!

Soft auburn musk, clove bud, honeyed patchouli, oakmoss absolute, cashmere labdanum, cedar, and mimosa blossom. In the Bottle: Musk, cedar and honey. Smells sweet and rich On the Skin: Not as sweet on the skin. The musk is warm and I get the auburn aspect as it's not dark and not white. The honey and patchouli simmer along but gain some strength On the Drydown: Gorgeous, light honey, musk and the characteristic patchouli scent. The clove makes its presence known but doesn't take over, just adding a smoky spiciness. The mimosa isn't evident. Nice but fleeting on my skin

In the Bottle: Perfumey and smoky vanilla with a dusky edge On the Skin: That silk note is so interesting and hard to describe. Definitely get the light smoked honey and the patchouli seems to be white patchouli. On the Drydown: This is strangely perfumey but in a good way. Elegant but with enough grit from the smoke and patchouli to be interesting. The benzoin adds a subtle vanilla resinousness. Direct sniff on the skin and I'm not sure about it but the scent from the throw is gorgeous. Definitely a keeper.