galahad

In the Bottle: Honey musk and fir. Soft and cool On the Skin: I see what everyone means when they say these are not dead, dry leaves. The honey musk is forefront but the soft green of the fir and the warm not-exactly green of the leaves keep the scent cool and cologney. On the Drydown: I am loving that honey musk note. This is not really a morpher. It stays as a soft musky forest scent. Gorgeous. Low throw but it is an intimate scent anyway; more a whisper than a shout.

In the Imp: Sandalwood with a touch of dry dust On the Skin: First off dry rich wood which is awesome. Eventually touches of herbaceous coriander, sandalwood and tonka emerge to give a gorgeous, slightly sweet woody scent. The mint is so far in the background it isn't really noticeable but does add a freshness. The Drydown: I have always wanted to blind purchase a bottle of this but never did. So glad I got this decant because this blend is outstanding and I will need multiple bottles. It is a young scent and has so much character. Masterfully blended. Love!

In the Vial: Lime cookie On the Skin: Lime cookie with gasoline. The bay rum is pretty nasty in this and I like bay rum. The tobacco smooths it out slightly a little later in the development but this is unsettling. On the Drydown: This is pretty good once it dries all the way down with warm tobacco, lime and baked goods but the journey is challenging

In the Vial: Slightly spiced amber On the Skin: Dry spices and patchouli. Strong and pretty awesome. The amber softens this pretty quickly and it warms up nicely. On the Drydown: This dries down to a soft dry spice. Very nice

In the Vial: Ginger and citrus On the Skin: The vetiver is evident immediately but it's not strong. All of the citrus notes keep the spices and herbaceous artemisia from taking over. Overall this is quite fresh with a deeper and rounder backdrop. On the Drydown: Fades quickly to almost a single note ginger

In the Vial: Straight up whiskey On the Skin: Very astringent oak with whiskey. So interesting but I'm not sure it is appealing. On the Drydown: Literal and linear. The initial harshness mellows out and becomes quite spicy. I am almost tempted to buy a bottle for the genius but I doubt I would wear it much if at all.

In the Vial: Surprisingly strong apple with some rose and honey On the Skin: Hmm...the almond is quite nutty for a change. Almond, apple and honey to start. The rose is subtle on the sking and the lily of the valley provides some sweet opulence. On the Drydown: This is a fascinating and very different scent for me. Lily of the Valley and rose can be iffy on my skin but this dries down to a warm, musky honey rose. Still, not a bottle for me though.

In the Vial: Musky dragons blood with a slight ginger kick On the Skin: A slight epoxy scent initially. The red musk fights with the dragons blood but quickly settles down to a red musk and incense scent which is actually quite sweet. On the Drydown: Really disappointing. I was hoping for a desert scent but ended up with a strangely sweet dragons blood.

In the Vial: Slightly herbal and water-fresh On the Skin: The musk and sandalwood are primarily evident with a soft vanilla note to keep the scent a little smoother. I do get a dry paper and ink vibe from this. I would almost swear there was some vetiver in here. On the Drydown: This is a soft and gentle scent but it becomes very dry, dusty and astringent on the drydown. Every time I write it off as a non-bottle purchase I get a waft which I really like. Uncertain.

In the Vial: A soft jasmine On the Skin: The spices bloom immediately but they are not harsh. Overall a nicely balanced floral and spice. I don't get cardamom particularly. The overall scent is lovely and warm. On the Drydown: This has a linear drydown. It is really nice but doesn't really have great staying power. Still worth a bottle.

In the Vial: Faint floral. Almost like violet On the Skin: The wisteria and lavender combo is quite nice with the powdery nature of the wisteria toning down the camphorous lavender. The sandalwood emerges as a soft note and the rose is very soft and pretty. On the Drydown: The musk and sandalwood have a tendency to dominate this blend on the drydown. It becomes a bit too potpourri for me

In the Vial: Yep, it's almond and rancid butter alright (butter notes instantly turn to rank, rancid butter on my skin) On the Skin: Marzipan and then the musk turns it to evil marzipan. I actually do get the myrrh coming through. On the drydown: Didn't let it get that far. Not a full on almond fan (it's OK in moderation as a supporting note)

In the Vial: Slightly sour rose and lily with a green edge On the Skin: Really sour. Must be the opium. The green note is fascinating, almost savoury, however the whole is pretty much awful rose and musty lily On the Drydown: Something happens about 5 minutes into the drydown and this becomes sweeter and powdery. The opium is still strong and the florals rumble just under it. Then the rose really amps up. So not me.

In the Vial: Red musk and patchouli On the Skin: Starts with a burst of juicy red musk and then quickly the patchouli makes this very dry. As it settles I get wafts of bergamot and vanilla which flit in and out. On the Drydown: On the drydown this melds into a cohesive sweet and woody red musk. The vanilla has rounded the whole blend out and the saffron becomes a little more obvious. Lovely for any red musk fans out there (like me!)

Red musk with a bit of a metallic tang to it. Spicy with the subtle carnation and a spicy kick (apparently from the urfa pepper). I had to look urfa pepper up because I love the bite it gives and it's a Turkish chili. The patchouli is there of course but it's all about the musk. Love it.

Dark, dusty blackberry and greenery. Wild and ripe. Almost an apple vibe as well. I do get a bit of char as well. Moody and wonderful. Great for winter

Divine. This is very carnation forward to start off. I don't specifically get bay but I do get an overall simmering booziness and the woods are grounding, keeping this from becoming thin and high. Cozy but high-brow :-)

This is just too awesome! Initially it's brown sugar and tobacco but quickly becomes a refined tobacco with warm caramel notes and amber and is very dry Just stunning and would love this in a perfume oil as well. It sticks around for ages!

In the Vial: Sweet mild booze On the Skin: Surprisingly soft on initial application. Sweetened rough bourbon. No mint On the Drydown: The mint just provides a light freshness to this but overall the scent is not very robust. Pleasant but not spectacular.

In the Vial: I get fresh ginger, lime and something a little funky but elusive On the Skin: Strong sarsparilla with fresh and zingy ginger. Interesting. The sharp edges settle down quickly to leave a cologney sarsparilla and a slight creamy smoothness underneath. On the Drydown: This is a surprisingly compelling scent. It really is effervescent and surprisingly clean. The smokiness just rumbles very slightly under the surface and is most evident on the late drydown. I don't like the drydown when the initial funkiness (the gear lubricant?) comes back.

In the Vial: Very faint herbaceousness On the Skin: Immediately amps up slightly blackened amber. The carnation spiciness comes through faintly. On the Drydown: A mixture of sweet ambers and darker ambers (fossilised amber in here?). The apple blossom is softly there but a bit overwhelmed by the other components. The carnation is lovely on the deep drydown. Not a bottle for me

In the Vial: A salty aquatic. A little sharp and dry On the Skin: Water-logged wood, a combination of dry wood and green sappy wood. The violet comes through to sweeten the blend a little On the Drydown: This is a little too one-note aquatic for me. If the kelp had been there I might have been more interested.

In the Vial: Deeply fruity musk and vanilla On the Skin: Patchouli, musk and apple. Rich and dark. The vanilla provides a grounding and the rose emerges not long after application but appears to be kept in check by the resins and vanilla. On the Drydown: A lovely antique rose and musk with a woody dryness on the background. The apple isn't particularly evident but provides a slight acidity and sweetness. The neroli is barely noticeable and not obvious bergamot. I like it but not a bottle.

In the Vial: A faint almost soapy musk On the Skin: Cool spiced musk and tobacco. Thin and refined. Definitely more brassy metallic as it settles in On the Drydown: The slick coolness becomes drier and more powdery. Sniffing the wrist becomes a hunt for the scent but it actually has great throw so it's one of those ones which creates an aura of scent but indefinable when smelled directly. Quite nice.

In the Bottle: So good in the bottle. Dark leather, dry tobacco and patchouli with a little dirtiness. On the Skin: Initially a little brown sugar sweet and dark but quickly becomes incredibly dry but with a musky powderyness. The red sandalwood is divine. On the Drydown: This is just a sexy, super dry tobacco/leather scent. Dark and sultry. Fresh it goes through a celery seed phase deep into the drydown which I am hoping will fade with age.