empi girl

I think there are different vanillas at work. The vanilla in Tombstone, Snake Oil, Golden Priapus seems really different from the one in Black Opal and Antique Lace (neither of which work on me). One is rich and heady and voluptuous, and the other is soft, powdery and genteel. I always wonder if it is the light musk in Black Opal and AL that ruins them for me.

 

I don't get any vanilla out of Dorian.

 

The only vanilla I really love is Lick It, which on me dries down to a minty vanilla. I do really like Golden Priapus on my husband.

 

I also have high hopes for Death Cap! Dirt and vanilla sounds really good to me, just have to wait for my order to roll in.

Quite a morpher. At first, the sweet, powdery scent of heliotrope, then after 15 minutes it becomes this very sharp, astringent green plant-like the green sap from a stinging nettle bush-and then, 10 minutes after that, it morphs a final time into clove. Each stage is very distinct. If you like clove, this is a scent to try.

Lovely blend. Whiffs of pine, a light citrus, a hint of sweet ozone. I like how the pine is distinct, but not masculine-I wish this stage lasted longer. Dries down to a soft floral, not cloying, not perfumy, very light-like a breeze through a window outside a garden. 2 hours on, melony, soft, sweet.

Got this today in a swap, and am so glad it isn't peanut butter or shaved pencils on me!

Actually, it is a very nice incensy musk, not too sweet, but heavy. Heavier than I usually like, so I learned that 2 swipes is way two many! (damn, I couldn't resist that-I am a huge dork for puns). I get everything but the tuberose and geranium, and it melds nicely together so that nothing is too distinct.

I don't think I'll get a 5 ml, but I may keep this around, try it out now and then for evenings out-definitely an evening scent, sultry and sexy.

Very sweet in the bottle-caramel and angel food cake. Smells delicious. It stays that way on for a moment, then transitions quite rapidly through a strong angel food cake scent to a sweetly dusty scent. This is where it stays for me, and confirms that I really don't wear super sweet scents well.

I must have wierd chemistry. On me it smells like the opening of Silk Road (which I really like), but stronger, or like the tea undercurrent of Kumiho. So I guess I'm associating it with tea. It is soft, sweet, a bare hint of lemon if I really try to find it. It isn't powdery on me at all (except now that it has been on 5 hours, it has an edge of powder to it, but not baby powder, but powdered sugar!). White musk usually ends up smelling "off" on me, but not this time. It is light, but lasts for hours, and wafts well.

Right now, I like it. Perhaps one day I might love it, or I might end up hating it. I'll have to try it again to find out!

 

Oh, I also wanted to say that I don't think this is anything like Snow Bunny, which hated me to pieces! If Snow Bunny hated you, you might still like this.

Sweet wood smoke, pepper, and booze. It reminds me a lot of Nocnitsa's smokiness. I found it interesting at first, but there is a note in here that doesn't agree with me at all. I'd like to say it is a leather note, but as that isn't listed, I'm going to go for the booze. The musk is definitly not red musk, which I love. Very autumnal. Not foody at all. And amazing staying power: I have scrubbed it off twice, and still I smell it. Not a keeper for me.

This is very nice; refreshing, luminous, soothing, and beautiful. Coconut, not the super sweet sugar coated shreds you can buy for baking, or the suntan oil, or the tropical drink mix, but the whole coconut shebang-meat, milk and shell. At least, how I imagine a half-cracked coconut would smell if you were in the sun, holding it close to your nose-the grounding scent of the woody shell, with the cool sweetness of the meat and the milk.

I like it, and am glad I got a bottle.

In the imp: Apple, Lime, hint of mint aquatic. Yummy.

On, it morphs rapidly from bright green fresh crisp apple aquatic to perfumy iris aquatic. I only detect mint in the very beginning, then it dissapears. Same with the apple. I love it in the imp, but don't love it on, so won't be getting a bottle, unless I invest in a scent locket. Then, this would be the perfect spring and summer scent.

In bottle and on, wet: Sweet tangy honey, with wildflower and soft herb mixed in.

 

As it dries, it becomes a nice honey, strong and sweet but not cloying, with a soft floral edge to it. It has a slight fuzziness to it that I associate with musk or resin, but that is not "perfumy" as I think of it. I might be crazy, but to me, it smells like honey with a rose base. It smells a lot like Parlement of Foules on me, but softer, sweeter.

 

And it has amazing staying power. I put it on at 4:30, just the rim of the bottle against my wrist. Still going strong at 9:30. On me, that's amazing!

 

I like it, I might grow to love it. I'm definitly keeping it for a bit and trying it again.

Someone mentioned Sweet Tarts in the bottle, and my first sniff was that, exactly!

On, it goes from sweet tarts to tootsie roll pop to something sweet, creamy, faintly heliotrope-y. There is a warmth to it from the musk. It reminds me so much of something, and I cannot for the life of me think of it. Which bugs me!

I don't get vanilla or booze, certainly nothing Snake Oil-esque.

I think it is nice, and will give it another chance, but at the moment, it isn't a must keep for me.

I didn't think I'd like this, I expected it to be heavy and almost didn't try it. That would have been a mistake!

 

This is very similar to Silk Road on me, but where Silk Road was light to the point of non-existence (and spices? There were spices in Silk Road? Not on me!), this has a little throw and is stronger. The waft is lovely. It is light, slightly aquatic, hints of wood and spice and incense underneath (not cinnamon though). Doesn't seem like a man's cologne. Seems like a cool brook in the mountains-fresh, soothing, calming, lovely.

 

Oh, and just noticed, the scent that wafts is cool, the scent up close is a little smoky and stronger. I like them both!

 

Definitly a big bottle candidate. I could see me wearing this a lot.

 

edited to add:

Um, in case you didn't catch the word I used often above, it was "lovely". Let me repeat it for you...

Musty, musky faded almonds. I like many musks, but I don't think I like Egyptian, and I like almonds, but this is not good on me at all. Going to swaps and hopefully will find a happy home.

Yep, Snake Oil. For sure.

This is a wierd blend on me.

 

In the bottle, it is very faint and I can barely smell anything. I put it on, and it becomes a beautiful rose scent, and my drive to work was spent in a rose garden, because it smells just like that-roses still on the bush, pink ones, at their peak.

 

As it dries, about 30 minutes in, it completely morphs into a dark green, crushed leaf scent-sharp, slightly lemon tinged (like citronella?), with the rose very faint underneath. I was almost ready to cry, because it was so not something I would wear, even with the incredible beginning. And then the most amazing thing happened. The green faded, the rose returned, but softer. Still incredible. Smelling more like Peacock Queen, and yet itself too.

 

I wouldn't have given this up even if the rose scent hadn't returned because the first part was so beautiful-I'd have invested in a scent locket!

I love cinnamon, and have discovered that some roses work really well for me, so was super curious to try this.

 

Wet: Freshly grated cinnamon, and lush beautiful red roses. Both are equal in intensity. The two overlap really nicely, and the combination works.

 

Then it dries, and unfortunately a very plasticky note comes in. I don't know what does it, I just know it stays and never leaves, and ruins what would otherwise be a lovely blend.

Alas, Khajuraho is not for me. I had great hopes, and wanted to get the tuberose and honey combination that some seem to get.

 

I get a thick, fairly heavy, slightly perfumy incense. The tuberose is present underneath it all for about 30 seconds, then it is gone. I don't smell rose at all. What I seem to get is some honey and sandalwood (I assume this is the "incensy" note), over traces of baby powder (probably the amber). Plus it makes my head ache a bit. It is nice, but not me, and I am definitely a little sad about this one.

 

So, off to swaps, and with another bottle coming, that will be off to swap too.

Sweet, light, cheerful. I don't get "dryer sheet" or "laundry", it is so much better than that. And no soapiness on me at all.

 

It makes me happy to wear it, it seems like there are touches of melon or apple, mixed in with sweet white florals. I don't think anyone could be in a bad mood when they wore this, because the scent itself is so happy. It immediately shot into my top 10. It's true it doesn't last as long as I'd like on my my skin, but it lasts forever in my hair, and I don't think I'll mind slathering this! I love Dirty, and will be getting a bottle my next order!

I expected this to be bright and green with a deep kick from the oude (not that I know what oude smells like! ) But it is actually light and rather soft. I smell the tea (which I love), a hint of lemon citrus, and then a very soft woody note. I don't get any spiciness of any kind at all. And that's good, actually, because I think it would distract from the lovely pale green translucency of the oil. I think it would also be a great scent for lotions as it is light, clean, slightly sweet and refreshing. A keeper.

To me, it is exactly like the creamy mint candies some restaurants give out. Very minty and creamy at first, the mint is strong, but not as clear as I expected-the cream gives it a fuzzy edge. As it dries down, the mint lightens and sweetens and the vanilla becomes more prominent (albeit soft). I like it, but haven't quite learned to love it yet. I am keeping it though, because I'm sure when summer hits, I will want it!

Cold, aquatic, hint of wintergreen (not as minty as I'd hoped it'd be on me), and the scent of mossy/green sea plants. More masculine than feminine. Sort of cologne-y on me. I thought it was interesting, definitly captures the idea, but not a scent for me. I am discovering I like them warmer and a little sweeter, so this is off to swaps.

This is a gorgeous scent! This was a frimp, and I would have avoided it like the plague (dragon's blood!), but it is incredible. Like many say, a very strong, fresh juicy dark red rose. Heady. I can catch a hint of the grape that some people have mentioned, but on me it is more contributing to the lush effect, and less like "grape juice". It is the rose of Whip, and the fruitiness of Persephone (if it had been on me!). It was a hard call between this and Peacock Queen as my favorite rose, and Peacock Queen won by a nose, but this is really a beautiful scent.

Very sweet, feminine, a definite resemblance to Lolita, but this is more mature and knowing. Lolita didn't work for me, nothing offensive, but too sweet.

 

The orange note comes through clearly, with sandalwood and ylang-ylang providing body underneath. This is really a pretty scent, very heady, but I think it is too sweet for me.

 

edited because I couldn't spell!

I got this as an extra in a swap (thanks Thursdae!), and tried it out today. I can't speak to its effectiveness, since I wasn't trying it for that or really thinking about it much, but I can say that it smells limey, sweet, refreshing and bright, without being at all sharp, ozone-y, or headache inducing. I liked it, but wish it lasted longer on my skin. It's life was 1-2 hours on me. A very nice scent, clean and refreshing.

Sweeter, warmer, lighter rose that stays close to the skin, but lasts forever! I prefer this to Rose Red, which was a little too green for me. I don't think of this scent as haughy or proud, and do think that after the initial 15 minutes or so, it becomes very like smelling a fresh tea rose.

 

Also, most roses either amp on me, or give me a headache, and this one does neither. Another selling point!