Medici

In the imp: Sharp white florals and... sunscreen? Wet: Sunscreen! (OMG!) Dry-down: Soapy florals. Verdict: This is the first time I've really gotten distinct dishwashing liquid from a blend. I must say it is a distinct let-down. (Damn!) I'll be holding onto the imp until a later date when the moon and my chemistry aren't quite so wonky.

Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth. In the imp: Dry earth and flowers, bit tangy. Wet: Dirt. But not just any dirt, the kind that gets stuck under your fingernails and dries and generally is a pain in the butt to clean off so you pick at it. Bit of rose too. Strange. Drydown: Roses and dry dirt, bit of a zing to it. It's making my nose tingle. There's something pale green and herby, like the stem of a flower that's been freshly cut right under that but it comes and goes super fast. Verdict: Dirt, like vetiver, hates me. Goodbye poor, cateract-covered, cobwebby Zombi. May you find a happier home somewhere else doing the bidding of some other person. 1/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrrve

In the imp: Floral and dirty. Like standing in a garden after the rain when the ground's a bit damp still and the flora is sparkling with rain water. Wet: Bayou blooms! Nice and wet and sweet, slightly sharp on the underside. I like! Mmm... it's almost a bit creamy too at this point. White and pink flowers? Man I have no idea what they are but at this stage this is my sorta floral. Very fresh. Dry-down: Bit of that moss note beginning to show. The Spanish Moss is admittedly what drew me to this blend, since it works very well on me usually. It's deepening the florals nicely, making the blend a little darker. Below that is just a hint of dirt, making the blend a bit sharp, like the scent of loamy, freshly turned earth - but that's an afterthought. Throw's fairly decent too. On whole, it brings up a really nice visual. For me, though, the play between sweet and earthy isn't really my thing. While I will hold onto the imp for its uniqueness, I doubt I'll be getting a big bottle. 3/5 of Medici's Scale o' Love

In the imp: Lavender. Wet: Lavender, softened by jasmine. Dry-down: the honeysuckle peeks out slowly, the lavender is gradually overrun by the jasmine. Bit of a battle for dominance here and at one point I almost get a bit of lotus. As it wears the honeysuckle overtakes the blend, which is fine by me since it sweetens things up with my chemistry. On whole, though, lavender in any blend makes me sleepy, so Twilight is a no-go. It looks like I'm a Midnight girl after all. 2/5 on Medici's Scale o' Love

Wow, this is a dark. I wasn't sure what to expect with patchouli being the last note on Fortunato's roster, in fact, I'm quite surprised that even as it grounds the blend into a nice, dusky, earthen atmosphere, I can't get the image of dust-covered library tables out of my head. How on earth did she reproduce dust? (It's awesome!) In the bottle I get a smack of dried citrus - like an orange rind left in the sun too long. In the onset the orange and berries sweeten the blend, before the wood comes to the fore. From there it's all oak tables, dust and a nice, dry earthy patchouli. I am mightily impressed, I might add. This is how I hoped Miskatonic U would go, not that I mind that its dominated by coffee, but Fortunato definitely captures the "disused library" smell. ... 4/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrrve

While you still have the chance, DimV's Spirits of the Dead is a tart zinger of a lemon. Very fresh, very clean.

(Three Witches 2005) In the bottle: Cinnamon and something darker, almost woodsy - that's the pepper, I'm assuming. Wet: Same deal, cinnamon stick and this crazy pepper that makes the blend very sinister. (I have no idea where people have been getting red hots - this is a really dark red/brown on me, there's nothing gleeful or childlike about it) Drydown: The pepper gains strength, battling with the clove for a moment until finally it softens and I get that concentrated cinnamony scent back. Each note seems to be playing with each other as much as off each other. Personal Notes: The cinnamon, as per usual, is burning my skin. Though just a bit - it's a pleasurable pain. 3.5/5 on Medici's Scale O'Love

(This is Sepulcher 2005 from BPAL's Anniversary Update) In the bottle: Calla Lilly and gladiola. I swiped this yesterday, so I know for a fact there is marble under there. At first go, I was very, very excited. Slightly green and floral overall. Wet: First goes the chilled marble accompanied by juniper - this strengthens as it begins to warm, dominating that cold slab entirely. It's very green in this stage. Drydown: The gladiolas peek through next, and directly after that those delicate, white calla lilies. I don't know what my obsession with the calla lily is other than it's probably the one floral I can totally and utterly dig on any occasion. It's sweet without being over bearing and soft without being powdery. As it wears the blend moves from that sharp green onset into something subdued and pale. There is a hint of greenery in the background that comes out to battle for dominance before the blend settles and the marble comes back. I am exceedingly happy about the marble. I can't believe there's a note like that - I think it's damned near brilliant. The floral dies down after a little while, and the juniper comes back out. Overall it moves between an herbal green to a pale white floral, slightly chilled and very quiet. Being the type of gal who relishes the idea of a cooling mortuary slab - this totally makes my day. Another 5/5 on Medici's Scale O'Love.

Edited to add: This is Despair 2005, re-released at BPAL's Anniversary. In the bottle: Chamomile of the un-plucked variety, a hint of cypress (sadly, not like that of Bayou. It's fairly dry and not swampy at all), a touch of the rosewood not unlike Ouija which dries the scent. Perhaps a hint of sweetness that is the ylang ylang. Wet: Rose Otto comes up first, and is chased quickly by the rosewood softening it's floral aspect. Cypress comes in next, followed by the ylang (at this point I'm urging said ylang to go away and demanding chamomile). There's a bit of lavender in the background that sobers it up. Ah, there we go - the chamomile's back. Drydown: This scent doesn't want to settle on me - if I turn my wrist one way, I get a very dry rose, if I turn it the other, I get a nice, quiet chamomile/cypress. Thankfully, the ylang is gone at this point. It's not that it doesn't like me, exactly, it's more like - I don't like it. The rose is being insistent, but doesn't manage to dominate. It's an in and out the entire time. Overall: Well balanced, great evolution. Emotional Impact: A bit of back-story, I have a certain... ah... shall we say... affection... for Despair of the Endless. She is in fact my favourite out of Gaiman's eternal creations. Now, from what I understand, this blend wasn't created with her in mind - and I can see that. (I can't see her being associated with rose, at all - more like smoke and ozone, but that's just me.) BPAL's Despair is however, an ode to the essence of desperation and dread. It is both wistful and sombre, and heavy with hopelessness. I can't tell you how beautiful and tragic that is - to have all that to be crammed into a scent. In short, I love this. I love it like I love almost all the funeral oils; the brooding, the chilled, the macabre. Despair puts me in a very pensive, quiet state. It makes me think of lover's parting that that very last kiss shared before the tears begin to flow. (Sorry for the sap. Like I said, beautiful and tragic.) 5/5 of Medici's Scale O' Love I leave this review with a brief quote (I hope that's ok with the mods) that suits this scent perfectly, and maybe the other Gaiman fans will relate... Her kiss is a blind alley. Her kiss is her touch is her breath is her fingers is what remains after the laughing is over.

My pleasure. Red Phoenix and I... I haven't decided yet. I'm not a huge musk fan. Pink Phoenix I adore, and Snow Moon I'm on the fence (I swear there's eucalyptus in there. Eucalyptus and pine and it makes me think of Vicks Vap-o-rub even if it doesn't really smell like it.) Further slathering is required at this point.

Red velvet cupcake with icing - in the bottle, on the skin, everywhere. Throw: Substantial. Breed: Foody heaven Wearing Beaver Moon has gotten me the best responses from total strangers and from my mom (who can't stand perfume at all). I am so, so, so happy that I got two bottles. I get vanilla, and baked goodness, and that distinctive red icing note and it's all so very wonderful. The scent doesn't morph at all, and the longevity is superb (a good, hearty throw for about five hours before it tapers off and I need to re-apply). 6/5 on Medici's Scale O'Love (and Lust)

Pink Phoenix, Red Phoenix and Snow Moon (and my red walls which make everything look much... warmer.) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/eli...ven/bottles.jpg (Edited to add the full image)

Sugar Cookie is wicked. It goes on a boozy vanilla and as it warms, turns to a lightly golden vanilla cookie. (Love. Gourmand Love in a nutshell.) The sugar starts reacting badly for a few moments (like the cookie is burning), but my chemistry only ruins it for a few seconds. I can't complain. I was expecting it to go the way of Sugar Skull and eat off my arm. I'm glad it has not. The recovery time is thirty seconds, maybe, before it morphs into a baking cookie instead of a burning one. 5/5 on Medici's Scale O'Love

Blame me for wanting to try every re-released scent I got at once, I’m getting a couple of note crossovers from Red Phoenix and Three Witches, as they are presently on the same arm, but I’ll do my best. Holy mother of bejeesus it’s the omnipresent older sister to Blood Moon. That is to say, it’s very, very red. If you were expecting something a little more burnished, look elsewhere – Red Phoenix is a fireball. In the bottle: Sandalwood? A touch of something smoked? There’s sharpness to it which I usually attribute to cedar, though I might be a bit off. It is predominantly red woods, with something slightly medicinal below it. Do I detect spices? Yes, lots. There’s an overall fruitiness to it that levels out that medicinal aspect mentioned – but to be sure, it’s not distinctly fruity. Wet: Spice and red musk. It’s very sharp in this stage. I have no idea where the patchouli is; I was expecting something much darker and earthier, but on me, it’s not there at all. The tobacco begins to manifest as it begins to warm on the skin. (YAY!) Dry-down: Smoke lifting, the sharpness dulls somewhat and I think I’m getting a hint of incense. I get a touch of citrus, though it’s more like an afterthought. And we have patchouli! It’s faint, but it’s there. The assessment: If you like Blood Moon, you will like Red Phoenix. I find they are very similar in their onsets. 4/5 on Medici’s Scale O’Love

Pink Phoenix, with my chemistry, is a wad of fresh, soft bubblegum, dropped into a bag of sparkling sugar, yoinked out, chewed a bit, and then dipped in a light strawberry syrup. It is the bastard love child of Pink Moon and Aunt Caroline’s Joy Mojo; pink, fluffy, and candy-coated. In the bottle the honeysuckle is played up nicely, but sadly, my skin all but devours the scent. It last in its primary sugared phase a sum total of three minutes before being consumed wholly. Into the drydown it goes the way of a plastic, scented eraser, which, if I’m not mistaken, is that sugared dollop of strawberry bubblegum turning. (Strawberry Moon does the same thing with my chemistry. I’m making a leaping assumption that they share something similar, through S.M. is tart, by comparison.) My assessment, being a lover of both Pink Moon and Aunt Carolyn, I am not letting Pink Phoenix stray so easily. The little sugared bugger is going to work with some serious amperage in a locket. It’s made me giddy and stupid, how can this not be good? Throw is average, I should add. Though I do find it fades fairly quickly on the skin. 5/5

Booming desolation. I hope you know what I mean when I say that – this scent is the cold lands in the aftermath of something terrible. (Not to say the scent is terrible, I just find it kind of sad. It makes me think of the months after a war – Hiroshima and Nagasaki in particular, when the land has been razed and the snow starts to fall, covering the destruction.) It’s predominantly mint and ozone on me – there is a subtle electric scent to it, too. There’s almost an aquatic feel to it as well, a similar note found in Undertow, actually. Maybe it’s the same sort of snappish mint? I’m not sure. I quite like it, it’s very melancholy, though. 4/5 Edit: Homonym issues.

I’m not sure I can add more to the reviews that have already been posted, other than to say Lick It will clear your sinuses straight away. Wet: Peppermint Candy cane. Pure peppermint hard candy, slightly sweet and very sharp. Drydown: The vanilla peeks through, softening the blend entirely. On me, however, I can smell a distinct vanilla as the peppermint steps into the background. Settled: A calm blend of both the peppermint and the vanilla, nice and creamy. This is a great scent to wake up to. Peppermint is a brain stimulator, so I can definitely see myself wearing this during exam time. Way to go Beth! 5/5

There’s something oddly musky about this blend – patchouli? It’s sort of earthen and just a touch of green. As it warms up I do detect a bit of dirt beneath it that isn’t patchouli – though on me that seems to be the predominant note. I get the distinct impression of damp earth and dewy grasses; like you’ve been lying on your back as the ground warms up on an unusually warm spring morning. Then you get up and you realize your butt is wet and you’ve got that fertilizer smell all over your clothes. That’s what The Caterpillar reminds me of. For the outdoorsy types, I think this would be a hit. For me, not so much. (Alas, it is the vetiver.) After about ten minutes I begin to detect some of those florals, but they’re all understated. (Damned vetiver!) An interesting ambient blend, but not a keeper, sadly. 2/5

Pink Candy floss. There seems to be a white floral beneath the overwhelming sugary smell that is trying to ground the sweetness of the blend, but with my chemistry it’s failing. My skin, for whatever reason, amps up the sweetness in most blends and the Unicorn is no exception. It is very innocent and playful, though, and very much something a little girl may like to wear. For me, however, it’s making my teeth ache. 3/5

Apricot! Juicy, ripe apricots underscored with a hint of spice. It is a very sweet blend with my chemistry – but that doesn’t detract from that little slap of clove beneath the syrupy quality of the fruit. I quite like this, and as a summer blend, I think I’d really enjoy wearing this regularly. Whether it’s deserving of a big bottle has yet to be seen – the sweetness as it dries tapers off to that tart, nose-tingling fruit peel smell (that’s not a bad thing at all). I’d love to see what would happen if March Hare was layered with a vanilla to make it a bit more creamy. 3.5/5

Sharp, reflective, ozone. It's a zinger, with an underlying citrus note that doesn't come off purely as citrus, but more like the memory of citrus. This is predominently ozone on me though. It's very cutting, very clean, almost sterile - but alas, not for me. I shall stick to House of Mirrors for my "glass" intake. 2/5

Ahh, jasmine! This is a very gentle blend, and for a while I was weighing it against Nocturne, trying to decide which one would be worthy of a bottle. Indeed, they are both alike for me in character, but Nuit is less on the sweet side. I am a fan of jasmine, night-bloomers, and all things touched by twilight. At the onset of drydown I pick up a touch of the incense, but it fades fast (boo! come back!). Fifteen minutes in and I get the rose. The verdict: As an oil to be used in ritual, yes definitely. Particularly lunar rites - but for me? I'm vying for Nocturne. We likey the sweet and sombre and not the rose, sadly. 3.5/5

Oh, heaven! Light and sweet - I've mistook the lily for apple blossom, but it's all well and good. This scent is very ethereal while being draped with a touch of a warm, balmy night in a cemetery - or at least, that's the overwhelming sensory visual I associate with it. (I almost hear the cicadas) As it dries it smoothes out - I think its the tuberose, because I don't detect the violet at all (which I am *so* grateful for!) I predict a big bottle of Nocturne in the near future. 5/5

"Syrupy sweet" is it. All I'm getting is coca-cola, sadly - there's a bit of juniper coming out after the ten minute point of dry-down (I'm assuming the initial coke bit was the myrrh), but the sweet tang of cola isn't leaving me. 3/5

In the bottle: Go suck a lemon! It makes my nose tingle. Ok. So I’ve seen BPAL’s Lemon!Janus, now. June Gloom was a happy lemon. This is a psychotic “I am going to make you suck your cheeks so hard you’re going to beg me to pull out the sugar” type lemon. It’s the real deal. Blammo! Wet: Happy lemon herbal. My nose is still tingling. It’s no longer lemon juice, but lemon rind. There’s a good bit of zing over some herby, grassy greens directly underneath. How refreshing! Drydown: Same deal. It’s overall very airy and enticing (I am salivating, in fact.) I am not a citrus fan, really. Not usually, but Spirits of the Dead might just convert me. I can’t wait to break this out on a particularly nasty, hot day in the summer. I expect it’ll help me go glacial in no time. 4.5/5