arabella

First Impression: Something herby and fruity - but I'm not quite sure what. Dries down to: A lovely, light blend. It's fruity - some kind of berry - without being sweet and there's a depth to it. After a few minutes, the blackberry really begins to stand out. Additional Comments: This is another one that really surprised me with the notes in it. I can pick out the blackberry but would never have guessed sage and green tea. The musk is grounding it beautifully, too. It's a totally intriguing blend. I can't stop sniffing my wrist but, unfortunately, it's fading quickly and I can barely smell it. I wish it were stronger on me - it'll be another candidate for a scent locket. Lasted: Less than an hour. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Champagne and pears. Dries down to: A sweet pear scent that's nicely tempered by the flowers and wine - sort of a Pear Bellini. It's a bit sweeter than I would normally wear but I love pears (my favourite fruit) and the wine keeps it from being too sugary. Additional Comments: This is a great summer scent but I'll enjoy this one as a 'comfort' scent in the winter when fresh, juicy, local pears are a distant memory. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Almonds. Dries Down to: Almonds and cloves and something rich and dark underneath it all. Then, as is usual on my skin, the almonds disappear. Additional Comments: I get the richness of buttered rum but not the notes. I can sense an herb but wouldn't have pinpointed bay. I can also sense something fruity and am guessing it's the sassafras. After a while, it does begin to smell like root beer, as others have mentioned. All in all, I really like this oil and, while I can't see myself wearing it, will definitely use it as a room scent. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Lemon Soda. Dries down to: It quickly settles down to a very fresh and airy scent with a hint of citrus, a light floral and maybe, sandalwood (definitely wood) in it. Additional Comments: A perfect summer scent, especially for the beach or those hot, sticky days. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Creamy spices. Dries down to: Doesn't change much; it just softens a bit. Additional Comments: This is a really lovely, rich exotic blend. It reminds me of Snake Oil. I couldn't pick out any specific notes at all - it's very well blended. Unfortunately, it was too short-lived on my skin, so I'll have to use it in a scent locket or as a room fragrance - it's too gorgeous to give up on entirely. Lasted: Less than an hour. Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (would be higher if it lasted better on me)

First Impression: "In your face" almonds. Dries down to: The almond disappears and a combination of lemon butter and splinters of sandalwood make an quick appearance. Within a minute or so, they also leave and rose makes her entrance and settles in to stay. Additional Comments: Another scent dominated by rose - too bad. I already have enough "rosy" imps. I'd love another almond that works on me. So far, the only one that has is Alice. I'll have to try this in a scent locket. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Strong, bitter, almonds. Dries down to: A nice, slightly sweet, slightly musky almond scent; then the almond rapidly "bleeds" out of it until there's none left. It's okay but doesn't really "do anything" for me. I wish the almond asserted itself more. Additional Comments: This is another one I expected to like much better than I do, especially since I love almond. There's nothing wrong with it but it just doesn't "wow" me. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Jasmine. Dries down to: Lemony jasmine, with a hint of something green. Lavender popped its head in and promptly disappeared. I had hoped the jasmine would be reined in by the citrus in this one but, instead, citrus took a bribe and now they've decided to share equal billing. Than, "soapy" joined the party. Finally, lavender came back with the herbs and it settled into a summery floral blend - kind of a Youki-Hi Lite (for those who are Lushies). Additional Comments: I know better than to expect much from any blend with jasmine in it, but I have been pleasantly surprised in the past, so I thought I'd take a chance. It took a while, but eventually settled down to a scent I could live with but, for me, it's not worth the wait. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: Melting vanilla ice cream. Dries down to: Vanilla ice cream with some cinnamon sprinkled on top along with finely chopped almonds. I really like this one, it's reminiscent of Snake Oil. I'm guessing, again, that there's amber in it. Additional Comments: Looks like I was way off on this one, except for the vanilla. What a wonderful, intricate blend this is. Rose didn't overwhelm every other note as she almost always does on me. I didn't pick up on the neroli, patchouli, musk or the apple, which surprises me because I can usually pick them out, or at least feel their presence. I think the teak contributes a lot to this one in terms of richness and stability. The bergamot and neroli stop it from being too sweet. This one's heading straight for my "Big Bottle" list. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First Impression: Musky olive oil. Dries down to: A sharp, dry, musky scent. I don't like this at all. Additional Comments: Another one where the components really surprised me. I've always liked frankincense but it doesn't work in this combination on me. The rosemary must be where I'm getting the initial "olive oil" connection. Lavender is one of my favourite notes, but not here. And, I don't remember having a falling out with neroli or lemon verbena. For whatever reason, this just turns foul on me - like an old marinade. I think the rosemary is the main culprit here but isn't entirely to blame. This was a gift from the Lab so "no harm, no foul" here. Lasted: Quite a few hours. Rating: 1 out of 5

First Impression: Fruit - apple, I think - and amber. Dries down to: Definitely apple, but a mild apple, like Golden Delicious, with rich undertones. Additional Comments: I'd like to know what the herbs are in this one. I get a hint of cinnamon, but that's a spice not an herb - at least I think it is. This would be nice in the late summer, but I prefer The Hesperides. It's a bit too light for me to wear but I'll use it to sleep in. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Floral - Lily or lotus, I think. Not really sure but it's gorgeous. Dries down to: Pretty much the same - a clean, fresh floral. The mental image I get is just picked flowers from the garden, with the morning dew still on them, in a crystal vase in front of a sunny, open window. I'm pleasantly surprised by this one - I really like it. Additional Comments: This is another "genius" blend. I don't usually like gardenia but, with everything else in this, it's behaving like a well-mannered lady. Muguet is one of my favourite scents and that's what was coming through the most for me. The ginger and aquatic notes are a perfect counterpoint to the richness of the gardenia. This is going on the "Big Bottle" list. Lasted: At least 10 hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Thank you to sweet_peanut for the 5mL of this. First Impression: Floral. Dries down to: A light, herbally floral with a "bite". I can't pick out any specific flowers but I would guess they're night-blooming ones. I don't find the scent tropical at all, it's more of an "English Garden by Night" scent. Additional Comments: After reading the description, I see why I can't pick out any particular notes - I'm not familiar with how most of the flowers in this blend smell individually. (I guess I don't do enough "night-crawling" .) There is something in here that has a bitter "bite" to it that fades in and out. It's a different floral blend and, while it's not going to be a "Top Ten" favourite of mine, I'll definitely keep it because it's unique. It stays very light on me so it'll be good for everyday wear. It works best for me in a scent locket - it seems to stay "crisper" and doesn't have the bitter edge that it gets on my skin. Lasted: About 3-4 hours. undefined 3 out of 5

First Impression: Air, metal (or blood - they smell similar to me), damp earth. Dries down to: Not much change except for a hint of the rose coming through. The mental image I get is a deep, damp hole, lined with stone and inset with metallic rungs that lead down, down, down without end. There are wild roses growing on vines twisted around and through the rungs and there's moss growing between the stones. Additional Comments: This is another one that surprised me. The rose, which usually overtakes everything else on me, takes a while to come out. This is a very interesting blend. I'm not really sure how I feel about it, but I think I actually might like it. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Aquatic and floral - probably white flowers. Dries down to: A very subtle, fresh, delicate floral. Additional Comments: I love this scent - linden blossoms are one of my favourite flowers. This would be gorgeous on a young girl going to her first fancy party or dance, but it's too light and innocent for me to wear, so I'll probably use it in a scent locket to get the most out of the scent. Lasted: An hour or so. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: A green aquatic with hints of unsweetened coconut around the edges. Dries down to: This is ecstacy! It's become much more complex now. It's very hard to pinpoint but I definitely get coconut with flashes of almond, a feeling of wanting to sniff deeper and something dry underneath it all. Additional Comments: It must be the fig leaf that's giving it the "green" feeling and the fig (I'm not familiar with single note fig but this is definitely the fresh fruit, not the dried) that's giving it the "aquatic" feeling. The coconut is lovely - what a difference having it toasted rather than sweetened. It's the same effect you get as when toasting nuts and spices - the essential aroma is heightened. The honey almond milk adds just a touch of sweetness and, for once, the honey behaves itself on my skin - must be the sandalwood keeping it under control. I love this!! It's headed straight for the "Big Bottle" list. Lasted: About 4 hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First Impression: Peach Bellinis. Dries down to: Doesn't change much on drydown. It's a refreshing, sparkly peach scent with an exotic, underlying depth and richness - wonderful in the summer. Additional Comments: I'm not familiar with myrtle but I'm guessing it's what's adding the "sparkle" to this blend, with the musk giving it the depth. Amber rarely lets me down and it's at its best in this oil. I loved Tamora but it faded so quickly on me - Fae didn't last much longer; this is their most worthy replacement as my favourite peach scent. Lasted: Overnight, although it was very light by morning. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First Impression: Amber and spicy roses. Dries down to: A soft, powdery rose with a hint of something rich and exotic underneath. A lovely scent I could wear every day - especially, on spring evenings. Additional Comments: It's so nice to find a rose scent that's not totally "in-your-face" on my skin. This is a pale rose that's been smoking opium and is just drifting languorously around the room, which is full of Persian rugs, heavy draperies and has sweetmeats on all the tables. I can't specifically pick out any of the other notes but the whole is definitely the sum of the parts. Lasted: Still faintly there after being on all night. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Jasmine, nothing but jasmine. Dries down to: Even more jasmine. Additional Comments: I had high hopes for this one but the jasmine stomped everything in its path, even the rose, which normally comes out screaming on me. Too bad, because I don't particularly care for jasmine - she's too "loud" and "stuck up" for me. If only the coffee, vanilla, rose or fig hadn't been too intimidated to make an appearance, I might have, at the very least, tolerated it. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 1.5 out of 5

First Impression: Fruity bubblegum. Dries down to: Something sour, foul and smoky emerges. Thankfully, it fades a lot rather quickly. The mental image I get is of a teenaged streetwalker just before sunrise in a back-street alley, chewing gum and smoking a cigarette at the same time. She's unwashed, her hair is matted, she threw up recently. Additional Comments: This is one of the worst blends I've tried, so far. The initial sour note (Yup, that's Cherry Twizzlers allright) tones down and mixes into a muddled stench with the gum and smoke within 5 minutes. For some reason, my skin is determined to bring out the very worst in this oil and succeeds. Lasted: Don't know - this one was washed off, which I've only done once before (Brimstone, if I recall correctly). Rating: 1 out of 5

First Impression: Dragon's blood and something sharp and sour. Dries down to: Dragon's blood, cinnamon, sweet pea and sour cherry. A did a double-take on this one - it's a very unusual and surprisingly, lovely blend. Additional Comments: The sharp and sour note must have been the vetivert - it toned down to the non-offensive, sour cherry note very quickly. I'm sure the spice is cinnamon and maybe, cardamom. Lasted: Unfortunately, only about and hour and a half. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Pine room freshener. Dries down to: A fresh evergreen scent with something dark lurking in the shadows. Then, it settles down within 10 minutes and becomes much mellower - more musk and juniper, less pine - but is now barely perceptible. Additional Comments: This is definitely pine and I can pick out the juniper if I really concentrate. This one, initially, just strikes me as medicinal. I'd only use this if I had a cold and wanted to clear my sinuses - it works just like one of those nasal inhalers. I like the dry down much better but it's too faint for me. Lasted: Less than an hour. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: A bold, fresh floral. Dries down to: Violets and lavender. A bright and fresh floral blend - really lovely. Reminds me of LUSH's Daddy-o shampoo. Additional comments: The vetiver is what's giving this scent the "fresh" note and the white musk just finishes it off perfectly. One of the nicest florals yet. I don't find it at all masculine. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Dragon's blood, honey and milk. Dries down to: the same but it now seems to have a hint of peony underneath. The longer it's on my skin, the "creamier" it becomes. Additional Comments: I can't actually pick out the vanilla in this, but the entire combination is absolutely stunning. The dragon's blood and vanilla seem to produce the peony-like note and hold the honey, which is often my nemesis, in check. This is another instant favorite and immediately went on my "Big Bottle" list. Lasted: Several hours. Dragon's blood seems to last quite a while on my skin. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Our signature oil. A dark, languid scent. Promotes hedonistic tendencies and extreme self-love. You won't stop kissing mirrors for a month. First Impression: Almond and musk. Dries down to: A musk-tinged, very light floral with, maybe, a touch of sandalwood. The almond disappeared almost immediately and the rest is following almost as fast. Additional Comments: This one was barely perceptible on me within 10 minutes of applying it and I never got even a hint of cherry out of it. Lasted: 1/2 hour at most. Rating: 1.5 out of 5 (purely based on its lack of staying power and strength)