Invidiana

If you're looking for Irish Spring, find thee a bottle of Eanach Dhuin! It was a dead ringer for Irish Spring on me. Eanach Dhuin: Unutterable grief expressed through the scent of balsam, frankincense, blackberry leaf, oud, white rose, driftwood, zdravetz, and bitter clove, beneath the cold waters of the River Corrib.

I was really hoping this would be like the Looking Glass bath oil and really let the vanilla musk (and in this case coconut) shine through in equal proportion with the rose. While they're definitely evident, along with soft florals and woods in the background, the rose turns out to be the star. It was really the gardenia and frangipani I wanted to be the prominent florals. The rose here is feminine and not sharp or dry, but I'd still been crossing my fingers for more creamy vanilla and coconut. I don't believe it's the same type of rose (damask rose) in Looking Glass that turns out so sexy on me either. Really pretty, but the rose is stronger than I'd hoped so I can justify keeping one bottle, but not two.

For this review, first I'm going to let Aragorn do the talking: So yeah, I think he said it. This is dead sexy. There is definite leather here, but it isn't that De Sade leather that screams MAN from 50 feet away. This is a smooth, supple, rich leather that is reminiscent of ranger gear a la Aragorn but also unisex and wearable. The leather is backed by deep resins that balance it out perfectly with a hint of sweetness, though do note that my skin tends to amp the sweet aspect of resins. There must be some black amber here; it's very well blended so I'm guessing there are many resins involved. There is also a backdrop wood which I'm taking to be black cedar because all other types of BPAL cedar amp to infinity on me. It can't posibly be the cedar in Sacrifice because that took over everything else. I think there is also a dark musk that adds to the sexy vibe anda bit of earth to add to the overall feel of a rugged ranger. There is also a smokiness about it that could be a smoke note or a quality of certain ingredients; either way, it finishes it off perfectly. It's actually what I was hoping Sacrifice to be. In a nutshell, it smells like Aragorn or what I'd smell like after a romp in the hay with Aragorn. Oh yes.

This one is very fizzy, citrusy and refreshing. Wet I get primarily orange ginger ale, and as it dries down the fizzy aspect still remains but with more white rum coming out. The white rum isn't really a very boozy note per se, just hinting at booze but not stealing the show from the other two notes. This is a great effervescent scent for those disgustingly hot summer days.

How could I pass this up when I live with a screeching parrot? (That's Lestat chewing a packing peanut from the box my TAL bath oils arrived in. But I digress.) This is a tart, boozy and fruit-punchy scent perfect for summer! Whatever pink lime is, I like it, and I definitely get the zingy tartness from it. Sometimes pineapple can go cloying on me but here it's kept in check by the citrus. There is a delicious rum note reminiscent of Grog but more "golden" and bright. I get plenty of juicy apricot as well, and just a hint of ginger but nothing sharp. I think if my parrot were human he'd approve.

I was initially terrified of the Ouzo in this--being Greek I've been exposed to that nasty stuff one too many times. In real life I honestly think Ouzo smells like nail polish remover infused with licorice. However, there is only the slightest suggestion of anise liquor (no nail polish remover overtones at all but more in the realm of an absinthe note) on my skin, which only adds a unique twist to the delicious blackberry rum I get instead. I think that along with the Ouzo note the black tea keeps it from getting too sweet. Overall it's a wonderfully sticky boozy blackberry and I'm so glad to have a bottle.

This starts out as a really sharp and medicinal lemony lavender but gradually mellows out to mostly lavender with a hint of lemon. It's not really something I wear but I think I'll keep my imp around with good reason; it seems to help calm nausea. The night I got this imp at the Meet the Lady show in Tribeca, I also got awfully sick from a restaurant we'd gone to earlier. Taking deep whiffs of this on my wrist actually helped me feel better and drift off to sleep eventually.

I knew what I was doing when I bought two bottles of this unsniffed. It is SEX. I am a red musk maven and the gorgeous red musk in this doens't disappoint and remains at the fore with the raspberry and patchouli which are a really senual combo in themselves. I also love how the raspberry is true and juicy and not cloying candy like BBW's Sun Ripened Raspberry which still haunts me with memories of junior high. Besides the raspberry note being delicious on its own I think the pomegranate is balancing it out in terms of tartness as well. The vanilla is prominent as well, adding a sweet creaminess to the blend. As it dries down it takes on a smoky aspect from the frankincense and tobacco, and the sandalwood warms it up for even more sexiness. Absolute LOVE.

This is such a blatantly sexual scent, just sniffing it it makes me want to do really reprehensible things. Lush ylang ylang and fierce red musk are definitely at the fore and given even more potency by the patchouli and grounded by a thick sweet myrrh that gives it a resinous depth. If this is what it is now I can't imagine what it will be aged.

To my nose this is very similar to Dark Chocolate and Cherry with the addition of orange blossom, which gives it a slightly floral and slightly citrusy undertone. It is a little cough-syrupy in the beginning but dries down to a rich sticky cherry backed by bittersweet chocolate and orange blossom. I already have a bottle of DC& C so I'm going to have to deathmatch them side by side with to see if this one warrants a bottle of its own.

I am thoroughly in love with red patchouli. It's warm and sensual, fiery without being spicy, passion encapsulated in scent, just hot. The orange blossom here is not sharp but gently citrusy, creamy and even a bit vanillic though that may be my skin. There is a bit of a creamsicle tinge to this scent though it's not foody. I'm so glad I finally sprang for a bottle.

There is a bit of a cat pee undertone to this wet but here's hoping. :leaves swatch alone to dry down: Okay, now it's really starting to take shape. I was afraid of either cat pee jasmine or dry rose death but apparently night-blooming jasmine behaves quite well on me. The rose notes are also the voluptuous type and not dry at all. My favorite thing about this scent, however, is the thick sweet myrrh and warm, sensual musk that really shine in the drydown. This might just love me.

This is pretty sharp wet, but it dries down into the loveliest ethereal white musk touched with shadows of opium and patchouli. It's almost like opium and patchouli made "clean", if that makes any sense at all. It is a sophisticated scent with enough innocence from the white musk and mystery from the opium and patchouli notes. I can't quite take my nose away becaue there's something about it drawing me in that I just can't put my finger upon. So glad I got a bottle before it was discontinued because it's really unique and beautiful.

This is all fluffy and lightly buttery vanilla cake studded with juicy currants. There is a perfect balance of just enough currant to accent the cake but not overtake it. The extra vanilla in addition to the cake notes gives it the feel of equally fluffy frosting. Yum.

I typically don't do well with honeysuckle or geranium, but this is pink geranium which doesn't go sharp, and I barely get any honeysuckle at all. Thankfully this is mostly orchid and pikake on me, with gentle touches of the other florals in the background and a soft base of white amber. It actually smells really fresh and clean and uplifting, perfect for a hot day or any day when you need something to lift your spirits. Surprise win!

Luscious boozy berries. I am so, so tempted to lick my knee since I ran out of testing room on my arms...there is no one fruit that dominates here, it's just like a sticky melange of dark berries doused in booze and shot through with sexy red musk. This is not one of those artificially sweet berry scents that goes all cloying but really rich and true with just enough tartness to balance out the sweetness, plus the apricot adds a little something special to the background. It's definitely a cousin of Bordello with more of a fruity punch and without the almond note. This was a no-brainer for me since I knew it would be a win.

Damn this is sexy. It's delicious red musk and amber in the bottle, and only gets better once on my skin. If you love Snake Charmer like I do, this is in that Snake Charmer family of thick sweet resinous incense that screams sex from half a mile away. Once it dries down it the sensual warmth of the sandalwood and golden musk emerges as well with a hint of smokiness from the tobacco. I don't get much orris or sunflower but there is the very faintest hint of florals somewhere in the background. Instant win, nuff said.

I am really happy to have finally gotten a bottle of this because it's so pretty. It does stay close to the skin as others have mentioned but it's a warm and sensual skin scent. I get lots of sweet golden amber and sandalwood backed up with creamy vanilla and slightly spicy florals. I can sometimes amp cinnamon like nobody's business but there is just the barest hint of it here. The florals are warm and dry in an autumnal way and add to the overall golden feel of the scent. Lovely.

Serket was the ancient Egyptian goddess of healing bites and stings, and is often depicted with a scorpion atop her head. Her scent is a sweet spiced plum that is like a sophisticated sugarplum. One of the elements that adds to the sweetness here is definitely sugarcane because I recognize that same note from Dia and Velvet Nudie; it starts out fresh and sweet with a greenish floral tinge and dries down to a warm brown-sugary sweetness. I'm guessing there is also white honey in here because while I don't distincly get a traditional honey note there is something else supporting the sugarcane. Since honey also has soothing properties, which would fit into the theme of a healing goddess, it's highly likely that's what it is. The plum is more of a fresh plum note than the smoky Hellion or Snake Charmer plums, though it still is very fragrant. It is deepened by soft resins, I'm guessing some ambers and possibly sweet myrrh, and finished off by subtle spice. There must be cinnamon though it stays subdued, maybe a bit of ginger or allspice. There can't be any cardamom because I'd know that instantly. There is something else that might be among the spices though I might be hallucinating; the ancient Egyptians used coriander to fight fever, and while I'm not quite sure it may be in there for the historical value. This is a really lovely scent that is fit for a deity.

Though I do like all of them I have to say this is my favorite of the Pretty Indulgent scents. It's predominantly a vanillaed white musk on me with a soft floral background in which I can definitely make out the orchid and lily with a hint of lilac. The lilac is actually pretty subdued, just enough to make its presence known but in no way overpowering. Apple blossom can be iffy on me but this one doesn't go to soap. I have no idea what begonias smell like because I've never actually stuck my nose in one when I had the chance but in any case it's working. All I know is I'm amping the vanilla musk and I'm all over that.

I was worried about the combo of leather and sage being a masculine blast but this is beautiful. The leather is most prominent in the wet stage but sweet balsam resin quickly comes out to play followed by the hickory (which thankfully doesn't amp like cedar), and the musk keeps warming up as it dries down. I do have a tendency to amp many resins, especially the sweeter ones, and in this case it's working in my favor. The leather here is a soft and well-worn leather note, true to the description. Finally the soft wildflower and herbal notes emerge, not in a medicinal-herbal way but rather like a golden usmmer field with wildflowers blowing in the wind. I'm really quite surprised at how much I like this one.

I would say this is more the love child of Silver Phoenix and Black Opal rather than B340. It is a little odd wet but I'm really glad I gave it a chance because it blossomed into a beautiful soft "silvery" scent, as others have said, with the violet, iris and musk at the forefront. I can pick out the blackcurrant though this is not a berry scent per se. This musk is a fuzzy musk but doesn't go cloyingly powdery on me like the one in Hunter Moon 07. There is a powderiness to this scent as a whole but it's a pleasant powderiness. There is the tiniest bit of anise here, but it ends up being no more than the faintest whisper, and I don't get anything soapy from the apple blossom. I get hints of patchouli and tonka as well, which add to the warmth of the musk. The final drydown of this is like a velvety grayish-purplish cloak that shifts colors in the twilight; difficult to describe but beautiful in its own right.

This is the jasmine that actually likes me; not just likes me, but really likes me. No cat pee but a soft, feminine, crystalline scent that seems to carry the essence of magic with it. Even if you don't like white florals (though I do), the florals in this are gentle and not at all overbearing. I get a lot of the Lab's gorgeous white musk in the drydown, and thankfully no spice of any kind. That could be because the spices in this are white spices, but in any case I don't amp them. I discovered this a little late but am so glad I've been able to collect enough imps to fill a bottle.

This is a very true fresh apple scent that reminds me of SGA without the snow/ice note. Fresh apple and a some misty greens in the background. On me at least it turns out to be a red apple rather than the tangy green apple I was hoping for. Not my thing, but if you love SGA you definitely need to snap this one up before it's gone.

This is pleasantly sweet and smoky on me, which I didn't expect because I thought it would be glaringly masculine. I barely get any leather. There is something almost caramelly about it though not exactly foody; I think it's the type of tobacco or maybe the snakeroot though I have no idea what snakeroot smells like. It's actually very similar to Pinched on my skin except without the cinnamon that I tend to amp in the drydown. I'm going to have to do a side-by-side comparison.