SophieCedar

Oh no. If one can gauge what character they would be, based on the compatibility of the scent worn, I'm definitely leaning toward dwarf. I was so hoping I'd be something ethereal and elegant.. but then again, that doesn't really match my bumbling, hard working, sarcastic, chaotic personality anyways. The iron and stone actually runs true and smells wet, grey, and soothing. Heavenly, even. This combination is making me feel all floaty. The hops are wonderfully earthy and intoxicating (we have a good relationship anyways). Uhm soot covered leather? Yes please. I love it.

White sandalwood, beeswax, white tea leaf, oud, and a hint of sophisticated urban musk. Hello? banshee beat? Is that you? H-hello? HELLO? I can't hear you! Seriously. I does smell like a lighter slightly aquatic version of banshee beat on me. Twice I've tried this with the same results. I'm seriously confused!

Oh man.. I think mxtine and I have the same skin chemistry. This is all pine and moss with a tiny amount of life everlasting and musk. The honeycomb is lost because of my body's wonderful ability to amp evergreens. I'd really like to try this out on a few friends with different chemistry though. I can see this being beautiful on the right person.. darn! I so wanted to match well with Elf!

Wet: warm, wet red roses and sweet, strong, dark brown, sugary cinnamon. Ka-pow! It's not fucking around. Hits me instantly and strongly. I normally don't care for rose but this is splendid. Harlot busts right out of the box, stays present, and the drydown..well.. drydown: sweet cinnamon sugar and syrupy warm roses. It's like cinnamon pastries with rose liqueur. Frikkin yum. I can equate the smell with the feeling of warm, fond memories of a steamy date. Ones that makes you skootch in your seat and salivate while you nervously hum to yourself to break the awesome mental replay you're having in an inappropriate setting.. work, on the bus, etc.. Anywhere you get a little embarrassed with that feeling of "omg did they hear that? Oh wait I was only thinking.. nothing came out of my mouth. I hope that dude across from me can't read minds.."

This is my 1st foray into TAL oils and what a wonderful start. Wet: lovely, bright, certainly optimistic, positively glowing lemon balm, magnolia maybe?, a couple herbs I notice from new age shop oils (..jeez what is the smell? It's thyme-y, green minty, something with a slight blackened resin feel? I remember smelling it off a bunch of blends that Sun's Eye makes. Not frankincense?) Seriously, smelling this 1st thing in the morning is pretty much one of the most valuable things I can do with my day. Well.. getting tattooed in the morning is a close second, but this is way less painful. It's incredibly uplifting and breaks apart any fogginess or negativity, for me. Drydown: I equate the emotional path to jumping in fresh clean water. Invigorating at 1st with the altar-like smells and strong lemon balm + floral that I perceive as magnolia. So much that I can successfully leave behind any bad notions and just immerse myself in the moment. Kinda like a mini-rebirth I guess. Then, drydown/as I continue to wade, there's this peacefulness that washes over me. The lemon balk is soothing, there's a smooth clean green herbal and lavender feel. Still hanging onto that magnolia idea. Ready to get out of the water/do the dishes/jump in the car etc and handle the rest of my life with a different perspective, as long as I can hang onto this feeling. Then if all else fails or the day beats it out of me, jump back in the water later (or reapply BTC) and regenerate myself.

This is one of those examples where Beth knows so well how some ingredients will mix and what association it will bring, that she hit this one dead on. It smells like musty lace.. really it does!..strange dry musty lace and frankincense when wet, then drydown.. the cognac and oakmoss pop out more giving it this tattered lace meets dirty old man's library with aged, slightly soured, untouched in 20 years baking in the window booze, and traditional cologne wafting off of tired, wrinkled skin enrobed in costly velvet feel. Thoroughly bizarre but intriguing. ETA: about 1 hour later, this settles into a sweet, earthy linen. Much more enjoyable!

Crap. I forgot to review this but totally thought I did. I'm loosing it. Wet: spicy dark berry sangria! Cute, sweet, gnarly dark> dangerous bitch style! I like this... Smells like trouble! The berries are a rich black maroon. I've never smelled kewda like but it's pretty much an awesome floral from what I can tell, picking apart the identifiable from the unknown here. Drydown: still wonderful dark berries, sweet deep musk, and a orchid-level like floral. Consistent trouble.. like the kind that makes you forgive a gal if she's a sloppy drunken mess starting bar fights, just because she smells great. Note to self.

Wet: a Dr. Pepper poof comes out for a millisecond. Now I really want a soda. Too early for that. A pine resin waft accompanied the soda smell. Dr. Pepper in the woods. Now I want to go camping. Anyways, both burn off quickly. It turns dark resinous and slightly powdery, but more myrrh frankincense powder, NOT baby powdery. Lovely smooth woody spices that manage to stay out of pepper or old spice territory. I attribute this to the tunisian part of the amber. me and Tunisian anything have a great history. drydown: oppoponax, sweet and dark. The amber powder part passes. The bay tree comes out a little more ensuring the spiciness doesn't fade away. I'm here with a wonderful intoxicating tunisian bay resin smell. I could laze around in this all day. Thanks, Brian.

Wet: getting strong almond marzipan too! Spices in the background but mostly wet, sweet almond paste. Lovely foodiness. Drydown: (distracted as I finally hear the 1st cicada of the year outside.. sweet!!) Ok the spices are a little stronger and this takes the shape of a lovely organic bay rum. The almond burned down to a wonderful toasty brown sweetness in the background and the spices are glowing. I don't really see this as "manly" perse.. a bit gender-neutral for those foodies and spice lovers. I brown wood note develops too, giving it a deep wide base for the spices to bounce around in. I really like it!

From wet to drydown, this stays the same: blue sweet cotton. Ordering this so I have another tolerable clean smell. It's like all those air fresheners and fabric softener that were supposed to make you feel clean, crystalline, and unsoiled. But no chemicals. The pikake and lily are wonderful. Violet leaf was a wise add, as it comes out changing the base structure without screaming "VIOLET!". Agave nectar has a very unique sweetness. It can't be missed here. I really love this one. Not for every day... Just the day after I drowned myself in Hetairae and developed a selective memory about what really happened between the strip club, pizza joint, bar, and diner and how did I get in my bed? Thanks husband! I know, I'm too old for crap like that. hahahaa

If anyone is lamenting the loss of the luau lounge, you might want to get in on this one. It's a mostly virgin fruity cocktail with a splash of liqueur (but not.. it's the herbs and musk.. no booze). Very nice for midnight summer heat parties. The fruit kinda sneaks around while the red musk pervades the general 10 ft area around me. I think this is a perfect rich fruit and herb blend. Good balance with the red musk and all work independently without bashing into or eclipsing each other.

Uhm.. I'm the only one so far that thinks this smells like cologne? My nose isn't blocked up at all. I swear. Wet: the rose otto, orange peel, myrrh, and caraway gang up to almost perfectly replicate something like Eternity or uhm not sure uh some other Calvin Klein cologne..maybe a Marc Jacobs. What the hell? Mainly smells like rose, ambergris, and orange peel. I like it for the nostalgic memories of being a teen in the 90's (guys dowsed themselves in cologne then! agh!) drydown: the rose otto burns down a little, so the spices start to take over. Warm spicy with a rose otto back. Myrrh is still going too. I still can't shake the cologne feeling but this goes from Eternity to Old Spice to spiced rum. Finally, and most strangely, it ends smelling like Perversion. Like exactly like Perversion. What a strange journey. I like it but how weird!

Something about this scent makes me a bit feral. I think it's the hay and hemp combined with almond blossom? I really didn't expect to like this so much. Wet: a wonderful dizzying blast of sweet humid heat. That's the best I can equate it to! The hay and tree sap are dominant with sweet almond and rice milk and a poof of hemp behind it. Very rich, strong, sweet, dry golden hay, greenery, and moist air. I have the sudden urge to go running through the woods howling and foaming at the mouth. Fortunately for the neighbors and local law enforcement department it stays at urge instead of uncontrollable impulse. Whew. Drydown: I'm proud of myself that I can get this far without galloping out the door. *pats back* Ok the feral part finally subsides. The rice milk and hemp are hanging strong with sweet almond It's really bizarre because I don't particularly love Brood but I'm drawn to it and after it wears off, I'm searching for the smell on clothes, furniture, me... bizarre and a bit unnerving. Did they put pheromones in this?

I purchased this blindly because the notes looked like a win and the reviews basically said "win". Not disappointed. Wet: There's a big rush of girly musky mall-sweet vanilla floral. Memories.... Honestly, and I hate to admit it, I enjoy those scents to a certain extent. I mean, it makes me want an orange julius and some awkwardly tight jeans I'll never wear. Then the picture starts to break up, thankfully, as the smoke and leather become more prominent. A feeling of bittersweet anguish overwhelms me... ooooh fun! That's a wonderfully romantic feeling! No, it's not because I'm looking at the picture on the bottle. I'm typing. Drydown: musky, sweet florals and sharp alcoholic vanilla. Still some of that mall vanilla feeling but more sweet and woeful than anything. Where was this when I was in my late teens/ early 20's..?? torturing myself over not-so-sweet sweethearts, drama, and easily finding excuses to go out for a drink with friends? I'll wear this when I feel like wallowing in some wonderful, innocent self-pity. Yes!

Hmm. OK then I would go with Villian and Old Scratch. I see Old Scratch as basically Villian's cleaner brother. Bow & Crown would also be a great & safe work scent. From Carnivale Diabolique, I'd highly recommend Theodosius, The Ledgerman. This is like Dorian but slightly more complex and refined. I love the jasmine leaf and bergamont notes. It's soft and very well blended. Desc: Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean. I would also recommend Wulric (this is my husband's FAVORITE to wear) but it could be too foody for what you seem to be searching for? If you want something classic but a little smoky, try Gaueko. It's a lovely smoky lavender and sandalwood. Clean and classic but unique: Blackened sandalwood and misty lavender, with curling wisps of smoky tobacco, nag champa, and labdanum. A couple in Steamworks: Galvanic Goggles has a clean tobacco flower with metallic notes. Really interesting and a great unusual spin for a masculine scent. No. 93 engine I think of as golden saffron, hyssop, beeswax, and golden metallic notes. I'd also recommend Byronic Antihero: a Victorian fougère and a dashing carnation boutonnière tainted by a cloud of khus, yew, and patchouli. You might be able to find this LE on the forum. I think of it as a smoky carnation with fougere. It's both clean and smoky (is that possible? hahah) Hope that helps!

Uhm.. Hmm. Good question! 1st that came to mind for a masculine floral is Highwayman. I can't really say it's a clean floral though. Mainly gardenia and a but of rose. There's also the usual suspects: Villian, Whitechapel, and Old Scratch(lavender fougere) and Bow & Crown of Conquest (carnation and leather). You say you want clean, so I'll try to pick from my favorites the ones that are as clean & masculine as possible! L'Ecole des Filles: orange blossom, ambergris, orris root, white rose, lemon balm, jonquil, carrot seed, and benzoin. Vicomte de Valmont: ambergris, white musk, white sandalwood, Spanish Moss, orange blossom, three mints, jasmine, rose geranium and a spike of rosemary. Lysander: (I love this one!)Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin. Himerus: (this comes across as a golden smell) juniper, sandalwood, rosewood, red musk, orchid, bergamot and lilac The Sluggard: Pious frankincense, angelic gardenia, unsoiled pear, and staunch ho wood conflict with prickly, overgrown thistle, idle labdanum, and lethargic lavender. Bensiabel: Plum juice, lilac, leather, and a smattering of herbs. Veritas: frankincense, white carnation, angelica, chamomile, and heliotrope.

OK so Kvass? Sounds strange making a mixed drink using rye bread, but hey. This smells great. I guess I need to keep in mind that some form of coarse grain or gruel was traditionally used in lots of alcoholic drinks... Wet: the honey drizzled bread and berries pop out with a dark syrupy wine hanging around the background. The roasted meats note freaked me out when I 1st read about this one..and made me curious. Now that I have this on, I notice it shows up as a golden roasted smoky smell, not like Drink Me, where you can smell beef right off. Drydown: smells like a mulled wine, as the honey burns off. The roasted meats note is fortunately still not freaking me out...really interesting scent. Golden, brown, dark red, glistening, and sweet. But, this will have to be a special occasion scent, instead of an everyday.

Hi! Gardenia is my favorite smell as well. These are the ones I've liked the most. Gaoler's Daughter: even though this is an LE and made a few years ago, this is my favorite gardenia scent. It pops up on the sales page occasionally. The Lady of Shallot: strongest gardenia I've found but there is an aquatic that sticks out on my skin. Euphrosyne: I loved this way more than I thought I would! Tea rose is not my friend but this turned out to be a sweet gardenia floral blend. This one makes me really happy! Highwayman is a ballsy scent (vetivert!) but has a prominent warm gardenia. Tavern of Hell: slightly competitive with the tobacco flower but totally there! White gardenia is a little cleaner and dry of course, but still there. Tis the Voice of the Lobster: throwing this in there for the hell of it.. this is mostly blackberry and watermelon on my skin however I was really surprised how much I could smell the gardenia through the fruit! Regarding Eternal: I found the other green florals overpowered the gardenia on my skin. Best of luck!!

This is exactly as described, on my skin. The golden musk is amping a bit more, so this smells like vanilla herbal grass with a bright touch of neroli. Pretty frikkin awesome..especially in the morning. I feel so plucky that I could clean the whole house.. but belgian waffles and smelling the flowers outside win instead.

OK this one was absolute love, as soon as I tested it. Wet: ooh! Perversion with porter instead of chardonnay and slightly browner! YES! No real man cologne hints, just warm buttery leather, magnetic wonderful tonka, and porter. Drydown: the woods dusting helps keep this from turning mushy..or something nauseating that started out sexy but you wore it on a bender night and never want to smell it again.. Nope..not either of those~! This is warm, aromatic, sexy, permeating, prominent but understated..is that possible? Rarely, but pulls it off. It's awesome. Totally getting a bottle.

Argh..internet connection! Love when I loose my review to the internet black hole! Wet: MANGO! and juicy crushed red tomatoes. Smells like a passionfruit pomegranate something something from a drugstore bodywash that my friends used to have. It always hit me in the face when I walked in their house..but I liked it. Drydown: I can smell more red musk here now that the fruits are done bouncing around. I initially wanted a bottle when I 1st tested it..I want one again.

Thanks, lab! Wet: the palmarosa is very perfumy and green.. reminds me a bit of some origins products. They use lemongrass or something? This is far less overpowering than Origins though. The red sandalwood is warm, glowing and a nice balancer. Surprisingly enough the attar of rose isn't annoying my nostrils. This is just warm, deep, sweet, floral. There's a breath of patchouli in the background giving it a nice base note. drydown: overall, its sweet sandalwood, light green notes, buoyant palmarosa, sweet patchouli similar to the mix of Imp or Fae. I like it! More sugary on me than I expected, but then again, its morning-time..my skin always smells like Midnight on the Midway after a good sleep.

The Native American Creator / Trickster God of Chaos and Change. The warmth of doeskin, dry plains grasses and soft, dusty woods warmed by amber and a downy, gentle coat of deep musk. Wet: warm amber and fuzzy brown musk with a slight incense smell.. copal? There's a mens cologne note in the background..something like white musk and citrus but I think that's supposed to be the grasses. drydown: still plenty of warm musk and amber. The grasses turn citrusy and sweet. Not bad! The doeskin part is pretty cool but I can't help being freaked out and reassuring myself that it's not real doeskin and if it was it's definitely still attached to a living animal, in theory. (repeat 10 times)

Wet: this phase is not favorable for me.. a quick blast of skin musk then very tart quince mandarin and cognac. The combination smells like acidic b.o. I can see the association with salty sweet dried plums drydown: About 5 minutes into it, the b.o. smell passes and it's lovely. The honey and vanilla are dominant now with light juicy quince pear, warm golden tobacco, and wafts of beguiling cognac. It stays this way for quite a while! Whew..because I bought a bottle blindly.

So, I thought this would be the end all best match for me when shungas appeared this year.. however I completely surprised myself by falling in love with some on the opposite side of the spectrum... Wet: wet peach, magnolia, very wet pink musk, slight rose geranium, red currant is juicy here. No acidicy, which is nice. Everything is well blended and smooth but strong. Very crimson and pink..accurate depiction. Drydown: the peach burns off somewhat..turning more peach blossomy and there's a slightly dry red currant with rose geranium and magnolia. The pink musk has turned to soft pink sugar. Nice and I would have been obsessed if I hadn't already pursued a ton of peach scents..gaoler's daughter is still my favorite, however this is a lovely brazen red peach. I can see this heightening a perfect humid afternoon moment this summer.