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In the Vial: Sweet, sticky honey, brightened by the tartness of the red wine and softened by a subtle floral note. The myrrh is giving it a general smokiness. This is definitely evocative of ancient Athens versus modern Greece. Wet: The honey goes powdery right away. Sigh. It deepens into a very warm, dusty scent, and the flowers start to come out a bit more - but overall, it's powdery. Dry: The throw is straight-up red wine, full-bodied and fruity and really fantastic - and I don't even like red wine! Up close, I still get the powdery sweetness of the honey, the softness of the flowers, and the smokiness of the myrrh, with the red wine giving the whole thing just a bit of a sour note. An Hour Later: I can't really pick out any of the individual notes anymore, but I'd say it's leaning more towards the red wine end of the spectrum. It's still pretty soft and powdery, but that sour note can't be ignored. Overall: Eh, I'm not that into it. I think if the honey had stuck around and been prominent, I could have really liked this. As it is, it's headed for the swap pile.

In the Vial: I would never have expected this to smell like apple juice, but it does! It smells just like the Allen's apple juice that I loved as a kid. Well, I suppose the cinnamon gives it more of an apple cider feel, but it's definitely cold, not hot, apple cider. If I try really hard, I can recognize the "apple" note as the prune it actually is, but wow, it's doing a great job of masquerading as apple. Wet: The cassis is gaining a lot of steam. And I mean, a freaking lot of steam. It's now straight-up woodsy cinnamon with just a hint of something fruity behind it. It's reminding me a lot of Port Royal, actually, which I suppose means I'm getting the rum as well, though it's not really popping out at me. Dry: Okay, the cassis has calmed down and the prune is coming back out. The throw kind of smells like beer (or more accurately, like beer I spilled and which has dried into my clothes), but up close it's still apple juice - but boozy apple juice. Yep, definitely getting the rum now. I'm really liking this! An Hour Later: It didn't change much, only to get warmer and woodsier. How it's woodsy at all, I couldn't tell you. Overall: Not at all what I was expecting, but I like it! Brings back warm, fuzzy memories of childhood... until the rum shows up, anyway. Quite an interesting blend.

This is my second review of O. My first review, in 2005, was not a good one, thanks to honey being my mortal enemy back then. But I'm having much better luck with honey nowadays, so O deserves another try and another review. In the Vial: Honey, amber, and... grape juice? It kind of smells like grape juice. Okay. It's juicy, yet dry and dusty at the same time. And very sweet, obviously - kind of unavoidable in a blend that combines honey and vanilla. Though I can't really pick out the vanilla. Wet: Ah, there's the vanilla! It's making the blend creamy, and even sweeter than it already was. It gets a lot softer and lighter as well. The amber smells almost floral. Dry: Oh yay! The honey is going thin and green - something I'm learning honey now does on my skin, and something I like quite a bit. The amber's still there, giving it a slight spicy floral quality. And if I breathe deeply, I can still catch the vanilla. An Hour Later: I am happy to report that it doesn't smell like rotten Play-Doh! Or really, any kind of Play-Doh! Hurrah! It's a soft, slightly powdery honey. Overall: I think I can officially say my honey curse is broken! However, I still don't find O to be the pure sex scent that so many others do - and sadly, the boyfriend had no reaction to it whatsoever. I'm happy that I can wear O now... but I'm not entirely sure it's something I'd keep in my collection. I'm going to let it age for a few months, though, and try it again then.

In the Vial: Snake Oil, Pour Homme. Seriously, it smells quite a bit like Snake Oil, though less exotic and more masculine. It's smoother and drier than Snake Oil, and has a warm, woodsy feel to it. It's delicious! Wet: Oh my god. Is that... mint? It must be the balsam, but yes, it smells like mint. This is the warm, creamy vanilla mint I have been searching for! And that woodsiness is still there, too - always a good thing for me. THIS IS SO GOOD. Dry: Warm, creamy, woodsy, vanilla mint oh mah gaaaaaaaaaaah. As time goes on, the vanilla fades somewhat and it gets more woodsy and rugged. An Hour Later: The balsam has come around and realized it should smell like balsam, not mint - more or less. There is still a subtle mintiness about it. And the vanilla is more of a general sweetness than vanilla. Mainly, it's a soft yet masculine, sweet woodsy scent. Overall: I'm thrilled to find the type of vanilla mint I love - even if it's not actually mint. This will be slathered on the boyfriend tonight, though if it doesn't work on him, I'm definitely keeping it for myself. It's not at all what I was expecting (and I'm sad that I didn't get the sassafras at all), but I love it anyway!

In the Vial: You'd think that lemon plus sugar would equal lemonade, but no. In Skytyping with Chemtrails, the lemon is tart and juicy and an entirely different entity than the sugar, which has a very warm, poofy quality to it and reminds me a bit of Midway. I'm getting the white musk, too, but softly. And though I have no idea what elemi, zdravetz, or ravintsara smell like (or even how to pronounce them), I can definitely smell the "sinister, almost chemical undernote" they give this blend, however subtly. Wet: The white amber slowly starts to come out and softens everything else. The lemon and sugar are blending more now, and are starting to smell more like lemonade, or lemon candy. There's still an herbal quality to it, though. Dry: It's taking a turn away from lemon candy and towards Lemon Pledge - or, more accurately, lemon-scented soap. Oh no. If I breathe really deeply, I can get the resiny goodness of the amber. An Hour Later: Huh. Now it's neither lemon candy nor lemon-scented soap. It's just a soft, summery, feminine lemon scent. Overall: I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. When I first sniffed Skytyping with Chemtrails a few weeks ago, I thought it was really intriguing and different. But it didn't quite end up that way. Not that it's bad - because it's not - but it's not as interesting as I'd thought it'd be. Nice, but not for me.

In the Vial: Yep, Snake Oil and honey. And... I think I'm smelling something green in here, too. Is there such a thing as green honey? Also, this smells a lot cooler than pure Snake Oil. Wet: The Snake Oil is taking center stage, but that green note keeps trying to stick its head back in. The honey is going somewhat powdery. Dry: The Snake Oil is now taking a backseat, but it's still there. One of the honeys (likely the "green" one) must be the one used in Mommy Fortuna, because this is reminding me a lot of that blend. Otherwise, it's still very powdery, in scent rather than texture, and it's a sweet talcum as opposed to baby powder. It's soft and lovely. An Hour Later: Both Snake Oil and honey notes usually have great staying power on me, but not so much with Womb Furie - it's gotten quite faint. Otherwise, it's the same. Overall: I'm really surprised. I'd expected something heavy and sexy, but it turned out to be light, soft, and pretty. This might be a good alternative to Snake Oil when I want something lighter. I might try layering it with Snake Oil, too, to up the Snake Oil to honey ratio. Bottom line: it's nice!

In the Vial: This reminds me a bit of Snake Oil. It's dark and musky with sweet vanilla and a touch of ginger. I keep thinking I'm smelling a bit of vetiver, but no one else has mentioned it, so it must just the earthy note everyone else is getting. Whatever that note is, it's a bit sharp. Wet: Holds strong for a minute, but then starts to morph. First it gets sharper and sour, and then turns to rubber. Like a tire. Oh, or bandages, like someone else mentioned. The hell? Dry: This is weird - I just went outside for a couple of minutes, and all I could smell was Black Opal wafting up from my hand in almost overwhelming waves. But inside my house, I don't notice it nearly as much. Maybe the sun warming it up caused it to have such a strong throw? Anyway. The sweetness has come back, and the earth note is stronger, but it still smells like rubber. An Hour Later: All of the sweetness has gone, leaving a very earthy and rubbery smell. Yet, there's something human about it, too, like a man's natural musk. Overall: This is... uh, interesting. Yes. So interesting, I believe I'll pass it on to someone else so they can see how interesting it is. Mmmhmm.

In the Vial: This is very soft and smooth; it's hard to pick out the individual notes. I think the iris is the prominent note here, because I'm getting a general bright, happy scent that I don't think is the coconut, hazelnut, or white musk - yet, it's not entirely floral, either. The more I sniff, the more I can pick out the coconut and hazelnut, and I think I get the white musk in the background... but it's all blended in so well together. Wet: That bright, happy smell is getting brighter, and more distinctly floral, so yeah, I guess that's the iris. I can tell the white musk apart from everything else a little better now, too, but the coconut and hazelnut have melted into the background. This is very summery and pretty! Dry: Hasn't changed much in the drydown, only to get a bit softer. An Hour Later: It's already pretty faint - this is not a long-lasting blend. And it's lemony, somehow. It's a slightly sweet, lemony white musk. Any traces of coconut and hazelnut have disappeared (except for the sweetness, which I assume is coming from them). Overall: Another case of a blend that I really liked in its pure form, but which doesn't work on my skin.

In the Vial: It reminds me a little of Shub-Niggurath, but brighter and fruitier. Most of the reviews say it's all grapefruit in the bottle, but the ginger is the predominent note for me. I can also pick out the neroli and a bit of citrus. It's sweet and tart at the same time, and smells much more herbal than floral. Wet: It warms up immediately, and then a bright citrus starts coming out. On the drydown, it goes a little powdery. Dry: All of those warm herbs and the sweetness seem to have disappeared, and now it's quite cold and tart. The grapefruit is very strong now, which is making the entire thing smell a lot like lemon dishsoap. As the minutes go by, it warms up a bit again and gets a little spicy and a little salty... but retains the dishsoap feel overall. One of the reviews mentioned a cigarette smell, which I wouldn't have noticed without the push, but I definitely do now. An Hour Later: I can barely smell it anymore; it doesn't last very long at all, and has a very weak throw. Both the icky dishsoap and cigarette smells have gone. It's a salty floral now. Overall: Not my thing. I love how it smells in the bottle, but it does a complete 180 on my skin. I do not like the smoky dishsoap scent at all, and the end result is too light for my tastes.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Bright lemon with a tinge of sweetness, and a hint of greenery supporting it. It took me a few deep breaths to realize it, but these smell exactly like lemon and honey Strepsils, which are throat lozenges. I don't know if that means there's any honey in this blend; I doubt it, because I hate all honey notes, and I'm not smelling anything bad in here! Wet: The green grows stronger as the lemon mellows out, which effectively destroys the Strepsil smell. Overall the blend softens from something bright to something quiet and serene. Dry: A soft ozone note is coming out now, in a way that reminds me the tiniest bit of Lightning, though definitely not half as sharp and biting. It's not overwhelming, but grounded well by the lemon and green. It's ever so slightly soapy, and very clean and fresh. An Hour Later: It's softened even more, and gotten very faint. Otherwise, the scent itself hasn't changed. Overall: Nice, but not my style. I'm not a fan of ozone, and I like scents to be stronger than this is.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: This reminds me of O, which makes me wary, but I can already tell it's nicer than that. Wet: It's sweet but not sickly so, and I'm guessing that's from the vanilla, although I can't exactly smell the vanilla itself. It's spicy in an exotic way. There's also a very definite and strong minty fresh note, yet it stays warm instead of going chilly. The lab description of magnetic, mysterious, and sexual is right. Dry: The more I smell it, the more I want to crush my wrist against my nose and leave it there all day. It hasn't changed much on the drydown, except that it's more minty now, and the mint works splendidly with the spices and sweetness. An Hour Later: It gets slightly sweeter with time, but otherwise, it stays the same. Overall: I'm enjoying Snake Oil a lot more than I thought I would on the initial sniff, but enough to buy a 5ml? I'm not sure yet. Sadly, I didn't get any compliments on this when I slathered it over my wrists, elbows, neck, and cleavage, so I'm willing to bet that there are other scents more suited to my chemistry than Snake Oil.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: This is nothing like I'd expected. The apricot and ginger are prominent, with a strong backing of jasmine. Sadly, I'm not getting any vanilla from this at all, and that's what I was hoping for the most. Wet: Ginger! Then, loud floral, spiced with ginger. Then... a tiny bit of vanilla peeking out, just to sweeten things up a bit. The apricot has taken a backseat. Dry: Uh oh. This is turning ugly. For a few minutes, it's that sweaty old man smell, but thankfully it doesn't flare up wildly. What's causing it, I think, is the ginger and/or jasmine, which are now smelling rotten. The apricot makes a reappearance, brightening things up a bit. The vanilla? Ran away, scared. An Hour Later: Sweaty old man! With the softest hint of sweet fruit. But still? Gross. Overall: I don't know why so many blends are turning on me this week; I'm hoping my chemistry is just out of whack. I'll try this again next week and hope that four notes I love decide to love me then.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Bright, loud ginger, dry herbs, and soft spice, all very sweet. Strangely enough, this reminds me a lot of peanut butter cookies! This is a very warm and toasty blend, very comforting. The feel of it is a cross between cuddling up in a blanket before a fireplace with a plate of cookies in your lap, and a sunny barren forest on an atypically warm autumn's day. Wet: It goes woodsy for a brief few seconds before the sweetness amps up and turns this into an even more delicious foody scent. The ginger calms down and isn't so bright anymore, but most definitely still there, and strong. I'm catching something like cinnamon. The peanut butter cookie smell is fading, but there's still a hint of it. Dry: Still pretty much the same! An Hour Later: More sweet spice has come out, turning this even more foody, which I'm not complaining about! My skin has turned it a little musky, and very dry. Otherwise, it hasn't changed. Overall: I can see why this is such a coveted blend! It's deliciously autumn in a way that no other autumn blend is.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: OW! Seriously, that's what I thought when I first breathed this in, without even realizing... this is called Pain. This is sharp, strong, biting. I'm not sure exactly what lavender or pennyroyal smell like, but I guess this is it. It's minty green, like eucalyptus, or some other plant I can't quite put my finger on. It could also be taken as slightly medicinal, though it's too green to really be astringent. Wet: It calms down and isn't as KAPOW as before, but the green mint is still loud and clear, and it's growing even more medicinal. Dry: Now I know what that other plant was: basil! How strange! The green mint is still there, but overall, this smells like a basil leaf just plucked from the garden. An Hour Later: The sharpness and strength softens immensely after an hour, so that it ends up still the same green mint and basil smell, but much fainter and not half as painful to my nose. Overall: It might be nice if it didn't remind me so much of basil, but as it is, I can't imagine why anyone would want to smell like this. This is definitely not a wearable oil.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: There are so many different notes listed that I won't even try to pick each one of them out! This is fruity, I'll say that much. The only note that really sticks out to me is the pineapple. This isn't tart at all, which is strange, with so many tart fruits in there; there's something leveling it out and making it sweeter. Wet: It grows very warm on my skin, and develops a bit of a powdery smell. It's become less fruity, and a bit more floral, although everything is so well blended together that I couldn't put it into one category or the other if I tried. I still can't pick out any individual notes, and even the definitive pineapple has blended into oblivion! Dry: I can catch the pineapple again, if I try really hard, and the overall fruitiness is drifting back as well. This smells very pink, and feminine. As minutes pass, the powdery smell is fading, and this is getting nicer and nicer. More minutes pass, and I'm smelling something like lilac! An Hour Later: Summer. Pure summer. I'm not sure exactly what is making me think of summer, but this is bringing back strong memories of childhood, of walking down residential streets shaded by tall sprawling trees, looking at the rainbow cacophany of flowers blooming in gardens, enjoying the warmth that never seemed so oppressive back then. I'm still smelling lilac in this, though since there's no lilac listed in the description, I'm going to assume it's the peony that's giving me this impression. I'm also smelling the same sort of hothouse floral that's in New Orleans and Peitho, but much softer. Overall: Oh, I love it, even if the floral did win out over fruit in the end. It's too perfectly summer to give up, especially as winter cold starts to move in. I'm a little confused as to why anyone would connect this scent to a squishy brain, though.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Grapefruit! Sweet pink grapefruit, possibly made that way by the accompanying plum, which I can also catch. I have no idea what orris smells like, but there is a definite floral in this, so that must be it. The amber is nowhere to be seen. This is a bright, sweet, fruity, feminine scent. Wet: Oh, there's the amber, and the grapefruit and plum all but disappear. The brightness turns into warmth, the fruit into powder. Dry: Still powder, and very floral, and the amber is there to darken it a bit, and a slight hint of fruit has returned. A few minutes and it smells a bit watery, like blooms floating on a still pond. An Hour Later: Powdery old lady floral. Yep. Overall: How I wish this had stayed grapefruit! But alas. Off to the sale pile.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: This is one complex scent. At first I smell the sweet tropical fruits and blossoms, which is very lovely, but at the end of my inhale there's a powdery bitterness that I assume represents the mountaintop breezes, but which really turns me off. Wet: The sweetness turns into tang, and the floral notes stomp all over the fruit. Unfortunately that powdery bitterness grows stronger. Dry: Again, the complexity of Machu Picchu is confusing me. I'm not sure whether this is likeable or downright unpleasant. It does smell more reminiscent of a tropical rainforest full of fruits and blossoms—I'm smelling something citrus, something sweet, and the hothouse blooms from Bayou and New Orleans. But there's that powder that I can't get past! An Hour Later: I forgot to come back to this at the appropriate time, and now, a few days later, I completely forget what Machu Picchu had become after awhile of wear. I do remember, though, that it still irked me. Overall: Definitely not for me. I wish I knew what was causing that bitter powder smell so that I could avoid it in other blends.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Snake Oil's tarty little sister. I can definitely smell the musk, but no patchouli, and I'm not familiar enough with ylang ylang and myrrh to know whether or not I'm smelling them. Wet: The tart immediately wears off into something warmer and muskier. I think I'm noticing the ylang ylang and myrrh more, but I'm only assuming that because there's a different scent popping up that I can't name. I'm still not detecting the patchouli. Also, this supposedly very sexual scent doesn't smell sexual at all to me, a sad pattern I'm noticing with any sexual scent I test. Dry: Ah, there's the patchouli. It's lost a lot of it's sweetness, and now smells dry and warm and woody. No longer Snake Oil's tarty little sister; now, it's Snake Oil's older, wiser, more conservative sister. An Hour Later: It's even more similar to Snake Oil now, just less sweet, and a little darker. Overall: Though they're very similar, I like Snake Oil much better than Lust, so off to the swap pile Lust goes.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Very lemon, but I suppose that might just be the ginger. I also think I smell something slightly berry, and it strangely reminds me of Kool Aid. The tea is definitely there, crisp and fresh and dry. This is very similar to Shanghai and The Dormouse. Wet: It doesn't change much, except for the brightness of the lemon/ginger to mellow out a bit. Dry: It softens and sweetens just a smidgen, and takes on a bit of a powdery feel, though not the typical powdery smell. The ginger is smelling a lot more like ginger now. It's still a fresh, sunny, crisp scent. An Hour Later: It's faded off so much already that I can hardly smell it! There's the faintest hint of lemon tea, but that's about it. Overall: If this had lasted on me, I still don't think I would've kept it, since it's so similar to all the other lemon scents I've tried; Shanghai and Empyreal Mist are still my favorites.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Honey, flowers, ginger, and... powder. The best way to describe the sweetness of this is to say it's mouldy. I get this strange and uncomfortable sensation in either side of my throat when I smell this. I am not enjoying this, and I'm hesitant to let it touch my skin. Wet: Reminds me a lot of O; it has that same rotten sugary powder smell. As the seconds pass, the powder scent becomes more prominent, pushing that sickly sweet scent away. Dry: Pure powder, and still retaining that rotten, spoiled air. The sweetness has eased up so it's no longer sickly sweet, but still bearably, comfortably sweet. This smells nothing like honey, or at least not any honey I've ever smelled before. This is also nowhere near as thick as a honey scent should smell; it's very light, owing to the inevitable powder scent. An Hour Later: After a long while, it begins to smell ever so slightly like real honey... but not a fraction of enough to mask the rotten powder. Overall: I think it's time to realize that honey doesn't get along with my skin. Goodbye, Honey Moon!

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Verdandi's fraternal twin. Seriously, this smells exactly like Verdandi, although with a more prominent apple note. It's cold green apples, both tart and sweet, with a strong backing of herbs and woods. Wet: My skin warms and deepens this scent significantly. The herbs and woods take the backseat as the apples step into the spotlight; and a bit of spice, either clove or nutmeg or perhaps both, start fighting for recognition. Dry: The only change I notice is that it's grown sweeter. An Hour Later: Warm, sweet apples. A much lighter and more summery version of Verdandi. That's all there is to say! Overall: I like it enough to keep it. It has all the greatness of Verdandi, but in a more light and bubbly package. This scent would be great either for spring of the very end of summer when the leaves are just starting to wilt.

Review from 2005. In the Vial: Green tea? Check. Aloe? Check. Lemon? Double check. White musk? Er... white musk? Are you there? No? Oh well, this scent is amazing as it is! It's fresh, bright, sunny, and cold. This is the sun glaring off of snow on a crisp winter afternoon. Wet: It immediately becomes lemon dishsoap. Why, god, why? Well, it's not that bad, not astringent or disinfectant at all. But not the fabulous scent this was in the imp, that's for sure. Dry: Still lemon dishsoap. Woe. BUT WAIT! As the drydown continues, the tea and aloe make a startling comeback! It still reminds me somewhat of lemon dishsoap, but it remains a very beautiful scent nonetheless. Thank goodness! An Hour Later: Still somewhat dishsoap, but a good fraction of it is pretty and enjoyable. Overall: I'm not sure. The dishsoap aspect bothers me, but I have to admit this really is a nice scent. Bright, cold, fresh lemon. I had such high expectations for this blend that I can't bring myself to add it to the swap pile.

This review is from 2005; apparently I didn't post it back then! In the Vial: This is dragon's blood like I've never smelled before (then again, I'm only just starting to work my way through Beth's dragon's blood blends). It's dry and flat, and nowhere near as strong as dragon's blood usually is to my nose. Not quite the sort of dragon's blood I moan over, but it's definitely nice! Wet: Very woodsy, with the dragon's blood peeking out to make it seem like an evil forest. I'm also getting a very fruity scent from this, though that must just be the dragon's blood. I'm not sure whether I like this or not. On one sniff I'm convinced I do, but then the next sniff makes me fall back into uncertainty. Dry: More of a true dragon's blood scent works its way out, which I'm thrilled about, because I adore dragon's blood. The dry woods are no longer predominant but create a lovely backdrop for the dragon's blood, keeping it from being too strong or wet. An Hour Later: N/A Overall: Nice, as all Ars Draconis blends have been on me, but probably my least favorite yet. I will probably swap this one, not because I don't like it, but because I have many other dragon's blood blends that I would rather wear.

In the Vial: This is a lilac tree in the devil's garden. The lilac is prominent, but the musk and tobacco give it a beautifully dark edge. The vanilla is strong, and I think I'm getting the tea, but the coconut is missing in action. This is a very cool scent. Wet: Mmmmmm! The sweetness and tobacco flare up and mix to make this smell more like a cigar - and I love the smell of cigars. Then the lilac and musk come back, and the tea gets stronger, and some of the sweetness fades. Dry: It's softened up quite a bit, and is already pretty faint. I get the lilac and tobacco mostly now, and some tea. It's a lot prettier than before, and not nearly as dark. An Hour Later: It's gotten very faint, and all I can smell now is a very soft, slightly sweet lilac. Overall: I loved this in its just-applied state, and if it had stayed that way it would've been bottle-worthy. I'll have to re-test this in a few weeks.

... Obatala’s ofrenda is soft, white and pure: milk, coconut meat, shea butter and cool, refreshing water. In the Vial: A lot like what I remember of Milk Moon. The milk note is bright and sour to my nose. The shea butter sweetens it up, and the coconut is there but mild, and gives it more of a general fruitiness than anything else. The cool water is definitely cool, and it's a pretty nice aquatic for someone who doesn't normally like aquatics! Wet: The milk note goes really sour for a few seconds before mellowing out, and then the blend gets really sweet. The coconut is starting to smell more like coconut. Dry: Definitely a summery, beacy scent thanks to the coconut, but that milk note is keeping it from being Banana Boat oil. It's more like a creamy coconut cocktail. And the coolness of the water is gone; this is all sunny warmth now. An Hour Later: Pretty much the same. Overall: This would be a fabulous summer scent for those who don't find milk notes to be sour. Unfortunately, I do, and the coconut in Obatala isn't strong enough to make me love it anyway. Not for me!