tailoredshirt

In the bottle: This is an empty, so I can't really tell, but it smells like honey and wine to me. Wet: Honey, wine, fruit. Again, this is an empty, so I couldn't slather. Dry: The red fruits really starts to come out after a while, so I smell honey and berry/currant wine. It is too sweet for me, but it is pretty. Overall: Honey and berry/current wine, doesn't change a whole lot in the dry down. Pretty, but very sweet.

In the bottle: Definitely smokey lavender. Wet: Still smokey lavender, but the tobacco is coming out now. Definitely smokey, like a lit cigarette, fire and all. Dry: I really like this a lot so far. The smokey tobacco and incense is very dark and sensual, and the fire scent goes away after a few minutes. But ah, ten minutes in and the lavender has gone wonky on me. I don't know what it is, because I love lavender and sometimes use French Lavender EO on my wrists as a perfume, but BPAL's lavender does something strange on me. It goes a bit sharp and starts smelling chemical-y and a bit like laundry detergent. The lavender is very subtle here after a few minutes, so this isn't a huge issue, but I do wish it wouldn't do this to me! Wow, 30 minutes after applying I can hardly smell anything at all. I applied it to the inside of my wrist and the top of my forearm, and I still get some smokey incense on top of my arm, but only if I press my face in. I'm not moving around or anything, so it is really strange that it would fade so fast! All I am really getting now is the smell of lingering smoke and incense, like the scent that clings to your clothing when you return from a night at a hookah bar. Overall: Starts off smokey lavender, dries down to smokey incense and tobacco. Fades quickly. I like this, but I might have to slather it on and try it again to see if it lasts longer next time.

In the bottle: Honey and milk. Wet: Honey, milk, almonds. This definitely reminds me of Jergen's original cherry almond scent. Dry: This does sit very close to the skin. I like it, but I get nothing unless I stick my nose right up to my skin. Even from 4 or 5 inches away, I get nothing. Overall: Milk, honey, and almonds. I like this, but...I don't know. It's not strong enough for me. I will probably keep my imp, but I can't justify getting a bottle if I'm going to have to reapply every 30 minutes.

In the bottle: Orange cake. The bergamot and amber, presumably. It smells good, but it is very sweet. Wet: Same as in the bottle, only a bit sweeter. Dry: Sweet stuff seems to amp on me, so I still get orange cake in the dry down. I feel like maybe there are some light florals in there somewhere, but it's mostly soft orange cake. Normally I don't like foodie scents, and if I'd thought I would end up smelling like cake I wouldn't have even tried to get my hands on a decant, but this is surprisingly soft and nice. It does dry down into more of a subtle close-to-the-skin scent, which is nice. I think I would like it more if the florals came out more, or if there was something else in there to balance out the sweetness of the amber, but this is pretty. Overall: It smelled like a pretty, subtle orange cake scent from start to finish. It didn't have a huge throw, but that was okay. I like it and I think I will get a bottle for days when I want something sweet and subtle.

I was rushing around while trying this on, so I don't know how it affected the way the scent wore on me, but somehow this didn't work! I had high expectations for this one and really wanted it to work, so I'm disappointed. I couldn't remember the notes in this one, so these were just my impressions. In the bottle: Spicy green. Not very strong, but nice. Wet: More spicy green, carnations. Not quite as "masculine" as I was expecting. I have to press my nose right up to my wrist to smell anything at all, and I kind of slathered it! Dry: I swear, five minutes later, all I get is powdery cinnamon. :| What happened to this scent?! I love carnations, and I thought they worked on me, but this isn't working. Maybe it's the amber that does it? I loved the first stage of Inez (also with the carnation/amber blend), when it was all musk and carnations, but then the drydown was spicy vanilla wafers. I assumed it was because of the vanilla, but if Saint-Germain is doing it too then it must be the carnation and amber. So disappointing! I mean, the powdery cinnamon was pleasant enough, but not the intelligent, sexy unisex scent I was hoping for. Overall: Spicy green at first, but ten minutes later all I get is powdery cinnamon. I guess this doesn't work for me.

I tried Habu recently, and I love it. I think the bamboo is very strong, and it's got some other wood notes in there to support it. I think it's a very clean, fresh, sweet scent. A lot of people in that review thread described it as green. It's also got the Snake Oil in it, so it's got some vanilla and spice in it, in case you wanted a purely green scent. Some of the reviewers didn't get the Snake Oil, but it was very obvious to me and I thought it sweetened the scent. Also, this doesn't have aloe or bamboo, but I recently tried Wilde and loved it as well. It's very light, green, and herbal. Slightly cologne-like, but it's very light.

In the bottle: Berries, definitely, but with some pine and forest. Wet: Same, but I smell the tomato leaf now. Mmm, I love the smell of tomato leaf. Dry: After a few minutes, I still smell the sweet berries. This feels a bit like a Christmas-themed air freshener, with the cranberry and pine scent. I like it, but I don't know if I love it as a perfume. Also, the berries smell a bit plasticky and not like actual fresh berries. A few minutes later, it's smelling kind of like a berry-flavored throat lozenge, with the pine (or something) acting a bit like menthol. It sounded like such an interesting combination, but I can already tell that this is not going to end well. :/ I think I'm going to go wash it off. Overall: It starts off berry sweet, but then the berries turn plasticky. The pine/cranberry combination smelled simultaneously like a Christmas candle and a berry-scented throat lozenge. Not for me.

In the bottle: Sweet woodsy, with some floral. Wet: I still get some floral. I slathered this, so it is strong. I get a bit of incense as well, kind of sweet. Some basil and musk. Dry: As it dries, it becomes a bit sweeter. I love the woods and the incense. I maybe get a bit of leather in the background, but I think I only notice because I'm looking for it. There's an herbal sharpness to this scent, and I like it. It smells a bit like cologne, and it's difficult to pick out the different notes, but I think that's because I slathered it. The leather comes out more after about 20 minutes, and I also get a hint of metal but not too much, thank god. I definitely get the impression of a battle taking place in the woods, with grasses and herbs and flowers getting crushed underfoot. An hour in, and I get more metal/leather. I think my skin must amp metallic scents. But I think it blends better with Antony than it has with other scents, so it's not a bad thing. ETA: I think the musky metal note I was getting was frankincense? Hours later, I still smell it, but it's not as sharp anymore. I really like this in the dry down. Overall: Sweet woods, herbs, floral, and incense. Leather and metal (frankincense?), eventually. I wouldn't define this as masculine, per se, but I do think it smells like a warrior scent. I like it! I don't know if I will wear it often enough to justify a full bottle, but in the meantime I am keeping my imp and will definitely use it again.

In the bottle: It actually isn't too strong in the bottle. Flowers, aquatic, rain. Wet: Oh, it's definitely stronger on the skin. I still get flowers, and it is quite cologne-y. I actually don't think I know what vetiver smells like, so I'm not sure if I'm getting it or not. I also can't identify BPAL's ozone note yet, but it smells like "rain" so I guess I am getting it. I get a bit of the cold Vicks Vaporub feeling at the back of my throat, but it's not unbearable. Dry: Rain, water, florals. It's like I'm out in the rain and a woman has walked by wearing too much floral perfume. As it dries, it actually smells like one of those Glade plug-ins, maybe called "Spring Rain" or something. Kind of a fake rain smell. An hour later, it still smells like fake floral rain scent. I also get what other reviewers are saying about this smelling like soap or laundry detergent. It's definitely that sort of scent. Overall: Way more floral than I was expecting. As it dried, it started smelling like a floral-rain scented air freshener, soap, or laundry detergent. This didn't work for me.

In the bottle: Um, burning wood? And cedar. Burning cedar! Wet: Cedar, incense...two things I like, except that the woods are still on fire. There is a bit of Vicks Vaporub, but just barely, and it doesn't linger. Something sticky sweet in the background and it is... Dry: ...BUBBLEGUM. :| From the lotus. I love sweet woodsy scents, but not like this. I think it is official that lotus turns to bubblegum on me, because it did the same thing in Paris, which had the spicy lavender that I loved except that the lotus got sickly sweet and nausea-inducing on me. 30 minutes after applying Kathmandu, I still get bubblegum with cedar and woods in the background. Not what I was hoping for. Overall: Starts off burning cedar, and it quickly gets overwhelmed by the bubblegum scent of the lotus. This did not work for me at all.

In the bottle: Wow, juicy. Fresh mango maybe, with a bit of floral. I love this already, and I don't do sweet foodie scents. Wet: Ungh, I love this so much. It's so fresh and clean, I can't even describe it. Like smelling a fresh mango that hasn't been cut open yet, or going into the grocery store and standing in the fruit section - green, fresh, cold, slightly sweet. All of that, plus fresh cut flowers. Gorgeous. Dry: After a few minutes, the fruit slides to the background and I smell strong florals - the lily, I think. I'm not good at distinguishing some florals, but this is slightly tropical floral. (It should be noted that when I hear "tropical" I usually associate that with fake plastic scents or Tahitian vanilla, but that's not what this is.) I usually amp vanilla like whoa, and I was expecting a bit of that with the SO, but I haven't gotten any vanilla yet. I've only had it on for about 45 minutes so I can't comment on the dry down yet, but this is gorgeous on me so far. I might need to come back and edit later. Overall: Fresh, green fruits and heady tropical florals. I never thought I'd like a "tropical" blend, but that's what this feels like to me and I love it. So pretty. ETA: After about an hour, I start getting the vanilla. *sigh* I like vanilla in moderation, but it amps on me so much that I start to feel nauseous after wearing it for a while, especially when I'm huffing my wrist. The combination of vanilla and lily is very pretty, but they're two really strong notes and I couldn't wear this every day. But I will definitely keep my decant and wear it when the mood strikes, which I know it will.

In the bottle: I get mint and herbs. It's a bit sharp, but not very strong. Wet: I have to press my nose right up to my wrist to smell this, which is unexpected. Definitely herbs - the thyme, I think. It is very green, with an edge of cologne. I also get a bit of earthiness from the patchouli, but maybe just because I'm looking for it. Dry: It becomes a bit more floral as it dries. I get the lavender and the moss now. There's a bit of sweetness, but it's mostly light herbal, slightly sharp and cool like mint. It's so light that it smells like I just showered with herbal soap. It's not what I was expecting but...I don't know, I think I like this! I think it will be nice on days when I just want to smell fresh and clean, and not like perfume. The smell remains pretty consistent in the dry down - still clean and herbal, a bit sharp but nothing that bothers my sinuses. Overall: Clean, herbal, slightly sharp and cologne-ish but not offensive or cheap-smelling. Very light, like I showered with herbal soap. Definitely getting a bottle of this.

I accidentally slathered myself with this one, whoops! In the bottle: I definitely get the metallic notes, but they're not as scary as I thought they'd be! Mostly a cologne-type smell, but not unpleasant. Wet: Still cologne, but nice. It smells familiar, but I can't place it. Dry: I don't even know what this is, but I like it. It's unisex cologne, but...better? I don't really get the leather, at least not right in my face the way some leathers can be. I really can't pick out any of the notes, but I feel like I'm getting some floral in there somewhere. A few minutes later, I'm getting a bit of incense and spice...maybe? I really like this. I think. It's kind of sharp and clean, and it's definitely not too sweet. I get the impression of metal - hard and smooth - without the actual smell. Actually, maybe I do get a bit of the actual smell, after about twenty minutes, but it's subtle. There is definitely a warmth there. I think this smells like a department store, or even ULTA 3, where they sell hair products and colognes. Because it is definitely a cologne scent, but I can't find any other words to describe it. 1.5 hours later, the metallic scent is definitely there, and not subtle. I'm getting the hair salon scent very distinctly now. Okay, this is not working. I went to wash it off, but the smell of metal and hair dye remains. *sigh* Overall: I liked this at first, but it smells a bit too much like generic cologne to me and I did not like the metallic note. The hair salon smell became overpowering and made me nauseous. Not for me.

In the bottle: A bit perfumey-floral, with lots of musk. I also get a bit of sweetness from the amber. Wet: Musk! Floral! Still perfumey, but very pretty. I think the floral I'm getting is definitely the carnation. Dry: As it dries, it smells absolutely lovely. I still get the floral musk, but it's smoother. I also get a bit of vanilla/amber now, and every once in a while I get a whiff of cookies. Vanilla amps on me like whoa, and this is no exception. Over an hour after putting it on, the cookie scent is now holding steady under the carnation. I can tell that in a few hours I'll only be able to smell the vanilla. *sigh* Overall: I like this a lot, though I prefer the first 30 minutes of this scent to the cookie-ish drydown. I can't decide if I need a full bottle of this or if I need to try it again with a decant, maybe applying more this time so the carnation is stronger.

Oh, man. This is the first time I've smelled a scent straight from the bottle and immediately needed to add 5 bottles to my upcoming lab order. In the bottle: Sweet, woodsy. Vanilla and spice, maybe a bit of juicy fruit. Something aquatic. I want to bathe in it forever. Wet: Same, only better. Dry: I amp vanilla like whoa, so I'm glad that the vanilla here is subtle. This is so good. Juicy and sweet and mysterious and slightly spicy and very delicious. The woods faded on me, and the vanilla got stronger, but overall it didn't morph too much on me. It smelled wonderful from beginning to end. Overall: I don't tend to do super sweet foodie scents, and the fruity vanilla would have scared me if I'd read too many reviews, but somehow it all works perfectly together. It is complex and indescribable. Also, I am testing this from an empty, so I imagine this is aged a bit. I think I might need to buy several bottles so a few of them can sit for a while.

In the bottle: Wow, holy cheap mens' cologne. Wet: Still cheap mens' cologne. Dry: After a few minutes, it tones down a bit, into perhaps a more expensive mens' cologne. If I sniff deeply, I get very clear whiffs of leather. I agree with the "cologne spilled in a leather handbag" comparison, as that was exactly what I was going to say. I don't get the barn smell, but I do feel like this is what a cowboy might smell like if he wore cologne. (Now I'm wishing I could remember what Stetson smelled like!) It is a bit addictive actually, in the way most mens' colognes are to me, but this isn't a good scent for me personally. Overall: Mens' cologne, spilled over leather. Doesn't work for me, but I imagine it smells very nice on some people. ETA: *sigh* I always end up editing these things. This one dried down into a really nice, slightly sweet sandalwood. If I just put it on 20 or 30 minutes in advance of leaving the house, this might work out for me! ETA, take II: Two and a half years later, I am trying this again. I love it. It is definitely very cologne-y but in a good way. When I first put it on, it reminded me so strongly of another BPAL scent and I finally realized it was The Illustrated Woman! So strange but they really do smell very similar in some ways. The White Rider is cool and musky, like TIW + leather jacket. It softens and sweetens as it dries, becoming a bit less cologne-y. Definitely adding a bottle to my next order! I guess this imp needed to sit around for a while.

In the bottle: I love lavender, and this smells fantastic in the bottle. Definitely lavender (a bit sharp, but I like it like that) and a bit of spice. Wet: It took me a minute before I realized that this smells exactly like Garden Ridge Pottery, the warehouse/craft supply store. Floral and spicy, like someone hung a cinnamon wreath in the floral department. I can't quite get over the association, but it smells delicious. I seriously wish this was a room spray. Dry: After about 30 minutes to an hour, the lavender fades so that I mostly smell the cinnamon and spice, with enough floral lingering to keep it from smelling like candy. A couple of hours later, it's still there, but faint. I will need to reapply often, I think. Overall: I really love this. I might smell like potpourri, but I don't care. I think I'm getting a bottle. ETA: After reapplying this, the spicy lavender came out again and was fantastic, but the sticky sweetness from the lotus turns to bubblegum on my skin and really ruins the spicy floral. Eventually the lotus started making me nauseous. I really do think I would like it as a room spray, but I couldn't smell like this every day.

I really wanted to like this, but I can't. For the first few minutes, it was floral men's cologne, with some woods and lots of spearmint gum. I was hoping it would settle down into something softer, with the woods and amber, but I'm getting none of that. I've been wearing it for about an hour now and all I get is cheap men's cologne, right up in my nose. The spearmint gum note hasn't faded either. This just didn't work for me. ETA: After a while, the snow/mint started giving me a cold Vicks Vaporub feeling at the back of my throat, so I went to wash the oil off. It didn't go away entirely because the soap was that foaming kind and not very strong, but it made the scent more tolerable. An hour or so later, I got a whiff of my arm and I smell amber! Pure amber. I guess this is what it would have smelled like several hours in, after the cologne/Vicks combo wore off. Oh, well.

Both times I've tried this, I haven't been in a position to pay close attention to the notes or the nuances as it dries and transforms. But here are my overall impressions: In the bottle: Very floral and sweet, like a heady bouquet of flowers, sugary candy, and baked goods. I'm not a huge fan of sugary sweet foodie scents, so instantly I regret ordering a full bottle without sniffing first! On my skin: It is definitely a sweet, heady floral, but it's not sharp. Still sugary sweet, but the smell is growing on me. I'm not getting any grass like some reviewers have. Mostly it's the flowers. I get some incense in there too, but it's mixed with the candy/baked goods. Later: This is strong, and it lasts for a long time, which is something that I need to keep in mind so that I don't slather it on. The flowers stay sweet and strong for a long time. The sugary candy scent settles so that it rounds out the flowers rather than making me smell like a honey bun. The incense is there, but rounding out the flowers with the candy. I think it definitely holds true to its description. Overall: Definitely sweet, both the flowers and the candy/incense, but I like it. I think this will be a nice spring scent on days when I want something sweeter.

This one was hard to describe, but I'm going to try! In the bottle: I get the bourbon and vanilla, and it's sweet but not too sweet. Also some woods and incense. Maybe some musk? Wet: Still the bourbon vanilla, with woods and incense. Initially, the bourbon and vanilla scared me a bit when I saw it on the list of notes because I'm not really into super sweet foodie scents, but this is nice. After a couple of minutes: The bourbon and vanilla have evaporated a bit, and now it's more woods and incense. After a few more minutes, I can smell something kind of light and almost fruity-floral? It's very subtle, but I think it keeps it from being overwhelmingly incense-y. It's really pretty. An hour and a half later, it has settled into a vanilla incense, with a hint of woods. It's also very faint now. I have to put my nose close to my wrist to smell it. Overall: I like it, and I think people that like vanilla and incense would really like this. I'll just have to keep the imp close by when I use it so I can refresh throughout the day. I'm not going to order a bottle, but I'm definitely going to keep the imp.

In the bottle: Nondescript heady florals. I'm feeling a bit sinus-y today, so I don't know if I can handle this one, but I'll try it. Wet: Ugh, yeah, still heady florals. I am getting nothing but heady florals, and I can't pick up on any individual notes. It smells like old perfume left in the bottle for a long time. Dry: I applied it about 5 minutes ago. I started sneezing and almost went to go wash it off, but now I feel like it's mellowed out a bit. The floral is definitely still there, very strong, but there's something a bit citrus-y underneath it. I'm not really getting any cedar, which is a shame because I like cedar. Maybe it's just clinging to the florals and I just can't pick up on it. An hour later, it's calmed down a lot. Still floral, but sweeter. It's a pretty scent. Overall: I like florals, but this didn't really work for me. At the beginning, it smelled like strong, generic floral perfume on me and didn't stand out as anything unique. It also gave me a bit of a headache, which was my fault for trying it today in the first place. The drydown was nice, but I don't have my nose pressed to my wrist the way I do with scents that I really love.

This is my first review, and I'm not very good at picking out individual notes, but I'll try my best! In the bottle: Very sweet and woodsy, with a bit of incense and herbs. I can also smell the mint. Wet: Strong and woodsy, with a sharp herbal note from the mint. Basically smoky woods and mint. The mint is a little strong, and overall it's a bit too sweet right now, but it smells nice. Dry: After a while on my skin, the mint isn't as sharp. It softens into a really wonderful sweet-smoky woods scent. I've been wearing it for several hours now and it still smells lovely. Overall: I think this scent is unisex. It doesn't feel too masculine to me, but it's not too sweet either, which suits my tastes. I seriously can't stop sniffing my wrist today. I only have a decant of this right now, but I'll be buying a full bottle for sure.