hangingfire

In the imp: Grape and orangeblossom, with a touch of rose. On, wet: The grape fades off, leaving mostly orangeblossom and rose. A slight "coolness" that might be mint. Drydown: A soft, slightly fruity rose. A very light, pretty scent. I'm not sure if it's for me, but it's nice. Edit: Hmmph. It gets more noticeably grape-y as it dries down further. This I'm not so crazy about. I liked the orangeblossom and rose, though.

In the bottle: Gingerbread! Sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and molasses. On, wet: Still smells like gingerbread. I have to hand it to the Lab; the baked goods stuff (this and Beaver Moon) really smells like baked goods. Drydown: The sugar/flour/molasses notes fade off, leaving just the spices. Very nice!

The meeting of Heaven and Earth: golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka. In the bottle: Amber, a touch of vanilla-like notes (the tonka, probably) and a bit of flowery sweetness (rockrose?). On, wet: Warm, honeyed amber. Drydown: Still warm, honeyed amber; the floral aspects are a little more noticeable, but the result is a very well-balanced, "golden" scent. I think I need another bottle. Or two. This stuff is magnificent.

I've really been looking forward to this one. Contrary to my generally restrained appearance, I am a giant glam-rock fan, and the concept behind Stardust really speaks to me. In the bottle: Hairspray and ... oh, wow, there's some very recognizable 1970s perfume in there -- is it Charlie? (Anyone else remember that?) And a slightly fruity tang as well. On, wet: The Charlie-esque note is less pronounced; now it's primarily floral and white musk, with the fruity tang. Drydown: White musk, sandalwood, with a haze of florals and a touch of champagney fruit. There's also a slightly metallic note as well, which is odd, but I like it. It just screams moneyed, boozy decadence of a very late 1970s sort. Which is exactly what I was hoping for. *goes off singing, "there's a starman, waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds..."*

Frimp from the Lab! In the imp: Whoo. Dark and spicy -- strong on the wine notes, which is probably responsible for the berrylike character. On, wet: There's the attar of roses. The musk and myrrh are a little more obvious now as well. Drydown: Roses with a touch of sweetness from the myrrh. The wine note has faded, sadly -- I liked it. But no complaints about the scent that's left. Very nice! Definitely keeping the imp.

In the imp: Primarily woody and spicy. Not getting any vanilla at all, but that's okay; I like that sort of thing. On, wet: Now there's a touch of something slightly waxy? resiny? It's also taking on a mellow aspect, possibly from the vanilla. It's interesting in smell it in a blend like this, rather than in the more explicitly foody-sweet blends I usually find it in. Drydown: Very strong on the wood-resin, a bit sharp and harsh, and not so much on the vanilla, really. I wonder how it will change with age? It seems like it may need some time to mellow out. So I'll put this in the box and check back later.

In the bottle: Cream cheese frosting on red velvet cake. On, wet: ...cream cheese frosting on red velvet cake. Drydown: More cream-cheesy and less cakey; also more noticeably vanilla. But on the whole, it doesn't change much at all. Absolutely delicious all around. It'll be a great vanilla-type scent when I want something goofier and more girly than Black Opal. Edit: this stuff has staying power of doom. I dabbed it on my hands around 1pm today, and have washed my hands, made dinner, washed dishes, washed my hands again, and I can still smell it. Faintly, but it's definitely there.

In the bottle: a rich, herbal scent that reminds me of Lucia's Garden, a magick/herbal store I used to go to in Houston. Which is a very calming memory all by itself. On, wet: Sweet and herbal. Faint, though. I rub my hands together briskly and hey, there's that olive smell that people keep talking about. It is indeed a sharp, tangy, green, and fruity note: in short, olives, or olive oil. After a while, the sharpness fades, leaving behind a mellow green herbal smell, in which I'm hard-pressed to identify any individual notes. Drydown: A smell like a beeswax candle, just blown out, mixed in with the sweet herbals. Not really a scent for wearing, but for the aromatherpeutic purposes, definitely. It pulls up some nice memory-associations for me as well. So I think it's definitely a keeper.

Frimp from the Lab. w00t! In the imp: floral? but a very rich floral, maybe heliotrope. Something slighty waxy that reminds me of the Magus. On, wet: Still rich florals. Maybe some sandalwood? A little resiny too. Drydown: Huh. it smells like a less rose-intense version of All Saints '05. Incense and lilies/heliotrope, with a dash of wood or resin. Not quite what I would have expected, but I like it!

In the bottle: Slightly feral jasmine note that reminds me of my first impression of Salome. Sandalwood, too. The citrus notes are faint, and there's definitely a fresh, cold aspect to it. On, wet: Oho, there's the lemon verbena and the bergamot. The jasmine is fleeting, only just there. The sandalwood is faint as well, but it anchors the citrus notes, keeping them from being overwhelming. Drydown: Now it's primarly jasmine + sandalwood. There's just a ghost of citrus left behind. I like it, but the jasmine might ultimately be a little problematic. However, I'll try it out some more, as I find it intriguing. Edit: Oh dear. The jasmine just doesn't seem to be working at all on me. Damn damn DAMN. And I so liked it with the lemon and the sandalwood. I'll test it once more, but I may need to find this bottle a new loving home.

Chaos Theory CXXXVI, thanks to Northernminx! In the bottle: It takes a few sniffs, but I finally identify the main note I'm smelling as spearmint. It's backed up by a faint trace of cinnamon or cardamom or both, and a buttery warm note as well. On, wet: It's more buttery now, with the spearmint adding a fresh top note. Drydown: Still minty, but the spicy aspects of it are more noticeable. After several tests, I'm still not sure what to make of this! It's a lovely scent, but it's very strange on. However, it does feel very seasonal, with the mint-and-spice combination and it being near Christmas and all. I'll keep it, though; at the very least, it has a fine future as a room scent for the holidays.

In the bottle: So that's what a salty aquatic smells like. It's also tinged with green, and ever so slightly soapy, possibly from the violets. On, wet: the soapy quality is a little more noticeable, and more recognizably that of violets. Still very clean, green, and aquatic, though. Drydown: Stays true to the initial wet impression, really. Lasts for quite a while, and keeps its character well. This is a lovely, gender-neutral aquatic, very fresh and clean-smelling. I really like it a lot.

In the bottle: Spicy, nutty, sweet. There's also a slightly herbal note as well, a kind of grace note to the thicker, heavier scents that form the base of this perfume. On, wet: Stays pretty true to the bottle, actually. The creamy, nutty aspect is a bit stronger. After a while, a sandalwood note becomes noticeable -- probably the red sandalwood that Macha described. Drydown: It goes through stages of being cinnamony, musky, and sandalwood-y, and in the end leaves traces of musk and what is either dragon's blood or sandalwood. Totally delicious. I adore it, and many thanks to the forumite who gave me the chance!

Got a nearly-used imp as a freebie sample from a forum swap. Think I'm going to have to get a bottle of my own now. In the imp: Spicy, cherrylike. That would be the almonds talking, I guess. On, wet: Resiny, spicy, musky. It reminded me of Magus, and so I put a dab of that on the other wrist for comparison. Turns out, while Bastet certainly shares some of the resiny, musky character of Magus, Bastet is softer, more feminine, and a little fruitier and sweeter. Drydown: Ooooh. The amber blends really nicely with all the different spices. Gorgeous.

In the imp: Spicy cinnamon/ginger, very rich. On, wet: CINNAMON. AND LOTS OF IT. I feel like a cinnamon-scented candle for a good ten minutes straight there while it's still wet. Drydown: ooh, nice. The amber finally shows up after about thirty minutes or so, and then for hours after it's a pleasant cinnamon-laced amber, very warm and complex, even a little creamy. That first few minutes of CINNAMON are a bit much, but the drydown is so totally worth it. This is really lovely. It's like Brisingamen's male twin.

In the bottle: Wow, this is strong stuff. Clove/cinnamon, incense, night-blooming flowers maybe?, some musk, and something a little like almond. Sweet and spicy. On, wet: An almost floral sweetness, anchored down by dark, musky notes and spices. Drydown: Less sweet now; more peppery and warm with some incense and dark green notes as well. This is lovely. And very appropriate to the sign, I'd say.

In the imp: Cherries and rum. Wha? Not what I was expecting, but hey, I like. On, wet: Spicy, boozy, a little sweet. There are some slightly citrusy notes that come and go as well. Drydown: Really pleasant -- it's spicy, smoky, a little fruity, and very rich, with a dash of citrus to keep it from getting too serious. Love it!

In the imp: Musky, animalic, lifted by the vetiver. On, wet: The vetiver is stronger now; the musk recedes a bit. Not really getting any of the leather notes, but that's okay. Drydown: Vetiver and musk, on and on. It reminds me of Dior's Eau Sauvage (probably the vetiver base note), only wilder and earthier (the musk). It's a powerfully masculine scent, but I really like it. I'll keep the imp around.

Oh my gawd. Are there photos of Vince? If so, I would love to see. I have no Halloween costume this year, because, well, I'm lame, apparently. And no one invited me to any Halloween parties -- bah. Ah well ... there's always next year, at which point I should have my bottle of Stardust. And if it works for me, then next Halloween, circumstances permitting, will be all about TEH GLAM.

Bust out the dzang dzi! This scent honors the zombies of Chinese lore. Mandarin orange, white musk, mango, and white sandalwood. In the imp: White musk and sandalwood, mostly -- the effect is of a light, musky floral. Not really getting the mango or the orange. On, wet: Ah, there's the orange. It adds a nice light note to the musk and sandalwood. Drydown: Primarily sandalwood, with a hint of musk and orange. It also seems to have gone a bit harsh on me. A very pleasant blend, actually, but as much as I like sandalwood, this one doesn't seem to be working on me. It's also very light, and seems to fade quickly. This one will be swapped, I think.

In the imp: Sweet, fruity, with floral aspects of the neroli. The raspberry gives it a slightly candylike character. On, wet: Even more candylike; it would be like a raspberry Jolly Rancher if it weren't for the orange and neroli to keep it in line. Drydown: Berry and orange, berry and orange. It's very sweet, almost girly. It's a very neat scent, and for big fans of the berry notes, I'd say it's a must-have. It's not really my thing, so I'll probably swap it, but I do think it's very likable, and will be perfect for the right person.

In the imp: Spicy, herbal, grassy. Sharp vetiver note right out in front. On, wet: The vetiver calms down a bit; the spicy-grassy notes are stronger. It's a hot, African savannah scent. There's a slight tartness, like citrus fruit, although that doesn't seem to last very long. Drydown: Still spicy-grassy, with a little extra sweetness from somewhere (the nutmeg?). This is a totally delicious scent, beautifully evocative of Anansi and his home. (Heh; it so happens that I'm reading Anansi Boys right now.) I really like it.

In the imp: cedar and sandalwood, with a slightly spicy edge. Something about it reminds me of Centzon Totochtin without the wine, chocolate, and blood notes. On, wet: Sandalwood-y, resin-y goodness. Drydown: the floral aspects become a little more obvious, but it's primarily about the woods. Sweet and rich. The cedar gets stronger as it dries. It's a little like Magus now, only less incense-y, and without the beeswax note that I got from Magus. Really nice, complex scent, if you like wood scents -- fortunately I do.

In the imp: Lily-like florals, violets, and more florals. On, wet: Something a little like roses -- odd, since it doesn't seem like there's any rose in the blend. Dusky and rich, with an absolutely insane throw. Drydown: Purply, slightly fruity florals. A little spicy too, with a slightly green note thrown in. Super-crazy-feminine perfume. I like it, though; it's more "womanly" than "girly". I'll be hanging on to the imp, definitely.

In the imp: Earthy (patchouli), musky florals, with a dash of bergamot. Not noticing the juniper so much. On, wet: Primarily bergamot underscored with patchouli, accented by the orchid. Drydown: Hmm. There's something weird going on with the juniper; it's not doing the pleasant thing it did with Twenty-One, and seems to be adding a slightly chemical, sour note to the bergamot-floral-patchouli mix. This is an interesting scent, but I'm not sure if it's working on me. I may get the husband to try it instead.