Voleuse

This is a spicy sandalwood on first application, with a round almond note following almost immediately. Mmmm. There's a fresh floral note--the jasmine, I think--dancing behind it, as well. Wow! I expected the almond to turn on me, but this blend is staying wonderful.

 

After a while, the sandalwood and spice grow stronger, though I start to get a hint of musk behind it. I think the jasmine balances the blend, because otherwise it would be too spicy and dry. My eyes are actually watering a little, from the dryness. I should probably only dab this one.

Bitter and sweet, with a round note that reminds me of almonds. After a moment, I can smell the sweet tart citrus, and something a little soapy in the background.

 

Over time, the blend gets lighter, more floral, and more soapy. That bitter tinge stays in the background, keeping this from becoming too generic, but it's nothing remarkable on me. Pretty, though. Clean.

Green, florals, sandalwood. It's a little disconcerting to my nose at first--the usual dryness of the sandalwood is submerged in something sharp, wet. Maybe the neroli? It's puzzling to my nose.

 

This almost strikes me as an aquatic scent, with wood, petals floating over it. It's light, feminine, but elusive. Enthralling, but also confusing. Hm.

This does, actually, remind me of a library on first sniff. There's dust, lemon polish, and a dry note that reminds me of cracked bindings. The anise is quite strong, and the lemon gets stronger over time. Interesting, and not at all what I expected.

Alas, as it dries, the rest of the ingredients do not appear. The lemon fades, but I get no leather, no patchouli, no tonka. I do smell the lavender, now. This ends up being a light, slightly herbal, slightly dusty blend. A weaker Clio, to my nose. Nice, but not quite what I wanted.

WOW. On first sniff, this is a spicy, heady honey--it reminds me of Honey Moon, actually. As it dries, the honey gives way to warm vanilla, just a little. This isn't foody to my nose, but it's sensual, sweet, decadent. It warms over time, and it's so compelling. I love this.

The patchouli is earthy and sweet on first sniff, though a bit lighter than I expected. I'm not very experienced with the other notes, but there is a sweeter, woodsier scent behind the patchouli. This is a confident scent, but not a brash one. I like it.

Warm, dark, a little spicy. A little sharp, as well, though it's hidden by the swathed incense of the blend. Sensual and shadowed, a hidden and wicked smile. In the end, this is earth and smoke on me, leaning towards masculine. Velvety, almost. I like this.

OMG. This is all thick, creamy, buttery sweetness on first sniff, though not any particular flavour. As it dries, however, I smell caramel, vanilla, and a bit of something boozy. After a while, the hazelnut and toffee emerge, too. Over time, the boozy note gets stronger, but the sweetness never diminishes. Weirdly, I don't smell the chocolate at all, but the other notes pop up. Overall, it's a hedonistic blend, sophisticated but overwhelmingly sugared. YUM.

Pretty! This is violet on me, and warm amber, and cool vetiver. It's androgynous to my nose--not neutral, but androgynous. Hm. Subtle, smoky, with a hint of musk. It skirts around sweet, but never quite approaches it. This is a sophisticated scent, with layers upon layers, and while it's not welcoming, it's pretty. I like it.

Sweet ozone, mild and not at all sneeze-inducing. This is very clean, but also very subtle on me. It's pretty, but fades almost completely within ten minutes.

On first sniff, this is all opium and sweet smoke. This is very much like Laudanum, except with a stronger floral note. After a while, the lily notes clarify themselves, lending a breath of fresh air to the blend. Overall, however, it's a hazy scent, sweet and sleepy and dreamlike. Lethargic.

This is smoke on first sniff, and something medicinally-sweet. Herbs mimicking plastic, if that makes sense. It smells woozy, a little delirious. Warm. Ashes and flowers, mixed. Compelling, but not intoxicating. I can't stop sniffing this.

On first sniff, I think of a study, the old-fashioned kind with heavy leather chairs, a roaring fire on the hearth, pipe smoke still swirling in the corners. The incense appears soon, a dark, sweet smoke. Interesting! The leather is definitely there as well, but it's subdued under the palette of smokes overlaying it. I don't know what ambergris particularly smells like, but there is a sweetish, almost musky note I don't recognize. This isn't really a heavy scent on me, but it definitely strikes me as masculine.

Vetiver, definitely, sleepy and masculine and heavy-lidded. I can't particularly identify myrrh, though there is a hint of sweetness behind the vetiver. It's nice, dark and woodsy, but ends up smelling a little bit generic on me.

Phoof, eucalyptus. I think that first sniff cleared my sinuses. This is definitely a wake-up scent, though my Vicks Vapo-Rub first impression eventually mellows to a bright pine and eucalyptus balance. After a while, I can also detect a bit of dirt, a hint of orange still in its rind. This is bright, and brightening. I don't know if it's one I'd wear a lot, but it would certainly perk up my mornings.

On first sniff, this is a very salty aquatic blend. After a minute, I can discern something floral, but it's overwhelmed by the salt. Neat! Over time, the aquatic gives way to a confused floral note--light and feminine, but hesitant. This isn't something I'd necessarily wear, but it's a perfect match to the description.

This is calla lily and cherry to my nose, clean and playfully sweet. For all that, however, it's strong, almost demanding. Dignified and feminine. I really like this, even when it fades to a faint, sweet lily.

To me this is cake, hazelnut, and sharp fruit on first sniff, with just a hint of sourness. Foody! I agree it's reminiscent of Beaver Moon, but this goes ozone and plastic on me very quickly. There's always a strong sweetness underneath it, but it ends up smelling fake on me. Alas!

Usually, apple blossom turns herbal and faint on me, but I think the dragon's blood resin and the musk have amplified it. On application, this is a bright mix of apples and musk, sweet and airy and delicious. Over time, the throw fades, but the scent itself doesn't morph at all. Beautiful, and definitely something apple fans will want to try.

Wow! This is a heady pomegranate on first application, but the cassia and patchouli quickly swirl over it. This is much heavier, darker than the other scents I've tried in this collection. It's sweet, earthy, smoky.

 

As this dries, the dragon's blood resin pops out beautifully, and the myrrh lends a bit of incense to the blend. Gorgeous.

Absolutely sandalwood, so dry I almost feel like it's leaching the moisture from my arm. Yikes! In a minute, however, the dragon's blood appears, turning the blend into a pleasant incense. I like wood scents, and this one is gorgeous, sun-cracked and sweet and a little smoky.

Yowza! I am so, so glad I'm not sensitive to cinnamon, because this is potent. I want to mention Red Hots, because this is sweet as well, but spicy even beyond that. Which is very good, because it just barely manages to override the odd plastic smell I often get with almond. The almond, on the other hand, keeps the cinnamon from getting too out of control. I don't smell the neroli at all, but the tug between almond and cinnamon is fascinating.

Hm. This is rather indistinct to my nose, mostly because I don't know several of the listed notes. Certainly it makes me think of night florals, cool and white and sweet. I definitely smell the honeysuckle, and there is a nice herbal component to the blend as well. Overall, this is a pretty and cool floral blend, fresh and outdoorsy. I like it.

On first sniff, this is surprisingly sweet, but it's quickly matched by the ozone. The sweetness, after a minute, reveals itself to be a forest scent, green and fresh and alive. This is beautifully balanced--the sweetness keeps the ozone from becoming too sneeze-inducing, while the ozone keeps the sweetness from becoming too cloying.

 

I've recently been on a road trip across the U.S., and I ran into half a dozen thunderstorms across the way. They were always gorgeous, as well as imposing, darkening blue skies, clouds extending on either side, slit through by lightning at odd intervals. This scent smells like what those storms looked like. This is gorgeous.

On first application, this smells like medicinal cherry syrup. Luckily, after a moment. the chocolate kicks in. The cherry morphs into a sweet berry, though the overall blend doesn't lose its medicinal note--I think the rum has gone wrong on me. In the end, it's a syrupy concoction that might smell beautiful, but it definitely doesn't on me. Alas!