furygrrl

In the imp: Rich n' fruity, sweet and dark - YUM! On wet: Very sweet - almost a "high-pitched" sweetness, for lack of a better description. The fruit is kinda hanging in the background, as is something vaguely peanut-patchouli and...something else I can't quite identify - maybe the Siamese benzoin? Maybe the mahogany? Hmm...not sure. Whatever it is, it's coming across as almost...fuzzy? Weird! Drydown: Still so incredibly sweet - like candied fruit syrup's been poured over my arm. There's a tinge of sourness every now and then - perhaps from the pomegranate? It usually doesn't like me, so that's my guess. Could be the raspberry, too - I've only ever experienced it in Akuma (not a winner on me, sadly), so I'm not that familiar with how it might play with my skin chemistry. The patch/frank/benzoin/wood are just kinda letting those crazy-sweet fruity notes go wild while they cling close to my wrist. Sniffing up close is a bit overwhelming for my nose (yes, it's that sweet and busy), but waving my arm around *in front* of my nose, letting the scent sorta drift together in distant harmony - wow. WOW. Just gorgeous. Overall: If you haven't already guessed, this is a *seriously* uber sweet blend (according to my sniffer), and not a scent to be slathered willy-nilly! It's a beauty, true - but a *potent* beauty. Very reminiscent of my favourite, Ms. Moriarty, and full of plummy goodness, so will likely be snagging a bottle before CD's departure. Mmm...can't wait to smell her after she's aged for a few months. 4/5

Wanton. On my skin, it's like someone's rubbed in a teeny, grounding bit of sandalwood and patchouli, and tons of sweet, sweet rose petals - then gone the extra mile by pouring glistening, sugary syrup on top. It's lickable, uber sweet, candied sex-in-a-bottle. Xiuhtecuhtli. Oranges boiled into the sweetest of syrups, then drizzled over heady jungle blooms. Gorgeous and glowing and slinky-sweet. Yemaya. More fruit than floral, but if you're looking for sugar, you might want to check this one out. Take the sweetest, juiciest melon you can find, hollow out its seed-speckled center, and replace with as much glittery white sugar as it'll hold - *that's* Yemaya. It was SO saccharine on me, it actually made my teeth ache every time I sniffed it! Shango. Again with the fruit, but only because this was another sugar overdose on me - like Froot Loops on liquid sugar-crack. Midnight on the Midway. A jumble of mysterious florals dusted with pink sugar and a shot of metal? Ozone? Something that makes the scent "hum" on your skin - an interesting blend! If you're in the mood to track down a few LE decants, I'd also rec: Budding Moon - candied plum blossoms Hungry Ghost Moon - pink, gingery, effervescent candy! Cheshire Moon - another "pink" candied blossom scent Sugar Skull - dark florals (never got any fruit from this) and thick, caramelized sugar

In the imp: Sweet, almost soapy clean musk, vanilla - very much like Dorian. On wet: Dorian, but with a much more aggressive undertone. Maybe the jasmine? The fougere? Hmm... Drydown: Still registering as a more butch Dorian, and I'm pretty sure it's the jasmine giving it that dark, floral edge. It's more perfumey than Dorian, and, oddly enough, kinda...smoky? Something smells burnt - weird! I have no idea what that is! Overall: I really liked the opening stages of Theodosius - I love the Dorian-esque feel, and I love scents with white musk and tea - but the drydown was very, very strange! I was expecting creamy, musky, gorgeousness, and I get burnt, somewhat powdery florals instead. Such a shame. 2/5

In the imp: Sweet, almost soapy clean musk, vanilla - very much like Dorian. On wet: Dorian, but with a much more aggressive undertone. Maybe the jasmine? The fougere? Hmm... Drydown: Still registering as a more butch Dorian, and I'm pretty sure it's the jasmine giving it that dark, floral edge. It's more perfumey than Dorian, and, oddly enough, kinda...smoky? Something smells burnt - weird! I have no idea what that is! Overall: I really liked the opening stages of Theodosius - I love the Dorian-esque feel, and I love scents with white musk and tea - but the drydown was very, very strange! I was expecting creamy, musky, gorgeousness, and I get burnt, somewhat powdery florals instead. Such a shame. 2/5

In the imp: Sweet fruit - like apricot (or in this case, nectarine) syrup. On wet: Citrus. Lovely, fresh, lightly sugared citrus. Drydown: Kinda perfumey. The citrus and nectarine sweetness have sort of merged into the other notes, none of which are very distinct to my nose. And I'm picking up on something "off" - like powdery carpet cleaner underneath everything else. Not sure, but I'm betting it's the sage (it doesn't like me usually). If I really inhale and mash my nose to my wrist, I get really delicious whiffs of musk and patchouli - too bad neither are very prominent. Overall: Not quite what I was looking for - more delectable nectarine, that is. Croquet starts off promising, but the perfumey drydown - complete with sage hate (or whatever that dusty cleaner vibe was) isn't really my thing. I'll stick with my Ebisu, thanks. 2.5.5

In the imp: Sweet fruit - like apricot (or in this case, nectarine) syrup. On wet: Citrus. Lovely, fresh, lightly sugared citrus. Drydown: Kinda perfumey. The citrus and nectarine sweetness have sort of merged into the other notes, none of which are very distinct to my nose. And I'm picking up on something "off" - like powdery carpet cleaner underneath everything else. Not sure, but I'm betting it's the sage (it doesn't like me usually). If I really inhale and mash my nose to my wrist, I get really delicious whiffs of musk and patchouli - too bad neither are very prominent. Overall: Not quite what I was looking for - more delectable nectarine, that is. Croquet starts off promising, but the perfumey drydown - complete with sage hate (or whatever that dusty cleaner vibe was) isn't really my thing. I'll stick with my Ebisu, thanks. 2.5.5

I have to throw in with the Rosalind, Passionate Shepherd, 2-5-7 (Rose Red, too), and Squirting Cuke crowd. Rosalind is one of the best dew-covered grass n' delicately sweet floral blends I've ever come across. I didn't think I even *liked* - let alone could *wear* - a scent comprised of such wet/grassy/flowery elements, but Rosalind showed me the way. It's just lovely. Passionate Shepherd to his Love is another wet grass/clover + fleurs concoction. The heather and tea rose sweeten all that cool greenery up, while the carnation lends itself to a warm, lightly spiced drydown. Gorgeous blend. Two, Five, Seven and Rose Red make me smell like I've rolled down a hill of freshly mown grass and scattered rose petals. Squirting Cucumber is fresh and cool and sweet and green. It's not floral, per se, but it *does* have an almost nectar-esque quality to it that balances well with all that "green-ness". Worth trying out, at any rate.

In the imp: A damp basement full of beets and wet herbals. On wet: Wet, mineral-y, a touch of something sweet, and a dry grass/vaguely spicy note. So very complex! Drydown: The dampness has faded, the beets have been shipped to market, and the spicy, honeyed herbals have risen up. Mmm...wow, so much better. *huff-sniff-snort* Mmm! I'm also picking up on the slightest hint of warm fruit! Delicious! Overall: This is utterly fantastic on the drydown. I wasn't expecting much from this after the initial sniffy test (beets!!!), but WOW, does it ever morph into something glorious. I already have the shirt (the design blew me away), and now I might just have to hunt down a bottle. Such a pleasant surprise, and an easy 4/5.

In the imp: A damp basement full of beets and grassy-herbal things. On wet: Wet, mineral-y, a touch of something sweet, and a dry grass/vaguely spicy note. So very complex! Drydown: The dampness has faded, the beets have been shipped to market, and the spicy, honeyed herbals have risen up. Mmm...wow, so much better. *huff-sniff-snort* Mmm! I'm also picking up on the slightest hint of warm fruit! Delicious! Overall: This is utterly fantastic on the drydown. I wasn't expecting much from this after the initial sniffy test (beets!!!), but WOW, does it ever morph into something glorious. I already have the shirt (the design blew me away), and now I might just have to hunt down a bottle. Such a pleasant surprise, and an easy 4/5.

In the imp: Effervescent - like Sprite! Immediately puts me in mind of Talvikuu. On wet: That fizzy soda yum is still prominent, though there's something almost creamy underneath. Drydown: Pine-Sprite Creamsicle - and I'm getting the faintest, *faintest* whiff of something sour every now and then. Not sure where that's coming from... Overall: Not a bad blend (aside from that weird mystery sourness), but when it comes to snowy/piney/slushy scents, my nose belongs to Talvikuu and The Snow Storm. 2.5/5

In the imp: Effervescent - like Sprite! Immediately puts me in mind of Talvikuu. On wet: That fizzy soda yum is still prominent, and there's something almost creamy underneath. Drydown: Pine-Sprite Creamsicle - and I'm getting the faintest, *faintest* whiff of something sour every now and then. Not sure where that's coming from... Overall: Not a bad blend (aside from that weird mystery sourness), but when it comes to snowy/piney/slushy scents, my nose belongs to Talvikuu and The Snow Storm. 2.5/5

In the imp: Something fruity sweet, a smidge of mint, and watery pine. On wet: Sweet pine and frosty mint! Drydown: It's gone totally floral with a musk base. The moonflower is prominent, along with something high-pitched and creamy sweet - I'm thinking it's the cereus (which I have no experience with *at all*), though if I had to guess, I'd have said it was jasmine. The blue musk is sparkly and effervescent. The mint and frost/pine notes are MIA, and I haven't sniffed any thyme yet, either. Overall: Classy and floral-sweet, very upscale and pretty. It's not a scent I see myself reaching for very often, but if I had somewhere elegant to go - a wedding, a fancy evening out with my husband, the theatre, etc. - LNM would be a great choice. Lovely! 3/5

In the imp: Something fruity sweet, a smidge of mint, and watery pine. On wet: Sweet pine and frosty mint! Drydown: It's gone totally floral with a musk base. The moonflower is prominent, along with something high-pitched and creamy sweet - I'm thinking it's the cereus (which I have no experience with *at all*), though if I had to guess, I'd have said it was jasmine. The blue musk is sparkly and effervescent. The mint and frost/pine notes are MIA, and I haven't sniffed any thyme yet, either. Overall: Classy and floral-sweet, very upscale and pretty. It's not a scent I see myself reaching for very often, but if I had somewhere elegant to go - a wedding, a fancy evening out with my husband, the theatre, etc. - LNM would be a great choice. Lovely! 3/5

Chiming in to say yes - Arrival at the Sabbath is a darkly delicious caramel scent. I actually don't like overly foody, overly sugar-sweet blends, but this one is such an evil, sophisticated caramel, that I can't help but enjoy it. I'll also second the recs for Tiresias (another elegant caramel creation), and Sugar Skull (heavy caramel/burnt sugar with a hint of florals). Drink Me and Grog are more butter toffee than caramel, but worth checking out. Gluttony has caramel in it, but it was also heavy on the hazelnut when I tried it - intensely foody. MB: Ventriloquist Dummy is like caramel-smeared wood. Creepy (strong caramel-apple-coconut) and Midway (pink, watery, soft caramel on me) are harder to find, but would likely be right up your alley.

In the bottle: Sweet, fresh, water-dappled NECTARINES! On wet: Ohhh...so good. *huffs wrist* Nectarine, oakmoss, skin musk - each note is coming through loud and clear - and they're *wonderful*! Drydown: Wow, this is fantastic stuff. Such a clean, fresh scent - like fruit juice -infused raindrops. And the musk is so unobtrusive, clinging to my skin, letting that wonderful fruit-water take center stage like a hovering cloud of pure deliciousness. Long-lasting and nothing but gorgeous. Overall: I've been searching for a really good nectarine blend, but they're few and far between - most are too perfumey, or the other notes smother the delicate fruity goodness. Ebisu is what I've been looking for, and it's also one of the most *perfect* summer scents I've ever come across, too. Lightly sweet, SO incredibly fresh, both airy *and* watery, and just enough musk to ground everything. Perfection. 5/5

In the bottle: Sweet, fresh, water-dappled NECTARINES! On wet: Ohhh...so good. *huffs wrist* Nectarine, oakmoss, skin musk - each note is coming through loud and clear - and they're *wonderful*! Drydown: Wow, this is fantastic stuff. Such a clean, fresh scent - like fruit juice -infused raindrops. And the musk is so unobtrusive, clinging to my skin, letting that wonderful fruit-water take center stage like a hovering cloud of pure deliciousness. Long-lasting and nothing but gorgeous. Overall: What can I say but ? I've been searching for a really good nectarine blend, but they're few and far between - most are too perfumey, or the other notes smother the delicate fruity goodness. Ebisu is what I've been looking for, and it's also one of the most *perfect* summer scents I've ever come across, too. Lightly sweet, SO incredibly fresh, both airy *and* watery, and just enough musk to ground everything. Perfection. 5/5

In the imp: Buttery cake note (similar to Eat Me), and a touch of grapefruit. On wet: Sweet, tangy grapefruit and...is that what guava smells like? Yum! Drydown: If pink and yellow were scents, that's what I'd be smelling right now. Cherry blossom's edged out the fruit and taken over as the big star, all soft and pink and sweet like sugar water. There's a touch of something on the sidelines, though - just the barest hint of what I'm thinking is the grapefruit. It's muted - more like what I'd imagine the pith to smell like - less intense, softer, but retaining that grapefruity sharpness/bitterness. Overall: Definitely a fun, girly scent that could be worn for any occasion. The original cake vibe never manifested on me (thankfully!), so a straight-up blend of sunny pinkness (sweet fruit and even sweeter cherry blossom) was what wafted around me most of the afternoon. Delightful! 4/5

In the imp: Buttery cake note (similar to Eat Me), and a touch of grapefruit. On wet: Sweet, tangy grapefruit and...is that what guava smells like? Yum! Drydown: If pink and yellow were scents, that's what I'd be smelling right now. Cherry blossom's edged out the fruit and taken over as the big star, all soft and pink and sweet like sugar water. There's a touch of something on the sidelines, though - just the barest hint of what I'm thinking is the grapefruit. It's muted - more like what I'd imagine the pith to smell like - less intense, softer, but retaining that grapefruity sharpness/bitterness. Overall: Definitely a fun, girly scent that could be worn for any occasion. The original cake vibe never manifested on me (thankfully!), so a straight-up blend of sunny pinkness (sweet fruit and even sweeter cherry blossom) was what wafted around me most of the afternoon. Delightful! 4/5

In the imp: Sweet, sweet pear, and some kind of glaringly bright, almost chemical floral. On wet: Icky sweet pea (which, for whatever reason, hates me), and something that reminds me of my beloved Sleepy Moon! Unexpected and interesting! Drydown: There's something powdery in here - it's doing the same itchy-dusty thing to my nose that most orchid scents do. Aside from that...this is a really hard scent for me to pin down! I'm still getting the sickly sweet pea (if a flower could go "off" the way food does, that would be how I'd describe my nose's interpretation of that note), and I think the lilies and honeysuckle have banded together with it to form this gang of icky, overwhelming floral-ness. Can't tell if the heliotrope has jumped into the mix - my nose is being pummeled and robbed as I speak...er, type. I can tell you what I'm *not* smelling, though - white musk and pear! The two notes I was *hoping* to get a good dose of. Ain't that always the way? Overall: Another "not a good scent for me" blend. The florals are too sharp, too cloying, and none of them seem to like me very much. I was kinda hoping for the lilies, pear, and musk to dominate, but that simply was not to be. I'm not particularly surprised, though - sweet pea is one of my absolute ick notes, and honeysuckle isn't far behind, so I had reservations from the get-go - but the white musk fan in me had to at least give this scent a shot. Which I now have. 2/5

In the imp: Sweet, sweet pear, and some kind of glaringly bright, almost chemical floral. On wet: Icky sweet pea (which, for whatever reason, hates me), and something that reminds me of my beloved Sleepy Moon! Unexpected and interesting! Drydown: There's something powdery in here - it's doing the same itchy-dusty thing to my nose that most orchid scents do. Aside from that...this is a really hard scent for me to pin down! I'm still getting the sickly sweet pea (if a flower could go "off" the way food does, that would be how I'd describe my nose's interpretation of that note), and I think the lilies and honeysuckle have banded together with it to form this gang of icky, overwhelming floral-ness. Can't tell if the heliotrope has jumped into the mix - my nose is being pummeled and robbed as I speak...er, type. I can tell you what I'm *not* smelling, though - white musk and pear! The two notes I was *hoping* to get a good dose of. Ain't that always the way? Overall: Another "not a good scent for me" blend. The florals are too sharp, too cloying, and none of them seem to like me very much. I was kinda hoping for the lilies, pear, and musk to dominate, but that simply was not to be. I'm not particularly surprised, though - sweet pea is one of my absolute ick notes, and honeysuckle isn't far behind, so I had reservations from the get-go - but the white musk fan in me had to at least give this scent a shot. Which I now have. 2/5

In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter perfume - the kind you'd expect little old church ladies to wear. On wet: It's sweetened up slightly - I can smell the lilies and the lightest brush of rose...but there's still a sour/bitter edge running underneath. Drydown: Wow, this is *definitely* not my cup of tea - it reminds me of scented garbage bags. There's this weird burnt-plasticky scent clinging to my skin, and a layer of sharp, generic floral perfume sitting on top of it - the overall result is so sharp, it's almost acrid. Overall: Traditional, intensely floral blends don't seem to work very well for me, and this one is, unfortunately, no exception. It started out unpleasant, and didn't morph much beyond a cloying floral sheet pulled over hot erasers. Aside from that tiny glimpse of roses and lilies in the wet stage, I wasn't able to pick out distinct flowers at any point. Not a good scent for my chemistry. 2/5

In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter perfume - the kind you'd expect little old church ladies to wear. On wet: It's sweetened up slightly - I can smell the lilies and the lightest brush of rose...but there's still a sour/bitter edge running underneath. Drydown: Wow, this is *definitely* not my cup of tea - it reminds me of scented garbage bags. There's this weird burnt-plasticky scent clinging to my skin, and a layer of sharp, generic floral perfume sitting on top of it - the overall result is so sharp, it's almost acrid. Overall: Traditional, intensely floral blends don't seem to work very well for me, and this one is, unfortunately, no exception. It started out unpleasant, and didn't morph much beyond a cloying floral sheet pulled over hot erasers. Aside from that tiny glimpse of roses and lilies in the wet stage, I wasn't able to pick out distinct flowers at any point. Not a good scent for my chemistry. 2/5

In the imp: Sweet powder and myrrh. On wet: Sweet powder and myrrh - maybe a touch of wood. Drydown: Leather and woodsmoke for a good while, then...smoked powder. Bleh. The red musk never showed, either. Overall: Evil powder scent = not for me. Amber never fails to disappoint on my skin, and myrrh's becoming more and more troublesome for some reason. This blend pulls a 2/5, thanks to my wannabe Dominatrix chemistry.

In the imp: Sweet powder and myrrh. On wet: Sweet powder and myrrh - maybe a touch of wood. Drydown: Leather and woodsmoke for a good while, then...smoked powder. Bleh. The red musk never showed, either. Overall: Evil powder scent = not for me. Amber never fails to disappoint on my skin, and myrrh's becoming more and more troublesome for some reason. This blend pulls a 2/5, thanks to my wannabe Dominatrix chemistry.

In the imp: Sweet, sweet apricot - almost fake fruity-sweet, like gum or candy. On wet: Yummy! Deep, rich apricot - the blindingly ripe, perfectly fuzzy kind - with just a hint of musky perfume underneath. Drydown: This is such a wonderful mix of musk and fruit. The apricot has melded with the plum (not getting any hint of the pom, but it could be in there, too), and the musk is sweet and heady and feminine. If there are any roses in here, they're well-blended, 'cause I can't smell 'em at all. Overall: Really lovely scent - and versatile, too. The sweet n' fruity angle covers everyday wear or fun/casual events, while the perfume-y side makes it appropriate for work or an evening out. It's a *titch* too heady for me, personally, but I'll definitely be keeping - and using - my imp. 4/5