britton522

I wanted this one because the name inspired visions of 19th century French cafes with fiery glasses of glowing green alcohol. Might have something to do with the Baudelaire and Rimbaud I was reading when I put it on my wishlist.... In imp: Herb-y, minty, a little bit of bathroom cleaner, little bit of chlorine, but intriguing. Wet: This started out as a very, very green mint with anise. Drydown: Not five minutes later, this has become Pine Sol with lemon. Hoping it dries to a more flat scent--it's just too bright right now. Blech. This is just too much cleaner-filled for me. May not even let this stay on much longer. Might be a room scent.

Ordered this hoping the red musk wouldn't hate me. I have crazy skin chemistry that causes all florals to go to smoke, and musks to enhance to a scary degree. In imp: Wow, this is the color of root beer! I was afraid it would stain my skin the way Hunger did, but it was kind. It had a definite note that reminded me of almond extract. Wet: Cherry. Not any cherry. A shrieking cherry. Very nice though. Drydown: As it dried, the star anise amped up on me. My licorice phobic roomie hid on the other side of the room because I smelled so flawlessly of black licorice. when it dried, it turned into the red musk tainted ever so slightly by the licorice. Summary: My skin separated this into individual notes before it finally combined them at the end. It was a beautifully feminine musk that would be great for a date--it was very subtle by the end. It also lasted well. I can see why this is under Love Potions: this is a scent people notice as they interact with you, rather than right away. It's a tease.

Gluttony! In imp: Good grief. This reminds me of a Heath bar. My roomie said it makes her think of Yankee Candle Shop. I was tempted to not wear this one because it was so sweet, but I did on one wrist. Wet: The hazlenut note came barreling through. It was nearly too strong, and I did consider washing it off. Drydown: It mellowed a bit. Once it was absolutely dry later, it was pure milk chocolate alone. This one lasts forever! Over five hours later, I could still smell this on my wrist. I'm cursed with crazy skin chemistry, but this one didn't go smoky on me at all; it actually became sweeter over time. What a pleasant surprise! Sidenote: I slathered this on my roomie's wrist when her pms became downright scary last night (yay for tiny college dorm rooms that boost that survival instinct). Within ten minutes, it was like a different person; she was much more calm and able to focus on her work. This works very well on her.

Received this yesterday and was very excited to try it, but I put it off till today. In imp: Oh yum. Absolutely foody. I tend to agree more with the cheesecake interpretation than cupcake; it's also very sweet with an almost pie-crust undertone. Applied at 9:20 Wet: Just as in bottle! May be a winner. Drydown: Smells like Egg Nog '04, minus the nutmeg. 1:27: I can't smell it anymore, but if I really press my nose to my skin, it still smells like Egg Nog, but without the nasty smoke that scent left. Can't say i love it because it faded pretty fast and didn't stay true, but not many things do on my skin. Summary: I love this in the bottle, but it doesn't stay on me. I'll keep it because it smells the way I wished Egg Nog would, but if a friend wanted to swap I don't think I'd say no.

Ooooh. Glorious. This one is an imp that FINALLY stays eternally true. And it loves me. It has the scent of a freshly broken open pomegranate--you can almost smell the juices dripping down your hands. Delightful and crisp for fall wear, but warm and seductively late night lounge at the same time.

Arrgggh! It be a pirate-y smell mates! Was definitely thinking of Pirates of the Caribbean when I bought this one. In Bottle: It's a pirates life for me. Coconut! Wet: Getting a boozy scent. Drink up me hearties, yo ho? Dry Down: Lots of coconut. Where'd my pirates go? Staying Power: Zip. Within an hour, this was gone, and I had to resort to pushing my nose up against my wrist. The pirates ran away to plunder after an hour. Would need large amounts of this to keep me satisfied. Wish the oil stayed better on my wrist.

Tempest. Bought this on the forum and was greatly looking forward to it. In Bottle: Pretty, light citrus with aquatic notes. This smells like the breeze you get over the ocean after a rain. Wet: Stayed true. Dry Down: Developed a more floral note. No idea which floral, but it decidedly more floral than ozone-tinged. Staying Power: The dry down scent stayed. It became more intense on me as the day passed, but is the first scent of the eight I've tried that hasn't needed re-applying later. Sadly, the scent became nearly overpowering, and I developed a bad headache from it. I wore this on a stormy day, and it fit the mood. But the headache may be the dealbreaker in this one.

Samhain '04.... Was given this as a frimp, and was ecstatic to try it. In Bottle: Autumny, but a little heavy. Was worried after all the "gym sock and Vick's" reviews the '05 edition has gotten. Decided to brave it anyway. Application: Apple, autumn warmth, kind of like sitting near a bonfire. Dry Down: Oh good grief, get it OFF me! This turned into the gym socks and incense smell I had feared. My roomie was laughing hysterically as I plotted on how to get it off. Lasting Power: Couldn't get rid of it. Like Undertow, it just wanted to be lvoed so much. I was not up to the task. Roomie tried it: smelled like a glorious cool fall day with apple cider on her until it wore off some four hours later. Still, she was not impressed. Went to a friend, who will hopefully love it properly.

This was the first scent from my livejournal purchases that my roomie, boyfriend, and friend Katie all decided they did NOT wish to steal from me. Here is the sad tale of Undertow. In Bottle: Minty, but lightly combined with floral. Very good, because I hate heavy florals. Was chilly but approachable. Application: More lotus emgered. Dry Down: Lotus ran for cover as the juniper took over. Didn't combine well with my skin. Lasting Power: Turned into a frightening juniper toothpaste scent. Refused to wash off properly. Toothpaste lingered even after extensive soaping of the host wrist. This scent LOVES its owners, and doesn't like to LEAVE! Too aggressive for me.

Egg Nog Was hoping for the real stuff instead of the carton smell--my cousin's grandmother makes it homemade and I wanted to be able to relive my once yearly treat. First, was difficult to find. In Bottle: Just like the homemade stuff. Lots of rum notes, creamy scent. Mildly spicy from the nutmeg. Wet: Same scent as in the bottle. Dry down: Disappointing. After about ten minutes, it loses the cream, and goes smoky on my skin. Smoke laced with nutmeg, but still. Lasting power: I couldn't smell this a half hour after I put it on, so I kept reapplying. The boyfriend told me that without reapplying, he could still smell it three hours later, without the smoky addition. This one is a mystery to me.