Meg

In the bottle: Oooh, rosewood, mostly. Very pretty. Wet: Rosewood, with the biting greenness of geranium. Drydown: Slightly incensy rosewood with geranium. It's a surprisingly pleasant combination, woody and fresh at the same time. Slowly the lily starts appearing from under the rest, sweet and creamy and - uh-oh - ready to take over the blend. And... it starts smelling like pee. Eek. Overall: It starts out very solemnly, with incense and rosewood and geranium, it's dark and atmospheric, very much like old stones lost in vegetation. And then, when the lily appears and the geranium develops, it smells like old stones lost in vegetation that used to be an urinal. Sigh. Pity, it started out so well.

In the bottle: Powdery, sour citrus. It smells very much like Love Hearts. Wet: A fruity, sour and hypersweet scent... with a hint of salt? Plastic? Drydown: It comes back to Love Hearts, sweet and very sour, with fake fruity scents, slightly berry and slightly citrusy. It smells so acidic that I have heartburn just sniffing it. After a little while, it becomes sweeter and a little softer. Extreme drydown is, unsurprisingly, cardboard. Overall: I really dislike the vodka note, which is the same as in Swank - to me, it smells very much like detergent. I'm not a drinker, so I don't know how realistic this scent is, but I think it smells like fizzy powdery candy with lemon and possibly some kind of berry. Not me at all.

In the bottle: Slightly boozy almond. Wet: Almond and booze, as well as herbs. Drydown: The almond fades away, leaving sort of fizzy spices behind, and booze. After a while I definitely get clove and I think bay. There's a sort of baked goods scent here, that could be the sassafras. The bay gets much stronger, it's the backdrop for the clove and sassafras, and possibly some butter. It's nearly foody, the cake scent becomes more and more obvious. Overall: This smells very much like a kind of boozy spicy cake, but it smells rather dry and even burnt, probably from the sassafras and clove. It still has a bit of a fizzy powder smell to it that I can't trace. I'm really not into foody blends, so I don't think I'd wear it, but it certainly has a "decadent pudding" kind of smell to it.

The greatest of all Aztec cities, and capital of their empire. Amber, hyssop, coriander, epazote, Mexican sage, prickly pear and Mexican tulip poppy. In the bottle: Mostly pear, I think. Wet: I get sage and other herbs, with an aquatic tart fruity note. Drydown: It becomes deeper and a bit spicier. There are herbs that I don't know, and I can smell amber. The pear has gone to the background, and I get a slight floral that might be the poppy. I get all kinds of unknown herbs popping up, very distinct but indescribable. The pear comes and goes with aquatic notes, and then becomes quite sweet and syrupy. Overall: It smells... southern. I've never been to Mexico, but I have the impression of smelling old stones covered in various local herbs, with trees with overripe fruit hanging around in the background. It makes me think of a really hot climate, and it actually turns quite perfumy and rich from the amber after a while. A pretty blend, though I'm not a huge fan of the pear, that smells a bit like the BPAL lotus on me.

Grand, courtly and robust: a glittering, golden scent that would do Louis XIV proud. Gilded red and gold citrus with amber, ruby roses, jasmine and orris. In the bottle: Very fresh amber. Unusual! Wet: Lovely citrus, at first, I'm guessing orange and lemon. Florals appear, a dusty jasmine with roses in the background. Drydown: Jasmine comes out over the lemon. It's quite a tart citrus blend, and I don't particularly get the amber. There's a hint of green, a bit bitter orris. I know that rose is in here somewhere, but for the time being it's staying discreetly hidden. I think it adds sweetness and depth to the blend. Overall: It smells regal and tart, a little bit pompous, even. I can easily see a lady of the court wearing this to a ball, it's a little bit bitter, a little bit tart, but mostly sensual and rich. It's pretty, but not something I would wear.

In the bottle: mostly lavender, a hint of orange blossom and citrus. Wet: Very sweet orange blossom and tart citrus. Drydown: The citrus comes out more and more, with lavender in the background. I start getting a bit of jasmine, very discreet at first. Then I get herbs, sort of citrusy herbs. I don't know what they are, but they do smell very Mediterranean. I think I recognise citronella in there, it smells like a herbal tea mix I have. Overall: It dries down to lemon soap and herbs. It starts out very fresh and Mediterranean, but afterwards it goes clean, medicinal and of course full of very badly turned orange blossom - it's a note that really doesn't work out on me. Probably very pretty when it works out, but my skin doesn't like it.

In the bottle: Banana and jungle woods. Wet: Synthetic banana, very tart, that dies down to give way to soft, wet woods and something green. Drydown: A soft, rather faint wood, with a light floral over it that I can't quite pinpoint. Then another wood pops up, much sharper, a little like cedar. There's a bit of a fruity berry scent to this, too. Overall: It's a mostly woody and slightly acidic blend on me, that smells a bit sickly and not unlike cat pee on me. I don't find it particularly pleasant, woody blends don't tend to agree with me. Off to swaps with Manila.

In the bottle: Fresh woody and fruity tropical air. Wet: Humid breezes and mists, indistinct tart fruits - reminds me of physalis fruits, citrusy but sweet. Drydown: The tartness of the fruits dies down, just leaving a discreet tropical fruit scent that I can't really pinpoint. There's citrus in here too. I keep on getting wafts of air, and a slightly woody scent - moist tropical wood. Overall: It reminds me slightly of Enraged Orangutang Musk, without the musk but with the unmistakeable tropical forest scent. This is very airy, though, fresh and majestic, I can just see the snowy peaks of a mountain, with tropical forests just below. It reminds me of the Mysterious Cities of Gold, a childhood favourite animated series set in Peru, so it's rather perfect, actually.

In the bottle: very sweet red wine, and I think a little bit of clove. Wet: I think I'm smelling mimosa - nothing like in the bottle, this is powdery, slightly herbal and sweet. Then the clove starts coming out. Drydown: I get plasticky clove. It's really not like it started out, which is a horrible shame. I do get hints of berry, but they're hidden far in the background, behind the plastic-powder of mimosa that makes my nose tingle. It makes me think of highly diluted wine with a hint of clove and mimosas. I do get a bitter tartness from the wine, a vague booziness, but that's about it. Overall: Aw, how very sad! The wine only leaves bitter boozy notes instead of fruity ones, and it was the note I was most looking forward to! It's a bit of a sharp blend, and it loses a lot of its sweetness, staying sort of plasticky and fake. Such a pity, because the general concept would have been great, on me and to represent Madrid. Rats! I'm going back to Montresor.

In the bottle: amber, rose, musk and some mellow spices. Wet: Saffron, nutmeg and amber, a very warm combination. Drydown: Over the saffron, nutmeg and very thick amber, I get a bit of bergamot - which I still don't like - and tiny hints of rose from the background that takes a while to develop. After a while I get a full-bodied ambery rose, with hints of citrus. It has a thick, nutty scent to it, possibly from the saffron, and lots of sweetness comes out, probably from the musk. Overall: It's a very mellow spicy blend, that reminds me of a softly spiced dessert, it's rather foody. It's mostly spicy amber, it reminds me a bit of The Lion without the cinammon, and actually this would probably layer wonderfully with it. I find it a little bit too bland to wear on its own, but it's warm and homey.

In the bottle: A hint of cherry-almond, florals and possibly anise. Wet: Cherry blossom and green anise becoming stronger and stronger. Drydown: Lovely, delicious anise and cherry blossom, a simple but very gentle and pleasant scent. Neither becomes overpowering, and it's a really lovely green/pink floral, with a fresh cool base of white sandalwood. Overall: I never thought that I'd like cherry blossom and anise, but this is really lovely. It's gently spicy, beautifully fragrant, very green with anise, and pastel pink/white with cherry blossom and sandalwood. A beautiful springtime blend, I'll certainly wear it again. And I've found out that I love star anise!

In the bottle: spicy resin, with as slightly citrusy sharp note. Wet: A slightly nutty resin, some very light smoke, and the citrus note peaking out again. Drydown: A soft, citrusy incense, rather fresh, with some underlying spice, possibly nutmeg. Then I get a bit of myrrh, it becomes rather perfumy, dusty and a bit misty. Overall: I have to admit, I really don't get incense blends. While it's pretty and smoky, it doesn't really strike me as anything I'd like to wear. It's one of the nicer incense blends I've smelled, but it always gives me a bit of a sore nose, and it's a bit sharp. Not something I'd wear, but it does smell of the Middle East, quite mysterious and solemn.

In the bottle: Lotus and lavender, as advertised. Wet: Very aquatic lotus. Ick. It's freshened by lavender, though. Drydown: A rather acidic lotus and lavender. It's a very very weird mix, with this buttery bubblegum fruit of lotus and the more refined lavender. I think I can smell cloves and cinammon in the background. It's sharp and rather perfumy, but mostly I have trouble smelling it right because of the aquatics. There's a vaguely herby green note to this, too. Overall: Not even lovely lavender could make me like lotus. I just find it to be a sickening, buttery sweet aquatic with hints of spice and lavender around it. I suppose if you don't have an aversion to lotus it would smell a bit mysterious and sensual, but I will certainly be passing this on to someone who will like it better.

Tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses. In the bottle: I'm immediately stunned. It smells exactly like our lake does when it's hot in the summer - a humid, lush green scent, with a sweetness from flowers. Wet: Lovely grass and flowers, surrounded with the moisture of fresh water. I don't get the classical aquatics that hurt my nose, though, huge bonus. Drydown: Soft, discreet flowers - I can't name any of these, they're completely blended into the general scent of grass and water. This is like lying on a meadow in front of the lake, under the sun. Peony is probably the most recogniseable floral, it becomes more insistent after a while. Overall: A lovely aquatic blend. This is bottled summer, and also bottled Lake Geneva to me. The first time I opened the bottle I was confused, wondering if that smell came from the bottle or from the wind coming up from the lake. It's really beautiful, fresh and one of the rare aquatics that doesn't hurt my nose or smell like a cheap deodoriser. I love it!

In the bottle: Gold! Lovely lemon peel and yellow flowers and a bit of neroli, with honey. Wet: Lemon peel and neroli, then flowers start popping out, spicy ylang-ylang, soft carnation and sweet daisy. It's a bit tart and powdery and sweet. Drydown: It's soft like skin from the vanilla musk, and sprinkled with honey. There's a clean-smelling, beautiful flower in there, I think it may be daisy and carnation associated with lemon peel and neroli. It comes as a citrusy, sweet yet soft floral, that reminds me of clean linen in the bright sun. It's bot powdery from the amber and creamy from the carnation, which is very pleasant. Overall: Absolutely perfect for its description, it's really bottled joy and light. It smells clean, rejuvenating, happy and gentle. It's really something to wear to cheer you up, or to remind you of the sun's heat in the winter. A great summer blend.

In the bottle: Honeycomb and sweet fruits. Wet: Sweet pea, strawberry and pear, with vanilla. Drydown: A jumble of sweetness, there's the soft creamy sweet pea, a rather tart strawberry, vanilla all over the delicious honeycomb. The sweet pea dominates quite a bit on me, and the tartness of the strawberry. It stays tart, sometimes even a bit too much, but this keeps it from going sickeningly sweet. Overall: It's actually a light, happy, silly scent. Very pink, very sweet, and it doesn't really smell full-bodied. It smells shallow, but it's not unpleasant. Actually there was a soap bubble mix that smelled a little bit like the fruit notes of this, and it reminds me of that - pretty colourful bubbles, full of air but beautiful on the outside.

In the bottle: Red musk (I think?) with some amber and a hint of fruity plum. Wet: Very rich vanilla, as in bourbon vanilla. Ooh. Then the red musk comes out discreetly, followed by heady labdanum. There's also coconut there, getting richer and richer. Everything takes turns in coming out. Drydown: We're back to amber and musk, after a tumble of scents, with coconut on the top. It smells like coconut oil drizzled over sensual musk and warm amber. There's a little bit of spice there, but it's very understated, possibly ginger. It becomes sweeter as it stays on the skin, and the musk slowly starts getting stronger and stronger. Overall: It's rather discreet and understated, but very rich and warm at the same time. It makes me think of something very lazy and sensual, very rounded. This isn't in-your-face at all, and there's a foody component from the coconut, which is what my skin brings out most. It's rather pleasant, but nothing I would go crazy over, either.

In the bottle: Red musk, lavender, and sage? Um... ew. Wet: Red musk, and then lavender takes over, followed closely by amber and the classical plasticky sage. Drydown: Lavender and red musk. Again with the "ick", I really don't like red musk. I think I get the mango, a little bit - it's a very discreet sweet fruity scent that comes over the other two, at times. Strangely, though, the blend smells purple. The sage wafts out from time to time, a little spicy and fresh. Overall: A weird blend, and not one for red musk haters. It has its sickly sweet red musk/fruit moments, and smells a bit like one of those new-agey shops that smell of incense, patchouli and herbs. I like the shops, but I find the smell really too invasive for me. It's sort of warm and welcoming, but nothing I'd like to smell like. To me it's pretty nauseating, generally.

In the bottle: Labdanum and cypress with a hint of white sandalwood and lovely aquatics. Wet: Labdanum and aquatics, and a little bit of rose and woods somewhere. Drydown: The lily starts coming out, a strangely plasticky scent under the labdanum and aquatics. Then it starts getting all spicy, possibly from the juniper and benzoin, and there are more hints of evergreen from the cypress and yew, hmm! Extreme drydown gives a dark musk feel with aquatic hints and lovely sandalwood. Overall: A very interesting blend, that sometimes reminds me of sun cream, sometimes of the sea, sometimes of evergreen forests - very effective in recreating Böcklin's picture. It's a sensual scent, but also rather dark. It's lovely resins and cypress, but also something dark and broody from the aquatics, a bit like the lovechild of Medea and Danube.

I am a complete ditz. My imp of Torture King slipped out of my fingers and went flying through the room - spilling 2/3 of its contents. So I slathered with a patch I found. The King of Pain, the Famed Fakir. Frankincense and sweet clove, mandarin and bourbon, lemon peel and leather, grasses and smoke, lime and vetiver, ambergris and deep musk. In the bottle: Lime! Pure lime! Wet: I first get frankincense and citrus, and then deep vetiver adds to the mix. Drydown: The frankincense dies down a bit, leaving mostly vetiver and various citrus notes - mandarin, lemon peel and lime all mixing. There's a very slight boozy quality to it from the bourbon, and a smoke scent that isn't incense but bonfire smoke. There's even a slightly bitter-green scent from grass. Finally the leather emerges from the bonfire smoke, dark and gritty, followed by the clove. Overall: Lots of various scents tumble around in this blend, with dominating citrus and frankincense. The cloves/leather/citrus/bonfire certainly represents the pain component of the fakir very well, and the frankincense is the mystical part of it. Unfortunately this is a masculine blend and I wouldn't wear it, though it's quite evocative. Plus, the grass note and incense make me want to sneeze. Well, the spilled imp is less of a catastrophe, at least. Except that my whole room smells of it.

In the bottle: A very green, fresh tea rose. It makes me think of white roses rather than red ones. Wet: An overpoweringly green rose scent, like the stalks of the roses rather than the flowers. Aquatic notes emerge and hammer into my sinuses. This is a very violent rose with lots of thorns. Drydown: A dry, sharp, spicy rose - it nearly smells like sparkly dust, a rose in effervescent powder form. It's still a green/white rose, very far from red for me. It becomes sweeter and sweeter, and really reminds me of some kind of acid fizzy candy. Overall: This blend really hates me - give me the Peacock Queen anytime! This is a fresh, green, sparkly rose, and it goes completely wrong on me. I think this is mostly my nose and skin chemistry, but it's rare for rose blends to go off on me, I'm usually a huge rose enthusiast. Very disappointing.

In the bottle: Ick! Very powerful cherry! Wet: Ooh nice... sweet smoke, wood and leather. Drydown: Clean linen, and a sweet, slightly spicy wood and smoke mixture. It smells of liquorice, strangely. As it develops, the smoke becomes more obvious, differentiating itself from the wood, I think it's cherrywood. I don't get very much leather, but the blend does get deeper. Overall: It's spicy, woody, a teeny bit leathery, and most of all, it smells of cherry and smoke over clean linen. It's comforting and warm, a perfect smell for curling up in a warm place when it's cold outside. Lovely!

In the bottle: Oooh, myrrh and patchouli. Wet: Something fresh, probably the oakmoss, with myrrh coming in over it. Drydown: I get myrrh, mostly, but it's sweet rather than dry - and then the oakmoss takes over completely and drowns away anything else, pushing myrrh to the background. Finally it balances out and myrrh smells lovely over a rather perfumy base of oakmoss and a hint of tart juniper berry. I don't get any patchouli, it's probably in the background. Overall: Another beautiful myrrh blend. Unlike some myrrhs that go bitter and dry, this one stays spicy, dark and delicious. I think all the rest just serves to underscore it, which is a good thing as I hate junpier and oakmoss sometimes plays up with me. A dark, deep and luscious blend that I'll definitely be wearing again!

In the bottle: Cypress, sweetened with pine and ambergris. Wet: Like in the bottle, a sweet, resinous pine/cypress mix with hints of dark musk and ambergris. The dreaded bitter-acid juniper starts coming out, too. Drydown: I mostly get pine and juniper now, duking it out for dominance. They end up mixing together and the result isn't really unpleasant, it's a sort of spicy, skightly bitter evergreen scent. I think the black musk is responsible for the lovely spicy sweetness that makes the whole blend so pleasant. Overall: Even though I hate juniper with a passion, this is actually a blend that can make it work. The musk and pine counterbalance its tart smell, which ends up disappearing quite fast on me, too. The scent if deep with musk and resin, sweet, piney without being violently sharp. I really like it.

In the bottle: a smoky sandalwood. Wet: weird... this smells exactly like old lipstick, very thick and oily. I smell cedar, through that weird smell. Drydown: Cedar drowned out in frankincense and a hint of galangal, I think. After a while, it's an airy and sweet citrus note in the incense, very discreet, wafting above the wood. Overall: I don't think very much of it. I'm not much of an incense person, and while I like cedar, there are many other cedar blends that I like better than this. I'm really quite unimpressed with it, it's not unpleasant but it leaves me very meh.