bellumed

Are you tired of being a person? Would you rather just be a tree? 

Well,  you can't! 

But now you can smell like one!

In the imp: bitter green wood, a bit harsh but not overpowering. It opens up a little on skin and becomes a gentler, "brown" tree, and the leafy note is detectable at this point. A bitter undertone remains on drydown, but it recedes very slowly until it evens out to a powdery wood scent. Very natural smelling.

In the imp, the first whiff is a bright and clear, springy lemongrass before I get the hit of heady honeysuckle and frankincense at the base. Well dang, this is nice.

On skin: POW! Lemongrass and honeysuckle are a LOUD combination!  I don't mind it, but they sure make themselves known. Honeysuckle comes to the front on drydown along with a fruity backdrop. Over time the base that reveals itself (first frankincense, then the barely-there wood) and lends a bit more complexity.

The vibe says "traipsing around in the botanical gardens." Not my favorite of all time, but this is a pretty blend.

Copulating Mice includes a whole bunch of notes I like, so I was expecting good things and they were fulfilled! Comforting like sliding under a fuzzy blanket with a mug of hot tea-- it even comes with a little lavender sachet under your pillow. The fuzziness reminds me of Tarantula Fascinator, though this is a friendlier version IMO. I can see myself wearing this to bed for as long as my imp holds out.

Smells spicy-peppery and dry in the imp, an herb garden blooming in the desert.

On my skin, I enjoy the combination of pepper and rose more than I would have guessed! It's fun. I'm smell like I have a tendency to bite.   At this stage in the game (this imp is about 14 years old), the musk is very mild and smooth, not "severe" in the slightest. The blend reads as comforting and fiery at the same time.

I can't explain it but something about peppers and florals always dries down with a tinge of "bubblegum" on me-- I remember the same effect in High-Strung Daisies. I'm getting that here after drydown, as it starts to fade out.

Gauzy, flowing white florals swimming through the air. No sign of the "screeching" feeling that sometimes puts me off of floral blends.

At first, The Ghost smells a bit like one of those "clean cotton" or "fresh linen" candles/air fresheners, though with a more distinctly floral bent- it smells fine but doesn't interest me. However, on drydown, a grassy-green note develops that provides some depth and genuine freshness, improving the overall scent. It's much more appealing at this point, especially as the flowers unfold into a more fragrant, nuanced perfume.

If you like florals but fear sharp, "high-pitched" blends, give this a try! Also definitely recommend this to anyone who likes very clean scents.

Woof. Strong smell of pickles with cigars.

On skin, the vinegar lowers itself to a dull roar and the scent becomes all musk and smoke, bitter and a little sweet, too. Traditionally masculine and super comforting, like giving your dad a big hug-- it helps that mine is a cigar smoker.  A very realistic old wool note shows up on drydown. Would be a nice atmo/linen scent!

Delicate sugared fruit in the imp. On skin, it's clean, stark, white carnation with just a bare hint of dessert in the back. A twist emerges on drydown, a distinctly sharp floral (the iris, I suppose). After a few hours Zarita settles down into a pleasant, spiced sweet-cream scent. The iris tipped it over from "nice enough" to a pass for me.

[wrong place, removed]

This crone performs her rituals on metal countertops scrubbed with militant vigor. Musky, smoky lavender and citrus. Soothing without being soft.  Unisex. On my skin it develops a nutty, green wood overtone that I, unfortunately, like less than the imp scent. Then it shifts to something like... metallic marshmallow?? Surprisingly sweet.

It's hard to pin down my thoughts about this one! A lot of morphing from this oil-- an interesting scent that's worth a test, IMHO.

A soft, dark rose scent. On skin, powdery rose over a dark base of musk. I'm used to rose amping up a lot, but this rose is very demure! It's not one of those blends that disappears on skin, it's just modest, it stays close. Old-fashioned without (in my opinion) bringing to mind any dreaded old lady perfume that sometimes gets mentioned around in rose reviews. This is pleasant. If you like rose but sometimes experience it as overpowering, I highly recommend giving this one a shot.

Murky green musk that seems aquatic. Herbal but not quite a clean scent-- maybe there's a cleaning product involved, but a good while ago, as the dusty smell of age has resettled. Develops more of a citrus edge on skin and a plant-like base.

This is an offbeat cologne that (fittingly) just manages to blend in. Somewhat masculine, non-obtrusive, nothing special for me.

Woody cocoa powder. Reads "cozy" but not "warm" so fuzzy is a good descriptor! On skin, the cacao has a touch of bitterness, and the base of hay keeps it from being foodie. Overall, though, this one is a gentle, chocolate-and-fruit-tinged scent. A subtle crowd-pleaser rather than a standout, in my opinion.

Well, someone likes their hot chocolate on the bitter side! Starts off as barely-sweetened cocoa powder. There's also this thick layer of something else. I suppose that would be the cream... only it smells vaguely sinister? Not how I normally think of cream...

On skin: Oh, did I say barely sweetened? Any hint of sugar has fled. There's still some cocoa present, but it's gone sour.  It gets softer on drydown, but S L O W L Y, so slowly, at a goddamn snail's pace The Candy Butcher becomes less bitter. And as it does, it's a little more wearable... but I'm also getting the dreaded plastic undertone. It's all just dull. As someone who unrepentantly adores foodie scents, this one is a bit of a bust.  I'll have to see if I can get my hands on the original version at some point.

Comparison review: 2007 and 2011

Floral blends tend to make me nervous as they can end up smelling sharp and nearly chemical, just LOUD FLOWERS shouting on top of each other. Dolce Stil Nuovo 2007 sidesteps that neatly on first inhale, unfolding in an impressively orderly fashion: spicy carnation, cuddly lavender, a blessedly tame combination of jasmine and rose, all softened up, all playing nice. 2011 is just not as nuanced at the first sniff, jasmine stepping up and announcing itself right off the bat alongside, I suppose, a backdrop of white musk.

2007 is more jasmine-forward on skin, not my favorite note, but it stays reasonably pleasant. With 2011 on skin, a sweet, powdery amber moves up and jasmine rescinds a bit.

On drydown: 2007 is pretty and sophisticated, well-mixed and mild, though there's still a little more jasmine than I'd really like. 2011 just doesn't quite works as well, it reads a bit more discordant, powdery and sharp.

A spicy, snuggly scent. Captures the "doggishness" well without being too literal. The vibe here is friendly and casual, best for flopping down on the couch with a blanket and a movie marathon. 

Resin and roots and tree sap. Doesn't smell foresty, more like a young green tree. Masculine to unisex but does not strike me as "cologne-like." Pleasantly moderate in strength.

In the bottle, the combination of sweet and herbal makes me think of some indie brand of ginger ale, emphasizing that it's Made with Real Ginger! Somehow it's soft and sharp at the same time, pleasantly so. As others have suggested, the ginger fades off a lot on skin, so I mostly get sweet lavender with just a fuzzy little bump of spice in the background. Subtle, cozy.

I agree with the above description, Kiyohime does come across as a laundry detergent smell, though that's primarily in the imp for me. On my skin, the scent I get is of strong moss. It settles and the florals emerge (a little) on drydown. I don't get any fruit here, just watery greenery. I'll pass this one on.

I'm not entirely sure this sample is Fire Pig. I received this imp with its unreadable label from someone who was "pretty sure" it's Fire Pig. It certainly looks tattered enough to be 11 years old. But let's all take this review with a grain of salt.

First whiff is sweet sweet sweet lychee and light florals. There's something just a little bit tart in there as well. Oh, just lovely. As it starts to dry on my skin, I'm getting a little dryer sheet. Yet a very nice fruity dryer sheet. Yeah, I'd say it's becoming more and more dryer sheet-like. The fruits have softened up and are hiding behind something "white." I actually happen to like it, though.

I've had this imp for a year now and never tested it. It's now a big 10 years old, so let's see if it held up.

First whiff is pure resin. I like it even though I’m usually not a fan of dragon’s blood. On my skin, cedar, and then puffs of peppermint emerge. A little woodsy. I don’t smell a lot of the very distinct dragon’s blood scent, but it’s there lurking in the background. I think I’m getting some herbal lavender, too. Makes me think of going for a walk through some very fragrant woods. Definitely getting bergamot on drydown. A very calming nature scent.

Seems like it held up very well after a decade!

Immediate impressions are sandalwood, balsam, and earthy patchouli. There's a hint of greenery, too.

Whoa! Balsam-and-muguet explosion on my skin. I'm not really a fan of this stage. It kinda stinks, actually.

It doesn't seem to be settling on the drydown. :/ Nope, this is what Pteropus Leucopterus smells like on me. This might be more natural on a guy...

I recommend sandalwood lovers give this a shot, especially if you appreciate the masculine. With any luck your skin chemistry will be kinder than mine!

Nothing new to add!

Spicy and warm with a hit of bright, juicy orange. This is a hard, flat ginger cookie with orange icing. The orange fades a little on my skin, but this stays a spicy ginger cookie. Yum!

An interesting scent (in a good way). I suppose mint and pink pepper are the dominant notes, but there's a LOT going on here. There's a candy-sweet aspect here, but it is in the background, not overpowering at all.

The waft is fruity bubblegum, but up close, it's so complex! Fresh and springlike, this smells like it'd be a great laundry scent. I'm just thankful that the jasmine hasn't come crashing to the front.

I dig this. It's not like anything else.

Very much a gold scent. I mostly smell the bouquet; I have a hard time parsing out the notes otherwise. Mayyyybe a little vanilla musk in there as well. I'm really not getting anything exciting here, it's merely a passable floral with some amber coming out on skin. This one's a big ol' shrug for me.

The sweet citrus reminds me of Gobo and Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat. This smells just perfect, fruity and delicious. I agree with Andyl, it doesn't strike me as candylike and saccharine, but rather like the natural sweetness of the fruit, enhanced. Okay, with maybe a little cotton candy on top, Uncle Brian style.

On skin, it's sweetened, beautiful guava and orange-- distinctly the peel. This is a white-and-orange colored perfume, so bright and happy for such a sad clown!