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mandragora
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Posts posted by mandragora
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In the imp: Lush berries and a hint of booze.
Wet on me: Still mostly berry-ish, actually I think I smell black currants with some vanilla surrounding it.
Drydown: Now vanilla takes center stage with mellow woody notes. The berry just peeking from behind.
Verdict: Very interesting and unique. Not quite me, but I'd like to hang on to the imp and try again later. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.
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Last I checked you're not supposed to use the Paypal option on CCNow, but I don't know what happens if you do.I remember reading in a post here in the forum that the lab gets dinged with fees twice if you use Paypal via CCNow (from both CCNow and Paypal as well).
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Oooh pretty, this oil is bright red.
In the imp: Pungent smelling oil.
Wet on me: Black pepper and clove. Where's the dragon's blood?
Drydown: The black pepper and clove mellows, ah there's the dragon's blood peeking shyly from behind.
Verdict: I love Dragon's Blood, it just wasn't showcased enough in this oil to my liking (wonky chemistry).
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Bayou
in Wanderlust
In the imp: Sharp, evergreen with a hint of citrus.
Wearing: Sweet watery florals.
Drydown: Now the spanish moss comes to fore, playing peek-a-boo with the heavy smelling florals.
Verdict: Turned masculine (despite numerous mentions of florals above) on me. Not really my cup of tea. Swap bin.
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Initial sniff: Tangy alcohol smelling.
Wearing: This is like Sprite (as in a previous review above), with very little citrus and mostly just the sparkly fizzies. And I don't get the martini too
Verdict: Nope, not for me. Off to the swaps.
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This is my favorite Maelstrom!
In the bottle: Wonderfully aquatic and fresh smelling.
Wet on me: Faint traces of citrus blending with the green aloe. I can see why Berenice would remind people of the traditional, department store perfume. It kinda does in a way, but different enough to know it's Beth's blend, you know?
Drydown: Linen takes center stage, subtly cloaked by the light florals and aloe.
Verdict: This is Maelstrom's runaway winner for me. I'm glad I got a bottle (and will be getting a spare or 2)
.
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In the imp: Dark, creamy incense.
Wet on me: Softly sweet resin with a woodsy feel.
Drydown: Golden, thick and heavy smelling incense.
Verdict: Beautiful and smoky. This would be perfect for incense lovers. It's not me though.
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In the imp: Wet dirt, like a freshly-tilled lawn or flower bed. I also smell wood.
Wet on me: Faint but dark smelling floral and slight hints of the patchouli.
Drydown: Strong floral note (black orchid?) comes to fore, cradled by the smell of soil and wood. There's a sharp green smell that rises now and again.
Verdict: Lovely earthy scent. I'm quite surprised that I like it.
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In the imp: Pungent herbal scent. I smell sage.
Wet on me: Softens to green smelling florals.
Drydown: Smells very clean in an herb-y sort of way. Very well-blended.
Verdict: Pretty and light. A fresh, green scent. This would be perfect for spring. I may be getting a bottle of this
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In the imp: An understated and elegant scent. Clean tea and slight mint. Quite gentlemanly.
Wet on me: A burst of citrus with a dark sweetness and musk.
Drydown: Now fresh and aquatic, the citrus is now just a whisper with something bolder and muskier lurking beneath. As I sniff, I picture a sophisticated, proper English nobleman in the Elizabethan era.
Verdict: Beth has captured refined masculinity in a bottle. I
it! Now I have to try this on the hubby
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In the imp: Sandalwood, patchouli and champaca flower.
Wet on me: Not much different from the imp.
Drydown: Musky, earthy yet floral smelling at the same time. The black plum giving it sweetness and depth.
Verdict: Wow, a very complex and interesting scent. Sweet, feminine yet dirty around the edges
. It's a keeper.
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In the imp: Hello caramel.
Wet on me: Sweet-smelling caramel with hints of coconut.
Drydown: Coconut takes center stage with the caramel swirling around. Tobacco and spices try to surface every so often and fails. Caramel and coconut pounding them to oblivion.
Verdict: Yummy smelling but not something I would wear.
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In the imp: Patchouli and musk.
Wet on me: Earthy smelling and sexy. The sweet hints of honey coming to fore.
Drydown: The patchouli and honey mellows, leaving a complex musky and decidedly lupine scent.
Verdict: Feral, dirty yet very sexy. I'm thinking this would be better on the hubby. On the scale of 1-5 this is a 4.
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In the imp: Smells like heavy, night-blooming florals.
Wet on me: Sweetens on my skin, reminds me of Annabel Lee only older, more mature.
Drydown: These flowers are beyond full-bloom and are on their way to rotting and decay. The musk mutes the sweetness and rounds out the scent.
Verdict: Lovely scent. On the scale of 1-5, this one's a 3.
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In the imp: Hmm, lemony tea. Curious, as there's no citrus listed on the description.
Wet on me: Still clean and fresh smelling citrus. Lemon-y but not Pledge-lemon.
Drydown: Reminds me of Shangai but with a softer, lovelier citrus and a hint of greens and florals.
Verdict: Very nice and soft. I wonder if I can still find a bottle in the swaps.
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In the imp: Honey-sweet florals
Wet on me: Not much change from the imp but now with a hint of something sour (almost fruity sourness).
Drydown: Sourness gone, the fresh smelling sweet florals remain but is muted.
Later: Honey makes an appearance and gives depth to the scent.
Verdict: This scent is lovely in it's simplicity. On a scale of 1-5, it's a 3.5.
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In the bottle: Thick, strong smelling musk with a slight bitter note.
Wet on me: Ever so slightly sweetens and the musk softens on my skin. Reminds me of Smut without the booze.
Drydown: Slightly floral, slightly green, slightly incense-y, all around beautiful musk.
Later: Went a bit powdery but still gorgeous smelling.
Verdict: A definite keeper. I'm happy to have this bottle. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.
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In the imps: Sweet, warm floral.
Wet on me: Predominantly jasmine with traces of the sweet honeysuckle. Lemon and spices rounding out the scent.
Drydown: I hardly detect the lemon and spice anymore but I suppose they're there just very well blended. Scent is more humid than warm.
Verdict: Lovely blend. Very good throw, can smell it from my wrist even as I type. I'm keeping the imp.
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In the imp: Smells like chocolate, no wait more like cocoa.
Wet on me: Turns sweeter like a sweetened hot chocolate drink.
Drydown: Err, turned musty, still chocolate but now musty.
Verdict: Smells yummy for sure, but I'm half-afraid that ants would starting crawling up my wrist because of it's sweetness
. Not for me.
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In the imp: Leather and cigars.
Wet on me: Musky sweetness envelopes the smell of leather. :Inhales deeply:
Drydown: Very comforting, like curling on a leather chair in a library filled with books. Said library is owned by a distinguished gentleman who smokes sweet smelling cigars.
Verdict: This scent is spot-on with the lab description. :Plots to get hubby to try this scent:
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In the imp: Uumpphh, that's some strong Bourdeaux note. Cleared out my sinuses
. Kidding aside, strong wine note plus hint of berries.
Wet on me: Ooh, sweetness. Blood red curant and wild berries. Very intoxicating scent.
Drydown: Okay, it's settling down. Boozy and tart berries. Again yummy smelling enough to want to lick my wrist.
Verdict: Boy, the Illyria category is 3 for 3 so far on the keeper list. My next-to-buy big bottles list is growing longer :fears for my wallet's sake:.
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In the imp: Smells like cutting up an apricot. Strong, sharp and juicy
Wet on me: The orange blossom comes out and blends well with the sharp smelling apricot. Ummm, very yummy smelling. I want to lick my wrist
.
Drydown: Still very fruity smelling, the light musk rounding out the scent. Prevents it from becoming cloying. This is a happy smelling, perfect for picnic in the orchard summer/fall scent.
Verdict: Yummy, fruity goodness. Another keeper.
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In the imp: Sweet pea. Clean smelling floral.
Wet on me: Reminds me of Annabel Lee, only more sweet and creamy.
Drydown: I think the fruity sweetness of the pear makes this a happier scent than melancholy-filled Annabel Lee. Very feminine.
Verdict: I love Annabel Lee and I'm loving Juliet too. I'm so glad to find a possible replacement for AL in case I run out (before BPAL decides to revive AL :hint, hint:
).
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In the imp: At first sniff, eww it smells like ... piss
. I don't get stale coffee, I get piss (weird nose). Quite afraid to swipe this across my wrist.
Wet on me: Jasmine.
Drydown: Still jasmine. Headache-inducing jasmine.
Verdict: Migraine starting, I need to wash this off before it gets worst. Weird nose, weird body chemistry. Sorry Mata Hari, on to the swap bin for you.
The Masque
in Maelström
Posted · Edited by mandragora · Report reply
In the imp: Dark, spicy and woody incense.
Wet on me: Ooh suddenly floral, carnation with a bit of bitter powdery background.
Drydown: A deep sexy carnation with honey and incense.
Verdict: A superbly complex scent that is sweet and uber-sexy. A tad too sexy for me though. On a scale of 1-5, I'd give this a 3.5