Diva Urd

In the vial: Herb fest 2011. HYSSOP! MYRRH! Beautifully peppery herbs. No rose in sight so far... might it stay away for once? On: Still peppery-herby, but now I'm getting something sweeter - I think the florals are coming to play. There is a *tiny* hint of rose, a bit more narcissus, and a smidgen of frankincense. This is surprisingly nice. Later: The rose has definitely come out to play, but for once, it's tempered. This is now smoky, frankincense-y rose with a slightly peppery edge in the background. It's not shabby, though I assume it's probably better on me in a layering situation rather than by itself.

In the vial: ... this is SO weird! It's an evil zucchini! I can't WAIT to try this on. On: A MANLY zucchini in a leather jacket! I could see an orc smelling like this, but it also gives me hilarious mental images It does turn rather faint upon dry-down... but I could see this layering incredibly well with "Evil" Later: ... cucumber. Not even an evil cucumber. Cucumber. Nice enough, but it doesn't really invoke an Orc anymore.

In the vial: Woody and musky, with a dull brownish edge that might be from the beeswax. Interesting in the vial, though this is probably the first in the RPG line that I've tested so far that doesn't yell "HI, I'M [CONCEPT]!!!" to me. On: Woody and musky. It seems the wax has packed its bags and left the country. There is a slightly odd scent in the background... I'd liken it to turpentine, only it's not supersharp or overly unpleasant. Just... odd. Later: Woody, fresh, slightly musky, and I'm thinking that the odd note *is* the beeswax, though it has lost the brown tinge and the turpentineyness and is now giving the scent a somewhat otherworldly sheen. Quite interesting. I'm not sure I love it yet, but I might come to love it with time.

In the vial: Milky coconut. Oddly enough, this smells incredibly cool (usually, coconut registers as a warm scent to me). How'd they DO that?! On: Milky coconut with a touch of shea, still very refreshing and not like suntan lotion at all. It's closer to coconut milk, but it's not quite the same, either... this is hard to describe. It does seem like a very good summer scent at this stage, though, since it's not cloying or heavy and has this coolness to it that would be delightful in ridiculously hot weather. Later: Milky, shea-y coconut. This remains soft, but it does not get any softer than it initially is. Good staying power. I don't know that I need a bottle, but I'll make good use of the imp.

In the vial: Mhmmmmmmmm, smoky opium, ambergris and a hint of plum... it seems it's GOOD to be evil On: Smoky, fresh AND sweet at the same time. It also has a nice amount of oomph to it! Ohh yeah, this one is shaping up to be a winner on me. I wonder how it layers with "Dwarf" *is TOTALLY an evil dwarf~* ... to be tested later! Later: Smoky plum. Delectable even as a standalone perfume. It's like... "Bensiabel" and "Event Horizon" had a love child. I think this is meant to be on my bottle list.

In the vial: LEATHER! and PINE! This has potential! On: More leather, less pine (though the pine does by no means vanish completely). A nice, realistic leather, without turning into biker shop, shoe polish or similar things (as some leathers do on me). It turns a bit faint upon drydown. Later: Worn leather with just a hint of pine. Pretty nice, though I wouldn't call it spectacular from a perfume POV. This will make an interesting layering component, though.

In the vial: Oh so very outdoorsy... this smells like an evergreen forest in late summer. This was what I was hoping Yggdrasil would be like before it turned to bathroom cleaner on me. On: A whole forest on a tiny spot of my arm. This is, once again, incredibly evocative of its concept, like all RPGs have been for me so far. I get the barest hint of leather, this is primarily a dark-green forest scent. No patchouli is peeking out, which is surprising. I could totally imagine Aragorn from LotR to smell like this. This might be interesting for layering; I don't think I'd wear it by itself. Later: Evergreen forest. Pretty good staying power. I wish the leather hadn't gone AWOL. Works wonderful as a concept, though I'm not entirely sure I'd wear it for anything BUT invoking the concept. As a perfume, it's too evergreen-y for me, I think.

In the vial: Just what it says in the description - Snake Oil with sweet, sweet honey. On: Snake Oil and honey... now, I'm not incredibly huge on straight-up Snake Oil, even when aged. I reach for my imp once in a while, but I have to be in the mood. This is pretty effing fabulous, though. Later: Honeyed snake oil. I honestly can't say anything new here, because it doesn't morph a lot! But hey, this is delectable. Not too foody even for gourmand-scent-hating me, and definitely highly sexy. If this comes around again next year, I'll have to spring for a bottle (unless I find it somewhere else first!)

In the vial: White musk and frankincense are predominant here, with a hint of vanilla. I don't get the leather or the metal from the armor. It's kind of faint. On: This BLOOMS as it warms up on my skin. Still predominantly white musk and frankincense, with some vanilla and oh! There's a hint of leather! Later: VERY faint and close to the skin. What's there is very pretty, but as a standalone perfume, it's just too faint. Will try layering it with some of the other RPGs and see what it does then!

In the vial: MUSK! And something that smells almost like strawberry to me. I've had "fruity" reactions to heliotrope before, so this might be how it manifests here. On: RED BERRIES with a hint of musk. This is very, very fruity on me, though it's hard to pinpoint just WHAT berry it smells like. The body of the scent is strawberry-like, but it has a cranberry-ish tart twang to it. There's also something vaguely lemony to it - maybe this is how the wasabi shows up here ("Nostrum Remedium" had a similar note to it). Later: That red berry, now in single-note. Too berry for me.

In the vial: Steely leather. Man, I am so impressed how these scents really encapsulate those RPG archetypes in a bottle! On: The leather is a bit overwhelmed by the steel note at first. I get very little musk and only a hint of blood. It has this weirdly-fresh twang to it. Later: The steel note, which has a strangely vegetably-fresh quality to it after a while, is the strongest. There's a small hint of leather and nothing else. And on the husband's skin... well, he ate it, like he does a lot of blends. I don't think Fighter is for us.

In the vial: HOLY CRAP HOPS! The DH and I agree that this is what a dwarf WOULD smell like... stone, a bit of soot, and strong ale. On: Strong brown-ish black notes, very heavy on the hops. There is a slightly gravy-ish undertone to it while wet. Later: Ohhh, this calmed down very nicely. Now it's dark, well-worn leather with just a hint of hops and stone in the background. Considering that I have a very dwarfish personality and constitution (short, stoutly-built workaholic curmudgeon with a taste for beer), this suits me just fine! I might have to get a bottle of this later.

In the vial: Whoa cypress-y! Pretty sharp and predominantly woody. Very green, yet slightly sweet. On: This smells kind of like public bathroom on me, I'm afraid... you know, like that disinfectant a lot of them use. Let's see if it calms down to something more standable. Later: Softer and blue-ish green oceany... but there's still that note that I associate with lavatories in the background. It may just be a wonky association of mine, but it doesn't work for me.

In the vial: Flowers (predominantly rose) and... dirty chocolate? Chocolatey dirt? Huh. On: Single. Note. Rose. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr DAMN YOU ROSE!!!!!! Later: All rose, all the time. I verified it with the husband, he couldn't smell anything else, either. *sigh*

In the vial: Sweet, smoky leather. If it wasn't for the sweetness in the vial, this would be "Loviatar"... promising! On: Now THAT's the leather I have been looking for ever since "Loviatar" and "De Sade" were discontinued! There IS this very prominent sweet note that somewhat keeps me from enjoying this fully, but maybe it'll go away upon drydown (or at least weaken somewhat). Later: The sweetness does mellow a bit, and now I quite enjoy this. The leather DEFINITELY has the same feel as "Loviatar" did. I'm not entirely sold on a bottle upgrade yet, particularly since the sweet vibe teeters dangerously on the edge of powder on me, but the imp will stay.

In the vial: Something lemony, an astringent note that reminds me of tea, and some musk in the background. A bit soapy. On: Initially intensely soapy, but the worst edge is taken off as it starts drying. There is still a soapy twang in the background, however. Upon complete drydown, it smells like "freshly showered and washed with lemon soap dude." So far, I'm not a fan. Later: Very cologne-y, still quite citrussy. Since I'm not that huge on citrussy man-scents, this one will wander on the swap pile.

1. Dia was part of the 2009 "Ode to Aphrodite" Luper LEs. Reviews here. Sadly, it doesn't seem to show up in swaps or sales very much (I've been looking for it, myself). 2. Re: Harigata: Technically, those LEs have come down, last I checked... not sure how they handle it if you can still put it into your cart. However, I've found a couple of older BPAL LE pages still up, for example the Black Helicopter LE series - I can put the bottles into the CCNow cart, but I sincerely doubt I'd be able to buy them since the series was ended a year ago. So, if I had to wager a guess, I'd assume that you won't be able to get Harigata from the lab anymore. 3. Tiki Princess ran until 8/26 of last year from what I can tell, so I doubt it's still available, I'm afraid. As for the Atomic Luaus, they have recently been DC'd. 4. Paduan Killer Swarm was an LE which also ended on 8/26/10, but I believe I've seen it in a few sales posts in the subforum below. Roses, Pearls and Diamonds is a GC scent of the Marchen category As for coconut, in case I haven't mentioned this in this thread yet, my favorite is "Goblin" - I never knew coconut and patchouli went so well together!

Alethia: With the exception of your field of study and heritage, YOU ARE ME That said, here some things that appealed to me that have the notes you are listing, and a few that are a bit further afield, but match my personality and thus could appeal to you, as well! For jasmine, Kitsune-Tsuki is a winner for me. This is a very bright, playful and uplifting scent. I initially thought it wasn't "me" at all, but then it grew on me as a balancing influence. For a bit more oomph and some added rose, I recommend The Obsidian Widow: For lilac and violet, I HAVE to add Nocturne. Dragon's Eye is pretty heavy on the lilac, as well (so much the better, sez I ): For a more unconventional rose, try Desire: Vasilissa is not super-heavy on the jasmine, but a stunningly beautiful blend. It went straight on my bottle list after finally hunting down an imp! And finally, three blends which feature little or no florals, but which are my go-to if I want to get into "I kick your ass" type A mode: 1. Anne Bonny 2. Vechernyaya 3. Dee That last one may sound very masculine, but from what I could see in the reviews, this one is worn by all genders. I can tell you from personal experience that it lasts a long time, it smells fabulous and it's in high demand, so if it doesn't work for you, trading it for something else should be easy! These are all impable GC blends. Hope some of them appeal!

In the vial: A pure, non-foody, only ever-so-slightly sweet, aquatic vanilla. On: If I had to describe this scent as a color, it would be primarily a creamy white-ish yellow with iridescent green and blue shimmers. The vanilla in this is incredibly similar to that in "Liz" (in fact, I tested them side-by-side when I first noticed - Liz has smoke and leather where this is heavier on florals and that green-blue-ish aquatic thing, but the vanilla checks out for sure). If you tried "Liz" and it was too smoky or butch for you, this may be what you have been looking for! I personally like this a lot, but if I had to choose between buying a bottle of this or of "Liz", I still may have to go for the latter. Later: The scent stays true even when dried down completely and retains a noticeable, but not obnoxious throw. I like this a lot. I'm still not certain I need bottles of both this and "Liz", but if one of them ever gets discontinued, it's good to know there is a scent that, on me, is relatively similar. The imp will stay with me for sure.

In the vial: Wow, this is unusual! I get the freshness of amber, a hint of patchouli, but what is this top note? It must be hyssop, a plant I am unfamiliar with. Wiki says it's in the mint family, and while it doesn't describe scent, it mentions a slightly minty bitterness flavor-wise. Mhmyeah, I *think* that'd be the note. I enjoy sniffing this in the vial so much, I really hope the skin test isn't gonna let me down, because I might have to keep the vial to sniff either way! On: HELLO PATCH, OLD BUDDY! YES, I LOVE YOU TOO! NOW PLAY NICE WITH THE HYSSOP! In case that wasn't clear enough , upon application, I get a lovely, earthy, near-single-note blast of patchouli. Thankfully, as it dries, the patch decides to let the other notes into the sandbox, as well, though it remains a prominent note. Now I am also getting the mentioned spices... there is cinnamon in there, isn't there? Uh-oh, I hope I am not going to end up with Big Red chewing gum... Later: Big. Red. EFFING. Chewing. Gum. Yo, skin? We need to talk... *menacingly waves baseball bat* How upsetting, I was ready to heap love on this

In the vial: Chocolate, wine, and the distinct tang of hibiscus. Despite these notes, it doesn't feel foody - rich, yes, but I don't feel as though I need to lick the vial. On: The chocolate says "good bye" almost immediately - this is floral with a swirl of deep red wine. Balsam is one of my notes of DOOM in some blends, but here, I can't detect it at all. As it dries, there's a hint of slightly sweet smokiness, which may either be the balsam behaving itself, or the tobacco. I don't get any overt honey note, but the blend is sweet enough for me as it is - more honey might have been overwhelming. This is surprisingly nice, and I can't believe I tossed it off my wishlist without having tried it months ago (I have recently received it as a frimp from a wonderful seller here on the forum). It reminds me a lot of my beloved "The Black Tower", but TBT is colder in feel and more unisex/masculine, whereas this is warm and very much a feminine scent to my nose. Later: The rich wine fades a bit after the first hour and lets the florals more into the foreground. At this point, it's not quite as lovely as it was in the beginning. I still enjoy it, but right now, I'm not sure that I need a bottle. I will keep the imp, though.

I took a chance on a bottle of this one, since so many of the florals mentioned here sound right up my alley! Dandelion! Daffodil! Iris! In the bottle: Freshly cut flower stems, much greener than I expected! On me: At first, slightly sharp and green like in the bottle. As it dries down, I get... body lotion. This smells exactly like my Jergens lotion I use after bathing. ... and after half an hour, my skin eats it. I wish I had gotten more of the aforementioned flowers, but lotion smell is not something I wear as a perfume. Too bad. I'll swap this to someone for whom it works better.

I'm usually not a big fan of lemony blends, but I did like "Zephyr": This pretty much turned into lemony, ever-so-slightly creamy musk on me - a surprisingly non-foody mix. I never got a lot of the floral aspects of this.

I'll count blends containing resins as "incense-y" here. Ladon is beautiful hyacinth with dragon's blood resin. You might also enjoy Dragon's Reverie: Event Horizon is a lovely thick, smoky, wafting orchid scent: This one is not as obviously incense-y as the others, but the iris in this is pretty spectacular and the sandalwoods and the myrrh provide an incense-like anchor: Nefertiti

My personal "careful, I am not to be messed with" scents are Vechernyaya ("three white musks with poppy and patchouli") and Anne Bonny ("Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood and frankincense"). The former gives off a very icy vibe on me (I like to describe Vech as my "soap opera villainess scent"), while the latter smells, well, like a female pirate. They're both GC, as well, so they're easy to get.