mymymai

ITI: Oh wow, that's sweet, but not cloying; gentle, but seductive. The red musk is nearly candied, but infuses a delightful warming into the sandalwood and lilac that it is nearly brimming with delicate desire. Goodness, this is nice. Wet: Imagine if Fresh made a sugared lilac scent and you layered this over the musky note in Pink Sugar. Tom Ford's orchid, and threw in sandalwood and a subtle drizzle of bergamot - you'd have this scent. It's just amazing. I love that it reminds me of something sweet and innocent on top, but the minute the scent begins to register, the complexity and naughtiness of the woods and musks saunter in. Dry: It's still wonderful over 14 hours later - soft lilac, candied red musk, faint, feminine orchid, and a subtle, lulling resin linger on my wrist in such a delightful way that it's a same to take a shower and wash it off.

Seething with passion, yet utterly cold-blooded. Dragon’s blood, vetivert and spice. ITI: It's much different than I expected. I pick up on the resin, but the spices are very intriguing here - cinnamon for sure, but there's also a woodsy quality to it along with something that reads faintly like mint. Wet: The woodsy note is a bit stronger on my skin. Only enough, this might be the vetiver interacting with the dragon's blood resin and cinnamon. On me it's deeply spicy, brooding, and reads more as hot and seething (Red Hots candies) than cold-blooded. Dry: While still decidedly present, the cinnamon settles some and plays nicely with the dragon's blood resin, the woodsy quality of the vetiver, and the almost green spice I can't place. I really like this one and I'm rather sad it was discontinued.

ITI: The lily of the valley is very strong, almost bordering on the strength of jasmine notes for me, but at least I can smell the gentle purple lilac poking through set against the dragon's blood resin and galbanum. It's a much more floral version of the Ars Draconis when compared to the others I have tested. Wet: The florals are still dominant on my skin, which makes the scent as a whole take on a Glade, artificial quality on my skin for some reason. In fact, the dragon's blood is really quite subtle, and I think that greater dominance would help the allure of the scent overall. Dry: after a full 12 hours, the scent is still noticeable - composed of light lilac and a much more well behaved lily with a touch of resin for depth. I enjoy this much, much more dried.

ITI: Wow, that's clear your sinuses strong. I get lots of lavender, perhaps some rosemary and pungent jasmine. There are other herbal notes in there, but I'm having trouble teasing them out thanks to the strength of the other notes. Wet: Yep, I'm pretty sure all three of those notes are in there. It smells like woody soap and jasmine air freshener. And it tastes like it. Ugh, that was a mistake. Dry: The oil clearly sticks around for a while. On the positive side, I know exactly what this smells like now: Irish Spring soap! Sadly, it just isn't for me.

ITI: A dusty orange blossom with slight carnation spice. It's...odd. I'm not sure as to whether or not I like it. Wet: The patchouli rivals much of the orange blossom and carnation, but there's more spiciness and floral tones than anything sweet. There is a touch of muskiness, but it reads as a honey-d musk. It's growing on me as it settles. Dry: The patchouli takes over much of the scent once dried. I'm having trouble, in fact, picking up anything other than that. Granted, it's a really intense, deep, non soil-laden patchouli, which makes the note pleasant even on its own.

ITI: I get hay in late fall, vetiver, and bergamot - it's distinguished, gentlemanly, but approachable. Wet: Smoky vetiver is followed by a really delightful but full-bodied opoponax note, steeped in bergamot. Yum! Dry: It's an odd mix between clean (hay and bergamot) and smoky vetiver, but as a whole, it's a nicely refined scent that does seem to evoke its namesake relatively well.

ITB: Oh, that's deeper and a bit more masculine than I expected from the combination of vetiver, tobacco flower, saffron, and ambergris (much really reads as a fougere musk more than anything, but I'm really not complaining since I love fougere almost as much as I adore ambergris). Wet: The tobacco flower and saffron crocus are more detectable once applied to the skin, and the vetiver does have a grassy quality to it, but it still has a masculine quality to he scent as a whole that I'm really enjoying. I'm surprised hat the myrrh isn't showing up, though. Dry: After a long walk, the scent now has the woody resin that was missing earlier. It still has some of the vetiver along with the saffron and tobacco - yielding a really pleasant masculine yet completely wearable scent for any gender.

ITI: I don't even remember sniffing this in the imp. I just applied this straight on the skin and was immediately blow away with how gorgeous a scent this is. I do remember the impression of flowers! Resins! Woods! Love! It figures that it is limited edition, though. Wet: I just about swoon every time I apply. It's sweet nectar - a sweet without being cloying - paired with absolutely gorgeously feminine rose notes and delightfully resinous woods under swirling spices. Dry: It's sweet agave-nectar brushed resinous woods with just a hint of femininity. It's perfect!

ITB: Strong musk, cold stone, and cracked, almost salty wood. Interestingly likable. Wet: The musk is just an incredibly cold musk, and it clearly evokes images of a dark house looming in the distance, seen hauntingly under the pale light of the wee hours, obscured ever so slightly by light fog. I still strikes me as slightly aquatic, but nicely so like R’lyeh. Dry: It doesn't stay on all to well, but leaves just the lightest impression of swirling, cold musk, but not so much that it would register as a scent unless you were right up on the skin.

ITI: That is some strong jasmine right there. granted the lily white well and toned down the over quality of the jasmine whereas the sandalwood adds a nice, subtle tone as a whole. It's strong but I think its okay so far. Wet: The jasmine at this point is almost overwhelming, like industrial bathroom sanitizer. As it starts to settle I get a bit more lily but it's just too much. Dry: It reminds me of a lily and said jasmine Glade plugin. To the swap pile it goes.

ITI: This is gorgeous, resinous, and haunting in all the right ways with the oppoponax, tobacco, heady black amber, and a lovely, deep leather note. Wet: The resin here is strong and powerful but when combined with the tobacco, dark amber, and leather it creates for a really intense, dark, lovely brooding scent that would smell great on a man or a woman. I'm a fan so far. Dry: Sweetly resinous from the oppoponax, tobacco, and amber, but no leather any more. It reminds me of my grandfather smoking his pipe on a warm autumnal evening.

ITI: That's some really strong honey bucket honey right there. there's a bit of over ripe almost fake cherry note in there too, but the honey is just easy too strong. Wet: The cherry is a lot longer on my wrist and I am so happy about that. It actually remind me now of the dark cherry kool aid I use to have as a kid. They go very is less port a potty and more sugary, so I actually find this decent. Dry: It's sweet and flowery like honey dusting powder and cherry blossom. It's much nicer than I had anticipated.

ITB: This really is an absolutely gorgeous scent, even on first sniff, it's like a less creamy creamsicle with tones of mango and gentle sandalwood underneath. Wet: It's still really lovely. The mandarin is a bit more distinct, but the mango paired with the musk and sandalwood is still warm, creamy, and just delicious. Yum! Dry: It's a soft candied mango and light, billowy sandalwood and musk with faintly more citrus mandarin under it all. This is an absolutely lovely blend and I'm sad to get to know if after it was discontinued.

ITB: I get a strong but pleasant patchouli and a very clearly red musk that rivals the patchouli for attention. The bergamot is present, adding an attractive but somewhat elusive spin to the musky, earthy scent. Wet: It's much sweeter on my wrist than I anticipated, but it's more of a resinous, exotic sweetness form the combination of the musk, patchouli, vanilla bean, and bergamot. I'm not picking up on any red currant, but there is a faint tone of saffron there as well. What's really odd is that the scent reads ever so slightly like chocolate. Dry: The patchouli lingers after 10 hours along with the musk, but it ends up smelling similar to the Lab's patchouli single note than a blend.

Dust on your trousers, mud on your boots, and stars in your eyes: redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint. ITB: I had the chance to sniff some scents I had never tested at ECCC this year, and Tristran was one that absolutely had to come home with me. First, I'm a huge fan of mint notes since I remember the Body Shop selling the odd puzzle-type perfume bottles. Second, the resins are pure, deliciously heady, and a fantastic compliment to the woods and lemon peel. How could I resist? Wet: Delightfully pure rosewood comes first out on my skin, followed briefly by lemon peel, then tonka gently twirls with alight sandalwood while mint lurks underneath, adding a delightful depth to the scent as a whole. Dry: It fades pretty quickly, much faster than I had anticipated. What remains is a really soft light sandalwood, lemon peel, coriander cloud that is just as ephemeral as the series.

ITB: It reminds me of early spring in the apple orchard when I was a child. The apple blossom note here is lovely, light, and fresh. When paired with the sandalwood and bamboo, it produces something that is subtle, feminine, nostalgic, and just delightful. Wet: The bamboo and tea are much stronger on my skin, which is disappointing as it takes more of a clean, hard line that seems at discord with the apple blossom. Dry: It's light and gentle, like a vintage powder room. Pretty.

ITB: It's sweet and feminine via the sake, amber incense, and yokan, although there's a bit of a bit to it doe the the green tones from the matcha tea. Wet: The sake here is very floral and sweet with a touch of effervescence. The matcha notes are still distinct and slightly bitter, although the amber and sandalwood have trouble keeping up even with the subtly sugary yokan. Dry: All the bitterness has subsided to reveal a soft, subtle sake and yokan-laden scent that is just gorgeous. It's worth the wait for the dry down.

ITI: *Whimpers at the sight of the honey note*. I just pray it isn't the bad honey. After the sniff, I'm not sure whether or not it is. What's really intriguing about the scent is it doesn't strike me so much as tobacco honey but dewberry honey. It's dark purple in tone and juicy just like a fruit with a touch of soft soapiness. Odd. Wet: Yes, it's very similar, although the sweetness of the tobacco plant emerges out of the dewy, fruity, honey notes and creates a really interesting, complex blend. Dry: Now, the tobacco is warmly intoxicating while beeping deeply sweet and slightly spicy, enhanced by the soft honey. It's actually a really nice scent!

ITI: It's an earthy cocoa surrounded by patchouli and a touch of floral-infused leather. Interesting so far. I need to see how the cocoa behaves on my skin. Wet: The cocoa and patchouli work really well, even my my skin, which has a tendency to make even the prettiest notes smell strangely at times. The scent is sweet without being cloying, earthy, spicy, and resinous with a hint of leather and a touch of a light green note. Dry: After 12 hours, the scent is slightly floral cocoa that is warm and pleasant. Very nice.

ITI: I'm more intrigued by this scent than I had anticipated. It's very much a loam, rich and moist, followed by the lovely and sharply green juniper and evergreen note, but there's an interesting smokiness to it as well that I'm really liking. Wet: It really does smell like there is some labdanum in this blend just against the juniper and evergreen notes. The loam note hoovers just underneath while the lightest impression of floral keeps the scent from becoming too dark and somber. Dry: As it dries, it's just a wonderful symphony of florals -roses, lilies, and another white, slightly spicy floral - underneath a deep loam and a smoky veil covering it all.

ITB: I get peony, rose, and a faint musky fur, like a clean cat sitting in the afternoon sunlight. Wet: It's warm and floral, like a sun-drenched greenhouse filled with asters and roses, surrounded my a touch of furry musk. Oh, this is nice! Dry: It fades to almost nothing save for a brief hint of aster and rose. It's still very lovely.

ITB: I initially thought I would be able to get away from ECCC without any of these. However, for Aubin and I, it was love at first sniff. The ambergris accord, one of my favorite notes, is warm and enticing, providing the perfect bed upon which the lavender, thyme, and benzoin rest. I second the idea that it is similar to TKO, although perhaps not as sexy and sweet (sans vanilla), but much more comforting and dreamy. Wet: Absolutely gorgeous French lavender, warm ambergris, thyme and benzoin with a slightly bitter tone (but not overpowering, so it actually is a welcomed addition), and hints of carrot seed and light fur. It's light petting a soft, white bunny sitting amongst a field of lavender. Dry: Gosh, this scent is amazing. Even when dry, it still maintains a dreamy, hazy and comforting quality. The benzoin is very noticeable now, tinged with carrot seed around the edges, complemented by light lavender, time, and the dainty floral of immortelle. While the ambergris is not as strong as it used it be, there is still a lovely musky tone that just amplifies the notes in the best possible way. This is certainly a keeper!

ITI: First off, I've never really smelled China Rain, so I'm not exactly sure what to expect. Interesting. On first sniff, I get something that is pleasantry aquatic and musky, which is rivaled by a deep, smoky note, like smoked wood chips right before a barbecue. Wet: The vetivert's smokiness her really is lovely, and paired with the musky, dark aquatic, it does invoke something like an ominous storm. Usually, I'm not a fan of aquatics, but this is nice. Dry: It fades fairly quickly to a light, slightly smoky, mysterious aquatic musk, which is still rather pleasant.

ITI: Oh, that's pleasant. The orchid is soft and well balanced with the white musk, which is followed by faint wafts of patchouli, bergamot and a green note (although not nearly as strong as a regular Lab's juniper note). Wet: On my skin, it's mellow yet slightly sweet floral paired softly with lazy bergamot and a lovely white musk. Lovely. Dry: Even though it's fact, the scent is absolutely divine on my skin. The orchid is delicate yet regal, white the musk paired with the patchouli gives it a lovely base that is both feminine and deeply earthy in all the right ways. Gorgeous scent!

ITI: I'm getting a strong, heady floral with touches of incense and light, slightly bitter herb. I'm not sure about this. The floral is a bit strong right now. Wet: It's stronger than I would like in the floral department. There is definitely that oppressive, musky jasmine note that the Lab uses along with spicy carnation, rose, and incense. There is a touch of light sweetness, but I can't get over the soapy tones that are emerging. Dry: The jasmine is just too much for my skin. I need to remember that. However, I do now get the earthy notes along with the spiciness that I think is carnation, some faint green, but the incense is all gone. This is a pass for me.