mymymai
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Posts posted by mymymai
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- ITI: Maiden is a balmy white tea and rose out of the bottle. It reminds me ever so slightly of a garden party in mid June.
Wet: The carnation on my skin is light, pleasantly spicy when paired with the gentle Damask rose along with the soothing, almost lemony white tea. It's pleasant, soft, and rather innocent.
Dry: While not giving it the whole day to settle like I normally do, the dry down is a bit more powdery and spicy, the carnation and white tea contributing to the bulk of that. The rose is present, but it's just enough to sweeten everything rather than distinctly engage as a rose note. Nice, but not bottle worthy. -
- ITI: Okay, this is really strange, but I initially picked up wood and green, but that quickly changed into shredded carrot and sawdust.
Wet: I’m not sure if it’s the privet, which is a privacy shrub common in England, with the combined shellac note, but it really smells like freshly shredded carrot to me. Sawdust is still there along with a touch of sap. It’s a rather curious scent more than anything.
Dry: Ok, I’m surprised. The scent has morphed into a lovely, soft, resinous woodsy scent. I’d swear there is myrrh here along with other fragrant woods, although there is a touch of sawdust, but it’s so faint it’s pleasant. -
- ITI: The herbs here are soft and slightly medicinal when paired with the iris and olibanum. I was expecting something a bit more regal and slightly haughty, perhaps with an orchid or even a jasmine note, but this is a bit watery and unassuming. Hopefully this develops a bit more on my skin.
Wet: The iris is a little stronger and I get a subtle hint of olibanum, but myrrh and sandalwood are sadly lacking, which would give the scent the depth I think it so desperately needs. It's a bit too herbal and green, like Garden of Death.
Dry: Once dry, the sandalwood emerges and settles on par with the iris and olibanum, just over the herbs. It's still a little medicinal, but not overwhelmingly so. It has taken on the more regal quality I had wanted from it, but it still just is a little lacking, in terms of purple florals and strong resinous tones (myrrh, I'm looking at your no-show note). -
- ITI: Dragon's blood resin and salt. The salt note is rather distinct, but it actually tempers the resin, which can be quite overpowering at times.
Wet: It's interesting. Usually, I'm not a fan of aquatics in the least. The aquatics here are similar to water lilies rather than brackish aquatic notes I've smelled in the past. The salt still soothes the raging dragon's blood to create something that is both wonderfully resinous, smoldering, but at the same time, soothing and reflective.
Dry: It ends up drying down to just soap, like the soap presented to you in generic gift baskets. Aww, I really wanted to like this one. Sadly, into the swap pile it goes. -
- ITI: Lovely teakwood and dusky rose otto and oudh create and old, pained, but hauntingly lovely scent that fits the name well.
Wet: The wood notes here are brilliant - it's clear, with what seems like lemon juice, honey, brandy and tea undertones (like a watered-down Hot Toddy), sweetened with rose otto and mellowed by oudh. This was nice in the imp, but it is fantastic on the skin!
Dry: As the scent settles, the cedar becomes dominant, reminding me distinctly of the cedar carved chest in my living room, but deeper and more natural thanks to the addition of the teakwood, yet the oudh adds a phenomenal indolent quality alongside the rose otto that is deeply meditative, earthy, warm, and seductive. -
- ITI: The cherry here is a gorgeously dark cherry, like maraschino cherry, only with the Rainier variety. There is something that reminds me of amaretto as well, and the chocolate note is more of a chocolate liquor rather than the overtly sugar chocolate note I've smelled before from the lab. So far, this is very nice.
Wet: Ah, now I know what it reminds me of: cherry cordials. It makes my mouth water! The orange blossom keeps the scent from being completely foody, adding some light and innocent floral to something that would otherwise be very hedonistic. Woo, this is awesome!
Dry: It's less foody and just wonderfully charged due to the distinct cherry and chocolate liquor notes, although the orange blossom here is essential in making this a very pleasant and alluring scent that is both indulgent and inviting, even to a non-foody like me. I think I might even consider getting more of this! -
- ITI: Calla lilies and roses - the first notes out of the imp - strike me as imperious, pure, and lovely.
Wet: The calla lily and wisteria are incredibly strong, like soap meant to mask months of odor, although with the addition of the rose that's peaking thought, the scent, although strong, isn't bad. It's just not something you'd want to douse yourself in.
Dry: Once dried, it skews all the way over to too soapy. I certainly smell clean, like a combination of Irish Spring without the harsh green and Ivory soap. I'll pass. -
- ITI: It reminds me of Trappist monk holiday cake - very sweet, almost candied orange, with a heady floral and resin, but combined to read almost bread-like.
Wet: Soft and gently wafting plumeria and jungle blossoms intoxicate while copal and burning incense lulls my senses into a lackadaisical sense of hazy bliss. Wow, this is much nicer on.
Dry: It's soft and pleasant - plumeria and incense are balanced perfectly to create a lovely daytime or evening scent. -
- ITI: The cypress and pine pitch make the scent initially very astringent, but useful for a stuffy nose. However, second sniff reveals a sub-layer of resins and spices that tone down the astringency and add some lovely exotic undertones.
Wet: IT's still very close the the bottled impression with just a bit more clove, musk, and sandalwood. It reminds me of a wooden incense box.
Dry: It's definitely a strongly wood and resin scent. After a few hours, it is the scent of pine pitch, sandalwood, tobacco, musk, and clove that remain. It's pleasant, but very strong and non-floral. -
- ITI: It's sweet from the apple blossom, while being deliciously refreshing from the heavy melon note.
Wet: I actually get happy when I apply the perfume. It reminds me of something familiar that I can't seem to place. It's a lovely musky white melon flesh note with a touch of the fizz from mandarin and the subtle softness from apple blossom.
Dry: It fades pretty quickly, but what is left is still pleasant and evocative, like a warm spring day amongst the flowering apple trees and beds of early flowers, but suffused with a sweet muskiness and a touch of spice from the melon, oakmoss, faint nutmeg and bergamot. I really like this scent and I'm more than a little upset that I just picked up an imp of it. -
- ITI: It's lightly floral and strongly herbal with chamomile, thistle, ginger, and carnation being the strongest notes on first sniff.
Wet: It's more herbal with chamomile and then lavender taking center stage, I still can pick up on the thistle, but not much else is coming through. It reminds me of a poultice.
Dry: After 12 hours, the chocolate peppermint comes though all the herbal notes, leaving the scent to be what I imagine a chocolate Star-mint on a bed of thistle and lavender smell like. -
- ITI: Oh, that's a deliciously seductive scent there. The lilac cologne is sophisticated, slightly haughty, yet alluring and charged when paired with the vanilla, leather, , lemon remind, and mahogany.
Wet: The vanilla, musk, and red patchouli are stronger on my skin, making the scent even more intoxicating. I would have a hard time not swooning if my man were to wear this - it's gentlemanly and fiercely sexual, but still very wearable by any gender.
Dry: It's musky, still very red from the patchouli and mahogany, and very much a delightfully sinister and alluring force from the leather and vanilla with the faint hint of cologne that remain. -
- ITI: It's very perfume-y: strong indigo musk, jasmine, and cereus resonate with the patchouli and dark olibanum. I'm not getting any spiciness from the Ceylong cinnamon, which I think would make the scent more appealing as a whole.
Wet: Ah, there's the lovely spice that makes the generic "perfume" scent something more esoteric and inviting. It enhances and deepens the other reins while it keeps the florals from getting too dominant and turning the scent into a Glade reprieve.
Dry: After just over an hour, the scent has dried down to a pleasant, warm, and darkly maternal combination of musk, vanilla orchid cereus, super light jasmine (thankfully), with a dusting of patchouli, olibanum and Ceylon cinnamon. -
- ITI: It's foody, but I feel like I've smelled this before. It's thick, cloying vanilla cream infused with gobs of juicy, ripe cherries and currants. Ah, that's it! It's very similar to Isle of Eden's "Can't Sleep, The Clowns Will Eat Me."
Wet: Okay, now it's a bit different, but I still get the heavy, cloying vanilla cream, but now the marshmallow, sandalwood, and ginger notes emerge, tamping down the overt candied fun-house sweetness of the in-the-imp scent.
Dry: It once again smells faintly of candied fruit and cream in a highly carnival-esque way. I'm not a huge foody fan, so I'd need to be in the mood for this one. -
- ITI: I'd call this a round scent. I pick up on the cotton and lavender immediately, but there's a slightly denser note that keeps the scent from beeing too buyoant. Granted, the top notes are really rather pleasant on their own.
Wet: The lavender note here reminds me of the lavender note in TKO, except that it's a bit softer without the vanilla and with a touch more sweetness from the spiced oreintal blossoms (which are faint) and the bergamot, lending a soft sophistication to the scent.
Dry: It goes through a powdery, almost soapy stage, but once dried for some time, it becomes pleasantly floral with a touch of vanilla and cotton. -
- ITI: Sweet and inviting almond lures me closer while rose subtly emerges just in time for the dragon's blood to pounce on the false sense of innocence fostered by the other notes. I like it!
Wet: There's almost a citrus quality about this, but more of a citrus tea than a straight tangerine. I think much of that stems from the combination of the white tea, the white rose, and the dragon's blood resin, with some sweetness from the almond. There is also a touch of powderiness to the scent as a whole, but it's very pleasant - feminine without being too floral, too cloying, or too exotic.
Dry: Lightly powdered roses and fragrant tea with subtle almond powder and just a hint of dragon's blood - like a proper lady's dusting powder to soften the skin with just a hint of intrigue. -
- ITI: On first sniff, the scent is rather smoky - opium poppy and wafting vetiver overwhelm the other notes completely. After some time, I can tease out the indigo, musk, and plum, but not much else.
Wet: Wow, much more complex on my skin. The opium is much stronger now and the incense cuts through the vetiver along with the musk and indigo, making for a really interesting combination when paired with the violet, like a Victorian head shop where you'd expect to have high tea set against luxurious silk pillows obscured by billowing opium smoke.
Dry: It's soft from the swirling incense and "blue" in a sense from the vetiver, violet leaf, indigo, and musk. It's a bit strong at first, but it certainly tones down to something a bit more wearable, but still heady and indolent. -
- ITI: The scent is bright and golden. The citrus reminds me of kumquat, but the harshness of it is tampered by the fragrant roses and jasmine. The amber and orris both add a sumptuous and powdery tone to the scent as a whole, which reminds me of the quaffed wigs indicative of the era.
Wet: It reminds me of sipping rose-infused lemonade on a warm spring afternoon in a blooming garden. Very nice.
Dry: It's like orris and amber-dusted roses. The citrus has completely faded, but the scent is still gorgeous. -
- ITI: This 's deliciously woodsy (a nice, full-bodied wood) with an overlay of cinnamon. It's warm and comforting.
Wet: The cinnamon is stronger on my wrist, but the cedarwood along with the patchouli are much more distinct as well. I do pick up on a little smokiness, but it is faint.
Dry: It's a lovely, round, warm, comforting scent - woodsy, slightly resinous, and spicy from the cinnamon. I wish I had more. -
- ITI: It's a nice, subtle lavender, rosemary, with a creaminess underneath, like an oatmeal.
Wet: That's very much rosemary there. The woodsiness comes out on my skin, but now it seems like there may be juniper in addition to the lavender and creamy wheat note. Perhaps there is also a touch of eucalyptus because I'm picking up on some menthol as well.
Dry: After 15 hours, the scent is soft and soothing, like a bath before bedtime with a hint of lavender and a sprig of rosemary in it, just for relaxation. -
- 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.
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- 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.
Two, Five & Seven
in Mad Tea Party
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Wet: The grass note is just a tad stronger on my skin, but the tea rose is still dominant, not followed by the Damascus rose and a slightly more candied rose note. I like that the sheer variety of notes keeps the scent as just reading "straight" rose, but instead adds a little complexity and depth to keep it interesting. That being said, it's not the best scent while having a migraine.
Dry: The scent takes on a bit of a sugared quality after it has sat for a while. Rose is certainly there, but I can no longer pick out distinct rose notes or even green notes - it's just sugar and roses.