waternight

I didn't actually put forethought into a scent for the Inauguration, but I had Illustrated Woman in my purse today, so that's what I'm wearing. Thank G-d it seems to work even when I'm on my Lady Times!

In the imp: Jasmine and frankincense. Wet: Jasmine, definitely. And moonflower. The two of them blend really seamlessly. This is a lot lighter than I expected. Mmm... after a minute, a warmth starts to seep up through the center of the scent... it's the cardamom, though it contributes more of a feeling as opposed to a a full-blown note. I get the dry resiny goodness of frankincense, but this is not a dry scent. Nor is it a wet scent. It's very floral, but the cardamom and resins deepen it gorgeously. Ooo, now a thread of black currant flirts with my nose, dark and gleaming and adding just the barest hint of juicy fruit. Wow, this scent is really amazing. It reminds me a lot of Delight, which is another favorite of mine. Slow, sweaty sex where you stare into each others' eyes the whole time. Guh. Hot. As it dries, the currant really blossoms, as does the moonflower. This is amazingly gorgeous. Dry: Glorious. Black currant and moonflower swirl together. A thread of heady jasmine twines throughout. Cardamom adds a warmth. DELICIOUS.

In the bottle: Yeah, rose, but it's buried under sweet cream that's gone sliiiiiiightly sour. Wet: The honey and rose are fighting for supremacy, but they're not able to mask the CREAM, and it's still slightly off. A rose dipped in honey, floating in cream that's gone sour. This seems jumbled and loud and confused. All the notes are jostling for position. This isn't innocent like it should be, it's an experiended, slightly jaded woman who's trying to appear innocent. Dry: The soured cream finally dissipates and the scent settles down into a sweetened rose, but the wet stage is pretty bad on me, and the Lab has SO MANY other rose scents that I love way more. This will be swapped.

In the bottle: Smoky resins, honey, tobacco... possibly patchouli and a hint of pine. Resiny pine. Wet: Honeyed tobacco over smoky vanilla and thick resins. A swirl of skin musk and a hint of pine pitch. This scent glows a deep, warm amber. Unnnhhh... this is sexy, smoky, musky vanilla with just a hint of pitch. THIS IS SEX. Dry: Yeah. Still sex. Really great sex.

In the imp: Iris and herbs and a soft resin. Wet: Same as in the imp, but with a dry sandalwood note creeping in. That plus the herbs make this pretty dry. The iris is gentle and unassuming. This almost has a nutty feel to it, in a very good way. Mmm... this really is very evocative of the desert. There's a richness here, underneath the dryness - possibly the olibanum and/or myrrh. A richness and a slight headiness. This is a strong, sensual woman of the desert. I would wear this if I wanted to appear irrisistible but aloof and untouchable. Dry: Sadly, this goes through a rather long stage of pure sandalwood, as I feared. Hours later, it's a nice soft resin, but the sandalwood stage is a bit too long for me.

In the imp: light DBR and florals. Mostly lilac. Wet: Sour florals when first on, then the DBR blossoms a bit. The sourness of the florals lasts for a while, though it gradually fades and the florals become rich and heady. There's a faint marshmallow tinge. Dry: Strongly floral DBR. Not my thing.

Snake Charmer LIED to me. I read "Arabian musk" and never guessed that it was actually RED musk. Which just happens to be my number one nemesis note. I wanted Snake Charmer to be teh sexx0rs on me like it is on so many of you, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Beaver'versary, you smell SO GOOD in the bottle. You are all moist, rich cheesecake and cupcakes. Like red velvet cake. I want to eat you. Then I put you on my skin, and you HATE me. I swear the Lab's sugar note is not my friend. It goes burnt and plasticky and bad. Oh, Beaver'versary! I had such high hopes for you...

In the imp: Booze and cocoa and salt. Veeery interesting. Wet: Yup, deep cocoa layered with rum and wine and that salty, bloody note. The boozy notes really sparkle in this scent. This is a sweet scent, but deep and spicy and thick. The salty note is subtle, but it tickles my nose when I take a sniff. This really is quite reminiscent of a bloody sacrifice. It really reminds me of the thick, strangely sweet smell of death - which is not to say this smells like an overripe corpse! It smells like death in a good way, if that makes any sense. Dry: ACK. Unfortunately, all the notes amp like woah and this becomes crazy strong and sweet.

In the imp: Light jasmine with a hint of lime underneath. Wet: Yeah - jasmine and lime! The lotus and tuberose are supporting characters, adding to the jasmine. This is limes squeezed over a white floral bouquet. The resulting combination has a tart, salty tinge to it. Really interesting and invigorating. An active scent, with high vibration. The lotus sweetens up the jasmine a bit, and the tuberose adds just a hint of its yumminess. The florals are very well-blended. Luckily, I like white florals, but if you don't, this is not the scent for you. Dry: The lime backs off quite a bit, but doesn't leave entirely. This ends up a strong white floral with hints of lime.

In the imp: Amber and a sweet floral. Wet: Light amber and a sweet, fruity floral. A rich, smooth, calm scent. After a minute, the faint kick of pink pepper appears, but this is still rich and smooth. I think the floral I'm smelling is passion flower - it smells like a juicy tropical fruit masquerading as a flower. Dry: The pepper flares for a bit, then settles back down. This dries to a very smooth, sweet amber and passion flower blend, with just a hint of pepper.

In the imp: Crisp apples indeed! So juicy it makes my mouth water. I seriously want to eat it. Wet: Crisp, bright shiny red apples, but there's a strong base of oak. A large, rough-hewn oak table with a basket of freshly picked apples sitting atop it. OM NOM NOM. So. Effing. Good. A hint of leaves. I can't take my nose away from my arm. Dry: Takes on a slightly smoky edge, but otherwise, this is not a morpher. It stays true to itself - sturdy oak and crisp apples. DE.LICIOUS.

In the imp: Strong herbal lavender and mint. Wet: Still very much strong, strong lavender with a minty tone. After a bit, a deep, dark rose creeps in, as well as the jasmine. No spice or musk, and I really couldn't tell you what deliphinium smells like, but this is a rich swirl of rose and jasmine, underneath a fine blanket of dry, herbal lavender. This scent is very evocative and appropriate to its inspiration. Dry: Goes a bit sweet for my taste.

Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot. In the imp: Straight up honey! Wet: Still very much strong honey, but now with other things. Milk, for one. Milky honey - yum! There's also very much a spicy carnation, and maybe a bit of bergamot. Not really getting the rose. At this stage... quite interesting! I see why this is such a popular scent, as it's light and sweet, and I do like it, but so far it's not really "me." Okaaaay, now I'm getting a touch of rose. This is a very creative and interesting combination of notes, and they do blend quite well together. The carnation in here is divine. As it dries more, I'm getting more bergamot, and this starts taking on an Earl Gray tinge. It loses a bit of the spice from the carnation, but not entirely. Dry: Mmmm... milky, honeyed Earl Gray tea, with just a hint of carnation. Lovely. Reminds me of Sudha Segara a bit, but spicier.

In the bottle: Sweet and tart berries! A thread of calm tea leaf underneath. Wet: Same as in the bottle, but with an absolutely delicious floral note- chrysanthemum. White musk adds to the deliciousness. I get pretty much every note but the jasmine. After a bit, the acai berry loses it's wonderful tartness and goes very candy-sweet. Dry: Tea and berry candy. Too sugary-sweet for me.

In the bottle: Sweet and powdery - orris, I'm looking at you! Wet: Orris is dominant, layering over the florals, which are definitely riding in the backseat. I get the jasmine, but barely. An unobtrusive thread of musk is present as well, and a drop of benzoin. A bit later, the orris settles down a bit and the jasmine comes out a bit more, supported by benzoin and oakmoss. It goes through a stage where it smells like fancy floral guest soaps. Dry: For a while, the orris disappears and this is all musk and oakmoss and light jasmine - a very sexy and dusky scent. Unfortunately, the orris returns and this travels to the Land of Powder.

In the bottle: Dark and sweet, with a dry herbal tinge. Wet: Deep, smooth resins with a bright top note of sweet orange. Fig and amber combine to produce a drop-dead sexy scent. I get just a hint of nutmeg, calming and smoothing the orange, which stays bright and almost agressive. A bit later, black musk shows up, but behaves itself (a rarity, on me!). Tarragon adds an edge of herbal dryness. Dry: Difficult to describe. Dark and spicy, sweet, musky, herbal. This scent is deep and mysterious. It has power, the kind you yearn to touch but never can. This is the scent of ancient knowledge and women's mysteries, both nurturing and deadly. Incredibly evocative of the art and inspiration. A very different and unique scent, and definitely a keeper.

Honey, ambergris, neroli, white peach, patchouli, and cocoa absolute. Eisheth Zenunim never smells good on me. This is the blend that taught me that peach is one of my Notes of Doom. It literally smells like rank body odor on me. ::sigh::

In the bottle: Woah. It smells salty and somewhat off. A teeny bit of green tea too. Wet: Yeah, that wierd salty note is dominant, and I'm willing to bet that it's the nectarine. Nectarine and peach always smell funky on me. I do get the green tea, but I wish it would wrestle some control away from the stanky nectarine. Dry: I said "woah" before, and I'll repeat it, but with more feeling: WOAH! The evil salty nectarine is gone, replaced by a lovely sweet musk/beeswax/green tea/GOODnectarine blend. Light and sweet and cheerful.

In the bottle: Musk with a strong dollop of vanilla tea and coconut. Wet: A light, sweet, golden musk, bright and shiny! I sense the tobacco far in the background, grounding the scent and making it a bit smokier and dirtier. Vanilla tea adds a to the sweetness, which here is lovely and not cloying. A ribbon of hearty, meaty coconut winds through the blend. I barely get an lilac from this at all, which is sad, since I adore lilac. I get faint, fleeting whiffs of it every once in a while, though. Dry: The musk and tobacco add an amazing smokiness to this blend. It's incredibly sexy and is very much a close-to-the-skin scent. Perfect to wear out on a hot date. YUM.

In the imp: Sweet, sweet floral! I get the stargazer lily for sure - YUM - as well as something else. Wet: Yup... stargazer lily and something more. There's a very fruity-candy quality to this, but not in a bad way. Mmmm... now white rose is gently supporting the much stronger stargazer lily. Don't really get the lotus, and I couldn't tell you what water blossom ivy smells like. This is aaaaaalmost too candyish and sugary, but not quite. After a few minutes, the candy-sweet note settles down, as does the strength of the stargazer lily. The white rose is a bit more evident, and the lotus finally appears. These three florals blend very well together. Dry: More lotus, and it edges back into candy territory. Unfortunately, this dries down to a rather generic candy-floral on me. It's pretty, and I can see how this would be glorious on some people, but not on me.

In the imp: Strangely enough, bananas come to mind. Don't know why. On a second, deeper sniff, it's light tropical fruits (palm wine, maybe?), vague aquatic notes, and the barest hint of damp stone. Wet: Wet limestone blossoms on the skin, as well as fleeting glimpses of a light wood (bois to chandel). The greenery and orchids are here too, but in a light, floating way, not a BAM!ORCHIDS way. I swear I still smell bananas. Thank G-D, no vetiver. Hmmm... I think I'm getting the elemi too, lightening up the blend and making it sparkle a bit. This is an interesting blend - heady and tropical yet light and bouyant. Fruity-floral, yet with wisps of cool, damp stone in the background. Very evocative. Dry: Glorious. Beth has done it again. This is like Kumari Kandam's young, carefree cousin - if she rolled around in a fruit salad and then went skinny dipping. There's a hint of the damp stone, but this is primarily a light, bouyant fruity-floral, with just a hint of tropical headiness. Just beautiful!

In the imp: A soft floral with a gentle bite. Wet: Mmmm... gardenia! Lovely and soft and lush. No rose to speak of. I have to admit, I don't really know what stephanotis, cyclamen, or heliotrope smell like, so I can't really speak to the presense of those notes. However, there's definitely something there besides the gardenia, so it's gotta be one of 'em... The bite I smelled in the imp goes away and this becomes a very smooth floral, simple and lovely. Not a complex blend, but beautiful. Dry: A lovely soft white floral, lush blossoms, very classic. Reminds me a bit of Asphodel, strangely enough. A good, subtle scent to wear to a wedding, or any other occasion when you want to feel classicly feminine.

In the imp: Quite resinous - amber and musk, with a strong rose undertone. Wet: Ooof! Quite sharp. I think it's a blend of the amber and mandarin, with the rose adding a strangeness. Sandalwood usually serves to smooth out blends for me, but it's not really helping here. Ok, after a few moments, the blend does start to settle down. The sandalwood starts soothing everything, and the nutmeg shows up - I was afraid it would get lost in the heavier notes, and it IS soft and subtle, but it's serving to tie the blend together... like nutmeg mortar. There's still something about this blend, though, that smells "off" to me. Saffron? Bergamot? Mandarin? One of those mixed with the amber? Hmm. Dry: Goes a bit powdery - thanks a lot, amber - and dries down to a powdery amber/sandalwood. ::sigh:: The Middle Eastern inspired blends never work on me.

In the bottle: Oh yes, red musk. But I smell black currant as well. Wet: Miracle of miracles, the red musk is UNDETECTABLE. I don't smell it AT ALL here! Just juicy, fruity black currant and a watery floral note! This is unprecedented. Dry: Alas, as Marianne dries, the red musk creeps back in and steadily amps until all I smell is its dark evil.