waternight

In the bottle: Cider for sure - spicy, just a bit, like a warm, simmering cinnamon, without the ACKCINNAMONATTACK of some other blends. I smell the firewood and chimney smoke underneath the apple, which deepens the blend a bit. At first sniff, this is a much lighter, thinner apple scent than Samhain.

Wet: Apples roasting in the fire while sip hot cider. Just a touch of smokiness, and a bit of earthy oakmoss. Gets woodier and smokier as it dries, but never loses the cidery, appley goodness. The apple here is definitely of the cider/juice variety, as opposed to the dense, pie variety of Samhain. This is Samhain's lighter, woody/smoky sister.

Dry: This is so gorram delicious I can hardly stand it. This is sipping hot apple cider while sitting around a campfire. It's not overpowering at all, and incredibly wearable. I adore Samhain, and this is in the same family, but lighter. Easy to see why this is so popular. It will get a lot of wear from me!

In the bottle: Sweet and dry and spicy - frankincense and ginger for sure, but sweeter, possibly from the fig and benzoin.

Wet: Pretty much the same as in the bottle - sweet and dry and spicy. The spice of the ginger calms down rather quickly though, and the blend takes on an almost minty note. (???) I smell the fig and possibly the sage as well, giving the blend a lovely smooth quality. This is smooth and quite lovely, but there's still a teensy bit of kick to it. I also think I get a bit of tobacco flower.

Dry: Frankincense and fig. And it works! This is really lovely.

In the bottle: Just like everyone has said - a soft, gentle, well-blended floral.

Wet: Mmmmm... this is lovely. Very gentle and understated, but soft and floaty and beautiful. It represents unity very well. Unity and peace.

Dry: POOF! And off she goes. Well, she's quite lovely while she lasts. I think I'll have to apply with a heavy hand with this one.

In the imp: Oh yeah. Fresh figs sitting on a tree. So far, this =

Wet: Um, and again with the Sweet, sugary figs - sweeter than I expected. But those sugary figs are in a living basket formed of dry woody roots and sprigs of greenery. Oh my God. Oh... this is so wonderful I can hardly stand it. I became obsessed with the Lab's fig note when I tried Gomorrah, and have hunted down every blend with fig in it since then. Most of them disappoint when it comes to the fig. But this... this is pure, unadulterated figgy goodness. I seriously may need to toss a bottle of this into my next order. Good lord. Oh yeah, review... so, as this dries, the sugaryness tones down and is balanced by the rooty-ness. It's a fairly strong scent with impressive throw. This is a Gaia scent - strong and proud and yet simple and humble. Confident in its purity.

Dry: Dry, it takes on a strong alcoholic note. And becomes headache inducing. Yeah... still amping like hell, and not in a good way. Damn and blast!

In the imp: Reeeeeally light. I can barely smell anything, but it is sweet - honey and ginger. But really very light.

Wet: Something almost... citrusy? Huh. I'll take that as the ginger. I get the honey and sweet milk too. The ginger isn't spicy at all. There's a tart note in here as well that just baffles me. A very unique scent, and not what I was expecting, but it IS addictingly comforting. Soft and gentle and nurturing. Snuggly. Mmmm... Yeah, very light and subtle, but sniffing it is like being wrapped in an old, soft blanket and dozing on the couch in front of the fire. Slow, sweet, comforting. Wonderful.

Dry: Very much a skin scent, and one that I want someone close to me to smell on me. This smells of warm, freshly bathed young children, of snuggling with your mother on Sunday morning in her bed, even though you're too old to do so anymore, of walking through the door of your childhood home after being away for a long time, of the welcoming arms of the familial bosom. This smells of FAMILY. I need a bottle.

In the bottle: Woody vanilla, and a tiny bit dirty.

Wet: Gentler than in the bottle - a very understated scent. Gentle vanilla poured over sandalwood, dirtied up a bit by patchouli. Oddly, it almost smells a bit alcoholic. There's a note that is pure criminal, which takes this otherwise classy and classic blend to a whole new level. Luckily the orris and sandalwood aren't going to powder. This is mainly vanilla and dirty, earthy herbs, with a bit of wood and booze.

Dry: Warm vanilla poured over sun-warmed sandalwood, with a sprig of patchouli on the side.

In the bottle: Rose with the other florals and tonka underneath. Vaguely soapy.

Wet: Rose and lily, both equally dominant. A bit of dry sage - getting the coconut too, but it's dry coconut meat, not juicy or tropical. Tonka warms it up a bit and cuts the florals... ooo... now skin musk show up and is gorgeous - it adds a touch of honey-sweetness. This is light and floral with a touch of light musk. Gorgeous.

Dry: This settles into a lovely musky rose, light and sweet. I love it!

In the bottle: Fruity and cheerful! Guava, mostly, with a bit of cherry blossom and something almost creamy - possibly the banyan fruit.

Wet: Mmmm... creamy guava, with a burst of pink grapefruit. The citrus is deep in the background, but it's like seeing flashes of bright, sparkling citrus through the foliage of a tropical rainforest. I keep getting fleeting whiffs of grapefruit and lemongrass. There's a bit of light, lovely cherry blossom as well, very understated.

Dry: This is a very tropical and sunny blend, full of sweet fruits and tropical blossoms. Lovely!

In the bottle: Sweet and musky, slightly planty, with a soapy after-scent.

Wet: Sharp, gently sweet, chamomile and sweet bay give it an herbal feel underneath the rather sharp florals. I get the musk rose, but it's blending with something to smell somewhat sour - possibly the chaste tree or juniper, though I don't get anything piney at all. The blue musk starts to appear more strongly, tempering the sharp, sour florals. This becomes more musky and less astringent. I still smell a rose-like scent, as well as some of the other florals. The chamomile holds its own as well, adding a hint of smoothness. This is pretty strong and somewhat blowsy. Big, slightly over-ripe bouquet of mixed flowers, stabilized by the musk and chamomile... which are now amping - musky chamomile with a floral back-drop.

Dry: While this settles down a lot and becomes more of a traditional perfume scent, something about it just never clicks for me. It's a discordent scent.

In the imp: Ozone and white musk, hint of mint. Reminds me of Crow Moon.

Wet: No more Crow Moon - very reminiscent of Kumari Kandam! This is COLD. Snowy and slushy indeed. I smell ozone and a bitingly cold mint. The white musk provides a soft, smooth base and grounds the high notes of mint and ozone. This is amazing. Truly.

Dry: The musk and ozone combine in a beautiful way, and while the mintiness of the mint fades, it still lends it's coldness to the blend. Also, I only applied a drop or two to my inner arm, and could smell this for HOURS. It's got crazy throw. This is gorgeous, and a keeper.

In the imp: Jasmine is strongest, followed by rose, with a base of glowing mahogany.

Wet: Heady-rich jasmine/rose blend, with dry, spiced wood and a hint of sweet vanilla. The creaminess of the vanilla plays very interestingly with the jasmine. I think I get a whiff of the coffee too, but it's a dark, bitter coffee - black, with no cream or sugar. That mixed with the wood really dries out the blend. There's a hint of fig if I really dig for it. I must say, at this stage the blend is rather chaotic, with very different notes fighting for dominance. It it, however, incredibly name-appropriate. You've got the straight-forwardly feminine notes of jasmine and rose on top, thinly veiling a deep, complex, mysterious core.

Dry: Vanilla jasmine! The chaos has settled, and this has smoothed out into a jasmine-vanilla blend, grounded by soft mahogany. Much more coherent. It's warm, sensuous, and delicious. LOVE.

Kumiho starts out a lovely white tea with a biting kick of ginger. The gingery bite softens but never fades entirely, and this becomes a gloriously fresh and simply gingered tea blend. Easy to see why it's so popular.

I am greatly afeared of vetiver, and a lot of the reviews for this one make me think that this will be All Vetiver, All The Time, so I approached this one with trepidation.

 

In the imp: Patchouli and vetiver for sure - a slap of dark earthiness, though a hint of orange peeks through.

Wet: The orange sits high on the blend when first applied - a very fresh, juicy orange. It cuts the dry earthiness of the patchouli and vetiver and sweetens up the blend. The vetiver, to my surprise, is behaving nicely. The patchouli in this is much more herbal, much less "dirty hippy". At this stage, the blend is dry herbs with a squirt of orange juice. The orange fades quickly though, and the vetiver gets a bit stronger. It never takes over though, and I never wrinkle my nose at it. It's behaving in a miraculous manner. I never get any ylang ylang.

Dry: This stays a dry herbal blend, not heavy or overpowering as vetiver has a tendency to do. Rather, this is warm, dry and pleasant. A surprise hit for me.

I had high hopes for this one, as I adore fig and I love a good citrus.

 

Unfortunately, the fig is non-existent here and the mandarin goes wierdly musty-plastic oranges. BOO.

Aizen-Myoo broke my heart.

 

Yuzu is my favorite note of all time. I love it. I adore it. I wish the entire world smelled like it. So, naturally, when I opened the imp of Aizen-Myoo and smelled that glorious yuzu wafting up at me, I was in heaven. And when she was wet on my skin, same thing. I did a dance around my room that I'd found a wearable yuzu.

 

And then she disappeared. No, not the entire scent. Just the yuzu. She ran away and left the blend smelling just... sweet.

 

 

I now use her in an oil-warmer, but I wish I could walk around in a cloud of yuzu deliciousness.

In the imp: Fresh! Dew and berries and grass, just like the description. It smells quite similar to my beloved Glasgow, so this is promising.

Wet: This is greener than Glasgow - very much wet, dewy grass. Gorgeous. The berries are hidden underneath the leaves and grasses, protected from the rain, but they're there alright. And they certainly are the berries from Glasgow. This is a much greener scent though. Much wetter, too.

Dry: It takes on a slightly marshmallow-y tinge, but I think that's just my chemistry at the moment. I wore this a few days ago and it stayed true to the fresh green grass and berries. A winner!

In the bottle: A dark, rich floral, with undertones of a thick sweetness. Orchid is on top, with a teeming undercurrent of blue musk. On a deep sniff, I smell champaca and sweet clove underneath everything.

Wet: Lighter than in the bottle. Soft gardenia with just a hint of orchid and amber. After a moment, I get a swelling of oakmoss, which is quickly tempered by champaca, clove, and musk. The clove in this isn't a spicy clove though, it really is more of a sweet scent, more of a sweetness with the suggestion of clove. The pear is well-hidden, offering a spritz of juiciness rather than being a full note in its own right. As it dries, though, the pear becomes gently stronger, blending well with the other notes. The blue musk does this too.

Dry: Dry, this is a very "classic" sort of perfume. It's floral, it's musky, it's got a bit of fruit. Despite that, it's absolutely lovely. It's dark and heady and sophisticated. It's wonderfully feminine, in a very womanly sort of way. Truly beautiful.

Seems only right to wear Samhain on, well, Samhain. Good thing I looooooove that scent! Though I think I'll layer it with Dance Macabre to give it a bit more woody dryness. They smell AMAZING together.

In the imp: Cassia underneath sweet florals

Wet: CASSIA. It's strongly cassia at first. After a few minutes, the other notes start appearing. Sweet florals and bamboo soften the cassia, but it's still a dominant note. When I sniff at my wrist, I get the cassia first, then the other notes, but both elements have equal strength and throw.

Dry: As it dries, the sweet florals continue to grow in strength, and the cassia softens even further. It never goes away completely though - it keeps contributing a nice spiciness to the blend.

This starts out very citrusy - a blast of tangerine, as others have noted. There's an underlying creaminess to it though, provided by the resins, smoothing it out. There's also a slightly dry, herbal bitterness - but not bad bitterness, just a tempering element. I can also smell hints of jasmine and pikake, but they're very understated. I agree with what someone else said about this blend - it's the sophisticated, worldly aunt of biggerCritters. Unfortunately, it fades rather quickly on my skin. Still, another example of the genius that Beth exhibited with the Shungas.

 

Oh, Lilith Victoria, you are such a beautiful baby, but why oh why does your mommy love red musk so???

 

Yup. Red musk is my absolute scent nemesis, and that's all this is on me. Oh, maybe there's a hint of Dorian, but the Snake Oil has so thoroughly dominated Dorian that he's not about to show more than a pinky-nail.

 

I'd say this is off to swaps, but part of me is loathe to part with it, just because it's commemorative. We'll see.

Ok. Someone at a MnS gave me 3 or 4 Shunga decants, like, months ago. I just tried a few of them yesterday, and now I'm KICKING myself for thinking they were too expensive to buy when they were around. Because they're AMAZING.

 

Spell of Amorous Love is gorgeous. It's a bright, sparkling green tea scent, sweetened up by the fruit. It also takes on a slightly white-musky tone, which I adore. This scent is energetic and happy and addictive and utterly beautiful. I swear, Beth has magic in them hands...

nnnnnngggggghhhhh

That is my reaction to Harikata. It. Is. Amazing. A stunningly gorgeous honey-musk-osmanthus blend, VERY "skin scent". This is crazy sensual, and makes me think of the aftermath of really intense, passionate lovemaking, with sweat and other fluids drying on your skin as you lay there panting in each others' arms. This is what I want to smell like for my lover. I only have a decant, but I will be hunting down a bottle.

I've really been slacking with reviewing the hordes of imps I have laying around my room, but this morning I just grabbed one randomly as an afterthought on my way out the door. It happened to be Tezcatlipoca, and I am SO GLAD it was.

 

Wet: A deep rush of cocoa, rich and sweet, but it takes on a salty note after only a second. It stays a delicious salty chocolate for a few minutes (YUM), before the earthy, slightly dirty patchouli and leather show up and cut the sweetness. At this stage it's an amazing dichotomy of sweet and salty/dirty. The leather in this doesn't punch you in the face, but it's there, and it's an old, rugged leather with sweat-stains. Despite that rather unsavory description, this is delicious.

 

Dry: As this dries, the incense and florals appear, very gently. The incense is definitely a dry one, and mixed with the cocoa, it takes on a slightly spicy tone. Dry, this is a deep, rich base of cocoa/patch/leather, with the florals floating on top, and the dry incense rounding the scent out at the very edges.

 

Final Verdict: Wow. Just... wow. Beth amazes me once again. This scent it gorgeous.

In the bottle: Spicy! Clemence is a kick in the nose, in a really good way. Clove, pepper, and cardamom.

Wet: Clove and carnation...and tea! Not quite as violent as in the bottle. Mmm... now patchouli shows up, and its sharp earthiness is the perfect compliment to the spices. The tea is keeping the SLAMBAM HOT SPICE in check. Black pepper is a subtle supporting character. This. Is. Amazing. The tea and patchouli get a bit stronger, but the clove is holding steady. The cardamom and pepper are subtle and lend to the overall spiciness, as does the carnation. While this is VERY spicy, the tea adds a smoothness. This is truly an active, enchanting blend.

Dry: Dries down to a gentle clove tea with a touch of cardamom.

 

Absolute work of art.

 

EDIT 10/2/13: I wore Clemence yesterday after not wearing her for a few years, and I was blown away. If I thought I loved her fresh, it's nothing compared to how I love her aged. She's still got the spicy warmth of clove and cardamom, but she's MUCH smoother and more balanced now, with patchouli and carnation (especially carnation) being more prominent. I could not remove my nose from my inner elbow. She seriously just sky-rocketed into my Top Ten.