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Lunasariel

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Everything posted by Lunasariel

  1. Lunasariel

    Solstice Lace

    In the imp: Apple-y booze, but in the best way possible. These apples are sweet, ripe, and juicy, and the alcohol is the *really* good stuff that evaporates in your sinuses. I'm also getting hints of my old friend amber and something softly, subtly smoky - I can't tell whether it's the "bonfire smoke" or the tobacco. If there is vanilla at this stage, it's blending wonderfully with the apples. Wet: An... unpromising opening. I was a bit worried about the cognac and "wine" half of "apple wine," since boozy notes that aren't dark and sugary (i.e. rum, bourbon, etc.) tend to go sharp and sour on my skin, which is what this one is doing. I'm still getting fruit, but sour, fermented fruit - maybe even pear or something instead of apple. It still smells strongly alcoholic, and almost effervescent to boot - it reminds me of a fizzy drink that I tried once and didn't much like, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Dry: And the day is saved! There's still a fruity effervescent thing going on, but it's at least equal with a soft, elegant, cream-white vanilla that's especially noticeable when sniffed from afar. An herbal, aromatic edge comes out over time, as does a resinous base that goes so golden and glorious on my skin, it must be amber. And last but not least: this must be the lace note that everybody is talking about! This is my first experience with any of the Laces, and oh boy is it lovely. Clean, airy, and slightly vanillic. Overall, I get the feeling of walking through an apple orchard on a summer evening wearing a lacy, breezy white dress. The fruit is full and ripe, and there are aromatic grasses under my feet. Keep in mind, this has had less than a day to settle since it arrived. I'll let it sit for a few days, re-test, and then come back with any changes I notice. Here's hoping that unfortunate opening will fade, and it'll be drop-dead gorgeous from start to finish!
  2. Lunasariel

    What BPAL would this fictional character wear?

    These are all PERFECT, but most particularly Soldier 76. And McCree. And Mercy. And Mei. And... (you get the point.)
  3. Lunasariel

    What BPAL would this fictional character wear?

    Oh, and Toph would be somewhere between Fighter and Yorick (or whatever your favorite earth note is).
  4. Lunasariel

    What BPAL would this fictional character wear?

    Dragon's Tears is perfect for Zuko! It smells like HONORRRRRR. Iroh is a tricky one! Venus Genetrix (black amber and jasmine tea with 7-year aged bourbon vanilla absolute) might make a good candidate. The notes sound very feminine, but to me, it reads rather unisex - a soft, subtle tea scent with a sort of quiet strength about it, and the bourbon vanilla is almost smoky. My notes have "this scent will offer you a cup of perfectly-made tea and an afternoon of delightful conversation if you're nice and break you over its knee if you're not." I wish there was a scent that included both tea and dragon's blood! A few other likely-looking ones are: The Great Sword of War (mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, sanguine red musk and five classical herbs of conflict) - for his Dragon of the West period. Nostrum Remedium (black tea leaf, invigorating wasabi extract, sweetened by honey) - it does alleviate "much despair and suffering" which Iroh definitely does. Koito and Sashichi (green tea, tobacco, and agarwood) - IDK, it seems like an uplifting, calming kind of scent, and I can totally see this being the scent of his tea, his pipe, and his pai sho table.
  5. Lunasariel

    Endymion

    In the imp: Unusually, I can smell every listed note quite distinctly. The pear is the main note, wet and juicy and very sweet, but I also get sort of pre-soapy vibes from the lily of the valley (which has *never* failed to turn to soap on my skin, so that's the scent I associate with it), more rose than rosewood, and a dusting of white musk. Oh boy, white musk takes sweet scents into overdrive on my skin, and this is already pretty damn sweet... Wet: For about 30 seconds, it's a light, pleasant, almost jasmine-like floral, with the pear taking a huge step backwards. And then the lily of the valley does its thing, and I have a light, pleasant, jasmine-like floral soap. It's not bad, as soapy scents go, though - still noticeably floral and a little fruity. Dry: Luckily, the soap burns off within an hour or so, leaving something very similar to that initial light, pleasant white floral, albeit with some omnidirectional fruit adding a bit of kick and lushness. Even later, it settles down into a soft, musky rosewood, which is a heck of a surprise. White musk almost invariably goes screechy and sweet on me, but this is subtle, feminine, and very lovely!
  6. Lunasariel

    Van Van

    In the imp: A resinous, woody scent, perhaps cedar, with herbal, aromatic overtones. Wet: Ah, there's the lemon! But it's a complicated, herbal lemon, like a really fancy cocktail (minus the alcoholic tang) or artisan lemonade - rosemary popped into my mind, and my boyfriend said he smelled lavender, both of which I could easily believe. The aromatic elements remain, although toned down and blending beautifully with the lemon, and the woody note that's almost definitely cedar pretty much gone entirely. It's fresh, uplifting, and intriguing. I think this one is going to be in HEAVY rotation this spring and summer. Dry: The lemon burns off and a mellow, resinous scent creeps back in over time. I'm guessing this is the cedar, although it's not as distinctive as ITI. More like cedar sap/resin or amber (or even, as others have noted, honey). There's also an almost powdery sweetness - I'd believe that this is chamomile, although it's not doing the bubblegum hyper-sweetness that it does in other blends. Woot!
  7. Lunasariel

    Bien Loin D'Ici

    In the imp: A thick, spicy, syrupy-sweet scent. I'm reminded both of fairly well-aged Snake Oil and Red Lantern (or at least the 2015 version, which is my favorite). I can't pick out any particular notes; it all blends together into a red-gold sweetness. Wet: The individual notes are a little more discernible now, especially the honey, musk, and kind of the spices. I can't say anything like "oh! There's saffron and cinnamon in here," but the "spiced Moroccan unguents" feel very much like the "exotic Indonesian oils" of Snake Oil. The base remains omnidirectional sweet, golden resins. Dry: Aromatic rather than spicy, but otherwise still very honey/benzoin/red musk-forward (more or less in that order). TBH, I'm surprised the caramel isn't putting itself forward more, since I tend to amp sweet scents like caramel. Hmm, maybe it's just melding with the honey, or I'm mistaking it for a facet of the honey. Overall, this feels like a cool-weather, date-night kind of perfume. It's sexy, slinky, sultry, and all those other fun s-words.
  8. Lunasariel

    Looking for a BPAL that Resembles a Favorite Perfume

    Chuparosa is fresh, airy, rain-washed roses on me to start out with, but some honeysuckle and, like, honey or amber or something also come into play later. I find it lovely, but from what I can tell Chuparosa is one of those blends that reeeeeeally depends on your skin chemistry. Othello is a light, summery rose on me, but if you amp musky or spicy notes this might not be the case for you. La Belle Au Bois Dormant is a very wet rose. The greenery is a little lighter than what you're looking for, maybe, but it really does bring to mind a princess bringing a bouquet of dew-covered roses into her house.
  9. Lunasariel

    Cave of Treasures

    In the imp: Sweet cream; very strong. I want to say that I'm getting a breath of florals and/or amber under that, but the cream is unexpectedly assertive; I'm having trouble distinguishing anything else. Wet: For the first minute or so, the cream trades place with an unidentified, honeyed floral; there's also a distinct and fascinating edge of aromatic spiciness. Then it passes through an almost bubblegum-y phase (wtf, skin?), before settling down into, yup, pretty much a lilac single note. I don't have a great scent profile for lilac, since I've never lived in a place it grew freely, but this is lovely! A light, sexy-yet-demure, subtle springtime floral. After a few minutes, I start getting wafts of cream and cardamom from afar, while at skin-level it stays very lilac (albeit with a bit of amber at the base). Still a very soft, intimate scent, though. Dry: For a while, it's pretty much what I was thinking of when I ordered a blind bottle: lilac, spiced and complicated by cardamom and amber. Then, uh. On one hand, there's a delicious musky honey, almost woody, with the spicy/aromatic note remaining. It reminds me of Womb Furie (the 2016 version, at least) or Morocco. On the other hand, I kept getting whiffs of straight up baby-smell throughout the day. Milky and powdery (amber generally plays very nicely with my skin, but it looks like it's not doing so this time), and smelling exactly like a clean, very new, baby. Very unexpected, and if you're looking for a maternal scent, look no further! (At least, if your skin chemistry does the same weird things mine does.) That said, this is something I'm super not into. On one hand, the lilac is glorious - occasionally complicated by other notes and at other times completely and unmistakably itself. But on the other hand: new baby smell. No thank you.
  10. Lunasariel

    Hoîru

    In the imp: The words that first come to mind are rich, woozy, heady, and sweet. The bourbon vanilla and coconut are the main players at this stage, but I think I'm also getting some amber and/or tonka. However, despite all these notes that I normally associate with cuddly, warming winter scents, this is surprisingly light and almost cooling - could that be the tea leaf and/or the cashmere? This definitely feels like something in my wheelhouse of warm, rich, voluptuous amber-leather-booze-bourbon vanilla scents, but a more spring-appropriate version thereof. With scents like Gluggagaegir, The Antikythera Mechanism, Hellfire, and a lot of the Mars scents from the 2015 Lupers, I love them for about half the year, but if I wear them when it's warm out, I feel like I'm smothering. Hoîru evokes the same heady, sexy feeling, but without the heaviness. Silk instead of velvet, let's say. Wet: Wooo, now that's an experience! Upon first application, I got a waft of straight-up alcohol, but that faded quickly. Then it passed through a smoky leather-and-patchouli phase, with the smoke provided by the blackened tea leaf, with heavy emphasis on the "blackened" part. Then the coconut appears, albeit drier and less juicy/heady than ITI. Finally, it settles down into a soft leather/traditional perfume scent with unexpected coconut accents, and still with that lightness that I think is the cashmere(?). Wow. I bought this both because it seemed to be part of a scent family I love (see above), and as a celebration of BPAL including more queer themes in their releases, but I got WAY more than I expected. For one thing, I realized that, while I hate the taste and texture of coconut, I love it as an unexpected accent in perfume - Startled Toad from the 2015 Lupers is now a favorite of mine, and it looks like this is heading the same way. Dry: This is a scent that doesn't like staying in one place for too long. The leather-amber-perfume stays, but I keep getting unexpected wafts of different notes as accents - coconut husk, mellow smoke, and what I would swear is a light floral at one point. After a good couple of hours, it resolves into one of the softest, cuddliest leathers I've ever smelled, rounded out by amber and gentle resins. The coconut is still there, making this scent familiar yet unique. It still retains the fresh air/clean skin smell that must be cashmere. Boy, is this one a winner on my skin!
  11. Lunasariel

    An Interlude After Sake

    In the imp: A brisk, bracing scent, its edges softened by fresh spring fruit. The fir is actually rather gentle here, a breath of fresh air blowing through a stand of trees in the Sierra Nevadas rather than cleaning fluid. I initially mistook the apricot for peach (which would also be lovely) and now I almost want to say apricot blossom rather than apricot. It's a light, airy, almost floral sweetness rather than a heavy, sticky, fruity sweetness. I may also be getting a bit of ginger, but it's pretty subtle under the eye-catching (nose-catching?) fir and apricot. Wet: Ah, there's the ginger. It becomes a strongly ginger-forward scent, a bit reminiscent of ginger beer. There's still a breath of fresh air flowing through the scent, though; I wanna say white tea, but I would also believe fir or oakmoss. Or, hey, maybe all of the above. No apricot or amber that I can detect. Dry: It must have heard me, because it settles down into an apricot-amber scent, with the ginger dissipating almost entirely. In fact, I'm getting some echoes of Tamora here, albeit apricot-amber instead of peach-amber. After a while, some of the zingier elements re-emerge, but I'm getting mostly white tea, with only the barest breath of fir, still of the "breath of fresh air blowing through a stand of trees in the Sierra Nevadas" vein. It's a fruity, brisk scent, good for spring. ...That said, what I was really looking forward to here was the mingling of and/or contrast between the warm, sweet elements, and the brisk, zingy, cool ones. Sometimes they're in perfect harmony and it's an incredible sensory experience, but sometimes they're working at cross-purposes and getting in each other's way. (Of course, it *is* that time of the month for me, so I'll have to re-test this next week and see if it settles down any.)
  12. Lunasariel

    What BPAL would this fictional character wear?

    Grand Guignol is a good one! It's very syrupy-sweet with an interesting spicy edge, but on my skin it also develops a unsettling plasticky note. Perhaps Grand Guignol layered over something with prominent rot and/or dirt and/or vetiver notes? Burial actually smelled like rotting plant matter to me, and Death Cap, Orc, and Iago are all very dark and ominous-smelling to me.
  13. Lunasariel

    Prague

    In the imp: An aquatic white floral, soft and sweet and with just a touch of zing to it. A touch of soap already, or that may just be me anticipating the way that most aquatics go on me. Wet: A flash of unexpectedly lush, fruity white florals, much more personality than I had expected. And then boom, gone. Softly sweet, clean soap. I agree with Kyme - on my sheets or delicates, this would be divine. But on my skin, it smells like I just washed my hands at a fancy restaurant. Dry: Fairly linear - soft, expensive, floral soap all the way down. But as aquatic white florals go, this one is more floral and less soapy than most, so I think I'll age it for a bit and see what happens.
  14. Lunasariel

    Desire

    In the imp: A big, wet, slightly spicy fruity-floral, with heavy emphasis on the fruit. Helloooooo, apple! The bergamot is there, too, as is the rose, but this scent is bringing to mind Brisingamen's older, much vampier sister. Wet: ...Yeah, a bit of diaper rash cream. But the apple-citrus is still notable as itself, and the rose and neroli are doing a similar sweet-sultry-sharp thing together. Once the deeply unfortunate diaper rash cream burns off (which it does after only a few minutes), it resolves itself into a lovely, very feminine, fruity-floral - similar to ITI, but with what is probably the patchouli/musk/woody blend providing some traction. Dry: Still very feminine, now almost entirely floral. I think I'm getting all rose with occasional wafts of neroli, but that could be contamination from an oil burner I've got going. It's a powdery, very perfumey scent at this point, with maybe a waft of vanilla. I almost want to say it's turned to baby powder, but it's more pleasant and a little more complex than that.
  15. Lunasariel

    Lear

    In the imp: Sharp, dry cedarwood - more lumber room than pencil shavings/hamster cage. After a couple of good sniffs, I start to be able to detect some herbal sweetness (particularly the bay, I think), but the cedar is still definitely front and center. Wet: Ouch. The cedar actually gets drier and sharper, and the herbs are all but nonexistent. Luckily, the cedar settles the hell down after a few minutes, leaving... mostly still cedar, actually; just a softer, less abrasive cedar. Dry: Where'd you go, Lear??? After 45 minutes, the soft cedar turns into almost nothing. It's like I put on perfume yesterday and there's still a faint ghost of it clinging to the cuffs of my shirt, but that's it. It's so soft that I can't even tell what notes are there; just a vague, indistinguishable resinousness that could be any of a hundred perfumes. Who would have thought that such a loud, abrasive scent could disappear so quickly? Oh, well, I guess it's kind of in character...
  16. Lunasariel

    L’Idole

    In the imp: Straight from the mail, a big, sharp, astringent blast of juniper. Now that it's had some time to settle, it's still juniper, but a mellower, softer juniper - it feels "blunted" by an omnidirectional mixture of herbs, and maybe a touch of leather. Wet: After a big ZING! of almost-entirely-juniper greenness, my old friend sage and something spicy and almost resinous that's probably the cardamom come out - certainly not overpowering the juniper (at least not at first), but at least as definite accents. I also want to say there's amber and/or leather at the base, providing a warm sweetness to contrast with the sharp, cool greenness of the herbs. It's not terribly obtrusive, but this is a much deeper and more well-rounded scent than it would be without them. I'm getting the feeling of a long, warm leather jacket worn on a trek through a green and living forest. Dry: Surprisingly enough, the juniper burns off entirely, leaving a very amber-forward scent, although an herbal-leather blend is also notable. Right now it's warm and cuddly, perfect for a cold rainy day like today, but from sniffing it ITI, I would have no idea it would wind up like this! I love amber, leather, and this particular stripe of herbal-ness (the sage is green and wonderful, while the cardamom is aromatic, resinous, and slightly spicy), so I'm 100% pleased with how this turned out, but I imagine I would be a bit disappointed if I was looking for all juniper, all the time.
  17. Lunasariel

    Keichu Nyoetsu Warai Dogu

    In the imp: I'm getting primarily a leather-coconut blend right off the bat, but the leather is soft and well-worn, almost a suede. Coconut is something I hate in food, but I'm coming to realize that I love (non-gourmand) olfactory interpretations of it - it's rich and sweet, almost creamy. There's also a mellow, resinous woodsiness at the base, melding beautifully with the leather and coconut. Wet: The champaca takes a big ol' step forward, turning the whole thing into a brisk floral tea - I agree with lookingglass. It takes a minute for any other notes to emerge. But once it does, oh. Oh, wow. The floral tea is still there, but the briskness doesn't mask everything else. The leather is a well-loved suede, the coconut is warm and sweet and a bit dry, the sandalwood is most definitely golden (in fact, I'm getting something almost amber-like), and the "resin" half of "champaca resin" is warm and cuddly. I was hoping that the ITI scent would stay true, and it kiiiiiiinda has. It's gotten deeper, more complex, and more well-rounded, but it's still a beautiful golden scent (albeit now with some cream or light green accents from the champaca). Dry: For a little while, the champaca and coconut give it an almost tropical feel, but eventually the coconut fades and the leather (and maybe the sandalwood?) become more prominent. The champaca resin is still going strong, though, keeping the blend warm without becoming too sultry. TBH, I was expecting this one to be pleasant but not outstanding - I got it mostly for the Planned Parenthood donation - but wow. I've been lucky enough to find one unexpected sleeper hit in every LE release, and I think this might be it!
  18. Lunasariel

    Importune Me No More

    In the imp: When I opened this fresh from the mail (I couldn't resist peeking!), it was a big ol' hit of sharp, nose-biting, lemony rose. Now that it's had a chance to settle, the jasmine is starting to show itself a bit more, but the rose is still dominant. No amber or patchouli yet. Wet: The jasmine takes center stage, with some vague, omnidirectional warmth (could be either the amber or the patch, or even both) to complicate it. The rose sneaks back in after just a minute, and for a while ever time I sniff, the rose and jasmine seem to trade places: one the main note, and the other supporting it. I might get just the faintest whiff of amber at this stage, but mostly the flowers are running too rampant for me to pin it down. I hardly get any carnation at all, so little that I actually forgot it was a listed note - just a hint of a spicy kick that I thought was an aspect of the rose. Dry: A voluptuous, velvet-and-silk scent. The patchouli never does show up, and the rose-carnation blend does a slow, graceful fade until I'm left with a soft, lovely jasmine-amber. I'm pretty sure this is the same jasmine as in Venus Genetrix - they're similarly deep and complex. Even the jasmine fades away after 8 hours or so, leaving me with an almost vanillic amber. <3
  19. Lunasariel

    Sea of Glass

    In the imp: A clean, bright, citrus-y scent with less aquatics than I'd anticipated, but still with a definite breath of cool sea air. Wet: I got a lovely, lush whiff of white florals as I applied, but on the skin, it's fairly true to ITI - a citrus-y aquatic, but now with a floral element (albeit less lush than that first whiff). But both aquatics and lily-of-the-valley reliably go pure soap on me, and it looks like Sea of Glass is heading in the same direction... Dry: Whew! Instead of heading straight to Soaptown, Sea of Glass actually settles down into a soft, pleasant aquatic with demure white floral overtones. There's almost definitely ambergris in here somewhere, lending the scent that "your skin but awesome" feel that I love so much. Overall, I don't think aquatics and I are destined to be the best of friends, but the ambergris here really saves it! Hopefully a bit of aging will bring forward the achingly lovely, lush white florals and kick the demure ones up a notch or two.
  20. Lunasariel

    Alice's Evidence

    In the imp: Fruity fruity fruit fruit fruit! I've never smelled quince, cassia, or prunes IRL, so the first scent association I had was some sort of bubble gum - it even has the same sort of powdery edge to it. Wet: A BIG hit of ginger (I agree, Mermaid-on-Land - if I didn't know better, I would say cinnamon) that overpowers everything at first. On second sniff, I get a pleasing undercurrent of varicolored fruits. No rum yet, but I'm liking this much more than I thought I would. I tend to amp fruits to high heaven, so I'm pleased that I got a fun, kicky ginger with fruity embellishments instead. Most Mad Tea Party scents lean foody, very young (think Marc Jacobs Daisy or any other perfume marketed towards girls and young women), or both on me; I haven't decided which one this is yet. Maybe both? Dry: Ah, there's the rum! My skin loves rum, and generally turns it into a generalized, warm sweetness as opposed to actual alcohol. The ginger hangs around much longer than I thought it would, but does little more than give the rum some texture and kick. The fruits fade almost entirely, leaving only the barest whiff (and that's if I really go looking for it!).
  21. Lunasariel

    Anubis

    In the imp: Omnidirectional resins and herbs, with an unexpected fresh component and what is almost definitely the Lab's beeswax and/or honey note(s). Wet: More herbal than resinous, and maybe even a bit floral? Yeah, from afar (and this has a pretty good throw on me) I get something herbal-floral. ...And, uh-oh, that may be a soapy note developing. WTF skin??? Dry: That was definitely a soapy edge, but it quickly fades back into a skin-level-only scent, then disappears entirely. What's left is a soft, pleasant beeswax-resinous blend, with a vague herbal edge. Like Casablanca says, pleasantly base note-y. Unusually soft and short-lasting, though - resins tend to really hang around on my skin, but I'm having to huff my wrist to get anything beyond like 6 or 8 hours. Which is respectable enough, but most resins hang around for 10 hours or more. Overall, I find this a very mellow, comforting blend. Nothing stands out too sharply, but that's not a bad thing - it'll be great for days when I feel indecisive or unsettled and need some strengthening.
  22. Lunasariel

    Death Cap

    In the imp: A dry, soft, earthy scent, with a touch of floral freshness and clean air. I'm reminded of long-pressed flowers scattered outside on a fresh spring day, just after it rains. Also, interestingly, when I pull my fingers away after uncorking, I get a very distinct whiff of ambergris. Wet: A much more earthy scent, just as promised. But I agree with maudlinrose - it's a softer, less unsettling scent than Graveyard Dirt, but less wet and living than Yorick. I would still say there's just a hint of vetiver in here, and definitely some ambergris adding a fresh, almost uplifting element. Dry: Musty rather than dirty, I think. The ambergris is definitely still evident, and maybe a touch of very soft vetiver, tempering the Lab's dirt note. For some reason, this blend puts me in mind of... The Black Rider? Iago? Orc? It's an austere, masculine/unisex blend, and I feel like I've smelled something very like it before, but with no dirt note listed.
  23. Lunasariel

    The Season of Ghosts

    In the imp: About equal parts bright, juicy, mouth-watering citrus (primarily blood orange, I think?) and a big ol' snootful of ginger. There might be some frankincense way down at the base, giving the whole scent some traction, but it's hard to tell under the one-two combo punch of citrus-ginger. Definitely a get-up-and-go scent! Wet: The citrus softens down and blooms almost immediately, but it stays pretty close to the skin, where it's pretty much a blood orange/lemongrass/bergamot combo, with maybe some ginger or frankincense for complication's sake. (I almost want to say there's a brown or red musk in there?) But from afar...wow. Just, wow. It's one of those scents that's so well-blended it's impossible to pick out any individual notes, but it's a homey, comforting, bright, and strong scent - I would almost swear beeswax is involved somehow, since it has a similar warm, almost smoky feel to The Lights of Men's Lives or Alma Venus. I think ginger might be a main player? And frankincense? But if so, this is frankincense as I've never seen it before - it normally goes thin and sour on my skin, but this is downright lovely, warm, and well-rounded. Dry: I still say there's beeswax or honey in here somewhere - it has that kind of mellow sweetness. There are occasional worrying whiffs of chemical-lemon-scented cleaning products from afar, but mostly it settles down into a comfortable citrus-ginger scent, with the rose geranium becoming more distinguishable over time, and maybe the frankincense still anchoring the whole thing. I definitely want to pair this with The Lights of Men's Lives. Interestingly enough, this is possibly the first time frankincense has worked on my skin without amber or some other resin to bolster it - normally it goes unpleasantly thin and sour (see above), but this warm, resinous sort of frisson must be what everyone else gets, and I love it!
  24. Lunasariel

    The Forest in Winter at Sunset

    In the imp: Light, soft woods - almost floral and/or citrus-y. I agree with Foodie in that this feels more like fragrant night air than anything else. Wet: I get big ol' wafts of amber as I apply, but a strikingly gorgeous green scent quickly steps up to bat. It's not identifiable as any distinct wood or moss, but instead it's the multifaceted, entwined scent of a living forest itself. There's also a hint of the Lab's snow note, which always reads as cool, crisp air and/or "classic" perfume on me. After a few minutes, it's predominantly amber and/or the snow note, with the greenery taking a step or two back. Dry: The snow fades over time, and the omnidirectional greenery resolves itself into woods (but, again, I can't pick out any type of wood in particular). The amber is present throughout, which I'm 100% a fan of - my skin loves amber, and turns pretty much everything that contains it to warm, sweet, delicious gold. This is no exception. I get a lovely, almost resinous or vegetal amber here - a bit like Philostratus' Phoenix, but much softer (although it initially has quite a throw, it dries down to a skin-level scent) and lacking that citrus element.
  25. In the imp: Mainly warm, thick honey, with just a breath of florals to keep it from smelling *too* much like an apiary. There's something wonderfully wild and nutty-smelling, too, which could be either the "wild musk" or the mallow, which I don't think I've ever smelled before. Wet: There are so many new-to-me notes here, it's a bit difficult to describe what I'm smelling. There's a warm, snuggly, almost nutty scent at the base, which I thiiiiiink might be the same musk as in Coyote. A complex, bright, and brisk zinginess flirts in and out, which could be either the magnolia, the neroli, the orange blossom, or some combination thereof. Not definitively citrus, but it it's got a similar uplifting feel to it. Rich white florals are barely noticeable at first, but come to be a main player within a few minutes, melding beautifully with the honey. It's become a soft, voluptuous, white-gold scent. Dry: From afar, it's the lovely gilded magnolia-with-a-hint-of-neroli-and-honey that so many other people are getting. Up close, it's much more uplifting and citrus-dominant, but with a much toned-down version of the wild musk still present. After several hours, it dries down to a musky honey - less sultry than Womb Furie, brighter and less smoky than The Lights of Men's Lives (which is beeswax and not honey, but still pretty similar), but similar to both, albeit softer than either. There might still be the faintest breath of mallow hanging around, or that could be me remembering them so fondly.
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