Lunasariel

In the imp: A lovely, light, springy, aquatic floral - I get the impression of running water and greenery, with flowers hidden in the grass.

 

Wet: The light, springy aquatic continues at first, but then a very realistic, spicy, green-sap smell emerges, and the florals shortly thereafter. In fact, the florals come to be a little bit woozy for me - I think it's the honeysuckle? It's got some pretty good throw at this stage, too.

 

Dry: Thankfully, the wooziness fades after only a few minutes. The honeysuckle settles down, and the tuberose and gardenia (particularly the former) come into their own. It eventually settles down into something about 60% tuberose, 25% gardenia, and 15% honeysuckle, although these do blend together beautifully; so much so that it's difficult to pick out one floral on its own. After half an hour or so, it becomes something creamy-sweet, almost vanillic (but never foodie!), and stays there for the duration of the scent, which is about 6 hours on me.

 

This is a perfect spring scent - it makes me think of running water, growing greenery, and just-opened flowers.

In the imp: Very fruity. I definitely get the apple, and Fragrentica says apple plus pear equals quince, and I'm also getting something quite juicy and pear-like, so that must be the quince. There's a soft fuzz of herbs around the edge, stopping the scent from going straight to Juicy Fruit territory, and I think the "soft musk" mentioned might be white musk?

 

Wet: Ah, there's that jasmine. It's now primarily a lush, sweet jasmine, rounded out a bit by herbs (difficult to pick out any particulars, but I think I might be getting the thyme?), and an occasional incense-y waft of myrrh. The intense fruitiness I got from ITI is still hanging around a bit, but now it's just a facet instead of the main player.

 

Dry: Settles down into an apple(/quince?)/jasmine combo very reminiscent of Desire. However, I apparently go nose-blind to this one INCREDIBLY quickly. After four or five hours, all I can get is maybe some sandalwood and the ghost of fruit, and that's after some damn determined sniffing. According to other people, it's got a low-to-medium throw jasmine and white musk.

In the decant: The first impression I get is an oddly effervescent, almost soapy, fruity-floral, leaning a little more fruity than floral. I also get a bit of the poppy smoke, but at this stage, it's more like the ghost of smoke, where all the acrid edges have been blunted.

 

Wet: Vaguely fruity soap at first, which did not fill me with anticipation. However, after a few minutes, the soap starts to trade places with a pleasantly light, fruity, patchouli. Eventually, it ends up as a light, pleasant fruity-patch-floral. I thought this would be a rich, languid, very NSFW scent, along the lines of Red Lantern or Nasty Woman, but instead I'm getting a lot more "aristocratic" and not quite enough "prostitutes," if you know what I mean. Maybe this is one of those rare instances where jasmine, which I ordinarily love, just catastrophically fails to work on me?

 

Dry: The soapy jasmine continues for a good four or five hours, rounded out by occasional whiffs of fruit (not strong enough to identify the plum directly). After that, though, the soap burns off and I'm left with a tantalizing, elusive, smoky jasmine, complicated by whiffs of an interestingly subdued, non-juicy plum, and supported by some very subtle patch. If patchouli is normally a growly, stomp-all-over-everything Godzilla of a note for you, this might be a more wearable alternative.

In the imp: A dry, aromatic scent; mainly cedar, with the edges softened by sage. There's almost a smoky quality to it, like a campfire in the mountains comprised mainly of cedarwood, with some dried sage used as kindling/tossed on for some flavor.

 

Wet: Still cedar-and-sage-in-that-order-dominant, but now a little more resinous - I almost want to say ponderosa pines. After a few minutes, just a hint of brown sugar arrives to bring the whole blend a little more warmth and sweetness. This is the essence of hiking in the Sierras in the summer, with the sun beating down on the grasses around you and the pines getting a little sappy.

 

Dry: No real surprises here. The sage, which has softened to a sort of omnidirectional herbaceousness, comes to dominate, and the cedar dials way down. That touch of brown sugar remains throughout, not candy-sweet, but providing the whole thing with warmth and unity.

 

I didn't expect to find a heartening, John Muir-y, hiking scent among this year's Lupers, but I'm glad I did! Most likely bottle-worthy.

In the imp: A big, heady whiff of sweet, rich, woozy, almost buttery rum. They weren't kidding about that "sweet, sugared" part! There is definitely some coconut in there as well (no tobacco as of yet), but it's all secondary to that rum. And I love rum scents, especially if tobacco is also involved, and I've also come to love coconut over the last year or so, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Wet: Ah, there's the coconut and tobacco. The coconut is just the way I like it - dry and non-foody, just adding a hint of soft, creamy sweetness. I think I'm also getting the tobacco, unless the coconut is really dry. There's an elusive, smoky element that takes this scent away from the "lethally strong tropical drink" category and making it more of a mysterious, midnight scent. It's still got quite a bit of throw to it, and is definitely too much for me to wear to work, but now there's something a bit more subtle about it.

Dry: Pretty linear. The coconut gets a bit drier and less prominent, while the tobacco amps up and becomes more chewy than smoky. The rum settles down and mellows even further. Pretty much all alcoholic scents that aren't based around grapes or gin (rum, bourbon, whiskey, etc.) are wonderfully mellow, warm, and sweet on my skin. This is definitely no exception.

In the imp: On first sniff, I got rose. Then jasmine. Then rose again. It shifts back and forth a lot, but it's a dark, slinky, sexy, voluptuous scent. If it stays exactly like this, I will be 100% happy.

 

Wet: Still flip-flopping. Either rose-jasmine or jasmine-rose, 60/40 each way. Sadly, it's gone a bit sharp and lost that candlelight-and-velvet feel from ITI. It's still a nice, lush floral, though.

 

Dry: Passes through an unfortunate soapy phase (huh, I've had frankincense misbehave, but never myrrh), but after three or four hours it's quite nice. A little musty, but still that jasmine/rose - rose/jasmine flip-flop. Soft, sweet, and very realistic!

In the imp: Marzipan, marzipan, and more marzipan! Honey-sweet almonds all the way down - if there's any cream or milk to be found here, it's buried way too deep under that landslide of marzipan for me to detect it. Boy, do I wish I liked marzipan, like, at all.

 

Wet: Does a complete 180 to become a your-skin-but-better scent for a kitchen witch/Demeter-esque earth goddess. The milk (or is it cream?) is soft and comforting, the honey is subtly sweet, and the grains are...just shy of baked goods, is the best way I can think of to put it. Somewhere between sun ripening grain in a field and a kitchen where generations of one family have been baking loaves of bread, but nothing is cooking today. This is astonishingly lovely.

 

Dry: Pretty linear. The throw remains soft overall, but on me it lasts for a good 8-10 hours. The cream and honey are fairly dominant, but the grains give them an interesting spin. There's a family resemblance to O here, but this is O's younger, quieter sister who loves to bake and garden instead of go out dancing.

In the imp: Exactly as described. The red musk is dominant, but I'm also getting some sexy-sultry florals, myrrh (more resinous than incense smoke-y), and the patch is fruity rather than gritty.

 

Wet: Still red musk-dominant and very sweet, but almost a cherry-like or boozy sweetness. The myrrh is drier and more incense-like, and the ylang ylang also takes a big step forward. I can definitely see the Sin comparison; it also reminds me of scents like Red Lantern, Desire, or Scherezade.

 

Dry: A classic BPAL sultry-sexy scent, mainly red musk and patch. That odd, too-sweet, cherry-boozy sweetness has faded, leaving it a lot subtler and more complex. I still get the occasional whiff of florals or resinous myrrh, but mainly it's the red musk and patch all the way home.

In the imp: STRONG, cloying, fruity sweetness - I agree with the bubblegum/candy mentioned above. It tastes like the neon pink gum I always begged for as a kid, but then tasted like talc and artificial sweeteners. Well, here goes nothing.

 

Wet: Hey, that's actually a lot better. It's softer and a lot less chemical-smelling, with a sort of omnidirectional floral element taking center stage. It's still rather sweet and "my mom finally let me pick something out at the scent aisle of the drugstore," but in a good way. It's still a very young, preteen/young teen scent, but this is a girl who's going to have amazing taste in a few years and is already developing it.

 

Dry: The orange blossom is more prominent, but there's still a lot of floral going on here. The strawberry is also still present, but much more in the background. While this scent still feels very young, it's no longer obnoxiously so. I can see myself wearing this on a carefree, picnic-in-the-park-and-ice-cream-after kind of day.

In the imp: To borrow Samuraibrarian's words, a bracing, herbal scent - rosemary and lavender, mostly in that order. I do get whiffs of something a little sweeter and more floral from father out; I like how elusive that element is.

 

Wet: The verbena takes a BIG step forward, only lightly accented by...mostly rosemary, I think? I'm still getting intriguing floral elements from afar, but up close, it smells like the hippie herbal remedy store in my hometown.

 

Dry: A wonderful, softly herbal scent. I almost want to say sage, but I think it's mostly rosemary. It's kind of an omnidirectional herbal, though - think a witch's kitchen or an apothecary. The frankincense is subtle at first, but blooms over time. And huzzah, this is the second blend I've ever found where frankincense doesn't go sour on me! If this is what y'all are smelling the rest of the time, sign me up. It's a wonderful warm, mellow, resinous scent, perfect for a cold January night like this.

In the imp: Lemongrass first and foremost, but made interestingly woody or earthy, almost nutty, by patchouli. I also get a breath of florals, but I'm having trouble picking out which. If pushed, I might say rose, but I'm far from sure at this stage.

 

Wet: Still mainly lemongrass, but the rose is now much more prominent. The patch is now dialed back to the point of invisibility, alas. At skin level, I get occasional whiffs of something spicy - sandalwood? From afar, it's a sweeter scent, with the lemongrass and the rose about equal.

 

Dry: Woodier and woodier. The lemongrass burns off first, as expected, but the roses hang around, but much softer and mellower. I agree with lizabelle - it's a unisex take on the sandalwood/rose combo.

In the imp: Oof! This is a ballsy, dark, growly scent, with throw good enough that I can smell the uncorked but covered imp sitting a foot away from me. The leather is black and fuck-off, the patchouli is at its grittiest, the vetiver is very prominent, the musk is animalic (which is a little odd, since red musk usually reads as sweet to me), and the pepper is spicy to the point of abrasiveness. I'm glad I didn't decide to test this on a day I have to work, lol.

 

Wet: Still very dark, very sexy, and VERY not work-appropriate. The vetiver, black leather (and boy is it black leather), and patchouli are all front and center, with only the barest hint of red musk, which is indeed coming off as a little sweeter, to smooth the edges.

 

Dry: It settles down into a take-no-prisoners, darkly sexy scent, mainly leather and roses. The leather is still a very black leather, as opposed to my usual well-worn leathers and suedes, and the roses are similarly dark. Coconut and red musk provide an earthy sweetness that takes off some of the sharpness. There's just a hint of vetiver remaining, lending the whole thing some grit. And maybe a touch of ginger?

In the imp: Quite reminiscent of The Antikythera Mechanism - smooth, polished wood at the base, with prominent but dry, non-foody vanilla and black tea. I actually found the tea way more prominent than I expected, and I like it! It makes the whole scent a bit lighter, and the vanilla gives it just a hint of sweetness.

 

Wet: Now more Dorian than The Antikythera Mechanism - a light, strong but sweet vanilla tea, with only a hint of woods for grounding. Or rather, Dorian if it actually worked on me; a few years ago my skin decided that anything containing moss/fougere notes was going straight to soap. T.T But now, I'm getting a sophisticated, elegant blend, subtle and sweet.

 

Dry: Actually quite similar to ITI - dark, aged wood, sweetened by vanilla bean pods - it almost reads as the sort of vanillic smell you get from really, really old books. There's still a hint of tea, but it's no longer quite so Dorian-esque.

 

I bought this for its similarity to The Antikythera Mechanism, one of my all-time faves, and while it didn't turn out exactly the same, I'm kind of glad it didn't. I'm forever sad that Dorian no longer works on me, and this is very reminiscent of Dorian, but with the addition of the dark, smooth, aged bookshelves I love from TAM. <3

In the imp: A very light scent, almost carbonated. I think I'm getting the sage and ambergris mostly, but it's more like the scent of sage carried on the breeze. I think I'm getting the florals after some pretty determined sniffing, but it's more like iris root than iris; quite powdery. And finally, I think I can get the patchouli and purple fruit way down at the base, but I've never smelled dark, heavy scents like these so lightly - barely a whiff.

 

Wet: The sage immediately steps to the fore, which I could not be happier about. The ambergris really weds it to my skin, and the leather and patch start to make themselves known a bit more. The iris drifts in and out. It's still a very light, elusive scent, but I'm liking it a lot better now. It feels...well-bred, for lack of a better word; subtle and understated. Definitely not what I was expecting, what with the leather, "patchouli-soaked blackcurrant," etc., but lovely all the same.

 

Dry: A gently herbal, musky leather, actually fairly similar to Anthony, albeit with occasional whiffs of a particularly sweet, fruity patchouli. It's still a very soft, subtle scent, but also a reassuring one. I'm going to reach for this one on days when I feel unsettled and unsure and need some grounding. <3

In the imp: Primarily earthy-sweet fig and that well-worn leather/mellow tobacco combo I've smelled so often they're starting to meld into one scent in my head. I might also be getting the faintest thread of cardamom?

 

Wet: Huh, that's interesting! One wrist is fairly similar to ITI, if a bit more leather-centric. The other is mainly white musk, lightly accented by leather and cardamom. But after a few minutes, both of them settle down into one of the leather-tobacco-woodsy-spicy scents that I so love - the leather and tobacco are by far the most prominent, but I can also get hints of cedar and cardamom. Still no pepper, and I don't think there's any fig left, alas. (This is hilarious to me - I HATE the taste of figs, but I love the smell!)

 

Dry: Woohoo, the fig is back! Now it actually reminds me quite a bit of a more masculine Nasty Woman (Nasty Man?) - earthy, sexy, and sweet. But the well-worn leather is still a major player, and the tobacco, spices, and just a hint of woodsiness and musk are all still distinguishable. I would still call this a cozy, leather-dominant blend, but with a unique twist.

In the imp: I get the "star-speckled" part first and foremost; it reminds me of Zorya Polunochnaya or Lyonesse. White musk? White amber? Vanilla? Ambergris? Something in that family, anyway.

 

Wet: Ah, there's the musk! I kind of want to say it's the same warm, fuzzy one as in Coyote. It blends wonderfully with the cool, crystalline "stars." There is an element of mintiness, or possibly ozone, which blooms once it's had a chance to warm up on my skin, but it fades after five minutes or so. I'm left with an interesting combination of warm, cuddly musk and that crystalline element, which I'm now almost positive is ambergris, Zorya P.'s vanilla, or quite possibly both. This is definitely a good thing, as all of these are total win notes on me. It comes off as incredibly elegant and ethereal, and yet simultaneously snuggly and comforting.

 

Dry: Yeah, I'm going to call this the same "gossamer vanilla" as was found in Zorya P. - They have the same ethereal, elegant feel to them. The puppy-fur musk, however, makes this a warmer, snugglier, more approachable scent. I'm only getting hints of the hay right now, but I imagine that will really come into its own as the blend ages. Bottle-worthy if vanilla or musk are at all your things.

In the imp: A very earthy, almost herbal fruity scent. I expected the lemon rind to be sharp to the point of astringency, but this has and oddly... juicy quality to it? Might be the amber rounding things out.

Wet: This is a scent of wild places, a sunbeam piercing the canopy of the forêt sauvage. The vetiver is surprisingly well-behaved on me, deep and growling but not B.O. or burning tires, the way it can sometimes go. The amber-gilded lemon rind is still fairly dominant, but it's made dark and wild by the patch and just a hint of vetiver. At this point, I would compare it to Hemlock - a very realistic green, wild scent, but dark and mysterious instead of light and springy. Surprisingly little throw so far.

Dry: Huh, that's a surprise! I was worried that the oakmoss would take this blend straight to Soaptown, as it tends to do, but instead I get an oddly pretty, almost fruity-floral scent. The amber is much more prominent, and the patchouli is now providing an almost spicy warmth instead of grit. There's still a breath of wild, fresh air, but I would now call this a cheerful, even office-appropriate, scent. Earthy, maybe. Chthonic, not so much.

In the imp: Yep, this is the smell of the color pink. I sometimes find roses overpowering, but this is a soft, subtle, and lovely one, rounded out by some vaguely vanillic sweetness. I've never smelled Snow White (shocking, I know), so I'm afraid I can't compare the two, but if this is Snow White plus roses, sign me up!

 

Wet: A very soft, femme, princess-y scent - newly-opened, dewy rosebuds and a breath of non-foody vanilla. After a minute or so, the roses gain some traction and start to bloom, but this is still a very young, innocent-feeling scent.

 

Dry: The roses bloom and then fade, taking the vanilla with them. I'm left with...ambergris? Soft white musk? WTF? It kind of reminds me of The Forest in Winter at Sunset - this could be the same snow note. If so, it's unexpected but lovely! It's the worn-in jeans of perfumes - it's casual and understated, and just seems like I naturally smell amazing.

In the imp: Fairly uncomplicated, straight-up lavender. I could easily believe that amber and/or ambergris are hiding somewhere beneath the lavender, but I can't detect them as such.

 

Wet: It starts out a softer cousin of Good Morning, London, but after a few minutes the ambergris comes out and, oh boy. Good Morning, London was actually strong to the point of wooziness on me, but this melds with my skin to become something exceptional. There's just a hint of sweetness from the amber, and the ambergris rounds out any sharper, medicinal edges. Hoooo boy, this is lovely!

 

Dry: After several hours, first the lavender fades, then the amber, and I'm left with a faintly herbal-sweet ambergris. On me, this smells like I've worked up a sweat running through a field of wild herbs and grasses, then washed it off in a stream. But it's still a soft scent, wearing close to the skin. I think this is what I wanted Good Morning, London to be!

In the imp: On first sniff, I instantly said, "Hey, it's ponderosa pines!" But this is probably just a false positive since my grandfather, who is basically Hearth personified, lived in the Sierra Nevadas for many years, and would burn ponderosa pine logs as firewood when we came over. Anyway, this is a warm, homey, woodsy-leathery-smoky scent.

 

Wet: A moment of discord, where the cherry gets sharp and the smoke gets acrid, before it settles down into... pretty much the same as ITI, actually. Maybe a touch more leather? And a bit less smoke, a touch more resinous wood. This is still a warm, snuggly, cozy, "curl up by the fire with a big blanket and a cup of hot chocolate" kind of scent. Perfect for winter!

 

Dry: This is THE winter scent for me. The resins and/or woods are a little more dominant, with the smoke wafting in and out. The leather feels well-worn and warmed. This is the feeling of coming in after a journey through a snowy forest (maybe as in The Forest in Winter at Sunset, another one of my winter favorites) and settling down in front of a roaring fire. It's amazingly evocative and cozy - beautifullly done, Beth!

In the imp: A whiff of jasmine, carried on the breeze. I kinda want to say there's a thread of tobacco in there, but that might be just me trying to smell the listed notes.

 

Wet: Still a light, soft, subtle jasmine; not getting any tobacco yet. Ethereal and lovely!

 

Dry: Hmm, apparently this is the kind of jasmine that goes a bit sharp on me. I was hoping for something in the vein of Zorya P. - a tantalizing, elusive, impossible-to-describe scent, somewhere between floral, herbal, smoky, and sweet. And while this is nice, especially for jasmine lovers like myself, it ain't that. Still, as jasmine SN, this is a nice one!

In the imp: BPAL's champagne note dominates, although it's less fizzy than usual. I also get hints of a broad, sexy, sweetness and wafts of soft, subtle florals underneath, but the champagne makes them difficult to focus on.

 

Wet: Oh dear, there's some soap going on here. From afar, I get a wonderful black velvet cocktail dress kind of scent - I wouldn't be able to identify the Snake Oil without knowing it was there already, but it's a refined, subtle, sexy-sweet scent. But up close, yeah, soap. I bought this because I was very interested to see (er, smell) BPAL's take on a classic like Chanel No. 5, but I don't have the lovely warm nostalgic associations with it that would take this from "yeah, it's alright" to "LOVE FOREVER!!!" To my knowledge, no one else in my family wears any kind of scent or perfume, let alone Chanel.

 

Dry: OK, if this is what Chanel No. 5 smells like, sign me up! It does smell elegant, refined, subtle, and classic. It's warm and cool at the same time (if that makes any sense), slightly spicy, and slightly floral. I could totally see myself wearing this for an elegant night out.

In the imp: I don't have a good scent profile for fig IRL since I absolutely hate how they taste, so I'm afraid I can't speak to that. This is a creamy, sweet, fruity scent - I think this may be the same fig as in Nasty Woman, which I adore. There's something I can't quite put my finger on complicating the scent, cutting the sweetness and giving it some gravitas. I can't say whether it's a woody or green scent like the description says, I just know it's there.

 

Wet: It does almost a complete 180 and becomes an incredibly realistic forest scent (I believe I'm getting pine and/or fir) with a faint but distinct darkly fruity-sweet note winding throughout. Somehow, taken all together, it feels unsettling - a haunted forest with poison fruit ready to drop.

 

Dry: More green-woody than woody-green, still with some ineffable creamy sweetness hanging around. I could do with either less sweetness, or just a different kind, but I am and will always be a sucker for green scents, so I'm calling this one a winner!

In the imp: I was anticipating a SPICEBOMB! going off in a wooden cupboard, but instead, I get straight-up baked goods. Spice cookies, yeah, but cookies nonetheless. Or cake, maybe? Point is, flour, eggs, and milk were definitely involved in this at some point. It's warm, delicious, and exactly what I need on a frosty December day. If there's any sandalwood or tea down there, it's fairly well-buried.

Wet: Ah, there's the sandalwood. I still get cake/bread/cookies wafts from afar, but up close, it's much more pure spices, with cinnamon and/or cassia being especially prominent. The tea note takes a while to appear, but it eventually becomes a fairly major player. Ah, now I get the masala chai comparisons! On me, the spices and tea are a little more distinct from each other, if that makes sense, and they come to rest over an increasingly faint woody background.

Dry: The sandalwood comes to dominate. The spices, now aromatic rather than "spicy", and more omnidirectional than cooking/baking spices, provide an accent rather than being main players themselves. Now it's a soft, cuddly, woodsy scent - low throw, quite comforting. I still do miss the yummy baked goods stage, but this ain't half bad.

Thank you so much for your advice/input/brain-offerings!

 

It sounds like the way to go is: lighter scents, apply early so they have a chance to settle in, and remember that every person's allergies/sensitivities are different. I already have a father and a brother with hyperosmia, so I'm fairly familiar to people who have a naturally low tolerance for strong smells, but allergies are a whole other ball of wax. Norsowideasachurchdoor, I especially appreciate the perspective re: not sticking to the same thing too often - I would never have thought of that, but that's a really good thing to keep in mind.

 

LizziesLuck, thank you in particular for that very extensive list! "Freshly showered" or "just naturally smells nice" are excellent words to keep in mind. Unfortunately, I do tend to lean towards the wood/leather/rum/amber family of scents, but you've given me some great starting points for others.

 

Again, thank you everyone for letting me pick your brains!