paperdoll

Initial Sniff: Sniffing the vial, I can't pick out any notes except mandarin. This is very citrussy. Wearing: Citrus goes poof! and the lily of the valley comes on in. I can smell a nice sandalwood base, but mostly this is the white floral show. Eventually the vanilla turns all baby powdery and makes this lily and baby powder. Final Impressions: So why can't the lovely opium and sandalwood dominate this blend? Because my skin chemistry is whack. Boo.

Initial Sniff: Milk and honey and creamy carnation. Wearing: This is so sweet and light. The carnation adds an interesting element of spice. It takes a while, but the rose definately takes over in the end. This doesn't last very long on me, either. Final Impressions: The scent in the vial is amazing, but this really isn't me.

Initial Sniff: Apple pie. How very patriotic for this 3rd of July. Wearing: This starts out as crisp, tart, juicy apples. It fades to something sweeter and just a bit floral. Final Impressions: This is what nice clean Hobbit girls smell like. Oh yes it is. But I am not a hobbit.

Initial Sniff: Cedar with a hint of lemongrass. Very calming. Wearing: This is strongly lemongrass and patchouli at first, which is quite nice and calming. However, this is my skin, and if there is rose to be found my skin will find it and scream it to the world. So the drydown is simply rose. Fianl Impressions: *sigh*

Initial Sniff: Holy vetiver, batman! Wearing: This is just the strangest scent... this starts out very earthy and predominantly vetiver. As vetiver always wins any battle on my skin, I just assumed that was the end of it. Several hours laer, I sniffed my arm and - no vetiver! Just the slightly sweet herbs that seem to be in all of the tarot blends. This very dark scent ended up being almost sunny! Final Impressions: A fascinating interpretation of the card - brilliant!

Initial Sniff: Creamy, powdery florals and civet? Wearing: This is actually quite nice at first, very light, creamy, and sensual. Then it turns to pure baby powder (which is a big ick for me!). Final Impressions: No thanks! I'm not looking to attract the kind of guy who thinks baby powder is way sexy!

Initial Sniff: A big flower bouquet fresh from the garden. Wearing: Here comes the rose! Rose quickly overpowers everything else in this blend. After about 20 minutes, I smell something odd wafting up from my arm. It is Chuparosa, now smelling enticingly like roses and... ass? Final Impressions: Not so much.

Initial Sniff: Cedar and vetiver. Strong and masculine. Wearing:At first this is all cedar and saffron. Slowly the saffron disappears and the vetiver comes out. Cedar and vetiver play nice for a while, then vetver decides to smother vetiver to death and announce his triumph with authority. This has great staying power. Final Impressions: Either this vetiver is different than the one Beth usually uses or the mix makes it express itself differently on my skin. Vetiver always takes over on my skin, but usually it ends up as a spicy dark earth scent. This still has the earthiness, but it is oddly sharp and piercing. Very interesting!

Initial Sniff: Utterly drinkable Irish coffee. Lovely creamy coffee whiskey goodness! Wearing: The Irish coffee scent lasts a long time before fading into an interesting combination of leather, dust, and hazelnut coffee. This has staying power like you wouldn't believe. Final Impressions:Another triumph for Beth! Notes from the Boy: Him: It smells like butterscotch. Me: You think everything sweet smells like butterscotch. Him: Butterscotch smells good. later... Him: Now it smells like a nut. Me: Yes? Him: I'm helping with your review! Make sure you put in there that it smells like butterscotch and then it smells like a nut! Me: ok. Him: *goes off singing "Sometimes I smell like a nut, sometimes I don't..."*

From the Chaos Run Amok Circle: Chaos Theory XX Soft and sweet; slightly powdery... this one reminds me of babies. Previously reviewed by allamanda and Penance. Chaos Theory LXXXVII Dragon's blood and something floral - really, really nice. This goes slightly soapy, but in a good way! Previously reviewed by Vicious Mistress, andrabell, Tesseljoan and yellowrose. Chaos Theory XXXIII Very floral, but I'm not positive which flowers! Jasmine is in there, and other flowers too, but I'm just not sure... this is very pretty in the spot test on my arm, but I think if I applied it everywhere I would find it completely overwhelming. Previously reviewed by Emu Nymph, andrabell, Tesseljoan and yellowrose. Chaos Theory XV OMG - so beautiful!!! This is sweet and slightly fruity (in a pineapple/banana way) slightly creamy and I think there's a touch of sweetgrass in there too. I am completely envious of the person who has this bottle!!! Previously reviewed by Red_Hot_Mama, hypothermya, with coffee spoons, harlequin, quantum spice, inkstone, andrabell, Tesseljoan and yellowrose. Chaos Theory XCV This starts out as citrus, but it quickly becomes sharp and medicinal. It ends up very powdery. Blargh. Previously reviewed by hypothermya, with coffee spoons, harlequin, quantum spice, inkstone, andrabell, Tesseljoan and yellowrose.

Initial Sniff: Grapes, herbs, and soap. Wearing: Once this is on my skin, I don't really notice the grapes - it is just an herbal soapy smell. Final Impressions: Meh. I didn't really feel any more confident, but the smell is ok.

Initial Sniff: PINE. Wearing: This is a nice crisp pine when wet - a walk through a dense forest. As it dries, the ambergris and musk slowly and smoothly take over. When completely dry, it is all smooth sweet ambergris and musk. Final Impressions: My favorite stage of this is when the pine, ambergris, and musk are all in balance - it is absolutely amazing at that stage.

Initial Sniff: Mmmmm... almonds and cinnamon. Wearing: The ylang ylang dominates when wet, but as this dries the sweet almonds and spicy cinnamon sneak back into the mix. I can't smell the myrrh specifically, but I do feel its presence, as it warms and softens the blend. Completely dry, this really smells like flushed and satisfied skin. Final Impressions: Holy crap. This is so sexy!!! I must have more...

A tropical, humid, lush scent, with a faint echo of Pacific breezes, jungle blossoms, and deep wet woods. Sampaguita blossoms, banana leaf, palm, and narra. Initial Sniff: Woah. Banana. Wearing: I was hoping that the banana smell would fade into the lovely tropical green-ness, incense, and wood combo most others have described. Alas, Penance's review says it all: banana puree, tropical blossoms and some vague green stuff. Fianl Impressions: If I liked bananas I would love this scent. I do not like bananas. They are mushy and gross. So unfortunately, this one is off to another home where it can receive the banana love it deserves.

Initial Sniff: Berries and mint.. very interesting! Wearing: This starts off minty, but the mint quickly fades leaving a cherry cola scent behind. It is sweet, bubbly, and faintly fruity. Some herbal smells come out after a while. Final Impressions: This is sipping cherry cola at a summer picnic in the sunshine. Very happy, carefree, and fun! Perfect for summer.

Initial Sniff: Cinnamon and... peanuts? Surely my nose is off... Wearing: Very very cinnamon. Luckily the peanut was a fleeting phenomenon, and as this develops I smell cloves and a wood note in addition to the cinnamon. This lasts, well, all night long. Final Impressions: I like this, The cinnamon doesn't turn into Red Hots; rather it is like cinnamon sticks. VooDoo Effects: I don't know that affects the boy, but it has a positive effect on my libido.

Initial Sniff: Ylang-ylang. Wearing: This is a beautiful ylang-ylang scent - I really can't pick out any other notes. It is soft and slightly sweet. As it dries, a soft spice comes out as well. This is very sensual in an understated way. Final Impressions: I thought that I didn't like ylang-ylang, but I was mistaken. This is perhaps my favorite of the Panacea blends.

Initial Sniff: Lemons! Zingy and fresh. Wearing: This stays true to the scent in the vial on my skin. Fresh zingy lemons all the way! This disappears very quickly. Final Impressions: A must-try for those who like lemons. Like the other Panacea blends, this is amazing!

Initial Sniff: There is something extremely sharp in this - I have no idea what it is. Wearing: The unidentified sharpness quickly dissipates leaving a lovely warm amber behind. This becomes like an amber single note on me and lasts a really long time! Final Impressions: I love amber.

Initial Sniff: Orange! The smell of your hands after you take a whole orange and roll it along the table to prepare it for juicing. The oils from the peel are released into your skin. Quite bitter, but there is a hint of sweetness there as well. Wearing: This is the smell of your hands after you've peeled an orange. The bitter rind oils are still there, but it mostly explodes with orange juiciness. The pith is there too. Absolutely amazing. This fades quickly, however. Final Impressions: This is the most incredible orange scent I have ever encountered. I cannot beleive that you can capture these scents in a bottle! However, it did not make me feel terribly moxious.

Initial Sniff: Very herbal/incensey in the vial. I don't really smell the fruits. Wearing: The fig and date explode on my skin when the oil hits my wrist. Huge over-ripe fruit lurking above me... After it dries for a while, the dark herbs come back out. I think it is predominantly patchouli. Final Impressions: All of the fig blends I have tried have a really sickly near-rotting fruit smell to them once they get on my skin. I think I need to stay away from that note.

Initial Sniff: Lavender (without the astringent quality) and citrus. Wearing: This is the smoothest lavender I've ever experienced. The blend is like its name - quiet and muted. It is mostly lavender, but my guess as to other components: lime, chamomile, and something minty. It starts out as lavender-citrus mint, and ends up lavender-chamomile. Final Impressions: This is just lovely. It is calming and relaxing - I'll be keeping it on hand for when I'm so keyed up nothing else will do!

White florals - ugh! Sorry this isn't more helpful, but nothing about this blend works with my chemistry.

Initial Sniff: The most bitter cocoa and rich wine. Wearing: The wine and rum really bloom on my skin, tempering and sweetening the bitter cocoa. This is an incredibly rich, warm, deep scent. As it wears, the booziness dissipates and the cocoa sweetens just a touch, leaving a warm chocolatey scent behind. Final Impressions: I am surprised by how much I like this.

... He is a Hermetic Magician's hero for the ages, and his scent is an elegant, timeless, truly refined cologne, bold yet classic: gilded amber, hypnotic lavender, brash carnation and deep mosses. Initial Sniff: Lavender and moss. A bit sharp. Wearing: Woah. This is amazing. The amber, creamy carnation, and soft moss meld into this incredible refined masculine scent. I really can't figure out how to describe it. The color association is a soft grey-purple. This has great staying power. Final Impressions: Beautiful. This smells on me just like Noir smells on my man, which is odd. It is a very comfortable scent for that reason, I think.