VetchVesper

Got this fresh from the mailbox this morning, but so far, it's a win. Most definitely a floral, but one I'm happy to have in my collection, even though pure florals aren't usually my thing. When first applied, I get something akin to the Ars Moreindi florals. A complex, and slightly nose tickling bouquet where the notes run together creating something more than the sum of their parts, but Flower Moon is brighter and more Springy than it's funereal counterparts - less stuffy and formal. There is a sugared aspect that also makes this seem youthful and sunny, and something warm and golden holding it all together and giving the fragrance a bit of non-floral depth. I'm not sure if it's the honey or something unnamed. Wisteria can go sharp and soapy on me, but here, it seems balanced by the other notes. The nose tickling bit of the fragrance thankfully departs after a few minutes leaving me with a sugary bouquet. Flower Moon has the same sort of feel to me as Qui Aime Bien Châtie Bien, though the scent is quite different. Unabashedly floral, feminine , and youthful without being immature. So far, it's lasted four hours on me and is still going.

Lemon grass. I know b/c unlike actual lemon, it goes weird and swampy on me. It's not terrible here, but I'm getting that undercurrent of swamp. I'm also getting some baby powder and something darker. Not for me.

Green bamboo reeds, polished labdanum, oakmoss, and white patchouli. Slightly sweet and incredibly fresh and green at first. I almost get a sense of lime and fresh cut grass - that sort of zesty freshness. Then the heavier notes start to come in, grounding the fragrance like a soft bed of moss. It's still very green, like the color the landscape gets after a heavy downpour. After the bamboo, the labdanum is most recognizable, adding its sweetness. The fragrance goes mossier as it dries down, but it stays light and springy. There's a touch of aquatic going on, and Bamboo Curtain begins to go a little soapy on me, but I'm still finding it pleasant. All soapiness is gone after 1/2 an hour. The white patch has made a demure entrance, and now the moss smells gently spiced. Gender neutral, subtle, and beautifully green. Hopefully this one gets some love, b/c it's very nice; think bamboo forest in a rain storm and you've got the gist. Lovely for rainy spring days and the summer.

Alas, russet musk does not play as well with me as red, crimson, or blood musk. Nor is the patchouli the earthy warm kind I so love. I was expecting a creamy, sugared patchouli with red musk, but I got a very acrid wood note with a weird layer of sweetness that's not mixing smoothly in the scent. I'm wondering if "russet musk" includes mahogany or cedar notes b/c that would explain the wood and the funkiness on my chemistry. Red musk usually sings on me. If you want red musk with wood notes though, this might be your jam. Or if you can't normally wear red musk maybe. 😕 Off to swaps!

Strange and ephemeral. I do smell the licorice at first, but it's thin and airy, mixing with a light musk that does remind me of, as someone stated earlier, soap bubbles. Not "soap" mind you, but specifically the bubbles. Looking at the notes, I realize its the elemi that is giving it that strange, aldehyde quality. It's delicate and a bit otherworldly. There are hints of something darker underneath, but I don't smell recognizable flowers. This smells like it should be chilled, if that makes ANY sense. The licorice goes away, and mostly, I'm left with a shadowy elemi scent. Interesting, but I"m regretting gambling on a bottle. C'est la vie. 🦋 ETA - This has grown on me. I've finally learned to identify freesia, and I can smell it in the mix. This is very floral and soft, but it's got a shadowy depth that keeps it from going girlish or prim. I still can't identify the rose otto and jasmine sambac, but I think they must lend the blend some of that gentle mystique. I'm also getting a consistent thread of licorice throughout the wear; it's just not the foody/black licorice I'm used to. It's subdued. Very nice for spring.

Hooooooooooo! This is like Smokestack got drunk and burned the factory down! In your face booze. In your face vetiver. I kinda like it, but need to see how it settles in. It's like a guy who you kinda dig at the bar, but you wanna see how he is sober. Anywho -- first impressions. 😝 I'll report back in a few weeks after we've settled in. ETA: Reporting back faster than expected. This is masculine and very acrid on me at first. I was hoping that would settle out, but I doubt it will enough to work for me. The sharp alcohol of the bourbon mixes with a harsh vetiver and a whiff of weed that is sharper smelling than it was in Stoned Griffon and Black Light Reactive Poster. It's not STRONGER mind you. I actually think it's more balanced by the strong notes here, but it's harsher. Everything settles down and smooths out fairly quickly, and I get a well blended fragrance that's reminds me of black musk but isn't quite. It's' also kind of old fashioned smelling.... but again.... just a bit off center. The booze note has died down considerably. I think this might work great for a guy who wants something a little edgy that can still pass for normal, but it's not for me. The bottle art is great though. ❤️

Cito really surprised me. I expected something much foodier, but what I get is more of a husky honey incense, and it's glorious. It smells a bit dirty on me at first, I think from the ginger, but by the half hour mark, it's one of those fragrances you catch whiffs of, realize is you, and need another hit of - stat. It also lasts all day on me and will probably age wonderfully.

Sniff sniff.... Krampus Lace? Or something lighter, but very reminiscent of... That was my first impression of this one, along with, it smells a bit like Portrait of a Young Woman w/a Unicorn. They all belong in the same family to my nose. I think it must be the tobacco, amber, honey blend. I'm also getting a light weight red musk from this, which isn't listed, but I swear my nose says it's here. I went ahead and dabbed on some Krampus, and then I became more aware of the differences in Birdsong at Twilight. Besides being lighter, it's got a delicious creamsicle thing going on underneath the tobacco. Yummy. Whether my loony nose is playing tricks or no, this is very nice. Lighter weight and warm weather appropriate. I'm going to have to call it Creamsicle Krampus.

Got a chance to smell this when a friend bought it. SUPER FRUITY. Smells downright drinkable in the bottle, like a juice or good fruit punch. It darkened a bit on my skin though, which surprised me b/c I'd swear there was some frankincense or amber going on. Maybe the earthiness of the black fig came across as resins on my skin? No idea, but if you want something very fruity, but grown up and complex, this was nice. ETA: I notice the mentions of spice or something herbal from other reviewers. Yeah... that's what I'm getting. I say frankincense b/c it usually goes a bit sharp and dry on my skin, but it could be spice or a bitter green herb. Curiouser and curiouser. 🥝🍋 🍎🍍🍑🍌

Aromatic and foody in the imp. I'm getting something akin to almonds mixed with molasses from the roasted nuts, and I can smell the beeswax. This becomes less sweet as the beeswax overtakes the nuts. I detect sandalwood, but it's subtle and grounding rather than prominent. It or the ti leaf is adding a gentle, woody spice to the beeswax. I don't ever get anything I would associate with bamboo, nothing green. The beeswax teeters on the brink between a woody aromatic and gourmand. I'm ambivalent towards beeswax, but if it's your jam, this is worth a sniff.

Floral white tea that's quickly overtaken by a salty white rice note. It's a similar note to the one in Hungry Ghost Moon, and it's not as buttery and rich as the basmati note. I think the saltiness is coming from the sandalwood which is becoming a little more obvious as the fragrance develops. Aaaaaand now it's a vaguely floral, incense over gentle rice. Like jasmine rice if it was scented with things other than jasmine. It's odd and interesting. I'm enjoying the junk blends. We definitely need more junk, Ted!

So Unicorn Junk immediately brought back childhood memories of some bubble bath I had as a kid, which surprised me b/c I wasn't expecting an aquatic note, but it is there in that "foam" descriptor. Lots of lovely coconut foam. At first, I get a blend of Obatala coconut and the Sea Foams Milk (which I am quite fond of). It's very beach spa. Complicating the fragrance, in the best way, is a thread of golden, marshmellowy vanilla that wafts in and out from the benzoin and mallow. The lilac creeps in towards the dry down as the potent coconut calms, and by this point, it's a very unique and lovely blend. I kind of want a bottle of this for summer, even though aquatics are usually not in my wheelhouse. I shall have to see how long it wears. P.S. Cedar is usually a no go for me, though I took a chance on this one b/c Himalayan cedar seems to be milder and less offensive on my chemistry. I'm not having any cedar issues here. It's just all lovely.

Definitely different, but unfortunately, this goes musty on my skin in a way I don't care for. The smell does have the nuance of heavy fabric, but it's one that's been sitting in a trunk for a while. Still, it's an interesting scent experience. In some ways, this reminds me of the Sacred Talisman bath oil, (perhaps the iris and honey?) but that fragrance worked out better for me. I'm guessing the immortelle is what's most prominent here b/c I'm not recognizing the main note and I don't get a definite sense of the notes I'm familiar with. Powdery, herbal, vaguely sweet, verging on lightly minty. This in no way smells foodie/gourmand on my skin. Interesting, but not for me.

The sweet mint and herbal green of the thyme share an equal partnership with the champaca at first. The mint starts to drift away early in dry down, and the champaca becomes more prominent, neck and neck with thyme. The thyme wins out on my skin, but just barely. The sandalwood whispers at me in the late dry down. The champaca in this is very nice, and if you like thyme, definitely check this one out. The notes work together to make a unique melange, but I'm not sure if that melange strikes my fancy enough for me to buy a bottle, since I have quite a few beautiful champaca blends already. It is an interesting twist on my beloved champaca though, and I will enjoy having something so different in my imp collection.

Oh, that's very pretty. It has a similar feel to Enthusiastic Afternoon Liaison. The lotus blossom is right up front, backed by a little hint of the cherry blossom. Then everything is made husky and softly incensed by that amber and teak. The mallow and honey add a thread of light sweetness, but the florals are the main players on my skin.

This really does smell like good, spiced black tea. It's along the lines of a chai b/c of the clove. The vetiver is very mellow. This is not fruity or sweet, and smells very gender neutral. Lovely!

Beautiful basmati and mellow champaca. I've heard basmati rice's aroma compared to pop corn, and true to form, there's some similarity here. Very unique and foody in an unexpected and lovely way. I definately get the rice pudding comparisons. This is very comforting and whimsical, and I might need a bottle.

I'd still say Robotic Scarab, Jolly Roger, and possibly Embalming Fluid, but Wilde also has a nice cologne aspect that seems like it would work well in heat. Death on a Pale Horse has some nice, bright citrus, but still has moss and wood to ground it with a touch of warmth. White Chapel might work, but that was all flowers on me. Oh - actually Holy Water is really an interesting one - stone and lavender I think? Very cool feel. Gender neutral.

This smells a bit... unwashed to me. I'm thinking it might be the red sandalwood. I get a husky, rose incense. Sort of a rose version of Anne Bonny, which I am also not a fan of either, although I love patchouli. I love the old B&BW Sandalwood and Rose scent, but alas, this ain't it.

A fruity, tart rose, with a pleasant soapy quality. This smells very prim, and yes - Victorian. This smells like those little hand soaps your mom lays out when guest are coming that you are never allowed to use. Unfortunately, the rose in this goes sour on my skin. Not for me, but probably very appropriate to the time period.

The rose is indeed subtle in this. The jasmine is not. Very jasmine heavy floral. Sumptuous smelling. Wicked reminds me of a simpler Obsidian Widow, which I prefer when I do have the occasional urge to wear a heavier floral. This isn't really my type of fragrance, but if you like jasmine, check it out.

So my experience with Ice seems to be different from most. I smell everything but the ginger. The eucalyptus blossom definitely has a gentler quality than plain ol' eucalyptus and the mint is light and sweet. This whole fragrance is quite sweet on me in fact, and the musk mellows it and gives it a wispy quality. I get the coconut note others are mentioning, though I'm not sure it's ACTUALLY coconut. It strikes me as a quality of the musk. Ice smells less sharply cold than I expected and very aldehydic. I get no soap, although aquatics often do that on me. I get why people say cologne, but it's too sweet on me to read as masculine. I get more of an androgynous leaning feminine vibe. Tilda Swinton could wear this in a white suit. I actually quite like it, but I don't if I'd have cause to wear it often. It has a polished, modern, professional feel. Not sharp, but slick and synthetic. It reminds me a bit of The First Time I Saw a Ghost and Snow White. Maybe sticking the two together and taking out the floral notes? Glad I got to try it and I'll enjoy having the imp.

STRONGLY floral and sweet. I get lots of orange and orange blossom and heady jasmine at first. The jasmine is intense, but it's nice. Sometimes the note goes chemical on me. I'm not getting a distinct rose smell, but I think its obscured by the other notes, mainly the orange which is still very potent. I'm getting the smell of the peel. The rose does become detectable once the orange calms down, but jasmine is the floral that reigns. The myrrh and musk serve more to bind the other notes, and don't smell prominent to me. I'd have to be in a very specific mood to wear this one. It's so unapologetically heady - like Jezebel on steroids. That orange is very nice up front though, and if you if you really like jasmine ....

So - 2018 version. This one is really odd and hard for me to describe. What's most prominent to me is a green grass note, followed by a powdery note that could be cake flour or powdery ash. I get no yellow cake. I get no Dorian. I might be getting some herbs. I find this a truly odd and offputting malange of notes that don't seem to work together. However... 3 or 4 hours later, I smelled something pleasant, and realized it was this. I could swear I was getting a wispy, slightly soapy champaca. I got no clue, man..... 😕

Dwarf smells mellow and herbal to me at first. There's a vaguely floral smell, but it's like clover or wild flowers rather than full on FLOWERS. It doesn't make me think of beer, but that's probably a good thing, since I'm not a fan of what I think of as "beer" smell. Thinking about it further though, I could see a mellow IPA smelling like this, so..... there be your hops. It's an interesting and pleasant blend, though not one I'd wear much. The thing that really kills it for me though, is something turns into wet dog on my skin after about ten minutes. After about an hour, this becomes a really unusual leather blend that I like, but it's just not worth the wait time for me.