alterosen
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#49 - Samhain with lots of honey. Unlike Mandragora above, I'm not noticing any rose #71 - Samhain with sweet red fruit (cherry?) & maybe some honey. This one might have a bit of rose, as well, because there's a plastic-y incense phase that happens with some rose notes on me though it goes away after a while
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Samhain #14 decant Classic Samhain with extra apple and a glug of booze. But what kind? Not rum, nor wine, nor champagne, nor whiskey. I'm guessing cognac or brandy. The apples are sweet and red, and are enhanced by the booze. This is an excellent version!
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Bottle #138 This has a somewhat savory aspect to it, bit of lime, maybe some coriander and possibly some mugwort.
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Chaos Theory V: Recursive Self-Similarity v1
alterosen replied to awesomeoverlord's topic in Limited Editions
A couple more: Number very faint: appears to be CDXCXV which is nonsense as Roman numerals but works to identify it. Resins, some cedar, then frankincense galore. Dorian has been completely overwhelmed There's maybe a tiny bit of musky vanilla lurking way in the background if I really huff my wrist but it's mostly a resin-fest. Number mostly rubbed off but there's a V under "self" in the Recursive Self-Similarity V printed on the label. Citrusy tea with tropical flowers. Not a sharp white floral but something creamy & glamorous. Don't think it's gardenia or tuberose because I tend not to like those. Doesn't seem like jasmine either but it could be one of the well-behaved varieties. Gets a bit fruitier as the vanilla warms up but I can't pin it down to a specific fruit. I quite like this blend even though I don't know what's going on Languid warm weather vacation in a bottle! -
Chaos Theory V: Recursive Self-Similarity v1
alterosen replied to awesomeoverlord's topic in Limited Editions
Dorian CD (400) Not too sure what I'm smelling here but I'll try: starts out with a something evergreen-ish (not pine, cyprus maybe?) could also also have some tobacco, then some nice sweet tea with a bit of a masculine edge. The fougere seems to come out at the end rather than at the beginning like with regular Dorian & is slightly sharp. It's sweet but the vanilla is mostly hidden. Reminds me a bit of Theodosius on the drydown so perhaps there's some bergamot, too. Dorian CDLXXIV (474) Citrusy fougere & fruity vanilla at first, little bit tropical (I want say pineapple, could be a citrus mix), quite sweet, lightly musky, vanilla finish, very pleasant for warm weather eta: Tried it again today & there's also a bit of faint carnation midway through. Hard to believe I didn't notice it previously but it doesn't last long before the musky sugared vanilla covers it up. -
I notice the gunpowder quite a bit in this & I thought there was also some vetiver. It seems gritty & industrial at first, but then it smoothes out as the tobacco develops. My dh really likes this beard oil & it has helped with dry skin on his chin.
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My decant is rather heavy on the beeswax with a little rosewater so it leans sweet, creamy & musky. Very little woods or leather - I can pick out a tiny bit but they're mostly masked by the beeswax. I'm picturing a plush, golden-cushioned boudoir rather than anything masculine.
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Love this! I'm a late convert to the Serpentine - I'm a huge Dorian fan but lavender is hit or miss (can't stand TKO). I tried the Serpentine HG recently, adored it & was delighted to manage to track down some of this spray. After the first blast of lavender & fougere, the most fabulous musky vanilla comes out & lingers nicely. I suspect my kids & dh are getting a little tired of how much I use this but too bad!
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Dead Leaves, Patchouli, and Bay Rum Atmosphere Spray
alterosen replied to Dark Alice's topic in Atmosphere
My decant is heavy on the dead leaves with the patch second & the bay rum only a background note. It reads a bit dungeon-y to me for some reason. My husband quite likes it but I was hoping for more of the bay note. -
Excessively Cheerful Christmas Tree Lot Atmosphere Spray
alterosen replied to ellocentipede's topic in Atmosphere
I should love this more than I do - I adore Schwartzwald & other evergreen based atmospheres but somehow this just doesn't thrill me. It's nice & piney as advertised, with that hint of lemon mentioned upthread, but would need a bit of stone or wood for it to sing for me. There's a little creaminess or light musk in the background once it dries. It also doesn't linger as much as I would like. I like it fine but don't reach for it that often. -
Chaos Theory VI: Recursive Self-Similarity v7
alterosen replied to Kitrona's topic in Limited Editions
I have Vanilla #167 . Previously reviewed here Agreeing about the caramel & apples and want to add some chamomile to the drydown which goes quite well with the other notes. -
#12 decant Sweet cinnamon (not red hots), honey, bit of pastry & a hint of lemon. Reminds me of baklava though there's no nut note. Mmm!
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Rose Recommendations - which blend is for me?
alterosen replied to Nadirah's topic in Recommendations
Do you find the tea rose note too bitter or sharp or is there something else about it that you dislike? What have you tried? I find BPAL roses are very dependent on skin chemistry, so you're probably going to have to do a lot of testing! I often suggest London as a nice realistic rose but since it is tea rose that's probably not going to work for you. The Rose is quite fresh & true to life but since you like pink, yellow & peach roses IRL, I would look for those in the notes rather than red rose. Also you might like the roses that have a fruity aspect since I find many modern roses do have a bit of citrus or berry in their scents. Also blends that are reviewed as being sweet might counteract any bitterness or sourness coming from the rose. Hedylogos, Snooty Rose, The Fool's Rose, Sept, Onze, The Best Lies, Hope would all be worth trying. I'm sure people will chime in with others! -
Hi Dark Alice,
Your inbox might be full - it won't let me pm you.
thanks, alterosen
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This really doesn't work on me. Starts out super smoky as expected, then goes badly funky. Mildewy pine or wet dog? Mugwort? Something sour, murky & kind of rank. The funk fades as the smoke amplifies & takes on a bitter, inky tone which means a certain leather note has arrived. I asked my son if he wanted to sniff my wrist at this point & he fled across the room, fast. And I had only dabbed it on, not slathered! After about an hour of harsh, smoky leather, a whisp of vanilla musk arrives. It steadily gets stronger while the leather fades until we get the nice Lace base with a smoke accent. There seems to be a bit of extra musk, too. I do like the drydown but am not going to deal with the wet phases again. I was hoping for some spiced plum but never got any opium, clove or fruit. People who wear smoke & leather well might have better luck with this scent than me.