ralenth

Wet: Gorgeously lush honeysuckle, with a sharp green stem underneath. Drydown: Faint puffs of wisteria as the honeysuckle fades, but predominantly clean and green. Quite pleasant. Dry: Mostly vegetal green, faintly floral. It's nice and unobtrusive. Definitely not what I expected.

Wet: Sea salt, a dash of driftwood. Drydown: Masculine aquatic cologne vibe washes over the driftwood. Dry: Salt-encrusted driftwood with occasional whiffs of the cologne. Quite lovely.

ITB: Eating gooey cookies in my step-dad's garage. Wet: Hot metallic grease, but strangely pleasant. Drydown: The grease calms down. BFC gives off a good dose of baking vanilla and chocolate, but layered with a bit of masculinity. Dad is totally baking cookies for the fundraiser. It's not quite foodie, but it doesn't really smell like anything else I've ever tried.

Aged bottle: 07/2014 Wet: Cherry blossom with flashes of ozone. Dry: Predominantly cherry blossoms still, but with an undertone of spring scented detergent. It's weirdly still pretty, just kind of soapy.

Wet: Soft ivy trailing with sandalwood and a squirt of cucumber. Dry: Ivy clinging close, soft and green.

Wet: A beautiful buttery pumpkin, but without the autumnal spices. Drydown: Pumpkin with a swirl of smoke Dry: Just a soft, buttery pumpkin for me. It's lovely and understated.

Predominantly lavender with something else vaguely floral underneath. It's soft and mellow, rather than the stronger herbal lavender I associate with scents like TKO. Very pretty and feminine.

On my skin, this dries to a muted patchouli and orange creamsicle. It's a little unusual, but also pretty.

Cool, sweet, green, and delicately feminine. Even hours later, I am getting pleasant wafts of it.

This scent has very minimal throw, but is a delicious, mellow vetiver that is thick, dark and smoky. It last for a long time on my skin, but I tend to amp vetiver, so this is unsurprising.

Delightfully sweet peppermint dipped in vanilla. It is glorious on a hot summer day.

Wet: Dark primal forest, and a thick musk. Dry: Ruggedly masculine, sexy pheromone-inducing lumberjack.

Wet: Bright red musk and a something that almost seems like a toasted sugared grain. Drydown: Mostly a sweet red musk forward blend with the slight powderyness I get from dragon's blood. Dry: Not much remains after a few hours except a sweet marshmallowy scent.

Super bright lemon verbena, with a little bit of effervescence from the champagne. It's incredibly cheerful, and hangs close to the skin.

In the Bottle (aged since 2007): Citrusy tea. Mostly citrus though. Wet: Chrome- tipped gardenias. Drydown: The chrome fades rather quickly, and a lush gardenia drenched in green tea blossoms out from my wrist. Dry: Unfortunately, this doesn't last more than an hour on my skin. I loved it while it lasted.