ralenth

I grabbed this lovely lady out of my box o' frimpage and decided to give her a go, thinking I'd get something spicy and naughty. Of course, it would have helped if I read the description first.

Pele is soft and lush, like rolling around in a bed of tropical blossoms covered in morning dew. Gentle, sweet and insistent, she lingers. Hate to sound trite, but boy, do I smell pretty now.

I love this one and will be coming back to her again.

A frimp from the lab:

Wet: Dark and mysterious. The pine jumps up and something darker creeps behind it.

Drydown: I feel like I'm rolling around on the forest floor at Christmas time. I am getting a bit dirty, mmm, but I smell like holiday. Not sure this was intended, but my sleep deprived brain likes it.

Dry: Mmm, there's some sort of berry sweetness in addition to the pine now. I don't smell like household cleaner, how delightful!

Overall: I'll definitely come back to this. It's so neat.

Oneiroi is like a bottomless pit of lavender that sucks you down into a deep, restful sleep. I sleep so well every time I use it. I haven't had as much luck with Somnus, but that's okay, because Mr. Oneiroi is a total winner.

I'm in love with the new Blue Moon, but cannot justify another bottle at the price when I am still building my collection. Can anyone recommend a GC that is somewhat similar?

Bottle: Full, lush roses in bloom. Mmm.

Wet: A little sourness creeping in under the roses.

Drydown: Oddly enough, it smells green, evocative of freshly cut stems.

Dry: The green scent is dominating, though I catch faint whiffs of rose.

Overall: Incredibly disappointed. Will test once more before kicking this one to the curb.

Bottle: Citrus abounds in here! I think I can catch a floral livening things up.

Wet: Lemony, slightly like Pledge. Faint floral lingers in the background.

Drydown: Still very citrusy, but less like a cleaning product. Not "sleek elegance" yet, but at least I don't smell like the cleaning lady.

Dry: It's bright and slightly cloying. I thought it would be a bit more swanky with a name like Manhattan, but this smells more like I imagine cheer practice would. Overly bubbly.

Overall: I want to like it, but I don't. I'll come back to it again later on before it goes in the swap bin.

Bottle: Sour tangy scent of leather.

Wet: A bit sour on too. Nothing else really comes through.

Drydown: The sour scent fades, thankfully. The leather is evocative and deep, underlying the sweet crush of the tonka. It reminds me of a sweeter version of what club night used to smell like: leather and sexy, with a bit of clinging smoke, yet still feminine.

Dry: Warm and full, sultry. Oh, I am in lust with this one.

Overall: Yes, yes, yes.

Bottle: Feminine and sexy. Hard to pick out notes, but definitely some sort of musk and a light floral.

Wet: Sensual, musky.

Drydown: Carnations dance a bit with the musk notes, but eventually come out to lead. Very nice play.

Dry: Settles down to a spicy floral scent. A bit deeper than I'd expect from the initial phases, but definitely lovable.

Overall: I never got plum, unless it was hidden somewhere in the depth. I really like this one and could see myself purchasing a bottle.

Bottle: Smells very strongly of maraschino cherries.

Wet: Mmm, cherrylicious. Now I want a sundae.

Drydown: A waft of what seems like vanilla but becomes something pungent I can't quite identify as the scent deepens, licorice, almost. No, anise. A tad bit powdery. Where'd that cherry go?

Dry: A softened creamy blend of the anise with musky notes, with occasional soft peeps of cherry.

Overall: Soft and intriguing, it clings very close to the skin. I really like this quite a bit. Not quite certain if I'd get a whole bottle just yet.

In bottle: Sweet grapefruit scent. Smells like fresh-squeezed juice.

Wet: Mmm, a rush of tart and tangy grapefruit.

Drydown: The bottom opens up and a musky scent peeks out. I catch a bit of something sweeter in there too, but as quickly as I find it, it's gone. Delicious, but keeps changing. Definitely as crazy as the Cheshire.

Dry: Huskier, and faintly fruity. Unfortunately it faded quickly. I'm left with a bit of musk with soft traces of fruit. I like it, but I want the grapefruit to come back.

Overall: I like it, but I'm not sure I'd wear this too often.

bottle: Gorgeous lilies with sweet hints of honey. Smells divine. I think I'm in love, here. Oh, sweet sweet lilies here I come!

wet: Baby powder? Ah, flashes of lilies jump up on occasion.

drydown: Soft, sweet and powdery. Gently feminine, but having a rough time getting past the powdery part.

dry: Definitely fully baby powder at this point.

verdict: I really love how it smells in the bottle, but apparently it just isn't for me.

In the bottle: Sweet, heady floral. Not really picking up the vanilla. My immediate thought is: "Mmm. Lush."

Wet: Whoa, violets. Like candied violets amped waaaaaaaaay up. Delicious, but not sure I want to smell like this all day long.

Dry: Vanilla came out to play, though was a bit jarring up against the violet. Gardenia peeps out a little, but it can stay in the background.

Verdict: As my first experience with violet, I think it went over well. I wanted it to be a bit muskier but I do like it. Uncertain as to whether I will invest in a larger amount.

In bottle: Sweet floral with tinges of pear. Very excited to try this one out.

Wet: Nauseatingly sweet, the honeysuckle is overpowering the other notes.

Dry: Still far too sweet, hoping this one tones down a bit over time. The pear came to play as well what may be one of the lilies. Curious to see how this one continues to develop.

After a while, it turned to a floral baby powder. Another reviewer mentioned it reminded her of Love's Baby Soft and I could not agree more. Sadly, this one might have to be swapped out.

Bottle: At first sniff, a bit heady. Opium comes to the fore, with sandalwood and lily in the background.

Wet: Initially, the lily was overpowering. I felt like a little girl dabbling in my mother's cheap perfume for play time.

Dry: Over time, the notes blended into a decadent mix that was much more satisfying. Opium and lily were most prevalent with hints of sandalwood. I never sensed the mandarin, which was a bit disappointing.

BE seems to have quite a bit of staying power on my skin (eight hours and still going strong). I definitely will be coming back to this one.