ralenth

Bottle 122:

At first, 122 is muted fermented purple grape. It is very soft, but strikes me as being halfway on the way to wine. On the drydown, there are hints of red rose. As it dries, the rose becomes the dominant characteristic, but the effect is very mellow. Overall, on my skin it is very muted with minimal throw.

Bottle 91:

At first, 91 is fizzy lime soda with a muted buttery foodiness underneath. On the drydown, there is a faint aquatic note that dissipates quickly. Once it has dried, it has melded into a creamy lime citrus scent. It is very light and refreshing.

Wet: Lavender tempered with silky vanilla. Oh, this has aged well!

 

Drydown: A slightly muskier cousin of Dorian, light and airily sweet.

 

Dry: This is much closer to aged Dorian than aged Snake Oil on my skin. It has a slight depth that my Dorian does not have.

 

Verdict: I like this, but I am not sure if it is different enough from my aged Dorian to hang onto it.

Source: Sniffie from BluestBlood

 

Wet: Sharp, peppery cognac.

 

Drydown: The pepper takes a backseat, and something akin to French Tobacco SN comes to dance with the cognac. The result is quite pleasant.

 

Dry: Sweet, and not overly boozy. Ginny becomes smoky without being too sultry, and slightly sweet and effervescent like champagne.

 

Verdict: I could see myself wearing this on a hot day. I will need to acquire more of this.

In the imp: Juicy, slightly spicy floral.

 

On my skin, at all stages: Geranium SN.

 

Verdict: Sigh, skin chemistry fail.

Wet: Creamy magnolia, and my nemesis, cinnamon.

 

Drydown: The cinnamon takes over completely and my throat is starting to itch.

 

Dry: Cinnamon SN.

 

Verdict: Sadness. I would love a smoky magnolia scent, sans cinna-monster.

Roses typically hate me, so imagine my surprise at this blend working for me.

It's soft, creamy beeswax with a splash of dew-kissed tuberose. Plovers Above the Waves is gentle, and feminine. I will definitely add it into rotation for my girlier moments.

How have I not tried this until now?

 

Wet: Sinuous smoke curling around a sultry vetiver core.

 

Drydown: Slick black leather, and more luscious vetiver.

 

Dry: Sexy leather with a vettiver undercurrent. Iago almost replicates mixing Haitian Vetiver Single Note with my beloved De Sade.

Dew kissed sakura adrift on a sea of soft ozone and cologne. As it dries, the sakura fade into the background Dry, it's a nonobtrusive cologne with tinges of a mechanical cherry blossom scent.

Wet: Sharp fingered musk, curling around soft tendrils of mint and wisps of elemi. It feels aggressive and cooly distant simultaneously.

 

Dry: Masculine cologne with tinges of aquatic. It lands somewhere between Volt (sans leather and mintiness) and Villain (sans lavender).

Warm, polished wood with resinous overtones. After about thirty minutes, it has faded to a background inviting woodsiness.

I am completely floored by this blend. Just... wow.

 

Wet: Hollow floral note with hints of aquatic.

Drydown: Suddenly, it's a luscious tropical floral explosion, as if the rain awoke the garden. The aquatic underrcurrent grounds it, and gives it depth. Ozone flares briefly.

 

Dry: Mostly dripping hothouse florals, with something intriguing underneath.

This is a leather lover's dream. At first, it's a rush of well worn leather on the skin. As it dries, the fougère surfaces. It is almost like a marriage of a less visceral incarnation of DeSade and Villain. After thirty minutes, it is a softly musky leather with a hint of genteel cologne. Love, love, love.

Bottle: Aged since release. Woods, and bright sweet apple blossoms.

 

Wet: Apple peels over a bed of crushed apple blossoms.

 

Drydown: Candied white floral.As it dries, there are slight hints of woodiness, but mostly it's an apple blossom melded with Rose Red on my skin.

 

Dry: Woodsy, and soft. It's understated, feminine, and romantic.

Hello, this one is a morpher!

 

Source: Bottle, aged since release (2.5 years).

 

Wet: Bright lime, with dashes of cleaning product.

 

Drydown: Violet candies, and soft, powdery florals.

 

Dry: Old ladies at the bar in twilight. Mmm, no.

Source: Bottle, aged 4 years.

In the bottle: Sharp, and green, with an almost bitingly vetiver undercurrent.

 

Wet: Malevolently astringent green. The vetiver-type woodsiness keeps drawing me back.

 

Drydown: The astringency is burning off, leaving me with a soft woodsy scent.

 

Dry: A mellower version of the Vetiver Single Note.

Slipping into Madness is warm, dark, and lovely. How appropriate. It slithers across my skin, whispering eldritch secrets.

Intially, the red patchouli dominated, but as the hours tick by, it melds seamlessly with the inky dark musk and traces of tobacco.

Why must I always fall in love with the impossible scents?

Source: Lab bottle aged since release (September 2008)

 

Ghûlheim is a swirling dark musk,with soft hints of clove and pepper. Aging has mellowed this bottle significantly from my initial sniffs. It seems dark, sexy and wearable. Initially, I couldn't get this far enough away, but now it's quite lovely.

This has aged quite nicely. It is predominately apple blossom drenched in soft aquatic notes, with hints of honeyed rose.

Soft, dark musk with spikes of catnip greenery. Aging has definitely mellowed Lil Menes for the better.

Rose doesn't do well on my skin, usually, and Miss Jessell is no exception. Sharp, dark roses - bitter and angry.

Bottle: Dark, wet, and fruity... not what I expected.

Wet: Cassia layered over a warm, murky aquatic.

 

Drydown: As it dries, Saturnian Phoenix mellows into a delicious, resiny floral.

Dry: Gorgeous. The cassia has mostly vanished, leaving me with a floral-softened myrrh blend.

Wet: Carnation, rolled in sexy clovy musk.

Drydown: As it dries, rose rears its sharp, green head. Drat.

 

Dry: Green soapy rose.

Wet: Herbal, and slightly floral.

 

Drydown: Lily of the valley peeps in over the crushed herbs.

 

Dry: Clytie is green and lovely, but the frankincense takes a while to come to the fore. It certainly is one of the more interesting florals that I have encountered recently.

 

Throw: Very close to the skin.

On my skin, I get lush nectarines, and roses. As it dries, I get more of the rose note (which is a death note for me), and some creamy honey silkiness. It's a lovely blend, even if it isn't for me.