fairnymph

Huge - no, MASSIVE - disappoinment *cry*. This has soft (white, not cloying, the type for those who hate honey normally) honey & subtly sexy musk, and is overall lovely and subtle, except the leather is the kind that I HATE - the sharp, powdery, chemically kind as in De Sade, CC Female, Severin, Spanked etc - i.e. the one most common in BPAL blends with leather. I just can't do that leather AT ALL but I adore the 'worn' leather note (as in Dead Man's Hand and Olisbos, etc) and basically I was praying it would have that...but it didn't. This one really devastated me bc it would be SO PERFECT if it had the right leather note or simply no leather.

 

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Only heavy incense in the late drydown (i.e. all the 'amber-laded incense' notes that are listedlast); otherwise it's all the gorgeous bright notes. The first three sweet-tart fruity, creamy and feminine notes dominate in the bottle and on my skin for the first hour or so, so much that I got a bottle of it post-haste for myself. The lovely sweet-tart bright fruit & fruity blossom over a base of creamy sandalwood is as fantastic as it hopes, though sadly it turns to incense rather rapidly on me (as those former top notes are so volatile and evanescent) - so I will wear it in my clocket, unless I don't intend to wear it for long.

 

:\ mixed with

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Surprisingly sexy; dark, complex and compelling with smoky sweetness. The notes don't appeal and this is not at all 'my' sort of scent but I instantly realized its objective beauty and masterfulness as a scent. How strange - considering my strong interest in light, effervescent, fresh scents - that this scent would be so much more lovely than the Citadel.

Disappointingly faint and generic, just blah; I couldn't pick out the lovely notes listed beyond a vague sweetness. MEH.



I am sad, but will try retesting when my sinuses are less clogged and my olfactory senses improved. But at this point I am deeply disappointed considering that every single note in this blend sounds fantastic and ARE fantastic historically, on my skin at least.

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE this. Essentially rich, golden, musky - simple yet complex, a very PURE scent - Honey SN on me - prompting me to get a bottle for myself immediately. I got some faint herbal and floral overtones the way that raw wildflower honey has that complexity which includes the faint flowers and greenery of the meadows which the bees harvested their pollen from. This is simple, elegant and perfect - exactly what I'd hoped for. The notes and description delivered, and this is probably my favourite of all the new releases and scents I tried at the con. It's classic. Btw, I amp honey generally and this amped with fantastic throw and longevity!

 

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

JASMINE STOMPITY STOMP; a lot of complexity below, but I only sniffed this and the jasmine was clearly the unpleasant bullying sort. And my hatred for the fascist type of jasmine and lack of skin space meant this was one I didn't skin test at the con.

 

Note: my skin amps jasmine. I'm a bit afraid to try this for that reason, too.

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Awesome metallic cologne but unisex enough to be wearable on me at least, grabbed a bottle for myself. Torture Queen without the white amber and gardenia. This was another favourite, after Door and Sky City (Before) that I immediately loved both in the bottle and on my skin. Gleaming, polished, clean, bright, and with that sort of engine oil note from Toad, and a bit of a steampunk/Phoenix Steamworks feel.

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Tart and mentholic in the bottle! I don't get any apparent lime - BPAL citrus often is so weak I don't even get it in the bottle, and if I do, it vanishes within milliseconds 99% of the time immediately upon skin contact. But definitely the eucalyptus, appropriately shocking, but there's a sweeter, softer edge to that note or something else in this blend is softening the eucalyptus note so that it's not truly medicinal or harsh.

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Too dark for me in the bottle, but complex and lovely, I expect great popularity. I only sniffed this, but sniffed, I got very little of the fruit - it was all smothered by the heavier darker notes.

 

Why, why WHY must blood orange - one of my all-time favourite notes - ALWAYS be blended with such dark hateful notes? *whines*

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Clean, fresh, bright and airy. I get a ton of dandelion - by far the prevailing note - some fresh green grass, some ozone, a hint of chrome and a subtle sweetness that's almost fruity. I don't get any asphalt, but I think I get the stone/marble note, very faintly - it's the same note from Sarah, I think. But this is dandelion, fresh cut grass, and ozone mostly.

 

A little sharper and more bitter, both from the ozone which has more of its almost-chemical edge, and the grass and dandelion which have more bitterness, and more of stemmy note. Still, very fresh and and light, and not overly harsh, though I liked this more in the bottle. To me, the hint of sweetness - lighter now - reminds me a lot of the cloudberry note in the Host of the Air. But it's very hard to pick out bc the dandelion is amping majorly on me, so it could even be a sweet floral. I am getting more of the metal now, which adds a sort of masculine feel, and I think I get a hint of asphalt. It's a lot more complex on my skin. Faintly, but not unpleasantly soapy. I also get a scent that reminds me of dried leaves in autumnal blends. The marble note holds steadily.

 

Relatively slow to dry, but I'm getting more and more of the notes that were faint or absent in the bottle, namely the stone, asphalt, and metal. I get MUCH more of an urban feel now, but the dandelion and green grass are still going strong and the mystery sweet note holds, too. There is a cologney feel to this, doubtless in large part due to the ozone, but I think that a musk of some sort may be the source of sweetness, a subtle musk like skin or vanilla musk. But I think this is what makes this scent more than just a nice smell and into something truly wearable, more classically 'perfume' despite all the untraditional notes. But it all really works, with the notes balancing and contrasting beautifully.

 

This has blended into something nearly seamless - it's now difficult to pick out individual notes, but I can definitely get the dandelion (more rounded now, with only a pleasantly bitter edge), grass (fresh and green with a hint of soap), loads of marble, a fair bit of chrome, and the ozone is holding really well, as is the gravelly asphalt. This seems like it would be a unisex scent, but it's so bright and on me, has that touch of sweetness that makes it just verge toward feminine. I love all the different aspects of this scent and how they merge together so well and remain light, fresh, and airy. This is definitely my favourite 'green' scent, overtaking Passionate Shepherd. This has good throw and longevity, and doesn't seem to fade much my skin.

 

By far my favourite of the C2E2 exclusives!

Dark and sort of flat, very disappointing, nothing at all like the proto. I didn't get any of the sweet, creamy, fruity or floral notes sniffed in the bottle - just dull incense and dusty black myrrh. I hope when I skin test this it's different, bc relative to the prototype I'm deeply saddened by how this scent has been deadened.

 

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Clean and fresh, with a bit of pleasant sharpness to it - like the initial alcohol blast from aftershave. There's a bit of almost synthetic hair gel - like a silicone based hair product - actually quite a bit, enough to remind me of a hair salon or barber shop. The soap has an herbal tinge, but smells classically white and opaque - think Ivory soap. That may sound generic, but this blend is not at all - it's compelling. The aquatic is definitely a fresh note, and this really smells like the bathroom right after someone's showered. Powerfully evocative.

 

I detected a slight sweetness in the bottle which amps instantly on my skin, and has almost a resinous quality, like benzoin. I get more resiny notes too, like - maybe some balsam to explain the green/herbal note, but there is a fresher green true herb here that has a faint mintiness to it - I strongly suspect basil. It is a bit soapier and powdery on my skin, verging on too much for my tastes, but not TOO much yet - and the amped sweetness, greenery, and resinous balance the soapiness very well. The alcoholic aspect of the aftershave has vanished, leaving a rather musky cologne - I'm getting skin musk, a lighter touch of white musk, and I think some of the herbs I noted earlier are part of this cologne's 'fougere'. The hair gel note holds, but it's the faintest relative to the other notes, though far from indistinct. This is much more complex on my skin but less evocative bc of all the herbal and resinous notes and their very strong, rather dominating presence.

 

This has some CRAZY throw - though I did accidentally slather quite a bit more than usual - but um, as with many men who wear cheap cologne - use this one sparingly, please! (Not that I am comparing this to those atrocities.) The hair gel has amped back up, or rather the greenery has faded to reveal it - I'm not sure. Sweeter and more honeyed such that I am fairly sure about the benzoin. I also get the same lavender note from TKO - not sure how I missed it before! - and with the sweetness of the benzoin, there is a passing resemblance to that blend, although this is of course, soapier, and much more unisex to masculine. The aquatic note is unfortunately turning soapy on me as aquatics sometimes do on me, and it's a distinct soapiness, not the actual Ivory-soap note, and much less pleasant, in fact definitely unpleasant. This is also making my face itch when I sniff my wrist and my rosacea flare, so I would not be able to wear this scent personally regardless of how I end up finally liking it. Right now I'm kind of 'meh'. One evolution I do like is the emergence of an 'airy' feel, could be ozone or something else - but it reminds me of flying and returns a bit of the conceptual feel.

 

The final drydown is quite lovely - it's interesting how this scent changes on me, from lovely in the bottle, good on my skin wet, not so great on my skin dry, then pretty darn good on my skin in the later dry stages. The herbal/lavender soapiness fades to a tolerable level and the Ivory -like soap that I really like holds. The benzoin turns a bit darker, a deeper, even more resinous, sort of aged honey that's so thick it won't drip but must be dug into like soft wax. The basil-mintiness holds in quite a lovely way and the evocative 'freshly showered' scent returns. I also get a deep, sort of dull ambery/musky note - but not in a bad way, rather fascinating and unique. I love how this scent has both clean and light aspects yet a lot of subtly sweet honeyed resinous depth to scaffold the lighter tones and balance the scent. Yet I only get these layers if I sniff closely with effort - otherwise, it's a very well-blended and seamless blend in addition to being wonderfully balanced and unique. There is not scent in BPAL I have tested to which I can compare this. Great throw and longevity! Unisex to masculine; too masculine for me, and that musk or amber note isn't quite my style, but once again - a beautifully crafted scent.

VETIVER the dark gritty STOMPITY sort - didn't skin test though - reminds me of Gore-Shock very faintly but mostly Djinn and Brimstone. As I suspected and conceptually very accurate but I'm a bit scared about skin testing this one...

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

HELLO! juniper and gin! But not in a bad way. I suspect the juniper to dominate as it typically does on my skin in gin blends, but I only sniffed this. Still, it's pretty nice in the bottle. It's not scarily bullying juniper.

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Dark and harsh in bottle, but such a smooth sexy, gourmand (think chocolate, vanilla, balsamic overtones) tobacco on drydown, that I immediately grabbed a bottle for myself. Like EmpressPixie, I found that this blend became more and more lovely over time. Same tobacco note as from aged Black Lace, very similar in feel and tone to both that and Storyville, though more subtly sweet and much less heavy and rich. Less boozy than I anticipated - I think the cognac here is more gourmand/creamy/sweet than sharp or alcoholic.. I find this to be pretty much a Tobacco Absolute SN with some super sexy deep musk - not red or black, but with a dark, exotic feel - like Indian or Egyptian musk, I'm quite sure, and possibly a dash of skin musk, too. This is one of ONLY TWO 'dark' scents that I find bottleworthy - the other is Penumbra.

 

 

I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Sweet and creamy with a tang of root beer - somewhat like a vanilla ice cream and root beer float, but with some extra vanilla syrup and cream soda in the mix too, and whipped cream on top. Decadent, but not cloyingly so.

 

Lighter, fizzier - lots of carbonation and much more root beer/sarsparilla, with a slightly syrupy and medicinal edge. I get the same vanilla note from XCLD13, Antique and Black Lace - the rich, creamy, potent one with a slightly floral and powdery undertone. The amping of the sarsparilla makes this less sweet, and it's also less creamy on my skin - instead, the vanilla cream has turned to vanilla powder, and it makes me want to sneeze a little. It's not even dry and it's morphing within seconds. I do get another cream note, a subtle and purer type as in Schlafende, but it's heavily doused by the other, much stronger notes.

 

This is a POWERFUL scent on my skin with tremendous throw. It is even fizzier than it was before, with plenty of that intense, powdery vanilla and still slightly sharp root beer note. Now it's more like - cream soda with root beer syrup added, and then a whole ton of vanilla added. I can still pick out the soft cream, so it's holding, but still very faintly. The intensity and powderinesss of this scent are really not working for me, and while it's not typically foody, nor is it all that sweet, it's too rich for me and has definitely become cloying.

 

Eek. This has developed a plastic tinge (I think it's coming from the sarsparilla, that has sharpened over tie) as well as that musty drydown I get from a lot of baked goods/foody scents and the vanilla powder has intensified even further. This stuff makes my nose and face itch, even sniffing from several inches away. I can see how this would be popular, and it's divine in the bottle, but on my skin it goes horribly wrong in about an hour. Strong throw and decent longevity, though it's faded a bit, thankfully.

 

Note: I do get some exotic dry depth that could be teak, as I initially suspected - it does remind me of Glowing Vulva in the bottle. But on my skin, the VANILLA POWDER OF DOOM just overwhelms everything else so rapidly.

 

Not for me.

Sniffed: Sweet, dark soil with a bit of herbal mintiness, earthy oakmoss, and a hint of clean aquatic. Very slightly sweet and even less very faintly salty, almost brackish. Evocative and gender neutral.

Wet: Saltier, instantly more aquatic with a slightly, pleasantly soapy tinge; greener and lighter in feel. The soil note fades rapidly while the oakmoss holds. The herbal minty note which is what I suspect is hyssop. The aquatic note reminds me very strongly of the one in Sturgeon Moon - in between fresh and salt water, with aspects of both - the clear, spring-like freshness of a mountain stream mixed with the brackish salty-plantiness of a marsh.

Dry: I find this scent very, very deeply evocative and conceptually it's a wondrous work of art. It is a scent that is both primal and outdoorsy - not woody or woodsy, more like a rocky plain with rich soil and loam and moss. I get some fresh greenery, clear and bright - luminous - that I am sure is heather, and further adds to the strong imagery and transportive aspect of this scent. It is a fascinating scent - I cannot stop sniffing it - it draws me, in a way that feels like it is truly otherworldly.

Later: There is an assortment of greenery in this blend, and something here is turning slightly but not unpleasantly bitter (ahh! it's dandelion); it adds a paradoxically both brght & dark edge here, an ominous feel. The soil scent still lingers and while I generally dislike soil or dirt in perfume for my personal wear, somehow this is working on me. My skin seems to be amping the greenery, moss and especially aquatic tones, as well as the 'wet rock' note (think Sarah, Julia Stone) and the 'gravel dust' note (from the Traveller) - both stony notes I adore that are always clearly present on my skin.

I must eat, but I'll be back to conclude and comment on the late drydown.

Light yellow oil. Very much a feminine floral blend, but not too overpowering - more delicate, feminine, soft - with a powdery edge and a bit of soapiness. Mildly sweet. A surprisingly light blend overall - the lily of the valley and muguet are not being bullies (yet), and I don't get the typical sourness of the elemi.

 

Much stronger; the florals, all of them it seems, amp instantly and powerfully on my skin, as florals typically do. I get more of the hyacinth - a favourite floral note of mine, which has a nice fruity overtone and a bright Spring-like feel. The hydrangea is not a note I've smelled in perfume that I recall, but I know it from the actual flower, and it's very realistic, a green-white, fresh note that's more planty - sort of like dewy new green leaves. This note overlaps a bit with the grassines of the calamus, but it's sweeter than regular grass - a lot like sweet grass, a lovely note. I swear I get a bit of daffodil in here, too - such a SPRING feel this blend - odd considering the name. While the LotV and the muguet are stronger and headier, with more powder and soap, they are still tolerable considering I often find them utterly unberable. I still get no sign of elemi, to my relief!

 

This gets sweeter and more powdery over time, with the LotV and muguet amping, but the hyancinth too. Hydrangea and calamus remain reasonably strong and distinct, though - this is a surprisingly well-balanced blend without any bullying going on. It also goes MUSKY/OAKMOSSY - like a sort of earthy musk? It smells like oakmoss and vanilla musk got mixed in here, which is a definitely lovely addition. This has a very pale green, or rather leaf-green tinged WHITE sort of feel, innocent. It's almost a little milky, too - that could be the elemi coming out, being a bit sour and mixing with the powder - but it's not that unpleasant of an effect - not at all like the typical BPAL notes, but yes, there is a milk note, like fresh milk from pastured cows that have grazed on bright green meadows.

 

The hyacinth note is definitely the same one from Egle, and this has a very classic, traditional 'white feminine floral' feel to it over that oakmoss and musk base (or it's almost my period which is when everything dries down to oakmoss/musk). It's light and pretty, and remains fresh and slightly sweet, a little grassy, a bit milky, and powdery but not overly so. There's an odd bitter soapiness at the end that I don't like, though. The usual suspects are very well behaved here and I'm surprised by how pleasant this blend is in the final drydown. It's not something I'd wear, but I thought I'd be running to the sink! Good throw and longevity.

 

Meh, I guess?

Lansium is citrusy asian fruit, FYI. The most promising smelling of the con bunch. Fresh, herbal, woodsy, bright - with definite osmanthus, sake, sweet grass, dry exotic cedar (as in Carp Steamer), honeyed benzoin and a citrusy note like a more tart and bitter white grapefruit - below an herbal layer that's stronger, made up of lavender and juniper primarily and a little mint, too. All accounted for. It's a bit of a jumble but quite pleasant.

 

Much more of that citrusy fruit, very bright and tart, and a lot more sweet white mint - this is even fresher on my skin. The sweetgrass is brighter too, grassier, more vibrant, and the lavender and juniper berry are softer and have receded a little. The sake is quite strong as it usually is on my skin, and this blend is reminding me of Manners Among Men and Women and Lantern Ghost - same note. The osmanthus here reminds me a lot of chrysanthemum, it's a similar sort of floral note that's slightly herbal, very unisex, a little tea-like with piney and citrusy overtones. The lavender note is the same as in TKO, and combined with the now-sweeter benzoin, I get a bit of resemblance to that blend - unfortunately for me. The cedarwood, definitely the same note from Carp Steamer, like there adds a dry, exotic warmth and richness that contrasts clearly with the bright, cool, fresh notes - but as there, it works here. This is not the pencil shavings of doom cedar note.

 

Melding, softening, evolving very nicely! It has faded a little, so this might be a slatherer especially since the throw isn't strong even at first, but the citrusy fruit is holding very well, and it along with the mint, juniper, sake and amped but not morphed cedar are the major players in this blend. Sake is a note that's a bit astringent and sharply alcoholic at first but after a little while softens into a fresh, crisp, vaguely musky and aquatic sort of cologne note. The osmanthus has amped almost to the level of the aforementioned notes, and it's a little sharp, but still within pleasant limits, and reminds me a lot of the note in Itaso - yet another blend this scent reminds me of. Sweet grass holds well, again, also quite strongly and just behind osmanthus.The lavender has faded further, which is good, and the benzoin holds - a sweet honeyed note that's quite deep and definitely resinous, but rather subtle and definitely a background note here. This is a unisex blend that leans heavily towards masculine, and I do wish it were a bit more feminine.

 

The final drydown after a few hours is surprisingly woody, woodsy, and resinous on me. The juniper and cedar (which does just go TOO dry and warm without the other fresh notes remaining to balance it - still, it's a nice cedar note and I usually abhor cedar) dominate in the end, and not too far below is a blend of sake, benzoin, and now much drier and more hay-like sweetgrass, and then faintly in the distance are the grapefruity lansium, lavender, mint and osmanthus. In short, the unisex to feminine notes faded greatly and the masculine ones amped or held, so this turns much to masculine and dry and woodsy for my tastes - still, a very nice blend, well-crafted, and by far the nicest of the Sakura-con exclusives IMO. Great throw and longevity, too.

 

I'm really sad none of these work on me, but I'll save my Shirafuji for future menfolk.

 

Well, I hate or just don't care for most of the notes in this blend, just a disclaimer - the exceptions being that sometimes I enjoy certain vetiver, oude, and black currant notes - but the first and last are more often bad than good. In the bottle, this smells dark, dark, and DARK with lots of gritty, sooty, filthy grimy vetiver a la Brimstone and Djinn. Egads. I get some dry slightly sharp and warm woods below it, that I'd not be able to pick out blind, a sour, cat-uriney sort of currant note, some very dark and earthy but slightly foody-sweet black coconut, some sweet fake butter (hello tonka)...wow, this is even WORSE than I expected!

 

Yeah, the temple is definitely ruined. It's been totally burnt to a smoky, burnt woody crisp and then wild cats have urinated all over it, while some poisonous vines are sinuously infiltrating. I get a harsh barky-woody note that reminds me of palm, and that with the ashy - god, so ashy, like licking a 10-year-old ashtray - gritty and malevolent vetiver reminds of Moai a little. The extremely buttery tonka is amped a little, cloying and fake and foul and totally at odds with this blend in every regard. I get more red sandalwood, distinct now, and warm, exotic, a little musky - and the oude, thought still a bit sharp, is smoother and adds a bit of much-needed bright green. The coconut has amped greatly, and as in Tiki King, it's not really foody - it's creamy, it's rich and dark and heavy and tropical - but it's not really foody, and the sweetness I thought I got earlier was definitely the tonka. It's hard for me to imagine anyone willfully wearing this blend, but especially a woman - if this blend has a sex, it's totally masculine.

 

This stuff has REALLY STRONG THROW. My skin also appears to be amping it. I was scared to skin test this, and rightly so. This is a fearsome blend! Unfortunately, the overwhelming and foul vetiver along with the light (every other note in this blend is 'light' relative to the vetiver) fake buttery-sweet tonka and weird palm note and harsh black coconut - I really dislike coconut in perfume, of any type, but especially this masculine note - well, I can't do this. It's been 15 minutes or so, this blend is still not dry and still amping, and I'm washing it off. A masculine blend for evil, evil men.

 

:ack:

 

Sweet, dark, woodsy, a little spicy, and INTENSELY musky - the sandalwood here is responsible, I think and it's very strong. It's almost too musky, like men's athletic BO - very intense, like I said. Or it smells a little like a used jock strap - eek. I definitely can pick out the tobacco (both a bit gourmand and bit smokily dark), the exotic woods and gums, some quite piney and a bit sharply woodsy-green dark balsam - and light, delicate but still definitely distinct white honey. The pepper is the usual black pepper note - stale and dusty and makes me want to sneeze.

 

Even stronger, muskier, darker, more woodsy and spicy. A very potent scent. The musky-jock strappy sandalwood continues to dominate, with balsam fighting for dominance in a tight second place. I never though I'd find a sandalwood that was TOO musky but either I was wrong or there is another note that's giving the strong BO odour here. I get more of the bark and gums, which to me smell very resinous and almost medicinal - again, potent. The tobacco absolute is sweeter and richer and more lovely, and the honey is stronger, brighter - a really lovely shining note amidst everything else. The black pepper is still strongly dusty, biting, harsh and yucky. This is much stronger, sharper, and more masculine than I anticipated, and the black pepper is as distinct and unpleasant as I feared - but I didn't expect the sandalwood to turn on me like this.

 

This has evolved and blended into something much nicer, though still not my style. The eau de jock strap has dissipated leaving a still intensely musky, but much more rounded, smoother and slightly drier sandalwood note that I now quite like. It and the balsam, which has also softened into a dark green piney resin note - very much like dark deep woods, but not fake pine at all - are now in a tie for first place, but not as dominating as they were earlier. The black pepper holds throughout, stale, dry, dusty and spicy and perhaps the most unpleasant note in this blend,

 

The amping of the almost chocolatey-foody rich tobacco note has helped smooth everything out, especially the bark and gum that were quite sharp and dry earlier - they're still not notes I like, but they are more subdued though still distinct. The white honey, still lovely, has faded a bit but it to helps to ameliorate this blend. Overall, far too masculine for me which is unpleasant for hours before it settles into something tolerable. Spicy, dark, resinous, intensely musky, woodsy and woody with a dry edge and glints of sweet honey and tobacco. Strong throw and even stronger longevity.

 

This was, after Giant Squid, the one I had the most hope for...and it is also a major FAIL for me. Sadness!

Sweet-tart and fruity. I get a lot of fresh, sour-tangy slightly candyish green APPLE, a bit of tea and salty sea spray, a lot of almost peppery spiciness and fresh kick in the background - definitely the juniper and galangal clearly - as well as a sense of depth, but I can't pick any of the other listed notes out. It smells nothing like I imagined. I don't get any lantana (i.e. lemon verbena).

 

Instantly spicier and darker - tobacco and frankincense emerge hugely, and the juniper berry and galangal amp. There are other spices here, too - clove and maybe cinnamon? Complex but a bit jumbled at this point. I get the sweetly heavy tonka and something I think is the cannabis blossom, because it reminds of hemp's earthy greeness, in lighter, sweeter form. I do get a bit of almost-aquatic, juicy-wet aloe, and the teas are a little stronger. I don't think the apple has faded so much as been overwhelmed, although it smells more red now, like a Red Delicious specifically. More salty sea spray, to my delight, though overall this is far too spicy and dark for my tastes.

 

Spicier and spicier on my skin - definitely sweet clove and cinnamon, the latter going a bit candyish a la Red Hots. The tobacco has both gourmand and smoky qualities and is a strong but very subtle and well-blended presence; it seems to merge with the frankincense, which is more smoky and woody than sweet and sticky, but definitely dark and incensey. I think the herbal-earthiness of the cannabis blossom is mixing with these two, as well - I can't pick it out very well. The tonka I wouldn't pick out blind, but there's a definite sweetness to this blend beyond the apple that must be due in part to it. The juniper berry and teas hold, but the galangal has turned a bit spicy-dry, sort of like the ginger note in Shub, while much of the aloe and virtually all of the sea spray have dissipated.

 

Spicy (galangal, clove, cinnamon), crisp apple over sweet, smoky, woody incense with earthy and juniper-woodsy overtones. Nothing at all like I expected and much too dark, spicy, and incensey for me. I'm impressed by how well the apple note holds - perhaps more strongly than any other apple blend I've tried. This reminds me of a much more complex, darker and incensey Ho Ho Ho and it should be quite popular, but it's not something I'd ever wear. Moderate throw (definite slathering required) and rather poor longevity.

 

Lying notes! Nasty incense and spices!

Golden oil. Sweet, fresh and bright - ozone, for sure, something sort of fruity, and only a hint of smoky incense. Much lighter and softer than expected, with only a faint hint of wormwood and no apparent opium.

 

Not much different, and still very light - a slatherer for sure, and I had to reapply heavily immediately. The fruity note almost strikes me as some sort of sweet citrus, quite possibly grapefruit. I get a bit of soapiness, and more greenness from the still-light wormwood. The smoky vibe is stronger, but it's more a feeling of smokiness than there actually being a strong smoke presence scent-wise, which I really like as a someone who doesn't like smoke in perfume. It has a very hazy vibe, but still fresh and ozoney - really, exactly like stormclouds!

 

Getting soapier, though not yet unpleasantly, and some anise character from the wormwood is emerging distinctly for the first time, but faintly. I get a mintiness too which may be part of the wormood or a separate note - it reminds me of hyssop a little, quite herbal. I think there may be some of the same 'wild plum' note from Mme Moriarty and the Witch Queen, with its slightly, pleasantly sour tartness and truly wild fruitiness - but it is soft and muddled note here - the grapefruit, which I'm pretty sure about now, is much more distinct and overall stronger. This is definitely morphing as a scent, but in a subtle and unpredictable manner.

 

Mintier and mintier, and not in a way that wormwood has ever been on me, so there's definitely a different herb responsible - it's slightly sweet and mild but with some qualities beyond pure mintiness, so my money's on hyssop still. Soapier as well, pushing at the edges of my tolerance. A lot of the ozone has faded and overall this never-strong smell has faded a lot - I have to really sniff closely to be able to pick out much of anything. The smoke, incense, and opium remain a faintly pleasant, vague haze - this may be the only incense blend I've ever liked, though I do think this is going too soapy for me and it's also so very weak overall.

 

Faintly minty & wormwoody herbal-green, tartly fruity, soapy fresh ozone and incense-smoke tinged haze. Lovely, unique, unisex - but woefully light. But very evocative, conceptually spot on and quite lovely. If it were stronger I think I'd need a bottle, but it's such a faint oil that fades quickly that I don't think it's worth it, alas. Maybe my imp is old and a fresh bottle would be stronger?

Rich medium reddish brown oil. Strong, sharp, and manly with dark wood, a fair bit of herbal sharpness (the patchouli leaf?), a definite cologne feel, that chemically slick De Sade style harsh leather note. The musk, oakmoss and lemon rind are difficult to pick out, in that order increasingly so. I think the musk may be red? I don't get an sweetness here at all, no distinct vanilla, and no distinct lilac.

 

More leather and more musk, which is definitely at least partially red musk - this is very chemical, mentholic, and harsh - even more so than in the imp. The mahogany note is the next strongest note, deep and rich and much more polished on my skin, less rough as it was in the imp. The cologne has gone slightly but not unpleasantly soapy and the lilac is distinct but not the heady overwhelming sort - this lilac/cologne thing reminds me of His Station and Four Aces. Still strongly, drily, and rather harshly herbal - I'm positive there is sage in this, in addition to the patchouli leaf. This is now sweeter; I think there's black musk here, the vanilla has emerged a bit and is quite nice - it reminds me a bit of the note in Ü, a sort of raw and primal, very natural smelling vanilla note. but faint on me at this point The subtly earthy oakmoss softens this blend a bit, though not enough, and the lemon rind which I'm not sure I ever really smelled is nowhere to be found.

 

Softening and melding a bit, thankfully, but the leather remains unpleasantly harsh and dominating, with an amped red musk right behind it. But the mahogany, though strong and very much a potent manly, woody note - is really nice, very evocative, flashing wealth and luxury and darkly decorated bachelor pads to mind. I like the lilac/cologne soapy cleanness and the vanilla bean note that is amping on my skin, although I sort of don't like the combo of its sweetness with the nasty leather note. I do also think a bit of black musk is contributing some heavier sweetness, as well. Oakmoss remains faint but lovely. The softening of the patchouli leaf and sage most explain why this scent is now more tolerably settled and rounded, I think - together with the sharp leather and mentholic red muks, their herbal dryness was unbearable.

 

Sharp, manly leather that never loses its harshness deepened by even more manly polished wood, dry sage,harshly herbal patchouli and medicinal red musk, with much fainter sweet black musk, clean & lightly flora cologne, and raw vanilla floating in the distance as a ghostly separate layer. Like oil and vinegar, those two layers are, and the blend never fully coalesces. I never got the lemon rind or anything citrusy, and the light oakmoss faded away completely after just an hour or two. Strong throw but this fades surprisingly fast - decent to poor longevity for such an initially potent scent, especially. Definitely masculine in my book.

 

The leather in this is a dealbreaker this leather note nearly always is, and the dry herbs and red musk don't help, but it dries down to a scent that is at least bearable, but not something I'd ever wear or find appealing on a man I wanted to fuck. I'm partly disappointed and mildly revolted but mostly don't really care all that much. Meh. Definite dislike but not hatred.

Light golden oil. Sweet, sharp, fruity and spicy - complex! Definitely the plastic, candyish, very artificial strawberry note typical of most BPAL barring a few recent releases, unpleasantly sharp and astringent orange blossom, some sweet-tart hibiscus - these are the only distinct notes in the imp, but I can tell there's more going on and there's a definite spicy edge.

 

Strawberry dominating, a little more realistic and pleasant, more of a rounded note with some juiciness, and just behind it orange blossom - also more pleasant, softer and more orangey-fruity, but still sharp in that unique way. Definitely much nicer within seconds on my skin. The hibiscus is also still a major player but hasn't morphed - it remains fresh, tart and bright and almost juicy and fruity - it adds a tropical, pink feel to this already coral-pink vibed blend. The poppy definitely strikes me as dark, it's now distinct with a sharp spicy and slightly bitter bite, and the carnation is the faintest note but also now distinct, quite stemmy, green-white and only lightly spicy, more of a velvety textural addition than anything else.

 

Not a lot of morphing after it dries initially, other than that the strawberry continues to be nicer and the orange blossom more pleasant and gentler and fruity, while the hibiscus holds nicely and is the most beautiful part of this blend for me. The poppy is going a little powdery on me - actually, that HAS morphed substantially and rapidly - from sharp spice to spicy dust, almost like old black pepper with barely any kick left. The carnation has smoothed out a bit, it's still faint but perhaps a bit more apparent, even more velvety, but more white, less green and stemmy, with no real spice to it - it's a lovely carnation note, I just wish there were more of it!

 

The final drydown is quite nice - the orange blossom eventually loses all its sharpness and morphs into a lovely light sweet orange fruity note that's almost as strong as the star of the blend, the only lightly candyish-fake strawberry - a spike of bright, fresh fruity-tart hibiscus keeps it fresh, though it sadly has faded a lot over time. I can't pick out the poppy anymore though there is still a faintly peppery dustiness in the distance, and the carnation has held, woefully faintly but persistently, and maintains a feeling of white velvet with an almost creamy edge. A surprising lovely fruity blend with a bit of complexity around the edges. Definitely feminine, with lower throw and poor but not dismal longevity.

 

Much better than expected but not for me.