Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors

[Reedsong]

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct.

CTIII: MV:

I swapped for this. Because how could you not want an imp of the Chaos Theory That Smells Like a Sharpie??

In the imp, it actually smells pretty appealing. A spicy medicinal cherry. I like it!

It keeps that quality for a few minutes on my skin, and then on the dry-down, some spices come out that I was not expecting. I smell something green, either thyme or oregano, and something odd like cardamom. Curried cherry with a slight soapy quality. This is really weird...

And then, I pick up the Sharpie that moonarcana included in my package. They're similar. Good lord.

However, I have to admit the unthinkable:

I actually like the Sharpie Chaos Theory. It amuses me, and I can take comfort in the fact that I definitely will smell unique.

Previously reviewed by moonarcana. Edited November 14, 2006 by Shollin

[Phaedra]

This is my first time trying the Chaos Theory experiment. I ordered three and this is the first one I wore: DLXXIII. Wet this is herbal, soapy, and fresh cut grass. When first on this is a faint herbal/floral blend with cardamom I think. It feels yellow and white. There are some floral notes but I don't know what they are- daisy? sunflower? daffodil? After a few minutes this becomes a full blown floral. This ends up becoming really soft and lovely. It mellows into a close to the skin honey scent. This is very lovely and unusual and I'm really glad I tried this!

 

My second Chaos blend is DXVI. Wet this is sharp, a bit soapy, floral, lightly sweet and musky. When first on this is a very strange mix- something sweet and foody, almonds I think, mixed with a generic perfume smell. After a couple of minutes this smells like Jean Nate and then a sweeter note starts to develop. It warms up at this point and becomes heavy florals- gardenia maybe. On the drydown ti's a soft floral close to the skin scent. Overall this smells like regular department store perfume on me. It's not really my style at all so I passed this one on to a better home.

 

It took me a while to properly review this but it's finally done. My third and final Chaos blend is DXCIII. Wet this is a buttery, spicy, nutty and floral mix sort of like pecan praline. When first on it's spicy and sweet with hazelnut maybe. I think there's some cinnamon too. Yes, definitely cinnamon. It starts to smell like Christma potpourri. After about an hour, the spicyness softens and now the buttery, nutty notes come out again. This is a warm foody blend. It's nice but too spicy for me and not really my style.

Overall the Chaos Theory experiment was very hit and miss for me. I think it's a great and innovative idea but next time I might go for decants instead of full bottles.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Phaedra

[PurringPulsar]

Chaos Theory III: MCCLXIV (1264)

 

In the bottle: this smells a lot like Mme Moriarty! That same patchouli-cedar-tobacco, with a hint of sweet fruit.

Wet on skin: yup, it's like MM, but with a stronger woody patch note.

Dry on skin: fruity patchouli with a strong wooden base. It's almost identical to MM, but I think this one has an actual cedar note to it. I also smell a lot of plum, or berries/currants, or pomegranate, in here (it's a red fruit note) which is a good thing. Not sure if this has vanilla or musk like MM though. There's also a metallic-papery-leathery scent to it which makes me think of money in a leather purse. I also smell a mossy undertone.

After a while: there doesn't seem to be any vanilla-plum-musk peeking out of the patchouli-wood accord I have here. It's still that cedar-tobacco-patchouli, a powerful, almost masculine scent, which is also smoky and deep. There's a 'perfumey' note over the top of the patch, sharp and fruity…it could be a cranberry or pomegranate note. The more I smell it, the more I think of cranberries, actually. It still has the money-like smell to it.

Eventually this ends up smelling very similar to my other CT which smells very masculine, only less blatantly manly, and with a cranberry note to it. No musk, no vanilla, but maybe some plum, it sweetens and gains more of a fruity scent at the end, less like Snake Charmer, and more like Hellion.

Verdict: this is just like Mme Moriarty without the vanilla musk. It's the same 'patchouli leaf' base, but with a little more wood and smoke, and a fruity, tart top note which smells just like dried cranberries. I think Beth's got a brand new accord to play with (a patchouli-based one, probably) recently because I've never smelt this in the older BPALs and yet most of the CTs I've tried, and Mme Moriarty, have it. I do like this cranberry-patchouli scent but it does get a little too masculine at times, and I much prefer MM because of it's Snake Charmer-esque base of musky vanilla plum, which this scent lacks (there's something plummy to it, but it's not as nice as MM). I might swap or sell my bottle.

Emoticon rating:

 

Chaos Theory III: DCCXII

 

From a swap with Reedsong

In the imp: mmm, musky! there's a light musk in here, and a sweet note, and something woody.

Wet on skin: yup, that's probably the lighter, sharper version of Egyptian musk here-it has an almost perfumey top note to it.

Dry on skin: a light white/blue/Egyptian musk with a slightly aquatic-citrus-floral feel to it (it's very much a 'perfume' smell), and a pale woodsy note which reminds me of Manhattan so it might be teak, with a sweet, vanilla or amber undertone. This is almost like Manhattan with a spritz of fresh feminine musk perfume and more amber. This is the third CT scent so far that reminds me of something sophisticated you could find at a department store or posh perfumer's…there's even something almost like alcohol to it but without the headache-y sharpness.

After a while: suddenly this turns very Nuit-like on me, which is a good thing. Maybe the musk in here is 'blue musk'? It's so fresh, airy, sparkling and 'starry'. Or maybe it's white musk with a night air note, as now I also smell a hint of WM (very much like my SN) as well. This is like Nuit without the flowers, with woods and vanilla/amber in its place. It's such a gorgeous smell!

Then after that this no longer reminds me so much of Nuit, but of Black Opal. Not as blatantly 'rocky', not as powdery, but with that cold, damp, slightly ozonic, slightly mineral note that makes me think of caves. This is a darker Black Opal now, but with that chilly musk note.

Eventually this turns into the most amazing scent-the scent of a cold, crisp, star covered winter night, with a sweet undertone and a white musk feel. I love that night air smell so much-it's one of those ozones that never soaps out on me. This is different to the other CT I had that reminded me of a starry desert night-this is damper and dewier, with a feel of wet rocks and a squishy forest floor with wet leaves and wood (cedar and teak?) and something that may be fern. There's even a little hint of smoke…there could be some patchouli in here, as one of the Lab's patchouli notes gives an earthy, almost leafy scent, and this scent also has a passing resemblance (very slight) to the woody-smoky note from Mme Moriarty.

Then it loses it's night air scent but still hangs on to it's cool musk, and vanilla starts to creep in, joined with the cedary patchouli-tobacco note from Mme Moriarty, and some woods. This is like MM with a cooler, lighter musk in the place of the heavy red musk. It feels more velvety now. But there's still a coolness there, reminiscent of Ice Queen's musk.

The wood (now very much a cedar scent) is left over with remnants of vanilla and musk at the end.

Verdict: at first I think 'ok, this is perfumey but pleasant', a breezy light musk over sophisticated woods and amber/vanilla with citrus. But then it changes dramatically. It becomes a changing, morphing journey through realms of scent which seem almost like something from a dream. First it starts off in an urban department store, and then moves out into the cool of the night into cleaner, more open space. Whilst still keeping the fresh musk note, it then transforms into the scent of night air, a cool white/blue musk, then transforms into a Black Opal variant. Then it gains the night air note again, it's like coming out of the cave into a starry night in a forest, with the airy musk and wet rocks and non-coniferous forests. All the time with that sweet undertone. Then it moves from the cave into a warm room filled with incense and the scent of vanilla perfume clinging to heavy curtains. But the windows are open and the breezy, wintry musk still can be smelt, like a draught in the house. A wonderful, complex scent journey. I only have a drop of this and I will treasure this incredible fragrance well.

Emoticon rating:

[oceandreamer001]

This is long overdue!!

 

I bought two bottles:

 

CCCL: In the bottle: At first whiff, I get butter. But after another sniff, I get caramel, then coffee. But not in your face coffee like Miskatonic U, this is quiet, morning roast.

 

After drydown: Some caramel, and the vanilla from Snow White. Tinged with a tiny plastic note. But it is still nice, it is a soft, quiet foody scent.

 

CDVI: In the bottle: Very fresh. Orange peel.

 

After drydown: This reminds me very much of Prescriptives perfume Calyx. Very fresh, a little fruity, exotic, adult fruits. And maybe some light florals, but it just anchors it. The florals are in the background. I don't know how to catagorize this, it's a mix of melon, citrus, and light florals. It's beautiful.

[beetiger]

CCCLIII:

Got a quarter imp of this as a swap freebie. My initial inpression is GIrl Scout Thin Mint Cookies, with a strong sharp clean peppermint and a baked-goods vanilla. As it settles down on my skin, I'm getting more of the minty little sister of Underpants, spunky but not yet sexy.

 

Delish!

 

Previously reviewed by edenssixthday.

[maijasu]

I ordered 3 bottles and just got them last week.

 

MCCCXLI- This one is floral with perhaps a bit of amber. My skin brings out the powdery aspects of each of these notes, so I hope this one will find a better home.

 

MCCCXLII- At first, I get an almost medicinal tinge from this, but that disappears within seconds, so it's not a deal-breaker. Then, it turns into--get this--Midway!

It doesn't have that saltwater taffy thing going on, but it is so sweet and foody and delicious, and the throw is awesome!

 

MCCCXLIII- This one is kind of hard to describe. I get something herbal, something sweet, and a hint of something floral. There's also something dark and mysterious going on here, and it seems like a kind of unisex scent, definitely more masculine than the other two. It's nice, but I'm not in love.

 

Buying these was a gamble, and I think I'll only be keeping one of them, but it was still lots of fun to try them out!

[zenvodunista]

CMXXXIX

In the bottle this has potential. I smell some similar notes to Snow White, and a bit of mint. On me, something floral comes out though, and the mint and the cream go way to the background. Will I wear this ever? I doubt it. It's perfectly fine, but while I like these kinds of notes, I hardly ever wear them :/

 

MLXI

In the bottle: cheese. Cheese and ... alchochol? Something like that.

On: musty dust and vaguely medicinal institutional floor scrubbing liquid.

 

ETA: You know what? The cheese? I think it's the same musk that's in Queen. To me it's kind of like a sweaty foot cheese. THat's this scent. Horrible on me. Wonderful on other people.

 

*sigh*

 

Chaos Theory Hates Me. I have a couple more bottles to go, but I am pretty sure they won't work on me since I can tell they have some of those berry-florals that go Sweettart on me.

 

 

n.

Edited October 7, 2006 by zenvodunista

[slave1]

DCCCLXXXII: Number 882

 

In Bottle: Fruity and fizzy

 

On Skin: I get a sweet dark fruit first off, berries maybe, but there is this odd almost chemical feel under it. I also get a bit of a cola soda note complete with a little fizz. This scent is very light. While I like catching a slight whiff of it, if I lean in to truly get a feel for the scent and breathe in deeply, the chemical note is just not pleasing. It makes me a little queasy. As the scent develops I also get a tart lime note. Interesting… it’s reminding me of a lime cherry cola. The scent fades COMPLETELY in about a half hour. Low throw and very short wearlength.

 

Previously reviewed by roesmoker.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Shollin

[slave1]

CCXXII

 

In Bottle: Dirt and floral

 

On Skin: This is number 222. This is a very clean feeling scent. Fresh and bright. I smell white and lighter colored florals. I also detect a slightly earthy dirt note that helps ground the scent while also making it even more alive. I smell a soapy note, perhaps a white musk and it starts to beome stronger as the scent develops. Very pretty, and I can see this scent being worn by either men or women. I like the scent, but nothing really stands out to me and it also fades extremely quickly. The throw is light to medium and the wearlength seems very short.

 

Previously reviewed by roesmoker.

[slave1]

DCCCXCIV

 

In Bottle: Menthol and sweet ick

 

On Skin: This is number 894. This scent does not like me at all. I am actually quite scared of it. It is super strong and has a very toxic smell to it. I get rotting fruit, menthol and plastic. I’m not sure what fruit it is, it’s sweet but not an obvious fruit… maybe mango or papaya. But it’s overly ripe and at that point of turning. I also get an herbal feel from it which explains the menthol note. That’s a s far as I’m going to review it because it is terrible on me and I must wash it off. Sorry… Strong throw and unsure of wearlength.

 

Previously reviewed by roesmoker.

[slave1]

CMLXXII

 

In Bottle: Fruity sweet yum!

 

On Skin: This is number 972. Ok, this is fruit in a good way. I also get sugar which is a grand thing in my book. This smells like sweet pink candies… yes slightly like Aqualina’s Pink Sugar but not as cotton candyish, more fruity. There is also a soft gorgeous skin musk in the background, can a scent be any more beautiful??? I want gallons of this, holy moly. This scent is very “pink” in feel and quite girly. Light throw and average wearlength.

[zenvodunista]

The last of my CTIIIs:

 

DCCCLIX: a hit of light musk (skin maybe?) and a touch of some kind of fruiting flower and something clean.

 

DCCCXXXII: Clean, but I can't ID it farther than that. For some reason it's reminding me of Sea of Glass.

 

These last two are very related. They are variations on each other. On my skin they are barely distinguishable. Both are a little bit aquatic. Both remind me a bit of City in the Sea. Maybe it's sea lily? I don't know my notes for these as they seem to be related to a class of scents I am not ever really interested in.

 

n.

[edenssixthday]

Chaos Theory 3: CCCXI (311) - When I first open the vial, I smell wine. It's not as strong as Madrid -- it reminds me more of the wine in Lilith. However, as soon as it touches my skin, the dominant scent is a mix of eucalyptus and autumn leaves with maybe a hint of loam. There may be a touch of wood in there, too. Every now and again, I catch a whiff of something that reminds me of a sweet fruit juice/soft patchouli blend, but as soon as I think I smell it, it eludes me. The fruit scent I detect for that split second could just be the grape-ish undertones of the wine, which seems to almost completely disappear as soon as I apply it (unless that fruit scent is the wine popping up on occasion). As it dries, the eucalyptus/leaf/loam scent softens signficantly, and I can't help but wonder at this point if there's a drop of brown sugar in this blend, as well. Overall, the blend reminds me of what you might possibly get if you blended Burial with Devil's Night. The throw is really strong initially and then upon drydown, it decreases to a fairly average level of throw. The wear length is slightly above average.

 

Previously reviewed by Eunice_Branca.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Shollin

[nightbird]

DCCCLXXIV - #874

 

I got this in a swap - the two CT bottles I've gotten from the lab just didn't smell good on me. I keep trying with the hope of finding a winner!

 

and this one is close. in the bottle it's softly floral with something kind of sharp and citrusy. on my skin, I smell something vaguely like bananas (what is this note? it's come up a few times, always in blends that don't list the components). after about 20 mins or so, the bananas are gone, and I'm left with a soft, gentle floral fragrance.

 

I'm not sure if I want to keep this bottle or try swapping again, but it's pretty nice.

[Reedsong]

Okay, okay. Normally my reviews are kooky, but I'll try to play this one straight since this imp of CTIII: DCCCL (850) traveled all the way from England and the loving hands of Colere to be with me today.

 

Imp: In the imp, I smell butter, cream, cake, ginger, and - I hate to say it - vanilla. It smells sweet and inviting, like a warm kitchen full of baking smells, like a less biting Shub.

 

Skin: The cream and ginger are the two predominant notes, and something slightly deeper is starting to emerge. It's not quite a musk or patchouli, but something that reminds me of that "dark" feeling...

 

Skin +10: The ginger is almost completely gone, and now only a hint of the butter and cream. The main fragrance now is something flat by comparison, and woody. It's not sweet enough to be sandalwood, but more like pencil shavings or a fresh-cut log. Creamy wood? Huh?

 

Skin +15: Still a bit of the butter and cream. The 'cream' is going more flat, and I'm wondering if there's actually some beeswax in this. A tree with a beehive in it.

 

Skin +20: This stays very close to my skin and is almost completely gone. Still a beeswax-wood with a tiny bit of the spice lingering. (However, you have to keep in mind that my skin is bizarre and managed to transform Carceri d'Invenzione (rosewood/tobacco), for example, into tuberose.)

 

I like this, but I'm not heartbroken to pass it on; I'd have to really slather to get any kind of staying power from it. Still very glad I got to try it!

[edenssixthday]

Chaos Theory 3: D (500) - The person who sent this to me said that it reminded her of Pink Phoenix and (if I recall correctly) Sugar Skull. I have to say that I don’t get this association at all. On my skin, it is definitely sweet, but it’s the sweet scent of some type of wood drenched in saffron and sugar (which is perhaps why she had the Sugar Skull association?). I’m tempted to say the wood is cedar, but it hasn’t turned to pencil shavings on me like cedar usually does. I think there may also be the tiniest drop of leather on this blend. As it dries down, a note moves into the forefront that I’m almost positive is ylang ylang. On me, it’s a very sugar-sweet, yet masculine scent. It’s actually quite an odd combination of notes, yet I like it, and I look forward to wearing it a few more times.

 

Previously reviewed by quinctia.

[zenvodunista]

DCXXXI (631)

 

I swapped Oedipa for this, and I am glad I did. To my nose this is all Sugar Skull, mixed with incense. My skin happens to amp sugar so it's more SS than incense, but there's a lot of incense here. Weaving in and out of the scent as I wear it, is a faint hint of some kind of fruit - I am tempted to say cherry.

 

Really excellent, adn something I'll actually wear.

 

Thanks!

 

n.

[Xiabelle]

MCCLII (1253)

 

This is one of my second batch of Chaos Theories, and I just can't decide how I feel about it.

 

This is definitely an autumn or winter scent to me. It reminds me of sweet pine or pine sap -- there's a definite herbal atringency, but there's a definite pine intensity to it too. It reminded me a bit of Talvikuu from memory, but when tested next to it, there was a definite stronger pine scent to it -- on me, Talvikuu is sweet evergreen, while this CT is more walking in a forest at dusk. It dries down sweeter

 

 

It's a bit too much for me, so I think it's going to go on the swap pile.

 

And, of course, keep in mind that my nose can be notoriously bad at picking notes out; it's just my impression.

[sofiaviolet]

XXI: A very strong aquatic! It smells a lot like Amsterdam, somehow. Or maybe it's Prague I'm thinking of. Quite interesting, although not the kind of thing I usually wear.

 

Previously reviewed by the_cat_goddess.

 

DXXX: Fruit candy. Red licorice, maybe. Like Twizzlers. The universe keeps sending candy CTs my way. I'm not sure why. This starts to fade and to smell like latex within minutes.

 

DXXXIV: All hail disgusting foodiness. It smells like some horrible dessert involving caramel and possibly a small blowtorch. Blech.

[supremegoddessofall]

CT3: CMLXVII

 

Very masculine. I'm getting some juniper, some cedar...maybe some vetiver or leather in the background?

 

3 out of 5

 

CT3: DCCCIL

 

On me: Cinnamon and dragon's blood, with maybe a touch of amber toning it down?

 

Score: 5 out of 5

 

CT3: MCCXXVIII

 

On me: Berries! Reminds me of Hellion. Very juicy smelling.

 

Score: 5 out of 5

Edited October 24, 2006 by supremegoddessofall

[supremegoddessofall]

CT3: DLXXVII

 

On me: I swear this smells like Indian food. Curry and herbs. Interesting, but not so great as a perfume.

 

Score: 2 out of 5

 

CT3: DLVII

 

On me: What are the odds? More Indian food, this time with some cardamom. Better than the other CT3 that smelled like Indian food, but still not spectacular as a perfume.

 

Score: 3 out of 5

Edited October 24, 2006 by supremegoddessofall

[steffanina]

Chaos Theory 3:

 

(This is from a decant from a fellow BPAL fan and does not have a Roman numeral listing with it. So I am sorry that this is not more useful!)

 

In Bottle: Woo, cinnamon and...floral soap. It smells good!

 

Wet: Mmm, this has that same nutmeg note that Sugar Cookie 2004 has (My second favorite BPAL scent ever) and there's this sugary floral overtop it. Delicious!

 

Dry: This mellows out with that yummy nutmeg-like scent with something sugary and fragrant over it. Not floral in the way I think of as florals but almost. It's just a delicious scent, warm and yummy and I love it!

 

Overall: I love. I'd buy more if I could get this one again, but, without the number, I guess that'll never happen.

[supremegoddessofall]

CT3: MCCXCIII

 

On me: Barely there. Vaguely spicy - a touch of cinnamon or dragon's blood maybe? Something vaguely resinous.

 

CT3: DCLXVIII

 

On me: Holy spearmint gum, Batman! Something very cold smelling and lots and lots of mint.

Previously reviewed by Eleri.

 

CT3: XCIV

 

On me: Honey and light spices, almost like a mulled wine. I like this one!

Previously reviewed by edenssixthday.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Shollin

[supremegoddessofall]

CT3: DLXXXVI

 

Cinnamon and spices. Nummy!

[forspecial_plate]

DCCCXXXVI (836)...

 

Bright, soapy, maybe floral? I think Nightbird was right, there may be a little pine (or juniper?) in this. I was thinking maybe ozone too, because it goes really soapy/cleanser on me. Reminds me a little of violets, but doesn't turn powdery like violets usually do on me. Just not the kind of scent I really enjoy!

 

MXXXII (1032?)...

 

This was just a sniffie from Deana. It smells really good.

 

I got a big blast of sea spray at first, I think...it has that bracing salty feel that I remember from the ocean blends, and also smells a little bit soapy on me. After just a couple minutes I can smell sandalwood. Interesting. It's reminding me of a brighter Kingsport, but instead of "incandescent mist" it has smokey sandalwood incense wafting in and out of the mix. There might be more here, it does smell complex, but I can't put my finger on what else is in it. It lasted a long time...eventually the ocean scent faded and the sandalwood remained. It's really nice, and I'm glad I got to try it! I have enough to wear it a couple more times, at least.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Shollin