Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors

[BlackWingedRoses]

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.

DCCXXXIX (739)

I really didn't know what to expect. It's my first time trying a Chaos Theory.

Sadly I don't think my blend will work for me.

At first whiff I get a woody musky scent that reminds me a little of patchouli, even though i know that it isn't.
On the skin it is very dark and herbal, could be some kind of mint/rosemary in there. it's spikey, but there are very earthy dirt tones that make me think of a fresh grave in late fall. That woody inscence smell comes back, Like a dark dank church. I'm pretty sure there is some kind of dusty floral in it too.
It sticks to the skin, but is not overly strong as far as throw.
It's a very interesting complex scent, but just not something that works well with my body chemistry or my nostrills.

Oh well, ya win some, ya loose some.

[blood*rose*flowers]

In regards to bottle DCCLXXXIII (783?)

 

How can I love someone so much and hate them at the same time? Beth how could you be so cruel? This small bottle here has complete control over me and is sending me into a Libra Balance freak out. This little bottle numbered DCCLXXXIII is almost exactly what I have been dreaming about for over 10 years (closer to 15 but I can kid myself) I thought it was Numb that had brought me close to remedying the problem of a discontinued long remembered and impossible to replace "me" scent but now I see I have kidded myself. It is not Numb that has brought me close to the original scent but this DCCLXXXIII with its Violet and Roses and something slightly spicey (White Ginger???) and maybe a sweeter white floral. While it is not an exact match it is so close it doesn't matter.

 

Or maybe it is not a closeness but a strange hold this bottle has one me. It has made me apply it every single day since I got it (over a week). While I have two other CT2's on the way I am afraid that DCCLXXXIII won't even let its hold go in order for me to sample them.

 

This is why I both hate and love you Beth you have given this bottle so much life that its grip will not let go of me, normally that wouldn't be so cruel but this is the only bottle, this is it. I know when this bottle is down to its last drops it will sit in a worshipped place with its kin and make me set out on another search in the future for a lovely scent such as this.

 

Sincerally the worshipper of bottle DCCLXXXIII

 

(Yes this is a strange review but blame the DCCLXXXIII. I also know about 90% of you are out there gagging at the thought of violet or anything similar in Numb and how you didn't like its skin reaction on you. But this review is for those of you that love Numb, you will understand and I think many of you would drool over this one. I am so happy this one landed in my hands! Thanks for the 3!)

[kiio]

I don't want to review my circle decant before everyone gets them in the mail, but just in luck, two CTIIIs I traded eviltemptress for came in today:

 

CDXI (411): A creamy, citrus, herbal blend. It's light, but has this enduring lime, maybe juniper undertone that's nice, but not very me.

Previously reviewed by eviltemptressdq.

 

LXXXII (82): This smells like bath and body work's aromatherapy spearmint and sage, which I love. No seriously, this little imp is the most calming, comforting smell, I have ever sniffed. A creamy,woody, minty, but not to sweet mixture of love and happiness in an imp.

[neuilly]

My first and only Chaos Theory ordered.

 

DCCCI (801)

 

I'm so nervous because my nose can be weird but I'm going to give this my best shot...

 

DIRT. Lots of dirt. In the bottle that's all I could smell. I've never tried any of the dirt blends before but that's got to be what it is. It fades a little on the skin but it's still very prominent. There's definitely an undercurrant of something warm. Musk? Amber? Grr, this is where my nose fails me. Wait! I think it's vanilla. Now that it's sitting on me a bit longer.

 

 

Vanilla Musk Dirt.

 

Choas indeed! I personally don't think I can pull off the dirt note so this is going into swaps/sales.

[storme]

The bottle I acquired via a swap was CCLXXXIV (284):

 

In the imp: coffee-centred chocolate! lots of dark rich sweet coffee. This is sort of what I expected Misk U to smell like - mostly coffeeish with hints of other things.

 

On me, wet: yeah, this is still coffee with a hint of chocolate. Very rich, very dark.

 

On me, dry: slightly powdery coffee with a hint of chocolate. A bit dry but very rich and dark. Later on there are hints of something sweet-and-caramel-ish behind the coffee and chocolate notes.

 

Verdict: Man, that's some coffee. I like this - I can't exactly see myself wearing it often, but the scent from the bottle is awesome.

[Diana]

DCCVI

 

I think this might be my most favorite Chaos Theory ever.

 

 

Wet: Lemony. Maybe lemon verbena or lemon balm or some other lemony herb. But bright, happy citrus (which I love) is the overwhelming note. But! There's also a vanilla musk in there! WHOA. Score!

 

Drydown: This is so pretty. It's kind of similar to La Fee Verte, actually, but with much longer-lasting citrus notes. Sooooo nice, sweet, creamy, slightly vanilla/slightly lemony. I am in total love with this blend!

 

 

 

edited because bad grammar makes me cry.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Diana

[pennydreadful]

DCCXCI (791)

 

In the bottle, this is a clean scent. I detect a creamy citrus, perhaps some aloe, and sweet pea. It reminds me a bit of the smell of a bag of Brach's easter jellybeans.

 

On the skin, it is very fresh. The citrus is a soft citrus, not bitter or harsh. As it dries down, the citrus fades and the sweet pea comes forward to become the dominant scent.

 

It's lovely, and would suit someone well who likes a clean, soft floral scent. I'm not sure if I am that person, so this will most likely make its way to swaps.

Edited August 17, 2006 by amber a

[joseybird]

DCCLVIII (no idea what number this is....)

 

Bugger all! Strawberries, carmelized sugar, and cream....a little Sugar Skull-ish.

 

Better than a random floral, I suppose.

[Lorencita]

DCCLXVIII

This is my 4th bottle of Chaos. This is definately my favorite by far! This is a very dark & dense oil. At first it smells of Frankincense, red musk, sandalwood & honey. After about 10 mins, it calms down to a creamy, honeyed & resiny wood. This is very earthy, so I assume there is Patchouli in it, which I love. Not only is it the most fantastic scent out of the 4 I bought, it is filled to the RIM!!!! I will NEVER be able to finish this bottle, you only need a bit! I am extatic that I decided to get another one, and whoever packed up my box, picked this lovely scent for me! I love all the lab rats!!!

[graycat]

CCCXL (340)

 

in the bottle i can't really pin point any thing and sadly i got it when i had a horrible head cold. i haven't had time to really sniff and dabble until now. so, with-out farther to do!

 

in the bottle, hmm, fruity but not in the fruit punch sort of way. i'm not sure....

 

on the skin pear blossoms and citrus maybe? wait no! it's guava and the only reason i know that is i got to sniff the xanthe the weeping clown at the last full moon.

 

it's interesting but i'm not really a fruity girl, i love the blossom but the guava is a little too heavy for me. off to swap......

 

CXXXIX (239)

 

rose, rose and more rose. rose red rose to be exact, fresh green and not a bit of powder. that's that!

 

i'm not a super big floral fan, so saddly this is another off to swap too........

[alayni]

I just got my Chaos! I have DCCCXVI or 816. First sniff, spicy, but settles to being a bit powdery too (if that makes sense). It actually smells less like a typical 'feminine' scent, but I like it! makes me think warmth, fire, velvet. I bet y'all with yur super sensitive noses could pick out the notes better......does anyone know if there is a master list of what went into each of these? Would love to see how 'right' my guess is.

[quikslvr]

CCCX (310):

1st try: A fresh peach, virtually all the way through. (delicate application, pure peach).

 

2nd try: First stage, aloe and a floral I can't catch atop the peachy base.

 

My co-DJ here tried to eat my arm when I offered it to him to sniff, which is a good sign.

 

That top tinge comes back often--still can't place it but makes the blend sweet and almost (but not!) floral.

 

Wearing it now, I'm finding it more and more comfortable--a skin scent I can really live in, not too feminine but on the femme end, which is a rarity for me. This one won't be leaving me.

[lilerthkwake]

My Chaos Theory is WIIIIILD. It's number DCCXCVIII, which is... 798, right? Not a bad number, I'll say.

 

In the bottle: It's a very masculine scent, dreamy. It has a bit of evergreen and some creamy sweetness. Lighty, airy, alllmost citrus-y but not quite. Bracing, and I'd almost say ocean air-ish? Salty? Makes me think of a pinetree-capped cliff overlooking a stormy sea. Mmmmmm.

 

On the skin wet: It totally morphs into a salty, smoky wet wood... pungent and overwhelming and lusty and wet and kinda dirty. Mossy. Rawr.

 

On the skin, dry: Still pungent, mostly wet-woods now with a stab of smoke. Mmmmm, I love it!

 

Although it's very manly, I'll probably wear this one A LOT. I was feeling very romantic about my Chaos Theory even before it arrived... I mean, I couldn't wait until I had MY PERFUME, the only that ONLY I had, that no one else owned or smelled like! The manliness and completely unlike-anything-else-ness of it doesn't put me off at all. I love men's colognes and I love unique, intriguing scents. I'm already sad at the idea of it running out someday! If I can stand to share it, I'll have the boyfriend try this one on; it's so sexy in a very special way.

 

Thank you, Beth, for a nearly perfect blend for me!

 

ETA: An hour or so later, it's still going strong. Wet smoke, there's no other way to describe it.

Edited August 18, 2006 by Little Earthquake

[jidabug]

DCCXXXI (731)

 

In the bottle: Citrus. Lemon and orange, with a bit of something sharp and metallic underneath?

 

Wet: Still very citrus, and just a little soapy. Like really fancy guest soaps you put out for decoration.

 

Drydown: The soapiness mellows out into a bit more of a creamy undertone and keeps the citrus nicely in hand. For some reason all I can think of is creamcicles. Very nice in the end. Huzzah! Now I wish I'd sprung for more than one bottle to try a few more surprises.

[magpiedee]

XIV

 

My first Chaos Theory. And it's fascinating! Imagine you are at the zoo, and it's a very hot July day, so you stop to get one of those Minute Maid frozen lemonades. You eat it as fast as you can until there is nothing left but the whippy liquid froth at the bottom, and you feel sated. You are standing in front of the panoramic safari section, with elephants enjoying dustbaths and giraffes twitching their tails and zebras placidly munching, feeling like you are almost-- but not quite-- all alone on the veldt where everything shimmers and sighs. Then you smell the lemonade. It's a lot like that.

 

Notes? Um... hot lemon. Hot, honey, sunshine, dusty, dry lemon. Lemon in a yellow polka-dot bikini. Lemon sweat. Lemon that laughs at Pine-sol and other cleaning products because they're too mainstream. With the tiniest dry-down of something sweetly soapy, like baby soap or laundry detergent in the sunshine. In fact, the exact quote it brings to mind is Ron's fake magic spell from the first Harry Potter:

Sunshine, daisies, butter, mellow... my Chaos Theory smells like yellow!

 

It's a fascinating scent adventure for me. Doesn't make me feel sexy or sweet or womanly or spicy or responsible... just makes me see the sun wavering over stunted trees and everything bathed in golden sweat.

Edited August 18, 2006 by magpiedee

[bristlecone]

I believe my Chaos Theory is DCCLXIV (764). I will have to confirm that when I get home from work.

 

I received it yesterday. When I first opened the bottle I was hit with a "high", clear, almost ozoney note. While I wouldn't call it aquatic, something about it did remind me of damp, foggy air near the ocean. It also reminded me of laundry detergent or dryer sheets. Aside from that, I had no clue what was in it. I was intrigued. I dabbed a tiny bit on my skin, but still wasn't able to make any further judgements about it, other than that I thought I smelled something minty and cooling if I sniffed hard enough.

 

Today I decided to wear it to work, and it's like a completely different scent. I think I smell something from La Fee Verte- a musk or something. There might even be a dab of vanilla, and maybe something green. But what I'm sure of is that this shares a common note with Peony Moon. I believe it must be the water reeds or the "soft Asian woods", because it's not floral. I have no idea how I got ozone or mint out of this last night.

 

So if I had to describe this, I'd call it lightly woody and musky, but also a bit fresh and green. I like it!

[edenssixthday]

Chaos Theory 3: CCLXXXV (285) - I have no clue what is in this, but it's lovely! I'm trying my hardest to place the notes, but I'm sure that even my wildest guesses are way off base because this is such a complex blend. It's definitely got some floral in it, some very light woods (or is it simply incense?), maybe a bit of roman chamomile and a hint of (just another guess) black poppy. In some ways, this scent reminds me of the GC blend Rome, but only a bit. It's a smooth scent that is highly comforting and soothing. It has a lovely level of throw -- just enough to catch wafts of it without being overwhelmed by the scent. Too bad there's not more of this one.

 

 

Chaos Theory 3: CDLXXXI (481) - I split a bottle with another person, and her initial comment about this scent is that it's "sweet fruity candy". My reaction is that it's "sweet candied fruit" -- so pretty similar to hers. It's fruity alright -- reminds me a lot of Forbidden Fruit. The notes in this that I distinctly smell are pomegranate, pineapple, orange, peach, and possibly apricot. I don't smell either the musk or the grapefruit that my friend smells in this blend. As it dries, I can't help but wonder if there isn't a bit of melon in this blend as well as (maybe???) the lightest hint of white ginger. As it dries down, I detect more and more the brown sugar note from Sugar Skull '05 that smells like a Yankee Candle Co. candle. This scent is very juicy and simultaneously tart and sweet. It's an incredibly summery fruit blend, but I just don't really see myself wearing it that much and think I'll try to swap at least some of it for a Chaos Theory I will hopefully enjoy a bit more.

 

Previously reviewed by Jettcat.

[Nisaba]

CTIII #CLXXIV (174)

 

In the bottle, this was dark and strong. Once on, I get a hint of vertiver, then tobacco wafts up. I tobacco. As it dries I get a touch of something sweetly boozy, maybe cognac, but it's still mostly dry, sultry tobacco. This CT is gorgeous to my nose, and I'm gonna when it's all gone. Thankfully it's super-full though, half way up the neck, and it really has a lot of throw, so it should last even a slatherer like me quite a while

 

CTIII #CLXXVI (176)

 

Only two little numbers up from the previous CT, yet this baby couldn't be more different. In the bottle, quite light, sharp, aquatic. On me, the citrus comes out. I'm finding it hard to pick out individual notes - maybe lemon, maybe lime, maybe grapefruit - but it's drying down into a soft light clean citrus, with a slight aquatic tang. It is really very nice, but it's not very me.

Edited August 19, 2006 by Nisaba

[Dymphna]

CTIII: DCCXCVI (796)

 

In the bottle: Oranges. Very juicy. It's not the bitterness of the pith or the sharp dryness of the peel. This is just pure, sweet, juicy orange. There's also a waxy white flower. At first, I think it's jasmine, but it's not doing that evil thing that jasmine does on my skin. Magnolia, maybe?

 

Wet: Oh. Oh, wow. It's creamy, it's white, it's spicy. It's LILY! This is too funny. I ordered a bunch of lily blends and spent yesterday testing all of them, and they were all disappointing. I was starting to think I'd never find a really great lily scent. But here it is! The orange steps graciously into the background after a moment on my skin and I just get lily with a hint of brightness to keep it lively. It's perfect!

 

Dry: Once dry, this doesn't have much throw. Then again, I only used a tiny dab from the rim to test it. Applying it a bit more liberally, I get a very respectable level of throw, enough to surround me in my own happy little bubble of lily-liciousness. The orange is still supporting the lily beautifully. This is a bright, orange-and-white scent. (Upon checking, though, I saw that the oil itself is a beautiful clear orange.) It's what I would expect a tiger lily to smell like--graceful and creamy, yet bright and a bit tangy. I LOVE THIS! I can't stop smelling my wrist.

 

I'm so happy! I finally have a lily scent that I love. Now I get to be one of those people who got a CT that seems like it was made just for me!

 

(I'm wondering...this came in the same order as my mostly-lily imp pack. I know this is supposed to be random, but I wonder if that had anything to do with me getting such a luscious lily note in my CT. Whatever, I'm just happy to have it!)

Edited August 19, 2006 by Dymphna

[PurringPulsar]

Chaos Theory CCXXXIX (239)

 

Received in swap.

In the imp: patchouli. Lots and lots and lots of patchouli. Whoa.

Wet on skin: still mainly patchouli but I can smell something sweet there as well as a cool note reminiscent of anise or absinthe, or even mint.

Dry on skin: this is very unusual! This scent is both warm and cool, both heavy and light at once. I get a deep, dark patchouli note-probably red patchouli judging by the colour, but this is dramatically contrasted by an anise like note that reminds me of the BPAL Absinthe. A cool, alcoholic, almost medicinal and minty anise scent with sugar, this is a very odd combination but it's not bad! my only concern is that absinthe can turn to soap, and anise can turn medicinal.

After a while: eventually, a clearer and sharper, still medicinal scent does peep out of the 'absinthe' and I think it's either wintergreen or eucalyptus-it can't be mint since mint does fade fast, but this has just strengthened. At the same time, a black leather and tobacco note starts to surface from the dark patchouli base. The scent altogether is very much a masculine scent, reminiscent of a well crafted men's perfume or aftershave. Soon after, a sweet resin, possibly amber, starts to make itself known as well, as well as a green note which could be fir or pine.

And then…sandalwood! This scent has done a total 180 and transformed into sandalwood, sweet and incensy, fringed by the remains of patchouli and leather but with none of the absinthe or wintergreen that came before. Mind you, the more I smell it, the more I think it may be rosewood, cedar, or a mix of several fragrant woods. It's woody, that's all I'm certain of. And then, soon after, vanilla/tonka comes out. Whoa, this one morphs like nobody's business. Eventually this smells a bit like Perversion, only more leathery with patchouli and woods (cedar?), before going back to being patchouli dominated, with a hint of moss or ambergris.

Verdict: another bizarre scent experience, but one that dries down very nicely into what I think is a very sophisticated man's perfume. It starts off as a very strange scent-patchouli and absinthe, but then it morphs and twists and changes into leather, tobacco, tonka, amber, fragrant woods and then settling down into a very pleasant patch-leather-tobacco with a hint of amber and woods, a scent which reminds me of good masculine perfume. it's very odd, the way this changes so much but that's the nature of CT scents and why they are so good! I'm not sure if I'll keep this since it's a bit too manly for me at the end, but very interesting to try!

Emoticon rating:

 

Previously reviewed by terrierhead.

[portalkat]

DCCCXII (812)

 

Wet, just after applying, I smell pear with clove and some very light floral in the background, something like jonquil or freesia. I can't really tell, but it smells light and bright against the pear and clove. After an hour or so, I can smell vanilla musk and something green peeking through. The green smells earthy like a vegetable garden, tomato leaf or lettuce or maybe helichryssum, but it's smoothed out by the vanilla musk.

 

This is really lovely and different and I am liking my very first Chaos Theory blend a lot. Boy, if there is a list cross-referencing the notes in each bottle, Beth is probably rolling her eyes and laughing as she reads this.

 

Um, maybe the "green" that I smell with the vanilla musk is white sandalwood because I smell something similar in Mouse's Long & Sad Tale and maybe the flower is dandelion...............oh, forget it. Whatever it is that I smell in this bottle, I like it.

 

 

MLVII (1057)

 

 

Whoa, strong hit of leather with some sort of floral in the background, maybe Gardenia. There's also something sweet like sugar cane and a fruity note like plum. Wow, this is very complex and I love the leather and the fact that my skin is not amping up the floral note. A definite "thumbs up" for this bottle and it's mine.

 

 

MCXLIV (1144)

 

 

Something smoky when still wet, perhaps an opium sort of smokiness as opposed to a bonfire smell because it has a bit of a bite that I detect with opium. There is fruit coming through..............oh, apple and some clove and what seems like vanilla musk starting to emerge. This reminds me of something from Carnaval Diabolique or the Halloween blends. This is lovely and reminds me of Autumn.

Edited October 26, 2006 by portalkat

[Dymphna]

CTIII: DXXXVIII (538)

 

Now that my swap partner has finally gotten my end of the swap, I can review this. Her review is here, and as you can see, we got very different impressions of this blend!

 

In the bottle: Before I even got the package completely unwrapped, I smelled something sweet. A sweet floral, maybe? But more sweet than floral. When I opened it, I smelled something that I immediately identified as a "forest" scent. It smelled familiar, but I couldn't place it.

 

Wet: Wow, creamy honey goodness *and* that sharp, clean forest smell. That's an interesting combination, but it works! And I know what that foresty scent is: it's the same one I get from Nocnitsa! This smells like Nocnitsa on her day off, rolling herself in honey. Or, okay, maybe she's being domestic, cooking up something yummy.

 

Dry: This is definitely going to make a good winter scent. There's a bit more sharpness to the green forest scent than in Nocnitsa, almost a sage-like dryness alongside the wet, cold greenery. And that honey sweetness. Very unique. This is a very green scent, but not bright, new spring/summer green. This is the dark green of a wet, cold forest in late autumn or early winter. Maybe that sweet honey scent is the berries of some evergreen.

[mimulus]

Okay! So... I ordered one lonely bottle of CTIII, DCLXV. I have no idea what number that is and I'll look it up later... I shall not hinder my creative reviewing output!

 

In the bottle: Some kind of wood resin and herbs. I'm actually pretty bad at recognising herbs. Nothing in here is overly pine-y, it's quite soft and full, and well blended. I do have thoughts that I might be smelling rosemary or sage. There's also a fresh and subtle high note. Maybe that's the rosemary?

 

Thoughts: "Oh noooooo! SO not me, maybe it'll change when I put it on. I like sweet things and this is not. Nope."

 

Wet: The herbs are slightly sweet. The rest of the scent is the same as in the bottle, resin'y and herby. Not heavy resins though, they're light. Maybe a little mint peaking through? A tonka/vanilla? A VERY small amount, if it's there at all. There's something warm at the base.

 

Imaginings: Like a forest in spring. Sun-warmed herb garden.

 

Thoughts: "Boo. Nice but not me."

 

Drydown: The resins and woods are becoming stronger. Still fresh and a little warm. A tiny bit of orange maybe? It's hard to pick anything particular out.

 

Synopsis: "Very nice. Not me at all, I wish I could like it but it's something I would never wear."

 

Ah ha! Thank you internet, it's 665

[mandragora]

From Lycanthrope's CTIII Decant Circle - Part 2

 

DXIII (513)

Sharp alcohol smell that's slightly sour. On my skin, the sourness dissipates leaving a strong boozy and spicy smell that's both perfume-y and powdery.

 

DXXXI (531)

Astringent-smelling cherry cough syrup. Very sharp, very medicinal. A light floral note emerges on the drydown mellowing the sharp cherry syrupy smell.

 

DLXV (565)

Cough syrup sweet cherry menthol that's a bit boozy. The menthol boozy note dissipates on the drydown, the cherry-sweetness also fades. Hazelnut emerges and blends with the faint cherry note with a bit of floral powder at the back. Hmmm curious.

 

DLXVIII (568)

Pine, booze and something floral. Cool and sharp-smelling and a bit on the masculine side.

All of the above scents last reviewed by kakiphony here.

 

DLXXXIII (583)

Aquatic fruity floral blend. I detect red apples. Can't pick out other notes as they all blend well with each other. A very cool and lovely scent. Another keeper.

Last reviewed by kakiphony (in a different post).

[kitt3h]

when i first sniffed my bottle of CTIII DCCCXLII (842), i'm not sure what i smelled in it, but it was some kind of unplaceable nostalgic smell. i don't get it any more, though.

 

i thought it was a nice scent at first, but nothing spectacularly amazing. i'm not too familiar with most notes in general, but i'm pretty sure i recognized incenscy, sugary notes, with maybe a hint of smoke. i have little to no experience with similar scents, so as i went on sniffing all 18 imps in my order, along with ELF, i caught a whiff of something that made me feel nauseous and gave me a headache and thought it might be my ctIII. it made me sad ;_;

 

i waited a day or two and tried it again yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised. the effect was *not* replicated, and i was really intrigued by the scent that unfolded. i kept sniffing and sniffing my hand to try and figure it out, and i grew to like it more and more. i think there's some kind of cinnamon and/or mint under the sugar/vanilla and incensce. as it dried down that part of it kind of peeped out a little more, but no single aspect ever seemed to be too dominant over the others. it was a little on the foody side (even though i've never actually tried any foody bpal scents), but not in a way that i felt like eating myself.

 

if i sniffed too closely and too deeply, i could feel a little headache sensation coming on, but that soon went away, and it was nothing like the aweful nausea headache that something else gave me. that made me incredibly pleased

 

i'm not sure yet if this is going to be something that ends up being the perfect "me" scent, and my initial impression was that it won't, but i still really like it and am very glad that i have it. also, there's still time for my impression about it to change