Aries 2007

[tamburlaine]

Cardinal fire: the essence of identity.
Black pepper, honeysuckle, opoponax, dragon’s blood, and wild ginger.

I have no Aries in my chart at all but I still identify strongly with the sign, so imagine my glee when I saw the blend included some of my most favorite notes! Pepper? Check. Honeysuckle (one of the only florals that works on me?) Opoponax? Dragon's blood? Ginger? Check, check, check, check!

In the bottle: It smells like chai tea. Pepper right off the bat. Dwindling in the background is the ginger. Hooray, spice!

On my skin: More pepper tempered with the sweetness of dragon's blood and the floral tingle of honeysuckle. It still smells like chai with the lingering floral emerging in the drydown. As it completes the drydown, it reveals itself as a true-to-form spicy floral, like brilliant fire razing a flower garden. Awesome.

Very sophisticated; I've never smelled a big brand scent as daring and ambitious as this one is. Very Aries. I would have preferred this to have come out in winter, as it's a vibrant and spicy scent that would've warmed up and complemented the cold months, but that's not Aries' alotted time, so I understand. I'm extremely pleased with this blend. It's all I expected and more. Brava!

[Little Bird]

I wonder if this would be more like the original Aries after a while with some aging? With the original I couldn't smell any pepper, the ginger was almost a spicy vanilla on my skin, and I got a sweet resin and woods vibe from it.

 

Aries 2007 opens with a blast of scorching, sharp pepper. The ginger amps that up and is more of a bitter, hot spice. Very spicy, but not turning so sweet on me. Over time, the spiciness calms down and more of the floral aspects come out. Dragon's blood goes that sickly sweet way on me, like a vase of rotting flowers, and a perfumey honeysuckle flirts with it.

 

After an hour there's just a hint of a perfumey floral left on my skin. I'm going to save a decant of this for aging, but Aries isn't my friend at the moment.

 

Bottle art is gorgeous for this one though <3

[miss apple]

Aries 2007

 

In the bottle this is very dark and I smell something very close to vetiver. I couldn't remember the notes but that was what my nose was telling me. Almost from the moment I put it on it became quite floral with maybe a hint of spice or earthiness. The vetiver-like scent completely disappeared. It started out strong and toned down slightly after an hour or so and after several I could barely smell it any longer. I do wish that I could detect more of the dragon's blood and ginger but I still quite like this.

[PurringPulsar]

Aries 07

 

In the bottle: savoury spices of pepper and ginger. But this ginger smells suspiciously red, like the red ginger note that often turns to rubber on me…

Wet on skin: phew, no rubbery ginger. Now the dragon's blood comes up and mingles with the spices.

Dry on skin: whoa, the pepper really has strengthened! It now smells dry, crackling and fiery, it's the olfactory version of sparks flying from flames. Very hot and red, this smells like fierce pepper and ginger with the red clarity of dragon's blood. I don't smell honeysuckle yet but the dragon's blood has a slight floral aspect to it that contrasts with the firestorm of spices whirling through the scent. It's a very powerful fragrance-it really is the scent of cardinal fire.

After a while: is that gardenia? I smell a harsh, gritty floral scent that strongly reminds me of celery and burning sawdust. This isn't honeysuckle. It could be a reaction of the dragon's blood…it reminds me of Pluto, oddly enough, but it still smells of ginger, pepper and dragon's blood. I don't smell the opoponax here, the note I was most looking forward to.

It gets harsher, drier and more biting over time. There's a very dry, celery like floral-woody note similar to gardenia here-I this honeysuckle reacting with dragon's blood? The pepper still lingers and at times I get the barest, barest, almost undetectable scent of something sweet, hoping that it's the opoponax, but it never materialises.

Verdict: I was hoping this one would be much better on me than it was, as it's my sign, dammit! and I have Mercury and Venus in Aries as well! But whilst it wasn't a disastrous scent, it just doesn't compare with the original Aries, which had frankincense instead of dragon's blood, honeysuckle and opoponax…and I adored that spicy resinous scent. This one is a lot harsher. The spices are more potent, the dragon's blood is very strong, and they dominate this punchy, fiery fragrance, very hot and incredibly red in tone. I like the peppery-ginger start of the scent but the dragon's blood really amps after this and there's an odd, harsh floral tone to it. I'm a little disappointed, but not too much. I have a feeling I could use this ritually, it has that confident, upfront feel to it which fits the sign. It reminds me of Brass Balls, and I think I could use it in a similar way, as a confidence and self-esteem booster, a scent that could be used in the manner of a TAL oil. However, scent-wise I don’t love it as much as the original Aries, which suited me so much better.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes, I'll keep the bottle (awesome label!) I have but might sell off the other bottle I have coming.

If you like this, try: Mars, Dragon's Blood, Telltale Heart

[abejita]

I was hoping for mostly opoponax and wild ginger, but instead I got a very floral honeysuckle/dragon's blood amped up sky high. Zero spice. The pepper was evident while wet, but disappeared quickly. It's not bad, just utterly unremarkable on me.

[ilona]

Guh! This smells not good straight from the bottle. Kind of like a hot tire. I dab some on, and will not sniff it again till it dries!

 

Later, it is peppery and dry.

 

Even later, the dragon's blood appears. Oh, this was worth the wait! Spicy dragon's blood! Reminds me of Dragon's Milk. There is still a little weirdness going on, though. Less tire and more plastic, but I only get little whiffs of it. What is that?

[euterpe414]

Yum yum. Aries is my sun sign, so I just had to order this one (also, my obsessive collecting habit says 'gotta have them all' soo...). Aries does not morph on me at all! It smells of pepper, ginger and dragon's blood in the bottle, and when it goes on my skin it smells of these same things and stays that way. Odd, since many others have reported a lot of morphing with this one. Anyhow, I really enjoy the hot, dry spice that is in this blend. I am not getting any honeysuckle and perhaps a bit of oppoponax but I cant really tell. Aries is a unique BPAL scent and I am glad to have a bottle of it

[supremegoddessofall]

Very spicy and sharp - I get a *lot* of the black pepper, but also a lot of the opoponax. This is definitely more masculine. Another one I'll reserve judgment on.

[elfmaiden]

This is definitely a hot and spicy blend. From the bottle it's strange and over powering, but on my skin with a bit of a dry down it's cooled slightly. I can really smell the ginger (YAY!) and the pepper is second to it. I'm not sure what the last note it but it's sweet and more of a heavy floral (Honeysuckle?). It's getting much sweeter on my skin, which isn't surprising as I amp those notes.

 

By far one of the most intriging blends from the lab I've encountered.

 

Jenn

[Extispex]

Oh in the bottle this smells lovely. Nice and peppery and spicy with just a hint of softness from the floral. Just what I was looking for for my more 'fiery' moods.

 

Unfortunately, on my skin, the honeysuckle takes over and goes all soapy. I waited and waited for it to turn beautiful, but it just got soapier and soapier. On me its ALL honeysuckle. Noooooooo.... why doesn't it smell on me like it smells in the bottle!

[theseagrows]

all i get is honeysuckle and black pepper. i sort of actually like the pepper, but honeysuckle is not my friend. too bad because i'm an aries, but this one doesn't do it for me.

[naeelah]

I'm an Aries, and while I don't actually buy astrology, I've always enjoyed it because every description of my various signs is just so accurate. So, surprise surprise, the scent of Aries sounded like it was exactly the perfume I was looking for.

 

In the bottle and wet it smells strongly of black pepper. For a moment, that's all I get on my skin. It calms down to reveal the honeysuckle, which continues to carry a strong whiff of pepper behind it. I get a little of the dragon's blood, which is a good bottom note, and unfortunately, none of the ginger.

 

This one morphs very little on me, for once! The longevity is good. After several hours, it's still definitely noticeable.

 

This is confident and slightly abrasive scent. Combined with the pepper, the honeysuckle takes on an almost astringent quality. It's very unusual, which is good, and definitely not a scent that strikes me as destined to be loved by everyone.

 

Try it if you like: Wrath

Edited November 21, 2007 by naeelah

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Black pepper and ginger stand out the most, a tiny hint of sweetness in the back which is the dragon's blood.

 

First on: Very floral all of a sudden. Dragon's blood is still sweet and slightly resinous, the pepper is still there & spicy, but there's that honeysuckle that is coming to the forefront.

 

Drydown: The honeysuckle is now no longer floral but has gone sweet with the dragon's blood. The spicy is now more faded and rests in the back. It's become a slightly spicy floral.

 

Overall: Not what I was expecting, but very fitting for Aries. In my experience (most of my close friends are Aries) they're very kind & sweet, and tolerant of a lot of things, but if you push the little red button all hell breaks loose. That spicy int he back hints at that little red button. Very fitting.

[ariosa]

I wish I'd ordered a whole bottle of this right from the get-go. I didn't because I wasn't familiar with many of the notes and how they'd react with my skin.

 

This is freaking awesome. Initially, it's all harsh pepper. It's dark, it's snappy, it's a 'GTFO of my face or I'll ram ya with my horns. Don't cross me'. If it stayed like this, I'd not be able to love it as much as I do. I mean, I can be an in-your-face Aries, but I'm more like what this perfume turns into: Soft, sweet, beguiling, charming honeysuckle, with the firey dragon's blood resin and pepper behind it to come out and kick butt if necessary. I don't know what opoponax is, and I can't really smell the ginger, but that's okay.

 

I have a fair amount of Aries in my chart. Had I known I'd love the way honeysuckle smells on me, I'd have snatched this up immediately. As it is, I'm going to have to track down some more.

[BlueStarGirl]

Huh, I smell like pepper and I kind of enjoy it. On me this is mostly pepper with a spicy ginger in the background that almost smells like cinnamon. I get little whiffs of floral eventually, but, as honeysuckle and I tend to violently not get along, I'm relieved that this is seeming to stay mellow.

 

I'll wear this on my birthday and when I want to feel powerful (this scent definitely makes me feel I can take on anyone), but I think I'm content with just an imp of this.

[kraken]

In the Bottle: Black pepper and resins. Very sharp with just a hint of floral.

 

Initial Wet: Black pepper! Freshly cracked peppercorns.

 

Initial Dry: Black pepper.

 

Drier Dry: Black pepper with the faintest hint of honeysuckle sweetness behind it.

 

This is nothing except black pepper on me. It's my scent and I was hoping for more honeysuckle, opoponax, and dragon’s blood than what I get. Usually I amp dragon's blood. Apparently, I amp black pepper more than dragon's blood.

 

ETA: Reading everyone else's descriptions of dragon's blood and honeysuckle, I'm jealous. I've pulled it from my swaps pile and am going to age it to see if I can't get that black pepper to calm down on my skin.

Edited April 23, 2007 by kraken

[argylexsoul]

some how i got two decants of this. one smells like very spicy rubber bands at first. they both dry down to a similar blend of dragons blood, opoponax, and a bit of honeysuckle. quite nice.

[Ah Xia]

Holy pepper, Batman! With a background of sweet dragon's blood. I wasn't sure about this one...I liked the pepper in La Mort Qui Danse, but this one isn't working so well with my chemistry. It started to make me nauseated so I had to wash it off. Off to swaps for a new home, and someone who will cherish it.

[sofaking6]

As we've all noticed, there is a lot of pepper in Aries.

 

I actually really enjoy that initial blast. It doesn't hurt my skin at all and it's aggressive, jarring and invigorating. The ginger tones the pepper, I can smell that as well up front.

 

But after about 10 minutes, the dragon's blood takes over on my skin, and it seems to war with the spices rather than blend with them. It's very bull-headed, this scent. Nobody seems to want to play nice. The sweetness is sticky and the spices are bitter, and it's not a very pleasant sniffing experience.

 

I think it will be very interesting to see how Aries ages, if all the players can make peace in the cool dark. I will let them out again in a few months and see if they've learned anything.

[jade_starlight]

At first sniff all I can smell is pepper, so much so that I nearly sneezed. As it dries I can smell something sort of sweet and spicy trying to push past the pepper, but it never quite manages it. Off to the swaps.

[Trish]

In the Imp: Mmmm.. dragon's blood, pepper and ginger, with a touch of sweetness.

 

Wet: Oh yes, this is peppery. Although it's far from being all pepper on me as the ginger is certainly making it's presence strongly felt as well! The dragon's blood isn't overly strong but it's quite noticeable also. Actually this is reminding me of Wrath, must be the DB and pepper.

 

Drydown: This is getting sweeter and a little incense smokey - no doubt that's the opoponax. The ginger is fading away quite quickly and the dragon's blood is staying in the background. However knowing me and dragon's blood it will end up outlasting everything else. A sweet, spicy, slightly smoky resin.

 

Early dry: Hello honeysuckle. Sweet, floral, spicy dragon's blood. Far gentler in some ways than I thought Aries would be, but it's still a strong scent. Strong in a confident take no prisoners way! Still reminds me of Wrath, although it hasn't gone weird on me like it did thankfully!

 

Later dry: Ah here we go! The dragon's blood is becoming more noticeable and the honeysuckle is becoming a little more subdued. Still not an overly strong DB though (than again I've been wearing the single note a lot lately). It's got a little bit of throw.

 

After an hour: Mmm sweet spicy dragon's blood. It's certainly not spicy hot, but it's still got that dry peppery scent. Surprisingly feminine and soft, but still with that strong don't mess with me vibe. The honeysuckle has all but gone, just leaving a lingering memory behind.

 

After two hours: Dragon's blood, soft with still a little lingering sweetness and spice.

 

 

I'm an Aries and a dragon's blood fanaticand a spice fan so needless to say I had HUGE hopes of this. And I do like it a lot, especially after about 45 minutes. I just wish the db was a bit more pronounced and that the ginger had stuck around some more. It's a note I've only recently tried and I'm discovering I like it quite a bit (but then I've never met a spice I didn't like).

 

Definitely a keeper. Especially for when I need to kick arse and take charge.

Edited April 16, 2007 by Trishek

[Bagfish]

In the imp, this was almost civit like, but on the skin it almost immediately becomes firey pepper and honeysuckle. It dries down to a really dry powdery scent, which is very likely to be the dragon's blood. This doesn't work on my skin unfortunately as I was looking forward to the honeysuckle, but it doesn't last.

[Roses Ablaze]

In the bottle it's a bit like the Bloody Sword but more earthy and less peppery. It must be the dragon's blood, because that and pepper are two notes I know they share and people tend to note in both. On me, it doesn't turn to soap which is a pleasant surprise, but it turns sweet-ish and spicy, which was a surprise to me. It's almost foody, but not quite edible, and it doesn't make me hungry.

 

EDIT: Chai tea, that's something I could compare it to. And actually it's getting a little soapier, but not enough to shout, "SOAP!" We'll see how it goes.

Edited April 21, 2007 by Roses Ablaze

[cabinwench]

First off, let me just say that I really liked the artwork on the label, right down to the little white stars in the ARIES lettering. Very pretty.

 

In the bottle, this is black pepper, and a touch of something that says "pizza parlor"--almost an oregano hint. I get that rubbery note others have mentioned. Almost no florals at first.

 

wet: not a lot of change

 

drydown: the florals come out, along with a soft ginger in the background. I'm not a dragon's blood person so I can't speak to how much that's coming out, but after a while, it's a very pure, waxy-flower floral: lily of the valley/lilac/honeysuckle and reminds me a little of hiacynths in bloom. The pepper backs up and lets the spring flowers come out. There's also a touch of something green in the background.

 

This ends up just beautiful on me. It's worth the initial not-so-great phase. And even that isn't bad as much as it's just--different.

 

A very nice Spring scent.

 

And since it was an LE, thank TPTB for swappers, so I could snag a bottle after finding out that this worked for me!

[batsy]

In the vial: Ironically it reminds me of when you've just cut into a pumpkin, that smell.

 

On the skin: ugh honeysuckle. I get a whiff of black pepper but the honeysuckle is murder. Good thing I'm not an Aries.