ethaisa

Baron Samedi -- Excolo -- dark, earthy (almost dirty), hint of booze and spice. Niiice. Somewhat musky dry down.

Cairo -- Wanderlust -- Kyphi based.. yeah, can pick out the raisin/berry/resin notes right away. Harder to pin down just what those resin notes are. Very nicely blended. I think I'll want more of this. Sweet, somewhat powdery dry down.

Calico Jack -- Bewitching Brews -- sharp aquatic notes that turn soapy - makes me want to wash it off immediately. Seems to fade quickly, tho, leaving a hint of spice and salty leather that is actually quite nice. Later still, gets more briney. Think this is one to try in a locket, since the initial stages of this on my skin is really ugly.

Cathode - Bewitching Brews -- immediate, sharp lemon-mint that fade quickly when the oakmoss warms up and later becomes the dominant note. Quite unusual.

Florence - Wanderlust - This was way down on my test-list, because I don't consider iris to be a nice smelling flower. But this is lovely - just a hint of floral mixed with berries and amber and spice, beautifully blended. I keep "testing" this again, and again, and each time I like it just as much and want to slather on more. Definitely bottle-worthy.

Helena - Illyria -- woah! hello rose and jasmine. Nothing subtle here. Sharp edge of lily as it dries down; the edge dulls, but the lilies become dominant and a little sour. So not for me.

Herbert West -- Picnic in Arkham -- description sounded rather horrid, so this isn't at all what I imagined. Tea and citrus, but not too sweet; bright and fresh, yet subdued. Finishes like tea with a hint of lemon. Hmm.. the longer this goes, the more I like it.

Horn of Plenty -- Bewitching Brews - at first sniff, it reminds me of Voodoo, with that same sweet cola note. Notable throw. After a bit, the sweetness fades and I get a bit of incense, then faintly smoky incense and a hint of bitter almond.

Kurukulla -- Excolo -- ROSE and lotus. Then rose and lotus on a blind date, discovering they've been set up with their ex. Each note somehow makes the other smell bad. Eww. Had to wash this one off.

La Belle Au Bois Dormant - Ars Amatoia Delicate and beautiful florals. Then I leaned in a took a deep snif. And promptly sneezed. Badly. And got stuffed up. the drydown is lovely, but I don't think I could wear this. (Then again, I don't think I have to worry about it as it all but disappears on drydown.)

Machu Picchu - Wanderlust - a blend rich wet fruits and blossoms; I can't pick out any particular note until drydown, when I get hints of bright amber. Nice. But then the florals get too sweet, with a rather 'fake' note. Final drydown is sweet, undefinable powder.

New Orleans - Wanderlust - bold, heady, thick blooms. Only hints of spice at first, and then its all flowers again, with jasmine hollering for attention, egged on by sickly sweet honeysuckle. More spice comes up as it drys down. Don't know how I missed this one on my search for jasmine scents. It *does* remind me of walking through the Garden district.