And We're Off!

It's been a hectic week of sniffing & buying for things other than reviewing, so it was hard to get some "alone time" with the scents I wanted to write about. But I now have my first two ready to go!

My first reviews will be for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. They are the first perfume oil company I bought from and I've been a follower ever since. I thought it fitting to dedicate my first post to them.

PELE

in bottle: Heavy white ginger blooms (not to be confused with the root, which is an entirely different scent). Also, some unknown mixed bouquet of warm florals. The muguet lends a hint of "powderiness" in the background.

wet: The ginger begins to back down and blend with humid jasmine and rounded floral notes. The muguet begins to peak and lend the mix something just on the floral side of powder.

15 minutes: This has turned to a clean, slightly aquatic floral, much lighter than it was at application. It's not soapy, per se, but it does remind me of certain artisan soaps I've ordered. Very tropical, with humidity and breeziness playing off each other.

dry: The muguet has returned as a bottom note, but in a lighter form than before. The warm floral tones have also returned, anchoring the clean, tropical air of the earlier heart notes, which still persevere.

Y'HA-NTHLEI

in bottle: This is a heavy aquatic. The full-bodiedness is unexpected for a "water" scent. Ambergris gives it an oily, but not overpowering, density while salt and eucalyptus add a tingling contrast.

wet: Very salty marine notes emerge. It's the scent of the deeper, dark blue layers of the ocean. A creamy, animalistic tone lurks below.

15 minutes: The oily weight of the ambergris has spread to a soft musk. The nose is tickled by a sharp oceanic note. As a whole, the scent rises and lightens at the same time it deepens. It's pretty intriguing in how it maintains that balance.

dry: All has blended into a musky, warm aquatic. Much of the "tingling" sensation is gone except for a hint of salty breeze. I get the image of large, dark, silent beasts gliding through deep, cold water.

A New Beginning!

Hello! Welcome the dawn of Gypsy Nose. I am devoting this review site to those smaller and lesser known perfumeries who take chances, explore with abandon, and are not afraid to take a little stroll on the wild side. Generally, if you can find it in a department store, you probably won't find it here. So far on the roster are Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Happy Housewife Soap, Mythos Mixtures, and Possets, with several other waiting in the wings. There will be much repetition of companies for a while as I branch out and "sniff out" (har-har) other creators.

I will be focusing on fragrance oils and perfumes. Bath products, though I love them dearly, will not, at this time, be reviewed. Anything can happen in the future, but right now those delectables are not part of the plan.

A word about the term "review": Because fragrance is such a personal and subjective matter, often subject to the whims of body chemistry, mood, etc., I'm not going to throw a bunch of ratings, judgements, yays, or nays about. I mostly just want to share the notes and impressions I get from a fragrance. I hope these posts help people feel less anxious when purchasing a scent they have never been able to try. Of course, whet smells like one thing on me can be completely different on another person.

So, here we go on our little scented journey. I should have my first few reviews up in the next couple of days. I hope you'll stay tuned!