DEV #1: Foreplay

Thuja . . . . I needed that. We have what we call "incense cedar" here in Oregon that is actually called Giant Arborvitae elsewhere. It is one of the first cedar scents I think of. I used to burn the fronds wrap and dry them to make cedar smudge sticks. Thuja is the closest thing to my cedars. The first breath is thuja, than the oud and incense comes into play along with some By The Fireside style smoke and some cinnamon. Upon second wearing the cinnamon really stands out, and it is amazing. The combination does have a fun flirting with brimstone feel. Earthy green playing in the background while sweet smoke tempts you to think there's something wonderful in the no-so-safe place. The tasty cinnamon really adds to the allure. This could easily become a favorite. As it dries down the frankincence and beeswax comes out making it more sweet and comforting. The sillage is perfect. I applied it pretty heavily for a dauber sample and it would waft stronger when my wrist was raised near head level but wasn't strong enough to be obnoxious to folks nearby. A perfect level to wear for personal enjoyment.

Wow. Honestly, words almost fail me as to how incredible this scent is. It's now possibly the best frankincense note I've come across (and there have been many!). Smoky and yet also resinous olibanum, a dash of agar wood and a swirling labdanum all combine throughout with other elements such as cinnamon, lemongrass and honey intermittently raising their heads while incredible animalics and ambergris cut their way through to ground this thing with a beastly dose of skank. It's tempting to call this a liturgical incense in the vain of CdG Avignon or Progumum Olibanum, but there is so much hellishness going on here via the animalics and other balsams and resins, that it's more likely to suit a devilish alter than anywhere holy! To top it all off, this thing projects like a cloven heeled beast and lasts for all eternity. Dabble in this satanic foreplay only if you dare. I've officially offered up my soul, will you? PS: I have samples of the other four of this series also and when this one finally dies down (could be days!), I'll be eagerly moving on to Dev 2!

DEV #1: Foreplay is positively bewitching. With beautiful plumes of labdanum to open, the invitation to enter is easy. Beeswax and oud introduce some full bodied accords of deliciously salty skin. Then lemongrass, cypress-like thuja and the subtly sharp resin of olibanum makes you inhale deeply and throw your senses wide open. And then, the carnal qualities of civet--like a prick to the finger, and hyrax--a muffled bite of musk, delicately secrete their salacious essence, which turns you into a beast before you know it's even happening. Tolu envelops the fragrance in a malted amber glow like a reassuring lover. DEV #1 almost makes me want to say who needs sex when you have such entrancing Foreplay? But knowing that this is just the first act makes for a promise of even better things to come, and I'm truly looking forward to the rest of the Devil Scents series. Ellen Covey is truly masterful in her olfactory psychology and story-telling.

Dev #1: Foreplay is, to me, an incredible, sensual scent. I was looking for something to wear on date night and I popped this on and it hit everything I was going for. This is sexy. It opens with a resinous and woody blast (which stayed on me for quite a while as it died down to a skin scent as the night went on). It reminded me of a slutty church. I'm thinking The Thorn Birds kind of church. Next, the oud and the Labdanum came in and blended with the musk. On me, the musk isn't skanky and I didn't get any of the Beeswax or the cinnamon scent. I also didn't pick up on the bubblegum scent that a few other reviewers mentioned. It felt more "citrusy" on me, less spicy. This is a scent you'd put on your ankles and behind your knees on the way out the door *wink* *wink* - Truly enjoyed it. My date enjoyed it as well.

Finally in the database! YAY! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this fragrance! Just like something named after the devil, naturally, its very spicy. The main notes I pick up is cinnamon and smokeyness. I believe on the olympic orchids website it said something about the part of the book this is based on, is the part where the devil and a woman are getting "friendly." Thus, there is some sweetness in it too, maybe even a tad fruity. I only had samples of this and "reprise" which is also nice, but I hear this is the sweetest of the devil collection. As for the longevity, its the longest lasting fragrance I've ever used on my skin (and my skin eats fragrance). It is so potent that I accidentaly spilled less then half of my tiny tester vial in my office at work, and it reeked of sweet devilish goodness in there for a few weeks.

I love wearing this to bed. It's a comforting scent. It's deja vu of a camp fire. Something burning. A very woody smoke. It's like being in the forrest, almost like you're camping again. (As I type this from my iPad in bed, in my condo, of a major North American city, with every modern day convenience around me.) Let's be real, this is as close to camping as I'm going to get right now. The last time I went camping was in 2010, but Im quite sure this is how that camp fire smelled. As you fall asleep, you have to keep reminding yourself that you are not on fire... or maybe you are. Gurl, You are on FIRE! Snap! ( Sorry I got a bit flamey there.) Just remember pyromaniac, you lit this one yourself, you're not being burned at the stake, And you're not in hell, not yet anyway.

I love the whole Dev series (with the exception of Lil 😕 sorry). I love that they all share a labdanum base, but that each fragrance is it’s own unique experience. #1 reminds me most of red cedarwood. I totally get what some of the other reviewers have mentioned to be a sort of bubblegum smell, but I’m pretty sure that’s the labdanum, beeswax, cinnamon, and wood notes coming together. To me, this fragrance is intoxicating, weirdly mouth-watering. It’s sultry and sweet. The wood dies down after a few hours and more of the musk and powder notes come out which I normally don’t care for, but don’t mind in this specific fragrance.

This reminds me of Oud Luban by Aftelier. Very woodsy. Makes me think of Girl Scout camp in the winter in Michigan. Definitely a great colder weather fragrance. I got a sample set of 10 with this as well as Dev #2. I tried Dev #1 and went on a crisp October walk and I felt like it was the perfect compliment to the chilly, dried-leafy air. It’s a warm woody scent with just a hint of something a little more exciting. I can see cozying up by the fire with a new love interest wearing this. Later, when Dev #1 had run its course, I moved on to Dev #2, which I definitely found to be the perfect next step on that cozy night.

A gorgeous musky animalic, this beautifully composed perfume is much sweeter and tamer than its reputation. The key notes here are civet, hyrax and musk wonderfully blended in with ambergris, cinnamon, lemongrass, thuja, tolu balsam, labdanum, black vanilla, Oud and olibanum to create a potent, mysterious and mostly sweet smelling potion. Very strong on the projection and sillage quotient and available only directly from the perfumer this is a must own for lovers of unusual and mysterious perfumes.

I really enjoy this scent. After smelling again I agree with the other reviews that describe this as bubblegum and sweet. The first image to come to my mind is a glass of Bumbu Rum sitting on an end table, next to a leather arm chair with a fireplace crackling next to it in an old library. The type of library where the wood floorboards creak. I could see myself wearing this in winter while grabbing a hot cup of cocoa from a street vendor.

Dev. 1 is quite dark and mysterious. It is filled with so many different types of resins and spices, all potent and each takes a turn at the top. I have never smelled anything like it except a faint echo of memory from when I painted with oils. Read Gwizz's review for the breakdown of notes. Not for every day, but spectacularly good. Sillage and longevity both great on my skin.

I love this one. My fave of the Dev series by far! Yes there’s a bubblegum vibe (probably resulting from a resin combo) but so much more. I love the resins in this one. And the smokiness and animalics amounts are perfectly not overdone. Alas but I can’t wear this one nor pursue this series for myself. These scents give me a headache for some reason. Very frustrating.

This is my holy graal, up close my husband don't like it so I've been searching high and low for the darkness, warmth, sweet ess, The animalic goodness aand the rasins and The woody notes to compeet with this. This grunds me, warm me and to me it is really sexy. Waiting for my full bottle to travle to Europe.

A masterfully blended, balanced, warm animalic perfume with oriental and balsamic touches. The use of labdanum seems to be a signature of Dr. Covey at times. If you are selling or swapping your bottle please pm me. I have a lot I can swap.

I love this one. Smoky, animalic, woody, and a little bit spicy. It reminds me of a basement or attic. It has the atmosphere of Gothic architecture. I hope to try the rest from the Dev series.

One of the best from the house!! Good Job

as I read in many reviews, this is a great scent that really has it all. chewing gum, sweetness, a background of church incense, cinnamon, oud, bonfire smell, cedarwood, balsam of tolu, animal notes, thuja, fennel, lemongrass, burnt wood, smoke from burned wood, beeswax , vanilla, paint, ladano, balsamic acid smell mixed with sweet and sour smell. it is a fragrance that never stands still. it gives me innumerable sensations. goes from remembering maistream perfumes to more refined perfumes. definitely a fragrance to take into account if you want to switch to incense aromas less clerical and more imaginative. for now it deserves a good 8/10 with moderate performances. pinches my throat. now every day I will test one and at the end I will really see which ones in this series are worthy of purchase. for now this is a no. although I recognize the great quality. very skank... the drydown sometimes remembers the meat on the grill ... maybe it's not so easy to wear. it becomes very acid to my nose with sweet whiffs. lemongrass in quantity ... very animal ... almost a smoked kouros ... mentholed ... sometimes with hints of licorice and fennel even if not listed ... it is closer to but not today of unum ... less acrid but more acid . not for all . I would write for hours on this jewel, but I realize that I change my idea too often on this perfume. definitely a fragrance that leaves its mark.

If you like Musky, animalistic ouds, Dev #1 Foreplay should definitely be in your test list. They really dont make frags like this anymore, hence niche perfumery and thank god for that. I get the oud, the skanky civet and hyrax but it does not stink or at least not as much as you would expect, it adds an oily depth to the olibanum, balsam and labdanum notes over the course of the development. I get the honey and cinnamon as well, adding a spicy touch. Very well blended, heavy projection initially and then settles down. Longevity is good but lesser than Blackbird and Amber which were the other 2 I was testing, for eg I put on 2 sprays before going to bed and while I can smell the other 2 wafting off me when I wake up 7 hours later, Foreplay I kinda need to sniff my T shirt. It's still there but faintly. Maybe it's on purpose, Foreplay should not go on forever after all! I love this one and it's piqued my interest to try the rest of the Olympic Orchids Dev Line. 8/10

This is probably my favorite of all the Dev project fragrances. It starts off with a very incense/resin herby scent, as it dried I get a lot more of the leathery, laudanum, musk, beeswax notes. I think beeswax is always a nice addition on skin. I still get the cinnamon but not as strong as in a couple of the other Devs, I think this one is perfectly balanced and can be wearable in summer, fall, or winter. I’ll have to try this one in the colder weather as well, I can see this being a fragrance that stays more resin/balsamy in the summer but that gives more of that spice and cinnamon in colder weather. Again, I love leather notes in fragrances, so this one is great for me. A little more dimensional than the leather in Dev #2, if you purely wanted something that dries down a stronger leather scent Dev #2 is perfect. Dev #2 I think is also a stronger fragrance while Dev #1 had less sillage/sat closer to the skin.

This is a dark, clovey niche amber, in the same vein as Under My Skin or Bengale Rouge or Larmes du Desert or Sova, but more complex than any of the others. Darkly sparkling, vivid, and only lightly animalic; I get fluctuating glints of fragrant woods and dry incense and a crackle of civet, but the main event is the labdanum and tolu, deep and almost winy. The drydown gets muskier and a bit more masculine; I think there might be a woody-amber in there. eventually it takes on a savory aspect, almost like popcorn, with a touch of salty skin sweat. Amazing radiance and projection, without a trace of heaviness. None of the creamy or fuzzy textures you’d find in Under My Skin or Bengale Rouge; it’s not a snuggly blanket, it’s an autumnal Chinese landscape, all falling leaves and turbulent clouds and wet mountain crags. Extremely tenacious – hangs on more than a day, through a bath and beyond.