The description on the Aedes de Venustas website sounded delicious -- a scent inspired by spiced Mexican cocoa. I typically wear cocoa scents well but couldn't detect anything chocolaty on my skin.

The spice is definitely there, though, and as it settled in, the scent took on a mature quality. I don't want to say old lady perfume, as that's derogatory and the scent wasn't musty, overpowering or old-fashioned. Rather it was mature and comforting.

Then it hit me. It smelled like I was hugging my grandmother, who wears Estee Lauder's Cinnabar. That's what it had morphed into on my skin. Not totally nonsensical, since I do share some of her DNA, but not the experience I was expecting from Anima Dulcis.

Not an unpleasant experience for an inexpensive sample vial, and of course I love my grandmother, but I don't think I will be buying a bottle.