rawgirl75

Im going to toss in another recommendation: Laudanum. I tried it this morning and its completely weird. Wet: I get notes of burnt mint and a smidge of medicinal stuff. Dry: Its laudanum right on the nose. And surprisingly wearable. The burnt mint and medicine has faded and the remaining scents is fascinating. This is one of those concept scents - I can totally see a 19th century doctor smelling like this. It belongs with the Steampunk scents. [edit to note: My imp is aged more than 6+ months. I remember trying this one when it was fresh and hating it, so I recommend swapping someone for an old one]

Ahhh Raven, you have surprised me. When I first got my imp, I too was sadly disappointed. All the notes in this blend are usually favourites of mine, so I'd almost expected it to be a sure winner. But when I tested it, all I got was a bunch of sharp florals and powder. Yuck. Back into the swap pile it went. However... Recently, I've been combing through my discards to give last chances to scents that have had a chance to age for several months. Today was The Raven's turn: Ohhhh WOW! This one is definitely meant to be aged. The violet and iris have both smoothed out their rough edges and the powderyness of the black musk has subsided a lot. Aged Raven is everything I'd hoped it would be: a soft and sleek little black dress. Instant love. New favourite for me!

Several people have recommended Penny Dreadful and I am going to do so as well. On me it smells like buttery gingered moss. Absolutely amazing! I'm also going to praise my all time favourite here - The Tell-Tale Heart: Yes vetiver, yes amber, yes cocoa, yes dragon's blood, yes it's an LE...... but.. daymmm does it ever smell sensual on skin. Just wow. But most of all, you MUST try Masabakes: that mandrake dust totally shocks you. Its almost like a spiced (not spicy) root-y and zippy scent - and totally to die for! [edit to correct spelling]

I'd shied away from this one for a long time due to its opium and tobacco notes which usually spell disaster for me in Beth's other blends. However, I decided to take a gamble on a decant of this when I read other reviewers mention that Parliament of Monsters has a similar feel to King Cobra and Carcieri D'invenzione, both of which I absolutely adore. And oh boy! was I NOT disappointed! WOW! I don't know how it's possible, but Parliament of Monsters is PERFECT on me. On my skin, that stage of "white musk, white wine and opium with smoky tobacco-touched incense underneath" that Yeahbutnobut described is captured early and held in place. The "curl of opium smoke" is definitely there, not as a cloud of smoke but literally a slightly bitter (but not unpleasant) tendril curling up and tickling my nose. The fruityness I pick up on I would best describe as a dry white wine. And the sweetness I get comes only from the wet tobacco and perhaps a little of the opium. No caramel and no honey notes present thank goddess because both are death notes for me, completely ruining every blend they touch as soon as they hit my skin. THIS is what I had wanted Philosopher in Meditation or Midnight Mass to smell like (but they didnt) and I'm definitely getting a bottle in my next order from the Lab. Even though I can imagine this scent smelling lovely on a man, somehow this scent strikes me as more suited to a strong powerful matriarch instead: She's tough, she protects her family (humans and/or familiars) and she's one heck of a force to be reckoned with!

I sniffed the little closed vial and right away I could smell that there was something in there that intrigued me. I popped off the cap and the dark herbs wafted at me and I was a little nervous ~ but still there was something there. I put a dab on: WHAM! sharpness... but.... for only a few seconds. Almost immediately the herbs mingled with my body chemistry and then completely transformed the scent into the most exquisite softness. And then it hit me: this is Lush's 'Figs and Leaves' soap ~ the softest and most beautiful Figs and Leaves that there ever was. Im sooo in love. I dont care if I never own another bottle of bpal ever again.. THIS is the ONE. (If you loved Lush's Figs and Leaves, but perhaps found their scent a little bit too strong like I did, then you MUST buy this for yourself because its better.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *EDIT* I went back to Lush and smelled Figs and Leaves and it doesnt really smell like it. Gomorrah rather smells like a combination of Ohh La La, Cereology and Figs and Leaves all stored together. Heavy, herby and languid. Gomorrah is not light, but its not dark either. And it's definitely not foody. 40 other scents later, this on is still my favourite.