VioletChaos

In The Bottle: The labdanum is *intense* at first sniff. Since I have been in a major labdanum rabbit hole as of late, this is not, in any way, a problem for me. In fact, it's sort of what I was hoping for (though I adore all notes listed equally in this blend, so truth be told, this bottle was always going to be mine, one way or another.) I get traces of sharp, bittersweet cacao and smoky vetiver around the edges, but no vanilla at this stage. Wet On Skin: As the oil starts to warm, the labdanum opens further, releasing its delicious dark/sweet/resinous power. The cacao mellows a bit, but this is not the sweet, dusty confection of my darling Cacao Pod. This is deep black baker's chocolate at most- and it's really just in the far background. The vetiver had disappeared, and vanilla never came to the party at all. Dry Down: the labdanum continues to dominate, with just an edge of the vetiver's smokiness to round it out. It's strong but with a medium-low throw. I can feel the fury of the message through this scent. I am instantly in love and suspect, given the notes, that this will only get better with age. ❤️

In The Bottle: The fig and rice flower are the first notes detectable. Light, sweet and not at all foodie, I recognize the fig from such classics as Eden. The rice reminds of a long-lost Shunga scent from years gone by, though I can't place which one, exactly. (Though old enough that it may have come out the same year as the original and unmatched Glowing Vulva). Wet On Skin: As it warms, the cream starts to show itself, but it's sheer- I'm not getting the toasted aspect, nor am I getting the smokiness of the fig. This is a light, gentle skin scent thus far, and neither clove not patchouli are anywhere on the premises, unfortunately. Dry Down: Oh, HAI THERE, Clove! To be fair, even at full dry-down, the clove is merely a footnote, a little bit of an edge, a slight toe-hold for all the gossamer-sheer notes on which to gain traction. (it IS only listed as "a drop", after all...) In all, this is a gentle scent, much like the sweet-looking fur baby for which it is named. It stays close to the skin, and as a mid-summer release, I can see wearing this on the balmy nights that remain now in August and the first half of September, then perhaps switching to wearing it during sunny, slightly chilled afternoons throughout the fall. ❤️

Photographs, videos they dont do justice to the love that I feel for my girl. The quiet of this moment was special. We werent speaking; it was just a dad and his daughter together, enjoying the fleeting time of youth, and all was right in the world. I hope she remembers these special times when she looks back on her childhood. I know that I will never forget them. Dorian, Liliths lavender, snowdrops, and soft vanilla. This? Is ridiculously beautiful. One spray is all it takes to transport a room out of ordinary to Victorian Garden Tea House Dreamland. I unfortunately missed this scent when it came round the first time in its perfume form, for which I am now roundly kicking myself. But it was 2016, a heady time, and although I was already lost a decade in to my love affair with the Lab, Dorian was a fragrance that had somehow escaped me. But here we are, better late than never, and now I get to have a whole bottle of Dorian and lavender and vanilla and snowdrops with which to scent rooms and, more importantly, bed sheets. And I WILL! Oh, yes, I certainly will. This scent is soft and lovely and comforting, no notes overpowering over any others, all working toward the greater good, the good being to make the world smell better and the great being that Puddin created something so lovely to do that with. I will treasure it always!

STRAWBERRY MOON 2019 It's been a while since I got a shirt from the Lab but the graphic for this month's Strawberry Moon was too good to miss. I'm *really* glad I did! Since it's been literally years since my last Lab shirt, they have since changed the company they use for their women's baby-t style shirts, and the quality is GREAT. The shirts were well-made before, but I am one of those people for whom anything close to a standard tee is problematic: the fabric is usually too thick and therefore unbreathable for me, and the texture tends to require multiple washings to achieve anything *close* to comfy. These news ones are SOOOOOOOOO soft!!! Like tissue-tee-level soft, but not transparent the ways tissues tees generally are. Also, they're incredible flattering in shape, especially as compared to ye standard boxy-shape of regular cotton-poly shirts. Lastly, they're longer, which is also a nice touch- some of us aren't interested in shirts that inexplicably end right at where the pants (or skirts etc) begin. And the graphic, of course, is GREAT, which was the whole reason I picked it out to begin with. TOTAL win!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I've been smitten with Strawberry Moon since the 2009 halcyon days. 2012 was not my favorite, but the note list was compelling enough this time (benzoin, I'm looking at you!) that I blind-bottled not one but TWO. Fingers crossed my boldness has paid off. Straight away, I find that, as with the 2009 batch, the sweet juiciness of the strawberry is offset by the tang of the dandelion sap. I love the juxtaposition, each element keeping the other one from becoming too overwhelming or veering the scent too far off-course in one direction or another. The benzoin is a stroke of genius, in my humble opinion. The honey in the 2012 mix made the scent a bit too sweet and cloying for my tastes, whereas omitting that note and replacing with the vanilla-resin-esque benzoin adds depth without making the scent sugary. Resins tend to get better with age, and while this is definitely good enough to wear immediately, I'm excited to see how this scent might continue to deepen with more time. On a side note, I've been testing several scents today and for this that scored both, I'd *highly* recommend layering this Strawberry Moon with the White Sandalwood and Clove duet- the clove and strawberry together create a sexy tomboy vibe that is *incredible* and not at all gourmand! ❤️

This is definitely a lighter, sweeter honey than some old favorites (such as O), but for this got, steamy summer, I find that I'm immediately pleased. As others mentioned, in the bottle it is this note that dominates. On the skin, the scent blooms, and the honey is still top dog, but had morphed from a liquid-y "orange blossom bear" honey to a gorgeous honey dust. The patch is almost nonexistent, but I have enough aged patchouli that I will happily layer some with this to get a different effect if desired. In the meantime, this is a lovely, rich summer scent, sexy enough for evening but holding its own enough that I'd wear it to the beach as well.

I ADORE clove, but it also has to be in the right context, lest it becomes either too cloying or too acrid. My hands-down all-time favorite clove scent has always been The Smiling Spider, but I've also been interested in more sandalwood-based scents this year, so I knew I needed to snag this one. The clove is definitely the lead note whilst in the bottle and through dry-down. The sandalwood reads as an afterthought- as I pull my wrist away from my face, I detect it in passing: "Oh! Hello!" and then it floats off again. I love the clove in this, but had been hoping for the sandalwood to make more of a presence. I'll keep it for the clove alone, but I'm also hoping that aging will bering the wood out of hiding a bit more.

The coconut in this is of the same variety as in Obatala, so if you liked the coconut note - soft, cool, not at all foodie- then you will likely adore it here as well. There's a sweetness to it that I had attributed to the tiare note in the HG that contained both and pikake, but I'm seeing now that it was the coconut all along. The orris, instead of reading as dusty as I've come to know it, has morphed into something more akin to gardenia, making this scent overall a cool, light floral. Beautiful, to be sure, but not really my scene, as I'd be hoping for more of a toasted, foodie coconut and a dry orrise to cut the sweetness. Off to the swaps with ye!

I'm not much of a florals person, when it comes to how I scent myself. I bought two bottles of this untested, however, because of what it *does*. So first, I will speak to how it has :worked: for me, having only fully worn it once. And how it has worked this far, has been LOVELY. I felt an almost immediate sense of self-love and confidence well up after application. It was an interesting shift: strong, but in the foundation of my being, like an energetic reminder that the space I occupy on this earth has been here all along. Like a reminder of the currency of my being, a sort of "Oh! THAT'S right!" kind of feeling. It reverberated all day- it effected my choice of clothing (I leaned more into snug, body-defining dress than usual), it effected how I held myself when walking down the street. It created a series of "a-ha!" moments about what I deserve as far as respect goes, for merely being human. As for the scent, it's less like a rose-y perfume and more like a rose-based essential oil blend (which is really more what it is). As a result, it layers well with a variety of other scents, so if you want the vibe and support but aren't keen on smelling floral, you can do things to shift it pretty dramatically. The day I tested, I layered on some amber paste and a bit of aged patchouli and it was *glorious* I am SO very glad that I have some, for whatever might befall me in the future.

Beeswax, sandalwood incense, ti leaf, roasted nuts, and bamboo. In The Bottle: Sweet, creamy beeswax (YUM) and a hint of the roasted nuts. NOMNOMNOM. Wet On Skin: The beeswax is definitely in the lead here, with the nuts adding a bit of salt. I'm not getting the greenery of bamboo or ti leaf, and I don't detect anysandawood at this stage, either. Dry Down: One of those scents that really stays true from bottle to dry down, this oil has a low throw, stays close to the skin (as many Shungas tend to do in my experience) and is quietly delectable. Beeswax from the lab tends to age extraordinarily well, and I'm excited to see where this goes, because it's already eminently wearable straight out of the mailbox!😋

Ask me no more where Jove bestows, When June is past, the fading rose; For in your beautys orient deep These flowers as in their causes, sleep. Ask me no more whither doth stray The golden atoms of the day; For in pure love heaven did prepare Those powders to enrich your hair. Ask me no more whither doth haste The nightingale when May is past; For in your sweet dividing throat She winters and keeps warm her note. Ask me no more where those stars light That downwards fall in dead of night; For in your eyes they sit, and there, Fixed become as in their sphere. Ask me no more if east or west The phoenix builds her spicy nest; For unto you at last she flies, And in your fragrant bosom dies. Thomas Carew Amber-gilded summer roses fading; sandalwood dust, cassia and sweet myrrh, and threads of lavender. In The Bottle: Dusty, dried roses and just a *wee* bit of myrrh, which is about all I can tolerate. Let's hope it stays that way! Wet On Skin: I'm getting some of the amber now, and it's pulling the rose out of "dried" and into "alive but fading". The myrrh has increased, but only slightly. There might be a touch of dustiness from sandalwood, but only as an afterthought. No lavender, alas, at this point. Dry Down: A glorious blown out, fading cabbage rose with some myrrh to sweeten the pot. There's something very wistful about this scent, less "June" and more "Late August", when the heat and sun have left their scorched mark upon all the vegetation and the roses have wilted and the first harvest is about to come ripe. I'm not big on florals, but I suspect I'll very much like wearing this one toward Summer's end. <3

Sweet amber and golden honey, cream accord, blue lilac, and a drop of cardamom. In The Bottle: Lilac and cream, oh my oh my! Wet On Skin: The lilac is REALLY heavy! Frankly, at this stage it's verging on overwhelming me. Still, it's a lovely note, and I'm hoping it'll settle down some on the dry down. Dry Down: When I was a kid, there was a giant lilac bush that grew outside the neighbor's house on the corner. I loved waling by it in late spring, when the boughs were heavy with blooming cones of the sweet flower. This lilac is very similar in freshness to what I smelled during that time. As it dries, the honey, a light, sweet yellow honey, not the dark, rich ones in "O", is certainly here as well, with the equally pal amber rounding it out. If there's cream here, it's mostly afterthought, which is a bit of a shame, honestly, because the sweetness of the other notes on my skin could use something to damp them down a little. The cardamom, however, IS there, but can only be detected as I pull my arm away from my face. Tricky! In All: High throw- a little goes a long way! Very, very floral and sweet. I don't know if this is for me, but any floral fan would kill to have this for sure!

Chrysanthemum incense and red carnation. In The Bottle: Whoa, hello chrysanthemum incense! Carnation, of course, lending its special, sweet spiciness to the mix! Wet On Skin: The incense is definitely front and center. It reminds me quite a bit of the champa incense note, actually, even as it retains a hint of the mum-vibe. (also I accidentally got a little in my mouth when I was sniffing my finger. Don't eat it!!!) Dry Down: A light incense, but still a stronger note just the same. The spice of the carnation is here, but precious little else of the sweet flower remains. I am hoping this will come around with some aging, but regardless, it's a great addition to any incense lover's collection. At worst, I will later with some of the Spanish Carnation SN when I want more of that red beauty in the mix!

[No additional description provided.] In The Bottle: That's a whoooooole lotta labdanum! Wet On Skin: This is reading like a sweet labdanum single note. If it stays this way, I won't object- I wouldn't mind being in possession of such a thing. I can always layer it with "O" if this continues! Dry Down: The honey comes out a teeeeeny bit. But really, this is the Labdanum Show, with your host, Sweet Labdanum. This note, being the rich little minx that it is, ages quite well, and my long term experience of the Lab's various honey notes is the same. I wouldn't be surprised if the honey doesn't really shine in this until, like, six months from now. But even if it just lurks in the background, I'm satisfied with having a really good labdanum "single note" ☺️

With any luck, you won’t even remember the holiday season’s awkward family gatherings. In The Bottle: Rich brown sugar and butter. YUM! Wet On Skin: Yep, there's the whiskey! And it's REALLY whiskey. This isn't some cute "oh that's kinda boozy" note. This is straight up hard-drinkin' Jack. Dry Down: The whiskey mellows and the combination becomes, amazingly, like Snow White with vanilla extract added. In All: a lovely, soft skin scent- it's got very low throw, so you may have to slather- it seems to me like it's a good stand-alone daytime scent, but there's also potential to do some fun stuff with layering. so glad I got a bottle!

Flexibility, cooperation, expansiveness, and altruism: Chinese musk and five woods with newly budding bamboo shoots, hyssop, chamomile, pink clove, magnolia, walnut, and fig. in the bottle: a deep woodsy scent, but no particular wood that i can pick out at this stage. it seems very "brown" to me, an unusual comment from me about a scent, but there ya go. wet on skin: the woods step back and a winter fruit scent comes to the fore- i'm thinking christmas apples and a hint of brown sugar, but not in a foody way. hmmm... dry down: sweet and woodsy to the last, this oil is well-blended with no discernable notes peeking through. in all: a solid Winter-time oil, i feel that i'll get most use during the cold months as a scent, but will use it year round in rituals when i want to be closer to the element of the same name.

What hurrying human tides, or day or night! What passions, winnings, losses, ardors, swim thy waters! What whirls of evil, bliss and sorrow stem, thee! What curious questioning glancesglints of love! Leer, envy, scorn, contempt, hope, aspiration! Thou portalthou arenathou of the myriad long-drawn lines and groups! (Could but thy flagstones, curbs, facades tell their inimitable tales); Thy windows, rich and huge hotelsthy side- walks wide; Thou of the endless sliding, mincing, shuffling feet! Thou, like the parti-colored world itselflike infinite, teeming, mocking life! Thou visor'd, vast, unspeakable show and lesson! Sheer white patchouli, passionate red musk, caramelized vanilla, black opium poppy, and lilac. In The Bottle: Light patchouli, heavy red musk and a dash of opium. Wet On Skin: The patchouli becomes even lighter, more airy. This is NOT a hippy-vibe patch. This is something far more translucent. The lilac peeks through at this stage as well. Dry Down: The musk goes from a classic red to more of a warm brown, like in Small Brown Cat. The lilac adds a sweet undercurrent that keeps it from getting too heavy and dense. I get NO caramel or vanilla, unfortunately, but that could certainly come out after some aging, so I won't give up. In All: Medium throw, a snuggly scent for cooler temperatures. I shall certainly wear it in the coming months walking around my beloved hometown of NYC

I got a decant of this and am delighted to have even a tiny amount for emotional first aid. Scent-wise, I get mostly peppermint and a little of the frankincense. It's not as soothing as Security Blanket, but I can tell that this is going to be immensely helpful when I'm spiraling out and having a hard time grounding.

It's mildly medicinal in aroma, but also definitely comforting, which I think is helped by the lavender. I only put a tiny amount on to test, but it's been a stressful period for me and already I am noticing a shift. I will use this sparingly, as I was only able to secure a partial bottle (about 40%! Nothing to sneeze at!) but I'm so ridiculously grateful to have this as part of my arsenal toward emotional wellbeing. ❤️

An odd mix of salted popcorn, butter, clove, and a few drops of stage blood. In The Bottle: Salty, buttery popcorn! Seriously, it's like being in a movie theater lobby! Wet On Skin: The stage blood is peeking out now, smelling a wee bit like candy syrup of some kind (no surprise there!) but the buttery popcorn is still dominant. Dry Down: This. Is. So. Delicious! I'm a long-time fan of the Lab's popcorn note, as I hoard Shill. This is more subtle than Shill, though. The corn is still very present, but it's mixed with the blood and the clove to make something that is surprisingly subtle, very close to the skin, and foodie but without being over the top. In All: Low throw, a yummy subtle skin scent, it's got a 'warm, cozy' vibe, slightly similar to Hod, but with a homey character all its own. I love it!

[No additional description provided.] In The Bottle: Gorgeous, rich clove. Sometimes clove notes go slightly acrid or bitter for me, but this does neither. Here's hoping that aspect holds out! Wet On Skin: Glorious, glorious, glorious. Dry Down: This. Is. Wonderful. This exceeds my expectations by a considerable margin. I used to be in love with the Smiling Spider for its clove-y goodness, but even that was a little acrid on me. Wednesday's Child is Full of Woe is less so, I assume because the clove is sugared, though traces of the sharpness remain (don't get me wrong, I love the scent, but it's still there just the same.) This pure Indonesian Clove has all the rich spice and not a *hint* of that acrid / sharp / bitterness. It's wonderful. I am SO relived I got my bottle soon enough test, because I will *definitely* be needing a backup bottle or two!

VENUS LIBITINA Venus of the Undertakers Rose water, black cherry, cream accord, bourbon, and orris root. In The Bottle: Light but strong rosewater (definitely not rose- this is the water for sure) with cream and a little black cherry giving it some bite. Wet On Skin: The black cherry has faded. At this stage, it's reminding me quite a bit of Victorian Rose Milk- which is a GOOD thing, because that scent is really beautiful. Dry Down: Yes, this is straight up rosewater and cream on my skin. Orris tends to go a bit powdery on me and I detect none of that. I'm a bit sad to not get any of the bourbon, but the combination od those two main notes is really really lovely. In All: Medium throw. If you loved Victorian Rose Milk- or were sorry you missed out on it- get this while you can. It does not disappoint <3

Each order placed on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Filler Whatever Sunday, or Cyber Monday will receive a sample-sized squirt of GOBLIN WORKSHOP. A unique atmosphere spray squirt from the Trading Post scent archives – no two will be the same!  So, I was very excited but also apprehensive about this Atmo version of the chaos scents. But now I am DELIGHTED because the squirt in question appears to be a kissing cousin to Cathouse, which just happens to be my all-time favorite BPTP Atmosphere Spray. So WOO HOO for me!!! Many years ago, when I first tried Cathouse, it was as a squirt and I fell deeply, instantly in love. I immediately got a full-sized bottle but when it arrived, it didn't smell quite the same 😢 (as it turned out, it just needed some proper aging to truly shine, so no more tears!) But I mention this because sniffing this here Chaos Squirt, I'm having a similar sensation of falling in love, and having it seem like it's kinda magical somehow. I used up my Cathouse squirt in record time since I knew I had a bottle on the way. But me and this Squirt, we're going to have a long and meaningful relationship together, because I know I need to make it last - well, forever, I guess. ❤️

Trust me when I say it would be embarrassing to tell you how long we posed in this position while we waiting for Brian, Jade and Beth to come downstairs, but sometimes the joke is THAT IMPORTANT! Sweet russet musk, auburn oudh, teakwood, and cement.  As someone who spends a great deal of time in the City Of Light, this was a scent I felt obligated to get, though in truth, I don't know if it's going to work on my skin. Lessee how it goes! In The Bottle: I'm getting something sweet and plummy right away. I'm assuming it's the russet musk, which I've never before encountered. It's really nice! Musks for me are very hit (red) or verrrrry miss (black musk, I'm looking at you!) This one is really, really good, sweet, light, but not a sheer musk like the whites tends to be. I'm intrigued! Wet On Skin: Warming my skin, the scent is staying much the same- and NO objections from me about it! I do love me some teakwood, and hopefully it'll appear, but honestly, if it doesn't, I'll feel just fine about that, too. Dry Down: The oudh is making a whispering appearance now, but that sweet, almost fruity musk is the star of this show. For long-time perfume fans, Betsey Johnson's very first perfume, which debuted in a perfect globe-shaped glass bottle in the early 90s, had a very similar feel, scent and vibe to this here scent. That was an early perfume obsession of mine, and I'm happy to have something similar with this lovely tribute to the building statuary of Paris ❤️

The Joys of Good Fortune A hymn to laughter, joy, and merriment: blood orange and champaca bubbling with blonde tobacco, osmanthus, sweet clove, and vanilla. In The Bottle: So, this is my second Fortuna review and what this, so far, has in common with Balnearis, is that, like the original Antique Lace and a few precious others, upon first sniff, I am instantly transported into a realm of exquisite ache for a time long gone. Call it nostalgia or reverie, but it's palpable, visceral and I want to hold onto it for as long as possible. This scent, in the bottle, is difficult to pinpoint, in terms of individual notes. Generally I can at least pick out one or two from a chorus. Instead, I am flooded with memory, of being a teenager in my boyfriend's bedroom, his parents blissfully unaware that we did not, in fact, sleep in separate rooms as we'd promised to. It's my Skin Musk and sweet, barely audible traces of his Polo cologne, and the flower corsage he gave to me at his school dance the night before, and traces of my rich Nature's Gate conditioner left in my hair and none of those things. It's heady and hopeful and slightly angsty. Wet On Skin: Now that it's had a chance to warm on my skin, the initial squeeze of my heart has relaxed and I can discern some actual notes! The rich tartness of the blood orange is there, less "orange-y" than its Mandarin or Sweet Orange counterparts, Blood Orange reads more adult. Definitely not sugary. The champaca is here, but thankfully not in the heavy-handed way champa notes tend to amp on my skin, making me smell like Super Hit incense (love that incense. don't want to smell like it all the time.) The clove and vanilla definitely bring this scent into a balance, so that it's rich, again, without being heavy. Imagine decadent floor-length velvet curtains in a drawing room- that have just been opened to allow bright sunlight to flood in. That's the balance here, between heavy and light. And there *is* a "bubbly" aspect as described in the original description (one of those "How does Beth DO that?!?" moment for sure) that helps to buoy the heavier notes of the scent. Dry Down: This is indeed an appropriate homage to joy and merriment, but an adult rendering for sure. More Bacchus, not, say the Easter Bunny. It's rich and it's a little sweet and it's joyous, like a dessert port. I'm going to Morocco next month and I suspect this will be a bottle to pack in my suitcase for the duration