VioletChaos

In The Bottle: Milk, honey and almond cream. YUM! Wet On Skin: All milk and honey, all the time. The alining has become less distinct at this stage and the fragrance on the whole is reminding me of lat Yule's Eight Maids A-Milking hairless with its chestnut cream note. Dry Down: Milky honey. Reminds me of Milk Moon from 2006. Also a little like Nonae Caprotina, if it were regular milk instead of goats milk, since goats milk has a little more of an edge. In All: A lovely foodie blend, glad I got a bottle, IO just hope aging brings out a little more of the notes!

Brown musk; black, loamy patchouli and some cassia when I first smell it in the vial. Wet on skin it starts to warm and the brown musk morphs into valerian- rich and earthy and slightly sweet. I'm not getting any of the ozone that others have described, thankfully. The dry-down stays with the theme of earthy and rich. This is not at ALL what I was expecting and I'm *so* glad that this was included with my order- thanks Labbies! Awesome as always!!!

I actually had the good fortune of testing this at Seattle Will Call a number of months ago and was incredibly distraught to discover it had not yet been released. first of all, my hair is quite long- halfway down my back- and has been severely color-treated and bleached within an inch of it's life. and I'm racially mixed, so my hair texture is rough and wiry in places and uneven in density. In short: it takes a LOT to make any lasting impression for the good of my hair. but the BPTP did it! Argan oil loves my hair something fierce, and the hair gloss has it in spades. So the base was awesome- it made my hair shiny and definitely softer without making it stringy or greasy. But of course, what has made me dream of this gloss for months on end is the scent. It was like a mix of Coconut Skin Trip body lotion and sweet, fresh gardenias. Just gorgeous and subtly floral and very, very summer-y. And the scent stayed in my hair well into the following day, driving me slowly insane with it's perfect and unattainable beauty. So, you know, my delight in seeing this gloss finally, finally get officially released was HUGE. If it didn't have such a specific shelf life, I'd be stocking up on multiple bottles of this elixir. Yes, it's THAT good. :wub:

The bird perished in the flames; but from the red egg in the nest there fluttered aloft a new one-the one solitary Phoenix bird. The fable tells that he dwells in Arabia, and that every hundred years, he burns himself to death in his nest; but each time a new Phoenix, the only one in the world, rises up from the red egg. Crimson eggshell musk, myrrh, Chinese cassia, and coffee absolute. Full disclosure: Myrrh almost always goes horribly wrong on me. But I adore the other notes so much that I was willing to take a chance. Hopefully all will go well! In The Bottle: This has the sweet, incense-y smell I recall of headships my mom used to go to when I was a small child. I think the red eggshell musk and the cassia are largely responsible Wet On Skin: That eggshell musk is cray-zeeeee. I was expecting the kind of red musk, but lighter, that is present in Smut, but this is entirely different. It's still "red" and musky, for sure, but it's got an almost fruity thing going on with it. It does, strangely, remind me of eggshells, in terms of a thinness and a fragility. I'd like to see it in other scents in the future, for sure! Dry Down: A small amount of the powder aspect of the myrrh is coming through, but it seems to be held in check by the musk, which for me personally is a big relief! Sadly, I get no coffee and no cassia, and I was really looking forward to those. The musk has morphed slightly and is somehow reminiscent of violets (just a little! Not in the soapy way, more in the rough candy way) In All: This is different than I expected but better than my secret fears, too! I like it and suspect it will improve with age.

So, I love Snake Oil, especially the well-aged variety, and Dragon's Milk is my forever-lover-number-one-jam (I have multiple backup bottles, mmmkay?) so I *knew* that this scent was one I had to have. And it does NOT disappoint. I agree with the first reviewer's assessment that this is like Dragon's Milk 's older sibling. It's sexy and tougher and that patchouli makes it more intense. But the honey is there to keep it all in balance and makes it wearable right now (unlike original SO for me) while also offering the promise of just how glorious this is going to become with some well-timed aging. As I originally proclaimed, I got two bottles, one to age, and one to slather immediately, and I stand by that decision- but I might take a little more care in present-day slather because I KNOW this is going to be *phenomenal* later.

I am really feeling this Lace! Sometimes I have to delay wearing the Laces in particular, but everything is coming together nicely with this one right out of the box! In the bottle and wet on skin, the grass and green sap notes are most prevalent, with the vanilla of the spun-sugar lace bringing some sweetness to balance it. But once warmed on the skin and dried down, the scent becomes more complex, mixing elements of herbal-green with the sweet of the sugar and the slight bitterness of the cognac. The notes seem a little disjointed to each other, even as they flow, but the flow is making it work somehow. My experience of the green sap note is primarily in Strawberry Moon blends, so I gather than the sap will stay sharp and sticky as it ages, with the sweeter notes shifting around it. I'm looking forward to see how this scent changes as the months grow warmer!

Unfortunately, tobacco and cognac sometimes do terrible things in combination with my skin chemistry and this appears to be one of those times. The tobacco comes across as sharp, the cognac as cloying and the two amp with ridiculous throw (seriously, I put on a drop from the lid and I can smell is , wafting toward me, at two feet away. ) I know that Lace scents in particular sometimes need additional time to settle and age before turing into something wearable for me, so I'll sit on this for a few months and see what pans out by the Summer Solstice. Hopefully the Solstices will come into alignment by then

In the bottle and when first applied, the three primary notes are all in the mix, with the distinct aspect of the bubblegum obvious. Once it warmed and dried down, however, the bubblegum aspect vanished and the remaining two have become a delicate confection of vanilla fudge. It's light and a bit sweet, but not heavy or sugary as I had been expecting. Instead of being child-like and more suitable for kids (as the occasional candy-ish BPAL is), this is really just a lovely daytime scent as we move more completely into the growing warmth of spring. Glad to get a bottle, happy to see hoe this ages!

In 2007, I married the great love of my life. Teddy and I had dated since 1998, and it seemed that, at last, it was time for me to make an honest man out of him. I had loved Ted since the first moment I smelled him (truth!), and the night that we married was one of the most wonderful nights of my life. At the Lunacy event before the wedding, I was able to celebrate with my .org and local BPAL family, and I cried like a loon. It is a privilege to be part of this family the one that BPAL has gifted to me. It is one of the great joys and honors of my life to have the opportunity to interpret Neil Gaimans stories through scent, and on January 31st of 2007, our first Neil Gaiman scent series debuted: American Gods. Neils body of work has been a tremendous influence in my life, and in a sea of authors whose stories have moved and shaped me, his words have been some of the most impactful. I admire his kindness and compassion, his wisdom and eloquence, and the tremendous amount of work he has done for the CBLDF and the UN Refugee Agency. His stories have helped shape my worldview and my dreams, and I will always be grateful. In 2007, we created the first of many scents in collaboration with our family at Dark Delicacies: the eponymous Dark Delicacies scent. It was soon followed by a series of eerie Lace-inspired perfumes, a scent series dedicated to horror film genres, a celebration of B-movie horror, and a scent series celebrating great duets of horror. In June of 2007, we ran the first of our clothing drives benefitting Los Angeles womens and childrens shelters. This Phoenix is a combination of the Snake Oil and Dorian that Teddy and I wore at our wedding, the red wine we bled into and shared during the ceremony, a drop of lucky honey mead, and the heart of Snow Glass Apples lacquered over pale salt-splashed wood, with a hint of the green walnut I could never get quite right. (Im sorry, Neil! Im still trying!) In The Bottle: A bit of crisp apple with a rind of sea salt. Wet On Skin: Same, with a slight hint of wood in the background. Dry Down: An apple peel on a piece of driftwood that's washed ashore, lightly sprayed with an afterthought of Dorian. Despite this description, I should note that this scent is surprisingly light and delicate, and has NO traces of water or ozone notes- this is strictly dried, salt-crusted drift wood I'm talking about here. The longer I wear it, the more the apple fades, leaving this incredibly delicate take on Dorian worn whilst walking on a sand bank. In other words: swoon-worthy.

Black tea, bergamot, red patchouli, peru balsam, and bourbon vanilla. In The Bottle: I get a sharp sliver of bergamot with a hint of the peru balsam- though the peru is also more sharp than I would normally expect. Wet On Skin: The tea note blooms spectacularly on my skin pretty much on contact. It's a really lovely, unmistakable lemon-y black tea. Dry Down: All black tea (with a hint of the bergamot citrus) all the time. In All: A light, close-to-the skin sort of scent. Although I'm slightly disappointed (and frankly confused) that the patchouli, balsam and vanilla have all chosen to simply not show up on my skin, I am really excited about having a straight-up tea scent. This is definitely the same tea note from Time's Infliction and my sadness with that scent was that I just wanted the tea. Now that Furo is in my life, I can have my tea and my Infliction too

A heart beating with anxiety and longing: rose musk, benzoin, and red sandalwood. In The Bottle: The reaction I got just from sniffing the bottle is a visceral stab to the heart, a rose of holidays passed, worn by my grandmother and her sisters in a by-gone era. Not "old lady" perfume, but rather the stuff that women of a different era favored considerably. Wet On Skin: It's weird, there's no myrrh listed in the notes, but the rose comes across as powdery, just as if myrrh were in the mix. Very perplexing! Dry Down: The musk is mellowing upon dry down, and a sweet, creamy aspect has emerged, reminding me of cold cream from the 40's. In All: a sweet and lovely rose scent. Not sure it's for me, but floral lovers will be very, very happy!

Red musk, vanilla bean, pomegranate, black currant, patchouli leaf and wild plum. Full disclosure: I was definitely one of the people voting for this scent in this vehicle, so already, I'm anticipating greatness! It's been a long while since I've experienced a "fresh" batch of Mme. Moriarty, my current perfume bottle is from the original release, so it's very, very well-aged. There's a "sharpness" to it fresh, just as there is with Snake Oil. Some scents just need a little time to ruminate! That said, all the important elements are here in spades, and as usual, Puddin' -bless 'im- poured in the perfume with a heavy hand indeed. All of which is to say, a little goes a long way! Even fresh, it's the same yummy scent we've all grown to pledge eternal love for, in a great format- I know that the small amount I spray in my hare today will continue to offer me little wiffs of scent for several days to come- and I couldn't be happier about it!

Black poppy, rose-infused myrrh, and patchouli leaves steeped in indigo wine. In The Bottle: HELLO, ROSE AND INDIGO WINE. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!?!? Wet On Skin: Seriously? Whoa. Sweet wine touched by the rare, odd indigo note, which gives it a slight tang, and the red, red rose hanging in the back is actually, strangely, making my mouth :water: slightly. Dry Down: This is just...gorgeous. It's basically become the kyphi incense of my dreams- wine and dried fruit and incense all combined to make something sweet without being food and luscious...and luxurious...and sacred...and...just so...beautiful. In All: If you are a fan of wine scents or incense scents (or, like me- both!) then you not only need a bottle of this, but you might need a back up. It's. That. Good.

[No additional description provided.] I found it helpful that I have last year's Frankincense Peach hairless, for comparison. This year's frankincense note came across as far more bold. Whereas combined with peach for Dragon Con, the frankincense became more of a supporting role- the juicy peach in that blend definitely did all the heavy lifting- this year's combination is in stark contrast, the apple being more of a secondary note for sure. This isn't head-shop-y at all, this is a solid frankincense, something rich and well-suited for the approaching cooler weather. If you're partial to frankincense blends, you'll definitely want this one. But if you're looking for a heavy apple, you *might* be a bit disappointed.

In The Bottle: VERY woody-sandalwood, the carved and dry variety. Plus a bit of that saffron and the oudh to help ground it. Wet On Skin: The sandalwood is warming up brilliantly, and I'm definitely relieved, because in the bottle it was almost reading as cedar, which is generally a pencil-shaving death note on me. But this is the warm, sultry sandalwood I know and adore. Mixed in with that is the slightest touch of the saffron and the vanilla, though both are definitely in supporting roles. Thankfully, I get no juniper, which becomes floor cleaner on my skin. Dry Down: The smokey vanilla becomes a little more dominant, which is a nice addition to the warm sweetness of the sandalwood. The scent has a low to low-medium throw, which feels appropriately non-assuming, for taking up the mantle of being a Voice for the People. In All: Of the four Fortuna scents I've tried, this is definitely the most straight forward. Which is not to say it isn't good- on the contrary, I can see getting a LOT of wear out of this in the remaining winter months, as it's daintily a warm and inviting gender-fluid scent. But whereas the others pulled me into nostalgic depths I wasn't anticipating, this, for me, is more just a solid choice for daytime scent wearing or perhaps for a light date involving a trip to a museum and some flirty looks over coffee afterward.

I blind-bought not one, but two bottles of this, based on not just description, but the idea of a Witch's luck. I am ALL about that concept, and was willing to toss myself into the abyss of this scent, feet first. So here we go! In The Bottle: I definitely get the occult shop vibe that theshapeshifter mentioned. But more specifically, I am reminded of a magick shop my mom used to take me to when I was very very small. It was the 70s and headshops and magick shops were frequently one and the same. The proprietrix was named Mrs Katz and I adored her, especially the way she'd always let me pick out a bag of seed beads to take home with me. Her shop smelled of candle wax and bags of herbs and a million kinds of incense and that's what this smells like too. As I've mentioned in my other reviews of the Fortuna scents, the thread that appears to run through all -though they are all quite different from each other- is that they all have the uncanny ability to pull one through time, to a lovely reverie of somewhere else that is not the present. It makes my heart ache in all the best ways possible, and this scent is no exception. Wet On Skin: It is much the same. Pomegranate notes sometimes dominate a scent when mixed with my skin chemistry. Delightedly, I am experiencing no such thing with this scent. It doesn't register as fruity, so much as adding a sweetness that rounds out the heavy nature of both vetiver and patchouli. It's a nice surprise, because I was expecting something in the realm of #OccupyWallStreet and this scent is nothing at all like that. Dry Down: It's sweetly, richly, musky. Like sweat on skin after sexy physical exertion. It has surprisingly low throw given the notes. Honestly, although the scent is complex, it also feels like something I'd want to layer. I might very well charge this scent and use it specifically in magickal workings for fortune and luck boosting, and proceed accordingly.

White sandalwood, white sage, East Indian patchouli, muguet, golden frankincense, and Balsam of Mecca. Some of the notes in here can be a little iffy on me, but I'm hoping that the Mecca, Sandalwood and Patchouli can balance it out for me. Let's have a sniff! In The Bottle: A bit of patchouli, but not the dirty variety we saw in Occupy Wall St.. There's a nice subtlety here. It's also got some sweet balance with the sandalwood, which is a similar type to the one found in Tombstone. Sweet and desert-y. so far so good. Wet On Skin: Mmmm. This is warming up now, and becoming something rather personal, and sexy. Not overt sexy, like with Smut. That subtlety is continuing, holding the frankincense in check and making this rich and commanding- a scent to draw someone in- and keep them close Dry Down: This is total win. Soft enough for daytime, but personable enough for an evening affair, this is literally hitting all the right notes. In All: Low to medium throw, Pteropus is a scent that crosses all gender boundaries. I predict this to be the sleeper hit of the bats- when the luster has faded from the others, this may very well prove to be the most sought-after of this year's Bat's Day scents. Keeper!

O Jove much-honor'd, Jove supremely great, to thee our holy rites we consecrate, Our pray'rs and expiations, king divine, for all things round thy head exalted shine. A smooth vanilla myrrh, streaked with cracks of java vetiver, styrax, and coffee absolute. In The Bottle: A lovely soft coffee candy scent. A mix of the coffee and vanilla-myrrh, obviously. It's a goof start- the myrrh isn't doing the baby-powder thing thus far that it usually does in my presence. *fingers crossed* Wet On Skin: Same, but with the java vetiver creeping in and a range non-food sweetness? Is this the styrax or the myrrh doing something unexpected? Dry Down: Coffee and baby powder In All: Well, I gave it a shot, but this is what myrrh does with my skin. I keep hoping and the rest of the notes in this gave me good reason to hope but my chemistry just won't allow it. To the rest of you, the hints that I got before all hope was lost would indicate that this scent is otherwise a lovely, yummy coffee scent. My loss is your gain- off to the swaps I go!

The black tea, sweetened by the cream - but only slightly - is the first impression to greet my nose. The rose is subtle, but a fresh, just-cut rose, not a stuffy-lady kind of rose. The whole impression is delicately sweet and light and very refreshing! Yes, I will surely use this in my own front sitting room, but I can see using it for sure in my linens closet and bath as well. Just lovely!

In the Bottle: a sweet and beguiling swirl of resins. Wet On Skin: the frankincense, wood and sugared honey all start to assert themselves as individuals now. So far, the myrrh is behaving admirably- I pray that continues! Dry Down: Someone else mentioned this scent being "chewy" and I concur! Although it's different, there IS a chewy aspect similar to french tobacco notes. The frankincense and polished wood are coming together beautifully and it's all very rich and good for cold, blustery days!

In the bottle, behind a healthy bit of the same red wine note found in my beloved Glühwein, I, too, pick up on the odd undertone of coffee. It's rich, like a turkish coffee note, but far more subtle. Once it's wet and warming up on my skin, it shifts, the coffee essence disappears and is replaces by the sweet oudh. Oudhs are shape-shifters on my skin, morphing differently depending on the supporting players. In this blend, the oudh gives a kind of rich support that brings to mind myrrh, without the terrible baby-powder that afflicts me with that unfortunate note. The end result is a decidedly sophisticated scent that's somewhere between a debauched night involving sherry spilled on a crisp linen nightdress and a nod to a no-longer-available perfume that Betsey Johnson debuted in the mid-90s. I'm hoping the oudh will age as well as the wine, and something might transform to become a little more heady and perhaps incense-y. Right now, I like it enough to keep, but not enough to start wearing in regular rotation. :/

At first sniff, I mostly get a spicy plum. Though others mentioned cinnamon specifically, that's not what I'm getting. More of a spice *mix* as one might find in spice cake. As it begins to bloom, wet, on my skin, it's becoming more and more spicy, sultry. It reminds me a little of Kyphi incense with a bit of plum wine dashed in for good measure. In all, it's a strong, sweet, rich spice scent. I sadly get no rice pudding, which I was very much looking forward to. However, I think this has the potential for loads of sexy wearings and am hopeful a bit of aging will do it some good.

In the Bottle: Straight up Dorian. No footsie-ing around about it! Wet On Skin: the fougere aspect is particularly strong in this version, at least at this stage. Unlike Frostbitten Bliss, which I got equal measure of Snow White and Bliss, this, at least for now, is ONLY the strongest, most cologne aspect of Dorian and nothing more. Dry Down: Alas, it's stayed the same. In All: I've enjoyed the recent forays into Dorian exploration that have come out this year that I've tried (Spinning on Graves, Paper Phoenix) but the frost note in this has had the effect of taking the delicate balance of Dorian's components and, unfortunately, amping the ones that make me smell like a dude-bro out at a bar on a Saturday night I'll give it a chance to age, but I have a feeling this will go off to the swap pile in the end...

In The Bottle: lots of creamy, light almond milk and some Snake Oil. YUM! Wet On Skin: GOODNESS! A yummy mix of faint Snake Oil, the almond milk holding its own, and now the addition of the cotton blossom I recognize (and ADORE) from Kwamie Cotton with a little marshmallowy goodness tossed in to add a sweet finish. Dry Down: This might be my favorite scent, ever. Ahead, even, perhaps (just perhaps), of my all-time favorite beloved, Dragon's Milk. It's all the notes I already mentioned, but settling into proper proportions to each other, so that nothing overpowers anything else. It all gets acknowledged for how gorgeous it is- both as individual components, and more importantly, for the exquisite way they all play together. I am head over heels in love.

In The Bottle: A warm almond scent, with a slight backdrop of indiscernible spices. Wet On Skin: The almond disappears entirely, which I'm sad about. The warmth of the scent continues, and as it warms on my skin, I'm able to pick out strands of lotus, amber and saffron. The myrrh, to my relief, seems to be behaving- a rarity, as it usually amps and turns to terrible baby powder on me. So far, so good! Dry Down: This...wow. I can't believe I went ten years of BPAL without this. I feel like Bastet is a cousin to Morocco. Both scents share that warm, spiced, sultry aspect, and considering both are influenced by a related culture and continent, its no wonder. The more she settles into my skin, the more enamored I become. This scent is heady, though sticks surprisingly close to the skin. (I wouldn't start out by altering this, though- definitely see how she does with you before diving into the eep end of the pool, as it were.) In All: I was interested in obtaining a bottle of this because I've been doing some workings with Bast lately and it seemed appropriate. And she is! I will certainly wear this scent, and also anoint candles meant for her with this scent as well. I can't wait to see how this ages!