VioletChaos

In The Bottle: A sweetness, like fruity bubblegum. Wet On Skin: More of the same, the bubblegum aspect seems to be intensifying. Dry Down: I concur that it's a "warm" scent, not given to easy classification, as is true with nearly all the original Tarot oils I've had the good fortune to try. There's something about this scent that reminds me, in feeling, of Hod- that warm, cozy, comforting aspect, as if I might wear this on a day when I'm mourning the loss of something less significant than a death but more significant than a hangnail. This card, being about liminal, in-between spaces, is tied closely into my thesis work this year, and as such, I'm especially glad to have this bottle come into my life at this point in time.

In The Bottle: I get sugared pink grapefruit! It's juicy and yummy and has a nice citrus bite to it. Wet On Skin: It has a bit of the sweet-fruit-cereal vibe that I got from Cheshire Moon, but it's not so overtly Froot Loops as that one was. It *is* kissing cousins, though! Dry Down: Yep, the Strawberry Shortcake doll comparison is an apt one, though without the weird plastic undercurrent that those dolls had. It's very playful and child-like, less like Ouija Yes or Faith or Hope in terms of being "sugared" and more like a cross between Pink Moon and Cheshire Moon.

In The Bottle: The incense-y vibe, combined with the orange blossom remind me more than a little of Rich Hippie's Kalachakra. This is a wonderful comparison and also, anyone that can't get their hands on the ridiculously-priced $750 bottle, the sniff from Peach IV is a fabulous substitute! Wet On Skin: It's become soft and powdery now- not baby powder, but the kinds of dusting powders ladies used to keep at their dressing tables with big, fluffy puffs. Dry Down: I get no peach from this. It's morphed slightly and become a soft, floral incense. In All: Low throw, definitely a "skin" scent, as it stays very close to the skin. There's something that feels poignant to me, like I would wear this while listening to "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey. It's beautiful and sweet and very unassuming. Just lovely.

Orris, luminous ambergris, and golden amber illuminated by a sunlit golden musk. In The Bottle: The dusty-sweet scent of the orris is sharing a spotlight with the ambergris as soon as I put my nose close to the mouth of the bottle. I do not get anything else at this stage. Wet On Skin: More of the same, with a slight powder edge coming out of the orris. This has definitely got a similar vibe similar to what was in Silver Haired Bat. It's a subtle scent, but has a strong presence as well. Dry Down: Pure orris and ambergris. I get no musk or amber, which honestly is a relief as golden amber can go powdery on me and golden musk often smells like syrup on my skin (in a bit of an unpleasant way). In All: Low to medium throw. Dry, sweet and dusty, this almost comes across to me as a desert scent. It also smells like a pared-down version of Silver-Haired Bat, which is great, because I love that scent quite a bit. I'm glad I have a bottle- I will definitely wear this sometimes in place of Silver Haired Bat!

Alas, so far all I get is tobacco. The sweet, chewy caramel-y French tobacco as found in Red Lantern and the single note of the same name. Don't get me wrong- it's a lovely tobacco. I just wanted, you know, the other stuff. To be fair, I tested fresh out the mailbox. I know that many of these notes do well with a bit of aging. And the notes sound incredible! So I'm willing to wait. For the present, it's All Tobacco, All The Time. But I'll see what happens in about a month and hopefully have a solid edit to make then

I expected tis to be similar to other fruity/Froot Loop-y types scents, like Cheshire Moon. I expected a sugary-sweet explosion of crystalline candies in glittering fruit-shapes. In fact, this scent turned out to be a study in subtlety. Even when I sniffed from the bottle, even when the oil was still wet and slick on my skin, it was all soft, natural fruits, melding gently, caressing my skin. It's a skin scent, meaning the low is incredibly throw, the scent clings close. Five minutes after application, I had to put my wrist right up to my nose to really huff. That said, it hung around for hours, even after I washed the area twice. It has the distinction of being long-lasting while still being so soft and gentle. In all, a beautiful late-summer scent. <3

In The Bottle: A dry tobacco, definitely very different from the French variety I've become accustomed with. It's so dry and dusty that it could be in Tombstone. Wet On Skin: Someone of the FB thread was talking about how this has a vanilla extract undertone to it, and I can now see what she meant. It's not foodie in the least, but there's definitely a dry vanilla thing going on and it's really, really working here. Dry Down: This is really, really beautiful. Honestly, I've gotten to a point with French Tobacco where it's usually too heavy and over-powering for me to handle, unless it's part of a heavy, rich blend, like Red Lantern. But this, this I can wear all its own. It's dry and light and slightly sweet and smells like the desert and sweet sands and crackly leaves. I think I'm in love.

2016 version. In The Bottle: Whoa, cassia! I *adore* the cassia note and that was the reason I took a chance on this bottle. It comes on strong, and that's how I like it! Wet On Skin: Still the primary note, tiny bits of Snake Oil are coming in at the edges and it's pretty great. Dry Down: If the cinnamon and ginger are present in this at all on me, it's just in a faint support of the cassia. The cassia by far remains the dominant note. I expect that the Snack Oil will make something of a comeback, once this has had a chance to age, but honestly, even if it stays as-is, I will be totally happy to have this sweet, spicy bottle. <3

In The Bottle: Champaca incense note. Straight up. Wet On Skin: Same, but as my skin warms it up, I get slight hints of the Snake Oil underneath. Dry Down: The champa settles in, becomes more incorporated. There's a sweet, soft roundness to the scent, and I'm acutely aware of the fact that SO on its own needs to age for me to really appreciate it. The other Snake Pit scents I've tried, it hasn't been an issue- I felt I was able to start wearing them right away. But this one, I can tell that it really needs a chance to age a bit, so that the various elements can really mingle with each other more completely. But I like what I'm experiencing now- it's a promise of what the future will bring!

In The Bottle: Yummy almond cookie! Wet On Skin: Yep, that's some almond cookie alright. Dry Down: Goodness! It really *is* fortune cookie incense! This is AMAZING! I never would have thought I needed such a thing in my life, but yes, I needed this exact thing! It's sweetly resinous incense-y, but definitely still fortune cookie. It might sound odd- how can those two things line up? but they do. they really do, and this has immediately jumped to become one of my favorite incense scents of all time. Just like that.

I think I'm in love. This is not just cotton candy, but to my nose, it's *coconut* cotton candy. It's fluffy, sugary-sweet and yet not over-powering or cloying. I don't own any wigs, but I will be more than happy to spray this in any room that requires it. It's fun and light and yummy and lovely and I'm *so* glad I got a bottle.

In The Bottle: All sweet pea, all the time. It's very "perfume-y" in that way. Wet On Skin: The vanilla sugar i starting to make its presence known now, though at this point, it's still reading mostly as a very feminine traditional perfume. Dry Down: *There's* the pink musk. It gives this scent a bit of depth so that everything else isn't just a reading of tinkling high top notes. In All: Medium throw, super, duper, über girlie, indeed, you don't get fishier than this. If you're a fan of ultra-femme perfumes, then this is one you'll fall in love with.

Bolsters sexual vigor, stimulates sensuality, and inspires relaxation: cacao with coconut, vanilla cream, and shea. Normally I don't bother with massage oils. I no longer live with an MT, so I feel like "what's the point?" However, when I saw the note list for this item, I felt that there was just no possible way I could ignore such a thing. so here goes: In the Bottle: Imagine the most delicious edible suntan lotion that has never existed. Cocoa butter? Check. Coconut? Check. Vanilla frosting in a can? Check, check, check. On the Skin: Oh, holy crap. This smells AMAZING. Not only do all the above elements stay true, but the shea butter shows up and adds a little sugary note, right on at the end. the oils texture is light and absorbent, leaving my skin feeling moisturized without being slick or greasy or sticky. In All: A must have, I will use this post-shower or post-bath as a nice light moisturizer and I will also put some into the ends of my hair, where it's most thirsty. In other words, do not deny yourselves something so yummy and lovely simply because you don't get that many massages. Trust me- you'll find ways to use this heavenly treat!

I picked up an imp of this based on recommendations I was seeking for Lemon-based scents. Unfortunately, I get *no* citrus from this at all, not lemon, not verbena. On me it's all China musk and white florals. It's lovely, but definitely not for me. Oh well!

In The Bottle: Oh, açai berry, you sassy vixen, how I have missed you! In the bottle she is juicy and ripe and full of sweet and tart promise. She's also the dominant note, overshadowing all others. Wet On Skin: Still mostly the berry's show, but I'm getting traces of the smoked vanilla here and there, which is giving the açai something to ground to. Dry Down: Oh HAI Snake Oil! I was wondering when you were coming to the party! SO is very faint, at least in this fresh-from-the-Lab bottle. We all know how SO ages and changes, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility that later it might become more dominant. It this current state, however, it's merely giving depth to the vanilla and berry combo- and rounding the whole thing out, making it really delectable and quite singular. In All: I always thought my love affair with Boomslang would be the beginning and end of where I stood with the Snake Pit. But Australian Copperhead? Just hit it out of the part. Hoard-worthy.

In The Bottle: Mostly the jasmine, the rich, heady kind, like the stuff one can procure in tiny beautiful bottles in Indian neighborhoods. Wet On Skin: The rose is coming out, and it's a fresh, still on the stem kind of rose. The jasmine os still being heady and dense, making for an incredibly sultry floral combination. Dry Down: Bits of the pepper and sandalwood finally come out to play, though it's for sure in a background, supporting role kind of way. The jasmine is still definitely the star of this show, with the rose getting softer, less on the stem now, more like a rose musk, or the kind of rose in a Victorian face cream. In All: Honestly, I'm not one for florals. I'm extremely picky about them, even when I love them. I don't know that I will keep this, as the jasmine has asserted itself in a very dramatic way. But the scent is certainly a floral-lover's dream, not to be passed up.

I seriously have NO idea how this scent escaped my attention for a solid six months! Luckily, the BPAL gods smiled upon me and I was still able to order a bottle, so here we go... In The Bottle: Orange blossom and vegetal musk are the strongest notes for sure. I *am* getting a tiny whiff of honey, but not the incense part. at least not yet. Wet On Skin: The honey is a big stronger now, and the musk has stepped back a bit, which I'm glad about- it's an odd smell, and while I don't dislike it, it WAS making me feel a little off-kilter about the scent. The amber and saffron are popping out a bit at this point, too. Dry Down: It's morphed a bit and now it's predominantly an orange blossom and honey incense- which is AMAZING. I am a bit sad that the Calabrian lemon didn't make so much as an appearance on my skin, especially after discovering Pere Nöel, but this is a really beautiful scent in its own right. I anticipate wearing this for warm evening strolls.

In The Bottle: A bit of the red musk we Smut fans all know and adore, paired with the juicy red of poppy flowers. I think this might be love! Wet On Skin: I...I'm definitely feeling this. In addition to the above, there's now a sweet lilt of honey wafting through and an earthy edge of dragon's blood to ground it all and prevent it from becoming cloying. Dry Down: Take all the things I've already mentioned. Then let them bloom and warm and swirl around you like a thick red velvet cloak, enveloping you in earthy honey dust and musky, sexy power. In All: Thick oil- it goes farther than you think. The throw is heady, medium to high, so just a dab to start out before you know what it's capable of. This scent is sexy, womanly power. I suspect it will age magnificently. SO thankful for my W/C Faery for getting this for me!!!

In The Bottle: Thick, caramel-y tobacco. The tobacco note from such hits as Red Lantern, in fact. At this point, I get nothing else. Wet On Skin: Still, just mostly the caramel tobacco. Dry Down: Sadly, this is little more than tobacco single note on me. Opoponax makes the tiniest back-door entrance smelling like an afterthought of leather, but is gone again. Maybe it needs to age a bit? In All: High throw- go easy with application, folks! - and super rich and heady, to be sure. I'll test again in a few weeks to see if anything shifts, but if it stays just as tobacco, I'll likely swap, as I already have a store of the Tobacco SN to last me.

In The Bottle: Yep, that's champa incense, alright! Wet On Skin: Staying true at this point. Most single notes morph only slightly, if at all. I'm hoping this one stays as is, because it's totally on the mark right now. Dry Down: A close companion of nag champa incense. I suspect this will age beautifully and blend well with any incense-scent you might want to amp up a little bit. In All: Medium to High throw- go easy, a little goes a looooong way. Rich, heady champa incense. If you are a fan of incense or champa in particular, get a bottle- you won't be disappointed.

In The Bottle: "Boo!" 2009 vintage- is that you calling? Yes, that's what I thought of as soon as I opened the bottle- that's what gently smacked me in the face with its awesome marshmallowy goodness. Talk about an exciting opening! Wet On Skin: Wow. This. Is. So. Good. And yes, that Boo 2009 vibe is holding tight. Dry Down: This, I think, is the marshmallow single note of my dreams. Even Boo had it's fatal flaw, the linen note eventually replaced the marshmallow over the course of hours. But this? This holds true. It's strictly marshmallow- I don't get a Peep vibe per se, because that would mean an added layer of crunchy sugar. I amp sugar like crazy and that's not happening with this. In All: Straight up, no-holds-barred, marshmallow wonder.

I definitely tend to go lighter in the warm months, with Happy Baby In A Long Dress topping my list for sweltering east-coast heat. When the days are warm, but not scrape-me-off-the-pavement hot, I like sweet and fruity, like Strawberry Moon '09 / '12, Blackberry Jam and Scones or Coxcomb (which smells like blackberries on me); sweet and sexy like Ravenous or O; sweet and woodsy, like Tiki King! or Tombstone or an old-fashioned rich floral like Love Me. Summer also tends to be when I branch out from BPAL, actually, too, so the rest of the stuff I wear isn't from the Lab.

A disorienting eddy of French lavender, black tea, orange blossom, sharp green tea leaf, pink flowering thorn, and a blot of inky resins. Disclosure: Normally, I don't go for scents that have lavender in them, as I find the scent too medicinal for my tastes. But the other notes in this were all so compelling that I blind-bought a bottle. Let's see how that worked out, shall we? In The Bottle: Wow. This takes off, right out of the gate. The lavender is there, and yes, it's a strong French one to be sure. But the black tea, green tea and orange blossom are all in the mix, too, making it, at this stage, what I'd been optimistically anticipating: the smell of drinking tea in an English garden (emphasis on the 'tea' part!) Wet On Skin: I am generally not much for florals- they never seem heady enough for me, being a foodie-and-resins kinda girl. But this is just unfolding into something too beautiful to ignore. At this stage, it's *very* heavy on the tea notes with the lavender stepping a bit into the background and the orange blossom acting as a bit of a 'sweetener' for the tea- like orange blossom honey, without the honey Dry Down: Staying true to the end, drinking tea on a glorious spring day in a verdant garden. In All: Low to medium-low throw, this is mostly a top-note scent. Whilst I feel certain that I will wear this plenty come spring time, this scent also reminds me fondly of walking in the medicinal gardens of the Mutter Museum in the dead of winter. Make no mistake- this is a straight-up floral. But it's extremely complex and layered. I'd say it's a floral both for fans of the genre and also for this of us that usually don't care for them. SO glad I got a bottle of this!

I am a true Love's Philosophy disciple. I got it when it came out the first time and it was the first scent that I hoarded multiple bottles of. I've wondered for years when it might return, so I'm excited to see how this new 2016 batch compares to the original. In The Bottle: Spicy-sweet vanilla. Just as I like it! Wet On Skin: A bit of that 'wintergreen' effect that it sometimes does during this stage, but I'm not concerned, because.... Dry Down: ...Then it disappears and the saffron spice comes out and this becomes a vanilla chai without the cardamom. In All: It's been too long to recall full what the original LP smelled like fresh. But if that version is the same, then I can tell y'all that this will only get better, richer and more wonderful with age.

This is for the 2016 version. In the Bottle: A really lovely rose concrete. Wet On Skin: Wow. this reminds me so intensely of this rose perfume my grandmother wore when I was a little girl- but it's NOT an "old lady" rose *at all*. It's fresh, and sweet and just the rosiest rose imaginable. Dry Down: This is basically a True Rose Single Note. I could see using this to amp up other rose blends, as well as wearing it when I just really crave pure, perfect rose. There is no morph, no change. It remains true from bottle to dry down. In All: a worthwhile addition to any collection, but certainly if you want a straight-up beautiful rose, this is a keeper for sure.