VioletChaos

Favorite pastime: indulging his yogurt fetish. Whatever floats your boat! Berries, skyr, and oats. In The Bottle: Very light, sweet berries and a tiny bit of oats. Wet On Skin: The berries start to bloom a bit more once it warms up on my skin. Dry Down: Berries with oat crust. No yogurt on my skin, alas! In All: Medium throw, and, unfortunately, this berry note is coming across as fairly artificial, like an air freshener that is berry-scented. I'm hoping it might settle further, as I *really* adore the Lab's Oats note, but only time will tell.

Jean Veber Pumpkin cream, honey, vanilla sugar, and smoked vanilla bean. In The Bottle: sweet, creamy vanilla and scratchy vanilla bean, with a breath of pumpkin. Yum! Wet On Skin: the pumpkin comes out a bit more and the honey with it, warming the scent up a bit. Dry Down: A beautiful, light pumpkin ice cream! In All: low throw, a sweet, gentle scent. Not too foodie. Perfect for daytime wear throughout the fall. Total keeper!

In The Bottle: Oh, YES. coconut. Coconut like "slow-cooking coconut oil" kind of coconut. Wet On Skin: More of the same. This is just what I was hoping for. Dry Down: A beautiful, dry, yummy coconut. It's not terribly sweet or even terribly foodie. It's a rich-but-light coconut, like unsweetened coconut flakes or that simmering low-heat coconut oil I described before. It's the coconut I was hoping to get with Obatala and just...didn't. In All: low to medium throw, this scent can be worn just as it is for coconut fans like myself, or you can totally layer this with other scents- I'm already plotting how it'll do with last month's French Vanilla! I am SO glad I got two bottles!!!

When you need to be reminded of the kindness in the world - of the small daily acts of heroism, selflessness, and compassion that surround and sustain us. Rose otto, rosehip oil, honey, beeswax absolute, honey myrtle, jasmine sambac, coconut oil, crushed rose petals and tiny red rosebuds. When I was looking at descriptions of the 45-specific scents, this was one of the ones I *knew* I needed to have. In dark times, it can be incredibly difficult to hold on to hope. Although TAL oils aren't about fragrance, I happen to be a person for whom sense of smell plays a factor in lots of aspects of my life, well beyond what perfume I decide to wear for the day. To that end, Honey Rose smells like roses, just passed their prime, wilting gently in a summer garden, surrounded by other signifiers of high summer, like errant greenery that sprouts, tenaciously, in sidewalk cracks, and maybe a touch of something more herbal, which I'm betting the honey myrtle in the mix. Whether because of this complex scent or -at least as likely- the intent meant to be invoked, wearing a bit of this on my skin conjures strong feelings of empathy but also a bittersweetness that comes from feeling gratitude when life has been especially hard. This oil is the delicious cake, home made and frosted with care, that someone brings you when a loved one has crossed over. The warm hug given by a sweet neighbor when they hear you lost your job. It's a reprieve that casts no illusions that "everything is going to be just fine so look on the bright side" but rather that in the midst of tremendous adversity, there is indeed a port in the storm. Which is intense, but a truthful solace we need.

Black leather aflame with a cherry-infused cognac that has been spiced with brown sugar, vetiver, black pepper, and dried apricot. Full disclosure: normally I don't 'do' leather scents- they tend to amp like crazy on me and last far too long. but the other notes in this were SO compelling that I took a chance. Let's see hoe my gamble pays off... In The Bottle: The cherry-infused cognac hits my nose first, followed by a little of the smoky aspect of vetiver. But that's it. Wet On Skin: AH! *There's* the leather! But amazingly, at this stage, anyway, it's playing nice and just adding a dense, dark round note to ground the other, sweeter, lighter notes. Dry Down: Okay...the *vetiver* is actually the dominant here. But not by much- the cherry, the brown sugar and the apricot are all mixing together to form something that's sweet and smoky and *quite* sexy on the right person. In All: For those that normally fear leather, this just might be the one for you. And for those looking for a good smoky-sweet scent for date night- regardless of gender- you just might want some too.

A venerable and well-respected bat, Ghost Face Bats can trace their ancestry to the late Pleistocene era. Sugared coconut meat, vanilla pods, condensed milk, white honey, and benzoin. In The Bottle: The soft, cuddly scent of sweet coconut mixed with benzoin and white honey. It's not foodie per se, just warm and snuggly. Wet On Skin: The benzoin comes to the front a bit more, but the vanilla pods are in the mix now too, giving the scent some depth. The fragrance moves further from gourmand at this point, and is reminding me a bit of Hod. Dry Down: The condensed milk finally joins the party and sweetens the mix just a bit. However, the scent retains what it basically had as traits from first sniff: warmth and cuddles. This is a perfect cold-weather scent, and I expect to get lots of wear out of it in the next 6 months!

Black plum, 7-year aged patchouli, nutmeg, and tobacco leaf. Proceeds from the sale of both of the Hymn to the Erinyes scents benefit RAINN, the United States largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, and provides programs to help survivors, prevent sexual violence, and ensure that offenders are brought to justice. In The Bottle: the plum is definitely the dominant note here. In fact, I don't think I detect anything else at this point. Wet On Skin: As the oil warms on my skin, I detect a hint of the nutmeg. Without the other notes, the two make some strange bedfellows. Far more floral and light than I'd anticipated. Dry Down: The tobacco leaf steps in, but just a bit, to warm things up and round them out a little. This reminds me very much of a perfume I wore many years ago, Pòemé, from Estee Lauder, I think? This is a "perfumey" kind of scent, elegant, floral, light. I don't know if it's for me, but folks that like more classic perfumes are going to adore this one.

The civilized, sweet restraint of lily-white sugared vanilla silk gleaming with a glimpse of fang-white musk, smeared with wanton red musk seed, tobacco, red agarwood, and ritual benzoin, and blackened with a depraved miasma of clove husk, drooping oakmoss, black leather, and balsam.  In The Bottle: a very, very gauzy white musk and an even fainter vanilla silk. the whole experience sniffing in the bottle is that of a dream, it's so light and wispy. Wet On Skin: The lightness of the scent continues in that it has very low throw, even as it warms on my skin. Joining the silk and white musk I get a hint of something slightly sharp, such as ambrette seed, although that's not listed in the notes. It might be the agarwood. Dry Down: The scent remains very soft and slow throw- try it by small increments at first, but i anticipate this one will require slathering to really get the full force of it. It's extremely well blended, so although I can detect ghosts of benzoin and clove husk now, I wouldn't say that either note dominates, but rather that it's all supporting roles for all players involved. I get no leather at all, which is unusual because my skin generally amps that note, so it might again be a testament to how thoroughly it's been blended. In All: A moody scent appropriate for this coldest time of the year, but definitely something that I'd wear for daytime- it lacks a total intensity but I think that's a good thing, because not all heavy scents should be reserved for nighttime uses

A veneer of civility shredded, torn, and bloodied. Ragged, soil-stained sugar-spun vanilla, dragged through a thicket of thorny roses, tobacco, and black pine, hot with feral musk and incense, and spattered with viscera.  In The Bottle: Pretty much only the sugar-spun vanilla, reminiscent of the stained fabric in the always-glorious Black Lace. It definitely seems right at home amongst other Laces in that regard. Wet On Skin: The thorny roses are starting to come out. I'm not a huge florals fan, I can be quite picky. At this stage, the sugary vanilla and roses are keeping each other in balance, even as they stay separate entities (which is to say, this is not the Sugared Rose note of the Carnivale's Hope.) Dry Down: Through to this stage, it's mostly a dark, rosy, sugary vanilla, with just a touch of incense to ground it. I like it! I don't wear my small selection of florals often, but this sets to mind a certain kind of day, one that involves long, heavy velvet skirts, copious amounts of smeared red lipstick and listening to any album made by the Cure prior to 1990, all whilst walking about dejectedly on a gloomy winter (or autumnal) afternoon

Red orchid, dragon’s blood resin, blood orange, black lily, honey amber, and cacao. In The Bottle: This, in this stage, is honestly *way* more subdued than I anticipated. The honey is there, the blood orange is there and just a rind of the dragon's blood. It's very delicate. Wet On Skin: This is sort of a classic Lupercalia scent in that it's got the promise of an early spring as noted by the faint lily, and it's still very alluring, as the red orchid comes to the fore. Dry Down: This reminds me a bit of a Body Shop scent I wore AGES ago called Juba- it's delicately sweet and bright with both floral and citrus notes. It's a bit more "perfume-y" than I normally wear, but it's so lovely that I will gladly make an exception! Also, a side note: I admit I don't always see the direct connection between the chosen notes and the accompanying Shunga. With Cock Stamen, I *absolutely* see it in spades!

Behold, the Palace of the Sun King and the personal playground of Barrials. Is nothing sacred? Indonesian oudh and jasmine brocade.  In The Bottle: Pure rich deep jasmine. The kind I've found almost exclusively in small Indian markets. Lovely! Wet On Skin: More of the same. Oudh notes are usually pretty strong on me, so I'm still hopeful that something will turn when fully dry... Dry Down: Still mainly a rich, heady jasmine, the oudh has, in fact, joined the party, though in a surprisingly subtle performance (subtle comparatively for oudh, I mean). The effect is very much like entering an ancient, abandoned temple. I envision a place once grand, now grandly dilapidated, but still, those who pilgrimage to see it are left in a state of quiet awe. I'm not much of a florals kind of person. that said, there's enough going on here that i will hold on to my bottle to see how aging deepens the scent and I can easily see layering this with some heady down-and-dirty patchouli and something *magical* being born.

Vanilla bourbon, fossilized amber resin, bitter almond, labdanum, and tobacco absolute. In The Bottle: DAY-um! Almond, an edge of resin-y labdanum and vanilla bourbon. I am allllllll about this! Wet On Skin: The amber resin is starting to come to the front as the oil warms on my skin. it's a great addition to the party. The almond is starting to hang back a little. I hope it doesn't disappear completely, it's a really good note in here. Dry Down: The amber resin is acting slightly weird, shifting between being itself and becoming a wee bit pine-ish. The labdanum keeps it from becoming more than a hint though, and that's good, I don't do pine notes generally. I suspect the pine might *also* be the tobacco poking in at the end, and the two devilish notes combine to keep the amber and vanilla from reading as gourmand. The almond, alas, has left the building. My hope is that with age it'll return for a longer stint, but I can also layer it with Fortune Cookie to add a dollop of almond if need be. I predict this is going to be sought-after later on.

Albert-Joseph Pénot Bourbon vanilla, sweet red patchouli, oudh, goat's milk accord, and white honey. In The Bottle: Creamy goat's milk and sweet patchouli. YUM! Wet On Skin: the Oudh just popped out and it's adding a nice grounding aspect. Dry Down: This now has the warm spice of Hod, but with the goat's milk adding a little milky texture into the mix. It's a bit odd, to be honest. But I find my self compelled to sniff repeatedly. In All: Low throw, close to the skin scent. I would wear this primarily during the day, as a scent to feel cozy with, like curing up with a good book and a mug of tea.

Amber cream, white tea, lemon peel, and lotus root. In The Bottle: Lemon, cream and a touch of lotus. Wet On Skin: A bit of the white tea is coming round now, making this smell like a tea party with lemon cake! Dry Down: Tea leans a bit toward the lemony side of things anyway on me, and this scent therefore has both a "high" and "low" lemon note in that the low is more of a foodie, lemon curd variety and the high is that clean, bright lemony tea. It's a lovely combination. The amber cream seems to be way more cream than amber, which is not a bad thing, though I'm curious to see how it'll age. The lotus can be a bit iffy on me, and I was worried it would turn soapy but so far it's behaving itself, if juuuuust barely In all, I think this will be a fine scent as we move out of late winter and into spring. It's a very bright and sunny daytime scent and if you're a gourmand fan, you should definitely give this a try.

Honey oudh and bourbon vanilla. In The Bottle: Wow. It's the honey we all love from numerous Lab blends, but it's being tempered with something that's surprisingly green and fresh. I guess it's the oudh, but it's not like any oudh I've encountered before. Huh. Wet On Skin: The "green" grows in intensity while the honey recedes. The vanilla is still nowhere to be seen. Dry Down: This green, fresh oudh aspect is the dominant for sure. The honey has morphed into a lighter honey dust upon dry down and alas, the vanilla remains MIA. In All: I'll keep this around for a bit to see how it ages. I'm not certain yet if this is a keeper for me, but I think it's a lovely scent for spring and anyone into leafy, greenie scents should absolutely get some ASAP.

In The Bottle: A sweet, almost 'earthy' scent. I get something that reminds me of prunes, which I'm betting is the rich/sweet of the pecan note. Also something that's like autumnal pie spices. Wet On Skin: Much the same, but the prune is morphing into more of the nuttiness one would expect from...nuts. Dry Down: Shoo-Fly-Pie!!! A sweet, rich pie with spices to round it out and a touch of flaky crust. In All: Another winner in the pie category!

By popular demand, as well as the urgency of the cause (funding the Humane Society of Ventura County's wildfire rescue efforts) we have decided to make our WHITE LARRY perfume available to one and all. Featuring art by Drew Rausch, this blend was inspired by jokes about an apocryphal relative of Black Phillip's -- an embarrassing, not-quite-Satanic cousin. "Every family has got one; that one relative that just isn’t quite diabolical enough, the one that makes Sabbats just kinda awkward." His scent? Goat’s milk, buttermilk, and butter. Lots of butter. [Please note: this perfume is not vegan, as it contains butter CO2 extract.] Thanks to one and all who share and support this fundraiser! May the blank, completely non-threatening gaze of White Larry look kindly upon you. In The Bottle: Mostly I'm getting the softness of the buttermilk, which is nice to have out in front. There's usually a bit of a 'tang' to the goats milk note, and I'm not getting any of that, nor do I smell butter at this stage. Wet On Skin: The butter is starting to peek out but honestly, this is still mostly buttermilk. It's slightly sweet without being foodie, and that "soft" aspect remains. Dry Down: The goats milk finally shows up, but it much much more faint than I'm used to experiencing with this note. It's definitely in a supportive role. The butter is now co-host with the buttermilk making this a lovely skin scent for all ages. In All: This is comforting and yummy without being overbearing. Low throw and a good 'gateway' scent for those that are normally wary of foodie or gourmand scents. As a butter note fan, I am especially excited to see how this ages!

These scents possess sensual, languid bases, including amber, benzoin, tonka, balsams, and dark, warm vanillas. This Series appears to have no numbers. I got two bottles of Oriental, so I'll just post separately for the two different bottles. This is the first. In the Bottle: I get a strong Balsam of Peru- a rich scent, almost vanilla-like, but more resin than food. Wet On Skin: This scent is warm and sweet, but there's a faint, sharp contrast underneath. It's not jarring, it's just adding something with a little bite. Dry Down: It's like amber (petrified tree sap, not whale vomit) and Balsam of Peru had a love child in a dense wood in the middle of summer. In A Word: Glorious!

In June, Lilith was cast as the Mad Hatter in her theater school’s production of Alice in Wonderland. Typecast much? Lilith says that the Mad Hatter should smell like tea (“EARL GREY!”) with honey and cream and lots and lots of cookies. In The Bottle: Cream and cookies! Very light cream and cookies! Wet On Skin: The cookies are showing up a bit more now, they seem to be butter cookies, like the kinds that come in those big blue tins. Nomnomnom! Dry Down: Sadly, I get no tea from this, certainly not Earl Grey, which I'd been hoping for. On the other hand, having a light scent that makes me smell like butter cookies and also cream is NOT a problem in my universe. In All: very low throw- prepare to slather! A light, lovely scent good for blustery fall days and, yes, thinking ahead, I can see wearing this on Christmas morning as presents are being opened. Just a sweet, joyous scent. Love!

Oh. My. Goddess. started out by doing a timid test and about 30 minutes in went for a full slather because it just wasn't enough. Wet, I concur it's quite bold and rather cologne-y, though not in an unpleasant dude-bro-wearing-Axe kinda way. It quickly settles out of that phase upon dry-down and becomes this gorgeous beast that, in all my vast years of BPAL collecting, is frankly unlike any other scent I've ever experienced. It's deep and spicy without being especially resinous. Based on the notes I was expecting resins and a shot of heady patchouli but it's not any of those things. This is essentially one of those scents that makes one realize just how much of a genius Beth is when it comes to the sheer artistry of perfumery. The blend on this is exceptional, and I find it hard to pick out individual notes as it all just comes together in one fine piece of music. It truly lives up to its name, as this is some serious witchcraft in a bottle. I am grateful to hav had the fore site to purchase two bottles as I will want this on hand for the rest of my days. ❤️

A holiday season imp assault: cacao, blazing chili pepper, clove husk, bourbon vanilla, pistachio, and hazelnut. In The Bottle: I get the cacao right out of the gate, with a bite of the chili pepper coming in at the end. YUM! Wet On Skin: The clove and the vanilla are coming into play now, making this smell very much like spicy Mexican hot chocolate- a trend that I very much hope continues through to drying down! Dry Down: Yup, all spicy cacao, clllllll the time! This is precisely what I had hoped for! The cacao is very much the same nice, dry one found in my most beloved Cacao Pod, and is paired here with a lovely, rich deep array of spicy goodness. It's basically Cacao Pod plus Mexican hot chocolate spices, and I am FULLY onboard! ❤️

I. Love. This. Scent. I am of a certain age that I have childhood memories -fond childhood memories- of a certain fast-food restaurant having a special breakfast menu which included the most delicate cheese danish the world has ever known. It was light yet rich, sweet but not sugary. It was a perfect breakfast bakery confection. That is what Syrnyk smells like: a delicately light, baked good with some creamy sweet cheese nestled inside. I am part Ukranian, and that sweet cheese note is SO particular as well- I loved having it especially in blintzes when I was small. In short, this scent is a nostalgia-pack of delicious memory wrapped and placed into a small amber bottle. I suspect this will become very popular, indeed. ❤️

I knew this would need to be an insta-purchase and my hunch has paid off. I know some of y'all haven't had a chance yet to get some OG Snake Oil because of the on-going component nightmare, but this should soothe your ache until that can be corrected. I think the above-mentioned sweetened condensed milk analogy is on the money, for sure. I am one of those that doesn't actually like fresh SO- I am the old curmudgeonly crone that prefers the Snek to be aged, like, ten years. But even I can appreciate this straight from the mailbox, and yes, I WILL be buying a backup to age properly as well! In All: If you enjoy any of the creamy SO variants, like Cream Soda or Scream Inside Your Snake Oil, you will 100% want to bathe in this. ❤️

In The Bottle: SWEET MARZIPAN, BATMAN! For those familiar with Mystical Aphorisms, the almond in this scent, at least at this stage, is very reminiscent of that, so if you're a fan (and I AM), then it looks like good news lies ahead. 🤞 Wet On Skin: Oh wow. This was entirely unexpected. But before full dry-down even happens, the scent morphs dramatically, and the afore-mentioned marzipan-almond has pretty much left the next altogether. But try not to fret, because what's left is the cream petals and almond blossoms, and that is actually stunningly beautiful all on their own. Dry Down, the scent has stayed true. I'm totally baffled as to why the almonds disappeared so completely, especially since it was SUCH a powerful note initially, but that's okay. In All: VERY low throw- this will require a bit of slathering, even if your skin isn't thirsty. Delicate, spring-like, close-to-the-skin. This is a good choice for those normally averse to florals OR foodie scents, and those that have wanted a skin scent that isn't musk-based. It defies true categorization. I would expect this is going to be something a great many people will want to hoard, in the vein of The Girl. 😘

In The Bottle: Cardamom is definitely front and center, but softened around the edges by the dots and cream. Wet On Skin: The vanilla comes into the mix, but just slightly, adding a bit of depth to the light sweet-and-spice that was the initial impression. Upon Drydown, I'm starting to get touches of honey. The cardamom has mellowed considerable, making this less of a HAI CARDAMON scent and more of a light spice scent. In All: low and medium throw, so feel feel to load up if your skin eats oils. This is a nice, light daytime scent. Delicate, mildly gourmand without being overtly foodie. If you like delicately sweet scents, this will definitely be one for your collection.