VioletChaos

THE FAINTING COUCH Lush velvet cushions and prim tea rose, a splash of rose water on a lace doily, strong black tea, a whiff of pomander, and an orris root sachet. i can't seem to actually find anything for this item, which i got as a free sample goblin squirt from the Trading Post in a recent order- not a review thread, and not even a listing on the Trading Post site itself! so, if a thread already exists, my apologies. i also hope that i *can* purchase some of this item, because it's beautiful. in the bottle it smells very strongly of sweet, cloying florals. that all changes once it becomes airborne. it turns into a fine mist of rose. beautiful, red, red rose. it reminds me very much of the original release of Peacock Queen, actually. that same wonderful deep, real red, red rose. it's SO nice, so real- this isn't a rose perfume, it's like having a bouquet of 2 dozen fresh roses sitting near by in a gorgeous vase. will this soon be released? is it listed someplace else? either way, i really hope i can get my hands on a larger size of this- soon! :wub2:

Apple cardamom cake. In The Bottle: sweet, juicy apple cider and light spice. Wet On Skin: Same. It reminds me of mulled hot cider, actually. Dry Down: Same. I'd been hoping for the cake aspect to show itself, but alas, nothing. That said, the mulled cider vibe is yummy and it's good enough that I'll hold onto it no matter what, and hopefully with some aging that cake note will come out some!

A year or two ago -whever the last round of Chaos Theories happened - my CT luck held out and I received a *wonderful* Chaos Theory from the Lab that smelled like the BEST spiced banana smoothie of all time. I lamented at how frequently I really want bananas scents to smell like that - like fresh-cut real banana instead of banana taffy - and how infrequently that actually happens. Until now. Don't get me wrong- I LOVE candy-like banana scents. So it wasn't risk-taking for me to pick up a bottle of this. BUT it's also a really, really pleasant surprise that I now get to have TWO banana scents from the Lab that have this similar real-banana scent in them! As it warms and then dries, the complexities of the perfume really shine, spices emerge and for those that are fond of the Lab's baked goods type of scents, you will want to run - not walk - to snag you summa this. In All: A cozy banana-bread-warm-foodie confection that will keep you cozy through the long winter months that lay ahead. ❤️❤️❤️

In The Bottle: A nice light mix of blueberries and white tea. Lovely! Wet On Skin: More of the same, but I'm getting some of the sugar note in the mix, which makes it a bit more complex. Dry Down: Same as above, but warmed up a bit with the emergence of the lemon peel, oddly enough. In All: The scents that Lilith herself designs have often been of a particular kid-slant: extra fruity, or candy-like confections that are quite tempting (Kwame Cotton, I'm looking at you!) but with all the limitations and benefits that implies. This is a MUCH more sophisticated scent and shows that Lilith is growing more and more into the amazing adulthood that awaits her. In All: Light, delicate but well-grounded scent. Medium throw- use less than you think you'll need given the scent profile. I usually reserve these kinds of notes for summer-only wear, but there's something deeper about this scent that makes me want to wear it on a bright, icy cold winter's morning full of sunshine and remnants of snow crystals floating through the air. ❤️

In the bottle: I'm mostly getting the chypre: it reminds me a LOT of Guerlain's Shalimar, a scent I was *obsessed* with for a time. Someone upthread mentioned "sexy grandmas" and I think I see where they're going with that- Shalimar can read also as "old fashioned" I think *because* chypre doesn't get much play in modern perfumery. (I personally need to be in the right mood for it myself, but when that itch needs to be scratched? Accept no substitutes!) Wet On Skin: Much the same. At this wet stage, the chypre for sure rules the roost. Dry Down: Yes, my friends, this is DEAD sexy. I mostly got this for the cashmere amber, and at dry down, the scent does NOT disappoint. I have become a recent fan or the Lab's cashmere interpretation, it combines a coziness with a sexiness that can't be beat, and it's great here. The balance of that and a sliver of the orris keep the scent from trodding too much into "powdery" territory. Unfortunately, I get no patchouli in the mix, which makes me a bit sad, but I have enough of the essential oil lying around that I can plump it up if need be. In all: Low throw, surprisingly, given the richness of the notes, though a little goes a long way. If you're looking for an elegant daytime scent or a more relaxed date night scent, check this out.

[No additional description provided.] In The Bottle: Rich, sweet, dark bruised-purple fruit. Juicy but also somehow slightly foreboding. Wet On Skin: As it warms up, it remains true to actual fruit, as opposed to a "Fruity Perfume". But it's also gaining depth, moving away from fresh fruit and more toward a rich jam or fruit preserves. Dry Down: It doesn't read as pomegranate per se, but my original assessment of it smelling like dark bruised purple fruit is what I stand by. I usually wind up moving on from fruit scents, because they usually come across as too bright or cheery / child-like. But this is NOT doing that. This is an imminently wearable, subdued and rather goth fruit scent. And I LIKE IT!

Dusted with mineral-rich salts dredged from the foetid depths of the Nameless Sea! In The Bottle: Wow. Straight outta the bottle I'm indeed getting: cookies. caramel. sea salt. Wet On Skin: The same. It's like the 2012 Sugar Cookie plus salted caramel. Dry Down: In the dry down, a touch of the 'depths of the Nameless Sea' have emerged- usually aqua and water notes go all Mr Clean on me and it's a bad scene, but the foodie elements of this scent seem to be keeping it this side of just briny, which is going pretty well, actually. In All: Low to medium throw, I didn't put a ton on this time and I might continue to be cautious until I see how that briny note plays out over the course of an entire day. It seems to mellow pretty quickly, so there may be no issue. but if you tend to be on the fence with water notes, I'll proceed- but with caution.

White amber and sheer vanilla, orris butter, Italian bergamot, and narcissus. This sounded too intriguing to pass up but I have *no* idea what it'll smell like. Let's see, shall we? In The Bottle: I get the narcissus and the sheer vanilla in abundance as soon as I sniff. There's something about the narcissus that tugs at my heart, like it reminds me of an era I didn't get to live through but miss just the same. Wet On Skin: As the oil warms on my skin the orris butter starts to come out and balances the floral quite well. I like orris root, though it can be a bit overwhelmingly "dusty". Doing an orris butter for this eliminates the 'dust' aspect and helps round out the sweetness of the narcissus without overpowering it. Dry Down: I get just a peek of the vanilla at this point, joined by equally small -but present- roles by the amber and bergamot. Though I'd been hoping for more bergamot when I made my decision to get this scent, I think any more than a drop would be overkill, because it would clash with the orris too much. The fragrance is light with a low-medium throw. I don't think it's good for the remains of winter, because it's not strong enough to stand up to winter's ravages. But I look forward to favoring this once spring's first blush shows itself in the next month or two.

Gift with purchase of the forum-only Election 2008 scents. No description available. in the vial: clove, orange and hyper-masculine men's cologne. wet on skin: more of the same! dry down: *sniff sniff* ahhh! the cologne-y aspect has blissfully headed off into the sunset leaving the clove and a sweet herb (sage? pennyroyal? mugwort?) in it's wake. it's spicy, kinda sexy and, i anticipate, rather nice for layering with Tabella! in all: i will love this imp for all it's got.

Blackcurrant bud, crystallized rose, inky musk, and tonka bean. Thanks a million times to my special Labbie Angel for this, you know who you are! In The Bottle: There's a slightly metallic tang that I'm betting is the inky musk (based on India Ink's scent) that is the first thing I notice upon initial sniff. Right behind that is the blackcurrant, which adds a bit of sweetness, but not in a foodie way at all. at this stage, I get no tonka or rose. Wet On Skin: The blackcurrant is now the dominant note, but there *is* some warmth that I associate with tonk a, though in this mix, it's definitely on the subtle side. The musk is bringing up the rear, though the metallic edge appears to be gone, at least for now. I still get no rose. Dry Down: Wow. This is really shifted. There's a mustiness that I loosely associate with Crypt Queen, though if it's the rose, it STILL is not reading that way. It's more like it's adding a bit of mystery. Mostly, though, I'm getting musk. A dark sweet musk that, amazingly, is not turning to powder on me as other darker musks frequently do. In point of fact, I'd say that this scent is like a summertime cousin of Crypt Queen, in that it has a similar vibe, but is light enough to wear on all the warm days that lay ahead of us. In All: Medium throw- just be careful not to slather or they'll smell you a block away! Rich without being too dense, and I'd bet that this is yet another of those lovely Lab concoctions which only gets better with age. SO glad I have a bottle to call my own!

As torikitty mentioned, the vegetal aspect DOES somehow stick out more, and I'm not sure why. I get it *very* strongly in the bottle and slightly less strongly on my skin. Notoriously, I am one of those people for who, Snake Oil pretty much only works after its aged...well...an age. Typically a looooong age- 12 months or more. So while I'm not pleased that I'm not getting either my beloved aged Snake Oil nor my new favorite Please Scream Inside Your Heart, I'm also not exactly surprised. I bet by next summer I'll be smitten

If you love all (or probably even just two of the three) notes in this scent, you really owe it to yourself to get some while you can. It's the sweet return of the early 80's version of the Lemon Meringue Doll to me, which is a beautiful, billowy sweetness on a cloud of marshmallow. Alas, I get none of the Lab's amazing orange blossom note, but I'm delighted with what's on display. For those that love a good lemon-foodie scent, this is sheer heaven from start to finish. ❤️❤️❤️

In The Bottle: A mix of the vetiver and inky musk, with a touch of the cacao to smooth things over. Wet On Skin: The vetiver becomes a bit stronger now, definitely the lead note at this stage- something I hope continues because I *really* love vetiver. Dry Down: It's amazing. Part of what makes it amazing is that the combination of the opoponax, vetiver and musk combine to create something akin to leather. The reason that's amazing is 1. it's NOT leather, but something reminiscent and 2. I can't wear leather, because it always amps on my skin. This scent takes the best aspects of a leather note- its rich, earthy element- and mixes it with wisps of the cacao, queen of the night and tuberose, to create something that is deep, decadent and full of mystery. I anticipate this aging gorgeously, but right now, in its current state, it's perfect for the beginning transition from summer into autumn. ❤️

Caramelized white sandalwood, tonka bean, and cassis liqueur. In The Bottle: The caramelized sandalwood is the first thing- and it's quite a surprise! I expected there to be, well, a caramel note in here. But instead it's this gloriously smoky sandalwood, and I AM INTO IT. Wet On Skin: The sandalwood is still the dominant note, but there's something a bit...unsettling...under it. I can't put my finger on it, though. At least not yet. Because I'm well acquainted with tonic and it's not that. Perhaps it is the cassis, which I had to look up to find out is a liquor made from black currants! Dry Down: This is BEAUTIFUL. And also really original! The cassis settled down upon drying and the fragrance has become one of mystery and sweet sexiness. It's not quite a resin, and it's not quite wood, but it's lovely and has a dry sweetness and a sophistication that I suspect, as often happens with resin and wood components, that this will only get better with age. I *might* require a backup bottle

RUM-SOAKED FRENCH TONKA I love the hell out of tonka, but using the absolute in perfumery is not a particularly great idea: tonka beans possess a high concentration of coumarin, an anticoagulant that is toxic to both the liver and kidneys, and might be carcinogenic to boot. Not fun stuff! Our tonka accord is a sweet, warmly sensual fragrance redolent of a vaguely clove-touched deep, dark vanilla balsam that has been lightly sweetened with almond and rum. In The Bottle: Very, very light. A light, almost-vanilla resin. I'm surprised by how light this is in the bottle. I get no rum at this stage. Wet On Skin: This blooms nearly on contact into what I was hoping for: a beautiful, warm, inviting resin. Still no rum on me. Dry Down: This is just as gorgeous as I was praying for! Deep, resinous and sweet, without being at all foodie. In All: Medium throw, and, as is generally the Way of the Single Note, stays pretty true from start to finish. I amp Rum like crazy, but if any rum is showing up on me, it's only adding a backdrop to make this beautiful Tonka even more rounded and dead, dead sexy. Hoard! :wub:

[No additional description provided.] In the Bottle: YUMMMMMMM! Rich goat's milk and marshmallow and cocoa butter, oh my! Wet On Skin: More of the same, and I couldn't be happier. Dry Down: The cocoa butter warms up and comes forward a bit more but the goat's milk and marshmallow hold their own. the honey is a whisper and frankly, I'm glad, as honey does sometimes amp on my skin and drowns out other more subtle notes. In All: This is incredible. Like, I-probably-need-a-backup-bottle kind of incredible. This is a foodie's paradise. I am seriously in LOVE.

[No additional description provided.] In The Bottle: This one is sweet, rich, slightly creamy and just a hair spicy upon first sniff. The lavender is definitely present, but not at the forefront. Wet On Skin: Lavender sugar is most of what's happening here, I can't say I'm really getting the gingerbread much, but this isn't the same as the lavender sugar I experience with TKO, let's say. I think the gingerbread is softening the lavender somehow, though it's not exactly foodie, though it IS slightly sugary. Dry Down: That has, in fact, become a daytime-wearable version of TKO. I get no gingerbread (the inverse of Gingerbread, Coffebean and Smoked Vanilla- so perplexing!) just a lovely, soft sugary lavender. Very comforting, this is a scent easily work during the day and I anticipate reaching for it to mix with some similarly comforting scents, like the 2017 re-release of Antique Lace. Lovely! ❤️

Vetiver and orange blossom are both my number one jams right now, so it seemed like a total imperative to pick up a bottle of nothing that contained both, and I am simply *delighted* that I did. I, too, had the sensation of some unnameable aspect of childhood memory wash over me for just an instant when I first opened the bottle. Once it starts to warm up on my skin, the various notes pull apart ever so slightly, and the neroli comes to the fore, though not in a rambunctious way, which was a bit surprising, because I wondered how on earth such a light top note was going to compete otherwise with all these heavy hitter base notes. But neroli doesn't need to, because neroli just glides on gossamer wings, gently touching all who are close enough to notice. As the scent warms further and dries down, neroli continues to hold her own, but the other notes bring up the rear nicely. Those who fear patchouli's deep, dirty history or vetiver's smoke needn't worry about either- though very much present in the mix, these richer notes stay strongly in their supporting role, and none of the undernotes ever stray from their backing position. I expect this to age very well and look forward to wearing it in the meantime.

I no longer have the 2008 variety but I was able to see my review of it to jog my memory. I knew that I had liked that one enough that when I saw there was a new iteration for 2020 I was very interested in getting to check it out, and I'm really glad I did. As with the original, there's something distinctly effervescent about Mead Moon- she is legitimately a *sparkling mead*, not just some honey slopped in a jar. The spices, both in the bottle and as the scent warms and blooms on the skin, are extremely well blended- apart from the rich honey base, I can't pull apart any of the notes in this perfume. But what's important, what I remembered about the original, was that there was something distinctly High Summer about the fragrance- like playing in the hot sun and then lolling in a half-hidden barn, in big piles of sweet hay. The air is thick with the heat of the day, even in the dark of the interior, and the air is so dense and thick, yet there's something cozy and deeply nostalgic about it that it feels only welcoming. And so, I welcome Mead Moon back into my life, bringing a sweetness of the past into this chaotic present, to smooth the edges, if just a little bit. ❤️

After: George Du Maurier A chaotic, clanging scent – shadowy, sweet, and discordant: black licorice and teakwood. Full disclosure: I got this for my partner, who adores black licorice scents. But while I'm not the 'target audience' in this scenario, why not test it anyway? In The Bottle: All black licorice, all the time. It's not overpowering, though, which surprised me. Wet On Skin: The teak is mellowing the licorice a little- smoothing out the edges, as it were. The black licorice is becoming more 'earthy' as a result. For me, this is a blessing, as BL generally sells like NyQuil to me, and this, blissfully, does not. Dry Down: A rich, smooth, decidedly "masculine" scent, the teak balances the licorice and makes it rich, earthy and even a bit sexy. In All: Possibly a black licorice scent for those of us that despise the note! At the very least, I will enjoy smelling this on my beloved without fear

Ethically harvested. In The Bottle: A sweet balsa type wood scent, with just the slightest edge of forest pine. Wet On Skin: Wow. This is NOT the type of sandalwood I'm used to. The ones I've experienced all have a bit of a sharp edge. This immediately "melted" into my skin and became this soft, sensual wood that it round and sweet and...glorious. Dry Down: This. Is. Hoard-worthy. I got one bottle, because I knew one would be good to have around, but it's sultry and sexy and now that the hot summer has landed, this is certainly something for all the decadent nights that await over the next 4 months. In All: A skin scent but with medium throw, this spicy, sweet sandalwood is beautiful, sultry, intoxicating. Perfect for any seduction. LOVE.

Fifteen goddamn years. Were impossible to kill, and we have kept on fighting the good fight with a panoply of scents benefiting environmental, constitutional rights, and reproductive rights causes, including Lordy, Alternative Facts, Fake News, Nevertheless She Persisted, Theoi Nomioi, and Take A Knee. We released several single notes benefiting those affected by 2017s natural disasters, and introduced Spiced Rum Buttercream Coffee and Irish Coffee Buttercream, which benefit the National Center for Transgender Equality. To celebrate the premiere of Starzs American Gods TV series, we revamped and expanded Neil Gaimans American Gods perfume line with brand new scents, a range of nail lacquers, and brand new artwork by the inimitable Julie Dillon. In June of 2017, Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs Brian Constantine got hitched! The ceremony and reception were held at the Mountain View Mausoleum, and was the most beautiful wedding that I have ever seen. The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. An earthy scent, with deep, deep roots, bringing stability and security in tumultuous times: 15-year aged patchouli, bourbon vanilla, oakmoss, Himalayan cedar, tobacco leaf, birch tar, tonka bean, and leather accord. In The Bottle: I get the rich, chewy tobacco straight away, followed by the deep, earthy-dirty scent of the patchouli, with an edge of the tonic bringing up the rear, softening the other two and making the scent just slightly sweet. Wet On Skin: The tobacco is CRAZY strong. For those that are interested, this is very similar to the French Tobacco SN that came out about 5 years ago. at this stage, the tobacco is so overpowering that I'm not getting anything else. Dry Down: Upon dry down, the tobacco eases back somewhat, to my relief, and the earthy aspect of the patchouli comes back. There's even a slight smokiness that I attribute to the birch tar. Sadly, I'm not getting anything else right now, but I know that often scent with so many deep rooty notes need some time to age to become truly glorious, so I will tuck this one away and revisit in a month or two

In The Bottle: The very tart (and delicious!) grapefruit is way out front. The yuzu provides a touch of sweetness at the backend. No musk comes through at this stage. Wet On Skin: Much the same, which is fine by me! Dry Down: Whereas in the bottle the grapefruit is more pith-heavy, once it warms and opens fully on my skin, it becomes a bit more juicy, and fruit-focused. I get traces of the musk, more as a way to simply give the grapefruit depth, but the musk, like the yuzu, really only provide supporting roles for the grapefruit, which remains the main star of this show. MUCH later in the wear, a bit more musk rises to the occasion, but the grapefruit remains a focal point, even then. In All: I adore the Lab's citrus-heavy scents, whether they are confections like Kingdom Of Sweets, or fresh, tart masterpieces, like my dearly beloved Happy Baby In A Dress; which is why I picked up a full bottle of this untested and untried. Low throw and lovely on its own for upcoming hot days and nights, I see great potential for layering with this oil, either with sugar-heavy scents like the most recent 13 or Sugar Skull, or else to bring a bright tone to richer, denser woody scents like Tiki King! or even Tombstone.

Zenobia was Queen of the Palmyrene Empire. She assumed leadership of her nomadic tribe after her father’s death, eventually marrying King Septimius Odaenathus. Zenobia seemed a contradiction: chaste, dark-eyed, and lovely, but able to drink, fight, and make war like a man. She fought, on horseback, alongside her husband in many battles, and ruled the Empire with a fair and just hand after her husband’s passing. To her people, she was the Lady of Victory, conquering several Roman provinces, including Egypt, and expelling the prefect, Tenagino Probus, who was beheaded after he led an attempt to seize back control of the territory for Rome. Her conquests enabled her to control many vital trade routes, further earning her the ire of the Romans. Unfortunately, she eventually overextended her reach. She was betrayed, and then captured by Emperor Aurelian, displayed in chains in a triumphal procession through Rome, her Empire dissolved. Rather than capitulate to misfortune, she made a new life for herself, and became a Roman matron, philosopher, and socialite. Orris, clove, costus storax, patchouli, hyssop, frankincense, balsam, and saffron. in the bottle: mostly clove, with a touch of the balsam. wet on skin: still mostly clove, with the balsam a bit stronger and the introduction of the storax making for a heady brew so far. dry down: there's a note of sweetness that has cut through the heavy stuff, making it more complex and reminding me, strangely, of the orange/clove pommanders we used to make at christmastime when i was a little girl. but there's no orange here, so i'm going to assume its the saffron coming into play. it's lovely. in all: sweet, rich and commanding, a scent certainly fit for a warrior woman. i may have to wait until autumn to enjoy her fully, however! ETA: it's sometime later and i've given the Lady another sniff and am re-evaluating my thought that i'd have to wait until Fall to give her a real go. She's not as heavy as, say Mort de Cesar, and she's not as dense as Smiling Spider. i think she may actually be a summer-time Clove scent afterall!

Sun-warmed squashes, peppers, salad greens, snap peas, radishes, green onions, and silphium. In the imp: Very much a late-summer garden: warm, green, earthy without being overtly dirt-y. Reminds me strongly of our backyard gardens when I was a kid Wet On Skin: The green is really starting to take over at this point. It's more dense than, say, cucumber. and it's not foodie. It actually reminds me a lot of aloe vera. not the juice, but the straight up gel from the leaf. It's a strong intense smell, but not overwhelming. Dry Down: Totally green. I get no individual veggies from this, and nothing as sharp as onion or radish. It's just a dense green, like walking through a lush vegetation-laden area. not trees, just big green leaves everywhere. In All: Medium to High throw, pretty long lasting with little morph from wet to dry. For those that have been wanting another scent in the vein of Planting Moon, this is it. not sure I personally want to wear it as a perfume, but I really like it for it's own sake and would totally use it as an atmosphere and linen spray to be sure