VioletChaos

A frottle from the Lab- thanks, Goblins! ❤️ In The Bottle: Quite berry-forward because of the cranberry, and I think the lemongrass is doing that thing of lending kind of a "fruit loops" vibe to the state of affairs. Wet On Skin: As the scent warms up, it begins to open and shift, going from the above to something definitely more complex. I'm getting some combination of those deeper musks and the coconut husk and probably also that sandalwood in the mix for good measure. The berry and lemongrass is still in there, but now they're gently sweetening a much more grounded, deep scent. Dry Down: Wow. I really wasn't anticipating this would work out for me, based on some of the notes, and certainly on some of the reviews above. Perhaps it's literally just the fact that this scent has had well over a decade to age, or maybe I'm just lucky. Either way, I am incredibly excited about where this has landed. The wisteria lends the faintest powdery whiff, but this scent is mostly about those musks interplaying with each other and with the coconut husk and a bit of that sandalwood. It's soft and warm and cuddly but also verrrrrry sexy. In All: I'm delighted to have received this in mid-December because I gotta say, this scent seems like a *perfect* deep-winter accessory, both for a day snuggling up in a big sweater and a good book, or snuggling in the sheets with a friend

In The Bottle- A dark, gorgeous lavender cologne. Something that a devious gent might wear whilst walking through Whitechapel after a suspiciously close shave at the barber's. Wet On Skin: Much the same, but as it warms there's...something lurking underneath. I wish I could be more specific. It's something to do with the tar, I think, because it does register as thick and syrupy, but NOT the lavender itself. Dry Down: There's a vague aquatic hidden in the depths (no pun...) of the scent that reveals itself only in this final transformation. It's exceptionally salty, and I think THIS is both the "lurking" I sensed earlier in the process and also the thing that shadow-blackens the fougere. It's briny salt, and gentlemen's lavender cologne and a lavender resin. This is what it's boiled down to on me. In All: medium throw. I am cautiously optimistic ('cautious' because aquatics usually go horribly awry with my skin chemistry, alas) - there's enough that's absolutely in the GOOD category, that it's (at least for now?) balancing out the question of the murky brine. I will keep my bottle and see what happens in the aging!

SMITTEN. Smitten smitten smitten! If you take the rich, dusty, vanilla of ORIGINAL Antique Lace - not the 2017 reboot, we are talking OG, mid-Aughts- and you replaced the faded florals with a powdery violet, you get this gorgeous specimen right here. I know we like to talk a big game 'round these parts, things getting compared in such and such manner to Antique Lace- I know. I KNOW. But I'm telling you, if you are even a LITTLE perked up by my assessment, you NEED to try this. You will be deeply saddened and have only yourself to blame when I hoard all existing bottles and won't share Kidding aside, this perfume is a standout. Don't be fooled by the idea of "just" two listed notes. This is an absolute keeper. 💜 💜 💜💜 💜

This scent is...bizarre. I don't know WHAT I'm picking up on but this perfume gives me very similar unsettling vibes that I get from Laura, another scent that deals in the afterlife, though in a very different way. It morphed dramatically and continuously for about 20 minutes after application. I was getting random occurrences, like fresh cucumber (?!?) and other things that had nothing whatsoever to do with the listed notes. It reminded me, during this stage, of stuff that's not unpleasant, but that I don't necessarily want to smell like, like herbal shampoos from the 80's, for example. But every time I would be ready to write it off as a failed experiment, it would shift again- always dramatically- so that I kept questioning what was happening. When it did, finally settle down, it became another of the complex, stand-outs from this crop of Spirits. I still get none of the primary notes except maybe -MAYBE- a hint of orris. But even *that* is questionable, as it smells like no prior orris scent I've tried. But it keeps me coming back for more. As with other Evening With The Spirits fragrances, the scent has something intensely ephemeral and translucent about it: it's not heavy on the skin, it snaps clean when any type of categorization tries to get too close. It's otherworldly, though not in a "distant planet" way, but rather exactly as intended: the Other World to which we all must go, sooner or later, and what such a World- and its inhabitants- might smell like. Very low throw, delicate, vaguely floral but n a funerary capacity and also vaguely scented with death, not in an earthy way but rather how we encounter the freshly deceased when we pay final respects. I will DEFINITELY wear this the next time I visit departed loved ones. ❤️

I had NO inkling of what to expect from this scent, but it was too compelling to pass up! In The Bottle: I get hints of the aldehydes, the pith and a thin rind of that ambergris. But it's all incredibly ephemeral and fleeting somehow, which is ENTIRELY the point, so we're off to a great start! Wet On Skin: The mineralic musk really starts to show itself (I recognize the "mineralic" aspect specifically from the Mineralic Amber note in the Hair Gloss from earlier this year and paired with the musk is just as compelling! The metallic aspects are also showing up more at this stage than in the bottle. It can go either way, but so far I'm enjoying the inclusion. Dry Down: Another of the 2024 Yules that has surprisingly low throw. I had to test-apply twice just to get a decent scent sample! I'm not complaining, merely stating that it's been my experience that the winter-released scents tend to be dense and rich- stuff that can be smelled over heavy clothes. Then again, the Evening With The Spirits are all about a light ghostly touch, so maybe it's right on the money just the same! In All: Fabulous addition to the Spirit collection and the Yules more generally. I got this one because I was sad about the non-return of the Air and the Ether and while this scent is very different in composition, the essence of it is quite similar, and for that, I am grateful. ❤️

In The Bottle: Blueberry-pie-filling blueberries. Definitely not the fresh kind, but these are YUMMY for sure! Wet On Skin: hints of the limoncello start to emerge, as does little whisps of the buttery crepe. The pie filling is still present but much fainter at this stage. Drydown: I get little whiffs of powdered sugar- not directly listed as a note, but not a surprise that such a thing would be in the mix. The blueberry peeks out a little bit more than during the wet stage, but not the HEY Blueberry! that was happening in the bottle, either. In All: low throw, a surprising "skin scent", a term I generally reserve for light musks. In this case, it's by no means an over-the-top gourmand as the description might suggest. It's incredibly delicate- which in itself conveys the spirit of the scent, in my humble opinion. That said, you might just want to slather this confection, just for the yum of it!

This is EVERYTHING I hoped it would be. I had tested - and foolishly! - discarded last year's Lavender Rosemary Baguette, and spent the better part of this year lamenting my missed opportunity to get a bread-forward scent when I had the chance. So I was ecstatic when I saw another iteration of bread made it into this year's Lavender Kitchen! In the Bottle, it's all bread, all the time. Just fresh-baked yummy, drool-worthy, fresh-baked bread. When first applied and throughout the initial dry-down process the lavender in the blend LEAPS forward dramatically, to the point where I briefly worried that the scent would be HEY LAVENDER! (oh, hi, bread) but it didn't stay in that place for long. Upon full dry-down, the scent finds its real footing just as the description promises: a beautiful warm-fresh loaf into which lavender has been lovingly baked. Medium throw, and a perfect daytime winter scent. I am over the moon that I grabbed this so soon after the release: now the question is merely how many backup bottles to grab!

I got a bottle of this on a lark to travel along with my Griezzell Greedigutt bottles- I hadn't even tested it at NYCC when I had the opportunity but I suspected, based on notes alone, that this would be a keeper, and it sure is! In the bottle, the butter, sugar and cream are all up close and personal and the richness of the blend are practically mouth-watering. HOWEVER, that changed pretty quickly on application, so if you're not a fan of gourmand scents, do not just write this off- you want to skin test before making up your mind. After warming and through full dry-down, the scent morphed a few times in subtle ways until the end result was quite a bit different than where we started, and now I've got a lovely vanilla skin musk that reminds me more of the blossom and less the bean. There's quite a bit of warmth with this scent and I imagine I'll get alot of daytime wear out of this over the next 4 or 5 months of winter weather. This is the scent equivalent of curling up in a soft oversized sweater and reading a book on a snowy day. It's really one of those "comfort in a bottle" kinds of scents. Mid-throw, so dab sparingly until you know how it'll go with your personal chemistry. I anticipate wearing this also to bed, and likely layering this with any scent that feels like it needs more grounding or more sweet warmth. 💗

I had the chance to test this at NYCC last month so I knew going in that I'd need two bottles! In the bottle, there's the rich, loamy scent that I associate with both Graveyard Dirt and also Penny Dreadful. But there's also something with a bit of spice to it, which I think is the combination of the oakmoss and the tonka, which can smell vaguely vanilla-foodie. As it warms and dries, the tonka steps back as more of a supporting player and the freshness of the lichen steps forward in its place. It's not overpowering- earth/dirt/soil fans, rejoice, the scent remains quite earthy-forward, so if that's your jam (as it is mine) then this is definitely for you. I will say, though, this is not the pure dirt experience of Graveyard Dirt, which is, of course, a single note. If you require your earthy scents be tempered with something else, this achieves that same balance as Penny Dreadful- the earth is an unmistakeable star, but there's definitely more going on. In the full dry down, the scent gains a further complexity, and I'm picking up on a slight hint of a dark floral that reminds me, just a little, of Laura, from American Gods. Perhaps there's just the *slightest* edge of something reminiscent of the formaldehyde note, but it's not intense or off-kilter in this blend. I've NO idea what I might be picking up on, but it just makes me like this scent all the more (maybe it's the bog aspect?!) Anyway, the scent has a low throw as earthy scents tend to, and I both like it as it is, and can also see myself layering this with either Graveyard dirt to amp up that aspect or maybe with a violet-forward scent, like Serpent Qui Dance or Random Brothel, to lend another layer of sweet/freshness to the mix. DEFINTELY as good as I recalled!

The throw is surprisingly low given the profile. Still, I always personally recommend starting with a drop- you can always go up from there if you want it to be stronger, but if you amp it, it's hard to come back from that in the initial application The lasting power for me is several hours. But it depends on 1. how much I've applied 2. if my activities make me sweat and 3. how dry my skin is on a given day. If I had to round it out, I'd estimate about 4 hours, give or take.

I got this as a frottle (Thanks, sweet Lab Goblins!) and I'm really glad I did! In the bottle I get a delicate blend of incense, ti and a touch of gardenia. Wet on skin and heading into dry down, the scent shifts with the *cumin* of all notes keeping it from being too light or cloying or sweet. The scent pretty much stays there from here on out, which is a delightful surprise to me- I normally can't wear any cedar scents as they go full Pencil Shaving / Hamster Cage on me, but the note is barely present. In fact, all those earthy, root-y notes, and not one of them seems to be coming out to play, making this fragrance a light, delicate study in green tea and white florals. Normally I don't head in that direction, but this blend is really pretty- something I might wear with a white gossamer gown billowing around me as I walked the moors thinking of a lost love...or maybe just curling up to watch a few episodes of Dark Shadows In all, a sweet, light floral concoction with a medium to strong throw. Definitely test sparingly until you know how it will behave. A surprising addition to my collection

In the bottle, the sugar, the juicy pear and the vanilla silk are all coming on strong. This Carmilla scent, like the other one I picked up, proves to be a real chameleon when actually applied. That's not in a bad way. But for me, with my skin chemistry, everything that was present at first sniff then completely evaporates after full dry-down. What remains is like a sexy cousin of Obatala, minus the water note and replace the shea butter with orris butter. The melange reminds me of a scent I was gifted about 20 years ago from a stranger who passed me on the street smelling amazing and when I asked him what he was wearing, he took a bottle from his pocket and tossed it to me and walked away. That scent became known as the Magic Musk and now I feel like it's just come back into my life through mysterious back-door means. If I had any complaint -and it's a small one- it's that I had been hoping for a showing of those violets, which, probably unsurprisingly, are my favorite floral scent. However, this scent is a sexy, musky masterpiece just the same. ❤️

Exactly as advertised! Seriously, though, in the bottle the chocolate is dark, thick, rich. It's the kind of chocolate where the cream hardly even makes an indent, no blood to speak of even. All things obliterated by the chocolatey chocolate! Once on the skin, it all starts to morph and almost reverse course, with the blood becoming the dominant note and the chocolate receding. At full dry down, the scent has become a spicy confection of blood with the chocolate acting as a delicate, sugary foil for it. The cream has left the building entirely, but this duo is a heady brew on its own. In all, a lighter throw than you might expect given the notes. I'd call this a sexy daytime scent or a playful something to wear on a casual first or weeknight date. Given the notes involved, I'm really hoping to see a change in a few months' time that will allow it to deepen and get a little more complex. As it now stands, it's perfectly lovely, and light enough that I'd be interested in playing around with layering, maybe with something like Graveyard Dirt, to make an "alternate universe" version of Penny Dreadful!

2024 version. I essentially got this as a backup bottle- I'm running dangerously low on previous iterations. So I was really just hoping for more of the same- and I've gotten it! It's possible this scent will calm down in the coming months or years, but certainly right now this version is somehow even MORE dirt-like and earthy! It really is like opening a big ol' bag of soil. Or laying in a graveyard. (Yes, I've done both of these things). If you love earth-forward scents like Penny Dreadful but have been hesitant to go full Dirt, I invite you to try. It's a scent that I think is gorgeous almost year round (high summer excluded) and as a single note, it really IS versatile, in terms of how you can use it to layer with other scents (I invite you to apply with a super-sweet foodie scent for instance and watch the show!) I only picked up one bottle but now that I've tested it, I'm definitely getting additional backups for sure!

Full disclosure: the autumn leaf notes tend to HATE me. Like, with a fiery, cologne-y passion that breaks my heart every year at this time when folks get to slather on the Dead Leaf scents. But I figured I'd take a chance with this one because literally every other note in this blend is something I adore (and works on me), so I'm hoping for a Hail Mary. Let's see how it goes, shall we? In the bottle, I get the corn husk immediately which combines with the hay note in the best possible way. The leaves are peeping in the background, which always smell fine in the bottle, I hope it translates to my skin without issue! 🤞 Wet on skin and through to dry-down, I get wisps of the hay, the oak, the corn husk and the leaves. I was hoping for more vetiver, which is a note I adore, but I am pleased as punch to have found a maple leaf scent that I can ACTUALLY wear!!! I suspect that the other notes, with their dry-earthy qualities were enough to do a course-correct with my skin chemistry. So if you, too, are a person that's been sad about a lack of Dead Leaves in your life, definitely give the Autumn Folk a try! I'd say this is a low-to-medium throw, so test cautiously until you know how your personal chemistry will respond. I can't wait to see how this ages! ❤️