VioletChaos

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!!!

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!

I GOT ONE OF THE LITTLE KING BABIES!!! Thanks, Lab!

On to the scent!

 

In The Bottle: Oh, my heart. This is like opening a bottle of New Orleans (the actual place, not the perfume ) It's a sweet, sweet sugary sweet confection and I *love* it. It's like beignets load with powdered sugar and roasting pralines and walking through the Quarter. *Swooooon*

Wet On Skin: As it warms, it only gets better. The cream cheese frosting is coming into its own now, making me very much want to lick my own hand (don't do it! resist the urge!!!). Sugar notes can sometimes amp on me (Sugar Skull, I'm looking at you!) but this scent, despite three kinds of sugar, is staying well-behaved.

 

Dry Down: As the scent settles in, it actually becomes more quiet and warm. The almond comes out a little and the brioche itself finally shows up, making the scent warm, sweet and foody, but less cake-y than originally anticipated. This is a joyous scent of celebration of the present moment with an eye toward a warm and satisfying spring.

 

Just wonderful!

This was the scent I was hands-down most excited about, so I have very high hopes indeed!

 

In The Bottle: I get the clean, crisp, almost-lemony scent of the Lab's sugar note right out of the gate. This is the same sugar that was in Sugar Moon from...2008, I think? It still stands out, because I like the almost-citrus aspect of the note, which is a delightful surprise. There's also a touch of the honeycomb bringing up the rear. Not a heavy honey like "O", this is lighter- certainly more "comb" than not.

 

Wet On Skin: THERE'S the vanilla cream! Hello there! The Snake Oil is emerging as well, making this scent a true delight.

Dry Down: I am *smitten*. I had frankly been hoping for something similar to my beloved Kwamie Cotton, and here it is! If you missed out on Kwamie or adore its sweet comfort, this is for you. An, knowing how well SO ages, I am certain this is going to go from "smitten" to "passionate love affair"- it's merely a matter of time.

 

Hoard-worthy!!!

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.

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

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!

In The Bottle: the tobacco dominates. It's the same tobacco note from Red Lantern, which I believe is the chewy "French" tobacco variety.

 

Wet On Skin: As it starts to warm on my skin, I'm getting the labdanum, which is lovely and a primary motivator in picking up this scent. The incense element reads as sage smoke to me right now, but that might change with drying.

Dry Down: Unfortunately, as sometimes happens with my skin chemistry, the tobacco seems to be all but obliterating any other notes. Tobacco can age well and mellow, so I'll hold onto this bottle for at least a little while, but I was really hoping that the vanilla and benzoin would have a presence in this.

 

In All: really high throw- a tiny bit goes a loooong way, so definitely apply with caution until you know how it'll go on your skin. A must-have for those that adore tobacco notes.

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.

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.

In The Bottle: So, this is my second Fortuna review and what this, so far, has in common with Balnearis, is that, like the original Antique Lace and a few precious others, upon first sniff, I am instantly transported into a realm of exquisite ache for a time long gone. Call it nostalgia or reverie, but it's palpable, visceral and I want to hold onto it for as long as possible.

 

This scent, in the bottle, is difficult to pinpoint, in terms of individual notes. Generally I can at least pick out one or two from a chorus. Instead, I am flooded with memory, of being a teenager in my boyfriend's bedroom, his parents blissfully unaware that we did not, in fact, sleep in separate rooms as we'd promised to. It's my Skin Musk and sweet, barely audible traces of his Polo cologne, and the flower corsage he gave to me at his school dance the night before, and traces of my rich Nature's Gate conditioner left in my hair and none of those things. It's heady and hopeful and slightly angsty.

Wet On Skin: Now that it's had a chance to warm on my skin, the initial squeeze of my heart has relaxed and I can discern some actual notes!
The rich tartness of the blood orange is there, less "orange-y" than its Mandarin or Sweet Orange counterparts, Blood Orange reads more adult. Definitely not sugary. The champaca is here, but thankfully not in the heavy-handed way champa notes tend to amp on my skin, making me smell like Super Hit incense (love that incense. don't want to smell like it all the time.) The clove and vanilla definitely bring this scent into a balance, so that it's rich, again, without being heavy. Imagine decadent floor-length velvet curtains in a drawing room- that have just been opened to allow bright sunlight to flood in. That's the balance here, between heavy and light. And there *is* a "bubbly" aspect as described in the original description (one of those "How does Beth DO that?!?" moment for sure) that helps to buoy the heavier notes of the scent.

Dry Down: This is indeed an appropriate homage to joy and merriment, but an adult rendering for sure. More Bacchus, not, say the Easter Bunny. It's rich and it's a little sweet and it's joyous, like a dessert port. I'm going to Morocco next month and I suspect this will be a bottle to pack in my suitcase for the duration

In The Bottle: Neroli lightly dribbled over a sweet but delicate honey base. This is not the heavy honey -at least in the bottle- of "O". This is more like a honey *dust*. Fragrant but extremely delicate. I also get a tiny edge of the green sap, I recognize it from Strawberry Moon '09. It's a lovely addition here to bring balance to the sweet elements.

 

Wet On Skin: The mandarin is starting to come into play at this stage, as the oil wars on my skin. I'm glad- King Mandarin is a note I really adore and part the reason I wanted to get a bottle of this scent. The vanilla husk remains invisible right now, but the other notes are playing to preciously together, I can't say I miss it.

 

Dry Down: WHAT a lovely springtime scent! Neroli, sweet mandarin, light honey- there is no bad here. A good floral for those that shy away from florals, a good foodie for those that don't like heavy gourmand. This scent has low throw, a sweetly nostalgic feel and makes me ache for the return of spring.

 

Beautiful beautiful beautiful.

In The Bottle: I get the honey cake instantly, with the almonds adding their magic, but subtly, and the buttercream appearing as an afterthought, like I smell it as my nose comes away from the bottle.

Wet On Skin: The honey mellows into a kind of honey dust- far more subtle than the honey in, say, "O". it has a presence, but doesn't overwhelm the blend. The alone becomes more of an almond *meal*, also subtle, and adding what reads almost as a coconut note- perhaps because it's caramelized?

Dry Down: I. Want. To. Eat. This.
The honey and almond finish merging into one gloriously subtle-sweet-skin scent. It's yummy, but sits very close to the skin, the throw is extremely low on this scent. The buttercream is a whisper behind the scenes, adding some depth, interestingly, to the proceedings.

 

In All: a beautiful, delicate foodie scent that will no doubt age well, thanks to the honey in the mix.

 

LOVE!!!

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!

Oh. My. Goddess.

 

I knew, from description alone, that this was a must-have. Even though I don't use glosses that often, even though I literally have ten other bottles already languishing. I knew. I *KNEW*.

 

And I was RIGHT!

 

There is the light and sweet hay note from Surreal Crawdad, which I was hoping for, and yes, the honey is in there, sweetening the pot a bit more. But that chestnut milk. That's the money shot right there. If there was a scent, a single note, of ONLY chestnut milk, I'd be forced to buy multiple bottles. This note is so gloriously creamy, so beautifully...earthy? at the same time- it's just...glorious.

 

Let me put it this way- chances are excellent that I will be using this on my skin, whether or not my hair is in need of a spritz!

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!

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: 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!

In the Bottle: the dusty rose of the oudh and the sweet-spice of the saffron come through quite strongly!

Wet On Skin: The rose gains in intensity, but I get a faint dust from the orris root in the background.

 

Dry Down: A lush dried rose incense.

 

I don't do many florals, but this is pretty compelling. And the oudh has given it a lovely incense quality that just might win me over

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.