Indigo78

Cottonflower is the most prominent note in this when I sniff the bottle. White Phoenix is light, airy and ethereal while wet on the skin. Lavander (an occasional problem-note for me) is apparent only when I huff my skin. At arm's length, this just wispy and sexy, with Sandalwood dancing about on tippy-toes (for once - normally it stomps on my skin). The blends is so well blended, and distinguishing the notes is a challenge. Somehow it manages to be girly, sexy, mature and grounded all at once. Dizzying? Yeah. The Lotus is sweet and very un-bubblegummy, which makes me happy as well. This is what I'd call a work/school/close-quarters type of scent, in that it is unique enough to be signature yet still probably "acceptable" to untrained noses. Even though it is a little "laundry" at times, this one's a keeper. I'm glad to have found a bottle.

Just...no. I ordered Imp unsniffed because I thought the combination of notes sounded phenomenal. Peach and Patch together? Fruit and patchouli have been hits with me so far, so I thought this would be, too. I open the bottle and get sta-RONG, undenaible, poorly masked B.O.. From the very beginning. On the skin this only intensifies, and I have to wash it off. Repeated this expeiment twice, two weeks apart, and got identical results. The peaches are there, and sweet at that - but what is this armpity-ness? Bitter Moon did the same thing...it reminds me a lot of that tearful experience. Well, can't win 'em all.. Fare thee well, Imp. You're off to a more loving home, hopefully one with a kinder skin/nose chemistry.

In the imp this is sweet and green. First applied, the tobacco and leather shyly peer from beneath the sweetness, but don't really come to the front at all on my skin. I'm almost sure that I opened this imp some time ago, and that I got much more tobacco than I am tonight. Perhaps I'm lusting for Ogun. Twenty minutes later this gets sweeter, and I think that's a citrus creeping to the surface - though whether it's lime, lemon or orange, I can't say. It's so soft. If the tobacco and leather came out more with this, I'd be in love... Alas, my skin is drinking the scent and spewing forth a nondescript citrus note. Very short wearlength, minimal sillage.

In the bottle this is very stemmy, green and cool. I detect the leather note, but it just doesn't evoke leather in the usual, sexual way. My skin amps any sweetness to be had, but this scent is drier than Extra Brut Champagne. It dries down to a dusty, crumbling leather satchel in a heap of leafy ferns. This scent is serious...sort of alone, but definitely not "lonely". I wouldn't expect aged leather and lush greens to work, but this is beautiful. This isn't my favorite leather blend so far, but it's perfect for those wanting to deviate from the spicier leather scents.

At once sweet and somber, this one. In the bottle and for the first fleeting moments on the skin, the spices leap to the forefront and illicit my usual "uh oh" response with their warmth and borderline foodiness. Thankfully, the other notes catch up quickly. This melts into a smoky mixture of honey and sweet wine, with hints of fig that ebb and wane. Researching Kyphi, I noticed benzoin as a note. It has played a role in several of my favorites so far. Another favorite, Juniper, is involved as well... The latter, along with the exquisitely blended wine & honey make this an instant winner. Philosopher is definitely a backup-bottle-worthy (BBW?) blend from the Lab. The throw is fantastic, but the wearlength is on the short side. Muy slatherable, though, so I don't mind

Straight from the bottle, I don't get the pickle note described by others. This one is kind of sourish in a familiar way, but not really pickle-y. More like vinegarette or something. The bottle scent is well, gross...but fortnately it completely morphs on the skin. At first it amps a high, acidic, almost salty musk that isn't the sexiest thing in the world. After ten minutes or so, it settles into a sweet, cozy, clean vanilla that makes me think of newborn kitties : :. The Vanilla note is the same one as Black Opal, I think, with the Sweetgrass and Suede notes as smooth undercurrents on my skin. This is really clingy with minimal throw. Even though I usually like stronger blends, Ivanushka is a definite exception. Really pretty.

The imp I got is about half full of syrupy, brownish-red, resinous-looking liquid that resembles old blood. In the imp it isn't bad at all, really. I always think Vetivert (clean Vetivert, that is) smells a lot like fresh paper currency. With Patchouli fistfighting it for the #1 slot in this blend, I am confused about how it will smell on. I wasn't prepared for the cedary blast of horror that appeared about two mintes after applying. I was equally unprepared for the clingyness. I re-showered when I realized no more (posetive) morphing was going to happen, and whispers of it are still catching me off guard. This is a room scent possibility (for that room you don't want people in, maybe?), but its absurdly, completely, and utterly not cool on my skin.

In the imp this one is tart and very nearly citrus, I think of a nice mixed drink. The Pear doesn't make an appearance until it sits on my skin for a few minutes, and when it does this really reminds me of a Victoria's Secret - near the fragrance section. Sticky sweet Pear & Sweet Pea are the main notes I can smell during the initial stages. After 30 minutes or so, I can definitely detect the florals, but they aren't even close to being as sweet as the fruits. This is one of the sweetest blends I have tried so far. Not sure if its a keeper, though, because I have quite a few fruit blends I love already...but for those who might be just easing away from commercial perfumes, Titania's a great introduction to the Lab's creations.

This imp caught my eye several times over the last month or so, and I even took it with me on vacation hoping that I'd "get around to it". I had sniffed the vial a number of times, and always caught the Mango first - never any sign of spices. I didn't read the notes list before applying/reviewing, so I really did not know what to expect. Wet, it is lush, vibrant Mango. A few seconds later the warmth of my skin lifts the Cassia stright up to front and center. It is still very sweet with a hint of tartness, but the spice is doing its best to derail those notes. (I should really clarify that I have an aversion to Cinnamon and its cousins as skin scents - so you may want to take this review with a behemoth grain of salt).The drydown is vaugely smoky and potpourri-ish at first. There's faint waxyness, and I don't know if that is because I usually associate cinnamony scents with "room scents", or what. The Pepper and Lemon Rind enter the picture here, and it really does seem as though Cassia might settle down. Alas, she seems aware of my dislike and continues to steal the stage halfheartedly until the blend all but disappears. In spite of all the Cassia drama, I am undecided about this one. Part of me enjoys waiting through the various stages - liek I said, it never smells unpleasant. I just don't know about this one as an everyday scent.

Yay for Lab frimps! This one has been patiently waiting for me to exit floral and hyper-berry mode. I'm finally here. In the imp this is bright, tart Mango, which no other fruit can compete with IMO. Perfect replica. On the skin it is more of the same initially, but after a minute or so the Fig comes out strong. It never overpowers the Mango, and they go together really well. Patchouli is the last to make its appearance, but it never does more than ground the blend. No sign of *dirty patchouli*, *head shops*, or any of the other accusations commonly hurled at Patchouli notes. Bottle-worthy and beautiful.

I had this as a bottle at first, which I swapped away without reviewing a couple of months ago. I just discovered an imp in my collection, and want to give it the review it deserves. In the imp: Deluge of peachy-floral sweetness with undertones of lily. Green ones. In fact, it has this blrgh-detergent-get-me-outta-the-cleaning-products-aisle horrificness when I first apply it, and if it weren't for a shy whidper of that creamy-floral quality I've grown to love in other Lab creations, I'd be a'scrubbin this one off. Then it "sets". After 5 minutes of burnoff time, all is well. The peach turns realistically tart and juicy, and the florals are an afterthought that neatly balance and ground this in an unexpected way. My only qualm here is the wear length: An hour and that's it. Show's over. Despite the hyper dry down, I really do like The Temptation. The imagery of its namesake is gorgeous, and Beth's execution of it is striking. *Edited to revise my early impressions. My nose knows more than it used to.

From the imp it smells very sharp and woodsy, with the faintest breath of a citrus note. On the skin...Pickles? Balsamic pickle relish. Cedar, why do you break my heart? Cruelly, my chemistry takes Cedar and decides to do some alchemy of its own, leaving me unable to think of anything but gerbil cages and/or pickle relish. You can't win every time, and the pickley cedar/sweet Verbena combo this does on my skin = swift swappage.

DISCIPLINARY action?!?! Want me to come DISCIPLINE these jackasses? WTF! soudns like you should have been wearing Clemence

In the bottle this is sweet, subtle, and perfectly floral. Sadly, this is one the few cases where the in-bottle scent bears no similarity to the on-skin scent. I know that the apple and grape are supposed to be in here, but on my skin this blasts soggy laundry before you put in in the dryer or hang it out to dry. The comparisons with Delerium make sense, because that one behaved the same way on me. Swaps.

You know, this theory is testable: I'll put my long neck out in the name of science first thing Monday: I have sample vials of Tocca, which I'll pull that one out during the daily casual conversation. I'll continue by announcing that I've "given up on oils...they're just too strong...". If my hypothesis is correct, I predict that responses to any/all scents that I wear (except, yeah...maybe Urd) will be wildly different. I will, of course, wear Madonna, Antique Lace, or something similarly tame when I make this "announcement". Sneaky, sneaky.. But I wanna see! Stay tuned.. (can you spot the research fellow? )

In the bottle this is Sugar Cane and nothing but. Once it's on my skin, the first note to pop out is Mahogany, agressive and kind of...damp?. Hrmm. I amp this note as well as the teak, although for a brief second I can smell the gorgeous symphony of berries just beneath...((dammit))... I wish the berries were stonger, the woods a little less. Glad a got to try it, but this Moon's not for me.

In the bottle, Black Lily falls into line with the other Lily blends: Herbal and slightly sweet. Tiger Lily was one of my first BPAL's and I guess I developed certain expectations of what Lily should be based on her. Wet on the skin the Lilies are bursting and lush, but not green. There is pratically no "stemminess" to the blend. In fact, as it dries down there is a sweetness that calls Snake Oil to mind. Cloves & Honey? Not sure, but the "black" in Black Lily is making itself apparent that way, at least on me. This a "clean-sweet" blend I will reach for often. ETA: Short wearlength average throw - a true fleeting beauty.

Antique Lace is a pristine, arid Vanilla on me. There is no suggestion that this Vanilla is associated with any sort of baked goods, heady spices, or anything other than perhaps *clean* (which would be the whisper of florals that never rise enough to even identify). I will always have a bottle of this There is no change from application to drydown, except that it becomes gradually more crisp before it crescendos, and then fades into a crystalline skin scent. This is probably a popular enabling tool. Gorgeous. Average wearlength and great throw.

After my last post, I went to Dark Delicacies and ordered C. Auguste Dupin. ZOMG Leatherus Maximus! Of course, the SO swiped it...which is alright (I suppose ), because it is slightly too "masculine" for me. I also got a decant of A Bachelor's Dog by surprise: a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

Taken by the comparisons to Bloody Mary, I decided to give this a go in swaps. I have been familiarizing myself with the different things Dragons Blood can do on my skin...sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Wet in the bottle this is powerful DB with something medicinal dancing in the back. I think it's the Myrrh, as I have identified that one as a soapy perpetrator to my nose. I am not familiar with Jonquil, but a quick search tells me that it's Narcissus or what we sometimes call Buttercups. Wet on my skin the cherries really scream and compete for the top spot with Dragon's Blood. No sign of Buttercups or Neroli's usual citrusy presence. The drydown gives way to a thick, heady wine scent that I can't decide on...No florals really, just a massively incensey cherry-fest. In spite of all of this, I *think* I smell Blood at the heart of this blend. It is powerful, erotic and what I would classify as a sex-scent. My hormones are doing the weirdo boogie right now, and I'll probably amend this review slightly once I figure out if this is "like" or "love". ALSO, note to self: this is not a "slathering" scent! Very strong throw and wearlength. Used sparingly it is smoldering...more than a dab is antagonistic, both to my own nose and that of anyone in a ten-foot radius.

Hehe unfortunately, yeah..I am...it's a gradute studies program, but still - we're all adults, right? I should add that I didn't even consider not mentioning that it was an oil. I should also mention that the girl with the "toilet cleaner" remark is fiercely competitive with me and rather insecure. I know it isn't *just* the scents. Her response would have been identical no matter what the scent was, I'd wager.

You know, I finally just asked. The beginning of the summer break was nice, because I could wear almost *anything* without worrying about encroaching on others' scent preferences. Then the routine started back up a few weeks ago, and I wondered how my newly discovered scent-obsession would go over in a professional environment. There are only three of us, so we've gotten to know each other somewhat well. One day I steered the convo toward perfume with one of the women, then pulled out Urd and something else. I had always received compliments on it before this, mind you....she goes "Ugh...so that's it! It smells like...like something I would use to clean my toilet!" She said it with a certain laugh...but still. Though I appreciated her honesty, I was crestfallen I'd been wearing it in rotation with a couple of others for awhile, and felt pretty embarrased. My supervisor even smelled it, and without a blink said "Yeah...that's a no-go'. Similar reaction to Black Opal. I know we aren't supposed to care what others say, blablabla, and that scent should be for yourself. Unfortunately it is kind of a difficult philosophy to live by when you are in closed quarters and no one really has a choice in smelling you. I mean...I would rather know what people who have to be around me do/do not like than become known as *that stinky girl*! So I say just ask - the truth will set you free

I bought a bottle of this unsniffed for a reason I cannot for the life of me remember. Sometimes blind purchases are just that good! I remember recieving this order - Kubla Kahn sat amongst other bottles I had placed at a higher priority: I opened the bottle, sniffed, thought "great, spicefest", and dismissively put it away in my box for another time (which I half-believed would never come). When I opened it up again tonight I still smelled the spice, which rendered a similar "meh" reaction. I decided to give it a go anyway 'cause...well, you never know. Wet on my skin the spices amp uncontrollably (pretty typical for me, hence the tense relationship with most spicy blends). As it dries down, however, I get an increasingly incensey feel from it. The spices never quite overpower the other notes, and the result is a very near-perfect, vanilla-y goodness that rocks my world. The opium doesn't sharpen at all, and although I thought I smelled Cinnamon in the bottle and at the wet stage, there is none of that obnoxious, familiar stinging I get from most spicy blends. The Dark Vanilla is sweet and eroticized by the Tobacco and Leather. To summarize, all of the "type A's" that usually silence other notes in a blend (and yes, Sandalwood, I glanced in your general direction) are under control in this blend. ***Update 12/24/08*** My overall impression of this has changed a little. The tobacco has aged into something lovely, so that this still goes on a little sweet, but dries down into scent that makes me think of an executive's office. Occasionally I catch a whiff of something like aftershave, which is the only thing stopping me from getting another bottle to age.

Ozone, eucalyptus and mint with purple orchid, passionflower, white ginger, and purple lotus. In the imp: Medicinal purple metal, sweet with Passionflower. Eucalyptus is a trouble note for me, so of course that note really dominates on me at first. I think of Pain - both Pain and the Coil share a sugary doctor's office quality, and I get this visual of a lovely nurse with a syringe full of something sinister. After the Eucalyptus settles down (5 minutes or so on me), The Coil becomes much softer - eventually losing most of that linament quality. Definitely a surprising blend - I could see the cleanness of it working well for muggy, hot days. The tropical notes round it out; after the brief Menthol stage it's a bright, somewhat beachy scent I could see wearing again.

Marcilla is Lilac personified as soon as it hits my skin...Loving it completely and without reserve. I agree with the "blue" comments - Marcilla is fresh, vivid, bright azure. The Lilies are soft - understated. I also get the Honey dripping right off its comb, but in the later stages of the drydown. This has great throw, but doesn't last terribly long on me. My skin just slurrrrps it. 5ml, asap