velvet

there is a project I need to edit that has been on the back burner for a few weeks. I tried Hand of Hermes to try to jump start my process but after a couple hours things were not going well. Upon application, the scent was kind of buttery. There is an herby, medicinal quality that most tals have but this one reminds me of a kind of butterscotch, as others have mentioned. As the oil dries, there is a kind of cooling effect on my skin. on top of that, I was having a lot of issues with concentration and noise from neighbors in my apartment building (and outside helicopters) but as soon as I put it on all the annoying noises stopped. Will report back soon. Okay so, I've gotten exactly none of my editing done, but I quiet literally busted up the noise going on by contacting my building manager and getting that settled. nearly four hours in and it's finally quiet and I'm too tired to get things done. I would say it worked, just not in the way I intended. I will try it again for effect. As far as the scent goes: it still lingers as a kind of sweet creamy smell. It is very pleasant and not overly foodie

I'm having a lot of motivation issues with editing because, well, the world. There is a project that I've been meaning to edit for six or seven weeks and several people are waiting on me. I am hopeful this can help me stay on task as I work on the project. I applied the oil to the top of my wrists rather than the bottom since I will be using my laptop today. The scent started off as others have said: licorice red hots! in a good way. shortly after the wet stage it backs down to a subtle herb and slight cinnamon. Going to try to work and see how it goes. Will report back. Ok, it's been a couple hours and it's not quite dong the trick. adding blockbuster to the mix because I need to get some stuff done.

In the wet stage: this smells like kabuki without the cherry note. as it's drying: the candy-anise scent starts to fade into a soft citrus candy. It reminds me of an English candy shop dry: it's almost disappeared from my skin. just occasional hints of absinthe.

I tried my decant when I initially got it a couple of years ago and had to wash it off immediately. The black leather scent was so strong it made me feel nauseous. Having steered clear of leather scents since then, I recently tried another decant that I've had for a while with a leather note and it went better this time. Because the scent was so strong on me last time, I applied the tiniest amount on my left wrist. It started off as extremely sweet. I had to get close to smell the leather, but it is there, much mellowed. The most obvious note is tobacco, which is sweetened by the patchouli. Okay, now the note that I remember, the leather scented car air freshener is poking out. Holding my breath, hoping it doesn't keep amping up. It's starting to mellow out a lot and the leather note is almost gone. I'm coming to the conclusion that while it is better with age, it's still not something I want to smell like during the wet and initial stages. I suspect that on the right partner this could smell amazing--it's a bit of a ride on me.

I've been saving this for a particularly rainy day. After the events of yesterday, it felt like a perfect time to give this a try. Holy moly, something is extremely sweet and I am amping it. It is probably the myrrh and or ambrette seed - maybe the frankincense? It's very rich and deep, but almost repellent in sweetness. As it is drying down, there is more of an earthy/woody edge. When I first put it on, despite being put off by the smell, there was something comforting and grounding. It feels (and smells) medicinal and ancient. I just feel better. Perhaps there is a placebo effect mixed with intention... but I believe it is more.

I love every other note in this blend but Chypre... is a no FOREVER. This does not sit well with me. It is wash-off-bad. It's one of those scents the gets stuck in my nose and I can't get out. It's metallic and floral and overpowering AND powdery.

In the wet stage: this is beautiful! delicious amber, spicy, comfy and warm. I want to roll in this. The middle stage: heavy heavy HEAVY carnation. Way too much for me, but if you're a carnation fan you are in in luck. The final stage: this is turning into 1950s grandma's living room ROSE. It's not a bad scent, but it's not something I want on my body. Sigh. Maybe I'll try it in a scent locket. Edit: wait. WAIT, it's turning clovey. I thought it was at the dry downstage but I was wrong. It's going powdery clove but in a good way. Hmm. Now I'm not sure how I feel about it. I might need to try it again.

This smells like pixie sticks, or possibly sweet tarts. In the wet stage it has an artificial grape-like note, which is probably the plum bouncing off the lime and candy powder notes. It is pretty interesting how the combination of those three notes creates the illusion of fake grape. I wish I liked fake grape, but unfortunately it reminds me of cough syrup and makes me a little nauseous. Since I only put on the tiniest bit, I am hopeful it will get better on the dry down. Edit: sadly the dry down didn't get better. It turned to that familiar plasticy smell that vanillas tend to turn on me. Off to swaps..

Initial smell: okay, not sure. kind of strong in a heady floral way. after about five minutes: get it off of me. This does not work well for me at all. something about it just makes me anxious. The smell, the general feeling. I'll stick with Ebon Night, thanks.

I tried this on a whim yesterday because I am running on empty and I need some sympathetic ears from my fellow grad students. I wore this in a locket while I was at school for 11 hours. Holy florals batman! this smells very relaxing. It is strong but in a positive and grounded way. I agree with lilirose, this has a note that is dominant in white light - I haven't tried La Flamme. This is the most effective TAL I have ever worn. I noticed people treating me with more care than usual and listening to me better. It is nothing short of magic. I will never be without it.

In the wet stage this is beautiful Lemony(?) cardamom and cake. I love all things cardamom so my hopes are flying a little too high. In the middle stage the cardamom is toned down but still present and I continue to hope that there isn't a pesky vanilla note hanging around with the yellow cake note. As soon as it's dry.... there it is. That plastic note that ruins every single scent with vanilla in it for me. </3 The lab's vanilla won't work on me. It's a lesson I'm not often tempted into remind myself of, but the promise of a prominent cardamom scent was too tempting.

wet on my skin: extremely powdery. I almost washed it off. middle: it's drying down into something sweet and warm. I get creamy leather with a sweetened lime note and... sassafras? maybe it's the tobacco. dry: I'm just starting the dry stage and it's still going well but starting to veer into the plasticy realm which makes me think there is some vanilla in the blend. sigh. this always happens.

a bit distracted through the wet stage, but in the bottle it smelled sensual and delicious. as it's drying it smells exactly like cedar on me with a spicy undertone. Sadly, I don't care for cedar. edit: the cedar like note is getting amped up by my skin. it smells dry and sickly.

This smells like what I wanted Snow White to be. No pesky vanilla to turn horrible. It's difficult to pick out specific notes, it is well blended but I can briefly detect the snow note that was mentioned in the description. I will have to try this one again.

This smells oddly floral on me. Which makes no sense considering the notes, but it smells like a light white floral with white leather and very little to ground it. weird.

This scent is beautiful, airy, but present. The more ambergris scents I try the more I am in love. The wet stage is glittering, ethereal, present but light. It is floral, but so well blended it has a creamy quality. I will need to try it a couple more times to decide if I need a bottle.

I have to agree with the other reviewers, cashmere patchouli seems to be the proper name for this in the wetstage. As it dries down the plum is in the forefront and I agree with the comparisons to bordello because of the sweet boozy quality it acquires from the fruit. I am curious to see what the final dry down is like, because the scent keeps getting lighter and lighter, it's almost disappeared on my skin.

despite my aversion to the lab's vanilla, I decided to give this scent a skin test. The initial wet stage is a gorgeous dark cherry scent, the patchouli deepens this scent and gives it a beautiful dimension. I am still apprehensive though, I've been wearing it less than an hour and on the last dry down vanilla typically goes all plastic on me. ETA: It never went plasticy. I wear this all the time.

coconut agrees with me pretty well. This particular mix is no exception. I always have trouble with vanilla scents going crazy plastic on me and luckily this one doesn't seem to have any vanilla lurking in it. It's heavenly from start to finish. It's very coconutty while in it's wet stage, approaching suntan lotion territory, but luckily it doesn't get there. Then it morphs into a delicate, but toasted coconut with subtle sugar, marshmallow and cream notes. The amber becomes more apparent on the dry down and it's lovely and soft. ETA: I can see why people are getting the buttery note, but luckily it doesn't become prominent on me.

initial wet stage: oh! what is this? I can't identify the notes, but its juicy and bright. beginning of dry down: a sweet pretty pear, like an anjou. dry stage: aaaaaaaaaaand I smell like a candle. well the wet stage was fun while it lasted.

The wet stage is very lightly scent lilacs, for me. As it dries the white tea comes out a bit, it seems to be very lovely. The dry down stage (where I usually have trouble) is more powder than anything. I am guessing it's the wax note, i don't usually have trouble with tea or lilacs. Oh well.

Upon initial application I am extremely optimistic, it smells fruity, but tempered by sage. A couple minutes in I smell.... cumin? Probably, it is the cedarwood but my chemistry has decided I need to smell like fruity cumin. I can't un-smell the cumin. sigh.

the initial wet stage is bright and what i hoped june gloom would smell like. It quickly morphedinto a lemon pledge like scent and scared me.. I almost washed it off, but it quickly started the middle dry down stage and the sharpness of the lemon grass is tempered and the amber starts to peak through. ETA: i washed it off. maybe I'm just not in the mood for lemongrass, but its way too strong for me. ETAA: Despite washing it off, its all I can smell... it's certainly more ambery, but its still overpowering.

This one surprised me. I was expecting resiny, incensy dark notes. It ended up being, at least on me, a light mix of dry herbs and cassia. It is nice, but extremely unexpected. This is what I wanted chimera to smell like. I'm not sure if I will keep the decant, but it is a very nice mix, especially if you are a fan of non foodie cinnamon.

Upon the initial application it smells like a cheap candle, and I have a bad track record with the lab's lavender scents. In less than a minute, the scent shifts pretty dramatically and the cakes start to come to the front. Now it's starting to smell like I imagined. A nice cask ale and welsh cakes. The lavender has almost disappeared. I currently optimistic. We'll see how it goes! Sadly the lavender over powered the cake and beer. Into the swaps :-/