MisterShrapnel

I got really excited about my frimp of this back when I got my first order (thank you, Lab!). It smells delicious in the imp (chocolate, buttery toffee and caramel and nuts and maybe coffee) but as soon as it touches my skin it starts burning, turning bitter and ashy yet still retaining enough sugar to induce a coma. >_> It was too much and I started getting very sick, which actually fits the concept perfectly. Heh. Something for everyone to experience, I guess, but not one that everyone will love.

Ooh. *test* Eurgh, this is not for me! Not a whole lot of chocolate, and MAYBE some kind of cherry. Also this was my first encounter with orange blossom. You'd THINK this would be freakin' delicious and I guess it is for some, but I perceived an odd salty, plasticky note. Passing it on!

I decided tried this before realizing I'm not so fond of fresh/aquatic. I'm unfamiliar with many of the notes so I'm giving a general... vague impression? Lotsa water, just as promised. Very sweet without any foody connotations or a sugary texture, and there's a neat salty tang that I haven't smelled elsewhere. I wore this a couple days during the sweltering heat of August and September, and it was quite cooling and refreshing, though decidedly not "me." It stands out pretty well, if memory serves. After hanging onto my skin for a while it begins to resemble soap or shower gel, as clean notes are want to do. Oh well. The design on the label is awesome.

2008 version. Very very sweet, as one might be able to infer! This has more of the brown sugar, molasses, and caramelizing/burnt sugar variety than the white. Apparently it's rich/almost-smoke-y enough for people to tell me I smell like incense. Again. The dried fruit isn't hard to miss and it adds color to something otherwise simple, but I'm not so crazy about it (just personal associations as I dislike dried fruit; it's very realistic for me). This is also slightly "perfume-y." Next to Sticky Pillowcase, I prefer this one for the deeper richness and the warmth, but even so I don't wear it. Maybe it would work layered with something else? Overall it's a playful one, just not something that agrees with my preferences.

This is so cute VERY SUGARY, has the granules of white sugar all over it. There's also some artificially colored pink/blue fruitiness, strawberries or maybe watermelon or something, slightly watery and even verging on sharp on my skin despite all that sweetness. I wasn't expecting realistic Natural Flavors anyway. I never would have believed it until finding the Lab, but there really is clean white cotton in this! Even though it's so strong on the sugar, the linen note adds a special twist. Conceptually I love it, but I absolutely can't wear this. So sweet that it hurts after a couple minutes, and I'm not very drawn to "fresh" notes as it is, so the candy isn't helping. A nice one to experience, but that's as far as I can go.

The much fussed-over Snake Charmer... It's a bit like meeting a celebrity, isn't it? I'm so glad I can try this one! This is based on the 2008 Resurrection. The first thing I really think of is maybe Eat Me (vanilla and a bit of fruit), plus some of the spicy vanilla-patchouli that I enjoy so much in Snake Oil, and finished with a dusting of coconut. For some reason it smells slightly salty in the bottle... At times when I sniff, it bears more of a semblance to Mme. Moriarty (albeit more playful). It doesn't stick out a whole lot if I try to catch whiffs of it. However it seems to pervade the general vicinity; someone walked into the room that I had been sitting in for a while and said I made the room smell lovely. I have a good feeling that this will get stronger as it ages. I haven't been knocked over by my first day with Snake Charmer (reminiscent of some other oils, only gentler and less "incense") but it feels like a blend that I will really take a liking to with time (many of my favorites so far have done that), and all of the notes are great! Since it's lighter and... cuter (?) than its sisters I have no worries wearing it anywhere during the day. Knowing this vein of olfactory bliss, I'll probably develop an unhealthy obsession over this as soon as it "ripens" and I can't get any more. Even though I'm getting an extra bottle while I can, I wouldn't feel too much pain when I use it up, as there's Mme. Moriarty and, at the end, Snake Oil (which is heavenly in itself! I could wear it every day, really). Those who want less patchouli and more fruit would probably prefer this one, though. And I LOVE the name of this one! I keep relishing it when I wear the oil. ETA: I never did get back to this review, did I? This became one of my favorites EVER. I prefer it over Snake Oil (despite the initial similarities, they are indeed quite different) because I can wear it without having to age the hell out of it first. And it's perfect just about every day, any time of the year. D: Long-lasting and has great throw. This one made me break my hoarded backup limit. A lot.

My skin might not have agreed with this one, but I already found through another Pumpkin that I'm not crazy about pumpkin to begin with. It was very nice at first, I was enjoying the honey, but it morphed into a startlingly accurate "greeting-card-store pumpkin candle" and it was making me a bit sick. I think it was the cherries that did it? Don't really know what happened, I don't care to test it again to clarify. Even so, I can understand its popularity! It's a great set of notes.

Pumpkin and smoky black leather is what I'm getting, plus an addition of dry woodiness and some spice. Feels very autumnal. It is indeed buttery, veering towards masculine. This is very strong for my tastes and I have to really make an effort to say that I like it--I have a feeling I'm not very enthusiastic about pumpkin. I associate it with candles now; can't help it. Pumpkin II is very unusual and I'm glad to have tried it, but I'm afraid I can't stand this one for very long--not even to find the notes!

I was drawn to this because amber, vanilla, and honey would be a trio of awesome and I love warm scents as a general rule. I have no idea of how, er, realistically this embodies the concept but this is indeed rather sweaty. Or "moist," or some other exciting adjective. I can't hope to write a review without reading all my sentences as dirty. It's viscous. Sticky and sweet at first, very warm and heady/musky. I'm not used to blends completely devoid of spice but this definitely is a scent describing naked skin. Warm, sweaty skin, if BO is not a factor and you've been running, or... or... The idea of "skin musk"? At times I perceive mostly honey (which reminded me strongly of Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht) and others it verges on play-doh, likely because of the vanilla. O is also a hint powdery. I tested this by just wearing it for the day and I was really self-conscious for a while, wondering if maybe this would be too conceptually accurate (if maybe people would wonder why it's so warm or "sweaty" in here). It lingered all day without reapplying, and normally my skin sucks everything up, so that's a plus! I like this a lot and it seems like such a natural scent rather than a perfume that someone can pick out on you; the name is probably what's making me a bit timid. I definitely can see myself developing a habit for this one, I'm glad I have some. It's so "organic," which makes it both pleasant/comforting yet also a tinge grody. Spot-on.

Oh noooo, this is PURE, POTENT baby powder! I can't even tell what else COULD be in here, my skin just seems to disagree with it that badly! It's also extremely strong--or else I notice it more because I don't like it? It was just a drop on my hand, which I tried to scrub off as well as I could, but it still followed me all day, reaching up into my nostrils, taunting me and making me a little sick after a while. >___>Ah, I guess I should have expected this, amber has been a bit of a risky note so far for me.Sad that it didn't work, I wanted to love it. But now someone else can enjoy it.

One of the first bottles I ever purchased, did it rather on a whim (someone suggested it at a Will Call) as it smells very... sophisticated in the bottle. Very gentle and light, sort of breezy with a touch of the otherworldly. I know now that florals will inevitably go to soap on my skin ( ) but there's something about this one that's unusually, weirdly pleasant; I actually LIKE THE SOAP. It's almost... warm (a light musk?) and sort of humid, more like I just got out of the shower than a caustic lather. Truly fits the pearlescent and softly glowing white figure in the painting, and I think of full moon nights when everything is illuminated so clearly. I love the painting itself, but I'm not so terribly inclined to wear the scent as it's so light on me, and it's more delicate and feminine than I'm accustomed to ("too beautiful," if you understand). I've been meaning to pass it on to someone else who'd appreciate it more but it's difficult! If I wanted to pick a REALLY traditional floral, this would be it.

First test with a fresh bottle. Wet: Thick, red, and syrupy cherry at the start, and soon takes on a bit of spice as well as a resinous quality. I like it so far even though it may be off-putting to some. After a few moments: Less syrupy now. The cherry is not as prominent but still a little sweet and vaguely smokey and... D: oh. Creeps me out how the clove/whatever-Dragon's-Blood-contains makes this eerily reminiscent of that feeling which drying blood has. That peculiarly thick, almost-powdery texture that catches in the throat... it's not like someone's going to recognize that I smell like "blood" so much as this captures the impression of that vital fluid so very well. Several minutes later: There's a bit of a floral something peeking out, and unfortunately my skin is quite looking forward to turning it to soap... ... yep, there's a slightly soapy undertone now (washing the blood out, are we?). Ahh, I wish my skin wouldn't do that. I'm going to hazard a guess that it's due to myrrh or the dragon's blood, the latter with which I am unfamiliar. I still love that bitterness from the spice though. The second time I tested this, that "soapiness" seemed more metallic to me, which is... fitting. Definitely evocative of the namesake. So cool! I don't think it's going to win me any complements but I don't really mind.

This... isn't exactly the smell of cake itself, for me, but maybe what a person would smell like if her(/his?) flesh were halfway transformed into delicious cake. Very sweet and powdery in texture, with that same vanilla that I got from Snake Oil? A darker colored oil like Snake Oil, lies very close to the skin like Snake Oil, though I don't really mind it (as long as I get to enjoy it...). None of that hot resin/incense though, just vanilla-scented skin; even if I slather this I don't notice much of an increase in "flavor," everything just gets sweeter! Seems to fade quite readily. Trying to figure this out, let's see.... Sometimes when I'm baking cookies the recipe calls for a dusting of powdered/confectioner's sugar, and of course it gets all over my hands, and after several minutes the warmth/slight moisture in my hands makes the confectioner's sugar slightly sticky/caked on under the layer of sugar still sitting dry and powdery white on top...? Er... Well it's like... that. Basically it's like walking around with a dusting of vanilla-infused powdered sugar all over, and it's tasty and people will indeed want to eat you. In the bottle this makes me think of birthday cake. I remember getting more of a currant-jam-slathered angel-food on my skin a couple months ago, and that fruity part has faded by now (though I can still pick out a hint of the currants at odd moments). Hmm... In a way I almost don't like this because of the powdery, vaguely plastic texture and the "pale version of Snake Oil" that I'm somehow coming up with, almost doesn't seem worth bothering with it, but when I tested this today I suddenly can't bring myself to get rid of it. It's funny. Maybe I'll save this for days when I don't feel like subjecting my peers to "some incensey smell"?

What? No (likely useless anyway) review from me yet? D: Will rectify. Strong enough of a mint to make my skin tingle a little when I apply, but I love mint anyway so this was a welcome side effect (especially during that hot spell in September). I have this when the Snake Oil part is still fresh, so it's probably giving the whole thing a bit of a powdery tone that actually works well with the light notes in this (I normally don't enjoy fresh Snake Oil)... I wonder what happens after aging? The green tea and the brightening effect of the bergamot was amazingly refreshing in hot and sweaty weather (hissss!). Sweet vanilla mingles with the mint and the overall effect is something like mint chip ice cream (including that light green color, hee!), smooth and creamy rather than a sharp mint. There's a slight medicinal/bitter undertone to it that comes from the Snake Oil, but I kind of love that part too. GTV also manages to be weirdly pervasive as well; every time I have it on, it lasts all day and I can smell it very well (and my skin often drinks scents up). This is like a cleaner/fresher scent for people who prefer resins and warmth.

Inez kinda snuck up on me... when I first tried her I didn't have any particular thoughts for some reason, but I've definitely become more attached to her lately. In fact I think she's becoming a favorite! Maybe because she's not particularly "WOAH _[particular note]_" in scent, so my inexperienced/clumsy nose didn't know how to appreciate the notes? D: Not that I'd be a whole lot better now anyway, but... Mostly golden musky vanilla, reminiscent of cookies somehow (especially in the beginning). Something a tad powdery and perfumey about it, which works very well for the overall impression IMHO... myrrh and amber, maybe? A little spicy from the carnation. The cedar and sandalwood add a nice dusty woodiness (in that same blonde/gold color), and while they're not hard to discern, those notes never get overwhelming (i.e. no wood shavings). Warm, inviting, and pretty. Very easy to wear in any setting, I think, and it's probably the most refined (traditional?), natural, and lady-like thing I've taken an extreme liking to yet. Lasted all day for me, and seems to have good throw. Love!

2008 version. I'm so glad there was a version for it this year! Ohoho yes. Spot-on for the warm, slightly sweet church incense. Smoke and fresh Christmas wreaths. I don't know my different resins to name the ones I get here, but just picture a dark cavernous chapel. Gives me shivers (the good kind!). After a few minutes I can smell some beeswax and it's heavenly (no pun... er... intended). It seems pretty similar to Cathedral, though maybe with a little less "pine-y-ness" and of course the beeswax... And the bottle art is great too!

Cake notes are sometimes scary for me. But I can't resist the name or the concept! Here we go... Smells like... well, moist cake for me initially (contains a good helping of vanilla!), and a few seconds afterward a very realistic strawberries and cream note oozes out. Drool. The citrus isn't very strong but it brightens things up a little, which I like. And the carnations make things a tiny bit spicy, in its floral way. This is quite pink and not too cloyingly sweet. I love the strawberries and cream part. The cakiness never overwhelms me and things become mostly strawberry milk and a carnation of the same color. My skin often does this funny thing to cake notes (or maybe I just don't appreciate the "cake impression" quite enough? I can't tell if it's a plasticky or stale twinge or if it reminds me of the actual cake crumb texture, I can never figure it out...) and now I actually am interpreting it as gray sponge cake. That I find interesting in itself. I'm glad I got to try this, I like.

Mm, spicy gingerbread. And musk. Unsurprisingly I think of Shub-Niggurath... But upon more careful sniffing, this is less foody than I predicted. It's mostly the spice (lotsa spice) and the impression of gingerbread, and not too buttery, which makes it easier for me to actually wear it! Cause for rejoicing? I think so. Gets more musky and fuzzy as it dries. I might be getting some of the rum? Some very subtle fruitiness comes out too. It has a rather dark feeling to it, almost verging on smoky. Gah. Waffling over backups because this is great stuff!

Woah, heavy on the musk. Makes me worried that it's going to resemble Spellbound... The tea appears soon enough and takes center stage, with the fruity mango as background. Not too sweet, surprisingly! It does make me think of iced tea with mango flavoring. Save for the initial blast of the dark musks, this is quite clean on me. I rather like this. The longer this lingers (heheh, alliteration) it became apparent that this is a pretty strong blend with great throw. And I'm getting very attached to it. ETA: Funny that I didn't fall in love with this one immediately! Wore it all today and it really LASTS (and my skin eats everything, trust me), so I got to enjoy it all day. I know what Smut smells like now, and yes, Spawn of the She-Demon is indeed something similar. Missing the latex-y nuance though, and it's an infusion of mango instead of booze, but still, I smell kinda... smutty. Reminded me of just why I love musks. I've decided it's my favorite Dark Delicacies blend so far! I'll be holding onto this one.

This bottle is aged a couple months: Very sweet and tart, bright red and fruity. On the drydown, the floral neroli wafts up along with hints of the smoked vanilla. There's a very slight medicinal tang from the Snake Oil, but I wouldn't be able to tell that this is a Snake until the scent is completely dry. Very subtle hints. The berries give a bit of a "shiny" or "waxy" quality to the scent, which was more obvious when the bottle was very fresh. A little perfume-y. I'm interested in how strong of a berry scent this is, but there are other scents that I'd be more eager to wear.

Backing up earlier reviews, Eisheth smells (to me) like pale honey and white peaches, still crunchy and not entirely sweet. The initial juiciness fades as this dries. A gentle floral note (neroli, I'm learning!) and a slightly salty undertone (ambergris) waft around as well. I don't get too much cocoa or patchouli. A lot less fruity/wet/juicy than I was expecting, and lighter. It's pleasant, but I don't know if I'll be keeping it. I like the picture and the name though.

Thank you CoopieCat (if you ever read this) for recommending this one to me! I was wary of the vetiver before trying this but I can't smell it at all! Unless this is a different kind of vetiver? Really liking the lavender and cocoa combination, it makes for a rather soothing scent. The cocoa is strongest when the oil is wet, becoming more subtle as it dries. The herbaceous notes bring to mind cloudy skies and wild grasses and images of sage plants (that cool silver-green color of the leaves and the gentle lavender-hued flowers), and mingles nicely with the vanilla and cocoa. The musk is very nice and fuzzy. Gender-neutral. ETA today I tried Wulric on again and it feels muskier this time, rather like a richer Villain slathered in dark chocolate. Hell yeah. Backup-worthy, methinks.

Sheer musk, cedar smoke, fir needle, black amber and leather. A lighter scent... (it might just be my skin sucking everything up though). There's a breeze of fir and the leather is more gentle than I had expected... *sniff* The subtle musk is tasty at least. I'm horrible with notes, really. It does fit the "doctor" concept, but if I wear this outside, people might think I just naturally smell this way rather than asking me what I put on. Clean cut, fresh(ly showered?) and a tad medicinal... though most of the time it just feels so light. ETA: What I get seems rather different from earlier reviews... maybe it's my skin? Shrug. ETA 2: This smells... similar to Aelopile actually. More astringent and house-cleaner-esque than I like. =( Oh well.

Why haven't I reviewed this yet?! D: My imp is practically empty already, because it features the best note combination ever. Gorgeousss. Highly evocative; makes me think of dark polished wood exactly. Smooth, deep, and rather classy. Kind of sweet but not foody at all. If this were a guy, I'd be swooning. (I love Andra's reviews: "VICTORIAN SEX WITH A MAD SCIENTIST." mmyep. Reminds me of this Kate Beaton comic?) The imp was more sharp/cologne-y when it was fresh; it toned down just a little bit after some oxidizing... I think it's the oak that gives this a "burnished bronze" gleam? This oil is rather strong, too. Good throw and lasting power. I kind of want to see what happens when it ages for a couple years... at times the oak part is too much for me. It verges on masculine in character but I think it would be easy for anyone to sport. AND it has the best name! "What are you wearing?!" "The Antikythera Mechanism." A very unique scent all around. (post edited because my link broke?)

Nghh. It's sharp when wet, with a strong pine note. It softens up a little as it dries (thankfully), but it's still astringent and fresh; pine trees and icy ozone, with a bit of slush and mint. Very chemical. Which is fitting, though not really what I prefer. I wonder if there's something else to this? I feel like I'm not picking up on all the complexities and doing the mix justice... Not so fond of this, unfortunately. I love the name and the label art, though! It's a cool concept. ETA: I take it back. Nuclear Winter (still 2008 version) is pine-y, slushy, a little sweet (?!), and mint-o-licious. After the initial sharpness I get wafts of a gorgeous transparent and icy coolness that you can only get from a BPAL ice blend. Not a particularly long-lasting scent, but then again, this is an ice blend. Annihilation never smelled so good.