doomsday_disco

This is what I voted for in the poll! I used this as an after-shower moisturizer and haven't tried it in the bath. My skin is super dry right now, so I slathered it on my arms! Dorian’s tea is strong at first, but when that aspect calms down, it’s all about that wonderful, billowy, soft vanilla. UNF. I get hints of the lavender, snowdrops, and Dorian behind it, but they’re really just hints. The vanilla is the star here. I would have ordered more than one bottle of this if bath oils didn’t go off after a few years. (I store mine away from heat and light in a dark closet, but the base becomes more prominent after a few years.) Even so, I am still tempted to order a back-up bottle, even though I told myself no bath oil back-ups, because this is absolutely stunning! I love this even more than the hair gloss, and I definitely get far more vanilla from this than the perfume! If you're debating this one, stop debating it and grab a bottle before it goes away! You will not be disappointed!

I’m not sure of the year on this one. In the decant: The Snake Oil is prominent in this one. I also get the sugar cane and hyssop. Behind that, I get the resins. Wet: This has got to be one of the most Snake Oil-heavy scents in the Snake Pit (which I’ve tried most, but not all of). The Snake Oil and sugar cane are the main players on my skin at the moment. But then the frankincense quickly rushes onto the stage and joins them, followed by the sweet, herbal hyssop. Dry: More sweetly herbal than resinous on me. The sugar cane, hyssop, and Snake Oil are what I mostly get from this scent. There’s this almost grape-like quality to the scent that I am not really digging. After conducting a search through the reviews, I see that I am not the only one getting a grape vipe from this. I do not like anything grape-scented or grape-flavored aside from grapes themselves, so this snake is probably not for me. After a few hours, Snake Oil’s vanilla becomes more prominent, but the grape aspect to the scent hasn’t gone away. Verdict: I’m glad I got to test this one properly, outside of a con setting! I am not feeling the grape-y note that I am getting from this, so this is one snake that I do not need in my collection.

So… I got into BPAL during the 2013 Lupercalia update, and being the noob that I was, did not consider getting this scent because it had patchouli in it. I thought I hated the stuff, since I had been a Lush addict and was only familiar with their patchouli products. Naturally, after seeing the raves for this scent and realizing, thanks to the Lab, that there are some patchouli notes I appreciate, I have kicked myself for dismissing Our Lady of Pain ever since (especially after I wrote a paper for a Victorian Poetry class that featured the poem heavily: it was called A Study in Sable: Sexual Love in the Poetry of Swinburne (Sponsored by the Sluts for Swinburne Society) ). I really thought I would never get a chance to try it, but an extremely generous BPALista frimped me a decant of this, and I am eternally grateful! In the decant: This is really strong on the red patchouli. The lavender is next in prominence, followed by the opium and orchid. I am not really getting the blood musk from the vial. Wet: The patchouli and lavender are the first notes that appear, backed by the opium and orchid (I get more opium, though). The blood musk is present, but this doesn’t appear to be red musk, which is a relief for me, since that note usually stomps all over other notes on my skin. It has a tinge of spice in it and reminds me of the blood in Midian Unmade. Dry: This is still very patchouli and lavender forward on me, although I definitely get a lot more opium than I did before, which gives it more of an incense-y vibe. I feel like I am getting more patchouli from this than most reviewers, and I wonder if it is from aging or just my skin chemistry. But eventually, it does manage to calm down, and it’s an oddly alluring spicy, woody, and somehow dirt-like patchouli and musk intertwining with wisps of lavender, incense-y opium tar, and orchid. It’s unlike anything else I own. Verdict: I will cherish this forever. Thank you to the lovely BPALista that graciously bestowed a frimp of Our Lady of Pain upon me!

I adore the sentiment behind this scent, and I love lavender scents, so I was really excited about this one. I decided to test it on its own three times before attempting a review: once on the back of a hand, and twice along the length of my forearm before bed (slathering it before sleep). Although I tried to give it the attention it deserves, I still feel like my review is too analytical. Perhaps those that write more poetic reviews could describe it in a way that does it justice. In the bottle: Sweet lavender and cotton. The only scent I can think of comparing it to is the Century Guild scent Who in the World Am I?. Wet: A sweet lavender dominates, and it is lovely. It might be sugared, but this is no TKO lavender. It’s Lilith’s lavender. <3 The cotton note emerges after a few minutes and becomes more prominent as the scent sits on my skin. Then, I get a candy-like note that I am not able to identify as the scent begins to dry. Dry: The lavender is a lot calmer now, the cotton has a bigger presence, and there’s still that underlying sweetness to the scent, which I believe may just be sugar. There was one point when it made me think of sugared cotton. I could envision the texture of cotton candy and thought that it was like that… if cotton candy were made of actual sugared cotton. But I also had a moment, shortly before it faded, where I thought of powdered sugar, which could also represent the fluffiness or sweetness Lilith’s treasured Puppet Kitty. But I can’t really evaluate it beyond that, because Puppet Kitty fades in less than two hours on me, sadly. This is a lavender scent that you could wear during the day or before bed, but I would recommend the latter just because it doesn’t have much staying power (at least, not on me). Verdict: This is one of the scents I was most looking forward to in my order, and I am glad that I ordered a bottle. I adore Lilith’s lavender scents, and of the lavender scents released in this year’s Lilith and Fatherhood updates, this is the standout for me. I am not sure if I need to grab a back-up bottle. I am trying to get away from doing that since there’s a beautiful, new lavender scent to look forward to every year. But Puppet Kitty is really lovely, and if you can only get one lavender scent between the two updates, I recommend this one. *edit* Forgot to mention that I do get skin musk from this as well, but the lavender and cotton are more prominent on me.

In the bottle: It’s exactly as described! A cherry lollipop with a base of Dorian! The cherry in this is a deep cherry that doesn’t make me think of cough medicine at all, and the Dorian is more prominent after a few days of settling than it was when it first arrived. Wet: Lots of deep cherry (I’m reminded of those cherry tootsie pops or cherry Starburst -- but mostly, a cherry tootsie pop)! If you’re a fan of the cherry in Dragon Bouffant HG, you’ll be a fan of this cherry as well. The Dorian lingers in the background, allowing the cherry to be the star of the show. But as the scent begins to dry, the Dorian comes out more and mingles with the cherry lollipop. This is even better than I imagined this would be! Dry: The cherry is not as strong as it was initially, but the cherry lollipop continues to dominate, even though the Dorian mingling with the lollipop is stronger now. Verdict: I almost didn’t order a blind bottle of this, because I wasn’t sure how the cherry would behave on me, but I was at Drag Con this year and got to see Lilith dressed up as Lil Poundcake, so how could I not?! I really enjoy this and will love pairing it Dragon Bouffant HG!

In the bottle: This smells like Christmas! It definitely smelled pinker and heavier on the cotton candy when it first arrived, though. Now, after a few days of settling, I get lots of the cinnamon from the cookies, white chocolate, and some spun sugar. The tinsel note is not metallic, so if you’re wary of metal notes like I am, you need not worry! Wet: The cinnamon is very strong on me. I am not surprised, as I tend to amp spices. The white chocolate is next in prominence. The cinnamon does take on more of a cinnamon cookie smell instead of being just straight up cinnamon after a few minutes have passed. I swear I get the tinsel when I smell this, too, but maybe that’s just because of the strong Christmas association? Dry: It’s all white chocolate and cinnamon cookies for a long time on me, but the cinnamon does end up calming down, and the cotton candy becomes noticeable after a few hours of wear. I get more white chocolate than anything else, though. I still feel like I get the tinsel, too, but I am not sure if it is one of those ‘how does Beth do that!?’ things or the strong association with Christmas. Verdict: I’m glad that the cinnamon didn’t burn or reign forever. I can’t stop thinking that this smells like Christmas, and I will enjoy wearing it around the holidays!

In the bottle: Sugary Dorian and Snake Oil! The Snake Oil was a lot stronger when this first arrived, but it seems to have calmed down somewhat after having a few days to settle. Wet: The Slime Queen component is the strongest on my skin, and like donkehpoo, I feel like it is more like sugary Dorian than cotton candy, but now I am actually going back to a thought I had when testing Slime Queen that I’m getting more of here -- maybe it’s lime cotton candy in Slime Queen, or perhaps that’s just the prominence of the lemon-y white tea of Dorian mixing with the sugar. It’s most likely the latter. It becomes more sugary as it sits on my skin, and I feel like I am getting more sugar from this than Slime Queen, which I am happy about (but maybe it has become sweeter with age.) The Snake Oil was originally lingering in the background, but it seems to be growing stronger as the scent begins to dry. Dry: A lot of Slime Queen’s sugar has dissipated, so now it mostly smells like a Snake Oil and Dorian hybrid with just a touch of Slime Queen’s sugar. It regains some sweetness after a few hours of wear thanks to the vanillas and sugars in these scents, and it’s just a perfect mix of Snake Oil, Dorian, and Slime Queen (in that order). Verdict: I am a fan of this now, and I know that it will only get better with age. I almost didn’t blind bottle this because I was like, do I really need more variants of these scents? And the answer is yes, absolutely.

Tombstone is one of my favorites, so I am really excited to try this Tombstone variant! In the bottle: I do get the Tombstone from this, but the red licorice and musk are more prominent in the bottle. The licorice note reads as cherry to me and smelled somewhat medicinal with the musk, but I know not to trust the bottle sniff! Wet: Ohhh, good. The Tombstone is the most prominent aspect of the scent on my skin, with its sassafras, vanilla, and cedar. After a minute, the red licorice note emerges, and yes, it’s definitely the cherry variety. It quickly gains strength, and sometimes I smell more licorice, and sometimes, more Tombstone. There are times when I wonder if the red velvet musk is red musk, because I do get that vibe from this at times, but other times, I think it’s just the cherry of the licorice blending with the musk. I guess I will know for sure once it dries, because I tend to amp red musk. Dry: Yeah, it’s red musk. I was hoping red velvet musk would be red velvet CAKE musk, but alas. There's nothing cake-y about this. But the Tombstone seems to ground it and keep in check so it can’t stomp all over everything on me like it usually does. So it’s red musk and cherry licorice on a bed of Tombstone (which I’m mostly getting the cedar from now). After several hours of wear, I mostly get Tombstone's cedar, a velvety musk, and the memory of cherry licorice. Verdict: I love Tombstone, and I love it even more once it ages (everyone talks about aging Dorian and Snake Oil, but I think Tombstone is one that really benefits from lots of aging as well -- the vanilla in it really shines after years of aging). I am not sure how I feel about the licorice and musk, so I don’t love this like I love Tombstone, but I am going to give this more time to settle and age because it’s a Tombstone variant.

In the bottle: Slushy snow note! Aww, I was hoping it would be the sweet snow note with that coconut snow descriptor. Wet: I’m greeted with a blast of bright, slushy snow. So that means it’s citrus-y (perhaps due to an astringent white tea note) and pine-y, and I’m not really getting any lavender or rose at this point, and I don’t get the mint that the other reviewers are getting. Dry: The slushy snow continues to reign. I get some lavender now, but it is buried beneath the slushy snowdrift. The lavender does have a wooly feel to it. After about two hours, I get a hint of the coconut, but still no rose. The scent does have a warm glow to it, but it feels like a light resin is creating that vibe -- I keep thinking sandalwood. I prefer this phase of the scent, as it isn’t just Slushy Snow SN on me. Verdict: This is not what I was expecting from the description (I was hoping for Pink Snowballs with lavender), and while it is pleasant, I feel like I have too many scents with this snow note that I don’t reach for often enough. So I may have to let this settle some more and maybe do a deathmatch to see which snow scent gets to stay in my collection. Maybe the snow will calm down as it has more time to settle.

In the decant: I’m getting well-worn leather, a dark musk, and a green vibe that must be due to the amber. Wet: On my skin, the musk is the first note that pops up, with the well-worn leather note behind it. Then, I get the green amber behind those notes, just adding a bit of a green quality to the scent. Dry: This is actually kind of cozy and sweet despite its name. The musk is still going strong, the leather still reads and soft and well-worn, and the amber is adding a powdery, resinous feel to the scent (and is stronger than before). It’s mostly a musky, powdery leather scent on me. Verdict: This is pleasant, but it’s not wowing me. It’s a little too powdery on my skin, alas. I am not sure I will keep this one -- I just can’t see myself reaching for it over other leather scents.

In the decant: I’m mostly getting the orange of the Florida Water and the sandalwood incense from this now with some of the vanilla-laced frankincense behind it. A few days ago, the white rose was one of the first things I could smell from the vial, but it doesn’t stand out to me anymore! Wet: The orange of the Florida Water is the strongest note on me, followed by the vanilla-infused frankincense and sandalwood incense. It’s like a resinous creamsicle at the moment. After a few minutes, I can smell the salt. Dry: It remains that way for some time: the strong orange, backed by the resins and vanilla, but the resins and salt are stronger now, and the wax has also joined in. I get some of the white rose after it has been on the skin for a while. After a few hours, this ends up staying close to the skin. Verdict: This is really nice… I just wish it were a little stronger on me! I’m going to keep my decant, and I’ll give it a full day test before it goes away to see if I need more of it. Definitely a contender for a bottle purchase.

In the decant: Scorched marshmallow and chocolate. Wet: I’m getting lots of smokiness and chocolate still, but there’s more smoke than chocolate on me. It makes me think of a marshmallow that was deliberately burnt before its charred exterior is removed to reveal the creamy marshmallow within. But I’m not getting any creamy marshmallow at this point, although I can smell the graham cracker note after a few minutes have passed. Dry: I wish I had the experience that others are getting. On me, the smoke just takes over. The chocolate and graham cracker in the background eventually fade away, and there’s a hint of sweetness from the marshmallow after a few hours, but even that is quickly beaten back by the smoke. I am not sure if it is vetiver or a woodsmoke note, but I am not enjoying it. It’s fitting for a burnt marshmallow scent, though! Verdict: These marshmallows are far too scorched for me.

In the decant: Lots and lots of buttercream and sprinkles! I am getting the red velvet cupcake beneath it, but this is definitely one of those cupcakes that has a thicker layer of frosting than cake. Wet: The buttercream frosting and sprinkles are pretty strong, but I’m also getting more of the red velvet cake on me than I did in the decant. This is sprinkles, buttercream, and then cake on me. Dry: This is mostly super sweet sprinkle-covered buttercream on me. There’s some cake underneath it, but I am getting less of it now than I did before. I feel like there’s just some cake crumbs mixed in with the frosting and sprinkles until a few hours later, when I get a little more cake. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I’m glad that this didn’t turn on me like Sprinklecake did. It’s a nice cake scent, but it’s one that I do not believe that I need more of, because there’s just so much buttercream (and so many sprinkles!) at play on me, and I was hoping for a little more red velvet.

In the decant: I smell the buttery popcorn, fried ice cream, and creamy pumpkin (which I could see being pumpkin cream soda, except for there’s not much of a fizzy soda vibe here). Wet: The buttery popcorn note is the first note to jump out at me, followed by the fried vanilla ice cream and pumpkin cream soda. I, too, see this as being in the same family as Mouse Circus. Dry: It remains that way for a while, but eventually, the pumpkin cream soda comes out more (and I am getting that fizzy soda aspect to it now) and the ice cream calms down, so that it’s more of a fizzy cream soda and buttered popcorn scent backed by the fried ice cream. Verdict: I enjoy this, but I am not sure that I need more of it, since I already don’t reach for my bottle of Mouse Circus very often, and I wish I were getting a little less popcorn from this. I’ll test it again before the Liliths go away just to be sure, though. In any case, it smells delicious, and I’m definitely going to keep the decant!

In the decant: Fizzy cola! Wet: Same! But I’m getting more of the actual cola now than I did in the decant, which had more fizz. It smells very realistic, too! I am not getting any marshmallow at the moment. Dry: This remains a fizzy cola scent. I am still not detecting any marshmallow from this, but it is a really nice soda scent. Verdict: This is super realistic cola! I will be keeping my decant for sure. I will give it a full day test before the Liliths disappear to see if I get any marshmallow after it has had a chance to age a bit and to see if I need more before this goes away.

In the decant: I’m mostly getting the red currant and honeyed fig. Wet: The red currant is the most prominent note on me, followed by the honeyed fig (I get more honey than fig). Dry: The red currant and honeyed fig continue to reign, with the fig being more prominent now. I am not getting any of the patchouli or amber oudh, but there’s a whiff of vanilla cream in the background. Verdict: I have never tried Nasty Woman. I thought it wouldn’t really be my thing after deciding I didn’t want a strong patchouli and fig scent like To His Mistress Going to Bed. But I wanted to try this one since the notes are lighter and sweeter. For some reason, I am mostly just getting the fruits and honey from this, and none of the darker notes. It has had several days to settle -- maybe it needs more in order for those notes to come out? I may retest this in a few weeks, but at the moment, I feel like this is too fruity for me.

In the decant: Honey, a soft patchouli, and some cinnamon sugar (more cinnamon than sugar). Wet: On my skin, the honey and cinnamon sugar notes stand out the most, backed by a soft patchouli. The cinnamon sugar is reminiscent of the kind you’d put on toast, and it’s stronger on me than it was in the decant, but that may be because I tend to amp spices. The patchouli in this is a red variety that’s becoming more prominent as the scent begins to dry. Dry: The red patchouli is now the dominant note. It’s soft and does give the impression of “yesterday’s patchouli” like in the description. It’s backed by the honey note. The cinnamon sugar is faint now -- there really is just a dusting of it in the background. Verdict: I’m always looking for more sweet patchouli scents since I thought I didn’t like the stuff until I tried Banshee Beat. This is nice, but it didn’t wow me, so it’s not something I need more of. I will probably keep my decant, though!

In the decant: I get a ton of dandelion sap, which is just what I’m here for! Huzzah! There’s just a tinge of the blackcurrant bud. It’s mostly dandelion sap on a bed of white musk. Wet: The dandelion sap is the star of the show on my skin. I get a little more blackcurrant bud on me than I did in the decant, but it isn’t making the scent fruity, which makes me glad. The white musk is definitely present, adding a clean, fresh air feel to the scent. Dry: The dandelion sap is no longer king. The blackcurrant bud has stolen the show, so the scent is fruitier now, but you can tell that it is the bud and not straight up blackcurrant (although the fruit is definitely a part of that note). I can still smell the dandelion sap, but it is not nearly as strong as it was before. Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of this, but the blackcurrant bud is a little too strong for my liking once the scent has dried. It’s a pleasant blackcurrant bud and milky dandelion scent, but not something I need a bottle of -- I can’t see myself reaching for this over other dandelion scents in my collection.

In the decant: This actually smells like a bouquet of flowers. Sniffing it makes me envision touching the soft petals. The carnation and rose stand out to me in particular, but I can also smell the peonies, lilies, and sweet pea behind those notes, with just a little vanilla in the background. Wet: Yes, this is exactly like stuffing your face into a bouquet of flowers. The carnation, rose, and peony notes are the first notes to leap out at me, followed by the sweet pea and lily. The carnation is somewhat spicy, and it's warming my skin, but it’s normal for me to get a lot of it because I amp that note. The sweet pea also becomes stronger after a few minutes, and I really love the sweet pink feel that it adds to the scent. If you’ve tried Muse of Fire and are wondering how this compares to that scent, I have to say that they are really different. The floral notes in this are far more realistic and able to be picked out of the scent, and this has more of a fresh flower feel to it than a perfume-y one. Dry: The carnation, rose, and peonies remain the dominant notes for a while, with the sweet pea deciding to retreat to the background. Then, this turns funky on me. I am so sad, because I enjoyed the wet phase so much. It’s doing something similar to what Winter Landscape did on me, even though this doesn’t share any notes with that one, and these notes are normally fine on me. There is only a whiff of vanilla, far in the background. Verdict: I went for a decant of this instead of leaping for a bottle, because I was not sure if this would have enough vanilla in it for me (since I prefer vanilla-ed or sugary floral scents). Well, there’s not as much vanilla as I was hoping for, but it was still really lovely before my skin chemistry decided to ruin it. So no bottle for me, but maybe I’ll try my decant in a locket and see how that goes.

In the decant: I smell the lavender, musk, bergamot, and iris. I was going to leap for a bottle of this, but I thought I better make sure the iris plays nicely first. Wet: The opalescent lavender and musk are the most prominent notes, followed by the bergamot. The iris is present but seems to be behaving at the moment. This is a bright scent, and I agree it is in the same scent family as scents like Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending. It has that classy perfume feel to it. The white amber and ash emerge as the scent begins to dry. Dry: It remains that way for a while, but the iris just seems to be getting stronger on me over time. It’s somewhat powdery on me, but not overwhelmingly so, and since I am not getting tons of Dr. Pepper from this, I do not believe it is the Florentine variety. Eventually, this becomes a musky, powdery iris party on me, with hints of bergamot, white amber, and ash in the background. Me right now: Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of this, but alas, my skin is running away with the iris note. I am not willing to give up on this yet. I am going to have to try this one in a scent locket.

In the decant: Dates, cream, and spices (not cinnamon, though)! Wet: I’m getting the same notes on my skin, but the cream is more prominent than the dates on me. The spices are very light at first, but they seem to be getting stronger as the scent sits on my skin. I think there may be a ginger note in this, and possibly some turmeric, as zee_zee mentioned, but I can’t say for sure. But I will say that I’m enjoying this more than I thought I would! Dry: This is a really creamy, comforting scent. The spices continue to be light, but the fig and date notes are a little more noticeable now. I’m pleasantly surprised that the fig hasn’t taken over and that it hasn’t turned waxy on me. Verdict: This is lovely. I am not sure that I would reach for it enough to warrant getting a bottle (I’ll have to give it a full day’s wear and see if I still feel that way before the Liliths come down), but if I don’t end up buying a bottle, I’ll definitely cherish my decant.

In the decant: Whoa, that’s a very realistic, just-bitten-into honeycrisp apple! Wet: Same! And it’s so real you can envision the texture of the inside of the just-bitten-into apple when you smell it! Dry: The honeycrisp apple remains the star of the show, but now the sugared milk has emerged, and I agree that it smells like leftover cereal milk! The cereal milk note becomes more prominent after a few hours and is mingling with what is now a much softer apple note. Lovely! Verdict: This was a contender for a bottle purchase, but I went for a decant because I thought it might be too much like Apple I. Well, the apple in this is stronger than the apple in Apple I on me, and the milk note is different, because it’s leftover cereal milk and not goat’s milk. I am really happy with this and will definitely be hanging on to my decant. I am going to give it a full-day test to decide if I need more of it.

In the decant: Pink grapefruit, honey, sparkling apple cider, and a hint of a floral note. Wet: I get the pink grapefruit, the sparkling apple cider, and I think that the previous reviewers might be right about plumeria, as there’s a honeyed floral present that makes me think of C%^T from SDCC. This is definitely a pink scent. The grapefruit and sparkling cider started out being the most prominent notes, but the honeyed plumeria just keeps getting stronger over time. Dry: Alas, the honeyed plumeria took over. I get some of the sparkling apple cider behind it, which ends up losing its effervescence after a while, and just a hint of the pink grapefruit in the background. Verdict: I almost bought a blind bottle of this, but I am glad that I went the decant route instead. I was here for the grapefruit, but this ended up being mostly a honeyed floral scent on me. I don’t dislike it… it’s just not what I was hoping for.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! At the time, I had not looked up the notes, and I just remembered thinking it was a cemetery scent. I remember being interested in it when it went live, but I skipped it. Now I see why: the blood note and the scorched descriptor. Midian Unmade was actually my favorite of the three scents I tried at Dark Delicacies yesterday. At first, I got a blast of dirt, but there was something sweet beneath it. I just kept thinking that this was sweeter than I was expecting and that it was a really nice dirt scent. I did not get the cypress from it (but I was wandering around in the heat, so I wasn't paying attention like I would when I review scents at home), and I certainly didn't get a scorched vibe from it. After several hours of wear, I just kept thinking... dirt and cinnamon! The cinnamon was a light variety and must have been from the blood musk. I am happy to report that I did not get any red musk from this. So don't let the blood musk or scorched descriptions scare you away! I did not get a bottle because I have a slew of dirt scents that I don't reach for often enough, buuuut I may end up caving and ordering it at some point with the release of a future Lace scent.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! I applied a drop to my arm and then walked around Magnolia Park some more, so this isn't the most detailed review as I was walking around in the heat and just sniffing my arm occasionally. Plum isn't really my thing, so I didn't order a bottle of this when it went live, and I didn't end up grabbing one at the store either. But I do want to say that, even though I'm averse to plum, this wasn't as intense on the plum as I expected. This is not a cloying variety of plum, so while the plum remained the dominant note at all times, I never felt like I was in an irksome cloud of it. The plum and cognac were strongest notes on me at first, and then I got some of the Lace vanilla and tobacco, and then the oudh came into play after a few hours, making it a resinous plum scent. After a full day of wear, it was back to being mostly plum-infused Lace (cognac, vanilla, and tobacco). Shadow Lace is evocative of its name, and I recommend it if you're a fan of darker plum scents.