doomsday_disco

Tenebrous Love: a shivering white musk with vanilla-infused white cocoa, amber incense, and dead, dry leaves. 2014 version. In the decant: I'm mostly getting the dead leaves and the white musk. Wet: The white musk and dead leaves are the first notes to emerge, followed by the amber incense. The leaves were a lot stronger in the decant than they are on my skin, and after a minute, I start to get the vanilla-infused white cocoa. It's rather light at first, but it seems to be getting stronger as the scent sits on my skin. The dead leaves note isn't headache-inducing in this one, fortunately, but I do get some of that freshly cut peppers vibe from it. Dry: The dead leaves reign for a while, but the scent ends up being a white musk and vanilla-infused white cocoa scent, with swirls of amber incense and dead leaves being carried by breeze. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I admit that I was afraid of the dead leaves, but save for that fresh pepper vibe during the wet stage of the scent, they weren't a problem for me. I don't feel the need to try to hunt down more of this, but I think I'll hold onto the decant and wear it in the autumn.

This is an old, aged imp. In the imp: Soft fig and a rooty quality that reminds me of Screaming Mandragora. Wet: The fig note is the first to jump out at me, followed by the rooty aspect of the scent. The fig and the roots actually have a bit of a waxy aspect on me, which also happened when I tried Screaming Mandragora. But there's a sweetness present in this that isn't due to the fig. Maybe it's a bit of coconut? Dry: This is a soft, sweet, rooty fig scent. The sweet note is definitely coconut. It's far more prominent than it was before. I still get a somewhat waxy aspect to it on my skin, but it's not as strong as it was before. Verdict: This one is a nice fig and coconut scent, but I don't really think it's for me, due to the waxy quality that I get on my skin.

In the imp: Definitely makes me think of purple flowers! Wet: This one is strong! It makes me think of a bunch of fresh, purple flowers, and I feel like there's a citrus-y white tea aspect to it. Google tells me that these are pansies, but I don't recall what they smell like (or if they have a particularly strong smell). As the scent sits on my skin, the flowers become sweeter, and it makes me think of springtime. Dry: Sweet, strong, purple, spring flowers. I think this may be one of the components of Muse of Fire and Rainbow Swirl. Verdict: This one is too strongly perfume-y floral for me. I feel like it needs something to tame it. Glad I got to try it, though!

In the imp: The oil in my imp is light green! The scent is also very green and has a somewhat menthol-like quality. Wet: Yep, this one is very green, and the menthol-like quality I was getting from the imp is present, but softer on my skin. It actually doesn't remind me of mint, now that I think of it – it makes me think of the fresh needles of an evergreen. Dry: Crushed evergreen needles, accompanied by some lemongrass and herbs. The scent is much softer than it was during the wet phase. Verdict: I think I actually preferred the wet phase of the scent, because it was more evergreen and less herby. I don't think I'd ever reach for this, since it didn't end up being an evergreen scent the whole time, but I'm glad I got to try it. I prefer Hemlock Honey to straight-up Hemlock, though.

In the imp: A citrus-tinged lily. Not sure if it is orange, neroli, or bergamot yet. The oil in my imp is yellow. Wet: A very heady lily, with the edges tinged by some citrus fruit. I don't think it's neroli, because it's not being problematic on me. It makes me think of a lily with an orange tree or some abandoned orange peels nearby. Dry: The lily is softer now, but this remains a citrus-tinged lily scent. The orange-y note is sharper and more bitter now. The lily itself is a sweet one which does not end up turning to soap on my skin. Verdict: This one is okay, but not something I'd elect to wear. The orange peel vibe is too sharp for me. As far as lilies go, Tiger Lily is my go-to lily scent. I'm glad I got to try this one, though!

In the imp: Berries accompanied by green leaves and some dry bark. Wet: The berry note is the strongest note on my skin. I think this is a mix of tart, red berries and sweet, dark ones. The green leaves and bark are lingering in the background. As the scent begins its drydown, the dry bark note becomes stronger, as does the leaf note, and the scent becomes a lot darker. Dry: Tart berries, dry bark, and whatever is representing the dark murk in this blend that smells, unfortunately, like dryer sheets on my skin. Verdict: Berry scents are not my jam, and something in this did not agree with my skin chemistry. Glad I got a chance to try it, though!

This is a old, aged imp. In the imp: Soft, sweet black lotus with amber, sandalwood, and a bit of myrrh. Wet: The black lotus note is the strongest note on my skin. It actually does have a sweet, bubblegum-y quality to it, but I think it's kept in check by the resins, of which I can smell the amber and sandalwood the most. After a few minutes, I start to get more of the myrrh. Dry: The black lotus, sandalwood, and amber are the main players on my skin. The myrrh note, while more present than before, seems to be content with staying in the background. This is ultimately a sweet floral and resin scent, with the black lotus adding some sweetness to the scent (without veering into bubblegum territory). Verdict: This one was a lot nicer than I thought it would be. I don't think I would reach for it, since florals plus resins generally aren't my cup of tea, but I like this more than a lot of other floral + resin scents that I've tried.

Sweet pea, cherry blossoms, and sugared cream. In the bottle when it first arrived: Upon opening the bottle, I get the sweet pea note. I have the single note, so I know it is the main floral I am getting in the bottle. However, the sugared cream note makes it a sweeter sweet pea (if that makes sense). I can smell another floral in the background that must be the cherry blossom. This is really promising! In the bottle a few days later: The cherry blossom note is far more prominent after the blend has settled for a few days. However, I can still detect the sweet pea note. Wet: I can detect all of the notes, but the cherry blossom note is the dominant note on my skin at the moment. It is really lovely. Although it is cherry blossom, I can detect cherry in the note (much like I get apple from the Lab's Annurca Apple Blossom single note before the blossom dominates). The sugared cream note is emerging more over time. It is more cream than sugar on me. Dry: Ah, the 'sugared' part of the cream has made an appearance! This has dried down to a sugared cream (like the kind one would eat with a scone) with cherry blossom. Verdict: Absolutely lovely. I will definitely be keeping my bottle and may get a back-up bottle if I don't fall in love with too many scents from this Luper update. *edit* On second wear, the sweet pea is more prominent on me than it was during the first wear, and the scent is even more gorgeous than it was before! I think this is going to age wonderfully. I may need a second bottle.

In the imp: I get the green tea and lemon of the embalming fluid and the aftershave. It's a masculine Embalming Fluid! Wet: I am still getting lots of green tea and lemon, so the embalming fluid is the most prominent component on my skin at first. Then the scent becomes even cleaner smelling, thanks to the aftershave and possibly, whatever is comprising the reanimation agents. I'd still say this is like a masculine Embalming Fluid, or the clean part of Sherlock Holmes. The lemon note in the embalming fluid seems to be getting stronger over time. Dry: Definitely a more masculine Embalming Fluid, but not overly so. It's a clean, lemon/green tea/white musk/aftershave scent. I get more aftershave and musk during this phase of the scent. Verdict: I like this! Not enough to hunt to try to hunt down more, fortunately, but it's nice. Now I just have to decide whether to keep the imp for myself or if I should be nice and give this imp to my mom, since she discovered she was a fan of it after it was discontinued.

In the imp: I thought this one was going to be menacing, dark incense and ozone? But I'm getting orange peels from this. Is this citrus-y incense??? Wet: I'm actually getting a ton of citrus from this. It's either orange or bergamot. It's making my stomach growl whenever I smell it, which probably was not intended. Dry: This is still citrus-dominant on me for a long time. It doesn't end up turning into an ozonic incense scent until much, much later, when the scent is rather faint... and even then, the citrus is still present, although not as much as before. Verdict: This one was unexpected! It's not something I feel the need to grab more of, but it was a lot more pleasant than I thought it was going to be, thanks to the citrus.

In the imp: The white sandalwood and orris root are the first notes to jump out at me, followed by a bit of the coconut husk, and then the musk. Wet: The musk and incense notes are actually the strongest notes on my skin at first. Then, the coconut husk and orris root emerge. The coconut husk is adding a bit of welcome sweetness to the scent, while the orris is flaunting its powdery self all over the place. The musk, incense, and orris are now the dominant notes. Dry: Now the orris root reigns, backed by the musk and incense. The coconut husk is still present, adding a bit of sweetness, but it is fainter than it was before. After a while, the dry, white sandalwood emerges, making this an orris dominant scent, with the white sandalwood and musk in the background, and just a hint of coconut husk. Verdict: Orris root and I are not friends, and this scent was no exception. Glad I got to try it, though!

In the imp: Cedar and tangerine are the most prominent notes, followed by the saffron and black amber. I'm surprised that I'm not getting lots of vetiver from the imp, since it is usually so strong! Wet: The black amber note is the first to emerge, followed by the tangerine and smoky vetiver. Then, the cedar and saffron join in. The cedar, amber, and vetiver are now the strongest notes. Dry: This actually stays really close to the skin. The black amber reigns, warmed by a bit of cedar, and backed by the tangerine note, which hasn't burnt off yet, and some saffron. The vetiver note is really light now, surprisingly, and just adds a bit of smokiness. Verdict: This one is okay. I was worried about the vetiver and cedar, but they didn't end up being problematic here. It's not something that I think I need more of, but I'm glad I was able to try it.

In the imp: A heady floral with a spicy kick that isn't cinnamon. Wet: That's exactly what it is. I think the spice may be a pepper note. It's pretty strong and warms my skin. Then, an evergreen note wanders into the scent – I think it's a fir note. Dry: Super strong black pepper reigns, and it stays that way for a while. I know this is a Voodoo blend, but the prominence of the pepper makes me think that it could just as well be called Duchess and find a home in the Mad Tea Party line (but the pepper would probably need different backing notes). After a while, the floral aspect asserts itself, so that it ends up smelling like a peppery floral. Others have mentioned ylang ylang as a possible note, and I could see that being the case. After a while, a sweet aspect to the scent emerges. I think it's a honey note. So now the scent is a honeyed, peppery floral. Verdict: Queen is not for me, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it.

In the imp: I'm not exactly sure what I'm smelling. The best way I can describe it is a dirty floral and a spring floral. I think there may be some lilac in this, or possibly some violet or orris. Wet: This is a really heady floral scent on me. I do think there is lilac in this, possibly accompanied jasmine. If it is dragon's blood, it is a very floral dragon's blood note (as opposed to the cherry, spiced floral that I normally think of when I think of). It is really strong, and I can't smell it too often for fear of it causing a headache. Dry: Okay, now I get the dragon's blood's cherry floral self as the dominant note, backed by what I believe to be lilac. Verdict: This one isn't my cup of tea. This floral combo is just too heady for me, and the dragon's blood isn't cooperating with my skin (it has a bit of a cough-syrup-y vibe).

In the imp: A sweet floral, possibly sweetened with vanilla, and some soft spices. Wet: Dragon's blood, is that you? I'm getting a cherry-floral vibe from this, along with some vanilla. But dragon's blood isn't usually my friend, and this actually smells quite pleasant on me. Dry: Okay, I don't think this is actually dragon's blood. If it is dragon's blood, I'm surprised, because it has never behaved this well on me. I think this may contain a sweet variety of jasmine that seems to cooperate with my skin. I also think I'm getting some honeysuckle in this, which would explain why I'm enjoying this. I'm a slut for honeysuckle. I'm also wondering if there's some musk in this. After it has been dry for a while, it is much sweeter, and has a creamy, but powdery vibe to it. Now I'm thinking sweet jasmine and/or gardenia with some vanilla or something vanilla-like, and a touch of something softly lemon? I like it, but my boyfriend is getting that indolic vibe from this and isn't a fan. Verdict: I tried this a few years ago, and I thought it was decent then, but this has aged marvelously. I'm going to hold onto my imp for the scent (as I can't attest to the scent's intended purpose).

In the imp: Roses, spice, and herbs? It reminds me of something, but I can't pinpoint what. Wet: Ahh! I know what this reminds me of! It reminds me of Nanshe. AIUFDIOSUF()W*)$(%*R)W$(#*%!!!! I hope it continues to do so, because after my Great Nanshe Bottle Accident of 2017, something like it would be lovely. It has the same citrus-y herbiness as Nanshe, accompanied by some spice. As the scent begins to dry, the spice is declaring itself to be clove. Nanshe, is this you secretly mislabeled as #20 Love Oil? I swear I can smell lavender, lemon, and clove. Dry: #20 Love Oil makes me think of Nanshe plus rose. So rose, lavender, lemon, and clove. After a few hours, the rose becomes really prominent. It's not a red rose. I think it's a tea rose, or possibly a pink one. I still get a bit of lemon and spice, but I don't get as much clove from this as I do from Nanshe. Verdict: On one hand, I'm tempted to get this because it seems to be close to Nanshe during the wet stage. But I love Nanshe's ability to induce sleep and dreams, and of course, that's not the purpose of this oil. I'll have to keep my imp and test this again.

In the imp: A heady white floral. Wet: Yep, this is one is a heady white floral on me, but I don't think it is jasmine. This one is high-pitched. There's a lemon-y herbal-ness present in this that I'm also getting from #20 Love Oil. Dry: Alas, this is rather soapy on me. It's a high-pitched white floral accompanied by some lemon and citrus. I don't think it's the floral alone causing this cloud of dryer sheet. I think the herbs could be playing a role, or maybe there's some ozone or a whirl of opium or incense involved clashing with it. Verdict: This scent just doesn't work with my skin chemistry.

This is one of the imps I received in my early BPAL days. I've worn it before, but apparently have neglected to review it! In the imp: The waterlogged decks of a pirate ship. Salt water and woods! Wet: The sea spray and salty woods are the first notes to jump out at me, but it isn't long before the leather emerges. The leather note doesn't overtake the salty aquatic aspect of this scent, but it does take it in an even more masculine direction. Dry: Soft sea spray over black leather, which is now much calmer and smoother than before, with some bay rum and salty woods lingering in the background. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: This one matches its name perfectly! It's technically too masculine for me to wear on its own, but I layered it with Plunder on a special day a few years ago, so I feel the need to hang on to the imp for that reason.

In the imp: Spiced almonds! Wet: Boozy, spiced almond. But not spiced in a cinnamon-y way. I think it must be the bay. Dry: Almond, clove, and bay. There's a lot of clove present during this phase of the scent, and I am getting a bit of smoky rum in the background. After a while, the bay overtakes the clove. Verdict: I like the clove in this scent! But there are other scents with clove in them that I'd probably reach for before this, so I'm not sure I need to hold on to the imp.

In the imp: A lot more pleasant than I was expecting! I thought this would be really strong, with the patchouli and resins, but the red patchouli in this is soft, and the frankincense isn't sharp. In the imp, I get the frankincense the most, followed by the red sandalwood, and then the patchouli. I swear there's an unlisted salt water note, but perhaps that's just my imagination. Wet: The red patchouli is far more prominent on my skin, but it is a chewy patch that really complements the resins. I'm also getting more of the red sandalwood from the scent on my skin. The frankincense in this is very present, but isn't sharp by any means. I'm still getting something that reminds me of sea salt or sea air, or maybe ship wood strewn with salt water. But it isn't an aquatic scent! Dry: I'm still getting that salty sea air or salt-tinged wood impression! The red patchouli is the dominant note now, which now reads as a dry, red patch, backed by the soft resins. It definitely reads as red to my nose, and it has a bit of a spicy kick to it. Verdict: This one was a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be! It's not something I need a bottle of, but it's evocative of its name. I think I'll keep my imp.

In the imp: Super sweet! It reminds me of those hard butter rum flavored candies. Wet: Yeah, this is definitely the scent of butter rum flavored candies. Dry: Now spice notes have emerged, making this a sweet, spiced rum scent. It has a creamy, vanilla-like aspect to it now, that makes me think of something like rum-infused frosting... like the rum cupcakes in Captain Lilith and Her First Mate. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: The dry phase of Grog was nice, but the wet stage of the scent was way too cloying for me. I'll stick with Captain Lilith!

In the imp: Mostly Florentine iris, with some coconut and warm hazelnut. Florentine iris is a note that likes to turn into Dr. Pepper on me, so I do not have high hopes for this. Wet: The iris note reigns, with the white musk behind it making this a musky floral scent. Then, the Florentine iris note starts doing the Dr. Pepper thing on me, so I get that aspect of it, along with a baby product floral vibe. Dry: Super sweet, musky Dr. Pepper-y floral. Verdict: Florentine iris and I just cannot get along.

In the imp: A sweet, soft floral. This doesn't appear to be the bubblegum-y variety of lotus, but testing may show otherwise. Wet: Yep. This still reads as a sweet floral, and it doesn't remind me of bubblegum at all. Alas, it quickly veered into soap territory. Maybe that will change once it dries? Dry: The floral is now sweeter, thanks to the emergence of the honey. This unfortunately still smells somewhat soapy on me, although it's not as soapy as before. I do not get any actual 'tree' aspect to this scent (no wood or leaves)... just lotus tinged with honey. Verdict: Lotus and I aren't generally friends, and while this one didn't end up being too sweet on me, it sadly ventured into The Soap Kingdom. I'm glad to have gotten to try this scent inspired by Tennyson's poem, though!

This is one that I've tried before, but neglected to review. Time to retest and review! In the imp: The floral notes are the most prominent in the imp, with the wisteria being the star of the show. I'm also getting a lot of white musk, and I can smell the white sandalwood in the background. Wet: The high-pitched wisteria reigns, and the white musk is really strong as well. After a minute, the lavender emerges, followed by the white sandalwood. The pale rose in this shows up after a few minutes of wear, which is a bit sour on my skin. Dry: The high-pitched wisteria has calmed down and has lost its high-pitched quality. It's still the note I get the most from this. The pale rose is no longer sour, and the herbal lavender is present, but soft. The tear-streaked white musk is still playing a major role, and I think it is serving it's purpose, but alas, it takes the scent into dryer sheet territory on me. I'm not getting any of the white sandalwood from this anymore. Verdict: I love Keats' poem, so I wanted to love this. Alas, this one just doesn't jive with my skin chemistry. After holding on to this imp for a few years, I suppose it is time to pass it on. I'm glad I got to try it, though!

In the imp: Laurel and mandarin, with some florals, musk, and woods. Wet: The laurel note is the first to emerge, along with some pepper, followed by the stargazer lily, and a little bit of the woods. Dry: This dried down to a musky mandarin and lily scent on me, but after a while, the splintered woods started playing more of a role (and I think a dry sandalwood may be one of the woods). There's a slight kick to it due to the pepper (which I think is white pepper). The mandarin and pepper combo kind of reminds me of Tweedledee. Verdict: This one is okay, but not really me. Still, it was nice to be able to try it.