doomsday_disco

In the bottle: Sugared lavender accompanied by some citrus. It smells like lavender candy. Wet: Sugared lavender and lemon. It's still reminiscent of lavender candy, with the lavender being stronger than it is in scents like Sugar Phoenix and Happy Baby in a Long Dress (on my skin, at least). After a few minutes, the citrus note is confined to a background role thanks to the sugared lavender, which is gaining strength as it sits on my skin, and then a white chocolate note emerges. Dry: In the early dry stage, it is sugared lavender and white chocolate. Then, the white chocolate note gets stronger, and the lavender begins to calm down, and I think I smell a hint of the strawberry note used in Love (from the Pickman Gallery: A Tremulous Song in 2013), or possibly the rose sugar. Or maybe it's a combination of those notes. There is something present in this that I am sure is present in that scent, and it only seems to be getting stronger over time, winding through the white chocolate and lavender. Then, whatever is reminding me of Love, whether it be rose sugar, or the tinge of strawberry, or both, ends up dominating the scent after hours of wear. By this point, it reminds somewhat of a sponge cake topped with cream and strawberries, although it isn't particularly cake-y. (And it's making me hungry!) I don't get any lavender from this anymore. Verdict: This one is a morpher! The wet and dry stages are really different from one another (especially after the scent has been dry for a while), but I really enjoyed every step of the journey. As a fan of sugary florals and of gourmands, I'm really happy to have a bottle of this in my collection.

A few years ago, I opened this imp and got some on me, and it smelled like wood varnish. I have been avoiding testing this once since then... but here goes. In the imp: I get both notes. The golden sandalwood jumped out to me first, though. Wet: At first, it's this soft amber, but then the golden sandalwood note emerges, along with the rose part of the amber note, and the combination is quite sharp and somewhat sour (but not nearly as sharp as it was when the imp was fresh). Dry: After the scent has been dry for a while, it becomes softer, and the amber gets to shine. I'm still getting a lot of the golden sandalwood, but the rose has calmed down significantly, so it's not sour anymore. Verdict: Although the dry phase was pleasant, the wet stage of the scent wasn't very nice on me. I have to say that a few years of aging really helped this scent, though!

In the imp: Rose and narcissus. Both are pretty strong, but the rose is slightly stronger to my nose. Wet: This one is very heady, with the rose and narcissus both vying for the throne. The rose note ends up with the crown. Dry: The rose still reigns, with the narcissus sulking behind it. Verdict: This one certainly fits its name, but it is far too heady for me.

In the imp: The citrus notes jump out to me the most! The tangerine is the most prominent, and I can also smell the bergamot, some of the dark musk, and then the floral notes. Wet: The tangerine reigns, and it's so juicy that it's making me hungry (and glad that I have some orange-flavored chocolate around). Then the bergamot peeks out and decides to join it, making the scent more perfume-y. The dark musk note emerges and gains strength pretty quickly on me, and the floral notes are starting to vie for attention as well (mostly the rose, jasmine, and lily, and not the carnation, which is surprising, as I generally amp that note). Dry: The dark musk is a lot stronger now. The tangerine note is still present, but it is not nearly as strong as it was before, and the same goes for the bergamot. The floral notes are stronger during this phase, and the carnation, which I was not getting during the wet stage, is beginning to peak out and add some spice to the scent. Then, there was a phase when the musk and jasmine were amping a lot with the tangerine adding some extra sweetness, that was almost too much to bear. After a while, it ends up being a predominantly floral scent, with the lily and jasmine being the strongest notes, followed by some musk, rose, and what remains of the citrus. Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet stage of the scent and the initial drydown, but it ended up mostly being a musky floral scent on me in the end, which is not my cup of tea. I'm glad I got a chance to try it, though!

In the imp: Fresh rose... perhaps tea rose? I'm not really getting any spice from the imp. Wet: Fresh rose (with that citrus-y element that Rose Red has) is all I'm getting from this thus far. After a few minutes, I do begin to smell the Victorian spices, but they are very soft, adding a little bite to the fresh rose. Dry: Still a fresh rose, which is somewhat sour on me, because that is what this type of rose does on my skin, with just a breath of the Victorian spices. Verdict: This rose note just does not cooperate with my skin chemistry.

In the imp: This is mostly Arabian musk and rose to my nose, with just a bit of spice. Wet: On my skin, it's still mostly musky rose and only a bit of spice. The Arabian musk note is stronger than the rose at first, but then the rose note quickly asserts itself. Dry: This is still all musky rose on me, with some faint,, dry spices in the background. I thought the musk and spices could mean Morocco plus roses, but that isn't the case at all. Verdict: This one isn't one I could see myself reaching for (I have a ton of rose scents as it is and prefer sugared florals), but I'm glad I got to try it.

In the imp: I smell flowers, lightly spiced. I'm thinking possibly jasmine, honeysuckle, and soft rose (maybe pink?), but I'm not sure. Wet: Honeysuckle accompanied by soft spices. At least, that's what I get at first, thinking of Chimera if it weren't heavy on the cinnamon. But that quickly goes away, and now I think I may be getting some lilac from this, along with honeysuckle. I think there may also be lily in this, and there's a bit of a green quality to it as well. There's a white floral note in here that is getting stronger as the scent dries. Dry: Unfortunately, the scent is so light during this stage that I can't try to pick out any notes that I'm smelling. The spices have pretty much dissipated, leaving behind a soft floral and just a tinge of spice. Verdict: This one was okay during the wet stage, but it became too faint once it was dry, just leaving behind a soft floral, so it's not for me.

I know I tried this a few years ago when Pele first appeared in a lunacy poll, but apparently I never actually reviewed it, and I can't remember my thoughts on it. So... proper review time! In the imp: Warm, white florals. Wet: Warm, tropical florals and Hawaiian white ginger, with the latter quickly becoming the most prominent note, followed by the lily and what I think might be gardenia. There's a creaminess and a warmth to this scent. Dry: The scent is much lighter now. I'm still getting a lot of the Hawaiian white ginger. The scent seems to be sweeter during this phase – I think I'm smelling some coconut along with the florals. After a while, it becomes a soft, white floral scent. It's still warm, but it isn't as creamy, and it has lost its sweetness. Verdict: This one is pleasant, but I don't think I'd reach for it. I wish the creaminess and sweetness had stuck around a while longer!

I know I've tried this before, but I guess I never ended up writing a proper review. In the imp: The mist and dew notes leap out to me the most, along with some herbs. Wet: Dewy, soft white florals and herbs. I think there's a moss in this, too, perhaps one of the mosses found in Cathode, which is adding some warmth to the scent. Dry: Now there is a bit of spice present when smelled up close – maybe ginger? I am not able to adequately pick out what I'm smelling, but this is a white floral blend accompanied by some moss, the aquatic mist and dew, and a bit of spice. After a few hours, the scent becomes sweeter, and the white floral aspect is more prominent. I wonder if this contains jasmine. This is something that jasmine usually does on me. The moss, spice, and herbs are not as strong as they had been, but they're still lingering in the background. Verdict: I'm enjoying this a lot more than when I first tried it. I'll be hanging on to my imp.

In the imp: Lotus and rose, with far more lotus than rose. Wet: The lotus note reigns, but I do smell more of the rose on my skin than I did in the imp. At least one of these lotus notes is of the sweet, bubblegum-y variety. But the lotus doesn't get to flaunt its full bubblegum-y glory, fortunately, thanks to the rose keeping it in check. I think I'm getting tea rose and red rose from this. Dry: The lotus is never allowed to make this full-on bubblegum, but it is really strong and sweet. It's a nice, youthful, sweet rose scent. Verdict: I was afraid of this one due to the lotus, but it actually ended up being a pleasant surprise on me. I can't see myself reaching for it over the other sweet rose scents I already have, and it's a little too heady for me, but I'm glad that I got to try it.

In the imp: Lots of plumeria, followed by a bit of pear and white champagne. Wet: I'm getting a lot more of the white champagne on my skin than I did in the imp, but I tend to amp that note. But the plumeria note is pretty strong, too. I'm only getting a bit of the pear note. Dry: The champagne note has been overtaken by the plumeria, so that it's mostly plumeria and pear, with some champagne lingering in the background. After a while, the champagne ends up reasserting itself, so that it becomes mostly plumeria and champagne on me. Verdict: The plumeria and pear end up being too heady and sweet for me. I'm not generally a fan of fruit and floral combinations (I prefer sugared florals), but I'd recommend it to those who enjoy that kind of combo.

In the imp: I'm mostly getting the bois de rose accompanied by the white musk with just a bit of the pear and lily. Wet: This is softer on my skin than it was in the imp. The pear note is more prominent on my skin and is helping to tame the bois de rose, which is still the strongest note, but not as strong as it was in the imp. I'm also getting more of the lily than I did in the imp. It's a musky, soft floral scent slightly sweetened by some pear. Dry: Musky bois de rose and lily of the valley with just a bit of pear. Verdict: This one is nice, but not one I could really see myself reaching for. I was hoping it would be sweeter with the presence of the pear note, but the bois de rose really dominates on my skin.

In the bottle: Surprisingly creamy! This one definitely reminds me of Reflected Vulva without the cherry blossom. I have the Sweet Pea SN, and this HG has a creaminess present that isn't in the single note. In my hair, I get this amazing, creamy, sugared sweet pea scent. It has good throw. I applied this to my wet hair one day and my dry hair the next, and sometimes, on the wet hair days, the hair gloss doesn't have much throw after the initial application. That isn't the case with this hair gloss, which I could smell whenever I held my hair up to my nose throughout the first day when I applied it to wet hair, and I get hit with even more of the scent when applied to dry hair. The sugar cane ends up coming out more throughout the day and adding this wonderful warmth to the scent. I love this. I'm not sure one bottle will be enough.

In the imp: Exactly as it says on the tin: frankincense and myrrh Wet: Frankincense and myrrh, in that order. The frankincense note in this is pretty strong. I enjoy the frankincense and vanilla combo of Hope and Fear Set Free, but without any sweetness to tame it, frankincense can be too sharp for me, and that is certainly true of the frankincense in Penitence. Dry: Once it is dry, the frankincense calms down somewhat, and the myrrh note ends up playing a greater role. It's a soft, sweet myrrh, the kind I like. After a few hours, it's all soft, cozy resins. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I like the end result, but the frankincense is too strong during the wet phase for my liking. I'm going to try layering this with something like SN French Vanilla to see if I enjoy it that way (since I'm running really low on Hope and Set Free), but I can't see myself reaching for this much on its own (since I typically enjoy scents that are sweetened or sugared in some way).

In the imp: Musky apricot, followed by the orange blossom. Wet: The fresh, juicy apricot note reigns. The orange blossom is lurking behind it, and I'm sure it will end up taking over at some point, but I hope the apricot note lasts a while before it does. Dry: The apricot note is still present, but the orange blossom has become a lot stronger, sadly. Orange blossom is an iffy note for me (it can cause headaches or turn to cough syrup on me), and it's too strong here for my liking. The musk note is a lot more prominent now too, so that it's a musky apricot with the orange blossom note right behind it. But sometimes, the perfume-y orange blossom seems so strong to me that I can barely smell the apricot. Verdict: I'm glad I got to try another apricot scent, but the orange blossom plays too much of a role on my skin for me to truly enjoy this.

In the imp: I'm getting white florals with a smattering of greenery. Wet: This is a soft white floral scent on my skin. I'm not able to pick out the notes, but the sour quality that I smelled in the imp isn't present at the moment, and there's a bit of sweetness to it, like an almost fruit-y sweetness. Perhaps that's the osmanthus. Dry: After a while, it remains a soft, white floral scent, but it's not as sweet anymore. I think the ivy has come out to play. A few hours later, it is still the soft white florals, backed by the ivy and accompanied by a dusty quality that I'm thinking could be the coffin spray note? Verdict: This one is not one I could see myself reaching for... not bad, just not 'me'.

In the imp: Sweet narcissus and opium, backed by some myrrh. Wet: The sweet, heady narcissus reigns, with the opium right beside it. In no time at all, the opium overtakes the narcissus on me, and after a few minutes, the myrrh note emerges, taming the sweetness of the narcissus and making this a dark floral and incense scent. At least, it does that briefly. Then the narcissus rears its read and decides its reign isn't over, and its sweet aroma tries to declare dominion over the other notes once more. Dry: The narcissus is candy-sweet and reminds me of something like SweeTarts at one point. The opium is still going pretty strong as well. Sometimes, I get more of the narcissus, and sometimes, more of the opium. The myrrh note is content with its background role and doesn't seem to want to challenge either of the notes. After a few hours, the myrrh does end up increasing in strength, but the narcissus reigns. Verdict: Who knew darkness could be so sweet? This one isn't one I can see myself reaching for, but I really like the poem that inspired it, so I'm glad I was able to try it.

In the imp: Dirt! But this soil note seems to be drier and sweeter than others that I've tried. Wet: The dirt is the first note to emerge, but it is the softest dirt note I've encountered from BPAL. I do get a dry, red patchouli-filled dirt note, but it's as if a handful of dirt has been thrown over something soft, instead of smelling like lots of freshly disturbed wet soil. I'm not sure yet, but it's possible that the sweet, soft note is actually benzoin: it has a resinous vibe to it, and I don't think it is vanilla. As it begins to dry, it begins getting quite powdery on me. Orris, is that you? Dry: The scent veers out of powder territory and ends up being really sweet on me! Now I'm pretty sure I am getting coconut tinged by the soft soil note. It's warm and comforting. I still think there may be benzoin along with the coconut. After a while, it's hard to even detect a tinge of soil anymore. It's far in the background, buried underneath all of the sweetness. Verdict: This one was a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do. I didn't like the powdery phase, but the end result is really nice. I'll hang on to the imp and see how much use it gets before deciding whether or not a bottle will be in my future.

In the bottle: Buttercream, honey cake, and unexpectedly smoky almonds. Wet: I'm still getting lots of buttercream and honey, which are super sweet, and then the cake part of the honey cake pops out after a moment. The almonds, which had really worried me from inside the bottle due to the smoky quality I was getting, do smell like caramelized almonds on my skin, and fortunately, the smoky aspect is not present (at least, not yet). The caramelized almonds seem to be getting stronger as this sits on my skin, but the buttercream and honey cake are still going strong as well. As the scent begins to dry, the buttercream note has gotten stronger and made the scent creamier. The honey is still going strong, and the caramelized almonds are softer and sweeter. Dry: After it has been dry for a while, the cake part of the honey cake really stands out, so that I get honey cake covered in a nice layer of buttercream. By this point, the almond note has calmed down significantly and really light compared to the honey cake and buttercream notes. Verdict: I was afraid this would end up being oddly smoky on me. It wasn't. Then I was afraid that it was going to be too cloying on me, with the intense honey and buttercream, but it ended up calming down and smelling like honey cake in the end! I'm happy to have a bottle. Thank you, dear fairy, for picking this one up for me!

The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story. Hearken and observe: black iris, French lavender, Roman chamomile, and frankincense. In the decant: Mostly black iris, followed by lavender and chamomile. Wet: The black iris note reigns, still followed by the lavender and chamomile, but then the frankincense emerges and starts gaining strength pretty quickly. But then the lavender reasserts itself, so that it's mostly the iris and lavender. Dry: The black iris note continues to reign, and it's so strong, and it, combined with the sharpness of this particular lavender, are threatening to give me a headache, sadly. Verdict: I was hoping this might be a wonderful sleep blend, but alas, it's not really for me. Still, I think it the iris and lavender certainly make this loud and sharp and fitting for its namesake. If you're a fan of iris, you'll probably enjoy this, but it's just too much for me.

In the imp: Frankincense, white carnation, and chamomile. Wet: Frankincense, spicy carnation, chamomile, and what I'm guessing could be angelica (but I'm not familiar with the note). The carnation note is threatening to overtake the frankincense and eventually does as the scent begins to dry. Dry: The spicy white carnation note dominates. I tend to amp carnation, sometimes to the point where it stomps all over everything else, but underneath it, I can smell the chamomile and frankincense, and what could be angelica (it's very herbal). The carnation and chamomile are the strongest notes on me. It's a spicy floral/smoky herbal scent. It reminds me somewhat of Mare Foecunditatis, only more floral and less autumn-like. Verdict: The carnation in this is too strong on me (to the point where I thought the spice of it was going to burn my skin at one point). It's not unpleasant, but not something I need a bottle of.

In the imp: Frankincense, cinnamon, and violet. Wet: I'm still getting the frankincense, cinnamon, and violet, in that order. Then, the cinnamon note overtakes the frankincense, and the violet gets stronger as well. Dry: Mostly violet spiced and a soft cinnamon note, with some light frankincense in the background. Verdict: Violet is usually problematic on me, but I guess the cinnamon has kept it in check in this scent. This one is a lot better than I thought it would be, but not one I could see myself wearing.

In the imp: Lots of bois de rose and white florals. Wet: I'm not familiar with angel's trumpet, but I think it's the main note I'm getting on my skin after the bois de rose calms down a bit. After a few minutes, the orris note ends up becoming really strong, which is something orris tends to do on me.Then the bois de rose ends up reasserting itself again, so that it's bois de rose, angel's trumpet, and orris. I can't pick out the lettuce yet. Dry: Now I'm getting the wild lettuce note. It's adding this green, watery vibe to this now soft rose and white floral scent. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I'm surprised the orris didn't take over. It's not one I would reach for, but I'm glad to have gotten to try it (I wasn't sure about the lettuce, but it wasn't problematic at all)!

In the imp: I'm only able to smell the citrus notes. The yuzu is the most prominent of the three. Wet: The citrus is tart. The yuzu dominates. I'm also getting the white grapefruit, which I believe is providing an extra bit of citrus zing. I'm not sure if I am getting starting to get the citrus-y, ozone-y snow note as the scent dries, or if it is just all of the citrus making me think that. Dry: I am getting the kumquat and some fizziness. After a few hours of wear, it becomes a faint citrus scent with some even lighter snow-dusted florals in the background. It's barely there after two hours of wear, and after two and a half hours, the citrus is completely gone, just leaving a faint trace of florals. Verdict: I liked the citrus, but this one fades too quickly on me.

In the imp: This is a fresh red rose with lots of greenery. Wet: Fresh, tart, dewy rose (reminiscent of Rose Red). The green stem and leaves are present, too. Dry: Same, but more tart than before. This one does the same thing on me that I didn't like about Rose Red 2005. Verdict: This isn't the kind of rose scent that I enjoy on my skin. It's similar to Rose Red, but I only wear that in hair gloss form because of the sour quality I seem to bring out in the scent. I'm glad I was able to try it, though!