doomsday_disco

In the decant: Sweet tangerines and candy, followed by Sicilian orange, and then the anise. Wet: This smells like orange candy on me. The anise starts off lurking in the background, but then quickly gains prominence. I'm not fond of anise, so I was hoping it would stay in the background. It smells like anise candy now. Dry: Candied anise. It smells soft, like there is a powder around the candy. The citrus notes are lingering in the background. Verdict: There is just too much anise in this one for me, though the candy part of this smells nice.

In the decant: This smells like a Christmas tree! A fresh fir tree, not a dead one. Wet: TREE SMELL. I love the smell of evergreens. This is like that, but more intense. As time goes on, it really does start to smell like a tree that is drying out because everyone neglected to water it. But it hasn't turned as dry as the fir note in Aperotos Eros, though (at least, not yet!). Dry: The scent has morphed from a fresh tree to a tree that has been water-deprived and is very dry. Fir needles are scattered on the floor. Verdict: I'm so glad that I was able to try this! It's really interesting how Beth was able to capture the different phases of a Christmas tree. I don't think a bottle of this one will be in my future, but only because I don't think I'd reach for it enough. It's nice, though!

In the decant: HONEYSUCKLE LIKE WHOA, followed by the brief appearance of another floral note. I'm not sure if it is asphodel or hyacinth, as I'm not too familiar with either of those. (I think I've only smelled asphodel in The Silver Stream.) Wet: Honeysuckle, followed by the other floral that I can't identify, but it is bulbous and has a watery quality to it. That floral note is a lot stronger on my skin than it was in the decant. I can smell a bit of snow as well (it's not the sweet snow of Go to Sleep, Darlings or Snow White). The honeyed vetiver has not made an appearance at all yet. Alas, the honeysuckle is not nearly as strong on my skin as it was in the decant. It hasn't gone away, but I really wanted complete honeysuckle gloriousness. So fair and foul a day, I have not seen. Dry: The other floral note is much more prominent now. The honeysuckle is still present, and fairly strong, but if you're hoping for single note honeysuckle, this is not it. As far as the vetiver goes, let me just say that vetiver and I do not get along, and I can barely detect it here. There is just a faint hint of smokiness in the background, but it is very faint. I have to press my nose to my wrist and inhale really deeply in order to detect it at all. Verdict: I'm going to hold onto my decant, but I don't think I need a bottle of this. This scent has only strengthened my desire for a Honeysuckle SN or a sugared honeysuckle scent.

In the decant: There are some florals I can't identify, followed by lavender. Wet: Same. Florals and lavender. I'm not sure which floral is the dominant note – I know it isn't the iris root, as I'm familiar with that. What I'm getting is pale, white floral, with a bit of a powdery quality to it – perhaps it's the moonflower? Dry: Soft, pale, sweet florals. The lavender isn't as prominent during this phase, and the vanilla orchid is present now. The white sandalwood note is very faint, and I'm not getting much moss, either. Verdict: I like this. I'll be holding onto my decant, as I think this would be a nice, relaxing blend to wear before bed. I don't think I'll end up upgrading to a bottle, though.

In the decant: The lilac water and bergamot were the strongest notes when this first arrived, but after settling for a few weeks, the floral notes seem to be the strongest, with the amber chypre and bergamot residing in the background. Wet: Lilac water reigns, but the rose petals gain strength over time. The combination of these two florals isn't very good on my skin. It's verging on being sour. D: Dry: Okay, the floral notes have calmed down, and the sour vibe has gone away. The lilac water is still the dominant note, but I can smell the amber in the background now. I prefer this phase of the scent. After a few hours, the amber becomes the dominant note on my skin. Verdict: The wet phase was not a good one on my skin, and even though I enjoy the amber that is present during the dry down, and the florals softened significantly, the wet stage is enough to make me stay away from this scent.

In the decant: Clove, musk, and resins. The burgundy musk note seems to have a similarity to red musk, but it isn't as sweet, and it's deeper. Wet: I'm getting a lot of clove from this, as well as the musk note, and some of the red sandalwood. Then, the oudh note peeks out, which deepens the blend further. The clove is the strongest note on me, but I am not surprised, as my skin usually does this with clove, and I really enjoy clove. The musk note seems to be gaining prominence over time, though. Dry: This is still mostly clove and musk on me, followed by the resins. I can't pick out the saffron in this one. I think “incense-y” is probably the best way to describe this one. Verdict: I was worried about the burgundy musk in this, but I'm finding that I enjoy it more than the Lab's usual red musk note. That said, I don't feel like I need to upgrade to a bottle, but I'm glad that I tried it.

In the decant: I'm getting the Lab's slushy snow note, accompanied by wood. Wet: The snow note reigns, but the wood note is present, and I do get the 'decayed' aspect of it from the description. I don't smell anything that reminds me of clay. Dry: Mainly slushy snow, but the snow note is sweeter now than it was during the wet stage of the scent. Verdict: I don't think I need more of this, but I'm glad that I was able to try it!

In the bottle: Chocolate accompanied by lemony sugar. There is something in here (either a lemony honey and/or sugar note) that reminds me of Sweets to the Sweet. Wet: Sugar, honey, and chocolate. I'm still getting that lemon vibe from one of the sugar and/or honey notes. The 'dusted with chocolate' description fits perfectly. I am not getting a lot of vanilla from this right now, so hopefully it emerges more during the dry stage. Dry: The vanilla is more prominent during this phase, but the sugar, honey, and chocolate are all stronger. I can only smell the vanilla when I huff my wrist. It still reminds me of Sweets to the Sweet with the addition of a dusting of chocolate. Verdict: I'm going to hold onto this in the hope that the vanilla comes out more with age, and then I'll retest it then. But at the moment, I think a decant of this one would have sufficed.

In the bottle: This is mostly melted bittersweet chocolate with a hint of the coffee grounds that others have mentioned. When this arrived, it was pretty much only chocolate, but now the marshmallow note and cookie have come out more, although the chocolate note is still the strongest in the bottle. I hope the marshmallow is a lot stronger on my skin, because it's the reason I bought a blind bottle of this. Wet: This is more cookie-like on me. The chocolate is still the strongest note, and it's definitely melted. I'm still getting a bit of that coffee ground vibe. The marshmallow note emerges after a bit, adding a nice, fluffy creaminess to the scent. Dry: The marshmallow note is far more prominent during this stage, making the scent smell like a chocolate chip cookie, fresh from the oven, with a nice dollop of marshmallow. Verdict: I was actually wary of trying this one, because it smelled so strongly of melted chocolate in the bottle. I'm glad that I got more marshmallow from this on my skin. I think I would have been happy with a decant of this, but I'll hang onto my bottle for now, and I'll consider getting the hair gloss. It depends on what Lupercalia brings.

In the bottle: Syrupy, sweet blueberry pie filling. The cream note is present, but it's mostly just the blueberry pie filling note. I'm not getting any pie crust from this. Wet: The blueberry pie filling reigns, but I'm getting more of the cream note on my skin than I was in the bottle (thankfully). The scent in the bottle made me think this fruity pie scent might be too intense for me, but it's not. After a bit, the blueberry note warms up, and it starts to smell more pie-like. Dry: This is still predominantly blueberry pie filling. The cream is still present, but it isn't as strong as I was hoping it would be. There is just a hint of crust. Verdict: Aww, I was really hoping to get a lot of cream from this one. I don't dislike it, but I am not very fond of berry scents, and because there wasn't enough cream in this for me, I can't see myself reaching for it very often. I may end up trying to swap this one for a different pie.

I bought this because I adore sugary floral scents and thought this one might be like Butterfly Nectar. But Butterfly Nectar is far sweeter than this scent. When this first arrived, I thought the first thing I thought was that this contained a yellow flower, and possibly some of the wildflowers in Venus Verticordia. On my skin, I definitely get pale florals that are sweetened over time by the honey. But I am getting more of the florals from this than honey. It's probably the least sweet floral + honey scent that I own. The florals in this are soft, and the scent stays close to the skin. I'll definitely be keeping my bottle, but I'm not sure that I need a back-up of it after all.

In the bottle: Hard green candy and pale caramel. Wet: The caramel is stronger on me than it was in the bottle, but it doesn't take the green apple candy note to assert its presence. Dry: This smells like a green apple lollipop coated with pale caramel. The apple candy note has calmed down a lot, and the pale caramel smells delicious in this stage. Fortunately, I'm not really getting any of the “grey matter” in the description. Verdict: I'll be keeping my bottle!

In the bottle: Sweet, soft, and creamy. Sweeter than a bag of marshmallows, but probably not as sweet as marshmallow fluff. It kind of reminds me of the best homemade whipped cream that would be perfect for dipping fruit into, but more marshmallow-y and not as sweet as the vanilla cream in Boo hair gloss. From the first sniff, I already knew I loved this and that I'd need more than one bottle in my life. Wet: The creamy innards of a melted marshmallow accompanied by vanilla cream? I don't know what to say except for that THIS IS SO AMAZING I CAN'T EVEN. It even smells fluffy, but not like actual wool, so don't let the 'wooly' part of the description scare you away from this. There is something in it keeping it from being completely gourmand, though. Dry: I feel like the sugared aspect is more prominent during the dry phase, making the scent like a sugary, vanilla cream. Verdict: One bottle will not be enough. I think this one will be extremely popular. I hope that it doesn't end up going out of stock for good before the Yule takedown date, because I'm going to need a few back-up bottles of this one.

In the decant: Butter Rum Lifesavers come to mind. I can also smell the caramel. Wet: Strong butter rum hard candy, followed by a smooth caramel note. Then, the vanilla note emerges. It's quite sweet, verging on almost too sweet for my liking, but then the tobacco note emerges and doesn't take long to gain strength. Dry: Mostly tobacco, butter rum candy, and caramel. The combination of tobacco, candy, and caramel remind me of a less complex, kiddie version of Red Lantern. The vanilla is stronger now, adding to the candy-sweetness of the blend. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I'm glad that there is tobacco in this... otherwise, it would have been too sweet for me! I don't need a bottle, but I'm glad that I was able to try it!

In the decant: This really does smell like buttered popcorn with a bit of sweetness from the jellybean note. Wet: The warm, buttery popcorn note dominates, but I can also smell the fruity sweetness of the jellybean note. I do get a bit of waxiness from the jellybean note, but not a lot of it. Sometimes the jellybean note, combined with the popcorn note, reminds me of Fruity Pebbles or Trix cereal, though. Dry: The jellybean note is stronger during this phase, and the popcorn is less intense. It still reminds me somewhat of Trix cereal, though. A friend of mine thinks it smells like Flintstones vitamins. Verdict: I like this, but I don't think I'd wear it enough to warrant a bottle. I'm definitely holding onto my decant, though!

In the decant: Lavender and the scent of green leaves that are starting to turn. Wet: This is lavender and leaf dominant, but I'm getting the wildflowers as well. Dry: This is still lavender dominant, with the leaves still being rather strong as well. Sometimes I get more lavender and wildflowers from this, and sometimes I get more lavender and leaves when I smell my wrist. Usually, it's the latter, though. I'm not getting any of the sun-warmed dirt on my skin. Verdict: I like the lavender, but I wish the leaf note weren't as strong. I think I'll hang onto my decant, but I'll pass on a full bottle of this one.

In the decant: Coffee beans, sweetened by the caramel and vanilla. Wet: There was a quick rush of the sweet notes, but the coffee note quickly declared dominion over all. It really does smell like roasted coffee beans. Hopefully the vanilla comes out more, because at the moment, this is too much coffee for me! Dry: The scent has definitely gotten sweeter over time, with the vanilla and caramel making it seem more like a creamy, sweet cup of coffee as opposed to actual coffee beans. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I'm not going to leap for a bottle because the wet phase is a little too intense on the coffee note for me. I think I'll hang onto my decant, though!

In the decant: Mostly moss and some Snake Oil with a tinge of Dorian, although I was mainly getting Dorian from this when the decant first arrived. Wet: A blast of moss, and then the blend of Snake Oil and Dorian emerges, followed by a spiced carnation note. The moss still reigns, but the spiced carnation and the spices of the Snake Oil aren't far behind. Dry: The spiced carnation and spices of the Snake Oil overtook the moss note for the most part. A while later, the scent becomes sweeter when the Dorian and honey become more prominent. Verdict: I'm going to keep my decant as I am curious to see how this ages, but I don't think I need a bottle since there's too much moss in this for my liking.

I tried this at Denver Comic Con and liked it, but I wanted to give it a proper test to make sure that the cinnamon doesn't burn when applying a larger quantity. So I ordered an imp. In the imp: Sweet cinnamon (probably sweetened by the honeysuckle), with the resins lingering rather faintly in the background. Wet: Yes, the honeysuckle note is making the cinnamon note sweeter. It's mostly just cinnamon and honeysuckle on me at the moment, with just a hint of the myrrh. The description says 'fiery' cinnamon, but this is actually a softer cinnamon, so it hasn't burned my skin. Huzzah! The honeysuckle note seems to be emerging more with time, never overtaking the cinnamon, but adding a lovely creaminess to the scent. Dry: Soft cinnamon and creamy honeysuckle. I can smell a bit of the myrrh if I inhale really deeply, but only a bit. I am not getting the smoky copal note at all. Verdict: I really like this! This one will likely be a full bottle purchase in the future, as I adore honeysuckle, and it contains a cinnamon note that doesn't burn my sensitive skin. But first, I'm going to see how quickly I go through my imp.

Oops. I guess I forgot to review this. I was not a fan of the original Silkybat, which I decided to try because of the 'sugared' part of the description. Still, I thought I'd give Frosty Silkybat a chance, since it contained snow and vanilla notes -- two notes I enjoy. Alas, it was still not my cup of tea. There was just too much patchouli for my liking (and not enough snow or vanilla). I think it's a red patchouli. (Oddly enough, I adore Revenant Rhythm, but I think it's the prominence of the vanilla that makes that one so great for me.)

In the imp: Mostly pine, followed by the juniper and musk. Wet: Pine and juniper reign. The pine note in this feels more realistic and less in-your-face than the pine in Black Forest, which also contains juniper and pine. The musk is getting stronger as the scent sits on my skin, but I don't believe it's the same musk used in Black Forest. I think this may contain one of the musk notes found in Smut, but I could be wrong. It has a syrup-y, grape-y vibe to it. Dry: This is musk-dominant on me now, followed by the pine. I'm really not enjoying this musk note. Verdict: I like the pine in this more than Black Forest, but I prefer the black musk note used in Black Forest. I'm going to pass my imp on to a friend that enjoys tree scents.

In the decant: Almond and brown leather. Wet: Leather and almond, with the leather being the most prominent note on my skin. It kind of reminds me of walking into a shoe closet, but with the presence of almond around. Dry: It's still leather-dominant, although the leather is a lot softer now. There's only a bit of the almond left now, and I'm getting some amber as well, but no vanilla, sadly. Verdict: This is just too leather-dominant for my liking.

In the decant: Currants and thick cake drizzled with honey. Wet: Okay, I can definitely tell that the currants are sugared now. This is cake is thick (not airy), like a pound cake, and it is nothing like the cake in Eat Me, though the currant note still makes me think of that scent. I'd say this is different enough from Eat Me for those that are interested in having another cake scent. Dry: Honey pound cake and currants, with more cake than currants now. Verdict: I'm glad that I was able to try this. It's nice, but I don't need more of it.

In the decant: Strawberry licorice and compote (maybe that's the pink jelly), followed by the marshmallow and clotted cream notes. Wet: Strawberry like whoa. Berry scents aren't usually my jam, so I'm hoping the marshmallow and clotted cream come out more. The cream note is present, but residing in the background. The strawberry note becomes more candy-like and less jam-like as it sits on my skin. Dry: Mostly strawberry licorice, with some marshmallow goo and cream lingering in the background. Verdict: I was hoping for more marshmallow and cream, but sadly, there is just too much strawberry in this one for me.

In the decant: Creamy goat's milk and sweet honey, accompanied by the musk note. I really like the combination of the milk and honey notes! Wet: Mostly goat's milk and honey, with the honey being a lot stronger on my skin than it was in the imp. I'm also getting some musk and what I believe may be the rice flower note. The honey note starts to calm down, and the goat's milk note gains prominence. The rice flower note seems to be getting stronger over time as well. On some sniffs, it's almost like a gourmand due to the milk and honey notes, but on others, it is more like a creamy, musky floral. Dry: The honey note has regained its strength, and the rice flower is stronger than it was during the wet stage. It's a wonderful, creamy, sweet floral scent that I think is really comforting. Verdict: I really, really like this one. I just don't think I can justify getting this and Depart Pour Le Sabbat, so I'm going to have to death match the two and decide which one I want more (since they both contain goat's milk and honey – unless the Yules don't kill my wallet for once, in which case, I may get both). *edited to add* I decided to get a bottle of this one. It is full of win and has good staying power!