doomsday_disco

In the bottle: Black clove and red apple, followed by the blackcurrant. Wet: Apple and clove reign. The blackcurrant is next in prominence, and I'm still not smelling any of the vanilla. The clove becomes a lot stronger as the scent sits on my skin, but that's something that clove tends to do on me (and I don't mind – I like clove!). The blackcurrant note has also gained strength over time. Dry: Clove dominant, with the fruit notes lingering in the background. There's still no vanilla to be found. The clove in this one isn't the dusty clove found in Arachne of Lydia (which also features blackcurrant). After a while, I can smell more of the blackcurrant than the apple. Verdict: I am keeping this because I like clove scents, but I would have enjoyed this scent more if it had just been apple and clove (or perhaps if the vanilla bourbon appeared – maybe aging will bring that note out).

In the bottle: Pumpkin cream and vanilla awesomeness. The vanilla was the strongest note when this first arrived, but the pumpkin cream note is stronger now that it has had some time to settle. I smell more of the vanilla sugar than the smoked vanilla bean in the bottle. Wet: Vanilla sugar reigns, and it is glorious. The pumpkin cream, honey, and smoked vanilla bean begin to emerge after the scent has sat on my skin for a little bit. The pumpkin cream note is the same note found in last year's Pumpkin I, and it ends up becoming the dominant note on my skin. Dry: Mostly vanilla sugar and pumpkin cream. The honey and smoked vanilla bean are stronger during this stage, but they aren't nearly as strong as the other two notes. Verdict: I love this! I'm so happy to have a pumpkin Weenie without any spice in my collection, and I'm sure I will reach for this one often. I may end up needing another bottle of this before it goes away.

In the bottle: Very creamy. I mainly smell red apple, vanilla cream, goat's milk, and honey. The hay and oat notes are lingering in the background. Wet: A soft, red apple, vanilla cream, and goat's milk reign. I'm getting more creaminess than apple from this. The apple note gains a little strength after the scent has sat on my skin for a bit, and the honey note is beginning to emerge, as well as the hay note. At the moment, the goat's milk is the most prominent note. Dry: The goat's milk remains as the dominant note. I'm still getting the soft apple note, but it is even softer now. The hay and oat notes are stronger during the dry phase, adding some more warmth. It's actually a rather clean scent. After a while, the vanilla cream note starts coming out more, but it is staying rather close to the skin. Verdict: The apple note isn't very strong on my skin, so this is primarily a creamy scent. I will be hanging onto my bottle, because I don't have any other scents like this, and I'm curious to see how it will age.

In the decant: This smells awfully leafy to me. Perhaps it is the combination of the green musk with the tobacco and/or dry white sandalwood note? Wet: Yes, this reminds me of fallen leaves that are turning, but aren't dry yet. It doesn't take long for the scent to calm down in its leafiness, but it is still quite leafy to me. I'm getting the green musk, tobacco, and sandalwood, but the vanilla note hasn't emerged yet. Dry: Green musk, tobacco, and dry sandalwood, with a hint of the smoky vanilla. This one reads as masculine to my nose. After a while, the smoky vanilla note emerges more, and it becomes mostly smoky vanilla, sandalwood, and tobacco on me. Verdict: This one is too reminiscent of leaves for me. I'm giving the decant to my brother, who really enjoys the scent.

In the decant: Mostly peach blossom and rose musk, with the vanilla cream note is lingering in the background. Wet: Peach blossom and rose musk are the first notes to greet my nose, with the peach blossom being the dominant note (though the rose musk isn't far behind). The rose musk feels like more rose than musk on my skin. I don't know if it is the same kind of musk (plus rose) found in Aglaea, or if the combination of peach + musk just makes me think of that scent, although they are really different peach scents. The vanilla is starting to peek out more the longer this sits on my skin. As the scent starts to dry down, I start getting more rose musk than peach, though both notes are still pretty strong, and the vanilla cream is a lot more prominent now. Dry: Heady rose musk and peach blossom with a fair amount of vanilla cream. Verdict: I was worried that this would be too cloying on me, and I was right. I'm glad that I went for a bottle of Peach XII instead of this one.

2015 version. In the decant: Of course, I end up smelling two notes I was worried about: jasmine and violet. Wet: Violet and jasmine are the first notes to greet my nose. I'm also getting some of the mimosa. This is a sweet, heady floral scent. I am still getting the violet and jasmine more than anything else, with the violet being stronger than the jasmine on me. Dry: Violet reigns, followed by the jasmine. There is more mimosa during this stage, but the vanilla bean and dark musk are still nowhere to be found... unless the musk is just making the violet stronger. Verdict: I am not fond of violet, and jasmine can be iffy on me. There's just too much of both of those notes in this blend for me to enjoy it... especially the violet, which is really strong on me.

In the decant: Musky tree (I'm getting more cedar than fir), amber, and a bit of leather. Wet: Same. The musk adds a sweetness to this scent so that it isn't nearly as masculine as I thought it would be, though the leather is stronger on my skin than it was in the vial. However, the cedar smoke and fir are still stronger than the leather. I'm not familiar with what chaparral smells like, so I can't pick it out of this scent. Dry: I feel like this one is familiar, although I can't think of what it reminds me of... but I'm enjoying the wafts I get of the scent from time to time. I'm getting more of the musk and cedar smoke than anything else. The fir note is still present, as well as the leather, and the scent feels more masculine than it was during the wet phase. It also has more of a dry feel to it during this stage. Verdict: This is nice. I plan on keeping my imp, but I don't think I need a whole bottle of this one.

In the decant: Lots of cherry, cardamom, and cinnamon, with just a bit of verbana. The spices in this one are heavy and make the scent smell dark. Wet: Cherry and cardamom reign. The spices grow stronger as they sit on my skin, and my skin is starting to tingle in the area where this was applied. I hope this doesn't end up burning and leaving a welt. Dry: Yep, it's burning and has left a big red spot on my arm. I can't smell anything but spices now. Verdict: My sensitive skin cannot tolerate the spices in this one. I won't be hanging onto my decant.

In the decant: I'm getting the almond that reminds me of cherry almond things. It's a soft, sweet almond note. Wet: Yes, this definitely reminds of cherry and almond or red Starbursts. No incense at this point, though I'm getting a bit more of a fortune cookie vibe the longer this sits on my skin. Dry: Now I'm getting the almond fortune cookies and incense, but this is more fortune cookie than incense on me. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: This one is okay, but I don't feel like I need more of it.

In the bottle: Snow-touched, sugared peach. This is a bright snow note, like the kind of snow found in one of the snowball scents (save for Pink Snowballs). The grapefruit note is next in prominence, making the scent even brighter. Wet: The sweet, snowy peach note reigns, and it's marvelous. The grapefruit note is also pretty strong, and I'm also getting a fair amount of the green tea absolute, which isn't like the green tea note found in scents like Embalming Fluid and Shanghai. It has a bitter quality to it. The white musk note is becoming more prominent as the scent begins to dry down. Dry: All of the notes are still present, but the snow and white musk notes are more prominent now, the peach isn't as sweet anymore (and I feel like I can smell a lot of the fresh peach skin), and I'm getting a lot more of the green tea during this phase. The grapefruit note isn't a main player after a few hours of wear. Verdict: I'm not usually a fan of peach notes in perfume. There are a few that I like on occasion (like Aglaea and Tamora), but usually they are too sweet for me. I took a chance on this one because of the snow, sugar, grapefruit, and green tea, and I am so glad that I did. The peach note is lovely, and the combination of the snow, peach, and grapefruit make this a really refreshing scent. I think I will reach for this one often during the warmer months.

In the decant: I'm actually getting more of the red musk and patchouli leaf than any other note. I do smell some of the pomegranate and vanilla bean notes, but this isn't as fruity as the notes made me believe it would be. Wet: Red musk, patchouli leaf, and pomegranate. This one is quite heady on me. I thought the scent would be sweeter, due to the plum, currant, and vanilla bean notes, but it kind of reminds me of Snake Oil with the presence of a tart pomegranate note (and without the spices). When I inhale really deeply, I get the vanilla bean note, which is lovely, but it isn't as strong as the other notes I've mentioned. Dry: I'm still getting lots of red musk and patchouli leaf. The vanilla bean note has come out more, so the scent is sweeter than before. It's hard to pick out the different fruit notes, but I still feel like I'm getting more of the tart pomegranate note than any of the other fruit notes. Verdict: I'm going to hang onto my imp to see how this ages, but I don't really think it is my cup of tea (red musk, pomegranate, patchouli, and plum are not notes that I love). Maybe I will understand the hype once this ages?

In the decant: Lots of guava, some orange peel, and sugar... but mostly guava. Wet: Sweet, juicy guava and spun sugar. Then, the orange peel note starts coming out more. Dry: The spun sugar note comes out a lot more during the dry phase. I'm still getting a lot of guava from this, but it isn't as strong as it was previously. I can smell the white pepper and apple blossom, but they aren't main players. I have to inhale really deeply to smell those notes. Verdict: I like this (especially the dry phase of the scent), so I'm going to hang onto my decant. However, I don't think that I will need a bottle of this, unless I end up going through it really quickly or it ages well.

In the imp: Intense jasmine and myrrh. I am not looking forward to this, but I want to try this one because of its inspiration. Wet: The jasmine and myrrh notes are very strong. There is a bit of rose present, but it cannot compete with the other two notes. The scent is rather sharp to my nose. Dry: The myrrh and jasmine have calmed down, but they still reign, with the myrrh note being the stronger of the two. I can smell the rose a bit more in this stage, though. Verdict: I'll stick with Vain Sorceress for my fairytale villain scent.

In the imp: Lots of violet, followed by the gardenia note. I'm not getting any vanilla from the imp. Wet: Same. A sweet violet note, with a gardenia note that is stronger on my skin than it was in the imp. Violet is not a floral note that I'm fond of, so if the gardenia ends up overtaking the violet note, I will be happy about it. There is only a hint of the vanilla in the background. Dry: The violet is still the main player here, but it has calmed down a little bit. The gardenia is still second in prominence, and the vanilla note, while stronger during this stage, continues to linger in the background. Verdict: This one is just too much violet for me.

In the imp: A deep, chewy patch, clove, lime, and almond, with a bit of vanilla in the background. Wet: Almond, lime, clove, and patchouli are the first notes to appear on my skin. The clove and patch are the quite prominent, and so is the lime, although I expect the lime's presence to be short-lived. The vetiver note peeks out as the scent begins its dry down. Vetiver and I are not friends, so I hope that it doesn't end up playing a major role in this scent once it is dry. Dry: The vanilla note has emerged now, but it is playing a background role. Clove reigns, and I'm getting some pine now, as well as a bit of smokiness from the vetiver. There is just a hint of the lime note now, and I think the almond note has faded away. If the patchouli is still present, then it is hiding behind the clove note, which is very strong. After a while, the myrrh note makes its presence known and settles in behind the clove note. Verdict: I'm going to keep my imp. I really like the clove note in this, and this is the first scent featuring a vetiver note that didn't disagree with me or stomp all over the other notes. I'm also curious to see if the vanilla note will come out more as this ages.

In the imp: Mostly almond, with the myrrh note lingering in the background. Wet: The almond note reigns. The myrrh and dark musk do not appear until the scent begins its drydown. I believe this is the same dark musk note found in Cheshire Cat, and the almond and myrrh combination remind me of Bastet (but less complex, and not nearly as awesome). The almond note's butteriness is emerging more over time. Dry: The almond has calmed down significantly, so that the myrrh and musk are now the dominate notes, and the almond is adding a bit of sweetness in the background. Verdict: This one is okay, but it's very powdery on my skin, so I'll be getting rid of my imp. I prefer Eclipse for an almond scent.

The Scarlet Woman, aglow with sensual indolence: red musk, benzoin, caramel accord, golden honey, and spiced Moroccan unguents. In the imp: I must be getting the spiced Moroccan unguents, because I'm familiar with the other notes, and they're not what I'm smelling in the imp. Wet: Yep, the spiced unguents note is the most prominent on my skin, but the red musk note is gaining strength. Dry: I'm getting some of the benzoin and honey now, and the scent isn't as sharp as it was in the previous phase, but I'm still getting a fair amount of the spiced unguents note, along with the red musk (and I'm not a red musk fan). I'm getting a bit of caramel now, but not much. It's mostly spices and red musk. Verdict: Not for me.

In the imp: Fir, musk, and bark. The scent is quite dark (as well as the oil itself). Wet: Hello, fir! I am getting the same notes that I got from the imp. I feel like I'm sitting beneath a fir tree that has been deprived of water. I'm not sure if this is more reminiscent of a tree trying to survive wildfire season in a dry state, or a Christmas tree that shouldn't have been kept in a livingroom until the end of January. In any case, this is a dry coniferous scent. Dry: The musk, myrrh, and galbanum are more prominent now. The fir, bark, and resin notes dominate the scent. Verdict: Not for me.

In the imp: Sassafraaaaaaas, and then some nutmeg. I can't really smell the other notes. The sassafras is pretty potent. Wet: Sassafras, accompanied by a bit of nutmeg. It mostly smells like sassafras, though, and I'm reminded of root beer barrel candies (although this scent isn't as much like those as Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener is). Dry: Sassafras, nutmeg, and what I think must be the black poppy note (because it isn't the myrrh). Verdict: I do not like this one at all. I normally like sassafras (at least, I like it in Tombstone and Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener), but the combination of the sassafras and black poppy in this one is so off-putting that I just want to scrub this off.

In the imp: I'm mostly getting the spices from the rum note in the imp, with just a bit of the wood note. Wet: Spices! This is reminiscent of Plunder, but it's not nearly as intense as far as the spices are concerned. There's lots of cinnamon (perhaps cinnamon bark), but it isn't burning my skin (yet). Dry: The spices are smoother now, and I'm getting a bit of the rum part of the spiced rum note now. The ship's wood is more prominent in this stage, but the spices still reign. Verdict: This one is okay, but I think I prefer Plunder. Retest with a Lab fresh imp: In the imp: Orange, ship wood, sea air, and spice. Wet: The orange note jumps out to me first, and I wonder if that's part of the prostitute's perfume in this scent. I also get the sea air, the salt water-strewn ship wood, and some spice (but not the rum). Dry: I'm still getting the orange, though it's lighter than before. The spices have calmed down, so that it's mostly orange, ship wood, and sea air on me with some light spices in the background. I'm still not smelling any sweet rum. Verdict: I am glad I decided to restest this with a fresh imp from the Lab. It's a lot better than I remember it being (I must have tried an aged imp). I don't need a bottle of this, but I do like it.

In the imp: Jasmine and ginger are the most prominent to my nose, followed by the apricot, and then a hint of vanilla. Wet: Apricot, ginger, and jasmine are the first notes to greet my nose. It only takes a moment for the jasmine to increase in strength, as well as the ginger, and though I can tell there is vanilla in this, it really is just a hint. Dry: I'm still getting a lot of apricot, jasmine, and ginger. The ginger is more prominent now, and the vanilla is even fainter by this point, with just a tinge of it lingering in the background. Verdict: I like the apricot note, but I am not really digging the combination of apricot and jasmine. I think I'll just stick with Aristocratic Couple, which contains apricot, vanilla, and a spice (cardamom), but no heady floral note.

In the imp: Cherry and anise. Ugh, I hate anise. Oh well. Here goes. Wet: Cherry, followed by the anise note. I'm glad that the cherry is stronger than the anise. I am not particularly fond of red musk, but it isn't as strong the other two notes at the moment. The anise note is getting stronger the longer this sits on my skin. Bother. Dry: This might as well be black licorice single note on me. Much Later: The red musk is the dominant note now, with just a hint of anise and cherry. Verdict: Not for me.

In the imp: Something in this is familiar, but I can't place it in the imp It's sweeter than I thought it would be. Maybe it's the musk accompanied by a spiced amber note? Wet: I get the sweet, musky smell that I got from the imp at first, but then the scent takes on more of a dry feel as it sits on my skin. Perhaps that's the dry grasses note, or the soft woods. I think I know what the 'something familiar' is. I think it's the Egyptian Amber note from The Lion. Dry: Smooth, spiced amber, musk, and a soft, dry aspect that my nose is not adept enough to say whether it is the doeskin, dry grasses, or soft woods. Verdict: Hmm. This one is nice. I really like the combination of the amber and musk in this one. I don't think I need a bottle (since I already have a bottle of The Lion, which I think contains this amber note), but I think I'll hold onto my imp.

In the imp: I can smell the grape vine, lilies, and roses along with the forest note. Wet: The grape vine is quite prominent, and the lily and rose notes are rather strong as well. After the scent has sat on my skin for a few minutes, the opium smoke note appears. This is not a dark evergreen forest, but the sunlit one mentioned in the description. Although I do detect some pine, I feel like this forest is comprised of a fair amount of deciduous trees as well. Dry: The forest note is far more prominent and green now, and the opium smoke has increased in strength as well, creating a smoky, leafy, green scent. The grape vine and florals are still present, but they play lesser roles now. Verdict: Not for me. I really don't like the dry phase of this scent, which is too strong and green for me.

This one is dominated by a white floral (I do think those that have mentioned gardenia in their reviews may be right), with the addition of a sweeter floral (perhaps mimosa blossom? it has a candy-like sweetness to it, but isn't too sweet) and a bit of spice. It's not bad, but I don't plan on keeping my imp, as I can't see myself reaching for this one.