doomsday_disco

Triumphant Vulva is a very sweet vulva. It's strong on the almond blossom and lotus, which are sweet on their own, but the sweetness is amped up by the vanilla and cream notes. The amber and tea rose are present as well, with the latter becoming more noticeable over time and reminding me somewhat of Tea Roses and Lace. But the lotus and amber also bring to mind Blossoming Vulva -- only, this is much, much sweeter. The almond blossom has far more longevity than straight-up almond, the lotus isn't bubblegum-y, and tea rose doesn't always play nice on me, but it's being kind to me in this one. Sometimes I sniff this and love it, other times, I wonder if it might be too sweet. I'll probably deathmatch this with the new Almond Blossoms scent when I get it to be sure I need both, but it's definitely one for fans of creamy, sweet florals.

I echo the above reviewers who have said this smells like a good ginger ale. It's mostly ginger accompanied by the Lab's fizzy champagne note, which is perfect for representing buzzing bees! Even though the honey is listed as the first note, it's a light variety (which, I, too, would totally put in my tea) and isn't as strong as the ginger or the fizz on me. The fizz ends up winning out on me after a few hours, backed by the ginger and light honey. I love smelling like sodas, because I like them but rarely drink them (usually preferring to opt for sugar from treats instead). Not only does this smell like ginger ale, but it's called SPURIOUS COOTER BEES??? Yeah, I'm going to need more of this in my life. ?

Ohhh man. I did not expect to love this one so much. Of the four scents I tested today, this one has to be my favorite! Full disclosure: I don't even normally like weed scents, and I certainly don't enjoy the smell of the actual stuff. Yet, somehow, the weed is the dominant note here, and I think it may be the weed note from Pumpkin Doob? I did not dislike that scent, but it also wasn't a win for me. But somehow, that weed paired with this light, pale honey and the sunny floral and green qualities of the dandelion is making me swoon. Seriously, I just cannot stop sniffing the back of my hand. I don't tend to have bad luck with the Lab's honey notes aside from honey dust, but this is a nice, light honey that just adds a light sweetness for most of the wear (although I do get more of it with the dandelion by the end of the day). Bottle-worthy for sure.

A Meal Interrupted is the Lab's more sophisticated take on a cucumber melon scent. The cucumber and melon are up front, backed by some watery lettuce and black pepper. There is the barest bit of green onion in the background, that along with the pepper, adds a slight kick to the scent. But you're not going to end up smelling like Shrek if you slather this on. I am getting zero cardamom and sesame seed from this. The green musk peeks out after a few hours of wear but is very tame here, just adding that touch of sophistication and ensuring it doesn't go full-on salad. The green musk is not as strong as it is in scents like 51, Pollution, The Laughter of Loki, and Venus Murcia. I feel bad for everyone who will miss out on this due to fear of it being too savory. This is a really nice, refreshing, green scent that will be great to wear in the warmer months. I recommend it to anyone who wants a cucumber melon scent but doesn't want to feel like they got transported back into the 90s by wearing one. I do not think my decant will be enough!

I swapped for this, knowing it was very risky with the bonfire and dead leaf notes, but this is truly an epic fail on me and went wrong in a way that I did not imagine. I don't think this is just skin chemistry because it smells funky in the bottle, too, but I imagine my track record with the Lab's smoke and dead leaves notes just made it worse when it hit my skin. I'm sad to say that this made me smell like I rolled around in an ash tray with an apple peel in it, making it the worst scent experience I've had in a long time. The ashy bonfire smoke and mulchy dead leaves together are a force to be reckoned with, and the amber in this might be contributing to that, too, as I had a flashback to my experience with Mommy's Little MI6 Agent. There's some cinnamon in the mix as well that lasts with the bonfire smoke throughout wear -- those end up being the dominant notes after I braved through this for several hours. Sounds like starbrow and I had similar experiences. I'll probably pass on this bottle to someone who enjoys atmospheric, smoky, autumnal scents and hope they have better luck with it.

This one opened up with a blast of greenery followed by an even stronger blast of dryer sheets that would tickle my nose whenever I sniffed it, always making me feel like I had to sneeze. The dryer sheet aspect of the scent ended up being so prominent on me that I was reminded of the smell of walking outside at night when a bunch of people in an apartment complex happen to be doing laundry at the same time. I haven't tried the original, but I wasn't able to detect anything from that list of notes in this one on my skin. It was fun to get to try it, though. I'll pass this decant along to someone else and hope they'll review their experience.

Ooh, this is so lovely! I sprayed this on a paper towel to test it. The beeswax is the strongest note when first sprayed and hours later. At first, it's beeswax with rosewater and a little bit of coolness from the ectoplasm note (but it's not minty). Then it's beeswax and oak (I believe it's the type from The Magician's Wand and Baby's First Ballista) with a little bit of rosewater for a while. But it ends up being beeswax, oak, and some smooth leather (like the type in The Mountebank). I still get a little bit of coolness from the ectoplasm at the end of a deep inhale. Needless to say, I'll be cherishing this half-decant, and if I ever see a bottle pop up on Etsy, I'll grab it.

Ooh, this one is amazing! It really does smell like a Yule cookie or dessert. I get currants and well-behaved spices and a toasty, fresh out of the oven pastry note that smells delicious. If you're a fan of Drink Me, Knave of Hearts, or Yule gourmands, this proto is for you! I will be hanging onto this decant. Thank you to the kind BPALer that gifted this to me.

This does smell like an artisan rye, dotted with some slightly anise-like caraway (but its not overwhelming here), rosemary, and salt. There's also some butteriness in the background, and I feel like I get more rosemary with wear. Of the other bread scents I've tried from the Lab, the bread note in the currently available Pandemic Vanitas is closest to this, although that one isn't as hearty and doesn't contain any herbs. To my nose, it does not smell like the milk bread in Unsubtle Euphanism at all. Loaf is probably the best luck I've had with a savory gourmand scent, although I'm undecided on whether or not I'd wear it.

I concur that this is a super green scent (and the oil is a beautiful shade of green, too)! It goes on strong on the grass but then quickly becomes mostly about the green musk on me (and yes, it is indeed the same one from The Laughter of Loki, but in this, it's accompanied by patch instead of grass) with some added sweetness from the honey myrtle. I'm sending this decant to a friend so that they can try it. I like it, but the green musk ends up being so strong on me that I know it's not something I would gravitate towards. That said, if you're a fan of green musk scents like 51 or Pollution, or you are pining for a green musk scent that's not as hard to find as The Laughter of Loki, this should be up your alley!

This goes on as a blast of red musk and orange blossom. Then the pink pepper joins in and adds a bit of a kick to the scent. Then it becomes about the red musk, orange blossom, and the dry sandalwood, before a phase where red musk declares dominion over all, only to revert back (I guess the red musk was missing its orange blossom and sandalwood friends). The skin musk is not a main player on me, although I suspect it may be softening the red musk a little so that the other notes can peek through. This one isn't in my wheelhouse, but I'm glad I got to try this since it is a Lilith scent.

I get a tart berry and fig note as soon as this is applied, with the brown paper bag note in the background. Then the cream emerges, followed by a light leather. The fig ends up overtaking the berry note, and after that, it remains the dominant note throughout wear, backed by some cream and brown paper, with hints of the berry and leather in the background, plus a dash of cognac adding a zing to the scent. I couldn't see myself reaching for this, as I rarely enjoy scents in which fig are a main player, but I am glad I got to try this. It was neat to smell the brown paper bag note!

I'm getting a very tart berry and something a bit sharp and clean like ozone or a storng white musk from this? After a while, an astringent white tea or lemony citrus joins the party. This one is too tart and sharp for me, but it was nice to get to try it.

This goes on as honeyed gardenia backed by rice paper. The rice paper note reminds me of the rice paper wrapped around Botan Rice Candy. The honey quickly calms down, and it ends up being mostly gardenia and rice paper on me throughout the day, with just a bit of perfume-y, non-foodie honey in the background. There's not enough sweetness here to tame the gardenia for me, but now I'll be on the lookout for future scents featuring a rice paper note!

Lavender, champaca, and moss are the first notes that leap out at me, followed by the sandalwood. Then the balsam joins the party, and after that, the weed, but the weed is pretty tame in this one, although that could be because the champaca is so loud. I also get a linen note even though one isn't listed in the notes. The lavender burns off quickly, and then it it becomes a predominantly champaca, moss, and linen (is it really linen, or just part of the clean scent of the oakmoss?) scent on me for the rest of the day. I'm not surprised this is so champaca and moss heavy on me, as those are notes I typically amp, but I am surprised the lavender was so fleeting, and the weedsmoke note is so light in this one!

So. Much. Sludge. Seriously, this is the sludigest BPAL I have ever tried. It is so sludgy that you cannot even see through the bottle when holding it up to the light. I took a photo to show how it goes on the skin and what it looks like even after you try to rub it in: The scent is nice. The wine is prominent but is not like the Lab's other wine notes. I'd say it's more like a cider. The fermented aspect is more reminiscent of that than a wine to me. The spices in this are present, but they aren't overpowering and don't burn the skin. Even though there's a ton of cacao sludge in this, the wine is stronger than the chocolate on me, although the cacao is definitely noticeable throughout wear and has managed to gain some strength by the end of the day. I can see the (boozy) apple cider and Mexican hot chocolate that someone mentioned in an earlier review. I like this, but I'm not sure if I like it enough to deal with the sludge being so noticeable on the skin... it may even be too sludgy for a scent locket. I'll have to see.

This is a very tart rose and red currant scent with some brownish red patchouli that, at first, is content with its background role, but changes its mind and becomes more prominent with wear... never overtaking the tart rose, though. This rose is too tart for me, but I'm glad I got to try this scent. While it's not for me, it is evocative of its inspiration!

This is mostly a brown sugary syrup on me on a bed of woods. The syrupy sugar reigns throughout, although Cathedral's frankincense has gained some strength after several hours of wear. I do think this is nicer than straight up Cathedral, but I do not think it's something I would choose to wear... not when there's Sugar Cookie Snow White to choose. I do want some Okinawa (brown sugar) milk tea now, though.

This does remind me of the smooth, musky black leather of De Sade Resurrected, and I think that the musk from Snake Oil is one of the musks at play here. The eucalyptus and elemi are indeed very light, I wouldn't be worried about the eucalyptus in this one. I only get the dry, white sandalwood after several hours of wear, but it is in the background and not nearly as strong as the leather and the musk. I'll have to deathmatch this with De Sade Res. as I don't think I need both, but I do think this one is nice. Someone looking for something similar to De Sade that enjoys Snake Oil's musk should enjoy this scent.

If a citrusy aspect like white tea isn't an issue, Kumiho is a nice white tea and ginger scent that's great for the summer: A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger. Baobhan Sith is a bit more complex if grapefruit and apple blossom aren't dealbreakers: Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom and ginger. If you like Morocco, you might also like Inez! Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood. If mandarin isn't a no go, you might enjoy Kubla Khan: Through sunlit caves of ice, roses unfurl amidst dancing waves of serpentine opium smoke and amber tobacco, golden sandalwood, champaca, tea leaf, sugared lily, ginger, rich hay absolute, leather, dark vanilla, mandarin, peru balsam, and Moroccan jasmine. You may also enjoy Kit (Kit’s scent is soft and dry as bone: Mysore sandalwood, a tattered and patched 16th century waistcoat, inkstained, still scented with the marjoram and benzoin dry perfumes of his youth.), or if you like vanilla, the new activism scent that features the same sandalwood plus a warm vanilla: And Though They Are With You Yet They Belong Not To You - A gentle vanilla sandalwood blend, serene but mighty.

This is such a realistic blueberry muffin scent with the pumpkin adding more buttery-ness to the muffin. I dismissed this in 2017 as I'm not big on berry scents, but I'm glad I picked up a bottle of this last year, as it's a really wonderful muffin scent. And it's strong, too. Must. Not. Nom. Hair.

I've worn this five times and have had different results with the scent and sometimes have different results with it. The first time I tested it on the back of my hand, I got a ton of lovely lavender billowing out, which some wisteria, chamomile, and passionflower beneath it. I passed out on the couch after I put it on, but it had been after a long day in the office. The other times, I've worn it to bed. I completely slather one arm and rub it against the other. This makes the initial lavender burst last for a shorter time. The wisteria is immediately more prominent and high-pitched, and the passionflower is a lot stronger. The chamomile is cozies up to those notes. The lemon balm is there, but not a main player on me. I'm not able to pick out the poppy, and I am not familiar with cowslip. Sometimes it works as a sleep scent, and sometimes it does not because it's not as lavender-forward as it was initially (not sure if that's from the scent settling or if it is from rubbing the scent on each arm instead of letting it dry naturally). I am debating a bottle, but I think it will how much of my decant I've used before the Yules go down. But in any case, I'll certainly be keeping my decant!

Nightingale starts off with a blast of cardamom and cream. My boyfriend was reminded of cardamom buns. The cream and oats are buttery and it's mostly cardamom, cream, and oats on me throughout wear (emphasis on the cardamom and cream, though) with the honey in the background, although the honey does end up gaining some strength over time. Bourbon vanilla is sometimes MIA on me, and I'm not picking up on it here. But it could be contributing some sweetness. I do get the Lights, Camera, Something comparison with this cardamom for sure -- only, this scent is buttery. This smells delicious, but it's definitely a scent for cardamom lovers. Since I am one, I will be holding onto my bottle! Such a lovely scent for a good cause.

This is absolutely Stekkjarstaur's sibling swirled with the vanilla of the 2017 version of Antique Lace, as others have said. The benzoin becomes noticeable after a few hours of wear but is nowhere near as strong as the other two notes. The scent does start off being rather light and close to the skin, but it increases in strength with wear as the vanilla floofs out. I was kind of hoping for another vanilla note, as I have lots of Antique Lace 2017 and some of the scents that vanilla has been included in lately. But I'm not mad. I expect this one will sell out early like Black Amber and Sugar Cane, so if you're a Stekk fan who is looking for a sister scent, or someone who missed it when it was available, now is your chance to head to the website and smash that order button. ETA: I deathmatched this against Stekk and have to amend my review: while they're both marshmallow, Stekk is much deeper, and I think the sugared part of the marshmallow root just elevates it to a whole other level.

This is mostly about the Earl Grey to me, in the bottle and on my skin. It's got a tannic black tea (that has a slight hint of smokiness to it at first) and bergamot to it with a bit of cream and some light brown sugar. So if you were afraid of this being a brown sugar party, don't be. Sometimes the Lab's black tea can read as licorice-y to me, but this one does not, for those wary of that. On another note, I had a brown sugar milk tea yesterday and an Earl Grey milk tea today and I can say that this is nowhere near as creamy or as sugary as any milk tea. But if you're looking for a bold Earl Grey, you should be happy with this. I think this is nice, but I hope to get more sugar and cream as this ages!