doomsday_disco

Note: I tested this on my arm and on a... Chipotle napkin, because I was not sure I'd want this in my hair for two days in a row. It starts off with a black cherry note that is reminiscent of the cherry layer of a cherry tootsie pop, but then it quickly morphs into CHERRY LIQUEUR and sparkling amber. I think it may be the same amber featured in Alleviate the Frenzy. It's not one of those sweet, golden ambers that I love. I get more cherry from the napkin than I do on me -- the napkin is stronger on the cherry liqueur, while my skin is bringing out more of that sparkling amber. I will stick with Dragon Bouffant HG for my cherry fix, but I am glad I got to try this.

In the decant: I smell red rose petals, moss, and some ink. On me: Mossy rose in a puddle of spilled ink. The rose is the strongest note, but the moss is doing its best to catch up. The ink is kind of sharp and adds to the sharpness of the rose. The moss, as usual, increases with strength over time, so that it becomes a very mossy rose scent swirled with black ink after a few hours of wear. Verdict: This is definitely a unique rose scent, but not something I'd choose to wear. But I am really glad I got to try it to experience that ink note!

2019 version. The note-list is different: Be good, or Krampus will toss you in a river! Sinister red musk, black and rust-brown leathers, dusty rags, and wooden switches. In the decant: I swear I am getting some sassafras mingling with some red musk!? Something in here is reminding me of Tombstone... On me: Yep, I am getting sassafras! Well, this was totally unexpected. But I am here for it! I wonder if there is some sassafras-soaked cedar in here, or if it is accompanying the brown leather? In any case, I definitely smell some root beer with some cedar and leather. As it sits on my skin, the red musk emerges and overtakes these notes, but they can still be smelled behind it (for now). After a while, the red musk does end up taking over, as it is wont to do on me. It is a red musk party on my skin, with some black leather and dusty, soft cedar behind the musk. Verdict: Well, I was enjoying this until the red musk took over. I'd recommend this to someone that enjoys red musk but also happens to love Tombstone and leather.

Here are two simple blends that feature the note: Current LE: Cherry Blossoms in a Waterfall. Simple and clean, as long as floral notes are okay. The white musk does become more noticeable over time. "Wet cherry blossoms, muguet, and crystalline white musk." GC: If she is okay with citrus, Embalming Fluid might be a good bet for a clean, citrus scent: "A light, pure scent: white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon." Lurid has lots of white musk and ozone, too: "Black currant, Bulgarian lavender and white musk with a dollop of thick resin and a voltaic charge of ozone notes." Here's a list of Lab scents featuring the note. I remember Death on a Pale Horse being strong on the white musk, but that one is more complex than the blends listed above.

In the decant: Sugary red currant backed by some vanilla cream and patchouli. On me: Red currant and molasses with some patchouli and moss lurking behind those notes. The molasses is getting stronger as this sits on my skin. It ends up being a sugared, mossy currant scent on me after a few hours of wear. My skin chemistry tends to bring those two notes out, so I am not surprised that they ended up being the main players on me, although I would have liked more vanilla cream. Verdict: This one is pleasant, but not something I am likely to reach for. I am digging that molasses, though. If you are looking for a currant-centric scent, you won't be disappointed.

I applied some Good Luck before Ordo_ad_Chao's epic destash went live in BPAL Sales Madness. I think it was effective, because despite the frenzy, I managed to luck out and get every item that I asked for. So if you're looking to try this for its purpose, I'd say give it a whirl! As far as the scent is concerned, this is primarily a sweet cinnamon scent. I have sensitive skin, but it didn't give me any grief. I believe there is some vanilla (perhaps bourbon vanilla?) here as well, which is more noticeable after the cinnamon calms down. It isn't necessarily foodie... like, it doesn't smell like a cinnamon roll. But smelling it does make me hungry. Or maybe that's just a Taurus problem? I'll be hanging on to my decant.

In the decant: The tonic note kind of smells off. It smells like a somewhat fruity chapstick in the decant. On me: Tangerine backed by some fizzy tonic. I get some of the passionfruit and guava, but the tangerine is the strongest of the fruits on me. The tonic ends up gaining strength with wear. Verdict: I was hoping to get more guava from this, but it was mostly tangerine and tonic on me. It was nice to be able to try it, though!

Boozy coconut. SO MUCH COCONUT. This is a coconut macaroon infused with amaretto (more coconut than amaretto, though). Unfortunately, the coconut is going kind of plastic-y on me. Good thing it has low throw? This one is definitely for coconut lovers.

If you enjoy the Lab's brown leather note, you need to try Hunter. Hunter starts off a little wobbly, as the clary sage, brown leather, and clove work things out, but once it gets its footing, it ends up being this comforting, sweet, well-worn brown leather scent touched with clary sage. I am usually a clove amper, and I do not get a ton of it here, just in case you are worried about that possibly taking over. I think this is the same brown leather note that I love from Outlaw. It's so good. It's almost like... a syrup-y leather. I wonder if the amber is adding that sweetness, or if there is a secret ingredient like tonka in here? I'm not sure what it is, but I am loving this sweetened leather. I have been curious about this ever since I sniffed it at Drag Con 2018, and I'm thrilled I got to properly test this one. I am not sure I need a bottle just yet, but I may once I start to get low on Outlaw... Thank you to the lovely BPALista that frimped this to me.

99% super strong, sharp, black leather, not well-worn whatsoever, backed by some smoke and made even more dry by the touches of chapparal and sage. The leather in this is like... a leather store (cowboy variety) crawled right up into your nostrils. IT IS STRONG. The smoke and desert-y plant notes grow stronger over time, but neither can hold a candle to that leather. I am glad I got to experience this Lilith scent, but this is not the kind of leather that I enjoy wearing.

In the decant: I am getting some strong lavender, violet leaf, the sweet patchouli also found in My Tiger, and what I think may be the cistus labdanum. On me: The lavender takes the center stage. I can smell the bergamot, violet leaf, and sweet patchouli behind it. After a minute, I get the cistus labdanum and chocolate oudh, as well as some oakmoss. The lavender holds its place even as more notes clamor for place on the stage. The violet leaf ends up being next in prominence, and unfortunately, it becomes stronger with wear, along with the oakmoss, which I definitely amp. After several hours, it is a somewhat sharp, powdery, mossy, bergamot-y, resinous, smoky (thanks to the vetiver) scent on me. Sometimes, one of those aspects stands out more to me than the others. I feel like I get different things from this on every sniff. Verdict: I thought this one had promise in the beginning, when it was strong lavender out of the gate, but the end result is a little too sharp and muddled on me, sadly. I'm glad I got to try it, though!

I second Petite Planchette. It is a honeyed resin scent. These sound like they could be good candidates, but they are no longer available, and I have not tried them: Honey, Italian Bergamot and Frankincense The Magus

In the decant: Soft velvet-y flowers, yellow and white. On me: A field of sweet, spring flowers, yellow, white, and pink. The greenery behind the floral notes is what helps conjure images of a meadow in spring. I think I am getting a lot of the star magnolia on my skin. It's sweet and somewhat heady. Over time, the greenery fades away, leaving behind a softer, sweet floral scent. I can still smell the velvety petals, and I think I am getting more of the tulips and pink peonies after several hours of wear. I also tried layering this with 13 (March 2020). I dabbed my arm with the oil from the cap of the 13 and added a small drop of this with the wand of my decant. It started off with mostly the lemon-y, sugary 13 at first, but the floral notes from The Enkindled Spring peeked out more over time, until it became this glorious sugary floral scent. I think I may be getting more of the tulip as a result of this layering. It's a sugary floral dream, so if you have both scents, I recommend giving this layering combo a try. Verdict: I like this, but I liked it a lot more during the wet phase of the scent, and I don't think I'd likely reach for it on its own, because I realized that I enjoyed it less once the greenery disappeared. That said, it's gorgeous layered with the above 13, so I will definitely be hanging on to my decant for layering purposes.

In the decant: I'm getting hazelnut cream, coffee, patchouli, and cassis, as well as the purple sage from Colemanite Phoenix. On my skin: The hazelnut cream is the first note to jump out at me, but the purple sage jumps in shortly after and immediately becomes the dominant note. Behind these notes, I smell the cassis, with just a little bit of coffee and patchouli. The patchouli and coffee start to gain strength as this sits on the skin. It gets creamier and more gourmand over time, with the hazelnut cream and the coffee ending up as the stars of the show on me, mingling with the warm patchouli. The vanilla and tonka join in after a few hours of wear, sweetening the scent, with just a hint of the blackcurrant in the background. This is the best phase of the scent. Verdict: This is a cozy, comforting gourmand-with-a-twist that becomes more gourmand over time. I like it, will definitely hang on to my decant, and may end up upgrading to a bottle in the future.

In the decant: Pineapple and apple pulp backed by some amber: On me: Red apple pulp and pineapple are the strongest notes when this is freshly applied. Behind it, I smell the tobacco. It's a dank variety of tobacco, or maybe that's the result of the tobacco combining with the oudh. The blackberry oudh joins in. THEN MORE PINEAPPLE. Then apple. There's just a bit of cinnamon here, lingering in the background. But mostly, it's a dirty fruity scent, sometimes stronger on the pineapple, sometimes stronger on the red apple pulp. I get the 'rainy' part of the scent and a bit of amber behind the fruity notes after several hours of wear. I could not pick out the vetiver or bay leaf in this at all. Verdict: Well, it was certainly a ride, but not something I would choose to smell like.

I was curious about trying this since it is a Winter Travelogue scent, and because I went to the Deutsches Spionagemuseum in Berlin in November of last year. I didn't expect the scent to work on me, since I am not particularly fond of pear, but I was not expecting it be as funky as it turned out to be. Pear and apple are the notes that immediately jump out, backed by a fossilized amber that becomes more prominent over time, all on a bed of golden musk. It's somewhat perfume-y. But something in here just smells off. I am not sure if it is the combination of these notes, something oudh-like in the fossilized amber, or an unlisted note, but it is very, very funky. Like someone dropped some fruit in an ashtray and tried to wash it off in a pool or something. It's like the fruity amber perfume is supposed to obscure something sinister, and I guess in that respect, it makes sense when thinking about all of that gadgetry that was used to conceal things and can be viewed in that museum. Definitely not for me, but it was certainly a scent experience.

In the decant: Cassia and clove. On my skin: Clove and cassia. I have sensitive skin, and this one doesn't burn or leave welts, but it so spicy that it feels like it is capable of burning nose hairs on the inhale. Eventually, the spices smooth over with wear. I was really enjoying this for the first few hours, until I got what must be the poison note. It emerged in the background after a few hours and just gained strength on my skin over time, and unfortunately, it is very sour on me. Almost vinegar-like, but also herbal. I wonder if there is some dill in here. But anyway, it ends up being rather sour on me in the end. Verdict: This is a spicy clove and cinnamon scent that would be a good scent for someone wanting clove with a bite, or for someone wishing they hadn't missed something like Indonesian Clove SN. Alas, my skin chemistry ran away with whatever the poison is comprised of, but fans of spicy scents should definitely give this a try. I'm really glad I got to try it, but since it didn't work on me, I am going to pass it on to a friend that adores spice-heavy scents and see if she has better luck with it.

I wonder why I skipped this one when it was available. Perhaps because of the oak note, which can be sharp on me at times? But I enjoy Norse mythology, and I enjoy snowy forest scents and ambergris, so I am glad that I ended up getting to try this one. The Ship of Hel starts off with berry-strewn slushy snow and spruce. I agree that this is Skadi-esque. After a while, some ambergris and a bit of myrrh peek out. I was worried about this possibly containing grape, since that is a note I avoid, but it's not grape-y on me whatsoever. I could see why some would think wine, though. I get more myrrh after several hours, and the oak has also peeked out, making the scent warmer and not as ice-y, although I can still smell the berries, snow, and spruce. The ambergris is also stronger by the end of the day, adding a nice aquatic muskiness to the scent that is a reminder that this is the ship of Hel, and not just the surrounding icy forest. While this is more berry-centric than I tend to gravitate towards, I love the inspiration and the fact that there is ambergris mingling with the snowy forest notes. I think I will hang on to this bottle.

I have been curious about this one for a long time, but I never actively sought it out because I was worried about the fennel note. Then a lovely BPALista frimped me some to try, and now I feel like I need more of this in my life. Lilith Victoria starts off with a strong, herbal lavender, not the type usually found in Lilith scents, followed by the sugared vanilla tea fougere of the Dorian. And it is wonderful. The fennel that I was worried about isn't really noticeable on me, but I think it may just be adding to the herbal quality of the scent. No licorice or anise type of smell here, though. The soft vanilla flower and Snake Oil kind of add this comforting baby powder-y feel to the scent. These aspects of the scent become more prominent over time, but the Snake Oil never overtakes the Dorian component on me for once (which is rare when I wear variants featuring both of these scents), and the vanilla just becomes stronger and floofier over time. I love this and will have to hunt down some more. Thank you to the wonderful BPALista that sent me some to try.

Not sure of the age on this decant, but I can tell that it has been aged. Tea rose is the dominant note in Victoria, backed by some lily and warm vanilla musk. I don't think it's the same kind of vanilla musk found in Ava; this vanilla musk is more like a golden vanilla musk. I think this is nice, but I know I would never reach for this over other rose scents in my collection (I think I'd enjoy this more if it had a different rose note). But I am really glad to have gotten to properly test this after just getting to sniff it at Denver Comic Con in 2015.

Note: I tested this on a paper towel as well as my arm. Normally I test hair gloss in my hair, one day on wet hair, one day on dry, but I just can't get myself to smell like chocolate for two days in 90+ degree weather (which you wouldn't think would happen in April). I'll update this review once I try it in my hair if I get different results from it, but I wanted to share my thoughts on it now since nobody has chimed in yet! Cacao and Kola Nut is a foodie delight. The combination of the cacao with the kola nut gives off this nutty chocolate-y dessert vibe that has me wanting Magic Bars. I want to gnaw my arm. Over time, the scent becomes nuttier and less chocolate-y. The cola aspect of the kola nut peeks out after about an hour of wear and becomes more prominent with wear, so that it's like this nutty cola scent dusted in cacao. The cola aspect is terrific and has me wanting a cola hair gloss à la Absurd Origin Story. I only got a 4ml decant of this, and I am pretty sure I am going to need more, because it's so unique. I am hoping I'll be able to find a partial, since I already have two chocolate-y hair glosses (El Dia de los Reyes HG and Peppermint Cocoa HG), but I'll full bottle it if I have to, because 4ml (well, now 3ml) is not enough.

HNNNNG. THIS IS SO GOOD. Note: I tested this on my skin, and not in the bath, as I use bath oils as after-shower moisturizers. This smells like a super realistic, fresh, fuzzy peach. If you're worried about the honey or cream, don't be, as I don't get much of them here (I get hints of them if I sniff up close after several hours of wear, but that's only if I put my nose right to my arm). It's like I have a rubbed a fuzzy peach all over myself. And it is wonderful. I only got a mini decant of this, so I am going to need to upgrade to a bottle to layer this with all of those DragonCon peaches. Maybe that will get me to wear my peach scents. Now I am kicking myself for not getting a decant of Egoyomi...

Note: I did not test this on the bath. I tested this on my wrist, since I use bath oils as after-shower moisturizers. This smells exactly like its name: Chocolate Liqueur. It's dark chocolate booze. The booziness is quite noticeable on me, but that may just be a skin chemistry thing. The scent doesn't have much throw after a few hours of wear, so it would probably be okay to slather if you were to use it as an after-shower moisturizer. I think I'll stick to Formula 72 Massage Oil for my moisturizing chocolate fix, but if you want to smell like chocolate liqueur, this will do the trick.

There is No Bliss Like This is predominantly a spicy patch and carnation scent on me. I get a chewy, brown patchouli sweetened by vanilla and warmed by the cinnamon once applied. The carnation takes a background role at first, but then it joins the cinnamon to become one of the stars of the show after a while. By that point, it is pretty dry. You can tell this is cinnamon BARK here, mingling with the patch and carnation. The clove is there, but not nearly as strong as the cinnamon on me. The ylang ylang is not noticeable until after several hours of wear. It's the same one found in Formula 57 Massage Oil, and it smells really nice and creamy with the vanilla here. I have sensitive skin, and I did not have a reaction to this scent, but I will say that the area on my arm that I applied this to feels very warm from the scent. This is not something I need more of, as it's too heavy on the cinnamon for me, and the cinnamon bark makes this much drier than I would have liked. Lovers of spicy scents should give this a try, though.

I Wish I Were Your Mirror starts off as pretty cardamom-heavy on me, backed by the cassia, in a pool of lily water. It becomes drier with wear, as the cinnamon, white sand, reeds, and resins gain strength over time, with the lily water beneath them. I preferred this during the early stage of wear, when it wasn't as dry or cinnamon-y. It's not something I need a bottle of, I do think it's interesting and befits the Ancient Egypt theme.