doomsday_disco

I tested this on a paper towel, in wet hair, and in dry hair. In all cases, it was mostly like a watered down orange blossom on me, with the harsher elements of the orange blossom softened by the citrus fruits (more tangerine than blood orange to my nose) and musk. There's a burst of white tea with the orange blossom when initially sprayed, but it doesn't end up being a main player on me. This is a softer hair gloss. It could not compete with my Moona Orange Cream Soda shampoo and conditioner on the day I tried it on wet hair, and I did not get wafts of it on the dry hair day and could only sniff it when I held my hair up to my nose. I'm not big on orange blossom, and this is nicer than I'd expect a scent with that as a dominant note to be. However, for me, it doesn't even come close to the juicy blood orange and creamy amber wonder that is The Geisha and the Samurai HG, so I don't need a bottle.

If you're looking for an aquatic beeswax scent, look no further. The gaslight in this is the Lab's sweet, creamy beeswax note. I get some salt from the rain note, reminiscent of the sea salt and rain parts of Lavender, Sea Salt, and Rain, and the moss in this increases over time (as it is wont to do on me) so that it ends up being a salt-tinged moss swirled with some beeswax. The amber part of the rain note wasn't super noticeable on me, but that is probably because it got buried beneath the moss once the salt calmed down. I feel like I have upgraded too many beeswax scents lately, so I'm waffling on whether or not I should upgrade this one. I'll have to see how much of my decant gets used up before this scent goes away, but it's really nice! I find it to be comforting and could see myself using it as a sleep scent.

Freshly applied, the honeyed patchouli, cacao, and mallow flower stand out to me the most, backed by the white sandalwood. It becomes drier and less sweet over time as the patchouli and sandalwood assert themselves, leaving behind a soft patch-dominant scent by the end of the day with the dry sandalwood not far behind it, with just the barest trace of the mallow flower that once was. I'm glad I got to try this, but I wish the sweeter notes had decided to stick around on me!

On me, this is mostly squishy bits of strawberry and rose with the fresh rose note increases with strength over time. There's hints of orange, lavender, and benzoin in the background, but mostly it's a strawberry-tinged rose party on me. I do think sniffing it helps to calm the nerves. I don't think I need to upgrade to a bottle of this one, but I'll definitely be keeping my decant!

This starts off strongest on the lunar herbs on me, followed by the cedar. I think that lemongrass (or something lemony) and sage are among the herbs. Then the cedar gains strength and it ends up being a dry, herbal cedar blend for a long time before the sandalwood manages to rise up, shove the cedar aside, and make it an even drier woody herbal scent, backed by some white musk. I am not getting the ambergris on my skin, sadly. Although this isn't a scent I would wear, I do think the dry woods really fit the theme of this scent.

On me, the champagne grape is the star at first, and it does have a bit of champagne-y effervescence to it. I think it's the same champagne grape note found in Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat. The apple note gains strength over time and does end up cozying up right alongside it, so that it ends up being a sweet apple and champagne grape scent (with only a hint of fizz after a few hours). I think it may be the same apple found in Black Ice Sleeper, but I'd have to deathmatch the two to be sure, and this scent is much sweeter than that one because of the champagne grape and the lack of ice. The white musk just grounds the fruits to make sure they stick around, and the grape in this doesn't smell like artificial grape at all (which I detest thanks to having Dimetapp as a kid). I don't think this is a menage that I need more of, but I'll hang onto my decant to wear during the warmer months!

I collect Lick Its and probably have enough of them, but I had to have this one for the name. It is strongest on the peppermint at first, and there's some sugar to sweeten it up, but it's not as intensely minty as some Lick It variants, or as sugary as some others. It has been a while since I sniffed it since I used it up so long ago, but at first, I'd say it's probably most like Lick It Now? After a while, the vanilla comes out and ends up being the main player on me, followed closely by the mint and some powdered sugar. It's probably more vanilla-forward than most of the Lick Its on me, actually, with what may be even a stronger vanilla than Lick It Softly? I enjoy vanilla mint scents, so while the floofy vanilla and powdered sugar (which I agree verges on marshmallow!) in this doesn't scream candy cane to me, I'm here for it.

If you love almond, you'll love this scent. If you don't, you won't, because it is ALMOND ALL OF THE TIME. It goes on with a cherry/almond vibe but then changes into toasted almonds (like the kind on a croissant or danish) with some creaminess, but it doesn't remind me of marzipan. It loses some of the toasty quality over time, giving way to more of the almond blossoms, but it doesn't really read as a floral scent, just sweet almond with a whiff of soft, creamy petals caught on a breeze, and what remains of the toasted almonds beneath it. As an almond fan, I'm happy to have a bottle of this one! It's a soft, comforting scent that manages to retain its almondiness and somehow be stronger than a lot of other scents with almond as a main player.

Surprisingly, I like this? I typically am not a fan of scents with red musk or red fruits (red musk tends to take over, and I prefer non-citrus fruits to play a lesser role in scents). But Red Lace smells really good! It's the way that the tobacco is combining with the tart fruits (pomegranate is strongest on me, but the raspberry is pretty strong, too) that makes this a win or me. These notes are backed by the warm resins and just a touch of vanilla cream. The red musk is really well-behaved here and probably blending in with the red fruits. Somehow, it hasn't managed to stomp on all of the other notes even after several hours of wear. I'm not able to pick out the patchouli. I would never have guessed I'd enjoy this based on the notes, but this is really nice! Thank you to the lovely BPALista that sent me some to try.

This is much drier than the released version of Banshee Beat. It still has patch, and I think there's either a combo of both black patchouli and red patchouli or some variety that happens to have properties of those two. The vanilla in this is sheer and not very sweet. I feel like it dilutes the patchouli a bit. I think it may be bourbon vanilla, because it is giving me You May House Their Bodies, But Not Their Souls vibes. Only here, instead of amber, there's some oak that becomes evident once the scent has been dry for a while. I'm glad I got a chance to try this one, but I can't see myself reaching for it over the released version.

Hanami starts off with a flurry of cherry blossoms, but the ume blossoms quickly join in, followed by the wisteria. The ume blossoms are lightly touched with plum and are the strongest note I get when the scent is wet, but the wisteria increases in strength over time, as it is wont to do on me, and makes this a somewhat high-pitched purple and pink floral scent on me. By the end of the day, it's wisteria-dominant, with the cherry blossom beneath the wisteria, and a much softer plum blossom beneath those notes. This is a pretty spring floral scent that my skin chemistry just isn't doing justice. I wish I hadn't amped the wisteria so hard, but I'm not willing to give up on this yet with how lovely it was when it was first applied. I will have to try layering this some sugar and vanilla scents or try it out in a scent locket.

I mostly get a sweet floral note from this throughout most of the wear, and it's almost candy-like, kind of like SweeTarts? Although by the end of the day, it has somehow morphed into champagne? I wonder if that was one component of the snow note. It settles into a slightly sweet and powdery floral champagne on me. I don't dislike this, but I'm kind of taken aback by the experience given the name and the notes. As far as champagne scents go, however, I'll stick with Shade.

This is mostly a musky floral on me (more black musk than red), dirtied up by some tobacco and patchouli. The tobacco and patchouli are most prominent earlier on in wear, as the black musk really asserts itself throughout the day, along with the sweetness of the poppy. Strangely enough, I didn't get a ton of currant from this, but the bottle I swapped for contains less than a decant, so it could just be how this one aged (as I usually tend to amp currant). I'm glad I got to try this, but I know it is not something I would reach for. I'd recommend it to those that love musk and poppy notes.

The Mad Tea Party line is my favorite GC collection, and it's the one that got me into BPAL, so I had to try this, even though I typically dislike weed scents (with Honeyed Weed and Dandelions being the only weed scent I love). Blacklight Reactive Alice Poster truly is a melange of notes from the Mad Tea Party collection. At first, I get the red and black currant tarts, reminding me of The Knave of Hearts, accompanied by some rose, opium, and a bit of weed. It's the same weed note found in Honeyed Weed and Dandelions, which is very tame and does not smell dank. Then the grapefruit emerges and becomes one of the main players, and it's like the Cheshire Cat has shoved the Knave aside as it vies for attention. Behind the grapefruit, I smell the currant tarts, roses, and opium. It stays this way for a while, but over time, the opium tar increases in strength, and so does the rose, but the opium tar in particular combined with the currant and grapefruit really make this into a fruity floral that would have mainstream appeal. I don't get the carnation until the end of the day, but it's a pink variety like the one found in High-Strung Daisies, hanging out beneath the opium tar. There is just a wisp of weed far in the background, but again, it is not dank, and it was most prominent when initially applied. If I hadn't been told this contained a weed note, I wouldn't have been able to pick it out. Although I am not a big fan of fruity florals and prefer flormands or sugary florals, I love how so many notes from the Mad Tea Party line were included in the composition of this scent and really enjoyed this journey through Wonderland (with the beginning being my favorite part).

This features an amazing vanilla that puts me in mind of a high quality vanilla extract (minus the alcohol) with some creaminess from the cheesecake (but without the tang) and just the barest hint of lemon zest. I'm not a big fan of cheesecake, and I've never had Syrnyk, but now I want to! A bottle will be going into my next order.

This is mostly apple cinnamon on me accompanied by some peach, black cherry, and a little bit of sugar. At first, it is more apple cider than spiced apple cake, although I think it does get a little more cake-like with wear. I get more peach with it earlier on in wear and more of the cherry by the end of the day (enough cherry to rival the other notes). The cinnamon is also more prominent by the end of the day, too. It is kind of putting me in mind of Beaver Moon 2021, only here, there's cinnamon apple cake instead of pumpkin cheesecake, and there's some peach thrown in with the cherry. Yabluchnyk will be a nice gourmand to wear during the fall.

Honey Babka is very much about the honey, which is a floral, yet somewhat musky honey to my nose. I get some breadiness far in the background, but mostly, it's a honey party on my skin, and the honey in this doesn't really make me think of food. I've never had honey babka, so I can't compare this to the real thing, but I really wish I got more babka from this! This is definitely one for honey fans. ETA: I tried this months later and the scent is more bready now, although the honey, while not being super floral like before, went powdery on me. I could smell the sugar syrup note with age, though!

This starts off smelling like marzipan coated with dark chocolate on me and gets less chocolate-y over time. The almond paste loses some intensity as time goes on, too, and eventually, it settles into a very light almond scent with a bit of chocolate breadiness. I have never had any kind of babka (heresy, I know! I need to rectify this), so I can't compare this to the real thing. I do think it is nice, but I wish it were stronger on me.

At first, I get some patchouli, green apple, and blackcurrant, swirled with cacao. Then the pink pepper adds a kick to the scent, and the lemon brightens it up a little. I thought this might morph a lot with so many different ingredients, but the patchouli quickly makes its way to the center stage and doesn't really let the other notes have a chance to shine. It settles into a black patchouli accompanied by some blackcurrant and apple on me, and the faintest whiff of cacao. I wish the patchouli in this weren't so strong on me. I would have really loved to be able to smell that matcha!

The red jelly and sugary white ooze remind me of the inside of a cherry cordial, only, it's not just cherry here. I feel like there's a (plastic-y, on me -- it smells delicious in the vial) strawberry in the jelly and that the jelly is a mix of red fruits. I'm not getting the brown sugar or caramel vibes that some other reviewers have mentioned, nor do I get doughnuts. The cordial-y plastic is just too much for me, but I'm glad I got a chance to try this one.

In the decant, I smell fresh ginger, moss, cypress, and a bit of mud. On my skin, the ginger is still the dominant note to my nose. Maybe it's part of the swamp creature hooch, or perhaps the tupelo (no idea what that is). The moss is the strongest note behind it. It stays this way for a while, until the moss becomes the dominant note (as it is wont to do on me), with touches of cypress, a very tame jasmine, a much lighter ginger, and a faint hint of mud. I really enjoyed the wet phase of this when it was heavy on the ginger and wish the ginger had remained as strong as it was initially! I do think this is a nice, well-behaved, swampy, floral-tinged aquatic scent, but the decant will be enough.

Strawberry and amber are the first notes that leap out at me, then the hay and lavender join in, and after that, the spicy carnation. The amber is going somewhat powdery on me here with the hay. Then it goes into this odd phase where it smells a little burnt on me, and maybe that's what my skin is doing with the strawberry candyfloss combining with another note? Or my skin not liking the strawberry? But that odd phase goes away, and it settles down into a powdery amber and hay tinged with a bit of spicy carnation and strawberry. This scent ended up being too powdery on me, but it was nice to get to try it.

This is a nice, tame, slightly salty aquatic with a lovely, pale amber and perhaps a touch of greenery and the barest hint of fruit? It is indeed gentle, and the amber with the aquatic notes really do give the impression of fog. I don't usually have great luck with aquatics, but this is nice. I don't think it's something I need more of, but I'll hang onto the decant!

This arrived on Thursday, and I tested it today. Green cognac and opium tar are the strongest notes on wet, backed by the tobacco and patchouli. The green cognac in this is so lovely -- I believe it is the same one from my beloved Summer Lace (which is my favorite Lace). The bright cognac and sweet opium tar make the scent sweeter than expected, but I am here for it! Over time, the tobacco, patchouli, and resins gain strength, while the cognac calms down, making it a lightly smoky resinous tobacco and patch scent smeared with sweet opium tar. The smoked part of the smoked amber is not acrid, but the amber note itself is one of the more dry, perfume-y varieties. And tobacco here does have a little spice to it. I really love the blast of green cognac and opium tar in the beginning. I think the final morph is pleasant, too, but I don't love it as much as when it was initially applied. This may be a candidate for a scent locket.

This arrived on Thursday, but I tested it today. In the bottle, I get sugar and champaca. On me, the champaca in the bottle I was getting somehow quickly gave way to the coconut husk. It's not bubblegum on me, but it is kind of plastic-y and wonky at first. Then the champaca and sugar gain strength and beat the coconut husk back. The champaca here is more incense-y than floral to my nose and is reminding me of a lighter version of the champaca in Orgy With Nine Women. And the sugar here is not reading as super lemony to my nose, for those who are afraid of this going that route. It ends up being a light sugared champaca on me. It does not have the billow-y vanilla that some Lace scents have since the Lab's bourbon vanilla is a sheer vanilla, not a floofy one. I get some tobacco beneath the sugar and champaca, but it is also pretty light on me compared to several other scents I have with that note. I only get the cognac if I have my nose right up to my wrist. I'm going to set this aside for a month to see what it settles into and retest it again. I like the sugar, but I wish this scent had more oomph. It's surprisingly light on me for a Lace. If the wet stage with the initial coconut stays the same, though, it won't be a keeper. (Side note that I wish I didn't have to say, but will, with the frenzy over Laces lately: I have already promised this to someone if this doesn't end up settling into something I love within a month.)