doomsday_disco

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.

Cherry Blossoms in a Waterfall is definitely a wet floral scent. The wet blossoms smell like the rain note in Waiting, so if you liked that one, you might like this one, too. The wet cherry blossoms start off as the most prominent note, but the lily and white musk gain strength with wear. I agree that it smells like a French milled soap, but it's like... a good soap. It's a pretty nice clean scent. I like this. I am not sure that I need to upgrade to a bottle (I'll have to wear it on its own to decide), but I am liking this more than I thought I would. It's the rain note that makes it so appealing to me.

In the decant: I smell the cherry blossom, rose, and sandalwood, with just a bit of cognac. On me: IT'S ROSE TIME. Seriously, as soon as this hit my skin, it pretty much became a pink rose party. There are hints of the cherry blossom and sandalwood, and the cognac adds a sharp quality to the rose, but it's so rose-y on me that I wouldn't call this a cherry blossom scent. The sandalwood becomes more prominent after a few hours of wear, but the rose reigns supreme. Verdict: I was really hoping to get lots of cherry blossom out of this. Alas, it was not meant to be with my skin chemistry.

This one is a salty aquatic! The sea salt stands out to me the most, followed by what I believe to be the aloe. But mostly, it just smells very clean. The eucalyptus leaf adds a cool breeze aspect to the scent without making it mentholic. This is so clean that it verges on soapy, but it's a nice sort of soap. It's like... eucalyptus-tinged foam. This would make a great bathroom scent.

I bought this mainly because of the vanilla and patchouli notes, even though I know nothing is going to beat Banshee Beat/Revenant Rhythm in that category. But this? This is too dank for me. This features a gnarly patchouli that is so dank that I keep thinking maybe there is an unlisted weed note in this. It combines with the dry, smoky copal to amplify the dankness. If you couldn't do the copal and patch combo in Greed, you are not going to be able to wear this one, either. The vanilla peeks out more with wear, and I think it is kind of a syrupy vanilla. Not the same kind of vanilla that I love in Banshee Beat. The sandalwood, while, present, can't compete with the strength of the patch and the copal on me. This one is for those that love earthy, dirty patch scents.

I knew I should have just blind-bottled this. Rendezvous With Her Lover Behind the Rice Straws is a creamy, warm, sugary scent that just becomes creamier and more sugary over time. I kept thinking it reminded me of something, and I think it may be the sugar in I Suppose You are a Princess Hair Gloss (and that hair gloss has a creaminess to it, even though there is no note of that nature listed -- so I now think I Suppose You are a Princess may have a secret rice milk note). The hay, rice milk, and sugar just blend together so wonderfully to create this cozy, comforting scent. The hay keeps it from being completely gourmand, though. Ugh, I love this. The only downside is that it has low throw, so it is definitely one that will require slathering. So now the question is, will one bottle be enough?

This starts off with an almost candy-like cherry with some gummy pink pepper, but the pink pepper becomes more prominent and peppery over time, making this a tart cherry with a peppery kick. The cherry is not as bold as a black cherry and goes from candy-like, to juicy, to tart. This is like a lighter version of Red from the Fraggle Rock line, which also features tart fruits and pink pepper. But this is much stronger on the pink pepper, as the cherry fades over time until it is just barely there. If this had stayed in the candy-like cherry realm that I got in the beginning, I would be slathering this and pairing it with Dragon Bouffant HG. Alas. I'll have to see if my boyfriend likes it, though, because Red is his favorite scent to wear.

In the decant, I get the citrus notes and the white ginger the strongest, with touches of the cedar and chocolate mint. On my skin, I get lots of the same ginger and tea notes from Baobhan Sith mingling with the green mandarin.It's very bright and citrusy, with just a hint of cedar in the background. Then, the bergamot joins in and makes the scent even more citrusy. The cedar ends up gaining strength, but then retreats to the background once more as the vetiver joins the scene and becomes one of the most prominent notes. It's a green vetiver, not a smoky variety -- the same kind in scents like The Earth Mother and Two Sheep and Two Ghosts Resting in a Field. In the end, it winds up being a citrusy vetiver scent. The white ginger and vetiver combo give it a bite, while the white tea adds some astrigency to the scent. There's still a bit of cedar in the background, but I am not getting any of the chocolate mint. I was curious about this one mainly because it has a cat on the label, and because I wanted to compare it to How Doth the Little Crocodile. This didn't end up being like How Doth the Little Crocodile at all on me, because my skin did not bring out the chocolate mint in this one, and the cedar is far less prominent in this scent. It's not bad, but it's sharper on me than I would like. I'd be curious to smell this on someone that doesn't amp the Lab's white tea note or vetiver.

I guess my nose is the lone dissenter on this one. Holiday Argument Diffusing Spray smells somewhat sour and pickle-y, which I think may be due to the combination of the carnation and lemon notes? I am getting spicy red carnation, lemon, and some white sandalwood from it. It becomes less sour over time, as the carnation asserts itself, making this predominantly a spicy carnation scent. But sometimes I sniff it and still think PICKLES. I just can't seem to escape my pickle-y fate.

In the decant: I am getting the white sandalwood, cedar, and marjoram notes. On my skin, the dusty white sandalwood and majoram stand out to me, followed by the cedar. Then, the rosewood joins in after a few minutes, mingling with the dry sandalwood note. The majoram has a cool, meditative aspect to it, like breathing in a breath of fresh air, without actually being mentholic or minty. Sadly, it becomes powdery on me over time, which I think is mostly due to the white sandalwood note. The chamomile is present, but light, and I can only detect lavender if I stick my nose to my hand and inhale really deeply. Those looking for a herbal sandalwood scent should be happy with this one. As for me, I was here for the lavender, and alas, I didn't get much of it. But I did enjoy the marjoram and would be curious to try more scents with that note, preferably not accompanied by such a dry sandalwood.

Let it be known that I am an oakmoss amper. So while I got a nice hit of dirt once it was freshly applied, my skin quickly brought forth the fir needle and oakmoss, making me think of sniffing fir trees while standing on a bed of moss on a forest floor. The fir needle is so nice, but my skin just ends up amping the oakmoss to the point that it becomes like a fir-infused chypre, with the fir losing strength to the oakmoss over time. This smells pretty nice, but I wanted more dirt from this, and I wish I had gotten less oakmoss and more fir. I'm glad I got a chance to try it, but I think it would be much nicer on someone that does not amp oakmoss.

I was curious to see how this one compared to the Lace scents, since it appeared to share a few notes with them aside from the cognac. On me, Beauty, the Aggrieved is mostly a white rose and oakmoss party with some black lace (I think it may be the Indian musk from Black Lace?) and patchouli lingering in the background. The resins in this are very light on me. I am not getting any vanilla whatsoever, but that may just because I amp oakmoss so hard. In the end, the oakmoss remains the dominant note, with the sharp rose not far behind. This is too sharp on me, sadly. I wish I had gotten some vanilla to help mellow out the rose and oakmoss.

Spooky Action at a Distance is mostly a rose geranium and resin scent on me. It starts off heavy on the rose geranium and frankincense, with the rose-infused sandalwood joining the stage after that. The peppery, herbal aspect of the rose geranium becomes stronger with wear until it ends up becoming the dominant note. So it has that sharp rose-y geranium mingling with smooth resins, with the sandalwood being the more prominent resin in the end. I am not really a fan of floral resin combos, but I am happy that I got to try this one just because it is an OLLA scent. I'd recommend this one to someone seeking out a strong geranium scent, though.

Bright Goddess of the Skies is a very sophisticated, uplifting, mature rose scent that will make you feel like a goddess. This is the scent of a queen draped in a silk gown crushing rose petals beneath her feet, head held high, who absolutely knows her worth. And she wants you know yours, too. The Bulgarian rose is the star of the show here, and it is one of my favorite rose notes. If you've tried Love Lay Upon Her Eyes, it features that same rose, all TALed up. The jasmine isn't indolic, and the ylang ylang isn't screechy. The white champa flower adds a bit of an incense in the background, but refrains from taking over the scent. The honey and vanilla are pretty light on me. I don't really know how to properly describe this, but when I inhale this, I feel it in my heart. It's a lesson in self-love and confidence that really resonates with this double Taurus, and I am so happy to have a bottle.

Enchantment is a sweet and tart rose scent. It starts off with the honey, rose, and strawberry being the strongest notes on me, and there's this play between the sweet notes and the tart notes over time, with the tart rose winning out in the end. Sadly, it becomes somewhat powdery on me after a while, although I am still able to detect the rose, jasmine, and strawberry. I was curious about this to see how it compares to Bright Goddess of the Skies and Love. This is different than both of those scents. It is not as sweet as Love (which remains the only scent I adore with a strawberry note) and not as smooth as Bright Goddess of the Skies. Since Bright Goddess of the Skies resonates with me a lot more, I am going to let my decant of this one go. But it was nice to get to try this.

In the decant, I get the basmati rice and champaca, brightened by the lemon. On me, it's a basmati rice and champaca party. The rich, buttery basmati rice is the star of the show, but the incense-y champaca note isn't far behind. So... rice and incense. The lemon and green tea in this are very light, just adding a bit of freshness in the background, so if those notes are normally problematic for you, this may still be worth a shot if you're wanting a nice rice scent and like champaca. This scent is pretty unique and was fun to try, but I am not sure that I want to smell like incense-y rice. But if you do... this one is for you.

Milk Chocolate, Cacao Cream, Ceylon Cinnamon, and Coffee Absolute is mostly about the milk chocolate, coconut-y cacao cream, and cinnamon. The coffee note, which is light, but discernible when first applied, is quick to fade, leaving a creamy, coconut-y spiced milk chocolate scent behind. This makes me think of something like a Magic Bar if it were spiced, or maybe a chocolate coconut macaroon. The cinnamon has not taken over the scent or irritated my sensitive skin, which is a relief. Getting coconut from this was rather unexpected, though. I think this smells delicious, but I know I would not reach for this over El Dia de los Reyes with its coffee bean and brown sugar.

Full Moon Flakes is a chocolate cereal scent. It's a chocolate cereal with tiny cereal marshmallows and a cereal milk note that becomes more prominent on me over time. It's more creamy than chocolate-y because of the marshmallow and milk notes. It also stays close to the skin. I tested this one several times, because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I am usually all over Fruit Loop and Fruity Pebble cereal scents, but I guess I don't love smelling like chocolate cereal. It was really nice to get a chance to try this one, though.