doomsday_disco

Thank you to the lovely zee_zee for sending these my way and giving me an opportunity to try some of Beth's experimental blends! Beth's Experimental Cinnamon Snake Oil: So... I don't own Saw-Scaled Viper or Red Hot Snake Oil, but I've tried them, and the spiciest Snake Oil variants I own are probably Snakes in the Pumpkin Patch and Pumpkin Spice Snake Oil. That said, and I know this is aged... but this is smoother on the spice than any of those. This is a subdued cinnamon, more like the spice itself and not candy-like at all, accompanied by wonderfully aged Snake Oil. A winner, for sure. Beth's Experimental Blend (no description): So at first, this strongly reminded me of Anesthesia from the Neverwhere collection. Maybe it's the mandrake root? Over time, it ends up smelling more herbal with a dry grass. Beth's Experimental Blend (orange blossom): You know how aged Vixen smells like Snake Oil? This is probably the closest thing to those two having a baby. Orange blossom is a problematic note for me, but it is tamed by this exquisitely aged Snake Oil. It's so smooth and lovely.

In the decant: Heady florals (the tuberose stands out the most) and moss. On me: Heady, sweet florals backed by some moss and slightly softened by a bit of vanilla. Once dry, the florals calm down significantly as the musky ambrette and vanilla help to tame them. This doesn't reminds me of the vanilla musk in Ava. The vanilla here is much creamier than that vanilla note. The moss increases in strength with wear, as it is wont to do on me, so that the scent ends up being like a mossy floral scent draped in a sheet of vanilla musk. The moss and vanilla are giving me chypre vibes like in Le Coucher de la Mariee Hair Gloss, but of course, this is definitely more floral. I'm also getting serious Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending vibes thanks to the tuberose and white patchouli. Verdict: I became interested in this one due to some of the scents it was compared to in the reviews (and I wanted to see if this would be something my mom would like -- her holy grail scent is Ava). This is more of a classy sort of floral scent, more elegant than flirtatious (like Ava) or youthful (like Butterflies). It's quite pretty after several hours, but I am not sure I'd want to get through that initial blast of heady florals to get to this point. I still think this may be something that would appeal to my mom, or anyone that is after a more traditional type of perfume, so I can't wait to pass this decant on to her and hear what she thinks.

Got a tester of this rare from zee_zee, who offered it as part of a PIF. Thank you so much, zee_zee! Smurf Essence is all about blueberry. It features a candy-like blueberry note. I no longer have these scents to sniff, but I think it's more in line with the blueberry in Blue Lollipops and Blueberry Cream Pie, and not like the sun-warmed blueberry in Blueberry Picking. The blueberry reigns supreme through several hours of wear, and it is less candy-like and more juicy during this phase of the scent. I am also curious if there's another berry note in the mix, perhaps black currant as suggested above. By this point, I also get something dusty in the background -- I do not believe it is violet, because I tend to amp that note and feel like this would be very powdery on me if that were the case. Maybe it is just straight-up dust or a powdery touch of vanilla? But it's not strong and it remains in the background. Verdict: Very blue. Very fitting for a Smurf. Definitely one for blueberry fans.

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Dee-zuh doomp-fen faff-en-krist-en. In the decant: Fir and pinecones backed by some red musk. On me: The fir and pinecone notes are the first to leap out at me, backed by the red musk and petitgrain. Unfortunately for me, those bold notes do not retain their background roles for long, and soon enough, they become main players. The brimstone incense joins in after some time, making this a petitgrain-infused red musk dirtied with smoky brimstone incense and patchouli. The fir and pinecone notes, which started off strong, are now reduced to lesser roles. After several hours, it smells pretty smoky on me, so that must be my skin chemistry running away with the brimstone incense. Behind it is some black leather and cologne-y metal. Behind those notes, there's some earthy patchouli, and musk. Verdict: I enjoyed the fir and pinecone in the beginning, but every phase after that wasn't really my cup of tea (the red musk/petitgrain stage or the really dark, smoky, musky leather and metal one). This is the darkest scent in the Die Erste Walpurgisnacht collection, so if you want to smell diabolical, this one should do the trick.

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Koennt ear zo fer-vay-gen hahn-deln. In the decant: Orange blossom, blackcurrant, salt. On me: The bitter orange blossom takes the center stage, followed by the salt. The blackcurrant lingers in the background at first, but ends up gaining strength over time, adding a welcome bit of sweetness to the scent. The salt manages to calm down and mingles with the rose, so that the scent ends up being a much softer salty rose and orange blossom slightly sweetened and smoothed over by the blackcurrant. I do not get any labdanum from this. It does smell bittersweet. Verdict: This isn't something I'd reach for, but it is more pleasant than I thought it would be on me given the list of notes, and I think that's thanks to the blackcurrant.

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Hilf, ahk, hilf meer, kreegs-guh-zell-uh. In the decant: Orange blossom and orange peel. On me: The orange blossom and peel are the most prominent notes on me. The honey and beeswax add a light sweetness in the background, and behind those notes, there's a titch of white patchouli. In an amazing feat, the honey and beeswax rise to the forefront to help tame the bitter orange blossom and peel notes, and it stays that way for a while, until the grassy khus (vetiver) emerges and becomes one of the dominant notes on me. The ti leaf just adds to its astringency. Once the scent reaches this point, it does not morph anymore. It's mostly grassy khus, backed by the astringent white tea and a touch of honeyed beeswax. Verdict: I am surprised that only the khus was problematic for me, and not the orange blossom. I'm not a fan of khus and preferred this when the honey and beeswax were much stronger. Those that enjoy grassy vetiver may like this, though.

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Es lahkt dair my. Es Lacht der Mai features the Lab's sugared pine or fir snow note accompanied by some sunshine-y citrus (I am thinking orange or bergamot). It really is evocative of sunbeams gracing the caps of snow-covered mountains. It remains this way for a really long time, but after a few hours, the snow melts, leaving behind a nice, cuddly, golden amber. This is really lovely. I am not sure I need a bottle, just because I already have a few bottles that feature this snow note, but I do really like the orange and the amber in this one, so I'm going to retest it to decide whether or not I need more. This is definitely one of my favorites from the Die Erste Walpurgisnacht collection, though.

I tested this in dry hair. On the initial spray, I got a blast of black cherry that kept making me think of cherry lozenges. But it wasn't long before the astringent white tea note emerged to help tame the cherry. Then I ended up smelling the white tea first. But the cherry, although softer, didn't pull a disappearing act like cherry tends to do. Sadly, I couldn't shake the lozenge association whenever I sniffed my hair, so this one is not for me. I can't comment on how long it lasts aside from at least four hours... that's when I washed it out and doused myself in Cabbage White Caterpillar. But it was still going strong by that point, and I feel like most cherry notes fade in the hair long before then. I guess I prefer sweeter cherry scents, but if you are looking to try a cherry hair gloss that doesn't go almond or isn't fleeting, this is worth a shot. I'm going to stick with Dragon Bouffant for a sugary cherry fix, though.

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Dee flah-muh rine-ihgt sihsh fahm rowwk. BONFIRE SMOKE LIKE WHOA. It actually smells like ash is floating through the air. I also smell some smoky, meaty chestnuts (this is not the sweet, dessert-y type). The bonfire smoke reigns supreme on me throughout wear. The bonfire and cedar combo make this smell somewhat charred and meaty to me at first, but it smooths out over time, and after several hours of wear, it's a much softer bonfire covered with ash, backed by a bit of nuttiness, cola-like labdanum, and just a touch of vanilla. I'm not really a fan of smoky scents, and this is too smoky for me, but if you want to smell like a bonfire, check this out.

In the decant: Lemony honey musk. On me: Oof. The lemon blossom is combining with the sharp leaves to make me smell like lemon cleaner mixed with some honey musk. It's sharp, and I actually feel pain behind my eyes when I smell it. Then it becomes even sharper and veers into bug spray territory. Leaf notes are problematic on me, sometimes becoming so sharp that they induce headaches, and that's what's happening here. It doesn't smell like a distinct leaf note on me. It's just high-pitched and adding that bug spray factor. The honey musk and beeswax soften it a bit after a while, but they are not able to salvage this. Verdict:

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Vair Ohp-fer hoit tsoo bringen shoit. In the decant: I'm getting crushed grass and nuts. On me: The crushed grass dominates the scent, and it is on point. Behind it, I smell some warm bark. This smells like a bunch of witches were dancing on some grass with some trees nearby. The sap adds a touch of sweetness to the grass, while the hazelnut contributes a light nuttiness to the scent, but it isn't a main player on me. Unfortunately, after several hours, I smell something sharp, which I think is the oak (leaves can be problematic note on me, but there are no dead leaves here). By this point, I get a much softer grass note paired with the sharp oak. Verdict: I get more grass and greenery here than trees. These witches are doing their ritual near the forest, not in the forest. I was hoping for more hazelnut from this, but if you're looking for a witchy green scent, give this one a try.

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Fer-tile-t oish, vah-kruh mehn-nuh, here. In the decant: A mugwort and moss strewn forest. On me: Cypress, pine sap, and white cedar are the first notes that jump out to me, followed by the herbal mugwort. I was hoping to be able to pinpoint yarrow in this, which is not a note I am very familiar with (I think I only have tried in OLLA Eve), but alas. It doesn't take long for the moss to assert itself and make this moss central on me. I agree that this is like the scent of a forest floor, but like... a very mossy forest floor, with so much moss you can bounce on it. After several hours of wear, I can only smell moss. Woe! Verdict: I love trying Beth's forest scents, but unfortunately, my moss-amping skin chemistry made this much less complex on me. I was so hoping my skin chemistry would allow the trees and herbs to shine through more. If you don't amp moss, you may have better luck with this than I did.

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Zo vite geh-brahkt, dahss veer by nahkt. In the decant: Smooth resins sweetened with a bit of vanilla. The frankincense and vanilla combo have me wondering if I could use this to replace my bottle of Hope and Fear Set Free (which is almost gone). On me: The resins are the star of the show, with the red sandalwood and frankincense (olibanum) being the most prominent of them on me, although I can smell the white cedar and myrrh as well. The myrrh in this is a soft variety, not a bold one. After about an hour, I start getting serious Meditation Buddy vibes from this, including a light orange-like note that I attributed to Meditation Buddy's Florida Water, but I am wondering if that's an aspect of the frankincense? Since making that connection, all I can think of is the similarity to Meditation Buddy every time I sniff this. They both contain sandalwood, frankincense, and vanilla, so I can see why they're similar, although the citrus in this was unexpected. Maybe it's the palmarosa adding that aspect to the scent? I only get the tiniest hint of cardamom if I go searching for it and inhale really deeply. The notes may make this sound like this would be darker, but it's actually a summery sort of resin scent. Verdict: I think this smells lovely, but alas, it is too similar to Meditation Buddy to warrant getting a bottle. (Or maybe I should get one for when my bottle of Meditation Buddy inevitably runs out? Hmm....)

For those that are curious as to how to pronounce this, I tried to do the best approximation I could via text: Kohmmt mitt tsacken oond mitt gah-beln. In the decant: When this first arrived, all I smelled was a cool sort of sage. Now I smell some sage and some orange? On me: Yep, sage and orange. The sage note smells cool (it's not warm like some sage notes tend to be?), fuzzy, and realistic, like a torn sage leaf. I can smell a bit of amber and bay in the background, but they are not nearly as strong as the sage and orange notes. It's an uplifting scent. The furry musk and amber notes gain strength with wear and make the scent warmer, while the tobacco leaf dirties up the fur-like musk a bit. I get a bit of pepperiness at the end, and I am wondering if that is due to the angelica root? Verdict: I really enjoyed this during the first few hours of wear, before the musk became a main player, because I found the sage and orange to be so uplifting. I am not as big of a fan of this after several hours, when it has become more musky and peppery (although the sage is still pretty prominent, and the orange hasn't completely faded away). So I don't think this is one I need a full bottle of, but I do think it is nice.

This is a sour, sharp scent on me. I definitely get some kind of berry note (I am thinking blackberry), some sour herbs, and maybe a high-pitched floral note. There's also a dusty aspect to this. I can't help but wondering if there's a resin involved, but like, a sour one, like the sour labdanum in Hastur? But I am not sure. Unfortunately, this one starts to give me a headache whenever I sniff it, so it is not for me, but I enjoyed getting to try it and compare it to the other reviews.

The lemon peel stands out the most once this is freshly applied, followed by the mandarin. It has a lemon drop quality to it. After a few minutes, I can smell the amber in the background, but it is not nearly as strong as the citrus components. I get more amber on the paper towel I sprayed this on than in my hair, and it is there that I can tell that it's the same sparkling amber from Sweet Amber and Cherry Liqueur Hair Gloss and Alleviate the Frenzy. Once the lemon calms down, the mandarin reigns, but the lemon remains behind it. I applied this around 8 AM, and it's still going strong at 4 PM. I get more of the sparkling amber by this point, but it is still not stronger than the citrus notes. I'm glad I got a chance to try Teppo, but there are several other citrus hair glosses that I'd reach for over this one. I prefer The Geisha and the Samurai because blood orange is sweeter than mandarin, and the amber in that one is creamier and more to my liking. I also prefer Fancy Free and Cabbage White Caterpillar in the lemon (and lemon sugar, in the case of Cabbage White Caterpillar) department. But if you don't already own several citrus-y hair glosses, this one is worth a try.

Barmbrack smells like a bread made with yeast studded with raisins. It starts off super bready and yeast-y, but it becomes sweeter and spicier over time, although the spices never take over. This would be wonderful to spray around in autumn and winter. You could convince someone you just made some fresh bread by spraying this.

Tin Foil Hat is a metallic aquatic. Metallic notes tend to be sharp and cologne-like on me, but the one here manages to refrain from becoming too sharp and headache-y. Aquatic notes are also not something my skin pulls off very well, but the one in this doesn't turn to soap at all and does have a watery feel to it. I'm glad I got a chance to try this one. While it's not something I could see myself wearing, it's a nice aquatic cologne. I think it would be great to smell this one on a guy, so I am going to have mine try this one on later.

Note: I tested this by spraying it on a paper towel and on my arm, instead of testing it in my hair, since I wasn't sure I'd want my hair to smell like this for two days in a row when it is above 100 degrees. Kabuki Actor and Their Lover runs out of the gate screaming CHAMPACA. Then it is like, no wait, LILAC. Then the cherry blossom is like, MY TURN. It smells like a champaca incense and floral scent, sometimes with the lilac being more noticeable, and sometimes, the cherry blossom. The champaca is stronger on the paper towel than it is on me, fortunately. The spot on my arm where I applied this ends up smelling like cherry blossom incense after several hours of wear. Verdict: I'm glad I got a chance to try this one because of the cherry blossom and lilac, but I wish the champaca weren't a main player. It's not something I could really see myself wearing, but if you're looking for an incense-y floral hair gloss, give this one a whirl.

Note: I tested this on a paper towel and on the back of my hand, and not in my hair. This starts off strong on the maraschino cherry, but once that calms down, it becomes a soft cherry-swirled buttercream. The buttercream isn't super distinct as such, but more like a jar of frosting you would buy at a grocery store. Unfortunately, this one becomes very light rather quickly, on me as well as the paper towel, which makes me think it is the scent itself not wanting to stick around, and not my skin eating it. I'm glad I got to try this, but Dragon Bouffant reigns supreme as far as cherry hair glosses go.

In the decant: I am getting orris, grapefruit, and lotus. On me: Grapefruit and lotus root are the first notes that jump out at me, amazingly, not orris. I also get some driftwood in the mix. But the orris does pop up after a few minutes. It becomes one of the main players along with the grapefruit musk and lotus root, and surprisingly, it doesn't make me smell as if I fell into a vat of baby powder (which is my typical experience with orris). While some lotus notes smell bubblegum-like, that is not the case here. These remain the dominant notes on me throughout several hours of wear, with the driftwood just adding a bit of salt. I can smell some amber in the background (I think starbow may be right about the Pink Amber and Peony vibes -- maybe there's pink amber at play here), especially much later in the day, but I am not getting much cream from this one. Verdict: I get why people are describing this one as mermaid musk. I'm pleasantly surprised how this one went on me, as orris is usually my nemesis. I don't think I need to upgrade to a bottle, as I don't think I'd reach for it often enough, or over Blossoming Vulva, but I do think it's pretty, and I am glad I got to try it.

In the decant: Clove, backed by a bit of thyme. On me: This is a clove-dominant blend throughout wear, although I do get a lot of lavender joining it during the first few hours of wear, and then it ends up being backed by thyme and some pecan after several hours. The clove is a bold clove and not a cinnamon-y variety like in the Indonesian Clove SN. This is a warm, fuzzy scent with some herbal elements. Verdict: I was wary about the pecan, but love lavender and clove, and I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I wish the lavender and clove had remained the dominant notes throughout wear, but I am glad that I got to experience this scent.

In the decant: I'm getting vanilla cream and apple. On me: I smell a red apple dipped in some vanilla cream with a few lavender buds. The lavender gains strength as the scent dries and joins the apple and vanilla cream as one of the dominant notes. It is now more like a pile of dried lavender buds. I kept thinking it was familiar, and then I realized that it is the same lavender from Lilith's Hair Gloss and Daybreak. It ends up being a really lovely lavender and vanilla cream scent accompanied by a soft apple. I skipped the Lupercalia release in 2017, but this is one of the scents I was most curious to try. I am so happy I got to try it! I will definitely be keeping this decant, and I may end up trying to find more of this in the future. Thank you to the lovely BPALista that gifted this to me.

Mariposita shares the same honey musk in Capax Infiniti mingling with some lavender, baby powder, and lots of strawberry. The honey musk, lavender, and baby powder start off strong, but the strawberry ends up gaining strength over time, and unfortunately, it is one of those strawberries that takes on a plastic-y quality on my skin. I'm really glad I got to try this, even though it didn't work out on me. I think it could be really lovely on someone that can wear strawberry well, though.

[No additional description provided. Scent description for Snake Oil is here.] In the bottle: Lightly chilled Snake Oil. Wet: The fresh Snake Oil is far stronger than the frostbite component at first, which I believe is the chilled sweet snow note from Snow White. After a few minutes, the sweet snow note ends up becoming stronger. It really feels as if it is draped over the top of the Snake Oil, like Snake Oil curled up in a Snow White blanket. Dry: Like Snake Oil and Snow White had a baby. It's a snowdrift of the chilly sweetness of Go to Sleep, Darlings and Snow White over fresh Snake Oil. Verdict: My bottle leaked in a little transit, but was still full, and as soon as I smelled the scent on the bubble wrap, I was like, SNAKE OIL SNOW WHITE. HYPE! I tried to calm myself down before applying it in case I was mistaken. But that's what I ended up getting on my skin. This is really lovely. I'm really surprised how much the sweet snow note comes through, and I can't wait to see how this ages!