doomsday_disco

The Phoenix in Summer starts off with the amber, galangal, and red musk being the main players on me, with some ozone mixed in, and it does have a rain on hot pavement feel to it. Alas, I tend to amp red musk, and this scent was no exception. It ended up being mostly red musk on me with some ozone and traces of amber, galangal, and saffron in the background. The prominence of the fruity red musk on me just makes it too sweet and ruins the atmosphere that it had going for it originally. I am so glad that I was able to try this, though, because I had been curious about that rain striking hot pavement descriptor for ages! I just wish it had stayed like that on me.

Stormclouds Over the Midway features an incense note similar to the one found in Midnight on the Midway, plus some sweet opium tar, and a lot of ozone. It verges on smelling like incense-y dryer sheets on me, but like, the best dryer sheets you could ask for? It's definitely related to Midnight on the Midway, and the prominence of the ozone is mixing with something else to create an asphalt-like note on me, which I really enjoy. I didn't get anything anise-like on my skin, fortunately! I really love the original Midnight on the Midway, and this relative is nice, too! I don't feel the need to run off and buy a bottle just yet, but I'll definitely hang on to my decant to wear on stormy days.

Alone actually reminds me of Plunder plus some patchouli and dust. It's strong on an unlisted cassia or cinnamon note and backed by an earthy patchouli, making this a spicy, dusty scent. I am surprised not to be getting most of the notes listed here. I prefer Plunder, but I'm glad to have gotten to try this, as I adore the poem that inspired this scent.

These notes can work individually on me, but together? Not so much. Slaugh starts off with a strong sassafras note that is like a root beer barrel candy with a bit of a wintergreen vibe. Then the black tea note peeks out, and it has a bit of a black licorice-y edge to it, which I am not fond of. Once the sassafras begins to calm down, the champaca emerges and becomes really strong, so that it's super heady champaca flower with a trace of black tea beneath it. I generally love root beer scents, but this one is not for me.

On me, Nasty Woman starts off strong on the black fig and black patchouli, with some of the honeyed part of the honeyed amber oudh. I get a bit of the rose water part of the loukhoum once dry, but after a while, it's all about the black fig, black patchouli, and the oudh. The vanilla is barely there on me, trying to smooth things over. This is a very dark scent with strong throw and great staying power. This isn't something I could see myself wearing as I tend to prefer scents with more sweetness to them, but I am really glad that I was able to try it!

The Land of Cheerfulness, indeed! Terra Vigoris is a blend that showcases bright citrus and fuzzy fruits. It starts off strong on the blood orange and apricot, with the peach playing a bigger role later on. The geranium in this one is present, but tame. The white sandalwood ends up coming out to play after a while, and I think it may be helping to ground the citrus and fruit notes, as they actually have some good longevity here! I never got any cardamom from this. Thank you to the lovely forumite that gave me some to try. This is a really nice, uplifting scent, and I will cherish my decant.

Christian Friedrich Gille Black amber, dark green mosses, and clove. I tried this yesterday on damp hair, and today on dry hair. This is mostly about the powdery black amber and the moss, with some spice from the clove. The black amber is the strongest note when it is first applied, even though the clove jumps out at me in the decant. This is a cinnamon-y clove that isn't as prominent as the black clove in Black Clove, Tobacco Flower, and Grave Soil HG. I can still smell it when I hold my hair up to my nose several hours after application, but it's not one of those hair glosses that surrounds you in a cloud of scent. But the boy kept telling me how nice I smelled yesterday and said it wasn't the perfume oil I was wearing, and then he proceeded to bury his face in my hair, so I wouldn't say it is a light hair gloss. He always compliments me when I am wearing amber hair glosses (Pa-Pow HG is his favorite), so I am guessing that he was picking up on the black amber (even though it's the moss that stands out to me after a while). I like this, but I kind of wish it were a little stronger on the clove! I don't think I need more of this, as I have several amber hair glosses already, and I already have a clove-centric hair gloss, but I will definitely be hanging on to my decant!

I thought the orange flower in this would mean that it wouldn't work for me. But I was wrong! On my skin, Cabaret Goth is a creamy, powdery scent, with the gardenia and amber stealing the show. It's like someone dusted themselves in powder before a cabaret show. I get some mandarin and soft spice, and the orange blossom does show up after some time, but it never turns sharp or veers into headache territory. I like this, but not so much that I feel the need to try to hunt down more of it (fortunately). Definitely hanging on to my decant, though!

Crucifixion just did not work with my skin chemistry. At first, I got the frankincense, rose, and orris, and then the orris took over, as it is wont to do, and made it a powdery mess on my skin. The myrrh just made the powderiness worse, until the orris calmed down somewhat, and the resins reigned. I was hoping for more clove, but alas, I only got a hint of it during the wet phase. Not for me, but it was nice to get to try it!

I ordered a decant of this back when it was available, but apparently, I neglected to review it. And then I forgot about it for a few years... ...which is a shame, because this hair gloss is a beauty. It's strong on the red sandalwood and clove, but the honeyed amber and saffron are present as well, and they become more noticeable in my hair after a while. I enjoy all of these notes (especially the black clove!), so I am surprised that I forgot about this spiced resin hair gloss. It's really lovely, and something that I definitely ought to reach for more often.

I did what the Lab said and gave my second imp away to a friend that couldn't justify putting in an order on Black Friday. I did that before testing it, even though I knew I would probably love it because I'm a lavender fiend. ETERNAL REGRET! Yeah, I love it and wish I had more. This is strong on the lavender, which reminds me of the lavender in Lilith's HG. It's backed by the sage at first, but the sage and red patchouli gain prominence over time, and those end up being the stars of the show on me after a few hours, with a lighter lavender note behind them, and a soft sweetness from the vanilla. I would love it if this became available as a 5ml to purchase in the future. I need more of it in my life!

I wasn't sure Whoop would work on me with those cranberry and bayberry notes, but I was curious about it anyway, and it ended up being a pleasant surprise! The crisp air, pine cone (actually, it smells like a pine tree!), and cranberry notes are the main players on my skin. It's bright and Christmas-y and very fitting for its inspiration! After a while, I'm able to pick out a bit of the pumpkin pie note, but there's really just a touch of it. It becomes warmer over time, with the shimmering amber and honey coming out to play, but the crisp winter air, pine cone, and cranberry notes are still pretty prominent, and I get the bayberry now as well, with some light spices. I was hoping this would be a win, because whoever created this decant is a hero for putting Scrooge McDuck on the label, and I wanted to keep it for that reason alone. I really enjoy the scent, but I am going to see how it goes on the boy, too -- he loves Red, so I wouldn't be surprised if he loved this one as well (since they both have cranberry notes).

Goblin Stampede features a sugared coffee note (no cream), which is the main player on me throughout wear. The first time I tested it, the day after it had arrived, I felt like I got some fruity sugar and nutmeg from it, but not much of the other spices. After coming back to it after a few days of rest, I get more of the cinnamon with the nutmeg now, but I don't get much cardamom, sadly. The scent starts off strong but then becomes a lot fainter after about an hour. I can still smell it on my hand after several hours of wear, though. It's a nice sugared coffee scent with light spices, but I was hoping the spices would play a greater role.

I really wanted to love this, with the chai, books, and BOOKSTORE CAT in the description. Unfortunately, this scent isn't for me. I tested this twice: once, the day after it arrived, and again a few days later. Both times, once applied, the fireplace note is the strongest on me, followed by leather books, and then mahogany shelves. It's somewhat smoky, sharp (like, it begins to start giving me a headache whenever I smell it during the first hour), and cologne-like on me, and I think the latter two things can be attributed to the leather and mahogany notes. The first time I tested it, there was just a soft spice beneath the roaring fireplace note to represent the chai. The second time I tested it, I got a little more of the chai spices, but the chai remained in a background role... which is too bad, because I was hoping for lots of it! After a while, I get what I believe is the bookstore cat note. The scent is tagged with amber on the website, and I think that may be it, or perhaps an amber musk. The scent is much lighter by the time that note gains prominence, but there's still too much smoky fireplace, leather, and mahogany in here without any sweetness or stronger chai spices to make those notes more bearable for me. Even though this scent didn't work out for me, I am still happy that I supported the cause and participated in the Bokaflod! The book I received with my bottle is Scoop by Evelyn Waugh.

Mounds of graveyard dirt, drooping Spanish moss, oak bark, discarded memorial roses, and a forgotten candy wrapper. I sprayed this around my apartment, and when I did, I got the sweet residue from the candy wrapper (it made me think of a milk chocolate candy bar), dirt, and moss. I sprayed it in the evening, and when I came back at night, the scent was still noticeable even though it had been sprayed several hours beforehand, but I mostly picked up on the moss and dirt. The boy keeps saying that this one smells like a pond. I also tested this on a paper towel, because I didnt really want to spray this on any of my blankets. Again, theres the sweetness from the candy wrapper with lots of dirt and moss, and after a while, I could smell the rose as well. The next day, the scent that remains on that paper towel is lots of rose, a caramel-like sweetness (I originally thought of Milky Way candy bars when I first thought of a fun size chocolate bar, so maybe it could be that? I could be wrong about the kind of candy, but theres definitely some sweetness to this scent), lots of moss, and a smattering of dirt. I am a fan of the Labs dirt note and had to pick this one up since no dirt scents have prevailed in the lunacy polls. This did not disappoint! And the candy wrapper element, with its candy residue, does add more of a Halloween feel to the scent, so it is not really somber like Deep in Earth and Zombi. I am so happy to have a bottle of this.

Sweet lavender scents are my thing, so there was no way I was passing this up. I knew it was the gingerbread scent for me. And it is. Gingerbread and Lavender Sugar? More like LAVENDER SUGAR and gingerbread. The lavender sugar is strongest note, in the bottle and upon application. Then the gingerbread emerges, and it's like those thin Swedish ginger snaps. It's heavy on the ginger (which almost has a lemony aspect to it) and spices and does not read as a fluffy type of gingerbread to my nose. I thought the gingerbread in this disappeared in less than an hour, but it actually weaves in and out of the scent. When it's around, it just adds a bit of soft, gingerbread-y spice in the background. Otherwise, it's all about the lavender sugar. The lavender in the lavender sugar is a soft variety, and I just love the lavender sugar so much. I can see VioletChaos' comparison to TKO, which is one of my favorite scents. There's no marshmallow here, but if you're a fan of TKO, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this as well. Needless to say, I absolutely adore Gingerbread and Lavender Sugar, and I think fans of sweet lavender scents will not be disappointed. Those looking for more gingerbread may have better luck with another one of this year's offerings, though, as the gingerbread is not the star here.

If Zombi by itself feels too somber or goth af for you and you don't really want to walk around smelling like a funeral, you may want to give Frostbitten Zombi a try. Frostbitten Zombi is stronger on the frostbitten component than the Zombi. I get some moss, dirt, and rose (the rose comes out after a few minutes and ends up being a prominent note on me along with the snow for some time), but the frostbitten component is the star here, and I think it's a powdery, somewhat sweet, pine-y, and perhaps benzoin-y snow. It does give the impression of being in a pine forest blanketed by soft, powdery snow, with clusters of moss beneath your feet, a little bit of soil clinging to your boots, and whiffs of your rose perfume being carried on the cool air. There was a brief cooling sensation on my skin at one point, but it was short-lived. The snow and moss notes end up being the most prominent aspects of the scent on me after several hours of wear. This is completely different from what I expected as well, but in a good way. It's not a lurking-in-the-graveyard-in-winter-at-midnight type of scent. It's strangely comforting, like a snowy, foresty hug in a bottle. I am really glad I grabbed this one.

The Gorobble reminds me of Marshmallow Pumpkin perfume oil, only not as heavily spiced. It has a melted marshmallow note, some spice, and a bit of smoke. The cinnamon in this is not intense like it is in Marshmallow Pumpkin, and this is nowhere near as smoky as Scorched Marshmallows was on my skin (which is nice for me, since I am not typically fond of smoky scents). After several hours of wear, I get more spice accompanied by that wisp of smoke than actual marshmallow. I wish the creamy marshmallow note had remained as strong as it was initially, but I do think this is nice. Not something I need to hunt down more of, but I am happy to have a decant.

When this first arrived, it smelled somewhat like Snake Oil in the vial, but with pumpkin in the musk. That has changed after a few days of rest. The pumpkin musk in this features a spiced pumpkin, but the musk itself kind of makes me think of scents like Old Demons of the First Class and Server Gremlins. Maybe it's a Siberian musk infused with spiced pumpkin? (I can't be sure, since I have never tried that single note.) The pumpkin musk remains the most prominent aspect of the scent for several hours, but the black oudh comes out more over time, darkening and dirtying up the scent, making it a musky, spiced pumpkin oudh. I guess I prefer gourmand pumpkin scents, but if you are looking for a pumpkin scent that's different than the usual pumpkin offerings, you might enjoy this one!

The Goat and the Vine is strong on the golden apple note, with the cedar residing right behind it throughout wear. The redwood is behind those notes, but honestly, they're so strong on me that the redwood note is pretty light. I get a little hemp and bois de rose after several hours. The beeswax and vanilla benzoin never show up on me, sadly. I love the golden apple note in this, but I wish the sweeter notes had shown up on my skin, and the cedar is stronger than I'd like it to be and doesn't seem to be a variety that is playing well with my skin chemistry. It was nice to get to try it, though!

Boy with a Goat in a Landscape is a floral-dominant scent on me. The jasmine, olive blossom, green ivy, and grapevine seem to be the main players on me. I was hoping the lavender would be prominent, but it was very short-lived. Cypress was another note I was hoping for, but I don't get much of that, either. There's a bit of sage and bay leaf, but they're confined to background roles. If you're looking for a floral, herbal blend, this may be up your alley. But it's not for me.

In the decant, I get green grass sweetened by the vanilla bean. On my skin, it's the same: green grass sweetened and softened by the vanilla bean, but the grass note here isn't like fresh grass clippings. I think there may be some dry grass in the mix as well, but for the most part, the grass in this smells like it is still living. It's a happy scent that makes me think of spring and summer, although I'm sure it would be great to wear year-round. The vanilla bean ends up gaining strength as it sits on my skin and eventually becomes the dominant note, so that after several hours, it's a sweet vanilla bean backed by the grasses, which are really soft by this point. This is beautiful, and I am not sure if a decant will be enough!

In the decant, this is heavy on the champaca blossom. I get the green tea behind that, and a bit of pink pepper, but I can't pick up on the bourbon vanilla in the vial. On my skin, the heady champaca blossom is still the star, but the pink pepper and green tea are pretty prominent as well. I am getting more pink pepper on my skin than I did in the decant. The champaca remains the dominant note throughout wear, backed by the bright green tea. The pink pepper calms down significantly over time, and the vanilla comes out after a few hours, but it's light. I wouldn't have expected champaca and green tea to go well together, but they do! I think this is nice, but not something I need more of. I love the name, though.

In the decant, I smell vanilla mint, followed by the warm cedar, and then the patchouli. The peppermint is pretty strong on my skin at first. It smells somewhat Lick It-esque, which I think is helped by the presence of the vanilla husk, but the cedar and patchouli are clamoring for attention behind the mint. They add a warmth to the scent that is at odds with the blast of peppermint (it's strong and has that cooling effect on the skin). The patchouli is stronger on me than it was in the vial, and I think it may be a brown variety. The patchouli and cedar are dirtying up the scent in a way that I'm not really fond of, and they seem to be getting more prominent as the mint calms down. After several hours of wear, the patchouli is the star of the show, followed by the cedar, peppermint, and then the vanilla husk. The patchouli is reading as a brownish red variety to me now. It's much warmer than before, but the peppermint has not gone away. I am happy that the vanilla husk is more noticeable, but I prefer this scent in its early stages, when the peppermint reigned over everything. I don't need a bottle of Fishtail Beaver, but I am glad that I decided to try it!

A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense. This soap was made for the Black Phoenix Trading Post by Bakermancy. Those that avoid buying products that contain palm oil will be glad to hear that it is palm oil-free. However, it does contain silk, so this particular bar isn't vegan-friendly. I believe Puddin' had mentioned offering both silk and silk-free versions, so that may still be happening, but the ones at the booth were the silk versions. Here are the ingredients: Olive Oil, Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Distilled Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Silk Peptide, Activated Charcoal, Dark Red Brazilian Clay, Pink Brazilian Clay, and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Fragrance. The bar is a 4.5 oz bar. Anne Bonny is not an exfoliating soap. The soap creates a lot of lather and leaves my hands feeling really soft! This is probably the most strongly scented of the three new soaps, with the red patchouli being the note that stands out in particular. (Side note: I think all of the new soaps are stronger, scent-wise, than the ones made by for the Trading Post by Villainess.) I can still smell Anne Bonny really strongly on my skin after washing my hands with it, so I think this will make a lot of patch fans happy. I'm glad I bought a bar and look forward to covering myself in Anne Bonny suds before wearing scents like Snake Oil and Revenant Rhythm (and of course, Anne Bonny herself)!