doomsday_disco

In the bottle: Sugary Dorian and Snake Oil! The Snake Oil was a lot stronger when this first arrived, but it seems to have calmed down somewhat after having a few days to settle. Wet: The Slime Queen component is the strongest on my skin, and like donkehpoo, I feel like it is more like sugary Dorian than cotton candy, but now I am actually going back to a thought I had when testing Slime Queen that I’m getting more of here -- maybe it’s lime cotton candy in Slime Queen, or perhaps that’s just the prominence of the lemon-y white tea of Dorian mixing with the sugar. It’s most likely the latter. It becomes more sugary as it sits on my skin, and I feel like I am getting more sugar from this than Slime Queen, which I am happy about (but maybe it has become sweeter with age.) The Snake Oil was originally lingering in the background, but it seems to be growing stronger as the scent begins to dry. Dry: A lot of Slime Queen’s sugar has dissipated, so now it mostly smells like a Snake Oil and Dorian hybrid with just a touch of Slime Queen’s sugar. It regains some sweetness after a few hours of wear thanks to the vanillas and sugars in these scents, and it’s just a perfect mix of Snake Oil, Dorian, and Slime Queen (in that order). Verdict: I am a fan of this now, and I know that it will only get better with age. I almost didn’t blind bottle this because I was like, do I really need more variants of these scents? And the answer is yes, absolutely.

Tombstone is one of my favorites, so I am really excited to try this Tombstone variant! In the bottle: I do get the Tombstone from this, but the red licorice and musk are more prominent in the bottle. The licorice note reads as cherry to me and smelled somewhat medicinal with the musk, but I know not to trust the bottle sniff! Wet: Ohhh, good. The Tombstone is the most prominent aspect of the scent on my skin, with its sassafras, vanilla, and cedar. After a minute, the red licorice note emerges, and yes, it’s definitely the cherry variety. It quickly gains strength, and sometimes I smell more licorice, and sometimes, more Tombstone. There are times when I wonder if the red velvet musk is red musk, because I do get that vibe from this at times, but other times, I think it’s just the cherry of the licorice blending with the musk. I guess I will know for sure once it dries, because I tend to amp red musk. Dry: Yeah, it’s red musk. I was hoping red velvet musk would be red velvet CAKE musk, but alas. There's nothing cake-y about this. But the Tombstone seems to ground it and keep in check so it can’t stomp all over everything on me like it usually does. So it’s red musk and cherry licorice on a bed of Tombstone (which I’m mostly getting the cedar from now). After several hours of wear, I mostly get Tombstone's cedar, a velvety musk, and the memory of cherry licorice. Verdict: I love Tombstone, and I love it even more once it ages (everyone talks about aging Dorian and Snake Oil, but I think Tombstone is one that really benefits from lots of aging as well -- the vanilla in it really shines after years of aging). I am not sure how I feel about the licorice and musk, so I don’t love this like I love Tombstone, but I am going to give this more time to settle and age because it’s a Tombstone variant.

In the bottle: Slushy snow note! Aww, I was hoping it would be the sweet snow note with that coconut snow descriptor. Wet: I’m greeted with a blast of bright, slushy snow. So that means it’s citrus-y (perhaps due to an astringent white tea note) and pine-y, and I’m not really getting any lavender or rose at this point, and I don’t get the mint that the other reviewers are getting. Dry: The slushy snow continues to reign. I get some lavender now, but it is buried beneath the slushy snowdrift. The lavender does have a wooly feel to it. After about two hours, I get a hint of the coconut, but still no rose. The scent does have a warm glow to it, but it feels like a light resin is creating that vibe -- I keep thinking sandalwood. I prefer this phase of the scent, as it isn’t just Slushy Snow SN on me. Verdict: This is not what I was expecting from the description (I was hoping for Pink Snowballs with lavender), and while it is pleasant, I feel like I have too many scents with this snow note that I don’t reach for often enough. So I may have to let this settle some more and maybe do a deathmatch to see which snow scent gets to stay in my collection. Maybe the snow will calm down as it has more time to settle.

In the decant: I’m getting well-worn leather, a dark musk, and a green vibe that must be due to the amber. Wet: On my skin, the musk is the first note that pops up, with the well-worn leather note behind it. Then, I get the green amber behind those notes, just adding a bit of a green quality to the scent. Dry: This is actually kind of cozy and sweet despite its name. The musk is still going strong, the leather still reads and soft and well-worn, and the amber is adding a powdery, resinous feel to the scent (and is stronger than before). It’s mostly a musky, powdery leather scent on me. Verdict: This is pleasant, but it’s not wowing me. It’s a little too powdery on my skin, alas. I am not sure I will keep this one -- I just can’t see myself reaching for it over other leather scents.

In the decant: I’m mostly getting the orange of the Florida Water and the sandalwood incense from this now with some of the vanilla-laced frankincense behind it. A few days ago, the white rose was one of the first things I could smell from the vial, but it doesn’t stand out to me anymore! Wet: The orange of the Florida Water is the strongest note on me, followed by the vanilla-infused frankincense and sandalwood incense. It’s like a resinous creamsicle at the moment. After a few minutes, I can smell the salt. Dry: It remains that way for some time: the strong orange, backed by the resins and vanilla, but the resins and salt are stronger now, and the wax has also joined in. I get some of the white rose after it has been on the skin for a while. After a few hours, this ends up staying close to the skin. Verdict: This is really nice… I just wish it were a little stronger on me! I’m going to keep my decant, and I’ll give it a full day test before it goes away to see if I need more of it. Definitely a contender for a bottle purchase.

In the decant: Scorched marshmallow and chocolate. Wet: I’m getting lots of smokiness and chocolate still, but there’s more smoke than chocolate on me. It makes me think of a marshmallow that was deliberately burnt before its charred exterior is removed to reveal the creamy marshmallow within. But I’m not getting any creamy marshmallow at this point, although I can smell the graham cracker note after a few minutes have passed. Dry: I wish I had the experience that others are getting. On me, the smoke just takes over. The chocolate and graham cracker in the background eventually fade away, and there’s a hint of sweetness from the marshmallow after a few hours, but even that is quickly beaten back by the smoke. I am not sure if it is vetiver or a woodsmoke note, but I am not enjoying it. It’s fitting for a burnt marshmallow scent, though! Verdict: These marshmallows are far too scorched for me.

In the decant: Lots and lots of buttercream and sprinkles! I am getting the red velvet cupcake beneath it, but this is definitely one of those cupcakes that has a thicker layer of frosting than cake. Wet: The buttercream frosting and sprinkles are pretty strong, but I’m also getting more of the red velvet cake on me than I did in the decant. This is sprinkles, buttercream, and then cake on me. Dry: This is mostly super sweet sprinkle-covered buttercream on me. There’s some cake underneath it, but I am getting less of it now than I did before. I feel like there’s just some cake crumbs mixed in with the frosting and sprinkles until a few hours later, when I get a little more cake. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I’m glad that this didn’t turn on me like Sprinklecake did. It’s a nice cake scent, but it’s one that I do not believe that I need more of, because there’s just so much buttercream (and so many sprinkles!) at play on me, and I was hoping for a little more red velvet.

In the decant: I smell the buttery popcorn, fried ice cream, and creamy pumpkin (which I could see being pumpkin cream soda, except for there’s not much of a fizzy soda vibe here). Wet: The buttery popcorn note is the first note to jump out at me, followed by the fried vanilla ice cream and pumpkin cream soda. I, too, see this as being in the same family as Mouse Circus. Dry: It remains that way for a while, but eventually, the pumpkin cream soda comes out more (and I am getting that fizzy soda aspect to it now) and the ice cream calms down, so that it’s more of a fizzy cream soda and buttered popcorn scent backed by the fried ice cream. Verdict: I enjoy this, but I am not sure that I need more of it, since I already don’t reach for my bottle of Mouse Circus very often, and I wish I were getting a little less popcorn from this. I’ll test it again before the Liliths go away just to be sure, though. In any case, it smells delicious, and I’m definitely going to keep the decant!

In the decant: Fizzy cola! Wet: Same! But I’m getting more of the actual cola now than I did in the decant, which had more fizz. It smells very realistic, too! I am not getting any marshmallow at the moment. Dry: This remains a fizzy cola scent. I am still not detecting any marshmallow from this, but it is a really nice soda scent. Verdict: This is super realistic cola! I will be keeping my decant for sure. I will give it a full day test before the Liliths disappear to see if I get any marshmallow after it has had a chance to age a bit and to see if I need more before this goes away.

In the decant: I’m mostly getting the red currant and honeyed fig. Wet: The red currant is the most prominent note on me, followed by the honeyed fig (I get more honey than fig). Dry: The red currant and honeyed fig continue to reign, with the fig being more prominent now. I am not getting any of the patchouli or amber oudh, but there’s a whiff of vanilla cream in the background. Verdict: I have never tried Nasty Woman. I thought it wouldn’t really be my thing after deciding I didn’t want a strong patchouli and fig scent like To His Mistress Going to Bed. But I wanted to try this one since the notes are lighter and sweeter. For some reason, I am mostly just getting the fruits and honey from this, and none of the darker notes. It has had several days to settle -- maybe it needs more in order for those notes to come out? I may retest this in a few weeks, but at the moment, I feel like this is too fruity for me.

In the decant: Honey, a soft patchouli, and some cinnamon sugar (more cinnamon than sugar). Wet: On my skin, the honey and cinnamon sugar notes stand out the most, backed by a soft patchouli. The cinnamon sugar is reminiscent of the kind you’d put on toast, and it’s stronger on me than it was in the decant, but that may be because I tend to amp spices. The patchouli in this is a red variety that’s becoming more prominent as the scent begins to dry. Dry: The red patchouli is now the dominant note. It’s soft and does give the impression of “yesterday’s patchouli” like in the description. It’s backed by the honey note. The cinnamon sugar is faint now -- there really is just a dusting of it in the background. Verdict: I’m always looking for more sweet patchouli scents since I thought I didn’t like the stuff until I tried Banshee Beat. This is nice, but it didn’t wow me, so it’s not something I need more of. I will probably keep my decant, though!

In the decant: I get a ton of dandelion sap, which is just what I’m here for! Huzzah! There’s just a tinge of the blackcurrant bud. It’s mostly dandelion sap on a bed of white musk. Wet: The dandelion sap is the star of the show on my skin. I get a little more blackcurrant bud on me than I did in the decant, but it isn’t making the scent fruity, which makes me glad. The white musk is definitely present, adding a clean, fresh air feel to the scent. Dry: The dandelion sap is no longer king. The blackcurrant bud has stolen the show, so the scent is fruitier now, but you can tell that it is the bud and not straight up blackcurrant (although the fruit is definitely a part of that note). I can still smell the dandelion sap, but it is not nearly as strong as it was before. Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of this, but the blackcurrant bud is a little too strong for my liking once the scent has dried. It’s a pleasant blackcurrant bud and milky dandelion scent, but not something I need a bottle of -- I can’t see myself reaching for this over other dandelion scents in my collection.

In the decant: This actually smells like a bouquet of flowers. Sniffing it makes me envision touching the soft petals. The carnation and rose stand out to me in particular, but I can also smell the peonies, lilies, and sweet pea behind those notes, with just a little vanilla in the background. Wet: Yes, this is exactly like stuffing your face into a bouquet of flowers. The carnation, rose, and peony notes are the first notes to leap out at me, followed by the sweet pea and lily. The carnation is somewhat spicy, and it's warming my skin, but it’s normal for me to get a lot of it because I amp that note. The sweet pea also becomes stronger after a few minutes, and I really love the sweet pink feel that it adds to the scent. If you’ve tried Muse of Fire and are wondering how this compares to that scent, I have to say that they are really different. The floral notes in this are far more realistic and able to be picked out of the scent, and this has more of a fresh flower feel to it than a perfume-y one. Dry: The carnation, rose, and peonies remain the dominant notes for a while, with the sweet pea deciding to retreat to the background. Then, this turns funky on me. I am so sad, because I enjoyed the wet phase so much. It’s doing something similar to what Winter Landscape did on me, even though this doesn’t share any notes with that one, and these notes are normally fine on me. There is only a whiff of vanilla, far in the background. Verdict: I went for a decant of this instead of leaping for a bottle, because I was not sure if this would have enough vanilla in it for me (since I prefer vanilla-ed or sugary floral scents). Well, there’s not as much vanilla as I was hoping for, but it was still really lovely before my skin chemistry decided to ruin it. So no bottle for me, but maybe I’ll try my decant in a locket and see how that goes.

In the decant: I smell the lavender, musk, bergamot, and iris. I was going to leap for a bottle of this, but I thought I better make sure the iris plays nicely first. Wet: The opalescent lavender and musk are the most prominent notes, followed by the bergamot. The iris is present but seems to be behaving at the moment. This is a bright scent, and I agree it is in the same scent family as scents like Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending. It has that classy perfume feel to it. The white amber and ash emerge as the scent begins to dry. Dry: It remains that way for a while, but the iris just seems to be getting stronger on me over time. It’s somewhat powdery on me, but not overwhelmingly so, and since I am not getting tons of Dr. Pepper from this, I do not believe it is the Florentine variety. Eventually, this becomes a musky, powdery iris party on me, with hints of bergamot, white amber, and ash in the background. Me right now: Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of this, but alas, my skin is running away with the iris note. I am not willing to give up on this yet. I am going to have to try this one in a scent locket.

In the decant: Dates, cream, and spices (not cinnamon, though)! Wet: I’m getting the same notes on my skin, but the cream is more prominent than the dates on me. The spices are very light at first, but they seem to be getting stronger as the scent sits on my skin. I think there may be a ginger note in this, and possibly some turmeric, as zee_zee mentioned, but I can’t say for sure. But I will say that I’m enjoying this more than I thought I would! Dry: This is a really creamy, comforting scent. The spices continue to be light, but the fig and date notes are a little more noticeable now. I’m pleasantly surprised that the fig hasn’t taken over and that it hasn’t turned waxy on me. Verdict: This is lovely. I am not sure that I would reach for it enough to warrant getting a bottle (I’ll have to give it a full day’s wear and see if I still feel that way before the Liliths come down), but if I don’t end up buying a bottle, I’ll definitely cherish my decant.

In the decant: Whoa, that’s a very realistic, just-bitten-into honeycrisp apple! Wet: Same! And it’s so real you can envision the texture of the inside of the just-bitten-into apple when you smell it! Dry: The honeycrisp apple remains the star of the show, but now the sugared milk has emerged, and I agree that it smells like leftover cereal milk! The cereal milk note becomes more prominent after a few hours and is mingling with what is now a much softer apple note. Lovely! Verdict: This was a contender for a bottle purchase, but I went for a decant because I thought it might be too much like Apple I. Well, the apple in this is stronger than the apple in Apple I on me, and the milk note is different, because it’s leftover cereal milk and not goat’s milk. I am really happy with this and will definitely be hanging on to my decant. I am going to give it a full-day test to decide if I need more of it.

In the decant: Pink grapefruit, honey, sparkling apple cider, and a hint of a floral note. Wet: I get the pink grapefruit, the sparkling apple cider, and I think that the previous reviewers might be right about plumeria, as there’s a honeyed floral present that makes me think of C%^T from SDCC. This is definitely a pink scent. The grapefruit and sparkling cider started out being the most prominent notes, but the honeyed plumeria just keeps getting stronger over time. Dry: Alas, the honeyed plumeria took over. I get some of the sparkling apple cider behind it, which ends up losing its effervescence after a while, and just a hint of the pink grapefruit in the background. Verdict: I almost bought a blind bottle of this, but I am glad that I went the decant route instead. I was here for the grapefruit, but this ended up being mostly a honeyed floral scent on me. I don’t dislike it… it’s just not what I was hoping for.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! At the time, I had not looked up the notes, and I just remembered thinking it was a cemetery scent. I remember being interested in it when it went live, but I skipped it. Now I see why: the blood note and the scorched descriptor. Midian Unmade was actually my favorite of the three scents I tried at Dark Delicacies yesterday. At first, I got a blast of dirt, but there was something sweet beneath it. I just kept thinking that this was sweeter than I was expecting and that it was a really nice dirt scent. I did not get the cypress from it (but I was wandering around in the heat, so I wasn't paying attention like I would when I review scents at home), and I certainly didn't get a scorched vibe from it. After several hours of wear, I just kept thinking... dirt and cinnamon! The cinnamon was a light variety and must have been from the blood musk. I am happy to report that I did not get any red musk from this. So don't let the blood musk or scorched descriptions scare you away! I did not get a bottle because I have a slew of dirt scents that I don't reach for often enough, buuuut I may end up caving and ordering it at some point with the release of a future Lace scent.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! I applied a drop to my arm and then walked around Magnolia Park some more, so this isn't the most detailed review as I was walking around in the heat and just sniffing my arm occasionally. Plum isn't really my thing, so I didn't order a bottle of this when it went live, and I didn't end up grabbing one at the store either. But I do want to say that, even though I'm averse to plum, this wasn't as intense on the plum as I expected. This is not a cloying variety of plum, so while the plum remained the dominant note at all times, I never felt like I was in an irksome cloud of it. The plum and cognac were strongest notes on me at first, and then I got some of the Lace vanilla and tobacco, and then the oudh came into play after a few hours, making it a resinous plum scent. After a full day of wear, it was back to being mostly plum-infused Lace (cognac, vanilla, and tobacco). Shadow Lace is evocative of its name, and I recommend it if you're a fan of darker plum scents.

I tried this at Dark Delicacies yesterday, not expecting it to be there or having a single idea what was in it beforehand. The only thing I could think of when I smelled this was GREEN COLOGNE. Not cucumber-y like Lordy, though. And now I see why. I must have been getting the metal (which tends to be sharp and cologne-like on me) and grass. I did not get any popcorn from this at all or find it to be particularly leather-y. Not my thing, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it!

In the decant: Definitely a resinous scent, although it’s brighter than I expected! Wet: I am getting rose, which I see some other reviewers have gotten from this as well. I wonder if it is part of the incense note? This is all about the rose and resins on me. Dry: It is now a dusty, resinous rose scent, with the rose calming down (but never going away) after several hours of wear. Verdict: Aww, I was hoping for resins and clove. Instead, I got resins and rose. Not really my thing, but it was nice to get to try this!

In the decant: Black musk, pine, dust, and resins. Wet: This is sour on me when first applied, and I think that’s due to the khus interacting with the black musk. Then the myrrh emerges to smooth things out. After a few minutes, the pine joins in as well. The pine is a welcome addition, adding a coolness to the scent and the impression that there’s a dark forest nearby. The musty velvet note ends up creeping into the mix as well, making me think of neglected tapestries in an ancient castle… which fits Nosferatu very well! There’s just a hint of patchouli and pepper in the background. Dry: This ends up being a musky, dusty, smooth myrrh and velvet scent, with creeping pine tendrils and a splort of pepper adding a jarring quality in the background to remind you that something is not quite right. After several hours, it becomes sweeter, probably due to the musk. Verdict: I really did not think that I would like this from the list of notes, and maybe some of them are more subdued because this was an aged sniffie, but this is a nice, atmospheric, shadowy scent, which I think is very evocative of its inspiration. I am really glad that I got to try it! Thanks to the lovely forumite that frimped me a sniffie of this to try!

In the bottle: The frankincense is the first note that leaps out at me. It reminds me of Hope and Fear Set Free, which I love, but with a different vanilla. Hope and Fear Set Free has a bourbon vanilla note, and this has that spun sugar vanilla Lace note. I think there may also be some amber behind these notes. Wet: The frankincense is by far the strongest note (and it’s pretty strong). It’s backed by the vanilla, which is lovely. There’s a light spice in this that is warming my skin, maybe a spiced amber in the background that’s representing the gold note? Dry: The vanilla is a lot stronger now, while the frankincense is much softer. It’s a wonderful, vanilla-infused, light resin scent, and I cannot stop huffing my wrist! Verdict: SO GOOD. I am going to need more of this. I am running low on Hope and Fear Set Free, and I was dreading running out of it, but now I have a new vanilla and frankincense blend to love. Thanks to the extremely generous forumite that gave me a partial of this. I will treasure it.

This bottle is from 2016. Source: swap (I’ve never been to the museum, alas!). In the bottle: This is very dusty, somewhat peppery, and dry. I get the balsams and dust the most. Wet: The balsam and leather are the first notes to leap out at me, followed by a light vanilla and a generous amount of dust. As it sits on my skin, it gets sweeter thanks to one of the balsams becoming more prominent (I think one of them is the variety from Tombstone). The balsam and dust end up being the main players on me. The leathers in this are pretty restrained for leather notes. Dry: The balsams and dust still hold the center stage, and I get some paper and more vanilla in the background now. It’s still somewhat peppery to me and like others have noted, greener than expected. After several hours, it ends up being a very woody and dusty balsam scent. Verdict: I am unsure about this one. It doesn’t really make me think of an old library or books, which is what I was hoping for, and the dust is quite pronounced on me. But I like the vanillic quality behind the dust. I will probably hold on to this for a little longer, retest it, and maybe try it as a room scent, but I have to say that I thought I would like this one more from the list of notes.

Thanks to the lovely forumite that gave me a vial of this to try! In the decant, this is a sugared vanilla pink rose. I agree with roseus’ rose spun sugar description. In my hair, that is exactly what I get, accompanied by some cognac (which is more noticeable when this is first applied than later on in the day). It lasts all day, too! I have been curious about this for a long time, but I never leapt for a bottle because I wasn’t sure that I needed another rose hair gloss (as I already have two bottles of Rose Red, which I’ve been layering with Boo HG when looking for a sweeter rose). I was also afraid that this would contain a metal note. Fortunately, it does not! This is really lovely and I think I may end up having to grab a bottle of this in the future, even though my hair gloss collection is completely out of control.