doomsday_disco

In the (carded) imp: Wow! There's a lot going on in this one. I get some smokiness, which I think is the gunpowder reside, the petrichor, and some orange, which I think could be one of the ingredients in the faded perfume (or perhaps the neon?). Wet: Orange blossom perfume, petrichor (definitely the scent of wet pavement), a bit of ozone, the gunpowder residue... even the waxy lipstick! But the floral perfume is the strongest component on me and seems to be getting stronger over time (there are some heady floral notes in this one!). Dry: The faded perfume and petrichor are the main players on me, but I'm still getting the lipstick and gunpowder residue in the background. Sadly, this veered into soap territory on me, probably because it is predominantly aquatic (or maybe because the notes clash on my skin). I'm not able to pick out anything anymore aside from it smelling like a clean, perfume-y floral aquatic. Verdict: This one was definitely a scent experience. I just wish it hadn't turned into soap on my skin. It's an interesting scent that I can't pull off with my skin chemistry, which is too bad, because I was really enjoying that petrichor note during the wet phase of the scent.

In the imp (it's a carded imp): Brown leather and yellowed parchment, and perhaps some sandalwood. Wet: I think this may contain yellow sandalwood. There's this woody, dusty warmth to the scent, which I think could be from this sandalwood. I am also getting the brown leather and the brittle quality from the description, like the pages could easily fall apart if the book isn't handled carefully. Dry: The scent has calmed down a lot. The leather is softer and cozier now, and I get more of the yellowed parchment, which is also softer (and sweeter – I wonder if there's tonka in this parchment note?) now. This is more yellowed parchment than leather on me. I'm still thinking this one has sandalwood in it, but I'm not sure if it is the yellow variety anymore. I definitely don't think it's the dry white sandalwood, though. Verdict: This is a lovely book scent. It's warmer than a lot of the other book scents I've tried, and I like that it has brown leather instead of black leather (and that the paper ends up being stronger than the leather on me). I'm not sure if I need a bottle, since I already have a few book scents, but I'll definitely hold on to my imp and see how much I reach for it before deciding, because I really like this.

At Drag Con, this smelled mostly like a sweet cucumber cologne to me and the boy. He liked it and the label art, and I told him that the proceeds go to the ACLU and that I'd buy him a bottle. The next day, when he tried it, it was still cologne-y, but not as strong on the cucumber as before, and I could smell the leather and paper notes on him, but not the coffee. I've decided to test it myself to see how it goes on me. In the bottle: Cucumber cologne and cold coffee and a bit of leather. I'm surprised that I'm getting the coffee from the bottle now, as I did not originally. Wet: I'm getting the cucumber cologne mixed with the cold coffee, the latter of which is actually quite prominent on my skin! The coffee really does smell like it is cold. Dry: It remains that way for a while, with the coffee being slightly stronger than the cucumber cologne. After several hours, it's mainly cucumber cologne with some paper, cold coffee on me, and a bit of black leather. Verdict: This is not a cologne scent that I would likely reach for myself, but it does match the description! I'll just have to remember to place this bottle where the boy will remember to apply it.

In the imp: I'm getting a lot of white peach, followed by smoky vetiver, orchid, champaca, and oudh. It's like a peachy incense. Wet: Sickly sweet peach and orchid backed by the smoky vetiver and resins. I'm not sure if it's the peach in combination with the orchid that's doing it or another note, but it's got a medicinal vibe on my skin, unfortunately. Dry: The sweet peach note is still the dominant note, followed by the orchid, but it's not as intense as it was before. The champaca, resins (I'm getting lots of the amber now!), black currant, coconut, and vetiver have all swirled together in the background, creating a wonderful incense-y smell. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: Alas, peach (possibly combined with the orchid or coconut) is just not compatible with my skin chemistry during the wet phase, and it's not something I'd want to endure to get to the dry phase of the scent. I'm really glad I got to try this, though!

This was my original impression at Drag Con: “Lime and tangerine stood out to me the most, with the bourbon only being noticeable after the scent was sprayed. I could tell that the sugared mint was present, but it was not super minty.” Now I'm testing it out on a paper towel to do a proper review. First, I'm greeted with the sugared mint and lime, and then the tangerine note appears, followed by the bourbon. I agree with RedPersimmon: it's a sugared mint and citrus bourbon (with the lime being stronger than the tangerine, and the sugared mint and lime being stronger than the bourbon). I'm getting more sugared mint than I did spraying this at the convention, which I'm really happy about! I don't have any wigs to spray, but I will be spraying this on my clothes when wearing citrus-dominant scents this summer, because it's really refreshing. I should have bought two bottles.

In the bottle: Sugared lemon! On my skin, it's super sugary lemon! It smells like sugared lemon candy. After a while, the lemon becomes softer, but it's still sufficiently sugary and lemony. I do get the 'iced' part of the description, but now it's mostly reminding me of a lemon glaze. Now I want a piece of lemon pound cake. I love how sugary this one is. And it lasts! Verdict: I bought a bottle of this one at Drag Con, because I liked it and I'm running low on Happy Baby in a Long Dress, and I'm so glad I did! I can see myself wearing this one a lot during the summer months.

I tried this one at Drag Con. It was thick and syrupy and I thought I smelled like cherry (maybe black cherry -- not a red variety) and dark myrrh, although maybe my nose was mistaken and it was a different dark fruit. It ended up being more resinous as it sat on my skin. I wonder if this one will end up getting released. If it does, I'd love to test it properly, without a ton of other scents on my arms.

I tested this one at Drag Con, even though dragon's blood is an iffy note on me and I'm not very fond of strawberry scents. Loli Dragon was all strawberry hard candies on me. Like those ones with the wrapper that looks like a strawberry. I didn't get the dragon's blood, but that may be because it was candied dragon's blood, or because my nose was worn out by that point, and I was only smelling the strawberry lollipop. I did not end up grabbing a bottle for myself, since I do not want to smell like strawberry candy, but if you do, you should seek out this one!

My testing experience was similar to zankoku_zen's. This was mostly almond buttercream on me, and it remained that way and was pretty strong for a long time. By the end of the day, I was left with some honey. I didn't get any fig, but maybe that was because I couldn't focus on it as I had so many other scents on my arm at Drag Con. I almost bought a bottle, but I told myself that I already have Bienenstich and a lot of cake scents as it is. If you want to smell like almond buttercream cake, though, this one should be up your alley!

In the decant: The honey and lilac notes stand out to me the most, followed by the amber, a bit of cardamom, and a hint of cream. Wet: Creamy, honeyed lilac and amber with just a touch of cardamom. The scent becomes creamier over time, but the honeyed lilac continues to reign. Dry: It stays that way for a while. Then the honey ends up being the dominant note after several hours of wear, with the amber and lilac behind it. I am not getting any cardamom from this anymore, and the cream now resides in the background. It is primarily a honeyed amber and lilac scent. Verdict: This one is nice, but I wish the lilac and cream were a little stronger. I don't feel the need to try to obtain more of it, but I am really glad to have been able to try it.

In the decant: Lots of coffee bean and black musk, backed by the warm sugar cane. Wet: The coffee bean is the most prominent note on my skin, immediately followed by the black musk, and then the warm sugar cane. Dry: The coffee bean note is softer during the dry phase, but still going strong, as well as the black musk, with the sugar cane adding a nice, sweet warmth to the scent. After a while, the black musk ends up overtaking the coffee bean, but the coffee bean isn't far behind it. Several hours later, it is mostly sugared black musk grounded by coffee bean. Verdict: This one is nice, and I am really happy that I was able to try it, but I think the black musk in this one is a little too strong for me.

Let it be known that I do not even normally care for jelly doughnuts. Heresy, I know. Except for the raspberry ones in Germany. Those are amazing (and the only doughnuts that Germany gets right). In the bottle: This was all red jelly when it arrived. Now it has settled for a week, and I still get lots of red jelly, but I also get the Snake Oil now and can also smell the fried dough, which I think may have a dusting of powdered sugar! Yaaaaaaaaas. Wet: A jelly doughnut adorned with powdered sugar, with some of the red jelly oozing out, mingling with Snake Oil's spices. UGH, THIS IS AMAZING. I'm not sure if the red jelly is a mixed berry jelly or one of the fruits from the sufganiyots, which I've never tried (and now regret not having done so), but I'm leaning more toward mixed berry than purely strawberry or raspberry on this one. Dry: I am now getting a buttery quality to the fried dough note, which is stronger than it was before, which makes me think of Drink Me and The Knave of Hearts. Snake Oil's vanilla has come out to play now, and the red jelly, while still present, isn't as strong as it was before. Verdict: The hype is real. I am extremely grateful that a lovely BPALista was willing to swap me this partial , and I hope this becomes an actual thing some day, so that more people can experience the wonders of Snake Oil Jelly Doughnut (and also, so I can get more).

In the bottle, I get the lavender, caramelized tobacco, and cognac. Freshly applied, it's a blast of lavender, with the caramelized French tobacco and sharp cognac. It stays the same once dry, but there's a bit more smoke present. If you worried that this will be too smoky, you need not worry. There's not a lot of smoke here. After a few hours, the lavender calms down significantly, and it ends up mostly being the Lace bace and soft lavender (I get lots more of the caramelized tobacco and cognac with the lavender now, and the lovely vanilla has finally emerged). I'm a slut for lavender and a fan of the lace scents, so I'm really happy to have this one. But *whispers* Summer Lace is still my favorite of the Laces.

In the bottle: Green apple and pink roses! Wet: The green apple note reigns. I believe it is the one found in the Green Apple, Vanilla Orchid, Bergamot, and Tiare hair gloss. After a minute, the pink rose peeks out from behind the green apple. Dry: The pink rose is the dominant note now, accompanied by the (now tart) green apple. After a while, a sweet, white floral note becomes really prominent. Verdict: Horrible Error isn't horrible at all! I enjoyed the strong green apple in the wet phase, but once dry, it is primarily a floral scent (as opposed to a fruity-floral one). I'm glad that I was able to try it, but I'm not sure if this is something I'd end up reaching for.

In the bottle: When this arrived, it was all really strong, floral dragon's blood. Now, after settling for about a week, it smells like hard strawberry candies and floral dragon's blood. Wet: The floral dragon's blood is the most prominent note on me, but it's softer on my skin than it was in the bottle. It does have this cotton-y, cuddly note accompanying it, but I'm not sure if it is cotton or milk (though I'm leaning toward the latter). I can see the comparisons to Dragon's Milk. Dry: Soft dragon's blood and that cozy, comforting note that I think may be milk. This one ends up being a scent that stays really close to the skin, with the soft, cozy note becoming more prominent on me over time. Verdict: I'm not normally a fan of dragon's blood. Sometimes it goes weird on my skin chemistry. But oddly enough, it works for me here. This is really comforting, and I'm glad I decided to take a chance on this one!

In the decant: Pineapple, banana, orange blossom, and honey, with a hint of mint, accompanied by a blast of white musk. Wet: The pineapple is the strongest note on my skin, followed by the orange blossom, some honey, and the light mint. The pineapple in this has an effervescent quality on my skin (probably helped by the white musk). The mint ends up becoming a little stronger, and the banana peeks out, which reminds me more of banana-flavored candy than actual banana. Dry: Mint-infused orange blossom honey, some pineapple, and a lot of white musk. Verdict: It is very fitting that Wembley is a morpher, given that the character is so indecisive! I like how the scent represents that part of Wembley while also representing the way he looks and how energetic his character is. Wembley's scent is better than I thought I would be, given the list of notes, but not something I can see myself wearing. I'm really glad I tried it, though!

In the decant: Fig, chocolate, pear, and quince, Sometimes, I get more of the fig and chocolate, but other sniffs result in more pear and quince. Wet: Figgy dark chocolate accompanied by pear and quince. But as the scent sits on my skin, the pear and quince become more prominent and end up as the dominant notes. Dry: This is all about the pear and quince, with the quince being the strongest note on me. The dark chocolate note resides in the background, and I am getting the vanilla aspect of the figgy vanilla now (which is definitely figgy, but not as figgy as before). It makes me think of a fruit platter with quince and pear slices and two dips for the fruit. After a while, the dark chocolate and figgy vanilla end up reasserting themselves and becoming the dominant notes, but the quince isn't far behind. Verdict: A curious combo for a curious Fraggle! Uncle Traveling Matt smells pleasant, but smelling like fruity chocolate isn't really my jam. So glad to have been able to properly try it, though!

In the imp: White pear, florals, and mist. Of the flowers, the rose and plumeria stand out most to me. Wet: The white pear and florals, enrobed in mist. The rose is the strongest of the floral notes on me, but it hasn't taken over. Dry: The white pear and floral notes continue to reign for a while, with the mist intertwining with those notes, and the tuberose being more prominent than before. But after a while, the pear and the mist calm down, and it ends up being a soft floral scent, with a bit of pear and mist in the background. Verdict: This is a nice fruity floral with an aquatic vibe from the mist. I could not envision myself reaching for this, but I do think it is pleasant (especially when the pear and mist are more prominent).

I've tested this one before, but I neglected to review it. In the imp: This is strong on the cherry-almond, which is what I remember it being like. Wet: This is still strong on the cherry-almond, although the cherry aspect was stronger in the imp, and I am getting lots of skin musk now. It isn't long before it just turns into almond and skin musk. Dry: The skin musk reigns, and while the almond is still present, it isn't nearly as strong as it was before. A rose note has also emerged during this stage, and there's a Dr. Pepper-quality present (which I usually get from Florentine iris, but I'm not sure it's that note doing it). After a while, I also get a soft, powdery myrrh note from this. Verdict: This one is okay, but not one I would ever reach for.

In the imp: This one is all about the herbs and citrus. The rosemary note is the strongest in the imp, followed by the lemon and lavender, a bit of neroli, and then some frankincense that's lingering in the background. Wet: The frankincense is stronger on my skin than it was in the imp, but the lemon, rosemary, and lavender, and neroli quickly push it back into the background. The lemon, rosemary, and lavender are the main players on my skin. Dry: The lemon is the star of the show, with the rosemary right behind it, and then the lavender. The frankincense seems content with its background role, but I do get a little more of it now than I did during the wet phase of the scent. It just adds that warm, resinous vibe beneath the citrus, rosemary, and lavender. Neroli can be a problem note for me, but it's not causing any problems here. After a while, the lemon and rosemary calm down enough to let the frankincense shine through, leaving me with lemony frankincense and some rosemary. Verdict: I wanted to try this because it had lavender in it, but this one is mostly about the lemon verbena and rosemary. I think it would make a good atmosphere spray, but I don't think I want to smell like it myself.

In the imp: When this arrived, it was really strong on the red musk and strawberry. After a day of settling, it is mostly amber, vanilla, strawberry, and black cherry, with some red musk in the background. I'm not typically fond of red musk or strawberry, but I wanted to try this because of the amber and vanilla. Wet: Amber, vanilla, and black cherry. The cherry note is stronger on me than it was in the imp. Then the strawberry note emerges. The red musk is present, but it is not stomping all over the other notes... yet. Dry: The vanilla note is more prominent than it was during the wet phase, but so is the strawberry and red musk. They are now the dominant notes. I still get some of the amber, and a bit of the cherry, but neither are as stronger as they were before. Even though I've tried many scents with heliotrope listed as a note, I'm no good at singling it out, which is why it wasn't mentioned so far in this review, but I think it could be lingering behind the vanilla, amber, red musk, and strawberry notes. Verdict: This one was more pleasant than I thought it would be, given that I'm not fond of red musk and most non-citrus fruit notes. Even though I do get a fair amount of vanilla from this, it's still too strong on the strawberry and musk for my liking. I'm glad I was able to try it, though!

In the imp: Pretty intense lime, and I think I am getting some lemongrass, too. Wet: As soon as I applied it, I could smell lime and lemongrass, but then the lime asserted itself. The lime is a sweet one. Then, I get some mint: not a lot, but enough to give the scent a refreshing, minty quality. Dry: The lime is still going strong, but the lemongrass note has returned and is a lot stronger than before. After a while, I smell some herbs in the background. Verdict: I am so glad that I was able get my hands on an imp of this one! I ordered an imp pack of all of the Panaceas back in 2013, before they were taken off of the website, but for some reason, I couldn't find an imp of this one in my stash. I enjoy citrus scents, and as this one features a lovely lime note, I will be cherishing my imp.

In the decant: The minty, ozonic ice followed by the crushed juniper. Wet: I get a blast of juniper, but the minty, ozonic is note is quite strong as well. For a moment, I thought the coniferous vibe was going to take over, but the eucalyptus and spearmint-y ice won out. Beneath the ice, I smell the Lab's rock note. Dry: The ozonic part of the ice note and the stone are the strongest notes on my skin, with just a bit of juniper and mint in the background. Verdict: I'm glad I got to try it, but this one ended up being a bit too masculine on me in the end.

In the bottle: This is a spiced cider, but the spices don't seem to be as intense as they were in last year's Autumn Cider. I'm hoping that this will cooperate on my skin, unlike the aforementioned scent, which burned. Wet: This is really juicy, and the spices are increasing in strength the longer they sit on my skin. I find this one to be reminiscent of the Trading Post's Harvest Festival atmosphere spray, in that it reminds me of fruit punch. Dry: This becomes less punch-like after sitting on the skin for a while, but I still think it leans towards punch more than cider on me. There is a big red area on my skin where I applied it, so I guess the spices in this one don't like me. Verdict: I keep buying cider scents because I'm always a slut for apples, and I love apple cider. Alas, my skin seems to be too sensitive for these scents. I'm going to retest this after it has had more time to settle, because I feel like my skin is just really dry right now, so I'll see how that goes. However, I have a feeling this one will be passed onto a friend that adores spicy scents. As far as the scent goes, this doesn't come close to my favorite apple-y Weenie, which happens to be Lambs-Wool. I hope that one returns next year, as I'm about to break into my back-up bottle.

In the bottle: Ooh, I definitely get the Tombstone comparisons! I can smell all of the notes listed, and the brown musk, cardamom aspect of the vanilla, and the cedar smell warm and comforting! Wet: All of the notes combine to create a lovely, warm, cuddly scent. The warm musk, cardamom, and cedar really complement each other. I was worried about how much cedar I'd get from this – and if you're averse to cedar, it may still be too much for you – but fortunately, it hasn't been problematic or stomped all over the other notes. Dry: The fuzzy, cuddly quality of this scent is even more apparent than before. The bourbon vanilla is more noticeable on my wrists during this stage, and the cedar has calmed down somewhat, although it remains a main player. That said, in the crooks of my elbows, it continues to be quite prominent. My wrists smell mostly of the warm brown musk and vanilla cedar, but the crooks of my elbows smell mostly of musky cedar and cardamom. This perfectly represents warm cat cuddles. Verdict: I am glad I bought a bottle, and I look forward to seeing how this ages (and how it pairs with Bast)! I'm sure it will age magnificently. But for those who already have Tombstone and aren't sure they can justify having both, I have to say that I prefer Tombstone.