doomsday_disco

In the imp: Mostly oleander and ylang ylang, darkened by the black patchouli, with a bit of bitter neroli. Wet: The oleander and ylang ylang are the dominant notes, but I'm getting more of the neroli on my skin than I did in the imp. The black patchouli started off in the background, but it's becoming more prominent over time. Dry: This is a dark floral scent. The floral notes are still pretty strong, with the oleander being the stronger of the two. The black patchouli has cozied up to the florals now, giving the scent a bit of a smoky vibe, and the neroli is also stronger than it had been before. Neroli is sometimes a problem note for me, but it hasn't caused a headache or turned weird on my skin in this scent. Verdict: This isn't a scent that I would reach for (being a fan of sugary florals), but it's better than I thought it would be (given that there is black patchouli and neroli in the scent description).

In the imp: Lots of ylang ylang, honey, and grape-y musk. Wet: Same. The ylang ylang, honey, and grape-y musk are really strong. Dry: The grape musk has taken over. I still get a lot of honey and some ylang ylang when I sniff up close, but the throw on this is all about the grape musk. Verdict: I can't stand artificial grape, and that's what the musk in this reminds me of. I was looking forward to trying this one because NORSE MYTHOLOGY, but alas, Skuld is not for me.

CCCXCIV This one was frimped to me in a swap, but I couldn't find a review for it in this thread. In the decant: Fruity hard candy with an herbal undertone and possibly a floral component. That was my first impression. Subsequent sniffing has made me think of banana Laffy Taffy! Wet: Okay, this reminds me of hard apple candy (like a Jolly Rancher) that was dropped in a pile of herbs, with some banana Laffy Taffy in the background. As the scent begins to dry, the banana aspect disappears, but the herb-covered apple candy continues to reign. Dry: Apple candy, herbs, and a floral I am not able to identify. Verdict: Curiouser and curiouser! Not my jam, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it.

CCXIII It looks like this one has been reviewed by sunshinedaisybliss here. In the decant: Aged, vanilla-prominent Snake Oil accompanied by warm peach. Wet: Yep! That's peachy Snake Oil, all right! More Snake Oil than peach, though. I agree that it's a warm, fuzzy peach. It goes really well with the Snake Oil! Dry: It remains a lovely peach-infused Snake Oil! Verdict: I am not usually a huge fan of peach, but peach + Snake Oil is absolutely wonderful! If it were ever to become an official Snake Oil plus scent, I would have to leap for a bottle.

In the imp: Lots of gin! Wet: So much juniper-y gin! It's like an effervescent evergreen! Dry: It becomes a little less effervescent over time. It's more citrusy now. But it's still all about the gin note. Verdict: This one is nice, and I think it would be really refreshing in the summer. I just don't think I'd ever end up deciding I want to smell like gin.

This is one I know I've tried before, but apparently I never reviewed it. In the imp: Mostly champagne with a bit of strawberry. On my skin: The champagne note is definitely the star here, followed by the strawberry. The strawberry note is stronger on me than it was in the imp, but it has nothing on the strength of the champagne. It's like a flute of champagne with some slices of strawberry thrown in. Verdict: I'm not a big fan of strawberry, but fans of the Lab's fizzy champagne note and strawberry should enjoy this. I'll stick with Shade, with its wonderful pink grapefruit and champagne.

Yaaaaas! I'm so thrilled to have gotten an imp of this in my recent Lab order. Thank you, Labbies! In the imp: Cinnamon, resins, patchouli, musk. Wet: I'm hit with a blast of cinnamon, pepper, and resins, and I think I'm getting some red patchouli and possibly some green musk behind those notes. The spices are pretty strong on me, but the cinnamon is not burning my skin, fortunately. I think there may be some cardamom in this, too. I'd put it in the same family as Plunder, but the spices in this are stronger on me than those in Plunder. It makes me think of chai spices, accompanied by some resins, patchouli, and musk. Dry: It takes a really long time for the spices to calm down on me, but when they do, I get some ozone. The (what I believe to be green) musk gets to play a greater role, backed by the spices, resins, and red patchouli. I also get a bit of smokiness from this. Verdict: This one is a mischievous morpher! It really fits its name. It's actually not bad on me, but it's also not a scent that I could see myself wearing.

In the imp: Copal, incense, sweet orange, accompanied by the sweet plumeria. Wet: The copal, incense, and sweet orange are the strongest notes on my skin, but I do get the plumeria as well. The sweet plumeria note is becoming stronger the longer this sits on my skin. Dry: This is primarily an incense scent on me, sweetened by the orange and plumeria notes, but I am also getting the tropical blooms listed during this stage. Verdict: This one is really nice, sweet incense scent. I think I'll hold on to the imp (since it is fresh from the Lab) to see how much I reach for it and to see how it ages.

I tried this one at Denver Comic Con a few years ago, but I didn't write down my impression of it. So I decided to buy an imp with a recent Lab order to see how much honeysuckle I get from it. In the imp: I'm hit with a blast of jasmine, but I do get some of the lemon, honeysuckle, and a bit of spice. Wet: The jasmine is the most prominent note, but I am getting more of the honeysuckle on my skin than I did in the imp. The lemon adds some additional brightness but doesn't make it outright lemon-y. There really is just a touch of spice. Dry: The sweet jasmine is still the strongest note, followed by the honeysuckle (although it's less noticeable on me now). I am still getting the bit of spice and just a hint of lemon. Verdict: Jasmine can be problematic on me, but I don't mind it here. But I was really hoping for more honeysuckle! I don't think this is a scent I need to obtain more of, but I think I'll keep the imp (even though my boyfriend really dislikes it because of the indolic qualities of the jasmine, which I don't even notice in this one).

In the imp: Bright and yet somewhat earthy. There's definitely mint or something reminiscent of mint in here, possibly some apple blossom, and maybe a smidge of dirt. Wet: This is intensely minty. I don't think it's peppermint, spearmint, or eucalyptus. Or, if they're here, it's not just one of those mint notes. I'm thinking it's probably pennyroyal. I'm also getting some bergamot. Dry: Not as intense on the mint as it was before. The scent stays close to the skin now. I think I may be getting some apple blossom and lilac, but I'm not quite sure. It's a light, clean, herbal, floral scent. Verdict: The scent is fitting for its inspiration, but it is not something I could see myself reaching for.

A small amount of this oil was decanted from an imp and has aged for 4+ years. In the decant: Strong musk, honey, and a resin (I'm thinking myrrh or benzoin), and some herbs. It's rather powdery. Wet: Musky (maybe a brown musk – definitely not white, red, or black), resinous, and really powdery. It smells as if I've fallen into a pool of baby powder. Dry: Musk and a dark resin that is still somewhat dry and sharp. The scent is still powdery on me, but not nearly as powdery as it was before. There's also a lemon-y quality to the scent. Verdict: I cannot attest to its purpose, but as far as the scent is concerned, this one is too powdery and sharply resinous on me.

A small amount of this oil was decanted from an imp and has aged for 4+ years. In the decant: Grape and a floral note. Wet: Blargh. I am not a fan of artificial grape, and this is what that reminds me of... like grape candy or Dimetapp. Then I start to get that artificial grape with a white floral note. Dry: The fake grape smell is still present, but not as strong as it was during the wet stage of the scent, and I think I'm also getting some lilac and possibly some lotus. Verdict: I'm reviewing this for the scent alone, and not the oil's purpose. And as far as the scent goes, I can only say: NOPE. This one is not for me. That grape-y Dimetapp note means this is not something I'd use again even if it were just for its intended purpose and not the scent itself.

In the imp: A light, soft, pink rose, a bit of sweetness, and a smattering of herbs. I'm somewhat reminded of Pink Fuzzy Handcuffs, but with the addition of a few herbs. Wet: Yep, this is definitely pink rose and some herbs (I think I'm getting a bit of lemongrass and rosemary). While I think this features the same rose as in Pink Fuzzy Handcuffs, this scent is not as sweet as that one. Dry: The pink rose is still the star of the show, but the herbs are lighter now, and there's a bit of sweetness (but it's not due to vanilla or honey – maybe there's some gardenia here). Verdict: I'm only testing this one for its scent, and thus, I cannot attest to whether it is effective for its purpose. The scent is pleasant, but as I already have Pink Fuzzy Handcuffs and too many rose scents as it is, I doubt I'd end up reaching for this one.

A very tricky kitty, indeed. Used most often as a key to bringing back the joy one needs to have in life in order for living to feel worthwhile. Brings back a sense of delight in simple pleasures, and creates a surge of childlike curiosity and a youthful sense of fun. This blend can also be used to reverse troublesome lesser crossings, create a playful air of catlike sexuality, and, because cats will be cats, it can also be used to throw minor, irritating or bothersome hexes, causing small amounts of chaos and disruption to your foes. A small amount of this oil was decanted from an imp and has aged for 4+ years. In the decant: This one is strongly resinous! I think I am getting a sharp, dark myrrh. Wet: Yep, this one is pretty heavy on the dark myrrh. I think there may be some benzoin in this as well, and there's a smattering of herbs in the background. There's also some rose (perhaps dried rose) mingling with the myrrh and herbs (one of which I believe is lemongrass, but it's not as strong as it usually is). Dry: This is still a predominantly resin scent on me, although the myrrh is softer now, but I am getting more of the rose and herbs (there's definitely a bit of lemongrass in here, and something minty) during this phase. Verdict: I cannot attest to the oil's purpose as I only tried it for its scent. It's okay, but resins and rose aren't a combination I really enjoy, so I don't think I'll continue holding on to it. I am glad I got to try it, though!

I bought an imp of this one a few years ago but neglected to review it! In the imp: Apples, cinnamon, and cloves. It's like a super spiced apple cider! Wet: Roasted, mashed apples, pear, and cinnamon. Dry: This smells like lots of (rather dry) cinnamon has been heaped upon some mashed apples. And I think there may be a bit of cherry as well. Now I want some pie. Verdict: Forever keeping! I can't attest to its purpose (although that's why I bought the imp in the first place...), but the scent itself is a lovely, spiced apple scent that would be great to wear in the autumn. I may end up getting a bottle of this one when I run out of Lambs' Wool.

In the imp: Mist, lilies, and rose. Wet: The mist and lily notes are the first to leap out at me, followed by rose. The lily and rose seem content to sort of meld together and share the stage instead of fighting with one another for dominance. Dry: The mist note is not as prominent as it was before, and the rose has also calmed down a lot. I'm mostly getting a sweet lily scent now, backed by a bit of mist and rose. Fortunately, it never turned soapy on me at all! Verdict: This one is nice for a straight-up floral scent, but since there are other lily scents I would reach for over this one and this is discontinued, I won't hold on to my imp.

In the imp: I get all of the notes in the order they're listed, but the lemon verbena is the strongest of them all. Wet: Lemon verbena, green tea, and jasmine, accompanied by some bitter neroli, which, at the moment, resides in the background. Dry: This ends up being a lemon verbena, green tea, and jasmine scent on me. The neroli remains in the background, and the jasmine isn't the heady type that overtakes everything because the lemon verbena is pretty strong and seems to be keeping it in check. Verdict: This one is okay, but it's too strong on the lemon verbena for me. I prefer Shanghai and Embalming Fluid as far as green tea and citrus scents go (especially Shanghai, which also has green tea and lemon verbena in it, but features a lovely honeysuckle as opposed to jasmine and neroli).

In the decant: I tried this at DCC a few years ago, but I wanted to do a proper test of this one, since having so many scents on your arm at a con and trying to write short notes about them all can be overwhelming. The first notes to stand out to me are the osmanthus, honey, lavender, and peppermint, and behind that, I get the bergamot and thyme, and sometimes, some of the honeysuckle. There's a lot going on in this one! Wet: The honey, peppermint, lavender, and chamomile are all pretty strong on me. I'm also getting some of the bergamot, and then the osmanthus. In the background, I get some of the thyme and just a bit of honeysuckle. But the thyme seems to be getting stronger over time. After a bit, I am able to detect the raspberry note, but it is not a main player. I would describe this as mostly herbal with some florals and bergamot. Dry: The honey, peppermint, lavender, chamomile, and bergamot stayed strong for a while, and fortunately, the thyme did not end up becoming a main player. This is still a honeyed herbal and floral scent on me, with the floral notes (save for the honeysuckle, of which there is only a touch of) being more prominent during this phase, and honey and chamomile being the stars of the show after a few hours of wear. It's got a bit of a 'soapy' quality on me without having veered into complete soap territory. Verdict: In my DCC notes, I wrote that this could be a nice spa scent, and I still get that vibe from it. Fairy Bites is pleasant, but it's not a scent that really grabs me.

In the imp: Freshly washed linen drying in the warm breeze, a fresh, bright floral note (possibly peony), a bit of green apple, and a bit of tart, waxy berry. Wet: This still makes me think of peony and clean linens. I keep thinking peony because the floral has this fresh, lemon-y quality to it that reminds me of the peony in The Dormouse. Then, the tart, waxy berry (or possibly a root of some kind – things often described as rooty tend to have a waxy quality to them on me) note emerges, but it isn't a main player. It's lingering in the background. After that, I get a bit of spice and some effervescence. Dry: The scent is a lot warmer now. The fresh, citrus-y floral aspect of the scent is gone now, and so is the effervescence. It makes me think of the sun-warmed flowers note in All in the Golden Afternoon, which I believe is sunflowers. There's still some waxiness present in the scent, but no berries (fortunately). There's still a hint of spice. Verdict: This one is pleasant, but probably not something I'd reach for again due to the waxy quality I get in the background. I'm glad I was able to try it, though!

In the decant: I get a blast of the blue spruce and sleet, followed by the cypress smoke and the yew berry. Wet: The lovely sleet-covered blue spruce note, which I recognize from Blue Spruce and Snow-Capped Pine is the star of the show, backed by the cypress smoke and the yew berry. The lavender in this is really light, and the smoke part of the cypress smoke isn't too smoky. Dry: The yew berry is more prominent during this stage, making this primarily a blue spruce, sleet, and yew berry scent with some cypress smoke wafting through the wintry forest. Verdict: This is a lovely winter scent! I preferred the wet phase, when the yew berry played a lesser role (I'm not a big fan of berry scents, and I think the berry in this is stronger than in Skadi), so I don't need to hunt down more of this. But if you're looking for a wintry forest and berry scent, this should be right up your alley.

In the decant: The jasmine note is by far the strongest note, backed by the resins and blackcurrant. Wet: The jasmine note is also the strongest on my skin, with the blackcurrant note and resins in the background. As the scent sits on my skin, the blackcurrant note becomes more prominent. Dry: Sweet, heady jasmine accompanied by the sweetness of blackcurrant. The caramelized black amber and frankincense are lingering in the background, behind these notes. Verdict: This wasn't initially on my radar, but I ended up ordering a leftover decant because of the positive reviews. Although this is a well-behaved jasmine, it's too jasmine-forward for me, but it is nice, and I'm glad I was able to try it.

In the decant: Golden rose and vanilla bean, backed by a light frankincense. Wet: Creamy yellow rose, vanilla bean, and frankincense. The frankincense in this one is still really light. Dry: This one stays really close to the skin. The yellow rose is the star of the show, accompanied by the light sweetness of the vanilla bean. The frankincense during this stage is even lighter than before. I think it mainly serves to add a bit of warmth to the scent. It isn't long before I'm not able to pick out the frankincense at all. Verdict: I was curious about this one because of the yellow rose note, which I had not tried before. I think it's nice, but it's not really wowing me.

In the decant: Tea roses with a plate of shortbread cookies in the background. Wet: The tea rose note is the most prominent on my skin, with the buttery shortbread cookies in the background. Dry: The tea rose is wafting over the shortbread cookies, which are much stronger now than they were originally, but not strong enough to overtake the rose. After a while, it's a light tea rose scent warmed by the shortbread. I agree with those who have likened this one to a rose syrup. Verdict: I really enjoy the combination of the tea rose and the shortbread, and I don't feel like it is too similar to The Knave of Hearts (which I wondered if it would be like minus the blackcurrant note). While I really enjoy the scent, I'll probably just stick with my decant, because I feel like I have too many rose scents as it is. But if I didn't have too many rose scents in my collection already, I'd probably be leaping for a bottle of this (and I'll retest it before the Lupers go down just to be sure). Of the Une Douzaine de Roses that I've tried (the others being Un and Sept), this one is my favorite. I kind of wish I had bought a bottle of this one instead of Pink Fuzzy Handcuffs.

In the decant: It smells like cherry and rose candy! Wet: This is a jammy, candied cherry-dipped rose. It really does smell like a cherry-infused rose candy. The rose aspect seems to be growing stronger over time, though. Dry: The jammy red rose is stronger now, but the cherry aspect hasn't dissipated. I can definitely see the comparisons to Lush's Rose Jam (but with the addition of cherry). Verdict: I like this. I don't feel the need to grab a bottle (I have too many rose scents already... and I sold my bottle of Lush's Rose Jam perfume a few years ago), but I'll be hanging onto my decant.

I wanted to get an atmosphere spray to use a lot during the spring, because a lot of the ones I have are either for sleep or are better suited for autumn and winter. I decided to give Lakeside a shot, because of the daffodils and daisies mentioned in the description, and because I loved the Lakeside scenes in the book. I was not disappointed. Lakeside is absolutely lovely. It smells like green grass, daffodils, and daisies on a warm spring or summer day. A realistic aquatic note comes out after the initial blast of the sun-warmed field of grass and flowers, and it really has this feel of being beside a lake and a flower-strewn meadow. I do not get any of the cookies or blood mentioned in the description except when the scent is sprayed directly onto something like paper towel, and even then, there's just the suggestion of something else there that's really faint, buried beneath the cool water. But when I spray the scent all over the room, I just get the grass, flowers, and cool water. I really enjoy this scent and am so happy that I bought a bottle!