doomsday_disco

In the decant, I smell the orange peel, honey, ale, and goat's milk. On me, the bitter orange peel and goat's milk are the first notes that leap out, followed by a light honey. The orange peel is so bitter that it makes me think of neroli. Fortunately, the honey gains strength and helps smooth it over. In the end, it's strong on the buttery goat's milk, which is sweetened by the honey, and contains traces of the orange peel, ale, and just a tinge of red currant. I feel like I normally amp currant, so I am surprised that it's so quiet on me here. I can smell the silvery musk in the background, behind the goat's milk. While I enjoy where this one ends up, I was not a fan of the bitter, neroli-like orange peel opening, so I don't think I'll hold on to my decant. I know I'd rather reach for My Baby and a Baby Goat for my goat's milk and honey fix. I do think this is nice once the orange peel calms down, though!

In the vial, I smell the holy water, backed by some light woods. On me, the holy water and olive wood are the first notes that stand out to me, and then the clove husk joins in and becomes quite prominent really fast. The brown musk is the next to join the party and quickly becomes one of the main players as well. It ends up being a light, watery brown musk scent backed by the woods and a tinge of clove. After a few hours, it's mostly brown musk backed by woods (the frankincense is more noticeable behind the olive wood at this point). This is in the same scent family as The Small Brown Cat, but I already have a bottle of that one and like it more, so I don't need to hold on to my decant of this one. But if you're looking for a hairball-free, woody brown musk, this one is for you.

I mainly wanted to try this because it was a cat scent. I thought for sure the red musk would amp and this would be intensely fruity red musk on me. I was wrong. The almond, cherry, and dried mango pulp are the notes that stand out to me at first, but the tonka and amber join in later and end up becoming main players along with the cherry and dried mango (it definitely smells dried), adding a creamy warmth to the scent. The red musk isn't a bully at all, and I do get what tmichele means by saying it has a bit of a red Starburst vibe to it. I'm going to keep my decant and try pairing this with Pa-Pow HG! ETA: The rooibos becomes noticeable after a few hours!

This features a mildly spiced, coppery blood musk with the addition of lemon. The blood musk is far more prominent than the lemon on me, though. I had to try this because of the name and the artwork, but the blood musk is too strong for me.

This is a fresh, clean, floral fragrance. In the decant, I smell the white tea, followed by the pink clover, the ectoplasm, and then the white amber, with some musk in the background. The astringent white tea note dominates at first, backed by the pink clover, and a dash of ectoplasm, but the skin musk in the background smooths things over. The white amber note emerges after a few minutes and gains strength over time, but the white tea remains the dominant note on me. This is pleasant, but not something I'd probably reach for over other scents in that category in my collection. It does make me want to try something with pink clover in it again, though, perhaps paired with something sweet.

I agree with the lavender laundry reviews. Ganeida features a lavender that almost seems like it has been iced to me. I mean, there's no cooling effect, but it makes me thinks of a salty, clean, aquatic lavender. I tested this twice, and I wasn't able to identify the herbs in this either time, but I will say that it gets more herbal with wear, and I don't get much honey from this at all. Even though I am a lavender fiend, I don't feel the need to upgrade to a bottle of this one, but I think I'll hang on to my decant.

Street Mattress smells much cleaner than its name implies. It's a floral (I believe it is orris, but that may be due to the baby powder association) baby powder and cotton scent. I have no idea what ribgrass, spurge, and nutgrass smell like, so I can't comment on those, and I don't get much rusty coil (fortunately). I wanted to try this due to the dandelion sap note and the humor, but I wasn't able to detect the dandelion sap. Fans of clean, yet powdery scents (and those who would like to weird guests out by having a bottle of Street Mattress in their bathroom) should have some of this in their life.

Galerie des Glaces wasn't initially on my radar due to its vague description. But the reviews had me curious, and when the down date was extended, I decided to pick up a leftover decant. I am glad I did. This is a sparkling amber scent, accompanied by a cool (but not cold) glassy note (how does Beth make it actually smell glassy?!), and a pale (but not white) musk. I think there might be a smooth, white floral note at play here as well, and perhaps a touch of citrus. It's a very classy, perfume-y sort of perfume, so if you're a fan of when Beth takes something that smells somewhat more accessible or mainstream and puts her own spin on it, you'll want to try this one. I have tried this three days in a row, and I keep debating a bottle. It's alluring, but I just don't know how often I'd reach for it. I detected it on my skin the next morning, and it seems to be sweeter, while retaining its sparkliness (which I'd put in the same family as Ava). I prefer this to Alleviate the Frenzy, which has been getting more attention and also contains a sparkly amber note, because I like the glassy quality in this more than Frenzy's peach musk. I bet a lot of people would love this if they decided to try it.

I get bright, slushy snow and Snake Oil from this, on me and in the vial. The sleet is the main player at first, with the Snake Oil coming out more with wear. I am team sweet snow note, so I was mainly just trying this out of curiosity, but I have a friend that adores snow notes and Snake Oil variants, so I will be passing this on to her. It's not bad, but it doesn't grab me as much as the other snowy Snake Oil scents we've seen lately (Frostbitten Snake Oil, Salzburg Krampuslauf, and Kapitelplatz Chess Match).

Vernal Equinox Full Moon is a floral and amber scent that is stronger on the floral component at first (lots of white and yellow flowers), but the amber note ends up coming out more with wear. It's a lightly spiced amber that reminded me of the amber in The Lion. It has some longevity, too: I applied it around 7 PM last night, and I can still smell it strongly at 10 AM the next morning. It has more amber in it than The Queen of Earthly Paradise, another recent floral amber blend (that shares some of the same floral notes). I actually like this one more, but it's still not something I could see myself reaching for -- there would have to be some sort of sweet aspect present to lure me in, I think. But if you're looking for a floral amber scent for sunny spring days, this one is for you.

Virgo Snowball Fight wasn't something that I initially grabbed a decant of, but I decided to grab a leftover decant when the down date was extended. It starts off with a lovely lemon note and some white tea with a bit of a bite from the ginger, and it reminds me of an extra lemony Kumiho. But later on, the cologne aspect and the bay leaf become more prominent, and it's definitely more of a cologne scent. I applied this around 7 PM last night, and I could still smell the cologne and bay leaf (albeit faintly) the next morning. It's not bottle-worthy for me, but I will be hanging on to the decant, as I could see this being really nice on the boy and a great summer scent.

I did not grab a decant of this before, due to the strawberry and wanting to try so many other scents from this update. But when the down date was extended, I decided to pick up a leftover decant and try it. This starts off as a ripe strawberry (like the kind you'd want for strawberry shortcake, or strawberries about to be made into strawberry compote) and orange zest scent that smells really delicious, with a bit of cream behind those notes. I love the orange zest, but I never got any actual crepe note. Sadly, my skin ended up turning the strawberry into strawberry plastic, but the scent in the vial itself is good, so if you have a good track record with strawberry, you may want to try this. No bottle for me, but maybe I'll try my decant in a scent locket!

I am getting honeyed dragon's blood musk (maybe it's the poppy and the musk giving me that vibe) and marshmallow from this one. I have never tried the original Sanguinem Menstruum, because the blood musk and poppy notes scared me away, but I was curious about this variant due to the marshmallow. I can't normally do dragon's blood or red musk, but for some reason, this isn't all kinds of wrong on me? I like it more than I thought I would. Now I just need to see how often I'll actually reach for it. Fans of Dragon's Milk should try this. Thank you to my lovely fairy for picking this one up for me.

I agree that this smells similar to Lush's Rose Jam, but not as bright, as it doesn't have Rose Jam's lemon, and in Rapture Pig, I feel like the rose amplified. It's very jammy, intensely rose-y, and positively sugary. It's pretty strong on me, too.... almost like a boozy, sugary rose and currant jelly. I love sugary florals (and the Lab's rose notes), so I am glad that I leapt for a bottle. But be warned: you have to enjoy rose in order to appreciate this one!

I am a fan of Zombi and root beer smells, so naturally, I NEEDED THIS IN MY LIFE. This review is after my bottle has had five days to rest, because I didn't get a chance to try it before now. In the bottle, I smell the dirt, sassafras, and oakmoss. On me, the sarsaparilla takes the center stage, but there's some dirt thrown into the mix. It's like Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener with dirt instead of lots of vanilla. Undead rootbeer, indeed! The white ginger does add an effervescent quality to the scent. The oakmoss emerges once the scent is dry and comes out more with wear, eventually becoming a main player on me (but I think I may amp the stuff). I adore clove, but I only get a hint of it here. It's mainly oakmoss, dirt, and what remains of the sassafras on me after several hours of wear. I am so happy I grabbed this one.

Note: The only other Pink Moon I've tried is 2007, which featured sugared carnation and phlox. Pink Moon is VERY PINK. And it's very well-blended, so while I was able to detect the phlox, freesia, stargazer lily, pink carnation, and peony among the floral notes, I wouldn't say that it is dominated by one floral note in particular. I am not a really fan of strawberry (or other berry notes) in perfumes, but there really is just a touch of it here. If you're also not a big fan of that note but have tried Love from Pickman Gallery: A Tremulous Song and didn't mind that amount of strawberry, you'll probably be okay with this, too. The pink freesia mingles with it really nicely and gives the scent a sparkly sort of feel. The sugar, honey, and vanilla become more prominent after a few hours of wear, with the honey and sugar being stronger on me than the vanilla. It actually ends up having a bit of a High-Strung Daisies vibe to it after several hours, probably due to the pink carnation and sugar. So if you're a fan of that, or sugary florals in particular, you should definitely try this! My aunt hugged me and told me how good I smelled while I was wearing this yesterday, so I am not the only one who is a fan! Lunacy blends usually don't grab me, but I am glad I grabbed a bottle of this one.

Fear of Cemeteries
 Upturned earth, moss-damp and thick with creeping things. A shard of mahogany from a broken casket. Creaking marble doors pushing open under moonlit skies. In the decant: Diiiiirt. Also, some patchouli and mahogany. But mostly, dirt. Wet: Upturned earth and mahogany. I believe this is the same mahogany note found in The Red Queen. Then, the moss emerges, and what I think may be the marble note. This dirt scent is actually a lot lighter than I thought it would be. Dry: Mostly dirt, moss, and what I think may be the marble. The mahogany note seems to have gone away. Verdict: I wanted to try this, since I like dirt scents. It's actually surprisingly light, and not as menacing as one might think it would be, given the name.

I like this more than I was expecting to! I love vanilla, but rum generally isn't my thing. At first, it's kind of like a vanilla-infused butter rum Lifesaver, and then it becomes a pretty evenly balanced vanilla rum scent. But over time, the vanilla note comes out more, and it becomes this really nice vanilla that mingles with the warmth of the rum. This is the best rum scent I have tried! Thanks to the lovely person that sent me some to try.

The lime cream is the most prominent note, followed by the bourbon vetiver and the smoke-tinged candle wax, which gives it that wooly vibe. It becomes very cologne-y very quickly. This scent is really strong on me. It remains a really overwhelming cologne for a while, until the lime cream and vetiver calm down and the candle wax returns, adding a touch of fuzzy warmth to the lime and vetiver cologne. The cologne is too strong for me, but I bet this would be lovely on a guy.

Halloween: Las Vegas features copious amounts of red wine sloshed with Snake Oil's spices, Dorian's tea, and a smear of frosting. But mostly, red wine. It's a party in a bottle, in which red wine is being had by all. It's like this for a really long time, and I was starting to think that the red wine just wouldn't stop flowing, but after four hours of wear, I get Snake Oil's vanilla mixed with the buttercream-covered cake and the red wine, and it is really nice. I bet it would be even better on someone whose skin chemistry doesn't run away with the Lab's red wine note, but I'm going to be hanging on to this, at least for now, because that Snake Oil vanilla and cake phase is WORTH IT. Thank you so much to the lovely person that frimped this to me.

In the decant, I mostly smell the beeswax and the roasted nuts with a bit of ti leaf. On me, I get a ton of bright ti leaf at first. Once the scent is dry, the roasted nuts make themselves known (they're a little salty), and then the sweet beeswax emerges, followed by the sandalwood incense. These three end up being the main players on me, with the roasted nuts taking the lead. The sandalwood incense is the same one that was used in Meditation Buddy, so if you liked that note, and you like beeswax and don't mind roasted nuts, you might enjoy this one, too. The ti leaf returns after a while and joins these notes, lifting the blend a little. I like this (and I love Beth's humor), but I prefer the beeswax and sandalwood of (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene, with its vanilla ice cream instead of salty nuts, so no bottle for me. I think I'll hang on to the decant, though!

In the vial and on me, Atsui-Mono is strong on the fig milk. It's the same one from Sudsy She-Wolf Bath Oil, only there's a lot more of it here. The honey is next in prominence, with some warm hay and black tea peeking out in the background once the scent is dry. The fig milk never stops being the dominant note on me, and I just seem to be getting more fig over time. I never get any vanilla. This ended up being, as I suspected, too figgy for me, but those that love fig should give it a try!

This starts off being like strawberry candy at first, backed by some green grass dotted with dandelions. The strawberry note then becomes juicier and more realistic, but my skin chemistry is having problems with it or a combination of the notes, because I am getting a plastic vibe from this one, sadly. I bet this is a lovely spring and summer scent on someone who has better luck with strawberry, though!

I let mine settle for a day before testing it. In the bottle, I smell the honeysuckle, poppy, jasmine, and cut grass. On me, the honeysuckle is the dominant note, backed by a light (non-heady or stinky!) jasmine, and crushed grass. I was worried about the poppy note, but it is not problematic on me in this one. After a while, the honeysuckle calms down, and it becomes mix of floral notes on a bed of musk and a much softer grass note. The vanilla note finally shows up after about four hours of wear (I was beginning to think it wouldn't show up on me) and mingles with the floral notes. This lovely lace is perfect for spring! I love honeysuckle, so I am glad that I grabbed a bottle of this, since the jasmine and poppy in this are well-behaved. I just hope that the vanilla comes out more with age!

I was originally curious about Alleviate the Frenzy because of the sugared amber, but I was worried the peach musk would be too heady, as Tamora and Aglaea are too sweet for me. But it ended up being cut from my decant list, so I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to try it. Thanks to the kind BPALista who sent me some to try. Alleviate the Frenzy features a very perfume-y amber and peach musk, and I get a bit of something else in the background that keeps making me think of another fruit -- maybe it is strawberry, as zee_zee suggested, and maybe a bit of orange. This is sparkly, somewhat high-pitched, and not nearly as sweet as Tamora or Aglaea. It's definitely a peach PERFUME, like something I'd expect to find in a department store. It's not something I could see myself reaching for, but I am glad to have gotten to try it! I bet my mom and/or my sister would love this, so I am going to give this to my sister next time I see her.