doomsday_disco
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Everything posted by doomsday_disco
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The essence of grit and obstinance distilled into 5ml of pure oil: crumbly kiln-fired clay and a hint of sand.
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A tangle of witch-roots, smoothed over centuries by gentle hands. Damp soil and smoked vetiver, spikenard and raw leather, dried fig and galangal—all bound in an indigo silk ribbon of somnambulic opium tar.
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I'm reviewing the scent more than its intent, although I appreciate its intent. The stars of this blend are the rose otto, chamomile, and orris on me, with a light, sheer vanilla absolute note in the background that smooths over the edges of the rose. The orris isn't super powdery and the resins in this are subtle. The scent stays close to the skin, and the rose becomes the dominant note after a few hours of wear. I'll keep the decant around for its purpose, but I don't feel the urge to upgrade this one to a bottle.
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Softness is a ritual oil for the heart that resists hardening. This blend was crafted to keep the spirit supple, the gaze gentle, and the soul intact even as the world curdles into cruelty. It is not passive, it is not fragile; this is the might of mercy in the face of injustice. This is the quiet power of open hands in a closed-fist world. Defiance through peace, gentle but never yielding. Contains: Roman and German chamomile, rose otto, vanilla absolute, white sandalwood, orris root, hops, and myrrh.
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I'm mostly reviewing the scent, but I grabbed it both for the scent and its purpose. Financial Stability is mostly about the sassafras, and I'm here for it. There's a bit of effervescence behind it, too, but I don't know what could possibly be contributing that aspect to the scent from the listed notes. I have no idea what alfalfa or five finger grass smell like, but honestly, I can't really pick out individual notes in this well aside from the sassafras. It's not particularly spicy or herbal, so if you just want to smell like root beer, rejoice! While testing this, my partner had asked if I had wanted to order some food, and I was the voice of reason that said we could just cook at home. My partner still wanted to get food, but I wonder if they would have wanted to be frivolous if they had been wearing this oil. I love root beer scents, so I upgraded my decant to a bottle, but I also plan to wear it for its intent during these uncertain times.
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Helps you hold onto what you have. Contains: alfalfa, patchouli root, Irish moss, five finger grass, sassafras, cinnamon, bay laurel, bergamot, allspice, and thyme.
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A dear friend sent me her bottle so I could try this, and if it comes back into stock, I may have to get one of my own! Lethe isn't particularly boggy or aquatic at all, so don't let the river foam note scare you away from this. The black labdanum isn't one of the sweet cola-like varieties, and it's bolder than the labdanum found in most of the Lab's blends featuring lavender and labdanum as of late. It may have a touch of something oud-like to it, without being overly funky, but maybe that's secretly a hint of the river foam lurking behind it. The lavender and asphodel cozy up to it, making a great sleep scent. The asphodel does veer somewhat into bubblegum territory on me after a few hours, but since I would get this to use as a sleep scent, I'd probably doze off long before it reached that point. And although I enjoy cypress, it is not a main player on me in this scent. One of the reasons I was curious to try this is because it shares several notes with A Conscious Slumber (Lavender buds and cypress, sepulcher lilies, a sprig of rosemary, and a bouquet of asphodel), of which I regret only buying one bottle. They are not similar despite sharing some of the same notes, but I think both are relaxing enough to lull one to sleep. Of the lavender and labdanum scents that the Lab has released over the last few years, I enjoy this one the most.
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Idle Moon: Vanilla Husk and a Bundle of Twigs
doomsday_disco replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
I'm really glad that I did not blind bottle this one. The twigs are indeed somewhat fresh and green, yet somehow sharp (my first instinct was oak, but then I started thinking about other sharp woods like mahogany and teak, and I didn't deatmatch it with any scents containing those notes since I had other scents on my arm already, so I can't say it's oak for sure). I don't get how they are both green but also smell lacquered, as lithie mentioned. Worst of all, the twigs are somewhat rubbery on me and smell awful. I thought I got a hint of root beer-esque French vanilla from this, but that was very fleeting, and the vanilla note that ends up draping itself over the twigs is a sheer, skin musk-y sort of vanilla. It's nothing like the vanilla husk in Vanilla Husk, Nutmeg, and Hay Absolute. This just did not work for me. -
Idle Moon: Vanilla Husk and a Bundle of Twigs
doomsday_disco posted a topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Vanilla Husk and a Bundle of Twigs. -
Everybody knows their state flower and state animal —but do you know what the official LICHEN of your state is? Ramalina menziesii—the lace or fishnet lichen—is an unusually sexy bundle of algae and fungi. Fashioned into elegant, delicate patterns up to a meter long, it is a nest-making material for birds, a vital food source for California’s deer, and is considered to have sorcerous properties that protect against the ravages of lightning. A pale green filigree: oakmoss, orris absolute, ylang ylang sap, green patchouli, ambergris accord, and sheer vanilla.
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Lilac cream, pressed violets, pink elemi, olive blossom, and crystalline musk. Max Švabinský
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Goose Moon: Nag Champa Smoke and White Gardenia
doomsday_disco posted a topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Nag Champa Smoke and White Gardenia. -
This isn’t an asparagus-scented perfume, though it occurs to me that I should make one someday. I found out recently that May is National Asparagus Month, so here you go. This scent is vaguely inspired by asparagus, but mostly inspired by the flicker of surprise that I felt when I found out there was a month dedicated to asparagus. A pointy green vegetal scent, sparkling with lime-squeezed bemusement. Adriaen Coorte
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Spiced Chestnut and Honey.
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First, I have to say that I'm not familiar with heartsease or hellebore, so if those are conspicuously absent from my review, that's why. The poppies are the main feature of the bouquet throughout wear, backed by the peonies. I recognize the poppy note from The Serpent in the Opium Poppies, although I believe that one is much stronger on the opium tar than the poppy petals. I did not deathmatch the two, though. The peonies are not as strong as the poppies on my skin, but I can still smell them and can visualize the soft feel of the peony petals whenever I catch a whiff of that note beneath the poppies. I'm not getting much in the way of Snake Oil, sandalwood, or the vanilla silk, but the floral notes are so lovely together that I don't really mind. I wonder if this Snake Oil variant will stay like this and be like Cottonmouth (overtly floral with not much in the way of Snake Oil), or if the Snake Oil will emerge more with age. I am going to have to spend more time with this one, but I'm definitely keeping my decant, and further tests will decide if I need more before this goes away.
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Peonies and poppies are two of my favorite May flowers, and all the more so now that we’ve moved to Philadelphia, where you see them in countless gardens. Continuing with the theme of serpents making their way through urban landscapes, I’ve created something for myself that I want to share – a Snake Oil-infused bouquet of poppies, peonies, melancholy heartsease, and the last bruised winter hellebores dusted with sandalwood and bound with a vanilla-white silk ribbon.
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This is lovely. It starts off with a burst of green -- I get more of the meadow grass and clover than any wildflowers -- with the Snake Oil as a backdrop. I feel like some of the grass smells like it has been crushed, but fortunately, there are no strong grass clippings to be found. Over time, it becomes less green as the Snake Oil gains strength and ends up being the dominant note after several hours. I get more of Snake Oil's spices and musks here than the other aspects of the Snake Oil (and it smells more like older Snake Oil than recent variants have to my nose). But this is definitely recognizable as a Snek variant (which Snake Bouquet, while also smelling lovely, doesn't have much of a Snake Oil aspect to it at the moment). I think I will end up needing to get more of this before it goes away. I think this Snek is idyllic and perfect for the spring and summer -- and I really appreciate it as someone who lives in the desert and misses seeing grass.
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As many of you know, we recently moved the whole BPAL Carny Show to Philadelphia. It was a huge change for all of us in myriad ways, not the least of which was the adjustment of moving from a lifetime in a Mediterranean / semi-arid zone to a humid subtropical pocket of the mid-Atlantic. What is “weather”? What is “rain”? What is this white stuff falling on my head every winter? Wait, I have to salt the Earth? What does that mean? Like I said, it was a huge change for us Angelinos. Even though Pennsylvania is green and gorgeous, lawns aren’t the most ecologically-friendly option for your yard so when we moved here, we began the process of replacing our lawn with clover and wildflowers. Semi-meadowing, if you will. Last year, our neighborhood opp took issue with our garden design choices and reported our place to the city for being overgrown and neglected. This scent is for everyone that’s had to deal with That Guy in your neighborhood: a sinuous stream of Snake Oil slithering through meadow flowers and clover.
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Who doesn’t want a hot, buttery snake? Spiced buttered rum splooshed into Snake Oil with a bit of molasses and cream.
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Velvet Brick is mostly about the resins of Velvet (especially the sandalwood, which is indeed gentle) mixed with the warm clay of the brick and sweetened by the cocoa vanilla (although those notes play less of a role). This is nice, but I think just the decant will suffice.
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“The full-length velvet glove hides the fist.” A wallop of our brick accord sheathed in gentle sandalwood, warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh.
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My skin seems to have run away with the tequila. I get a smoky version of tequila with some of the effervescence of the soda water and the clay and sand of the brick note. The booze is the star of the show on me in this one, instead of the brick. I wish the fruity notes had showed up on me. Alas.
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A glass raised to the celebratory spirit of Pride, in defiance of everything conspiring to our collective downfall. *clink* The convivial scent of a Tequila Sunrise (tequila, crème de cassis, lime juice, and sparkling soda water) splashed in the brick-lined gutter.
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Never forget that our classic Snake Oil perfume blend — usually so soft and versatile — is prepared to strike with deadly force. This brickified variation is deeper, earthier, and hissing with rage: vintage patchouli and aged vanilla absolute conspiring with vegetal musks and dark spices to defy the “Three-Article Rule”, tip over a paddy wagon, and make out in the streets.
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Brick Snek is mostly about the warm, soft, clay-like brick note mingling with the aged vanilla absolute and musks of the Snake Oil. I actually don't get much in the way of Snake Oil's spices or patch in this one, so I don't really find this one to be earthier or hissing with rage as per the description. In my Brick Single Note review, I mentioned that I get some orange blossom or neroli in the brick accord, which reminds me of the sharp version of the dead leaves accord that I've encountered in some dead leaves scents, and I totally get that in Brick Snek, too, especially after the scent has been on for several hours of wear. Although I enjoyed this the most out of the Brick by Brick collection, I don't think I need a whole bottle of this one, but I'll keep the decant around to see how it ages.