Juushika

I had high hopes for this scent based on the notes and description, but I wasn't eagerly adding it to my shopping list. When a frimp arrived from a seller, it was a good chance to try this scent without consequences. That turned out to be quite lucky, because despite my hopes, I found Penitence to be a little lackluster.

On Me: This goes on very strong, almost smoky, and takes about half an hour to calm down to a wearable level. While it's not the worst drydown that I've experienced (that would be Casanova), it had me worried for a while. After the drydown, the heady and loud smoke dissipates and the true nature of the oil emerges. On me, Penitence is paired incense and resin: the incense hovers over the skin around me, rich, earthy, a little dusty, and fairly smoky; the resin sits just at the skin but is still strong and quite sweet.

Over Time: This scent doesn't morph, but it gently recedes. The incense top layer fades at a faster rate; the sweet resin sinks deeper into the skin, but becomes the dominant note. All told, the scent lasted about five/six hours on me.

Verdict: While this scent isn't offensive by any means (at least not after the drydown), I'm not particularity drawn to it. The smoky and sweet notes are so simple and distinct that they almost feel unblended. As a result, the two notes are too smoky and too sweet, and I can't quite catch both of them at once. If it were a bit more delicate, I think I'd like this scent more, but as it is Penitence was nice enough but nothing amazing. I don't see myself reaching for the imp, and so I'll probably send it off to someone else to try.

Cottonmouth took me by surprise. Prior to it, I had had no positive experiences with anything more floral than an incidental carnation or apple blossom note, and so the floral notes worried me. However, I gave it a go when I received a frimp from a sale, and I was pleasantly surprised--even amazed.

On me: This scent is Snake Oil's prettier, lighter sister. Obviously they share the same base, but unlike Boomslang (the only other Snake Pit I've had the chance to try), the Snake Oil roots in Cottonmouth are much more distinct. It has the same complexity in the incense and spices, and the same sweetness in the vanilla. The floral notes, however, make the blend a bit lighter and a bit more gentle. They are soft florals, more pretty and delicate than they are heady, and they tone down some of the richness of the Snake Oil base. I couldn't pick out any of the specific flowers, and nothing grabbed on and over-amped. It was a very delicate, balanced blend.

Over time: Like Snake Oil, Cottonmouth didn't morph on me. After the drydown period, it stayed relatively constant. What amazed me, however, is that I was constantly leaning in to sniff deeper, to make sure that that beautiful scent really was coming from there. Like I said, I didn't have high hopes for the florals. ;; The scent had a moderate lasting length on my skin.

Verdict: Sometimes I think that sellers know me better than I know myself. I never would have picked this out myself, but having been frimped it, I am so glad to have the imp in my collection. Since it shares so many similarities to Snake Oil, Cottonmouth isn't one that I would search out and buy a lot of. The floral notes, however, make it a lighter and more delicate relative, and I see myself reaching for this in warmer weather, when Snake Oil becomes too heavy and too cloying. It's also, I think, a great choice for people that usually avoid florals, like myself. It is sweet without being sugary, delicately floral without reeking of flowers, and truly a lovely blend. I can't think of any descriptor better than beautiful.

I didn't have any luck with the sister scent, Vampire Tears, so I was a bit hesitant about Midnight Kiss. I'm glad to say, my concerns were way off the mark. This was a wonderful surprise, and a perfect frimp to receive from a seller.

On me: Midnight Kiss is a rich red scent, bordered around the edges with dark cocoa, undercut by a low, fuzzy darkness that reminds me of the color and texture of powdered cloves. The red heart to the scent is definitely fruit, but it doesn't feel fruity, and it certainly doesn't feel foody. Instead, it tends more towards the nose of a red wine and the thick wetness of blood. The cocoa is a bit more gourmand but again isn't foody, and it rounds out the scent and makes it a bit more palatable, not bitter like real wine smells to me. The fuzzy dark not-quite-powdery undercurrent (edit to say: heh, this is probably the musk, isn't it?) gives the scent a decent throw, and it almost makes it feel tactile. It's hard to explain, and my attempts are a bit contrived, but on the whole, this is a red-and-brown scent, colorful but not simple or exaggerated.

Over time: Unlike most BPAL, this scent seems to hover over the skin, around the nose, around the wearer (me) rather than rising up from the skin. In fact, after the drydown period I couldn't lean in and pinpoint precisely where I had applied it, or smell the scent rising from my skin. It floated, like an aura. A rich chocolate and blood red aura. It also stuck around for quite some time, without morphing or fading until, six/seven hours in, it finally quieted and disappeared. I've never had a BPAL scent act quite like that, and I really enjoyed it. It meant I could constantly catch one more smell of the scent without leaning in towards my wrists or my chest like a crazy person, which really is the best of both worlds.

Verdict: I feel very thankful that I was gifted with this, and I see myself reaching for the imp quite frequently. It feels a bit like Enraged Groundhog Musk, without the animal connotations or the heavy musk. Rich, red, cocoa, and just on this side of gourmand, it's slightly sweet, fruity, and chocolate without ever feeling like food. The way the scent hovers is so pleasant, and it makes this a good perfume when you want others to smell you without leaning in, but not be scared away as soon as you enter the room. I'm so pleased. I love this.

ETA, some months later: Unfortunately, as it aged Midnight Kiss became increasingly sweet until it smelled like sticky red candies on my skin. Cloying, sickly, a touch artificial, and glaring bright red in tone, I just couldn't wear it any more. I recently swapped it away.

In the imp: Dry pale powdered cocoa. I don't dawdle over the in-imp smell of this because I love how it smells on me so much, but it's actually quite pleasant and true to the wear scent.

On me: A lovely blend of cocoa and sandalwood. The cocoa is the dry powdered dark chocolate, maybe even baker's chocolate--it's not sweet and not foody, but has a rich cocoa scent nonetheless. The sandalwood melts in perfectly, giving the scent a velvet texture—powdery (the powdered cocoa variety, not the baby powder variety), not quite smooth, but minutely textured and very fine. It's quite a subtle scent, but not understated--has a low-to-moderate throw, which makes it perfect for leaning in and smelling deep. It's at once both refined and comforting, the way that chocolate should be. Doesn't change much during wear.

Verdict: Both the boyfriend and I love this scent on me. It's comforting, perfect for a chocolate-lover, and it's always a delight to smell—a good thing, as it sticks around a fair while (5-8 hours). The boy's only complaint is that it makes me smell good enough to eat, and I can live with that. This was one of my first purchases from the Lab, and is still one of my favorites. I adore it.

This was a frimp from the lab, and I don't think I would have tested the scent any other way—neither citrus nor predominant florals appeal to me.

In the imp: Pure citrus, which is bright but very strong.

On me: After the ten minute drydown, I get, immediately and without morphing, floral soap. It's actually pleasant, as soap goes—creamy white, just a little dusty, scented with graceful florals. But it's still soap, so while I'm not rushing to wash it off, this isn't a scent that I'd ever wear.

Verdict: Nopes, not my notes, not with my skin chemistry.