Akurarei

Autumn Cider Yowza! this is heavy on the 'fermented' note! it's very dominant on the apple note & cinnamon note - but holy cow is that fermentation strong. I'm not sure I'll be able to wear this anywhere but outside.

The Vampire Bride In the Bottle: Musk and a crystalline note - note sure what that is On my Skin, Wet: A burst of violet! interesting! This burst lingers for a bit, then the red musk starts to make an appearance. On my Skin, Dry: There's that crystalline note again! it's very soft and low to the skin, that allows wiffs of violet and hints of red musk. Verdict: I was expecting this to be a stronger scent based on the notes listed, but this scent is delicate and ethereal. it's very soft and sweet with a gentle bite to it

Sonnet D'Automne In the Bottle: Meh. Not much to detect On my Skin, Wet: THIS IS AMAZING! I get the dried leaves right away, swiftly followed by a vanilla-y, sugary cocoa. On my Skin, Dry: The leaves fade to the background, and I'm getting a soft creamy white chocolate now as the dominant note. There is also a hint of vanilla that I'm picking up. Verdict: excellent! unique! this is definitely a contender for a backup bottle!

The initial wear was a sugary pumpkin that had an spicy undercurrent. After a couple of hours, the spice was overwhelmingly strong & drowned out a lot of the pumpkin & obliterated the sugars. This may need to age - hopefully the spice calms down

I agree with Violetblue. smells wonderous in the jar, but just didn't perform in water. I didn't get many bubbles either but I didn't know how much to use, so maybe round 2 will be the rest of the jar

Creepy 2009 In the Bottle: Red Apples & sugary booze On my Skin, Wet: Red Juicy Sliced Apples, followed closely by a dollop of sugary caramel then some booze. On my Skin, Dry: Whole apples, sugar, and booze. Verdict: aging has done great things for this blend - before it was just a boozy mess, but now it's a couple of years old and FABULOUS! I would get this blend again if it's ever offered again.

Used this one last night! equal parts vanilla & mint for me - the vanilla is like a raw vanilla with a pinch of sugar & the mint is a strange, "warm yet crisp" variety. I love the simplicity of this one!

Muilearteach In the Bottle: Lots of musk - mostly red On my Skin, Wet: A burst of red musk, and a little bit of black musk. these settle down with an icy background developing. On my Skin, Dry: Red musk, icicles (which smell a little like wet ozone, but it's definitely 'cold'), and a very faint vanilla spice undertone Verdict: I was intrigued by this one while it was available, then the musk was too much when it was fresh. after a year of aging - this is GORGEOUS! the musks aren't as overpowering as they once were, I love the cold element, and the weird apparition of the vanilla spice is just glorious! I love this Trick!

IO At first, this blend was just a sweet mess - just a pile of sugar with maybe a single berry intermixed. after a few months of aging, this is one of the more interesting BPALs in my collection In the Bottle: Mango & herbs On my Skin, Wet: A huge burst of juicy & sweet mangoes - I pick up the thyme too On my Skin, Dry: Mango is replaced by Poms & Cranberries. I'm not sure if I can distinguish the blackberry or the red musk, but I think they are lending themselves to deepening the overall impression Verdict: aging was well worth the wait! I love the Mango/Thyme combo, and it's certainly unique in my collection.

Revenge smells like a orange with some white florals does not last long, which is disappointing since it does smell quite lovely

Buttery autumnal nuts. Heavy on the butter in the first spray - then it becomes a lovely, dry celebration of bitter acorns, sugary pecans, & raw walnuts (for my nose, anyway) not the longest lasting, but does hang around for a couple of hours

Berry Moon 2011 In the Bottle: as advertised; "a deep berry bouquet" On my Skin, Wet: A burst of alcoholic berries, red & deep plum in color On my Skin, Dry: I detect the brandy. The berry bouquet is very seamless, I don't smell any individual fruits. Verdict: I have the previous version of Berry Moon & they don't smell remotely similar, which I was afraid of. I like the 2011 version better, I think the brandy is a better choice for my chemistry than the musk from previous release.

Schwarzer Mond 2011 In the Bottle: Musty Patchouli On my Skin, Wet: Musty Patchouli with some dark resins and a hint of what smells like smoke. On my Skin, Dry: Still musty, but the patchouli has subsided. the smokey dark resins are taking the forefront - nice but a little heavy on the smoke factor on me. Verdict: undecided - it's an interesting blend, but it's so outside my usual fare that I don't really know if I find it pleasing or if I'm just tolerating it for novelty's sake. ETA: OK, it took 3.5 hours, but this is now truly a deep dark gorgeous resin scent. I really do like it in this stage, but the smokey, musty pacthouli phase is a little off-putting.

Luna Negra In the Bottle: patchouli? that's not a listed note, but I swear that's all I smell On my Skin, Wet: Now this is interesting - to me this smells like a 'blue' version of Crypt Queen. Crypt Queen always has a 'red' feeling to me, probably because of the blood accord & raspberries. Luna Negra smells almost exactly like Crypt Queen to me, but I guess the blackberry gives it the 'blue' quality. weird synesthesia. On my Skin, Dry: Smoky resins, patchouli (??), and a hint of the berries, but not much at all. yep - this is a 'blue' version of Crypt Queen to my nose. very strange indeed. Verdict: I really like this one, even though patchouli isn't my thing - and even though it does not seem to be an ingredient. I like the depth of this scent, and it's 'evilness' it's a great scent for the upcoming fall months, and I am looking forward to wearing it in October particularly. p.s. Crypt Queen is probably my favorite Halloweenie scent but I'm always hesistant to wear her because I don't want to run out or creep anyone out as she has that presence. this is going to sit along side her so I can have a red & blue version. awesome!!

I got a sample of this one too! To me it smelled like earthy moss with a tinge of something floral, but I couldn't tell you a particular flower. I also expected a coffee note, but I don't smell one over the moss. it's got a definite 'green' aspect to it. ETA: OK, I think maybe the floral is magnolia.

Wulric, the Wolfman In the Bottle: heavy cocoa & something bitter & sour underneath. On my Skin, Wet: Blegh!!! The vetiver & cocoa are not playing nice, and it's smelling like rotten chocolate cake On my Skin, Dry: still pretty potent vetiver, dry cocoa, and something vaguely citrus-y...like preserved orange zest or something. Verdict: not my thing - it probably won't get worn very often, and probably never be used in a scent locket.

Priala, The Human Phoenix In the Bottle: Heavy smoke note, with a burnt cinnamon edge On my Skin, Wet: Sharp cinnamon & damp smoke - like smoke in a very humid place. This one is strong & hurts my sinuses a little. On my Skin, Dry: Ahh, this is better. I get the myrrh(s) now, with an undercurrent of cinnamon and a very small whiff of smoke. It *almost* gets a creamy quality to it, but it's not at all milky. More like a cinnamon frosting, heavy with sugar. Verdict: This is a scent that will never be used in the hair or scent locket, it has to interact with the skin to reach that pretty creamy resin & cinnamon phase. Not at all a fan of the wet phase, but the dry down is quite unique & beautiful.

On me this one smells very much like regular Snake Oil layered with Sara Pezzini. It definitely has leather and the Snake Oil as a base. I thought it would be more complex than that, but I am perfectly OK with how it works on me.

Purple Spotted Swallowtail In the Bottle: Smells almost like fresh lemon rind to me. it does have a slight 'furniture cleaner' note to it, but it's very faint. On my Skin, Wet: an explosion of lemon, then the clove & some faint resins. this doesn't last terribly long before it does go a little more 'furniture cleaner' than I like. On my Skin, Dry: a strange combo of cloves, poppy, & lemon/lime it's interesting, but not something I usually gravitate towards. I picture this being more of a fall scent than a spring or summery fragrance. Verdict: different. I hope the 'furniture cleaner' note goes away over time - it's putting a tarnish on an otherwise very unique scent. not sure how to rank this one yet.

The Death-Horse In the Imp: dark & ominous - I smell mostly smoky, gritty resin On my Skin, Wet: An overwhelming blast of Lily of the Valley! and that's about it. On my Skin, Dry: Lily of the Valley, made of resins. this is a strange blend in the dry stage. I don't know how I feel about it in the dry stage...I certainly was not expecting such a presence from the florals. Verdict: it's OK, but I was just expecting something more resinous.

Obatala In the Bottle: Not much there - I can tell it's a delicate scent, but I don't pick up specific notes here. On my Skin, Wet: Awesome coconuts, a coolness that is probably the water, a touch of something sweet. This is very soothing and calming in the wet stage for me. Just lovely! On my Skin, Dry: Still coconuts, but they have receeded a bit. I get a touch of the milk now, and it's blending with the shea butter. The shea butter is quite distinct on me in the dry phase. This has morphed from a cool scent to a warm scent. It strongly reminds me of a rice dessert I used to have while visiting the grandfolks in Mexico. Verdict: This is a perfect summer scent! it's light & refreshing then becomes soft and warm, welcoming, even. just beautiful!

Death on a Pale Horse In the Imp: Not much there, it almost smells of nothing, but the little bit I do smell, I can't describe. On My Skin, Wet: Sandalwood & Lemon. mostly a dry sandalwood, with hints of dried potpourri lemons... these are not juicy fresh lemons. On My Skin, Dry: .................. this smells exactly like a great aunt who passed away many years ago. lovely lady, and all this scent does is make me miss her Verdict: scent -wise: it's ok. I prefer Yukki-Onna for lemon & sandalwood Memory-wise: OMG incredible! I wish the memory evoked would have been a little happier...instead it just made me sad.

Xmvlzencab Soap This soap was very smooth and silky, just as advertised. I loved the sweet honeyed ginger scent, but was suprised on how faint the scent was - I think I expected a stronger ginger throw. Lovely soap that felt great on the skin, just not potent in the scent department for me.

I find that putting some BPAL on two fingertips (preferably index & thumb) then putting the BPAL in thin strands of my hair works best for both keeping the scent from reacting with my PH and allowing faint scents to stay stronger, longer. A beautiful scent locket from the Post works great too

Black Pearl In the Imp: Evil Coconuts On my Skin, Wet: Slightly boozy/musky coconuts I don't notice anything else in this stage. I don't know where the faint booziness is coming from, maybe the iris? On my Skin, Dry: Coconuts, a hint of sea water (I have no idea how Beth does it! but it's great!) and the musk makes a distinct appearance in this stage. Verdict: I will probably get a bottle in the next order or two. I really like this for a summery blend that isn't all florals all the time - it's soft without being powdery or too sutble. good work Labbies!