Akurarei

It does smell like cookies! I don't get any cranberry, but I do get the two chocolates & shortbread. very festive & foody.

The Phoenix in Winter In the Bottle: snow & musk something tart lingering underneath On my Skin, Wet: musky snow and tart dark red cherries On my Skin, Dry: ditto from wet phase Verdict: pretty! a little heavy on the surprise musk, but I love the snow & cherry combo! Happy Anniversary BPAL!

The Soldier In the Bottle: lots of red musk and something sweet in the background On my Skin, Wet: Pie (some kind of buttery sweetness, no nuts or discernable fruit/veggie) a faint hint of leather & LOTS of red musk On my Skin, Dry: still lots of red musk, and honestly, I can't tell the difference between The Soldier & Mme. Moriarty from Carnaval Diabolique at all. Verdict: interesting wet phase, but dissappointed that the dry down is so similar to another BPAL out there. ETA(3.29.2011) OK, this is nothing like the previous review now. I get the black pepper note, no pie crust, and a heck of a lot more leather now. This is what I imagined Spanked would smell like! this is now it's own blend and not a Mme. Moriarty dupe anymore! Yay!

Woods in Winter In the Bottle: Cedar and some kind of lemon note. also eminates 'cold' impression. On my Skin, Wet: yep - there's definitely some Cedar in this, according to my nose. Still getting a lemon note, with a slight waxy quality to it somehow. I'm liking the cold impression - like frozen pine needles or something green that has been encased in ice. On my Skin, Dry: lemon note dissipates somewhat - much less of that waxy quality too. still cold, encased greenery with a nice balance of Cedar and Evergreen notes. some snowy notes are trying to make an appearance, but they're definitely in the background. Probably won't overcome the trees though. Verdict: I love the Lab's imagery of this scent from the description. I was taken by surprise by the lemon/waxy note. Luckily those notes aren't the dominant notes and don't last very long. The encased greenery is beautiful, and does a great job of capturing the feeling of iced over trees. Beautiful - and a more masculine version of Archangel Winter, IMO.

A Cold, Clear Winter Day In the Bottle: Cold - it smells just like 40F degree weather! it doesn't so much have a scent as gives an impression. On my Skin, Wet: Cold, but with some minty undertones. It's reminiscent of Nuclear Winter without the herbs. very simple blend right now. On my Skin, Dry: Cold but dissipating the same way it does once you are back inside a warm house. so there's that cold feeling, but it starts to fall away as you stand inside. I don't get any florals out of this blend. the minty undertones also dissipate in the dry phase. Verdict: an atmospheric blend, gives a great impression of a very cold day! the minty undertones are not overpowering, and imbue a clean tone to the scent. I did not ever get florals from this blend, which I was kinda hoping for but I really like how simple and impressionistic this blend is of a winter day.

HECATE - Lab Frimp Review In the Imp: pungent & sharp - I can't say that I like it, but I'll do a skin test to be sure. On my Skin, Wet: more sharpness & bitter impression. ALMOND IS THAT YOU? *checks notes* yep, almond On my Skin, Dry: the sharpness has dissipated but i'm starting to smell myrrh now. myrrh has not been my friend lately, but seems to be taking away the almond sharpness and not going all weird either. Verdict: not for me. the sharpness eventually goes away, which I am thankful for, and the myrrh doesn't turn into whatever weird scent it has been doing for me lately. after about 15 minutes I go get a buttery note, which is a surprise! despite all the odds against this perfume, it actually evens out into a nice earthy scent, but it just isn't my style.

In the Bottle: VANILLA BUTTERCREAM ICING! On my Skin, Wet: very delectable vanilla buttercream icing - seriously good. On my Skin, Dry: still icing, but drier. vanilla is definitely a prominent note, and it is still surprisingly sugary sweet. I don't get any pine notes from this, which I am totally ok with since the vanilla buttercream icing is so out of this world awesome! Verdict: getting backups! I am completely blow away by this one, I LOVE IT! 10 of 10 ranking! eta - spelling fail!

my bottle of Whoop smells very strongly of pine, cold and spices. then it disappears for the most part, only to leave traces of pie crust.

White tea and violet leaf. The Unsteady Governess In the Bottle: TEA!!! and something green. in the bottle this smells quite similar to Holiday Moon On my Skin, Wet: a blast of white tea, then it smells just like Holiday Moon for about 30 seconds. as it settles, there is a very potent green vegetation note. It smells like a very strong type of grass that used to be found in the stables when I was a kid. alfalfa maybe? after another minute or so the green-ness dissipates. nothing about this seems to have any violet notes to it for me...not sure if that's a good thing or not at this point. On my Skin, Dry: A mixture of strong tea - which no longer seems white, but maybe a mixture of green & white. definitely some green-ness still lingering but not as overwhelmingly strong. still no violet tones emerging. Verdict: it's a great tea scent - the only other scent that comes close to the level of tea notes is Holiday Moon, but the overall vibe to The Unsteady Governess is more unsettling. I'm a little dissappointed that the green note goes ballistic for a little while, but it's not really a detriment overall. I'm on the fence about whether or not violet's absence bothers me or not. The only scent that I really remember having a potent violet note was NUMB, and that one gave me a screeching, pounding headache instantly. Overall, this scent is greater than the sum of it's parts. it's a weird mixture of freshness, femininity, and menace. despite the luke-warm breakdown above I do like this scent quite a bit. it's the evil twin to Holiday Moon in some regards. so it's nice to alternate between 'good' tea and 'bad' tea Thanks Labbies! 8 of 10 Ranking!

In the bottle: fresh cut grass On my Skin, Wet: BANANAS!? WTF? it bursts with bananas, mangos, & something coconut like On my Skin, Dry: still somewaht smoothie-like but the amber is coming out more now, and the green 'grass' smell is also coming out but definitely is slowly turning into fresh leaves Verdict: very weird opening on my skin - the drydown is pretty but also fairly sutble. 4 of 10 Ranking!

Punkie Night 2010 In the Bottle: smells like a fresh leafy apple orchard! on my Skin, Wet: YANKEE CANDLES!! no apples, no cranberries, just waxy overly artificial perfumed candles On my Skin, Dry: Ok, the candles scent has gone away now. it's become kind of spicy somehow, but I am getting the cranberries and some apples at this point. Verdict: this might have been the blend I was wanting to try the most for 2010, but the candle phase turned me off somewhat. I was planning on getting another bottle of this one, but I think I'll pass. ETA: 7.29.2011 After almost a full year, this is now gorgeous & lost it's 'candle' note. I get crisp apples, and a general autumn feel from this scent now. It's very evocative of the season and I would definitely pick up a new bottle if released in 2011.

Tricksy Bath Oil Thank you all for mentioning how potent the patchouli is in this bath oil! Just used a little bit and it's definitely POW! patchouli! thankfully it's not a 'dirty' patchouli, but it's still pretty overpowering. I decided to add the oil to the tub before adding any water. I used a quarter sized amount and it was just right! it will layer REALLY well with Gula or something chocolatety!

Mabon 2010 I wasn't around for the original Mabon so I can't provide a comparison. it's a lovely grape scent to me. I don't think grape is listed as a note, but that's what I smell. Like the best fresh squeezed sugared grape juice ever! I thankfully don't smell the myrrh, which recently has decided to amp up on me. evocative of fall and bounty. beautiful, even if it doesn't smell like anything but enchanted grapes to me.

The Wild Swans at Coole this is a lovely soft aquatic. I get the autumn leaves imagery when I apply, then the water note becomes prominant and lasts and lasts. very serene. beautiful blend Beth!

Halloween in San Francisco Salty, rainy & overcast - in a bottle! this scent encapsulates a rainy, dreary day beautifully! I don't smell any greenery/leaves...just salty rain.

Golletes Smells like a cream-less Beaver Moon 2007 in the bottle. then I put it on & I get sweet juicy cherries, sugar & something faint in the background...maybe the 'pastries; but I can't really tell. After a few hours its cherries dipped in sugar. really simple & beautiful foody scent! 10 of 10 Ranking! this years releases that work are doing very well on me!

Odd Portents I don't smell much of anything, in any stage, except myrrh. which isn't playing nice on my skin this time

Tombeur I was really worried about the patchouli & clove; neither really suit me. In the Bottle: Musk, Vanilla & something kind of dry On my Skin, Wet: Patchouli! NOOO!! after a couple of minutes, the patchouli goes away to be replaced with red musk, deep dark vanilla, and extra sugary Snake Oil! On my Skin, Dry: no patchouli anywhere, just that glorious musk, vanilla & SO combo. this is great! I don't even detect the questionable clove which tends to appear in the dry phase. Verdict: a wonderful scent - I really love it! buying one or more backups prior to 2011 10 of 10 Ranking!

A Howl in the Darkness In the Bottle: Minty with something underneath; not dissernable to my poor nose. On my Skin, Wet: A blast of musk, then a blast of vanilla, then both settle down onto a sweet & cool mint base On my Skin, Dry: this is like a musky version of Tokyo Stomp. I like this a lot! very interesting, though it doesn't remind me of being in the woods, sadly. great scent for the fall & cooler weather. 8 of 10 Ranking

Pumpkin Latte In the Bottle: little to no scent, but the little bit that is there smells buttery on my Skin, Wet: Cinnamon! everywhere! really strong cinnamon too - took me by surprise! after about 10 minutes of CINNAMON!!!! it starts to smell like El Dia de Reyes with some coffee & cocoa notes On my Skin, Dry: smells much more like Gluttony now. Heavy chocolate, cream & other decadent sweets. then, after 2 hours, it smells like Gluttony plus sweet pumpkin pie. Verdict: pretty strong cinnamon note, then some good coffee & hot chocolate, then some deadly sin with dessert on the side. probably the most evocative of the fall scents I've tried this release so far. I'm hoping that all the others are equally interesting. 8 of 10 ranking!

So is anything backordered that just hasn't been updated to the Backordered thread? With the Weenies in progress, Anniversaries & Yules all coming up, maybe there just hasn't been a thread update? I placed my order 8/23/2010, the funds were taken on 9/1/2010 & still no CnS ETA: of course shortly after I post this I get an email from customer service about the status of my order! ::egg on face::

Lotus Moon 2010 In the Bottle: Resin & Dark Fruits - not specific On my Skin, Wet:: blossoming dark fruits, lotus, & deep resins. Very 'morning dew' impression to me. the dark fruit could be pomegranate, but to my nose it could also be black cherry or very dark red raspberries. the lotus seems dewy at this stage - not bubblegum. I can't specify any resins at this stage On my Skin, Dry: not a dewy fresh fragrance anymore. this has become rather dry - almost parched of all gentle welcoming scents. the resin has turned to incense the lotus is now a potpourri and the fruits have turned to dried versions of their former lush selves. not a bad smell, but the dryness of it is a little bizarre Verdict: pretty but not something that holds my attention 4 of 10 ranking

Common Jezebel In the Bottle: Vetiver, Sugar & airy fruits On my Skin, Wet: A blast of sugary fruits, then the smoky vetiver. it smells dark but clean to me. On my Skin, Dry: Vetiver dominates in this stage, but I am getting wafts of lemons & a touch of sugar. it has an overall 'juicy' impression - which can be the apricot & red currants from other blends I have tried that have those notes. Still kind of a strange dark but clean impression but now with a slightly smoky undertone. Verdict: interesting blend - I love the initial blast of sugary fruits with the undertone of the vetiver when I first apply this, but I'm not sure how I like the role reversal once dry. as far as aging goes, I suspect this blend will eventually be all vetiver all the time. if it turns out to be anything other than vetiver I'll be pleasantly surprised. 4 of 10 ranking

#369 In the bottle: there's definitely vanilla in the bottle and it generally smells like I'm standing between a bakery (which happens to use gallons of vanilla) and a florist shop. On my Skin, Wet: still the same smell from the bottle, just AMPED - because I amp vanilla On my Skin, Dry: now this is interesting! It's a swirl of vanilla, floral (nose is telling me carnation since the Lab's carnation makes me sneezy for a bit), and a vague 'cakey' smell. It almost smells like warm cupcakes waiting to be frosted, and the frosting is being made nearby. There *might* be amber in this blend as well. Once in a while I get a resin whiff for a brief instant. After More Time: Vanilla, Carnation, 'bakery smells' & Amber or Golden Musk Verdict: for a Chaos blend, I couldn't be happier with the outcome! aside from the carnation (which makes me sneezy) I probably would have made this scent myself! I love the vanilla base and the ambery-golden musk makes a nice balance to the sugary baked goods smells. this is great! certainly makes up for my poor Edge of Chaos bottle! 6 of 10!

WitchBlade: WitchBlade All the notes sound good! (even the ones that I've never heard of!) In the Bottle: Rich red musk! and Amber! it smells like a clean & warm red musk - I'll attribute the 'sacred metal' as the clean portion of the mixture. On my Skin, Wet: A burst of potent red musk - slowly softening with the metal note(s) and the amber just keeps this blend kind of warm and cozy. On my Skin, Dry: Red musk, sacred metal and a very small trace of the warm amber. This is my favorite blend with red musk ever! I love the intensity of the red musk but not the 'muskiness' of it for more than a couple of hours. This blend is a clean version of red musk, and I can wear it all day long without having that muskiness take over after a while. Verdict: Outstanding! Gorgeous! This does layer well with WB: Sara Pezzini - completely complementary & seamless. I have been wearing this blend alone as well, and I just can't go wrong with it! (even running a little in my hair just before bed- it's just that gorgeous!) 10 of 10 Ranking!! Great job Beth & Labbies! Thank you so much for not only creating this series of scents, but also making it a charitable effort! you guys are the best!