welcometothefamily

In the Imp: Wow. Rich SO, with sharp, sweet ginger root. It's got a real bite to it. Wet: Fresh ginger root BLAST. Then settled down into a sweet, but still very gingery baked goods smell. Drydown: The sharp fresh ginger wears off pretty quick which I'm happy about, ginger is not a scent that I can wear well. I really, really like this. It's spicy, but not as spicy as snakes in the PP (thankfully). The throw is soft and perfumey, and close to the skin, it's snugly, milky (oddly enough) snake oil. Verdict: I really like this. I think I'll snag a bottle. 4.5/5

SKEKNA In the Imp: Hmm. Not as foody as I hoped. It's like cakey air freshener. Wet: Sweeter on skin, not as air freshener-like. More perfumey than gourmand though. Drydown: This is very odd indeed. I was expecting super-sweet, overwhelming foodiness, but instead, it's seriously air-freshener like o.o. It actually smells exactly like a frankincense&myrrh fragrance oil I once bought. Verdict: It's not awful, but I am a little disappointed. I might have to try this again another time. 2.5/5 Edited for mistakes.

In the Imp: Smoky, and slightly bitter, green. Can definitely detect the vetiver. Wet: Surprisingly light on the skin. Still smoky and green smelling. Less bitter, more fresh. Drydown: I actually like this more than I thought I would. It's definitely smoky, but I don't think I'm getting DBR at all. I'm smelling something fresh, and almost melon like, and I'm wondering if that isn't the steel. Verdict: I actually quite like this, surprisingly. Probably not enough to buy a bottle, but I'll keep my decant . 3.5/5

Truck stop sleaze. Weedy dandelion and hops with a whiff of tobacco and hemp and a swirl of booziness. In the Imp: Wow, this is so much lighter than I expected. It's sweet, slightly herbaceous, and kinda airy. Must be the dandelion. It's almost sugared though, not weedy o.o. Kinda boozy too, in a sweet way. Wet: Same as in the imp. Very surprised by this one, I didn't even want to sniff the imp because it sounded awful to me. I know real dandelions smell quite bitter so wasn't expecting much. Plus tobacco is a major death note for me, but I can't smell it at all. Drydown: Hmm. Tobacco has come out a lot. I really liked the sugared, boozy dandelion. Without tobacco, I'd probably buy a bottle of this. Unfortunately, once this has been on for a couple hours, it's all tobacco. Ick. Verdict: The tobacco in this isn't awful. It's not overly harsh like normal, but it is still pretty unpleasant. -sigh- 2.5/5

In the Imp: Wow! Crisp, juicy green apple! (I don't know how I know that it's green, but I do) And something bitterly herbal underneath. Wet: Soft, slightly herbal green apple. I think this is the first apple scent I've tried. Drydown: Sweet, ashy apple. It's still soft apple goodness, but with a slightly smoky, ashy edge. Verdict: Surprisingly, I actually quite like this. My nose battles with this scent for a while, it tries to turn every fresh apple scent into washing up liquid. But this is nice. 3/5

In the Imp: Nice. White musk, and bland citrus. I say bland because it's not nose stinging and doesn't really have any kick at all. Wet: Body warmed soap. It does have a manly scent association to it though, you know when your dad/boyfriend/other male person steps out of the shower, and they smell just like clean soap? That is this scent. Drydown: Oh noes! The dreaded pooey nappies D: Straight sniff from the wrist is okay, just bland floral soap. But the throw is allllll nappies. Verdict: -sigh- It just wasn't meant to be. The notes sounded so promising too. 1.5/5

Note: This is a review from memory since it was part of the first order I ever made to bpal. I was drawn in by the description more than the individual notes. Thoughts: I got no dragons blood whatsoever. DB normally does a fruity thing on me. This was all about the orris and blonde wood and unfortunately, while it wasn't awful, it was pretty much baby powder on me.

In the Imp: Fresh cut cedar. Wood, and sweet tree sap. Wet: Still fresh cut wood, the sweetness had died down and been replaced by a kind of menthol. It actually smells a lot like tiger balm.... Drydown: Yup, a mixture of Cathedral and tiger balm. Verdict: Not for me. 2/5

In the Imp: Incense and florals, the most notable being rose and maybe neroli. Wet: Yup, definitely incense. The florals have died back a bit but are still present, and I'm getting the candle smoke. Drydown: This is all candle smoke and incense now. The florals disappeared a while back. It has the same kinda vibe to me as The Lights of Men's Lives, but I think that might be the candle smoke. Verdict: I wish so much the the amber musk appeared on the drydown because if it did, this scent would be PERFECT. I love the dark, gothic tone to this one, I just want a teensy bit of sweetness (is that so much to ask?) to even it out. That being said, this is a very nice oil, and I'll be searching out a bottle . I might try layering it with a few sweeter things, see what happens. 3.7/5

SUGAR SKULL '04 In the Imp: Holy sugar! That's a damn sweet kick in the pants. Wet: Dear lord that's sweet o.o. It's kind of like jewel fruits rolled in sugar crystals. Fortunately not giving me a headache though. Drydown: Same as wet, just a little less crystal sweet. It's a little more powdery now, and even though it's sweet, never gives me a headache. Nice . Verdict: I like it enough to keep the imp, and may track down a partial at some point. 3.5/5

In the Imp: Bright lavender, a teensy bit of incense and something a little lemony. Surprisingly pleasant . Wet: Goes on very lemony, and a little herbal. The rosemary has come out a bit more, and the lavender is still lurking. Drydown: Veeeery herbal. The lemony tinge has disappeared. Someone else mentioned olive oil, and I totally get that reference. This smells like herbal infused oil. Actually, it's pretty much a dead ringer for the lavender and rosemary massage oil we have. Verdict: This isn't too bad. The lemony herbal smell I get when it's first on is actually quite nice. The dry stage is alright too, might be good for layering? Not a bottle for me, but it's not too bad. Not sure yet whether to keep the imp. 2.5/5

In the Imp: Grapefruit, a light floral, maybe a hint of red currant. Wet: Grapefruit with a herbal/floral undertone. No more red currant, unfortunately it never seems to be a note that sticks around on me. Drydown: Sweet herbs and currant, with a tart grapefruit edge. Verdict: I do like this quite a lot. Unfortunately though, it doesn't seem to last long on my skin. Probably no full bottles for me, but I'll welcome imps or partials . 3.5/5

In the Imp: LUSH's Snowcake soap! Luckily, I like Snowcake . Wet: This reminds me a lot of Alice actually. Has the same milky/honey combination. Very light scent though, not a lot of throw at all. Drydown: It's sweet, creamy almond milk with a smudge of honey. I hate almond smells normally, but this is awesome! Verdict: This is a sweeter, creamier Snowcake! I love Snowcake so it's no surprise that I love this too . My only issue is that it's so darn light. But still, this may be a bottle purchase . 4/5

In the Imp: Sweet coffee with a strong kick of whisky. Wet: The same, strong coffee with a double shot of Irish cream. It's actually making my mouth water! Drydown: Stronger on the whisky than the coffee now, and there's hints of dust, and the oak wood. Verdict: This scent is nice enough, but I hoped it would be stronger on the coffee. It's very rich and sweet, and while I'll keep my imp, I probably won't ever need a full bottle. 3.5/5

In the Bottle: Very similar to Midway, a soft caramel. Maybe a hint if cotton. Wet: Cream and caramel. Very milky, like a caramel milkshake. Lovely. Drydown: Goes through a bit of a medicinal stage, which my mum described as vit C tablets, but dries to a lovely soft caramel with the lab's powdery cream note, and a hint of clean cotton. Verdict: I quite like this. It's a little bit overwhelmingly sweet while wet, but the drydown is very nice. The throw also isn't too bad. I go by the assumption that if I can smell wafts, other people can too and I can definitely smell it. The sugar in Midway was all caramel on me and nothing else, and was way too sweet, but I think the cream and cotton really soften it here. This is the Midway for me . 4/5

Note: My bottle has a little bit of cocoa sludge, just up to the label. About a 1/4 inch. When rolled/shaken, little globules float around in the oil but don't really mix per se. In the Bottle: Incensey plum. Hints of black pepper, and fuzzy chocolate. Wet: Not as chocolatey as I'd hoped. Still soft and incensey, a little fruity, there is definitely an earthy side to this though. Must be the sandalwood. It's sweet, and actually fuzzy smelling . Drydown: Chocolate has completely disappeared . The black pepper has really come out of its shell, and the peppery/fruity combination is really reminding me of Xanthe. There's also tiny little hints of hay and hazelnut in the background. Verdict: I never get any nutmeg or sandalwood, and I'm disappointed yet again by the chocolate. It unfortunately doesn't seen to be a note that sticks around on me lately :/. There's like the tiniest, faintest little breath of it in the background. Or it could just be wishful thinking. That being said, this is a nice blend . Not too sure if it's one I'll wear too often, but I'm happy to keep it in my collection. We'll see what it's like once it's had a bit of time to age . 3.5/5

In the Bottle: Earthy patchouli and coffee. Wet: Earthy patchouli, vanilla has sweetened it up a little, the coffee is not strong. Kinda like sniffing the steam from a fresh cup. Drydown: Patchouli sticks around throughout, but the vanilla keeps it from being ALL DIRT ALL THE TIME. The coffee bean has faded completely into the background and I'm smelling a hint of something like a very light anise. Maybe the Himalayan spices? Verdict: I knew I would love this. Its earthy and warm and slightly spicy. The Himalayan spices make this blend a little incensey, and it's just beautiful. Love. Glad I have a bottle 5/5 ETA: On second sniffs, I think tinyvulture is right . This coffee is different from actual brewed coffee, or even a roasted coffee bean. I took green coffee bean antioxidant pills for a little while, and the coffee in this smells very similar. In the bottle it's more green/herbal with a slight hint of brewed coffee, and the brewed coffee note comes out a bit more upon skin application. It really is very nice and I'd love to see more of it in the Lab's creations . ETA2: So this has close to four months behind it now, and I just tried it again yesterday. When I first bought it I didn't really wear it very much because it was initially quite a sharp scent. Well, the vanilla has REALLY come out during those four months, it's now a lot less sharp and the drydown is sweeter. IMO, this scent will be fantastic with 6months-1yr aging behind it.

In the Imp: Crisp, juicy pear with a freshly cut white rose. Wet: The rose is stronger upon skin application, the pear is very juicy. There is a sweeter note in the background which I think is the white musk. Drydown: It's pretty much all white rose. There is a creamy background which could be either lily or white musk (take your pick) and the pear is more like somebody has scoffed one down and scattered a few drops of the juices on the rose. It's still there a little bit, but white rose is definitely the defining force. Verdict: It's a very soft and gentle rose scent, and one that I will probably wear occasionally when I'm in a floral mood. I don't need a bottle, but I'll keep the imp. 3.5/5

In the Imp: Sweet strawberry bubblegum and nail polish. Wet: Sweet, slightly overripe fruit with a floral undertone. I smell strawberry, and what must be the hibiscus since the floral isn't spicy like carnation. No orange blossom or black poppy. Drydown: Hmm. I never get any orange blossom from this. The drydown is very similar to Mariposita except without the lavender: a sweet, powdery strawberry. It's kinda like a strawberry creme filling you'd find in biscuits or something. Or like fake strawberry icing in a 'bake your own cake' box thingy. Not unpleasant, just....yeah. Verdict: One of the other reviewers said it was a Lolita fragrance, and I agree. It's not really me. 2.5/5

In the Imp: I can smell plum, cherries and....watermelon? o.o It's very candy-like. Wet: Sliiiightly less sweet on the skin, but I'm still getting plums and watermelon. It's actually very much like Midwinter's Eve, but with Wonka's watermelon gobstoppers thrown in. Drydown: Fruity and still sweet, but not as crazy sweet as before. Slightly musky. Still smells like watermelon gobstoppers to me, but it's now the powdery insides, not the crunchy coating. Verdict: I don't get any wine or amaretto from this at all. A little disappointing since I think it would have made this perfume a lot more grown up. Not bad, but not really for me. Too fruity sweet. 3/5

Got this as a sniffie from the lovely Alainn! Note: Take my review with a grain of salt (see what I did there?) I'm not a fan of aquatics. In the Imp: Chocolate with stinky, salty, rotting ocean plants. No jokes, it actually does smell like thick salt. I actually don't even want this on my skin haha. Wet: I was able to test the tiniest little drop . Nope. Me no like. It's salty as all HELL. On the plus side, I suppose it's very true to the description. Unfortunately, I dun like aquatics. The chocolate is now drowning in stinky seaweed and salt. I'm washing this off right now. Verdict: No. Just no. I'm not gonna give this a rating as I don't feel it would be true to the perfume. I knew I wouldn't like this, just figured I'd try it for fun. On the plus side, I find it amazing that a perfume can smell like actual, no jokes salt water. I am very glad I got to try this though, it's certainly interesting! =D

A kind frimp from the lovely Alainn! In the Imp: First sniff - LUSH Tramp shower gel. Fortunately, I like patchouli . There's actually a sweetish but thick perfumey aspect to this that is reminding me a lot of Hay Moon. If it doesn't turn horrible on my skin, I might actually like this . Wet: This is a very dry fragrance, and it's still reminding me of a less powdery Hay Moon. I can recognize patchouli and black musk. I don't know what orris root smells like, but there's something slightly sweet lurking in the background. Myrrh? Drydown: Okay, I've been wearing this for a few hours now. This is definitely a less powdery Hay Moon! It has dried to a soft, slightly powdery, sweet musk. It's a strangely warm fragrance for the lady of death.... Verdict: This is quite nice, and I'll keep my frimp, but since I've already got a bottle of Hay Moon, I don't quite need this one . It's not quite an everyday /me/ anyway, but on occasion I do like wearing something a little darker than my usual foody fare . Oh! And I got a compliment on this tonight, seems like the muskies are a hit on me! =D. 3.5/5

In the Imp: Sharp florals, slightly shampoo-ish. I can smell the mint hiding behind everything else, and a hint of something sweet (red currant?). Wet: Mint is gone, but the red currant has come out a little more. Unfortunately, still smells like high end shampoo. It's not awful, but definitely shampoo. Drydown: Still a little shampoo like, but softer and sweeter and not as sharply floral. It's not too bad. I don't get any more mint though, and no thyme. Verdict: Not a favorite, but nice enough that I'll keep my decant. Might try it in my hair . 3.5/5

Note: This oil is dark like WHOA. I can't see through the bottle it's so dark. And it also stains my skin worse than straight SO. In the Bottle: First sniff - OMG CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. Then: Snake oil, drenched in the most perfectly delicious, creamy chocolate desert. Yum!! Wet: Very chocolatey straight off the bat. The cocoa is immediately apparent but settles as it dries. There's a slightly medicinal note that I'm attributing to the teak, but it's still veeeery nice. Drydown: Deliciously smooth aged SO with light, creamy milky chocolate on top. Unfortunately there's also the teak still lurking just in the background, and it's still producing a slightly sour medicinal note. It's very faint though, and doesn't quite ruin it for me . Verdict: Love this. The teak note is unfortunate, but faint enough for me to keep the bottle . Yum! 4/5

In the Imp: Harsh and strong. Not picking out any individual notes, but I don't like it at this stage. Wet: Still quite harsh and smoky, but not as strong. Smells a bit like burning rubber too :/. Drydown: Softer, less harsh, slightly sweet, definitely resinous. I'm getting that smooth nutty tang that normally comes from cedar as well. Verdict: It's alright, but not for me. I've got All Souls for an incense fix. 2/5