RoseThornAndOak
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Everything posted by RoseThornAndOak
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Trumpet Honeysuckle & Lemon Beebalm
RoseThornAndOak replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
I don't have much to add, the above reviews are similiar to my experience. The lemon bee balm comes across like if the herb lemon balm was more realistically lemony, or if lemon verbena was more like lemon, so theres an herbal edge somewhat. The honeysuckle is heady, I currently get it more in the final drydown. This is more like what I wanted out of New Orleans, a heady, deep, realistic honeysuckle that isn't too soapy. Very timeless, lovely, and underrated in my opinion. It skyrocketed above many of my favorite florals from BPAL. Great job, Lab! -
Parosmia review again just fair warning, but I wanted to share my thoughts on this while it is still in stock because when my nose is working properly this scent is quite beautiful. It starts out honeylike, sweet and green, almost herbal, like if a flower had an herbal edge. Realistically stemmy, it brings to mind a weed hedge along a field. Very atmospheric in that sense. The final drydown though, whooo boy, is this beautiful floral remniscent of lilies, like the lily note in Sun, Moon, and Stars by Karl Lagerfeld which includes water lily and lily of the valley among other florals. The scent always reminds me of preschool in the early 90s, I think one of the teachers wore it. This has more of a natural edge to it. This has a depth and non-commercial edge to it that I like more I think, although I'd have to do a side by side comparison of course. I haven't been to Louisiana but growing up and travelling in the south this does have a southern feel. I could picture wafts of this blend in the summer breeze now and then and not being out of place. Although it doesn't need anything, it would layer beautifully with a dirt note for a more southern graveyard feel. One of my favorite duets. I just checked and it is still in stock, so I highly recommend grabbing it if you like realistic florals!
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Oo this is nice! Still suffering from parosmia but from what I can make out, there's a good amount of marble and chalky bits that remind me of Klosterruine somewhat. Sadly Kloster smells all kinds of messed up to my nose right now, so I'm just gonna wait on it. This reminds me of the sweet bits of Kloster that I remember, kinda like a cross between Kloster and Grey Columns, minus the frankincense, incense, and snow, and adding vanilla, dry cacao and white amber. This is much more off white, definitely ivory hued. There's a Limestone Amber vibe to it, if you catch my drift, but without the fruity amber vibe, more white, chalky vanilla amber with dry cacao supporting. The tobacco briefly lends a slight, dry, vegetal note in the beginning, like those dry mosses that grow on rubble, but don't be misled, this is mostly about the sweet, vanilla cacao chalk. The tobacco quickly loses the vegetal vibe and grows more pale, smooth, and dessicated as it wears, which I'm happy with because it's downright sexy and reminds me of the tobacco in Lycan Lace a bit. Yes!! It makes me think of the marble statues in Queen of The Damned. This is reminiscent of Muddy Armadillo, but plays much better on my skin personally, so if you liked that one or wanted something a little different from it, I recommend this! Very nice blend. I think this will age beautifully. Very happy to have blind bought this!
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Vanilla Bean, Marshmallow, and Benzoin
RoseThornAndOak replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Parosmia sucks but I've been able to find some blends that still smell beautiful and this is definitely one of them! In the bottle and freshly applied there's slightly toasted marshmallow and Antique Lace vanilla. It's not smoky in any way, just that ever so slight cooky vibe that the toasted bit can smell like. Some marshmallow and vanilla notes can go plasticine, drugstore, or cloying but there's none of that here. After a while, the sweet benzoin blooms and anchors the marshmallow and vanilla notes into something extra, ancient, and goddessy. The benzoin isn't coming across like a dark resin. It's more like if a resin was lighter, sweeter, more vanilla-like but adding a touch of depth and intrigue. It kinds reminds me of Ghost Milk with the high end vibe, but it is still it's own scent. I wouldn't say this is a dupe for Stekk or AL but if you missed out on those and want something similar with a sweet resinous note, go for it! For fans of Stekk, AL, Ghost Milk, and Grey Columns. Low throw and wear length. More throw than Grey Columns, less than Ghost Milk. -
Klosterruine Im Winter Mit Blick Auf Heisterbach
RoseThornAndOak replied to Belladonnastrap's topic in Yules
This one used to be a cool snow and marble/stone blend that I really enjoyed. The frankincense made it reminiscent of Philospher in Meditation. Unfortunately, this goes weird on me now, too. Just enough acrid to be off putting. It's sad, because it was a nice blend when it worked. Might keep as an atmos since my skin has obviously decided to go on strike. -
I didn't have high hopes for this one as Midway doesn't work on me but I did at least used to like Lust. Red musk blends have turned powdery and sometimes acrid on my skin recently, this one is mostly a powdery sweetness that unfortunately doesn't work. Wallet's happy, though.
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Unfortunately this is also the pumpkin spice note that doesn't vibe well on my skin. It's weird I don't get much Morocco, which is a scent I like. My wallet's happy though.
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I love the original Lemon Scented Sticky Bat, but the addition of pumpkin made this go full Fruit Loops on me.
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Cypress is dominant on me, too. Comparing side by side to another Spanish Moss blend, this comes across as a piney oakmoss to me. It's okay, calming, probably use it in my car, more atmospheric than wearable on me but it does kind of make me think of a swamp vampires would dump bodies in, lol.
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I lucked out and found a decant of this. It's violet dominant, more light, sweet, and slightly powdery. Some violets go powdery on me but I really like this and will hold on to the decant! With Le Serpent Qui Danse, the vanilla is not too apparent, emerging a tad in drydown. However, when compared to Her Eyes, is notably sweeter.
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Wow there really is something metallic about this. There's a bit of green florals, a bit sharp soap on me sadly.
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Spicy, smutty, slightly acrid, indolic, the cinnamon does the wet wrapper dance on my skin after a while. Dangit! This really isn't working on me, but glad I don't have to ever hunt this down in the future. On the right skin this would be a sexy, dirty, red musk pumpkin spice and I hightly recommend trying it if these notes work on you together. Red musk has been doing weird stuff on me, sometimes great, sometimes it goes weird. No idea, lol!
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This is okay, kinda duds out on my skin for some reason. Very glad to get a decant instead of a full. Pumpkin spices, especially cinnamon can go wet cigarette wrapper on me ( I know, weird). This goes like curry, wrapper, and vanilla on me with a bit of light woods. I'll stick with the original Mouse but I think on the right skin this would be a gorgeous vanilla pumpkin woods combo.
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Tried a few times and let it age a bit. Reads like a slightly charred vanilla root beer, like a softer Sissy: The Ascendant. It's okay on me. Skin's acting weird again.
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@she's a carnival gifted a sniffie with just enough for a skin test. Thank you so much! This is a sweet gourmand with toasty coconut and bready notes. Hazelnut is there if I hunt for it. The coconut goes waxy/plasticy on me, too. The lavender peeks out after about 15 minutes. The final drydown is a melange of sweet notes that blur together but are pleasant. Feels soft. On the right skin this would be a Girl Scout Samoa Cookie blend. I get the vintage coconut donut toy I used to play with as a kid in the early 90s. I'm so grateful to have a chance to try it before blind bottling and glad to have it for the nostalgia.
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Okay coffee blends usually dud out and go weird and toasty on me, but out of all of the ones released this year this one is my favorite. The vanilla in the beginning really does remind me of vanilla powder coffee mix and it's absolutely great. Wish it stayed like that on the skin, but the coffee reasonably behaves. Probably another locket scent. May or may not get a bottle for the locket because that opening is just that freakin good.
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I forgot honey was in this, and thankfully don't get much honey! I think the stick in this is sandalwood, too very pretty and adds a high end quality, keeping it from being fully gourmand and more wearable as an every day frag. It is sweet though, but doesn't go as cloying as I would've thought. There are some moments where it's just okay sort of caramelized sweet autumn blend, then I'll catch the throw and really enjoy it. I think if you like some of the gingerbread blends or the Ghost Milk give this a try, it is similar in vibe. There's blends I like more, but this is different enough to warrant a bottle in my opinion, and will likely only get better with age. Great blend!
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I didn't like this at first but now that it's rested ohh man this is good. Woody yet smooth sandalwood, not the weird one that goes creamy sour on me thank goodness, and the almost fruity, ancient mineral type amber. Very similar to Grey Columns but far more throw and longevity. I would almost guess a really nice smooth, deep guiacwood was in this. Simple but not simplified, yes! That's a good way of putting it. Simple cuts to the chase yet elegant and refined. A safe blend for those trying indies for the first time. I freakin love this.
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This apple was just middle of the road on me. Light and fresh green apple at first, then dudded out into a weird vaguely powdery but sweet blergh. I do kinda get a Jolly Rancher vibe too, how it smells still inside the wrapper, more muted and somewhat plasticine. Some better some worse, however this would be great in a locket. I really enjoy the initial blast.
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This was nice and creamy in the vial, a bit of a smooth quality with the tobacco. Unfortunately the oud strikes again and swamps the other notes and goes acrid. If you don't get the acrid vibe from oud, this could be a really nice, deep tobacco/snow blend worth trying!
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In the decant: straight bell pepper. On skin the cream immediately emerges, but it is dissonant and strange with the DL initially. After a while it starts to smell like a slightly creamier, outdoor dusty (like how patch can read dusty earth instead of dank earth) version of other DL blends like October or November. Those just don't work on me and this is no exception. I think I'll stick with oak for leaf vibes, but if you dig DL you absolutely should try this!
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This one is odd on me at first. Almost like cinnamon, paint, and pumpkin were all smooshed together in a plastic ziploc bag. So weird. The sandalwood + pumpkin is almost fruitlike, like a heavily cinnamon spiced mulled wine, served hot, then they dump cinnamon powder on top after. Actually this is giving me flash backs to hot buttered rum at a rennie post-faire party. Super pungent and up your nose. ICHH. THEN. THOUGH... BRO...This turns into the classy. Like a demure, yet suss spicy chicky babe on a vintage Halloween postcard: What does she conjure in that cauldron? The good shit. It's not your usual, sweet pumpkin spice type blend. This is more like what her house smells like when she invites friends over for Halloween, a deep, properly aged red wine made warm and comforting with pumpkin pulp and mulling spices, like the aroma never really leaves the walls of her cozy, wooden house in the woods. I didn't read black pepper, but can smell it now that I've read a few of the reviews.. Might read potpourri on some people, but I like it? Atmospheric. This went from disaster to wearable pretty fast. It's not what I expected at all, but it's a great blend. It's a good wine type blend for those who can't do the wine note really (usually goes weird on me). It's not your usual BPAL and not like anything in my collection. Well done, Lab. I hope this sticks around for future Halloweens.
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I don't really have much to add, other than this blend I think deserves more accolades. Just fresh, simple rose. Not aquatic, not powdery weird, just red rose. The imp is a bit older, so on first sniff it doesn't really wow, but really blossoms on the skin. So if you have old imps that smell a bit old, flat, cardboardy or whatever do a skin test. I almost passed this one up! Definitely going in my next order. The bottle, aged a couple years: gorgeous dewy rose with stems, with the green softening as it dries. Soft and sensual. I agree it is a bit like Rose Red. It has a good bit of green in the beginning, but there are definitely far more green blends out there that make this one seem tame.
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Going in was totally noseblind: it literally smelled like (said in the best Nathan Explosion voice I can do) "notttttthiiiiiiiiiinnggggg". On the skin though, holy moly, this is gorgeous sweet, vanillic benzoin with the better parts of orris/violet that don't go play-doh. I repeat, NO PLAY-DOH! There's a soft powder vibe that cannot be escaped from orris, I reckon, and I could see where some would get baby powder from this, but the vanillic benzoin and ambrette keep it from going that way too much in my opinion. It's more sweet, soft, ghostly, and perfectly wearable. I feel like a cuddly ghost. The vetiver behaves, no manly peanuts, oak dust is there if I look for it, it's more of a soft woods background but neither dominate. It's purple hued and spooky. It reminds me of the way Lullaby feels, like a blurry, violet hued ghost in a King Diamond video. Actually yeah, the album cover for "Them", that is exactly the atmosphere for Autumn Song: The closest Lab blend would be Asses Plus Long Qu'un Siecle Platonique with ghost violets replacing rose. Another I almost skipped. Well done, Lab! Full bottle for sure.
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There's definitely marshmallow, and a slight lemony vibe but not like a floor cleaner, more like if you squeezed a couple drops of lemon on your skin. It's not like how fresh squeezed lemon is, it's more like a tiny dab of lemon on the skin, like how it would actually smell and not how you would envision? Hard to describe. It doesn't quite vibe right on me like I would want, but it's pleasant enough. It really doesn't make sense, I'm so sorry. lulz