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The Night of the Witches. In the Teutonic calendar, April 30, not October 31, was the night that the witches congregated to celebrate their Work through ecstatic dance, wild music and revelry. The witches fêted with spirits, fairies, and a bevy of otherworldy creatures atop Brockenberg peak in the Harz region of Germany, where they lit an enormous bonfire and cavorted naked until midnight... at which point they donned their robes, boarded their brooms, flying rams and sacred goats, scooped up their cat familiars, and sped off into the night. In later days, it was believed that on this night the witches conjured the devil, who would then select one of them for his bride. This perfume is the scent of the witches' revel: German fir and forest herbs, incense and bonfire smoke, and the wet, glimmering scent of skin warmed by dance. I was lucky enough to find this at Black Broom today-I'd missed out on it whilst it was offered on the Lab's website. I thought I wouldn't be able to try it but because I was in the right place at the right time,I now have a bottle of it and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! I've been wanting a pine scent that wasn't too 'masculine' on me (like others I've tried),and this it IT,and more! This isn't 'Christmas-tree' fir;it's more like the smell of walking through a pine forest in the summer. It's a 'warm' smell. And the bonfire/smoke note is absolutely gorgeous! It's not listed in the description,but I'm getting a linden-flower note in this as well. The scent as a whole definitely captures the idea of the description. Now i'm wishing I'd purchased 2 bottles,cos I'll be sad when my 1 bottle runs out!
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Snake Oil with four mints, bergamot, and green tea. In the bottle: MINT!!! Lots of mint It is a clear refreshing scent. On: Mint squared - lol - but after about 15 minutes it tones down a tiny bit and becomes more of a sensual spicy mint. When I huff my wrist I get an almost citrus/orange kick at the end. The mint seems to mellow more the longer it stays on my skin. Not sharp at all.
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Snake Oil with acai berry, amber, cardamom, white sandalwood, neroli, and smoked vanilla. The açai berry is dark, deep, and bittersweet. It's the strongest note. Neroli is a lovely floral touch on a background of Snake Oil and smoked vanilla. Snake Oil never smelled snakey to me, but this manages to be both gorgeous and reptilian.
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Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk. Holy shit - it is a chocolate covered snake oil Wet: What are those chocolate flavored caramel candies called? The are all chewy and rich and dark? That is what this smells like. Drydown: The rich creamy chocolate tones down to a more dusky, incensy chocolate when dry. There is almost a cinnamon feel to it as well. Spicy.
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A huge crowd mills in front of the next stage. You hear the din of their voices, chattering in a Babel's fall of languages, laughing and buzzing with a strange anticipation. As you get closer, you notice that they are wearing a motley mix of clothing from ages past... all rotting, all in shreds. In the sea of faces, all bearing a similar chalky pallor, some stand out: there is a woman in a threadbare Burgundian gown, a young man in torn breeches and sagging slops, a maiden in a dagged-sleeve houppelande that is splattered with cruor, a snarling Victorian rogue with a battered silk top hat, and a vacant-eyed man in a shredded Confederate uniform. As you make your way through the crowd, you feel cold fingers pluck at your clothing, and the hard, almost glassy skin that you brush against radiates an unnatural cold. You hear tittering sighs as you push through the gathering, and your skin prickles as you feel icy breath upon your neck. Abruptly, someone cries out, and the strange congregation begins clapping a steady rhythm. Their voices rise in a tintamar of ghastly cheers as torches flare to life on the stage. The firelight illuminates a gargantuan, shining black stake in the center of the stage. It is festooned with black ribbons, drooping moss, and viciously-colored poisonous blooms in a playful, grotesque mockery of a Maypole. Two women, clutched tightly in a brutal embrace, spin onto the stage, shaking a tambourine and clacking a hembra in time with the clapping. One is clad in violet, with violet tresses to match; the other is a vision of swirling rose. Their long, waving hair whips in manic arcs as they twirl, stomp, and pirouette around the onyx shaft. The crowd becomes more and more frenzied as the dance reaches a mad crescendo, and suddenly you realize that the two are one: they are conjoined, identical twins, bound eternally at the ribs. The violet sister, caught in the throes of the ritual's passion, throws her head back and moans. She bares a set of gleaming white fangs and bites deeply into her sister's neck. The rose maiden screams in joy, and returns her sister's violent kiss as the crowd explodes into Corybantic mayhem. Simplicity and innocence, gleefully despoiled! Hope is sugared rose, Faith is sugared violet. The sisters are inseparable, and may only be purchased together. In the bottle: Softly sweet violets and something vaguely musky. On my wrist, wet: Lightly sugared violet. There is no sharpness to this scent, no cloying sweetness. Just a soft, candied violet. After 20 minutes: This is just beautiful. If you aren't a fan of violet, don't bother with Hope, because there's no getting away from the scent of violet. In drydown, there's a creamy quality that begins to emerge that smells somewhat familiar-- perhaps it's the musk I smelled directly from the bottle. After 40 minutes: I will die of pleasure. It smells like a violet Antique Lace. What an utterly gorgeous, feminine scent. It's subtle, creamy, deeply floral. I seem to be unable to stop smelling my wrist. If you like violet at all, you need Faith. She's divine. PLEASE NOTE: When they were first posted to the Lab's Web site, the twins' descriptions were accidentally switched. I've fixed the description here, but there may still be some reviews that reflect the incorrect description. --Shollin Edited to change Hope to Faith, Faith to Hope.
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Snake Oil with cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger. First impression in the bottle: My eyes! Heh. It's just a very, very thick and intense woody cassia. That's all I get. Overwhelming enough to catch in my throat. It's the cassia of Monster Bait: Underbed with the dial set on 11. On, wet: My wrists are warm, but no burn. I would not suggest applying this right after a shower, though. The cassia is still howling, but not to the point where my throat feels scratchy sniffing it. I smell something sweet, but oh that cassia. Pipe down, you! Well, hello cinnamon. It's nice to make your acquaintance. The cinnamon is politely asserting itself, firmly telling the cassia to chill the fuck out. The cassia has decided to be sensible and take cinnamon's good advice and has receded, but not departed. Red ginger is peering in the doorway, probably trying to gauge cassia's mood. Dry: Red ginger has decided that it is safe to make an appearance. Cassia is contrite and apologizing like hell to red ginger. They have made up and are strongly joined in the scent. The cinnamon is a sweet cinnamon. Like in Australian Copperhead, the Snake Oil aspect is the backdrop. It's there, but not centerstage. Again, this will probably emerge more on aging. The Verdict: Even before aging, this is a great spicy, warm scent, just not as deep as I'd like. I have confidence that in a few weeks, this will be killer. I am not disappointed, I am looking forward to this one "maturing." ETA: Strong throw like whoa. I put my wrist down to my side and it still smells like I'm huffing it. Edited again to add: Hours later and the Snake Oil is much more apparent. It's a great mix with the spice.
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Snake Oil with vetiver, black coconut, vanilla, and opoponax. I won't lie to you - this is the blend I was most looking forward to out of the entire snake pit. When I first smelled it I was like "ick" it was much more masculine that I was anticipating (for the record I LOVE vetiver). I still gave it the prime testing location of my top left wrist and going on it has a heavy dusty coconut vibe - not juicy like I was hoping - but then again it does say BLACK coconut so I don't know why I was surprised. Five, ten, fifteen minutes go by and still it is a bit to bold for my taste then something wonderful happens. Maybe the vetiver just needed to get warmed up on my skin but now it is a lovely smooth coconut/vetiver mix that has just a hint of sweetness. Finally there is just a whispered suggestion of resiny goodness to round out the mix. Thank you Beth!
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A massive glass tank is positioned on the stage, decorated with a rough canvas painting of sand and sea. Within the tank, you see a swirl of ivory, coral, and russet. After a few rushed passes, the furiously moving creature slows and makes her way towards the glass. As she approaches, you see that her features are lovely and delicate, and though her pearl-adorned torso is that of a beautiful, slender woman, her bewitching face is crowned by lethal spikes and instead of legs she has a writhing serpentine tail. Upon spotting you, her dorsal spikes flare, and she sneers maliciously. She slaps the face of the tank with her powerful tail, and you hear the distinctive sound of the glass cracking under the strain. Seaweed, kelp, salty ocean spray, bitter almond, night-blooming jasmine, frankincense, and benzoin. In the bottle: Glorious aquatic. On my wrist, wet: Aquatic, but with a very mellow edge. After 20 minutes: A very subdued and salty aquatic. It sits on the skin like it wants to become a part of it. There is something vaguely resinous and sweet as a base note-- this must be the frankincense. The color association I have with this is not a light blue, but a lake green. Not a murky blend, but rich and substantial. After 40 minutes: I was concerned about the jasmine and bitter almond, since both of these tend to amp and take over blends on me. Instead, Thelassa is a tranquil aquatic that is rich and mellow, due in no small part to the frankincense and benzoin. Those two ingredients keep this blend from becoming cloying or too much like a lily blend. The depth and richness of Thelassa makes this my absolute favorite of all Beth's aquatics. It's stunning.
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Snake Oil with linden blossom, calla lily, passion flower, and narcissus. Wet: Springtime! All the lovely florals are almost tropical fruitlike - almost mangoish - all blended together. It reminds me of the Northwest Flower and Garden show. It's feburary, dark rainy Seattle, then you walk into the convention center and all the display gardens bursting with spring blooms. A riot of sweet scents that somehow all work together. Dry: This didn't morph a lot on me, just toned the super sweet aspect down to a lovely incense floral
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Snake Oil with oakmoss, sea moss, white moss, and olive leaf. The original Banded Sea Snake had a bright, smooth, non-soapy aquatic, earthy moss and lots of Snake Oil vanilla sweetness. Aged, it's a sweet, dark vanilla with clear, clean aspects to it (but not soapy). This new version veers into being soapy on my skin, and isn't very sweet at all. It has a light, clean laundry sort of smell with a hint of green moss. As it dries down, it's clean laundry, a nondescript green and cool feel (almost minty smelling on my skin, like mint plants mixed with moss), and the smokiness of Snake Oil rather than the vanilla aspect is amping up on me. After a couple hours, it's clean, soapy laundry smell with a hint of vanilla and smokiness. I don't like this as much as the original, but I do sometimes enjoy clean/soapy fragrances on my husband, so I'm going to try this out on him.
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Upon the next stage, a spotlight is focused on a mammoth bronze sculpture of two snakes entwined. Their bodies are wrapped around each other in an intimate embrace, and their tongues touch suggestively. The deep, somber boom of a standing bass leads into a twelve-string guitar's plaintive moan, and as the music swells, a stunning, statuesque woman steps out from behind the statue, her fierce and regal face in profile. The spotlight dims to a deep amber-red, and shines a dark, sanguine light onto her, tinting her long, wild hair the color of blood. She sings: Sunday is gloomy, my hours are slumberless. Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless. Little white flowers will never awaken you, Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you. Angels have no thought of ever returning you. Would they be angry if I thought of joining you? Gloomy Sunday. She turns, and abruptly faces left. Her features are coarser, more masculine, and you notice the rough, dusky shadow of an evening beard on the singer's face. On this side, the hair is cropped short, and as s/he sighs and begins the next verse, you hear the voice deepen to a weathered, sorrowful baritone. Gloomy is Sunday; with shadows I spend it all. My heart and I have decided to end it all. Soon there'll be candles and prayers that are sad, I know. Death is no dream, for in death I'm caressing you. With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you. Gloomy Sunday. The singer turns to face the audience, and your senses reel. On the left side, the features are sharp, but feminine. You can see the curve of her breast, the soft fullness of her hips, the arch of her fine brow. On the right, it is the body of an Adonis, muscular and commanding. You see that a thick seam runs down the center of the body, stitched roughly. Though the vision is disconcerting, the warmth and passion in the singer's voice swells inside your heart, and you are spellbound. Enraptured, you realize that though the gender is opposed on either side, one soul binds the whole. Dark, moody, and bittersweet: black currant, patchouli, tobacco, cinnamon leaf, caramel, muguet, and red sandalwood. In the bottle: Caramel On my wrist, wet: Caramel and red sandalwood. This opened my sinuses right up! After 20 minutes: A spicy caramel with major throw. The sandalwood is taking right over. After 40 minutes: Tiresias has major throw. The caramel outshines everything else in the blend, but at the end of drydown the sandalwood mellows and some of the other notes come out. The pathchouli appears only as a woody note, so if you are put off by its inclusion, don't be. This is a strong scent with some light, subtle touches. It is indeed both masculine and feminine.
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Snake Oil with leather, tonka bean, red sandalwood, and sage. Wet: Sage and spicy incense. Herbal. Drydown: it goes in stages, the herbal/sage lasts quite a while and is very soothing. I'd have to call this one a calm scent. The sage slowly gets dusty as the leather gradually warms up. It finally settles on leather that has been sunwarmed with just a hint of the sage.
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Snake Oil with blood orange, blood apple, lemon peel, plumeria, and red gardenia. Note: I bought two bottles of Coral Snake on eBay in 2013. One was a partial bottle that essentially smells of Snake Oil apple cider. I only have a few drops left. The other one smells drastically different, and I don't get much of a Snake Oil vibe from it at all. It's heavier on the plumeria and gardenia. In any case, this bottle is more like that aged partial that I purchased (though it's a lot lighter on the Snake Oil spices). In the bottle: When this arrived, it smelled of sun-warmed red apples in an orchard with the addition of Snake Oil spices and orange slices. The apple note smells so realistic. After settling for several hours, the blood orange ends up being the strongest note in the bottle. Wet: Oh hai, blood orange! The blood apple note is extremely realistic and similar to the apple note in one of my favorite atmosphere sprays, Apple Orchard. The apple and orange notes are the most prominent, followed by the tropical floral notes, but the spices from the Snake Oil seem to be gaining strength with time. I'm not getting very much lemon peel from this. Then, it morphs. This is sweet, juicy, and pretty, but not like the aged partial that I have which reminds me of Snake Oil apple cider. Dry: The floral notes are more prominent now, and they are very sweet, almost verging on bubblegum-y (but not on the same scale as lotus). Several hours later, the apple note returns, and the spices and vanilla have finally emerged. The floral notes are still present, but they aren't as intense as they had been. At this point, the scent is very light and stays rather close to the skin. Verdict: I had to order this to compare to the bottles that I have. The Snake Oil base isn't very prominent now, so I can't wait until this ages into the Coral Snake I know and love, because the aged Snake Oil with this blood apple note is going to be stunning.
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A huge crowd mills in front of the next stage. You hear the din of their voices, chattering in a Babel's fall of languages, laughing and buzzing with a strange anticipation. As you get closer, you notice that they are wearing a motley mix of clothing from ages past... all rotting, all in shreds. In the sea of faces, all bearing a similar chalky pallor, some stand out: there is a woman in a threadbare Burgundian gown, a young man in torn breeches and sagging slops, a maiden in a dagged-sleeve houppelande that is splattered with cruor, a snarling Victorian rogue with a battered silk top hat, and a vacant-eyed man in a shredded Confederate uniform. As you make your way through the crowd, you feel cold fingers pluck at your clothing, and the hard, almost glassy skin that you brush against radiates an unnatural cold. You hear tittering sighs as you push through the gathering, and your skin prickles as you feel icy breath upon your neck. Abruptly, someone cries out, and the strange congregation begins clapping a steady rhythm. Their voices rise in a tintamar of ghastly cheers as torches flare to life on the stage. The firelight illuminates a gargantuan, shining black stake in the center of the stage. It is festooned with black ribbons, drooping moss, and viciously-colored poisonous blooms in a playful, grotesque mockery of a Maypole. Two women, clutched tightly in a brutal embrace, spin onto the stage, shaking a tambourine and clacking a hembra in time with the clapping. One is clad in violet, with violet tresses to match; the other is a vision of swirling rose. Their long, waving hair whips in manic arcs as they twirl, stomp, and pirouette around the onyx shaft. The crowd becomes more and more frenzied as the dance reaches a mad crescendo, and suddenly you realize that the two are one: they are conjoined, identical twins, bound eternally at the ribs. The violet sister, caught in the throes of the ritual's passion, throws her head back and moans. She bares a set of gleaming white fangs and bites deeply into her sister's neck. The rose maiden screams in joy, and returns her sister's violent kiss as the crowd explodes into Corybantic mayhem. Simplicity and innocence, gleefully despoiled! Hope is sugared rose, Faith is sugared violet. The sisters are inseparable, and may only be purchased together. In the bottle: Soft, sugared rose, a little light muskiness underneath. On my wrist, wet: Like her sister scent, Hope has no sharpness and the sweetness is not overbearing. Hope's rose is a bit bolder than Faith's violet. It reminds me of a cup of sugary rose tea. After 20 minutes: The rose note lightens up a little and that same familiar light muskiness that is in faith begins to emerge. The creaminess is here as well, but slightly less pronounced than in Faith. After 40 minutes: Like her sister, Hope ends up being a gorgeously feminine scent without being overbearing and cloying. The sugary, candied notes dry down completely to a sweet, creamy floral, reminiscent of a rose touched Antique Lace. As is the case with her sister scent, if you don't care for rose, you will not like this. I happen to love rose (as well as violet), and to have Hope on one wrist and Faith on the other is just sending me into blissful fits. Talk about an oilgasm. I will buy at least one more set of the twins before they disappear. PLEASE NOTE: When they were first posted to the Lab's Web site, the twins' descriptions were accidentally switched. I've fixed the description here, but there may still be some reviews that reflect the incorrect description. --Shollin Edited to change Hope to Faith.
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Snake Oil with sugar cane, frankincense, champaca, opoponax, labdanum, and hyssop. Wet: Herbal and resinous On: Don't know how but I get a distinct grape note in this when dry. It isn't in your face by any means but it is there. Mostly though it is sweet incense and spices. This one probably reminds me most of Snake oil out of all of the Pit.
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Snake Oil with orris, white frankincense, and black copal. My original, short review for King Cobra: "On me, King Cobra smells like someone removed the sweet parts of Snake Oil and added in some woodsmoke where the vanilla sweetness would have been. It smells like some sort of dark musk & wood smoke, and it's just too sharp and acrid for my tastes." Aged after several years, it's mostly sweet, powdery orris and Snake Oil vanilla with hints of woodsmoke. Aged, it seems like a lot of the Snake Pit blends have become more vanilla-y. I digress. This new version doesn't smell like orris, frankincense or copal to me. It smells like a very clean, perfumey, chemical musk. If I didn't know what I was wearing, I would have guessed some sort of white musk single note. I would never pick out the frankincense or copal. As it dries down, it's the same, but I'm noticing the smokiness of Snake Oil and some powdery vanilla. It's a cleaner, muskier Snake Oil to my nose. I'm very curious to read other reviews of these.
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Snake Oil with King mandarin, myrrh, and almond. Note: I have not tried the previous release. In the bottle: The almond is the most prominent note, followed by the mandarin, and then, the myrrh. Wet: Mandarin and almond are the first notes to greet my nose, followed by a soft myrrh. The creaminess of the almond with the vanilla of the Snake Oil base smells amazing, but the mandarin note ends up becoming bitter on me and remains as the dominant note. Dry: The mandarin isn't bitter anymore, and the Snake Oil base is far more prominent now. It's mainly Snake Oil, but softer, accompanied by almond, well-behaved mandarin, and the soft myrrh note. This is actually rather gourmand now, and smelling it makes me want to go eat almond-glazed spiced cookies or cake with orange zest (although I wouldn't say this smells like cake or cookies). Verdict: I really like this and think it will only get better with age. I'm surprised the almond in this actually lasts on me, as it usually disappears on me during the dry phase of scents. I'm so glad that it stuck around! I was worried about the mandarin note during the dry phase for a bit, but fortunately, the bitter aspect didn't have much longevity. Almond Snake Oil ftw!
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The ringing of a gong seizes your attention, and you follow the sound to the next stage. It is empty, devoid of any backdrop, and the platform is dark. A haze blankets your vision, like heat radiating off of the desert floor. You hear the sound of hands clapping a steady rhythm, and within moments, the haze begins to coalesce into the forms of a troupe of ghostly women, clad in linen shifts. Their wraithlike hands pluck at the strings of translucent zithers and harps, shake spectral sistrums, and their pallid lips blow upon ethereal flutes. The music that they play is discordant, otherworldly, and seems to be at once a funeral dirge and a paean to life: a triumphant lamentation. As the sound swells, you hear the beating of wings in the distance, and a keen, a siren's ululation, joins the haunting melody. As the song reaches its eerie crescendo, a beautiful winged woman alights on the stage, summoned by the phantom song. Her skin is dusky brown, and the vigor of her youthful body seems in conflict with the depth of grief reflected in her eyes. Her wings spread out behind her in morbid majesty, and she takes flight. Her dance is, itself, a visible act of mourning, and is almost sensual in its sorrow. Frankincense, hyssop, hibiscus, river reeds, orris root, palm frond, and olibanum. In the bottle: Frankincense On my wrist, wet: Frankincense, dry and bitter-sweet. There is a hint of green. After 20 minutes: The bitter-sweetness has dissipated and what remains is a dry frankincense with an almost herbal note. After 40 minutes: Meskhenet isn't a morpher and didn't go through a great revealing of notes. It doesn't jump out and demand to be noticed. Rather, it remains a quiet, dry frankincense and a steadily growing reedy green note with which it eventually shares center stage. This is not a heavy resinous scent at all and is one that all resin-lovers should try.
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BPAL reviews Pumpkin Sugar- amazing! I can almost taste caramelised pumpkin and sugar! Like if you were to make pumpkin brittle. The throw on this is impressive and I dabbed a touch on last night and 6.5 hrs later I could still smell it, if a bit fainter. Spiced Autumn Cider- wet: reminds me of going to an orchard backup home and getting fresh mulled Cider from the farm shop. Delicious! Not too sweet (but I get the maple at the very top) and spicy in all the right ways. Very iconically autumnal in a foody/drinkie kind of way. Dry: the spices are coming through beautifully and I still get the apple, it's the bottom of the pot of mulled cider. Devil's Night 2016 - i definitely smell the fires in the distance and the sooty musk. As it dries it sweetens to an almost autumn powder if that makes any sense. Yipe!- in the bottle, it's sugary sweet syrupy. Wet- like a melted ice lolly or melted black cherry sweet. I want to eat my arm. As it dries it darkens and lifts to a less syrupy smell to sweet fruit tea or incense. Third Charm 2016- in the bottle- very musky patchouli. Wet- It smells like a cast spell. Very magical! The cedar really brings all the earthy smells together and binds them nicely like a wrapped smudging stick. As it dries it warms to a beautiful wood smell and like you walked into a witchy/crystal shop. Like boxes on boxes of incense. Fizzy Jack O'Lantern 2016- in the bottle: a little soapy almost. I can smell the lemon and a slight pumpkin with lots of "fizziness". Wet- lemon gin and pumpkin. Still a little soapy. Maybe it's a "clean" scent rather than "soapy." This isn't unpleasant, just not pumpkin-y enough. Dry- ok, here's the pumpkin! And the gin! The lemon and soapyness has subsided to reveal something I definitely want to drink on a night out. Her Strong Enchantments Failing- cold, purple, incense. Very sweet. Wet- I can smell the blackberry very prominently. But still incense is strong at the base. Slightly more floral as it dries. It still smells "purple". That sounds may be because of the description, but if you know what a purple popsicle smells like, that's the top note. I totally smell the pale rage. Somehow colour and visual descriptions work with this perfume. It's fruity, but not. Ha! I may need to take a break from smelling for a few hours. The Unquiet Grave 2016- in the bottle: cold, floral, clean wet: very clean scent and I would describe as white. Absolutely get the frozen roses, white sandalwood at first. As it warms, the frankincense comes through. I smell as if I'm in the Ice Garden from The Night Circus. Dry: more of the gardenia is coming through and I think I can smell the orchid. Skirting the edge of soapy but not offensively. Dead Leaves, Blackcurrant, and Tobacco Tar- in the bottle: like crushed wet leaves you can smell from an open window!! Love it so far! Wet: Very organic smelling, with a hint of musk. I'm guessing the muskiness is the lab's dead leaf note. This seems to be the common theme between them. I bought everything blind and this is my first Halloween purchase so sorry if any of this differs from veterans of these scents. Dry: I get the black currant! Actually I am reminded of Lush's twilight bath bomb (but just the dust), maybe thrown into wet leaves...for whatever reason. I am in LOVE! This is a sure keeper! Samhnainophobia 2016- in the bottle: dark and boozy from the vetiver and I definitely get the bourbon geranium. Like a dark Halloween night after a few days of rain. Wet: beautiful and dark! Not sickly dark like I was expecting. Very smoky in the best way possible. Dry: even smoker but still retaining a slight sweetness to its dark base. Dead Leaves and Sugared Cardamom- wet: musky, dark. The cardamom is coming through beautifully. This is very pleasant. As the muskiness fades, I can smell the leaves a bit more. As it dries some spice emerges and gets very sweet on me! This is a slow burner on me and I'm glad I've given this one some patience. It was almost headachey on my the first time I tried it but the drier it becomes the more I am falling in love. Dead Leaves and Lavender Buds- in the bottle: very fresh French lavender with a hint of muskiness. Wet: crushed lavender flowers and the dead leaves are coming through as well. I feel like if you had a lavender field surrounded by trees, this is what the edge would smell like in autumn after a rain. Dry: Like I'm stomping through live wet lavender and raking leaves! So happy with this one!! Witch Dance 2016- in the bottle: sweet and booze. Wet: beautiful floral bourbon or liqueur. This is dark floral and earthy. Very sultry and pretty. I am wanting it to be stronger as it dries. My skin seems to be eating everything I put on it. I need this one to age and strengthen. I really like it! Just needs some throwing and staying power on me. So gorgeous though. Glad I bought it! Dead Leaves, Honeyed Patchouli, Champaca Blossom- in the bottle: fresh and outdoorsy. Not sweet fresh. Earthy fresh. The sweeter patchouli really compliment the dead leaves very well and the champaca blossom lifts the whole scent. Wet- this is the one that I feel best represents my childhood memory of dead leaves in piles while my grandfather raked them into mountains for me to jump into. Dry- even more lifted and sweet. The floral note is more pronounced and still beautiful. The honeyed patchouli is so lovely at this point. Another winner!! Dead Leaves and Blackberries- in the bottle: sweet and syrupy. The musky dead leaves is the top note. Not super close, but I feel like if you like Yipe! you'll like this one. Wet: the dead leaves scent is a little more pronounced but still getting lots of the sweet blackberry. Very pleasant. Dry: even sweeter. Throwing a bit better now. I really like this one! Not overly sweet. Just enough. Samhain 2016- in the bottle: like I'm walking through a damp wood just like the description. Wet: the fir is coming through nicely. The black patchouli is my favourite of all the patchoulis so far. This is essential autumn. So my jam. Really wish it was stronger. Dry: even more fantastic. Beautifully sweet autumn earthy. Only wish the throw had more beef to it. My skin eats this up. I hope this ages into something precious. Love!
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Questions that were added/asked in the SW Forum Post: Hibiscus seeds? No thank you. We have a hibiscus plant that has utterly taken over the backyard. Off-color needlepoint? Yes please. I have a pretty wicked sense of humor. *waggles eyebrows* What interests you from the latest (pre-Halloween) update? More than I expected! I’m very interested in all of the current Lunacy offerings: Leda, Coconut Meat SN, Starstruck: Libra From the Lilith/Motherhood update:Scents I'm curious about and want to try (decants would be excellent): "A Little More Tea" "Baby’s First Krampuslauf" "Connecting Flight" "Good Morning London" "Heavenly Spark" "Little Lady Frankenstein" "O The Joy of My Spirit!" "Stonehenge at Dusk" "Texare" Scents I'm pretty sure I want/would buy: Reapers Gonna Reap Spider Witch The Great Python Snake From the Trading Post: I'd love to try: Lilith's hair gloss Tag Upon Avon The Great London Spaghetti Hunt and i'm pretty sure I "need" The Serpentine Like beer? What kind? Booze? I used to love a good dark Stout, but unfortunately being gluten free that’s not really an option. I’ve not yet found a gluten free beer I really like, because they tend to be very light. But I am open to gluten free craft beers! Just be careful that they aren’t “gluten removed” beers. Those aren’t really gluten free and will make me sick. Most liquor is gluten free, but if there’s added colors or flavors you may want to check. This is a really handy list/guide that’s up to date: http://urbantastebud.com/gluten-free-alcohol-list/ If it’s something homemade like everclear with added herbs or flowers, it should be fine as long as barely, malt, and wheat aren’t included. Malt beverages (like wine coolers) are NOT gluten free and no good. My preferred liquor is Gin. I used to hate it, so now I love it, but I’m a bit of a snob. Hendricks is my absolutely favorite. I also love flavored liquors. I tend to prefer fruity or floral but not sweet, drinks. I have a fondness for cordials and liquers. Knitted items? Type? I love the idea of knitted stuff, but being in Florida there’s not much opportunity to wear them. Loose knit and knitted “lace” would be best. I do have a thing for fingerless gloves as most indoor venues (including my office) are kept freezing cold to combat the heat. I tend to prefer jewel tones and/or earthy colors (muted, sea-blues and greens and grays). Caramel? Love it. Salted. With Chocolate. With Marshmallow. With fancy flavorings. It’s just gotta be gluten free (it usually is). Would you be interested in home made food items? Yes, as long as they are gluten free/made in relatively gluten free area. (I know regular kitchens can’t be totally gluten free, but as long as it’s not near bread or flour or anything). Also! If something contains apple, just let me know so I don't let the significant other have it. (He can't tolerate apple) YES!!! To all of the below, especially rose petal liquor. - garlic dill pickles - blackberry jam - dried honey crisp apples - applesauce (with or without red hots) maybe no red hots - elderberry syrup (with honey and apple cider vinegar - great for immune boosting) YES! I love elderberries and elderflowers - honey from our bees - rose petal liquor (made with our own rose petals and everclear but diluted down a bit so it doesn't knock you over) - baked goods of your choice, what do you like or dislike? Baked goods are pretty much out, unless your kitchen is completely gluten free. Would you be interested in project bags/pouches? It depends on the size and shape. Drawstring pouch bags maybe not, but something like a side bag, messenger bag, purse, yes! Are you allergic to any fiber or do you know what kind of yarn you prefer? No allergies here! I’ve not had enough experience with yarns to have a preference, except all of my experience with acylic is that it’s been really itchy. I have no issue with animal fibers. Would you want a quilted pot holder? (for me no because i make them) Actually I need pot holders, of different sizes, so yes! Do you have any prefered flavour of shortbread? I have a fondness for shortbread of any flavor. Earl Grey and Lemon are favorites, but again, it's gotta be gluten free, and made in a gluten free kitchen. Is there anything you'd particularly like to get from the UK? I'm not sure. I don't think so? Maybe tea? Socks/sockdreams/etc? Yes! I've been wanting more funky socks, and some more knee highs but I'm not sure exactly what I want. Stripes are always good. I'm also on the look out/in need of "sock tape" or something that will keep knee highs and high socks from slouching. I haven't looked at the sockdreams site in years though so I don't know what I want anymore. Is there anything you would like to get from Japan? I'm not sure. I really miss Japan (I visited in 2007) but now that I'm gluten free I can't really partake in the food goodies. I like anime but there's nothing immediate that comes to mind that I'd want. Do you like things with Pumpkin (or Pumpkin Spice?) Yes!!
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Got this idea from neptuneanblues (if you're reading this, thanks! ) My brain has a bad habit of freezing whenever I need to pull information out of it. So, even though it took me 2 hours to fill out my SW questionnaire, I found myself thinking of things I wish I had included, long after I'd submitted it. So, some random bits of information that may, or may not,be of help I'd like more funky socks I love pumpkin spice (And I don't care how "basic" it makes me) I love coffee but also tea I'm kind of a foodie and love unusual salts, spices, etc Dark Chocolate is king in my book. The darker the better, although I think I hit my limit at 85% I miss my german shepherd dearly (she passed away 2014) but I've become enamoured with Corgis. I desperately want one, but I have to wait until my energy levels are more stable. Until then I am ok collecting and looking at Corgis I'm 1 year post chemo, and 18 months cancer free from Hodgkin's Lymphoma.My hair is still growing back, and it's cute but still short, and kinda floppy. I am finally comfortable putting color in it again. I used to have crazy colored hair for years before. Although I don't do it for a living, my heart belongs to science, especially biology/molecular biology. I was supposed to go for my Master's in Molecular Biology after getting my Bachelors, but life and things, and it didn't happen. Now, I'm setting my sights to be a full time writer. (I really, really REALLY hate my current job). I'm not sure if I'll ever get to do Bio research, but it still fascinates me. I still want to learn as much as I can about it, and I love anything science/bio related. Even though I'm aspiring now to be a full time writer, I've always been a "writer". I have an unhealthy love of notebooks and pens (and office supplies in general). I love games of all types, and enjoy all manner of video games, but I've recently become enamored with "Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure Games" (really, puzzle games, I don't really like the hidden object part as much). My energy and cognitive functions are still pretty low, and these are great because they're interesting and challenging but not taxing. I've played all of the "Dark Parables" games except the most recent. (as an example of what I'm talking about) I can't keep plants alive to save my life (Except for the mint that won't die) but I love having them around! I love Fall clothes, but being in florida never get to really wear them. I am hoping to live in a cooler climate, more permanently, one day! If you want to be sneaky and see if I'd like something or get more info, you can message my significant other, john at: steppsensei(at)gmail Be sure to tell him it's for the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Swap, or he may think it's spam. I've included my SW answers as a link in my signature. The link leads to a google doc that I've kept open for editing. If you want to ask me additional questions, you can add them to the bottom. Because the document is set to "anyone with the link" you don't need a Google account to access it, and if you do have a Google account and are logged in, it still registers you as anonymous.
