Thirteen (13): June 2008

[myth]

In our paean to all the mysteries surrounding this enigmatic number, there are thirteen lucky and unlucky components, including white chocolate, dark chocolate, apple blossom, honeysuckle, frankincense, allspice, nutmeg, black tea, tonka, and sandalwood.

Floral notes hate me, and I usually amp them to the exclusion of everything else. There have been a couple of exceptions though, so when I saw this 13 all loaded with spice and resin, I hoped that those pesky flowers would wilt away under those notes. Alas.

The white and dark chocolates combine to be milk chocolate, and milk chocolates don't appeal to me as much. Cocoa blends like Boomslang, Wulric and Velvet are fantastic. But the Bliss, Gluttonys and Candy Butchers tend not to go so well. This doesn't head over the line into plastic hell like it could have though... it stays a pretty nice milk chocolate. It the resins came out to play it would probably be wonderful. Instead there is this flower in my chocolate. Only slightly appley, which is good because apple note hates me too. But too much floral. Floral chocolate. Where oh where are my frankincense, sandalwood and spice? They ran away from the flowers, and I'm afraid I have to follow them. The October '06 13 remains the only one that has worked on me.

[edited to add lab description!] Edited July 7, 2008 by myth

[jentifer]

This is the only one I've tried fresh, and my first thought is CHOCOLATE. Deep and dark. Very quickly followed by apple. If you've ever had a Mrs. Prindible's chocolate chip covered caramel apple, you have an idea of what this smells like. Sweet, tart, rich, all in one. My favorite of the 13s so far.

[sprocket21]

I've only tried one other 13 besides this one (I've also tried April 2007, which was way too herbal with pretty much no chocolate).

 

In the imp: This smells almost...butterscotch-y O_o.

 

Once on me, the butterscotch goes away, and I smell the same chocolate that I get from Candy Butcher; sinfully rich and sweet. There's also a hearty dose of apple, but it's still secondary to the chocolate. I'm liking this much more than I expected to, though the combination of chocolate and apple is a wee bit odd. As it dries, the apple becomes stronger and the chocolate recedes a bit. I'll use up the decant, but it's just not my thing.

[lainevierge]

Mmm, I get the same chocolate in this that I smelled in El Dia Des Reyes, but I also smell the white chocolate and a sort of burnt caramel smell akin to La Befana or Red Lantern.

 

Lovely!

 

Edit to add : I just learned about rolling bottles before applying scent and when I did it for this one today the apple blossom really came out. It smelled just like chocolate covered apples!

Edited November 22, 2008 by lainevierge

[filigree_shadow]

I'm surprised that this doesn't smell spicy -- I thought it would, with the allspice and nutmeg. But mostly it seems like chocolate and apple blossom. It's a pretty combination, and honestly I think this is one of the few scents with an apple note that I'd wear. The chocolate notes seem a little creamy, and I like that with the sweet apple scent. This scent smells cheerful.

 

The spices come out a little bit when it's dry, but they're not overwhelming at all. It's still a happy scent, but I feel like this is more of a fall scent than a summertime one.

 

I like this version of 13, but the orange label (I think it was the Oct 06 version?) one is still my favorite.

[lilirose]

Like lainevierge said, this is a chocolate that reminds me very much of El Dia Del Reyes, only without the coffee note.

 

It smells like pure chocolate in the bottle, and like a really fantastic, moist, chocolate cake on my skin.

 

I'm so glad I bought it- this was an "unsniffed" that was definitely worth the impulse buy factor. It's like a big chocolatey hug.

Edited July 11, 2008 by lilirose

[mgrazulis]

When I open the bottle and take a whiff I get that gorgeous white and dark chocolate, I know I'm in for a smell sensation!! The mix of both is incredible and buttery.

 

On my skin, the chocolates deepen with the warmth from the tonka and spices and the woodiness from the incenses. The apple is only there for a peek, no honeysuckle for my skin. They are there somewhere in the sweetness, but not out forward. The black tea and chocolates are a wonderful wake-up!!! This is not particularly a foody scent on me--much more like chocolately incense.

 

The second time I wear this, it is much like the first--only this time I craved to wear it. I couldn't wait another day. I had to wear this so I could experience it again!

 

Edited to say: I didn't realize I had reposted this--meant to update my original--my bad

Edited July 14, 2008 by mineralfairy

[Magpie]

This is delicious. I mean, I smell entirely and delectably edible.

 

I was a little wary of 13, due to its slightly eclectic collection of ingredients and my unfortunate incompatability with the lab's chocolate scents. I shouldn't have worried - this is beautiful, a cocoa-y blend of spicy chocolate with sweet, almost fruity notes. The chocolate is restrained enough to make it sophisticated (as opposed to the nutella tones of Bliss for me). I can definitely smell the nutmeg, reminding me of spicy hot chocolate or warm Christmassy goodness. I have to steer well clear of most sandalwood if it isn't seriously tempered by something else, but in this case it hardly ever rears its scented head.

 

13 becomes softer chocolate over time, more fragrant, sweeter and fruitier. The sandalwood and allspice start to come out. Mmm apple, nice fresh apple. Occasionally it almost smells burnt. A lovely, warm gingery cocoa, spicy and vaguely fruity. Yum. I keep smelling 13 like a warm cocoa aura.

 

13 is definitely not an unlucky number in this case!

Edited July 15, 2008 by Magpie

[Little Bird]

I've been dabbing this on for the past four days since it arrived at my house. I was hoping for mostly chocolate, apple, and a tiny pinch of spice, with the sandalwood, tonka, and tea sort of smoothing everything out. Unfortunately, this smells pretty cheap on me so far. It's cheap and artificial in the way that yankee candles smell to me. Like yankee candles, this would be a lovely home scent once in a while, but I don't want it on my skin.

 

In the bottle, this smells like lots of spice, a bit of plastic-y, buttery apple, and something like caramel or butterscotch or some sort of burnt sugar. It's very much 'fall candle' to me.

 

On my skin, it's pretty much the same while wet. I sniff it and my brain immediately jumps to "candle fragrance" and "a good candle fragrance for fall." It's like a warm, spicy apple scent that would be very comforting when the leaves start to change and the air gets crisp. And it's much better in the bottle than it is on me in the drydown, when the apple gets sharper and the honeysuckle adds a weird floral perfuminess in the otherwise spicy fall mix. It turns into a weird, gross scent that I don't enjoy at all. Too much spice, sharp/cheap/plasticy apple (and I normally LOVE bpal's apple notes, so I don't know what goes wrong here), perfumey floral warmth, and a horrible, cloying undertone of burnt sugar.

 

This is strong and pretty bad on me. I'm going to give it a chance to age, because pink label Thirteen improved greatly with some aging. I'm not really hopeful for this one though...

[LaurenO]

I really love this. In the bottle, it smells of dry cocoa with a slightly medicinal tinge, odd but not unpleasant. Wet, and for the first few hours, it's a gorgeous, spicy chocolate. It eventually morphs and smells of apples to me, but not fresh apples - it's more like a sweet, foody, spicy apple pie filling. It's never sickening, despite the foodiness. Beautiful.

[Ravenclaw79]

As I test this out, what I keep thinking is "candle shop." Not in a bad way -- it started as an overpowering fake-chocolate smell, like a chocolate-scented candle, but then it faded back and started to mingle with the rest of the notes, and now, it's a lovely combination, like all of the nice smells that hit you all at once in a candle shop.

[Coldfire]

Preface: I'm not a foodie much when it comes to wearing scents.

 

 

 

Bottle: Rich chocolates with hint of apple

Wet on Me: When I inhale, first I get the

chocolates, then the apple, then the barest caress of

honeysuckle.

Drying Down: Now the spicey notes come

out to play. So I get a spicy apple-y chocolate goodness.

Dry: Sweet & lovely but not overly sweet.

I am so glad this did not come off too foody on me. This

is rich and dark with the fruit, flower and spices helping to

make this a complex lil number. I'm liking this lil number.

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: I could not resist a 13. How could I resist a 13? Chocolate has not proved to be my best friend so far, but apple blossom, honey suckle, black tea, allspice and nutmeg is a pretty good line up as far as my skin chemistry is concerned. Rock on.

 

In the bottle: This is sickly-sweet, candy-like on first sniff, more obviously floral on the second sniff. I think I can pick out the apple blossom and honeysuckle, and a hint of the spices (Although that could be the fact I'm testing three other hideously over-spiced scents at the same time...)

 

On the wrist, wet: Hey, you know those white milk bottle sweets you get in Haribo Supermix?

 

No, I'm NOT joking. This smells like a handful of those covered in apple blossoms, honeysuckle flowers, and a gentle sprinkling of allspice. Luckily, I love those sweets and this smells absolutely fantastic to me.

 

Twenty minutes later: I think I've mostly got the 'white' element from the white chocolate... without any actual chocolate. On top of that there's deliciously fruity-floral apple blossom and honeysuckle, being playful and flirty, the barest hint of spices... man, I love this. Really love this.

 

Verdict: Keeper and a new favourite, I think.

 

Tl;Dr: Deliciously creamy sweetness, apple blossom and honeysuckle, and a hint of spice.

[MeiLin]

In the bottle: Chocolate! Light, bright chocolate, very sweet. I think the sweet is the honeysuckle and apple blossom.

 

Wet: Chocolate! Really sexy chocolate!

 

Dry: The chocolate evaporates over time, leaving a sweet, spicy scent. I smell the allspice especially, and the sandalwood (I amp sandalwood), the black tea, the tonka.

 

I'm so glad I gambled on a bottle!

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Hazelnut coffee!

 

In the imp: Chocolate! Slightly spicy white chocolate.

 

On skin, wet: ...Hazelnut coffee? It can't be, but it is! Warm, rich, slightly chalky, nutty, and very slightly spicy, this reminds me of a good hazelnut coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar. It reminds me of the coffee house I frequented as a teenager.

 

On skin, dry: Nary a trace of apple blossom, honeysuckle, frankincense, allspice, tea, or tonka! The chalky quality may be due to the chocolates or sandalwood: both are wont to end up that way.

 

Conclusion: I can't fathom what combination of notes equals hazelnut coffee when combined with my skin, but it's a dead ringer. Alas, while I do enjoy a good cup of hazelnut coffee, I'm not quite as keen to smell as though I'd rubbed the coffee into my skin.

[Champagne]

Today 2 months passed since 13 was released, so I wanted to write an anniversary love letter to this gorgeous blend! To the dark chocolate tone sweetened byt the white one, to the apple note juicy and fresh going out in the wet stage, and the discreet spicy tea in the drydown that prepare the dark chocolate coming back for the good of everyone. I`m lost for 13

[trollgirl]

I tried 13 when she arrived--lab-fresh and eager for loving--on my desk. I couldn't give 13 the love she so craved. Her apple-ness was saccharine and reminded me of artificially flavoured apple candies. The chocolate was overwhelmingly foody and sweet. I felt as though I had fallen into a vat of experimental disaster fruit chocolate. Alas. I put 13 in the dark, dark corner of my bottle box and told her that she was meant for the swaps.

 

Fortunately for 13, I am incredibly lazy and never put up a swap post.

 

I tried her on again yesterday, almost two months later because she was keening to me from her little corner in my bottle box going, "Love me! I'm a good girl now, you'll see!"

 

In the bottle she was all bitter cocoa powder. Dry, a little bit spicy, and very, very bitter. Almost coffee-like in her bitterness. Not promising. But 13 was all like, "Pleez to be putting on the skin nao?"

 

So I did, a tiny, tiny dab from the tip of a tiny, tiny toothpick. 13 was then sweet, creamy chocolate. Milk chocolate sweetened with gorgeous smooth honey. And then the apple scent emerged, and if there's fruit in anything, it just comes to the forefront on my skin. So I ended up with slices of fresh, crisp apple that had been dipped in a velvety chocolate dip. But it was goooooood. 13 was sweet and uplifting and made me happy.

 

13 actually reminded me a lot of Lush's Soft Coeur massage bar. Chocolately, with a hint of fruitiness.

 

I'm not sure if it's a mood thing or a skin chemistry thing but 13 will get the love she deserves now. It can be hugs tiem.

[PurringPulsar]

13 (June 08)

 

In the bottle: a thin milky chocolate scent with spice, like a mix of El Dia de Reyes and April 07’s 13.

Wet on skin: I smell apple. Please apple blossom, don’t mess this scent up like you did with Agrat!

Dry on skin: apples dipped in chocolate, but there’s also a sharp hint of floral. For now, this is not bad. It’s an unusual mix of notes and I’m not sure if they well blend well or clash. The apple blossom seems to want to veer into ‘apple-floral air freshener’ territory but for now the chocolate is stopping it. I really love the chocolate here, it’s both darkly cocoa-rich and yet sweetly creamy at once. I smell hints of nutmeg and allspice adding some delicious warmth, this is slightly reminiscent of the April version but not as spicy. The apple gives it a fruity aspect like the July 07 version. I think I smell tea, but where are the frankincense and tonka?

After a while: this gets better! The apple blossom is stopped short of turning to air freshener and instead turns to dried apple tea, like an infusion made with tea and bits of dry apple. The chocolate and spices though are incredible now. The dark choc, allspice and nutmeg have really merged and this now smells like something that a niche chocolatier would make, dried apple slices covered in nutmeg flavoured chocolate. Actually, I think the Chocolate Alchemist makes something like that…I think I can smell the tonka at this point, enhancing the chocolate’s sweetness and making it sophisticated. And now I also think I can smell the frankincense! The apple is a dominant when smelt at the wrist but the throw is mainly spicy chocolate.

The apple does fade completely and what I’m left with is the most gorgeous spiced chocolate scent. Warm, exotic, not too foody but incredibly comforting, it’s like the April 07 version’s gentler cousin. The frankincense and tonka really enhance this delicious spicy cocoa.

Verdict: this version of 13 was a pleasant surprise! I thought I wouldn’t like it at first, but the drydown is irresistible. At first it was chocolate and apple blossom with a hint of spice. Not bad, but the apple had the potential to go totally bad on me as it usually does. Thankfully the chocolate, spices and resins beat the apple into submission and the end scent is the most wonderful sophisticated spiced chocolate scent. Dark chocolate delicately spiced with nutmeg and allspice, deepened by tonka, and with a fantastic frankincense note. I’m glad I was patient with this scent, and I really love this new, creative take on the chocolate theme.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes!

If you like this, try: any of the other 13s but especially April 07 and July 07, Tezcatipoca, Bliss, Agrat Bat Malaht, Boomslang

[angelicruin]

13 (2008)

 

Bottle: Caramel

 

Wet: Chocolate & Caramel :D

 

Dry: more fruitiness with chocolate & caramel yumminess

[themerrybaker]

For a while I had a little routine going: Count Dracula on Mondays - because Mondays suck, and 13 on Fridays, because Fridays are sweet. I lost my bottle of orange-label 13 in the Great Moving Disaster of 2007 and got off track for a while.

 

My green-label 13 is stepping up to the plate. It's very cosy-sweet with hints of sandalwood and spices. It morphs a bit for the first hour or so - sometimes more spiciness and sometimes more chocolate.

 

I'm glad that the lab has made a tradition of reissuing this periodically.

[ankhfangirl72]

Fresh from the lab all I got from this 13 was dark chocolate. It was nice but not anything special. Now, after it's had a few months to age, it's much more complex. I can smell the apple a lot now and I really like the combination of that and the chocolate. Looking at the list of notes the only others I can really pick out are the sandlewood, the tea, honeysuckle and what I think might be the tonka? It's really fresh and the chocolate isn't too creamy or sweet. For me, it's a definite improvement on the last 13 anyway

[GalaxyLei]

I definitely get chocolate, but there's a strong alcoholic feel to it as well, like chocolate liqueur maybe...very strong, possibly too much. We'll see how it does after a bit more aging.

[Electric Maenad]

Wow wow wow... this is rich stuff.

 

It starts off with an almost overpowering wave of boozy, dark chocolate. The apple comes up almost immediately after - a tart, Granny Smith-style apple that really cuts the sweetness of the chocolate nicely. The other spices and tea seem mainly to support the dominant notes and extend them. It doesn't really change much on me, although it gradually fades over about five or six hours. This is really beautiful, and I'm glad I managed to snag a bottle from another kind forumite.

[zankoku_zen]

This one is a sweet cocoa/sandalwood scent with an almost candy like gleam to it. I can smell the spices in this, but this isn't as fabulous to me as the Purple label is. The original, white label, thirteen was a watery graham chocolate. This one the chocolate isn't really there, it's more of a ghostly kind of presence.

 

Now I have to find the Pink and Orange ones...

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: The most expensive chocolate wedding cake you can possibly imagine, decorated with flowers.

 

Wet: Predominantly chocolate, but floral a strong second, followed by spiced tea. Smells a lot like an upscale cafe with fresh flowers on the table.

 

Twenty minutes: Chocolate cake with spices. Must be the tonka, which always reads "baked goods" on me.

 

One hour: Really good, but stale, chocolate cake crumbs. I don't know what makes it smell stale like that, though. The scent doesn't smell bad at all, but it really reminds me of stale cake crumbs.

 

Two hours: The chocolate is less aggressive now, better blended with the spices. I think I'm getting some floral again, not as strongly as before. The spices are gentler too, but still warm.

 

Three hours: Still chocolate cake with spices, but the darkest chocolate notes are dominant now. I like it more now that it doesn't smell quite so sugary, but I kind of miss the floral. I was counting on the honeysuckle to be more prominent.

 

Five hours: Fainter, but not much change.