suki

Black plum, 7-year aged patchouli, nutmeg, and tobacco leaf. Proceeds from the sale of both of the Hymn to the Erinyes scents benefit RAINN, the United States largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, and provides programs to help survivors, prevent sexual violence, and ensure that offenders are brought to justice. In The Bottle: the plum is definitely the dominant note here. In fact, I don't think I detect anything else at this point. Wet On Skin: As the oil warms on my skin, I detect a hint of the nutmeg. Without the other notes, the two make some strange bedfellows. Far more floral and light than I'd anticipated. Dry Down: The tobacco leaf steps in, but just a bit, to warm things up and round them out a little. This reminds me very much of a perfume I wore many years ago, Pòemé, from Estee Lauder, I think? This is a "perfumey" kind of scent, elegant, floral, light. I don't know if it's for me, but folks that like more classic perfumes are going to adore this one.

Bronze gears spin inside a polished wooden case, and an entire universe dances within. Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco. in the bottle: the teak is a strong note, right off. i got this because i loved the teak in Glowing Vulva, and it doesn't disappoint here either. wet on skin: wow. the teak is opening up, blooming into something more complex. it maintains it's sweet, unusual wood note, but there's something more under it, i'm thinking it might be the tobacco. it's adding a depth and something a bit more...sophisticated? than Glowing Vulva dry down: GORGEOUS. complex, sexy, heady, sweet without being over bearing or cloying. in all: the sexiness of Smut, the beautiful complexity of Glowing Vulva, and something wholly unique in it's own right, Mechanism, in one day, has easilly slipped into my top 10 of all time. get it!!! :D

As you have no doubt heard, during the third presidential debate, Hillary described her plan to raise taxes on the rich in order to fund Social Security. She took a swing at him over him being a tax dodger (which he is). “My Social Security payroll contribution will go up, as will Donald’s – if he can’t figure out how to get out of it.” Trump interrupted her and said, “Such a nasty woman.” These are two things uttered by the same man within the same hour: “Such a nasty woman.” “No one has more respect for women than me.” Amazing. Let’s put this pussy-grabbing, racist, predatory, misogynistic, hateful, irresponsible, ignorant, immature grotesquerie out of politics for good, and do what we can to ensure that he and his ilk never cast their miserable shadows over our political process again. Nasty Woman: black fig and patchouli, filthy bourbon vanilla, honeyed amber oud, and loukhoum. In The Bottle: A dark, dirty patchouli with a bit of our to smooth out the edges. Wet On Skin: I detect a rich tobacco, though none is listed in the notes. It's possibly the black fig, it has a similar "chewy" quality. Dry Down: The patch is back at the forefront, the kind our foremothers would've worn when burning bras and protesting the war at the Pentagon! The vanilla is a supporting character, along with that touch of honey- not sweetening the mix so much as adding further depth and preventing this scent from going over into HippyLand. It's rich and dark and not to be fucked with, just like angry women everywhere In All: Oh, she's a Nasty, Nasty Woman, alright. And she's only gonna get better with age!

On our second anniversary, the Lab moved from the Far Land of Spare Oom (gratuitous C.S. Lewis reference) to its first real location in Atwater Village. It was small, it was weird, and we all shared one space, but it was home. In 2004, our real unreal home, bpal.org, was founded by slythwitch, and later that year, shrieking violet took over the helm. Bpal.org has been the source of so much love and joy in my life since its inception, and because of .org, my family bound by love and spirit expanded to include some of the finest human beings I have ever known. The community that grew from .org is incomparable, both on the internet and in the so-called real world; it is a safe haven of wise, witty, kind, compassionate souls, and without it and without the people that I met through it, my life would be so much darker. 2004 also heralded our first press mention (thank you, Bust Magazine!), our first Chaos Theory series, and the first Lunacies. Our first Blue Moon came out in July of 2004, launching the Lunacies that weve been doing ever since. Red Moon was our official first Lunacy blend, followed Harvest Moon, Hunter Moon, and a bajillion other Lunacies over the next eleven years! (Ok, maybe not a bajillion, but Im not in the mood to do the math!) Prior to September of 2004, we dressed our Imps a bit differently. We wrapped synthetic bull sinew around the vials and used handwritten parchment labels. Honestly, it looked amazing, but it was an incredibly time consuming process, and left me with a couple of imp-related battle scars. As of autumn, we switched to the paper labels you see today. Our first activism scents also debuted in 2004: Cerberus (Animal Assistance League of Orange County), Chiroptera (Bat Conservation International), Corazon (Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land), Oisin (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund), and Thunderbird (the Adopt-a-Native-Elder Program), kicking off over a decade of fundraising, advocacy, and charity work. In 2004, Antique Lace first appeared and we introduced our first forum-only blend (Formula 54!). And on December 21, 2004, Dorian a hymn to my love for Ted went live. A memory of Antique Lace, Formula 54s pink pepper, and a splash of Dorian's white tea and lavender fougere. In the Bottle: Good lord- it's Dorian and Antique Lace, together at last! There's also a bright rind of that pink pepper (never had the pleasure of sniffing Formula 54 but I have liked the pink pepper note in other blends. Here's it adds a nice bright bite!) Wet On Skin: The Dorian aspect is strong with this one! But that's not the totality of this scent. The vanilla of Antique Lace is adding a layer of softness and warmth. Dry Down: If you're among the masses that have wept bitter tears at the absence of Antique Lace and also of Dorian, then this is the scent for you. It takes the most beautiful and strong elements of each of those and combines them for a scent that is sweet and lovely and cuddly. It's a dream.

COMPARISON OF CELEBRATED BEAUTIES Vanilla cream, mimosa, and almond blossom. In The Bottle: Mostly almond. A tiny, tiny hint of cream. Tiny. Wet On Skin: More almond, a bit more cream. Almost as an afterthought, the mimosa. but it's literally as I move my hand away from my nose that I get a small whiff. Noting more. Dry Down: Oh THERE you are, mimosa! Wow, that certainly morphed. The mimosa has gone quite powdery on me, a thing that's happened between me and this note before. It *is* held in check by the appearance of the vanilla cream, giving it some density and toning down the floral so it's not quite so baby powder-y. At this point, the almond has disappeared from my skin entirely. In All: Low to medium throw- go easy, I could see this becoming too much if you slather. A sweet, soft springtime scent. I'm personally on the fence about how much I'll wear it, but the vanilla cream is really making me consider. I will wait to see how I feel once it's warmed up outside- this might be the perfect thing for an evening spring stroll.

I HAD to have this. But I can't imagine what this will smell like... In The Bottle: Sort of like vanilla Play Dough Wet On Skin: A soft, white sweet smell. Not even vanilla, exactly. Like marshmallow fluff, or sweet-scented stage fog. Dry Down: It's become almost a sweet light musk. It's incredibly unassuming, very sweet and charming. Not the chemical greasepaint I had feared. But it's honestly rather hard to describe. In All: low to medium throw, sweet and comforting. Much better than clowns!

In The Bottle: A light, very sweet, slightly dusty chocolate followed by a hint of rich buttercream. Wet On Skin: The chocolate is quite light here. Mostly I'm getting a sugary vanilla with a dusting of cocoa powder on top. Dry Down: The chocolate vanishes entirely and I'm left with a very light, sweet buttercream. On my skin, it is a very close cousin to Egg Nog, without any nutmeg. In All: For me, chocolate scents are always hit (Bliss; Cacao Pod) or terribly miss (Candy Butcher, I'm looking at you). Unfortunately, in spite of three types of chocolate being present in this blend, my skin gives me not a one well, of to the swaps it goes!

The Joys of Good Fortune A hymn to laughter, joy, and merriment: blood orange and champaca bubbling with blonde tobacco, osmanthus, sweet clove, and vanilla. In The Bottle: So, this is my second Fortuna review and what this, so far, has in common with Balnearis, is that, like the original Antique Lace and a few precious others, upon first sniff, I am instantly transported into a realm of exquisite ache for a time long gone. Call it nostalgia or reverie, but it's palpable, visceral and I want to hold onto it for as long as possible. This scent, in the bottle, is difficult to pinpoint, in terms of individual notes. Generally I can at least pick out one or two from a chorus. Instead, I am flooded with memory, of being a teenager in my boyfriend's bedroom, his parents blissfully unaware that we did not, in fact, sleep in separate rooms as we'd promised to. It's my Skin Musk and sweet, barely audible traces of his Polo cologne, and the flower corsage he gave to me at his school dance the night before, and traces of my rich Nature's Gate conditioner left in my hair and none of those things. It's heady and hopeful and slightly angsty. Wet On Skin: Now that it's had a chance to warm on my skin, the initial squeeze of my heart has relaxed and I can discern some actual notes! The rich tartness of the blood orange is there, less "orange-y" than its Mandarin or Sweet Orange counterparts, Blood Orange reads more adult. Definitely not sugary. The champaca is here, but thankfully not in the heavy-handed way champa notes tend to amp on my skin, making me smell like Super Hit incense (love that incense. don't want to smell like it all the time.) The clove and vanilla definitely bring this scent into a balance, so that it's rich, again, without being heavy. Imagine decadent floor-length velvet curtains in a drawing room- that have just been opened to allow bright sunlight to flood in. That's the balance here, between heavy and light. And there *is* a "bubbly" aspect as described in the original description (one of those "How does Beth DO that?!?" moment for sure) that helps to buoy the heavier notes of the scent. Dry Down: This is indeed an appropriate homage to joy and merriment, but an adult rendering for sure. More Bacchus, not, say the Easter Bunny. It's rich and it's a little sweet and it's joyous, like a dessert port. I'm going to Morocco next month and I suspect this will be a bottle to pack in my suitcase for the duration

White amber and sheer vanilla, orris butter, Italian bergamot, and narcissus. This sounded too intriguing to pass up but I have *no* idea what it'll smell like. Let's see, shall we? In The Bottle: I get the narcissus and the sheer vanilla in abundance as soon as I sniff. There's something about the narcissus that tugs at my heart, like it reminds me of an era I didn't get to live through but miss just the same. Wet On Skin: As the oil warms on my skin the orris butter starts to come out and balances the floral quite well. I like orris root, though it can be a bit overwhelmingly "dusty". Doing an orris butter for this eliminates the 'dust' aspect and helps round out the sweetness of the narcissus without overpowering it. Dry Down: I get just a peek of the vanilla at this point, joined by equally small -but present- roles by the amber and bergamot. Though I'd been hoping for more bergamot when I made my decision to get this scent, I think any more than a drop would be overkill, because it would clash with the orris too much. The fragrance is light with a low-medium throw. I don't think it's good for the remains of winter, because it's not strong enough to stand up to winter's ravages. But I look forward to favoring this once spring's first blush shows itself in the next month or two.

Golden-brown and sugar-dusted, plump with sweet blackcurrant jelly. Full disclosure: I am an enormous fan of the Sufganiyots of Yules past, so I blind-bought two bottles of this year's Black Currant variety, because I felt *certain* that I'd want backups of this one, too. And I was NOT wrong. In the bottle, and when first applied, this has the familiar -and delicious!- strong fried-dough scent of its siblings. And, as with raspberry and strawberry before her, black currant starts to come into her own within the context of the scent as it warmed on my skin. This years' version is perhaps a little sweeter than its predecessors, which I believe has everything to do with the chosen fruit. Both raspberry and strawberry have a bit of a tangy undertone. But black currant is more of a pure sweetness with nothing tart to counteract. It's not cloying, don't misunderstand. This is the epitome of a full fried doughnut stuffed to the gills with thick and sweet black currant jam. It's delectable! If you loved the other two, you'll be delighted to add this one to your collection. If you missed out on previous years, definitely give this one a try. I would only say proceed with caution if you're a foodie that only likes your food scents to have a little edge- you might need to tread lightly with this. Or possibly layer with a rich non-food, like sandalwood or vetiver, or layer with a spice, like the newly released Indonesian Clove SN. Now to decide if I need *another* backup bottle...

How marvellously lie our anxieties, in filmy layers, one over the other! Take away that which has lain on the upper surface for so long—the care of cares—the only one, as it seemed to you, between your soul and the radiance of Heaven—and straight you find a new stratum there. Opium smoke, opium tar, mandarin, dark musk, patchouli, tonka, vetiver, and frankincense. in the bottle: dark, thick opium in its various beguiling forms, a hint of deep musk and the vanilla-rich undertone of tonka bean. wet on skin: the vetiver is coming out, but so far is staying put in the mix, unlike usual on my skin. the opium is still really heavy, sweet and rich. dry down: everything is mingling and blending so beautifully that at the dry point, there is no way to really tell one note from the next. hints of all the above coming in and out in a glorious haze of sex, seduction and possibly lust-driven murder (or at least madness ) in all: good god- this is SO heady, sexy and rich that, shipping charged be damned, i may have to get a second bottle. total. love. :heart:

Red orchid, dragon’s blood resin, blood orange, black lily, honey amber, and cacao. In The Bottle: This, in this stage, is honestly *way* more subdued than I anticipated. The honey is there, the blood orange is there and just a rind of the dragon's blood. It's very delicate. Wet On Skin: This is sort of a classic Lupercalia scent in that it's got the promise of an early spring as noted by the faint lily, and it's still very alluring, as the red orchid comes to the fore. Dry Down: This reminds me a bit of a Body Shop scent I wore AGES ago called Juba- it's delicately sweet and bright with both floral and citrus notes. It's a bit more "perfume-y" than I normally wear, but it's so lovely that I will gladly make an exception! Also, a side note: I admit I don't always see the direct connection between the chosen notes and the accompanying Shunga. With Cock Stamen, I *absolutely* see it in spades!

His flight was like the flashing of light, his plumage was beauteous, and his song ravishing: fire-yellow amber, neroli, frangipani, king mandarin, white honey, and saffron vanilla. In The Bottle: King Mandarin, reporting for duty! This has LOADS of King Mandarin and I LIKE IT. Wet On Skin: The honey is coming through now, lending a balance of top sweet and middle sweet. The amber is bringing up the rear, but not intensely. Dry Down: THERE'S the saffron vanilla! I was wondering when she'd show up to the party! Her inclusion has mellowed the edges of the king and now it's become like an adult version of a Creamsicle, the scratch of the frangipani making this scent mature, not in teeny-bopper territory. In All: this sweet scent is light and fun and joyous, perfect for daily day time use, but if layered with, say, "O" or another honey-heavy scent, I think the whole vibe would change and the scent would become waaaay more nighttime ready

In The Bottle: The strange-yet-tantalizing combination of cocoa powder and lavender oil, with a bit of the vanilla rounding it out from underneath. I'm intrigued already! Wet On Skin: The lavender comes a bit more to the forefront, certainly reading as more of a Victorian fougere, which I'm liking, because it makes the scent slightly more masculine, and sometimes I like that. Dry Down: The lavender is definitely in the front now, with cocoa playing second fiddle and vanilla a distant third. I get no other notes but frankly, those were the three notes I was most compelled by, and I'm rather pleased with the end result. In All: medium throw. A nice genderQueer scent for those that dig poncy lavender mixed with slightly gourmand sweets

In The Bottle: White ginger and a bit of honey. Wet On Skin: Exceptionally light but with a nice spice. I was interested in trying this scent because I love spice scents, but many are too heavy for warm weather months. I may have found what I'm looking for *fingers crossed* Dry Down: This reads to me like more of a ginger *flower* than straight ginger. I also get a light green tea kind of note (which I know, is nowhere found in the description but maybe it's the Ambrosia?) which lends itself again to making this an appealing scent for hot days. In All: low throw, this is definitely a skin scent and a nice one for exceptionally hot days when I get tired of wearing citrus based scents. Glad I splurged on a blind bottle!

In The Bottle: WHOA. That is delicious. The white carnation is definitely a different experience than the Spanish Red I've encountered in past Lab mixtures (plus one of my favorite SNs of all time!) But just in the bottle, it's not the only note in the mix. The honey lends sweetness right out of the gate, but at this stage, doesn't present itself as the honey configuration we all typically know from such Lab favorites as "O". I am way intrigued, regardless! Wet On Skin: Sweet, creamy (hey milk note heeeey!) and, as others mentioned, comforting. Dry Down: The carnation reads slightly more like carnation I've met before, but still lighter, definitely a 'white' variation for sure. The honey and milk are holding strong. I personally don't get any of the cardamom, but that's not surprising, since my skin tends to eat that notes unless it hits me over the head in a OH HAI I AM ALL TEH CARDAMOM ALL TEH TIME kind of way. I have a SN if I feel like it needs ome, but this scent is just lovely right as it is. Glad to have a bottle- it feels like sacred hope, which is needed in these exceptionally dark times.

"...You run into Mithras yet? Red cap. Nice kid." "No, I don't think so." "Well . . . I've never seen Mithras around here. He was an army brat. Maybe he's back in the Middle East, taking it easy, but I expect he's probably gone by now. It happens. One day every soldier in the empire has to shower in the blood of your sacrificial bull. The next they don't even remember your birthday." Oblations of milk, oil, honey, and blood. In The Bottle: LOADS of honey and some milk to cut through the sweetness. Wet On Skin: Although incense isn't directly named as a note, offerings can be made with them and this is beginning to smell very much like incense to me. Like honey-milk-blood incense to be exact. And I *really* hope it stays this way. Dry Down: Yup. This is a gorgeous honey, milk, blood incense and I am totally smitten. I suspect that this secret will eventually get out- better stock up now.

In The Bottle: All the sweetness of real, actual marigolds. *swoon* Wet On Skin: More of the same, warmed up. Dry Down: A 'green', slightly herbal floral scent, Tagates definitely encapsulates marigolds beautifully. As we move further into autumn, I could see this being layered with light, summer scents OR heavy winter scents, acting as a transitional element. Just lovely!

In Paradise, when thou wert born in the first rose, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, thou receivedst a kiss, and thy right name was given thee-thy name, Poetry. Ancient threads of frankincense winding through saffron and orange flower, Siamese benzoin and jasmine sambac, sweet balsam and vetiver. In The Bottle: Light frankincense, a little bit of saffron and the sweet resin of the benzoin bringing up the rear. Wet On Skin: Oh wow! Hi Neroli! Neroli, which I'm betting is the same as orange flower, is now right out front, and I like it! Florals don't often do well for me, but neroli essential oil is a favorite, so I took a chance when I ordered this, that it might work out and so far, so good! Dry Down: This is primarily the orange flower which is now weighted by the jasmine, giving it a really heady vibe. The benzoin is a nice bottom note for the whole enterprise to ground it. The other notes never showed up for me, and the saffron disappeared. In All: a must for floral obsessives and those that like their scents dreamy.

VENUS LIBITINA Venus of the Undertakers Rose water, black cherry, cream accord, bourbon, and orris root. In The Bottle: Light but strong rosewater (definitely not rose- this is the water for sure) with cream and a little black cherry giving it some bite. Wet On Skin: The black cherry has faded. At this stage, it's reminding me quite a bit of Victorian Rose Milk- which is a GOOD thing, because that scent is really beautiful. Dry Down: Yes, this is straight up rosewater and cream on my skin. Orris tends to go a bit powdery on me and I detect none of that. I'm a bit sad to not get any of the bourbon, but the combination od those two main notes is really really lovely. In All: Medium throw. If you loved Victorian Rose Milk- or were sorry you missed out on it- get this while you can. It does not disappoint <3

With cinnamon, nutmeg, browned butter, and cream cheese icing. In The Bottle: yummy! Pumpkin spice and cookie! Nomnomnom Wet On Skin: I'm getting a "frosting" thing here, though I can't say for sure I believe it to be cream cheese. It's a little more like a sugar icing. But it works quite well. Dry Down: it reminds me of iced ginger snap cookies! In All: a cute, spicy foodie scent that can worn well into winter, this cheerful perfume is perfect for pumpkin picking right through to holiday morning gift giving. Adorable and yummy!

Seven Swans-A-Swimming Six Geese-A-Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree Chestnut milk with honey and hay. Oh. My. Goddess. I knew, from description alone, that this was a must-have. Even though I don't use glosses that often, even though I literally have ten other bottles already languishing. I knew. I *KNEW*. And I was RIGHT! There is the light and sweet hay note from Surreal Crawdad, which I was hoping for, and yes, the honey is in there, sweetening the pot a bit more. But that chestnut milk. That's the money shot right there. If there was a scent, a single note, of ONLY chestnut milk, I'd be forced to buy multiple bottles. This note is so gloriously creamy, so beautifully...earthy? at the same time- it's just...glorious. Let me put it this way- chances are excellent that I will be using this on my skin, whether or not my hair is in need of a spritz!

In The Bottle: a dry, straight-forward lavender. I would call this a "daytime" lavender, in that I don't get anything that feels 'sleepy' or 'drowsy' about it, which is nice, because I'm fond of lavender but most scents have to be kept to evening use since they facilitate sleepytimes. Wet On Skin: the caramel aspect of the tobacco os coming out, but not overpowering, which is a relief. I'm also getting hints of the cognac that is a staple in many of the Lace blends. Not much, if any, of the vanilla to speak of. I hope that changes on dry down. Dry Down: Someone above mentioned the scent of old linens, and I can see that. The lavender becomes a faint memory, the cognac and tobacco melding into the kind of scent that one would find on old yellowed fabrics tucked into a closet, left to their own devices after a passed lifetime of use. It's *definitely* a scent that belongs to the Lace family, I just wish it had a bit more of the lavender note left over...

In The Bottle: A sweet, almost 'earthy' scent. I get something that reminds me of prunes, which I'm betting is the rich/sweet of the pecan note. Also something that's like autumnal pie spices. Wet On Skin: Much the same, but the prune is morphing into more of the nuttiness one would expect from...nuts. Dry Down: Shoo-Fly-Pie!!! A sweet, rich pie with spices to round it out and a touch of flaky crust. In All: Another winner in the pie category!

Caramelized white sandalwood, tonka bean, and cassis liqueur. In The Bottle: The caramelized sandalwood is the first thing- and it's quite a surprise! I expected there to be, well, a caramel note in here. But instead it's this gloriously smoky sandalwood, and I AM INTO IT. Wet On Skin: The sandalwood is still the dominant note, but there's something a bit...unsettling...under it. I can't put my finger on it, though. At least not yet. Because I'm well acquainted with tonic and it's not that. Perhaps it is the cassis, which I had to look up to find out is a liquor made from black currants! Dry Down: This is BEAUTIFUL. And also really original! The cassis settled down upon drying and the fragrance has become one of mystery and sweet sexiness. It's not quite a resin, and it's not quite wood, but it's lovely and has a dry sweetness and a sophistication that I suspect, as often happens with resin and wood components, that this will only get better with age. I *might* require a backup bottle