suki

In The Bottle: Lilac and cream, oh my oh my!

Wet On Skin: The lilac is REALLY heavy! Frankly, at this stage it's verging on overwhelming me. Still, it's a lovely note, and I'm hoping it'll settle down some on the dry down.

Dry Down: When I was a kid, there was a giant lilac bush that grew outside the neighbor's house on the corner. I loved waling by it in late spring, when the boughs were heavy with blooming cones of the sweet flower. This lilac is very similar in freshness to what I smelled during that time. As it dries, the honey, a light, sweet yellow honey, not the dark, rich ones in "O", is certainly here as well, with the equally pal amber rounding it out. If there's cream here, it's mostly afterthought, which is a bit of a shame, honestly, because the sweetness of the other notes on my skin could use something to damp them down a little. The cardamom, however, IS there, but can only be detected as I pull my arm away from my face. Tricky!

 

In All: High throw- a little goes a long way! Very, very floral and sweet. I don't know if this is for me, but any floral fan would kill to have this for sure!

In The Bottle: Whoa, hello chrysanthemum incense! Carnation, of course, lending its special, sweet spiciness to the mix!

Wet On Skin: The incense is definitely front and center. It reminds me quite a bit of the champa incense note, actually, even as it retains a hint of the mum-vibe. (also I accidentally got a little in my mouth when I was sniffing my finger. Don't eat it!!!)

 

Dry Down: A light incense, but still a stronger note just the same. The spice of the carnation is here, but precious little else of the sweet flower remains. I am hoping this will come around with some aging, but regardless, it's a great addition to any incense lover's collection. At worst, I will later with some of the Spanish Carnation SN when I want more of that red beauty in the mix!

In The Bottle: Wow. It's the honey we all love from numerous Lab blends, but it's being tempered with something that's surprisingly green and fresh. I guess it's the oudh, but it's not like any oudh I've encountered before. Huh.

Wet On Skin: The "green" grows in intensity while the honey recedes. The vanilla is still nowhere to be seen.

Dry Down: This green, fresh oudh aspect is the dominant for sure. The honey has morphed into a lighter honey dust upon dry down and alas, the vanilla remains MIA.

In All: I'll keep this around for a bit to see how it ages. I'm not certain yet if this is a keeper for me, but I think it's a lovely scent for spring and anyone into leafy, greenie scents should absolutely get some ASAP.

In The Bottle: Strong, dirty patchouli, sweet and smoky vetiver, rich oudh.

Wet On Skin: The smokiness of the vetiver is front and center now, though the richness of the oudh is coming in close behind. The patch seems to have moved waaaay into the background at this stage.

Dry Down: The smoky aspect of the vetiver has tones down, though the vetiver is still very present. The shadow musk has come out of hiding to create something that is dark, dense and lush. This reads as extremely powerful to me, something that I'll likely wear when I want others to leave me the hell alone. Yet, the vetiver adds its own sinister sexiness- I could definitely see wearing this out to a club, either alone if I just want to hang with my friends or layered with a clove-rich scent to give a message of "Come closer if you like, but I just might be a black widow in disguise, chump."

In All: A strong scent for those that know themselves. <3

In The Bottle: Heavy on the blackberry, as I'd hoped for. The wine is the grape-y variety of note. At this stage, it's much more fruit-heavy as opposed to booze heavy. The blackberry note is the same one from WKAP's Blackberry Jam and Scones.

Wet On Skin: Rich purple grape and blackberry in harmony. At this stage, no green leaves or patchouli to be found.

Dry Down: A slight boozy quality at last emerges. Still, this is not the rich, heady one from, say, Glüwein or anything. This is more like a fruity purple sangria. While it might've been interesting to have the patch in the mix, I'm just delighted to have another blackberry-heavy scent in the rotation.

In All: Medium throw and just full of juicy purple fruitiness!

I am a Capricorn, so there was no way to avoid getting this scent!

 

In The Bottle: Sweet red poppy and some slightly gritty oudh.

 

Wet On Skin: The green of the ivy starts to come out, as does the smoke of the patchouli. Interestingly, at this point, I'm not getting any of the actual patch, just the smoke.

 

Dry Down: Weird. This scent turned all super "green" and 'leafy' on me. No poppy, no woods, the smoke is gone. This is practically an Ivy Single Note on me. While fresh ivy is an interesting thing to capture in a scent, I'm pretty disappointed that my skin chemistry has made it so that none of the other notes are here in the slightest.

 

I haz sad.

In The Bottle: Clove and light vetiver.

 

Wet On Skin: Whaaaaaa? This scent is really strange. the above notes vanished completely and now it's...cedar? Or...the mastic, maybe? I guess? It's kind of sweet and kind of light and it's got a BPAL vibe, but I seriously can't get a handle on it.

 

Dry Down: Okay. The frankincense and spikenard have emerged. But this scent is NOT heavy in spite of that fact. It's strangely light for a perfume that contains so many heavy, resin-y notes. In fact, if there could be such a thing as a light and airy version of Midnight Mass, this would be it. Again, I say:

In the bottle, the vanilla, as someone else described, is something of a 'sweet cloud'. It reminds me of a light-colored musk I was gifted many years ago that seemed to have certain magical properties. It's hard to pinpoint, except to say that it's not at all foodie- it's really a vanilla musk for me. This continues to wearing wet on the skin. If anything, that aspect only grows stronger as the scent warms up with body heat. Upon dry down, it stays pretty much the same.

 

Because of the tobacco/cognac combo, I thought this scent might be a cousin of Black Lace. but no, this is very much its own thing, a light, dreamy, floaty vanilla musk that I can see wearing well into spring.

I have had mixed luck with 13 blends in the past, but the notes in this one sounded too intriguing to pass up. Here goes!

 

In The Bottle: The black tobacco is STRONG. Definitely the primary note here. the chocolate is there, but it's in the back, and it's kind of a thin chocolate, by which I mean not milky or creamy or like strong dark chocolate either. Like watered-down (without the water note).

 

Wet On Skin: The cedar, high john and ginger have joined forces with the tobacco to create something *very* dark and *very* earthy. I hope this mellows some, because right now it might be too strong for me to wear...

 

Dry Down: Ah, the saffron and patchouli are at least saying hello. The chocolate has left the building and what remains is a very rich, down n dirty scent. Sometimes I can't get tobacco to stay put, and this, unfortunately, seems to be one of those times. I'll give it a chance to settle and age for a bit, but this might have to be re-hommed by someone who is more in love with strong tobacco than I.

In The Bottle: furry, plump, ripe apricot and some blood orange in the background.

 

Wet On Skin: the "musk" aspect of the blood orange makes itself known, lending a bit of weight to this fruity endeavor. I *might* detect a hint of the lavender, but the benzoin, thus far, is nowhere to be found.

 

Dry Down: This is like a very sophisticated fruity creamsicle. It's adult, make no mistake, but the fruit and the musk are combining to make something creamy and immanently wearable.

 

In All: Glad I took a chance on a bottle!

This is a lovely jasmine. It seems to evoke connections for people, and this was true for me as well. It reminds me of a solid perfume my mom used to wear in the 70's. she probably got it from a head shop, but the scent itself was a very light, springtime jasmine. As others have mentioned, it stays true from bottle to dry down. I'm not a huge fan of florals, but I took a chance on this one because I thought it might be less like a jasmine perfume and more just like the real, live jasmine flower.

 

I'm not disappointed.

 

I don't know how much I'll *wear* this, but I can see using it to gently scent a room or bedding. It's really quite lovely.

Yellow Snowballs Floof is basically the perfect adult cotton candy. I wanted both flavors, but also wanted to make sure I'd like them, so this one seemed a better place to start. The citrus mix is at the forefront, and yes, it's not just lemon- the grapefruit and yuzu are delicious and in perfect harmony! I get none of the mint, but the vanilla cream pulls the whole thing together, making for a really yummy treat!

Based on this experience, I plan on getting a jar of the other one, and shall have no regrets about it!

I am REALLY surprised no one has reviewed this yet- this is a perfect Yule atmo spray! I only did my customary 2-squirt testing, but it's exactly what I'd hoped for- the bright scent of spiced pomanders, all ginger-cinnamon-cloves stuck into the ripe, round skin of a big christmas orange. I had a similar atmosphere spray from the Post years ago and very foolishly traded it away, and I've regretted it ever since, so I'm really happy that a similar scent has finally made its way back to the Trading Post. I will NOT be foolish this time, and will in fact hold onto this bottle and treasure it for as long as it lasts!

Mine came with a well-loved copy of Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, which I've never read, so that's pretty exciting!

 

In The Bottle: Smoky, well-worn death, and a little dark chocolate (definitely not milk chocolate, this is NOT Bliss).

 

Wet On Skin: The wax is coming in just a little, and it almost comes across as "watery" but pulls back just shy of becoming so. The chocolate is well-tempered by the smokiness of the leather and the aged paper note is making the whole thing smell like sitting in an old library, sneaking sweets when the cross librarian isn't looking.

 

Dry Down: A sweetish, dry age of a leather-bound book with a sliver of chocolate on the side.

 

In All: I don't know that I'll keep this and wear it, but it's a very compelling scent and sure to be a hit with folks that love the Lab's "book" fragrances.

I am a HUUUUGE fan of carnation. It's my favorite on a *very* short list of florals I'll wear, so I got this based on that one note alone. Hopefully, this won't spell disaster!

 

In The Bottle: Sugar, a floral I'm assuming is freesia, and carnation a bit hidden under the first two. I'm hoping carnation gets more feisty on my skin!

 

Wet On Skin: THERE she is! That's my girl, coming out to play! This is most certainly the carnation that was in the single note that came out in 2012, which I love to pieces. There's the same freshness to this carnation that I feel in love with in that SN back then. Even and I type, it's wafting up to me in sweet little lilting bits. As I bring my hand closer to my face, the freesia is much more of a presence- I've not had this experience before, where one note can be smelled from a foot away but the other note is more present up close and personal. It's interesting, but also unsettling: I keep going to huff the carnation and coming away with freesia, which, TBH, I don't like nearly as much.

 

Dry Down: The free is winning out, alas. I'm not surprised- when I wear carnation SN, I have to reapply, so this makes sense. Though, even on dry-down, the carnation is wafting up at me some, so I *might* keep this bottle around to see what new tricks it develops after its had a chance to age a little, perhaps it'll smooth itself out some

In The Bottle: The black coffee is front and center, definitely the same, strong coffee note from Bah!, with the vanilla adding a nice place for the coffee to land. The opium is there in the background, less invasive than I thought it would be. It might change out of the bottle though...

Wet On Skin: The "indigo" part of the opium is key here, this is no soporific red poppy, no. This is a rich, deeply hued opium that almost would be an incense, except it's lacking ANY smokiness. It's smooth without becoming an overbearing floral. At this stage the coffee has taken a definite back seat and the vanilla has left the building.

Dry Down: The vanilla makes a return! It's acting as a sweet and creamy balance to the opium, creating a scent that is rich, yet light enough for daytime wear, and manages to be neither floral nor foodie, even though the ingredients are one or the other. The more I wear it, the more it's strangeness grows on me. The two notes might seem to have nothing in common, but these odd attractors are creating something lovely and deep and pretty feminine, without reading as a "perfume" perfume. The coffee at this point is more like an afterthought, waaaaay in the background, adding just a sliver of raw sugar into the mix.

In All: Medium throw, an eminently wearable scent. I got it for the coffee note but am not at ALL disappointed with how it turned out!

I get what Patina was saying about the "old lady cologne" vibe. It definitely, upon initial sniff, reminds me of the heavy, cloying perfumes my grandmother's sisters would wear. Moreno, the smell that emanated from their 50 year old perfume bottles sitting on their vanities.

 

That said, I join the chorus that there's something singularly comforting about this scent. It's timeless for me, even as it's reminiscent of a by-gone era. We had Rose of Sharon bushes growing in my backyard as a kid, and perhaps that has something to do with it.

 

The name is a bit of a misnomer- do not expect anything even remotely "rose" about this scent- it's closer to a medicinal lavender/green scent.

 

I don't know that I'll wear this on it's own, it seems kind of intense. But I could see using it in a more medical manner, like for grounding, or to layer with some cologne-y scents, like Dorian, and having an incredible outcome.

In The Bottle: Gingerbread and pink pepper fight for dominance. I'm not getting the pepper as acrid, but it *is* rather strong and bossy.

 

Wet On Skin: The gingerbread is winning, but the pink pepper is giving it some kick. I'm not getting any of the vanilla sugar at this point.

 

Dry Down: This has settled down into something sweetly spicy and delicious, and there's something here I can't quite put my finger on. For me it's evocative of childhood, but like children's perceptions of adults. Like an assumption that we will grow up to still be our child-selves, but have more control over our own destinies. (That was a little heavy. Sorry about that- this is legit what this scent reminded me of!)

 

In All: I got 3 Gingerbreads this year, and all of them, including this one, have been incredible. A bumper crop of gingerbready goodness!

In The Bottle: Okay, I really want to eat this. This is all buttercream, all the time. Ridiculous!

 

Wet On Skin: Mmmmmmm nomnomnom! The red velvet aspect comes out now, this is cake for sure, and there's that chocolate edge that red velvet in particular has. Now that the red velvet has showed itself, the buttercream has morphed into a cream cheese frosting. I die!

 

Dry Down: I can't even. This is just so damn good! This is a foodie-lover's paradise, this scent is. The mint scents, like Lick Me, always evaporate off my skin immediately. But this one is apparently in the right proportions and it's just making me smell like delicious chocolate cream peppermint cake.

 

In All: I am SO in love.

In The Bottle: This is the raspberry counterpart to last year's Strawberry. That's what I got from sniffing in the bottle. I couldn't be more excited.

 

Wet On Skin: Oh, gurl yassssssss. This is the raspberry donut of my DREAMS. I don't even LIKE jelly donuts in actual life, but this? I would eat this donut if it was a plate before me.

 

Dry Down: This scent stays true from bottle to dry-down. This is all warm raspberry donut, all the time. I am in love.

 

In All: I got two words for y'all: Stock. Up.

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

Full disclosure: Myrrh almost always goes horribly wrong on me. But I adore the other notes so much that I was willing to take a chance. Hopefully all will go well!

In The Bottle: This has the sweet, incense-y smell I recall of headships my mom used to go to when I was a small child. I think the red eggshell musk and the cassia are largely responsible

Wet On Skin: That eggshell musk is cray-zeeeee. I was expecting the kind of red musk, but lighter, that is present in Smut, but this is entirely different. It's still "red" and musky, for sure, but it's got an almost fruity thing going on with it. It does, strangely, remind me of eggshells, in terms of a thinness and a fragility. I'd like to see it in other scents in the future, for sure!

Dry Down: A small amount of the powder aspect of the myrrh is coming through, but it seems to be held in check by the musk, which for me personally is a big relief! Sadly, I get no coffee and no cassia, and I was really looking forward to those. The musk has morphed slightly and is somehow reminiscent of violets (just a little! Not in the soapy way, more in the rough candy way)

In All: This is different than I expected but better than my secret fears, too! I like it and suspect it will improve with age.

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.

In The Bottle: A little bit of champa, some orange and the lighter red patchouli.

Wet On Skin: This is like a sister to Ravenous, one of my all-time favorite GCs. It's basically becoming Ravenous with some light champa incense burning in the background. I get no gingerbread at this point.

Dry Down: Okay, the gingerbread is peeking through juuuuuuuust a teeny, tiny bit.

In All: A bright, citrus scent with depth, so that it can hold its own through the cold months, this isn't the sugary orange of Kingdom Of Sweets. This is the flirty Ravenous orange/patch combo with champa and itty bitty ginger tossed in for good measure. I like it! It's a great counter-balance to this year's Gingerbread, Vetiver and Black Clove. (I might try layering them and see what happens!)

In the Bottle: Very thick, very dark, black strap molasses. That's it. Really!

Wet On Skin: Okay, now that's it's warming up, the notes are beginning to reveal themselves. The gingerbread is front and center but it's still got that dark, chewy molasses thing going on. I suspect it's the vetiver having it's say in the equation, lending some deep, deep darkness to the mix. I get no clove at this point.

Dry Down: The vetiver and clove combine into the gingerbread maelstrom to create a richer, darker, spicier gingerbread than the usual Lab gingerbread note, and it's PHENOMENAL. It's still a bit foodie, but this is a very adult, kinda sexy gingerbread. I'd wear this out for an adult holiday gathering where people like get a little tipsy and handsy

In All: I predict this will be very popular, especially as it ages.