semuelle77

Hellfire is an anomoly for me. My preference for sweeter foody scents did not lead me to think I would like Hellfire. The notes were just so different. I have always liked musk, but it does tend to amp up on my skin, overpowering any other note. So when I tried this back in the day, I was skeptical.

In the bottle and Wet: Incredibly intense. Tobacco and leather in spades.

Drying down: The musk moves forward in a strong way. The leather, pipe tobacco, and musk seem to be dueling for dominance.

Dry: Somehow a balance is struck. You can smell all three elements without any one note taking over. This becomes an amazingly rich, deep scent. Mysterious, sexy, edgy yet soothing.

Verdict: I bought a bottle. This is a big keeper. I don't wear it every day, but when I am looking to bolster my sex appeal or am feeling a bit mischeivious this is my go-to scent. Hellfire has the added bonus of good throw and a long wear on my skin. Also, this is one of the only BPAL that I have received unsolicited comments on, "Congratulations, you smell fantastic!" (Yes, someone actually said that.)

This is lovely.

Warm, sweet, rich. This scent sinks right into my skin. I don't know that it smells like teh sex, but it sure does smell good. I can definitely smell the honey and vanilla. Unfortunately, it does not seem to last very long on my skin. I will have to reapply throughout the day. I think that is a small price to pay to smell this good.

I recently received an imp of 13 in a swap. The fabulous swapper I got it from said she believes it is the original...so here I am.

Someone (maybe many) have mentioned that this is a complex scent. I have to agree. At first the chocolate was all I could smell, but very quickly that changed. Almost minute to minute this one changes on my skin. I swear each sniff smelled different. At first I did not think I was going to be a fan of 13. Once it completely dried down, I do like it. Soft, slightly sweet. It started as a strong foodie scent, but mellowed to a lovely blend of everything. I am definitely keeping the imp. I don't know that I will go out of my way to hunt down a bottle, but if I stumble across a bottle I was probably pick it up. OK, I definitely would.

In the bottle: Super sweet and fruity. All I smell is the plum.

Wet: Juicy berry, fruity scent. This very quickly begins to change and something soft (perhaps floral) come forward, then...WHAM! Grape Dymatap. I smell like grape medicine. Ew.

Dry: This becomes much softer. It is still fruity, but not overwhelmingly so. It has a decently strong throw. It is definitely sweet on me. Less like sugar, more like very ripe fruit. I can see how this would be a lovely scent for a person who likes fruit and berry smells. It is just not for me.

Wow, a little bit goes a long way with this one. It is actually giving me a headache, it is so strong.

I think this one is proving to me that I need to stick with foody, spicy scents.

Strong pine, almost floral smell. I agree with a previous poster that this feels masculine to me. Maybe I will pass it along to a guy. It's nice, but SO not me.

This one is...weird. meh. It must be my skin chemistry, but I really don't get a foody scent here (at least not in the way Egg Nog and Gingerbread Poppet are foodie. Heck, it is not even as foody as Dana O'Shee.) Every once in a while I get a faint whisp of something sweet, but if I put my nose to my wrist it is very "green" smelling. Something plant-like, perhaps the olive leaf. It is a bit jarring to me. The scent of the throw and scent at my skin just don't jive together for my nose. I will try it again in about a week (hormones may be making this one morph), otherwise it is off to the swap pile.

And I really wanted this to work!!!

I received this as a decant just after Christmas. I want to like it, SO much.

In the bottle: Boozy, strong, I wish egg not tasted as good as this smells.

Wet: Rich, creamy, sweet. The booze is still there, but eases back a bit. Yum.

Dry: Where did it go? Other mentioned a plastic smell. Not sure if that happened because it is nearly gone. Wah!

Re-application: Ok, maybe I just need more. Maybe my skin is really dry this morning. I don't know. This is so light on my skin. I want it to be more. Stronger. Perhaps I need to give up on trying to clean test this one and just slather it on.

Verdict: Great in the bottle. Could be the first one I ever use as a room scent/oil burner. I will try again later after a shower and copious amounts of lotion.

UPDATE: OK, after trying it again and slathering it on...5 hours later I still want to lick myself! I am absolutely loving Egg Nog. Actually, all of the Yules I have tried so far (Egg Nog, Gingerbread Poppet, and Fruitcake..hey! it's sort of a Yule) have all smelled wonderful on me. I am really such a foodie. Now I need to try out the non-foodie Yules before they disappear from the Lab. This could end up being a pricey order I'm about to place!

Gingerbread Poppet 07 marks my first foray into the world of LEs.

In the bottle: Wow! My mouth is literally watering! This smells exactly like gingerbread is baking in my kitchen ::runs to check my oven:: Nope, it's empty, must be the BPAL.

Wet: This one morphs constantly for the first little bit. Each spice comes forward to wave hello.

Dry: This is truly a cozy scent. It makes me want to cuddle up in a fluffy blanket with a mug of chai and a thick piece of gingerbread. Once it is dry, the scents mellow and blend. Still spicy, but almost a hint of vanilla? Something else is coming forward. I only put on one dip of a toothpick worth on my wrist. It seems pretty strong, with a good throw. Mmmmm...yum.

Verdict: I am so happy I had the courage to engage in my first swap to get an imp of Gingerbread Poppet. I think this may now be the first LE bottle I ever purchase. Yay!

What about foody scents that aren't just sugary? I love scents that are full of baked goods yumminess. Cake, cookies, rich and buttery. I love Dana O'Shee and Fruitcake.

Any foody recommendations that would fit that catagory?

I just received Fenris Wolf in an order from the lab.

In the bottle: Very strong. Not sure how this will work, but it does have musk. Musk on me is of the good.

Wet: Whoa! Wood! Strong, smokey wood.

About 30min-and hour later: The wood smell mellows out and the musk (and possibly amber) come forward. This is lovely. I actually reminds me quite strongly of Hellfire, but not as smokey.

Hours later: All musk. The lab's musk is very nice on me, but the woodsy scent that made it unique is completely gone. I already have a bottle that is musk based. I may give it another try, but it will probably go to the swap pile.

Verdict: This is a very pretty scent, but you better love musk. If you already have a musk scent and don't need another, you can give this guy a pass. If you don't alreay have one, then give the Wolf a try.

I was wondering about Eat Me and Bloody Mary or Beaver Moon and wondered if a drop of Mad Sweeney could be the slight boozy note.

 

 

If I were to get these and blend them, what proportions would you use? Equal parts? Heavier on one of them?

*runs off to play mad scientist and compare against Fruitcake* Bear in mind that I have Mad Sweeney instead of Spiked Punch, so it'll be more whisky than brandy. *scratches head and thinks about Forbidding Foyer with the cognac note*

OOOH! If you figure it out let me know!

I was wondering about Eat Me and Bloody Mary or Beaver Moon and wondered if a drop of Mad Sweeney could be the slight boozy note.

If I were to get these and blend them, what proportions would you use? Equal parts? Heavier on one of them?

The lovely ivyandpeony suggested I go ahead and post this as a new topic since Fruitcake is neither a GC or an LE. I am sure there are others out there who are wondering thie same thing.

I am not sure whether to bless or curse Beth for creating Fruitcake. I love it!!! It would be my signature, perfect scent if it were offered in bottles. My heart is absolutely breaking that my wee little imp is all I have to savor. This is where I need your help: what GC or available LE scents would you recommend as being the most similar to Fruitcake? If not just one scent, what would you layer to acheive a similar outcome? I have a bottle of Dana O'Shee and find there are a few similarities, but Dana lacks the boozy and spicy qualities of Fruitcake. How can I smell like Fruitcake, even if I cannot buy it?

What would you recommend?

I received a frimp of Fruitcake in my recent order (my first order in well over a year.) I had heard much about this mysterious little gift Beth was sending out. I have to admit to not being much of a fan of real fruitcake. But this little imp....

BEST BPAL TO EVER TOUCH MY SKIN!!!

I don't think the lab could create a more perfect blend for me. Warm, rich, sweet. On my skin I get the fruits only as a subtle background scent. The top notes are buttery and spicey. A cakey smell. Sadly, this one requires major slathering for me. That poor little imp is going to be gone fast. If the lab decided to release this one I would definitely be stocking up. I can't say enough how much I love it. Seriously, I need to horde this one. Now I just need to track down some unwanted imps...