tesao

provenance: lagniappe from the lab rats! thank you, as ever, for your generosity! in the imp: overwhelmingly anise. dark licorice candy. on my wrist, wet: hot, alcoholic, anise. with a hint of something sweet. on my wrist, dry: soft green herbal notes have shown up beneath anise. they cool the scent down, much the way that i imagine one would when preparing absinthe to be drunk: you can feel the chill, hear the sound of ice water trickling slowly, hypnotically, over a lump of sugar. what a surprise! (please note irony here!) this smells ex.act.ly like absinthe. that leaves it up to you to decide if this is the scent for you -- or not.

provenance: lagniappe from the lab! how do they know to send me excolo scents?? can it really be luck? in the imp: overwhelmingly fruity. this does not bode well. fruit might as well be a child running with scissors, the way it reacts to my body chemistry. on my wrist, wet: hmmm. the fruit is still there as a top note. sweet, sugared fruit. very pink smelling. watermelon? lotus? don't know. underneath, there are floral notes. on my wrist, dry: huh. light white florals. a hint of smoke. drydown: the florals and the smoke and reminiscent fruit. this now smells nothing like it did originally. i thought i would despise it. now i like it. i'll definitely test drive this again.

caramelized coconut and nuts toasted in butter. i don't get the "rum" smell .. rum is made from cane, and i get no sugar cane or alcohol from this. it really reminds me of gluttony, without the cream and the chocolate. i make a fruit cobbler that has a coconut and nut topping that smells ex.act.ly like this! elegua, the opener of doors. i shall keep you and use you to call elegua to me when i need counsel regarding a new venture in my life.

oh.my.gods. how have i not found this before? in the imp: butter. cream. vanilla. all the purest, best quality. on my wrist, wet: toasted nuts. baking in a cake with all of the above ingredients. on my wrist, dry: chocolate is starting to show up now. along with all of the above. drydown: all of the individual notes have melded, and i am left with what makes me think of the richest, most decadent chocolate cake, stuffed with chocolate cream and drenched with dark chocolate ganache. served side by side with a small cup of the best french roast hazelnut coffee you can imagine. i've said before that a scent made me want to eat my arm. this one really DOES. i may have to bake a cake now. seriously.

i don't know what dragon's blood smells like on me, so i can't say if it is present or not. this was a lovely carnation scent on my skin. a heady floral, with hints of cinnamon and spice, which could have been the carnation. i liked it, and it liked me. i can't vouch for the voodoo properties, however! i was the happy recipient of great sex that night, but that isn't unusual for me so i can't say if the oil helped out or not. but who argues with success?

when i first put this on, i immediately thought "moonlit garden. white flowers. aha! night bloomng jasmine". my second thought was "wow! i really like this! but i don't like florals on me!!" i've been reassessing that. perhaps what i don't like are non-white florals. i found this to be pale and lovely on my skin. after the dry down, the sandalwood crept out on tiny night creature feet. the lily also showed up, but shyly. currants normally hate me, so i wasn't unhappy that i never detected them. no idea what moonflower or ylang ylang smell like, so they may well be there. i never did smell cardamom. there was a brief, strong scent of something sharp and green when i first applied it, but cardamom is not an herb, but rather a seed spice. go figure that one out!! verdict: i like it!

provenance: lagniappe from the lab!!! obrigada!!! you are the best!! particularly since i wouldn't have chosen to try this on my own...and i suspect that i may purchase a big bottle of it. this is haunting. deepest, darkest woods, so deep that there is no direct light for miles. continuous twilight. a ruin by a mill pond, where starlit lilies planted aeons ago bloom for lost loves. stellar.

chaos theory II number CDXCV in the bottle: strong herbs! green and fresh. on my wrist, wet: an herbal scent i know well, but can't bring to mind. my husband says pineapple sage. i think lavender. fresh lavender. perhaps some mint, as well. on my wrist, dry: the strong herbal smell has dissipated, although the scents still remain, as if you were sitting in a summer herb garden with a light breeze blowing across their flowers. drydown: now there is a background note of some light, white florals, interspersed with the herbs. all in all a nice light summer fragrance. nicely done!

in the bottle: almonds. pure almond extract. alcohol. (my husband says cherry. this is probably where people are getting the cherries!) on my wrist, wet: i can understand why the description says that you will be kissing mirrors for days! there isn't any standout note to me, here - - just light, lovely white florals with a hint of spice. on my wrist, dry: i can honestly say that i understand why this is the lab signature scent. it is a triumph of blending. none of the single notes stands out, but rather merges into something that i simply cannot stop sniffing. this may be my first 10ml that could be purchased in a smaller size -- i love it that much. overall: if i was forced to pick a flower this reminds me of, i would say a spicy hybrid rose. but it isn't a heavy damask scent. pale rosebud pink. first kiss spicy. almonds are the pit of an apricot like fruit, which may explain a lot of the cherry/apricot and cola/dr. pepper references. this is one of those oils that i would love to know the actual notes that beth uses to blend it, simply so that i could look for them in other oils.

in the bottle: pure, unadulterated, thick, rich, delicious honey. i could be smelling a bottle of honey just purchased from kau'ai. on my wrist, wet: the honey is still the most apparent scent, and there are now added notes of white hawa'iian flowers. at first i thought gardenia, then jasmine. then both. on my wrist, dry: now the thyme is popping in, as though the wind just wafted across a field of fresh growing, flowering herbs. dry down: all of the above, with the tropical breezes carrying with them now the hint of ginger, now the florals, one two three, now the thyme. but always always through the thick viscous sweetness of honey. eta: this blend has the longest wearing time of any of the lab's oils that i have tried thus far. i first put this on sunday morning. more than 24 hours, several hand washings and a lengthy shower later, it is still going strong!

i allowed myself to be swayed by the text on the three stars....so although i know that violets do not like me, i got an imp of this to try, just so that i could sniff all three of them. i have no earthly idea what osmanthus or palmarosa smell like, so bear that in mind whilst reading this review. in the imp: ever so slightly floral -- fresh, clean, early morning. on my wrist, wet: ack. medicinal, astringent, sharp green herbs or grass. whatever it is, i do NOT like it. on my wrist, dry: the previously mentioned sharp grassy notes are gone (thank the gods). in their place, unfortunately, there is SCREAMING violet. not a good thing. there are still hints of the clean early morning dew smell, which is lovely. too bad about the violets. drydown: this is such a well blended scent, except for the (boo) violet. but that is undoubtedly due to the interaction with my body chemistry. it has admitedly calmed down, but is still way too forward for my taste. eta: never a hint of mint, rose or sandalwood on me, more's the pity.

hmmmmmm. once again, my penchant for unisex scent blends is confirmed. seething. this word evokes heat, flame, temper, rage. and seething this is! vetiver has tied my up and made me beg once again. nuclear. more heat. bright red and yellow fire consuming me. saffron, saffron, thy name is Azathoth the flame, tangerine the maddening drums, the screech of my desire. tempered, but just barely enough to keep me teetering on the edge, with the depths of despair that is resin, black amber. chaos. and i am left, alone, with only the cedar wood embers of lust to console me.

caveat emptor! i bought this oil as a ritual oil. i haven't had a chance to use it yet for that purpose, so this review will be specifically regarding the scent. in the bottle: gag me. this smells truly truly vile. on my wrist, wet: overwhelmingly artificially flavoured cherry cough syrup. this is my body chemistry amping up the fruit and the lotus. SUPER pink. at least the vile smell from the bottle is gone. on my wrist, dry: mostly red/pink fruit. this is cloyingly sweet. dry down: now i'm getting ripe strawberries. strawberries and crème chantilly. with, unfortunately, the sticky sweet lotus note popping up a bit too often. overall: well. i'm not going to be wearing this one any time soon. but for a summer moon, ripe with possibilities, this could be a fantastic ritual oil. even though this moon is past, i may well try it next month -- where i live, it will still be warm and fruitful!!

right. i am officially in OMFG love with dorian. andra's review was SPOT on. to me, this was an instantaneous love. bergamot tea (think earl grey) with, bizarrely enough, BOTH cream AND lemon. and honey. and, sure enough, cookies. (must be the vanilla). cream my pants, i did. (although i must admit that my husband said it smelled like hai karate to HIM, and that he didn't like it at ALL. so what. i'll wear it when i'm alone!!! bwahahahah!)

in the bottle: white chocolate. dead on. on the wrist, wet: white chocolate and tea. on the wrist, dry: white chocolate and tea and vanilla. dry down: white chocolate and tea and vanilla and now, there are hints of orange citrus. my husband tells me that it reminds him of a cake baking....not quite done yet. i might not want to smell like this, but i would definitely use it as a room scent. this is THE scent to have in your house if you are trying to sell it! it will make everyone want it! it really is yummaliscious.

Iemanjá seleodô babaoromiô Iemanjá eleissaéo babaoromiô Iemanjá pase que pasejo aelemanjá sessum orun ao aebalva aoxum dipéo ebabaoromiô Amaquere quere eoese Anareuá i am a child of Iemanjá. to honour her, i used a tiny bit of this oil to annoint myself this morning, at my altar. i asked her, the Ocean, the Mother of us all, to watch after my mamãe. i was lucky enough to try this courtesy of the Iemanjá swap circle. if i am luckier still, i will be able to procure a bottle for ritual use only. upon first sniff, i was reminded instantly of water. aquatic scents. mingled with a tropical fruit -- mango, or papaya. the next sensation i felt was Her Power. racing along my spine, down my arms, into my fingertips. i prayed to Her, to my Mother. and i felt Her Comfort. i know that beth takes extra care and time and ritual with the TAL oils. it shows. and you can absolutely FEEL it. obrigada, beth. thank you.

in the bottle: fresh, spicy, wonderful ginger. this is the REAL deal. on my wrist, wet: ginger, ginger, ginger!! with loads of lemon. on my wrist, dry: there is a hint of something sweeter, now. with more spice -- but all deliciously blended. the lemon has faded. not gone, but blended into the background. drydown: this is lovely. all of the individual notes have now faded and blended and morphed into something faintly spicy and delicious. not too sweet, not too strong. subtle and elegant. imminently wearable. overall: YUM. although i wish that the ginger stayed with me longer, i also wish that i had gotten more than one bottle of this superb example of beth's and the lab's skills!

i've been making an attempt to NOT reread the scent notes before i sniff, to see what i can come up with on my nose alone. in the bottle: WHAM! cherries. sweet, overripe cherries. on my wrist, wet: still wall-o-cherries. i know better than to be disappointed yet, by now! i'm smelling my wrists and catching whiffs of smoky undertones, spice and old leather chairs and loam. and i think there is FIG!! there may be hope yet! on my wrist, dry: the cherry is gone! huzzah! the other notes are still there, with a spike of something sharp and green that i don't really recognize. herbal, almost like the tang of sea spray. vetiver, maybe??? i used vetiver this morning, for another purpose. hmmm. drydown: mmmmmmmm. this has all blended beautifully. this smells the way that i would imagine an english gentlemen's club would smell. leather and smoke and herbal cologne with a hint of sweet masculine sweat. my husband says i sound like an ad: five minutes of smelling dreadful, and then you smell great the rest of the day!! stranger than fiction. and i'm keeping the King.

impressions BEFORE i even received the bottle: i almost didn't order this one, because i haven't had good luck with florals. i've had even worse luck with lotus. so why did i order it??? ahhhhhhhh. how can you NOT WANT the Primordial energy of Water: the Heart, emotional release and receptivity, intuition, fertility, and the forces of love, beauty, pleasure and happiness? beth, you silver tongued devil, you!!! in the bottle: freesia. announcing itself in neon white bright flashing light. freeeeeeeeesssssssiiiiiiiaaaaaa. wet, on my wrist: yes, hello, freesia. i believe that we have already met. (and i'm wondering why i thought i could wear a floral) dry: ooooooooo. NOW there are other flowers raising their voices to be heard! and wonder of wonders! no bubblegum sweet lotus! white lotus is clearly different. and this scent is clearly a white floral. subtle and elegant. on me, it is light, and has just enough throw. i doubt that anyone who wasn't really close would even notice. it is a summer garden at night. shimmering, luminescent, glittering in the moonlight, so exquisitely blended that the notes melt into each other (once they have beaten freesia into submission!). this is sublime. overall: this is a mature woman who knows who she is and what she is doing. she believes in herself and doesn't have to broadcast it to all (although she does like to make an entrance!! ) i'm keeping this as my ace in the hole. after all, who wouldn't want love, beauty, pleasure and happiness???

i put the QoC on before i went out this morning. i didn't reread the scent notes at all, just dabbed and went. so all of my reactions were sort of on the fly, as it were. in the bottle: sweet, earthy and smoky. wet, on my wrist: VERY forward fruit. concentrated and sweet berries. i also speculated as to whether or not there was lotus in the blend, it was that sweet. at first, i was worried that this one was going to turn play dough or soapy on me. (that didn't happen) dry, on my wrist: there was DEFINITELY fruit and berries in this on me. i also got some notes of amber, vanilla, and incense. hmmmm. lots of throw! dry: i'm left with none of the sweetness, there is only a creamy vanilla amber with hints of spice. i wish it smelled like this from the start!! i'm going to have to try this several more times before i decide. i got absolutely NO hint of rose at any stage. odd, that. when i first put her on, i would have said, nope, no way. not for me. but i've come to learn that sometimes, with the lab, i have to try things more than once.... ETA: well, i did indeed try her again. alas. still too sweet. i fear that berries will amp up and become headachey sweet on me. to the swaps!!

This is my very first experience ever with Chaos Theory. I’m blown away by the concept. The actuality has me gasping at the artistry of it all. This is Chaos Theory II LXXXI. Is it really true that each and every one of these bottles is different??? It boggles the mind. Not only are there hundreds of individual scents out there….but the Chaos Theory now in my sweaty little palms has a plethora of my favourite notes! How on earth does Beth DO this??? First of all, the bottle is GREAT. It has a multi-coloured purple butterfly on it, with the BPAL symbol as the body of the butterfly. The wings can also look like eyes, with the symbol as a nose, and the number of the blend as a toothy smile. (okay, i admit it. i'm a geek. ) In the bottle, the first thing my nose catches is coconut. Then fig..i think. It is a deep purple jammy smell, that could also be plums or grapes or berries. Another note is wafting in and out.…vaguely reminiscent of spice. Maybe cinnamon, but the more subtle scent of Ceylon cinnamon. On the skin, wet: the coconut is rich and ever present. Now I detect a green, perhaps citrusy note, but not one I can immediately grasp. It may be an herbal note, instead. Maybe lemon grass? It is sweet, but not cloying. Something edible, delicious, but not sugary. Morphing into something warm and buttery mixed into the coconut and spice. I may have to gnaw my wrist off. Dry down: the coconut is still dominant, but in a creamy, not so “jump up and slap me”, way. There is yet another change evident now, a smokiness reminiscent of Hexennacht, the summer fires burning into embers. Overall impressions: this is voluptuous, full and spicy. Full blown fruit, decadent but not jaded. There is an earthy smokiness to it, those embers just waiting to be blown back into flames. LXIII looks up at you from underneath dark lashes, bedroom eyes pulling you in. What can I say? I just LOVE this. I know that the lab doesn’t make individual blends….but this has tesão all over and through it. Beth, you are a Goddess! OBRIGADÃO!!! ETA: the morning after, what is left is pure cocoa and cream. almost Velvet! mmmm. i love each and every phase of this!

i had no preconception of how this scent might smell. it is other-worldly. it is creamy and reminds me of a thick mist on the moors. you cannot see the hand in front of your face.. but still there is a will-o-the-wisp to light your way. you can follow without one misstep, or even the hint of one. herbs crush and release their spice beneath your feet, and the warmth of carnation catches you by surprise. i had been suffering a writer's block. i wanted desperately to write, but just.could.not. the magician showed me how....without showing me anything except how to find my way. it held the key; all i had to do was follow it. without my usual senses. this is a masterpiece in a bottle. obrigada, beth.

i'm testing black cat today. i have NO idea if i ordered this imp or if it was a freebie. it's odd. in the bottle, it smelled like that "generic bpal smell", you know, the one that every order from the lab smells like when you first open the box..... on my wrist, wet, it was very incensy. then it dried to be green. herbal. i'm wondering a few things that i haven't checked out yet: a) is this a voodoo blend??? i'm feeling downright SILLY since i put it on and i wonder if this has CATNIP in it?? alexei seems to like it a LOT. it has a lot of throw, too. okay, i just found out that this IS a voodoo blend. there really ought to be some other way of reviewing them....it isn't about the way they smell, or at least it shouldn't be. i've got to admit that this made me downright GIDDY. i was silly, full of nonsense and non-sequiturs. giggly. everything struck me as funny. i had FUN. for no apparent reason. i'm going to say that this oil does what it is SUPPOSED to do. forget that it smelled vile on me. forget that it might smell vile on YOU. buy it for what it is and what it does.

i could have SWORN that i had reviewed this before! it is one of my favourites! provenance: quantum spice gifted me with an imp. this scent reminds me of Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel. a smoky, masculine bar. cigars. brandy in snifters. leather chairs. loads of men. hormones hanging in the smoke. there is tobacco and spice and leather. something sweet, but not overbearing. at first the tobacco is predominant, and then you get a hit of old leather wingchairs. hints of booze and spice. the tobacco fades, and the entire scent becomes creamy. there is a decadence here. a woman in a top hat and tails with fishnet stockings and fetish heels. surrounded by men and loving it. wandering around the bar and periodically sticking her cigar into a man's drink before she puts it into her mouth, looks him straight in the eyes, and pulls on it slowly, sucking the smoke in....and blowing it out .... before going on to the next man and dragging him into her sway, as well...

in the imp, arachne reminds me OF the woods, the forest, with some floral/herbiness to it. it is clean, but not clear. perhaps that is the mist....there is a sense of foreboding here. once on my wrist, there is a grape sort of smell. it reminds me of the way the perfume Poison smells on me. sort of a sweet grape jelly. although it isn't mentioned, i believe that i detect lotus here. off to the swaps it goes!