MCS4096

#186: I'm going to guess heavy amber with equally heavy lotus and a hint of leather. In the bottle it's super bubble gummy with just a whiff of dirty dry leather. Kinda like bubble gum on a leather car seat baking in the sun? On my skin I don't get the leather unfortunately, and I think that's because the lovely amber begins to amp and it becomes a super sweet, deep amber. Nice #197: I get practically no amber from this one. It smells a LOT like Kumiho to me, both in the bottle and on my skin. I get crisp tea, white ginger flowers.. It's incredibly faint, though pretty, and within minutes it's gone. I'm going to have to do a proper full body slather application to see if I can pick up more nuances. I wish it had more amber and was stronger!

Pink grapefruit, white lime, ambergris accord, and opoponax. This is a very well balanced blend-- all the notes are pretty much equal players. Top notes are bright, astringent, sugared grapefruit and lime. I think they're pretty obviously grapefruit and lime, rather than the more common lemon, which is nice. The base is sweet and salty and a little spicy myrrh and ambergris. Upon application the overall effect is somewhat like furniture polish on beautiful wood (I mean this in a pleasant way, not like "lemon pledge").. it's golden and shining and deep and warm. As it dries down the citrus aspect stays pretty true, but the myrrh and ambergris do their skin chemistry thang-- on me they become a little powdery and a little musky. I really love this one for it's juxtaposition between bright and deep notes.. it's fairly simple while still presenting a less traditional contradictory/complementary vibe. I'm a big resin lover, and generally don't care much for citrus blends, but these citrus notes are interesting enough, and there is still enough of a resin base, that I think I will wear this one a lot this summer!

Leather may be my favorite note. I've tried many many bpal leather blends. I was so excited to see this SN, as I've longed for a leather SN forever, and it was an instant buy. Unfortunately, this is not working out for me at all and I actually think it's because this isn't entirely leather.. or rather, it's a leather note comprised of a mix of other notes that don't wear like "leather" traditionally does for me. As others sense, I too think there's musk here and perhaps that's my problem. This feels most like the leather in Edgar Miche to me-- smelling much more like musk and some spice that start out as a perfume version of leather, an idea of leather, but quickly turn acrid and sour and more like an unfortunate body odor. The Red Rider originally (the very first imp I got of it, when it was first released) smelled so accurately of warm, soft, worn leather.. but by the time I got around to a bottle I would swear it was actually a mix of red and skin musks masquerading as "leather" This has seemed the case in some recent bpal leather blends (Unicorn and Ram to a degree for example) and I'm beginning to wonder if leather notes have gotten prohibitively expensive or the lab changed their source. Clearly not everyone is having the same experience as I am, so I'm pretty bummed to find my chemistry destroying this breed of leather.

Illustration for Robert Blairs The Grave Rivulets of beeswax and amber flame illuminating a pale blue midnight, eddying with phantom violets, olive blossom, and moss. I'm surprised no one has reviewed this yet, it's just lovely! If you're a beeswax fan, definitely check this out. Upon application this is sooo much sweet beeswax. The olive blossom is the next most prominent note, it has a somewhat green sweetness that blends so beautifully with the beeswax, making this so bright and alive smelling. The violet is light, adding a hint of powder. I get no moss really, although I love it and was hoping for it, it's often present as a binding type note.. As time goes by the amber begins to show itself more, adding a delightful hint of spice. The brightness fades and this is a sweet, soft powdered scent with the nuances of violet and amber. I think this will appeal to fans of beeswax for sure, and also those who enjoy "baby sweetness" type blends-- soft creamy florals, body-powder like scents, skin musk, soft, snuggly, comfy blends.

The "Dead Leaves and X" blends all feature a leaf note I find different than that found in other leaf containing blends (October, Falling Leaf Moon, etc) because none of those dry down to the high-pitched, rather sharp traditional perfume note these all feature. Once you get over that it smells nothing like leaves when it dries down, the important part is how prominent it is compared with the other featured notes. My selections last year featured much too much of that note. This blend features a lot of purple-red blackberry though, so the end result is really nicely balanced. It's certainly not earthy, crunchy leaves and juicy berries however. It's like.. sophisticated purple berry incense.

This blend called out to me so strongly! What an unusual and intriguing blend of notes, I had to try it right away. In the bottle it is achingly syrupy sweet with a distinct 'green and watery' note, just as Antoinette described it. However, I would personally not describe the myrrh note here as soft! I am a lover and amper of myrrh and I think not since my beloved Minotaur have I witnessed such a forceful and spicy myrrh (not even the Golgothan Myrrh, which was practically rosey to my nose) For a brief few minutes after application I smell the papyrus note unfurl, green and reedy, wet without really being "aquatic" It's exotic and fascinating combined with the sweetness here, then BANG! in comes the myrrh and for the rest of the wear this is sweet and spicy nose-tickling resin for me. It's definitely a beautiful myrrh, but of course I miss the initial complexity. We'll see how some rest helps.

In the bottle this is all sweet creamy sarsaparilla. Not very herbal, definitely root beer. The leather shows up on the skin and yes, it's a gentle dry leather. As this wears on the vanilla does go through that plastic phase most vanillas do for me anymore, though that seems to be most evident up close rather than in the throw thankfully. It eventually settles into a moderately sweet vanilla with the leather reading as a dry and dusty edge. I hate to say it but if you're not looking for the leather you might read it as 'stereotypical vanilla candle' But if you can appreciate the nuances, the subtly of this one is plenty lovely for daily wear and I think it will actually shine as a layering blend-- I'm going to try it over other leather blends (Jareth and Hunter perhaps). I'm reminded strongly of Tombstone of course.

Black leather and sleek black musk with vetiver, blue chamomile, saffron-infused labdanum, caco-dusted patchouli, tobacco absolute, and oakmoss. Upon application this is most prominently black leather and smokey vetiver. There is something light that is almost cinnamon-like.. perhaps the saffron-infused labdanum? It is actually reminding me of Spanked Res. at this point. To be honest the other notes are very well blended and I have a hard time picking them out even though I'm familiar with them.. As it dries down the vetiver is balanced more by this combination of other notes. I cant discern even a hint of patchouli, let alone cacao-dusted (or frog-dusted.. or caca-dusted ) patchouli. I imagine it is the moss and chamomile lending a vaguely cologney vibe. I'd describe this as primarily black leather with a hint of smoke, a bit of spice, and a touch of masculine cologne. I'm still most reminded of Spanked I think. Edited to add: this is fresh out of the mail, so may change once settled some.

Oman frankincense, grape flowers, sweet myrrh, black currant bud, and Haitian vetiver stained by red wine. The first sniff from the vial is sickly sweet vetiver. Be strong, you know it'll open up when it hits the skin! Not going to lie, when it first hits the skin it smells like my local recycling center Old wine and garbage. BE STRONG! This is a complex, layered blend-- Sweet myrrh and a moderately aggressive vetiver, here damp and smokey, form the base. Above them is a slightly sour and juicy purple fruit, the wine I suppose, but I don't find it boozy at all. And at the top an indistinct white-smelling floral mixed with bright frankincense. It's a little high-pitched. I got this decant for the 'grape flower," which I had never seen before, but I cant say I'm able to distinguish it here. I'm not sure if the floral aspect I smell also includes the currant bud, or if that note is contributing more to the fruitiness. The vetiver is prominent but not dominating as time goes by. I would call this a wine and florals blend primarily, but the influence of the vetiver does give it a sort of decayed vibe. The florals become less and less obvious during dry down, allowing the blend to lose that high-pitched top note and mellow out. Fully dried down it's got a medium throw and is fairly soft-- lightly floral purple fruit, with every now and then a whiff of well-behaved smokey vetiver. Quite a change from the bold opening upon first application.

CHAOS THEORY VI: ERIS’ TILT-A-WHIRL Turbulent, disordered beauty: sensitive to initial conditions, topologically mixed, and approached by periodic orbits with abandon. A dynamical system expressed through scent. I got Eris' Tilt-a-Whirl # 118 In the bottle it smells a bit like Mme. Moriarty to me.. When I compare them side by side though I see that #118 is heavy on the same red musk, but #118 lacks the sweetness and instead has a subtle herbal quality. My boyfriend said it smelled like "upholstery and peepee" to him I however think it smells good.. On my skin it's a base of red musk while the herbs amp and become somewhat high and biting.. it's almost like balsamic vinegar for a moment, but with time they mellow and the musk sweetens up some. I'd love to know the notes in this.. It's really very interesting. It has that sexy red musk, but the herbs make it slightly earthy/natural in a way that's different from having patchouli or vetiver in a blend. I think it's a nice red musk blend for summer months.

The Marsh of Frogs: weedy green musk, three boggy mosses, water lettuce, and water hyacinth against a backdrop of glittering moon rocks. First things first, this is not a dank/boggy/wet vegetation scent! When first applied I get a fairly strong blast of high pitched white flowers (they're reminding me strongly of Zephyr.. I imagine it's the "water hyacinth" a note I'm not that familiar with). Peeking out from behind those flowers is a sharp green note-- kind of like stems, but also recognizable as containing some of the "lettuce" note from The Last Unicorn. It disappears almost immediately and that is the end of anything resembling actual greenery here. As the blend dries down the floral aspect morphs, becoming softer and, honestly, dryer-sheet-like (Zephyr does that to me too). The other notes then emerge: the "moon rocks" (soft, powdery, very slightly sweet), the decidedly aquatic musk (thin and slippery; no deepness or furriness here), and the mosses (kind of a dry green scent). The musk and mosses combine to give a fairly masculine, aquatic-cologne vibe. The throw I get is clean, soft, cologney white floral. I hope a little aging brings out the musk/powdery rocks more. I know some people might be wondering how this compares to a couple other beloved "rock" blends-- Staged Moon Landing and Black Opal. Dont get your hopes up.. Those two are more alike than this is to either of those blends. All three have a powdery/soft base that might be vanilla in origin, but I personally think any comparison ends there. This blend has none of the sweetness those blend do.

This is like the grown up naughty version of Pleasant Embrace from the 2015 Lupers.. so if you liked that, or missed out on it, give this one a try! How could I not try something with the descriptor "sweaty"?! I pretty much universally avoid the lab's honey note, but I went for this anyway cause of that "sweaty" The notes here are very well blended. I never do really pick out obvious honey, leather, castoreum or coconut. What I get is definitely sweaty pear-- a heavy juicy pear with a deep animalistic base. My skin really brings our base notes and animalic notes, so that might explain why I dont get the suntanny coconutty vibe others are getting.

I was surprised how much I liked this straight out of the decant. I got it because it seemed like a slightly strange collection of notes with the fir and khus mixed in there, and I like experiencing odd ducks. After application this is absolutely gorgeous and so well balanced-- sweet, creamy, a tad figgy.. every now and then a whiff of vanilla or fir passes through. Very dynamic and unusual but easy to wear. The "cream" never goes sour or plasticy. But then the same thing happens that happens with Love and Sleep (fig milk, vanilla, orchid, ylang ylang) and as time passes it gets sweeter, and stronger, and sweeter and stronger, until it's this overwhelming and high pitched and blasting sweetness that's very unpleasant. I'm not sure if it's the fig or ylang ylang doing that on my skin.. I'd have guessed lotus because it's an almost bubblegummy sweetness, but it's not listed in Love and Sleep. Anyway, I really love this for the first hour or so, but I'm not sure I can handle that far dry down.

I thought this would smell like Gore-Shock, which I actually LIKE.. amazingly enough.. It goes kind of resinous-smokey with a hint of salt. But uh..... this is fucking foul Just wondering if anyone out there has the guts to put this on their skin!

A Low Candle-Lit Room from the Lovecraft Yule blends a few years ago Candle wax and waxen "skin," rotting leather and reeking damp wood, and the ashes of a yawning, cold fireplace

I wonder if this is going to be a repeat of the cardamom, tobacco, whatsit hairgloss where there seemed to be a couple batches out there-- because I get NO vanilla or musk. Zip. Zero. 100% dead leaves. Its pretty intense right when I put it on, but it fades down to be a little bit softer and spicier, but still a little more masculine than I'd prefer. Was really hoping the vanilla and musk would smooth it out a bit.

This is simple, delicious perfection! Oh how I wish this was a perfume oil (though that wont stop me from using this as such) As GlowJob said it's a balance of the two notes, a medium sweet licorice and a black leather that isnt too strong. Really really lovely and right up my alley.

Lovely photos nathanielhebert!

This one does have a fascinating color! Actually, the whole set of Plagues was fun to decant because there were some different colors there.. I agree that this is a very dry scent. I was expecting some juiciness from the cherry (especially with the "oozing" description haha), but I get a freaking ton of patchouli and labdanum (of which I am unfortunately not a huge fan) with a bit of dessicated sweetness from the cherry. I wish the opoponax was more present because it would add bit more resinous sweetness to the blend. As it dries on me it becomes quite strong and unisex leaning masculine. Woody, dark, and intense. Not for the faint of heart but if you're into heavy duty patchouli with some subtle nuances, this might be up your alley.

I've had a lot of trouble with red musk in recent years tending to overtake all other notes, but I was pleasantly surprised that it seemed to stay in check here. On me this is mostly a fuzzy brown musk and a glorious sweet spicy myrrh (that will forever remind me of Minotaur, one of first bpal blends I fell head over heels for). I dont get much leather, and I'm a leather lover. A waft of red musk and a dash of that odd savory saffron scent.

I really thought I liked this at first-- the vanilla mint is so nice, but the rosewood (I think?) gets a little too sour in the background and it starts to turn my stomach a bit This sometimes happens to me when a "foody" smell is mixed with a "perfume" smell.. my brain just equates it with eating perfume or soap or something. I might give it another go because the vanilla mint is really nice-- very dimensional, whereas I found How Doth The Little Crocodile a little too flat personally.

My favorite of the Plagues! I have a hard time describing it though because it seems to be more than the sum of it's parts-- that is I find it to be one of those very well blended scents where you cant necessarily discern the individual notes. I find the cedar to be very well behaved (since I cant even really pick it out) personally. The overall impression is of warm, soft wood, a bit of nose tickling resin, and airy sweetness. It's soft and golden. I think of it as one of those blends that cant be reached for any time because it's appropriate for any situation. Really nice!

The strongest note on me is the that of the fabric-- tweed and linen, reading a little musty, followed closely behind by the oil. There is a far away hint of lime. Overall this is a manly, intense scent.. I dont care for it much alone, and enjoy Sherlock and Watson layered best.

This becomes almost fruity on me the longer it wears-- vaguely sweet and somewhat musky, but definitely reading as fruity. I imagine it's part of the "clean" aspect that I'm amping. It's quite pleasant but I do like Sherlock and Watson layered best.

The cucumber is quite obvious upon smelling the blend in the bottle and first application to the skin. A hint of tomato leaf that, as Anne said, doesnt scream tomato leaf just brings a wonderful green garden feeling to the scent. It's green without any of the bitterness that I often get from the Lab's "greenery" blends. Then the vetiver emerges and yes, it's pretty tame, just deepening the garden feeling so you get a little earth as well. The musk arrives, beginning to bloom as the scent heats up on my skin and beware-- it is edging towards soapy as I have unfortunately found green musk to do on me in the past. Finally I can get the benzoin and sage and they contribute a slight fuzzy, warm quality that juxtaposes with the veggies in a surprising and lovely way. Palus Nebularum was one of the hardest bpals for me to test and wear-- the powder aspect made me sneeze like crazy and it smelled like I'd rolled in drier sheets (happen to be allergic to those, so lose-lose) so I personally find this blend infinitely more wearable. They share the same slightly soapy musk, but I'm digging the veggie and benzoin notes here a lot