Michi

Hi, my friend! I "know" you from MUA... sorry to hear you're having troubles. TKO personally works wonders for me when I'm stressed, and as I struggle with major depression too, I love using it to help me sleep. I have a bottle of the massage oil and would be happy to send you a bit, if you'd like it. Just PM me, ok? Other notes that might help: Mint--this seems to help me break through the fog and give me clarity Citrus or ginger--helps to give me a burst of energy, which I desperately need when all I want to do is hide in bed all day Best of luck to you! I really hope things will start looking up for you soon.

In the bottle: an interesting mix of fresh and fruity, kind of like fruit juice mixed with tea. (Mmm! ) On: This ceases to be a fruity tea and becomes something else... there's a little spice and it's still sweet, but I can't detect any of the blueberries. There's a note here that disagrees with my nose--at first I thought it was the squash blossom, but on second thought I think it could be the ginger. Pretty, but there's definitely a disturbing edge to it. It reminds me very much of the Other Mother from Coraline; things appear fine on the surface, but there's Something Not Quite Right lurking underneath... Verdict: this is a really interesting scent that retains the fresh feeling, but it's just not for me. It's very strong with great throw, though. A little Crawdad goes a long way!

In the bottle: creamsicle with a hint of spice. Very fruity--I'm not getting any pear specifically (which is a note I love) but I think it's sweetening the blend. On: Immediately starts to go soapy, with a hint of men's cologne. I lose almost all of the delicious tangerine cream, and some note in this is attacking my sinuses. Later: Quite soapy, in an unusual sort of way... like dryer sheets mixed with bubble bath. I wanted to love this scent, as the bottle art is adorable and the aquarium is one of my favorite places. Sadly, it's just not for me.

I was so excited to try this thanks to a generous BPAL'er on LJ (thanks, Katu!). Strawberry Moon '09 is one of my very favorite BPAL scents, so I couldn't wait to try out the original. First impression from the bottle: Strawberries & hairspray... or maybe strawberry-scented hairspray? Ugh. I'm almost afraid to try it, but who knows when I'd have the chance to try this again. On: Ah, this is lovely. Nothing like the chemical sharpness I got from the bottle--just light, sweet strawberries and cream. It reminds me very much of the strawberry cake note from I Fell in Love with a Floating Brain. If you wanted to like that one, but found it too foodie or disliked the spice from the carnation, I think you'd love this. It's very faint, however... I think I'd need to slather this to get any throw. Later: This is actually getting a little stronger now, but the scent's not changed much. Really lovely, and I'm so glad I got to try it!

I like to go with nature scents when outdoors a lot. The Host of the Air would be a good one (if you like grassy scents) or Strawberry Moon '09. The latter is my default scent when going to an outdoor event!

I missed out on ordering this from the Lab and fretted about finding a bottle for months. Thankfully the wonderful RachelElizabeth offered to swap me her bottle. I was really surprised upon first opening the bottle--The Harp smelled nothing like what I'd expected! I got very little vanilla or sandalwood, even after applying. Just sharp white florals. After drying, it reminded me a bit of Perry Ellis Woman 360. A little powdery, still flowery, and a little sweet. I kind of wondered what all the fuss was about! However, after an hour, The Harp has settled in on my skin, and I'm getting more of the spices. Nothing is really jumping out, but the florals are receding and the other notes are coming out to play. I am hoping that some age will do magical things to the Harp... I can see this being a beautiful blend for Spring & Summer!

This is so, so pretty. Very much the scent of a little girl--sweet and pink--playing dress up with Mommy's things. The first sniff from the bottle reminded me of Arcana's The Sweet Trade, which always goes to patchouli + caramel on me, so I had very high hopes for Mlle Lilith to stay light & lovely. Thankfully, this stays beautiful from start to finish. Sweetened coconut with hints of pomegranate & orange blossom with a waft of incense. A little spicy, but still sweet nonetheless, and so perfectly matches the gorgeous bottle art!

I get mostly sweet milk on the first sniff from the bottle, which reminds me of Milk Moon 07 (one of my favorites!). Once on my skin, the milk quickly gives way to sour/tart blackberry. Something here reminds me of Berry Moon '09--but I'm not getting much of the candles, snow, or tree/wood. Just blackberry with a sweet musk and a hint of milk. After about an hour, Candles Moon is almost gone, but if I press my nose to my arm I get a pretty, soft beeswax scent--like a sweeter Hanerot Halalu. I will have to give this another test and see if I can coax more wear out of it.

(Anactoria '10): Not at all what I was expecting, based on the notes! When first applied to the skin, Anactoria smells very strongly floral, with patchouli lurking underneath. Better than the bottle smell--which was sharp floral--but not my kind of thing at all. Once dry, the florals sweeten up, and take on their own personality. I'm getting what I think is lily, jasmine, and a bit of honeysuckle. It's not bad, despite my aversion to florals. Later the florals retreat and the honey & amber make an appearance. I think this might be really pretty with some age behind it.

Mmmm. I don't even know what I'm smelling, but it's good. Like eyes rolled back in my head, nose buried in my arm kind-of-good. Smut 2010 is very boozy in the bottle, and at first on the skin, but it seems to dissipate quickly. It doesn't go away completely, but that's ok--I like the Lab's booze notes (with the exception of champagne--that one gives me a headache). It's impossible to describe, for me; a lil' sweet, a lil' musky, and sexy as all hell. Like a burlesque show took place in a candy shop. It's absolute love, and I wish I had a gallon of it!

This is one of the Shungas I was most excited to try this year. Unforunately, I couldn't afford to order before they came down, and I'd almost given up hope of finding this one! Thankfully, emilynicole was generous enough to let me rehome her unloved bottle. On to the review: When I sniffed the bottle, I got a strong smell of syrupy fruit--must be the quince. Then I got hit with an aftersmell of eucalyptus; not sure where that could be coming from. Maybe the tobacco? It lingers once on the skin, but does eventually settle in to a sweet tobacco scent (tobacco + honey) with a bit of fruit and maple syrup. After drying, it all melds together into what I wish tobacco smelled like: sweet (but not overly sweet) with a bit of spicy undertone. There's just enough here to keep Autumn Moon of the Mirror stand from being a SN Tobacco, and I think it will age beautifully. A keeper!

This is such a delicious scent in the bottle! It smells like dew-covered grass on an early Spring morning. It quickly morphs on skin to a sweet grass with a hint of florals. Once dry, The Host of the Air reminds me of hugging a child who's been playing in a grassy field; I get an even mix of sun-warmed grass with wildflowers, and maybe just a hint of cotton. Very pretty and lovely for Spring and Summer, but goes a little more floral on my skin than I'd like. If you're a grass and/or floral lover, though, this is definitely one to try!

I never would have tried this based on the notes, but I got to sniff it last year at the Harry's/Whole Foods in Roswell (the same place that DSWC is held). It was instant love! In the bottle it reminds me of ginger beer--spicy but sweet. When I first bought it that ginger beer smell stayed for about 30 minutes or so, but since it's aged it morphs much faster. It immediately goes very resiny but retains a bit of the sweetness that I loved in the bottle. (Ginger beer + incense + a bit of vanilla?) I can see how this might be masculine to some, but for me The Magi is so complex, with an underlying sweetness that keeps it from being too strong or manly (despite my usual preference for sweet, girly scents). It's warm and comforting--the scent wraps around me like a blanket, or a hug from a loved one. It's actually warming on the skin, without burning me the way cinnamon or other strong spices do. So gorgeous, and has aged just beautifully!

Like other reviewers mentioned, I had heard comparisions of Hod to Lush's Potion scent (which is one of the few florals I not only tolerate, but love). However, I didn't find them all that similar, either in the bottle or on my skin. Wet: Hod Res. is a little metallic--if it is meant to represent G-d's judgment, perhaps the metallic feeling is the scales, weighing the lives and deeds of humans? Comparing Hod to Potion is a little tough for me; whereas Potion is sexy & lush, Hod feels aloof and sophisticated. I don't get a lot of carnation, honestly. Also, while I don't smell cinnamon, there's something in this that makes my skin warm & a little prickly--which cinnamon likes to do. This has a very high-end feel to me, and is completely different from what I expected. Dry: A little more of the carnation comes out, but I'm still not getting any creamyness that other reviewers noticed. It's an interesting scent, and fits the concept well, but not the single note carnation I was expecting. 2-3 hours after application: Hod has completely morphed into the most beautiful rendition of amber: not perfumey amber, but actual amber resin (one of my favorite scents in the world). It's worth keeping just for the final stage, I think, even though I didn't love the initial scent like I thought I would. Were this to truly represent the Divine's judgment of me, I would be pleased. Such a beautiful end result must surely mean that I was not found wanting!

I was intrigued by this scent when I first saw it in the Yule update, but worried that the wide range of notes might be too much. And it kind of is--it is most certainly an explosion of scent to my nose--but it works! Wet, Pet Magah Bird is sugar overload--my favorite kind of scent. It's sugar and fruit and candy and YUM. A little dark, a bit of the unknown (kind of what I imagined candy from Willy Wonka's factory to be like) and it's a little peppery to my nose. Not something I can slather; there's just a hint of something that seems it'd make me sneezy if I applied too much. Dry, it morphs from a foodie, more child-like scent to something a little more sophisticated. It's a fruity floral now, and the dark undertone is now more pronounced. It's very much what I wanted the commercial scent "Angel" to be--sweet and a bit sexy, but it's nowhere near as aggressive, and it certainly doesn't take itself too seriously. All in all, a gorgeous scent that's great for foodie lovers, and anyone who'd enjoy a sweet scent with a bit of whimsy.

My only prior experience with dragon's blood botes is in incense, so it was a surprise to find the Lab's Dragon Blood is more floral & less spicy/smoky. However, even though I'm a floral-phobe, Dragon's Milk isn't the headache-inducing floral scent I was afraid of. The honeyed vanilla mingles nicely with the dragon's blood to create a scent that is youthful without being too young or cloying. The throw is strongly almond/cherry, but the spicy & floral notes keep the sweetness in check. This isn't a blend I'd wear often, as it's still a little too floral for my tastes, but I could see this working nicely as a comforting fragrance. I think this would make a gorgeous home scent, though!

I was lucky enough to receive a decant of this as a frimp, so I had to test it out! I wasn't very taken by the name ("blood phoenix" makes me think of sharp metallic notes that are headache-inducing for me), but the notes sounded intriguing. Wet: lots of grape/wine prescence, with a good deal of sugar. Not necessarily candied grapes, but a sweet wine, definitely. I'm not getting much, if any of the florals, though I was hoping for some spicy carnation goodness. No almond that I notice, either. Dry: this scent morphs quickly on me. It loses a lot of the sweet grapey-ness and turns more floral. I almost get something like rose, with spices added. The almond is coming out a little more, though I don't think it's very prominent. This scent makes me think of being on a date at a nice restaurant: you can smell the bouquet of flowers on the table along with a freshly-opened bottle of wine, with just a hint of perfume from someone passing by. Overall, it's a little too floral for me, but it's a well-rounded scent that could certainly hold its own with traditional perfumes.

Very well said! Lilith Victoria is such a unique scent. It's very comforting--when I wear it, I feel surrounded by a sense of well-being. Even though it is initially very strong on the lavender, it backs off once on the skin to let the rest of the notes shine. For me Dorian is the stronger component, but the Snake Oil lingers in the background. It's almost as if the main part of the scent is Lilith as a child, but there's also a hint of the woman she will become.

I really wanted to love this, but something about Velvet Unicorn just didn't agree with me. It wasn't too sweet--I'm a foodie and I LOVE sweet scents. I was so hoping it would be like Midway, but they weren't similar at all, IMO. Velvet Unicorn smelled great in the bottle, but on my skin it reminded me strongly of an etailer dupe of Pink Sugar. It was sweet & vaguely fruity, but more of an artificial fruit scent than the real thing. What really disagreed with me was the pervasive musk I kept smelling--it just took over the blend when dry and ruined the balance. I'm really glad it worked for others, but sadly it wasn't for me.

This is such a beautiful scent, and very evocative for me. It reminds me of being little and running barefoot through the damp spring grass, with the warm sunlight on my skin and my hair flowing out behind me. While it's wet I get mainly juicy strawberries; not quite candy-like, but freshly-picked strawberries still damp from a quick rainshower. When the oil dries I get much more grass. On me it's not all green as it was on some of the other reviewers, but a perfect mix of green & sweet that makes me want to be 5 again. I need to track down a back-up bottle, I think!

I would definitely 2nd the rec for Velvet Unicorn. That reminded me strongly of Pink Sugar (which I'm not really a fan of, sadly). While these don't smell like Pink Sugar, here are some other lighthearted, girlier blends that you might like: Bon Vivant (GC, champagne & strawberries) Candy Phoenix (past LE, fruity/candy) Spinning Multicolored Metallic Pinwheel (past LE, effervescent/fruity) Plastic Pink Flamingo (past LE, very light & candy-like) Sticky Pillowcase (past LE, candycandycandy yum!)

(I was lucky enough to receive a decant from someone, so just for reference I'm basing my review off the decant & not a full bottle.) As soon as I sniff Dionysia, I get a lot of patchouli. Not the fancy aged stuff, the fresh essential oil you'd get from an herbal shop. There's a hint of fruity too, maybe plum, but it's hard to make out just on first sniff alone. Once it's on the skin, though, the scent really blooms. The patchouli loses that hard hippie edge and mellows, blending with the fruits. After drying the scent doesn't seem quite as fruity, becoming more of a fruity/floral mix that's really pretty. It reminds me a lot of Bath & Body Works' Plumeria scent. It doesn't smell exactly like it, of course, but Dionysia's like a grown-up, exotic sister to the BBW scent. Overall, I really like Dionysia. It's pretty yet sexy, and is one of those scents that could be worn for many occasions. It's also a really long-lasting scent--I tend to have trouble with some scents disappearing on me, but Dionysia likes to stick around for quite a while.