dementia_divine

In the decant: Chocolate cupcakes splattered onto wet pavement. Wet: I'm getting more dirty, wet pavement than cupcake, although there's definitely some chocolate present. As it sits on my skin, the ruined cupcakes (made cocoa powder) become stronger, but they're not able to overtake the other note, which now smells more soapy and clean on me than dirty. Dry: Okay, not wet pavement, but cologne-y wood. I think there may be a splash of whiskey here, or maybe that's just the cologne-y wood that makes me think of Mister Wednesday. The wood note seems to be getting dustier over time. And it still has an aquatic vibe on me, like a watery musk is present. There's only a hint of chocolate cupcake in the background... like the memory of cupcakes. Verdict: I'm glad I got a chance to try this one, but I'm relieved that it's not for me.

In the imp: Floral dragon's blood and jasmine with a bit of spice. Wet: Floral dragon's blood and jasmine, accompanied by some bright lemon. As it sits on my skin, the jasmine note becomes stronger and sweeter. I think this is one of the kind varieties of jasmine, or else it's another white floral (I did think gardenia at one point) that I'm mistaking for it. Dry: This is mostly a sweet floral (still thinking jasmine) backed by floral dragon's blood. Verdict: Although dragon's blood can be iffy on me, it wasn't a problem here. I don't think I'd reach for this over Kwamie Cotton (another comforting scent with dragon's blood in it), but I am really glad I got a chance to try it.

I ordered imps of all of the Panaceas a few months before they ended up being discontinued, but I neglected to review them. In the imp: Whoa, this oil is viscous. Herbal lemon. This makes me think of cough drops. Wet: Yep, still getting the lemon cough drop vibe. I am pretty sure one of the herbs in this is sage. There's also a light mint note in this. Dry: Same. It remains a lemony, herbal cough drop scent. Verdict: I do not really want to smell like lemon and honey Ricola cough drops, so I would not reach for this one for its scent, but I will continue to keep it around for its purpose, as it does seem to have a somewhat uplifting, soothing quality to it.

In the imp: Lots of musk, black clove, black pepper, and some opoponax. Wet: The Siberian musk and cola-like opoponax are the first notes to jump out at me, followed by the clove and a bit of pepper. I'm not really getting any of the neroli at the moment, which is fine by me, as it can be a problematic note on my skin. Dry: The musk and cola-like opoponax continue to reign. I am getting some neroli from this now, and the clove and black pepper are softer than they were during the wet stage. Verdict: I like the prominence of the opoponax in this one, and I'm glad the neroli didn't ruin it for me. There's a sufficient amount of clove, but I wish it were a little stronger. I think I'll hold on to my imp for now, but I don't think I need more of this one.

In the imp: Frankincense, cypress, and oakmoss are the notes that leap out at me. Wet: The frankincense and cypress are the dominant notes on me, with the cypress being stronger on my skin than it was in the imp. Then, the oakmoss note emerges. Dry: This is cypress dominant, backed by the oakmoss and resins. I can smell the sliver of hazelnut now, but it really is just a sliver. After a while, the oakmoss overtakes the cypress. Verdict: I like this! It's a nice forest scent, which is what I was hoping for! But I'm glad that I don't love it, as it has been out of stock for a long time and may be discontinued. I'm definitely hanging onto my imp!

In the imp: Somewhat dusty and earthy. I'm getting the copal and oakmoss the most, followed by the patchouli. Wet: The patchouli note is the first to leap out on my skin, with the copal and oakmoss behind it. Then, I think what must be the floral heliotrope peeks out (but I'm not good at picking out that note). The patchouli and copal end up being the dominant notes, but the oakmoss isn't far behind them. Dry: The patchouli is still the star of this scent, and the oakmoss and copal continue to linger close behind. This is a golden, resinous, earthy scent. Verdict: I like this one more than I thought I would, based on the notes. I'm not sure if I would end up reaching for this one, as I generally like scents with an element of sweetness to them, but this is nice.

In the (very aged) imp: Grape-y incense. Wet: Super grape-y wine with some incense in the background. The wine note is so grape-y that it actually has a grape jelly vibe to it, but there's still the tartness of the wine accompanying it. Dry: Much grape, rose, and incense. The grape is not as strong as it was during the wet phase, but it is still too strong for my liking. Verdict: Well, I was not expecting this to be a grape party, but alas, that's the case on me. I do not like grape, so Cairo is not for me.

In the (carded) imp: Lots of orange blossom and red musk, followed by the plum and jasmine, with some juniper berries and incense far behind those notes. Orange blossom and jasmine are problematic on me, and I'm not very fond of red musk, plum, or vetiver, so I do not think this will go well... but I want to try all of the Zoryas. Wet: The red musk, orange blossom, and plum are the dominant notes, followed by the jasmine and incense, the latter of which I get far more of on my skin than I did in the imp. I can smell the vetiver-laced sandalwood as well. Overall, it's really musky and fruity, but there's a darkness lingering beneath it. Dry: The red musk, orange blossom, and plum remain the strongest notes. The jasmine is still present, but even it is not able to compete with the power of those three notes (they're super strong on me!). The incense and vetiver-laced sandalwood continue to reside in the background. Verdict: This Zorya isn't for me, but those that enjoy strong red musk, orange blossom, and plum should give this one a try.

In the (carded) imp: Sweet black coffee, but it hasn't been freshly made. It doesn't smell warm. Wet: Sweet, but cold, black coffee, with just a bit of ambrette seed in the background. The coffee seems to be getting sweeter as it sits on my skin, and the ambrette seed is becoming more prominent as well. Dry: Super sugary black coffee and musky ambrette seed. After a while, the ambrette seed ends up playing a greater role, adding a powdery, perfume-y quality to the sweet coffee (which is still the main player on me). Verdict: I like this. Some coffee scents can be too strong on the coffee for me, but this isn't one of them. I don't think I need a bottle of this, as I can't see myself reaching for it often enough to warrant one, but I am really glad I was able to try it. I think I'll hold onto the imp.

In the (carded) imp: A bright, musky, citrus cologne accompanied by some whiskey. Wet: Pale musk and bright citrus cologne, backed by some wood and whiskey. Then, the herbs emerge. Dry: The sleek cologne continues to reign, but the herbs are more prominent than before. The wood still lingers in the background, and so does the whiskey, but I get a little more of the whiskey than the wood. The cologne has a green (possibly the herbs) and watery vibe to it, but it's also really sharp on me. I would not be surprised if this were meant to resemble a generic drugstore cologne, as if the wearer were attempting to blend in with a crowd. Verdict: Although I enjoy several of the Lab's cologne scents, this particular one just isn't for me. It just... doesn't really grab me. It was nice to be able to try it, though!

I gave my boyfriend a birthday wishlist of GC scents and Unimpables that I've either tried before or thought I'd like based off of the description, and this was one of the scents he chose for me. In the bottle: There's a lot going on in this one! I can smell the rose, gardenia, blood orange, ginger, pine resin, and pink pepper. The pink pepper and ginger notes are quite prominent. This is a floral with a kick to it. Wet: I'm greeted with a blast of rose, blood orange, pink pepper, and ginger. After a moment, I'm able to smell the gardenia, too, and what I think might be the crushed berries. The spice notes end up becoming more prominent as they sit on my skin, which is normal for me (I tend to amp spice). The area I applied it to feels really warm, but it hasn't caused any welts (yet). As it begins to dry, I am also able to pick out the geranium, but this is mostly ginger, pink pepper, rose, and blood orange on me. Dry: The ginger and pink pepper continue to reign, with the rose and blood orange not far behind. The combination of the spices and the orange make me think this would be a great scent to wear around the holidays. After a few hours, the spices, orange, and rose are still going strong, but the vanilla and honey notes have finally emerged. Huzzah! Verdict: I am really happy to have a bottle of this. I'll have to avoid applying it in anywhere aside from my wrist area, as I can tell my skin would be too sensitive to the spices in this one if applied elsewhere. This is a lovely floriental, and I bet it will age wonderfully.

In the imp: Cedar, sandalwood, menthol, lotus, and spices. Wet: Bubblegum-y lotus, menthol, and some spices are what I get at first. Then, the wood notes emerge, and I get more cedar than sandalwood, but the menthol and spices are the dominant notes. Dry: The lotus has reasserted itself, and the menthol has calmed down significantly. Eventually, I get mostly lotus, cedar, sandalwood, saffron, and spices. Verdict: Well, the menthol was unexpected! I am not a fan of the lotus and cedar combo on me, so this is not an imp I plan on keeping, but I am glad that I was able to try it.

In the imp: This smells like smoke, ash, spice (probably the crackling flames) and eucalyptus to my nose. Wet: I get the same on my skin. There's lots of smoke (probably vetiver), ash, spice (maybe cassia or red ginger), and eucalyptus. Sometimes I get more smoke and ash from this (I'm thinking tobacco may be contributing to this feel as well), sometimes more spice, and sometimes, more eucalyptus (or is that menthol?). It's smoky, spicy, and minty on me, all at once. Dry: Ginger, menthol, maybe some pine, and possibly opoponax? Definitely getting a cola-like, resinous vibe. After a while, it smells even more like cola than it did before (and there's a clean vibe to the scent). Verdict: This one is a pleasant surprise (and an interesting scent experience)! I actually thought this would be one of those BBQ vetiver scents on me, but it wasn't. I think I'll hang on to this one.

I gave my boyfriend a birthday wishlist of GC scents and Unimpables that I've either tried or thought I might like based off of the description, and this was one of the scents he chose for me. In the bottle: Snow, apple, and pine. I'm getting a lot more pine from this than I did at Drag Con. Wet: The red apple and snow are the strongest notes on my skin, with the pine lingering in the background. I can tell that the lemon peel and rosewood are playing their part, but I'm not getting a lot of either note (and I'm not particularly good at picking out osmanthus). Dry: The snow and the apple remain the dominant notes. I've never tried Snow Glass Apples, but I do think it is reminiscent of Snow Glass Apples v4, although that scent has a green apple note instead of red. Hours later, the snow and apple continue to reign. I do get more of the rosewood beneath the apple, snow, and pine (and more pine than before as well), but the rosewood is still not a main player. Verdict: I like this! I probably would not have asked for a bottle if I had known it would remind me of SGA v4 so much, but I do enjoy apple scents and snow scents, and this will be nice to wear in the summer and winter months.

In the (carded) imp: Wow! There's a lot going on in this one. I get some smokiness, which I think is the gunpowder reside, the petrichor, and some orange, which I think could be one of the ingredients in the faded perfume (or perhaps the neon?). Wet: Orange blossom perfume, petrichor (definitely the scent of wet pavement), a bit of ozone, the gunpowder residue... even the waxy lipstick! But the floral perfume is the strongest component on me and seems to be getting stronger over time (there are some heady floral notes in this one!). Dry: The faded perfume and petrichor are the main players on me, but I'm still getting the lipstick and gunpowder residue in the background. Sadly, this veered into soap territory on me, probably because it is predominantly aquatic (or maybe because the notes clash on my skin). I'm not able to pick out anything anymore aside from it smelling like a clean, perfume-y floral aquatic. Verdict: This one was definitely a scent experience. I just wish it hadn't turned into soap on my skin. It's an interesting scent that I can't pull off with my skin chemistry, which is too bad, because I was really enjoying that petrichor note during the wet phase of the scent.

In the imp (it's a carded imp): Brown leather and yellowed parchment, and perhaps some sandalwood. Wet: I think this may contain yellow sandalwood. There's this woody, dusty warmth to the scent, which I think could be from this sandalwood. I am also getting the brown leather and the brittle quality from the description, like the pages could easily fall apart if the book isn't handled carefully. Dry: The scent has calmed down a lot. The leather is softer and cozier now, and I get more of the yellowed parchment, which is also softer (and sweeter – I wonder if there's tonka in this parchment note?) now. This is more yellowed parchment than leather on me. I'm still thinking this one has sandalwood in it, but I'm not sure if it is the yellow variety anymore. I definitely don't think it's the dry white sandalwood, though. Verdict: This is a lovely book scent. It's warmer than a lot of the other book scents I've tried, and I like that it has brown leather instead of black leather (and that the paper ends up being stronger than the leather on me). I'm not sure if I need a bottle, since I already have a few book scents, but I'll definitely hold on to my imp and see how much I reach for it before deciding, because I really like this.

At Drag Con, this smelled mostly like a sweet cucumber cologne to me and the boy. He liked it and the label art, and I told him that the proceeds go to the ACLU and that I'd buy him a bottle. The next day, when he tried it, it was still cologne-y, but not as strong on the cucumber as before, and I could smell the leather and paper notes on him, but not the coffee. I've decided to test it myself to see how it goes on me. In the bottle: Cucumber cologne and cold coffee and a bit of leather. I'm surprised that I'm getting the coffee from the bottle now, as I did not originally. Wet: I'm getting the cucumber cologne mixed with the cold coffee, the latter of which is actually quite prominent on my skin! The coffee really does smell like it is cold. Dry: It remains that way for a while, with the coffee being slightly stronger than the cucumber cologne. After several hours, it's mainly cucumber cologne with some paper, cold coffee on me, and a bit of black leather. Verdict: This is not a cologne scent that I would likely reach for myself, but it does match the description! I'll just have to remember to place this bottle where the boy will remember to apply it.

In the imp: I'm getting a lot of white peach, followed by smoky vetiver, orchid, champaca, and oudh. It's like a peachy incense. Wet: Sickly sweet peach and orchid backed by the smoky vetiver and resins. I'm not sure if it's the peach in combination with the orchid that's doing it or another note, but it's got a medicinal vibe on my skin, unfortunately. Dry: The sweet peach note is still the dominant note, followed by the orchid, but it's not as intense as it was before. The champaca, resins (I'm getting lots of the amber now!), black currant, coconut, and vetiver have all swirled together in the background, creating a wonderful incense-y smell. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: Alas, peach (possibly combined with the orchid or coconut) is just not compatible with my skin chemistry during the wet phase, and it's not something I'd want to endure to get to the dry phase of the scent. I'm really glad I got to try this, though!

This was my original impression at Drag Con: “Lime and tangerine stood out to me the most, with the bourbon only being noticeable after the scent was sprayed. I could tell that the sugared mint was present, but it was not super minty.” Now I'm testing it out on a paper towel to do a proper review. First, I'm greeted with the sugared mint and lime, and then the tangerine note appears, followed by the bourbon. I agree with RedPersimmon: it's a sugared mint and citrus bourbon (with the lime being stronger than the tangerine, and the sugared mint and lime being stronger than the bourbon). I'm getting more sugared mint than I did spraying this at the convention, which I'm really happy about! I don't have any wigs to spray, but I will be spraying this on my clothes when wearing citrus-dominant scents this summer, because it's really refreshing. I should have bought two bottles.

In the bottle: Sugared lemon! On my skin, it's super sugary lemon! It smells like sugared lemon candy. After a while, the lemon becomes softer, but it's still sufficiently sugary and lemony. I do get the 'iced' part of the description, but now it's mostly reminding me of a lemon glaze. Now I want a piece of lemon pound cake. I love how sugary this one is. And it lasts! Verdict: I bought a bottle of this one at Drag Con, because I liked it and I'm running low on Happy Baby in a Long Dress, and I'm so glad I did! I can see myself wearing this one a lot during the summer months.

I tried this one at Drag Con. It was thick and syrupy and I thought I smelled like cherry (maybe black cherry -- not a red variety) and dark myrrh, although maybe my nose was mistaken and it was a different dark fruit. It ended up being more resinous as it sat on my skin. I wonder if this one will end up getting released. If it does, I'd love to test it properly, without a ton of other scents on my arms.

I tested this one at Drag Con, even though dragon's blood is an iffy note on me and I'm not very fond of strawberry scents. Loli Dragon was all strawberry hard candies on me. Like those ones with the wrapper that looks like a strawberry. I didn't get the dragon's blood, but that may be because it was candied dragon's blood, or because my nose was worn out by that point, and I was only smelling the strawberry lollipop. I did not end up grabbing a bottle for myself, since I do not want to smell like strawberry candy, but if you do, you should seek out this one!

My testing experience was similar to zankoku_zen's. This was mostly almond buttercream on me, and it remained that way and was pretty strong for a long time. By the end of the day, I was left with some honey. I didn't get any fig, but maybe that was because I couldn't focus on it as I had so many other scents on my arm at Drag Con. I almost bought a bottle, but I told myself that I already have Bienenstich and a lot of cake scents as it is. If you want to smell like almond buttercream cake, though, this one should be up your alley!

In the decant: The honey and lilac notes stand out to me the most, followed by the amber, a bit of cardamom, and a hint of cream. Wet: Creamy, honeyed lilac and amber with just a touch of cardamom. The scent becomes creamier over time, but the honeyed lilac continues to reign. Dry: It stays that way for a while. Then the honey ends up being the dominant note after several hours of wear, with the amber and lilac behind it. I am not getting any cardamom from this anymore, and the cream now resides in the background. It is primarily a honeyed amber and lilac scent. Verdict: This one is nice, but I wish the lilac and cream were a little stronger. I don't feel the need to try to obtain more of it, but I am really glad to have been able to try it.

In the decant: Lots of coffee bean and black musk, backed by the warm sugar cane. Wet: The coffee bean is the most prominent note on my skin, immediately followed by the black musk, and then the warm sugar cane. Dry: The coffee bean note is softer during the dry phase, but still going strong, as well as the black musk, with the sugar cane adding a nice, sweet warmth to the scent. After a while, the black musk ends up overtaking the coffee bean, but the coffee bean isn't far behind it. Several hours later, it is mostly sugared black musk grounded by coffee bean. Verdict: This one is nice, and I am really happy that I was able to try it, but I think the black musk in this one is a little too strong for me.