dementia_divine

Let it be known that I do not even normally care for jelly doughnuts. Heresy, I know. Except for the raspberry ones in Germany. Those are amazing (and the only doughnuts that Germany gets right). In the bottle: This was all red jelly when it arrived. Now it has settled for a week, and I still get lots of red jelly, but I also get the Snake Oil now and can also smell the fried dough, which I think may have a dusting of powdered sugar! Yaaaaaaaaas. Wet: A jelly doughnut adorned with powdered sugar, with some of the red jelly oozing out, mingling with Snake Oil's spices. UGH, THIS IS AMAZING. I'm not sure if the red jelly is a mixed berry jelly or one of the fruits from the sufganiyots, which I've never tried (and now regret not having done so), but I'm leaning more toward mixed berry than purely strawberry or raspberry on this one. Dry: I am now getting a buttery quality to the fried dough note, which is stronger than it was before, which makes me think of Drink Me and The Knave of Hearts. Snake Oil's vanilla has come out to play now, and the red jelly, while still present, isn't as strong as it was before. Verdict: The hype is real. I am extremely grateful that a lovely BPALista was willing to swap me this partial , and I hope this becomes an actual thing some day, so that more people can experience the wonders of Snake Oil Jelly Doughnut (and also, so I can get more).

In the bottle, I get the lavender, caramelized tobacco, and cognac. Freshly applied, it's a blast of lavender, with the caramelized French tobacco and sharp cognac. It stays the same once dry, but there's a bit more smoke present. If you worried that this will be too smoky, you need not worry. There's not a lot of smoke here. After a few hours, the lavender calms down significantly, and it ends up mostly being the Lace bace and soft lavender (I get lots more of the caramelized tobacco and cognac with the lavender now, and the lovely vanilla has finally emerged). I'm a slut for lavender and a fan of the lace scents, so I'm really happy to have this one. But *whispers* Summer Lace is still my favorite of the Laces.

In the bottle: Green apple and pink roses! Wet: The green apple note reigns. I believe it is the one found in the Green Apple, Vanilla Orchid, Bergamot, and Tiare hair gloss. After a minute, the pink rose peeks out from behind the green apple. Dry: The pink rose is the dominant note now, accompanied by the (now tart) green apple. After a while, a sweet, white floral note becomes really prominent. Verdict: Horrible Error isn't horrible at all! I enjoyed the strong green apple in the wet phase, but once dry, it is primarily a floral scent (as opposed to a fruity-floral one). I'm glad that I was able to try it, but I'm not sure if this is something I'd end up reaching for.

In the bottle: When this arrived, it was all really strong, floral dragon's blood. Now, after settling for about a week, it smells like hard strawberry candies and floral dragon's blood. Wet: The floral dragon's blood is the most prominent note on me, but it's softer on my skin than it was in the bottle. It does have this cotton-y, cuddly note accompanying it, but I'm not sure if it is cotton or milk (though I'm leaning toward the latter). I can see the comparisons to Dragon's Milk. Dry: Soft dragon's blood and that cozy, comforting note that I think may be milk. This one ends up being a scent that stays really close to the skin, with the soft, cozy note becoming more prominent on me over time. Verdict: I'm not normally a fan of dragon's blood. Sometimes it goes weird on my skin chemistry. But oddly enough, it works for me here. This is really comforting, and I'm glad I decided to take a chance on this one!

Lavender-infused vanilla cream with crystalline flowers and a hint of red velvet cake. Normally I let scents rest for at least a day after arrival, but I was too excited to test this one! I'll update this if it ends up being really different after it has had time to settle. In the bottle: The crystalline flowers are the star of the show, shooting through the lavender-infused vanilla cream (more vanilla than lavender) and red velvet cake, the latter of which I can smell most prominently after I've inhaled deeply. Some of the flowers I think I am smelling are honeysuckle and orange blossom. I'm reminded of Muse of Fire, if it were accompanied by foodie elements. Wet: I'm getting a blast of bright, somewhat effervescent florals (they read as yellow and orange) tamed by the lavender-infused vanilla cream. The ice cream note gains strength as the scent sits on my skin, further taming the bright floral notes, and the lavender aspect of the vanilla cream starts to really gain its footing, so that the scent is beginning to read more as purple, although the yellow and orange flowers are still very present. Dry: The red velvet cake note has emerged, and I can smell both the cake and the frosting really well. It's the scent of red velvet cupcakes drifting through a garden full of bright flowers, where a tea party is being held, and the lavender-infused vanilla cream is beginning to melt. I think there may be some orchid in this, and maybe some freesia, but I could be wrong. Although the bright flowers haven't gone away, I'm definitely getting the darker colors of the rainbow now. Verdict: This one is certainly evocative of its name! As a fan of sugary florals, I am thrilled to have it! But it's not one that I feel the need to hoard (as the lavender and vanilla are not the main players on me). This is more floral than gourmand, so if you're mostly hoping for vanilla cream and red velvet cake, this one is probably not for you. The florals play a very big role in this one. *edit* Retest on 4/26/18, three months later: I'm getting strong strawberry from this now, but it's more like strawberry candy or jam than actual strawberry. The crystalline florals are next in prominence, followed by the lavender-infused vanilla cream. I'm also getting more of the red velvet cake than I did initially. I thought the lavender-infused vanilla cream or red velvet cake might become more prominent with age, and while I get a bit more of the red velvet cake than before, it's mostly about strawberry candy and crystalline, Muse of Fire-like florals on me.

In the decant: Pineapple, banana, orange blossom, and honey, with a hint of mint, accompanied by a blast of white musk. Wet: The pineapple is the strongest note on my skin, followed by the orange blossom, some honey, and the light mint. The pineapple in this has an effervescent quality on my skin (probably helped by the white musk). The mint ends up becoming a little stronger, and the banana peeks out, which reminds me more of banana-flavored candy than actual banana. Dry: Mint-infused orange blossom honey, some pineapple, and a lot of white musk. Verdict: It is very fitting that Wembley is a morpher, given that the character is so indecisive! I like how the scent represents that part of Wembley while also representing the way he looks and how energetic his character is. Wembley's scent is better than I thought I would be, given the list of notes, but not something I can see myself wearing. I'm really glad I tried it, though!

In the decant: Fig, chocolate, pear, and quince, Sometimes, I get more of the fig and chocolate, but other sniffs result in more pear and quince. Wet: Figgy dark chocolate accompanied by pear and quince. But as the scent sits on my skin, the pear and quince become more prominent and end up as the dominant notes. Dry: This is all about the pear and quince, with the quince being the strongest note on me. The dark chocolate note resides in the background, and I am getting the vanilla aspect of the figgy vanilla now (which is definitely figgy, but not as figgy as before). It makes me think of a fruit platter with quince and pear slices and two dips for the fruit. After a while, the dark chocolate and figgy vanilla end up reasserting themselves and becoming the dominant notes, but the quince isn't far behind. Verdict: A curious combo for a curious Fraggle! Uncle Traveling Matt smells pleasant, but smelling like fruity chocolate isn't really my jam. So glad to have been able to properly try it, though!

In the imp: White pear, florals, and mist. Of the flowers, the rose and plumeria stand out most to me. Wet: The white pear and florals, enrobed in mist. The rose is the strongest of the floral notes on me, but it hasn't taken over. Dry: The white pear and floral notes continue to reign for a while, with the mist intertwining with those notes, and the tuberose being more prominent than before. But after a while, the pear and the mist calm down, and it ends up being a soft floral scent, with a bit of pear and mist in the background. Verdict: This is a nice fruity floral with an aquatic vibe from the mist. I could not envision myself reaching for this, but I do think it is pleasant (especially when the pear and mist are more prominent).

I've tested this one before, but I neglected to review it. In the imp: This is strong on the cherry-almond, which is what I remember it being like. Wet: This is still strong on the cherry-almond, although the cherry aspect was stronger in the imp, and I am getting lots of skin musk now. It isn't long before it just turns into almond and skin musk. Dry: The skin musk reigns, and while the almond is still present, it isn't nearly as strong as it was before. A rose note has also emerged during this stage, and there's a Dr. Pepper-quality present (which I usually get from Florentine iris, but I'm not sure it's that note doing it). After a while, I also get a soft, powdery myrrh note from this. Verdict: This one is okay, but not one I would ever reach for.

In the imp: This one is all about the herbs and citrus. The rosemary note is the strongest in the imp, followed by the lemon and lavender, a bit of neroli, and then some frankincense that's lingering in the background. Wet: The frankincense is stronger on my skin than it was in the imp, but the lemon, rosemary, and lavender, and neroli quickly push it back into the background. The lemon, rosemary, and lavender are the main players on my skin. Dry: The lemon is the star of the show, with the rosemary right behind it, and then the lavender. The frankincense seems content with its background role, but I do get a little more of it now than I did during the wet phase of the scent. It just adds that warm, resinous vibe beneath the citrus, rosemary, and lavender. Neroli can be a problem note for me, but it's not causing any problems here. After a while, the lemon and rosemary calm down enough to let the frankincense shine through, leaving me with lemony frankincense and some rosemary. Verdict: I wanted to try this because it had lavender in it, but this one is mostly about the lemon verbena and rosemary. I think it would make a good atmosphere spray, but I don't think I want to smell like it myself.

In the imp: When this arrived, it was really strong on the red musk and strawberry. After a day of settling, it is mostly amber, vanilla, strawberry, and black cherry, with some red musk in the background. I'm not typically fond of red musk or strawberry, but I wanted to try this because of the amber and vanilla. Wet: Amber, vanilla, and black cherry. The cherry note is stronger on me than it was in the imp. Then the strawberry note emerges. The red musk is present, but it is not stomping all over the other notes... yet. Dry: The vanilla note is more prominent than it was during the wet phase, but so is the strawberry and red musk. They are now the dominant notes. I still get some of the amber, and a bit of the cherry, but neither are as stronger as they were before. Even though I've tried many scents with heliotrope listed as a note, I'm no good at singling it out, which is why it wasn't mentioned so far in this review, but I think it could be lingering behind the vanilla, amber, red musk, and strawberry notes. Verdict: This one was more pleasant than I thought it would be, given that I'm not fond of red musk and most non-citrus fruit notes. Even though I do get a fair amount of vanilla from this, it's still too strong on the strawberry and musk for my liking. I'm glad I was able to try it, though!

In the imp: Pretty intense lime, and I think I am getting some lemongrass, too. Wet: As soon as I applied it, I could smell lime and lemongrass, but then the lime asserted itself. The lime is a sweet one. Then, I get some mint: not a lot, but enough to give the scent a refreshing, minty quality. Dry: The lime is still going strong, but the lemongrass note has returned and is a lot stronger than before. After a while, I smell some herbs in the background. Verdict: I am so glad that I was able get my hands on an imp of this one! I ordered an imp pack of all of the Panaceas back in 2013, before they were taken off of the website, but for some reason, I couldn't find an imp of this one in my stash. I enjoy citrus scents, and as this one features a lovely lime note, I will be cherishing my imp.

In the decant: The minty, ozonic ice followed by the crushed juniper. Wet: I get a blast of juniper, but the minty, ozonic is note is quite strong as well. For a moment, I thought the coniferous vibe was going to take over, but the eucalyptus and spearmint-y ice won out. Beneath the ice, I smell the Lab's rock note. Dry: The ozonic part of the ice note and the stone are the strongest notes on my skin, with just a bit of juniper and mint in the background. Verdict: I'm glad I got to try it, but this one ended up being a bit too masculine on me in the end.

In the bottle: This is a spiced cider, but the spices don't seem to be as intense as they were in last year's Autumn Cider. I'm hoping that this will cooperate on my skin, unlike the aforementioned scent, which burned. Wet: This is really juicy, and the spices are increasing in strength the longer they sit on my skin. I find this one to be reminiscent of the Trading Post's Harvest Festival atmosphere spray, in that it reminds me of fruit punch. Dry: This becomes less punch-like after sitting on the skin for a while, but I still think it leans towards punch more than cider on me. There is a big red area on my skin where I applied it, so I guess the spices in this one don't like me. Verdict: I keep buying cider scents because I'm always a slut for apples, and I love apple cider. Alas, my skin seems to be too sensitive for these scents. I'm going to retest this after it has had more time to settle, because I feel like my skin is just really dry right now, so I'll see how that goes. However, I have a feeling this one will be passed onto a friend that adores spicy scents. As far as the scent goes, this doesn't come close to my favorite apple-y Weenie, which happens to be Lambs-Wool. I hope that one returns next year, as I'm about to break into my back-up bottle.

In the bottle: Ooh, I definitely get the Tombstone comparisons! I can smell all of the notes listed, and the brown musk, cardamom aspect of the vanilla, and the cedar smell warm and comforting! Wet: All of the notes combine to create a lovely, warm, cuddly scent. The warm musk, cardamom, and cedar really complement each other. I was worried about how much cedar I'd get from this – and if you're averse to cedar, it may still be too much for you – but fortunately, it hasn't been problematic or stomped all over the other notes. Dry: The fuzzy, cuddly quality of this scent is even more apparent than before. The bourbon vanilla is more noticeable on my wrists during this stage, and the cedar has calmed down somewhat, although it remains a main player. That said, in the crooks of my elbows, it continues to be quite prominent. My wrists smell mostly of the warm brown musk and vanilla cedar, but the crooks of my elbows smell mostly of musky cedar and cardamom. This perfectly represents warm cat cuddles. Verdict: I am glad I bought a bottle, and I look forward to seeing how this ages (and how it pairs with Bast)! I'm sure it will age magnificently. But for those who already have Tombstone and aren't sure they can justify having both, I have to say that I prefer Tombstone.

In the imp: Mostly oleander and ylang ylang, darkened by the black patchouli, with a bit of bitter neroli. Wet: The oleander and ylang ylang are the dominant notes, but I'm getting more of the neroli on my skin than I did in the imp. The black patchouli started off in the background, but it's becoming more prominent over time. Dry: This is a dark floral scent. The floral notes are still pretty strong, with the oleander being the stronger of the two. The black patchouli has cozied up to the florals now, giving the scent a bit of a smoky vibe, and the neroli is also stronger than it had been before. Neroli is sometimes a problem note for me, but it hasn't caused a headache or turned weird on my skin in this scent. Verdict: This isn't a scent that I would reach for (being a fan of sugary florals), but it's better than I thought it would be (given that there is black patchouli and neroli in the scent description).

In the imp: Lots of ylang ylang, honey, and grape-y musk. Wet: Same. The ylang ylang, honey, and grape-y musk are really strong. Dry: The grape musk has taken over. I still get a lot of honey and some ylang ylang when I sniff up close, but the throw on this is all about the grape musk. Verdict: I can't stand artificial grape, and that's what the musk in this reminds me of. I was looking forward to trying this one because NORSE MYTHOLOGY, but alas, Skuld is not for me.

CCCXCIV This one was frimped to me in a swap, but I couldn't find a review for it in this thread. In the decant: Fruity hard candy with an herbal undertone and possibly a floral component. That was my first impression. Subsequent sniffing has made me think of banana Laffy Taffy! Wet: Okay, this reminds me of hard apple candy (like a Jolly Rancher) that was dropped in a pile of herbs, with some banana Laffy Taffy in the background. As the scent begins to dry, the banana aspect disappears, but the herb-covered apple candy continues to reign. Dry: Apple candy, herbs, and a floral I am not able to identify. Verdict: Curiouser and curiouser! Not my jam, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it.

CCXIII It looks like this one has been reviewed by sunshinedaisybliss here. In the decant: Aged, vanilla-prominent Snake Oil accompanied by warm peach. Wet: Yep! That's peachy Snake Oil, all right! More Snake Oil than peach, though. I agree that it's a warm, fuzzy peach. It goes really well with the Snake Oil! Dry: It remains a lovely peach-infused Snake Oil! Verdict: I am not usually a huge fan of peach, but peach + Snake Oil is absolutely wonderful! If it were ever to become an official Snake Oil plus scent, I would have to leap for a bottle.

In the imp: Lots of gin! Wet: So much juniper-y gin! It's like an effervescent evergreen! Dry: It becomes a little less effervescent over time. It's more citrusy now. But it's still all about the gin note. Verdict: This one is nice, and I think it would be really refreshing in the summer. I just don't think I'd ever end up deciding I want to smell like gin.

This is one I know I've tried before, but apparently I never reviewed it. In the imp: Mostly champagne with a bit of strawberry. On my skin: The champagne note is definitely the star here, followed by the strawberry. The strawberry note is stronger on me than it was in the imp, but it has nothing on the strength of the champagne. It's like a flute of champagne with some slices of strawberry thrown in. Verdict: I'm not a big fan of strawberry, but fans of the Lab's fizzy champagne note and strawberry should enjoy this. I'll stick with Shade, with its wonderful pink grapefruit and champagne.

Yaaaaas! I'm so thrilled to have gotten an imp of this in my recent Lab order. Thank you, Labbies! In the imp: Cinnamon, resins, patchouli, musk. Wet: I'm hit with a blast of cinnamon, pepper, and resins, and I think I'm getting some red patchouli and possibly some green musk behind those notes. The spices are pretty strong on me, but the cinnamon is not burning my skin, fortunately. I think there may be some cardamom in this, too. I'd put it in the same family as Plunder, but the spices in this are stronger on me than those in Plunder. It makes me think of chai spices, accompanied by some resins, patchouli, and musk. Dry: It takes a really long time for the spices to calm down on me, but when they do, I get some ozone. The (what I believe to be green) musk gets to play a greater role, backed by the spices, resins, and red patchouli. I also get a bit of smokiness from this. Verdict: This one is a mischievous morpher! It really fits its name. It's actually not bad on me, but it's also not a scent that I could see myself wearing.

In the imp: Copal, incense, sweet orange, accompanied by the sweet plumeria. Wet: The copal, incense, and sweet orange are the strongest notes on my skin, but I do get the plumeria as well. The sweet plumeria note is becoming stronger the longer this sits on my skin. Dry: This is primarily an incense scent on me, sweetened by the orange and plumeria notes, but I am also getting the tropical blooms listed during this stage. Verdict: This one is really nice, sweet incense scent. I think I'll hold on to the imp (since it is fresh from the Lab) to see how much I reach for it and to see how it ages.

I tried this one at Denver Comic Con a few years ago, but I didn't write down my impression of it. So I decided to buy an imp with a recent Lab order to see how much honeysuckle I get from it. In the imp: I'm hit with a blast of jasmine, but I do get some of the lemon, honeysuckle, and a bit of spice. Wet: The jasmine is the most prominent note, but I am getting more of the honeysuckle on my skin than I did in the imp. The lemon adds some additional brightness but doesn't make it outright lemon-y. There really is just a touch of spice. Dry: The sweet jasmine is still the strongest note, followed by the honeysuckle (although it's less noticeable on me now). I am still getting the bit of spice and just a hint of lemon. Verdict: Jasmine can be problematic on me, but I don't mind it here. But I was really hoping for more honeysuckle! I don't think this is a scent I need to obtain more of, but I think I'll keep the imp (even though my boyfriend really dislikes it because of the indolic qualities of the jasmine, which I don't even notice in this one).

In the imp: Bright and yet somewhat earthy. There's definitely mint or something reminiscent of mint in here, possibly some apple blossom, and maybe a smidge of dirt. Wet: This is intensely minty. I don't think it's peppermint, spearmint, or eucalyptus. Or, if they're here, it's not just one of those mint notes. I'm thinking it's probably pennyroyal. I'm also getting some bergamot. Dry: Not as intense on the mint as it was before. The scent stays close to the skin now. I think I may be getting some apple blossom and lilac, but I'm not quite sure. It's a light, clean, herbal, floral scent. Verdict: The scent is fitting for its inspiration, but it is not something I could see myself reaching for.