dementia_divine

In the imp: Volcanic gas, black musk, and a sweet floral that I first thought might be lotus, but now I am not so sure. In any case, it is a sweet, tropical bloom! Wet: At first, I am hit with the sulphuric volcanic gas and black musk, but then the sweet, heady tropical blooms take over. Dry: The sweet tropical blooms continue to dominate the scent, with the black musk lingering right behind them, and just a hint of the volcanic gas if you sniff close to the skin. Verdict: More pleasant than I thought I would be, but musky florals aren't really my thing, and these blooms are too sweet and heady for me.

In the imp: Dandelions and grass, with a little bit of tobacco in the background! I'm kicking myself for not trying this before because of the booze, because I love the dandelions. Wet: I'm greeted with a blast of dandelion, and dandelion seems to be content to remain as the dominant note, because I'm not getting a lot of booze, hemp, or tobacco from this. I am getting the weeds, though. There's a bit of booze and tobacco, but they're lingering in the background. Dry: Lots of dandelions among tufts of weeds, with a bit of hemp and tobacco, and a touch of booze. After a while, I do get more of the sweet booze from this. At first, I thought it was rum, but now, I think it is the Lab's wine note. I'm surprised that it took this long to come out, as I generally amp that note! It ends up being a red wine and weedy dandelion scent on me. After a few hours of wear, the dandelion reasserts itself, and now I think I'm getting dandelion with the hops. Verdict: I absolutely adore dandelions, and this is a dandelion-dominant scent on me. I don't love it as much as Venus Verticordia, Dandelions and Concrete, or Wild Dandelion SN, but I do enjoy it. I'll be hanging onto my imp. If I reach for it enough, I'll consider getting a bottle (I say, knowing that Roadhouse has been out of stock for a long time, and not wanting to fall in love with something that would be hard to find).

In the imp: I'm getting salt, rose-infused amber, and some hay from the imp. Wet: Lots of salt and rose-infused amber! I believe the rose component is a pink rose. Then the straw note emerges, but it is not as strong as the rose-infused amber, and the amber itself is starting to gain strength. I think it's a golden amber note. Dry: This is now a primarily salty pink rose-infused amber and hay scent. Verdict: I generally dislike the combination of rose + resins, but this one is actually nicer than I was anticipating, probably because of the use of a golden amber instead of a darker resin, along with the straw. It kind of reminds me of a saltier Jacob's Ladder, but with perhaps more rose. I don't think I'd ever reach for this, but I'm really glad I got to try it.

In the bottle: Ah, I can already tell that this is amazing from the bottle. I'm getting a lovely, cool lavender and ambergris, with the amber in the background. Wet: The soft lavender and ambergris reign, while the amber continues to lurk in the background. I would say that this is like a nighttime version of Good Morning, London (which I already use as a sleep scent), but the lavender and amber in this are much softer. Or maybe it's like Good Morning, London and Waiting had a baby. I am loving this. Dry: The lavender and ambergris are still the stars of the show, with the ambergris note becoming stronger over time. The pale amber seems to be content with its background role, although it does become a little stronger after a few hours of wear. Verdict: As a lavender lover, I am so happy I grabbed a bottle of this, as I'm really enjoying the combination of the ambergris and the lavender. I may end up buying a back-up before it goes away.

I have tried this before, but I never took the time to actually review it. Now I'm reviewing two imps, one fresh, and one aged. The aged imp is golden, while the fresh imp is darker (more orange in color). In the fresh imp: Sweet beeswax with perhaps a wisp of smoke in the background. In the aged imp: It also smells like sweet beeswax, but I feel like the aged version is smoother. Wet stage (fresh imp): Sweet beeswax! The fresh version is sweeter than the aged imp. Wet stage (aged imp): The sweet beeswax note reigns here as well, but I do get more of a blown-out candle vibe from this imp, and I'm reminded of BPTP's Candlelight atmo (which I adore). Dry stage (fresh imp): This remains as a lovely, sweet beeswax scent. It stays close to the skin. Dry stage (aged imp): I am definitely still getting more of the wisps of smoke from the candles in the aged version, very reminiscent of Candlelight, but the sweet beeswax is also the star here. Verdict: The only reason I never upgraded to a bottle was because I already have (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene for a beeswax scent. I will continue holding onto my imps, though, because this scent is wonderful.

In the imp: Juicy golden apples, bitter herbs, and the leaves of the apple trees themselves. Wet: This is an apple orchard, with the golden apples still on the trees. I can smell the juicy, golden apples, the tree bark, and the green leaves. Leaf notes can be problematic for me, but they aren't causing problems for me here. I also think there are some herbs present in this scent, making me reevaluate this being an apple orchard... now, it has more of a garden feel. Dry: I'm getting more of the tree bark than I did during the wet phase, but the golden apple note is still a main player – just not as strong as before, and it has lost its juicy quality. After a while, all that remains is a bit of sweetness from the apple (which no longer smells apple-y) and a smoky resin (must be the ash, but I'm reminded of myrrh). Verdict: I like that this featured a golden apple note and didn't end up being too sweet, but ultimately, the dry phase with the smoky resin and a bit of sweetness from the apple isn't really me. I'm glad I got to try it, though!

In the bottle: When this first arrived, it mostly smelled like fresh Snake Oil. After a few days of settling, I am getting a lemon-y sugar note from the bottle (perhaps the same one from Sweets to the Sweet) as well as some vanilla cream over the Snake Oil. Wet: This smells like sugared, lemon-infused vanilla cream backed by the warmth of Snake Oil's spices. As the scent dries down, the lemon aspect calms down a bit, the honeycomb begins to emerge, and the sugarcane becomes warmer. Dry: The vanilla cream is a lot stronger now, and so is the sugarcane. I'm now wondering if the lemon is an aspect of the sugar or the honeycomb, or if there's secretly a white tea note in this that's given me that impression. The lemon is not as prominent as it had been during the wet stage of the scent, but it's still present, especially in the crooks of my elbows. On my wrists, it's mostly vanilla cream and sugarcane with a soft Snake Oil base. In the crooks of my elbows, I get more of the honeycomb, sugarcane, and Snake Oil (with far less vanilla). Verdict: I really wasn't expecting the lemon-y aspect of this scent, but I enjoy this (especially the sugared vanilla cream on my wrists during the dry stage)! I don't think I need to stock up on this one, but I am happy that I bought a bottle.

In the bottle: When this first arrived, it was very intense on the rose. After a few days of settling, the rose note still dominates, but it isn't as strong as it was when it first arrived. At first I thought it was tea rose, but now it smells like sugared pink rose. Wet: The pink rose note is the strongest note on my skin, but the cotton candy and vanilla notes are helping to tame it, and the pink rose becomes softer and more candied over time. Dry: This is still a predominantly pink rose scent. I do get more of the cotton candy and vanilla sugar on my wrists than I do in the crooks of my elbows; the crooks of my elbows containing mostly pink rose. I prefer the scent on my wrists. I actually think The Best Lies is sweeter than this one, with its sugar-swept honey and rose. After many hours of wear, the sugary notes become more prominent, but by that point, the scent stays really close to the skin. Verdict: I like this, but I was hoping for more of the cotton candy and vanilla sugar than I ended up getting on my skin. I'm going to let this one age a little and revisit it and see how it goes. I already have so many sweet rose scents as it is, and if I were looking to add a bottle of another one to my collection, I think I'd choose The Best Lies over this one. But this is a nice, sugared pink rose scent... it's just not as sweet as I was hoping it would be.

Snake Oil with King mandarin, myrrh, and almond. Note: I have not tried the previous release. In the bottle: The almond is the most prominent note, followed by the mandarin, and then, the myrrh. Wet: Mandarin and almond are the first notes to greet my nose, followed by a soft myrrh. The creaminess of the almond with the vanilla of the Snake Oil base smells amazing, but the mandarin note ends up becoming bitter on me and remains as the dominant note. Dry: The mandarin isn't bitter anymore, and the Snake Oil base is far more prominent now. It's mainly Snake Oil, but softer, accompanied by almond, well-behaved mandarin, and the soft myrrh note. This is actually rather gourmand now, and smelling it makes me want to go eat almond-glazed spiced cookies or cake with orange zest (although I wouldn't say this smells like cake or cookies). Verdict: I really like this and think it will only get better with age. I'm surprised the almond in this actually lasts on me, as it usually disappears on me during the dry phase of scents. I'm so glad that it stuck around! I was worried about the mandarin note during the dry phase for a bit, but fortunately, the bitter aspect didn't have much longevity. Almond Snake Oil ftw!

I, too, received a King Cake trinket! Thank you so much, Labbies! In the bottle: I could smell this one from the outside of the bottle. I'm getting a lot of the almond and cream cheese glaze in the bottle, as well as the sugars adorning the cake. I have never had King Cake or visited New Orleans, but this reminds me of a delicious pastry ring or kringle. It smells delicious! Wet: The cream cheese glaze, sugar, and almond notes reign, with the soft brioche cake in the background. Ugh, it smells amazing! I am in a cloud of sugary glaze, and I want this cake in my life! Dry: The sugary, cream cheese glaze is the most prominent note, and it really is a glaze, and not thick frosting. I am also getting a lot more of the brioche cake during this phase of the scent, which I agree is adding a sweet, toasty warmth to the scent (but it doesn't smell like toast)! It's actually rather waffle-like. Verdict: If you think you have enough cake scents and you don't need another one, you are mistaken. King Cake is amazing, and it's different from any of the other cake scents I've tried from the Lab before. I may end up needing another bottle. *edited to add* King Cake is one of the longest lasting perfume oils that I own. When I go to shower the next morning, I am thrown into a cloud of King Cake. This one has some serious staying power.

In the imp: Champagne, grapefruit, and mint, with some floral notes lurking in the background. Wet: The white champagne note is the strongest note, followed by the grapefruit. But it doesn't smell like Shade, which has a sweeter grapefruit note (pink grapefruit). After a few minutes, the mint and lotus poke out. As the scent dries, the crystalline blooms emerge. Dry: The champagne note still reigns with the bitter grapefruit and some mint. The mint has a strong cooling effect on my arm, but it actually isn't that strong as far as its scent is concerned, and the sweet lotus note has gained strength during this phase, along with the crystalline blooms. I tend to amp champagne, so I'm not surprised that it has been the main player the whole time. It's a bright scent, with a bit of sweetness from the lotus. After a few hours, it is a very light champagne and floral scent. Verdict: I was looking forward to the grapefruit and mint, but the champagne in this is too strong for me, and none of the other notes are pairing well enough with it on my skin to make me enjoy it. I'm also not very fond of lotus, and that note ends up being stronger than I like during the dry phase, so this one isn't really my cup of tea.

I tested this one at a Con, but when I saw that this was leftover from a decant circle, I had to get a decant so I could do a proper test. Boober is my favorite Fraggle. In the decant: Super realistic freshly washed laundry, linden blossom, and soap bubbles! Truly the scent of Boober. Wet: The fresh laundry and linden blossom notes jump out to me first. It's a very clean, floral scent. I'm not getting any of the vanilla at this point, but I hope it ends up appearing at some point! Dry: It continues to smell of freshly laundered clothes and linden blossom. I'm not getting any vanilla at all from this, sadly. But it does fit Boober perfectly, and it really does smell like laundry. Verdict: I don't think that I would choose to wear such a clean scent as a perfume, but I'm going to hang onto my decant because I love Boober, and because it might be great to scent some laundry with some time.

In the decant: Soft dry soil (at least, it is drier than other soil scents I've smelled from the Lab), possibly some powdery orris, and radish dust. Wet: Soft soil (it doesn't smell like wet, freshly upturned earth to me), something soft and powdery (which I still think may be orris, probably representing the crystals), and peppery radishes. The peppery radish note is very realistic and seems to be getting stronger over time, backed by the soft soil note. Dry: The radishes are still peppery, but not as strong as they were before. I'm getting more of the soft soil now, accompanied by whatever that powdery note is. (I'm still thinking orris.) After a while, the powdery note (yeah, I'm going with orris root) takes over the soil note, resulting in a slightly pepper-y, dirt-mingled powder. Verdict: The radish note in this is very realistic! But the dirt note is not one of my favorites from the Lab, and I am not fond of the powdery note that must be representing the glittering crystals. I guess smelling like Doozers is not meant to be, but I'm really glad that I got to try it.

In the imp: LEMON LIKE WHOA. I'm getting lots of lemongrass and lemon verbena, backed by the white musk. I can't detect the grapefruit in the imp, sadly. I hope it makes an appearance on my skin! Wet: This smells like candied lemon peel on me at first. Dry: During this phase, it's still a lemon party (with the lemongrass being stronger than the lemon verbena now), but I do get a hint of grapefruit. After some time, the white musk note asserts itself, making this a clean, lemongrass scent. Verdict: Aww, I was hoping for more grapefruit! I liked the lemon candy phase, but I did not enjoy the dry phase nearly as much. This would make a great warm weather scent, but I don't think that I want to smell this strongly of lemon.

In the decant: The blood orange, champaca, and tobacco notes stand out to me the most, with just a hint of clove. Wet: The blood orange and champaca notes are currently the main players, with the tobacco lingering behind the champaca note. I'm getting a lot more clove on my skin than I did in the imp, but it isn't strong by any means, and then the vanilla note emerges, adding some creaminess to the orange note. I am not good at picking out osmanthus, so I can't really comment on that note. Dry: The blood orange note is still present, but it is fainter than before. The champaca and tobacco are the stars of the show now, and I think I am smelling the fruity-floral osmanthus now, but I am not positive. The sweet clove, while noticeable, is really just a hint, and the vanilla note continues to add a creamy sweetness to the scent. After a while, the scent becomes really faint and stays close to the skin with a really soft champaca note backed by vanilla. Verdict: I like this, but I don't think I like it enough to get a bottle. I already have Eastern Comma, which has orange and tobacco, and I don't reach enough for that one, although I do think the champaca in this is lovely. I think the clove and vanilla would need to be stronger in order for me to enjoy this more.

In the imp: The wisteria, musk, and cedar are the strongest notes in my imp, followed by the green tea and lemon. Wet: On my skin, the lilac, lemon, and green tea notes leap out to me first, but then the wisteria quickly rushes in and takes the center stage. After a few minutes, the musk and cedar notes join in. It mostly smells like a musky, somewhat soapy floral (lots of lilac and wisteria) scent on me, with a splash of cedar and citrus. Dry: This dries down to a musky, lemony, lilac and wisteria scent, with a bit of cedar and clean green tea. Verdict: I'm surprised it veered out of soap territory (and that the cedar wasn't stronger). This one isn't really something I'd reach for, but I'm glad I got to try it.

Sniffing from the bottle, I am hit with a blast of SUPER CANDY SWEET. This may be the sweetest hair gloss I've ever smelled. I have been putting off testing this one after spraying it on a paper towel, where the scent ended up being so strong that it had to be banished to another part of the room (and was still going strong days later). But today, I will put my fears aside and apply it to my hair. In the bottle, it is still super sweet, creamy apricot candy. The marshmallow note is not the fresh marshmallow with powder on the outside of it like Apple Marshmallow HG. Rather, it's more like apricot-infused marshmallow fluff mingling with the Lab's french vanilla note. In my hands and on my wet hair, the french vanilla note stands out the most. I can see why LizziesLuck compared it to cream soda, as the Lab's french vanilla note does have that kind of vibe. The apricot is present and seems to become more so over time, but the french vanilla note is still the most prominent note. The marshmallow note isn't distinctly marshmallow, but it does add to the candy sweetness of the scent. This scent is so strong that I'm worried it will give me a headache. After a few hours, it does calm down somewhat. The apricot note is stronger and the french vanilla is no longer declaring its presence to the world, and the creamy marshmallow is more distinct. The next day, I usually test the hair gloss on my dry hair, usually using one or two sprays. I did not do that with this one for fear of being overwhelmed with the scent all day, but I could still smell the hair gloss I had applied the day before when the wind hit my hair, and it smelled really nice. Ultimately, this is just too sweet and strong for me, at least, during the first few hours. And I only used two sprays. I think I'll have to put this one up for swaps. But if you like sweet, fruity, candy scents, this should be up your alley. *edit* I just wanted to add this, as testament to the strength of this hair gloss: I just washed my hair, applied purple pigment to it, and let it sit in my hair for a while before rinsing it, and I COULD STILL SMELL DRAGON MLERM IN MY HAIR AFTER I GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER. I had only used two sprays of the hair gloss on Sunday. This is some strong stuff.

In the decant: I'm getting far more blackberry leaf and cranberry than I get from straight-up Jersey Devil! These are the strongest notes in the imp, with the tomato leaf, cedar, and pine lurking behind them, sweetened by the snow note. Wet: This is fruit dominant on me, with the blackberry leaf being particularly strong, and the cranberry isn't far behind. I only got a hint of the fruity notes in the GC scent, so I'm surprised by how much stronger they are in this version. After a few minutes, the cedar, tomato leaf, and pine pitch poke out, but I am not being hit with a blast of pine like I was when I tried the GC. I'm actually getting more cedar than pine. Curiously enough, the sweet snow note isn't playing a big role here and isn't as distinct as it was in scents like Frostbitten Dorian and Frostbitten Snake Oil. It just seems to be sweetening the scent. Dry: This is still really strong on the blackberry leaf and cranberry notes, with still more blackberry leaf than cranberry on me. The pine is stronger than the cedar now, but the pine, cedar, and tomato leaf continue to reside in the background. I'm still not getting the sweet snow note as a distinct note. It just seems to be making the berry notes even sweeter. Verdict: I was hoping for snow-covered forest, but alas, this is way too fruity on me.

In the decant: Lots of honeysuckle! Yaaaas! That is just what I was hoping for! Hopefully that will still be the case on my skin. I also think I am getting lots of snowdrop, too. Wet: The honeysuckle note is the first to greet my nose, along with what I believe to be the snowdrop note. I am not familiar with the scent of wintersweet or purple honeywort, so I don't know whether or not I'm smelling those, but I am familiar with sweet pea, and I'm not smelling that note at the moment. The honeysuckle continues to reign as the scent begins to dry, and it's a bouquet of sweet, non-soapy florals. I'm pretty sure this is the honeysuckle note used in BPTP's Nice Glop, which is amazing. Dry: The honeysuckle loses a lot of its sweetness during this stage, the snowdrop note is stronger than it had been (it ends up being just as strong as the honeysuckle after a few hours), and the other floral notes are playing a bigger role now. Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of the scent, with the strong honeysuckle, but I didn't feel like it was nearly as awesome during the dry phase. I'll be holding onto my decant to pair with Nectar HG, and I'll test it again before the Yules go down just to make sure I don't need a bottle, but I think my decant will suffice.

I was curious about this originally, but decided to wait and see what kind of snow note was featured. And then I figured that I didn't need honey plus Snow White, until I saw reviews saying it was like wildflower honey. Luckily, I was able to get my hands on a leftover decant! In the decant: A pale, golden, floral honey, backed by the sweet snow note from Snow White. Wet: The sweet, golden honey dominates, and it's such a lovely, realistic honey note that really does smell like honey drizzled over Snow White's sweet snow note (with far more honey than snow). The honey note does become more of a floral honey over time. It's really lovely! Dry: The honey note continues to reign, with the sweet snow lingering in the background. The honey note is really strong, but I do get more of the sweet snow during this phase of the scent. Verdict: This is a wonderful honey note. I'll be holding onto my decant, since I really enjoyed this honey note, but I don't think I'd reach for it enough to warrant upgrading to a bottle.

This one wasn't one that was originally on my radar when I first perused the Yule update. I thought it might be too medicinal, but when the first reviews started pouring in, I decided that maybe I needed to try it after all. It shares a few notes with Recharging Station Bath Oil, of which I'll forever regret only getting a decant. But I wasn't sure how they would play with amber. Fortunately, I was able to grab a leftover decant from a circle! In the decant: Lots of eucalyptus blossom and lime rind! It smells really nice and refreshing. Wet: The eucalyptus blossom, white mint, and lime rind are the most prominent notes, with the amber lurking in the background. But the amber note seems to be getting stronger as the scent sits on my skin, adding some warmth beneath the coolness. The eucalyptus blossom is exactly that as opposed to straight-up eucalyptus, so it is not bracing, like one might expect this scent to be. I wonder if there is some kind of musk in this as well, contributing to the “green-tinged amber glow”. Dry: In this phase, the lime rind has calmed down significantly, and I mostly get the eucalyptus blossom, a much softer lime rind, and whatever comprises the green-tinged amber glow. After a few hours of wear, it ends up being a cool, clean scent. Verdict: I like this, but I don't love it like I thought it would from smelling it in the decant. I'll be hanging onto my decant to wear during the warmer months, but I'm not sure that I need a bottle.

I forgot to post my review here back in December! In the bottle, it's predominantly hot cocoa with a light mint. It really does smell as if a candy cane has been tossed into it as opposed to making straight-up peppermint cocoa. Freshly applied to my damp hair, I smell the cocoa in the air, but it's the candy cane that's the first thing to greet my nose when I sniff my hair, backed by the cocoa. But it quickly turns into a scent that's mostly milk chocolate hot cocoa, with just a hint of mint. It's a light hair gloss. I probably could have just gone with a decant of this one instead of leaping for a bottle (because I already own El Dia de los Reyes HG). It pairs nicely with many chocolate and cocoa scents, and is probably more versatile in that respect than El Dia de los Reyes, because the mint is lighter in this than the cinnamon is in that one. I like it, but I just wish the mint were a little stronger.

I neglected to post my review of this when I received it in December. In the bottle, it's an intense sugary candy cane scent. Both the mint and sugar are really strong. But in my hair, it's a light hair gloss. I've worn it two days in a row now, once applied to damp hair that I let air dry, and the second day applied to my already dry hair. I was never enveloped in a Lick It cloud, not even when I took a hot shower (where I'm usually hit with a cloud of whatever hair gloss is in my hair before shampooing it away). Even when I held my hair up to my nose, the scent was really faint. I thought I'd want to hoard this one, but with the little throw it has, I'll probably just stick to the one bottle. I'll have to experiment with spraying it on my clothes as well – maybe the scent will last longer that way.

Blanketed with moss and chilled by winter breezes. This is lovely. The name of the scent made me think that it might be a darker forest scent, but it isn't at all. It's a bright, snow-dusted pine forest. It's all sweet pine, sap, and a dusting of snow. It makes me think of the Snow Bunny atmosphere spray I used to have, with its sweet pine note (and without the girlish perfume of Snow Bunny). This one doesn't have much throw beyond its initial spray. I sprayed it all over my apartment and on the blankets on the couch, and left for 45 minutes. Normally, when I do that and walk back into the apartment, I'll get hit with whatever scent I sprayed prior to leaving -- but when I came back, I didn't get hit with the scent of a pine forest. Fortunately, the sweet, snow-dusted pine scent lingered on the blankets. I'm not getting moss at all, so if that worries you, don't let it scare you away! As someone who loves winter and misses the scent of evergreens dearly, I'll be spraying my bottle with reckless abandon all winter.

In the bottle, it's very strong honey cake (lots of honey and yellow cake). In my dry hair, honey reigns at first, but then the cake note emerges after a few minutes, making it sufficiently foody and not just a honey hair gloss. (I tried it the day before on my wet hair, but I didn't get any of the scent after the initial application.) It ends up being a honey cake scent, and in my dry hair, the lovely scent of honey cake has lasted all day. I was a bit worried that it would be primarily a honey hair gloss from some of the reviews, but this is definitely a delicious honey cake on me, with no shortage of buttery, yellow cake. I am really happy to have some of this (because of honey cake and because of my love for Alice)! I think it will pair perfectly with Bienenstich.