dementia_divine

In the bottle: Surprisingly creamy! This one definitely reminds me of Reflected Vulva without the cherry blossom. I have the Sweet Pea SN, and this HG has a creaminess present that isn't in the single note. In my hair, I get this amazing, creamy, sugared sweet pea scent. It has good throw. I applied this to my wet hair one day and my dry hair the next, and sometimes, on the wet hair days, the hair gloss doesn't have much throw after the initial application. That isn't the case with this hair gloss, which I could smell whenever I held my hair up to my nose throughout the first day when I applied it to wet hair, and I get hit with even more of the scent when applied to dry hair. The sugar cane ends up coming out more throughout the day and adding this wonderful warmth to the scent. I love this. I'm not sure one bottle will be enough.

A new year’s blessing! Peony, China’s national flower, with bamboo for flexibility, plum blossom for perseverance, courage, and hope, tangerine for wealth, orange for happiness, lychee for household peace, pine resin for constancy, golden kumquat and pomelo for prosperity, narcissus and King mandarin for good fortune, cypress for longevity, sticky rice cakes for abundance and hopes for a rich, sweet life, and a splash of blazing red of dragon’s blood… to help you scare away the rampaging Nian. Thanks to ladymeag for the decant! In the decant: I honestly thought that I wouldn't like this one due to the fact that it contains so many notes, but it actually smells really nice in the decant! The rice cake note reminds me of Hungry Ghost Moon 2013 (the only Lunacy that has actually worked for me thus far). I'm mainly getting citrus and that rice cake note in the decant. It kind of reminds me of Froot Loops (which is the same thing I thought about Hungry Ghost Moon... the combination of the rice cake note and the fruity notes must be what is giving me that impression). Wet: Froot Loops! I am just getting the sticky rice cakes and the citrus at the moment. The rice cake note was really strong at first, but the fruity notes are becoming stronger. It still reminds me of fruity cereal, though. Dry: It pretty much stayed that way the whole time, but with more fruit (and perhaps a hint of a floral and a resin in the background). I'm sorry I can't be more specific in my review, but it is hard to identify specific notes as there are so many notes in this blend. Verdict: This one was actually better than I had expected it to be (after initially dismissing it due to the amount of notes it contains). While I don't feel like I need a bottle of this, I'm glad that I was able to try it!

In the imp: Exactly as it says on the tin: frankincense and myrrh Wet: Frankincense and myrrh, in that order. The frankincense note in this is pretty strong. I enjoy the frankincense and vanilla combo of Hope and Fear Set Free, but without any sweetness to tame it, frankincense can be too sharp for me, and that is certainly true of the frankincense in Penitence. Dry: Once it is dry, the frankincense calms down somewhat, and the myrrh note ends up playing a greater role. It's a soft, sweet myrrh, the kind I like. After a few hours, it's all soft, cozy resins. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I like the end result, but the frankincense is too strong during the wet phase for my liking. I'm going to try layering this with something like SN French Vanilla to see if I enjoy it that way (since I'm running really low on Hope and Set Free), but I can't see myself reaching for this much on its own (since I typically enjoy scents that are sweetened or sugared in some way).

In the imp: Musky apricot, followed by the orange blossom. Wet: The fresh, juicy apricot note reigns. The orange blossom is lurking behind it, and I'm sure it will end up taking over at some point, but I hope the apricot note lasts a while before it does. Dry: The apricot note is still present, but the orange blossom has become a lot stronger, sadly. Orange blossom is an iffy note for me (it can cause headaches or turn to cough syrup on me), and it's too strong here for my liking. The musk note is a lot more prominent now too, so that it's a musky apricot with the orange blossom note right behind it. But sometimes, the perfume-y orange blossom seems so strong to me that I can barely smell the apricot. Verdict: I'm glad I got to try another apricot scent, but the orange blossom plays too much of a role on my skin for me to truly enjoy this.

In the imp: I'm getting white florals with a smattering of greenery. Wet: This is a soft white floral scent on my skin. I'm not able to pick out the notes, but the sour quality that I smelled in the imp isn't present at the moment, and there's a bit of sweetness to it, like an almost fruit-y sweetness. Perhaps that's the osmanthus. Dry: After a while, it remains a soft, white floral scent, but it's not as sweet anymore. I think the ivy has come out to play. A few hours later, it is still the soft white florals, backed by the ivy and accompanied by a dusty quality that I'm thinking could be the coffin spray note? Verdict: This one is not one I could see myself reaching for... not bad, just not 'me'.

In the imp: Sweet narcissus and opium, backed by some myrrh. Wet: The sweet, heady narcissus reigns, with the opium right beside it. In no time at all, the opium overtakes the narcissus on me, and after a few minutes, the myrrh note emerges, taming the sweetness of the narcissus and making this a dark floral and incense scent. At least, it does that briefly. Then the narcissus rears its read and decides its reign isn't over, and its sweet aroma tries to declare dominion over the other notes once more. Dry: The narcissus is candy-sweet and reminds me of something like SweeTarts at one point. The opium is still going pretty strong as well. Sometimes, I get more of the narcissus, and sometimes, more of the opium. The myrrh note is content with its background role and doesn't seem to want to challenge either of the notes. After a few hours, the myrrh does end up increasing in strength, but the narcissus reigns. Verdict: Who knew darkness could be so sweet? This one isn't one I can see myself reaching for, but I really like the poem that inspired it, so I'm glad I was able to try it.

In the imp: Dirt! But this soil note seems to be drier and sweeter than others that I've tried. Wet: The dirt is the first note to emerge, but it is the softest dirt note I've encountered from BPAL. I do get a dry, red patchouli-filled dirt note, but it's as if a handful of dirt has been thrown over something soft, instead of smelling like lots of freshly disturbed wet soil. I'm not sure yet, but it's possible that the sweet, soft note is actually benzoin: it has a resinous vibe to it, and I don't think it is vanilla. As it begins to dry, it begins getting quite powdery on me. Orris, is that you? Dry: The scent veers out of powder territory and ends up being really sweet on me! Now I'm pretty sure I am getting coconut tinged by the soft soil note. It's warm and comforting. I still think there may be benzoin along with the coconut. After a while, it's hard to even detect a tinge of soil anymore. It's far in the background, buried underneath all of the sweetness. Verdict: This one was a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do. I didn't like the powdery phase, but the end result is really nice. I'll hang on to the imp and see how much use it gets before deciding whether or not a bottle will be in my future.

In the bottle: Buttercream, honey cake, and unexpectedly smoky almonds. Wet: I'm still getting lots of buttercream and honey, which are super sweet, and then the cake part of the honey cake pops out after a moment. The almonds, which had really worried me from inside the bottle due to the smoky quality I was getting, do smell like caramelized almonds on my skin, and fortunately, the smoky aspect is not present (at least, not yet). The caramelized almonds seem to be getting stronger as this sits on my skin, but the buttercream and honey cake are still going strong as well. As the scent begins to dry, the buttercream note has gotten stronger and made the scent creamier. The honey is still going strong, and the caramelized almonds are softer and sweeter. Dry: After it has been dry for a while, the cake part of the honey cake really stands out, so that I get honey cake covered in a nice layer of buttercream. By this point, the almond note has calmed down significantly and really light compared to the honey cake and buttercream notes. Verdict: I was afraid this would end up being oddly smoky on me. It wasn't. Then I was afraid that it was going to be too cloying on me, with the intense honey and buttercream, but it ended up calming down and smelling like honey cake in the end! I'm happy to have a bottle. Thank you, dear fairy, for picking this one up for me!

The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story. Hearken and observe: black iris, French lavender, Roman chamomile, and frankincense. In the decant: Mostly black iris, followed by lavender and chamomile. Wet: The black iris note reigns, still followed by the lavender and chamomile, but then the frankincense emerges and starts gaining strength pretty quickly. But then the lavender reasserts itself, so that it's mostly the iris and lavender. Dry: The black iris note continues to reign, and it's so strong, and it, combined with the sharpness of this particular lavender, are threatening to give me a headache, sadly. Verdict: I was hoping this might be a wonderful sleep blend, but alas, it's not really for me. Still, I think it the iris and lavender certainly make this loud and sharp and fitting for its namesake. If you're a fan of iris, you'll probably enjoy this, but it's just too much for me.

In the imp: Frankincense, white carnation, and chamomile. Wet: Frankincense, spicy carnation, chamomile, and what I'm guessing could be angelica (but I'm not familiar with the note). The carnation note is threatening to overtake the frankincense and eventually does as the scent begins to dry. Dry: The spicy white carnation note dominates. I tend to amp carnation, sometimes to the point where it stomps all over everything else, but underneath it, I can smell the chamomile and frankincense, and what could be angelica (it's very herbal). The carnation and chamomile are the strongest notes on me. It's a spicy floral/smoky herbal scent. It reminds me somewhat of Mare Foecunditatis, only more floral and less autumn-like. Verdict: The carnation in this is too strong on me (to the point where I thought the spice of it was going to burn my skin at one point). It's not unpleasant, but not something I need a bottle of.

In the imp: Frankincense, cinnamon, and violet. Wet: I'm still getting the frankincense, cinnamon, and violet, in that order. Then, the cinnamon note overtakes the frankincense, and the violet gets stronger as well. Dry: Mostly violet spiced and a soft cinnamon note, with some light frankincense in the background. Verdict: Violet is usually problematic on me, but I guess the cinnamon has kept it in check in this scent. This one is a lot better than I thought it would be, but not one I could see myself wearing.

In the imp: Lots of bois de rose and white florals. Wet: I'm not familiar with angel's trumpet, but I think it's the main note I'm getting on my skin after the bois de rose calms down a bit. After a few minutes, the orris note ends up becoming really strong, which is something orris tends to do on me.Then the bois de rose ends up reasserting itself again, so that it's bois de rose, angel's trumpet, and orris. I can't pick out the lettuce yet. Dry: Now I'm getting the wild lettuce note. It's adding this green, watery vibe to this now soft rose and white floral scent. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: I'm surprised the orris didn't take over. It's not one I would reach for, but I'm glad to have gotten to try it (I wasn't sure about the lettuce, but it wasn't problematic at all)!

In the imp: I'm only able to smell the citrus notes. The yuzu is the most prominent of the three. Wet: The citrus is tart. The yuzu dominates. I'm also getting the white grapefruit, which I believe is providing an extra bit of citrus zing. I'm not sure if I am getting starting to get the citrus-y, ozone-y snow note as the scent dries, or if it is just all of the citrus making me think that. Dry: I am getting the kumquat and some fizziness. After a few hours of wear, it becomes a faint citrus scent with some even lighter snow-dusted florals in the background. It's barely there after two hours of wear, and after two and a half hours, the citrus is completely gone, just leaving a faint trace of florals. Verdict: I liked the citrus, but this one fades too quickly on me.

In the imp: This is a fresh red rose with lots of greenery. Wet: Fresh, tart, dewy rose (reminiscent of Rose Red). The green stem and leaves are present, too. Dry: Same, but more tart than before. This one does the same thing on me that I didn't like about Rose Red 2005. Verdict: This isn't the kind of rose scent that I enjoy on my skin. It's similar to Rose Red, but I only wear that in hair gloss form because of the sour quality I seem to bring out in the scent. I'm glad I was able to try it, though!

In the imp: I can smell all of the notes. Ambergris-covered frankincense with freshly shredded basil leaves and some sage. Wet: The basil note leaps out to my nose first, and the sage is a lot stronger on me than it was in the vial. The green herbs are floating over a base of ambergris and frankincense. This one is very green. Dry: The ambergris becomes more prominent as the scent dries, so that it's mostly ambergris, basil, and sage, with some frankincense in the background. The ambergris just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Then, the scent ends up becoming really powdery on me. Verdict: The wet phase was a little too strong on the herb notes for me, and while I enjoyed the early dry phase, it ended up becoming too powdery for my liking.

In the imp: I'm getting fizziness of the Lab's champagne note backed by honeydew melon. Wet: The fizziness of the champagne tickles my nose! It's the dominant note on me, followed by the melon and the lime rind. I'm not positive about the melon note being honeydew, because now it reminds me of cantaloupe. After a few minutes, the champagne note turns into champagne grape instead of pure champagne, but so it isn't nearly as effervescent as before, although that quality hasn't gone away. Dry: I'm still getting lots of the champagne grape and melon, but now there's a somewhat soapy quality to the scent that I'm thinking is probably due to the florals interacting with the other notes. Eventually, the scent veers out of soapy territory and is a light, fizzy champagne grape with a bit of citrus. Verdict: I think this one really fits its name. I disliked the soapy phase that my skin chemistry produced, but it was pleasant aside from that. No bottle needed, but I'll hold onto my imp as always with the Mad Tea Party scents.

I'm testing an imp fresh from the Lab against an imp that's 4+ years old. Fresh In the imp: I'm getting milk, honey, linen, a really strong black tea note and some ginger. Wet: The linen, black tea, and ginger are the strongest notes on my skin, sweetened by the milk and honey. The linen note is gaining strength as the scent sits on my skin. Dry: The linen dominates, along with a lot of milk and black tea. The scent is sweetened by the honey, and the ginger, while still present, is not as strong as it was before. After a while, the milk overtakes the linen, so that it's a lightly-spiced clean scent. Verdict: I wish I had gotten more honey and vanilla from this tea scent, instead of milk and linen. The milk and linen end up being too strong for my liking. I prefer the wet stage of the scent. Aged In the imp: This one is a lot smoother and significantly less sweet. The linen, black tea, and milk are the strongest notes in the imp, but they don't have the sharp quality of the fresh imp. The ginger note is also a lot lighter. Wet: I'm getting milk, linen, tea and ginger. Unlike the fresh imp, the tea and ginger are light here. Dry: Milk and clean linen, accompanied by very faint tea and ginger. The milk note is the strongest note on me, and this ends up being mostly a skin scent. Verdict: Oddly enough, I think I enjoy the fresh imp more.

In the imp: Lots of plum and red rose. Plum is not a note I particularly enjoy on my skin, but I'm trying this anyway since it's part of the Mad Tea Party line. Wet: Red rose and plum, with the red rose being slightly stronger than the plum on initial application. However, it isn't long before the plum takes over. Dry: Plum and red rose. Sometimes I get more plum, and sometimes I get more rose. The plum isn't allowing the other notes to come through on me. I was hoping to get some of the bergamot! Verdict: This one is far too strong on the plum for me.

In the imp: I think this imp must be super aged, because I'm getting more patchouli from this than anything else, with some green mango and fig in the background. Wet: The patchouli note is the most prominent, but it is a soft patchouli. I'm also getting some fig, but it's not as strong as the patchouli and fig notes in scents like To His Mistress Going to Bed or a A Moment in Time. After a few minutes, the green mango note emerges, along with the green tea. The fig and the mango seem to be growing stronger over time, but they never overtake the patchouli. Dry: The patchouli note still reigns, followed by the fig. The patchouli is stronger than it was initially, and while I'm still getting a bit of the green mango, I'm not getting much green tea anymore. Verdict: This one is too patchouli-forward for me, and I'm not really a fan of the patchouli and fruits combo. I'll hang on to my imp since I collect all things Mad Tea Party, but I don't need more of this.

In the imp: I'm getting juicy kumquat, orange blossom, and a bit of white tea. Wet: The kumquat reigns, followed by the orange blossom, and then the white tea. I am getting a bit of the white pepper now, which adds a slight kick to the scent. It actually reminds me of Fruit Loops. Dry: The kumquat isn't as juicy anymore, and there's a tart quality to it now. The orange blossom has become stronger, as is the astringent, citrus-y white tea note, so it isn't reminiscent of Fruit Loops anymore. The white pepper continues to add some bite to the scent without being outright peppery. Verdict: I enjoyed the wet phase of the scent, but the orange blossom ends up being too strong for my liking during the dry phase of the scent. I don't need a bottle, but I'll hang on to my imp since I have imps of all of the Mad Tea Party scents.

In the imp: I can smell all of the notes listed, with the carnation being the faintest of the four. The chrysanthemum and lily stood out to me the most at first, but subsequent sniffings have produced a lot of white rose. Wet: I do get more spicy carnation on my skin than in the imp, but I do tend to amp that note. I smell the white rose and carnation the most, but the lily and chrysanthemum are pretty strong, too. Dry: White rose and lily, warmed by a bit of spicy carnation, with a touch of chrysanthemum. Verdict: This one is okay. The white rose note is a bit too strong on me for my liking, and I can't see myself reach for it, but I'm glad I was able to try it.

I have tried this one before, but I neglected to review it. I write a proper review with a fresh imp (and not the aged one I tried previously). In the imp: Dirt, flowers, rum, a bit of sharp bourbon, and a fair amount of moss. Wet: Dirt and heady, sweet florals, backed by some moss. Then the bay rum emerges. I'm not getting the bourbon of doom that I got from Juke Joint, fortunately! After a minute, the moss becomes stronger. Dry: The scent is far less sweet once dry. I'm mostly getting the dirt, moss, florals, and some bay rum, with the dirt and moss being particularly prominent. Hours later, the bay rum dominates over some dirt, moss, and florals. Verdict: I like this a lot more than the first time I tried it and will definitely be keeping my imp.

Disclaimer: I have only tried this on my skin and have not used it in the bath. In the bottle, I get a lot of the pumpkin butter note with a light ice cream base. This is not as sweet as Pumpkin Ice Cream bath oil from a few Halloweens ago. On my skin, the pumpkin butter note is the first to greet my nose. It really does smell like pumpkin butter, perhaps with some mashed apple mixed in? It's not like the other pumpkin notes I've come across from the Lab. Several hours later, it is still predominantly pumpkin butter, but it's creamier now. It's not as ice cream-y as I expected it to be, but I like it, nevertheless!

In the bottle: Syrup-y, sweet pumpkin sweetened further by the white chocolate. Wet: It's sweeter on me than it was in the bottle! I'm getting a lot of white chocolate with the pumpkin candy floss. I thought that the pumpkin might overtake the other notes, because it was pretty strong in the bottle, but the creamy white chocolate note ends up being just as strong as the pumpkin is on me. The pumpkin candy floss note only has a tinge of spice. After a few minutes, the marshmallow ends up peeking out. So far, this is really amazing and exactly what I was hoping for! The marshmallow seems to be getting stronger as the scent begins to dry. Aww yiss. I love the Lab's marshmallow note! Dry: After several hours of wear, the pumpkin floss remains the dominant note on me, along with lots of creamy white chocolate and some airy marshmallow. Verdict: I'm so happy that I bought a bottle!

In the imp: A bouquet of sweet, white florals. Wet: I'm not familiar enough with the scent of heliotrope or cyclamen to pick them out, but this is a sweet white floral bouquet. Dry: It's even sweeter on me now, but softer. The scent doesn't veer into soap territory despite all of the white florals present. Verdict: This one is nice. I can't see myself reaching for it as I vastly prefer wearing sugary florals (and not just straight-up florals), but I enjoy it more than I thought I would.