dementia_divine

In the decant: Brown sugar cookies with chunks of cinnamon-covered green apple drizzled with caramel. Wet: I get the cinnamon-covered green apples first, and then the brown sugar cookie base and caramel. I was worried that this would be too caramel-y for me (I only like the note in small amounts), but fortunately, it hasn’t taken over the other notes (at least, not yet). Dry: Alas, I spoke too soon! The caramel note has become a lot stronger, and this scent has some serious throw! The cinnamon-y green apples are not as prominent as they were before, and I am getting more of the brown sugar cookie and caramel. After a while, the scent ends up calming down, and it ends up being a brown sugar cookie with some caramel and a bit of apple, with the brown sugar being the most prominent part of the scent on me. The brown sugar is really nice. Verdict: Although I like the scent after it has been on my skin for a while, the caramel ended up being too much for me for a few hours. It does smell delicious, though -- it’s a cookie I’d really like to eat… I am just not sure I want to smell like it!

In the decant: The sandalwood in this reminds me of Kit, but this isn’t as dry thanks to the musk and the vanilla. Wet: I still think this is the same sandalwood found in Kit (Mysore sandalwood). The vanilla is sweetening the scent, and it’s a creamy vanilla. I figured this would be mostly musky sandalwood and that I wouldn’t get much vanilla from it, so I am pleasantly surprised to get a fair amount of it on my skin! The sandalwood and vanilla are the main players on me, backed by what I believe may be a skin musk. Dry: The scent remains that way for a long time: vanilla-ed Mysore sandalwood on a bed of musk. After a few hours, the creamy vanilla becomes more prominent, the sandalwood calms down a little, and I get more of the skin musk. Verdict: I was originally interested in getting a bottle of this back in 2016, but I was studying in Europe at the time and trying to conserve funds for traveling, so I skipped a bottle of this one in favor of ALL THE LAVENDER THINGS and Outlaw. Well, it’s even better than I was expecting, thanks to the prominence of the vanilla, and I wish I had gotten a bottle. I will cherish my decant and see if I can more of it at some point in the future.

In the imp: I can smell the frankincense, anise, metallic notes, and the leather. The metallic notes do smell polished and aren’t as sharp as the ones in Galvanic Goggles -- at least, not in the vial. Wet: I’m getting the oils, anise, the polished metallic notes, and some frankincense. The metallic notes in this are definitely a lot more well-behaved on my skin than the ones in Galvanic Goggles. They still have a bit of a cologne-y vibe to them, but they aren’t sharp in this one. The leather in this scent is smooth. Dry: This one stays close to the skin. Anise usually takes over on me, but that didn’t happen here. It doesn’t read as black licorice anymore. It’s hard to pick out any of the notes now, but the frankincense is definitely a main player. This is a warm, resinous scent, with a soft, well-worn leather, and a bit of spice. I’m still not sure which oils are in this, but I can tell that they are contributing to the scent. Verdict: This one was far more pleasant than I expected to be, given that it has metallic notes and anise in it. It’s my favorite scent of the Phoenix Steamwork scents I’ve tried thus far, but it’s so light on me that I know I wouldn’t reach for it. So I’m passing it on to someone who wants to try it.

In the imp: I smell all of the notes in the order they appear: something metallic, the musk, the tobacco flower, and finally, the balsam. The metallic aspect isn’t as sharp as I thought it would be -- maybe the other notes are helping to tame it? And I’m really looking forward to the balsam note. Wet: The metallic notes have a cologne-y feel to them, as they usually do on my skin, but I’m also getting a lot of the Indian musk, which is a soft, somewhat powdery musk to my nose. As the scent sits on my skin, the metallic notes become sharper -- alas! The tobacco flower comes out after a few minutes, adding a smokiness to the scent, and while I can smell the balsam, it is not a main player on me. Dry: This is sharply metallic and smoky. The metallic notes and tobacco flower are now the stars of the show. I am getting far less musk than I did before, and the balsam has remained in its background role. After several hours of wear, I do end up getting some more balsam than before, but it is still no match for the metallic part of the scent or the tobacco flower, the latter of which has become the most prominent part of the scent. Verdict: The sharp, cologne-y metallic notes and tobacco flower aren’t really my cup of tea. I was hoping the balsam would take the center stage, but that was not the case. It was really nice to get to try this one, though!

In the decant: I’m getting sour moss, dragon’s blood, dry leaves, and a bit of pine. Wet: This one is heavy on the dragon’s blood. I am also getting a fair amount of moss. Behind those notes, I can smell the pine. As the scent sits on my skin, the moss gains strength, and I think I am smelling the Lab’s stone note as the scent begins to dry. I’m also getting some resin-y incense and something that makes me think of dusty, velvet tapestries hanging from an abandoned castle’s walls. Dry: Spicy dragon’s blood, moss, stone, and resin-y incense (I am thinking there’s some myrrh in this). I’m getting a lot more spice than I did before. There's some dry cinnamon in here. Verdict: This is far too much dragon’s blood for me, but it is certainly an evocative, atmospheric scent!

In the imp: Lots of cranberry, with just a hint of ginger. Wet: The cranberry is by far the strongest note, and I think the musk is making it stronger. Behind that, I can smell the smoky lilies and a bit of spice. I swear there’s some soft, chewy patchouli in this as well. Dry: The combination of the cranberry and the musk makes me think of red Jello. I no longer get any patchouli, and the smoky lily note just smells smoky in the background. So… fruit punch or Jello with a bit of smoke and a little spice in the background. Verdict: This is far too fruity for me, and the fruit + smoke combo also isn’t my cup of tea. As far as cranberry goes, I like Red more than this one.

In the decant: I smell a ton of patchouli, followed by the vetiver and oudh. This is a really dark scent. Wet: The patchouli and oudh are the first notes to leap out at me, followed by the vetiver. Then, the spectral musk note emerges, which has a cool quality to it. After a few minutes, I get a bit of the plum. Dry: I am getting more of the black plum than I did during the wet phase of the scent. The patchouli and oudh are still going strong. The vetiver is pretty strong as well, but it’s not the BBQ-y variety. The cool, spectral musk continues to intertwine with the other notes. Verdict: This one isn’t really in my wheelhouse, because plum and vetiver are not really my thing, but it is more pleasant than I expected it to be from the list of notes, and it was nice to get to try it!

In the decant: A cool breeze and leaves (some green, some dead), with a bit of snow in the background. Wet: I thought the leaves would be the first thing to jump out at me, but I’m actually getting a blast of clean (either white musk or ozone) with some snow behind it. Then, the leaves emerge, some brown, some red, some green. I agree that there are Maple leaves at play here. The snow note adds a bit of sweetness, but it is not the sweet Snow White snow note, and I think it may contain a bit of pine. But the leaves are becoming stronger as the scent begins to dry. As it dries, I smell apple, but it’s more like an apple cider without the spice than an apple hanging from a tree, and there’s a wisp of smoke to the scent. Dry: The fruity aspect of the scent (I am still thinking cider that’s also been infused with some other fruits, or maybe a combination of apple cider and pomegranate) is now the most prominent, followed by a bit of smoke, with a bit of the dry leaves in the background. After a few hours, the scent is very soft and chilly. I think there’s a dusting of sweet, powdery snow now, but it may just be chilled air. Verdict: Leaf scents are often problematic for me: they either give me a headache or smell like peppers on my skin. So I was surprised not to have that happen here! This was a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be, and it is definitely a morpher that showcases various phases of autumn. I like it! I just wish it were a little stronger.

In the imp: This reads as purple with some green herbs beneath it to my nose. I wonder if there is blackberry juice in this, mingling with a perfume-y floral and some herbs? Wet: I do get some the juice of kind of tart, dark berry squeezed over a sharp, perfume-y floral note, with some herbs behind that. Dry: This still feels purple to me. I still feel like some kind of berry juice is involved, although I am getting far less of it than I did before, but for the most part, I’m getting a sweet floral scent backed by some herbs. After a few hours, the herbs come out more, making the scent almost enter soap territory on me… but not quite. It remains a very purple scent, but it’s drier now. Verdict: I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but I wanted to try it since as part of the Märchen line of scents. It’s not bad, but it’s also not something I’d reach for. It was nice to be able to try it, though!

In the imp: White sandalwood and a light, clean leather. Wet: I’m getting a dusty, white sandalwood note with the white leather cuddled up right beside it. Dry: The dusty sandalwood continues to reign. It’s smooth and slightly sweet. The leather resides in the background, and I am getting less of it than I did before. Verdict: This one is nice. The dusty sandalwood in this makes me think of some of BPAL’s book scents, although this doesn’t have any of the common paper notes (like tonka) or the leather normally found in those scents. There are other sandalwood-dominant scents that I’d reach for over this one, so I don’t need more of it, but I like it a lot more than I thought I would!

She’s that Instagram queen who only performs once in a full moon. Cardamom-infused whiskey and fig cream. I tested this one at Drag Con, and the cardamom was the dominant note on me and the boy (who was reminded of cake -- I did not think of cake, but it did remind me of the cardamom on cardamom buns in Sweden). I thought this would be really boozy due to the whiskey. It was more foodie on both of us, although the whiskey did end up being the main player after a while. I was not able to pick out the fig cream, but maybe that's because my nose was too overwhelmed by that point. Fans of cardamom will be happy to have this one. The only thing that stopped me from buying a bottle was me trying to tell myself that I already have a cardamom-forward foodie scent (Cardamom Cream Pumpkin Cake) in my collection.

Why does she insist on turning every conversation into a reading challenge? An ephemeral white chypre with honeysuckle, blue lilac, a burst of wisteria, Italian neroli, jasmine sambac, and grave moss. At Drag Con, this mostly smelled like moss and neroli in the bottle (even the boy, who had no idea what was in the notes, sniffed it and was like, “Whoa! That's some moss!”). But when I applied it, I got a lot of honeysuckle... and then couldn't really concentrate on it properly because Drag on a Slime, which was on the finger next to it, was overpowering it. So I got a bottle just in case. In the bottle: Neroli, moss, and flowers. I can pick out a bit of the bright honeysuckle and some jasmine, but I can't pick out the wisteria and blue lilac, and I'm not sure what comprises the white chypre. The neroli and moss stand out to me the most, though. Wet: Neroli, moss, and a melange of floral notes. I do get more of the honeysuckle on my skin than I did from the bottle, but neroli, moss, and jasmine seem to stand out to me the most. I wonder if there's some white musk or ozone in the chypre, or if that's just the wisteria and the moss going sharp on me. Dry: Eventually, the scent ends up calming down somewhat, and it ends up being primarily moss, jasmine, and neroli on me. I can finally smell the blue lilac during this stage of the scent, and I can still smell the honeysuckle, but it is not a main player on me. Verdict: Those that enjoy moss and floral notes will likely appreciate this one. I was hoping for more honeysuckle from this, but alas, my skin brought out more of the moss, neroli, and jasmine. I'll let it settle for a few days and retest it, but I'm not sure this one is for me.

In the imp: The lily and high-pitched wisteria stand out to my nose, backed by the white sandalwood. Wet: The lily, sharp wisteria, and rose take the center stage. Behind them, I get some of the white sandalwood and frankincense. The wisteria and rose combo is sharp and somewhat sour on me, which confirms my thoughts on it not being a very good note combo on me after having this happen with Ode on Melancholy. Dry: The floral notes continue to reign, although the wisteria and rose have calmed down slightly, and I am getting a lot more of the white sandalwood than before. The frankincense note is not a really strong variety and seems content with its background role. Verdict: The rose and wisteria combination is too much for me, even though it does mellow out eventually.

In the imp: I am here for the honeysuckle and buttercup, but all I smell in the imp is jasmine. It’s a soft jasmine, but jasmine nonetheless. Wet: The jasmine is the most prominent note on me. I can’t smell anything but the jasmine at first, but after a bit, I get a little honeysuckle behind it. Dry: This is a bright floral scent resting on a bed of soft musk. The jasmine is still the star of the show, but I think I may be smelling the buttercup along with it now. I’m no longer able to pick out any honeysuckle, but I suspect it is adding a bit of brightness and sweetness to the scent. Verdict: I’m really glad i got to try this one! I think I prefer Eostre of the Dawn, because the honeysuckle plays a bigger role in that scent, so I don’t think I’ll hold on to this one. But it is a pretty spring floral scent.

In the imp: This reminds me of something, although I’m not sure exactly of what yet. I’m getting honeyed, soft, powdery myrrh, some red patchouli, and warm musk. I can smell the floral notes, but they’re not super heady in the vial (which surprises me, especially because there’s tuberose in this). Wet: The honey, soft myrrh, and warm skin musk are the first notes that leap out at me. Then, I get a bit of patchouli and cognac. After a few minutes, the floral notes emerge. The geranium is sharp, and I think the tuberose is lending a creamy, floral quality to the scent. Dry: The honey, soft myrrh, and warm skin musk continue to reign, and I am getting a little more cognac than I did before. The geranium and tuberose are present, but haven’t been permitted to stomp all over everything else. I only smell a hint of the red patchouli in the background. Verdict: I really like this one! I just wish I could think of the scent it reminds me of! I’ll be holding on to my imp and seeing how much I reach for it before I decide if I need more.

In the decant: I was frimped a tester of this from a generous forumite. When I first sniffed this, fresh from the mail, my first thought was, “I fucked up. I should have tried this when it was available!” I’m getting the brown leather, tonka, bourbon vanilla, and a fresh, sweet, pink rose. Wet: The brown leather and pink rose stand out to me the most, but I’m also getting a fair amount of tonka and bourbon vanilla. As the oil sits on my skin, the pink rose becomes more prominent. As Aviatrix said in her review, this is a pink rose in a vase next to a book rather than a rose being pressed into it. Dry: The rose ends up being the strongest note for some time, but it does end up calming down somewhat after a while. I’m getting more brown leather, tonka, and vanilla bourbon than I did before. I’m not sure I would think of this one as a book scent, but it is lovely. Verdict: This is really nice. I won’t actively seek out a bottle of it (because I try not to chase after past LEs as there are always so many new scents on the horizon), but if I ever happen to see one up for swaps, I’d pounce!

In the imp: Watermelon, white sandalwood, sweet pea, and lilac musk with the pale woods and a bit of oakmoss in the background. Wet: I am getting the watermelon, sandalwood, and lilac musk, with some oakmoss in the background. The oakmoss and woods become more prominent as the scent begins to dry, but the watermelon, sandalwood, and lilac musk are still the main players. Dry: The watermelon (which reminds me more of Jolly Ranchers than the real thing), lilac musk, oakmoss, and pale woods are the notes I am smelling now. Then, I am able to detect the sweet pea, but it’s not a main player on me. After several hours, I’m left with some moss, pale woods (there’s a lot of white sandalwood now), lilac musk, and a much fainter watermelon note. Verdict: The floral, wood, and moss notes kept the watermelon in check, fortunately. This is more pleasant than I thought it would be, but ultimately, it’s not something I’d reach for. I’m glad I was able to try it, though!

In the decant: The white tea note is by far the strongest note to my nose, followed by the honeycomb, and then the vanilla orchid. It reminds me of Snake’s Kiss without the vanilla cream and with the addition of orchid. Wet: The astringent, lemony, white tea is the most prominent note, followed by the honeycomb. Behind those notes, I get the orchid, but no sandalwood yet. Dry: The white tea and honeycomb continue to reign, followed by the vanilla orchid. The pale sandalwood has emerged now, but it resides in the background. After a few hours, I get a little more of the pale sandalwood, but it remains content with its background role. Verdict: This makes me think of Snake’s Kiss without the vanilla cream that I enjoy from Snake’s Kiss, and with the addition of orchid and a bit of sandalwood. It’s pleasant, but I don’t think I’ll keep the decant, as I know I’d just reach for Snake’s Kiss over this one.

The decant is not labeled with the year, but I am thinking this was likely from the original CD release. In the decant: Blue lilac and lily of the valley sweetened by the nectarine and backed by the golden musk and green tea. Wet: The floral notes are the most prominent notes, slightly sweetened by the nectarine (it was stronger in the vial than it is on my skin), and backed by the green tea. As it sits on my skin, the nectarine becomes a little stronger, and the bergamot emerges, making this more of a fruity floral. I’m also getting the musk as the scent dries down. Dry: The blue lilac is the dominant note, followed by the nectarine and the bergamot, and then the lily. I do get a bit of the beeswax during this phase of the scent, but it’s really just a touch, and these notes are backed by the golden musk and white ginger. Verdict: This is nice. It’s something I feel the need to grab a bottle of, but I would like to find a decant from the re-release and see what it smells like fresh.

In the imp: Orange, lavender, eucalyptus (I do get a Vicks Vapor Rub vibe from this), and possibly some ginger (there’s some warmth in the background). Wet: I’m getting orange, lavender, eucalyptus, what I still think may be ginger, orange blossom, and something green. Then it quickly changes to lemon (I’m thinking lemongrass), ginger, lavender, orange blossom, and jasmine. As it dries, the eucalyptus reasserts itself, and I think the green note may be rosemary. Dry: This is mostly an herbal citrus, lavender, and orange blossom scent on me backed by a soft jasmine. It’s cool, citrus-y, herbal, and floral. Verdict: I was curious about this one because of the citrus and the lavender, but I vastly prefer Cheshire Cat for a citrus + lavender combo. The orange blossom makes this a bit sharp, and some of the herbs in this aren’t really my cup of tea. Not bad, but not something I’d reach for.

I was lucky to be able to join a SDCC group order for the prototype back in 2013, but I had never smelled the original… until a very generous forumite frimped me a decant! I decided to apply the prototype to one wrist and the released version to the other in order to compare the two. In the decant: I’m getting something waxy along with green apple that’s backed by some ozonic snow. Wet: The waxiness is present on my skin, and I wonder if it is supposed to be a lipstick note? I get that waxy quality, the green apple, and then the minty, pine-y, ozonic snow. As it sits on my skin, the waxiness calms down somewhat, and the green apple and snow note become stronger. I get more pine from the snow than I do from the Snow Glass Apples v4 prototype, and the prototype is also sweeter. This makes me think of red lipstick smeared on a green apple that’s been bitten into and left in a snowy, pine forest. Dry: This is a musky, snowy, green apple scent. There is a glass-y quality to this. The pine part of the snow note is a lot fainter now, which allows me to smell more of the apple than before. Verdict: I am so glad that I was able to try this and compare it to the prototype I have! The prototype is sweeter, stronger on the apple, and longer lasting, but I think the final version fits its name and description perfectly. I am not going to try hunt down more of this, but I will definitely cherish the decant.

Daisy, pink carnation, pink pepper, and sugar. I use bath oils as after-shower moisturizers, and thus, this review is not for the oils intended purpose. In the bottle, it smells just like the perfume oil to me! On my skin, the daisy is the most prominent note, with the sugar right behind it, so it smells like sugared daisies! After a few minutes, the pink carnation and pink pepper notes emerge. As it sits on my skin, the scent becomes sweeter, while refraining from going into bubblegum territory (although I could see how the sugar, pink pepper, and carnation might give off that vibe on some skin chemistries). After several hours of wear, I can still smell it, but it stays close to the skin (and is not as strong as the perfume oil). I am so happy to be able to slather myself in High-Strung Daisies ALL THE THINGS, and if bath oils didnt turn with age, Id get another bottle! If you are a fan of sugary florals, do not let this one pass you by!

In the decant: The opoponax stands out to me the most, but I can also smell the olibanum (frankincense), moss, tea, and grassy khus. There’s also a bit of spice to this one. I wonder if the tea is spiced? Wet: I’m getting lots of spice (I am thinking red ginger and cinnamon), opoponax, and black tea leaves. Dry: The moss, resins, khus (vetiver), and soggy ti are the main players now. The spice is still present, but it is not as strong as it was during the wet phase. After a while, it becomes greener and earthier. I mostly get the moss, vetiver, soggy ti, and opoponax with some frankincense in the background. The moss and vetiver end up being the strongest notes, and they’re too much for me. Verdict: This is a really dark, earthy scent. It is too dark and masculine for me, but it’s certainly fitting for Ligur!

In the decant: The sharp, somewhat sour labdanum is by far the strongest note, followed by the black patchouli. Wet: The labdanum is the most prominent note on me, followed by the patchouli, but I get a bit of the brimstone now. This one is dark, resinous, and somewhat smoky. After a few minutes, the tobacco makes itself known and becomes one of the main players, adding more smokiness to the scent, but the labdanum is still king. Dry: The labdanum continues to reign, but it has softened considerably. The tobacco is right behind it. The patchouli in this is present, but not a bully. There’s a cinnamon-y warmth and yet also a cool, pine-y vibe, and I am thinking that must be the brimstone. The spicy aspect is something that both Hastur and Ligur share, although it is more potent in Ligur than in Hastur. Verdict: This is not as menacing as I initially thought it would be. It’s not something I could see myself wearing (the labdanum is too strong for me at first and it is definitely a masculine scent), but I think fans of heavy resins and tobacco would appreciate this one.

A shock in a jock: the perfect drag king cologne. Black leather and a snap of ozone. I tested this one twice at Drag Con. This one is strong on the black leather at first, backed by the ozone. After it has settled for a while, it becomes an ozone-y, leather-y cologne. I enjoyed that phase of the scent the most, when the leather wasn't as intense. I did not end up grabbing a bottle of this one, because I tend to prefer my leather with something sweet (like vanilla or tonka), but I think fans of the Lab's leather scents will not be disappointed.