octopusgrrl

In the bottle: spicy bubblegum Wet: more bubblegum Dry: faded to a vague spice before it disappeared completely Verdict: Well, the scent didn't really appeal much, but its Voudoun properties seem to have an effect (not so much in the build-up to, but ithe duration of orgasm - exhausting, but well worth it!). I'll have to experiment some more with this in conjunction with Red Devil, I think

In the bottle: softly herbal. Wet: vanilla with a hint of lemongrass. Dry: a gentle spicy vanilla. Verdict: this has such a lovely scent and I'm tempted to get a 5ml bottle so I can wear it every day.

In the bottle: spicy, rich and luscious. Wet: mmm, delicious! It must be the almond that smells like cherry brandy on me. This reminds me a lot of Black Phoenix, but it’s spicier and less fruity and sweet. Dry: still yummy when it dries, clove-tinged cherry vanilla. Verdict: this one is a keeper - I absolutely love it!

In the bottle: yup, that’s definitely earthy alright… Wet: smells like spicy potting mix – urgh! Dry: the real "dirt"-iness wears off a bit, leaving a gentle earthy spice. Verdict: I’m not sure what I was thinking when I ordered this, it pretty much smells exactly as you’d expect from the description. Not my thing at all, although much respect to the Lab for creating such an incredibly strange scent!

In the bottle: tart green apple with a sugary edge. Wet: sweet and sharp, the apple scent morphing into caramelised sugar, very intense and strong. Dry: the sharpness melts away, leaving a delicious sweet fruity scent. Verdict: I found the really sharp sugary smell too strong for a while, but I like this once it's dry. I wouldn't wear it every day, but it's definitely good for when I need a bit of zing. It'll be very nice to wear when Spring arrives!

In the bottle: orange liquor and spicy incense. Wet: it keeps reminding me of some herb or spice they sell in Asian groceries, I can’t tell what it is, but it’s not altogether pleasant. It doesn’t last long, then the scent turns into a buttery caramel. Dry: an hour in and this has become Lolita Lempicka on me now - I love it! I keep sniffing my delicious spicy vanilla and caramel wrists Verdict: I don’t think I’d like to wear it all the time, as it’s a bit too sweet and intense for everyday, but it’s really lovely.

In the bottle: green and herbal – almost a sweet spearmint flavour, like those spearmint leaf lollies. Wet: reminds me of crushed herbs and faintly menthol (my husband said “eucalyptus!”) Dry: dries to a herbally, gently resinous scent – evokes frankincense for me. Verdict: This was really nice and subtle, and not at all what I expected. I'll definitely use this one again.

In the bottle: vanilla, woody and sweet Wet: very resinous, with an layer of musky, spicy sweetness. Dry: strong sweet frankincense and sharp woodiness (is that cedarwood?) Verdict: I really love this oil - I couldn't stop sniffing at myself!

In the bottle: orange and spicy floral. Wet: spicy - maybe cinnamon - and citrus-sweet. Went slightly metallic for a while until it dried. Dry: spicy, dry and “hot” - something I would relate to the loa Ogùn. Verdict: I don’t know about the sexiness bit, but this is a very yummy scent. I'll definitely be trying this one out again.

In the bottle: deliciously rich, dense florals with a spicy edge. Wet: very evocative - I can smell cloves in the mix! Unfortunately it goes a bit of bubblegummy on me for a while until it dries. Dry: heady (but not overwhelming) jasmine and spice. To run with the analogy, this evokes for me a femme de couleur in a bright floral dress and crimson tignon fanning herself on a wrought-iron balcony... Verdict: I really like this one - it's a keeper! I like jasmine, but I hate it when it's too strong. This one is just right for me.

In the bottle: a sweet light rose. Wet: this reminds me so much of “4711” eau de cologne! Very lemony, with a layer of tea rose underneath. Dry: the rose comes out more, and develops into a beautifully gentle rose scent. Verdict: I liked this much more once it dried off, and I'll probably wear it again.

In the bottle: totally violet, but not with that false too-sweet scent that so many violet perfumes have - this smells like real dewy violets. Wet: fresh violets - I sensed the sweeter tea rose underneath, but the overriding scent is violet. Delicious! Dry: a gentle violet floral fading to powder, but never becoming cloying. Verdict: I loved it, but my man thought it smelled old lady-ish (this happens a lot with us - I adore the old-fashioned scents of lavender, rose and violet, but my husband can’t get past the grandmotherly connotations!) I will wear this one for myself

In the bottle: sweet and fragrant rose and musk Wet: this reminds me so much of the musk stick lollies we used to eat as kids - so sweet! Dry: still very “musk stick”-y with a touch of powdery rose. Verdict: it’s a very yummy sweet scent, but unfortunately I don’t find it sexy at all. I'll probably wear it again, though.

In the bottle: very strongly ylang-ylang, with hints of apple Wet: fragrantly floral, mainly the ylang-ylang and rose coming through - almost jasmine-y. Light and fresh, but intense, with a hint of spice. Dry: slightly spicy rose-y ylang-ylang. Verdict: I'm not a huge ylang-ylang fan, but I quite liked it. However, the other-‘alf thought it smelled “old lady-ish”, so I’m undecided now. I'll probably try it again, though.

In the bottle: incense and patchouli Wet: a spicy and earthy aroma, very masculine and “dry” Dry: dries to a spicy powdery fragrance which I really don’t like – smells like talc mixed with dirt, or like patchouli with all the interesting bits taken out. Ugh! Verdict: This might possibly work better on a male, but it really doesn’t do much for me. I'm a bit disappointed, as I really liked how it smelled in the bottle

In the bottle: ugh, not keen - smells like an incense shop in there, very patchouli! Wet: woody and spicy, a really hot/dry flavour - possibly the red wine aspect? Dry: VERY patchouli, with rose and jasmine layers coming through as it dries off. An hour in, and only a strong spicy jasmine remains. It’s setting off my hayfever! Verdict: I'm not sure how often I'd wear this - the dark jasmine scent is way too strong for my taste.

In the bottle: spicy bubblegummy chocolate! Wet: lots of different flavours, peppery hot spice, smoky and sugary. Dry: it moves through floral rose to a rich dark sweet cherry over time. Quite intriguing and deliciously addictive, I think I need more of this!

In the bottle: strong almonds, honey, slightly bubblegummy. Wet: much more almondy, slightly powdery and “perfumey” (floral - is that the carnation?) It's kind of addictive even though those are not really scents I would choose for myself. Such a powerful scent from just a little on my wrist! All babypowder and floral and sweet, yet not as innocent as that sounds because of a gentle spicy kick. Dry: fades to a powdery sweet floral, with a little spicy warmth left. Verdict: More appealing than I thought it would be at first. I think I’d like it more without the powdery side, so I’ll probably swap this imp.

In the bottle: it's a really intense and strong musky incense-y rose. Wet: a very fragrant old rose scent, reminding me a lot of rose incense. Dry: quite strong, drying to a scent of slightly spicy dried roses Verdict: it's grown on me during the day, but it's just a little too much like pot pourri for me to really love it. Nevertheless, I’ll wear it again.