Pyretta

One of my two Lupercalia blind-bottles, the other being The Initiation. I'm absolutely crazy for that one, but To His Mistress Going to Bed sadly went the in the opposite direction Bottle: Very, very smoky and slightly sweet patchouli, though I wouldn't call it sweet in a caramel way exactly... more like barbecue sauce sweet. I'm not getting any bourbon vanilla or benzoin, but the tiniest bit of fig comes out if I try to block out the smoke note. Wet: I'm not getting any fig or much of the patchouli now - my skin just amps that smoke like crazy! It's taking on a definite musky, almost savory scent. Dry: This is straight up applewood smoke now. It's definitely not unpleasant, but I'm disappointed that the other notes are nowhere to be found. I tested this on my neck and on the back of my hand - after around 20 minutes, if I hold my hand up to my nose I can smell the musk note from before. It's hinting at fig, the same fig from Carnal that I really love, but I have to look hard for it. Verdict: I'm extremely conflicted about this one. It's so, so different on me than I imagined from the description, and I was sure that it would be a winner. The bottle art is gorgeous, too! I just don't see myself wearing this often as is, but I think I'll age it to see if the smoke softens a little - especially since the other reviews mention strong fig notes, and that was the only thing I could detect apart from the applewood smoke in the dry stage.

Bought this in honor of David Bowie - it took forever for the Lab to restock but it finally came today and I'm so, so happy!! Bottle: I can definitely see where all the Dorian comparisons are coming from! Jareth has a similar sweet fougere going on, except his is less lemony and more floral. I'm getting a citrus note, though - almost orange - which is strange because there is nothing of the sort listed. Wet: This is so, so gorgeous - definitely more complex than Dorian but with all the foundations I love right there. The sugary vanilla is exactly the same and I'm loving it. Jareth smells sweet, sexy, and androgynous in his balance between a sharper fougere and the lilac/citrus note, which is stronger than it was in the bottle. I'm starting to get a hint of musk and leather in there too. Dry: At this point I'm compulsively huffing my wrist every few minutes. It's that damn good. This is one scent that I'm really glad hasn't morphed on me much past the wet stage (if I inhale deeply the leather really comes out, it's delicious and very sexy!!). It's layering at its absolute finest: all at once, I get fresh men's cologne and that gorgeous lilac fougere on top, sweet vanilla throughout and that deliciously naughty, musky leather to ground it all. Verdict: Sooo worth the wait! It's shocking - I really think I love this more than Dorian... or at least it perfectly fits the bill when I'm craving a little more complexity. A scent that seriously holds up to its inspiration, it absolutely oozes androgynous sex appeal. I can't wait to let my boyfriend try it out, but something tells me that I'll have to keep my eye on it!! A million thanks to the Lab

Bottle: I was so convinced that this would be my favorite of the Yules straight out of the imp. Gorgeous, mouthwatering spicy pear, with hints of coconut and vanilla. A perfect scent for cozy winter nights. Wet: The spice deepens, and the pear turns sweet and juicy, backed up by supple leather. I'm definitely feeling the "sweatiness", but in an almost decadent, sultry way. Also getting fleshy coconut. It's definitely not a traditional foodie scent but I'm visualizing digging into a sort of rum-soaked caramelized baked pear and getting the juices all over my hands. Dry: Damn. Damn damn damn. Sexy pear lasts for maybe five minutes, and then it does a 180 into sunscreen territory. Coconut completely drowns out the pear/spices/honey/leather, and it's that cloying perfumey kind now. That lasts for a few more minutes before it goes full-on bugspray ... and theeeeere's the headache. I scrubbed it off but can still smell it hours later. It got some of the coconut back but the spray don't go away. Verdict: I think that's the most NOPE reaction I've had to one of the Lab's oils yet, and after such a promising start, too I'll still be keeping my decant just for huffing purposes, but I'm seriously heartbroken because I want to smell like the first five minutes of that rollercoaster ride all winter long. Thank God I didn't throw in a bottle with my latest order before doing a skin test. Maybe I'll get a scent locket or something because I love it so much ITI, just does something crazy with my chemistry. Still, though.... dang

Got this as a frimp with a BPTP purchase on Etsy, but I ordered an imp from the website previously (still in transit to me). Bottle: Nooo! Overwhelming patchouli. Patchouli everywhere, with a bit of ylang ylang. This is definitely rubbing me the wrong way so far Wet: Cheap ylang ylang soap comes into the mix. Bleck. Dry: The soapiness disappears with time, thank God, but now it's just heavy without being sexy. Just getting a lot of vaguely flowery patchouli. Verdict: I really, really wanted to love this, but it just doesn't work for me. I guess I was hoping for a more subtle patchouli, and the ylang ylang turns really, really soapy when it's freshly applied. It's not nearly as offensive when it dries down, but I can't see myself wearing this out at all. No harm in keeping the frimp, just to see if it changes on me as it ages, but the extra is going straight to the swaps.

Got this as a frimp with a BPTP purchase on Etsy! Bottle: Like standing in the middle of a thick, dark forest. Tons of fir, mixed with musk and orange. I can sense a minty undertone as well, adding to the sharpness of the fir. I can tell it will probably pull too masculine on me, though. Wet: Transforms into a sweeter orange scent as the fir fades into the background. The mint undertone is getting stronger, and I sense the tobacco coming out. Still quite masculine, though not as blatant as I'd expected. Dry: This is such an enigma of a perfume! Something in between tobacco and burning wood takes up the foreground, with all the other ingredients coming together in a dark, spicy blend. The sweet orange still lingers, and I can't smell the mint as much as "feel" it tingle as I inhale. The smoky tobacco/wood dominates over time. Verdict: Deeply complex and layered, this is a scent that I was very intrigued by in the imp and became more so as it dried down on my skin. I'm very glad I got to experience it as it's not something that I would seek out on my own; it's definitely too smoky and masculine for me to wear out (though maybe that'll change in the late fall/winter), so I'm just keeping the imp. I'm very curious as to how it will smell on my man, though.