Penance

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Hmm, this is pretty masculine smelling. Like Vicomte de Valmont, it reminds me of generic men's cologne for some reason. I get a bit of thyme and lavender, but the rest is lost in the generigc cologne smell. It's not a bad smell, just not what I want in a BPAL oil. Wet on skin: In spite of the generic cologne vibe, I may give this to the boy because I'm trying to lure him into loving BPAL and this would be a (it kills me to say this about Beth's creations) intermediate kind of scent between what I consider true BPAL and generic cologne. It smells a little darker now and less citrusy/herbal. I can smell the moss in the far background and the bergamot, lavender and thyme in the foreground. It's a nice, generic masculine kind of smell although I'm sure a woman could easily pull this off. Dry down: Tonka bean, maybe? I smell something vaguely creamy smelling here in addition to the notes I smelled when it was wet. There's also a hint of patchouli now, so my boy may not like it. He hates smelling like a "stinky hippie," even in small amounts. The bottom line: Not bad. A little generic, but not bad. I don't think I'll be keeping it, though, since it's not my kind of scent and the boy wouldn't like it. Off to swaps with it!

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Lavender, violet and a hint of sandalwood. It's a very quiet, soft scent that reminds me of wrapping myself up in the sheer curtains on our windows when I was little. I'm not sure if it's me but it's a very understated and soft scent, which is a good thing in my book. I need a little peace and softness now and then. Wet on skin: Mmm, sandalwood! I can also smell lavender almost equally and there's a hint of violet in the background. Other than the sandalwood and lilac in this, the notes in Veil aren't really my thing (at all), but this is surprisingly likeable. Dry down: I can smell the sandalwood, lavender, violet and orris in this now and the effect wavers between dry and slightly musty and floral and vaguely matronly smelling. It's not a bad smell, I think it's just not me. The bottom line: I'm not really a floral person, so this isn't quite up my alley, even with the sandalwood in it. This is going to have to go up for swaps since I can't see myself wearing it more than once in a great while.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: This smells like flowers to me. Wildflowers, not flower shop flowers. I'm horribly at picking out individual floral notes, so I won't even deign to try on this one apart from saying it smells like wildflowers in full bloom with a hint of something almost fruity in the background. Wet on skin: Floral, but not the kind of floral I usually despise. This isn't overpowering or contrived smelling like most flower shop type floral scents are to me. This is random bursts of color and scent against a background of green. It's still not my kind of scent, but for once it's not because the floral notes are giving me a headache, but rather because I prefer darker, heavier scents. Dry down: This reminds me somewhat of Queen Mab, which must be the black orchid coming through. It's a very distinct, almost fruity kind of smell that's not quite my cup of tea, but quite nice all the same. This is a bright, random wildflower kind of floral scent, not a carefully arranged flower shop kind of scent and while neither one really appeals to me, I prefer the randomness of wildflowers to the careful combinations of a flower shop. The bottom line: Sadly, flowers aren't my thing, although, as flowers go, this is a lovely scent. This one's going to have to be swapped, though, because it's just not me.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! First sniff: Wow, that's really unusual. I get some sort of spicy smelling varnished wood from this on first sniff. My best guess is that it's the rosewood I'm smelling here. I don't get any florals apart from maybe the barest hint of tea rose. This smells more like a freshly dusted Victorian parlor than it does flowers, which is surprising to me. Wet on skin: Wood of some sort...it smells almst like redwood. Maybe it's the oak...I'm not really sure. It doesn't smell like a tree, more like varnished furniture. There's also the faintest hint of floral notes starting to peek out. This actually reminds me very strongly of the Victorian mansion where we're having our wedding reception. I was expecting something more floral out of this, but I'm getting wood furniture most strongly, which is fine by me. Dry down: Now the flowers are coming out. I get a hint of lilac and a lot of rose. It's not an unpleasant, headache-inducing floral, but I'm not sure if it's me or not. I may have to give this one another couple tries before I decide for sure. The bottom line: This definitely captures the spirit of the Victorian era, no doubt about it. I'm not sure yet if Ouija is for me or not, though. I'm going to have to give it another couple tries before I decide, I think.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! First sniff: Myrrh on the first sniff, then the musk, attar of rose and ylang-ylang. The rose is very powdery to my nose in that way that always seems to ruin rose scents for me, but the myrrh and musk are nice. Wet on skin: This is really confusing smelling...it's spicy and resiny but musky and powdery at the same time. Phantom also appears to be making me cough for some reason...I'm thinking it's the rose. I don't dislike this, but it's just not quite me. It's the rose that throws me off, I think. I've never been fond of the smell of roses. Dry down: Myrrh, musk and a background of baby powder that the rose is responsible for. Something about this scent is making me cough like crazy, so I guess it's a good thing it's not really me. The bottom line: This definitely isn't me because of the rose and on top of that I appear to be allergic to it, so it's off to swaps with Phantom.

Got this one as lagniappe from the Lab in my last order. Preconceived notions: Let me start off by saying that, as a rule, I hate floral perfumes with a passion. They give me headaches and make me think of old ladies and just generally don't work fo me, so just because I don't like them, it doesn't mean they're bad scents, just that they're definitely not for me. I say this because I have a feeling Queen Gertrude and I are not going to get along. At all. First sniff: Flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. For me, this is a bad thing, but I'm sure for someone else it would be wonderful. I'm not good at naming floral notes (to me, they're all just "flowers") but I can smell, quite distinctly, violet and wisteria in this right out of the vial. It's heady and powdery and, above all, floral. Wet on skin: This smells like violet pastilles on a bed of flower petals. This, to me, is what flower shops smell like and, unfortunately, I can't tolerate too many floral notes in one place. Floral notes = instant headache for me. Dry down: The violet seems to be gone and now it's all heady, showy florals practically screaming for attention and it's making my head ache. This is the complete antithesis of what works for me in a perfume, unfortunately. I gave it a shot because it was three and I believe in giving everything a try unless I know it'll make me sick (i.e. anything with almonds in it), but it's definitely not for me. The bottom line: A floral lover would probably love this, but I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a floral lover. Queen Gertrude is going to have to find another home.

Got this as part of the lagniappe from my last order received from the Lab. First sniff: Wow, this is nothing like what I imagined it would be like, based on the description. I can smell a little bit of all the notes in this, which is a bit surprising since there's usually one or two that don't quite stand out to my nose. This blend is simultaneously floral, musky and citrusy and would probably smell fantastic on a guy. Wet on skin: Very light but also very pleasant. This smells like men's cologne in such a good way, not the way Vicomte de Valmont smelled like generic men's cologne, more in a comforting way that I suspect means it reminds me of someone I can't remember by anything other than smell...perhaps my grandfather who died when I was very young. The musk and lime are prominent, but the other notes are peeking out in the background. This is really nice...I wouldn't say it's sexy, at least not to me...it's just...comforting. Dry down: Mainly musk, citrus and lilac now. This is a very comforting male smell for me, which is surprising considering that I had pegged Villain as the oil most likely to intensely disagree with me from this order. I'm glad I gave it a shot instead of passing on it immediately. I don't think my boy will be wearing this one; it seems more like the kind of scent I would put on before bed when I need an olfactory security blanket. The bottom line: A surprise winner, and I do mean surprise. I never expectedto be able to tolerate this one, let alone love it.

Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black. First sniff: Wow, this is surprising...I expected more red wine than this. I'm getting cemetery loam with a hint of red wine, which is just fine, but not at all what I was expecting. This smells the way I imagined Zombi would smell with the addition of red wine. I really like this, but I can see a lot of other people not being very happy when I wear it. Wet on skin: The wine picks up a little as soon as it hits my skin and I get a faint hint of herbs along with the loamy scent from in the imp. I love loamy smells and red wine, so this is very appealing to me although I can tell right away that my mom hates it. Of course, she hated Zombi, too, and I loved it, so I didn't expect much different. Dry down: Nosferatu has settled down into a soft wine and cemetery loam scent that I find very appealing. It's not sour the way a lot of wine scents are on me, more rich and red and deep. Unfortunately, it fades very quickly on me, but I don't mind having to reapply every couple of hours. The bottom line: Nosferatu really lives up to the name. It's a very gothic sort of scent, dark and brooding and mysterious, and one I'm sure wouldn't appeal to everyone, but for me it's a winner.

Yes, I have as a matter of fact, and I love it. To me, it's like a mix of Loup Garou and Black Forest.

I had the same impression you did with my first order, but I've found with each order I've begun noticing the little differences between even the most similar scents. That being said, I'd put my money on it being a combination of skin chemistry, an untrained nose and the scents mingling from being in close proximity. That's just my (admittedly unscientific) theory, though, so of course I could be wrong.

I got an imp of this as a gift from Finny. First sniff: Whoa, this smells like March Hare made with patchouli instead of clove. I smell apricot most prominently if I inhale deeply, but I can pick up a hint of earthy patchouli in the background if I inhale very lightly. I was a bit worried about this one because of the mixed reviews, but this is actually even better than I could have hoped for. My only wish is that the patchouli will come out more once it's on my skin. Wet on skin: A little bit more earthy, but still mainly apricot. It reminds me of sitting under my next-door neighbor's peach trees when I was little, eating the fruit fresh off the tree and digging in the dirt. It reminds me of his orchard and of growing. This is a very homey kind of scent for me and one I really like. Dry down: About even amounts of patchouli and apricot now. It manages to be both earthy and rich and juicy and fruity at the same time and I love the effect it creates. It's not overpoweringly earthy or musty and it's not overpoweringly fruity, either. It does seem to fade pretty quickly on me, but I don't mind having to reapply it every few hours. The bottom line: March Hare's farmer cousin. Depraved digs in the dirt and plants and picks the apricots and March Hare bakes those apricots into tarts. I love this one! ----------------------------------------- ETA: I recently received another imp of Depraved and it's definitely different than the one I reviewed initially, so I feel like I ought to update my review to include my impressions of this one, too. I'm not sure if it's a batch variation thing, an aging thing (I don't know how old either of my imps are/were at the time of testing) or something else entirely, but the different is noticeable. First sniff: Lots of black patchouli! I absolutely adore patchouli, especially the black variety, and this has it in spades. I smell very little apricot here. In fact, it's so faint that I'm not sure I would have picked it out without knowing it was in here. It just lends a soft, subtle sweetness to the scent rather than making it fruity. Wet on skin: I get a little bit more apricot once Depraved hits my skin, but it's still a predominately patchouli scent. This is the rich, deep, earthy patchouli that I love and so many other people hate. It smells almost like musty soil and it's incredible. At this point, it's slightly sweeter than in the imp, but not by much. Dry down: Patchouli heaven! I could seriously cry right now, because I've been kicking myself for being an idiot and not getting a bottle of the Lab's black patchouli single note when I had the chance and this smells very, very similar to the single note! There's so little apricot here that it's barely registering and I'm positive that I'm only picking it out because I knew in advance that it was in here. The bottom line: This is the polar opposite of the first time I tried Depraved. This isn't March Hare made with patchouli instead of cloves. It's patchouli. Dirty, musty, heavenly patchouli. This is March Hare's hippie cousin this time around. And that cousin has given up apricot farming completely in favor of dousing himself in patchouli oil and wearing organic hemp overalls. I think I might be in love with him. I'm definitely going to be ordering at least two bottles of Depraved in my next order and hoping and praying that it's the same scent that's in the imp I've been wearing while writing this review. If I knew for sure that it was going to be the same, I'd stockpile because this Depraved soothes a lot of the sting of missing out on the single note.

Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black. First sniff: Lavender is the most promiment note here, but I can also smell a faint hint of sandalwood in the background. I've found lavender tends to really stand out to my nose, so it may note really be as overpowering as it smells to me. Wet on skin: Mmm, now I can smell something other than lavender. The sandalwood, tobacco and nag champa are coming out now, softening the almost astringent smell of the lavender. I was worried about the lavender being overpowering, but this is actually really nice. Dry down: The lavender had receded into the background and I get sandalwood, tobacco, nag champa and an almost spicy resin sent that must be the labdanum. This isn't anywhere near as dark as I imagined but, at hte same time, I really like it. This particular blend lasts a long time, too...more than 14 hours later I can still smell it and it smells even more wonderufl now than it did when it had initially dried. The longer it's on, the more the lavender disappears and the more I like it. The bottom line: While I can't say that I love the lavender in this (or any blend, fo that matter), Gaueko dries down into a lovely spicy/smoky resin and tobacco scent that really appeals to me. This is a perfect example of why I should never judge a scent by the way it smells in the vial.

Got a 5mL of this beauty from lorajc. First sniff: Oh my God, this is so different than what I was expecting and in such a good way! I associate the voodoo blends (in general) with a sort of herbal smell, but Block Buster is the absolute antithesis to herbal. It's...comforting smelling, somehow. To me, Block Buster smells exactly like the cinnamon flavored organic honey straws I used to eat when I was little. They were basically just plastic straws filled with flavored honey and crimped at both ends and Block Buster is instant, comforting nostaliga for me. It's rich and golden and has that familiar honey smell to it with a soft background of cinnamon. Real cinnamon, not cinnamon red hots. I'm in desperate need of some flexibility right now with thesis revisions and finals looming large, so hopefully Block Buster will help me loosen up a little. If not, I'll still smell gorgeous, which is almost as good. Wet on skin: More cinnamon than honey now, but definitely a variation on the same scent combination. It's got a nice cozy spice to it and sort of sweet honey richness underneath. I don't know if this is making me more open to change, but it's certainly very calming. Dry down: Back to the cinnamon flavored honey it was in the vial and it's gorgeous. I haven't started on my revisions and studying yet, but I do feel more able to tackle the whole motherload of work I have ahead of me, which is wonderful in and of itself. I really love this one, and I'm so glad I went straight for the 5mL instead of trying an imp first; I can see myself wearing this one all the time. The bottom line: Gorgeous and very comforting. I feel like I can face the world wearing this one and maybe even get some work done without having my brain explode.

Whoo! All sorts of people know where I live...I think I might be in trouble here...you guys are all going to show up at my door one day with a board with a nail in it...of course, the board will be scented with Baron Samedi, too, just to make it worse for me, what with the almonds and all.

Cedar! I wish the Old Morocco I've smelled was cedary, the ones I've sniffed have been pure carnation and spice.

Thanks, Morrighana! I'm undecided about the reducers, I think. I like them in that I'm clumzy, but they can be a pain in the butt, so I'll have to give it some thought before my next order.

Hmm, Aureus...I have an old imp (with the tarty tag) and a brand spankin' new imp that I just got from the Lab yesterday and they both smell the same to me. There's two possible explanations that come to mind for me: 1) It's just one of those natural differences in batches due to the oils being from different batches or different sources, etc. 2) A lot of incense blends do get deeper and more resiny as they age, so that could very well be it, too. Just because mine smell the same to me doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. I'll have to actually try the two on my skin next and see if there's a difference. I'm not at home or I'd do it now.

I don't know if this is the right place, but it seemed the most logical of all the threads in here, so... Does anyone know if the bottles that've been coming in the msot recent orders (i.e. the ones with polyseal leakproof caps instead of reducers) are going to be the new standard or if they're just being used because the Lab is out of the standard reducer cap bottles? I'm just curious. And, mods, if this is in the wrong thread, feel free to move it. This just seemed to be the best place for it without starting a whole nother thread just to ask a question.

Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black. First sniff: Oh, God, this is gorgeous! I smell tobacco, fir, clove, musk and mint...for some reason, this makes me think of the Canadian wilderness. This is woodsy, but not in the usual way; it's more like a logging camp is woodsy, very outdoorsy and somewhat masculine smelling. I love this! Wet on skin: Tobacco, musk, fir, clove and mint all show up on my skin...it's minty and woodsy and cozy and comforting smelling all at the same time. I can tell this is going to be a real winner already...I'm sure this would smell lovely on the boy, but I can't bring myself to share this one. It's mine, all mine! Dry down: Mint and musk and tobacco and a slight hint of fir remain now that it's dried. It's a very comforting scent to me; I can see myself wearing this one almost every day it's so good! I'm definitely planning on getting a bottle of this in my next order, this is too good not to have more of. The bottom line: Gorgeous. It's woodsy and dark and comforting and minty all at the same time. I'm sure this would smell equally good on a guy or a gal, it's somewhat masculine but not too much that a gal couldn't get away with wearing it (not that that would stop me anyway). I'm definitely getting a bottle of this, most likely a 10mL.

Got an imp of this from Mrs. Black. Preconceived notions: I'm a little leery of this one based on the reviews. I'd rather not smell like grape Dimetapp (or Mountain Dew Pitch Black, which tasted like grape Dimetapp), but because I'll never know until I try, I want to give it a shot. First sniff: Hmm, that's grape all right, but not grape cough syrup...more like grape soda, maybe? Or grape Laffy Taffy? It's something very artificially grape smelling but not in an unpleasant way. There's also something vaguely spicy/resiny underneath the grape that I can't put my finger on because of the super strong grape note. Wet on skin: Grape soda and some kind of sweet incense, maybe? It smells almost like frankincense, but it could be some sort of spice, too, since the grape smell is so strong that it makes it hard to get a handle on the other notes. This is actually quite nice smelling in an odd sort of way, not at all like I imagined it would be. Dry down: Mmm, the grape has disappeared, leaving a faintly sweet resin smell...I'm thinking maybe myrrh is the culprit here. I actually really like this, but there are other incense blends that I prefer, so I don't know that I'll be keeping this. This isn't at all like I expected it to be, it's very...innocent smelling, but resiny at the same time. It's very hard to explain. The bottom line: This is nice, but I think since I already have so many incense blends that I prefer to Tum, I'm going to be swapping this one off for something else. It's a nice scent, but I don't see myself wearing it often enough.

Got this as a freebie from the Lab in my last order. First sniff: Oh, wow, this smells like a rose garden at midnight. I can't think of any other way to describe it. I don't normally care for rose scents, but this is beautiful...it smells like roses in the peak of their bloom mixed with a sort of heady musk and deep amber which is actually really beautiful in spite of my less than receptive attitude toward rose scents. Wet on skin: Black Rose smells gorgeous on me for about three seconds before morphing into the spoiled milk smell that I've come to learn is almost inevitable when amber comes into contact with my skin. I had a feeling it was going to happen, but it still upsets me because this one could have been gorgeous if it weren't for the sour milk smell. *Sigh* Dry down: All I can smell is sour milk now. On my skin, amber morphs and then overpowers everything else and Black Rose is its most recent victim. This one could have been gorgeous if it weren't for my bad skin chemistry, which makes me very sad. I might end up giving this one to my mom, since she loves rose scents, but I don't know if she'll want it because of the musk and amber. The bottom line: Black Rose could have been gorgeous if it weren't for my skin's notorious and maddening reaction to amber. This one's a case of skin chemistry gone wrong and nothing more.

First sniff: Mmm, fig, ginger, cypress and something vaguely floral that must be the cyclamen. I love ginger, fig and cypress...this smells wonderful already! I'm hoping the flowers won't be too overpowering since I don't normally do floral scents, but so far this looks like it's going to be a winner. Wet on skin: Fig, ginger, cypress and the smallest hint of patchouli. This is really complex and absolutely gorgeous. The flowers seem to have disappeared, thankfully, and the result is vaguely fruity and woodsy and earthy all at the same time. This is just the kind of scent I reach for when I'm feeling a little more girly than usual. Dry down: Ginger, cypress and a hint of patchouli...the fig appears to be making a comeback, too, although it's coming and going by the second. This is beautiful. It's deep and complex and subtly fruity and perfect for someone like me who doesn't like to smell too girly. The bottom line: I'm glad I took a chance on this one, it's absolutely gorgeous!

Spilled this all over my hand when I tried to open it, so I'm now doused in Dragon's Tears. First sniff: Mmm, this smells like Jolly Roger mixed with dragon's blood. It's salty, but spicy/sweet at the same time. I don't normally care for aquatic scents, but I loved Jolly Roger and I can tell I'm going to love Dragon's Tears, too. Wet on skin: The dragon's blood seems to disappear once it hits my skin, leaving me with something that smells almost like Jolly Roger only slightly sweeter, which is fine, but I miss the dragon's blood note in this, it smelled spicy and sad at the same time. Dry down: Hurrah, the dragon's blood is back! This smells like salty tears mixed with the spicy sweetness of dragon's blood...it reminds me almost of the smell of a funeral...kind of like bouquets of roses and tears and I have no idea why. Whatever the reason, it's gorgeous! The bottom line: I don't normally do aquatic scents, but this has just enough sweetness and resin to it to make it not only bearable but downright gorgeous. I actually really love this one.

Yeah, they're decants. I got one from Alectonox and one from Allamanda. The one from Alectonox smells gorgeous on me, all buttery and winey, and the one from Allamanda smells sharp and animalistic for some inexplicable reason. I guess not having shaken one of the bottles (maybe the one from Alectonox, since the one from Allamanda smells closest to the reviews other people have posted, although I could definitely be wrong) would explain it since I tried rolling both imps and still got the same result as before. Of course, that's all speculation, I don't want to insinuate that either one of those lovely ladies didn't shake or roll it before they decanted it. It just seems like a logical explanation for something that I can't think of another logical explanation for. Thanks for the answer, antimony, that seems to be a reasonable explanation. Now I can stop humming the X-Files theme song when I look at them. ------ EDIT because my wording was bad. Sorry, Pam!

Okay, reving the thread because I have a very odd situation to ask about... I've got two imps of Hunter Moon and they smell totally different. One is almost buttery and winey and the other is acrid and sharp. Now, Hunter Moon being an LE, I'd think they'd both smell the same but they definitely don't. Anyone have any idea what's going on with this?