Penance

Origin:

 

5mL from OlfactoryMaven bought on LJ

 

Preconceived notions:

 

The idea of this scent intrigued me when it was announced, but I didn't want to deal with the hullabaloo of finding an angel to get me a bottle and wrote it off as something I didn't need under the circumstances. I kept thinking about it, though. I read the reviews later and saw how many people either disliked it or didn't find it wearable and should have been put off, but decided to take a gamble anyway, because that's how I roll with BPAL a lot of the time.

 

First sniff:

 

I definitely see where the reviews are coming from. This is acrid and a little industrial, but definitely inky and a little resinous. I can see why people find this off-putting, but I keep coming back for another sniff. Strange.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Not acrid, but still somewhat harsh. Very true ink scent with hints of what smells like cumin and frankincense. It sounds like a bizarre scent and it kind of is, but it's honestly not as strange in person as it is "on paper" (which conjures up images of a pen and ink illustrator eating curry in a church).

 

Dry down:

 

Ink for sure. Not ballpoint pen ink, either, and not copier toner. It's been so long since I've smelled real india ink that I can't quite remember exactly what it smells like, but this definitely isn't your "standard" everyday ink. The cumin has eased up noticeably, but it's still there and the resinous vibe has gotten slightly heavier with parchment (or some sort of heavy stock drawing paper, maybe, not printer/copier paper) in the background.

 

The bottom line:

 

Completely unique and strangely awesome in that "only the Lab could pull this off" sort of way. My mom hated this (although she did agree that it was very unique and that it smelled like some sort of art ink), but I actually really like it. It's definitely not a crowd-pleaser of a scent, but neither is Rivet.Goth and it's a winner for me, too. I wear perfume for me, not for anyone else, so I'll happily wear India Ink even though I may not be popular for doing it.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab (eBay) and a decant (the basis for my review) from...somewhere. Keep in mind that both were well-aged by the time I got them, so my review isn't of the fresh-from-the-Lab scent.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've had a decant of this one for quite a while and it took me a long time to get around to testing it. not entirely sure why. Maybe because leather (in perfume) and I have a complicated history (it's always had the tendency to be awesome or make me nauseous and that's even more the case since I went vegan a few years ago) or maybe because of the herbs and gravel mentioned in the description. I'm not a big fan of herb scents and gravel/rocks really don't work for me in Lab scents. There's something harsh about them to my nose and they tend to ruin otherwise awesome scents.

 

I'm hoping to love this because the Lab's leather is a hit more often than it's a miss and I love pipe tobacco and resins. Hopefully the pros will outweigh the cons.

 

First sniff:

 

Somewhat sharp leather, like polished but beaten up shoes, complete with a little bit of shoe polish (which is undoubtedly the chemical note that so many of us get from some of the Lab's leather scents), with hints of herbs and tobacco. So far, so good, although I hope the sharpness dies down.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Softer leather mixed with pipe tobacco and resins. I'm not sure what resins are here. It smells a bit like copal. There's a sweetness to the scent, but it's not just coming from the resins, it's in the tobacco, too. I'm not getting any dust or gravel, which is fine because I'm not a fan of either.

 

Dry down:

 

The Traveller dries down into the most beautiful leather/resin/tobacco scent. Seriously, so good!

 

It's masculine, but most definitely not unwearable for the ladies (in case that's not obvious since I'm wearing it and loving it). It makes me think more of Victorian smoking rooms than weary travelers with dusty shoes. It's soft, musky, leathery, resinous, sweet and a little smoky. Definitely a winner.

 

I only wish that I'd not been on my BPAL hiatus when this came out so that I could have bought a couple of backup bottles (assuming I'd been brave enough to try it in spite of the gravel, dust and herbs and the possibility that it would have been too sharp for me when it was freshly made). I'm just glad I managed to find a bottle because my decant won't last long.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

There were a handful of ParaNorman scents I wanted to try when they were released, but had to narrow it down to one for budget reasons. Hippie Ghost sounded right up my alley. I love patchouli, suede and smoke. The only thing concerning me here is the "peasant blouse" part. Linen (I assume it's probably a linen-type note) and I don't always get along so well. It can be too harsh to my nose, so I'm hoping it's a soft, background note and not a main one.

First sniff:

Lighter than I expected, but I guess I should have anticipated that from a "ghost" scent!

I'm getting everything here. Soft, worn linen (not harsh at all and not super clean, either...sort of a musty linen, but not in a bad way), patchouli (not the super dirty kind, but definitely patchouli all the same), a bit of suede and a tiny touch of smoke. It's a nostgalic sort of scent. More antique store than headshop.

Wet on skin:

My skin loves linen (even when I don't) and it's staying true to form here, amping up the peasant blouse note immediately and making this all about the fabric as soon as it hits my skin. Usually, that tones down quickly, though, so I'm not too worried. I'm still getting hints of the other notes, but this is screamingly linen-like right now.

Drydown:

Mmm, better. The linen really dies down (and pretty quickly, too) and I'm left with a really evocative scent. It's soft, ethereal and smoky with an earthiness from the patchouli and a little bit of soft suede. It still makes me think antique store (although I suppose it should be a vintage clothing store, it has that antique store smell to me) and not headshop, but I'm really liking it. The smoke is just a tiny bit harsh at times, but it comes and goes and I really can't complain.

The bottom line:

Ideally, I would have loved something more headshop-ish and more intense (although I should have expected what I got since it is a "ghost" scent), but I really like Hippie Ghost anyway. It's subtle and should go over well with people who don't normally love patchouli scents.

Origin:

 

2 x 5mL from the Lab. Thought I only ordered one (trying to be good in spite of my long-running history of immediately ordering at least 2 of any LE that sounds good), but apparently old habits are hard to break and I actually ordered two.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm so glad the single notes have made a comeback! I've been waiting, hoping that something my alley would make an appearance. I've got bottles of Sweet Clove, Redwood, Red Mysore Sandalwood and Blue Lilac from the first go-round and love them. I only wish I'd gotten a few other scents before they disappeared, so I'm glad I've got another chance to try some more out.

 

There was a time when I would have hated this. I can say that without even smelling it, sad as that is. I used to hate musk. And I do mean hate. Not as much as I hate almond or lotus or bubblegum or (most) flowers, but hate is still the right word. But I've learned to love musk and this sounds awesome even though I'm not sure what to expect. I'm a huge fan of red musk, so I'm hoping Siberian musk is similar, but it should be a hit regardless. There are very few types of musk that I don't care for, so this should be a safe choice.

 

First sniff:

 

Yum! Definitely on the more animalic side (which would have sent me running back when I was first getting into BPAL many moons ago), but still very wearable. It doesn't have that cat pee smell that puts me off civet, but it's still got a wildness to it. I'd say this is in the same family as red musk, although the two are different. This is like a less sweet, more "animal" version of red musk. I can tell a little is going to go a long way.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Pretty true to the bottle scent. No sudden "Hey, I'm cat pee!" vibe coming out of left field, which is a relief. My skin sometimes likes to do things like that. I only put on a tiny dab to test and I can easily smell it wafting up from my inner elbow!

 

Dry down:

 

Sexy, sweaty, dirty musky goodness. This is a down and dirty scent. It stays pretty stable from bottle to drydown, although it looses a bit of its pungency as it dries. That's not a bad thing, though. It's still a dirty musk, but it's not quite so aggressive as it is when its wet. There's something about this that puts me in mind of Snake Oil (minus the vanilla and spices I get from SO, particularly once its aged), so I'm with the people who suspect that this is one of the secret ingredients.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm glad I accidentally got two bottles of this because I love it! I'm happy to wear a single note as perfume on its own, so Siberian Musk will be getting plenty of wear that way, but I can also see it layering beautifully. Snake Oil would be a natural partner for Siberian Musk, but I think there are going to be quite a few other scents in my (admittedly massive) collection that it would play nicely with.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I immediately put Uncle Matt on my "to try" list as soon as I read the ingredients. There was a time where I never would have tried this since I hated both chocolate and (most) fruit scents, but since my taste in scents has expanded, Uncle Matt was sounding pretty good. I've never smelled quince but I like fig and pear. Dark chocolate is my favorite type of chocolate as perfume and vanilla is usually a winner. I'm hopeful that this one's going to work, especially since I jumped right into a bottle instead of tracking down a decant.

 

First sniff:

 

Chocolatey in that rich, cocoa-ish dark chocolate way. I also get the vanilla, which adds a gentle sweetness and hints of the fig (rich, dark, bordering on cloying, but not in a bad way) and pear (sweet, light and subtle). I think maybe I smell the quince, but it could just be the pear. There's something almost like a cross between pear and apple lurking somewhere in there. Quince, is that you?

 

Wet on skin:

 

Uncle Matt smells the same on me as in the bottle for about 5 seconds and then starts to change rapidly. I'm guessing what I start smelling has to be the quince, because it's not any of the other notes. It has a sort of cough syrup smell to it (weirdly enough, it smells like prescription cough syrup, not the over the counter variety...I can't described the difference, but to me they're not the same creature), which I wasn't anticipating. I have a feeling it's my skin chemistry doing strange things to either the quince or some combination of the other notes.

 

Dry down:

 

Thankfully, the cough syrup phase doesn't last very long. Once it disappears, I'm left with a surprisingly soft chocolate and vanilla scent (comforting and sweet without being truly foody to my nose) with sweet, soft fruits in the background. Most of the fig disappears and it turns into a sort of golden apple/pear scent with only a tiny bit of the fig haging around in the far background.

 

The bottom line:

 

I like this one. It's not quite what I was anticipating (I was thinking it would be more like the box of chocolates scents; foody in an unexpected way), but it's nice all the same. I'm actually more apt to wear this than if it was a genuinely foody scent since I'm not a big gourmand fan (with some exceptions), so I can't complain about it going a different direction.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on LJ.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm beyond excited about La Mano del Destino. I adore patchouli, love tobacco and like virtually every other note here. The only things I'm unsure about are the unknowns that I've never smelled before: copaiba and pao d'arco. I did a little bit of reading online and it looks like both of those should work for me, though, so I've got very high hopes for this one.

 

First sniff:

 

Dark, earthy patchouli and something that smells almost like redwood mixed with cedar, which must be the copaiba. There's a faint hint of chocolate here, too, but it's not foody. It just adds a little mode depth to the scent. So far, so good!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Pretty much the same as in the bottle, only now I get a tiny touch of cinnamon in addition to the patchouli, wood and cacao. It's a dark, gender neutral scent.

 

Dry down:

 

Love!

 

Earthy patchouli, rich wood, tobacco (it smells like a cigar box with the combination of wood and tobacco) and hints of cinnamon, chocolate and vanilla. It's not foody in the slightest, but the chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla add some depth and complexity to the patchouli, wood and tobacco.

 

The bottom line:

 

I absolutely love this, although I can see patchouli-haters...well...hating this. It's definitely heavy on the patchouli (and on the copaiba). Luckily, that's very much my sort of thing, so I'm thrilled with this one and I'll definitely be getting backups before La Mano del Destino disappears.

 

This is what I think of as an "old school BPAL" scent because it makes me think of the scents I tried when I was first getting into BPAL in 2004. It's got that "BPAL Smell™" to it, which I love.

Origin:

 

Partial 5mL bought on LiveJournal. I originally had a bottle I received in the Inquisition but sold it years ago, so this is a retest of an aged bottle.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this, but evidently I haven't. In all honesty, I don't remember what Trick #2 smells like, just that I liked it back in 2006, but not enough to keep my bottle, even though it was the scent I wanted the most of the four possibilities.

 

There are good notes and bad notes here, but for the most part, Trick #2 is right up my alley. I love patchouli and tobacco and I like vanilla, pink pepper (in moderation), oak and pine pitch. The berries and pomegranate could go either way. Pomegranate tends to smell like gummy bears on me, but I can wear Mme. Moriarty without a problem, so since Trick #2 has some similar notes, I'm hoping that it'll go the same way.

 

First sniff:

 

Dark, woody and slightly sweet. I'm getting the oak first and foremost, then tobacco and vanilla and a hint of dark red fruit. It's a dark, foreboding sort of scent. And that's just the sort of thing I like.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Trick #2 goes through a very short stage where it goes slightly funky on me, just like Mme. Moriarty does (although Mme. Moriarty stops doing that with a few years aging and Trick is more than a few years old at this point), but then it steers itself back on track and I get a very autumnal scent that makes me think of burning leaves, oak trees and the faint scent of the last of the year's fruits wafting on a breeze.

 

Dry down:

 

Honestly, this is what I want Samhain to smell like, as weird as that is, considering that they don't share many notes. Trick #2 is one of the Halloween-iest Halloween scents I've come across, which I wouldn't have expected from the notes.

 

It's slightly sinister smelling, an weirdly atmospheric. It's like bobbing for pomegranates in a spooky forest mixed with dark, rich, non-foody vanilla.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like Trick #2 and I'm glad I gave it another try.

 

Now I'm wishing I hadn't gotten rid of my first bottle because I'm a slatherer and I hate having to ration scents I love.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This is one of those scents that got me more and more excited as I read my way through the notes. I was almost dreading a death note towards the end, but at the same time I was mentally screaming "Yes! Yes! YES!" All but one note in here is something that I either like or flat out love. The only thing I'm concerned about here is the hylichrysum. I don't generally do florals, but I've never tried sunflower and somehow I've got this idea in my head that it's going to be golden and lovely and somehow work for me. It's not going to ruin Hygeia for me. I know it.

 

First sniff:

 

Love in a bottle. This is like a softer, gentler version of aged Scherezade to my nose. It's got the sort of incensey red musk vibe that I get from Scherezade, but more rounded smelling somehow. I'm definitely getting the red musk, amber, sandalwood and incense and it seems like everything else is sort of swirling around in the background.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Lovely. Soft, musky and incensey. This is one of those "made for me" scents that the Lab does oh so well. I don't get any florals here, so they're apparently meshing seamlessly with the other notes instead of standing out on their own.

 

Dry down:

 

This is going in the favorites box. Yes, it's similar to Scherezade, but that's never stopped me before and it won't stop me now. Hygeia is a gorgeous, golden-amber-red scent that smells exotic and sensual, but down to earth. I love it.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'll be buying multiples of this one. No question. It's definitely in the same family as Scherezade, but less assertive and much smoother smeling. And the fact that the proceeds are going to a good cause is the icing on the cake.

I'm having a similar issue, findaghost, but with another scent.

 

I've recently gotten two frimps of Tamora from the Lab (in two separate orders a couple of weeks apart). I was planning on ordering a bottle after receiving my first one, but now I'm waffling because they're noticeably different.

 

One (the first one I received and the one I really like) is a medium-deep amber color and smells like sweet vanilla amber with a touch of fruity florals. The other is a pale gold color and smells much stronger on the peach blossom. I remember that I wasn't thrilled with Tamora the first time I tried it (years ago), but I don't remember why. I had assumed it was because amber wasn't one of my favorite notes back then (it turned sour), but maybe it was because I got one of the golden/fruity imps instead of the darker/amber-vanilla imps.

 

Could it be an aging issue? Maybe, if the Lab happened to throw in a well-aged imp the first time around and a fresh one the second time. I tend to think it's more likely to be a batch variation, but I obviously don't know that for a fact.

 

I'm nervous about ordering a bottle now.

I agree that they're not very similar at all.

 

Red Lace was a light, generically sweet, powdery red fruit scent with cotton and Mme. Moriarty is darker (it starts out relatively light, but still darker than Red Lace, and then gets much richer and deeper as it ages) and deeper. I didn't get any patchouli at all from Red Lace and I don't really get an identifiable patchouli note, but it does add a darkness to the scent and I can tell its there.

Origin:

 

5mL bought second-hand. I don't remember who I got it from, but I do know that I got it very cheap, which is why I took a chance on it.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I bought this before finding out that Battenberg cake has almond in it. Unfortunately, I loathe the smell of almond. Almond oil in perfume makes me horribly nauseous, so I'm nervous about trying this one out, although I've been told that the almond in this is virtually non-existent. I'm hoping that's the case. Everything else sounds...well, interesting. I'm not really going to say it sounds good, because I can't really imagine a perfume that smells like cucumber sandwiches and Earl Grey tea. It doesn't sound bad, either. Definitely interesting.

 

First sniff:

 

Foody, but not in an overpowering or cloying way. Teatime in Roswell is very mild. I get soft, faint cucumber, light cake and just a touch of tea. It's almost clean smelling in the way that cucumber-melon scents smell clean, not in a soapy way.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Uh-oh, is that almond I smell? I do believe it is.

 

It's faint and it's on the marzipan end of the spectrum (which means it's more tolerable than flat-out, in-your-face almond, but still not something I'm going to enjoy smelling), but it's there. I don't get cucumber or tea at this point. Instead, it's all light, white cake with marzipan filling. It's still a mild, gentle scent. I can see this being a great scent for a child or for an adult who can't or doesn't want to wear a strong scent but wants to smell nice.

 

Dry down:

 

Thank God, the almond has faded quite a bit. It's still there, but it's a lot like the pseudo-marzipan note in Snow White. It adds a touch of marzipan-like sweetness without crossing the line into true almond territory. Mainly, what I'm getting is a mishmosh of buttered bread (which is like a lighter version of Bread-And-Butterfly), cucumber (adding a light, watery greenness) and a touch of white cake. It's a very pastel scent. Pale green, yellow and white. The tea is nowhere to be seen. This tea party is all about the food, not the drinks.

 

The bottom line:

 

This isn't the sort of scent I typically wear and it's not something I would wear everyday, but I have to say that I actually like it once it dries completely. I could do without the wet stage, but it doesn't last long and (thankfully) it doesn't trigger my nausea the way strong almond scents to. It's just not a scent I enjoy at that stage.

 

This isn't bad in the end, though. It somehow belongs in the same mental category as TKO for me. They both have a sort of "little girl's fantasy land" sort of thing going on, although I'm not sure how many little girls fantasize about eating cucumber sandwiches at their tea parties.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I was so excited to see that the Lab had a cicada scent. I love cicacadas! The notes sound intriguing. I love the smell of tree sap, amber and moss) and I like hemp and rice milk, but hay is touch and go and I don't know how I'm going to feel about the acorn (that note in particular has me very curious), corn stalks (I love the smell of actual corn stalks, but I'm not sure how well it's going to translate into perfume for me) and almond blossoms (I despise almond; the scent of almond oil makes me nauseous, but I'm not sure about almond blossom).

 

But, the Will Call reviews have me worried. I don't want a foody scent and I don't want lots of almond. I want something plant-like and sappy. I have a feeling that I might regret buying this one, but I had to try it for myself since the notes sound so interesting and I love the idea of a cicada scent.

 

First sniff:

 

Uh-oh. Do not want. I sniffed this when I first got it in, recoiled and set it aside, thinking maybe it needed to settle. Opened it up to sniff it again today after giving it 10 days to rest and it's still the same. I'm not even entirely sure how to describe this. Nutty hay mixed with something weirdly cookie-like would be the best I can describe it, I think.

 

Wet on skin:

 

No better than in the bottle. In fact, I think I might like it even less at this point. There's something coming out that smells like hay only greener. I suppose it could be the corn stalks, but it doesn't smell like actual corn stalks to me. This is such a weird scent. Now, I don't have a problem with weird scents, but this one's weird in a way that makes my stomach turn a little.

 

Dry down:

 

I really should have listened to the Will Call reviews, but I've been known to turn scents that other people don't like into something pretty awesome, so I had to take the gamble. Plus, the whole cicadas thing. Can't forget that.

 

Brood XIX is actually pretty nice smelling once it dries down (it loses most of the weirdness along the way), but it's just not my kind of scent. In the end, it reminds me a bit of The Chicken-Legged Hut mixed with some of the porridge from Halfling (but without the berry note I get from Halfling). It smells kind of like cookies, kind of like nutty grains and kind of like hay. It's definitely on the foody side on me, but it's not entirely foody.

 

The bottom line:

 

I so wanted to love this and I'm tempted to keep it for the concept, but I'm trying to break myself of the habit of buying/keeping oils that don't work for me just because I like the name, concept or label art. I just don't like this sort of foody scent, so I guess it's going to find a new home.

Origin:

 

Near-empty tester bottle from Absinthetics.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

The notes in Velvet Cthulhu sound fascinating, but I'm having a really hard time imagining what it's going to actually smell like. I've smelled all of these notes either individually or in other things, it's just the whole putting them together thing that has me scratching my head. I love trying scents with weird note combinations, though, so I'm excited to give this one a try.

 

First sniff:

 

It's hard to pick out individual notes here. It's very much a green scent. The main thing I'm smelling here is the Touareg tea (which is a kind of mint tea served in parts of Africa; I had it when I was in Morocco and it's delicious and smells wonderful), but there's also a sort of bright citrus thing going on. It makes me think of the Lab's green tea note, which isn't listed here, but would fit in with the other notes.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mint tea mixed with wasabi. That sounds disgusting when I look at it in writing, but it doesn't smell bad at all. It's a strange combination of minty sweetness and slightly spicy greenness. I think I'm starting to get the khus and coriander now, too. There's an almost herbal thing going on in the background.

 

Dry down:

 

In the end, Velvet Cthulhu dries down into a nice woody tea scent (I'm still getting mainly Touareg tea, but also a bit of the pu-erh) with faint hints of herbs and resins. It's still a green scent, but a muted green mixed with shades of brown.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is unique, but not as weird as I was expecting it to be. It actually smells pretty awesome in the end, although it's not necessarily the sort of scent that would appeal to everyone. I may end up getting a bottle of this one.

 

Edit: Spelling. I can't seem so spell Cthulhu right to save myself.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from a generous seller.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I absolutely love the name and artwork, but the notes here are iffy to say the least. I don't do florals with very few exceptions (I sometimes like lilac and can tolerate osmanthus, honeysuckle and orchid in small amounts) and this sounds like a floral bomb. I do like grass scents, so it's not all bad. I'm going into this with an open mind since the Lab has a knack for creating scents that shouldn't work for me but do. Maybe I'll get lucky and this one will be a rule breaker.

 

First sniff:

 

First off, let me say that I'm terrible at identifying floral notes. The only ones I can reliably identify are lilac and rose. Others I sometimes recognize and sometimes don't. I can tell you if a floral scents is heady, tropical, creamy, etc. but I can't tell you what actual flower I'm smelling most of the time. So, keeping that in mind...

 

What I smell here is soft grass (not the intense, super sharp green grass note that sometimes crops up in BPAL scents, but a softer, springier grass note) and a mix of soft, gentle florals. It smells like a garden in spring and it's actually really lovely. For some reason, I want to say that it makes me nostalgic, but while we had a small flower garden when I was growing up, it didn't smell like this (probably because the only flowers in it were tiger lilies and roses). This is a very feminine scent. The kind of scent that makes me want to put on a sundress and sandals and sit outside with the sun on my face.

 

Wet on skin:

 

The grass is a little more prominent now, but it's still mainly a riot of different florals. While it's a very floral scent, it's not obnoxiously floral and it doesn't make me feel like I'm going to develop a raging migraine at any moment. It smells natural rather than perfumey, if that makes sense. There's a hint of something weird hanging around the edges, though. It's somewhat bitter and unpleasant. I've only had two other scents (One to Tie, Two to Win and Trachelophorus Giraffe v3) go weirdly bitter on me and while they were more intensely bitter than Garden Path, the effect is similar. The offending note in One to Tie was almost definitely the dandelion, but I'm not sure what it was in Trachelophorus. I'm guessing there's some sort of green plant stem note in here that's doing something similar.

 

Dry down:

 

The weirdness gets worse as the oil dries. It's a subtle bitterness, but it's enough to be off-putting. There's also a very faint pepperiness. I'm guessing it has to be coming from the nasturtium (big leap there, since it says right in the description that it's "peppery nasturtium"). I, unfortunately, hate peppery scents, so while it's subtle, it still stands out to me.

 

The end scent is a sweet, innocent spring-time floral blend with soft grass (and the faint bitterness/pepperiness I mentioned before). If those two party crashers stayed away, Garden Path would be very pretty.

 

The bottom line:

 

I have to say, I like Garden Path with Chickens in the imp. It's spring/summer in a bottle and it really brings out my inner flower child (as opposed to my inner stinky hippie, which gets indulged almost every day). But it doesn't seem to like my skin very much, unfortunately, so this is one of those scents that I have to wear in a locket so that my skin chemistry can't wreak havoc on it. Still, I like it enough that I bought a bottle after testing my frimp.

The first scent that comes to mind for me is Silas Ruthyn. It's not a scary scent, but whenever I smell it, I always think of a Victorian mansion that's fallen into decay, with heavy, deep purple velvet curtains and thick carpeting and a resident who wears old-fashioned smoking jackets and dabbles in the occult.

 

It's got a sort of atmospheric evilness to it, which I love.

51 is the perfect summer scent for me.

 

I don't normally wear scents seasonally (if I love something, I wear it whenever I want), but 51 just screams "warm weather" to me. The honeydew is fresh and juicy and the florals and light musk are delicate and airy. It's a huge departure from my usual heavy incense/musk/leather blends, but I love it.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on Etsy.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I really like the released version of Boomslang, so I'm looking forward to giving this version a try.

 

First sniff:

 

Yep, that's Boomslang, alright. The scent is recognizable, but the chocolate is lighter in this version than the released. This version has the light chocolate of a fresh bottle of the released version, but mixed with aged Snake Oil. I can see where people are getting a nutty vibe from this. It does have a faint sort of hazelnut-like scent. But I think that just might be one of those phantom scents that come up when certain notes are combined.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Light chocolate, aged Snake Oil and a stronger hazelnut-like note. Normally I hate the smell of nuts, but this is nice.

 

Dry down:

 

The (pseudo?) hazelnut scent is gone and I get aged Snake Oil and soft, but rich chocolate. It's less chocolatey than the released version, which is fine by me because I sometimes find Boomslang to be just a little too heavy on the cocoa. This is a warm, comfortable scent but strangely sexy in its own way.

 

The bottom line:

 

This isn't too far off from the released version. It seems to be more of a difference in note ratios than anything. I like both versions and, while they're similar, I'm glad I have both in my collection.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I love wood and sap scents (and the smell of sawdust) and I think the rocking-horse-fly is adorable, but I've put off trying this one because of the privet (sounds like it could be a very sharp green) and the shellac (can't say that I enjoy the smell of that). Curiosity got the better of me, though, and I ordered a bottle unsniffed. Hopefully it works!

 

First sniff:

 

Whoa, privet! That's exactly what I was hoping I wouldn't get so much of from this scent. It's not that it's a bad smell, it's just too intense and sharp and stabby for me. It makes me think of my childhood, but not in a good way, weirdly enough. I can't really tell what else is in here at this point. It's just overwhelming privet in the bottle.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Still mainly privet, but the wood and sawdust are starting to come out. I don't smell shellac specifically, but it doesn't smell (entirely, since there's some sawdust here) like raw, unfinished wood. If you took my childhood neighbor's woodshop and added one of the big bushes growing outside my best friend's house, you'd have something very much like Rocking-Horse-Fly. It's still too much privet for my liking, but it's better than in the bottle.

 

Dry down:

 

Weirdly enough, once this dries, a sort of green aquatic note comes out of nowhere. It smells like Water of Notre Dame of all things and I've got no clue what the culprit is. I actually like the scent of Rocking-Horse-Fly now, although it's nothing like what I was envisioning. It's a calm, peaceful scent and vaguely sweet. There could be a touch of sawdust here, but it may just be the power of suggestion at work, since I doubt I'd pick up on that if I didn't know it was in here.

 

The bottom line:

 

Crazy skin chemistry strikes again? I never used to do bizarre things to scents and I've never had my skin go crazy over a scent I've worn and loved for years, just new scents that I've tried in the last year or so. Either I'm doing something to Rocking-Horse-Fly or my nose is broken, because in the end it smells nothing like shellacked wood, sawdust, privet or any combination of them. It smells sweet, clean and aquatic in a blue-green sort of way.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

It's no secret that I love vultures. I always have. My mom still talks about how whenever we went to the zoo when I was little, I had to see the vultures first. So Meskhenet's got that going for it right off the bat. I've been putting off trying it because I wasn't sure about the notes, but with the Carnaval temporarily disappearing and the possibility that I might never see it again (if it were discontinued due to a component issue before the Carnaval scents came back), I took a chance on it.

 

I love frankincense and olibanum, apparently, since it's another type of frankincense and I like oris and hyssop. The rest of the notes are unknowns. I don't like florals and non-woody green notes are hit or miss, but something about this sounds really pretty, even if I can't quite imagine what it's going to smell like.

 

First sniff:

 

Soft, feminine and slightly sweet in an aquatic floral sort of way. I couldn't tell you what was in here without the notes in front of me. I'd probably peg it as a sweet, blue-green aquatic (I normally hate aquatics, but a very select few of this variety work) with a touch of something floral in a tropical sort of way. Reading a description like that and comparing it to the sort of scents I normally like, you would probably think I would hate this, but I don't. It's actually pretty and something I would wear, albeit not every day.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Now the more "me" notes are putting in an appearance. It's still mainly a clean, sweet, slightly aquatic floral scent, but there are soft resins here. It's feminine and peaceful smelling somehow.

 

Dry down:

 

I was really loving Meskhenet until it suddenly developed the dreaded pepperiness that I've gotten from several blends in the last 6 months or so. I'm going to guess that it's the frankincense or olibanum. I've never noticed pepperiness from frankincense blends before, but I have a bag of frankincense resin that does have a slightly peppery note to it, so I'm going to assume that has to be the culprit. It's very faint, but it's just enough to keep me from completely liking Meskhenet on me.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is a pretty scent but I know that that tiny little bit of pepperiness is going to drive me crazy, like an itch I can't scratch, so this one might be better suited to use in a scent locket, even though the bottle scent doesn't have the lovely resins that it has on my skin (before it dries completely).

Origin:

 

Tester from a generous seller.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm not sure how I feel about PX117 going into this, although I want to try it for some inexplicable reason. I really don't like citrus scents (I do like orange in small doses in combination with black tea, resins and/or cinnamon, but that's about the limit of my tolerance for it) and I despise anise. But there's something about this that kind of makes me want to try it.

 

This could be one of those scents that my subconscious seems to know will work in spite of the notes being made of fail. I've learned to trust those instincts, so I'm cautiously optimistic here.

 

First sniff:

 

Orange. Orange cake to be precise. Sort of like poundcake and sort of like the orange cake that my mom used to make all the time. There's a sugary sweetness to it, too, like vanilla frosting. It's very sweet and foody in the bottle and makes me think of an orange version of P013 (which I really like in spite of the citrus aversion I mentioned before). Like P013, it smells like it would be right at home with the original Monster Bait series.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Hmm, this isn't heading in a good direction. The sweetness turns cloying when it hits my skin. It's got a strong scent, too. I only dabbed a little bit on and it smells like I put on a good-sized smear. The scent is very similar to the one in the bottle. It's just that it's gone significantly sweeter and more intense.

 

Dry down:

 

That's better. PX117 calms down quite a bit as it dries. Some of the sweetness from the vanilla frosting (or whatever it is that smells like it) disappears, and the final scent is like a moist orange poundcake with a tiny touch of orange creamsicle. It's sweet and summery and still quite foody. This still makes me think of both P013 (with orange instead of lemon) and the original Monster Bait scents. Thankfully, I don't get any of the anise that some people have mentioned. Just moist orange cake with a touch of sweet icing.

 

The bottom line:

 

Just like P013, this isn't the sort of scent that I normally wear, but I actually like it. It's not something I would wear every day, but it's definitely staying in my collection.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on Etsy and testers from a few generous sellers.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I like clove quite a bit and I'm a fan of spicy scents, although they're not the sort of thing I wear every day. I also like amber and most of the other notes being mentioned in the other reviews. To be honest, though, SAQQARA v2 isn't one of those scents that screams "TRY ME!". It sounds nice, but not spectacular, in spite of it's popularity. But I am looking forward to trying it.

 

First sniff:

 

Spicy for sure. I'd have a hard time saying what all is in this, but I'm going to say clove (definitely) and maybe some amber, cardamom and bay. It's not a foody spice. It's exotic and somehow antique smelling. It's pretty but it doesn't wow me right out of the bottle.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Ooh, this is starting to remind me of Lamia v3, which in turn reminds me of a clove cigarettes-inspired perfume from another company (which has listed notes of clove, cinnamon, cardamom, tobacco, amber, sandalwood and incense). It's still predominately spice (clove and cardamom), but there's a soft sweetness that makes me think of amber. I don't think there's tobacco in here, though.

 

Dry down:

 

Definitely similar to Lamia v3 on me! Which is awesome because I really like Lamia v3, but can't bring myself to pay the going price for it. This is a sexy scent to my nose. Spicy and enticing. Dry and not at all foody. It's got quite a bit of throw, too, which is great for a strong scent lover like me.

 

The bottom line:

 

I didn't think I was going to need two bottles of this, but now I'm regretting only buying the one when I had the chance. This is a real beauty and a good replacement for Lamia v3 since they smell so similar on me.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been working my way through the Snake Pit and Australian Copperhead has always been towards the bottom of the list (above Asp Viper, which has almond and is automatically guaranteed to be a scent I don't like, and Cottonmouth, which just doesn't sound that appealing since I hate florals), so I'm not sure how well it's going to work for me.

 

The Snake Oil, amber, cardamom and smoked vanilla sound good, but I despise neroli with a fiery passion and I've never smelled acai berry before (I'm not much of a berry fan in general, so it's probably not going to be one of my favorite notes). Fingers crossed that Australian Copperhead likes me. I've been pleasantly surprised before by the Snake Pit blends.

 

First sniff:

 

Sweet but tart berry. I can see where people are getting candy out of this. It has an almost Sweet Tart sort of scent, but Sweet Tarts if they were made in an exotic berry flavor. I get a tiny bit of Snake Oil and smoked vanilla, but mainly this is berry, and a rather unique berry at that. It's not looking all that promising at this point, but I never give up hope on a blend I buy (and most that I get as frimps) without at least testing it, so I'm forging ahead.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Okay, we're getting somewhere now. The berry is still the dominant note (it's smells deep red/purple and tart but sweet at the same time), but I'm starting to find some of the other notes peeking out. The Snake Oil is putting in a barely there appearance and I get a tiny bit of smoked vanilla and what could be the faintest touch of amber. It's less candy-like now, but still sweet.

 

Dry down:

 

Ooh, I like this once it's dried completely. The end scent is soft, sweet, and feminine. Smoked vanilla with a touch of Snake Oil and amber and an overlay of slightly stronger, sweet/tart berry. The dreaded neroli never puts in an appearance, which is fine by me. It's not something I'd wear every day, but it's much more wearable for me than I expected it to be.

 

The bottom line:

 

Australian Copperhead definitely isn't my favorite Snake Pit blend (that honor goes to Western Diamondback), or even a runner up, but I really do like it. It's oddly innocent smelling for a scent named after a venomous snake.

^ This. I have imps of Mouse's LAST that vary from very pale gold to a medium-deep amber. Currently, I have two deep amber and one pale gold. I couldn't tell you what color the oil in my bottles is, but I just checked the imps.

Not exactly an LE, but I find Magic, Do as You Will to be a poor man's version of Voodoo Queen, minus the spice. It's slightly drier, but the dark fruit and incense/resins are along the same lines.

 

Add a little Arachne of Lydia and you'd have a fairly reasonable replacement for Voodoo Queen. At least the way Voodoo Queen smells on me, anyway. Everyone's skin chemistry is different and I may not get notes that other people do and vice versa. But I thought I'd throw it out there since we all know how pricy Voodoo Queen is (especially me since I just dropped some big money on a bottle from the Lab's eBay auctions).

 

And on the same note (and I'm sure this has been mentioned before in reviews, if not in here), Devil's Night is like a poor man's Storyville. I have a bottle of Devil's Night 2006 and that's what I'm basing this on. I tried 2005's version when it came out, but can't remember how similar it was, and I haven't tried the other years, so they may or may not be equally good replacements. I sometimes wear Devil's Night instead of Storyville on less than special occasions where I want a similar sort of scent without dipping into The Precious.

 

Neither one is a perfect replacement, of course, and they may not smell fairly similar on you, but it's worth a shot if you can't afford or don't want to pay the price for a bottle of Storyville or Voodoo Queen.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on Etsy.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been on the fence about trying this one and passed it up when I made my ginormous Etsy order, but grabbed it after all when I saw that there was only one bottle left. I love incense, amber and wood, but I'm iffy on the Lab's beeswax note and I don't like florals (especially rose) or baby powder. So this one is a real gamble.

 

First sniff:

 

Beeswax. The Lab's beeswax note always smells strangely creamy to me, with a touch of something that makes me just a tiny bit queasy and this is no exception. It has a scent that's similar to The Light of Men's Lives, but there's something else lurking in the background. I just can't figure out what it is yet.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Uh-oh. I smell rose. Granted, it's the scent of an unopened rosebud, complete with a touch of green stem (very much like Rose Red, which is about as close to being wearable as a rose scent can get for me), but it's still rose. I hate rose. It's second only to almond on my list of most hated scent notes. This isn't looking good.

 

Honestly, it's a pretty scent. It really is. I can recognize a scent that other people would find beautiful and this is one of them. It's just not something that I enjoy and want to smell like.

 

Dry down:

 

It takes quite a while (a few hours, probably; I lost track of time, but I'm guessing it's been about 2-3 hours), but finally Tetramorph v2 dries down into something that's pretty and appealing to me. Somewhere along the line, a pretty, golden resinous note comes out. Amber, with maybe a touch of something else...myrrh, maybe? And there's still a hint of sweetness here. There might be some vanilla in addition to the beeswax. It reminds me a bit of Jacob's Ladder at this point.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Tetramorph just yet. I think it's probably going to end up being one of those scents that I rarely (if ever) wear because I don't like the wet stage and don't have the patience to wait it out. The late drydown is nice, but it's not unique enough on me to make it worth waiting hours for.

 

I may see if my mom likes it before I decide to move it on to a new home. It seems like it might be more her style since she's a rose lover and enjoys soft, non-foody sweet scents.