Penance

Anyone want to post the new Snake Oil label so I don't have to buy another bottle just to see it?

Preconceived notions:

I've been hanging onto my White Light, waiting for the moment that feels right to try this. Today feels right, although I can't put my finger on why...I suppose because I'm irritated today and feel about ready to put my foot through the wall for various reasons. I just need a fresh mental start, I think, so I'm hoping White Light does as much for me as it's done for everyone else.

Scent impressions:

This strikes me as a very pure, clean floral, one I recognize but can't place. It does smell white to me and even though I don't normally care for floral scents (at all), this appeals to me. It somehow smells not cleansing but cleansed. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this...maybe citrus or some sort of aquatic, but somehow this still fits my mental image of what White Light should smell like.

Effectiveness:

White Light evoked an immediate reaction as soon as I finished applying it to my palms - out of nowhere I started crying. Not sad tears...the kind that seem to come when you're getting rid of emotional baggage. Purging would be a good word for it. At the risk of sounding like a twit, it's like all the irritation and frustration and anger I've been bottling up came out in those tears. It was almost a physical lightning, that's the only way I can think of explaining it.

The verdict:

Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. I really needed to let go of some things and White Light let me do it.

Preconceived notions:

This one certainly sounds interesting and I love the label (so cute!), but I doubt it's going to work for me. Pomegranate has an inexplicable tendency to turn into gummy bears as soon as it hits my skin and that's not really something I want to smell like, but I'll give it a shot.

First sniff:

Almost all I get from the bottle is pumpkin. Buttery pumpkin. That doesn't bode well, either, since buttery pumpkin tends to make me a little queasy (although it's certainly not something that happens every time I get near a buttery pumpkin scent). I don't really smell the pomegranate, but I do get a very vague sense of fruitiness in the background.

Wet on skin:

Okay, there's the fruit. So far, this is only bordering on gummy bear territory - it hasn't made the full leap yet. I do have to say that this is the truest BPAL pomegranate scent that I've smelled yet and I'm in a good position to judge, having just eaten one of the little beauties...pomegranates, I mean, not the BPAL scents.

This may actually work, surprisingly enough. So far, there's no real gummy bear vibe to speak of (just genuine pomegranate) and the fruit is tempering the pumpkin quite well. It's unexpectedly likeable for me. A very unusual combination in a good way.

Dry down:

How weird...one of my wrists smells intensely of slightly gummy bear-like pomegranate with a hint of pumpkin and hte other smells mainly of delicious pumpkin with just a hint of juicy fruit. This is my first experience with different smells from different wrists and I'm amazed. I definitely prefer the more pumpkiny side, but the other is surprisingly likeable as well.

The bottom line:

I didn't expect this to work and I didn't expect to genuinely like it, but I've been proven wrong on both counts. A beautiful, unique combination.

Preconceived notions:

I love sandalwood in practically all its incarnations, so I'm really looking forward to trying this. I never would have imagined pumpkin and sandalwood going together, but it sounds surprisingly appealing, and not just to my inner hippie.

First sniff:

I took one sniff of this, did a double take, and handed it to my mom for her analysis and we both agree on what we were smelling: yellow cake batter.

I have absolutely no idea why this would smell like cake batter, but its uncanny to my nose (and my mom's...could be genetic, I suppose). My best guess is it's the butteriness of the pumpkin mixing with the orris that's doing it, but that's no more than a fairly uneducated guess. I like this, I really do. It's just surprising.

Wet on skin:

No more cake batter (that was truly bizarre). Now I get...pumpkin incense. It's not as strange a combination as it sounds, either. The pumpkin warms the sandalwood and keeps it from being overly dry without jumping out and screaming "Look at me! I'm pumpkin! With incense! Crazy!" I'm not sure I would have known that the warmth was pumpkin if I hadn't been told, it's so well blended.

Dry down:

Warm, pumpkiny incense. This is what I'd love to have my house smell like at Thanksgiving. It's got sandalwood's peacefulness and the pumpkin's warmth and comfort all rolled into one (and I love the sad little pumpkin label, too).

The bottom line:

This exceeds my expectations. I expected something more jarring, but this Patch member is perfectly blended. Hippie Thanksgiving, here I come!

Preconceived notions:

I ordered an imp of this thinking that it could potentially be good (love incense and parchment and soft woods sound wonderful, but the rosewood and tonka made me a little wary), but then Diana told me that I'd love it so I'm looking forward to trying it. My imp pimp knows her girl, so I've got high expectations.

First sniff:

Sort of a combination of men's cologne (that sort of generic smell you get in department stores and the like - not a bad smell, but not fantastic, either) and a sort of soft wood and leather scent...like a den with bookshelves wrapping around the walls and a soft, well-worn leather chair in the corner by the fireplace. It smells masculine, but I love masculine scents, so this could be good on me.

Wet on skin:

Mmm, I love this. All the cologney overtones disappear once this hits my skin and I get a sort of leather and parchment scent with a touch of incense. It's an instantaneous shift from generic masculine cologne to warm and comforting. I'm not sure why I have an emotional connection to masculine scents that remind me of dens and leather armchairs, but I do know that those scents evoke an instantaneous feeling of safety and security and make me feel warm and safe. Dee is no exception to that rule, even though I don't have any conscious memories to connect it with.

Dry down:

I put this on and then went about doing something else that needed to be done and didn't really think about what I was wearing until I got a strong whiff of tobacco out of nowhere and had one of those "What is that wonderful smell? Oh, wait, that's me!" moments when I realized that it was Dee that I was smelling. There's no tobacco in here (at least there's none listed), but that's the dominant impression I get once Dee dries. It's not an overwhelmingly cigar store kind of smell, more like loose tobacco with a hint of leather and wood and a tiny touch of vanilla (the tonka, I'm sure).

Up until this point, I've been having a troubling day. I've been anxious and unable to sit still and unsure of why I was so worked up, but Dee's been an instantaneous calming factor for me.

The bottom line:

Diana was right, I love this. Not only does it smell beautiful, but it makes me feel secure in a way that I really need right about now. This is the effect (and, to a certain degree, the scent) that I've been anticipating in Herr Drosselmeyer, so until my Yule order comes in, I've got something to fill the void (and something that will, no doubt, remain a favorite of mine).

Since I only gave all of the Tarot oils a quick test (with the exception of Judgment, Death, Strength, The World and The Hermit), I can't really say for sure which ones you'd like, but I can tell you what I thought of The World and The Hermit.

The World - On me, it was a green scent...kind of like sandalwood and something piney with a hint of aquatic of some sort. It was interesting and I liked it, but it's not my favorite.

The Hermit - I was so disappointed by this one, but that's mainly because I wanted it to smell like dusty old books, the way other people have described it. I got something citrusy...orange or lemon of some sort and something musty in the background. It really didn't appeal to me, but it's not a bad scent necessarily.

The other ones you list are also ones I've tried, but there're only a few that I can really remember the smell of enough to really review them for you:

The Magician - A weird one for me. It's vaguely herbal, almost licorice or fennel-like (on me, at any rate) and...strange. It's one of those ones that I just can't pin down note-wise.

The High Priestess - Almond, almond and more almond. I don't know what else is in it since almond in anything completely overwhelms everything else (I'm very allergic to almond and can't stand more than a tiny sniff of anything with almond oil in it), so there may be something else there that I didn't smell.

The Star - A lot of people like it, but it wasn't for me, either. It's similar to Spooky (if you've ever tried it), plus citrus of some sort. I'd say it's orange (or maybe lemon...it's hard for me to tell), vanilla and coconut.

I don't really remember The Chariot aside from remembering that, for some inexplicable reason, it smelled like butterscotch to me. I'm positive that was just a weird reaction, though, since no one else seems to get it, so I wouldn't go by my impressions on this one.

Scent impressions:

I'm not sure what's in here...it's somewhat musky, a little sweet and vaguely fruity. There could be some orange in here, but I'm not sure. I mainly get the impression of sweetish swirling smoke and musky skin. I'd definitely consider this a sexy scent.

Effectiveness:

My first try with LaFlamme was accidental (I had opened my imp just to sniff it and got a tiny dab on my finger). Not ten minutes later, my husband came rushing into the house, grabbed me up into a bear hug and must have spent 10 minutes telling me how much he loved me.

I honestly wasn't expecting it because I didn't know I'd gotten any oil on my fingers until I rubbed my nose later and smelled it on them, but I got a very strong response from this. LaFlamme is without a doubt one of my favorite TAL oils and one of the most effective in my experience.

The verdict:

Love this. Love it. I plan on getting a bottle as soon as it goes up on the TAL site (or as soon as I can get a bottle from someone else, whichever comes first).

ETA: I've finally managed to get a bottle of this and I'm even more in love with it now...LaFlamme works in a big, big way. Let's just say life is very, very good, thanks to this little beauty.

Smell and taste are linked, so that doesn't sound so far-fetched to me.

Never had it happen personally, but I'm sure that it could. I believe I've heard of other people having that happen, but I can't think of any specific instance off the top of my head.

Dia De Los Muertos 2005

Preconceived notions:

I ended up loving last year's DDLM in spite of my hatred of chocolate and floral notes but never got enough of it, so I was thrilled when it was brought back this year, but (based on reviews) I think this year's may very well be far too floral for my tastes.

First sniff:

Hmm, at first I want to say I don't like this because there's a strong floral component here which generally is not a good thing (not a floral lover), but then I realize there's tobacco underneath the flowers and I adore the smell of tobacco, so there may be a chance of my liking this yet. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

Wet on skin:

Well, this kind of...different. I'm not sure what this is that I'm smelling...it's kind of waxy, kind of floral and a little sour. I'm sure it must be one or more of the floral notes I'm smelling, but I'm terrible at identifying flowers by smell, so I can't pin this down any more. This is way too floral and perfumey for me. The tobacco's completely disappeared, too, which makes this even worse.

Dry down:

I'm smelling a bit of chocolate now, but it's mainly those strange florals from the wet stage. This is missing all the things I loved from last year's: the strong tobacco note, the incense, the darkness and smoke. Instead it's light and perfumey and not at all up my alley.

The bottom line:

I wanted to love this and was prepared to slather myself in it if it was the same as last year's, but it's just not the same. I'll be hoarding my precious '04 bottles even more now.

Samhain 2005

Preconceived notions:

I learned how much I loved Samhain '04 a little too late mainly because of my ever wonderful and wacky skin chemistry and possibly because of the small amount of aging that happened between my receiving it, trying it and selling it and then trying it again and falling in love, so this is my second chance to make up for my hasty decision and I fully expect it to work right away this time. Am I being too optimistic? Maybe, but I doubt it.

First sniff:

This smells damn near identical to last year's so far as I can tell right now. There's something that smells almost like honey skirting around the edges that I don't remember from last year's, but it could be my nose misinterpreting something in here. Mainly, Samhain '05 is dry, crumbling leaves, a bit of musty patchouli and a hint of what reminds me more of apple peel than the actual fruit itself. Oh, Samhain, how I love you. You're an aquired taste, I think, but I've gotten over the awkward stage long ago.

Wet on skin:

Interesting side note: Samhain '05 is almost clear this year (as opposed to brownish in '03 and reddish in '04).

Oh lord, here we go again with the medicinal/cleaning fluid note I got last year that made me sell the majority of my bottles. I'm not sure if this will be a stage that will pass or if this needs to age before I wear it like last year's apparently did. I'm hoping it's just a stage because I hate having to let things sit before I can use them. Instant gratification is more my style, but BPAL has certainly improved my patience, so I'll sit on Samhain (not literally, unless that will help somehow) until it has time to age if I have to.

Dry down:

Less medicinal smelling, but still not quite right. I think I'm going to have to age this first. In the meantime, I'll have to wear last year's (sparingly, until I'm sure that this year's will age the same) and hope for the best. I don't want to do it, but I'll do whatever it takes to be able to wear this.

The bottom line:

At least I know why last year's Samhain hated me at first: it needed to age. At least my skin chemistry's not completely unhinged.

Preconceived notions:

I've had bad luck with BPAL's pumpkin blends in the past: Jack makes me queasy and Pumpkin King turned into burnt straw for some inexplicable reason. The only one that's worked has been Samhain and I get no pumpkin whatsoever from it. I'm not giving up yet on finding a pumpkin scent that I can actually wear and smell the pumpkin in and this is looking to be the most promising since I was dying for an apple cider scent and a pumpkin scent I could wear, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

First sniff:

I had to double check and make sure I had the right bottle because my nose has trouble identifying this blend for some reason. There's something almost buttery at the top of the scent that was confusing me...it has to be the pumpkin, but I don't normally think of (non-BPAL) pumpkin as being buttery. When I inhale deeply I can smell the apple cider, though. I just needed to be sure of what I was smelling first, I guess.

Wet on skin:

Whoa, there's the apple cider! As soon as I put this on, I get macintosh apples and spices in a big way. This is almost identical (on me) to Yankee Candle's Macintosh scent with mulling spices added. This is perfect. The pumpkin's lurking around in the background and giving this some depth, but it's not overpowering. This is a wonderful scent for autumn and as long as it doesn't change on me, it's exactly what I've been looking for.

Dry down:

The spices are really amping up as this dries so that it's more spice than apple right now, but that's fine. This reminds me of working at the yearly Apple Festival when I was still living in Ohio. I was always in charge of running the apple cider area and this is the smell of apple cider in the making and the final product, all rolled into one. The cinnamon is especially strong, but it's not overwhelming really...it turns this from an apple and pumpkin scent into an apple cider and pumpkin pie scent.

The bottom line:

Very autumnal, but I think this could be perfect for Christmas, too.

Origin:

Much-appreciated lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I've been waffling over trying Yerevan for what seems like forever, so I'm thrilled to have been gifted with an imp of this to assuage my curiosity. This will probably be hit or miss for me. I love apricot and plum (they're about the only fruit notes I genuinely like as perfume) and I like light musks, but the pomegranate (turns into gummy bears on me for some reason), rose (probably one of my least favorite florals), orchid/iris (just not a floral fan in general) and sweet roots (no idea what to expect) have me worried.

First sniff:

I opened my armoire to get my imp of Yerevan and was blasted with a beautiful fruity floral scent that confused me until I saw that my imp had been leaking through the label.

Smelling the leakage (well, that sounds kind of gross, putting it like that, but...), I smell apricot, pomegranate, plum and a sort of soft, musky floral that's surprisingly pretty (part is rose, but I'm not sure what the rest is...could be iris or orchid or both; I'm not good with florals). This could definitely work, though; it's not too girly and not too sweet, either.

Wet on skin:

Mmm, apricot...but wait, there's flowers here, too, and I think they're too strong for me. I love this in the imp (and all over the label, too, I might add), but as usual it looks as though my skin chemistry is having a field day with the floral notes in here. Why my skin has to amp up notes that I don't like, I have no idea. It's fickle that way.

Dry down:

I'm getting what must be the "sweet roots" in here. It's hard to describe, but it smells almost identical to a Chaos blend I tried...sort of sweet and slightly starchy smelling. The florals are still putting in a strong appearance, too, but there's no sign of the fruit, not even the dreaded gummy bear pomegranate abomination I was fearing.

The bottom line:

So promising in the imp, but it just doesn't work with my skin chemistry. Maybe I'll use this as a room scent or in a scent locket. I need to get it out of the imp before it all leaks out anyway.

Dammit, now I want All Saints even though I hated last years and know I'll really hate this years.

Preconceived notions:

I've been desperately wanting to try Devil's Night since it was released (I ordered 5 bottles thinking I'd adore it), but since the reviews started coming out I've gotten a bit worried. I think maybe I've been spoiled by Samhain because I wanted (and was hoping for) something similar to Samhain and Hexennacht. Devil's Night sounds a bit too sweet and spicy for me since I was hoping for something more like Samhain: dark, autumnal...falling leaves and bonfires, that sort of thing.

First sniff:

Snickerdoodles?!

That's...different. All I smell in here is cinnamon, sugar and something akin to cookies and vanilla. In short: snickerdoodles. Not at all what I was expecting based on the description of this one.

Wet on skin:

Whoa, this one's a morpher (at least on me)! Once I put Devil's Night on, it turns from snickerdoodles into something spicy, sweet and musky and somehow dark even if it isn't quite what I wanted. My skin loves to latch onto cinnamon and musk, so that could be the reason for the change. I'm not really sure I like this one or not right at the moment. This is going to be a tough one from the looks of things.

Dry down:

I like this, but I don't love it the way I'd dreamed of. It's basically dried down into pure snickerdoodles again. No sign of the fires or other autumnal goodness the description promises, but that may just be my skin chemistry throwing a curve ball. At least there's still time to get more Samhain to replace Devil's Night with.

The bottom line:

Devil's Night is a hair's breadth away from breaking my heart. I wanted autumnal goodness, fires and falling leaves and I got snickerdoodles...more akin to Sugar Cookie than Samhain and not what I wanted, really.

Alright, who's going to satisfy my curiosity and post pictures of the new Halloween bottle labels?

I've seen Samhain and the Pumpkin Patch, but everything else is a mystery to me. Anyone want to enlighten me? I didn't order all of them and the ones I did order aren't getting here anytime soon unless I get a CnS soon, so I'm getting impatient. As usual...

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

Ophelia is the name (and subject) of one of my favorite poems and Hamlet is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, but I just don’t see myself liking this. I don’t do florals normally and lotus and rose are two of the biggest offenders, but I’ll try it.

First sniff:

A light, sweet, innocent smelling floral blend. It reminds me somewhat of Juliet. I don’t get any of the dreaded bubblegum lotus note, which is good, just an ethereal, innocent floral blend. It’s pretty, but not my thing.

Wet on skin:

Rose really jumps out on my skin. It’s not a powdery, fake rose scent (I always associate powdery rose with artificial), more like the smell of the petals right off the flower. That’s practically all I smell in Ophelia on me, which isn’t terribly surprising given my skin’s love for rose notes.

Dry down:

Now comes the dreaded rose/sour milk combo I get from a lot of rose blends. It’s not as pungent as the amber/sour milk note I get, but it’s not pleasant, either. Unfortunately, my skin loves to latch onto rose, which is bad enough to begin with, and then to turn it into the scent of spoiled dairy products.

The bottom line:

Ophelia and I don’t get along, but I didn’t expect any different.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I don’t see Desdemona working for me. Pure floral blends are generally bad on me because I just don’t do florals. They seem to clash with my personality, plus I just don’t like them. The carnation’s especially worrying since it has a tendency to make me a bit nauseous.

First sniff:

Hmm, interesting. Floral, a little spicy (the carnation, no doubt) and vaguely headshoppy for some inexplicable reason. This makes my nose itch smelling it, so chances are it’s going to make me sneeze once I put it on.

Wet on skin:

I’m smelling what I’m guessing is sweet pea and I don’t really care for it, even as far as florals go (I don’t like very many florals to begin with, but this is one I like less than most). As predicted, this is making me sneeze like crazy. I’m not sure what I’m allergic to in here. Carnation often makes me nauseous, but it doesn’t make me sneeze, so it’s either the sweet pea or the water lily.

Dry down:

Powdery, matronly florals. I don’t know why this suddenly went from young to mature smell-wise, but I like it even less now. This is a pretty intense failure for me, even as far as floral blends go. It’s just not for me. Period.

The bottom line:

Desdemona just plain doesn’t work for me. I’m not sure what it is in here that’s clashing so badly with me, but whatever it is, I’d rather avoid it in the future.

First sniff:

None of the notes immediately stand out in The Black Tower, for me. I get a general impression rather than a mental list of notes: dark, masculine, intense, heavy…like a stone-walled room with heavy black velvet curtains that block the moonlight. So far I really like this.

Wet on skin:

Once I put this on, my skin amps up several of the notes and I can suddenly identify several portions of this scent. On my skin, The Black Tower smells burnt (the burnt grasses) with an electric tang (the ozone) and a background of leather, sandalwood and ambergris. This reminds me of Samhain and Hexennacht for some reason. This is complex and dark and brooding and utterly gorgeous. I’m sure this would smell amazing on a guy. If I weren’t selfishly hoarding this, I’d try it on my husband next.

Dry down:

This is intense. I can see this being too much for someone with more subdued tastes, but for me this is perfect. The Black Tower, on me, is dark and brooding and, for lack of a better word, destroyed smelling. I get the mental image of a pillaged castle…burnt wood and grass, the metallic bite of the armor of the slaughtered defenders, the leather of the ransacked furniture and the muskiness of hot skin. I love dark, dangerous smelling scents, so this is perfect for me. Masculine without a doubt, but I’m not a girly girl by nature.

The bottom line:

I was hoping to love this because it combines several notes I like or love (sandalwood, ambergris, ozone, wood notes and grass) in an unusual way, but I was worried about the wine, so I’m thrilled to find that I love this.

Preconceived notions:

This could go either way. I love clove, patchouli and incense and I generally like peach and cinnamon, but the orange has me a bit worried.

First sniff:

Very spicy with a background of incense. I smell a bit of peach, but the orange seems to be reduced to a general sweetness. God help me, but Al-Shairan smells like crumb cakes. Evil, satanic crumb cakes, but crumb cakes nonetheless.

Wet on skin:

Now the fruit is coming out more, with the orange (predictably and regrettably) leading. “Evil, satanic crumb cakes with a hint of the orange marmalade of eternal damnation,” my brain is saying, but I still can’t quite square this with the name/inspiration for some reason.

Dry down:

Al-Shairan on the dry down becomes a mix of evil, demonic crumb cake, orange marmalade of eternal damnation and Lucifer’s Arts & Crafts Store on me. I’m learning that orange almost never likes my skin and that cinnamon can turn ugly for reasons unknown, so Al-Shairan’s response to me isn’t terribly unexpected, but it does make me sad since I wanted to love it.

The bottom line:

Alas, I do believe Al-Shairan and I weren’t meant for each other. Too foody/potpourri-like on my skin for my tastes.

Origin:

Imp from Joseybird.

Preconceived notions:

I passed on a bottle of White Cedarwood and got Redwood instead (which I adore) when the single notes were being discontinued, so I’m hoping I don’t love this more than Redwood or else I’ll be kicking myself.

Impressions:

Mmm, this smells wonderful! It’s note rotted smelling (sorry, there’s just no better word for it) the way a lot of cedar oils seem to smell. Very dry and simple. Honestly, it smells like hamster bedding (yes, laugh all you want, darklorelei, it’s true), but that’s a good thing in my book.

The verdict:

I think I made the right decision in getting Redwood because this is a little less wearable as a single note - cedar seems to remind everyone I know of hamster bedding - not because I like it better, necessarily, but because I rarely wear scents that really don’t go over well with the people I care about.

Preconceived notions:

Thanatos immediately appealed to me, both for the name (psychology geek that I am and because of my obsession with death) and because of the notes. I love sandalwood, myrrh, moss and incense and I’m fairly fond of mastic, but the rose worries me a bit since I normally avoid rose if possible. I’ve never smelled benzoin aside from in Snake Charmer (which I adore), so I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet. I’m really hoping to love this.

First sniff:

Mmm, incense! I seem to smell all the incense and resin notes in here when I open the bottle. I don’t get any rose (thank God), but I smell what might be the slightest hint of moss in here. Right now, this seems to fall into the same category as Penitence and Cathedral, a sort of cathedral after mass kind of scent, but with a touch of graveyard thrown in. Beautiful!

Wet on skin:

I love this! Dry, incensy with just the right amount of earthiness. The moss gives this some depth and keeps it from being too much like Penitence and Cathedral (not that that would be a bad thing). The mastic is making a strong appearance, too, giving this a sort of spicy green wood kind of scent that I really like in this.

Dry down:

Dry incense and the barest touch of dried moss. This is beautiful in a dark, almost forlorn smelling way. I had a hard time seeing the inspiration for this in the scent at first, but now it’s obvious. This isn’t dangerously dark smelling, more mournful smelling somehow. I really like this.

The bottom line:

Thanatos definitely lived up to my expectations. It won’t push Cathedral and Penitence out of the places of honor in my perfume collection, but I love it!

Preconceived notions:

I was excited when this came out - envisioning something akin to Villianess' Novocaine smooch - but then the reviews came out and I'm positive this won't work on me. I hate powdery perfumes almost as much as I hate almond scents and violets aren't my thing either.

First sniff:

If baby powder were exposed to nuclear radiation and grew to a hundred times its normal size, then went on a rampage through some unexpecting metropolis somewhere, it might smell like Numb. This is powder in the extreme, pure and simple. I don't smell any florals, just pure baby powder, which, sadly, is not my thing.

Wet on skin:

The powder is a little less intense now and I get something faintly violetty now. While I still don't care for Numb, I like it better than I did in the bottle.

Dry down:

Soft powder with a faint hint of violets. I can see why someone might like this, but it's just not for me. I really don't like powdery scents. At all.

The bottom line:

My three bottles of Numb are off to a new home where they'll be appreciated.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

If it weren’t for the almonds of doom, I might very well like Eden, but I just don’t see this working for me because of the presence of my arch-nemesis.

My impressions:

Warm and almondy with a honey sweetness and a background of coconut and sandalwood. I don’t get any of the fig in here, just a warm cream/beige kind of scent. I can see this being comforting smelling for someone else, but for me it’s, unfortunately, stomach-turning because of the almond.

The bottom line:

I can see the appeal of Eden, but the almonds kill it for me, just like I’d expected.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

Inferno is the only Dark Elements blend I haven’t tried yet, mainly because of the almonds. I know in advance that I won’t like Inferno because of the dreaded almonds of doom and the neroli, but in the interests of reviewing I’m going to at least sniff it.

My impressions:

Cinnamony almonds. If I weren’t allergic to almond oil, I could see why someone might like this. It reminds me of those cinnamon frosted almonds and pecans they sell from those little carts on street corners and at Six Flags. Makes me sick, but I can see the appeal to someone else.

The bottom line:

Attractive in its own gourmand way, but I just can’t wear it and probably wouldn’t anyway even if I could because I’m not a foody scent kind of girl.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I’m not a floral fan, generally speaking, so I highly doubt I’ll like Tiger Lily, but I’ve been proven wrong before.

First sniff:

Sweet flowers. This reminds me vaguely of La Petit Mort only with another floral substituted for the ylang-ylang. Something about the combination of honey and florals makes me a bit queasy, so this isn’t quite working for me.

Wet on skin:

Sweet, heady florals. This is almost honeysuckle-like, but not quite. We grew tiger lilies in front of the house I grew up in, but I don’t remember them having a particular scent…if they do, I can easily see this being it. It’s feminine and graceful, even if it’s not me.

Dry down:

Tiger Lily, on me, dries down into a light, sweet floral. It’s subdued and not too heavy, but it’s just not me. It’s not a bad scent, I just don’t do florals.

The bottom line:

Tiger Lily’s not for me, but I didn’t expect it to be. Off to a more loving home with it.