Delirium1009

In bottle/imp: Creamy and minty.

Immediately on skin: Strong mint with a bit of creaminess to it. There’s another note in there too… adding a brightness to the blend that isn’t the mint. I’m thinking it’s the bergamot, but that usually turns into a cologne type scent on me.

After a few minutes: Oh my goodness. I must have a bottle of this. The mint has faded and the result is something I can only describe as Snake Oil Tea. It’s crisp and beautiful, but still retains the S.O. notes we know and love.

Overall Impressions: I was on the verge of skipping this because of the mint, but I’m so glad I didn’t. I absolutely love this scent. The tea note is very prominent, and it’s a crisp scent, but the Snake Oil still makes an appearance. If you love the Lab’s tea scents, you should definitely give this one a try.

In bottle/imp: Flowery with a light touch of musk.

Immediately on skin: Flowery and powdery. I don’t get any yummy snake oil from this one at all right away.

After a few minutes: Very light flowers. And I mean VERY light. It’s not dominated by the lily like I was afraid of, and it’s slightly sweet. I can barely detect the Snake Oil in this blend either. Whereas the origingal S.O. is a very sexy scent, this one is a light feminine version of that.

Overall Impressions: I love Snake Oil, but this blend just didn’t do it for me. It’s very light and didn’t leave an impression on me at all. I love floral scents too, so this really surprised me.

In bottle/imp: Spicy, crisp apple.

Immediately on skin: Spicy apples with a touch of sweet flowers.

After a few minutes: This is a beautiful scent on me. It’s very sweet and the apple has toned down a little, but it’s still fruity and the plumeria is coming through. It’s a bright, cheerful snake oil.

Later on: The spiced apple scent is still there, blending with light Snake Oil. It would be a great Autumn scent in my opinion too.

In bottle/imp: Cocoa powder and vanilla.

Immediately on skin: Slightly bitter cocoa and snake oil. But there’s something else not-so-yummy there too… almost a sour smell.

After a few minutes: Snake oil with a little tiny bit of cocoa, and it might be a little creamier than usual. I don’t think there’s much difference between the two on me though.

Later on: This smooths out as I wear it but the cocoa still has a slightly sour twinge to it... almost like BO. Unfortunately this one isn't a winner on me.

In bottle/imp: Snake oil with some nice bright green notes.

Immediately on skin: I smell the Snake Oil, but also a fresh green scent, like freshly cut stems. The result is a sweet, green, and earthy scent. But lurking under is a touch of baby powder. Uh oh…

After a few minutes: This has become a very nice earthy green Snake Oil scent. The moss and olive leaf blend beautifully to create something that is comforting and soft, yet still slightly sweet. I really like this one!

Overall Impressions: For a sea snake, this blend hits me as really earthy. It went from crisp to something smooth, understated, and very comforting. I would definitely wear this on a day when I want to feel grounded.

In bottle/imp: Sweet, tart berries with a little spice.

Immediately on skin: The berries are the main note, with amber and spicy vanilla peeking out of the background.

After a few minutes: A nice complex berry scent with the amber blending in nicely. I get spice, too, and a touch of vanilla. Very nice! I hope it stays like this for a while.

Later on: I really love this one. It’s a light berry scent now a couple of hours later with definite spice and the signature Snake Oil thrown in. Where Coral Snake would be a good fall scent, this seems like a great summer scent to me. I definitely need a bottle!

In bottle/imp: Strong, spicy, sweet almond.

Immediately on skin: Spicy almond with just a touch of light mandarin. The myrrh adds a bit of warm depth to the blend.

After a few minutes: There’s just a light touch of almond and myrrh now. The base of Snake Oil is really strong, and this smells almost like plain Snake Oil on me now.

Later on: This is like regular Snake oil, only a little sweeter and powdery. It’s nice, but not different enough from Snake Oil to warrant having a bottle.

In bottle/imp: Tea and metallic chrome with a lingering herbal note in the background.

Immediately on skin: The strongest note in this is the chrome followed by fresh, white tea. The chrome scent is metallic and a little cologne-like… it’s very smooth and bright with a masculine edge. This has a slight saltiness to it and a very fresh feel.

After a little while: This is a great unisex fragrance. The chrome is the strongest note in this now, followed by a crisp breath of white tea and a touch of musk. There’s no real creaminess in this though so I’m hesitant about the vanilla musk, but maybe that’s just what’s adding a hint of sweetness to this. Anyway… chrome, tea, musk. Yeah… and a hint of citrus and that saltiness in the background which I’m pretty sure is the ambergris (it’s a bit powdery and dry). So in one sentence this is a fresh metallic tea scent with a hint of musk and a background of light lemon and ambergris.

Overall Impressions: I thought this would be a bit warmer and sweeter than it actually is… I was quite surprised by how much the chrome and white tea took over the scent. This is very nice though, and very unisex. It’s metallic, but not heavy or oily. It’s just very fresh and bright with a hint of light musk and the ambergris hanging around in the background. I think people who like scents like Mechanical Phoenix or Phoenix Steamworks may enjoy this.

I had my husband try this later on, and also compare it to Mechanical Phoenix and Door 13, which I thought it may be like. Torture Queen is much crisper smelling than Mechanical Phoenix, and more metallic and less citrus-y than Door 13. It smells fantastic on him though.

In bottle/imp: Red musk and patchouli.

Immediately on skin: The patchouli and red musk make up a lot of this scent. It feels musky and gritty to me. I also get a bit of the currant, giving this a deep fruitiness. But the currant is seamlessly blended into that red musk and patchouli mixture. There’s a lighter overtone wafting through this too… definitely some airy floral notes.

After a little while: This is starting to smell a lot like Mme Moriarty to me. This is like a slightly fruity and floral red musk and patchouli blend. It has the medicinal note I get from Mme Moriarty and fresh Snake Oil, so that bothers me a little though it isn't as metallic as in those other blends. This is musky, gritty, and slightly fruity with a bit of wafting, light florals.

Overall Impressions: This scent didn’t really impress me, though I had high hopes for it. It’s a bit similar to Mme Moriarty to me, with the medicinal twinge I get from that and fresh Snake Oil. This is very gritty to my nose, though it might smooth out with age. The red musk and patchouli are definitely the stars of this scent with the currant, mimosa and orchid adding a bit of fruitiness and lightness to the scent. This is very grounded but has some nice top notes to it just floating above the musk and patchouli base.

In bottle/imp: Very strong amber and powdery vanilla.

Immediately on skin: This smells like amber and crumbled up sugar cookies on my skin. It is so golden, warm, and delicious smelling. Sniffing more though I get more perfumey rather than foodie notes. The main notes I smell are the amber and vanilla musk, but then the myrrh adds in its resinous, thick scent and the carnation and sandalwood peek in from the background.

After a little while: This is so gorgeous. It’s a nuzzling, sexy type of scent for sure. I get a really warm combo of amber, vanilla musk, sandalwood, and a touch of carnation and myrrh. That all combines to form a warm, creamy and slightly powdery golden scent.

Overall Impressions: This is my favorite scent of the new Carnaval acts so far. It’s warm, cuddly, and sexy. The amber and vanilla musk give the scent a very toasted, golden feel, while the myrrh adds a nice richness and the sandalwood and carnation bring it away from foodie and make it just downright sexy. For those people who love Hod, the amber in this is so similar to the kind used in Hod to my nose. The carnation isn't as strong, but the amber is just golden, slightly powdery, and completely lovely!

In bottle/imp: Sweet, fruity, and slightly gritty red musk and smooth florals.

Immediately on skin: This gets less sweet as soon as I put it on. It’s a deep, dark warm scent with a lot of musk and florals. There’s definitely a slight fruitiness in this, but it may be from one of the floral notes. The rose is very smooth and light, while the iris is a bit stronger. At the base of the scent is a light amount of clove, and a touch of smooth vanilla bean. This scent is just smooth, dark, and sexy.

After a little while: This gets a bit more floral and complex as I wear it. The iris is strongest and the rose and magnolia are much gentler but blend in nicely. The red musk makes up the base of the scent. It's musky (of course) with a light sweetness to it. The vanilla and clove are still extremely soft, but really add a smoothness to the red musk.

Overall Impressions: This is just a deep, feminine, sexy floral blend. It starts up as a little heavy on the red musk, but as I wear it the flowers come out more and make this more floral than musky. The iris is very fresh in this, and the magnolia and rose don’t overpower it at all. The vanilla and clove don’t really come out too strongly, but they add a richness and smoothness to the base of the scent. I really like this, but I don’t know if I’ll wear it enough to warrant a bottle. It smells feminine and wearable, but very sexy and rich at the same time.

In bottle/imp: Sweet violet, but almost fruity as well.

Immediately on skin: This is fruity violet mixed with something like vanilla sugar. It doesn’t smell like vanilla really, but it takes away the perfume-y quality of the violet. It smells like violet taffy or candy.

After a little while: This hasn’t changed much from when I first put it on. It’s still violet, but very sweet and almost fruity.

Overall Impressions: I was expecting this scent to be rather soft, like I would expect real violets dusted with sugar to smell like. Instead to me this smells like violet candy, deep purple and very sweet with a fruity flowery scent or taste to it. It does smell like violets, but other things too that I can’t really identify. I don’t like it for me, but I think it’s a very girly, sweet scent.

In bottle/imp: Soft, creamy chocolate.

Immediately on skin: This smells like whipped, white cream with a dash of cocoa powder added in and white confectioner’s sugar sifted on top. This is light on the chocolate, but creamy and almost perfume-y vanilla cream with a hint of powder.

After a little while: This really doesn’t have any chocolate in it at all anymore. Now it’s this spun and powdered sugar and cream scent. It smells almost like cotton candy, but not really as sweet and has a definite creamy vanilla perfume type of feel to it.

Overall Impressions: I was really expecting more chocolate from this, but instead I got something soft, vanilla-laced, and sugary. It’s a nice, soft fragrance… it just feels poofy and light, like spun sugar. It has a light breath of vanilla to it, and something perfume-y about it. It’s almost like Antique Lace light, without any musk. I don’t dislike it, but it’s not what I was expecting.

I had a really bad headache when I tested this, and a couple days later I sniffed this one again and got an almost instant headache from it So even though I kind of liked this one, it looks like I won't be able to wear it after all.

In bottle/imp: Sharp, soapy floral.

Immediately on skin: I can smell the poppy and lilies very strongly, as well as a solid base of musk.

After a few minutes: This has sweetened up, but the lily is still very strong and the poppy and musk give it a dark base. This is definitely a complex scent.

Later on: This fades into a gentler, hypnotic scent. The sweet currant mixes nicely with the poppy, musk, and other notes, but it has a slight bitterness to it that I don’t love. I have to try this again… I can see myself getting in the mood to wear this every so often.

In bottle/imp: Soft and slightly sweetened white musk and lavender.

Immediately on skin: As soon as I put this on, I can smell the dry black coconut, verbena, and plum which mix with the musk and lavender I got straight from the imp. This is deep, herbal, and slightly musky, with hints of sweet and dry notes. There is a slight bitterness creeping about the scent though.

After a little while: This deepens to a dark, musky herbal scent with an overtone of plum and verbena. I can smell hints of the black coconut and vetiver swirling throughout. This almost has an earthy feel to it, but not in a dirt sort of way. The black coconut gives it a very grounded feel when combined with the vetiver.

Overall Impressions: This is a dark scent. It’s very complex, but it’s one of those scents that are so well blended that it’s hard to pick out the notes individually. I can sense what most of them add to the blend though. This is rich and deep with a slight bitterness and nice subtly sweet overtone. I think this might work on a man, especially if the plum doesn’t come out as much as it did on me. This scent actually reminds me a bit of Dark Delicacies, only this isn’t as smoky and Antonino has that nice plum note. They only have the coconut in common possibly, so I’m not sure how similar they would smell to anyone else. Personally though I am a fan of DD, and I really enjoy this scent as well.

I once read someone describing TKO as "lavender marshmallows" and that's really the best way I can describe the scent of this one to me. In the bottle it's a little more herbal, but on my skin it's soft, comforting lavender marshmallows.

As to how well it works, it's my default bedtime scent. It's relaxing, calming, and doesn't make me sleepy as much as totally relaxed. I love it

In bottle/imp: Something dry but a little sharp, plus a hint of patchouli and a background of soft vanilla.

Immediately on skin: This is the type of scent that I can feel in my nose more than I can smell. I see it wet on my skin but when I take a whiff all I smell is a light, sharp mix of sandalwood and patchouli with the violet-like orris wafting around a little. I feel something dry and a little sharp though.

After a little while: The orris in this just blooms on my skin so nicely as this settles and dries. This becomes a soft, creamy violet/orris scent with a nice amount of warm white sandalwood. I can smell the white amber and bourbon vanilla lending a soft, warm creamy quality to this. It smells almost like a whipped violet confection. Far in the background is an earthiness, which really grounds this and makes it a little less poofy.

Overall Impressions: This scent is feminine and lovely. It has a lot of things going on, but it’s complex enough that it’s very well balanced. The orris is the most identifiable, strongest note to me and to my nose always smells like a fainter violet scent. The orris blends with the amber and vanilla to create this solid, creamy violet fragrance that has a bit of sweetness, but not too much. The sandalwood is very evident, adding a perfume note to the violet/vanilla confection. The patchouli, which I was very worried about, barely comes out once this dries on me and adds a nice faint background note. There’s a lot going on here, but it comes together very beautifully. I think people who like violet scents and those who like sandalwood scents might enjoy this, but overall it’s just a nice complex girly fragrance.

This TAL smells wonderful on me, and serves its purpose well. It has a warm, herbal scent to it with a definite bit of lavender and a lot of golden amber. This just feels warm, golden, and slightly herbal. The scent actually reminds me of thick, rich honey with herbs strewn about, but since the lab's honey note doesn't really work on me, I think this is more a combination of floral, amber, and herbal notes. There's some other flowers in here as well besides the lavender. Rose? Heliotrope? I'm not sure. But this is slightly complex.

As to how this blend works, I find it both gives me a little extra courage and makes me feel safe at the same time. It almost seems to settle my nerves as it gives me the strength to face my problems. I'm currently learning how to drive, and it's a very scary thing for me. Crucible of Courage makes me feel strong and ready to face my fear. It's absolutely wonderful, and its beautiful scent just makes me love it more.

In bottle/imp: Very herbal floral with a musky undertone.

Immediately on skin: This is very musky, dry, and cold. It has a sweet floral tone to it that seems to be blending with the amber and lifts the blend a bit as I sniff it, but there is an herbal minty scent underneath. It’s very much a unisex scent.

After a few minutes: This is a very refreshing scent after a little bit. It has a very nice clean and almost citrus-y tone to it. The musk is light and not overpowering, and the davana is just slightly sweet. The musk and amber are also behaving nicely. This scent is extremely well balanced and blended.

Overall Impressions: This is a very refreshing, airy scent. It actually smells very clean and almost citrus-y. It reminds me a great deal of Door 13, only without the metallic note that one has. It has a very unisex to masculine cologne-like feel and it just smells like it should be a bright radioactive green color, like the musk is described. All the notes are kept nicely in check, and this is very nicely blended. If you enjoy “airy,” cologne-ish blends, I highly recommend you try this one.

In bottle/imp: Teak? Some sort of sweet wood and leather.

Immediately on skin: This is a strong scent. Not in throw, but in the feel of it. Mostly what I get is fragrant, dark wood and leather. This is sweetened up though with dribbles of honey and golden amber. This strikes me as masculine, but also a really determined, strong womanly type of scent.

After a little while: The little bit of sweetness I was getting from this at first has certainly faded. This has become much more of a leather dominated scent with a bit of wood in the background and an underlying bit of warm amber. This isn’t a golden amber scent though: it’s dry, crackling, thick leather and dark wood with a small bit of amber for some warmth.

Overall Impressions: This is much more masculine than I was expecting. Mostly this scent is leather and wood (with a feel almost of teak at first) with a bit of amber, though at first it is a little bit sweeter and more perfume-y. It becomes a very dry scent quickly though, with some underlying amber. It’s very nice, but too masculine of a scent for me. It’s a very assured, strong type of scent. I’m sure it could be worn by a woman, but I don’t think I enjoy it enough to try and pull it off.

In bottle/imp: Strong lily and tea rose. Very much a clean floral scent.

Immediately on skin: This is very floral, but it smells like a floral scent you’d find in soap, or something like that. The lily is very strong, and the tea rose comes in behind. This is a very heavy fragrance.

After a few minutes: This isn’t floral anymore… it’s FLORAL. It screams out LILY and TEA ROSE. Those are the two strongest notes, and they may as well be the only ones because they’re all I can smell.

Overall Impressions: This is a strong lily and tea rose perfume scent. They’re clean, girly, and screaming, quite frankly. I know these notes are supposed to be lady like and demure, but they’re so strong in this blend that they give the feel of someone not so lady like putting way too much dusting powder on to try and seem proper. This smells to me of traditional perfume but amped up quite a bit.

In bottle/imp: Deep, dark vetiver and dampness.

Immediately on skin: Wow… strong, soggy vetiver. It’s odd, but this actually smells damp. It has an almost animalistic musky feel to it. There’s also a very slight sweet resinous note in this, but it’s very light.

After a few minutes: This is just… wrong. It smells like mildew and vetiver on me. There’s no sweetness, just damp, dark decay and vetiver. It’s smoky but cloying.

Overall Impressions: This is an odd scent. It’s dank and dark and smoky… and very icky on my skin. It smells like a cardboard box damaged in a fire, then left around in a puddle of water to mildew for a while.

In bottle/imp: Slightly sour and sweet dark, gritty resin.

Immediately on skin: The first thing that strikes me is that this is very smooth smelling. The mixture smells sweet and resinous, but there’s also a sour smoky feel to it. The patchouli really grounds this scent, and the tobacco is a little sweet. This manages to be resinous, earthy, and smoky at the same time and it’s well balanced.

After a few minutes: The patchouli has come out a bit more and this is more smoky and earthy rather than resinous now. The smokiness has taken on a darker, more sinister quality and the sweetness in this has toned down a lot.

Overall Impressions: This scent is definitely on the masculine or unisex side. It’s heavy on the labdanum and patchouli, and it has a rich, dark depth to it. The smokiness to this one smells almost sinister, which is pretty impressive. This isn’t for me, but it’s a very interesting scent to sniff.

In bottle/imp: Lilac and musk with a strong resinous undertone.

Immediately on skin: This is a very syrupy blend on me. It smells like sweet, resinous incense and a hint of very heavy floral and musk perfume. The lilac, white musk and frankincense are very obvious.

After a few minutes: The lilac has settled down a bit. This is a heavy, incense type scent on me. It’s thick, sweet, smoky frankincense with some spicy and perfume-y notes underneath. There’s a hint of the tobacco leaf, and it mixes nicely with the frankincense. It smells very unisex and musky. It’s a very “full” scent for it’s name.

Overall Impressions: I expected this to be more of a refreshing and “empty” scent, but it is actually very rich. The frankincense is the strongest note, and the others just sort of back it up. The lilac and musk add a nice unisex touch, and the tobacco leaf adds a dry sweetness to the blend. I can’t find the tea at all, which is disappointing since I love the lab’s tea scents. I would call this blend unisex for sure, and if you enjoy frankincense scents, you might want to give this a try.

In bottle/imp: Leather and sweet vetiver.

Immediately on skin: I get a very strong vetiver feel from this blend. It’s odd, since it’s not mentioned in the notes. I guess what I’m smelling is a mixture of the leather and a mildewed paper kind of note. There’s a bit of smokiness here, and a slight sweetness from the tobacco.

After a little while: This smells considerably less mildewy once settled. It smells like leather and tobacco with wet paper. It has a slight smoky bitterness to it as well.

Overall Impressions: This smells like an old leather bound book, and the smell of tobacco and incense wafting about. It’s oddly evocative, and has a mostly dry scent except for the paper, which smells a bit damp. This has a slight cologne-y feel to it, and is definitely unisex. It’s dark, smoky, and nicely blended. It’s a weird way to explain it, but this just smells like a very solid, grounded scent.