Delirium1009

In bottle/imp: Thick, sweet honey with a lot of rose petals swirled throughout.

Immediately on skin: Usually I smell powder with the lab’s honey note immediately, but this one smells like real honey. It is combined with fragrant roses and a soft floral note that is probably the orange blossom (light and sweet). It’s a thick and golden flowers and honey scent.

After a little while: This still smells like thick sweet honey swirled with roses and light orange blossoms, but now an undertone of warm sandalwood has joined the blend. It’s very golden and warm and the blend itself smells thick, like real honey. It’s sweet, but the rose tempers the sweetness of the honey well.

Overall Impressions: This is one of the first lab blends with honey in it that actually smells like real honey to me… I’m impressed! The scent is lovely; it’s thick and rich and bursting with sensual rose and light hints of orange blossom. The sandalwood is a very nice base to this. I don’t really love the smell of honey anyway (at least not in perfumes or bath products) so I probably wouldn’t wear this, but I definitely recommend it to people who love honey scents.

In bottle/imp: Dark, burned flowers and a wafting sweetness.

Immediately on skin: This is a dark and smoky floral with an overtone of plastic-y vanilla. It’s light and smooth, but feels like some kind of black floral.

After a little while: Unfortunately most of what I get from this is plastic. There is a certain vanilla note from the lab that smells like powdery, plastic vanilla on me, and it happens to be in this one. That is blended with some light narcissus, but that is it on my skin.

Overall Impressions: This one just didn’t work on me due to the vanilla. I’m sure it could have been pretty, too. Oh, well.

In bottle/imp: Lotus, champaca, and a light breath of candied orange.

Immediately on skin: This is a sweet scent with lotus and candied citrus, but it also has a smokiness to it that reminds e of champaca flower. That may be the lotus and amber working together, but it really does remind me of that note. Plus the citrus, that is.

After a little while: The champaca feel has faded, and now what I smell is lotus and maybe some lily and jasmine and sugary citrus. Lotus is a very identifiable note but is very hard to explain, but it makes up the base of this blend. Wafting above is a mix of soft, innocent flowers and citrus. The amber is there, but it acts more as a blending agent than anything else, smoothing out the whole blend.

Overall Impressions: This is one of those blends where it smells exactly like you expect from the description. The lotus is the base of this, and on top sits soft floral notes and a little citrus. The amber is mixed among everything else, smoothing it out and giving the whole blend a bright feel.

In bottle/imp: Lots of fruit! Pineapple, citrus, and apricot plus warm booze.

Immediately on skin: As soon as this is on my skin the ginger starts screaming. It mixes with the grapefruit and lime to create a very spicy citrus scent. Behind that is boozy apricot which brings down the sharpness a bit.

After a little while: The apricot has really bloomed in this, but it isn’t as sweet as it is in March Hare. This is a lightly boozy apricot scent now with spicy fresh ginger and a bit of lime and grapefruit in the background. This has a nice sweet quality to it, but it’s very well balanced with the ginger and citrus.

Overall Impressions: I took a chance on this one and I’m SO glad I did. I love the spicy apricot citrus scent that this morphs into on my skin. This is sort of like March Hare, but it has a fresher quality to it because of the citrus and isn’t as thick or sweet. Out of all the luau blends, this might be my favorite next to Tiki Queen.

In bottle/imp: Woody, dry, musky coconut.

Immediately on skin: This is strong on the coconut, musk, and bark, but I don’t get a lot of lemon blossom. It’s a nice combo of coconut, musk, and wood that smells exactly like you would expect. It’s not too sweet but is rather dry. Actually, after just a minute on my skin, the smooth lemon blossom comes out. It’s not sharp citrus, but instead a smooth floral lemon that brings a juiciness to the scent.

After a little while: The only change in this as I wear it is that the notes seem to blend and merge together even more. This is a dry, musky coconut scent with a background of faint, smooth lemon blossom. The lemon lightens the blend a little, since it’s such a grounded blend to begin with.

Overall Impressions: This is a fabulous musky dark coconut scent. The combo of coconut, black musk and bark give this an earthy, grounded feel, but the hint of lemon blossom (which isn’t a sharp note at all but very smooth) lifts it up a bit, keeping it from being too heavy of a blend. This is definitely unisex and could be easily worn by a woman or man.

In bottle/imp: A salty but juicy scent. It’s green, but fresh.

Immediately on skin: This is very much an ocean/salt water scent. This is salty and fresh without being aquatic or having ozone notes and there’s the slight spice from the awapuhi blending in. This is very sharp and piercing and is definitely a more unisex scent.

After a little while: The sharp, piercing salty scent has died down… a LOT. On my skin this is now a light, fresh salty scent with the awapuhi (a type of ginger?) blending in. It’s crisp, refreshing, and a little spicy in that fresh way that ginger has.

Overall Impressions: This was something I didn’t really want to try, but the other reviews roped me in. At first the seaweed and sea foam are very strong and almost sharp, but upon drydown this is much more subtle and the spicy awapuhi comes out. This is a fresh blend, and a bit on the unisex side for me. It has a nice saltiness about it as well, and a tiny bit of sweetness. A definite surprise for sure.

In bottle/imp: Fizzy tangerine and light gin.

Immediately on skin: The tangerine in this is definitely the main note. It’s a fizzy scent though, and drier. The gin is light, but it’s also there. There’s the syrupy guava and a little passion fruit creeping into the background as I type.

After a little while: This is still mostly fizzy, dry tangerine with a hint of gin, but it’s not overly boozy at all and there’s just a hint of the syrupy tropical sweetness of passion fruit or guava in the background.

Overall Impressions: This is a strongly citrus scent. The tangerine smells fresh and mixes nicely with the dryness of the tonic and a touch of gin. I was hoping for more guava and passion fruit as there’s only a hint of them in the blend, but it may be just my chemistry. This is a drier smelling scent though, and fizzy and fun. It has a little sweetness, but it isn’t syrupy at all.

In bottle/imp: Pineapple and rum.

Immediately on skin: This is thick and syrupy sweet. The rum is strong, and blending in I get quite a bit of pineapple and a hint of raspberry. The rum is really the main note and smells boozy and sticky.

After a little while: I'm testing this along with Golden Wave, and where Golden Wave is dry and fizzy, Rangoon Riptide is thick and syrupy. This is primarily a spiced holiday type of rum scent with the fruit adding in a little kick; mainly the pineapple, but also the raspberry and passion fruit. I really don’t get any orange from this.

Overall Impressions: This is a thick, boozy scent and very heavy on the rum. It’s so syrupy and sweet on my skin but I get little hints of the fruit notes (except for the orange). This is a bit heavy and boozy on me and I guess I just don’t enjoy rum notes. On me it’s not very well balanced either, but I’m sure it’s just my chemistry.

The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa smells a lot like Men Ringing Bell with Penises to me... except maybe a tiny bit more perfume-y and a bit of soft mint. It has a very similar feel though IMO. It's not that much cheaper, but it's easier to get now that Men Ringing Bell is gone.

This is my favorite color out of all of the claw polishes (I also have Destroying Angel, Maiden, and Mme Moriarty). The color is this dark, bright pink with a cooler tone to it. It's a playful and sexy color. It seems to be darker and less purple than it is on the site for me as well.

I thought I'd get away with 2 coats of this, but I ended up having to apply 3 like with the other claw polishes. I think if you wait for each layer to completely dry first (I was impatient and ended up with faded spots at the base of a couple of my nails) you might be able to get away with just two. The application was a lot better than Destroying Angel, but not as smooth as Maiden.

I was able to wear this for 4 days before I got a chip, which is very good for me; normal polishes chip within a day.

Tupapau was a deep smoky floral on me, while Marae was strong on the sweet gardenia. Out of all the Luau scents I've tried, I liked Tiki Queen the best. The tuberose was the main floral note for me, but there was also the Monoi de Tahiti (which to me doesn't smell of just straight up gardenia, but very tropical still), and hints of sweeter florals and a nice fruitiness. I really didn't get any vanilla from it, and just a little hint of the coconut now and again.

This polish is a nice dark brown-almost-black that looks the same shade under indoor and natural light. Out of the 4 claw polishes I've tried, I've had the most trouble with this one. It gets rather streaky and I have a harder time getting a nice even coat of this one and it seems to not dry as quickly. It chips less than normal polish which I love, but it's such a dark color that chips are very obvious.

When I apply this, I need 3 coats for an even, dark coating.

Overall, I love this polish, but it isn't my favorite.

In bottle/imp: Fruity tuberose and tropical flowers.

Immediately on skin: The strongest and most identifiable note in this is the tuberose, but it’s very fruity and tropical with hints of the monoi, coconut, and hibiscus. It’s a very forward feminine scent.

After a little while: This mostly stays the same as I wear it, but it deepens and it gets a bit more complex. It’s still a very tropical, strong and fruity tuberose scent, but it’s very well balanced. I get hints of the monoi, coconut, white musk, and hibiscus. It feels very bright and tart, and the monoi and coconut smooth it out just a bit.

Overall Impressions: This is a feminine, fruity, tropical floral scent. The complexity and balance of this is very nice and I keep catching hints of different notes as I sniff this. This is on the strong side though, and much tangier than I expected it to be. This is definitely a winner in my book!

In bottle/imp: Tropical, spiced, and slightly powdery vanilla.

Immediately on skin: This is a very floral, tropical vanilla scent. It’s warm and thick, with a slight plastic feel to it.

After a little while: The longer I wear this, the more plastic and powder I smell. It’s a floral vanilla with a hint of ginger underneath those overtones though, and I can see why people like it.

Overall Impressions: This isn’t normal vanilla… it’s slightly more floral than that in other blends, but that matches very well with the ginger. It’s warm and tropical. Unfortunately on me, this goes the way of the vanilla in Dragon’s Milk, Perilous Parlor and a few others and turns into plastic and powder on me. I can see people who love vanilla going nuts over this one though. I’ll stay with Love’s Philosophy for my warm, gently spiced vanilla blend.

In bottle/imp: Moss and light, creamy tropical flowers.

Immediately on skin: This is a deep tropical floral scent with bits of lush moss. It’s not overly sweet and flowery but has a nice green smokiness to it. It’s fresh but complex.

After a little while: This has turned rather smoky on my skin, which I think is the pikaki imitating the way the lab’s jasmine notes morph on me. This is a deep scent with thick plumeria and smoky pikaki and the sandalwood as a warm, solid base. The moss adds a slight masculine note that blends in nicely.

Overall Impressions: This scent started out flowery and fresh but morphed into something a bit smokier than I expected. I have an issue with the lab’s jasmine notes turning quite smoky and almost bitter on me, and it seems like the pikaki in this has followed suit. This is a deep, smoky and thick tropical floral with a base of light sandalwood and hints of masculine moss. This is a bit cloying and too deep on me.

In bottle/imp: Gardenia and deep orchids.

Immediately on skin: This is a very tropical and deep gardenia scent. The orchid is very thick and adds a complex sweetness to the gardenia. The monoi is more of a top note, wafting above everything else. There’s a subtle, light smokiness swirled through the entire blend.

After a little while: This quickly becomes very sweet on me. The orchid and gardenia blend together to create something thick, sweet, and floral that’s a bit cloying to my nose. The monoi tiare is kind of flowing through that weird scent, and the incense blends in lending a light smokiness.

Overall Impressions: I had very high hopes for this blend, but the combination somehow just doesn’t work right for me. The blend is subdued at first and quite complex, but after a few minutes everything blends into this sweet, syrupy tropical gardenia scent that’s a bit cloying and almost gummy. I think gardenia lovers will really like this blend though.

In bottle/imp: Herbal pine over a musky amber background.

Immediately on skin: Woo, pine! I’m sure it’s fir, but I have a hard time discerning between the different pine notes. This has other things in the background though that are quite pleasant: a soft smokiness, a soft hint of florals, and maybe a little light musk. The fir and herbs combine as the main note though and create a shrieking, sharp mostly pine scent with the other things barely coming through from the background.

After a little while: This is a very cologne-y type of pine scent on me, with some musky smoke in the background. The fir note is thick and sharp and very strong, while the other notes barely come through. This has a nice base to the scent, but it’s so faint I have to search for it.

Overall Impressions: I should have known better than to try this since I hate strong pine scents. The fir note is center stage here, while a hint of warm musk and smoke makes up the base. This is a very unisex scent on me, and the pine has a very strong cologne type of feel. I can appreciate this scent, but it’s not for me… not at all.

In bottle/imp: Berry and rose with a light herbal note.

Immediately on skin: As soon as I put this on, I get a ruddy herbal note which I’d imagine is the fool’s parsley. It’s green but not sharp and a little dry. Also in the blend lingers a little of the huckleberry I could smell right out of the bottle and a light touch of citrus.

After a little while: The huckleberry comes out more in this as I wear it, and the rose a little too. This has turned into a nice toned-down berry and soft floral scent. The fool’s parsley actually blends in very nicely with the berry and softens it a bit, taming its sweetness. The rose is light and I also get hints of the tangerine and lemon blossom.

Overall Impressions: This is a great subdued but fresh berry scent. I was worried about the fool’s parsley, but it really does a great job of softening this and blending everything together. There are subtle hints of rose, tangerine, and lemon blossom, but they all support the huckleberry/fool’s parsley combo. I find this to be quite refreshing and fun.

2007 version.

This scent is one that I really love, but unfortunately I don't reach for too often. It is mainly incense to me, in the bottle and on my skin. It's not heavy, resinous, or too dark; the smokiness is light, slightly sweet, and wafts beautifully. Under the incense is a sweet cake note and a hint of currants. The cake note isn't overly foodie and it actually reminds me of the cake in Eat Me, though the one in All Souls isn't nearly as strong.

This is a very finicky scent though and sometimes the incense will come through and the cake and currants won't, but when everything comes out equally this is heaven. This is also wonderful with a touch of Eat Me to add a little bit more cake and currants.

In bottle/imp: A dark, thick smoky scent with wafting hints of perfume-y and herbal notes.

Immediately on skin: This smells dark, but has a nice sweet quality wafting about it. I think the higher notes of the scent are the vanilla and teak (it’s sweet, warm, and slightly woody) but it reminds me a lot of coconut. The body of the scent is a blend of the dark patchouli and musk. Those notes are rather dry, but they aren’t gritty.

After a little while: This has gotten a little less sweet and the components have blended together a little more, so this smells of dark, unsweetened coconut over a base of musk and light patchouli. It’s a smoky and very deep scent, and a little bitter. The black musk has fortunately not gone powdery on me, and gives this a nice depth.

Overall Impressions: I have no idea how I get coconut from this, but I do. The notes work together in very intriguing ways in this blend, and make me want to sniff more.

This is definitely a complex one. Unfortunately it’s one of the blends I like smelling, but don’t see myself smelling like, so the imp will be enough for me. This might smell wonderful on a guy though.

In bottle/imp: Strong jasmine mixed with tuberose and a base of rose.

Immediately on skin: What I get first is deep jasmine blend with a bit of tuberose blending in. This is mostly a smoky floral fragrance, but it has a slightly sweet, waxy edge from the tuberose and a little more of a pretty sweetness from the frangipani (but the frangipani note is extremely light). The rose is subtle and is mostly blending with the jasmine, smoothing it a bit.

After a little while: The smokiness of this has gone down a bit, but it’s a jasmine dominated blend for sure. There’s also more of the frangipani coming out now and the rose adds a nice freshness.

Overall Impressions: The lab’s jasmine note amps quite a bit on me, and it seems to have done so here. It’s not my favorite note, so this isn’t quite me. It is a nice floral scent though if you enjoy jasmine… the other notes blend in quite well and lend a smooth, sweeter feel to the heavy jasmine.

In bottle/imp: Very sweet sugary citrus candy.

Immediately on skin: This smells like citrus candy (heavy on the sugar, light on the citrus), plus a slight soft smooth fruit note. It’s a very sweet scent, and bright and happy.

After a little while: This has gotten more defined as I wear it. It’s still a very sweet, bright mandarin candy scent, but it has just a touch of warm, smooth fig in the background. It’s not very complex, but it is nicely blended. The notes go together seamlessly.

Overall Impressions: This is such a fun scent. It’s candy-like and definitely for those who like sweeter scents. I’d say that if you liked March Hare, you might like this blend as well. Personally I like a little more depth in the perfumes I wear but I could see being in the mood for something like this every so often.

In bottle/imp: Pine? But soft, warm pine.

Immediately on skin: Ok, now this is making a bit more sense… the pine I’m getting is actually a mix of the amber and something floral—probably the myrtle since I’ve never smelled that before. This is a warm but slightly dry scent with some soft floral notes blending in.

After a little while: This has turned into a very faint, warm amber scent. There’s still a hint of florals, but they’re not very identifiable. I’d say carnation, but I usually love carnation and I don’t really care for this one. It has a slightly plastic edge that I seem to get from some of the lab’s ambers.

Overall Impressions: This is a very soft scent and hard to break down, so I guess I would say it’s well blended. But overall this isn’t a very impressive or strong scent on me.

In bottle/imp: Strong, sweet plum candy.

Immediately on skin: This smells of strong plums and currants, but not fresh ones… more like if they were made into a sour candy. It’s a bubbling, fizzy scent… very playful. It’s very fruity and sweet though.

After a few minutes: This blend is still very strong, fruity, and fizzy. It's a plum/berry fruit scent, with a strong boozy undertone. It's sweet and has an almost sour candy feel to it. To my nose, it smells a lot like berry Nerds.

Overall Impressions: If you’re a fan of sweet, fruity scents (especially plum or currant), give this one a try. On me, this is extremely sweet with a fizzy/sour candy quality to it. I don’t really like it on me, but I can understand why others enjoy it.

In bottle/imp: Red musk and powdery resin.

Immediately on skin: This is musky and powdery on me… very powdery. There is a bit of red musk though, and some light spices. Otherwise this is a very dry scent.

After a little while: This smells musky and medicinal. I get no caramel or sweet honey from this… just dry musk and medicinal smelling resin. There’s even some plastic in there too. Very disappointing.

Overall Impressions: This is so very wrong on me… I love sweeter blends but this has no sweetness on me whatsoever, even with the caramel accord and golden honey notes. This is dry but somehow thick at the same time, and musky with a plastic medicinal tone.