Leopard403

I definitely see the "sugar" note people are talking about: To me, this is nearly identical to Golletes (though this blend doesn't last as long).

This is a glimmering, crystalline scent. It’s hard for me to describe beyond that; nevertheless I think I’m going to buy a bottle. It is so well-blended I can’t pick apart the notes—it doesn’t smell “like” anything to me—but the synesthesia in my mind makes it a comforting but shimmering thistle color. Medium throw, which I like, and still noticeable on my skin after 14 hours of wear.

I’m always wary of lavender. My skin amps it, my nose is overly sensitive to it, and my brain can pick out the tiniest drop of it in any blend. It usually comes across as overtly herbaceous and medicinal when I get a whiff, which isn’t a bad thing—hey, that has its place—but it often turns Lab blends into one-note-wonders which bums me out. So color me happy with True Love. Sniffed from the bottle, and immediately on skin, oh yeah, it’s all lavender. But as soon as the scent dries on my skin, the other notes bloom beautifully. If I had to sum it up in a few words, they’d be “lavender poof.” This is light. It’s dainty. That creamy coconut scent really turns the lavender into something gentle and ethereal, very different than my typical experience of lavender as ALL UP IN MY FACE.

I was so surprised by this! Given the listed notes, I find it to be surprisingly gourmand. That “bright vanilla smile” is such a lovely grounding note for the bouquet of other scents. Try this if you like The Hierophant and the Empress; and Roses, Pearls and Diamonds.

My favorite Yankee Candle is called Sugar and Spice. Hooligan Witches smells just like that.

Oh, my, this is wonderful and just what I hoped it would be! I don’t get any mint, and nary a hint of “lemon pledge cleaner.” I just get a smooth lemon creme, slightly sweet from the marshmallow, slightly tart from the lemon. If you put some graham cracker crust on this I would eat it. I’ve been hoping for such a HG scent for a long time and I’m thrilled to finally find it!

Oh, my, Anthe is a lovely little thing. It is not what I expected given the description, but I think it’s actually *better* than I expected! First off, I smell a note like mallow. It reminded me of that creamy base from The Hierophant and the Empress, which I adore. Then that blueberry, oh man! It’s not fruity to me, much more like the blueberry musk that I loved in Jinbari Nyûdô Bobo Dokisu. There’s no identifiable tangerine; though I do get a bright top note of zest, I believe I am *thinking* that rather than actually smelling it. Anthe sticks close to the skin, but I think that’s a good thing; more throw would make it overwhelming and somewhat less special. Lasting power is great on me. Overall: Love love love!

It’s funny that so many people get such sugary sweetness from this! I get ripe, juicy guava and soft, sophisticated orchid and it is soooooo gooooooood.

I was worried about that sandalwood, but it’s “pink” and going in my hair, not on my skin, so it works. I don’t actually get a lot of rose from this. Rather it makes me think “creamy pink orchid.” Also worth noting: HG blends are weird on me depending on how I use them. Turns out Douze is one of those scents that are best in dry hair. If I apply to my ends as a finisher once my hair is dry, it lasts all friggin day. If I apply to damp hair? Poof, gone in a moment. So strange.

This was totally a fingers-crosse impulse buy, and Im glad! I dont really get mango in my nose, but It seems to be there in my brain because I can only describe this as a creamy tropical nut brown. Sandalwood is usually a miss on my skin, but here in my hair it lends a nice base for the other notes. eta: Some HG blends dont hold their scent if I apply to damp hair, and this is one of them. In dry hair it lasts several hours; in damp hair, poof, gone.

Shipwreck BO is an interesting blend, surprisingly nuanced. The bergamot is most noticeable to me, coupled with a strong herbaceous note that must be the lavender though it doesn’t shriek LAVENDER!!! like that note often does. (I guess that’s the difference with the “white” kind?) When I huff the oil or my skin close up, that’s all I smell, but from farther away that glorious blueberry juice is definitely present. That’s what is wafting around in the air and I looooooooove it. Wish I could get a BO of that note alone. After the bath, it dries down mostly to chamomile, which is disappointing. (Full disclosure: So far I’ve only used this once, applied directly to damp skin like moisturizer before submerging into a very hot bath. The billowy blueberry steam that rose from me was absolutely the best part.)

When I first sniffed Six, I wasnt quite sure how I felt about. Then I applied it, and, well, I still couldnt decide. It was intriguing, sure, but there was something unsettling about it. The leather note stood out, but it wasnt the crisp black leather, dreamy white leather, or fuzzy brown leather Ive smelled in other lab blends. This wasn't an aged leather, but rather something fresh, something you could crack in half with your hands. Then the almond was there, slightly bitter but not unpleasant. I got no rose, which was both sad and strange because I amp that note like nobodys business. The overall smell was too perfume-counter scent with way too much sillage but poor lasting power over time. Turns out I was wearing it all wrong. The first time I applied Six to my wrists, inner elbows, etc., like I normally do, but I guess it doesn't like my bare skin. However, if I rub it into my hairline at the base of my neck, it is downright magical. I finally can smell the rose, and the tang of that almond is now bright, warm even. That leather still isn't like any other lab leather, but it feels much more broken in this way, like an old olfactory friend; it definitely loses most of its jarring undertones. Lastly, when applied this way, I can smell it for at least 14 hours, a little puff every time I swish my hair. So yeah, Six is weird, but it takes time and Im glad I gave it another chance. eta to fix grammar, and once again my damn tablet messed with my apostrophes. I am sorry about that, everyone!

I got a King Cake baby. He’s a teeny green thug who is vaguely terrifying; I love it! The scent, though, is a mixed bag of tricks. It started out as something sophisticated, like a croquembouche with caramel drizzle, but after an hour of wear it’s more like soggy French Toast with lots of “real” maple syrup. That latter smell is a little too on the nose for me, but I’ll be interested to see how this ages.

Tea roses and shortbread. Cinq will be a sleeper hit, I think. It certainly surprised me. I was picturing delicate pink roses and dainty cakes, but this is actually quite bold. Another of Une Douzaine de Roses that made me moan aloud upon first sniff from the bottle. There nothing grandma-like about these roses, and the blooms (not just pink, by the way!) are grounded by a slight but lovely butteryness without being identifiably foody (if that makes sense to anyone else). No, this is not a gourmand blend at all. Instead the floral and not-quite-cakey notes blend into something just delightful, youthful and fun without being "too young," robust without being cloying. Another blind bottle win for me! eta: Actually, the more I wear this, the more I realize that the rose here has an awful lot in common with the rose in Peacock Queen. So there's that.

Cherry-dipped rose candy. I was super excited to try Un, and I was not disappointed in my blind bottle purchase! First off, don't fear the cherry note; there is nary a cherry cough drop scent to be smelled! It's actually a thick, jammy kind of cherry. The candy is not overt vanilla or cream candy, but perhaps a soft whiff of sugar underneath. That's the toughest note for me to discern. The rose is distinctly red, very lush, not quite as voluptuous as the notes in, say Peacock Queen or Rose Red but it's a little sister of the two because it is so well-tempered by the cherry and candy notes. Un is an awesome blend, one that literally made me close my eyes and sigh "oh my god" when I first sniffed it from the bottle. It reminds me a lot of the Lush scent Rose Jam, which I adore and is one of the only Lush products I still buy because the scent is just so signature and particular. But Un is close! The only down side is that I need a good slather; my typical here-and-there dabs only lasted through the morning then faded away, but a heavier application made it last longer. I am so, so happy I took a chance on a whole bottle here, because I might need more! Love!