Leopard403

The two words that comes to mind when sniffing The Unicorn are "dainty" and "ethereal." It's very hard to describe because it is feminine, but not in a powdery way; and clean, but not in a dryer sheet way. Unfortunately, this makes for a very mild, light scent; and while I like it, it is a little too delicate for me. I'm tall and zaftig and feel like I need something with more oomph. Plus, it doesn't last at all on my skin.

I can only wear The Hesperides if it is very fresh, as that gives me boozy, woody apple that makes me yearn for Autumn. But after this has aged for a while--even just a few months--all I get is apple cider vinegar.

This is really lovely. Very similar to The Atrocious Attic, which is one of my favorite blends of all time. I don't get the lavender that so many others do, but instead I get a creamy vanilla rose with a hint of fresh (not spicy) carnation that manages to be soft and voluptuous without becoming baby powder-y. The musks are very soft (not the In Your Face Musk! that the lab's red musk scents tend toward) and the amber is very light but anchors the other notes nicely. This is another favorite!

Oh. Oh YES. On my skin, this is SO amazing: Take the true pumpkin of BPAL's Jack blend, and smush it up with Lush's Snowcake scent, and you get Pumpkin I. Slightly foody, slightly creamy, a true pumpkin with an almond icing coating, YUM.

I wish I got candy corn from this, but this smells like a drugstore candle in "spicy harvest blend." It has a cheap, common bent to it.

If I ever had any doubt that my skin amps rose, this blend puts that doubt to rest. This was ALL rose on my skin. NO pumpkin here, nothing else recognizable. Exactly like spritzing plain ol' rosewater on my skin.

I am pleasantly surprised at how crisp these apples are. There is definitely a foody-sweet bent to this, and I get much more butterscotch than caramel, but that fresh, crisp apple keeps it from becoming too sickeningly sweet.

This is quite lovely. This is that delicious top note that burns off my skin too quickly when I wear Floating Brain, Beaver Moon '07, and Teenage Cannibal. Somehow it is clean-sweet without being too candy-sweet or too dryer-sheet-clean. Just a bright fresh marshmallow kind of scent, though not overtly "foody."

This is a fruity but well-anchored scent that is great fun. The predominant note reminds me of the Orange Cream Lifesaver swirly candies they released a few years ago. However, despite the lovely sandalwood base, it's just gone way too fast. We're talking minutes, then poof.

Why why WHY doesn't this work on me? The notes individually? All winners, with the exception of "incense" which is hit-or-miss with my chemistry. But it's strange, because it's not that this is BAD. Just completely and utterly MEH. It's a boring, generic scent; and it fades in minutes. I wanted to love you.

LOVE this. I definitely get a rosey note from this, along with something sweetly buttercreamy. It actually reminds me of my favorite Isle of Eden blend from a few Halloween's back, Wedding Day Anguish.

Not sure about this one, as both wet and dry on my skin it goes from bright crisp apples to cleaning fluid and back again.

No cherry-cough syrup scent, which is nice. This is slightly sweet, slightly boozy, not too much of either. Unfortunately: No throw, and no lasting power.

This was all burnt sugar booze on my skin, which just wasn't a good thing.

Wet: Cherry Nyquil Freshly dry on skin: Red Twizzlers As it wears: Red hot candies I look forward to wearing this in colder weather!

To me, Detestable Putrescence doesn't smell of vanilla ice cream; rather it smells of moist yellow cake and mounds of buttercream icing. (I will be interested in comparing it to Lilith Cake Smash when the time comes.) So far I've only tested a dab, but it seems to go on rather faint, with little throw and not much lasting power. There's also a distinct note of plastic at times, probably one out of every twelve sniffs or so, though I hope that will go away as the blend ages.

Oh good lord. *wipes drool* In the bottle this smells AMAZING, like a moist yellow cake with piles of thick chocolate frosting. It literally made my mouth water the first time I sniffed at it. Unfortunately, when I apply this to my skin it turns plastic-y; then when dry it is completely unnoticable on my skin. (Might this be because I ALREADY smell like delicious, delicious cake with chocolate frosting? Can that PLEASE be the reason??) Best in my locket (and on a short chain so I get all the goodness to myself ).

Straight-up lavender. Doesn't noticably help with sleep, which is a bummer. But then, I am a *serious* insominac, so...

Violets don't really like my skin or my nose, but a small dab of this is lovely on me. Just like it sounds: Sweet and sugary violets, the kind you'd eat with wedding cake.

Ah, so *that* is what peony smells like! Black Hellebore is a scent I would classify as bright and fresh moreso than floral or herbal, which was an unexpected surprise.

Yeah, de Sade really is just raw. leather. How do they do it?! Not at all good on me, but I cannot wait to try this on Le Boeuf the next time we have a hot date.

Usually I have a hard time with violets; they somehow turn slightly metallic and ozone-y on my skin. But Queen Gertrude is a pleasant surprise, in that it is soft, powdery violets on a background of white florals. Very wearable, but only when you want people to notice that you are wearing perfume. And a little dab will do ya; this stuff is strong!

At first whiff, this smelled like cough syrup to me. I blame the fig and honey for that. But on my skin this blooms into something gorgeous. Not immediately identifiable as berry-ish at all, this is a musky fruit scent, honeyed with warm sunlight. It does have a soapy, surprisingly perfume-y note that lingers a bit in the background, but that keeps the headier notes from becoming headache-inducing. This is lovely.

Hmmm, I'm still slightly undecided on Snooty Rose, and I am a serious rose lover! On my skin, it alternates between being a bit too "snooty" to being plain ol' rosewater: The sophisticated side is elegant, a "rose-plus" kind of scent that you might find on the side table of some famous Victorian seductress, but the other side is one-note, grandma-ish rosewater. One side is lace gloves and heavy silk dresses, heady rose perfume and pink pink pink rouge; and the other side is freshly-scrubbed skin, a cotton nightgown, and rosewater-scented handcream. But then, maybe the ability to be both sexy and simple is part of it's charm.

Yum, can I eat this over ice cream? How Doth the Little Crocodile is like fresh, cold Thin Mint cookies from The Girl Scouts on my skin. The lab's chocolate sometimes goes awry on me, but with this blend it stays true and delicious. I think this will be very versatile, as the mint makes it cooling for summer, but the foody aspect of it will make it a big hit in colder weather and at those holiday parties where you'd like someone to leave the dessert tray and nibble on you a little.