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- Today
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Have owned the imp for a long time. Such an interesting scent. On my skin it smells like herbs and patchouli. I fell asleep with the scent on and had one of the best sleeps I've had in a while. There is something comforting about it. When I woke up in the morning, it smelled soft, which could be the moss that was in there... No wait... I think it could be cinnamon. Yeah, it must be cinnamon and herbs. I'm liking it so far. It's not something to wear for a sexy night out with a loved one. I would wear this one for just chilling at home while studying or something
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Blood Moon: Clove and Sweet Incense
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
I had a huge flashback when I opened this bottle; it was 2000 and I was in NYC's Chinatown with my then-boyfriend Patrick, his mom, stepdad and stepsister. As we stepped into one of the markets looking for some of the jasmine tea that his mom loved so much, our nostrils were assaulted by a combination of spices and incense. It is one of those very specific life experiences where nothing else before or since has combined to so precisely remind me of that moment. I had to put the bottle aside, have a cry, and come back to it another day. Young Smells did not know how much her life (and the world around her) would change less than 12 months after that experience. Both in bottle and on-skin there is something Chinese 5 Spice-y about this, where I could swear I also get anise and maybe even some nutmeg underneath the clove. My skin is prone to taking a dab of clove and turning it into an olfactory tornado, and that's precisely what happened here. Not for the faint of heart, this duet precedes you as you enter a room ("did you make a cup of tea?") and does not let you forget it. I'm not a licorice fan, and that undertone didn't really please me. Huge sillage and loooooong longevity at 8+ hours, which goes to show how much skin chemistry can be different for all of us in this game. (What ever happened to Patrick, you ask? We broke up after he cheated on me with a fellow exchange student during a semester abroad in Paris after 9/11, he then became an accountant and eventually he married someone else and moved to Minnesota. His mom died during COVID, and she's the one I cried for. She was a classy lady and I liked her a lot.) Destash for me, probably lovely for someone who loves licorice and has less emotional baggage tied to these scent notes. -
An immediately positive impression as soon as I caught the first whiff! Lightly sweet (maybe slightly honeyed) liquid wax and a surprisingly jammy fig in the bottle with no smoke but a hint of some powdery resins deep underneath. First dab brings that beeswax out front and center and it warms up quite nicely on the skin. This must be the "Good" part of the equation? Honestly, it's quite cozy! About 10 minutes in the vetiver starts to creep out more and more, taking the scent the slightest touch deeper and darker. Still no smoke, but maybe there is a bit of cypress brightness intermingled in there? The myrrh and fig (which almost seems a bit stewed) are a terrific combination that are anchoring this in pleasant territory. Jammy, with a creamy resinousness that is beautiful to wear. At around the two hour mark, things take a turn. The beeswax has lost a lot of it's liquidity, cooling and hardening. Something gnarled, woody, and earthy emerges and starts fighting with the fig for supremacy. The powdery myrrh has completely vanished. What happened here?? Has the "Evil" come out to play? I'm desperately and deeply huffing, looking for that lovely sweetness that seems to be fading by the moment. By hour 3, all I can smell is something resembling an ash pile, and then it's gone. I'm not sure if this transition was intentional, or if my skin chemistry just ruined the scent the longer it had hold of it. I would wear the bliss of the first two hours often if somehow I could hang onto it! This is a perfect candidate for a scent locket trial as it is truly stunning to start off. I hope others are able to enjoy the journey more fully on themselves.
- Yesterday
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Testing an imp of unknown age and provenance. I find it very bright, not dark. I can only think of soap. I want to say Irish Springs? (I usually get "soap" from BPAL fragrances that have an ozone note). I imagine that the lemony part of what I am smelling is frankincense. This is not for me.
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idk what took me so long to get around to Voodoo but I love it. I am testing from an imp of unspecified age but it's got me wanting to upgrade to a bottle. I'm definitely not getting cola or fizz, it's pretty straightforwardly what it says on the tin in terms of notes. big dark booming base of myrrh/patch/vetiver and then the way the lime and pine punch it up is so so good. I suppose I may have hesitated due to almond, but ultimately I'm glad to have that drop of sweetness in there with the vanilla to smooth it all over. great weartime on this, too, it just keeps going.
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I'm testing an imp that is likely 2 years old (and stored well). Compared to other dirt scents I have tried across several brands, this is mellow. Earthy, with a sweet medicinal quality that brings to mind thyme or marjoram. I get just whiff of that familiar BPAL (red) wine note, which always brings to mind the ring of sticky, dried wine left at the bottom of a glass left sitting for a couple hours. Oddly grounding. Doesn't last very long (but I did test only on my wrist). I cannot imagine when I would wear this, but it is fun to test.
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This is incredible. It's got strong throw and smells like a Pumpkin Butterscotch candle. I don't get a lot of ale but I do notice the slightest hint of "wooliness" which is probably the blanket. I do get a tiny bit of steeped tea, too, even though that's not in the notes. Real glad I blind-bottled this; got compliments all day while wearing.
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I have cherished the 2019 version of Mictecacihuatl and I am surprised I never reviewed it! (Copal, precious woods, warm spices, agave nectar, cigar tobacco, and roses.) in the bottle it's quite an intoxicating potion, sweet and dark, and this stays true for the initial application of the oil on my skin. as it warms up the tobacco and copal really pop and the scent develops a rich golden quality. I feel like it used to have a bit more rose to it, but apparently I've had this six whole years now?! I do get a scattering of mature petals once the oil dries. it's as if you could take a whole altar, top to table legs, and process it into a rich paste to paint on your skin for a ceremony. I love it so much.
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2008 and 2025 versions. I adore the 2008 version. It’s light wet rose with a hint of sweetness and something warm and delicately spicy. Quite similar to Day of the Skulls which I also love. The 2025 version is heavily sweet and spicy, almost exactly like Sugar Skull. I’m getting booze soaked dried fruit, sticky toffee and burnt sugar. In fact it’s so similar I’m wondering if there was a mix up at the Lab.
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if you enjoy the lab's headier jasmine notes, this one is gorgeous! and as you get deeper into the weartime, jasmine graciously allows a tattered vanillic element to emerge. it's not unlike a scenario in which the Black Butterfly Moon: Vanilla and Tobacco Flower duet got papered over with jasmine, they smell like siblings to me. I really like it.
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2025 version This is a subtle stunner, I am instantly in love. I am a fan of dead leaves, first of all, but while sweater/cashmere/wool can be hit or miss, the wool note here is perfection in concert with the ambergris. It's impossibly warm and comforting. Magic!
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Lightning Moon: Black Lilac and Black Tea
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
She's shifty! Grassy tannins with a waft of floral lilac in the bottle become completely transformed into something darker on skin. There is a blooming bergamot brightness in the wet open that I really like! Not at all sugared and much more of a booming floral than tea for the first hour. I do feel like maybe this combo would be a bit more smooth with a third note to draw down the sharpness of the lilac a bit, maybe some amber or sandalwood. As such I agree with other reviewers who have suggested layering it, because as a standalone scent, while I like it, it's missing a bottom note to anchor it and bring some gravitas. Medium sillage on my skin and a long lasting performance of 8+ detectable hours. I have a Black Amber SN from another house that I think will help make it a great trio of notes for winter wear. -
Dead leaves has marigold in a chokehold and it looked like the fight was over but WHAT'S THAT?? BY GOD IT'S ROSE WITH A STEEL CHAIR!!! Unfortunately rose teams up with dead leaves and marigold is tag teamed into oblivion. I like this quite a bit as an interesting autumn rose. A bottle will be contemplated.
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This is such a lovely bookish scent where the leather isn't super stompy... the leather here is soft, well-worn, and behaves quite well with the other notes. Great snuggly scent for a dreary day, that's for sure! I got a decant out of curiosity and so glad that I did! Everything is well blended imo. Not gonna lie, I wanted more beeswax but then this wouldn't be the book scent as advertised lol.
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Blood Moon: Black Sandalwood and Leather
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
This is the good stuff. Dusty, dry, sweet sandalwood and burnished, deeply tanned dark brown leather in equal and complimentary parts. There may even be more than one leather note in here as it seems to shift into something sweeter a few hours in. Sillage is low moderate and longevity was pretty good - although I could still detect it with a close sniff the next morning it was largely gone after about 7 hours. I think the Lab does really enjoyable, photorealistic "fabric" accords across the spectrum, but their various takes on leather are ones that I particularly enjoy. The black sandalwood does a great job of working with it to evoke a very nice smelling ranch hand, although it's not a deliberately masculine leaning scent; I would go so far as to call it pretty gender-neutral-while-still-giving-leather-chaps-vibes-in-the-open. I'll probably have to get a couple more bottles of this as it's enjoyable to wear and the two notes are perfectly paired. -
**Note, this is a kind of tandem review as I received this and the Samhain lotion at the same time, and tested both on the same day.** This is (along with Samhain) my first foray into the exciting new world of Black Phoenix's body lotions! I chose Snake Oil because it's one of my long-time go-to fragrances (GC *OR* LE), so I figured whatever the outcome, I will find a way to use it! The lotion is a lovely texture- fluffy, thick and verrrry moisturizing. As this is an initial test, I went sparingly, not knowing about the absorption rate and also wanting to see how heavily fragranced it would be. In both aspects, I'm glad I was reserved in application: a little goes a long way! Comparing the two (Snake Oil and Samhain), Samhain had the higher fragrance-to-product ratio, but Snake was no slouch, so definitely go extra sparing with application until you see how both absorptions go for you. The skin on my hands is fairly dry, especially a few minutes after washing them, which is when I conducted this test, and the soothing and absorption I experienced was perfect: it did the trick, absorbed completely and evenly, and left no greasy or sticky residue- very impressive! The scent left behind is heavy enough that you might want to be mindful about coordination if you're applying a perfume in addition to. I'm not entirely sure about other types of scented products such as hair gloss or bath oil (especially if you're one of the folks that uses the Lab's bath oil as a post-shower body oil) so I'd say do your due diligence, especially if scent clashing is something that bothers you In all: another spectacular product from the Lab! I don't know how long shelf life will be yet, and I definitely have questions about that, especially since I'm one of those people that like some scents -Samhain and Snake Oil among them- to be as aged as possible. I don't anticipate that these lotions can hang around for years, but who knows what exciting changes might happen in the next month or two? Then again, the more stabilized the base, the more static the fragrance might be as well 🧐 Regardless, the Lab, as usual, has created a superior product, and I'm delighted to have a new way to wear some of my favorite scents from them!
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This is (along with the recently released Snake Oil) my first foray into the exciting new world of Black Phoenix's body lotions! I chose Samhain because it's one of my all-time favorite autumnal fragrances, so I figured whatever the outcome, I will find a way to use it! The lotion is a lovely texture- fluffy, thick and verrrry moisturizing. As this is an initial test, I went sparingly, not knowing about the absorption rate and also wanting to see how heavily fragranced it would be. In both aspects, I'm glad I was reserved in application: a little goes a long way! Compared with the Snake Oil lotion, I'd say Samhain has a higher fragrance-to-product ratio, so definitely go extra sparing with application until you see how both absorptions go for you. The skin on my hands is fairly dry, especially a few minutes after washing them, which is when I conducted this test, and the soothing and absorption I experienced was perfect: it did the trick, absorbed completely and evenly, and left no greasy or sticky residue- very impressive! The scent left behind is heavy enough that you'll want to be mindful about coordination if you're applying a perfume in addition to. I'm not entirely sure about other types of scented products such as hair gloss or bath oil (especially if you're one of the folks that uses the Lab's bath oil as a post-shower body oil) so I'd say do your due diligence, especially if scent clashing is something that bothers you In all: another spectacular product from the Lab! I don't know how long shelf life will be yet, and I definitely have questions about that, especially since I'm one of those people that like some scents -Samhain and Snake Oil among them- to be as aged as possible. I don't anticipate that these lotions can hang around for years, but who knows what exciting changes might happen in the next month or two? Then again, the more stabilized the base, the more static the fragrance might be as well 🧐 Regardless, the Lab, as usual, has created a superior product, and I'm delighted to have a new way to wear some of my favorite scents from them!
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Dead Leaves, Molten Lava Cake, and Raw Cacao
LavenderCoffee replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Halloweenie
help I love this!! it just makes me go HNNNGGG and I WANT TO GO TO THERE, among other less useful notes for a perfume review. So instead: A cascade of dry dead leaves, a dusting of dry cacao, and then an ooozingly realistic molten cake center that mellows into a lovely chocolate cake scent in the leaf pile. I vaguely regretted not grabbing a FS of DL/Chocolate/Hazelnut from years past but at the end of the day, I just don't love hazelnut. This one may be my one true chocolate leaf! -
in the vial, Plastic Rats does indeed smell a bit like plastic rats, which is to say, daunting. On my skin I can pick out the amber and pepper clearly alongside the black licorice. It's really kindof a nice scent once it settles in. Like it could have been marketed as Lord Licorice's cologne in a licensed Candyland line or something. not that it skews especially masc or evil, imo - it's delightfully mysterious and subtle, and ever so slightly murky.
- Last week
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Lovers of the Lab's ozone note (*raises hand*) rejoice! It dances merrily here in the bottle beside the star jasmine and violet incense and bruised plum, and makes the leap onto skin nicely. Much like a strike of lightning, this scent opens big and then quickly fades away within about 45 minutes, leaving mostly powdery resins behind. Not too floral, not too fruity, not too atmospheric, it comes in for a well balanced initial impression and sticks around pleasantly for about 5 more hours at a low, lightly sweet sillage. If your spirit guide is The Wizard from Stardew Valley, you've found his signature scent here.
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Yippeemaxxer joined the community
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Bought this shortly after my SO lotion arrived! As with that one, I just love the bottle and lotion formula -- very silky, not at all greasy. This is pretty true to the perfume oil scent -- very summery, warm, creamy incense goodness. One exception: there's initially a marked soapy note (reminds me of the SSS sunscreen from Avon) that isn't in the perfume oil, but it goes away quickly. Really like this a lot! There is some projection to it, too; I'm catching it waft off my hands as I type.
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Lightning Moon: White Musk and Golden Frankincense
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Slightly soapy with a little bit of musky stank in the bottle, not at all smokey or dark. The musk hits hard when applied to skin, and I'm fighting to catch whiffs of the frankincense as it dries down. Ironically, the further I keep my nose from my hand, the better it smells! I caught whiffs of this throughout the day and it was much more pleasant as time went on. Moderate sillage and good staying power as I could still detect it 8 hours after application. I love a good musk, and I enjoyed the Jasmine Rice and White Musk duet enough that this buy was a no-brainer. I think at the moment I prefer the former for a "your skin but better" daily grab as this duet isn't balanced quite right with my skin chemistry, leaning a bit too musk heavy. Will try again after letting it sit for a few months to see how it ages. -
I am reviewing the scent just arrived home, and it’s cold in London today. In the bottle the juicy blood orange is the most striking note, and it made my mouth watering as I am a citrus fan. On the skin, the apricot and then the vanilla bloom wonderfully giving the idea of a light sensation of joy. All three notes are between my favourite, so I don’t have to struggle to feel the intent effect on me. I can sense some gentle ginger and amber in the background, but they stay in the backseat for now. No dragon blood and frankincense at this point. I am grinning from happiness in this snowy day, it’s light, gentle and delightful. Will report later if I feel undertaking some, much needed, courage act today.
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Holiday 2025 Wishlists & Questions
spookygrrrly posted a blog entry in Spookygrrrly's Tabernacle O'Terror
Here are my wish list items/ideas & question/answers for 2025 holiday swaps: Book Wishlist: Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night by Agatha Christie Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason Movie Wishlist (DVD or Blueray) Gremlins A Christmas Horror Story Crimson Peak The Shining Misery The Thing (1982 Original Version) Q/A from Swap: 1) What are your favorite colors to wear, or for warm blankets, socks, etc ? Jewel tones, black/grey, purple/green, celestial colors. If it’s Xmas-y I do a woodsy green/red/cream or vintage pink/green/red 2) What sizes do you prefer for upper body and lower body clothing, feet, etc? Hats/mittens/gloves -medium. Socks I wear size 8.5 shoes. No knee highs as they never fit. 3) Are there types of fibers you have trouble with against your skin? Definitely no micro fibers. I also don’t like the acrylic socks. For socks cotton or wool are best. I do like the fuzzy slipper socks. Especially if they have the grips on the bottom since I have hardwood stairs. 4) Would you like a small handmade faux wreath made out of thrifted floral stems? If so what colors would you enjoy? No thank you. I don’t have a place to put one that my cat won’t try and eat it 5) Would you like a hand painted kitty ornament? If so, is there a particular kitty you would like it modeled after? Please attach a photo. Sure! I have a black cat with yellow eyes named Chloe 6) Also would you appreciate some organic cocoa butter? I use it for my dry winter skin. Yes, I love coco butter 7) Do you have any interest in any of the Yule products from Paintbox Soapworks? Wax melts or sugar scrub - Comfort and Joy, Sozzled, O! Tannenbaum, In Dulce Jubilio 😎 Do you have any interest in a mystery puzzle game that can be played solo or multi-player? Usually these involve murder and a variety of logic puzzles. This would be played through, but carefully so as to allow for replay by you and yours. No thank you 9) Also, shortbread in various flavors - yea or nea? I can do something gingerbready or peppermint or rose or lavender or orange or chocolate or plain or combinations thereof. I love shortbread. Gingerbread, orange, plain, chocolate orange, or peppermint are all good with me -
Blood Moon: Patchouli and Smoked Vanilla Lotion
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Lotion
Agree, it doesn't actually smell like vanilla or patchouli, at all. There is only the slightest hint of what smells like sweet orange oil in very minute dilution, and nothing else. To say that I am bummed is an exponential understatement. The formulation is fine, it just doesn't really have any scent and definitely not these notes.
