VioletChaos
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Everything posted by VioletChaos
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Moss, musk, tea, iris. This is what I get sniffing in the bottle. But it's more than that - and, bizarrely, also less. This is, indeed, a "grey" scent, a thing I've not personally encountered before. And as with all the different depths and hues of that complex color, so too is there a complicated, shifting, ephemeral nature to this scent. As it warms up and blooms on my skin, other aspects come to the fore- the thistle adding a delicacy to the blend, the lavender ash adding a strange gravity. "Strange" because this is NOT a heavy scent. So it's heavy not in the traditional sense but the way a thick mist might settle in on an already dim afternoon. The drydown settles things in but the theme of grey-delicate remains eternal. On me, there's something vaguely soapy after drydown. Not like sniffing a bar of lavender soap, but more like having washed with said soap and then cuddled up on the couch to read a sleepy little book. LAYERED WITH DONKEY'S TAIL: The French lavender and vanilla add some additional punch for sure, transforming this scent from something extremely ethereal into a more grounded iteration of itself. The combo also brings out something that, to my nose, smells like a hint of fresh garden rose? 🤷♀️ which is baffling as that's not in the notes. I suspect some magic combination of the rain and thistles remind me of a very fresh cut bloom. Regardless, I'm not mad about it. ❤️ 🌧️
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For many years my White Whale of the BPAL world was the 2005 Yule scent Mitzvah. The notes sounded like a dream. Alas, it didn't work out with my skin chemistry, but the ache for something that would fill that hole in my heart remained. I think I have at last found it in Edward Bear. In the bottle, I get nothing but milk, butter and delicious vanilla. The butter note reminds me strongly of another longtime favorite, Shill (am I the only one that hoards that buttery popcorn scent?!?!) but without the salt in the butter. Wet on skin and beginning to warm, that sweet-cream butter remains a front runner with the "warm" part of the "warmed milk" note really beginning to shine. The vanilla is a long, dark bean, cooked gently in a pot with the other two: quite present and adding depth, but in no way at the lead. After drydown, the scent stays mostly true from the bottle, with tiny, tiny hints of the toast and amber adding additional complexity. I. Am. In. Love. This may require not just ONE backup, but several.
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This is for the 2025 Release. I have a very long history with Diwali. It was part of my very first Yule order in late 2007, and I went back and read my old take on the scent from then, creeping up on almost 20 years ago! Some of my tastes have changed and my skin chemistry has as well- at a certain point, after loving Diwali for years, I gave the last of my 2007 bottles away. But I felt a pull and decided to get a fresh bottle now to see how it compares. In the bottle, it's immediately not as I remember- this is more complex but also more gourmand than my old review would have me believe. The lotus and mogra are lending a floral aspect that I definitely didn't pick up on all those years ago. As it warms and melds with my skin, those gorgeous layers of spice emerge and mix with the almond milk and rice flour to create something truly special. This isn't an incense blend OR a floral OR a gourmand scent: it's all of the above, and I am allllll over it. Medium throw with a complexity that has me huffing my wrist repeatedly, I welcome Diwali back into my life with open arms. I am SO glad I have
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In the bottle, I get all melty lavender ice cream all the time. I was expecting it to be similar to TKO but that's not the case for me, even at this early stage. TKO is straight up sugared lavender to me, in the same camp as the sugared violet and sugared rose of Faith and Hope respectively. This Sundae, at least for now, is not sugary, it's cream in its sweetness. Soft and fluffy. Once applied and started to warm up on the skin, I am immediately reminded of an old Lilith blend I loved, Daybreak, which was also heavy on the lavender-vanilla coupling, and I like it here, too. Upon full drydown, the kissing-cousins vibe of this scent to Daybreak continues, only instead of the third guest at the party being a cupcake coconut, here it's the lightly baked-sugar-cookie vibes of the waffle cone. In all, a lovely low-medium throw lavender-vanilla confection, nice for a calm and gentle daytime scent, but also a new one to have in the rotation of bedtime perfumes. 💜
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I love the Lavender Kitchen as an ongoing series, and I *adore* the Lab's bread notes, so this was an insta-buy for me- the first thing to drop into my cart for my Yule order! In the bottle and during the warm-up period on the skin, it's all warm, fresh-baked bread, all the time. The throw is quite strong for what I've typically had from prior bread-heavy scents, so apply frugally until you know how it'll react with your personal chemistry. As it gets further into the warm up, those aromatic notes start to bloom, with hints of the flax and sesame coming into the m ix and bringing a nuttiness with them. The rosemary starts to peep out too, reading more generally for its evergreen qualities than as rosemary specifically. But if you're worried at all about that, don't be- it's just lending a little atmosphere to the proceedings. By Dry Down, the various notes have reconfigured themselves one final time, with the bread note still being the star of the show, but the various other components being a louder chorus than they were initially. In all, a fine addition to any bread note lover's collection, and a nice introduction to low-key foodie scents that might feel too overwhelmed to try something more sweets-forward. A lovely, cozy daytime scent. 🥖 🥖 🥖 ❤️❤️❤️
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As a longtime fan of Bah!, I purchased this within seconds of its release and have periodically worn and treasured it ever since. I cannot believe, therefore, that I never reviewed it! As is true of a good portion of single notes, one of the nice aspects of this scent is that it stays pretty close to form from first bottle sniff, all the way through to dry down, and long passed that point. And for me, that means a flawless coffee candy scent. I agree with the prior poster that it's more brewed than bean, but I don't think that hurts it in the least. It's also lightly sweet, which I welcome, as it removes the sometimes-present edge of acridity (not acidity) that can occur with coffee notes in perfumery. It's a wonderful, comforting daytime scent on its own, but can definitely be used to enhance other fragrances that might be spruced up with a bit of layering. In all: while I wound up getting rid of the majority of my SN's over the years, this one will always be a keeper
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I got this last year when it came out but for some reason forgot to review it! I'm happy to do so now as I've just broken this out again in anticipation of this year's Luper drop! I'll start by saying I've actually never tried the original Red Rider, as I'm not much of a leather fan owing to the fact that leather notes, except under extremely rare occasion, tend to amp so intensely with my chemistry that it blocks out whatever else might be happening with the scent in question. That said, I blind-bottled this because so many of the other notes were deeply compelling and I am especially find of the Lab's gorgeously tangy / creamy ruby chocolate note! I don't recall what this smelled like fresh, but in classic BPAL fashion, this scent has aged beautifully. I don't get leather at all, at any point- at least not directly. It's possible it's there in the background, but if so, it's doing some deep undercover work. I get a big-throated melange of the red musk, red mosses and balsam for the first solid hour or hour and a half. During that time it's consistent from first sniff all the way through dry down. As I get deeper into the second hour, the red berries come into the mix and the other notes start to mellow considerably. For the long haul, there's a medium-low throw where that tart-creamy ruby chocolate is like the Sun, and the other notes are the planets orbiting around, sometimes more in the mix, sometimes less. Knowing myself, I probably didn't think much of this scent when I first tested it, because I remembered precious little about that experience. But past VioletChaos knew enough to hang on to the bottle to retest later and today VioletChaos sure is pleased about the sagacity of that decision!
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Each order placed on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Filler Whatever Sunday, or Cyber Monday will receive two 1/32 oz. imps of INCOLUMITAS, one to keep and one to share. It’s been a very challenging year for so many, and this little imp is our gesture of bottled kindness. INCOLUMITAS is a scent of safety and security, of peace of mind and freedom from harm: warm honeyed patchouli, bourbon vanilla, sweet sage, and lavender. In The Imp: A good, pure lavender. This isn't a sugared or cologne-y lavender, this is more like clean essential oil lavender. Wet On Skin: The vanilla comes into play, sweetening the lavender quite a bit, and it goes from being that almost-medicinal to a little more of the sugary lavender encountered in True Love or Day Break- two lavender scents I adore, so I'm happy with the direction this is taking! Dry Down: The scent stays mostly true from wet to dry down, with the exception that I'm getting the *slightest* edge of sage in the mix now, giving this scent something that feels bittersweet, somehow, like cherishing joy in the midst of acknowledging the hard time all around us. Which seems perfectly apt for what this scent is all about ❤️
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It funny I never reviewed this, as it's been a perennial favorite of mine since it came out. I'm a long-time fan of all the various bread-and-baked-good notes the Lab creates, and the warm, crusty baguette of this scent is definitely one of my favorite. The bread note is strong in the bottle and lasts for several hours as the dominant note before it steps aside and the cream takes center stage. On me, this aspect is reminiscent of some of the Lab's more milky iterations as opposed to a heavy cream. I am reminded especially of My Baby and a Baby Goat, Milk Moon and Obatala. Medium throw (more than typical given the notes, but still pretty low-key as one would expect), this is a nice daytime scent for maximum coziness during the coldest and darkest part of the year. It's definitely cozy enough that I'd consider wearing it even to bed 😊
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Late at night, as you walk through a dark and creepy cemetery, all is quiet except for the giggling of two kids: one is eight and one is fifty-eight. They are standing in the middle of the tombstones; the bigger kid is spinning the little kid around by her arms. They spin and spin and then fall down laughing. What could be more fun than falling down on people’s graves? Dorian and lavender mist, crushed grass, cypress leaf, and a drop of clove. In The Bottle: I get a faint whiff of mint, and a subtle note of fresh cut grass. It's all very light, even in the bottle. Wet On Skin: The lavender in this "mist" form has something vaguely lemony about it. It reminds me overall more of Alice than Dorian. That said, they feel in a similar niche, a soft and lovely gender-neutral scent. Dry Down: THERE'S the Dorian! He's definitely there, though obviously mixed with other things. The clove is also out now, but softly, in the background. Considering the notes, this fragrance has a very low throw and is overall very soft, like a whisper of Dorian whilst drinking a bit of black lemony tea on a warm day in a field of grass. So much more than I anticipated, so glad I got a bottle!
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I reviewed the 2016 version shortly after it came out but earlier this year I won a bottle of the 2007 version from the Lab in one of their eBay auctions, so I feel like there's reason enough to do a second, separate review. I'll start off by saying I am absolutely one of the BPAListas that favors well-aged Snake Oil over the fresh stuff. And I truly mean the older, the better: I've got several bottles that have been quietly aging for years while I verrrrry slowly make my way through my precious 2006 10mL bottle - at this point, closing in on 20 years? It's like liquid GOLD. So it should be unsurprising that I am quite enthusiastic about having snagged this 2007 bottle of Saw Scaled Viper, because of COURSE, the SO is a big part of the equation. As with the 2016 iteration, the dominate of the other notes is cassia here, too- and I'm just as pleased about it. I sometimes feel like cassia is an unsung hero of spice notes, sometimes overshadowed by the familiarity we all have with clove and cinnamon. But whereas those notes can often be so strong as to have a ring of acridity in them, cassia is all smooth, rounded edges, and it's really beautiful. If you've ever spent anytime in the deep South (of the US) and had the pleasure of smelling the pods of white magnolia trees in autumn, you'll be familiar with the scent, as the two are incredibly similar, even though they come from completely different plant species. There is cinnamon here, too- sure- and wisps of the ginger as well, in the deep, deep background. But the dance between that cassia and the Snake really are the main love story of this scent, no matter what year / formula you're talking about. I keep both the 2007 and 2016 versions side by side as I find they have qualities different enough that I prefer one over the other during any given mood. What they have in common though, is being favorites of the Snake Pit for me. ❤️
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And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid, But even so, honoured still more That he should seek my hospitality From out the dark door of the secret earth. Snake Oil with sugar, honeycomb, and thick vanilla cream. This was the scent I was hands-down most excited about, so I have very high hopes indeed! In The Bottle: I get the clean, crisp, almost-lemony scent of the Lab's sugar note right out of the gate. This is the same sugar that was in Sugar Moon from...2008, I think? It still stands out, because I like the almost-citrus aspect of the note, which is a delightful surprise. There's also a touch of the honeycomb bringing up the rear. Not a heavy honey like "O", this is lighter- certainly more "comb" than not. Wet On Skin: THERE'S the vanilla cream! Hello there! The Snake Oil is emerging as well, making this scent a true delight. Dry Down: I am *smitten*. I had frankly been hoping for something similar to my beloved Kwamie Cotton, and here it is! If you missed out on Kwamie or adore its sweet comfort, this is for you. An, knowing how well SO ages, I am certain this is going to go from "smitten" to "passionate love affair"- it's merely a matter of time. Hoard-worthy!!!
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Tobacco-threaded incense smoke, labdanum, red benzoin, and blackened vanilla. Proceeds from the sale of both of the Hymn to the Erinyes scents benefit RAINN, the United States largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, and provides programs to help survivors, prevent sexual violence, and ensure that offenders are brought to justice. In The Bottle: the tobacco dominates. It's the same tobacco note from Red Lantern, which I believe is the chewy "French" tobacco variety. Wet On Skin: As it starts to warm on my skin, I'm getting the labdanum, which is lovely and a primary motivator in picking up this scent. The incense element reads as sage smoke to me right now, but that might change with drying. Dry Down: Unfortunately, as sometimes happens with my skin chemistry, the tobacco seems to be all but obliterating any other notes. Tobacco can age well and mellow, so I'll hold onto this bottle for at least a little while, but I was really hoping that the vanilla and benzoin would have a presence in this. In All: really high throw- a tiny bit goes a loooong way, so definitely apply with caution until you know how it'll go on your skin. A must-have for those that adore tobacco notes.
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**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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This is the 2025 re-release. Samhain is always pure autumnal love for me. Frequently apple scents are iffy for me, but Samhain is always true and I love pulling my well-aged, well-loved perfume out each fall. The atmosphere was a gamble for me, as the aging of my bottle is part of why I love it so. But I tested it today, just a few days out of the mailbox and it's great- just two poofs in my living room, and the whole is well-scented. It's been a few hours and it's still going, but it's not overpowering. As with my all-time favorite Cathouse, I *do* suspect that some aging will do this atmo some good as well. I will be sparing in my poofs now, because I'm betting I'll enjoy it even more later!
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A far juicier peach than I was expecting coming off of last year's Peach and Red Bean Paste HG. That said, I was into it from first sniff. Way back (decades, in the pre-Lab-exisiting era of the halcyon 1990s) the Body Shop had a peach perfume that I wore obsessively. It smelled like canned peaches packed in syrup. This hair gloss has a similar quality, though I'd say the peach is fresher and amps even more than that long-ago fragrance. It's ;lasted all day and pair nicely with several scents I tested (one a light sugary musk, the other a dark, spicy autumnal confection). I will put this in my cold-weather rotation on days that I need a bit more brightness and sparkle in my dreary day!
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In the bottle I get mostly the nice, buttery pumpkin that shows up here and there in the autumnal / Weenie profile. Once on my skin, the scent warms and opens, revealing a delicate blend of those beloved fall spices. "Delicate" being the operative word here. I agree with doomsday about this being a good option for those looking for a pumpkin spice scent that's not heavily spiced. It's also just a lovely, fairly fresh, pumpkin scent. I was surprised because I have the Peach Brandy of yesteryear, which has its boozy moments, and I was anticipating a similar outcome here, but that doesn't materialize for me. I'm not mad about it, because this really is a lovely, imminently wearable autumnal scent. Low throw, delicate, but definitely of the season.
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I mean, it's all right there in the name This is EXACTLY what I was hoping for- a straight-up rootbeer float. The rootbeer / sarsaparilla note does NOT disappoint, and the ice cream makes it soft and creamy and yummy, and keeps the rootbeer from being sharp or acrid. Eventually a bit of pumpkin *does* reveal itself, but I wouldn't call this a "pumpkin scent". I agree with the above assessment that this is a great scent for sliding from late summer into early fall, but I will also definitely be wearing this over the winter when I want a sweet and warming daytime scent to cuddle into. 🎃
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I'm...just not sure about this one. at least, not yet. I love Dorian. I love Snake Oil. And I love love LOVE Graveyard Dirt. But. I guess this moss note is throwing a big ol' monkey wrench into the proceedings and I don't know what to make of it. I am not one of the folks that tested or used the atmosphere iteration of this scent last year, so this is a brand new experience to me. Because I have such love for three of the four listed elements, this seemed like an obvious choice for me, but the moss here seems to be doing this thing where it's amping a black musk bit that is...not amazing with my skin chemistry. It's also possible that the moss and the Snake itself are having some complications for me, as I am definitely one of those people for whom there is no such thing as "too aged" when it comes to Snake Oil. The fresher, the sadder it is for me, and that's just how it is. (I am currently slowly working my way through a gloriously aged 10mL bottle dating back to 2006, with several from 2010 aging softly in the wings, so that should give you an idea concerning the gravity of what I'm speaking about here). There's something here, baffling, that also reminds me of the disquiet that I both love and feel repelled by in the American Gods scent, Laura. Write it off on some weird undertone from the dirt note if you wish, but I could slather myself in Graveyard Dirt all day and never get the strange bit that's marking both of these blends. In all, I will absolutely keep this scent- I know my chemistry well enough to figure the Snake just needs an extra long rest, if nothing else, to make this wearable for me. Hopefully, in the process, the rest will sort itself out.
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In the bottle, the wet greenery is the only thing present. Normally, "wetness" can be an issue for me- water notes tend to register as heavy cologne to my nose. But here, at this stage, it really smells like being outside after a rain, breathing in the damp grass and leafy trees. How lovely! Wet on skin: as it warms up on me, the honeysuckle comes into the mix, lending a delicate-but-unmissed floral touch. The honeysuckle was one of the reasons I was eager to try this scent, so I'm glad to see it showing up now. Dry down: finally, the blackberry joins the party! I'm relieved, as this note was the OTHER reason I was so interested in trying this scent. The grass and green are still present but the honeysuckle, if it's here at all, is so far in the background as to be just part of the atmosphere, but nothing that could be picked out of a lineup as a contributor. It's a very interesting and deeply unsettling scent, reminding me of that part of autumn when the weather has turned but tendrils of late summer continue to hang around (leaves starting to mulch, and yes, the last of the blackberries juuuust starting to turn on the bramble). The story on which this scent was based is a long-time favorite of mine and I think this scent beautifully captures the specificity of a gilded cage: there can be beauty, sure, but don't ever, ever forget the sinister undertow.
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Blood Moon: Dragon’s Blood and Red Wine
VioletChaos replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
There is a specific red wine note that I've loved from the Lab since I first encountered it with Glüwein all the Way Back When. It starts off slightly grape-y but finishes a bit more boozy, and it's a welcome addition where I find it. I believe this is that note. I say "believe" and not "for sure" because the dragon's note is pulling it sideways in unexpected ways, amping the grape aspect of the wine a bit, and subsequently tamping down the booze edge 🤷♀️ As a Duet, as the prior poster stated, it's a "what you see (...smell?) is what you get kind of situation: a very balanced, two note perfume. As *just* a duet, if you like either or both of these notes, you'll find a satisfying balanced little daytime blend waiting for you here. As a layering piece, you will find it adds some nice, unusual new interpretations for the primary Moon it's affiliated with. I also procured the Duet of Clove and Sweet Incense and I played around a little with *just* the two Duets and NOT the Blood Moon at all, and here, too, there were some nice surprises to be found, as the spice and the sweet all play well together there, too. In all, some lovely variations to be had, and probably some nice twists to come as both of these notes lend themselves well to aging. -
Blood Moon: Clove and Sweet Incense
VioletChaos replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
In the bottle, it's a balance between the two notes equally, and it stays that way through the warming-up-on-the-skin phase as well. The incense here is indeed a sweet alternative to what I normally think of as an incense note- this is NOT a hippy-headshot vibe at all, and I also don't get the alternate, which is church-y. This is neither. Upon full drydown, it's a very well-blended mix of the spice from the clove with a mildly sweet incense-y melange. Surprisingly delicate, and quite low throw. Many Duets are things that I lean toward wearing on their own. This might be the first time I've encountered one where I feel strongly that this scent really is best in service as a layering device for the primary Moon it's affiliated with, as it bumps up those aspects nicely but doesn't overpower. Also, and this is specific to my personal skin chemistry, clove as a note, requires a fair amount of backup in order to not become flat and one dimensional and a little harsh. The duet dries down a bit flat because it's only the two notes, and my chemistry requires more. I've had to turn away more than a few clove-forward scents for this reason, alas. But paired with its intended Moon, it does precisely what it's supposed to, so I'm totally pleased to have it! This is also a good time of year to have options to boost a cozy-spice factor on other scents, and I will definitely have some fun playing around with this scent's layering possibilities in a number of ways! -
I am a huge, HUGE fan of the original 2005 Blood Moon. HUUUUGE. And I know that the notes are mostly quite different in this blend as compared to my beloved from twenty years ago. But I grabbed this because I am hoping that there's a similar mood or vibe with this incarnation. But as with the previous poster, I, too, am a person for whom black musk tends to amp so dramatically as to blot out all other notes (and the sun itself!) so I have my trepidations about it as well. Let's see where we land, shall we? In the bottle, it's the clove that I get immediately. I have a complicated relationship with clove because when it's good, it's so, so, SO good, but when it's not, it can be very acrid and sharp. In the bottle, it's a perfect shot of spice, and I believe there's a little of the sweetness from the pomegranate present that could be helping with that, but of course, we're still very early in this process... Wet on skin: upon application, the clove starts to die down almost immediately, and the black musk is starting to step forward at the exact same time. Pomm is holding her own, but not in any front-leaning capacity- the note continues to be more of a background sweetness, so for those hoping for more, if your chemistry is similar to mine, know that this might be all there is. At this stage there's no hint of patch or tobacco or dragon's blood, alas. Dry Down: This may be the first time in my nearly-two-decade history of BPAL fandom where I've got a real winner in a black musk scent. It helps that it remains in check by that beautiful clove. The pomm (and likely dragon's blood, which has its own sweetness) are definitely background players, keeping this scent from being too sharp or intense. But the that spicy clove remains the star. If you're a fan of Thorns Clove Cigarette (or sad you missed out on it) then I'd say snag this immediately. It's very wearable, surprisingly soft in the throw given the composition- a great, warming daytime scent as the weather grows ever more cold. In All, a total keeper and, as I'd hoped, a nice similar vibe to my beloved OG Blood Moon 🦇 ❤️
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I am unsurprised in some ways that I'm the first to review- mushrooms and brains are not everyone's cup of tea for a perfume!- but what about the ink and the grave loam??? Welp, let's just see what happens. In the bottle, I'm getting that gorgeous turned-earth, loamy-loam that some of us adore from Penny Dreadful and Graveyard Dirt. There's also a sweet plant-y smell in the mix that isn't quite floral, and I'm betting it's the Spanish Moss. We are off to a great start! Wet on skin, the sharp, slightly chemical scent of the ink starts to come through. This is my first encounter with the tattoo ink note from the Lab, but I am one of the fans of the original Indian Ink single note they released many years ago, and I'd say at least at this stage, this ink is a close cousin of that old one, and I'm delighted. I think I'm also getting little hints of the mushrooms, which are adding a nice extra layer to all the earthy bits here. Upon dry down, the moss and ink are melding into a rather cologne-y combo. Normally, I can find that to be off-putting, but the loam and mushrooms are holding everything in balance and it's turned into what I can only describe as a great counterpart to Penny Dreadful. When I first tried out Miss Dreadful 18 years (!!!!) ago, I thought she had a chocolate note in her. I no longer think that- I think there was something rich and sultry lurking in the noir perfume of the scent that read that way to be for a time. I mention this because I think that Penny wound up being a bit more on the femme-side of the scent spectrum, though not by much, and that rich, almost-choco-aspect held the balance. Here, I think that moss-ink combination are doing the same, right across the line, making this scent a slightly masculine-leaning version of a scent with similar bones. If you *really* wanna gender it up, you might conclude these to be brother-sister counterparts. Of course, there's DNA in both scents that can *also* be found in the American Gods scent, Laura, and it's NOT the loam that joins the three but Laura's formaldehyde-glycerine-lanolin combo (sweet-but-chemical) that I think is actually the element that creates the kinship amongst the three. For me, this makes Zombie Flash a welcome addition to a verrrry specific part of the Lab's perfumed family tree, and I am super delighted to welcome it aboard ❤️