VioletChaos

in the imp: almond and smoky oakmoss. wet on skin: the almond is taking a back seat and the oakmoss is now smelling more like vetiver. dry down: the smoke clears and a rich indian jasmine snakes out from under it. that's a LOT of morphing from wet to dry! in all: if you're not a vetiver fan but you adore jasmine, i say get this and put up with the brief drying period. you will be justly rewarded.

in the imp: ozone, aqua. wet on skin: heavy, sweet water note. dry down: same. in all: average throw, exactly what the description implies- this is the purest distillation of the Lab's Water and Ozone notes. so if that sounds like heaven to you, stock up

in the bottle: sweet without being cloying, slightly musky but not aggressive, with a touch of tart fruit that i'm thinking MUST be the blackberry wet on skin: oh wow. the blackberry is becoming a much stronger note. it's so yummy my mouth is actually watering! love!!! dry down: yes. the blackberry has pretty much taken over- and i couldn't be happier in all: like the tart acai berry in Daiyu, the blackberry note in Bitter Moon really makes this special. :D

Dry, skeletal woods and moist marsh, dripping with the perfume of bog lilies. in the bottle: sweet, soft floral and white musk. wet on skin: same, with a hint of melon peeking in the background (aloe?) dry down: a sweet softness is maintained. in all: a vibe similar to Blue Moon, without any water note. this makes me think of falling asleep in an early autumn meadow...that just happens to be in a graveyard.

in the bottle: a hint of spice and a hint of Dragon's Blood. this is not an over-powering sort of scent. wet on skin: more of the same, the two notes doing a fabulous dance across my skin, neither getting dominion over the other. dry down: yep, it stays true. low throw, this keeps close to the skin. in all: i was expecting something loud and bellowing from Mars, but it seems to be playing more with the sexy-fiery-yang energy-aggressor aspect. which suits me *just* fine!

... Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry. in the bottle: sweet berry, dried roses and that sweet scent of rot and decay wet on skin: berry, dead roses. dry down: a spicy note has entered the fray, making this far more complex than a berry-heavy scent like Bloody Mary. the berry is kept in check by the spice, and the dried/dead roses are really extraordinary. in all: a total keeper, and a supreme goth girl scent for all those winter days spent walking the moors!

in the imp: lots of spicy cinnamon, a little bit of something sweet but undefinable. wet on skin: more of the same, though it seems like cassia is in the mix now too. dry down: the cinnamon has settled, but the cassia has taken over in it's place. i get a tiny bit more of the peach now, but that's it. in all: it's not a bad oil, but with so many fall-on-the-floor scents from the Lab, i don't want to settle for "not bad".

in the imp: very sweet floral- lots of rose, but it's not the only note. wet on skin: same- with a touch of the citrus coming through. dry down: the mandarin is not enough to save this cloying blend on my skin. in all: if heavy, sweet florals are your things, give this a whirl- you'll probably adore it. for me however, it's off to the swaps!

2008 version. in the bottle: cider, clove, nutmeg and general autumnal yumminess. wet on skin: same, but with a hint of smoke coming through. dry down: a delicious Fall mix of sweet, smoky and apples. in all: a must have- glad i've got my bottle for all the crisp days ahead!

saddest news ever: cracked bottle on arrival! postal jackals! that said, i can still test whilst i wait for my replacement to show up... in the bottle: sweet sweet sugary-sweet. not the candy sweetness of JailBait, interestingly. it's like Sugar Skull and maybe a butterrum combined. wet on skin: uh oh. it's getting a Yankee Candle quality to the sweetness. i hope this is just a passing thing! dry down: crystal melon candy mixed with blue rasberry bubblegum, eaten while wearing berry lipgloss, while sitting near a autumn potpourri candle. in all: even with the candle-y bits, this is TOTALLY worth the endeavor. get some!

in the bottle: the sweet smoky teak of both Glowing Vulva and Antikythyra Mechanism. wet on skin: same. dry down: same! in all: not as complex as i'd hoped, but perhaps with a bit of aging it will get better.

in the bottle: the YUMMIEST of apple ciders! wet on skin: same, with a slight touch of autumnal smoke entering the fray. :swoon: dry down: the smoke has become far more dominant, but the cider is hanging in there in all: a fine fall scent- i'll wear this in a month when i go apple and pumpkin picking for sure!

in the bottle: the muguet and the beeswax are combining to make this fascinating combination that smells like melon rinds somehow. but don't be alarmed- this part passes quickly. wet on skin: the wool makes an appearance at this point, strangely enough. this scent is as peculiar as old Ichabod himself! dry down: paydirt: once it has a chance to settle, the milky tea makes itself known, mixes with the spicy pepper and becomes a sweeter version of Chrysanthemum Moon! in all: worth every penny, and the wait, this is a great scent. SO glad i got a bottle!

A deceptively sweet orchid vanille with a faint trace of stephanotis. in the imp: sweet, milky and lightly floral. lovely! wet on skin: reminds me of Eden a bit, but much, much lighter. dry down: it's like a combination of Eden and Dragon's Milk, without the fig or the Dragon's Blood. it's really really yummy. in all: condensed milk!

in the imp: yep- that's civet musk and opium, alright. wet on skin: the opium is becoming the top note, the civet adding a nice smoky quality to it. dry down: the civet has taken over! in all: a deep, smoky resinous blend. i could see some foolish people using this is the Dark Arts- THAT'S how deep this is. for us more...discriminating viewers, this is good oil for power on a dark winter's night.

in the imp: sweet, spicy. reminds me of a Yule incense i get at a magick shop here in nyc. wet on skin: same. i can't pick out any notes, it's very well blended. dry down: spicy, musky, sexy. in all: lives up to it's name! a grand oil for a grand seduction!

in the imp: bright floral, some gardenia, some green notes. wet on skin: same. gardenia seems to be growing in intensity. dry down: same, but with a hint of Lily of the Valley poking through. in all: a heady floral blend. if that's your cup of tea, then get ready to swoon over Suspiro.

in the imp: lemon and lavender. wet on skin: lavender is VERY strong in this. dry down: lemon verbena, with lavender holding it's own. in all: a clean blend, reminds me of soaps i use in the winter to unclog my sinuses. not a bad scent, but with all the really, really amazing things offered by the Lab, i think this one can wait. i hope not to offend!

in the imp: sandalwood. wet on skin: sandalwood and something sweet- i'm thinking the musk? it's REALLY nice. dry down: wow. this is GORgeous. the sandalwood has none of the usual bitterness. the musk adds a warm note, and there's also a sweet resinous element that i can't place but is just fantastic. in all: sexy, mysterious, sultry. makes me proud to be part Arabic!

in the imp: gardenia, straight up. wet on skin: same. dry down: same! in all: a solid gardenia to be sure. it read as a single note on me- i seriously didn't get so much as a trace of anything else. so if gardenia is your holy grail, stock up on this one for sure.

in the imp: citrus! wet on skin: yup. citrus. the pink grapefruit is what i'm getting the most at this stage. dry down: aw nuts! the citrus has become shampoo-like! in all: yep- all body wash, all the time.

in the imp: sweet, musky and a bit spicy. wet on skin: same. the labdanum, as often does on my skin, id emitting a vague grape-kool-aide scent. not unpleasant, but definitely...kool aide. dry down: the musk comes out, but that slight persistent grape-ness has remained. in all: for someone else, this may just be the musk they've been searching for. on me? not so much.

in the imp: interesting. i get lavender and cypress, though i don't recall either note being in the blend. wet on skin: same, with a hint of something very "green" coming through- myrtle? dry down: very green now, in deed. changed completely, as sometimes happens. reminds me of being in a green fern-filled wood after a heavy rain. in all: not so much my particular thing, but this smells lovely and full of nature regardless.

in the imp: like super-cheap penny candy and cough syrup wet on skin: the cough syrup is mostly gone, and is replaced by a rather nice spice note. but the sticky candy part is still the dominant here. dry down: the candy has fled and now what remains is a light, spicy cinnamon-esque perfume. surprisingly gentle, actually. in all: if you like spicy perfumes but generally find them too heavy, give this one a try.

in the imp: the sort of rose i'm not fond of: too sweet, too cloying, too much like perfume. wet on skin: same, but AMPED! dry down: yep- strong perfume-y rose, a hint of musk, but not enough to pull this one through. in all: i'm picky about my florals, so this is a pass. but if you like your rase STRONG, maybe you'll dig this blend. :shrug: