VioletChaos

[No description given.] In a word: Glorious. I am slightly leery of peach notes, they sometimes amp on me in a bad fake-plastic-candy way. But this is a fantastic blend of heavy fresh, yummy strawberry and light peach bringing up the rear. I actually don't use bath oils as bath oils that often, the Post's oils I use more on my skin as a moisturizer of sorts and I took one sniff of this and *knew* it had to be mine. I shall love it for always.

Sweet red vetiver, 13-year aged patchouli, mahogany oudh, and shadow musk. In The Bottle: Strong, dirty patchouli, sweet and smoky vetiver, rich oudh. Wet On Skin: The smokiness of the vetiver is front and center now, though the richness of the oudh is coming in close behind. The patch seems to have moved waaaay into the background at this stage. Dry Down: The smoky aspect of the vetiver has tones down, though the vetiver is still very present. The shadow musk has come out of hiding to create something that is dark, dense and lush. This reads as extremely powerful to me, something that I'll likely wear when I want others to leave me the hell alone. Yet, the vetiver adds its own sinister sexiness- I could definitely see wearing this out to a club, either alone if I just want to hang with my friends or layered with a clove-rich scent to give a message of "Come closer if you like, but I just might be a black widow in disguise, chump." In All: A strong scent for those that know themselves. <3

On our second anniversary, the Lab moved from the Far Land of Spare Oom (gratuitous C.S. Lewis reference) to its first real location in Atwater Village. It was small, it was weird, and we all shared one space, but it was home. In 2004, our real unreal home, bpal.org, was founded by slythwitch, and later that year, shrieking violet took over the helm. Bpal.org has been the source of so much love and joy in my life since its inception, and because of .org, my family bound by love and spirit expanded to include some of the finest human beings I have ever known. The community that grew from .org is incomparable, both on the internet and in the so-called real world; it is a safe haven of wise, witty, kind, compassionate souls, and without it and without the people that I met through it, my life would be so much darker. 2004 also heralded our first press mention (thank you, Bust Magazine!), our first Chaos Theory series, and the first Lunacies. Our first Blue Moon came out in July of 2004, launching the Lunacies that weve been doing ever since. Red Moon was our official first Lunacy blend, followed Harvest Moon, Hunter Moon, and a bajillion other Lunacies over the next eleven years! (Ok, maybe not a bajillion, but Im not in the mood to do the math!) Prior to September of 2004, we dressed our Imps a bit differently. We wrapped synthetic bull sinew around the vials and used handwritten parchment labels. Honestly, it looked amazing, but it was an incredibly time consuming process, and left me with a couple of imp-related battle scars. As of autumn, we switched to the paper labels you see today. Our first activism scents also debuted in 2004: Cerberus (Animal Assistance League of Orange County), Chiroptera (Bat Conservation International), Corazon (Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land), Oisin (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund), and Thunderbird (the Adopt-a-Native-Elder Program), kicking off over a decade of fundraising, advocacy, and charity work. In 2004, Antique Lace first appeared and we introduced our first forum-only blend (Formula 54!). And on December 21, 2004, Dorian a hymn to my love for Ted went live. A memory of Antique Lace, Formula 54s pink pepper, and a splash of Dorian's white tea and lavender fougere. In the Bottle: Good lord- it's Dorian and Antique Lace, together at last! There's also a bright rind of that pink pepper (never had the pleasure of sniffing Formula 54 but I have liked the pink pepper note in other blends. Here's it adds a nice bright bite!) Wet On Skin: The Dorian aspect is strong with this one! But that's not the totality of this scent. The vanilla of Antique Lace is adding a layer of softness and warmth. Dry Down: If you're among the masses that have wept bitter tears at the absence of Antique Lace and also of Dorian, then this is the scent for you. It takes the most beautiful and strong elements of each of those and combines them for a scent that is sweet and lovely and cuddly. It's a dream.

The third of our Bean scents commemorates Bean and Brian's birthday! September 2nd marks the day that Little Lily came into our lives, and Brian spent his birthday in 2008 watching me huff and puff through labor! Happy birthday, Brian! You are the best brother, uncle, and brother-in-law that we could ask for! We love you so much! Little Bean, you are our soul's sunshine and our heart's joy. We love you, little Lily. Your mom and dad love you more than words can say. Happy birthday, Virgos big and small! Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting against a backdrop of Snake Oil, Dorian, and Doc Constantine! to the mods: i looked and looked, so if someone else started a thread on this scent, by all means, add me to it! so, i got to try the proto bottle of this a while back, not knowing the list of notes or anything, but i definitely knew there was cream cheese frosting involved and lots of it! while the sweet frosting aspect is absolutely in line with Beaver Moon '05, the Red Velvet Cake makes this scent something all it's own. as a big time foodie, i knew pretty instantly that this scent would be a hoard-necessary situation, and i've been on pins and needles since i tested it, waiting for it's sweet release. fear not, fellow BPAL-ers! this one is total love! :wub: ETA: got the actual, final version in the post today. i found it was actually a bit different from the prototype i tested. whether that's me mis-remembering (it WAs over a month ago, afterall) or that it is actually different, i cannot say. but this one seems a bit more on the cake (crust?) side of things, less about the frosting, which makes me a little sad. on the plus side, the proto eventually had a dry-down to pure sugar on me, as -sadly- many sweet foodie oils do. this one does NOT do that, and that makes me really happy. finally, while i don't personally detect any of the Snake Oil, we all know that SN in particular gets loads better with age, and i have a strong feeling this will be no different. in other words, *STILL* total love.

Sometimes when were constantly under assault, be it by destructive legislation or online trolls, the cruelty we endure or bear witness to can start to wear on our souls. This oil is used when you feel your spirit flagging, and the temptation to capitulate to anger, bitterness, resentment, or cruelty looms on your horizon. Purge and protect yourself from the hate, and rekindle the fires of your own compassion. When they go low, we go high: ambrette seed, frankincense essential oil and tears, steam-distilled bay laurel, saffron-infused myrrh essential oil, palo santo, steam-distilled styrax, and angelica. This oil on a conceptual level, is basically the inverse of Honey Rose 45. Where that one is to gain a sense that we are not alone in this, that there are still people that are creating daily mitzvahs in the midst of oppression, this is about our own compassion and resiliency. I see them as two sides ultimately of the same coin, and the feelings I experience from each of them when engaging bears that out, as does the scents they happen to transmit. If Honey Rose points to the port in the storm, Virtus reminds us that *we* are the fucking port. From Honey Rose I experienced almost a melancholy, a weepiness of feeling others connect and hold me in their invisible net. Virtus instead galvanizes me, makes to want to spin nets of my own, protect those that are spent and despairing and to do so with a level of integrity that is well-neigh untouchable. The weepiness is replaced with the kinds of tears that spring up when I'm enraged at the levels of injustice I witness daily and motivates me to fight back and fight HARD. Normally, I can't wear oils with myrrh, I amp it, it becomes baby powder on me and is generally unpleasant. But the myrrh here mixes with the woods and the other resins to create something rich and earthy without being dirt-like. It's grounding and grounded and reminds me that ultimately the truth will set us free. When they go low we go high, indeed.

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!

Clove-spiked dried oranges, dusted with ginger and cinnamon. ok, the Goblins have totally blessed me this time around. this spray is not only the perfect thing for making my apartment smell all full of christmas-y, yule-y yumminess, but i will totally be using this to scent my place ALL WINTER LONG. there is no WAY the goblins could have done any better for me, and there's no way in HELL i would trade this for a million years! well done, Trading Post! ps thanks for all the swag!

[No additional description provided.] In The Bottle: Yes, very juicy-orange. But also there's an edge of perfume-y-ness to it that I was surprised to encounter. Wet On Skin: There's a tiny edge of tart orange peel sneaking in, and I think it's the same aspect that seems "perfume-y" to me. It's so close that I honestly can't say if it's just reminding me of a high-end perfume or some fresh orange peel. Hmmm... Dry Down: A lovely, sweet orange scent. Less juicy, more dry at this stage. I wouldn't necessarily read this as a "foodie" scent, however. The peel is much more prevalent in this than in King Mandarin SN, and it makes is come across more as a light citrus perfume as opposed to just ORANGE or even Orange JUICE. In All: Citrus fans, get your hands on some. I personally anticipate giving this bottle some love all hot summer long

Looking down, you see a scattering of breadcrumbs strewn on the packed soil and straw at your feet. A waft of candied apple and pancakes embraces you, as you follow the crumbs on the path. The scent intensifies: sugared nuts, crushed candies, hot gusts of chocolate, and you find yourself standing before a small booth constructed of cakes, pastries, sweet breads, and a cascade of candy tiles. Shards of clear sugar glint in the ambient firelight of the Midway, and an old woman emerges from the shadows within. She extends a gnarled hand to you and rasps, Oh, you dear, what has brought you here? You look like skin and bones; a strong gust of wind would spirit you into the air. Do come in, and visit with me. No harm shall happen to you. In The Bottle: Candy, chocolate and a distant but distinct booze note- maybe rum or possibly whiskey! Wet On Skin: I think it's the sugared nuts that have gained footing. It's still quite sweet, but it's getting less foodie now that it's warming up on my skin. Dry Down: Well, now. This is NOT the candy-sugar paradise that some foodies are hoping for. HOWEVER, this is really, really beautiful. It's become something of a dusty, very dry cocoa powder with a hint of rock candy. Imagine if Sugar Skull and Cacao Pod had a sophisticated baby- you'd have Nibble Nibble Gnaw. In All: Low throw, a sweetly, dry seductive confection.

I agree with the assessment of an amber-vanilla combination as mentioned above. Also orris, for sure, providing some of the deep background dry-powder aspect. And unfortunately the dryer-sheet thing is spot on as well. Perhaps it's my skin chemistry or the fact that I lived through the 80's and came out worse for the wear. Whatever the reason, this isn't the kind of musk that can work for me, sadly, though listen to the folks above- if their descriptions appeal, you're likely to be interested in this scent as they are!

The copy reads: "Pay your respects with steaming rivulets of black and green tea dribbling across black crepe and memorial lilies." I'm honestly not sure about this one yet. Tea scents on me tend to be light, vaguely lemon-y and a bit astringent, in a lovely, bracing springtime way. Unfortunately for me, I don't think the lilies are playing in my favor. It's sad but true: a good many florals simply don't work with my skin chemistry. Alas, the lilies here seem to be turning toward the mini-soaps you find in fancy bathrooms on me and safer still, the black crepe has gone directly to ozone-ocean-salt on me, do not pass Go, do not collect lovely smellies on the way around the board. I do wanted to love this, but also knew that half the notes were risky for me. Sometimes the risk pays off but...not this time Off to the swap pile!

Oh, myyyyyyyyy. ? For those who are lament missing out on Random Brothel - or those among us that fell head over heels for it- here's something in a very similar wheelhouse. Despite the appearance of both black plum and raspberries, this is no fruity -or foodie- scent in any way. Rather, the inclusion of those notes act as grounding and sweetening, respectively, but it's all very behind-the-scenes. As a swoon fan of the Lab's Indigo Musk note, I knew this was one of the new Singularity that was a must-have for me, and it paid off in spades. The violet leaf is light, noticeable but not overt, so those that fear the potential for "soapiness" know that the concern should be kept to a minimum. Instead, the combination of the four elements smooths within minutes of drydown into a sophisticated, sweet, but not cloying, delicate blue musk. Low to medium throw, test a little to see how it reacts with your chemistry before you slather- this is not a scent you want to overdo, rather one that will be more enjoyable if you keep it close to you. I was just grieving yesterday how Random Brothel will likely remain in the box now until the chilly days of autumn some back in about 7 months, but I think I found the perfect springtime replacement! ❤️

In a nutshell? *Exactly* what I'd been hoping for. Ruby chocolate, in flavor, is distinct from all other colors of chocolate in that it has a fruity tang in its composition. I'd been hoping that the scent would capture that nuance and it DOES, beautifully. The scent has the luxurious, creamy cacao that we've come to expect from the Lab, but with that special afore-mentioned Ruby tang. To round it out, the white musk both unifies the two elements of the cacao while balancing the scent in a way that keeps it from being too "foodie" or gourmet to turn off those that are unsure about that side of the scent spectrum. I mentioned elsewhere that I personally view this scent as a perfect counter-balance to my beloved Cacao Pod- whereas that scent has a richness that works well during the cold half of the year, here is a cacao-based fragrance for the warm months- and just in time.

The second I opened the bottle, I thought to myself, "Wait, this is VERY familiar, in the best possible way..." ? It only took about ten seconds for me to determine that I was reminded *heavily* of Mme Moriarty, the original release, specifically! I think something about the combination of cherrywood and the red amber caused a gorgeous approximation of that yummy plum note from the Mme somehow. This remained true through application and into the first part of drydown. 30 minutes later, it's lost a touch of that initial impression, but frankly not that much. I got this expecting more of a Smut vibe with that red musk note, but in combination with the other notes here, it's somehow a slightly lighter version of Mme Moriarty instead (yes, both contain red musk, but the supporting cast changes how she reacts, apparently, and I think here that the cotton candy is acting as a proxy for the vanilla bean in Mme.'s formula). In any case, I'm extremely happy that a fairy was able to snag me a bottle of Heartshow, and I shall treasure it for as long as she lasts! ❤️

In The Bottle: That ginger pannetone is a force to be reckoned with, and it leaves no room for anything else! Wet On Skin: This is a bit like Crumpet Rebellion and Eat Me and Blackberry Jam and Scones in terms of tea and baked goods and accouterments that go with them.... ...But then, on drydown, the saffron and rhubarb throw a bizarre wrench into the mix, making this scent a cousin of the afore-mentioned whilst also going somehow off the rails. I can't quite get a handle on it, and I'm okay with that. If you're a fan of those other baked-good scents, definitely put this on your list, as it'll be right in your wheelhouse. Medium throw with a sweetness that's less sugary than one might expect but still suuuuuper foodie, this is a scent for going to brunch, or doing some weekend baking or wearing when you want a good scone but can't (or don't) have access to any.

In the bottle and wet on skin, this scent dives fully into intense gourmand territory, with the sandalwood and gardenia only really coming out to play after full drydown. I am reminded during certain states of the Weenie Single Note, Clown White, and I suspect there's a note or two in common between these scents, which would be on-brand since, you know, clown. Whereas that scent leaned from vague sweetness into the appealing chemistry of stage fog or pancake makeup, this leans more into the general vibe of an old-fashioned Italian clown situation and the difference is that this is a scent that is enjoyable beyond just the novelty aspect. A light, vaguely dusty scent with low throw, this is a scent for cuddling up with a book on a Sunday afternoon or a walk through a park on a balmy spring day. It's really nice and unassuming, and sometimes gentleness is what we need most. ❤️

In The Bottle: The gilded lavender, followed closely behind by the night blooming flowers. Wet On Skin: Lavender is still out in front, with undefinable flora in the background. The lavender at this point weaves in and out, sometimes dominant, then moments later, going into the background, then popping forth again. Dry Down: The mood shifts and at last, the blue musk emerges. This is not the dark, inky blue musk of Night, and to be truthful, at first I was disappointed, because Night is my favorite blue musk scent EVER and I wanted another like it. HOWEVER, having said that, this scent has proven to be just lovely. The night-blooming flowers have sifted and I get a spicy phlox somewhere in the mix overlaying that blue musk fougère. The lavender has basically flown the coop, and the orris never even entered the picture. But what remains is a heady spiced musk of medium throw, maximum sexiness and zero gender preference. Not at all what I was anticipating, but I'm SO glad I made the purchase just the same!

Pumpkin-spiced gunpowder tea with mango peel, red ginger, green cardamom, smoky clove buds, fennel, allspice, saffron, coconut sugar, and foamy milk. Mango can be somewhat of a death-note on me, so I ordered this un-sniffed, but apprehensive. In the bottle, the mango was pretty heavy- one of the two prominent notes. But it was sweet and juicy, like a fresh piece of fruit, not like "mango perfume". The back-up note was a sugared vanilla. Sweet, but not terribly thrilling. Wet on my skin, it immediately began to shift, and by the time dry-down was complete, it had changed rather utterly from what it had been in the bottle- for the better. It's a sweet, creamy chai, the sugared vanilla still in the mix, but the usual chai spices definitely holding their own. If the pumpkin is here, it's being very quiet, or else is so deeply buried in the mix that I'm not catching it as it's own entity. In all: medium throw, this wound up being what I always wanted Egg Nog to be, but never was on my skin- warm, sweet, spicy. I don't read this as a "Wow, Autumn!" kind of scent, strangely. But it's cozy and nice and a lovely day-time scent. Glad I got a bottle!

This has been a "white whale" scent for me that I've waited *literally* years to try, so when an almost-full 10mL cobalt bottle was being offered (!!!) I HAD to jump at the chance. I'm so glad I did. I get that "mineral" / "hairspray" (specifically pink-can Aquanet, the ole goth standby) when first applied, but that settled out within a minute of touching my skin. Now that it's full settled and warmed into drydown, what it mostly reminds me of, is a magical Egyptian musk I was gifted nearly 2 decades ago. But it's not JUST an Egyptian musk. I do also get the "coolness" that I concur is a coconut note, similar to what I encountered years ago when I was new to BPAL and first tried Obatala. The coconut, then as now, is NOT the sunscreen or food variety, but a nice, dry husk. Very understated and supporting. Same is true for the vanilla, definitely more of a vanilla bean than anything foodie or gourmand in any way. The old searches don't always work out, but every now and then- BLISS!

With a hint of FD&C yellow. The British version is better, amirite? In The Bottle: A light milk chocolate with a sweet, sugary undertone. Honestly, this reminds me of the Easter baskets I got as a kid, that faint smell of chocolate combined with the headier smell of 18 different kinds of sugar, plus fake grass. Love it! Wet On Skin: The chocolate is blooming now, but it's not the rich chocolate of, say, The Other Hot Chocolate or Bliss. It's more the chocolate note that shows up in some of the "13" blends- lighter, more sugary. And there's the cream, coming across a bit more persistently, now, not dairy-based- all creamy sugar instead. Dry Down: Light, mild chocolate with an undertone of a similar cream note found in various Egg Nog releases. YUM! In All: Medium throw, sweet but not aggressive- a cute daytime Spring alternative to the richness of Egg Nog. I could see wearing this for family gatherings or just a nice stroll in the park on a chilly spring day!

In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob-tree I came down the steps with my pitcher And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough before me. Snake Oil, black oudh, labdanum, vetiver, and 10-year aged patchouli. In The Bottle: Labdanum and oudh. Wet On Skin: The oudh is strong with this one. It's really so far out front that as it warms on my skin, I can get nothing else from it. Help us Snake Oil, you're our only hope! Dry Down: no vetiver, no patch that I can detect. The oudh is still definitely at the front, but traces of Snake Oil are, in fact, coming through, as is the sweetness of the labdanum. I'm going to let this settle for at least a month before retest, I am one of the masses for whom,e fresh Snake Oil does not generally cooperate. I choose to hold out hope, and if not, I've got some very fine aged SO that I can layer with this bad boy to get the party started

In The Bottle: Banana deliciousness! Plus a bit of fresh, unsweetened whipped cream and a flaky pie crust! Wet On Skin: All the same, except the crust is becoming a little more up front. Dry Down: For those that fear banana scents, this might be a perfect one- the banana is subtle and fresh, like real, actual bananas, not like banana candy or flavoring. the crust lends weight and balance, with the cream being thick but light- like real, home-made whipped cream. In All: Low throw, a good daytime scent. Yummy!

Whipped vanilla cream and white sandalwood with a touch of lotus root. In The Bottle: Cream and dusty wood- like a sweeter, gentler version of Glowing Vulva Wet On Skin: Okay, the GV part doesn't last, but that's okay, because this is great on it's own- now it's that glorious sandalwood note from Tombstone, with the sweet cream note from Love's Philosophy. This is...awesome. Dry Down: A beautiful, warm creamy-woodsy fragrance. Lovely for daytime use, as it's not too imposing, and it's definitely a skin scent, that stays close. But I can also seeing it be a little sexy on some people. *Definitely* glad to have a bottle!

I. Am. In. Love. I haven't been this obsessed with a scent, from any house, in literally years. The first thing you need to know about Random Brothel, is that it's a very slow burn. What I mean by that, is that from the time it's applied until it achieves its full bloom after drydown, takes quite a long time. In the bottle, and during this transition period, mostly it smells like violets with a bit of acrid wood in the background. There's something that's quite Late-Autumn-Goth about it, and it's not at all unpleasant. However, at around the 20-40 minute mark, the scent shifts entirely, revealing THE, most hands-down gorgeous musk imaginable- rich and slightly sweet with incredible depth, the black amber adding to the layers, but only in a far away background kind of way. And the traces linger. Oh, how magnificently they linger. I've been sometimes putting some one shortly before bed, waking in a light intoxicating cloud, then reapplying for the day. I already have one backup bottle but am seriously considering two more because I cannot imaging living without this scent in my life, ever. I

Yup, this is indeed the same milk note as Snake Milk (and possibly Kwame Cotton? But maybe that's just me...). This scent lives up to its name, a great blend of that fabulous cartelized milk note and then fresh juicy peach. It lasted hours on me, mostly in tact. Now it's a good 10 hours later and a fait trace remains, wisps of both elements clinging softly to my skin. I blind-bought two bottles, as I had high hopes, and I'm really glad I did. ?❤️ ?