VioletChaos

Saw Scaled Viper (any year) and Boomslang (the older / more aged, the better!)

22 hours ago, Gwydion said:

How do people feel about restarting the tea box?

I'm open to the possibility. I found some great things last time. I'm moving in a few months, though, so if I do join I think it's likely I'd put in far more than I take out.

On 7/24/2021 at 3:50 PM, Greenwoodtree said:

 

Oh heck, I cant do anything with it, Im not part of that inner circle!

Legit. There are those that can handles the work load of wrangling 150 Witches...and then there's the rest of us.

Is it too soon to start wondering about a proper Fall Switch Witch? 😬

In the bottle, I get a soft, delicious scent of the burnt sugar. I wasn't sure what to expect, but at this stage, it smells most closely to cooked marshmallows over a camp fire. It's lightly sweet and really, really cozy!
Wet on skin, the blackberry comes out in force, and the sugar takes a definite back seat to the proceedings. The berry is sweet, fresh and very juicy! I adore the Lab's blackberry note and if you liked Blackberries and Scones, chances are good you'll like this, too!
Upon dry down, things come more into alignment, with both parts of the duet showing up for the duration. The sugar sinks in and softens further and the blackberry mellows considerably, making this a beautiful little gourmand scent.

Glad I snagged one! ❤️ 

I surprised I didn't snatch this up when it originally appeared, given how many notes in this I adore!

Luckily, I was just recently gifted a bottle and I'm so glad for it! The rice milk and clove are both the most dominant notes. I would've never thought they'd work together, because I'd assume that the clove would dominate. However, with Beth's mastery, they are in perfect balance, no doubt helped by the vanilla and amber combination, lending a bit of sweetness to shave off clove's rough edges. I'm not getting any of the frank, but I'm quite relieved, since frankincense often goes sideways on me. I agree this scent is both sexy and delicate, and will surely get use of this all summer long!  

Oh. Oh my. 

I don't use or wear TAL oils generally just for the scent, so I'm perfectly okay when what it smells like doesn't totally appeal in the olfactory sense, because that's not the point. But sometimes there's overlap between form and function, and it's always just marvelous. I'm thinking of recent contributions like the new TAL Bounce and also old-time personal favorites like the Panacea oils, especially Safari and Succor. 

And now Pax 2021. The lotus and lavender and rose petals have combines to bring a kind of stillness to this gathering, a placidity, like standing at the edge of a serene and still body of water, no sounds but the occasional bird call and the quiet lapping of water at the shoreline. It's light, delicate and beautiful, but not fragile. Sometimes when we thing of "delicate" it can seem synonymous with "breakable" but if you think about tall, thin reeds that sway in a strong wind, or a weeping willow tree in its gracefulness, you'll start to get an idea of strength in delicacy. This oil is GROUNDING. In a way, frankly, that I wasn't sure that lavender could be (and I'm an old hand at using lavender for what ails me, especially in the anxiety department.)

This is exactly what it sets out to be- a deep breath after a long terror. And I welcome it with open arms. ❤️ 

Giddy, grownup, joyful orange creamsicles. That's my immediate hot take on this scent.

I've also been feeling that hope, that optimism of this time, and I definitely feel this oil encapsulates that feeling really well. I keep circling back to that first word, "giddy". It really just sent a jolt of giddiness through me! A lot of TAL scents tend to be a bit more subtle in how they take hold of me, but this is bubbling and effervescent, like laughter that simply can't be expressed. It's amazing. 

I am a huge fan of "fossilized" amber aka petrified tree sap aka some folks like to argue it's not actually petrified. Regardless. It has a particular sweet, resin-y scent that I find blends incredibly well with sharper rooty and earthy scents (like vetiver or patchouli). I never would've thought to pair it with sugar cane, but my ears pricked up when I saw that this was the duo presented, and it's really pretty great. On me, the amber is definitely the bolder component, but I was kind of expecting that, because what I like the most about the sugar cane note as opposed to white sugar, is that it stays put- it doesn't amp and overpower everything around it, which is why I sadly can't wear sugar-heavy scents typically (Sugar Skull, I'm looking at you!). The cane has this subtle, almost lemony edge to it and here that edge cuts through the sweet aspect of the rich amber, making it a sultry scent that's still great for summer evenings. And with the magic that is black amber, I suspect this will only get better with age. ❤️ 

I've had nothing but great experiences in the past both with the Lab's Single Note Mango and also their blends with Rice Milk in them, so I blind-bought not one but TWO bottles of this, so sure was I, that I'd love it.

And I REALLY REALLY DO!!! Sweet, delicate and lightly fruity, this combo does what many others do not do for me: it remains true to its components and at no point does it veer off into candy or plastic territory. If you have had good experiences with mango in particular, you know exactly what I'm talking about and will definitely want to add this to your collection.

This is 100% coming on vacation with me next week, because I KNOW I'll have many opportunities to wear it! 

PURE. WIN.

Kanra up there said this was a moody, broody scent and I do NOT disagree.

This is making me have ALL kinds of feels, in a deeply profound way.

I'm getting a montage of my adolescence: running down icy nighttime  streets with my friends following some major protest    and

going to punk shows in the grimy, fetid basements of squats on the lower east side   and

smelling all the oil bottles on the carousel in the Body Shop   and 

walking around Alphabet City, my breath making little plumes in the frozen air as I pass garbage can fires and street vendors selling tiny dram bottles of patchouli, all whilst side-stepping dirty banks of old snow and knee-deep slush secretly waiting in deceptive gutters.


It's been a really, really long time since a scent created such a deluge of sense memory for me, but there it is. 

The prominent notes for me are an ozone-heavy snow that's kept in check by the richness of the indigo musk followed closely behind by the blackened lilac (definitely the note causing some of the teen-angst reverie here).

I'm so damn glad that I grabbed a bottle. I suspect I won't wear this one all that often given the intensity of feeling it provokes in me, but I will welcome having it unhand for when I want to deep-dive into the feelings of that exceptional time period (layering with a smear of thick, old punk rock patchouli purely optional

)

 

Something about the hay, peach and musk together that, just whilst in the bottle, is reminding me in some strange way of Snow, Glass Apples. So much so that I went to look at my 13 year old review of SGA for some clues, but found very little. I am guessing that the musk in this blend is the same or similar to one that was in the mix for SGA. 

It starts to dissipate a bit as soon as it warms on the skin, though.

I though for sure that the peach was going to be really prominent in this blend but it isn't at all. The hay and the musk seem to be the dominant notes here. This is a very light, sheer scent. It really does match up with the visuals of the painting, that kind of cool, remote crystalline vibe, all pale cool-tone colors. 

I personally tend to wear heavier, richer blends in the wintertime, but this is a must-have for this with a special love of sheer musks.

First review! Woo hoo!  

In The Bottle: Mostly the gingerbread. But, as with Gingerbread Vampire, don't let the name fool you. This is more like gingerbread *spices*- it's quite strong and actually doesn't come across as sweet at all. This is especially surprising with this mix, because there are so many sweetener notes in there with it. Maybe that will change once it warms up on my skin...

On Skin: Welllll...slightly. But far less than I would've expected, especially since I tend to amp a lot of those sweet notes, especially sugar and honey. I get the honey a wee little bit, and the chestnut is in there too to help round it out. I get zero hazelnut, molasses or nutmeg.   

Layered with Ghost Milk: Two fairly soft scents, getting together, to create another soft scent   With Vampire, the Milk eased up the rough edges, but with Wolfman, I don't really think it's necessarily adding anything to the proceedings. That said, if you like your scents really foodie, I suspect you will LOVE this combo as it rings all the right bells in a gourmand scent and although I only got a few go this year's Monsters, I suspect that Wolfman will wind up being the most popular choice for layering with the Ghost Milk  

In The Bottle: YUM. I'm normally NOT a fan of anise (black licorice and I are mortal enemies   ) but DANG, does this smell good in the bottle- it's a diabolical mix of anise, bittersweet chocolate and gingerbread spices. It smells entirely edible, like a non-sweet bread baked with the above ingredients.  

On Skin: It starts to mellow almost immediately. I'm a bit sad about it because it's so good in the bottle. That said, it seems to be toning down in equal parts, so that the main elements are all still present, just going a bit more subtle. The anise becomes *slightly* more prominent as a result, but I'm still enjoying it.

Layered with the Ghost Milk: it's sweetens up the scent, but only a little, because I was VERY cautious about only using a mere touch of the Milk. I would wear this either way, but wearing it alone makes the scent a potential for a sexy evening, whereas with the Ghost Milk it softens it enough to make it completely wearable for daytime winter coziness. Either way, I like the warmth of this one and I bet it's going to get better with a bit of aging too.

In The Bottle: the sweet, cozy vanilla cashmere is the most prominent note I detect immediately, and I'm pleased as punch about it, because it was the thing I was most looking forward to with this scent. Right behind that, stopping it from entering cloying territory is the lovely goats milk note. This is the same goats milk that was in 2012's Mother Shubb's Spiced lait de chèvre, and I think I like it even more here. Let's see how this progresses, shall we?

On The Skin: As it warms, the cashmere blooms further. This stuff has intense throw- a little goes a looooong way, so apply sparingly until you see what your skin will do with it. I'm getting no honey or white chocolate, but a bit of the marshmallow is coming through. Usually the sugary aspect of marshmallow amps so loudly on me that it becomes a bit acrid but the cashmere and milk are smoothing out the edges. Still, this mix is POTENT.

Dry Down: I'm a growing fan of the "sweater" kinds of scents, and I'm happy to add this one to my collection. In all, this scent is all about comfort, like a smooshy blanket or your favorite old cardigan. As I already mentioned the throw is HIGH, so apply sparingly! Looking forward to seeing how this layers with the new Gingerbread scents!  

On 11/13/2020 at 11:40 AM, spookygrrrly said:

 

If you are OK with sharing (just a written description is fine, I can make pictures in my head 😊) I'd love to hear more about this Winter Death Alter. Totally OK if you don't want to share for whatever reason too!

Sure! I do a combination of having it be an Ancestor Altar - so I include tings like this tiny owl that belonged to my mother when she was alive - and also a general Winter / Death / Crone altar, so I have stone and also ceramic skulls people have gifted me, plus things made of bone and fur, and dark and smoky quartz crystals. For incense I lean towards stuff like Kyphi (since some of my ancestry is North African) and also stuff like vervain and vetiver, which curry favor with Dark / Crone Goddesses like Hecate and Lilith. Sometimes at this time of year, if I find especially beautiful red or orange leaves that have fallen from trees I'll place those on the altar as well.

4 hours ago, spookygrrrly said:

 

I would love to join a winter crone swap. I just turned 46 and while I don't feel like I've truly hit "crone" status I do feel like I've been experiencing sort of a "crone-in-training" period. 

I would also love to do a crone swap. I already have my Winter Death Altar set up and my birthday is next month- it all seems to be falling into place ☺️

A year or two ago -whever the last round of Chaos Theories happened - my CT luck held out and I received a *wonderful* Chaos Theory from the Lab that smelled like the BEST spiced banana smoothie of all time. I lamented at how frequently I really want bananas scents to smell like that - like fresh-cut real banana instead of banana taffy - and how infrequently that actually happens.


Until now. 

Don't get me wrong- I LOVE candy-like banana scents. So it wasn't risk-taking for me to pick up a bottle of this. 

BUT it's also a really, really pleasant surprise that I now get to have TWO banana scents from the Lab that have this similar real-banana scent in them! As it warms and then dries, the complexities of the perfume really shine, spices emerge and for those that are fond of the Lab's baked goods type of scents, you will want to run - not walk - to snag you summa this. 

In All: A cozy banana-bread-warm-foodie confection that will keep you cozy through the long winter months that lay ahead. ❤️❤️❤️ 

In The Bottle: A nice light mix of blueberries and white tea. Lovely!

Wet On Skin: More of the same, but I'm getting some of the sugar note in the mix, which makes it a bit more complex. 

Dry Down: Same as above, but warmed up a bit with the emergence of the lemon peel, oddly enough.

In All: The scents that Lilith herself designs have often been of a particular kid-slant: extra fruity, or candy-like confections that are quite tempting (Kwame Cotton, I'm looking at you!) but with all the limitations and benefits that implies. This is a MUCH more sophisticated scent and shows that Lilith is growing more and more into the amazing adulthood that awaits her.  

In All: Light, delicate but well-grounded scent. Medium throw- use less than you think you'll need given the scent profile. I usually reserve these kinds of notes for summer-only wear, but there's something deeper about this scent that makes me want to wear it on a bright, icy cold winter's morning full of sunshine and remnants of snow crystals floating through the air. ❤️ 

In the bottle: I'm mostly getting the chypre: it reminds me a LOT of Guerlain's Shalimar, a scent I was *obsessed* with for a time. Someone upthread mentioned "sexy grandmas" and I think I see where they're going with that- Shalimar can read also as "old fashioned" I think *because* chypre doesn't get much play in modern perfumery. (I personally need to be in the right mood for it myself, but when that itch needs to be scratched? Accept no substitutes!)

Wet On Skin: Much the same. At this wet stage, the chypre for sure rules the roost.

Dry Down: Yes, my friends, this is DEAD sexy. I mostly got this for the cashmere amber, and at dry down, the scent does NOT disappoint. I have become a recent fan or the Lab's cashmere interpretation, it combines a coziness with a sexiness that can't be beat, and it's great here. The balance of that and a sliver of the orris keep the scent from trodding too much into "powdery" territory. Unfortunately, I get no patchouli in the mix, which makes me a bit sad, but I have enough of the essential oil lying around that I can plump it up if need be.

In all: Low throw, surprisingly, given the richness of the notes, though a little goes a long way. 
If you're looking for an elegant daytime scent or a more relaxed date night scent, check this out.  

As torikitty mentioned, the vegetal aspect DOES somehow stick out more, and I'm not sure why. I get it *very* strongly in the bottle and slightly less strongly on my skin. 
Notoriously, I am one of those people for who, Snake Oil pretty much only works after its aged...well...an age. Typically a looooong age- 12 months or more. So  while I'm not pleased that I'm not getting either my beloved aged Snake Oil nor my new favorite Please Scream Inside Your Heart, I'm also not exactly surprised.

I bet by next summer I'll be smitten  

If you love all (or probably even just two of the three) notes in this scent, you really owe it to yourself to get some while you can. It's the sweet return of the early 80's version of the Lemon Meringue Doll to me, which is a beautiful, billowy sweetness on a cloud of marshmallow. Alas, I get none of the Lab's amazing orange blossom note, but I'm delighted with what's on display. For those that love a good lemon-foodie scent, this is sheer heaven from start to finish. ❤️❤️❤️ 

In The Bottle: A mix of the vetiver and inky musk, with a touch of the cacao to smooth things over.

Wet On Skin: The vetiver becomes a bit stronger now, definitely the lead note at this stage- something I hope continues because I *really* love vetiver. 

Dry Down: It's amazing. Part of what makes it amazing is that the combination of the opoponax, vetiver and musk combine to create something akin to leather. The reason that's amazing is 1. it's NOT leather, but something reminiscent and 2. I can't wear leather, because it always amps on my skin. This scent takes the best aspects of a leather note- its rich, earthy element- and mixes it with wisps of the cacao, queen of the night and tuberose, to create something that is deep, decadent and full of mystery.

I anticipate this aging gorgeously, but right now, in its current state, it's perfect for the beginning transition from summer into autumn. ❤️ 

Vetiver and orange blossom are both my number one jams right now, so it seemed like a total imperative to pick up a bottle of nothing that contained both, and I am simply *delighted* that I did.

I, too, had the sensation of some unnameable aspect of childhood memory wash over me for just an instant when I first opened the bottle. Once it starts to warm up on my skin, the various notes pull apart ever so slightly, and the neroli comes to the fore, though not in a rambunctious way, which was a bit surprising, because I wondered how on earth such a light top note was going to compete otherwise with all these heavy hitter base notes.

But neroli doesn't need to, because neroli just glides on gossamer wings, gently touching all who are close enough to notice. As the scent warms further and dries down, neroli continues to hold her own, but the other notes bring up the rear nicely. Those who fear patchouli's deep, dirty history or vetiver's smoke needn't worry about either- though very much present in the mix, these richer notes stay strongly in their supporting role, and none of the undernotes ever stray from their backing position.

I expect this to age very well and look forward to wearing it in the meantime.

I no longer have the 2008 variety but I was able to see my review of it to jog my memory. I knew that I had liked that one enough that when I saw there was a new iteration for 2020 I was very interested in getting to check it out, and I'm really glad I did. 

As with the original, there's something distinctly effervescent about Mead Moon- she is legitimately a *sparkling mead*, not just some honey slopped in a jar. The spices, both in the bottle and as the scent warms and blooms on the skin, are extremely well blended- apart from the rich honey base, I can't pull apart any of the notes in this perfume.

But what's important, what I remembered about the original, was that there was something distinctly High Summer about the fragrance- like playing in the hot sun and then lolling in a half-hidden barn, in big piles of sweet hay. The air is thick with the heat of the day, even in the dark of the interior, and the air is so dense and thick, yet there's something cozy and deeply nostalgic about it that it feels only welcoming. 

And so, I welcome Mead Moon back into my life, bringing a sweetness of the past into this chaotic present, to smooth the edges, if just a little bit. ❤️