tinyvulture

I love the oats in Gunpowder, and I adore the lab's pear note. And wine's never a bad thing. So I knew I'd love this blend, and I do. The oats are warm, comforting, foody without being sickeningly sweet. I'm not sure if the lab has different wine notes, but this wine really reminds me of the honeyed red wine in my favorite, Athens. So gorgeous, just the right amount of throw, and perfectly blended so all the notes are balanced. I want a bottle so bad now! Thanks to Mellifluous for including a tester with my decants!

For orchids, Magdalene is my go-to blend, so I'll do a comparison. Opiate Southern Gardens isn't as lush; it's more dry and understated. The poppies are noticeable, too, and I always equate their scent with a candle being blown out. I'm not really picking up any peony. I can see how this blend fits the description because, for a garden full of lovely orchids, there's something dark and somber about it.

At first, almond extract? OK, that's random. When that goes away...buttery cookies with caramel. Like a tin of those shortbread cookies you get at Christmas. Super buttery and sweet. I didn't know the meaning of "squamous" so I googled it and it means...scaly. After a couple minutes, I get the aquatic note that other reviewers have mentioned. Oh, darn, it's that aquatic note that goes sweet on me, like pineapple. I'm trying to tell myself, "Well it still smells okay, like pineapple upside-down cake." But honestly aquatics don't do much for me and as far as this year's foody Yules, Pumpkin Pecan Treacle Tarts has already won my heart.

Cold, but not slushy/snowy...it's more of a cold ozone scent, wintry air, with a touch of aquatic for the river. It's so smoothly blended, I can't pick out any woodsy or smoky notes. A winter's day in the woods, turned into a cologne. Too masculine and I don't do well with ozone.

Gingerbread meets Snake Oil! So we have gingerbread with plenty of bite from fresh ginger and cinnamon, plus lots of vanilla and the other spicy/woodsy secret notes that comprise Snake Oil. A close relation to Shub-Niggurath, Pumpkin Queen, and undoubtedly Gingerbread Poppet, although it's been ages since I've sniffed that one. Also kin to Dia de los Reyes, for that heavy cinnamon note. Foody meets sexy, with excellent throw.

Here's the slush/snow that was missing from my Pink Snowballs. It's paired with sweet and sour (mostly sweet) plum. This is one strong, bold blend. The currants are present, too...this scent is heavy with dark fruits. Cardamom is usually easy to pick out, but I'm not finding it. I like this decant, but there are other plum blends that I prefer, so no bottle necessary.

It's been several years since I sold my bottle of Snow White, because it made me sneeze. But this smells soooooo similar. Except it's not making me sneeze. Gentle florals, tons of vanilla, and a little coconut and mint. Creamy, white, sweet, comforting.

Opium hits my nose first...think Darkness, Languor, Belle Epoque. Dark, powdery, hypnotic. The frankincense and opoponax resins add to the solemn and, yes, ritualistic feel of this blend. After about five minutes, just the tiniest hint of champaca. The cheery floral almost feels out of place. Nice but needs stronger throw.

Rich mahogany crossed with warm, grainy amber...a winner for sure. I love the lab's mahogany note and it's the star here beautifully blended with amber as well as syrupy sweet labdanum and tonka, and just a hint of slush/snow. No currants or wine for me, but I don't feel anything's missing. So gorgeous. I need all the wood blends and definitely this one.

I recognize the dominant note, herbaceous carrot seed, from a lotion I used to have. It's fresh and earthy, kind of like walking into a vegetable garden, but without smelling like soil. I also smell something salty and warm, makes me think of aquatic scents without actually being too aquatic, if that makes sense. I guess it's the sea buckthorn berry. It pairs well with the carrot seed. I'm not really getting florals or frankincense, so this ends up being a very natural (as in nature, as in veggies and water), unique blend. It's not wintry...perhaps Mr. Flaubert is daydreaming of his summer garden to banish his winter blues.

Roses and vanilla, sweet and creamy. Year after year, I've passed on the straightforward rose blends, Rose Red and Peacock Queen, wanting something a little sweeter, a little more complex. It's silly that I never tried Pink Snowballs before now. But I had overosed on slushy notes and was scared off by the "snowballs" description. And now that I get around to trying it, I'm actually not noticing any slush/snow whatsoever. Gorgeous. I may need a bottle.

Cucumber, as the Poison Queen said, and mold and darkness. Picture Books in Winter also has notes of old books and leather, but it's sweet and soft and comforting. This isn't even close to that. It's the bold, strong scent of something rotten. Not familiar with the sugandh kokila or pimento leaf notes, and curious how they contribute to this scent. But, I just can't...it's making me slightly nauseated.

At first: fizzy, sweet champagne with fruity notes! If you enjoy the bubbliness of Swank, Polynesian Pop, try this one. After it dries, the fizziness fades, and no more fruit...instead, a floral bouquet, and soft tobacco. Can't pick out individual floral notes, but it's very pretty in combination with the champagne. I'm picky with my floral blends, so probably pass on a bottle, but glad to have the decant.

I adore all the lab's "autumn leaves" blends, and this is among the best of them IMO. The leaves have their natural bitterness, and the ashes add a sharp acridity. If you're afraid of strong charred/smoky/ash blends, I'll add that the ashes aren't overpowering here. They blend in really nicely with the leaves and enhance them. I'll compare it to A World Where There Are October's, since that's a recent blend the same family: Death's Second Self is less woodsy, but much sweeter thanks to the amber and frankincense. Really lovely. I have so many leaves already but I may have to add to the collection.

Myrrh and frankincense, super sweet and syrupy, with the "cola" note that I often get from myrrh. A cousin to Schwarzer Mond or Raven Moon (or Anne Bonny or Kathmandu, for GC resin-lovers.) Chamomile is very faint...I only notice it because I'm looking for it. I like it, but it's not that different from other resinous blends I own to warrant a bottle.

What a sweet poem, and a sweet scent that captures the cozy childhood ritual of storytime. On me, it's foody, with condensed milk and caramel notes. (Hubby says buttercream.) Soft leather and paper notes linger in the background. No florals that I can make out. It's soft, maybe too soft for me to wear that often, but it would actually be perfect on my daughter.

The keyword from the title is "juice." This is one juicy, fruity blend when first applied. Pure pomegranate. The next notes to appear are the vetiver and patchouli. At this point, it reminds me of Depraved...a sexy mixture of juicy fruit and dark, dirty notes. I happen to love Depraved, so this is a very pleasant surprise for a perfume associated with "putrescence." I'm not picking up any cacao, myrrh, or rose. After ten minutes, the pomegranate isn't nearly so big and bold. Now the cacao is just slightly noticeable. It's quite soft overall at this point. I wish it had retained the "wow" factor of those first couple minutes. Cool blend, but don't need a bottle.

A salty aquatic/ozone, worthy of Kingsport. At first I also thought I smelled the lab's "slushy snow" note, but it quickly faded, if it was there to begin with. I don't really get any incense from this blend! Just that creepy, aquatic atmospheric quality. I'm not really into aquatics, so I'll try to swap it.

Oh God. Instant love. Warm, rich pecan pie with a good amount of buttery, golden brown crust. While I can't think of any other pecan blends, I love all of the lab's nutty notes. The pumpkin is there too, but it's just hanging out in the background -- it's a pumpkin pie note with gentle spiciness. But the pecan pie is the star of this show and I want to eat it up. This blend is strong -- I can smell it even when the imp is closed, and it lasts a long time. My #1 of the 2013 Yules.

A pretty, sweet floral blend. I wish I knew my individual flower notes properly! I can tell there's lilies and, faintly, roses, but I couldn't tell you if I'm smelling poppy or primrose. Something about it reminds me of walking into a beauty supply shop...all the different floral notes hitting the nose at once, I guess. I definitely don't detect any snow...I know the lab's "slushy snow" note and there's none of that.

Orange blossom has the strongest presence, with amber and something herbal competing for second place. Reminds me of a fruity/herbal shampoo. I didn't expect a film-noir-inspired blend to smell so...clean? I love the lab's plum note and was hoping the plum, and berries, would be front and center. Also, where are my resins? I'm really not getting any benzoin or myrrh. There's nothing offensive about it; I was just expecting something sexy and dangerous.

I love tropical scents like Obatala and Manila in summer. Sampaguita is going to be my new summer scent.

I'm pretty sure that "sinistre" is French and "disastro" is Italian. In Spanish it would be "Siniestro, Desastre." Thank you for helping with all that German! That's extremely useful. I tell you what, these indistinguishable Romance languages need to GET OFF MY LAWN. Sadly, my French predates 1800 and my Spanish and Italian are non-existent. Not a pronunciation question, but...does anyone know why Liszt used several different languages to name his compositions?

Peach liquor and the almond goodness of orgeat syrup...pineapple's nowhere to be found. Light, fruity, and happy. Perhaps a little too boozy to wear on my skin? A couple minutes later, the booziness has faded. Soft almond and peach, very nice! Sadly, this is too close to my skin and I can barely smell anything after a few minutes. Wish it was stronger, because almond/peach is a great combination.

Although this single note is for a good cause, I had to try a decant before placing an order, because jasmine can go either way on me. My skin either loves it or hates it. Fortunately, this is absolutely gorgeous, so I'll be making a purchase. It's exactly like the jasmine iced tea I used to get from the Vietnamese market when I lived in OKC -- cool, sweet, and exotic. Good throw, long-lasting.