tinyvulture

when i applied this, it smelled like straight up cough medicine. but in a GOOD way, ok? very syrupy and herbal and sweet. and lest a comparison to cough medicine would scare you off, don’t worry; it very quickly morphed into a heavenly, rich grape/berry wine scent. and then the flowers and honey appeared. so then it was a sweet, floral, red wine nectar. then, over time, it became drier and more floral, less syrupy. notes i did not previously smell, including chocolate and tobacco, began to appear -- but very faintly. i couldn’t tell they were there unless i read the description, honestly. still, they added to the complexity and changing nature of this lovely scent. i'd say it's one of the lab's best.

i was curious to try this because the ingredients sounded like such a jumble. ozone, lavender and currant? but i never do well with ozone. sadly, this smells like a typical, commercial men’s cologne on me. it’s clean and crisp from the ozone, but there’s also the floral scent of lavender, and the earthy, slightly spicy resin. i can’t smell any currant. i'm sure this will smell much better on someone else.

this is O sprinkled with cinnamon. it’s a little like chai, but it's also sultry and exotic. the spices are complemented so awesomely by the sweet golden honey and warm musk. it envelops you in rich, luxurious goodness. a bottle of this will be perfect for cold winter days.

sweet, innocent, clean and comforting. kind of smells like rain, and roses. it’s similar to Come To Me – they’re both soapy. but this is more calming and gentle. i don’t have a broken heart, but i do feel that it stops my mind from racing and makes me feel focused and relaxed.

This smells a lot like Black Pearl – once again, the coconut really stands out. But while Black Pearl was dry and floral on me, this is a little more lush and warm and ever-so-slightly fruity. Must be the blood musk, whatever that is. It smells very fresh. This would be a great summertime scent.

Sweet honeysuckle, slightly soapy jasmine, and a little spice. I gotta say -- the lab’s jasmine makes me like jasmine more and more. I used to hate it, so that’s saying a lot. I was worried about the lemon since my skin doesn't like citrus, but I can’t even detect it. I don’t smell anything that makes me think of decay – just a lush flower garden on a humid summer evening.

No one ingredient really stands out in this pleasant floral blend. At first there’s a hint of spice and then, after it dries, a greenish undertone (could be the laurel). The stargazer lily is sweet and pretty as usual, and I don’t smell any mandarin at all (a plus for me). I like it, but florals aren’t really my thing so I’ll swap it to someone who may love it.

Cherries and anise, an unusual combination and one that, unfortunately, doesn’t work for me. This scent is spicy, yet cool. I can’t detect any of the red musk. Strong and long-lasting – the anise’s licorice scent lingers for hours.

Ylang ylang, honey, Egyptian and Arabian musks and labdanum. I found a description of ylang-ylang that says it is “similar to jasmine, with spicy clove in the background” and that is what I smell here, mixed with rich, full-bodied honey. The weird thing is that I usually can’t wear jasmine, but this smells pretty damn good on me. So bring on the ylang-ylang! Plus, I smell something that I also detect in Snake Charmer – must be the labdanum. It’s warm and sweet, kind of fruity like a plum. I want a bottle of this.

I smell roses dripping with honey, and also a touch of apple. It’s a dry, powdery sort of rose. The apple in this scent is not sweet and juicy – it’s tart, almost sour. Powdery florals and sour fruits are not a good combination for me, so I’ll have to swap this.

like all other “water” scents i’ve tried, this turns cloying and overpowering on my skin. so i’ll have to swap it. it’s slightly salty, and there’s a bit of leather although it doesn’t really stand out. i thought it would be more complex -– i don’t smell any rum or wood at all, unfortunately.

I love all patchouli scents and this one is no exception. Here, the patchouli smells amazing paired with the dry sandalwood. I wish I had incense that smelled like this. There’s just the tiniest hint of cinnamon, I can barely tell it’s there. About ten minutes after it dries, it smells entirely of dry, powdery sandalwood. So nice.

Unsweetened black tea and white linens are what I smell here. I thought it would be sweeter, like a chai tea, but I’m not picking up any of the cinnamon, ginger, or vanilla. It’s vaguely floral to me, too. I like it OK, but it’s not very strong – my little imp is almost gone already.

I have bayberry candles, and this smells a lot like them. It also reminds me of a simmering potpourri with dried apples and berries, wood bark, a bit of citrus rind, and lots of cinnamon. Makes me think of Thanksgiving. It’s a warming, comforting scent for sure. I do not smell any leather.

for once, a jasmine scent I can wear! amazing! this certainly is exotic. it reminds me of walking down the bath products aisle at the asian supermarket. the jasmine complements the milky, creamy almond nicely. the only bad thing is, it’s not very strong.

I can smell the combination of sweet berries and wildflowers, and a touch of rose. It’s clean and crisp, and ever so slightly lemony. It’s pretty, but doesn’t do a whole lot for me.

I’m a fool to keep trying even remotely citrus-y scents. Even though lemongrass is the last ingredient listed, it overpowers everything else once it hits my skin. I was hoping for some lovely sandalwood and rose goodness...but instead I get Mr. Clean. I’m sure this smells awesome on those w/different chemistry, so into the swaps pile it goes.

Extremely herbal, with an undertone of dry wood. No citrus on me thank god. Reminds me of Herbal Essences, only better -- more complex Green, leafy, and refreshing.

I put off trying this because citrus is not my friend. But now I see that orange blossoms are a lot gentler and prettier than straight up oranges. I’m getting a pleasant, soft, dreamsicle scent from the orange blossom and vanilla, topped off with a hint of dark florals. This is definitely a summertime scent, sultry and warm.

This reminds me a lot of O, but it’s more resinous and not as overtly sexy. Spicy, warm vanilla. Seems to last a long time. I can see why this appeals to everyone, it's just gorgeous.

Roses mixed with mahogany and coffee –- interesting. It's not as feminine as I expected, and the combination is unlike anything I’ve smelled before. The mahogany and coffee are quite strong -- I really have to sniff deeply to realize that this is a floral scent. Uh-oh. After it dries, the roses fade out and the jasmine appears, and I don’t dig on jasmine at all. Too bad -- I liked how it started out.

... Deep cocoa laced with patchouli, leather armor, ritual incense, and a touch of Xochiquetzal’s flowers. Cocoa and patchouli, what a combination! It’s powdery, smoky and chocolatey. Delicate florals appear as it dries, but they are very light compared to the deep, rich chocolate. I don’t really smell the leather unless I slather it on, but that’s OK. This will be a great autumn scent.

so, this is civet? hmm. it certainly is strong. it smells wild, like a sweaty animal. there’s also a spicy sweet undertone of clove or anise. this reminds me of a hotter, sweatier black annis. i had to wash it off because i didn’t want to go to work smelling like a goat. it’s really too strong for me, but i’ll try it on my man later.

This smells like roses and cinnamon. I thought it would be sweet, but it’s not that kind of cinnamon. It’s not fresh roses, either. It’s like crushed roses whose scent is seeping out of them. It’s dark and mysterious. I really dig the sweet, clean rose scent of Chuparosa, but I think this one suits my personality better.

orris is interesting; it’s such an incredibly dry floral and it seems to dominate everything it comes in contact with. the myrrh adds its lovely sweetness, and the musk lends earthiness. the patchouli is just barely distinguishable, but it’s there. overall this blend is very feminine. it's elegant yet dark at the same time.