tinyvulture

after trying a couple other deadly sin scents (greed, wrath) i was beginning to think that they’re meant to be “too much of a good thing.” that is, maybe they all have some element in them that makes them too overpowering for me to tolerate very well. lust may have the same intention. but, luckily, i can never get too much rich, dark, sexy patchouli. the red musk is also lovely, and slightly fruity. reminds me of walking into a store in chinatown that sells about 1000 different kinds of incense. as you walk around and inhale, you get a mixture of all of them. very heady and intense. i love this on my husband. it lasts forever on him (i like it on me too, but unfortunately it fades quickly on my skin) and it makes me want to attack him. i guess that's the point

i’ve always found sweet pea kind of bland, so i think that’s why i’m not a fan of this one. however, the sage does add an interesting element. it’s very clean, herbal, a good scent for spending a sunny spring day in the garden.

i wasn’t sure what lotus smelled like, but apparently it’s very fruity and sweet. the strong strawberry/cherry scent may be cloying to some. this is not a delicate scent – it’s quite rich and strong. i wait for it to become more resiny and dark. but, sadly, the sandalwood is only noticeable for a minute, and my beloved myrrh and amber never make an appearance. too fruity for me, but i’m still going to try blood lotus and see if i like it better.

me and jasmine have never gotten along well. this is a woman’s perfume, extremely floral. it smells like what ladies wear to church on easter. the sweet honeysuckle and buttercup are quite nice in the background, but the jasmine just makes this impossible for me to enjoy. into the swap pile it goes.

at first it reminds me of a less-sweet sudha segara, or a delicate chai tea. it’s creamy, soft, and kind of smells like ginger. amber is always warm and lovely on my skin. but then, as it dries, an animalistic, sweaty aroma slowly comes forward. it’s interesting how the scent changes over time, but it’s not ferocious at all on me. in fact, it fades pretty quickly. i wish it were a bit stronger and long-lasting.

i thought this would be really citrus-y, but it’s not. the grapefruit is there, but its tartness is nicely balanced with the sweetness of plum and the floral scent of orris. the amber gives it a nice warmth. it didn’t make me sit up and go, “wow!” but it’s pleasant enough, a nice, girly summer scent.

a masculine scent, but not bad on me either. pine and cinnamon dominate, with a hint of patchouli. i don’t smell any cedar. as it dries, the leather comes out. spicy, warm, and sort of dark -- this will be a great cold weather scent. it makes me imagine spending christmas in a log cabin deep in the woods. my man has just come in from chopping wood and has pine needles in his hair, and smells all warm and musky from exertion. spices are simmering away and we curl up in a leather recliner in front of the fire. that's a pretty good mental image, so this is a keeper.

when i first put this on, it smells exactly like rice krispie treats! yum. as it tries, i can detect the taffy, cotton candy, and funnel cake (a rich, glazed donut sort of scent). there’s also something that really does bring to mind a dry summer night -- the way the atmosphere is, when it’s just cooling down and you finally feel a breeze taking the edge off the sweltering heat of the day. sometimes i’m wary of smelling like food, but this puts me in a cheery mood and i’ll happily wear it during these hot august days.

This scent lives up to its name because it is very charming and hypnotic – I can’t stop sniffing my wrist. For me, it’s a mixture of soft floral (maybe carnations? it reminds me vaguely of Alice), warm amber, and coconut, with a hint of vanilla and a slight woodsy smell (from the benzoin?) It’s very pretty and feminine, but not innocent. The spices make it exotic and sexy. When I wear it, I feel all slinky and flirtatious. I love it. I am so glad I got it before it goes away. If it’s similar to Snake Oil, I absolutely must try Snake Oil.

The rum and coconut smell so good together. It reminds me of Grog. But Grog is warmer, more foody, and has a stronger throw. Elegba is lighter and more subdued. The tobacco adds a slight spiciness. Makes me wish I were lying on an island somewhere in the Caribbean.

i wanted to smell like a pine forest.

but instead, i smelled like potpourri

no pine at all. way too sweet, almost fruity. a disappointment.

i waited several days and tried again, and there was a hint of pine. it’s still really sweet, though. i can’t smell any rose at all.

it lasts for hours. it might be nice mixed in with some conditioner. i'd like my hair to smell like this, but not my skin.

i'm really having trouble deciding whether i like it. i want to, but i don’t think i do.

this is my new favorite resin scent –- and I love all resin scents. let's see, it’s not spicy like anne bonny...it’s not dry and somber like cathedral...it’s not rich and warm like aureus. the sweetness of the myrrh is most noticeable, and there’s just a hint of smokiness. i want to wrap myself up in a blanket dipped in this stuff and lay there taking deep breaths all day long. it definitely goes on my "get a 5ml" list.

to me, this feels clean and somewhat masculine in a polo cologne kind of way. it is what i wanted scarecrow to be. very woody and grassy – i guess that’s the cypress. i don’t smell any patchouli at all. there’s a hint of sweet fig and the sharpness of ginger. after a long time, the rose appears, but it remains in the background, very faint. wearing this makes me feel slightly powerful.

this reminds me of some chocolate-coconut bath bombs I once used. the cocoa is strong and there are also notes of orange and fig. normally I avoid citrus, but it’s really understated here and balances nicely with the cocoa and fig. I’m not sure what black palm smells like – is that the hint of coconut I’m getting? I can't pick out any woody notes. sometimes I think I smell it, but then the cocoa overpowers it. overall, this blend is slightly tropical but also dark, and kind of sexy.

green and vibrant, really refreshing. i expected a sweet tropical fruit scent similar to manila, but there’s hardly any sweetness here at all. it is lush and wet like manila, though. it smells kind of like a very unripe, green banana. i also think i smell ozone, and there’s a hint of amber and feminine yet exotic florals in the background.

the fresh, summery lily of the valley and the exotic opium make an intriguing combination. the vanilla adds a light, pleasant sweetness. the sandalwood comes and goes, and i don’t detect any mandarin. very feminine and energizing.

this scent makes me think of how babies smell. it’s lovely, pure and gentle. the milk and honey makes it sweet and comforting, and the rose and carnation are light and delicate. i absolutely adore it. oh, and it’s helpful on stressful days at work, because it helps me stay calm.

Clean and invigorating, great for after a workout. The tiniest bit soapy. The ozone reminds me of a gentle rainstorm, and it is indeed reminiscent of the cool, crisp freshness of mountain air. A hint of mint adds sharpness and bite, but that is tempered by sweet florals (I can especially smell the lilac), bamboo, and fruit – pear, maybe? Complex and wonderful.

this reminds me a lot of nosferatu, as the main scent in both is dirt. but while nosferatu reminds me of an old, abandoned grave, this is more like a fresh, new grave. the dirt smells cleaner and greener. the dries roses make it a more feminine alternative to nosferatu. it’s somber, but also sweet and wistful. i’d love a candle that smells like this. the only bad thing was that it faded quickly – after 20 minutes all that remained was a faint rose scent.

This is dark, and sexy. The myrrh and opium go together so well. I agree with other reviews that it smells like candle smoke. As it dries, it becomes more powdery and feminine.

most ozone scents turn sweet on my skin. this one does, a little bit, but not as much as others, so I can still wear it. it’s not lemony on me at all, yay. the clean, crisp scent of the ozone contrasts with something slightly burnt and smoky – in a good way. it’s like ashes leftover from a campfire. overall, this scent is very “outdoorsy.” it reminds me of camping out in the woods during a storm, which was probably not intended, but I dig it.

I loved this one instantly. I can’t smell any rum at all. What I smell is tobacco, and a ton of exotic, lush, steamy florals. It's tropical like Manila, but without the fruitiness. I want to order a big bottle of this now, so it arrives in time for the hottest, sunniest days of summer. So sexy!

I like this, but I feel like I’m too old to wear it because it seems very innocent and little girl-y. It’s a sweet (but not too sweet), delicate, cheerful strawberry scent on me. Makes me think of picking strawberries on a sunny summer day. I can’t detect any of the floral notes.

at first, it’s a lot more foody than I expected! sure, there’s incense, but I also smell tart lemon, something kind of like cantaloupe, and maybe figs? but it becomes less foody as it dries. the lemon mellows out and blends in more with the smoky, sweet incense, and it’s very nice at that point.

I like all of the lab’s oils that smell like incense, and this one is no exception. Nag champa mostly, with the sweetness of grapes. Stays strong for a long time.