Silvertree

I'm so pleased that Beth was able to release this beautiful blend! In the bottle, Ded Moroz is very mossy and green. On my skin, it morphs into the crisp cold scent of a perfectly cloudless winter's night, when the stars are brilliant in the sky and the air is as clear as crystal. The ambers and woods ground and warm the cold notes, making the overall scent comforting rather than chilling. I can see myself wearing this year-round, both in the winter and in warmer months, when I'm longing for snow.

In the bottle, this scent is dark and warm, all rich, luscious chocolate with a little swirl of the slightly earthy note that I associate with black musk. No dirt or soil, just something deep and a little bit furry. It's hard to describe-- earthy but not dirt, furry but not animalistic; just a little bit... prickly, maybe. There's a faint hint of sweet tobacco, which blooms once I've tested it on my wrist. Drying down, it smooths out into a balancing act of golden tobacco and bittersweet chocolate, over a subtle background of musk, like a skilled troupe of dancers twirling in unison to a strong, steady beat. Lovely!

Two of my favorite Gaiman scents are also two of my favorite scents in the whole catalog: Mr. Jacquel and Crowley. The listed notes are: golden amber, hyssop, North African patchouli, and embalming spices (Jacquel) and infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk (Crowley). They're not terribly similar, but they are both warm and resiny/spicy. If that's your thing (as it might be, based on your forum handle!), you may very well enjoy either, or both.

The announcement says that "orders through 4/13 have been packed and will be shipped within the next few days," so it's entirely possible that your order is all packed up, but hasn't been shipped/entered in the USPS system yet. I placed an order on 4/11 and am still waiting for a CnS, if that helps!

I'm testing Bensiabel (plum juice, lilac, leather, and a smattering of herbs) today, and on me it's a lot of lilac, a little leather, and maybe a faint whisper of greenery (no plum to be found!). It reminds me of His Station and Four Aces, minus that lovely starry white musk. I like it!

Have you tried The Smiling Spider (Salon Exhibit Three)? The ingredients listed are bitter clove, black musk, mahogany wood, and patchouli. No tobacco, but the wood/musk/patchouli gives the impression of smokiness. I looove it.

Like the insides of your elbows, the skin at your cleavage area tends to be more sensitive/delicate. I've definitely felt the burn from oils in my decolletage, where the same fragrance won't trouble my wrists.

While I usually go for spicy, earthy scents in everything from soap to perfume to body lotion, something about Aquae's description caught my attention. My fella and I could both stand to have some stress alleviated, and it was with that end in mind that I decided to try Aquae last night— as the massager, not the massagee. (This time!) My experience with Aquae massage oil was love at first sniff. While I primarily smelled lavender, the geranium and sandalwood added a lovely soft resiny quality that kept the lavender from being too overpowering. The oil was light and smooth in my hands, not greasy or sticky. It went on like liquid silk and absorbed quickly, soothing parched skin whereever it went. Even though I was on the giving end of the massage, I felt calmed and soothed as I worked with the oil. I could feel a sense of peacefulness creep back in, as the stress of the day gradually drained away. I should pause here to note that my fella is a bit of an insomniac at the best of times, and currently has quite a bit of trouble falling asleep. After an Aquae back rub, he drifted off at once, no tossing or turning. I am very much looking forward to taking a turn on the receiving end of an Aquae massage. I imagine that my stress will simply flow away under Aquae's influence.

Ooh, did you see Mary Read in the update? MARY READ Salt air, ocean mist, aged patchouli, sarsaparilla, watered-down rum, leather-tinged musk, and a spray of gunpowder.

I was thinking about Snake Oil, but then I did it one better by wearing Boomslang. Magical serpent, potions ingredient, smells great and fun to say!

I think I read somewhere that the Salon imps that the Lab sells in Exhibit packs have miniature versions of the art that's printed on the bottle.

I ordered my bottle of Dee pretty soon after it came out, and it looks just as you describe.

Here's Selkie!

Lilacs are my favorite flower, and quite possibly my favorite smell in the world. My parents have a row of lilac trees lining one side of the front yard, and every May I would drag a chair outside and read under the blooming lilacs for hours. At the Botanical Gardens, every year I contemplate building a tiny cabin in the lilac grove. Although I am not generally fond of floral perfumes, I will always make an exception for scents with lilac notes. I'm exceptionally glad that I didn't pass up this particular blend, as it is a knockout in its own right as well as a stellar lilac scent. The first thing I smell is a heady rush of fresh lilac blossoms. Nothing cloying, sweet, or overpowering”” just a noseful of gorgeous lilac aroma, like sniffing fresh flowers after a gentle spring rain and getting the lilac-frangranced raindrops all over your face and hair. The same white musk note I loved in Oisin starts to brighten the scent, and it soars upward almost to the point of getting too perfumey. But just before it reaches that headachy high note, the leather surfaces and yanks it back down, grounding everything with a soft earthiness. This is so different from what I usually wear (musks and ambers and resins and spices). It's also unbelievably gorgeous. Sophisticated without being standoffish. Dressy without being stuffy. Just... just perfect.

My friends and I are trying to place an order, but when we tried to add Oblivion to our cart, we got the following message: ***** Invalid Product Product ID: ZN01 is not on file Please use the Return link, and try again. If this problem persists, contact the administrator of the Web site where you are shopping. ***** What should we do? We're ordering some scents that will disappear soon (the Dogs Playing Poker, Blue/Rose Moon) and want to include Oblivion in the order. Should we substitute another bottle, and ask for Oblivion in the comments? I know that substitutions are generally Not Done, but we just discovered this problem and only have a few more hours to place the order.

I've been pushing myself pretty hard in my martial arts classes, and added boxing to the mix to improve my sparring. Good for my technique, rough on my muscles! After Wednesday's class, I was so stiff that I could barely walk. My loving and brilliant fella drew me an Ugh bath, lit some candles for me, and left me to my own devices for a blissful half hour. I asked him to only use half the bomb at first, and add the other half if it looked too watery... half was more than enough to fill the tub with silky, fizzy, muscle-melting magic. The scent wasn't too strong, just a pleasant, slightly medicinal background fragrance. I slid into the water and my legs said, "ahhhhh." I felt the tension and achiness in my body leave; the Dead Sea salts escorted them to the door and they were politely but firmly asked to leave and never come back. Any stiffness and soreness I had felt was replaced with warmth and relaxation. I luxuriated in the tub until I was approaching prunedom, then reluctantly climbed out. My legs worked again, my neck wasn't stiff, and my skin felt soft and moisturized. Anyone who suffers from body aches should invest in a closetful of Ugh fizzyBOOMs. They are, quite simply, da BOMB.

If you want to try combining fruity and spicy/sexy, how about Hymn to Proserpine? It's very warm, and ambery with a really nice blend of dark fruits and spice.

I was expecting the red musk of Scherezade to team up with the ginger of Shub-Niggurath and the leather of Loviatar and have a hot, spicy, noisy orgy on my skin. What I'm getting instead is a lightly musky scent that has what I think of as a starry quality. At first I was worried, but after reading the thread I see that several people are experiencing the softer side of Trick #1. Every so often, a gleam of ginger or a flash of red musk peeks out from behind the starry veil, warming the scent and intriguing me. It's more of a classy burlesque show, where things are hinted at rather than outright revealed. I prefer strong scents, and wouldn't mind being hit over the head with the ginger/red musk/leather triple threat, but I'm liking how some of my favorite notes are going in a completely different direction than I expected. I can't wait to find out what this smells like after it's been aged for a bit!

The Lab switched from cobalt to amber within the last few months because, I believe, they were having a hard time finding a good source of blue bottles. They've been insanely busy, so the website might be a bit out of date. But it's all good! (And easier to see the oil level!)

Thanks! I'd hate for one of my beloved bottles to burst in the cargo bay of an airplane, and if I can't bring it in my carryon in liquid form, there has to be another way of making it safe! Hmm. I wonder if they would catch imp-pendant jewelry. Another option: pre-soaking pads for a scent locket and putting them in individually sealed plastic bags?

I think I'll look into making solid perfumes for travel. My friend gifted me with a wee container of O + shea butter, and it is tres magnifique. In fact, it's the reason I tried (and then bought a 10 mL of) O! And if any security people question its harmlessness, I will rub it all over myself to prove it's not an explosive or dangerous chemical. That'll take care of the "stale airplane air" smell, too.

I believe Snake Oil got its makeover with the first inception of Carnaval Noir.

I think the spiciest scent I've tried is Bengal (A sultry and unruly blend that emulates the ambient scent of the markets in ancient Bengal: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger). None of the oils in the catalog really emulate a curry restaurant, at least to my nose, but maybe try searching for saffron, ginger, or cardamom. Also, try sandalwood (the chairs and the tables), or various spices and resins. How about Kathmandu (the scent of sacred incense swirling up the steep slopes to Swayambhunath Stupa. Saffron, blessed sandalwood, Himalayan cedar and the miraculous lotus of the Buddha with chiuri bark and Nepalese spices) or Sri Lanka (Indian sandalwood and cedar, and the dry incense smoke of olibanum, gum mastic, patchouli and myrrh)? Sri Lanka is all woods and resins on me, not much foodiness, but perhaps you could layer it with a foody scent for the whole shebang.

E-mail customer service- answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com.

Nyx is one of those tricky three-letter words that the search engine won't pick up. She's in the Excolo section. Here's the description: Named in honor of the primeval Greek Goddess of Night. A scent reflecting inky black skies and eternal desolation. Night-blooming jasmine, warmed by myrrh, lifted by the promise of rose. And reviews are here.