gingersnapp

Finally! A dragon's blood blend where the other notes are apparent with my skin chemisty!!! I'm getting mostly dragon's blood, of course, and cherry blossom. The tea leaf is light and delicate in the background, and the sandalwood is a nice little touch of spicy dryness as well. This is beautiful, and another great spring scent from the Lab!

This review is for the 2006 reformulation: I like this so much better than the 2005 formulation that I tried last year when it came out. I don't remember much about that one, but this one isn't quite so floral on me. It starts out very bubble gum sweet on me, which makes me think lotus, but this is not really like any of the other lotus that I've smelled. It's kind of fruity, almost like apple or pear or some fruit of that nature. There's a little bit of herbal undertone, so it's not all flowers and fruit. But it is definitely springtime. This blend makes me very happy, especially on a sunny day.

This is all jasmine. Granted, there is something a bit fruitier about it, and I'm guessing that's the lime. But it's jasmine. Jasmine jasmine jasmine. Woof.

I smelled what I thought was the fruit that others mentioned when this was in the bottle, and at first upon application, but now I believe that there is vetiver in the blend because my skin loves to amp that note to the nth degree. That is not my good fortune, it would seem, as I am not a fan of vetiver. However, this is a purpose oil and not a perfume oil, so I am trying to focus on the intention and not the smell. I put the oil on my fingertips, while concentrating on the good fortune that I seek in the career aspect of my life. I figure since I use my hands and my fingers most, that made the most sense. Instead of rubbing it in entirely, I waved my fingers over myself from the top of my head down to my toes, concentrating most on my head (in my hair) and my throat and over my heart. I will report back later as to any results. ETA: I focused my intentions on my career. I have been looking for a new job for a little less than a week now. I just found out that one of the companies I applied with will be contacting me for a pre-interview interview. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but after a week of not hearing anything and starting to fall into a funk about this job search, that little ray of sunshine is enough to give me some hope. I don't want to read too much into it, but it was definitely a little bit of good fortune, if I do say so myself.

This is a very strong citrus scent. But as it dried, it became... nuttier? Not really sure how to describe it. It's not really a citrus herb, it's more like a citrus nut or a citrus wood. I'm not feeling any ballsier just yet, but I'll update if there are any changes.

This was a very creamy spice blend. I guess I expected it to be "drier" because of the carnation and sandalwood, but it smelled very much like a thick, creamy vanilla with some spices in it. Still very pretty, despite not being entirely what I thought it would be.

There is something giving this a masculine edge on me. It is colognic and thick, but also floral. I don't really know what I'm smelling, but it definitely reminds me of a gentleman's cologne.

... Her scent is rife with pathos, and inspires us with the ability to express our grief, loss, and the pain in our souls in a cathartic, creative fashion: dark cypress with mint, geranium, Bulgar lavender, orange blossom and passion flower. When I put this on, it was all cypress and lavender; but as it's dried it has, well, dried. It smells almost like parchment on me for some reason. There is very little floral to this as I wear it. I say I get a tiny hint of the mint, but only when I press my nose to my skin. The throw is mostly lavender, but a really dry one. Almost like the sachets that you can put in your lingerie drawer.

I found that Antique Lace smells very similar to Stila's Creme Bouquet.

Soap. An industrial one like Lava or that ubiquitous milky pink goo that is in the dispensers in public restrooms.

My initial hesitation regarding the vetiver was unfounded... I can barely smell it, thankfully. There is, however, a little bit of bitterness in this otherwise pleasing blend. At first, it was all wispy incense and smoky woods. I see no wood in the list of notes, so perhaps that's the patchouli? The jasmine and neroli are turning bitter on me, but so far, they're not too annoying. I was hoping for more carnation, but the little bit of spice it adds is very pleasing.

Sickly sweet in the bottle, but on me it is all sandalwood and rum. While it was very pretty, I know there is another blend that does this exact thing to me and I'm not sure I need two bottles. Now I just need to recall which one it was...

I was worried this would be all powder on me after disliking Numb. But it's actually soft and green. I'd say the clover and the baby's breath are the most dominant notes, giving it a slightly sharp, but still mild green herbal smell. Then the cotton blossom and white musk in the background, rounding things out. I don't really get powder at all, which doesn't bother me in the least. This is a very pretty spring smell, and much more feminine than I would normally wear, but I really like it on me.

This is a quiet scent, and hangs very close to the skin. I wasn't able to identify anything on my own, so looking at the list of notes, I would say that what I am smelling is the mint and tea leaf. I'm surprised that blackcurrant is listed because I really love the way that smells but don't detect it in the blend at all. It's almost papery, like parchment, it's such a soft crisp scent. Maybe a little bit of musk to make this masculine, but an androgynous masculine, like Wilde or Dorian. Very odd.

Carnal was the epitome of sex on me. There was something about the fig in that one that was just to die for. Sticky and sweet and dead sexy.

All dragon's blood blends on me are entirely dragon's blood, regardless of the other notes. This one is no exception. Except there is a tiny bit of something sour and bitter underneath, which is the vetiver that my skin also amps to the nth degree. I guess I'm just grateful that it's being overwhelmed by the dragon's blood in this case. I'm sad. I really wanted to smell the musk, cocoa, and spices.

When I first applied this, it was very strong and oppressive soil. Now that it's dry, the earth note is still very strong, but there's more cypress and patchouli. I swear I smell a little vetiver in there (which I HATE), but I don't see it listed in the blend's notes, so maybe it is the combination of something else. I don't get much wood or floral out of this, but I definitely get a burial vibe off of it. Very creative!

OMG. This is what I wanted from Cathedral and Midnight Mass. Rich, heady incense from my youth spent in Catholic school and weekly mass. This is exactly what holiday masses smelled like. I can't describe it any better than this. Gorgeous. To die for.

I have to admit, I was fairly terrified of this because of the controversial (in terms of stink only) civet. But it's actually very pretty. It's creamy and green and herbal at the same time, and softly floral. I think that the throw is all sage on me, and the orris and iris are lilting gently in the background. I don't really get any civet, but the day is still young. All in all, I'm relieved and also pleasantly surprised.

Spicy honey on the skin once it's dried. The clove is very prominent when it's first applied, but mellows out quite a bit when it has dried. I would say the spice is a combination of this and the carnation, which is one of my favorite notes. The patchouli is not as prominent on me as it is in other blends, which works for me. I do get a little bit of tobacco, but it's mild, as if someone is smoking a pipe in another room and you just get a whiff of it every now and then. Very nice. Rich and spicy.

I knew the jasmine would be strong (and it is) but I was really hopeful that the juniper and rose geranium would help temper it. For the most part, the throw is all jasmine, but it's not quite as annoying as it usually is, so I guess I got my wish. However, if I put my nose close to the skin where it was applied, there is an acrid, peppery smell that is almost reminiscent of poop or bad breath or something. I'm not sure what that is. I don't want to know either. I plan on enjoying the throw and keeping my wrists away from my face until this is gone.

Yup. Roses and cognac. It started out as mostly roses with a hint of cognac, like someone talking to you who had just had a sip or two. Then it turned into falling into the bottle yourself and crawling around in the wet back alley with your skirt up around your neck and a rose tucked behind your ear. Very fun. I'm glad I got to try it.

This was very slightly sweet and almost aquatic, like others have mentioned... almost like an aloe water. It wasn't floral in the sense that it smelled like a bouquet of flowers, but it was soft and feminine and almost like a fancy soap... without smelling soapy, if that makes any sense. It was delicate and fragile, and the white musk made it very ethereal.

When I first applied this, the orange peel was so strong and sweet like sherbet. As it has dried, the sweetness fades as the black patchouli moves into the forefront and I smell something bitter that hangs in the back of my throat. I don't know what rose hip smells like, so I can't say for sure where this falls in the blend. Overall, this is musky and dark and bitter and only just the tiniest bit sweet. But I like it.

There is a bright citrus to this, and yet it's not perfectly citrus.... almost a melon quality to it. So I'm guessing that's a combination of the plum and the grapefruit. Very juicy and bright. Just a touch of orris for the slightest hint of a floral quality to the blend, but overall this is fruit fruit fruit. I don't get too much of the black amber, but something is darkening this slightly as it dries down, so it must be that or the bergamot. Very lovely and springy.