galahad

In the Bottle: Slightly sour milk and powder-sweet iris On the Skin: Straight up iris, briefly, to start with and then some lilac. The milky note is subtle and a little chalky. On the Drydown: Mostly powdery iris with a backing of slightly fatty milk to keep it from becoming too dry and screechy. There is almost a maltiness to the milky fluid. Pretty and close to the skin

In the Bottle: Wasn't what I was expecting. Smells like very strong (and slightly sour) black tea. Interesting. On the Skin: Surprisingly sweet on the skin this is absolutely gorgeous. I really get some heady kyphi which I am very happy about. Overall a sweet herbal and resinous incense. On the Drydown: This is all so well blended. I get occasional very slight whiffs of star anise which was the worrying note for me but it never becomes a problem. The overall scent is dark black tea, aromatic herbs and sweet incense. Stunning and multiple bottle worthy

In the Bottle: A white resin blend rather than dark. The round ambery resin of the rockrose against the dry white sandalwwod is fascinating. Elegant On the Skin: This takes quite a while to warm up on the skin but when it does it is a refined sandalwood with a dry floral facet. On the Drydown: I was hoping the sandalwood would be more restrained in this blend. Further into the drydown the benzoin tames the sandalwood slightly. The white amber is slightly noticeable in the deep drydown. A little ageing will make this more rounded

In the Bottle: Bay rum and cigar smoke with a touch of leather On the Skin: Much lighter and more cologney than in the bottle, initially. I love the smell of cigar smoke and that note in this blend is delightful. The leather is worn and black and the vetiver is definitely there but restrained as is the oudh. On the Drydown: This is the scent of a well-used dark library, complete with dust and the memory of cigar smoke. It is richly masculine

In the Vial: Opium and ozone. Definitely a deep purple vibe On the Skin: The ozone is pretty intense and sharp to start with but the incense note is gorgeous when it emerges soon after application. On the Drydown: As advertised, it's slightly sour opium, dark incense and ozone murmuring under the surface and rearing it's head every now and then. I quite like it but not enough for a bottle

In the Vial: Red musk, lavender, patchouli and a little lime On the Skin: The lavender is very evident but with rich red musk and patchouli reining it in a little. A touch of coconut adds a little creaminess and the lime is there but restrained, although it is smelling a little like a commercial cleaner on my skin. On the Drydown: This is primarily a lavender blend and IMO not the best lavender blend I have tried from the Lab. I like lavender but the other elements to this make it too murky.

In the Vial: Sweet pink bubblegum with a rusted metal edge On the Skin: As above but the metal (and it is rusty) takes centre stage. The combination of the metal note and the bubblegum is very intriguing. On the Drydown: I'm not sure how I feel about the drydown. It sells of fine soap and a LOT of rusty metal. On the fence.

In the Vial: Oudh and vanilla with a touch of rose On the Skin: Vanilla and oudh to start which jar against each other but the fight settles down pretty quickly to leave a vague woody incense softly backed by vanilla. I am loving the white incense note. On the Drydown: Very little lasting power. 10 minutes in and it's barely a whisper of sweet musk

In the Vial: Rosy mint and sugar On the Skin: Strong vanilla mint with a slight cakey undercurrent. Teh rose is subtly there. I think it's the frankincense that is giving the sense of cake under the sweetness. On the Drydown: The mint amps up and down but stays fairly present for quite a while. The undercurrent of frank, rose and red currant is a little unsettling but I actually quite like it

In the Vial: Honey, apple blossom and amber On the Skin: I get quite strong teak and creamy honey to start with, a little sharp but it quickly smooths out to an awesome honeyed cream and amber with some caramel depth. Much nicer than expected On the Drydown: The apple blossom emerges and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'd like to say it ruins the blend for me but I keep going back for another sniff. On the fence.

In the Vial: Musk, honey and cardamom. Rich and heady On the Skin: Instantly gorgeous and decadent. The myrrh plays really nicely with the red musk and the myrrh is strong! I can definitely pick the oudh and the cardamom adds a nice rich spiciness. This is hypnotically beautiful! On the Drydown: The opium doesn't go sour on me like it can at times. While I don't normally think of gender in relation to scent, this absolutely has a womanly sexiness. Mature and seductive. A surprise stand-out from the new CD release. Multiple bottles for me.

In the Vial: Myrrh and champaca On the Skin: Dry myrrh, amber, soft brown leather with a sweetness. The champaca emerges softly (it can stomp all over a blend for me). The overall feeling is of soft golden and spiced leather. Very gentle and lovely On the Drydown: This is a very dry blend, thanks to the myrrh and papyrus, I assume. Any honey adds to the golden hues but doesn't detract from the dryness. It's more a fragrant desert wind (what I wanted The Ifrit to be like). Very, very nice and bottle worthy

In the Vial: Apple, the Lab's snow note and a touch of pine On the Skin: Cold air (like Kumari Kandam), red apple (definitely red) and a sugary note. The apple, which started off so strong heads towards the back of the blend to allow the osmanthus to peek through. This smells so much like my beloved Kumari Kandam with more sweetness. On the Drydown: I really love the Lab's soft sweet snow note which is present in this blend. The pine is more prominent on the drydown but the apple has largely vanished. I was expecting to be "Meh" about this blend but I really love it. It seems to have good staying power on my skin but the snow notes normally do.

In the Vial: Black musk and lime On the Skin: Black musk held back by tobacco and with the lime adding a nice cut-through. The bay rum adds it's distictive robust note but doesn't take over. The orange blossom eventually adds a little sweetness On the Drydown: There is almost a gourmand cakiness to this which is unexpected. I'm not a fan of the lime which remains fairly consistent in the blend. It's quite nice but not really for me.

In the Vial: Patchouli with a touch of cardamom and leather On the Skin: Mostly patchouli to start but the cardamom comes though soon after application and the peru balsam softens the blend to round out the whole fairly quickly. This goes from intense and sharp to smooth and soft in the blink of an eye. On the Drydown: Soft, supple spiced leather with just the faintest touch of musky blackcurrant. Oudh is not a feature element in this blend but just provides a woody back note. Low throw in the end but really very nice. Will need a bottle of this. For those on the fence about leather blends, the leather note is not overly strong in this.

In the Vial: Slightly peppery and sour black tea in the vial On the Skin: Dusty carnation to start and then the carnation amps (which is nice - it is a richly spicy red carnation). The clove, patchouli and black pepper emerge to add a dry but rich resin backing. There is a slight citrus vibe as well. almost like bergamot but not. On the Drydown: Ends up a dry, slightly off carnation. Carnation has a tendency to go "sweaty" on my skin

In the Vial: Faint sandalwood and orris On the Skin: Takes a little while to warm on the skin and bloom. Faintly incensey (light and sharp rather than dark), pale patchouli and a whisper of vanilla. The champaca adds a meaty floral note but is very restrained, just staining the whole blend and then the sandalwood starts to emerge which is a little rough and thin but just held in check by the other notes. On the Drydown: This is low throw and ends up as a faint sweet cardboard on my skin courtesy of the sandalwood. Sadly not for me

In the Vial: Sweet, dark musk. Smell like Crowley On the Skin: Gorgeous sweet black musk. This smells so much like Crowley or Mme. Moriarty to me. I love it. Not much in the way of coffee to start with but it is providing an interesting backdrop. On the Drydown: This is a no-brainer multiple bottle scent. Further into the drydown the coffee emerges and it is a sweet, mellow white coffee. LOVE

In the Vial: Slight amber and patchouli On the Skin: Gorgeous dry woods (patchouli and oudh) with a touch of clove in the background. The fig (the best fig so far from the Lab, IMHO) is truly golden and caramelised. A few minutes into the drydown this has a distinct musk and old tobacco smoke scent (which I really love) which may be the saffron inter-reacting with the other notes. On the Drydown: I wasn't expecting this one the be much of a winner but I really love it. It's a mature and complex scent, all smoky musk and woods with a subtle spice kick and a round non-cloying sweetness supporting the blend.

In the Vial: Sweet pear and patchouli On the Skin: Surprisingly dry and dusty moss and patchouli with a mineral edge. Interesting and not as fruity as expected. The labdanum rounds out the scent eventually and the pear is a very subtle sweetness in the background On the Drydown: The pear gets a chance to play a role as this dries down but never gets too much exposure, just sweetening the blend. The patchouli takes more of a lead as it develops on the skin. The overall effect is quite compelling and I like it. There is a subtle nod to the marine.

TKO is my go to sleep blend but I got this for some moon ritual work, dream work and general sleep utility blend. I wore this last night with intentions of a peaceful sleep with gentle dreams. I slept like a rock which is unusual for me. The scent in the bottle for me was disturbing and murky. Not totally unpleasant.

After reading the reviews about the intensity of the vetiver I approached this with caution but I do like vetiver in moderation I wore this today for my PT workout but realised when I got there that I had shifted the booking! The scent of this on me was surprising. It was a dark, bittersweet smoked chocolate drying down to a rosy vetiver. I really like it Will need to try again when I have a real PT booking.

In the Bottle: Softly green and mossy with fresh rain On the Skin: Sappy greenery and soft flowers in the background with a hint of nectar. Warm amber and cinnamon creep in gradually, never overpowering. The floral note is really pretty and delicate. On the Drydown: As this dries down a touch of ozone creeps in along with a slight blood note. The resins add depth to an otherwise fresh and soft scent. Gorgeous and perfect for summer. I was expecting something heavier and I am pleasantly surprised

In the Bottle: Definitely cigarillo/cigar smoke, creamy sweetness and coffee On the Skin: Sweet, creamy coffee and rich, spicy cigarillo smoke to start with and soon after a vague fruitiness emerges. Then some ice cream with a berry sauce. Gradually the curry spices come out, very dry and toasted. Fascinating and actually quite nice. On the Drydown: The transitions on this one are fast and furious! Dries down to a creamy spiced coffee with the memory of cigar smoke. And there is still a vague fruitiness. The extreme drydown is dry curry spices. This is very wearable and really nice.

In the bottle: This was initially very vinegary straight out of the mail but it has settled down some. Still slight vinegar and labdanum On the Skin: Vinegar, soft musk and labdanum. The overall effect is somewhat aniseedy as well. I am really hoping after some aging this will smooth out and lose it's pickle note. On the Drydown: After 10 minutes or so, this becomes closer to what I was looking forward to - slightly smoky labdanum and warm musk. I see some hope for this in the future