Medici

In the imp: Now that’s what I call a fun, fresh, green floral. Wet: Oh, green growing things! How I love thee! Let me count the ways! (OMG it smells like The Ghost. There’s creepers and climbing ivy in here. I’m… *tears well up* I think I’m in love!) Drydown: Where The Ghost goes white after the initial slap of greenery (largely thanks to the lily and osmanthus and my chemistry amping those notes happily) the Ghastly Garden goes lightly floral. While still fresh and green, it takes on a sweeter tinge than The Ghost which I can definitely appreciate. Vercit: Buying a 5ml. No questions.

In the imp: Dusty wood tables (with a faint trace of polish, dearies) and melting candle wax (The real stuff. Not that plastic wannabe wax. This is Madame Tussaude tallow.) Wet: Pungent, wet woods, a sharp hint of booze, and a nose-tingling slap of “rot.” Drydown: There are rats in the hallways, mice in the walls, and mouldering floodboards that need replacing. While definitely atmospheric, this really does smack of “haunted house” – or at least “condemned mansion, please keep off property.” Wow. I totally have to commend the Lab on this one. While it’s not something I’d wear, the associated visuals I get testing the blend are that of a mouldering ruin of a mansion. It’s incredible. Verdict: Not for me at all, but I’m definitely keeping the imp for those days when I need inspiration for atmospheric writing. Well done, Labbies. This is awesome.

In the imp: Tea kettle and licorice. Weird. Slightly astringent, a little green (copper going green, anyone?) and just a bit metallic-licorice-whip-like. Wet: A hint of grape in a copper tea pot with a licorice-whip spoon. Drydown: Lordy, this is a strange one. It’s definitely unique, that much I can give you. The booze note is a barely there reminder of souring wine, but on me, that metallic undertone is slowly going the way of powder and turning it to old lady’s perfume. Verdict: Not really my thing.

In the imp: Light, creamy florals. Wet: Beautifully creamy, white florals – calla lily dominating the blend. Smooth, feminine and very floral. Drydown: Tea rose gains amperage in the first phase of drydown, and there’s a light bit of crispness that I attribute to the lavender. Dominating, however, is that calla lily which I adore more than I can put into words. This is exactly how I like it too – creamy, pale, a little sweet and a little dry. I get hints of sandalwood grounding the blend, but on me, this is predominantly white floral. Verdict: Must get a 5ml.

In the imp: Holy crap musk and civet. That is insane. It’s a combination of very dry, very animalistic, and very heady. Wet: Dark, spiced and dry musk – almost to the point of being dusty. The opium’s doing a fair job of smoking this out, drying out the whole blend to an almost cracked-woodlike smell. Dry: This isn’t for me, but it does smell sort of classic and Victorian.

In the imp: Oooooh my gooood. *wipes drool* Coconut meat, freshly cut, dripping with milk. It’s so sweet and so yummy smelling. Wet: Coconut meat and something almost minty – it sort of reminds me of a more natural-smelling Spooky. It’s delicious. Drydown: As it wears, Obatala becomes less sweet and more creamy/buttery. I’ve never sniffed shea butter before (without scent added to it, at least) but it churns this blend into something rich and doubly scrumptious.

In the imp: Wow that’s sweet. The cassia leaps right out. Mixed with the dragon’s blood and patchouli, this is a bright red blend that really does catch the attention. Wet: Dragon’s blood, bordering on playdoh (I knew it was too good to be true), cassia, a sweet, sharp pomegranate and a lovely musk that I’d kill to have work with my chemistry. Drydown: Red hots and cherry lollypops. Grrr. For a while there, I thought I might’ve found a dragon’s blood scent that’d work on me (and that I could actually lust after). Apparently not.

In the bottle: Cold night air, a hint of struggling chlorophyll. Wet: In a crooked little town they were lost and never found… fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves… on the ground. Yeah, wow. Talk about wet leafy goodness – the sort that sticks to your boots. I’m really impressed by how atmospheric this is. It’s like standing in the middle of a forest on a grey day in the fall, just after a cold rain. I can practically see the trees with their skeletal branches. It’s a combination of black, red and orange, all swirled together. Drydown: The first time I tried this, I mistook the forest ambiance for something that leaned closer to men’s cologne. While I can still see why I made that initial association, I’m glad I gave it a second chance because this really is what I was hoping October to smell like. It’s a definite keeper.

In the bottle: Wet earth, vetiver, overturned roots. Decidedly dark, and very masculine. Wet: Earthy patchouli, a forest floor, and oud jump out first. The combination really does remind me of wet leaves on the ground. Drydown: Bonfire smoke on top of everything. It’s a dusky, dark scent that still manages to evoke the idea of night in the forest. The vetiver by this time is just a suggestion, as finally, the blend warms to that great, dark amber note that will make this blend wearable. For whatever reason, it takes the masculine edge off for me. So while the blend is still heavy and mysterious, it’s not outright boyish which I can appreciate.

In the imp: French floral perfume. (Frou frou.) Wet: Leather and incense and more leather. It’s much more masculine than I anticipated. Drydown: Leather. This is going straight to the boys.

In the imp: Spiced rum and woody notes. (The spice being slightly reminiscent of Voodoo Queen. It’s got that same southern flair.) Wet: (Guh.) This is slavishly good. There’s something musky about it too which I fully appreciate, Drydown: As it warm, I’m damned surprise to find that with the woods, spice and booze, it edges this blend towards my dear, darling Voodoo Queen. It’s a little drier in terms of the woodsy base, but I think layered with a heavy musk, it’s definitely fall into the same family. (In short, me likey muchly!)

In the imp: Freshwater and wood. (Arrrrrr!) Wet: Avast ye scurvy dogs! Wet woods. (Swab th’ deck! Hoist th’ anchor! Where’s me grog, wench?) Drydown: Mostly dry woods. Rather faint, this blend likes to stick close to the skin once the aquatic note wears off. (Polish me timber!)

In the imp: This is probably the darkest aquatic I’ve ever had the fortune of sniffing. The word to describe it that comes to mind is “fathomless.” Wet: Salt water and kelp. A little green, a little musky, a little like the hide of a very big fish… a big fish with teeth… and tentaculum. Lots of tentanculum. Drydown: Overall, it’s a very masculine fragrance, and for that reason, I think I’d steer clear. I will, however, pass it on to the boys to see if they like it.

A Preface: I've been wearing Crypt Queen consistently since she first arrived a couple of days ago, avoiding the review threads while trying to decide for myself if the patchouli end note makes me smell like a dirty hippy, or the matriarch who presides over a nighttime graveyard. I've decided on the latter. I've also decided that this blend is wholly not what I was expecting, and I'm downright plum pleased about it. (The casket is so much awesome. It's presently housing my White Rabbit scent locket. Double the BPTP love.) Onward... In the bottle: This is Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo and cough drops. I had to break out my Aunt C to compare, and that gooey, pink, bubblegum goodness is eerlie similar. The raspberry and pomegranate leap out, right off the bat, which is a little disconcerting since I'd expected something less fruity, and much more dark and foreboding. Wet: Crypt Queen needs to hit the skin to shine. She's a morpher, and for me, she'll go through three major changes before settling. The onset takes off the candied edge, the raspberry dissipating first to allow the pomegranate to take center stage. At this point, it goes from a rosy pink to a heavy red, dripping fruit, and that's when the real fun begins. The onset of drydown allows for the patchouli to make itself known, and it throws the ambiance from red to dusted plum. Drydown: It's like someone's shoved you from behind after having peered curiously for too long into a dark, dank place. While you're on the outside, you're okay. It's alright to be a spectator, letting your eyes adjust to the gloom. Drydown hits, and the fruit are gone, the world's cut off at your back, and someone's pulled the marble slab back in place behind you. How much awesome is that? Go on, ask me. No? Fine, I'll tell you: there are slats of light - hints of faded flowers left to rest, but the overwhelming sense is one of unnerving quiet. You don't want to move for fear of stirring the dust at your feet, but this is where Crypt Queen takes on her mantle: the patchouli is not, in my opinion, the bawdy, earthen sort that you'd find in Mme. Mo. Mme. Mo's tempered by musk. Crypt Queen is a smattering of dry earth, a heavy layer of dust, and flowers that have gone from wilting to enchanting decay. It takes a solid twenty minutes to catch the reminder of black pepper, but by that point, I've already settled into the gloom, accepting the fact that this blend is where it ought to be, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Verdict: I love her. (And grey lady death loves me right back.) 5/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrve

In the bottle: Spiced pear of d00m. This is gonna be fun. Wet: Pears and whipped cream. (ZOMG so yummy.) Drydown: Juicy pear and whipped cream, with a bit of vanilla powder. As it warms, the "creamy" factor supplied by the vanilla turns this into a totally delectable, warm, foody scent. There's the slightest hint of spice, which makes me think of pear upside down cake. Verdict: Love it.

Who ya talkin' to, love?

I use lemon scents for studying (when TAL's Concentration is not on hand, at least): Spirits of the Dead and June Gloom work especially well when trying to focus the mind on the task at hand.

Spanish Moss. If a single note was available, I'd be all over it. (I had a rather disappointing encounter with a review of Hove's 'Spanish Moss' solid perfume. I was thinking it'd be something nice and green/grey mossy... turns out its floral.) I've spent the weekend looking everywhere for a Spanish Moss scent that had that note dominant. (Apart from Bayou/Roux-Ga-Roux, I think I'm going to give up hope.) Unless by some freak chance someone has a recommendation for me?

In the bottle: Eucalyptus? Oh dear. Wet: It's a very green, very herby blend, but not unpleasantly so at all. It's very sharp on the nose, and at each sniff, after I get over the initial smack of 'holy crap green stuff', there's a light, sweet tail of something floral. For about five minutes, I'm reminded of freshly turned, loamy earth, but as the blend settles it becomes very light, fresh, and almost ephemeral. It's not what I expected at all, but I'm surprisingly pleased by it. I'm definitely keeping my bottle, but I suspect I'm going to need outside validation before I decide that it works with my chemistry. It's such a complex scent that it's difficult to decide if it's "me" upfront, or a secret, surprise, mysterious "me" I haven't yet encountered. (Those are the best surprises, though, honestly... when you find a whole other family of scents that you just totally hit it off with? I think this may be my induction into the BPAL herby family.)

In the imp: Hops, apple and stale beer. Applied: (Man, am I ever scared to put this on my arm.) Dandelion... that sort of reminds me of Granny Smith apples. There's a hint of greenery in there, and a dollop of something green and sort of viney. It's not a very neat scent, though I can say it smells less dirty than the first time I tried it a year ago. After it warms, the hops comes out and I'm back to stale beer.

In the imp: Dragon's blood. (Smells like soap on me.) Wet: Dragon's blood. (Still smells like soap on me.) Drydown: Dragon's blood. (Surprise! Soap!) I had to give it a go at least once, knowing that DB and I don't get on well at all. Ah well.

In the imp: Dish washing liquid in sunny, soapy lemon. Wet: Orange and lemon zinger, quick to fade. My skin just ate this one up. There's a light waft of sandlewood towards the very end, but not enough to stick around for any length. Woe to the lack of mango.

In the imp: ZOMG. *swoons* Saffron dominates, heavy on the musk and a bit of that old nutty tonka come out strongly at first whiff. It's rather orange-smelling and musty, lightly spiced too. Wet: I smell gingerbread! Baking things and spices, with a sharp bite below that (I think that is the saffron in combination with the mandarin. There's a little citrus zing in there that makes it overall quite pleasant.) It's very warm, and surprisingly yummy. Verdict: I foresee a bottle of this coming to me for the cold months. Yeeeees.

In the imp: Sharp, fresh floral, predominantly rose. Wet: Lots of narcissus. I have decided, I quite like narcissus. It's white and fresh. (Now if only the rose will hang back.) Drydown: Goodbye narcissus, hello roses. I knew this love affair wouldn't last. (Now, at least, I know of another floral I can look for happily.) If the rose didn't blot out everything in its path, Pride would have been a winner. (Acursed chemistry! Why, ye cruel spirits, why?!)

In the imp: Baby powder and musk. Wet: Lemon pledge, lemon drops, baby powder and musk. Drydown: It's... fluffy? Fluffy sweet lemon. Not at all what I was expecting, but rather pleasant in a powdery, soft sort of way. It does strike me as being "dry" though, faintly tangy and decidedly powder-like. Verdict: While this isn't really a scent I'd wear regularly, since it's a little too dry for my liking, I'm floored by the lengths at which the Lab goes to in coming up with inventive, innovative scents. This is definitely one of them, both in terms of theme and composition. An interesting sniff, to say the least. (Mush love to shelldoo for passing on a frimp of this to try.)