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There are two types of vampires that humans, and often other vampires, need to be wary of: the Interfectors and the Tombeur. The Interfectors are ruthless killers, ultimate hunters who view humans as livestock. They are brutal, but not necessarily cruel, and rarely toy with their prey. Universally, Interfectors perceive their transition into the vampiric state to be an initiation into a higher state of being, not transcendent or spiritual in nature, but rather a promotion to the top of the food chain. Ruthless, unfeeling, and inhumanly violent: tobacco, sharp woods, frankincense, and bunn. In the Bottle: Somehow, it managed to be both sweet and sharp at the same time! Woody tobacco. Like inhaling the inside of a gorgeous, high-end cigar box. *huffs* Ahhhh. Wet: Instantly hit with the woods and the frankincense. Like I said earlier, it's both sharply woody, yet very sweet and resinous. Slight hint of tobacco (but I'm a huge lover of tobacco notes so I wouldn't have been upset w/ more tobacco ). Drydown: Still a dry and sweet woody resinous blend. I have no clue what "bunn" is, but it wouldn't surprise me if it added more sweetness. Verdict: This is a lovely blend, but ultimately one I wouldn't wear as a perfume. If some strange thing happened and wooden cigar boxes all vanished from the Earth, I would love to have this blend to huff.

There will be five scents exclusive to Bats Day, representing the Wufu: the Five Bats of Happiness. BAT OF WEALTH Heliotrope, pomegranate, blackberry, bergamot, and patchouli. In the bottle: Dark and rich. I can smell the syrupy sweetness of the pomegranate and the patchouli is noticeable but not "ZOMG I shall kick your behind!" patchouli (thank goodness). Something a little sharp, too-- maybe it's the bergamot? Wet: So deliciously moody and full. This is a truly rich blend and one of my favorite "dark" blends I've had the pleasure of trying so far. Reminiscent of Mme. Moriarty but somehow softer around the edges-- well-blended. Some of that blackberry comes out now. Drydown: Still wonderful, and as a patchouli-hater and patchouli-amper, this blend still works! My nose can detect the patchouli but there's just enough of it to ground the scents, to add allure and intrigue. Wow. I just realized this is meant to symbolize 'wealth' and it really does smell incredibly rich-- sorry for sounding like a broken record, but I can't help it! It's also somewhat figgy now. So an earthy fruity fig. Mmm. Verdict: I am so pleased I have one bottle and am wondering how I'll manage to get another.

I wrote to the Lab, but never received an email reply regarding the California sales tax being charged through CCNow. However, I was able to ask at the last will call I attended, and YES, CA is now being charged sales tax through CCNow! I'm really bummed we weren't told this, as I would've placed the order through PP had I known in advance. 9%. Ouch. Also, I seem to recall Puddin' saying a couple other states now get charged sales tax through CCNow: wanna say he said, Texas and Minnesota? Not too sure. Mebbe someone will pipe up and say otherwise.

Argh! Seeing this made me search for all my previous CCNow emails and lo and behold, they had been charging me CA sales tax since Feb ! So I have emailed the goblins at the lab so they can give CCNow a spanking. ..... what? I just made an order for the lunacy and I too was charged CA sales tax. Has anyone heard from the lab yet? I know this is from quite a few months back.... but I haven't been as active on the forum nor have I placed a CCNow order until tonight. And yes, I was definitely surprised by the CA sales tax. Has there been any further word? I wish I would have known beforehand, though. Tax is ouchie.

Okay, I'll do my v best, but this is just based on two quick Will Call tests of Pumpkin Latte 2010. I tried Pinched months and months ago but I got almost no coffee (and it was a creamier, sweeter "latte" at that) and it was also slightly woody on my skin. Misk U was gorgeous hazelnut coffee in the imp and for the nanosecond it hit my skin, then the coffee was obliterated by the dust note (but my skin chemistry amps the lab's dust notes). El Dia de Reyes starts off wonderfully coffee, but I guess something about the coffee note inevitably dries a bit dusty on me, though I seem to recall this blend having a slight warmth to it, probably the cinnamon. I think the '09 version was slightly more coffee like on my skin than the '07. Pumpkin V or whatnot from 2009 smelled great in the bottle, but I amped the crap outta the spices of the pumpkin part and got almost no coffee. Plus, the beginning coffee stages were heavy on the hazelnut, which is a bit sweet for my taste. Bah smells TO DIE FOR in the bottle, starts great wet on my skin, then goes dusty + plastic. Ick. So from my brief tests of Pumpkin Latte 2010, I'm feeling like this is the closest to perfect coffee on my skin. I don't recall it going too dusty, but it did still do that a bit. And I agree w/ a few of the reviews in the thread that it's more coffee than pumpkin, which I personally prefer. Though, I prefer the prototype IXHV or whatever, that seemed like pure coffee. 'Course, it'd be nice to have a pumpkinny latte, too.

See, I actually adore blends with leather at the forefront (er, poor discon'd De Sade, single note leather, anyone? ). That said, Red Rider was still too strong for my taste. I love being able to have sniffed it and tried it, and wouldn't mind keeping an imp of it purely for random sniffs, but definitely not a blend I'd personally wear (or have an SO wear either). I agree w/ Little Bird, please give Bow & Crown of Conquest a try. I think it's a gorgeous blend that hints at leather. Slightly more difficult to find would be Clockwork Couture Female, which I feel is a "pretty" leather blend and might smell amazing on your husband. There's also Crowley-- but I'd suggest that one if it's aged. I don't mind it fresh, but aged? Crowley is so smooth and warm and well-blended.

Hurricane In the vial: Vetiver. Wet: Still predominantly vetiver, but a hint of something almost sweet and clean. How bizarre. Who knew you could make dirty, stinky, earthy vetiver also smell aquatically clean?! Drydown: Mainly vetiver. Verdict: I'm always glad to try any BPAL blend, but this one, unsurprisingly, doesn't do much for me. My nose doesn't like vetiver much, and my skin chemistry doesn't make magic with the note, either.

A feisty bouquet of golden, warm, gently honeyed lilies. Tiger Lily In the vial: A sweet floral. I don't know anything about tiger lilies, the flowers themselves, but this is definitely a sweet floral. Wet: Same as in the vial, sweetly floral. Drydown: Less sweet than before, and now the florals are amping up. Also a powdery edge creeping in. Verdict: This is a nice perfume if you like more traditional and/ or floral perfumes. I can see why folks were dismayed when this was discontinued, but this isn't a "me" kind of scent. I hope this finds a better home!

Dragon's Heart In the vial: Unmistakable dragon's blood. Mebbe a hint of the musks. Wet: Definitely musk meets dragon's blood, but distinctly different from Dragon's Musk (the blend). An extra bit of sweetness, guessing from the "purpleness" of fig and black currant. Drydown: That inevitable floral sweetness of dragon's blood. It's overtaken all the other notes. Verdict: I think I'm just not that into dragon's blood as a note, I feel like on my skin (and to my nose) it overwhelms the other notes in most blends (except for my precious Boadicea).

Romanti.Goth In the bottle: ACK! I don't know which note I'm smelling, but it's really really really pungent. Methinks it's the opium. Sharp. Powdery. "Cologney." So I really think it's the opium I'm being slammed with, and I don't like it one bit. Wet: Smoky opium. Incense coming forth. Really dark. Sorry, I know that "dark" isn't particularly helpful, but that's what I get. Drydown: Starts to sweeten a bit (yay plum and resins), but really, this is just so damned smoky, dark, and heavy on the opium. A lot of the incense, too. Verdict: I'm sure plenty of folks would love this, but for me? Nuh-uh.

In the bottle: Chocolate, plummy, MUSKY. Wet: Amaretto coming forth, still musky, but the chocolate's mellowed and is almost dusty now. Drydown: The plum sort of disappeared for awhile and is reappearing (or maybe it's the "candied fruits"). The slight kick of the ginger. And now almost earthy. Verdict: I see why people love this blend, but it doesn't do a whole lot for me. Luckily, I've found a new home for this bottle.

Yup! Schrodinger's Cat is one of 'em. IIRC, the whole "Dragon's __________" line has unique labels. Bow & Crown C, Great Sword, have unique ones. Aaaaand, of course, the collaborative scent lines, do too (Neil Gaimans, Witchblade, Hellboy, Gris Grimly, etc.). Those are just the ones I happen to know off the top of my head. I'm sure I'm missing some, though.

P013 In the Vial: Actually, smells a lot like PX117 to my nose, but it's way too hot for me to bother pulling out my bottle to compare, sorry! Wet: Still a lot like the foodie, orangey cakey PX117. Drydown: Ah hah! This is what the reviews are pointing to. I definitely smell a soft, buttery lemony yellow cake. A little buttercream frosting, too. Verdict: I love this! But like Little Bird said upthread, it's so faint and lasts for such a short time, that I can't really justify hunting more of it down. If I could get a gallon of it for cheap? Sure! But since that's not happening any time soon, I'll just be glad I got to try this blend and wish for a similar blend in the future, but one w/ more throw and lasting power. *drools*

Trick #1: In the Vial: Warm, sweet, heaaavy! Wet: Hint of leather, very musky, patchouli adding depth and earthiness. Warm and sweet. Drydown: The leather's long gone and the patch' is nearly non-existent. Still very warm, musky, and sweet. Verdict: I love this. If I had a bottle? I'd keep it. But I'm trying really hard to decrease the number of decants and imps floating around. Might see if someone else might offer a better home to this gorgeous blend.

If a blend (esp. a popular and LE one) is on backorder, it really can take a while. I placed an order on 5/31. It wasn't shipped until 6/26, nearly 4 weeks later (due to Gypsy moth being on backorder). Still, the labbies are awesome about getting back to you so feel free to throw 'em a quick email asking about your order. Hope you get your smellies soon! ETA: to add which blend effected my order

Spanked: In the Vial: Wet: Strong, in-your-face leather. But being the leather whore that I am, I don't mind it a bit. Drydown: Soft, warm leather. The barest hint of spice. Verdict: I see the fuss, I do. This is easily one of my favorite leather blends I have ever tried and if I magically found a cheap bottle? I'd buy it up in an instant! But my heart is so keenly set on some other blends, that this gorgeous decant has found a new home so that I could get me more of my most loved.

Echo: In the Bottle: Erp. Soapy?! Already?! Wet: Super sharp. Very floral. Surprisingly so because I love vanilla orchid. No clue about the "amyris" but I guess the white sandalwood and tuberose could be contributing to what my nose is sensing as "shrieking soapy floral." Drydown: Still a hint of soapiness, but it's now just oddly floral soap with the tiniest hint of tropical sweetness. Verdict: This is nothing like I'd imagined from reading the notes and the other reviews. Mebbe my bottle is a funny bottle? Or mebbe my sniffer is just plain broken. Or mebbe I have really really lame skin chemistry. Whatever the issue, I'm utterly heartbroken by how much fail Echo is on me. I was hoping for something like a grown-up, elegant Velvet Tiki but this was much more strongly floral. Glad this has found a new home.

The Little Bird In the vial: Very green! Grassy, but pleasant grass. Wet: Whoa soapy. What made it go so floral soapy? It's intense. Drydown: Definitely still green and floral soap. But it's mellowed a great deal. Slight tinge of dustiness, too. Verdict: I had such high hopes for this blend and am so bummed that it's not what I thought it'd be, though I'm glad I didn't spring for even a partial bottle untested.

The Buggre Alle This Bible In the vial: I can detect the leather, but something smells more like… earthy. Like vetiver or patchouli. Wet: Instant it hits, I can still smell that earthy note. Super fast shift, and now it's the spiciness of the tobacco. And mmm… leather! Drydown: Much drier now. And I mean scent-wise. I think the tobacco is getting very sharp. It tickles my nose! Verdict: I like this, I do. But I don't love this. Glad this is moving on to a new home.

Mad Sweeney In the vial: Booze. So much whiskey, it burns the throat! Verdict: Erp, the verdict is that I'm too damned scared to even skin-test this sucker! It's just so boozy, and I love boozy scents. Or at least, I thought I did. Until Mad Sweeney told me otherwise. Glad this is going to a new home!

Ligur In the vial: Dark, murky, smoky, earthy. Think it's the "khus" I'm smelling. I ono, not really sure as I don't recognize many of the notes. Wet: Still earthy, still dark, but something almost spicy! How intriguing. I never thought I'd like such a scent, but I can't stop sniffing. Drydown: Now it seems almost woodsy. Still that spiciness. And yes, smoky. Verdict: This is sooooo awesome. I mean, it's a fabulous experience. And I'm incredibly glad I got to try this. And I really do like it. I just, well, I'd never wear it out as a perfume. But part of me really wants to hang onto it for some reason. For the novelty of it, I s'pose. Ponders.

Yurei In the vial: Quick sniff is tea and sharp floral. But WTF? If I sniff the vial a bit harder, something is definitely coming across to my nose as menthol! Whoa. Wet: Sweet and sharp at the same time. Sharp like pine. Sweet floral tea. Strange combo to my nose. But not unpleasant, though definitely soapy. Drydown: Still sharply piney and soapy floral. Verdict: I'm not quite sure where this blend went wrong, but it did. It's all kinds of not so pleasing to me. I don't doubt that many folks would love this sort of oriental, clean, floral, tea-like scent, but it's just not cuttin' it for me, sorry! BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!

Tony In the vial: SOAP! Nose-burningly soap. Like, Ivory soap. Not Dove, because Ivory is the one that is soooo strong it burns my nose hairs (mebbe not literally, but I wouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be the case after all). Wet: From Ivory to Irish Spring. I swear it. From in-your-face-soapy-clean, to slightly aquatic-soapy-clean. Drydown: Still that Irish Spring green clean, but it's been sweetened somehow. Verdict: I think that subtle sweetness is why others are saying that while this is a very clean scent, it doesn't read as "masculine." Way back in the day, I only ever used bath and body products that smelled clean and this would've been a hardcore favorite had I had it then. But these days, I'm less about this kind of scent. Still, like GRR said, if this were an atmo spray?! I'd love me one! BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!

The Volstead Act In the vial: Leaky vial, oh noes! Smells very winey/ grippy to me. Dark dark purpley red fruit smell. Opened vial, definitely boozy. Think I get a shot of pineapple, too. Then something thickly, syrupy, CHERRY. Wet: SUPER CHERRY BOOZE! Drydown: Wow, that obnoxious cherry (sorry cherry-smell-lovers, I can't stand the smell of cherries but love the fruit) burned off quickly! Left with a lemony pineapple. At first a sticky sweet pineapple, but ultimately am left with a eerily realistic pineapple scent. Verdict: Unbearable in the vial, disliked wet. Drydown is actually pretty nice, but not something I love enough to hunt down more of. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!

The Floating Market In the vial: Sharpness of petitgrain (I only know this scent from a discontinued hair conditioner called, "Tangle" made by LUSH's sister company B Never.). Probably the balsam is kicking in with some piney sharpness, too. 'M afraid I don't know enough about the other notes to guess if they have a presence in the cold sniff. But sharp and dry. Green. Dry green. Wet: Insanely herbal! So much so, that I think I can feel it in the back of my throat now and it's clearing up my sinuses, which had felt a smidgeon stuffy before. Herbal, spicy wood. So herbal it's minty. Bizarre. Drydown: A little less of the strange minuteness, but still herbal and the spiciness is kicking up a bit more. Now something citrusy. Odd because for me, citrus is usually a top note I notice first, but that burns off quickly whereas in this blend, I didn't detect in the beginning, but it's coming out a bit more now. Verdict: Way cool "experience," but again, not a blend I'd ever think to wear as a perfume. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!