devilot
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Posts posted by devilot
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Sky City (After)
In the vial: I swear I am not on crack and not kidding, but this smells like a smoky Coca Cola! Like, exactly like that!
Wet: Cola. Hints of burning and smoke. But ultimately, cola.
Drydown: Shifting to a warm, slightly smoky, spicy wood. Still very sweet, and that Cola is now a hint, but still there.
Verdict: Fascinating blend! I really really get a kick outta this one. I would never ever wear it as a perfume, but I'd love to have even a partial decant of it just to keep and sniff because it is just so damned unique to my nose! BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
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Mr. Croup
In the vial: Black musk and something. I don't know what, but it's insanely strong. I'm guessing the geranium? But my only experience w/ geranium is via LUSH's "Magic" bath bomb and this barely seems similar.
Wet: The geranium wet, on, smells closer to the geranium I know from LUSH. Green. Herbal. But boy is that black musk full of gloom and doom! Hovering over everything. So. Damned. Strong. It makes me want to cough. Think I've been sniffing it a bit too hard, a bit too long.
Drydown: Weird. Just weird. Herbal black musk? Ick.
Verdict: I am so glad that I didn't spring for even a decant of this untested. This is just so out there and I'm starting to think I can't handle black musk. This isn't the first blend w/ black musk that has gone odd on me, weird, considering all the other musks I've encountered play v nicely w/ my skin-chemistry. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
ETA: Now it smells slightly spicy, which makes it more tolerable, but it's still outside of my comfort zone. Far far outside of it.
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Lamia
in Neverwhere
Lamia
In the vial: Definitely get something reminiscent of vanilla and orchid, but also something fruity. In the vial, my nose can't pick out any specific fruit.
Wet: Still creamy, fruit isn't as noticeable, except coconut has ramped up. And now the grounding earthy notes are much more noticeable (the vetiver and ode).
Drydown: Powdery coconut. Ooooh, a lot like LUSH's hair conditioner, Coolaulin, which has primary notes of vetiver and coconut.
Verdict: Not a bottle purchase for me, but I'd love to swap for a low-level partial or a decant. It's pretty! BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
ETA: The peach really comes out later. It's nice, but it's so similar to Tamora or whatever peachy GC.
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Lair of Nefarious Misdeeds atmo spray
In the vial: Erp, unfortunately, all I can smell from the vial is alcohol. Like, the spray alcohol, not a "booze" note. And while I'd love to spritz it to get a feel for the actual scent, this is just a little vial included in a sniffy circle so I'm afraid this scent will just go unsniffed. Ah well. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
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Kaidan
In the vial: Pretty! That's my first thought. Then, "Smells sooooo familiar." I finally got it-- I'm pretty sure it reminds me of Jingu. I no longer have the BPTP Warrior Queen Jingu to test out or smell, even, but I'm' fairly certain that's what this is reminding me of. Must be the plum blossom as that is the only listed note they have in common.
Wet: Plum blossom, but sweeter than I recall it being in other blends. Brightly fruity. My issue w/ plum blossom, however, isn't when it's wet, but that it tends to go very sour and/ or soapy on my skin as it dries down, guess we'll see!
Drydown: I think the rosehip is coming forward, not sure as I'm not familiar w/ this note. But if it is true to its namesake and reminiscent at all of rose? Then yes, this is another note that is dooming this blend for me since the lab's rose notes almost inevitably turn sour on me.
Still that bright bright plum blossom but with the white sandalwood, it's reaching fever pitch in the sharp and powdery perfumey smell. Just a whisper of incense.Verdict: I love this in the vial, but it just doesn't seem to wanna work on my skin. Yes, this could work in a scent locket, but I think my nose would tire of it. I think I would love this blend the most if it were like an atmo spray! Still, am v glad I got to try it. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
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Gun Moll
In the vial: Leaky vial (or that evilly leaky vial of V.olste.ad A.ct oozed all over this one). Sniffing-- ZOMG OPIUM POPPY!
Wet:Still mainly getting that opium poppy. Please keep in mind that I really dislike that note and am biased as my nose will be sensitive and pick it up, but it also seems to amp on my skin. The opium poppy is drowning everything else out.
Drydown: Shifts slightly to something almost piney. Getting something that might be the sharp tang of tobacco leaf or, it could be the night blooming jasmine, I'm honestly not sure. Yes, after a few more minutes, lots of jasmine.
Verdict: Am glad to have sniffed and tried, but am glad to know that I haven't missed out on a whole lot and don't need to track some down, either. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
ETA: Later, the clove is charging head-to-head with the opium poppy. I tend to amp clove notes and it usually bothers me, but thank goodness something is trying to stand up against that bully of opium!
ETA: Much later, it's become a powdery grandma smell (as in, I've sniffed grannies that smell like this).
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In the vial: Sugary sweet and cleeeeean. Like others mentioned, laundry clean. Yet sweet.
Verdict: How odd. Yet amazing! I am very sad that I don't have any of this lovely smelling atmo spray. In fact, this is from a sniffy circle so I can't even get a very accurate gauge by spraying it-- this is my best guess based on smelling it from the vial, which is hard since there's still a tang of the alcohol spray in it. Still, I would v much so love to own my own bottle of this. *sniffle* -
Bathtub Gin
In the vial: The effervescence of gin and slap-you-silly juniper.
Wet: Nano-second of gin then JUNIPERJUNIPERJUNIPER. So piney! Eek.
Drydown: I can see the potential for this to smell like ginger ale, but for the time being, my darned skin does not want to let go of that juniper. But yeah, I can easily see how this blend on someone else would read more as ginger ale.
Verdict: Big n-o, no. I don't like gin in my blends, and don't like juniper in addition to the fact that I amp it. So this blend just doesn't do anything for me. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
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Banned in Boston
In the vial: Boozy, and so sweaty. Musky. So thick and heavy smelling. And sweet. Sweaty sweet. Sweet sweat.
Wet: Still sticky with sweetness and sweatiness. And boozy.
Drydown: Sometimes booze and tobacco notes go sour on me, and I think this might be one of those times.
Verdict: I really wanted to love this blend so much. I love booze notes and love tobacco notes, and musks usually work very well on me. But for some reason, Banned in Boston is just very overwhelming to me. I am incredibly glad I got to try this, though. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
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Anesthesia
In the vial: Minty lavender!
Wet: Still minty lavender.
Drydown: Er, and yes, I'm not really getting much more than a minty lavender.
Verdict: I was really hoping for more complexity. Or mebbe something creamy. Hehe, but that's just in my own little dream world. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!
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Alana Patel
In the vial: Sharp. Gin. Generic perfume.
Wet: Gin. The "faded perfume" doesn't seem so faded to me. In fact, still very sharp and reminiscent of Smoky Moon.
Drydown: Reminds me soooo much of Smoky Moon, which, is a blend I love, but don't need a near dupe/ backup of.
Verdict: To my nose and on my skin, Alana Patel is v similar to Smoky Moon. I haven't done a side-by-side comparison, but seeing as it'll take me awhile to get through my 5ml lunacy, my wallet is glad that I can avoid getting Alana Patel, but if my Smoky Moon ever runs out, guess I have a pricier GC option left!
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I don't know many citrusy or orangey blends but...
Akuma - blood orange, neroli, and raspberry.^^ I definitely remember trying that one and thinking it was undeniably orangey.
Also, available to purchase in 5ml big bottle form from the lab (not little 1ml imp), The Maltese Cross of Sanctus Germanus: Golden amber, blood orange, ambergris, lilac, frankincense, and agarwood. I get a lot of the blood orange in that blend, but YMMV.
And, a discon'd blend that might not be too too difficult to track down: Kunstkammer: A sensory jumble, a true cacophony of odors: black pepper, benzoin, blood orange and olibanum. And again, I get definitely get a blood orange, but in this blend, it comes across as almost candy-like, though I tried this awhile back and rehomed it so I can't verify.
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So are you looking for stronger throw? Like, the scent projects outwards more? Or lasts longer on your skin? Or a combination of the both? (I only ask because some blends last a long time on me, but have minimal throw-- as in, you've gotta be really close to me to smell it.) Anyway, I have a similar problem-- my skin absolutely swallows up most BPAL scents. They rarely last more than 30-60 minutes!
And unfortunately, most of the blends that last on my skin are LEs.LEs that last AND project:
- Antique Lace (used to be GC but is essentially discon'd)
- Black Lace
- Creature Feature
- Glowing Vulva/ Osiris v4 prototype (both v similar to my nose)
- Hellhound On My Trail
- Sacrifice
- Velvet Unicorn
GCs that last AND project:
- Bow & Crown of Conquest
- Dorian
- Great Sword of War
- Scherezade
Blends that last but have low-throw on me:
- Capela Dos Osos prototype (LE)
- The Girl (LE)
- Tushnamatay (GC)
- Veil (GC)
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My Okayaki bottle that arrived yesterday does smell different than the decant I have (which I'm guessing is a month or two old by now). The decant version does feel "cooler" and more refreshing. The new one is sweeter and more floral. I too am hoping it will change with age because I like the decant version better and it's almost empty!I'd gotten a low-level partial and it's a little floral, but can definitely detect the lab's snowy note in there (especially as it dries down). But if my not-yet-arrived 5ml smells more floral or more sweet, I'd be even more ecstatic! I love the way this blend smells!
ETA: I can just imagine it now, various "ISO snowy Okayaki" vs "ISO sweeter Okayaki."
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Geek.Goth
In your face Sprite. Sprite was the v first thing that popped into my mind. Okay, no, "WHOA, bubbles!" Was the first thing. Then it was, "Sprite." Definitely the incredible tooth-achingly sweet lemon-limey, sugary sweet (can I stress the sweet enough?) Sprite. I've never been a fan of the lab's bubbly scents, and I'm not much for citrus, either. So this combo is a big ol' no-no for me, though I could see fans of bubbly scents going ga-ga for this one.
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Umbra
In the Vial: Patchouli!!! Holy crap, I got an instant gag-reflex from smelling this. Whoa.
Wet: Still a ridiculous amount of patchouli, it really does make me gag. I get a hint of the cinnamon, but really, the patchouli is way overwhelming.
Drydown: Vetiver has been here the whole time but was overshadowed (like every other note) by the patchouli, but starting to be more noticeable. Cedarwood is moving forward, too.
Verdict: I know that my skin-chemistry amps patchouli, but lordy, the way this smells in the imp alone was enough to make me give up. Strangely enough, I still gave this a skin-test. Guess I'm a glutton for punishment.
Away with you! Shoo! -
Chaste Moon 2010
In the Bottle: ZOMG. Soap in a bottle!
Wet: Soapy florals.
Drydown: Er, I didn't think it could get worse, but somehow, it's becoming even sharper to my nose.
It's burning the nose!Verdict: This is NOT "soft and gentle as a baby's breath" and if it is? I shudder to meet such an infant. It would likely obliterate the planet with a lovely fart.
Though, it's not bad if I drown it in some of my Dorian from '06. But it doesn't seem fair to my precious Dorian to do so. I really really really wish I got the creaminess from Chaste Moon that others get. Because I'm not inherently opposed to florals at all. And interestingly enough, I've read many posts that say BPAL has made floral-haters change their mind, whereas for me? The lab's floral blends haven't really worked out for me at all (but I like quite a few commercial alcohol-based floral perfumes). Weird. I was thinking about instantly swapping/ selling Chaste Moon, but it is really nice layered w/ Dorian. Might just see how it goes. If it sells, then it was meant to leave, but if it hangs around? Then I'll just let it stay with me. **And it's already found a new home, guess we weren't meant to be.** -
Black Phoenix
In the Vial: Super strong-- almond/ cherry? I've found that there comes a point, that both of those can smell like each other at first "glance."
Wet: Super almond. Very sharp. Shifting gradually into something floral.
Drydown: Super floral. Powdery floral. Wait, it's shifting again... as if a curtain is being pulled back to reveal *drumroll* ROSE!!!!!!
Verdict: I'm really not a fan of such super strong almond/ cherry notes. I also don't like how it changes into super floral rose. Almondy rose soap on crack.
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Black Lotus
In the Vial: Bubblegum?!
Wet: Still predominantly bubblegum (guess that's the lotus?), but something else. Just there. Just under the surface, somehow.
Drydown: Bubblegum gives way to something incredibly sharp. I want to blame the amber. Starting to realize that the lab has some amber notes that really disagree with my nose and at the same time, my skin amps. Ick.
Verdict: Really odd in the beginning, definitely much more tolerable later, but I've got to force myself to purge and rehome those that I don't really like.
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Belladonna
In the Vial: Like others have mentioned, super strong almost chemical scent. Menthol. Eek!
Verdict: Ultimately, I'm scared to skin-test this and I'll pass this on, as surely, though it's not for me, this is the kind of scent for someone out there.
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Aizen-Myoo
in Excolo
Aizen-Myoo
In the Vial: Very sharp floral and citrus.
Wet: Eek! It's still very sharp. I'm getting a hint of the tea now.
Drydown: Still very citrus.
Verdict: I've been keeping this imp awhile, but I don't think it's really for me after all. I much prefer my Hua Mulan which has that leather to tone down the sharpness of citrus and florals.
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Dorian. Oh, my dear, dear, precious Dorian.
I've purposefully kept from reviewing this blend because I just can't do it justice. From the super fresh, to the lovely cobalt 10ml dating to 2006 I acquired on eBay, I love all the Dorian I've come across. I agree that Dorian is sweet. And he's creamy. I understand that there is musk in it, but to my nose, it's not the kind of musk that really presents itself as "*slap* Say my name, bitch! Call me Mr. Musk!" It's not like the musk in Creature Feature, Ivanushka, Hunter Moon '07. It is, to my nose, similar to the musk present in The Girl. Likewise, the tea in Dorian figures more prominently fresh, and as it ages, it definitely mellows out.
The other thing I love about Dorian is it's staying power. My skin (and hair) swallows up nearly every scent. I really really have to slather and/ or layer (shower gel, lotion, perfume) to get any given scent to stick around. But Dorian does so without all the added drama. He just lingers and lingers and lingers, but in the most awesome way. Dorian is also one of the v few BPALs I've ever worn and gotten an unsolicited compliment from a stranger. This employee at a museum couldn't stop raving and she wouldn't let me walk away without writing down the exact name and website to buy a bottle for herself!
Dorian is magic. And sex. And the most magical, sexy, cuddly blanket evar.
With all the discontinuations (of GCs and others), it's really gotten me in a panic. Dorian must NEVER be disonned. Or the skies will turn black and the sun will cease to shine.
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Blood Pearl:
In the Vial: Sharp. Blaming the orris.
Wet: Immediately, that sharp orris mellows into the classically dusty orris that the lab seems to use. Though, I've experienced other coconut notes at the lab that also wind up dusty on me.
Drydown: Not sure what "blood" musk is like, but I tend to do well with musks. This musk comes out at the very end, which seems characteristic of musks in general.
Verdict: All in all, a lovely blend. Not a diehard love, but intriguing enough that I'd love to hang onto this imp for awhile.
Sky City (Before)
in Event Exclusive Oils
Posted · Report reply
Sky City (Before)
In the vial: Green. Ah yes, dandelions!
Wet: At first it's that dandelion note again, one I've loved in other blends, but I guess I prefer dandelion NOT straight up.
Morphing into something with a hint of sweetness, actually. Mmm! Now I'm getting the "shining metal" but it smells less metallic ("blood" kind of metal) and more just, ozone? Very clean.
Drydown: Still a lot of dandelion, but more of the subtlety of the other notes is coming forth which helps to smooth and round out the blend. Makes the green grassiness of that dandelion note much smoother.
Verdict: I rather like this! If a decant ever comes my way, I'd be pretty excited, but I'm not in a rush to find a decant, much less a bottle of this blend. But a really nice blend. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!