Invidiana

I've been tempted to layer the Blacks like everyone else, but each is just so gorgeous on its own I really want to enjoy them individually. This is definitely the darkest one if the name doesn't give that away immediately. Wet I get lots of the amber and clove; as it dries down the patchouli and blackened sandalwood really work their magic and make this all gorgeously mysterious and sinister. The tobacco adds the perfect smoky background for a scent like this. There's also a hint of tang from what must be the orange peel, lemon verbena and lime, but thankfully they're behaving and taking a backseat like they should, letting the amber and dakrer notes really shine. A very "me" blend and very darkly beautiful.

A fitting name for this would be "blueberry clouds" because it's exactly that--sweet blueberries with just a hint of tartness for balance, floating on clouds and clouds of vanilla cream. The vanilla here is rich and buttery, possibly mixed with a bit of marshmallow. I'm so glad the blueberry note here is true, not plasticky or saccharine at all (bad junior high lip balm memories).

I was Anne Bonny for Halloween so this was one of those "if it doesn't work I'll make it work" scents for me.This comes out as a blast of sandalwood at first, and an almost masculine sandalwood at that; it needs sufficient time to dry down on my skin before the red patchouli and frankincense come out. I love red sandalwood, but it seems to be the only note there at first. Thankfully the frankincense eventually sweetens it and takes that overly woody masculine edge off, and the red patchouli adds a hint of mystery to the background. There's still a lot of sandalwood here, potentially still too masculine, so I'll need to try it again to see if this is going to be bottleworthy for me. Then again I wonder how it would work layered with Grog--I imagine that would be a winning combo.

Wow, this was supposed to be an aquatic? Doesn't come out that way on me at all. I agree with Fairynymph, it's syrupy fruit, possibly honeyed apple, with something dark in the background, some husky clove perhaps. As it dries down further what I believe to be the clove and possibly some smoke (or maybe it's just the smokiness of the clove) become more prominent; of course clove will always come out strong on me because I amp it. However it doesn't take over the blend entirely; there's still a good amount of the honeyed apple or whatever other fruit there is still there after it's dried down completely. This could also be because I do amp sweet notes, so the clove and honey/syrup were probably duking it out on my skin.

Thanks to the lovely Tragedy for swapping me this; it's gorgeous on me. It's initially like a caramelly berried rose. As it dries down further the rose softens and the balsam and benzoin emerge, warming it up and adding depth to the berries and caramel. The final zip of pink pepper adds a sexy dash that is just right and not overpowering at all. This is a gorgeously sexy blend that's more than earned the name "Mother of Desire".

When manna rained down from the heavens I don't know what it tasted like, but this must be exactly what it smelled like. This stuff is just crazy, crazy good. Honey is just a huge note of yes for me, and combine three types of that with Snake Oil and it's just orgasmic. I'm not normally a single-scent hoarder since my skin doesn't need much perfume to advertise it within a 5-foot radius of me, but I'm hoarding this one so I have it for life. ETA: I now have three bottles of this that I am never turning loose. Three 5 ml bottles, given my perfume-broadcasting skin, is basically my version of a lifetime supply.

I love this because it's equal parts soothing lavender and a really rich and creamy vanilla; maybe vanilla cream, maybe vanilla marshmallow. The lavender itself is pretty strong; makes me think of bona fide French lavender and the scene in Perfume: Story of a Murderer that shows pickers in the lavender fields of Provence. The vanilla holds its own, though, and tempers the lavender so there is no sharp herbal edge. I haven't tried the released version so I can't compare, but I love how this is a foody sleep scent--when I wore it to bed I was actually fighting the urge to sleep just so I could take one more delicious sniff.

Wet, it's a mouthwatering black coconut, which had me all excited. I absolutely love black coconut (think ubersexy Red Lantern) and was hoping this would do something similar. I was expecting it to keep the coconut as the dominant note, but unfortunately, after it dries down completlely it's almost all lemon blossom and ironwood bark--the bark of which comes out really masculine on me as my skin tends to amp many strong masculine notes --and I'm crushed. The end result on me is dry and pretty manly lemony wood with a hint of coconut in the background. Bummer. I'm holding out hope that something else with black coconut does surface this summer, though.

Edited 4/5: You know, skin chemistry is a funny thing. The first time I tried this, I could have sworn it turned to bona fide Tresor. I didn't think things would change, because to this point they haven't with any other blend that didn't work the first time, but when it came around again at WCWC I took a chance. I thought if all else fails, age a year and see what happens. Or try some layering magic. NOW I see what everyone is talking about with the boozy vanilla! Actually the boozy vanilla in this is very reminscent of that in Underpants to me, and Underpants is one of my all-time favorites. It's straight up heady vanilla booze (no, it doesn't smell alcoholic just--intoxicating), more like a tropical vanilla instead of a cakey one. There are faint fruity-floral undertones, but again, no screeching florals but more like whispers of exotic blooms, pikake or tiare perhaps? I can imagine it would be great layered with something coconut, but it's delicious enough on its own. I don't know what made this smell like Tresor to me the first time. It could have been the body cream I had on, the 15 other scents I was testing within the same hour or the fact I was PMSing. No idea. All I know is I'm glad I have a bottle now and that it will last me plenty of time because a little goes a long way!

So, Brown Jenkin--just not for me. Kind of reminiscent of Ivanushka, which turned simultaneously sharp and powdery on my skin; this does about the same, except it's woodier. I like the sweeter/more feminine woody scents, but this is just too masculine for me. However I'm never going to forget it because my parrot was responsible for cracking open an imp of this and spilling it on my comforter. Thankfully none got in his beak.

This is right up there with all my guilty-pleasure pink scents, with an interesting twist: instead of being straight-up candy, there's something highly reminiscent of that slightly sweet, slightly vinyl new-doll smell which I just happened to love as a kid (seriously--I'd be huffing my dolls straight out of the box). In addition to that there are also traces of cotton candy, bubblegum, strawberry, a bit of vanilla...possibly some soft florals in the background that help it retain that innocent feeling. This is both yummy and nostalgic and I'm loving it!

This stuff reminds me exactly of a certain Twinings coconut tea (I believe it's Twinings Voyage Brazilian something), which I fell hopelessly in love with after receiving some from a swap buddy in the UK but have one hell of a time finding here in the US. It's yummy and really soothing at the same time, with creamy coconut (at least what comes across as coconut on me!) and vanilla, with just the tiniest hint of lemon, floating on a relaxing classic tea background. The lemon is fortunately very faint, a whisper in the background that blends perfectly with the tea and doesn't scream "lemon", allowing the coconut and vanilla to take center stage. This isn't sharp or cloying in the least, just comforting and coconutty with the right amount of sweetness. Now if anyone who ever swaps with me in the future has easy access to that tea, do let me know...

This is all I have to say: buttery yellow cake fused with pumpkin pie and a dash of extra spice. That's what this stuff is. Literally made my mouth water when I put it on. If anyone has a lone unwanted bottle pining away in your drawer somewhere, well, you know where to go...

Thank you so much Ifinena for sending me a testable sniffie of this! It's a smoky clove, possibly with some brimstone in there like Hell-Gate of Ireland (maybe it's incense, because it seems to be a softer smoky note) and earthy notes like Zenobia. Possibly some plum and booze in there. The thing with clove and my skin is, fragrances with a dominant clove note tend to come out very similar on me because I amp clove like crazy (not that I have a problem with that!), and when I tried Zenobia on one hand and Voodoo Queen on the other, my chemistry turned them almost identical with Zenobia coming out a little sweeter. I'm glad that I got a chance to test this and can rest easy that I do have a blend which is extremely close on my skin at least.

This one was really a very pleasant surprise! Back in November when I first saw the description I was like "limp lettuce...ugh". It's nothing of the sort. It's actually like honey-sweetened tea with marshmallows! The honey is just enough to add depth and some additional sweetness wtihout making it cloying, and the tea is not at all bitter or extremely herbal, just...comforting. I don't get any limp lettuce at all, and there's the slightest bit of lemon but it's barely noticeable. Now I want (another) cup of tea!

Just think if you threw together pink bubblegum, cotton candy, lemon drops and pink-frosted cupcakes in a food processor and blended them well--that's exactly what this smells like. Despite the gobs of desserts it's not sickeningly sweet at all, and the tartness of the lemon drops (at least that's what I'm guessing it is) doesn't blast in your face like some lemon fragrances do, just balances everything else nicely from the background. I love candy and dessert scents, and this one satisfies my sweet tooth with no consequences. There is a way that I can classify it as dangerous--if you actually ate all the stuff it smells like at once it'd pose a huge danger to your thighs.

At least on my skin, this one reminds me of Snake Charmer. A lot. There's the beautiful black plum note, definitely a dose of sexy red musk, wearable dark booze. I'm getting what must be black coconut in the background too. There's a also a certain smoky quality to this which isn't quite "smoky" in the typical sense of the word but more hazy and mysterious.

A really generous swapper sent me a (well aged!) bottle of this in a package, and I can't for my life remember who it was but I just want to extend an enormous thank you to that person. It's absolutely gorgeous. I hadn't even put it on my GC wishlist but now that I have it, it's not going anywhere. Aeval is an utterly seductive scent--the tonka and white musk come out on me the most, backed by the florals (which emerge as dark and not at all prissy) in a combination that only screams pure sex. Overall, Aeval reminds me of a darker version of ridiculously upscale sunblock and that for me is a very good thing.

There was no way I could resist a scent based on a morbid museum, not a chance. I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I first saw the description because there was a chance it would be eau du musty attic--I assure you it's anything but. The raw vanilla in this is nothing short of amazing. It's rich, wild, a bit earthy, just sweet enough without being cloying. It starts out a bit "green" at first, but that quickly disappears on my skin and only gets deeper and sweeter as it keeps drying down (my skin has a tendency to amp sweet notes and sweeten stuff up which I don't mind one bit ). It's like jungle vanilla, if that makes any sense. The vanilla rests on a bed a deliciously deep and resinous balsam that blends so well with it you'd think the two were one note. Then comes the leather background. This isn't the really butch leather in Iago or De Sade, which I love to just smell, but not on myself; this is well-worn, buttery, I daresay even lightly spiced brown leather that gives the vanilla a smooth "vintage" background that stays true to the concept of dusty libraries without literally smelling ancient and dusty. This stuff is nothing short of incredible and I can't wait to see how it ages.

Now I know I might get shot for this, but Set v3 smells like the "red" version of Snake Charmer. Forgive my synaesthesia and possible Snake Charmer blasphemy, but at least that's what it comes out like on my skin. It develops into a beautifully complex dark, resinous, incensey, musky scent--there must definitely be red musk in this, and red musk is a huge YES note for me. There are plenty of warm spices which blend harmoniously with the other "red"elements. It's a very deep and mysterious scent that somehow manages to evoke the mystery anda allure of ancient Egypt without being too dry at all, more evocative of the decadence and debauchery going on in Cleopatra's palace than the desert. If you're looking for something undeniably drop-dead sexy, you've come to the right place.

For a malignant tentacled sea creature, this is absolutely gorgeous on me. Wet there is some salty/seaweedy thing going on, and I was skeptical, but as soon as it dries down it morphs into something completely different: a deep dark chocolate with a dark floral and slightly earthy background. Possibly some patchouli in there which adds to the mystery. There's just a bit of tang to prevent it from getting too sweet, but I like my perfumes that way. I predicted it was going to be like a chocolate-covered Roux-ga-Roux, and it is, at least on me. If the stench of Cthulhu is going to smell like this, drown me in it please.

My skin rarely turns things powdery, but it decided to play that game with Ivanushka, which thankfully made off to a happy home a while back. Unfortunately Iago is all butch man leather on me.

Agreed. I always strive to give people the benefit of the doubt, but as this drags on and on I'm just rolling my eyes. I think that question was more than fully answered by Beth's post. Reread it carefully and in depth. Many times we think we've read things to the point of understanding them fully but have actually missed some crucial details. I'm sure writing such an epic post and getting that specific took a considerable amount of time (I should know, I'm a writer), and that was time taken out of her grueling schedule to respond to someone who kept prodding for answers. Beth is probably up to her eyeballs in work and has no obligation to divulge her creative process to you or anyone else. By doing so she would be putting her business in jeopardy, and perfume is a tricky business because blend recipes cannot be copyrighted. Hell, I don't blame her either; when people ask me what my novel is about I only give them a 1-sentence summary and still worry about them leeching off my idea. It feels to me like you're just trying to draw her back in and be an instigator at this point. Please cease and desist and wait for your order to arrive before passing any more judgement. Note: if you want to email the Lab, their Facebook page notes they're experiencing a major power outage so responses to emails will take longer than usual.

This is just wow. Since I amp vanilla I knew I was safe from it turning too hippie-ish on me (no offense to people who dig that stuff, it's just not my personal style). I was a little wary smelling it in the bottle and wet, because at that stage it's mostly patchouli and hemp, but once it dries down the vanilla, which is definitely a dark, rich vanilla, comes out singing and tempers the equally dark patchouli perfectly, turning this scent into a sexy breed of amazing. There's a bit of hemp in the background, but it's barely noticeable on me because I amp the vanilla and there's probably more patchouli in the mix than hemp, or at least that's what happens with my chemistry. This stuff is teh shiznit and I'm so glad I took a chance on a bottle all the way from Dirty Jersey. ETA: We need Sweet Life in its own topic! Review of that one in a nutshell: it's no pansy white floral, but actually really rich and heady and makes me think of that scene in Marie Antoinette where she's lying back fanning herself while a maid does her nails.

Not to mention the classiest. I feel you, Beth. In the process of writing my novel while doing my master's, I've gotten hammered by professors questioning the publishing/selling potential of X or Y; in the end, though, it's my love of the craft that wins out, and I go with my gut, with what I enjoy writing. I don't follow how-to books or stick to rigid plot and character formulas. In the end, if I know I'm enjoying it, I have faith it will keep my future readers interested when it's finished. I feel that's exactly what you've done with your company, and what you're trying to convey in that post: your love of the craft that is evident in the final product has made others love your craft as well. Whether or not people like Luca agree with your perfumes' methods and concepts does not affect their undeniable quality and artistry. Love of Lovecraft, however, is a different story...hehe