themerrybaker

Mournful Influence reminds me of Midnight Mass plus saffron (paella on Christmas Eve?). The saffron and myrrh are very pronounced with an overall vibe of dark, dusty, and slightly sweet. I believe it needs to age some; right now there is very little throw.

 

I like this scent a lot and shall certainly wear it when striking fear into old men's hearts and chucking.

U Mutter (as opposed to U Mama) does a great job of evoking LIBRARY. The scent is cool. quiet, and still. On me this oil is predominantly resin without leather or vanilla taking over.

 

I don't know how the Lab gets its dust note (they probably don't shake their feather dusters into the mixing bottles) but that vibe is definitely in there.

 

"U" gotta love it.

Yum. Rue as in Cimaruta makes this oil smell extra witchy.

BOH is more of a Panacea-type blend (as opposed to normal perfume) that I'll be wearing when I can't decide whether to protect myself from the evil eye or chill out with a gin and tonic. It is also fine in an oil burner for getting in touch with your inner streheria.

 

The only thing that makes hot, humid, weather tolerable for me is the way plants thrive and display every shade of green. Carlin is an "every shade of green" scent. The sage helps to keep the blend dry instead of sticky and sappy. This scent is a fine evocation of the border between spring/summer growing deciduous plants and autumn/winter evergreens.

The planchette moved to the "M" then to the "I" and on to the "N" and the "T". I think was starting to spell out "furniture wax" but I cheated and pushed it over to the big NO. I like wood blends, but Ouija was a total miss.

Sugar and Spice, it smells pretty nice. Mama Ji reminds me of Silk Road, Tushnamatay, Bengal, and other baking spice oils. Good if you collect this type, but not outstanding.

I received Oberon as well aged imp as part of a swap; I usually try to guess what is in a mystery imp before I review it. In this case I was off: way, way off.

I would have guessed subtle rose, wood and musk but this is orchid, musk, and other things. I did not pick up the bergamot or juniper, and would say that this is a dark floral. Nice, but not spectacular. Some of the lab's orchid numbers get "stuffy" on me and unfortunately, Oberon is a culprit.

I love the lab's Honey scents and Delphi is the bee's knees. This reminds me a lot of the original Honey Moon, is heavier than the newer Mead Moon, and less randy than Hony Mone. If I were intentionally collecting honey scents it would be an addition to the herd and might be a purchase when I run out of the current hive.

This was and wasn't what I expected: I expected Asian incense as opposed to church incense and that was pretty accurate. I expected aquatic and got it - also pretty accurate. The unexpected: big fat warm raindrops!! Not a bad thing to get happy instead of dreary! I am also surprised at the amount of sillage and generally happy (in a big fat warm raindroppy way) with the Temple.

My favorite seasonal story involves the animals being able to speak on Christmas Eve. Winter of Our Discontent suggests that story. I get "Sweet and Smoky Stable at Bethlehem!!" (sounds like a cussword substitute?). Although I love this oil, the name makes me laugh because of the additional quote from Richard the Third: "My Kingdom for a Horse!!" Sweet leather, hay, and smoke. Not what I expected but very good.

There is incense and then there is Incense-Woot-Woot-Woot!!

Midnight Mass evokes the canonical idea of smoky, burning incense perfectly. I only wish it had more throw and lasted longer. That wish may be unrealistic, since adding something to increase the sillage might mean less Incense-Woot-Woot-Woot!! and something more like a muskrat snuffling around in the church.

Love it....

Frau Holle needs some time to settle on the skin. It starts as an herbal rush and eventually mellows out to subtle sweet herbs. I don't get pine, but can detect faint musk and something that smells a little like masking tape (maybe the flax is a grain?) I like it a lot, but it evokes kitchen witch more than Yule when I wear it.

This Cookie becomes the 60 ft Sugar Monster!! Butter Rum Cookie is very strong, and the mapley sugar smell stomps on every other component. Very similar to the initial stages of Sugar Moon and Sugar Skull on me.

Right On, Darkness!! (And all you other Gothic Reindeer):

 

After a while, you get a sense of deja sniff when trying a new perfume. On Darkness is a horse of a different color - it it smells nothing like any other Lab scent I've tried.

 

OD is also surprisingly herbal and more "winter-berry-ish" than I would have expected. A bottle purchase would be a done deal if we weren't in a recession right now.

 

Really, really, good. Two nostrils up.

I like Love Me better as a conjure oil than as a perfume. At first, it sends me short lived roses and dragon's blood, goes through a lotus stage, and finishes with almond and cinnamon. I'm not sure whether this is meant an allegory for the stages of love or is a take on a traditional recipe...

Having never voted Republican in my life due to the socially reactionary platform, the name is something to get past - but the perfume is better thank OK. My guess at the ingredients are: aromatic wood such as cedar or cypress, bourbon, dirt/vetiver (maybe a political statement there?) and something sweet such as vanilla.

 

Such a nice scent for such an off-putting name. Channeling Lincoln while huffing ....

 

I'll wear it as often as it lets me, assuming this GOP allows me to have a choice!!

The Temptation is as lovely and elegant as Diana Ross. It is predominantly lily with a bit of peach. Unfortunately it pulls a "Baby, Baby, Baby Don't Leave Me" all too soon.

Years before Lilith Victoria and Lady Lilith there was primordial/basic/original Lilith!!

For such a visually light oil, the scent is black and toasted. Might be the myrhh?

Verdict: A definite "Like" - which is surprising given an oil with the problematic notes (wine and roses). Bravo to the Lab for pulling off the combination.

The Apothecary reminds me a bit of the old Herbal Essences shampoo. It is sharp and astringent in a good, refreshing way. I would wear this when I wanted to feel brisk, as opposed to feminine or sexy. Definitely a win for this tea and herb lover.

I am so glad that Tabella was kept around for a few more days so that more people could have some. It is herbal with a waxiness and a dustiness that reminds me of the smell of old parchment. Definitely one to hoard.

By the way, which one's Stink?

 

(Couldn't resist a little Pink Floyd action there - and Piper is actually very nice)

 

 

Piper at the Gates of Dawn changes quite a bit between initial application and full drydown. When wet there are Traditional Victorian Christmas Oranges and all manner of herbal. Dry, a clear sweet honeyed patchouli that evokes the bearded hippy side of Pan. I will be wearing this a lot over the winter and also look forward to seeing how a bit of aging will go.

Damn this smells good!! I usually do not care for the Illyria scents and had the intention of tossing Desdemona into the swap pile but was delighted by this soft, light, floral. The listed notes include sweet pea, and carnation which are components of very popular blends.

 

I shall wear my Desdemona upon my wrist for daws to sniff at!!

Fig? My Newton!!

I never would have guessed that there are figs, currants, or any other kind of fruit in Gomorrah. Not a bad thing, since predominant fruit ain't my bag. With Gomorrah, it would be the woody blackened herbs for a win, except for the little issue with the burnt butter smell.

Because my experience was so far off the mainstream, I'm chalking this one up to wonky chemistry or a weird batch. Lovely concept, though.

Black Lotus is nice and smoky-sweet having both amber and lotus contributing. I wish it had a bit more throw, though.

I was so ready for "Tush" to smell like ass, but oh how it doesn't. It smells a bit like Khajuraho and is a new GC favorite.

There may be some lotus, or rose, or champaca, or honey in it but no one note really predominates.

Definitely the perfect headshop blend.