Gateau

Another Lab frimp! In the imp -- sweeter and more fragrant than I'd expected, sort of spicy tea. Wet -- incensy, sort of like cologne. Drydown -- reminds me of the cologne + fire smell of Fire Eater. Uh oh, that was a bad one for me. Dry -- getting more of the fire smell now, hoping it gets smokier because this is too sharp and somehow ozoney for my taste. I know it's weird to talk about ozone with fire, but that's how I perceive it. It's a piney sort of note that bites my nose and hits me in the gut, gives me a sort of gurgle in the belly, not from hunger, but from emptiness. Later -- it's very clearly smouldering cinders, not a pleasant wood fire or anything smoky. This is not something I want to wear, but I'm glad I got to try it. Very evocative and quite an achievement.

This was a frimp from the Lab. Very nice, since it had been on my must try list. In the imp -- pear, dewy magnolia, rose Wet --uh oh, the magnolia and pear combine to give me the impression of a dirty diaper. Actually, it's a dead ringer for baby lotion, which puts me in mind of dirty diapers. Dry down -- the rose comes out and I suspect we're going to end up soapy, like so many of these light rose blends do on me. I can't make out any individual pear note or tuberose for that matter This is what Endymion does on me, the rose outweighs the pear. Dry -- The pear seems to be keeping any soapy tendencies in check. It's a light fruity rose. Very pretty. It ends up so close to Endymion on me that I don't see the need to have both. I'll keep the imp, I expect, if I can weather that wet phase.

In the imp -- herby apple shampoo. Pretty. Wet -- not much throw. This is primarily apple, mixed with some grassy herbs. The apple is more red than the green apple I tend to get in other apple blends, such as Delirium. It may not be quite as red and juicy as the apple in Shango. Dry -- This is warm, herby apple, like a late summer orchard. The amber isn't it's own note, but warms it all up and adds sunshine. Could be nice on a country weekend in the fall. Later -- This has gotten increasingly potpourri-like and less pleasant to wear. I think it would make a nice room scent, but it smells like a Yankee Candle now.

This was a frimp from the Lab. Was pleased to get it, as I had some notion that I like rummy, sugary scents. In the imp -- sweet butter rum Wet -- a blend of sugars and rum extract, rather than actual rum Dry -- the sweetness takes on a caramelized, slightly smoky or burned edge, perhaps from the oak. It's still very sweet and rummy, and that smokiness makes it less cloying. However, I seem to be coming to the conclusion that none of these sugar-and-rum scents really appeal to me as perfumes. Will swap.

This was a frimp from the Lab. Thanks, Lab! In the imp -- very green and soapy Wet -- a green fresh scent, with Ivory soap Dry -- starts to pick up a bitter edge, almost burnt smelling. Still soapy. Not for me.

In the imp -- a hint of dried leaves and apple with a dominant cough medicine note. I suspect this is the toothpaste/wintergreen note that others noticed. Wet -- oaky, with that medicine, slightly menthol, scent layered over apple. Drydown -- menthol/medicine still dominating, with a hint of the smoky autumn scents. The apple smells sweet and sort of artificial. The throw gives me a very pleasant sense of woodsmoke, which is attractive, but then up close it's medicinal. Dry -- The smoke/oak and medicine starts to dissipate, making it more strongly sweet apple, but though more pleasant, it loses its complexity. Not for me.

Imp -- yep, blackberry and heather. Slightly dusty, which is how I think of heather. Wet -- not much throw. I get that dusty note with the soft heather and bit of fruit. Gentle. Dry -- turning into soap on me. Nice classy rose soap. I can see the bar of it, it's round with embossed lettering and rose design on it. I'd wash with it, but I don't want to wear it. Swap.

In the imp -- vetiver and leather with a touch of floral Wet -- leather, smoky vetiver. No trace of flowers. Dry -- and thats all she wrote. Leather and vetiver, period. The leather is fairly soft and nice, my preferred sort of worn-in brown leather rather than the new, black, shiny, sort of plastic leather in Whip, but it's simply that and vetiver and no other notes. I know I amp leather, but this is insane. Reading the reviews, this one is particularly interesting to see how very different this oil is on different wearers. Seems much more variable than many.

In the mp -- green apple and rose, in that order. Wet -- rose and green apple, in THAT order. Not sure this is really granny smith apple, it may be the lemon combining with apple that gives that fresh sweet-tart impression. Very cheerful. Dry -- fresh and pretty but for fresh rose I like Two, Five & Seven more with the grass note adding freshness. The apple-lemon here just makes it smell like shampoo. Pretty shampoo, but still shampoo. I suppose I'll wear the imp though, on a day I want fruity clean freshness.

Imp -- grass and roses. I like grass and I like roses. Wet -- With the roses and the grass, now there is a touch of spicy chrysanthemum and cool lily. Dry -- Pure rose soap, like my grandmother's fancy soaps in her guest bathroom. Dammit, the lily did it to me again.

I'm of two minds with summer scents. Sometimes I want to feel cool and fresh, so I tend to go for grassy, light and refreshing fragrances, like Amsterdam or The Dormouse (I'm wearing 51 today, and it's working like that, as does Croquet). Other times I really want to get down and dirty with the summer and humidity -- these are the days I turn off the air conditioning and spend a lot of time outside. On those days I love something that smells sticky and earthy and spicy and warm -- have been wearing Pussy in those moods. Tropical scents (like Shango, which isn't really me, but others might enjoy it) also make me feel part of summer.

Imp -- juicy flowers, nothing specific Wet -- white and clean floral with a touch of rose. Almost like a nice fresh bar of Ivory soap. Dry down -- It's Ivory soap and nothing else. Dried to a faintly sweet creamy floral but mostly soap.

I loved this immediately, from my first whiff of the bottle. Bottle: tropical, pikake, orchid Wet: something fruity in the citrus range, with the tropical florals Dry: the citrus recedes, leaving the smell of a lei, or flowers on the bed of a honeymoon villa. The amber binds it nicely to the skin, giving it a lush warmth. Surprisingly longer lasting than I'd anticipated. Buying backups immediately.

In the imp -- faint florals with a touch of powder Wet -- powdery floral Dry -- mostly gardenia and white flowers, and very faint at that. No rose I can detect. Can do a lot better with other florals. Not for me. Lifespan of a gnat.

In the imp -- ginger ale. Like, real, fizzy ginger ale. Wet -- Malibu coconut rum. Drydown -- a big waft of bubbly ginger ale. Like others have noted, it's truly stunning how real and fizzy the impression of ginger ale is. Dry -- slightly coconutty (rummy?) ginger ale, now less fizzy. It reminds me of the Cream Soda flavored Dum-Dums lollipops. Not much orange detectable to me -- if it's there, it's Tropicana, not fresh. I can't see wearing this except maybe to a silly beach party with a tiki theme. Then it might be perfect.

In the imp -- lemon tea Wet -- lemonade iced tea Dry -- It's really very nice and I see why it's so popular. The aloe adds some clean greenness and the musk gives it all some body. Definitely my favorite of the lemony-light scents. My 9 year old son loves it, and not just because the name is so cool (he's obsessed with Ancient Egypt). Not sure how much I'd wear it, but I can see dabbing it around from time to time, maybe after a bath. Would make a delicious soap.

This was a frimp from the Lab. I wouldn't have ordered it because sometimes ylang ylang goes soapy on me and while I love sandalwood I sometimes amp the hell out of it to the exclusion of all else. Boy, am I glad I tested this, because it's lovely. In the imp -- sweet and delicately floral. But will there be Notes of Death? Wet -- lovely burst of pale flower and honeyed neroli, plus the soft warmth of the sandalwood just peeking out. Drydown -- staying very nice. Love the mixture of the hint of powdery dryness in the ylang ylang with the heady flowers and the creamy richness of the neroli. With sandalwood rounding it out, I get almost a Creamsicle scent. If I don't start amping sandalwood this will be a nice one to have, a good everyday floral scent that isn't too unassertive or too rich. Dry -- lovely. Lots of springy blossom florals, but grounded by the sandalwood, which I didn't amp. Decent lasting power considering it's a light floral. I could see wearing this a lot, it's easy. Definitely adding a bottle to my next order.

In the imp -- blossoms blossoms blossoms and something nose-tinglingly green. Wet -- fresh green apple, sweet blossoms, something green. Dry -- I get a prominent burst of green apple, which stays green and tangy, plus sweet floral. It smells like an orchard in spring There is something green and wet about it, but sunny and bright, as if after a rain. I'm not geting anything woody, which is odd as I tend to amp woods. If anything it's shampooy in a nice way. Verdict: nice and fresh, not a morpher. Probably not a bottle, but i'll enjoy the imp.

Imp -- narcissus and spice Wet -- really does smell like deep oblivion with the bone-dry narcissus and opium. It's rather tarry and noxious. I can't imagine wearing it. Dry -- it sweetens and spices up slightly, but stays essentially dank and dark. Before long it's giving me a headache. Will try to wash off but I suspect it will linger. It's a very punk anti-perfume perfume Smells like church catacombs. So not my style.

Imp -- yep, that's black leather. new black leather, like a jacket or a sex toy. there is some crushed rose back there too. Wet -- the roses are stronger than in the imp. But the leather is making them smell rubbery. Boo. Dry -- the throw of the rose is great, very rich and heady and red. But I hate the leather. It smells like a really cheap leather jacket from 14th Street or cruddy cheap sex toys. Makes the roses acrid and rubbery. Soon enough this was nauseating. Had to wash it off but it didn't go down easy. Oh well, another for the swaps.

A small, furry, sharp-toothed scent that will nuzzle you curiously in the black hours before dawn: dusty white sandalwood and orris root, dry coconut husk, creeping musk, and the residue of ceremonial incense. In the imp--something nutty with a touch of cologne, not very strong. Wet--warm nutty cologne. Drydown--the nuttiness is turning into bark or wood, still that cologne musk sharpness. I get wafts of coconut or cocoa butter, but up close there is that woodsy cologne scent that hits my nose sharply. Dry--this softens and blends into a coconutty warmth. A touch foodie and very cozy. My kids said "vanilla" and they all seemed to like it. Not sure it's really for me but worth testing again in colder months.

Imp and wet -- musky green fig with a cloying honeyed berry that smells somewhat artificial. There is a funky sort of vinegary note as well. Dry -- it smooths out and blends, loses that unpleasant vinegar edge and the ripe berries start to emerge. The other notes keep them from overtaking the scent so they hang out in the background giving a touch of fruitiness. The fig is green, not ripe and purple. I can't identify any specific berry, there is just a wash of berriness. It's a close to skin scent, less spicy than Pussy but is summery in the same way, makes me feel like I'm part of the musky sticky heat, not trying to stay cool in it. After a while I get a brief doughy note, that creates the impression of a fruit cobbler. Doesn't last very long overall. Might be a good candidate for slathering, if I can get through that early funky vinegary phase. We'll see how much use this gets--my kids like it so I might wear it.

I picked this one as part of my quest to find interesting new scents for my husband. In the imp -- can make out all the different notes (leather, lavender, tonka, lemon), all of which I love. Wet -- heavy on the lavender, one of my favorite smells of all time. This is the first Lab blend containing lavender that I've actually liked. Dry -- picking up more leather now, still getting lots of the lighter lemon and lavender. I'm not sensing much patchouli or tonka to hold those breezier notes down. This is more unisex than I'd expected, and is possibly too sweet for him and too masculine for me. I'll test again and try to test on him. It's a nice scent, we'll see if we end up using it or if it's destined for the swaps.

This was frimped by a kind forumite. Even though it's not my style from the description, I figured I'd give it a try, especially since I do love honeysuckle. In the imp and wet -- smoke and honeysuckle. Dry -- The sweet opium and the vetiver create a headache-inducing smoky sweetness that makes these death notes for me. I had to scrub it off, and it lingered a long time. Confirmed: black opium and vetiver are the kiss of death on me.

In the imp and wet -- A sweet, creamy nut, like hazelnut (or, i suppose, the acorn) with something cereal or grain-like adding texture Dry down -- Whiffs of almond blossom amplify the sweet nuttiness. I still get that cream of wheat sort of note, perhaps that's the hay and hemp. I was hoping for something drier on the hay note. Dry -- As the rice milk binds it all together, I get a strong suggestion of rice pudding. The sap is adding a bark-like, spicy note that makes me think of cinnamon bark, which enhances the rice pudding sensation. It's still nutty and very, very sweet. Almost cloying. This is what the elves would serve for dessert if you went to their place for dinner. It's a comforting sort of foodie sweetness, but the hay and the acorn and the hemp send it just a little off and I can't relax and just enjoy feeling enveloped by it. This sense of vegetal rice pudding lasts throughout, and it's a scent with tons of throw and lasts a long time. If I go to bed with it on, it's still there by morning. It's very tasty in an elemental way, but I dont think I want to wear it, so hopefully I can find it a good home.