karihan

Freaking YUM.

 

Seriously, this is a delectable scent. Sweet? Yes. Foody? OMG YES. And yet Yule Cookies smells like a very different take on the fall-winter-holiday baked-goods scents that the Lab does so well. The caraway and citrus notes lend a little freshness and an old-fashioned feel to all the sugar and spice, and the tea keeps the sweetness from going overboard.

 

I've been a cookie-baking fiend this holiday season, and my biggest triumph was a batch of turbinado-sugar-topped gingersnaps with lemon cream filling. This scent brings to mind relaxing with two of those cookies and a cup of my favorite chai while inhaling all the delightful odors of my baking spree. Beautifully balanced, utterly delicious, Yule Cookies will sorely test my resolve not to buy backup bottles.

Alas, I am going to have to accept that the snow note in the Snowballs just hates my skin, no matter how lovely the other notes should be. Plum, currant, cardamom, I am so there! And yet, the snowball morphs into a eucalyptic monster and beats all the yummy fruit and spice into near-nonexistance.

We have an unabashedly foody scent here, but a delicious one, I must say! In the bottle, I get sugary sweetness, warm spices, and a hint of booziness that says rum extract to me, rather than full-on rum itself. I can smell the yummy sweetroll-like breadiness, but it's a supporting player. Once on my skin, a delightful creamy-custardy note reminds me that this is bread pudding, not sweet bread. I had to remind myself not to lick my wrist.

 

And yes, I do get the maple note that others have mentioned. This was confirmed by the students in the geometry class I subbed for today: "I smell cinnamon pancakes!" "Who's been eating waffles in here? The smell's making me hungry!" "Oh yum, what smells like syrup?" Since kids were making these comments from all the way across the room, I can only conclude that Dread Puddings has some serious throw going on. It lasted for most of the day too.

 

Final conclusion: This dread bread pudding is luscious, warm, comfort-food love.

The impression I got from my first sniff of the bottle was a fruity fizziness (ozone?) and a luminous quality that brings to mind 51 or Enchanted Wood Florist without smelling like either. I will hazard a few probably incorrect guesses about the fruits: pomegranate, berry of some sort, and something indefinably citrusy, possibly kumquat? I also detect something lightly floral that to my nose seems very similar to whatever floral notes go into Night-Gaunt.

 

Altogether a very intriguing scent ... in the bottle. Alas, Globules turns aloe-y as it dries down, or at least something that's a dead ringer for the way aloe amps on my skin. Sorry Globules, you need someone with kinder skin chemistry than mine.

I went through quite the internal debate before buying a bottle of ToL. It went something like this:

 

"Ooooo, honey! Hydromel! And hemlock is a green note I actually love!"

 

"Whoa back, are you forgetting all the horrors that red wine notes have perpetuated on your skin? The cherry Vick's Vap-O-Rub, the sour grapes, the sharp blast of cheap alcohol?"

 

"But, but but but red musk! BPAL's red musk is wonderful!"

 

"What about the red rose? You know you amp that like nobody's business. And do you even know what aconite or gall smell like?"

 

"Well, no, but ... ambergris?"

 

"Hmm. Maybe."

 

Well, I did buy a bottle, and ToL is *A*M*A*Z*I*N*G* on me. Not the kind of amazing where just the notes I love predominate, but the kind where even the notes I normally loathe smell fantastic, and make the notes I love smell even better! The red wine wafts the bouquet from a mellow, well-aged glass, and the rose smells lush and inviting while still allowing all the other notes to do their thing. I'm still not sure what aconite or gall smell like, but add in the rich sweetness of the honey, the soft green of the hemlock, and the sweet, animalic sexiness of the red musk and ambergris, and the result is

 

ToL has some nice throw to it as well, and lasts for hours. I may have to snag a back-up bottle, which I almost never do anymore.

I was a bit worried when this first hit my skin, because I had to jam my nose right up to my skin to get even a whiff of its pumpkiny goodness. I was about to write poor Pumpkin V off as one of those blends my skin eats in no time flat, but about ten minutes later something yummy wafted up from my wrist and I took another sniff. I was instantly reminded of an amazing pumpkin creme brulee I had years ago. No spice overload for me, just sweet, pumpkiny, creamy deliciousness, lightly spiced. Well worth the wait!

Nooooo, no no no NO, Ghost House. On my skin you are the All Moss All the Time Show. If I wanted that, I'd have bought the Spanish Moss SN. Time to wash you off and find you someone whose skin chemistry will treat you better!

Peony, carnation and freesia are three of my favorite floral notes, and peach has always done lovely things with my skin chemistry, so I went hunting an event fairy. The gracious tuesdaynexxt on LJ offered to pick up a bottle for me!

 

In bottle: Hello florals! Spicy carnation, creamy peony and cool freesia all make themselves known. I can just detect the peach adding some sweet and tart to the proceedings. The amber and woods are barely a hint, if that. Something smells ever so slightly off, not bad, just ... indefinably odd. I'm not sure what's doing that.

 

On skin: Oh. MY. The oddness starts to fade right after application, and the scent blooms beautifully. The florals still predominate, but the peach and woods come out of hiding. I can't quite pick out the amber, though it may be adding to the sweetness and depth.

 

Drydown: I agree with everyone above who called this both an elegant and a sexy scent. Utterly feminine blossoms and fruity-sweet peach, with just enough wood and amber to deepen the blend and keep it from becoming frivolous (not that there's anything wrong with frivolity, mind you. ). Just lovely all around.

 

Conclusion: KEEPER OH YEZ. I would wear this to impress, I would wear this to entice. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, and thanks again to my NYCC fairy!

Yes, yes, YES! Mango, pumpkin and chai, three notes that my skin loves, together in one perfume!

 

In bottle: At first sniff, this blend said "baked goods!" to me. Sweet-spicy pumpkin cake, to be precise. With a few more sniffs, that impression faded a bit; probably the spice-milk combination triggered it.

 

On wet: Soon after it hit my skin, the resemblance to cake vanished as the mango and tea came out to play with the pumpkin, milk and spices. I had actually expected the mango to dominate a bit more, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it blends with the pumpkin, lending a delicately tangy sweetness to the proceedings. Gunpowder tea is a green tea, according to wiki, and the note is far more subtle and soft than other tea notes I've worn. I can tell it's there, but it doesn't step out and claim center stage.

 

Drydown: This one doesn't morph much, which is fine with me. Every so often I get a stronger whiff of the spices, but most of the time it stays well-balanced, without any notes bullying the others into submission.

 

Verdict: Definite keeper! On my skin, this is everything I wanted Pumpkin Latte to be and a bit more. Delicious!

I finally got my hands on an imp of this, and it is LOVE. From imp to drydown, it remains a lovely rich honey blended with deliciously tart, fresh berries. The Lab's blackberry note usually does nasty things on my skin, but either the honey makes it behave or this isn't just blackberry. I get the faintest hints of greenery and spice as well, but nothing interrupts the dance of honey and berries. Delicious. A bottle buy for sure!

 

ETA: Just wanted to add that Redoul Honey has good throw and lasts like nobody's business. I tested it early afternoon yesterday, and when I woke up this morning I could still catch whiffs of it on my wrist.

 

ETA THE SECOND: Welp, I can now confirm that there must be blackberry in this, because after several months of deliciousness, the tart berry note stabbed me in the back and turned to cat pee. Time to rehome, woe!

When Beth described The Orchard as "Rose hips and rose thorns, tulip petals, wild plum, and bittersweet chocolate," I knew I had to try it. Rose hip is one of my all-time favorite notes that I just don't see used often enough, and the other notes sounded lovely too. The minute I sniffed my bottle, I knew I'd made the right call.

 

This one didn't morph much between bottle and drydown. The rosy tang of the rose hips and the sweeter plum meld beautifully with the dark chocolate, much as the pomegranate and chocolate blend in The Spanish Dance. The result is eminently wearable, sweet without being strongly foody, deep and dark without being heavy, and just a bit playful and sexy. The tulip petals provide a wispy floral hint, taking the scent further out of the foody realm. I wonder if the "rose thorns" might actually be a drop of rosewood or something similar, because I think I might detect a touch of wood behind it all. It stays very much in the background though, so I'm not sure.

 

I can only come up with one negative about this gorgeous scent: I wish it had more throw. The Orchard sticks very close to my skin, much more so than The Spanish Dance. It would be lovely if it was a bit more assertive, but that's a pretty minor quibble given how much I enjoy this scent.

White chocolate is one of those either/or notes for me; it's either creamy and delicious or plasticky and yuck, no middle ground. Between that worry and the fact that past 13 blends have been dusty-sharp-medicinal-herbal disappointments, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best when I got my bottle.

 

In the bottle and wet on my skin, I smell a really pretty, complex blend of flowers with sweet creaminess in the background. The flower notes are fresh and bright, not loud, soapy or powdery. I get a hint of green, but only a hint.

 

Dry, this one doesn't morph much. The white chocolate and honey intensify, but never to the point of taking over from the floral bouquet. Until I smelled this, I would never have believed that you could have that many floral notes playing this nicely with each other! I can pick out a few of them, particularly the carnation, tiare and peony, but nothing overwhelms anything else.

 

Final verdict: This is wonderfully balanced and unique on me. Finally, a 13 for me to love!

Source: Lab-fresh imp

 

On wet: A combination of soft rose and ... dill pickle potato chips?!

 

Drydown: Okay, the sour and saltiness goes away quickly, thank goodness! What I'm left with is that same soft rose, some gentle musk and baby powder. Orris often goes baby-powdery on me, so no surprise there. Alas, I can't detect the coconut! I'm afraid this is for the swaps.

I wish, I wish I was one of the people who get tons of fruit from Akuma, but alas, I smell a bare trace of fruit with neroli in the forefront. A very sharp, darkly elegant neroli, but not what I hoped for. The blood orange and raspberry come out a slight bit more after about half an hour of wear, right before the scent fades to the point where I can barely smell it. Off to swaps with this one!

Someone was kind enough to frimp me a decant of this, and I knew right away I'd have to get a bottle!

 

In vial: Fresh, soft musk with a tinge of fruity floral in the background.

 

On wet: Much the same. I don't get the sharp note that other reviewers have mentioned; this is very fresh and clean.

 

Drydown: I smell like I'm fresh from a shower that included a fruit-and-floral-scented body wash. No soapiness, but just a hint of the juicy scent is left to tinge the gently sexy skin musk. Moderate throw, and it lingers for hours too.

 

Conclusion: Neutral is definitely bottle-worthy for me, and I'll layer it with more than just the other RPG scents, I'm sure!

Source: decant from ralenth's circle.

 

ALAS BLACKBERRY, WHY DO YOU GIVE ME ISSUES. I can wear jammy blackberries, a la Blackberry Jam and Scones, and the blackberry wine note in Mabon is lovely. But straightforward blackberry turns to something distinctly like cat pee on me. Ah well, at least it's just a decant. *places in swaps pile*

I had high hopes for Blue Morpho, especially when I sniffed the bottle and smelled a cool, beautiful floral blend, heavy on the pikake and honeysuckle. As it dried on my skin, though, a slightly sour funk showed up behind all the pretty blossoms, just strong enough to put me off. I think I may have to accept that geranium is one of my risky notes, alas!

Oh my. YUM. That's what went through my mind when I first sniffed this on my skin. As with many of the other reviewers, I get mainly warm, luscious shortbread and creamy white chocolate, with just enough delicious dark chocolate to give the scent depth. The tang of the cranberries and the hint of mint (and thank goodness it's just a hint; I normally amp mint) add interest and round the blend out nicely. I've already snagged a 2oz decant of this, and if the Trading Post is kind enough to bring this back next Yule season (ohpleeeeeeze?) I will definitely grab at least one bottle!

Source: Bottle from the Lab.

 

In bottle: Zingy-sweet mango and earthy fig. Oh YUM.

 

On wet: Still deliciously sweet and earthy, and now I can smell that part of the tang is coming from the crushed tomato note. The tomatoes add a lovely brightness, but if someone smelled this without knowing the notes, I doubt they'd spot them for what they are.

 

Drydown: Oh yes, there's a dab of that sexiness that red musk does so well! It marries well with the fruits and doesn't overpower them. Wow, I'm really liking this!

 

Conclusion: I really had no idea what to expect from Ushi, but I'm so glad I was intrigued enough to buy a bottle. This is really luscious and unique, with a confident kind of charm to it. Keeping this one!

Source: Straight from the lab bottle.

 

In bottle: WHOA, hello there rice wine and sandalwood! Yeah, that's definitely sake there. A bit worrisome, as I'm hoping for more vanilla and musk, but onward!

 

On wet: Not ... a whole lot of anything? I can pick up a whiff of the sake, and bare traces of the other notes if I practically mash my nose to the spot, but I'm really not getting much.

 

Drydown: Well, it doesn't get any weaker, but it doesn't get any stronger either. A barely-there skin musk with a slight tang of sake. Bizarre!

 

Conclusion: My skin has been known to eat scents, but it usually doesn't do so instantaneously! Ah well, LtO. I'll give you one more try before a final decision, but I think you're in need of another home.

In the bottle: Light coconut is all I'm getting. Maybe a hint of the anise.

 

On wet: Oooh, there you are! Sweet coconut and warm hazelnut, given a bit of depth from the anise.

 

Drydown: I don't think I've ever tried white amber before, but it doesn't go at all powdery on me, which other ambers do at least a little. It's keeping this sweet, delicate scent from going all foody, but it's not announcing itself loudly. This is still mostly the coconut's show, with the hazelnut and anise supporting.

 

Conclusion: Very pretty! Don't be scared off by the foody notes, non-foody people. I get something very delicate and unique from Harigata II, not anything that makes me want to gnaw my arm off. I'll need another test or two to decide if it's really me, but I'm glad I tried it.

So, so many notes that I love in this one! Here's hoping the anemone, spider lily and hydrangea work well on me too.

 

In bottle: Strawberries (ichigo), white florals and a soft Asian wood.

 

On wet: Mmm, the apricot and plum blossoms take center stage first, along with the peony. The strawberry is present, though not as much as I was expecting. It adds another dimension of sweetness to the fruit blossoms, and a little extra fruity zing. The honeysuckle also makes itself known in the sweetness department. The other florals and the lunar oils are much more demure, hanging back a bit. I don't smell the wood much, though it may be grounding and rounding things out so this doesn't just scream FLORAL.

 

Drydown: Oh my, everything is beautifully blended here! A melange of flowers, sweetened by the strawberry and honeysuckle, with that delicate wood note keeping the whole from becoming too froo-froo. I can't specifically pick out the lunar oils at this stage, but I suspect they're adding to the fresh sparkle entrancing my nose.

 

Conclusion: SOOOOOO LOVELY! I am rarely disappointed with Beth's Asian-inspired blends, and this one is elegant, feminine and just so gorgeous. Keeper for sure!

Ack! I love so many of BPALs chocolate scents, but the bacon note in this one turns to harsh smoke on my skin and overwhelms everything else. Definitely not to be, alas. Off to swaps with you, smoky fiend!

Oh. My. WORD. This is gorgeous.

 

In bottle and on wet: Sweet, freshly-picked strawberries take the forefront, with light touches of musky floral from the orchids, a citrus hint from the bergamot and the vanilla adding a creamy undercurrent.

 

Drydown: The strawberries retreat just a little, allowing the sandalwood to ground the scent and the honey to sweeten it just a bit. Still not what I'd call an overly foody scent, even with the vanilla. The florals still announce their presence delicately.

 

Conclusions: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This is one of Beth's incredibly well-balanced creations, with all the notes playing nicely with each other. The strawberry takes center stage, but it lets the other notes shine as well. Delicious without being outrageously foody, a little sexy and very, very feminine.

In bottle: Strong, slightly dry vanilla with a little edge from the saffron.

 

On wet: Yes, this does call to mind both Antique Lace and Love's Philosophy, but the vanilla orchid gives it a white floral tinge that makes this it's own scent. The saffron gives this a bit of spark that keeps it from being cloying.

 

Drydown: Still very vanilla, but now the orris comes out more. I'm pretty sure that's what's turning the scent a little powdery. Not drastically though.

 

Conclusion: I'm still a little on the fence about Celeste. Very pretty scent overall, and I do like having the Antique Lace vanilla without the cotton/linen/fabric kind of note that always amps on me. I like the combination of sweetness and elegance with a subtle hint of sexiness, but that orris powder note at the end keeps me from falling for Celeste wholeheartedly. Of course she could be suffering from comparison with Kitty on my other wrist, over which I am , so I'll let her settle for a while and give her another try later.