furygrrl

In the imp: Green sourness and white rose.

On wet: Herbal powder, something warm, and a twinge of sourness underneath it all.

Drydown: Very soapy powder on me - like a cross between some kind of amber and orchid (ick!). The white rose is especially bad (it *never* works on me, no matter how many chances I give it) - I think it's joined forces with whatever's powdery in an attempt to kill me. Perhaps that's the Reaper aspect of this blend? What's sad is that I can detect the *barest* hint of peppered cream from the carnation (perhaps some cool creaminess from the lily, too?) - if only I could get *that* smell as the primary aspect of this blend...

Overall: Powdered soap. Something sour. Evil white rose. Not enough yummy carnation. Sadness. 1/5

As a quick note, if this yearning ever comes to you on a crisp autumn night, there is absolutely no scent better than the fall-air-and-fires-in-the-distance Singing Moon. It is incomparably evocative and lovely.

I agree completely!

Other "evening-esque" scents (imo):

Yog-Sothoth - if diamond-bright stars against black velvet skies had a smell, this would be it

Black Moon - lush, water-dappled garden at midnight

Sleepy Moon - typical backyard at dusk, few florals, mostly planty-herbal smells, the day's warmth slowly giving way to evening's coolness

I usually just have to smell whatever it is my husband's wearing to get me frisky.

In particular:

Aureus

Galvanic Goggles (YUM!)

Antikythera Mechanism (OMFG! *so good*)

Men Ringing Bell with Penises (LE Salon).

Perhaps you can coerce your fiance to try out a few imps (if he hasn't already)?

For me, it's a toss up between Mme. Moriarty (my go-to, uber sexy favourite), Alice (cream/tea/rose), and Tushnamatay (candied sandalwood). Before I went off foodies, Eat Me was also part of the line up, heh.

Have fun playing!

In the imp: Uber leathery - that cherry-vanilla leather that I get from Quincey Morris. A touch of Snake Oil underneath.

On wet: Oooh - sweeeet Snake Oil! Extra sweet! Absolutely delicious.

Drydown: Back to mostly leather. It's sweet, though, and both the sandalwood and Snake Oil are apparent - not sure where the sage is, it's usually not very friendly with my chemistry. There's an almost smoky quality to this now, and it's *really* yummy. If the sage stays missing or quiet (whatever it's doing), I'll be extremely happy.

Overall: Lovely. This is dark and sweet and lightly smoked - it's also quite addictive. I can't stop sniffing myself! Totally brings to mind being pinned against the wall of some dark club by a pair of very masculine, leather-clad arms. ::fans self:: Oooh, yeah - I'm thinking I might need a bottle of this one. Freakin' HAWT! 4.5/5

In the imp: An almost candy-like sweetness and tea.

On wet: Fresh, sweet, faintly...lemon and/or anise-y?

Drydown: Wow, I can't get over how much muted lemon (pith?) I'm getting from this! I know tea can have a citrus-y vibe, but this goes far beyond a mere "vibe", my friend. The sweetness present is of the lighter, cooler variety - like white sugar that's been heated into a syrup and then chilled. It's pretty intense. The tea lives underneath that sugar-glazed lemon. It's a weak brew, but distinct when I press my nose against my skin. Not 100% sure what wasabi as a scent component should smell like, but I *am* picking up on a touch of heat where I applied the oil - it's making my skin tingle! No pain, no redness, nothing unpleasant - more like my wrist has been in the sun for a while.

Overall: Interesting blend - wearable, pretty, simple and complex at the same time - but, ultimately, not for me. I have Dorian and Severin to see to all my tea-scent needs. If sugared tea (with a wasabi-tingle!) is *your* thing, though, you will absolutely love this. 3.5/5

In the imp: Lightly sweet, herbal greens.

On wet: Lilac, green things touched with mint, a smidge of sugar

Drydown: Hmm...the lilac (or the rose?) has gone a bit powdery. The floral contingent is quite strong, and more prominent than the fresh, green base (which is slowly disappearing the longer I sniff), the lavender, or the currant (it's finally decided to make an appearance - yay!). After about 10 minutes, it's become this really interesting, multi-layered scent - it's still pretty floral around the edges, but almost warm and lightly spiced at the center. Reminds me of a complex, high-end perfume now - but a really, really nice one.

Overall: Not a usual scent for me - it's a bit too classy/perfumey for my taste - but it's lovely all the same. 3/5

In the imp: Sweet - almost creamy - wood. How odd!

On wet: Nothing beyond an indistinct, vaguely perfumey sweetness - weirder and weirder...

Drydown: Okay, I'm getting red musk, the richness of the vanilla - perhaps even a bit of the magnolia, which often registers as a creamy, vanillic floral my nose - and a hint (and I mean *hint*) of clove adding a touch of spiced heat to mix. Not sure if it's the mimosa or the iris (which I usually love), but something in here is *incredibly* sweet - like, painfully so. It seems to burn off a bit after a while, but wow, is it ever potent! When my wrist is safe to smell again, I'm left with clove-studded, vanilla-tinged, still-fairly-sweet red musk. It's really quite sexy! (The rose never made an appearance, in case you were wondering.)

Overall: Clove rarely plays nice on my skin, so it was kinda surprising to find it behaving in this blend. I'm thinking that it was the mimosa that went uber saccharine (I had a similar reaction to the mimosa-laced Marianne), so I'll likely be avoiding (or at least wary of) scents that contain it in the future. If it wasn't for the sweetness, I'd likely be going for a bottle of this one with the next update (I don't have anything with clove in it, so it'd be nice to finally get something that does), but as it stands now, I'm going to stick with my decant a bit longer, test it again, and see if it improves or my chemistry is more welcoming over the next couple of weeks. Currently, a 3.5/5.

CDLXVII - 467

In the bottle: Light caramel, possibly some kind of wood, a fruit - maybe apple - underneath.

On wet: Caramel-dipped fruits! (Plum? Apple? )

Drydown: PLUM! Lightly glazed with the most delectable caramel-tinged syrup. There's still a hint of incense/wood underneath, some musk (red?) - maybe even the tiniest smidge of patchouli. I smell incredible right now, and I can't *wait* to see how this scent ages!

Overall: I'm not a foody person *at all*, so I was a little scared when I opened this (extremely full!) bottle, and got a whiff of caramel. Thankfully, it's not only the lightest caramel I've ever smelled, but the plum/musk/woods are strong enough to keep this blend firmly out of the foody category. An amazingly warm, sweet, *sexy* scent - another winner!

CCCXCIX - 339

In the bottle: Fizzy grapefruit and...lilac?

On wet: Grapefruit or lemongrass, but it's almost powdery - reminds me of the pith. No other notes are coming through at this stage - it's like citrus SN!

Drydown: Oh wow, this is gorgeous. The grapefruit has backed off a bit, and is mingling with something so delicate and watery (not aquatic, just a cool, green, moistness) - I'm guessing it's aloe. I still think there's some lilac in here, too - it's soft and gentle, but riding the edge of the scent, giving it just enough creamy sweetness to round things out. That powdery vibe (which is almost gone now) has me wondering if an orchid snuck into the mix somewhere along the line...

Overall: This is a fantastic blend - very reminiscent of Whitechapel (which I )! I will definitely be keeping *and* wearing this scent - it's perfect for me!

In the imp: Sweet, misty violets...and something almost minty?

On wet: I hate saying this but...household cleaner! A *good* cleaner, mind - like method or one of the other enviro-friendly brands that makes pretty smelling stuff - but still, not what I was looking for. ::crosses fingers for a morph on the drydown::

Drydown: I'm still getting cleaner in the background (but I'm willing to admit that this may be because I'm actually sniffing around for lingering traces of it). On top is an almost effervescent perfumey-ness - very bright, very sweet, and almost kind of delicate. The words "sparkly" and "fresh" come to mind. The violets are alive and kicking, I'm still able to detect a whisper of mint, and nothing even remotely "boggy" has crashed the party yet.

Overall: Not as strongly violet as I'd hoped for, and a bit too aquatic/sweet for my taste, but definitely a nice scent. A good choice for warm weather, going to work, or hanging with friends - very wearable. 3/5

In the imp: Mmm...smells very similar to Mme. Moriarty! Sweet and musky and fruity.

On wet: A much higher-pitched sweetness than Moriarty - due to a lotus-y culprit, methinks.

Drydown: Sweet-sweet-sweeeeet! And kinda perfumey, too. The musky, fruity aspects of the blend are great - and even the usually-awful-orchid is behaving - but this uber sweetness (lotus *and* mimosa? Not familiar with the latter to know) just isn't working for me.

Overall: With only a scant few exceptions, BPAL's mega sweet stuff doesn't seem to jive with my chemistry, my nose, or my health (headaches! tummy aches! toothaches - seriously!). Marianne isn't making me queasy, thankfully, but I think wearing it in full force for most of the day, rather than just the wee test spot I've got going on right now, definitely would - it's just that heady and sweet. For anyone who wanted a kick of candy in their Moriarty, this scent's for you! 3/5

In the bottle: Mmm...sweet, sweet apple cider. It's that same Golden Delicious apple note I get from Harvest Moon 06 (even though it's red apple listed in both blends - to me, it's very golden).

On wet: Instant spice, a dash of wood, the smokiness of myrrh, peppery-creamy carnation, and something that makes me think of (oddly enough) fresh, cool water lingering around the edges.

Drydown: Spice - including that fantastic peppered cream of the carnation - is still the most prominent aspect of this blend. The subtle, sweet earthiness of fig is detectable, though, as are the occasional whiffs of those sparkling golden apples. The wood, myrrh, smoke, musk, and patch are all sticking close to my skin, and, depending on where my nose is at any given time, I get bits and bites of each to varying degrees - really lovely. No toasted almond to be found. I'm thinking it got buried under all the other smoky/woody stuff.

Overall: Another delightful autumn scent to add to my collection - like the love child of spicy-woody-smoky-dry Chrysanthemum Moon, and the spiced apple-patchouli goodness of Samhain (with a dash of happy-apple influence from cousin Harvest Moon 06). I'd have preferred a *wee* bit more fruit to contrast with all that spiced smoke, but that's a small thing against everything else I enjoyed about this blend. And who knows what will come with some age? I'm betting it'll be even more incredible next year! 4/5

Samhain 2005

In the bottle: Deliciously dark apples, spices, and an almost medicinal smokiness.

On wet: A mish-mash of notes trying to sort themselves out - though the damp, smoky forest and spices are definitely taking center stage at the moment.

Drydown: Spiced patchouli and a hint of warm apple one minute, a sliver of pine trees and distant bonfire the next. Not too foody, not too dark, not too spicy - it's simply the most perfect autumn evening, bottled for your pleasure.

Overall: Samhain 05 has the distinction of being my first - first bottle purchase in my first Lab order, and the first blend I ever fell in love with. It's aged beautifully, and is still one of the most evocative, glorious scents I've ever experienced in my life (next to my other memory-stirring beloved, Sleepy Moon). Whenever I need a bit of autumn-come-early, or I'm feeling down, a little dab of this makes me feel like all's right with the world - especially since it's connected to the many incredible autumnal memories I've made over the past couple of years (like my October wedding and the anniversaries that followed. ).

An easy 5/5, with extra gold stars for good measure. Absolute perfection.

In the bottle: Sharply green - like fresh cut green peppers - and an undercurrent of faintly sweet, masculine cologne.

On wet: Sweet green peppers and light cologne at first, but pressing my nose in close reveals that almost bitter smell that comes from newly fallen, turned - but not crunchy - autumn leaves.

Drydown: Very traditional cologne on me. There's a lightly sweet, aquatic-like freshness on top of an equally sweet, glowing base, and every now and then, I get that bitter leaf smell riding in between the two.

Overall: This scent wasn't much of a morpher on me, and didn't really deviate from the cologne-y vibe that carried on throughout. I really enjoyed the initial green pepper stage - it was *so* realistic to my nose, so crisp and juicy! - but it got lost towards the end. If that green freshness had stuck around, this puppy might've been something for me to wear regularly (I have no fear of "masculine" blends), but it didn't, and it works better on the Husband anyway, so I'll leave my favourite month's namesake to him. 3/5

In the imp: Rich n' fruity, sweet and dark - YUM!

On wet: Very sweet - almost a "high-pitched" sweetness, for lack of a better description. The fruit is kinda hanging in the background, as is something vaguely peanut-patchouli and...something else I can't quite identify - maybe the Siamese benzoin? Maybe the mahogany? Hmm...not sure. Whatever it is, it's coming across as almost...fuzzy? Weird!

Drydown: Still so incredibly sweet - like candied fruit syrup's been poured over my arm. There's a tinge of sourness every now and then - perhaps from the pomegranate? It usually doesn't like me, so that's my guess. Could be the raspberry, too - I've only ever experienced it in Akuma (not a winner on me, sadly), so I'm not that familiar with how it might play with my skin chemistry. The patch/frank/benzoin/wood are just kinda letting those crazy-sweet fruity notes go wild while they cling close to my wrist. Sniffing up close is a bit overwhelming for my nose (yes, it's that sweet and busy), but waving my arm around *in front* of my nose, letting the scent sorta drift together in distant harmony - wow. WOW. Just gorgeous.

Overall: If you haven't already guessed, this is a *seriously* uber sweet blend (according to my sniffer), and not a scent to be slathered willy-nilly! It's a beauty, true - but a *potent* beauty. Very reminiscent of my favourite, Ms. Moriarty, and full of plummy goodness, so will likely be snagging a bottle before CD's departure. Mmm...can't wait to smell her after she's aged for a few months. 4/5

Wanton. On my skin, it's like someone's rubbed in a teeny, grounding bit of sandalwood and patchouli, and tons of sweet, sweet rose petals - then gone the extra mile by pouring glistening, sugary syrup on top. It's lickable, uber sweet, candied sex-in-a-bottle.

Xiuhtecuhtli. Oranges boiled into the sweetest of syrups, then drizzled over heady jungle blooms. Gorgeous and glowing and slinky-sweet.

Yemaya. More fruit than floral, but if you're looking for sugar, you might want to check this one out. Take the sweetest, juiciest melon you can find, hollow out its seed-speckled center, and replace with as much glittery white sugar as it'll hold - *that's* Yemaya. It was SO saccharine on me, it actually made my teeth ache every time I sniffed it!

Shango. Again with the fruit, but only because this was another sugar overdose on me - like Froot Loops on liquid sugar-crack.

Midnight on the Midway. A jumble of mysterious florals dusted with pink sugar and a shot of metal? Ozone? Something that makes the scent "hum" on your skin - an interesting blend!

If you're in the mood to track down a few LE decants, I'd also rec:

Budding Moon - candied plum blossoms

Hungry Ghost Moon - pink, gingery, effervescent candy!

Cheshire Moon - another "pink" candied blossom scent

Sugar Skull - dark florals (never got any fruit from this) and thick, caramelized sugar

In the imp: Sweet, almost soapy clean musk, vanilla - very much like Dorian.

On wet: Dorian, but with a much more aggressive undertone. Maybe the jasmine? The fougere? Hmm...

Drydown: Still registering as a more butch Dorian, and I'm pretty sure it's the jasmine giving it that dark, floral edge. It's more perfumey than Dorian, and, oddly enough, kinda...smoky? Something smells burnt - weird! I have no idea what that is!

Overall: I really liked the opening stages of Theodosius - I love the Dorian-esque feel, and I love scents with white musk and tea - but the drydown was very, very strange! I was expecting creamy, musky, gorgeousness, and I get burnt, somewhat powdery florals instead. Such a shame. 2/5

In the imp: Sweet fruit - like apricot (or in this case, nectarine) syrup.

On wet: Citrus. Lovely, fresh, lightly sugared citrus.

Drydown: Kinda perfumey. The citrus and nectarine sweetness have sort of merged into the other notes, none of which are very distinct to my nose. And I'm picking up on something "off" - like powdery carpet cleaner underneath everything else. Not sure, but I'm betting it's the sage (it doesn't like me usually). If I really inhale and mash my nose to my wrist, I get really delicious whiffs of musk and patchouli - too bad neither are very prominent.

Overall: Not quite what I was looking for - more delectable nectarine, that is. Croquet starts off promising, but the perfumey drydown - complete with sage hate (or whatever that dusty cleaner vibe was) isn't really my thing. I'll stick with my Ebisu, thanks. 2.5.5

I have to throw in with the Rosalind, Passionate Shepherd, 2-5-7 (Rose Red, too), and Squirting Cuke crowd.

Rosalind is one of the best dew-covered grass n' delicately sweet floral blends I've ever come across. I didn't think I even *liked* - let alone could *wear* - a scent comprised of such wet/grassy/flowery elements, but Rosalind showed me the way. It's just lovely.

Passionate Shepherd to his Love is another wet grass/clover + fleurs concoction. The heather and tea rose sweeten all that cool greenery up, while the carnation lends itself to a warm, lightly spiced drydown. Gorgeous blend.

Two, Five, Seven and Rose Red make me smell like I've rolled down a hill of freshly mown grass and scattered rose petals.

Squirting Cucumber is fresh and cool and sweet and green. It's not floral, per se, but it *does* have an almost nectar-esque quality to it that balances well with all that "green-ness". Worth trying out, at any rate.

In the imp: A damp basement full of beets and grassy-herbal things.

On wet: Wet, mineral-y, a touch of something sweet, and a dry grass/vaguely spicy note. So very complex!

Drydown: The dampness has faded, the beets have been shipped to market, and the spicy, honeyed herbals have risen up. Mmm...wow, so much better. *huff-sniff-snort* Mmm! I'm also picking up on the slightest hint of warm fruit! Delicious!

Overall: This is utterly fantastic on the drydown. I wasn't expecting much from this after the initial sniffy test (beets!!!), but WOW, does it ever morph into something glorious. I already have the shirt (the design blew me away), and now I might just have to hunt down a bottle. Such a pleasant surprise, and an easy 4/5.

In the imp: Effervescent - like Sprite! Immediately puts me in mind of Talvikuu.

On wet: That fizzy soda yum is still prominent, and there's something almost creamy underneath.

Drydown: Pine-Sprite Creamsicle - and I'm getting the faintest, *faintest* whiff of something sour every now and then. Not sure where that's coming from...

Overall: Not a bad blend (aside from that weird mystery sourness), but when it comes to snowy/piney/slushy scents, my nose belongs to Talvikuu and The Snow Storm. 2.5/5

In the imp: Something fruity sweet, a smidge of mint, and watery pine.

On wet: Sweet pine and frosty mint!

Drydown: It's gone totally floral with a musk base. The moonflower is prominent, along with something high-pitched and creamy sweet - I'm thinking it's the cereus (which I have no experience with *at all*), though if I had to guess, I'd have said it was jasmine. The blue musk is sparkly and effervescent. The mint and frost/pine notes are MIA, and I haven't sniffed any thyme yet, either.

Overall: Classy and floral-sweet, very upscale and pretty. It's not a scent I see myself reaching for very often, but if I had somewhere elegant to go - a wedding, a fancy evening out with my husband, the theatre, etc. - LNM would be a great choice. Lovely! 3/5

I want some MORE CARAMEL... I've got and love my Red Lantern, what else should I look for? Is the Salon scent (arrival at the sabbath and homage to the devil) very caramel-y?

Chiming in to say yes - Arrival at the Sabbath is a darkly delicious caramel scent. I actually don't like overly foody, overly sugar-sweet blends, but this one is such an evil, sophisticated caramel, that I can't help but enjoy it.

I'll also second the recs for Tiresias (another elegant caramel creation), and Sugar Skull (heavy caramel/burnt sugar with a hint of florals).

Drink Me and Grog are more butter toffee than caramel, but worth checking out.

Gluttony has caramel in it, but it was also heavy on the hazelnut when I tried it - intensely foody.

MB: Ventriloquist Dummy is like caramel-smeared wood.

Creepy (strong caramel-apple-coconut) and Midway (pink, watery, soft caramel on me) are harder to find, but would likely be right up your alley.

In the bottle: Sweet, fresh, water-dappled NECTARINES!

On wet: Ohhh...so good. *huffs wrist* Nectarine, oakmoss, skin musk - each note is coming through loud and clear - and they're *wonderful*!

Drydown: Wow, this is fantastic stuff. Such a clean, fresh scent - like fruit juice -infused raindrops. And the musk is so unobtrusive, clinging to my skin, letting that wonderful fruit-water take center stage like a hovering cloud of pure deliciousness. Long-lasting and nothing but gorgeous.

Overall: What can I say but ? I've been searching for a really good nectarine blend, but they're few and far between - most are too perfumey, or the other notes smother the delicate fruity goodness. Ebisu is what I've been looking for, and it's also one of the most *perfect* summer scents I've ever come across, too. Lightly sweet, SO incredibly fresh, both airy *and* watery, and just enough musk to ground everything. Perfection. 5/5

In the imp: Buttery cake note (similar to Eat Me), and a touch of grapefruit.

On wet: Sweet, tangy grapefruit and...is that what guava smells like? Yum!

Drydown: If pink and yellow were scents, that's what I'd be smelling right now. Cherry blossom's edged out the fruit and taken over as the big star, all soft and pink and sweet like sugar water. There's a touch of something on the sidelines, though - just the barest hint of what I'm thinking is the grapefruit. It's muted - more like what I'd imagine the pith to smell like - less intense, softer, but retaining that grapefruity sharpness/bitterness.

Overall: Definitely a fun, girly scent that could be worn for any occasion. The original cake vibe never manifested on me (thankfully!), so a straight-up blend of sunny pinkness (sweet fruit and even sweeter cherry blossom) was what wafted around me most of the afternoon. Delightful! 4/5