Poenari

Initially, this is very reminiscent of October. In fact, it is almost identical on my skin. But after a while, the green leafinessand the maple sweeten this and mellow out the initial sharpness. This is very nice, but my decant will suffice.

At first scent, the woods are immediately followed by musk. At drydown, there is a cologne scent, and then soap. Fades very fast. Bummer.

Exactly as described, this is Dorian with a little added spice. On me it's primarily Dorian, which is not a bad thing. In fact, the pumpkin blends in so well that this version of Dorian has more staying power than the original- also a good thing. I like this a lot, but there are so many other Weenies on my bottle list, and this doesn't stray far enough from the original, that I think I can stick with my bottle of GC Dorian and cherish my decant.

Oh yeah, this is perfect! Sin with the added pumpkin... I love this even more than I expected to! I'm lucky that I can wear cinnamon without welts, and the pumpkin added to this hasn't caused any problems either. This reminds me of a less spicy Candied Pumpkin with more patchouli, or a toned down 2009 Pumpkin IV. It's not too over the top for me, and I need at least two bottles because this one is going to age beautifully. This year's pumpkin patch is one of the best ever!

Very dry grasses, and it definitely has a golden "feel" to it. I also detect the slightest hint of lemon, but nowhere near the Lemon Pledge scent that any touch of lemon usually turns to on me. This is the scent of a late September or lan October warm Indian summer spell. It's nice, not something I will usually wear, but I'm glad to have the decant.

 

edited for laptop fail

Dark pomegranate, sweetened by the myrrh and amber, and then a green note that makes it go sharp in my nose. I really loved this at first, but that green note ruined it for me.

Yes! This is dark, sinister, and I love it. Tobacco and black patchouli loud and clear, with that inky musk. This doesn't have any pine pitch listed, but it has that feel to it too. A little reminiscent of, though not the same as, my beloved Night Hag Visiting the Lapland Witches. If you liked that one, you will like this one. Getting a bottle for sure.

I agree with those who mentioned the Trading Post's Honey Pumpkin Stout bath oil. This is very similar to it, and I like my decant enough that I will definitely order a bottle to wear with my bath oil. I don't think it is actually a boozy scent, because the mead melds into the pumpkin and adds a new flavor to it. No pumpkin pie notes to this one. Very nicely done.

Thankfully, this is not pumpkin guts. It is a sweeter scent than I had expected, with only a hint of butter, not nearly as inyourface as the butter in Jack. I think the sweetness is actually coming from the beeswax. I "get" the impression of a candlelit jack-o-lantern, although thankfully there is none of the burning pumpkin flesh that turns me off from carving and lighting pumpkins myself. This is a very nice autumn scent, but it's not special enough for me to need more than my decant. However, I am glad that I tried it.

This is exactly what I had hoped it would be! Samhain is a scent that I long to love, but on my skin there is a medicinal note that overrides everything else in it. Adding the additional pumpkin (and I assume more spice) tones down that medicinal note into the wearable Halloween scent I have always wanted. I agree that this is more wearable, as a slightly toned down version of Samhain. This is absolutely perfect, and I'm so glad that I caved and bought two blind bottles while waiting for my decants to arrive. Since I know that Beth doesn't often like to repeat herself, I will probably order more bottles to keep a stash of this one on hand for a long time, as I'm also sure that it will age into even more perfection.

I remember seeing Beth's photo on FB of Lilith "wearing" that tarantula on her head and couldn't believe it. I can't get anywhere near a spider, and just tried not to look too closely because they squick me out so much. However, I also appreciate what a strong, brave little girl Lilith is, and when I read the notes, I decided that this would be my Lilith birthday scent for this year. I'm so glad I did.

 

This is a very long-lasting scent, which I love. I applied just a tiny amount to each wrist 4 hours ago, and can still detect it. I get a cocoa plum scent that is very sweet but not cloying, and while it is long-lasting it doesn't have huge throw. This reminds me a lot of a softer, gentler, less sexy Midnight Kiss, or a softer, gentler Centzon Totochtin minus the wine. If you like either of those scents and want something similar, then buy this fast before it is gone! I also think this is going to age into something even more beautiful.

I'm surprised to find that I never renewed this! Last year I couldn't afford backup bottles, and I just knew that I'd regret only having one bottle of this, and I was right. I knew I liked it fresh, but after a year, Third Charm has aged into an even more beautiful honeyed red musk blend. Interestingly enough, it reminds me a lot of Lust, even though there a many different notes between them, but I haven't worn Lust in a while, so I'm going to check my bottle and do a matchup with Third Charm. Wouldn't it be great if they ended up being close enough that I don't continue to feel bad about only having one bottle of Third Charm? Naw..... I should have gotten backups. It's just that good.

2012 vintage: this is so heavy on the tar, that it smells like burning tires to me. I don't get any sweetness from this at all. I've even tried layering it with other scents to sweeten it up, but the tar always comes blasting through. Too bad. But I had a decant of the earlier version that aged into something sweeter, so I'll just return this back into the box and see what happens in another year.

 

 

Thirteen (13) from February 2009 with the black label is what you want. Some refer to it as a navy label, but I recall somewhere that the Lab referred to it as black, so I'm going with that. Plus both of my bottles look more black than navy. Back to the ingredients, it's very heavy on the ginger and the chocolate, along with the brown sugar. It's the darkest, spiciest, heaviest Thirteen I've tried, not that I've tried that many, but most of mine are lighter.

 

It's fairly common to see it for sale on the forum, so shouldn't be too difficult to find.

 

Here's the review thread: http://www.bpal.org/...-february-2009/

 

I was able to get a bottle on the forum pretty quickly, and it just arrived today; this is incredibly close! For me, right now, it's just chocolate and lots of (non-cinnamon) spiciness, but i just slapped it on straight out of the shower. Delicious; thanks so much for the rec.

 

Good! Also, be sure to roll that one around before you apply it, to make sure that the chocolate gets well-mixed with the spices. Often the notes will separate in the bottle.

I adore the Lab's dragon's blood, so the only question for me in this was how Dragon's Blood "sedum" compares to Dragon's Blood "resin". Upon bottle sniff, ahh, there it is, the dragon's blood that I am familiar with, quickly followed by the tea. On skin, and I only lightly tested this instead of my usual slather, after the dragon's blood dries there is an almost green note- as if it was green tea rather than black tea. Hmmm... I don't understand this, but that green note is quickly subdued by the black tea. About 1/2 hour after application, this has mellowed into a soft blend of dragon's blood and red musk. I have a zillion red musk blends from the lab, and yes, I feel like it's in there somewhere. This is a very lovely scent and I think it will only get better with age.

 

 

edited because my laptop is stupid

Thirteen (13) from February 2009 with the black label is what you want. Some refer to it as a navy label, but I recall somewhere that the Lab referred to it as black, so I'm going with that. Plus both of my bottles look more black than navy. Back to the ingredients, it's very heavy on the ginger and the chocolate, along with the brown sugar. It's the darkest, spiciest, heaviest Thirteen I've tried, not that I've tried that many, but most of mine are lighter.

 

It's fairly common to see it for sale on the forum, so shouldn't be too difficult to find.

 

Here's the review thread: http://www.bpal.org/...-february-2009/

I'm reviewing this after wearing it for about 1/2 hour, after getting it straight from the mailbox. In the (warm from the mailbox) bottle, oh yes, this is dark purple incense and opium. On skin, I always amp opium poppy, and this is no exception. The incense and opium notes are fully present, and this just smells like a dark purple scent to me. The white musk worried me at first, because I usually don't care for white scents. No vetiver or cacao to be found at this point. I agree with Ondine's description of a Japanese incense. I'm glad I bought this, as it's nothing like any of my other scents.

OK, here we go. Sniffed from a warm bottle fresh out of the mailbox, oh yeah, this one will work. After letting it rest a while and barely applying a touch, I am still happy. Initially I can smell the leather, but then the cinnamon wafts in with the balsam. Reviewing about 1/2 hour after receiving and applying it, so as this mellows from the mailbox and ages a little, it will be even better.

 

I took a leap of faith on this one, because leather is not typically a note that I like. About the only beloved scent that I have with leather is Count Dracula, from the 2006 Halloween release. That shares two notes with Hatta: leather and cinnamon. Hatta is much less complicated. But guess what... I love this! It's funny how each reviewer so far has been able to come up with a comparison scent for reference. Mine is Count Dracula. Hatta is a very distant cousin, as it lacks the clove and so many of the other ingredients. But if you love CD, or have never been able to find a bottle, then get thee to the Century Guild website while Hatta is still available. You won't regret it.

I wonder how the Halloween 2013 labels look like

 

It's generally the same artwork as the picture by each bottle, if there is a picture by the bottle, example- the Lilith scents. So I also can't wait to see this year's labels. I think that the ones in the NEWC thread look like they are still prototype versions, or an unfinished version of what we might see.

 

Dark Pumpkin Mead

Frimp from the Lab: I have wanted to try this, and I was excited to see a frimp in my order. On skin, this is definitely a sweet, girly vanilla scent, with the amber and sandalwood tempering it. Unfortunately, the sweet pea really amps on me, takes over, and turns it into something that is way too floral for me. However, if that's your thing, you will love this. I also want to pass my imp along to my (adult) daughter, because I think this could finally be the scent that enables her.


edited for spelling fail

I'm baffled by the Pumpkin Patch......

 

Out of all those, Sin is the one I would want (I have enough Snake Oil and variations of it)......

 

But I think I'd rather just have plain ol' Sin without the pumpkin, to be honest!

 

At least I have some time to think about it......

 

 

Bolding mine. I always find it interesting how each of us comes to our decision-making about which scents to buy. I tend to order scents that are similar to those I know I love, so my LE box is filled with pumpkin-based scents. I will never have enough variations on Snake Oil, or anything that is heavy on the red musk either. Others like to spread their love around and try a little of this, a little of that.

 

I am determined to wait for my decant order to arrive before I order bottles, so I can be sure about a couple of them. But I know I want a bottle of Hellgate of Ireland so I didn't order a decant of it. I just scored a backup bottle of last year's Witch Dance in a swap. I think I read a comment from someone that this year's Weenies *round 1* is lacking red musk scents. I hope that round 2 brings us something with red musk. Third Charm, Mircalla, Lucy Kissed- I'm longing to find something in that vein(pun intended ) in the 2013 batch.

I recently ordered two bottles of Mircalla from the Lab's Etsy site since I adore it, and they arrived with different labels than my original 2009 release. The original has the red label with the woman dressed in red. The two Etsy bottles have an entirely different label. I tested them to be sure they were actually Mircalla, and they definitely are. I can't seem to resize properly, so if someone can fix the image if it's too large, please feel free. Here's a picture (sorry for my lousy phone camera skills). Original Lab purchase on left, 2013 Lab Etsy purchase on right.

 

Edited to add: I completely forgot that there were dual labels for this series!

 

I tried Jack today and I'm praying a Theme in Yellow is nothing like it. Jack was all fake buttered popcorn (like popcorn jelly beans) and Citronella...

 

The first time I tried Jack, all I got was the buttered popcorn smell too. It was so buttery it made me ill. I stuck the imp away and forgot about it so much that I didn't even think to be cautious the first time I ordered Halloween pumpkin scents. I finally remembered to try Jack a couple of years later, and the butter had faded and it had aged into something I could actually wear. But of all the pumpkin scents I've tried since then, and I have many, only one has been a huge disappointment, and that was The Shattered Pumpkin, from tthe Sleepy Hollows in 2008. It was just a watery pumpkin guts scent and I was so glad I only ordered a decant. (Typically I go straight to bottle purchases for my Halloweenies.) That pumpkin note is the only thing that will keep me from eventually ordering Theme in Yellow, if it smells like raw pumpkin guts with a candle burning inside. I just don't care for that smell.

 

The Pumpkin Lattes haven't worked for me, but that was because of the expresso, not the pumpkin.

 

My all-time favorite pumpkin patch is 2009's Pumpkin IV- Pumpkin, black musk, tobacco, myrrh, and clove. That one is just perfect, but I really like every single note that is in it. I really get a lot of compliments when I wear it.

 

This year, I really can't wait to try all of the Pumpkin Patch, except Alice. And I'm really keeping fingers crossed that adding moar pumpkin to Samhain is finally going to turn it into what I have always wished it was. I love it as a room spray but Samhain just turns medicinal on my skin. I really hope adding the pumpkin is going to take this over the top for me.

 

But all of the other pumpkin scents I've tried have been the warm, spicy kind of pumpkin. I can't wait to read reviews of Theme in Yellow and so many others in this update!

I rarely buy Thirteens (13) because I prefer the scents with fewer notes, but this one was an insta-buy when it was released, because I was married on an August Friday the 13th and my anniversary has rarely landed on a Friday since then. The next August Friday the 13th won't occur until 2021 (OMG that will be my 45th wedding anniverary!) So Beth's description of the notes could have said "includes cat pee" and I would have bought it anyway. I apparently forgot to review it although I have worn it on my anniversary every year since I received it. This is a pink chocolate scent, and it's very pretty. This doesn't have an intense or strong throw on my skin, and the chocolate isn't overpowering, so it's perfect to wear even on a hot August day, when other chocolate scents might turn rancid smelling on my skin in the August heat. I use this sparingly because it has to last me a long time.

I didn't realize that I had never reviewed this, so in honor of today being the 13th, I am wearing and reviewing February 2009's Thirteen (13). I have only purchased three 13's, and this was one that I immediately ordered two bottles of based on the notes. It's strong, very spicy and gingery, and very autumnal to me. I usually reserve this one for wearing in autumn and winter. Very strong throw and a little goes a long way, but I love it enough that I managed to polish off my first bottle a while ago and am on my second, even as sparingly as I wear it.

 

The blend of spices in this one does take prominence over the chocolate, but if you are looking for something that is very darkly spiced in a foody way, this is a beauty.