doomsday_disco

In the decant: Dates, cream, and spices (not cinnamon, though)! Wet: I’m getting the same notes on my skin, but the cream is more prominent than the dates on me. The spices are very light at first, but they seem to be getting stronger as the scent sits on my skin. I think there may be a ginger note in this, and possibly some turmeric, as zee_zee mentioned, but I can’t say for sure. But I will say that I’m enjoying this more than I thought I would! Dry: This is a really creamy, comforting scent. The spices continue to be light, but the fig and date notes are a little more noticeable now. I’m pleasantly surprised that the fig hasn’t taken over and that it hasn’t turned waxy on me. Verdict: This is lovely. I am not sure that I would reach for it enough to warrant getting a bottle (I’ll have to give it a full day’s wear and see if I still feel that way before the Liliths come down), but if I don’t end up buying a bottle, I’ll definitely cherish my decant.

In the decant: Whoa, that’s a very realistic, just-bitten-into honeycrisp apple! Wet: Same! And it’s so real you can envision the texture of the inside of the just-bitten-into apple when you smell it! Dry: The honeycrisp apple remains the star of the show, but now the sugared milk has emerged, and I agree that it smells like leftover cereal milk! The cereal milk note becomes more prominent after a few hours and is mingling with what is now a much softer apple note. Lovely! Verdict: This was a contender for a bottle purchase, but I went for a decant because I thought it might be too much like Apple I. Well, the apple in this is stronger than the apple in Apple I on me, and the milk note is different, because it’s leftover cereal milk and not goat’s milk. I am really happy with this and will definitely be hanging on to my decant. I am going to give it a full-day test to decide if I need more of it.

In the decant: Pink grapefruit, honey, sparkling apple cider, and a hint of a floral note. Wet: I get the pink grapefruit, the sparkling apple cider, and I think that the previous reviewers might be right about plumeria, as there’s a honeyed floral present that makes me think of C%^T from SDCC. This is definitely a pink scent. The grapefruit and sparkling cider started out being the most prominent notes, but the honeyed plumeria just keeps getting stronger over time. Dry: Alas, the honeyed plumeria took over. I get some of the sparkling apple cider behind it, which ends up losing its effervescence after a while, and just a hint of the pink grapefruit in the background. Verdict: I almost bought a blind bottle of this, but I am glad that I went the decant route instead. I was here for the grapefruit, but this ended up being mostly a honeyed floral scent on me. I don’t dislike it… it’s just not what I was hoping for.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! At the time, I had not looked up the notes, and I just remembered thinking it was a cemetery scent. I remember being interested in it when it went live, but I skipped it. Now I see why: the blood note and the scorched descriptor. Midian Unmade was actually my favorite of the three scents I tried at Dark Delicacies yesterday. At first, I got a blast of dirt, but there was something sweet beneath it. I just kept thinking that this was sweeter than I was expecting and that it was a really nice dirt scent. I did not get the cypress from it (but I was wandering around in the heat, so I wasn't paying attention like I would when I review scents at home), and I certainly didn't get a scorched vibe from it. After several hours of wear, I just kept thinking... dirt and cinnamon! The cinnamon was a light variety and must have been from the blood musk. I am happy to report that I did not get any red musk from this. So don't let the blood musk or scorched descriptions scare you away! I did not get a bottle because I have a slew of dirt scents that I don't reach for often enough, buuuut I may end up caving and ordering it at some point with the release of a future Lace scent.

I got to try this one at Dark Delicacies yesterday! I applied a drop to my arm and then walked around Magnolia Park some more, so this isn't the most detailed review as I was walking around in the heat and just sniffing my arm occasionally. Plum isn't really my thing, so I didn't order a bottle of this when it went live, and I didn't end up grabbing one at the store either. But I do want to say that, even though I'm averse to plum, this wasn't as intense on the plum as I expected. This is not a cloying variety of plum, so while the plum remained the dominant note at all times, I never felt like I was in an irksome cloud of it. The plum and cognac were strongest notes on me at first, and then I got some of the Lace vanilla and tobacco, and then the oudh came into play after a few hours, making it a resinous plum scent. After a full day of wear, it was back to being mostly plum-infused Lace (cognac, vanilla, and tobacco). Shadow Lace is evocative of its name, and I recommend it if you're a fan of darker plum scents.

I tried this at Dark Delicacies yesterday, not expecting it to be there or having a single idea what was in it beforehand. The only thing I could think of when I smelled this was GREEN COLOGNE. Not cucumber-y like Lordy, though. And now I see why. I must have been getting the metal (which tends to be sharp and cologne-like on me) and grass. I did not get any popcorn from this at all or find it to be particularly leather-y. Not my thing, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it!

In the decant: Definitely a resinous scent, although it’s brighter than I expected! Wet: I am getting rose, which I see some other reviewers have gotten from this as well. I wonder if it is part of the incense note? This is all about the rose and resins on me. Dry: It is now a dusty, resinous rose scent, with the rose calming down (but never going away) after several hours of wear. Verdict: Aww, I was hoping for resins and clove. Instead, I got resins and rose. Not really my thing, but it was nice to get to try this!

In the decant: Black musk, pine, dust, and resins. Wet: This is sour on me when first applied, and I think that’s due to the khus interacting with the black musk. Then the myrrh emerges to smooth things out. After a few minutes, the pine joins in as well. The pine is a welcome addition, adding a coolness to the scent and the impression that there’s a dark forest nearby. The musty velvet note ends up creeping into the mix as well, making me think of neglected tapestries in an ancient castle… which fits Nosferatu very well! There’s just a hint of patchouli and pepper in the background. Dry: This ends up being a musky, dusty, smooth myrrh and velvet scent, with creeping pine tendrils and a splort of pepper adding a jarring quality in the background to remind you that something is not quite right. After several hours, it becomes sweeter, probably due to the musk. Verdict: I really did not think that I would like this from the list of notes, and maybe some of them are more subdued because this was an aged sniffie, but this is a nice, atmospheric, shadowy scent, which I think is very evocative of its inspiration. I am really glad that I got to try it! Thanks to the lovely forumite that frimped me a sniffie of this to try!

In the bottle: The frankincense is the first note that leaps out at me. It reminds me of Hope and Fear Set Free, which I love, but with a different vanilla. Hope and Fear Set Free has a bourbon vanilla note, and this has that spun sugar vanilla Lace note. I think there may also be some amber behind these notes. Wet: The frankincense is by far the strongest note (and it’s pretty strong). It’s backed by the vanilla, which is lovely. There’s a light spice in this that is warming my skin, maybe a spiced amber in the background that’s representing the gold note? Dry: The vanilla is a lot stronger now, while the frankincense is much softer. It’s a wonderful, vanilla-infused, light resin scent, and I cannot stop huffing my wrist! Verdict: SO GOOD. I am going to need more of this. I am running low on Hope and Fear Set Free, and I was dreading running out of it, but now I have a new vanilla and frankincense blend to love. Thanks to the extremely generous forumite that gave me a partial of this. I will treasure it.

This bottle is from 2016. Source: swap (I’ve never been to the museum, alas!). In the bottle: This is very dusty, somewhat peppery, and dry. I get the balsams and dust the most. Wet: The balsam and leather are the first notes to leap out at me, followed by a light vanilla and a generous amount of dust. As it sits on my skin, it gets sweeter thanks to one of the balsams becoming more prominent (I think one of them is the variety from Tombstone). The balsam and dust end up being the main players on me. The leathers in this are pretty restrained for leather notes. Dry: The balsams and dust still hold the center stage, and I get some paper and more vanilla in the background now. It’s still somewhat peppery to me and like others have noted, greener than expected. After several hours, it ends up being a very woody and dusty balsam scent. Verdict: I am unsure about this one. It doesn’t really make me think of an old library or books, which is what I was hoping for, and the dust is quite pronounced on me. But I like the vanillic quality behind the dust. I will probably hold on to this for a little longer, retest it, and maybe try it as a room scent, but I have to say that I thought I would like this one more from the list of notes.

Thanks to the lovely forumite that gave me a vial of this to try! In the decant, this is a sugared vanilla pink rose. I agree with roseus’ rose spun sugar description. In my hair, that is exactly what I get, accompanied by some cognac (which is more noticeable when this is first applied than later on in the day). It lasts all day, too! I have been curious about this for a long time, but I never leapt for a bottle because I wasn’t sure that I needed another rose hair gloss (as I already have two bottles of Rose Red, which I’ve been layering with Boo HG when looking for a sweeter rose). I was also afraid that this would contain a metal note. Fortunately, it does not! This is really lovely and I think I may end up having to grab a bottle of this in the future, even though my hair gloss collection is completely out of control.

I bought a bottle of this when it came out, but I never got a chance to review it before heading to Germany in August of 2016. So here’s my belated review! In the bottle: Vanilla cream-covered pink roses with a bit of bergamot in the background. Wet: The rose is a lot stronger on me, with the vanilla cream right behind it, followed by the bergamot. Then, the bergamot gains some strength so that the pink rose and bergamot are the main players, backed by the vanilla cream. It’s somewhat tart, but the vanilla cream in the background keeps it from being too tart. Dry: The pink rose continues to reign, although it becomes less tart over time, especially as the bergamot fades. After a few hours, it ends up being a light vanilla cream on my wrists with just a hint of rose, but the pink rose continues to hold strong in the crooks of my elbows until it becomes a creamy, fresh pink rose scent after a full day of wear. Verdict: I like this, but I think I liked it more when it first came out than I do now… possibly because I am being more particular with my perfume nowadays and I have too many sugared or vanilla-ed rose perfumes. But I wore Love yesterday, and I do not like this nearly as much, and I have other sweet rose scents that I’d likely reach for more than this one as well. So I might end up making myself let this one go at some point in the future, just because I don’t feel like I really need it… but it is nice.

In the imp: Whoa, that’s some patchouli! And I think it’s accompanied by a variety of sandalwood (not a white or golden variety… maybe red). Wet: Patchouli and sandalwood are the notes I get on my skin as well. There’s a smokiness to this that reminds me of beef jerky… vetiver, is that you, or is it a type of smoked wood doing that here? I think there might be a bit of a lemon-y herb as well. Alas, it just keeps getting smokier and more jerky-like over time. Dry: This smells like I just took several sticks of jerky and rubbed them all over myself after having anointed myself with some sandalwood earlier in the day. I see some reviews mentioning cedar, and I could see this being a cedar woodsmoke with some patchouli and sandalwood. Verdict: Naw. This one is not getting near my skin again. As a vegetarian, I just can’t deal with the jerky smell. Buuuuut if smelling like smoke-flavored dehydrated meats is your jam, have at it. I am going to go attempt to scrub this one off now.

I do not have high hopes for this scent. Dragon’s blood usually doesn’t agree with my skin chemistry, I only appreciate some types of patchouli, it’s very rare for me to enjoy a scent with vetiver in it, and red musk usually stomps all over everything on me. Well, here goes. In the imp: I opened up the imp and the vetiver just punched me in the face. It’s a strong, smoky variety. I can also smell the dragon’s blood, red musk, patchouli, and a little cinnamon. It makes me think of a musky Malediction. Wet: It’s sharp on me. The smoky vetiver is the strongest note, with the dragon’s blood and red musk behind it, and then some patchouli and cinnamon. The cinnamon is stronger on me than it was in the imp, but that may just be because I amp the stuff. It’s like Malediction has been mixed with some dragon’s blood, red musk, and a dash of cinnamon. As it dries, it becomes even headier and muskier thanks to the dragon’s blood and red musk trying to take the center stage. Dry: The red musk and dragon’s blood are much stronger now, so that it’s a musky, heady, cherry-floral, and smoky vetiver scent on me with some patchouli that’s more noticeable than before and just a trace of cinnamon in the background. The red musk just keeps getting stronger, and I’m not surprised: it loves declaring dominion over all other notes on me. Verdict: Bloodlust is not my jam, but if these notes are up your alley, give this a whirl.

I used to have this, but apparently I never reviewed it. I received a fresh imp of this recently, so I suppose it’s time to write a review! In the imp: Super sweet, creamy Irish coffee. It’s strong, but it is the sweet creaminess that is strong, not the coffee note itself. Wet: The Irish coffee note reigns, and the coffee aspect is stronger on my skin than it was in the vial. It’s a very sweet, creamy Irish coffee. I am not getting any of the polished wood, which is fine by me. There’s a little bit of the dust after it has sat on my skin for a bit, but it resides in the background. Dry: The sweet Irish coffee continues to reign. I’m getting a little more dust than before but it’s still confined to a background role. There isn’t an overt wood note on me, and that’s something for which I am glad, but I think the oakwood may be adding some more warmth to the scent far in the background. Verdict: I really like Miskatonic University, although I think I prefer it as a room scent more than as a scent I’d like to wear myself. It’s a little too strong and sweet for me to wear as a perfume (and I'm unlikely to reach for it since it was my ex's favorite scent to wear), but I adored this in candle form back when Misk U candles existed and wouldn't say no to it in candle or room spray form!

In the imp: Soft anise, light mints, a bit of lemon, and what I think is the hyssop. Wet: The light mints and green herbal notes are what I smell first, and then the anise joins in. After a few minutes, the cardamom joins in as well. Dry: The anise is the dominant note now, backed by the cardamom, and then the mint and green notes. It’s much more licorice-y in this phase thanks to the strength of the anise. It has lots of throw, too! Verdict: Yeah, that’s absinthe, all right. It’s far too licorice-y for me, but I’m glad I got to try it. I am going to pass this one on to someone that isn’t averse to anise.

In the imp: Herbal, spicy resins, something sharp and maybe metallic, and some lemon balm. Wet: Spicy resins and black licorice. I was not expecting black licorice from this one. I also get some herbal minty-ness and lemon balm behind those notes. Then the black licorice, minty aspect, herbs, and spices quickly decide to take over, shoving the resins into a background role. Dry: The spiced resins (the saffron is distinct now, and there’s a pepper-y quality to this) fought back and have taken the center stage once more. I still get this soft herbal quality (probably the sage) and soft mint (or mint-like ingredient) behind them. After a while, the beeswax note emerges and cozies up to the spiced resins. I appreciate this phase of the scent the most. Verdict: I am undecided on this one. The wet phase wasn’t really my thing, with that unexpected licorice, but the dry phase is really nice, especially once the beeswax gains strength. This is a fresh imp, so I think I’ll set it aside and retest this once it ages.

In the imp: The dark musk and black amber stand out to me the most, followed by the frankincense, sandalwood, and bergamot, with some bitter neroli at the very end. Wet: The dark musk, amber, frankincense, and bergamot are the first notes to leap out at me. The dark musk and amber are soft, but the frankincense and bergamot are sharp. I am still getting some bitterness from the neroli at the end of each sniff, which I hope doesn’t end up coming out more over time. Dry: Fortunately, the bitterness and sharpness has gone away. It is mostly a dark musk and soft, black amber scent accompanied by the frankincense and sandalwood and just a tinge of bergamot now. Verdict: I like the dark musk and black amber combo, but I was not a fan of the sharp and bitter qualities I got from this on my skin during the wet stage. I don’t think I’ll keep this, because there are other scents with black amber that I have that don’t have any bitter neroli involved, but it was nice to get to try it.

In the imp: I swear this smells like oranges, with some spice, sandalwood, rose, and patchouli behind the unexpected orange. Wet: Yes, there is an unlisted orange note here as well as some spices. Then, I get the rose and sandalwood, and lastly, the patchouli. Dry: It stays that way for a while, with the citrus calming down over time until it almost disappears. The rose, spices, sandalwood, and patchouli are mainly what I get from this now, with the soft, red rose being quite prominent at first, and the patchouli and sandalwood gaining strength after a few hours. Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of the scent with the unexpected orange! I just wish it had decided to stick around, as I don’t enjoy the dry phase nearly as much. I am glad I got to try it and don’t think I need more of this, but I think I will hang on to the imp and try it in a wax warmer to see if I get that initial scent wafting through my livingroom.

In the imp: Rose and frankincense. The rose isn’t a voluptuous red rose. It is either a pink rose or a tea rose. Wet: The rose dominates. I still think it’s a pink or tea rose. I have a fresh imp and an aged one, and this is the case in both versions, although the frankincense is more prominent in the aged version and is very light in the fresh one. Dry: The rose continues to reign, but it is softer now, and the frankincense now plays a greater role. This is the case in both the fresh and aged imps (although the frankincense is still stronger in the aged version). After a few hours, the frankincense becomes more prominent and is more evenly balanced with the rose. Verdict: This is nicer than I thought it would be for a rose + resin blend. I don’t think I would likely reach for this over other scents in my collection, but it was nice to get to try it!

Just sniffing from the bottle, I already feel like I am going to love this. In the bottle, I get a beautiful amber and some ambergris along with a pink feel that must be the peach musk. There is a bit of a kick to this that makes me wonder if there is pink pepper in this although none is listed. On my skin, the amber stands out to me the most. I still feel like it is a lightly spiced (but not with cinnamon) variety (maybe Egyptian amber, or maybe it’s gilded with pink pepper or pink carnation? But I think Egyptian amber is more likely). I am also getting the ambergris and peach musk, the latter of which adds more of a pink feel to the scent as opposed to making it super sweet and peachy (which I am thrilled about). The vanilla cream note joins the others after a few minutes but cannot hold a candle to the amber. This is mostly a pink amber scent to me (perhaps in the same scent family as Vasilissa even though that has pink musk and different resins). After a full day of wear, the amber is all that remains. I love amber and am glad that the peach musk isn’t really sweet or particularly peachy. I am definitely keeping my bottle and plan on pairing it with my White Peach and Incense HG! Thanks to my wonderful fairy for getting this for me!

In the bottle, the apricot and peach stand out to me the most, made candy-sweet by the vanilla marshmallow behind them. I am hoping this won’t be as sweet as Dragon Mlerm hair gloss, which was far too sweet for me. On my skin, the apricot and peach take the center stage, with the peach having a brief stint as the dominant note before the apricot won out. The vanilla, marshmallow, and coconut milk add a creaminess to the scent and come out more over time. The fruit ends up calming down significantly on my wrists after a few hours, but it is still going strong in the crooks of my elbows. I agree that it is like apricot and peach over a creamy, floofy base, but I think the marshmallow in Apple Marshmallow HG is more prominent and distinctly marshmallow than the marshmallow in this one (at least, on my skin). It’s definitely not as sweet as Mlerm and is more of what I was hoping for from that scent. I like this, but for some reason, I don’t love it. I think I will let it age, test it again some time in the future, and see how I feel about it then, because I am trying to be more particular about what I keep now that my collection has reached its current size. I do love the name and artwork, though, and I think the scent matches both of those things perfectly!

In the decant: Clean white musk, ozone, and frankincense with just a little bit of mint. Wet: The white musk, ozone, and mint jump out at me first, and then the frankincense emerges. The mint is stronger on me than it was in the decant. Dry: Cool white musk with a soft mint backed by a soft frankincense note. It smells light, fluffy, and snowy. After a few hours, the frankincense becomes the dominant note, backed by the ozone. It no longer smells snowy on me. Verdict: I’m glad I got to try this one, but I wish the snowy vibe hadn’t gone away after a few hours!

In the imp: Mentholic snow and dirt with some opoponax far in the background. Wet: The mentholic snow is king on me, followed by the opoponax, which I am getting a lot more of on my skin than I did in the imp. There is only a smattering of soil at first, but it seems to be getting stronger over time, along with the cola-like opoponax. Dry: The mentholic snow note ends up calming down after a while. The opoponax and dirt are a lot stronger now. After several hours, what remains is a powdery myrrh, lots of sweet opoponax, and a bit of dirt. Verdict: I enjoy the Lab’s snow scents, love their dirt note, and was curious how the opoponax would come into play. Sadly, this is not one of the snow notes I really enjoy, and eventually the myrrh note made this powdery on me, but I liked the phase in between when I smelled like someone poured some Coca Cola into some dirt. I probably won’t hang on to this, but it was nice to get to try it!

I tried this at Denver Comic Con in 2015, but I can’t remember what I thought of it, so I am excited to be able to test this one properly! In the imp: The fig and sesame are the strongest notes, followed by the hazelnut, and then the spices and rice flour. I am not sure which cooking spices this entails at the moment, though! Wet: The fig, sesame, and hazelnut are the most prominent notes, backed by the rice flour, which is stronger on me than it was in the imp. The spices in this are gentle. Dry: The fig continues to reign, but now the rice flour note has sidled up to it. I can still smell the hazelnut, but I am not getting much sesame anymore. Verdict: If you’re a fan of fig, you’ll probably love this. Sometimes I get a waxy quality from the Lab’s fig note, but that was not the case with this one! I don’t think that I would likely end up reaching for this, but it was really nice to get to try this outside of a con setting! (Also, the label art is adorable!)