doomsday_disco

Strengthens emotional bonds and cultivates blossoming love: bourbon vanilla with ylang ylang, Roman chamomile, and white honey. In the bottle: This is my favorite of the Luper blends that I ordered. Hopefully it will remain that way once it hits my skin! The bourbon vanilla note is the most prominent (huzzah!), followed by the white honey. The florals are present, but they are in the background. I love sugary florals, so unless my skin chemistry ends up hating the ylang ylang, this should be made of win. I just applied this to half of my arm. It doesn't take long to sink in, and I can detect all of the notes in this blend. The florals are more prominent than they were in the bottle, but the bourbon vanilla note quickly claims its place on the center stage. Oh, this is lovely. The honey note doesn't seem to be one of the main players in this blend, because I just tested Fallen Woman hair gloss (which also has a white honey note), and it isn't very prominent on my skin. Maybe it adds to the general sweetness of this blend. It's mostly just bourbon vanilla awesomeness now. The other notes have been confined to small background roles. I am in love. Needless to say, I adore this! I will be needing back-ups of this one! *edit* After a little over an hour has passed, the chamomile and ylang ylang emerge, but they stay close to the skin.

I am not a patchouli fan. However, I decided to swap for a decant of this as many reviews mentioned it being a light patchouli, and some said that people who don't generally like patchouli would like this. Alas, that is not the case for me. I thought the sugared aspect might make me appreciate patchouli more, but it does not. The patchouli is far more prominent than the sugar component in my hair, and it is strong! (Note: There was a lot of red sludge in my decant, and I did shake it up really well before spraying it into my hair.) I applied it in my hair yesterday afternoon, and it is still going strong the next day. Although it's not as earthy as some of the other patchouli notes I have smelled from the Lab, it is still too earthy for me. *edit* The scent is still there even after I took a shower, and I washed my hair twice in an attempt to get it out.

Vanilla orchid, black amber, coffee bean, labdanum, champaca, and oudh. In the decant: I definitely get the coffee bean from this. It is one of the notes that stands out the most to me in the decant, although it was even more prominent when it arrived a few days ago. The vanilla orchid note is pretty strong as well, and I can detect a bit of the champaca and the resins. Wet: It starts off as coffee bean and resins at first, but the orchid note quickly overtakes the resin. It is now coffee bean and orchid. Then, the champaca starts making itself known, and I start getting the champaca and resin notes from this with a hint of the coffee bean. This seems to be quite the morpher! Dry: Champaca, resins, and coffee bean. (The coffee bean note is a lot stronger in the crook of my elbow than it was on my wrist.) Although other reviewers mentioned chocolate or root beer, I am not smelling either of those things in this. Verdict: This smells like an awesome coffee shop! It is very sophisticated and pretty. I didn't think I would like this as much as I do! I will definitely be getting a bottle of this.

In the decant: The fig milk is the most prominent note, followed by the orchid. Wet: Orchid and ylang ylang. The fig milk is still present, but the florals became the dominant notes once this hit my skin. That said, the fig milk is becoming more prominent over time. I'm not really getting any vanilla from this at the moment. It is mostly orchid and fig milk now. Dry: Ah, there's the vanilla. Fig milk, orchid, and a lovely vanilla note. Verdict: The fig milk makes this a little too fruity for me. I like this, especially once the vanilla note emerged, but I don't think I need a bottle.

When I first spray this, it has a candy-like quality. Perhaps it is due to the white fig and perhaps the lilac? I'm not sure. Then, the blend becomes less-sweet as the oakmoss becomes the dominant note, and it goes through a slightly soapy phase before settling as a lovely springtime scent. I like this, and I may get a bottle before it goes away. *edit* My decant is almost gone, so I went ahead and ordered a bottle.

In the decant: Lemon, indeed! Lots of lemon and ozone. Perhaps making lemony snowcones were a favorite pastime of the Norsemen during the three long winters. Wet: I am mostly getting lemon from this at the moment. This is not a sweet lemon, though. Dry: Lemoooon! There is ozone and mint (or something giving a chilling effect) as well. It feels cold on my skin now. Verdict: This wasn't really what I was expecting for a snow scent. I won't be needing a bottle of this one.

In the decant: Patchouli and musk. I hope this isn't the case on my skin. Wet: Well, the patchouli and musk aren't nearly as bold as they seemed to be in the decant. They are the dominant notes at first, along with the ginger, which is adding a nice spice to the scent. I am not usually a patchouli fan, but I don't seem to be minding the white patchouli note on my skin. I was also afraid of the fiery red ginger, since I have sensitive skin, but it is behaving as well. I thought this scent might be very green and herb-y, but that isn't the case at the moment. Dry: It's still a patchouli and musk type of scent, but it's softer and sweeter now. Verdict: This is surprisingly pleasant! I love Norse mythology, and I love Loki, so I am considering getting a bottle of it for that reason alone. This is not something I can see myself wearing very often, though, so I will probably only get a bottle if I can persuade the boy to wear this. *edit* After retesting this, I have decided to pass on a bottle. A musk and patchouli dominant scent just isn't for me.

In the bottle: The cucumber sandwiches are the strongest, but I can smell some of the cake note and perhaps a bit of the Earl Grey as well. Wet: I am mostly getting the cucumber sandwiches from this (including the 'strangely-glowing' aspect). The biscuit note was briefly there, but the cucumber sandwiches quickly took over. The cucumber note seems to be turning somewhat floral. I'm not really getting anything else from this scent at this point. Dry: This is just sickly sweet cucumber sandwiches on me. Verdict: I was hoping to get the tea and the cake from this as well, but alas, 'twas not meant to be. I'll stick with Squirting Cucumber for my cucumber scent, as the other notes in this don't seem to want to make an appearance on my skin.

I am testing this on my skin instead of using it in the bath. In the decant: The orange blossom seems to be the dominant note. I hope this isn't the case on my skin. I can also smell the white tea and the apricot, so I hope those will come out more once this is applied. Wet: Oh hai, orange blossom! Orange blossom can be problematic on my skin, so I am hoping it will cooperate. The white tea and apricot notes are present, and the white tea note seems to be getting stronger over time. Dry: A nice, refreshing, fruity white tea. Verdict: I like this, and I can see it being an excellent scent for spring and summer. While I don't think I need to spring for a full bottle of it, I will certainly keep my decant!

I am testing this on my skin and not in the bath. In the decant: I am mostly getting rosewood from this, but I can also smell green tea and a bit of the red currant. Wet: This starts off as currant-y rosewood. However, it isn't long before the rosewood dominates. It stays that way for a while. It becomes sweeter the longer I wear it, likely due to the prominence of the 'rose' in the rosewood as well as the caramelized sugar (although I can't specifically detect said sugar at the moment). Dry: Rosewood and currant. The other notes seem to be hiding in the background. Verdict: This is nice, but I won't be needing a full bottle of this. I will definitely be keeping my decant, though!

In the decant: I can detect all of the notes in this. The champaca magnolia and the white honey are the most prominent notes, but the tobacco and the vanilla are definitely present. The combination of the white honey and the tobacco in this remind me somewhat of Fallen Woman hair gloss. Wet: The champaca magnolia, the white honey, and the tobacco make an appearance. However, floral becomes far stronger than the other notes. That said, it isn't nearly as strong as the champaca note in Arise, Lift Up Thine Eyes and See was when it hit my skin. I think the combination of the white honey and the bourbon vanilla must be taming the floral. The tobacco is still present, and I'm finding that I really enjoy this note when it is mixed with florals and a sweet note (like in Fallen Woman hair gloss or Summer Lace). Dry: Champaca magnolia made less sharp by white honey and a strong tobacco note. As time goes on, it continues to mellow out, and the vanilla makes itself known. Verdict: This would pair really nicely with Fallen Woman hair gloss, so I am considering ordering a bottle of this!

In the decant: Strong mint with mandarin in the background. Wet: Mint and mandarin. The mint isn't nearly as strong as it seemed to be in the decant. It's a soft mint. I can't really say that one note is stronger than the other. When I inhale deeply, I get the warmth of the mandarin followed by the coolness of the mint. The green tea leaf is lingering in the background. Dry: This dries down to a bitter mandarin and mint scent at first, but after a while, the mandarin becomes the most prominent note, with the memory of the mint in the background. Verdict: I won't be needing a bottle of this one, but I am glad that I was able to try it!

In the decant: The lavender is the dominant note, but there is a hint of plum blossom and rice wine. Wet: The lavender is the dominant note, but I can detect all of the notes (including the ginger that I wasn't getting in the decant). It is mostly lavender and rice wine at first. The notes, from strongest to weakest, seem to be as follows: lavender, rice wine, white ginger, and plum blossom. However, the plum blossom is starting to emerge more the longer this sits on my skin and ends up becoming one of the dominant notes. Dry: Plum blossom is now the dominant note, followed by lavender, and then rice wine and ginger. Alas, it is starting to give me a headache. Verdict: Although I'm a fan of lavender, I guess I prefer it mixed with sweet notes, and I'm not very fond of the plum blossom. I won't be keeping my decant.

In the decant: The mimosa is the most prominent note. Wet: I'm mostly getting mimosa from this. The scent reminds me of candy... perhaps a candy necklace? Or maybe it is Sweethearts, Sweet Tarts, or candy wafers? It has been a long time since I've had any of those types of candy, but I know this scent reminds me of one of them. Dry: Mimosa and a hint of honey in the background. This one is strong! Verdict: Oddly enough, this might be too sweet for me! It really does remind me of candy. I don't need a bottle of this one, but I'm glad that I was able to try it.

In the decant: This is odd, because each time I sniff the decant, I get something different. On the first sniff, I get this blast of unexpected citrus. On the second sniff, I get intense sandalwood followed by the citrus scent I mentioned earlier. Hmm. Wet: Lots of candied lemon! I'm not really getting anything else from this at the moment. After a few minutes, the candied lemon scent is still at the front of the blend, and the resins are lingering behind it. Dry: The aforementioned lemony scent and some booziness thanks to the sake note. Verdict: This isn't bad, but it isn't 'me.' I won't be getting a bottle, but I'm glad that I was able to try this! *edit* After a while, the booziness went away, and now all that remains is a very light lemony scent.

In the decant: Extreme green tea! I can't smell the agarwood or the tobacco in the decant. I can smell a hint of them if I inhale really deeply, but mostly, it's just the green tea note! Wet: The green tea note is the dominant note on my skin. It stays that way for the first few minutes, stomping all over the other notes. Then, the agarwood and tobacco start to peek out. The agarwood adds a somewhat resinous quality to the scent, and tobacco adds a bit of smokiness. The green tea is still the dominant note, and the tobacco comes in second. Dry: Smoky green tea. Verdict: This is nice, but I prefer the green tea and honeysuckle combination of Shanghai, so I will not be needing a bottle of this.

In the decant: Damn! The myrrh is the most prominent note in the decant. The rose is present, but I am mainly just getting myrrh from this. Wet: The myrrh is the dominant note. The resins and the rose in this remind me of other resin-y rose blends that have emerged lately, like Ossa Arida, The Future Ball, and Little Pythia. Dry: The blend is no longer sharp. It is now sweeter, and I think that can be attributed to the amber honey. Nevertheless, it is still a resin-y rose blend. Verdict: If you're a fan of the resin-y rose blends I mentioned above, or just happen to like the combination of rose and resins, you will probably like this. However, the myrrh is too prominent in this blend for me. I won't be needing a bottle of this one.

In the decant: The cherry blossom seems to be the dominant note, followed by the pink rose and the lilies. I was hoping this would be a sugary floral, but the honey doesn't seem to be very strong in the decant. Hopefully that will change once it hits my skin. Wet: As soon as it hits my skin, I get the cherry blossom and rose notes. I thought the rose was threatening to overtake the cherry blossom, but actually, the lilies claim the center stage. At this point in time, the lily note is the strongest, followed by the rose note, and then the cherry blossom. I'm not getting much honey from this at all. It's more of a floral blend than a sugary floral blend. I was hoping to get more of the cherry blossom and honey from this, but I suppose I will have to stick to Reflected Vulva as far as the cherry blossom is concerned. Dry: The aforementioned florals and a hint of the cherry blossom. Verdict: Too much floral, not enough honey! This will not be a bottle purchase.

In the decant: This smells really pretty. Thanks to the simplicity of this blend, I can now pinpoint Bulgarian Rose as one of my favorite rose notes. This is the rose note that I really like in Two, Five, and Seven. I am not too familiar with white amber, but I can tell that it is there. The rose and the white amber go really well together. Wet: The rose and the amber aren't really competing for dominance. There is the sweet rose note that I love mixed with a really pretty amber scent. The amber is not powdery. Dry: My favorite rose note blended with an absolutely lovely amber note. Verdict: This was actually one of the scents I culled from my original decant list, but I asked my decanter to waitlist me for it at the last minute, and she was able to make a decant for me after all! :] I'm so glad it turned out that way, because this is such a beautiful scent! I will definitely be keeping my decant, and I may end up getting a bottle of this one.

In the decant: The champaca flower is the dominant note, followed by the golden amber. This combination of notes reminds me of BPTP's House of Unquenchable Fire atmosphere and linen spray (with more champaca and minus the awesome other notes). I'm not getting any of the vanilla note in the decant, so I hope it emerges on my skin! Wet: The champaca flower is the most prominent note, and the amber remains the second strongest note. I really hope the other notes make an appearance, because I don't want this to be a champaca-dominant blend. The blend seems to be getting slightly sweeter the longer it sits on my skin, but the champaca is still the dominant note. Dry: The vanilla has made itself known. Huzzah! I am also getting a hint of the nutmeg. However, the champaca remains as the dominant note, and the amber is still present. This scent stays close to the skin. Verdict: I like the drydown of this scent, but it is so faint that I really have to press my nose to my skin in order to smell it. I don't think I need a bottle of this, but I'm glad that I have a decant!

In the decant: I was hoping I would mainly get green tea and apple blossom from this, but the wood note is the most prominent. I'm not sure if it is the bamboo or the golden sandalwood (or both). The green tea and the apple blossom are present, but the woody notes were rather prominent on the first sniff. After further sniffing, I would say the green tea is the most prominent note, followed by the woody notes, and then the apple blossom. Wet: Green tea, apple blossom, and a woody component. The apple blossom is becoming stronger the longer it sits on my skin, and I am glad. It is now mostly apple blossom, followed by green tea, and a hint of woodiness. Dry: Apple blossom, bamboo, and green tea. It is very faint and stays rather close to the skin. Verdict: After Reflected Vulva, this was the Shunga I was most looking forward to. I like it, but I don't love it. I will keep my decant, and likely give this a full day test before the Shungas come down, but it is so faint that I doubt I will need a bottle. *edit* The longer this was on my skin, a vegetal quality started becoming more prominent. I think it was the bamboo. I wasn't particularly fond of that phase, so this definitely won't be a bottle purchase.

In the imp: The apple blossom is the strongest note, followed by the other florals, and then the honey. Wet: The apple blossom is the most prominent note on my skin, and I am loving it! I think the honey is adding a bit of sweetness to it. The rose and the ylang ylang are in the background. The apple blossom note is beginning to lose its 'apple' aspect and the blossom is becoming more prominent. At the same time, the rose is starting to make more of an appearance. Dry: A faint apple blossom and rose scent. *edit* About an hour and a half later, it is predominantly a golden honey and rose scent that still stays pretty close to the skin. Verdict: I like this one, but I wish it had more staying power. I have plenty of apple and rose scents that have more staying power, so I won't be needing a bottle of this one, even though this is rather pretty. I'll definitely keep my imp, though!

In the imp: I'm mainly getting lavender and resins from this. Wet: Lavender and resins. I am getting some gardenia and pear as well. The more this sits on my skin, the weirder it gets. It is now an herbal, resin-y pear scent. I'm not enjoying it. It is becoming less sharp over time, and now it is pear dominant, with the herbs, resins, and florals in support. The gardenia and the herbal aspect of this blend is somewhat reminiscent to BPTP's Three Impossible Errands bath oil. Dry: It's a rather odd scent. There's a sweet aspect from the pear, an herbal quality to it, and then the floral and resin-y components. Verdict: This isn't really my cup of tea. I won't be purchasing a bottle of this before it is discontinued, but I will keep my imp of it since I'm collecting imps of all of the Mad Tea Party scents.

In the imp: A salty floral blend. I think there may be a lavender note in the floral component of this scent. I hope this ends up being more of a floral blend than an aquatic one. I'm generally not fond of aquatic scents. Wet: The salty tears are the dominant note. This note, combined with the floral note, makes the blend veer into 'soapy' territory. Okay, this is odd. The florals are more prominent now (although I am not getting any lavender on my skin), but this note, combined with the salty note, is giving me the impression of a bathroom cleaner. Oh no! Dry: The blend seems to have rounded itself out now, but something in it is still off-putting. I think it is the floral component of this blend. Verdict: I will stick to my sugary florals. I am going to keep my imp of this (as I want at least an imp of everything that has been in the Mad Tea Party collection), but I won't be upgrading this to a bottle.

I bought this because I love the combination of lavender and vanilla. In the bottle (when it first arrived): The blend is lavender-dominant in the bottle. It is not an herbal or medicinal lavender; it's a sweet lavender. I'm not sure what cotton blossom smells like, but I think I can smell a bit of what must be that note, and a hint of bergamot as well. I really like the scent of it in the bottle (but then again, I am a lavender fiend)! In the bottle after a week of settling: Sweet lavender, what I believe to be cotton blossom (although I am not familiar with the note), and a hint of bergamot and vanilla. I think I am getting a bit of the hinoki wood and oriental blossoms as well, but I am not familiar enough with those notes to know for certain. Wet: Lavender is the dominant note! It is a sweet lavender, and the vanilla is making it even sweeter. I am loving this thus far! This is not as sweet as TKO, and I think the cotton blossom adds a bit of a 'clean' element to it. The other notes seem to be hiding in the background. If I inhale really deeply, I can detect a faint trace of them, but the sweet lavender and cotton blossom notes steal the show. Dry: Sweet lavender, vanilla, cotton blossoms, and perhaps hint of the hinoki wood. Verdict: I am so glad that I ordered a bottle! I'm not sure I need a back-up of this one (as I prefer TKO and Capax Infiniti), but I'll definitely be keeping my bottle.