doomsday_disco

2016 version. Note: I have not tried the previous release. In the bottle: This is the least Snake Oil-y of all of the five Snake Pit scents that I ordered. It's a very pretty, sweet, white floral scent. I can smell the calla lily, linden blossom, and narcissus, but I'm not familiar with passionflower (which I'm guessing is the note with the somewhat tropical vibe). As a fan of sugary florals, I'm hoping the vanilla of the Snake Oil will be prominent on me, so that I get vanilla and spice-tinged florals. Wet: The white floral notes reign. The floral notes are soft as opposed to heady. There is only a very faint hint of Snake Oil spices, but I have to inhale really deeply to smell them. Dry: The floral notes still reign. If I inhale really deeply, I can smell the vanilla and spices, albeit faintly. This is predominantly a white floral scent. Verdict: I enjoy the florals, but I was hoping that the Snake Oil base would show up more on my skin. Hopefully I'll get some more vanilla and spices from this as it ages. This is nice, though!

2016 version. Note: I have not tried the previous release. In the bottle: When this first arrived, I mostly smelled green tea and mint. A few hours later, I'm mainly getting mint and bergamot. I can't really smell the Snake Oil base in the bottle. Wet: There is a burst of bergamot, but it doesn't take long before it calms down significantly, so that the cool mint notes get a chance to shine. The green tea note is present now, and in the background, I can smell the Snake Oil base, although it isn't nearly as strong as the aforementioned notes. But the bergamot still reigns. Dry: I'm getting more of the green tea note now. The mint notes are very soft and cool, and the Snake Oil base is finally starting to gain prominence. The vanilla in the Snake Oil is one of the dominant notes on my skin, but I am still getting the mint, green tea, a bit of the bergamot, and some faint spices. After a few more hours, the spices in the Snake Oil have become more prominent, making it recognizable as a Snake Oil plus scent, with the vanilla note continuing to reign, accompanied by very soft mint and green tea. Verdict: I knew this would be amazing, and it didn't disappoint. I adore this. It's a Snake Oil plus scent for the spring and summer. One bottle will be not enough.

In the decant: This smells like lemon lime candy. Wet: I'm definitely getting lime from this. It's the most prominent note on my skin, but it's a candied lime. Then, the lemon starts becoming more prominent and vies to be the dominant note. The lemon note is taking the candied aspect away as the scent takes on more of a cleaner vibe as the lemon becomes more prominent, but the candied aspect never completely goes away. Dry: I'm mainly getting sour gummy worms (though sometimes it is more lemon drop-y, depending on whether I'm smelling the scent up close or from afar). Verdict: I had to try this because of the name, but this one is not my cup of tea.

In the decant: It smells like a lily, all right! It kind of reminds me of Winter Lily and Sugar Cane hair gloss. Wet: Whoa. It's like I've pressed my nose into a bouquet of lilies. I definitely get the pollen-y aspect from the description. This single note is very true to the real thing and isn't going soapy on me at all. Dry: It's softer now, and still pollen-y. When I smell my wrist, I imagine brushing my hands against the soft petals. It smells so realistic. Verdict: This is beautiful. I already have a bottle of Tiger Lily (which is honeyed lilies), so I'm not sure I need this one too, but I'll give this a full day test before it is taken off of the website before making a decision. In any case, I'll certainly be keeping my decant!

In the decant: At first, it smells a bit cocoa powder-y, but on closer inspection, I do get a sweet milk chocolate scent. Wet: This is definitely sweeter on my skin. I can smell the 'melty' aspect of the chocolate note. I'm not really reminded of a creme egg. It's verging on brownie-like on my skin, although not on the same scale as Bliss or The Agricultural Building atmo. Dry: This is a very creamy milk chocolate scent now. It's sugary and soft, and I don't get any brownie-vibes from this anymore. This stage is far more reminiscent of a creme egg. Verdict: I have too many chocolate scents, so this one would have really had to wow me for me to want a bottle. I'm glad to have been able to try it, but I don't need more than the decant.

In the decant: Incense-y, floral awesomeness! This is the same champaca note listed in Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit. I slathered that one on yesterday, and this reminded me of it. I don't have any more House of Unquenchable Fire atmo, but it may be the same champaca note listed there, too. Wet: I'm finding this is more incense than floral, so don't let the floral aspect of this scare you away! It's definitely the same note used in Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit. And it's strong! Dry: Same. It doesn't really morph. I can't believe how strong this one is. I wish I could adequately describe it, but alas, I cannot. I can say that this is the note that really contributed to the sophisticated woman in an incense-y coffeeshop vibe that I got from Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit, though. Verdict: This is amazing. I don't think I will end up springing for a bottle, since I don't really reach for my single notes too often (and I still have plenty Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit), but I will definitely cherish my decant.

While I can see the comparisons, I have to say that this is most definitely not the Stekkjarstaur of the Lupers on me. Thanks, skin chemistry. The vanilla cream note is lovely, but it doesn't come close to the sugared-marshmallow-root-vanilla-awesomeness that is Stekkjarstaur on my skin. In fact, this isn't even vanilla dominant on me. Even though I didn't really detect much lotus root in the bottle, during the wet phase, it was quite prominent on me. It didn't remind me of bubblegum, but it was certainly candy-like. Once dry, the lotus root backs off, but the dry, dusty white sandalwood note is by far the most prominent note on my skin. It's more like Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, but with a different vanilla note, and with lotus root instead of the awesome sweet pea. I guess the mentions of Stekkjarstaur made me have higher expectations for this one. I don't dislike it, but I'm not in love with it, either. I actually enjoy Blossoming Vulva more.

2016 version. In the bottle: The juniper and lily are the most prominent notes. I can smell the rose, pine, and star jasmine as well. If I inhale really deeply, I can smell the bergamot, too. Wet: The juniper and florals reign (especially those of the white variety), followed by the pine, bergamot, and then there's a hint of vanilla. Someone had said this was like a combination of Egle and Elf in the Lupercalia thread, so I went ahead and ordered this. I get more of an Egle vibe from this (due to the juniper and star jasmine) than Elf, and this is a different kind of forest than Elf (due to the floral notes that are present in this blend). Dry: This smells different on my wrists and in the crooks of my elbows. It's a lot sweeter on my wrist. I get a lot more vanilla, creamy florals, juniper, and pine. It's lovely. In the crook of my elbow, I don't really get the vanilla. It's all tea rose, juniper, and pine. Alas, combination of the tea rose and juniper in that area come off as somewhat sour. Verdict: Undecided. I enjoy the smell of this on my wrists, but in the crooks of my elbows? Not so much. I'll hold onto it for now and see if the vanilla comes out more as it ages.

In the bottle: Creamy lotus and the Lab's white tea note are the most prominent notes to my nose. The oak and amber are present, but they are in the background, deepening the scent. This type of lotus is not bubblegum-y whatsoever, but it is a sweet floral. Wet: Blue lotus and white tea reign, and the lotus continues to have a creamy feel to it thanks to the vanilla note. The amber is more prominent on my skin, but still light, and the oak note remains soft and non-cologne-y (which I had worried about). The combination of the lotus and tea notes almost give off a candy-like vibe... almost chewy-SweeTart like, but not quite? Dry: This is really soft and stays close to the skin. The vanilla, lotus, and amber are the strongest notes during this stage. The tea blossom is still present, but not nearly as prominent as I was during the wet phase of the scent. I can smell the oak note more in the crook of my elbow than on my wrists, so it's present, but it doesn't have the sharp quality I've encountered with some other oak notes in the past, and for that, I'm glad. Verdict: I'm so glad I bought a bottle of this one.

In the imp: I am not familiar with all of the notes in this, but this is definitely plum-y and raisin-y. Wet: The plum pudding reigns. I am not fond of plum notes, so this isn't really my jam. I'm just not fond of sweet, berry and dark fruit notes. After a bit, the brandy-soaked part of the raisin note makes an appearance, so that it's boozy plum and raisin with a hint of the mince pie. Dry: The plum pudding note is still the most prominent note. The brandy-soaked raisin isn't so brandy-soaked anymore, and the hint of pastry crust from the mince pie is even fainter now. Verdict: This is too plum-y for me, but I'll be holding onto my imp (like I do with all Mad Tea Party imps).

In the imp: Cherry and mahogany, with the mahogany almost giving a tootsie roll vibe in the background. Wet: The cherry dominates, and the wood notes are velvety, just like in the description. I'm getting more of the woods on my skin than I did in the imp, and the tootsie roll vibe I mentioned before is not present on my skin. The cherry smells realistic (and not medicinal) to me, but it isn't long before the wood notes start declaring dominion over the fruit notes. Dry: The mahogany and velvety woods reign, but the cherry and currant are still present, albeit in the background. Verdict: I actually enjoyed the wet phase of the scent more, when the wood notes weren't as prominent. I'll be keeping my imp (as I do that with all Mad Tea Party imps), but I won't be upgrading this one to a bottle.

Well, it appears I've neglected to post yet another Mad Tea Party review, even though I tested this a long time ago! Original review: I really like the cider note in this. It is the main note I get from the imp. I applied this to my arm, and it started burning a bit. I hope it doesn't end up leaving any welts. Phew! The burning didn't last long. The spicy cider is the prominent note, followed by the wine. I know there must be cinnamon in the cider to make it this spicy, but I think the carnation is helping to give the spicy impression as well. I'm surprised the carnation hasn't dominated the entire blend – it usually does that on my skin! I will give this a full day test to make sure it doesn't burn or leave welts when applied in a bigger quantity. If it passes that test, I am going to need a full bottle because I love cider scents! Verdict: This is a lovely spiced cider and wine scent. I bought a bottle. It's one of my favorite GCs to wear in the autumn (and a scent featuring a spiced carnation note that doesn't smell like carnation single note on me)!

I tested this a long time ago, but I forgot to put my review on the forum! In the imp: Lots of cinnamon! And what I believe is the prune note. Wet: Cassis dominates, but it doesn't burn my skin where this was applied. The rum note is second in command for a while, but then the prune note takes its place. Dry: The cassis is still the most prominent note, and the ginger is far more prominent on the drydown. The rum part of the rum-quince-cassis has returned, and the fruit notes, while still present, make up the background. Verdict: I like this one, but I think the imp will suffice.

I tested this one a long time ago, but apparently neglected to put my review on the forum. In the imp: Mostly black cherry and lavender. I'm glad that I am not detecting the red musk in the imp. Hopefully it will remain that way on the skin. Wet: The black cherry and lavender are the most prominent at first, but the lavender quickly becomes the dominant note. I like lavender, so this isn't a bad thing for me. I am also getting the rose, but I'm not sure if it is the rose or the rosewood (or both). I keep getting random wafts of the black cherry, and the musks are lingering in the background. This is odd. Dry: Still lavender-dominant, but this is rather light now. Verdict: I wish this had been like it was in the imp, but alas, that was not the case. I will keep my imp (and perhaps use this in a scent locket), but I don't think I need a bottle of this one.

In the imp: There is a blast of lime, followed by a bit of rose and sage, and then the musk. But mostly, I smell the pink lime note. Wet: Lime, grapefruit, and rose are the most prominent notes, but it isn't long before the nectarine emerges. I can also smell the sage in the background, which is giving this a clean, spa-like vibe. I can smell the musk, too. Alas, the citrus and nectarine notes are being overtaken by these notes, so that it smells very clean on my skin, and rather (well, I hate to say this term)... soapy. Wahh! I wanted lime and grapefruit! They haven't gone away, but they have been beaten to the background, so that I can only smell them if I stick my nose to my wrist. Otherwise, it's Soapville, Soapkania, and it's starting to give me a headache. Dry: The lime gained strength again, but that sharp soapiness is still really strong, making it like a citrus soap on me, with more soap than citrus. Verdict: Damn you, skin chemistry. These notes clash on my skin. I'll be keeping my imp (because I do that with all things Mad Tea Party), but I can't see myself trying this again in the future, unless I decide to put it in a scent locket (or my skin chemistry drastically changes).

In the bottle: Lots of pink pepper, tea, and sandalwood. Wet: The pink pepper in this is very strong, followed by the ti leaf and sandalwood. There's more of a 'kick' to this than most scents I've tried featuring pink pepper (like High-Strung Daisies, Jiggery Pokery, and Some Strangeness in the Proportion). I'm not familiar with osmanthus, so I can't pick that note out, and I'm not getting any vanilla bark from this at the moment. Wow, the pink pepper in this is strong. It tingled my skin for a really long time, and for once, left a slight red area on my arm (but not a huge red welt, like cinnamon). I have sensitive skin, but that's never happened to me with pink pepper before! Dry: The pink pepper still reigns, but it is softer and sweeter now, like the pink pepper with which I'm familiar. The dusty, white sandalwood note is second in prominence. I'm reminded of Some Strangeness in the Proportion, only this is lighter (as there is no oudh), and I can smell more vanilla in that one. Verdict: I am going to let this one settle for a bit. It's nice, but I don't know if it is different enough from Some Strangeness in the Proportion to warrant having both scents.

In the bottle: This is really strong on the patchouli, which is a chewy patch. The benzoin note is next in prominence, and then the fig, but I'm not really getting any vanilla from the bottle. I hope that won't be the case on my skin. Wet: Patchouli reigns, followed by the benzoin, and I'm getting a lot more fig on my skin than I did in the bottle. I wondered if this would be similar to A Moment in Time, which also features patchouli, benzoin, and fig. It does have a similarity (without the lavender, of course), but the patchouli in this is far more prominent (and it's smoky and chewy), and the fig and benzoin in this one are stronger, too. The fig seems to be increasing in strength the longer this sits on my skin, but the patchouli and benzoin are preventing it from being too sweet and won't let it completely take over. Dry: This is predominantly smoky patch and fig. The benzoin is still present, but not as strong as the other two notes. There is only a very faint trace of vanilla on my skin. Verdict: I'm not sure what to think of this one yet. I was hoping it would be a lovely vanilla and caramelized patch scent, but I'm not getting much vanilla on my skin. I'm going to keep it, let it age, and see if the vanilla comes out more over time... mainly because it has those similarities to A Moment of Time, which only got better with age.

In the bottle: Honey musk, followed by sweet magnolia, and then the vanilla chiffon. Wet: The honey musk and magnolia are quite strong on my skin, and I'm not able to smell any vanilla at this point. The magnolia is rather perfume-y, for lack of a better term, but the honey musk is helping to tame it, making it a nice, sugary floral. After a few minutes, the vanilla chiffon note emerges, and it's a light, smooth vanilla note. Now I'm really enjoying this! I think the honey musk is the same one found in Capax Infiniti, or maybe it's the combination of the honey musk and the vanilla that remind me of that scent. I agree with Atrous' description of this being delicate and wispy. Dry: The honey musk still reigns, but the vanilla note has made it a lot cozier now, and both notes have helped tame the magnolia, which is a lot softer now. Verdict: I am really glad that I took a chance on this one. I wasn't sure if magnolia would be my cup of tea, or if it would be honey musk all the time, but this is wonderful, and I'm curious to see how it ages!

2016 version. In the bottle: Syrupy vanilla, along with what must be the saffron or some unlisted notes (I have gotten both wintergreen and root beer – but not full-on root beer! – vibes, but other times, it just smells spiced), followed by the vanilla cream. Wet: This kind of reminds me of slightly minty root beer or root beer barrel candies, but not quite. The cream note is stronger on my skin, but isn't as strong as the other notes. The cream note gaining prominence gives this more of a root beer float vibe. I really wasn't expecting this from this scent, but I love root beer, so I'm not complaining. As the scent begins to dry, the vanilla and cream notes are becoming stronger, and the root beer vibe is becoming less root beer-y. Dry: Saffron, vanilla cream goodness. SO GOOD. Verdict: I am so glad I bought a bottle of this one! I knew it would be good, and it didn't disappoint! Now to decide whether or not one bottle will be enough... I'm thinking it won't be.

In the bottle: The cucumber is the most prominent note. The minty green tea resides in the background. It smells nice and refreshing. Wet: The cucumber note is still the strongest, but I get more of the minted green tea on my skin than I did in the bottle. It's like Squirting Cucumber and the green tea note in Shanghai had a baby, with some mint thrown in. Dry: Cucumber continues to be the dominant note, and I'm getting less mint now than I did before. It's a clean, cucumber and green tea scent. Verdict: I thought I would love this, but there's less mint in this than I would have liked. I enjoy it and will be keeping my bottle, as I think it would be great on hot summer days. However, if I had ordered decants instead of a blind bottle, I wouldn't have gotten a bottle, since I already own bottles of Squirting Cucumber and Shanghai.

In the imp: Such flowers. Much wow. Wet: This is sour on me. I figured it would be. I haven't had much luck with rose and lilac when they're paired together. This features a fresh, Rose Red-like rose note. Dry: The rose has calmed down, so it isn't clashing with the lilac and wisteria as much anymore, but that sour twang is still present, even though the scent is smoother during this phase. Verdict: This one just doesn't work with my skin chemistry.

In the decant: Yay! Sarsaparilla! It's hard to pick out the other notes in this one, and I'm not familiar with High John the Conqueror root. But the sarsaparilla, combined with the other sweet notes, makes me think of root beer barrel candies. Wet: Ah. It's so nice and creamy, thanks to the almond milk and sarsaparilla notes. It becomes less creamy over time as the sarsaparilla note becomes the dominant note and the other notes start to peek out in the background. Dry: The sarsaparilla note still reigns, but I can smell the black patchouli, tobacco smoke, coconut, and white pine bark now. I preferred the wet phase of the scent, as it was sweeter and creamier. Verdict: I like it, but not as much as Tombstone or Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener. I'll keep my decant, but I don't think I'll be upgrading to a bottle.

In the imp: I can smell the rosewood, chamomile, red sandalwood, violet, and just a touch of the bergamot. The rosewood is the strongest note in the imp. Wet: The rosewood is still the strongest note, and the chamomile note is rather strong as well. I'm getting more of the bergamot on my skin than I did in the imp. The violet and sandalwood are still present and aren't light by any means, but they aren't as strong as the aforementioned notes. Dry: This is still rosewood dominant, but the chamomile has a lesser role. I'm smelling more of the violet now, and the musk is present during this phase. The sandalwood note deepens the scent. The bergamot note hasn't faded away, but I have to inhale really deeply in order to smell it now. I'm not able to pick out the primrose. Several hours later, the musk rises to the front, making it a very musky rosewood and violet scent. Verdict: I'm not really feeling the combination of the rosewood and violet.

In the imp: I'm smelling the violet, bitter neroli, and iris. I'm not fond of violet and iris, and neroli has a history of being horrible on my skin. But mostly, I smell the violet. Wet: Violet, neroli, and iris reign, with the violet being the strongest. Dry: This is still VIOLET LIKE WHOA on me, but the dark musk has emerged, and there is a hint of sandalwood in the background now. Violet and iris are the main players, though. Verdict: I'm not a violet fan, and this one has plenty of it, so it's not my cup of tea.

In the imp: I'm getting the sun-dried thatching and wood. Wet: Sun-dried thatching and herbs, followed by the wood. It's a warm scent, and more pleasant than I thought it would be, given its name and description. Dry: Same, but even warmer now. It really does smell like a sun-warmed hut. Verdict: I can't see myself reaching for this one, but it's a lot better than I thought it was going to be from the description!