doomsday_disco

In the imp: I can smell the grape vine, lilies, and roses along with the forest note. Wet: The grape vine is quite prominent, and the lily and rose notes are rather strong as well. After the scent has sat on my skin for a few minutes, the opium smoke note appears. This is not a dark evergreen forest, but the sunlit one mentioned in the description. Although I do detect some pine, I feel like this forest is comprised of a fair amount of deciduous trees as well. Dry: The forest note is far more prominent and green now, and the opium smoke has increased in strength as well, creating a smoky, leafy, green scent. The grape vine and florals are still present, but they play lesser roles now. Verdict: Not for me. I really don't like the dry phase of this scent, which is too strong and green for me.

This one is dominated by a white floral (I do think those that have mentioned gardenia in their reviews may be right), with the addition of a sweeter floral (perhaps mimosa blossom? it has a candy-like sweetness to it, but isn't too sweet) and a bit of spice. It's not bad, but I don't plan on keeping my imp, as I can't see myself reaching for this one.

In the imp: Heady florals, musk, and mandarin. Wet: The mandarin note is the first to greet my nose, followed by the heady florals. Then, the musk emerges. I get more mandarin than anything else, but the heady florals and the musk are quite prominent as well. Dry: Same. The mandarin still reigns, accompanied by the heady florals, musk, and a bit of spice. Verdict: I like the mandarin note, but the combination of the mandarin + the musk and the heady florals just makes this too sweet for me. It's verging on candy-like on my skin (or maybe a sweet alcoholic beverage).

In the imp: The oakmoss note is the strongest note I'm getting from the imp. I can smell a bit of the leather, orange blossom, and amber, but I'm not getting much else. Wet: Oakmoss, leather, and orange blossom are the notes I smell first. The oakmoss is pretty strong, and so is the leather note. The combination of these two notes is very heavy, and not very appealing to my nose. It's like being buried under a lot of leather jackets (not well-worn ones) while lying on a bed of moss. Ughhh. Dry: The floral notes begin to emerge during this phase, although the oakmoss and leather are still very strong. The floral notes make the scent seem less dark, and the leather note is softer now. Verdict: I just can't stand the leather and oakmoss combination at all. This one is going on my swap page.

In the imp: Almond and fig, followed by the toasted coconut. Wet: Same. The almond note is the strongest. The fig and coconut notes are present, but they are not nearly as strong as the almond note. Then, the almond note calms down and becomes the honeyed almond milk it was meant to be (as opposed to straight up almond). I'm able to smell the fig and toasted coconut notes better now that the almond has calmed down. The fig note ends up becoming a lot more prominent as the scent starts drying down. The coconut note is getting stronger as well. Dry: Fiiiiiig, sweetened by the toasted coconut and honeyed almond milk notes. The sandalwood note is hiding in the background. Verdict: This is a nice, creamy fig scent, but I don't need more of it.

In the imp: Leather, rosewood, parchment, and soft woods (but the first two notes I listed are the most prominent to my nose). Wet: Leather and rosewood dominate the blend. This one is very masculine to my nose. The parchment and soft woods are present, making the blend seem even drier to my nose. It isn't long before the rosewood becomes the most prominent note. Dry: I'm still getting a lot of rosewood from this, but the parchment and soft woods are stronger now. The leather has taken a background role, and the tonka adds a nice warmth to the scent, preventing it from being too dry. I can smell the hint of incense if I inhale deeply, but it isn't a main player in this scent. Verdict: This one is too masculine for me, but I wouldn't mind smelling it on a guy!

In the imp: Lots of cocoa and red wine. Wet: The cocoa note dominates, and it is a smooth, dry cocoa note, but the red wine isn't far behind. Then I begin to smell something darker and not quite right... that must be the sacrificial blood note. By this time, the wine has become the dominant note. Dry: The red wine note was the most prominent for a long time, and then the smooth cocoa note returned. Both notes are softer now, and I can find the remnants of the sacrificial blood note if I inhale deeply. It's a rather warm scent by this point. Verdict: This isn't bad, but the combination of the chocolate and the wine (especially when the wine dominated the blend) isn't really my thing. (Also, I did not smell the rum note in this one at all, which is okay with me!)

In the imp: The clove note jumps out to my nose at first, followed by the resins, and then a bit of cherry. Wet: A rush of clove, and then the dragon's blood note, which adds more spice to the blend. The myrrh note is also present, but it isn't as strong as the other two notes. The cherry note is the last to emerge, but it seems to be getting stronger now that it has made its presence known. The clove is the strongest note, and I'm glad that it is, since it is the note I was looking forward to the most. Dry: Clove and dragon's blood reign. The cherry seems to have disappeared now. I'm not getting much myrrh at this point, either. Verdict: This is a nice, spicy resin blend. I like the prominence of the clove in this one, but I'm not sure how I feel about the sweetness of the dragon's blood. I don't need a bottle of this, but I must say that this is one of the few scents that I like containing dragon's blood. *edit* Many hours later, the cherry note has emerged once more to join the dragon's blood and clove.

In the imp: The sea note is the most prominent, but I do smell the milk note in this as well, making this more appealing to me than most aquatic scents. Wet: More ocean than milk. It's an odd combination. As the scent begins to dry down, the milk note becomes a lot more prominent. Dry: The milk note in this makes all the difference. It adds a warmth to this aquatic scent. Verdict: This is the most pleasant aquatic scent I've tried thus far, but I don't think I'd wear this one even though I enjoy the milk note.

In the imp: The rosy heather note jumps out to my nose first, followed by the berry note. Wet: Same. More rosy heather than berry. Dry: I'm still getting more of the rosy heather than anything, although the note is much herbier now. The berry note is a lot fainter now. Verdict: I'm not finding this to be like Bewitched at all. Bewitched is sweeter, and the berry notes in that one reign on my skin, but in this one, the rosy heather steals the show. I have so many rose scents in my collection already, that I can only keep ones that I love. This is not one of those scents, so I will be passing on my imp.

In the imp: Red musk, followed by the patchouli note, and then the myrrh and ylang ylang. Wet: The red musk reigns, and I guess I'm a heretic in that I am not particularly fond of the note. I'm also getting the patchouli and myrrh notes. Sometimes, I can detect the ylang ylang, but other times, I go to smell my arm and can't find it beneath the patchouli and myrrh. The red musk note just seems to get strong over time. I'm glad I only put a dab of this one on – it's strong! Dry: Mostly red musk and patchouli, though the myrrh is present as well. No ylang ylang to be found. Verdict: I figured this one wouldn't be for me, but tried it anyway since it is listed under the Lab's Beloved Favorites. It's just way too much red musk for me.

In the imp: Marine notes like whoa. Wet: Very green marine notes, followed by the eucalyptus. I think I'm getting some cucumber from this, or at least something green that is reminiscent of cucumber (but it isn't sweet like in Squirting Cucumber). Dry: Fresh cucumber and eucalyptus, accompanied by foamy ambergris. Verdict: This one is way too green for me. Too green, I say!

In the imp [Con imp w/ card]: Bourbon geranium and peach are the first notes to jump out to my nose, followed by the raspberry leaf and a bit of the spicy carnation note. Wet: A blast of peach, and then an even stronger blast of herby bourbon geranium greets my nose. The raspberry leaf note has also appeared, and it is quite prominent as well. The carnation note, while present, hasn't stomped all over the other notes yet, and I don't think it will in this one, because the bourbon geranium in this is so strong. The bourbon vanilla note isn't a main player here, but it is helping to soften the other notes. The bergamot note adds a little extra zing to the scent, but the peach, bourbon geranium, and raspberry leaf are the stars of this show. Dry: The fruit notes begin to lose their prominence during this stage, but the bourbon geranium reigns supreme. Without less sweetness from the fruit, it is herbier than ever and decidedly more tart now. Verdict: Bourbon geranium is not mah jam. The wet stage of the scent was okay, but the dry one is one I would never want to smell on my skin again.

In the imp: Yep, this is an aquatic all right. The scent in the imp does fit the description. I find it to be more water-like than Vial of Holy Water. Wet: Aquatics don't tend to like my skin chemistry, and in no time at all, this one threatens to turn into soap. It isn't quite there yet, though. I would describe this as a dark aquatic, as something about this seems heavy compared to other aquatics I've tried. Dry: This scent has a prominent floral aspect now, although I'm not exactly sure what I'm smelling. Verdict: For once, it didn't turn into soap! This isn't really my thing, so I will be passing it onto a friend who finds aquatics to be rather refreshing in the summer heat.

In the imp: Ambergris, wine, ozone, leather, and woods. Wet: Wine and ambergris are the first notes to jump out to my nose, and then I start getting some of the leather, ozone, and sandalwood. Then, the wood notes make an appearance, making the scent more masculine than before. Dry: The leather is more prominent now, and the combination of the leather and wine remind me of Perversion, only Perversion is sweeter (thanks to the tonka), and this one is accompanied by a strong ambergris note. The ozone is still present, but it isn't making the scent soapy, and I'm thinking I'm getting what may be the dry grasses now. Verdict: This is a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be! I really like it, but I don't think a bottle will be necessary, because this is similar to Perversion, and I plan on getting a bottle of that one instead. But I will either keep my imp and pair it with Mikado Saloon hair gloss (those scents would make an excellent combination!) or give it to my brother, who would probably love this scent.

In the imp: I'm getting the pinot noir, dark myrrh (I can tell its a dark one, and not a soft one, like in Bastet), jasmine, and rose. Wet: The myrrh note dominates the scent, which is really sharp to my nose. I can also smell the wine, jasmine, and rose, but the jasmine note is really strong on me, so I'm getting more myrrh and jasmine than anything else. Dry: The myrrh remains as the dominant note, and the jasmine in this is still pretty song. The wine note is rather faint now, but I can smell more rose during the dry phase than the wet stage. The patchouli is present now, but it's not nearly as prominent as the myrrh and the floral notes. I'm not really getting the sandalwood at all from this, probably because the myrrh is so strong on me. Verdict: I'm not a fan of this particular myrrh note, and I don't like the combination of myrrh + jasmine, so this one is not for me.

In the imp: Honey, clean, white musk, a coconut vibe from the rum, and wood. Wet: The honey note is the most prominent, followed by white musk. The wood note isn't a main player here. There are also some spices present, although they weren't listed in the scent description. They are subtle, though. Dry: The rum and white musk are stronger during this stage. The honey is still present, and the wood note is lingering in the background. Verdict: This one is too sweet for me. It must be the rum note. It's not bad, but I don't think I will even keep my imp for layering purposes.

In the imp: A spicy floral (but I'm getting more spices than the floral component of the scent). Wet: Mostly spices. I can definitely tell that it's a lily note now that it is on my skin, but the spices are more prominent than the floral note itself. I think this contains a mild, sweet cinnamon. I have sensitive skin, but this doesn't burn at all. Dry: The lily note is a lot stronger now, and the spices seem softer, though they haven't decreased in strength. Verdict: This kind of reminds me of a mild cinnamon gum. I won't be keeping my imp, but the description really matches the scent.

A woolen robe infused with the scent of a vast, primordial forest: ancient trees, fertile soil, wild herbs, spring grasses, and burgundy pitch incense. In the imp: Whoa! I do get the woolen robe from this, along with the soil, grass, herbs, and trees. The soil note is not the same one that I get from Deep in Earth and Zombi, and the grass note is definitely the spring grass described in the description (and not the dry grass note featured in some of the Lab's other scents). The scent is a bit sharp, and the burgundy pitch incense mingling with the grass and herbs are somewhat off-putting to my nose. Oh, well. Here goes! Wet: Oh hai, dirt! This is very brown and green. I am pretty sure this is a wet (or freshly-upturned) soil note, and the grass note is pretty intense. The trees are in the distance, and the burgundy pitch incense is becoming more prominent over time. Dry: The scent is softer now. The soil and grass have calmed down, and the herbs are stronger during this phase of the scent. The burgundy pitch incense is more like incense now as opposed to burgundy pitch. It smells like a meadow near a forest in the spring, strewn with flowers, and graced with the presence of incense on the breeze. Verdict: I was intimidated by the scent of this one in the imp, but it is much more pleasant on my skin. I will keep my imp for RPG layering purposes, but I don't think I need a bottle of this one.

In the imp: Resins! I'm not familiar with all of the notes listed here, but I can definitely smell the olibanum (I once tried the Lab's single note), and I'm not getting much of the dragon's blood from the imp. Wet: The resins in this aren't very heavy. One would think this would be a very heavy scent with all of the resins listed, but it is actually far lighter than I thought it would be. I do get the olibanum, and after a few minutes, the dragon's blood resin adds a light spiciness to the scent. I'm also getting something that's almost lemon-like (but definitely isn't lemon). Dry: Light, sweet resins. Verdict: I'll be keeping my imp for layering purposes! I'm so glad the dragon's blood wasn't problematic. My current favorite RPG combo is Neutral Ranger Elf, but I think this one could be good as well.

In the imp: Rose, spicy carnation, and an astringent white tea note. Wet: Velvety rose and spicy carnation, followed by the white tea note. The carnation note quickly becomes the dominant note, which tends to happen on my skin whenever it is present (though there are a few scents that are the exception). It isn't long before it is mostly carnation and white tea, with the rose note taking a background role and smelling more like a fresh rose than before. Dry: Spicy carnation and a sharp white tea note with a hint of the rose in the background. Verdict: I'm not really liking the combination of the carnation and the tea note. I'll be passing on my imp.

In the imp: Juniper and mint, followed by the sweetness of the lotus note. Wet: The juniper note is the most prominent, and then the mint, but the lotus flower is increasing in strength, adding a bubblegum-y vibe to the scent. Dry: The lotus is far stronger now. It's mostly lotus and juniper, with a hint of mint. The lotus hasn't gone full-on bubblegum yet, but it seems like a rather odd combination with the other notes. Verdict: I don't find this to be menacing at all – it actually seems really pink on my skin. I like sugary florals (like High-Strung Daisies and TKO), but I'm not particularly fond of lotus notes thanks to that bubblegum association. (I do not like bubblegum). So I will be passing on my imp.

In the decant: Snow and lychee, mostly, followed by the lavender note. Wet: The snow is the dominant note. It is a bright, slushy, ozonic snow note. The lychee note is the second most prominent note, and the snow note contains a smooth mint. I think this is pretty much Neither Peace Nor Rest + some lychee. Dry: This is pretty much all snow, all the time! I'm not really getting anything else from this. Verdict: Damn, I was really hoping that the lavender was going to be a main player here, but it's mostly snow like whoa.

In the imp: Exactly as the description says – amber and black musk. Wet: The combination of these two notes is lovely. I'm getting more of the musk than the amber on me at this point. The black musk note does have a strong lemon-y aspect to it, but that usually goes away after it has been on my skin for a while. The amber note increases in strength as the scent begins its drydown. Dry: The amber note reigns now, and the black musk note has calmed down and lost its lemon-y vibe. Verdict: I really like the amber in this one (which I believe is the same one featured in The Butterfly). I will be keeping my imp, but I don't think I need a bottle of this (unless I somehow end up going through this really quickly).

In the imp: Soft milk and honey notes (not the ones found in Alice), followed by what must be the grains. Wet: The milk and honey notes are the first to emerge, and I'm getting more milk than honey at this point. The honey note begins to gain prominence as this sits on my skin. It's a light scent that isn't that sweet despite the presence of the honey note. It smells lovely, but I have to press my nose to my wrist to smell it because it is so light and stays close to the skin. Dry: The scent stays very close to the skin now. It is still predominantly a milk and honey scent, with more milk than honey, but I think I'm smelling more of the grains now. Verdict: I like this, and I plan on keeping my imp to wear on days in which I'm wanting a light scent. However, I don't think I need a bottle of it.