doomsday_disco

In the decant: I definitely get the cardamom tea, orange peel, and mate. Alas, something has a licorice-y vibe to it (I think it is the cardamom tea), and I don't like that at all. I hope it isn't like that on my skin. Wet: The licorice-like note is present, but the orange peel note is attempting to drown it out. Then, the orange peel and mate are the dominant notes, making this a citrus-y tea blend. The licorice-like note is still present, and now I am wondering if that is due to the cardamom tea or the mate. Alas, I am not a fan of drinking mate, so I can't say I am particularly enjoying its presence in this blend. The note with the black licorice quality just keeps getting stronger. I am not liking this at all. It's kind of like Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's tea leaves, but with orange peel instead of bergamot, and cardamom tea and mate instead of a grassy green tea leaf. Dry: Whatever it is that is making this black licorice dominant... plus some orange peel. Verdict: I ordered a decant of this because I am usually interested in tea blends, but there is something in this one that is just not agreeing with me. I am glad that I went for a decant instead of a bottle, because this is just NOT for me.

In the decant: The white patchouli is quite prominent (it is the same kind that is in The Laughter of Loki), and I think I am getting the pepperwood note from this as well. I am also getting the oudh and the champaca, and the combination of those two notes remind me of Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit (without the wonderful coffee bean note). Wet: White patchouli and pepperwood. The oudh seems to be coming out more over time. I get a hint of the champaca. Dry: Patchouli and peppery resins. If I press my nose right up to my skin, I detect a hint of the vanilla. Verdict: This one was too patchouli and resin dominant for me, and the vanilla wasn't prominent enough to tame those notes on my skin. I am glad that I was able to try it, but I don't need a bottle.

Note: I am reviewing this as a moisturizer (and not as a product used in the bath). This one is a classic, perfume-y floral at first, but the perfume-y quality disappears on the drydown, and it is a sweet floral scent. This is nice, and I think it will pair well with many floral scents, so I will be keeping my decant. However, I am going to have to pass on a bottle of it at this time. I may end up snagging one if it makes its way onto Etsy in the future, though!

In the decant: I am mainly getting the tobacco and orange-bark myrrh from this (which is more myrrh than 'orange'). I hope the blackened vanilla absolute makes an appearance on my skin. Wet: This is tobacco dominant, and the myrrh is present, but I am getting more of the orange blossom the longer this sits on my skin. There is a hint of cinnamon, but it is not a main player. The blackened vanilla absolute has also decided to make an appearance, and for that, I am glad. Dry: Orange blossom with tobacco, a hint of spice, and a breath of vanilla. It stays very close to the skin. Verdict: I am not a big fan of orange blossom, and there are tobacco and vanilla blends that I enjoy more than this one, so I don't feel like I need a bottle of this one, even though I enjoy the drydown.

This is one of my favorite hair glosses. Of course, I figured it would be, as I adore of sugary floral blends! In the bottle, it smells very similar to the Nice Glop from 2013's Naughty or Nice Inquisition. The sweet honeysuckle is quite prominent, but the bergamot is definitely present, as well as the honeyed camellia (a note I recognize from Fallen Woman hair gloss). I am not sure what columbine smells like, so I cannot pick that one out, but I am sure it is contributing to the amazing sugary-floral vibe. In my hair, the honeysuckle and the bergamot reign in all of their glory. The bergamot really complements the sugary floral notes. The honeyed camellia note becomes more prominent over time, and it becomes the dominant note at the end of the day. By this point, the bergamot is nowhere to be found. I bought two blind bottles of this because I knew I would love it, and I am so glad that I did!

I recently used up my bar of this, so I suppose I should review it! I used it as a hand soap. The scent reminds me of almond icing on a spiced cookie. The scent lingers on the hands after use. The bar lasted a really long time, too! I would definitely repurchase this soap. (I didn't get any crushed almonds in the bar I had... but that's a good thing!)

I second the Tombstone recommendation, but you have to like sassafras in order to enjoy that one. If it's not your thing at first, let it age for a while, and try it again, as the vanilla comes out more with age. Tombstone has my favorite vanilla note. It may be too foody for you, though (as it's kind of like a creamy root beer float with some cedar). annemathematics listed some really good recommendations. Definitely try Ava -- if you don't like it, it won't be difficult to rehome. Sadly, I didn't get much vanilla from Who in the World Am I, but it definitely fits the 'floriental' description. Everyone should try TKO! If you haven't already, try Dorian! Eclipse might end up being too gourmand for you, but you could give it a try and see what notes your skin chooses to bring out the most. On me, it's mostly almond, vanilla, and cinnamon, but you may get more of the frankincense and heliotrope. "All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun — darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon." If you don't mind peach blossom, try Tamora. "Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean." Here is a list of everything with a vanilla note on the Lab's website. (There are other vanilla notes listed in the directory that you can click on as well, such as bourbon vanilla and vanilla absolute.)

Hmm. I'm not sure how I feel about Chorion yet. In the bottle, it is iris and musk dominant. I was hoping to mainly get vanilla-infused benzoin from this one, but that wasn't the case (in the bottle or in my hair). I sprayed this directly into my damp hair several times prior to brushing it, and the mimosa blossom made an appearance with its sweet, candy-like scent. It didn't stay for long, though. I thought I may have smelled a bit of the benzoin when my hair was dry, but the scent was mainly iris dominant, like it was in the bottle. I can't really pick out the white patchouli, but I have only used two scents with that note in it (Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending and The Laughter of Loki). I think I will hang onto my bottle for now, but I don't see myself reaching for this one very often as it is one of the lighter hair glosses, and I don't really know what to pair this one with. NOTE: I just noticed that there is a lot of sediment in my bottle. Even though I gave this a light shake before applying it yesterday, it probably wasn't enough. I will retest it later this week and edit my review if the scent has changed.

I am reviewing this as an after-shower moisturizer (and not as a product used in the bath). Original Test (When I received this back in November 2013): In the decant: A lovely vanilla cream and a bright linen note. The more I sniff, the more the cotton seems to have a slightly citrus aspect to it, which is probably what makes me think of a white sheet hanging on a clothes line and blowing in the wind. Wet: I was hoping the vanilla cream would be the dominant note on my skin, but the white cotton note is more prominent than I hoped that it would be. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. Both of the notes are present and they blend together wonderfully. This reminds me of something, but I can't pinpoint what that something is... Dry: This seems to go through different phases. Sometimes it is the most lovely vanilla and linen scent, but at other times, I smell this acrid, sour smell that reminds me of a used baby wipe that wasn't thrown away right away. :\ Retest (9/8/14) The vanilla cream note is more prominent than the linen note this time, and there isn't an acrid baby wipe smell at all. I really like it, and I have been getting wonderful wafts of this throughout the day! *I think the reason it didn't work out well the first time I tested this because it was near the time of the month when I ought not to be testing perfumes.

In the bottle: Whoa! I can definitely smell the 'black velvet accord' in this, and it is very realistic! I also smell the florals, blackened vanilla musk, and what I think is the amber note. Fortunately, I don't get any caraway from this in the bottle, and I hope it remains that way on my skin. Wet: I'm mostly getting the floral notes from this. Although the jasmine is quite prominent on my skin, it hasn't turned into a stinky jasmine yet. The black velvet and the amber are lingering in the background. This scent is strong! The blackened vanilla musk is present, but it is not a main player on my skin. I think it's main role is to tie everything together and keep the floral notes in check. Dry: The black velvet accord is now the dominant note, and the amber is still present. The floral notes have now taken a background role. Verdict: I am sad that I didn't get more of the blackened vanilla musk from this, but I am glad that the caraway wasn't problematic for me. It definitely has a regal feel to it. I am going to keep it because I have nothing else like it, and I am curious to see how it ages.

I'm not sure which year I'm reviewing. In the decant: Very sweet! That is definitely candy corn, but there's also a butter-y and caramel-like vibe to this. Wet: There is a bit of a butterscotch-like quality to this... not quite butterscotch, but almost. It goes away rather quickly, and I'm left with a sugar note. Dry: A buttery, burnt-sugar note remains. Verdict: This is waaaaay too sickly-sweet for me.

In the imp: Milk chocolate and the wonderful spiced pumpkin note found in all of the “...in the pumpkin patch” scents. Wet: Creamy milk chocolate and pumpkin. Yum! Bliss is usually more like a brownie-esque chocolate than a milk chocolate candy bar on my skin, but that isn't the case with this scent. It's a creamy milk chocolate with a spiced pumpkin note, and the spiced pumpkin note is getting stronger the longer this sits on my skin. Dry: The spiced pumpkin note completely overtook the creamy milk chocolate note, and now all that remains is a spiced pumpkin. No, I take that back. If I press my nose to my arm and inhale really deeply, I get a whiff of the creamy milk chocolate, so it's still present. It's just very light. Verdict: I like this, but I wish the chocolate hadn't decided to hide in the background on my skin! The combination of milk chocolate and spiced pumpkin smells quite delicious, though.

Thanks to ladymeag for the decant! In the decant: I smell the pear, oat, and wine notes. Wet: The pear seems to be the dominant note on my skin, but I can still smell the oats and the wine. The boiled oats note is becoming stronger. It smells like a bowl of delicious oatmeal. Then, it becomes sweeter as the pear and wine take the main stage. Dry: Pear and wine. The oat note is lingering in the background. Verdict: This is a comforting scent! I don't feel the need to try and find more of this, but I am glad that I was able to try it! :]

This review is for the 2013 version. In the decant: White florals! I can definitely pick out the narcissus in this. I also get a bit of the cognac (which I hope ends up being more prominent on my skin than it is in the decant). Wet: The floral notes dominate. This doesn't change, but the sandalwood and the cognac are present as well. Dry: Still floral dominant, but the floral notes are sweeter now. Verdict: I am glad that I was able to try this one, but I'm also glad that I didn't buy a bottle of this one unsniffed last year, as the cognac wasn't as strong as I hoped it would be.

In the imp: ALMOND. It's strong, but I love almond notes. If I inhale really deeply, I get a bit of cinnamon, but I'm mainly just smelling almond. Wet: Creamy almond and cinnamon. The almond is the dominant note. I am glad this only contains a drop of cinnamon, and that it doesn't burn. The cinnamon seems to be becoming more prominent, and the creaminess isn't actually part of the almond note at all. It's the vanilla note complementing the almond. After a while, the frankincense starts to peek out. The almond note does register as a bitter almond to my nose now. Dry: At first, it was bitter almond, frankincense, and cinnamon. Later on, the vanilla has decided to announce its creamy presence again, and the cinnamon is the dominant note. Verdict: I like this, and I'm surprised that I didn't try this one sooner. The combination of the almond, vanilla, and cinnamon give this an icing-on-a-spiced-cookie vibe, but the frankincense keeps it from being distinctly foody. I will definitely be keeping my imp, and I will probably end up getting a bottle of this one some time in the future.

I ended up getting a bottle of this last year because the peach, Egyptian amber, and oudh notes appealed to me, and I thought it would go well with the White Peach and Incense Hair Gloss. However, I rarely wore this scent because it was too resin-dominant on my skin. I think it's the myrrh and possibly the burgundy pitch that I wasn't too fond of... I ended up swapping my bottle away. I think I will stick to scents like Aglaea and Tamora when I want a peach and amber fix.

This review is for the 2005 version that I bought from the Lab on eBay last year. This is a sharp, fresh rose with a citrus bite when it is first applied. Then, it becomes a bright red rose with some greenery. It has good staying power, too. I don't dislike it, but my bottle was neglected in favor of several other rose blends (as I prefer sugary florals), so I ended up swapping it away.

I recently swapped my bottle of this away, but I thought I should probably post a review before I forget what it smelled like. The prototype possesses a different cake note. It is a drier cake note, which is more like a pound cake (as opposed to the white cake found in the released version). It has a sharp quality to it, which could be due to the different berry note, or a note that's kind of like an extract that would be used in a glaze. Maybe it's due to both of those factors. The prototype does not have the awesome vanilla note found in the released version. I decided to swap my bottle because I prefer the released version, and never really reached for this one.

In the imp: Root beer barrel candies! Wet: Yep, this reminds me of those root beer barrel candies (as opposed to root beer itself). The sassafras is somewhat spicy, and somewhat minty. It makes my skin somewhat tingly where it was applied, but the tingly-ness isn't too bad. Dry: It's softer and creamier now. It still makes me think of root beer barrel candies, but I could also see it being a particularly creamy root beer. Verdict: Why did I wait so long to try this!? I love root beer. I don't like this as much a Tombstone (which is more like a root beer float on me with a hint of cedar... and when it is aged, it contains the most amazing creamy vanilla note), but I really do like this. I will be keeping my imp, and if I use it often, I will order a bottle. (I am pretty sure a bottle will end up falling into my cart sometime in the future, though!)

In the imp: CAAAAAKE. A very sweet buttery cake with drizzled with a glaze (and not a frosting). I don't really get the wine note at all. Wet: The cake is not nearly as sweet or intense as it was in the imp. I still believe that it is a buttery cake with a glaze, though. It smells delicious. I am getting a bit of spice from the sweet cake note now as well, but fortunately, it isn't burning my skin. The milk and honey is definitely present. Still no wine note (which I suppose is a good thing). The scent is familiar, and at first I thought it was the cake note, but I actually think it is the milk and honey, which must be the same milk and honey note used in Alice. Dry: The spices from the cake note are now front and center. The cake itself is still present, as well as the milk and honey, but the spices are far more prominent. Still no wine. Verdict: I like this, but I don't feel the need to spring for a bottle just yet. I will have to see how often I reach for my imp to see if I really need a bottle. *edit* Over three years of aging has brought out the wine note. I'm getting less cake than I used to from this because of it.

In the imp: I'm mostly getting the musk from this, but I can also detect a floral note, and a hint of sweetness. Wet: A bit of sweetness is present at first, which I think is the honey or the sugar. Then, a floral note announces its presence. It's a floral musk scent at the moment, with some sweetness lingering in the background. The floral note is somewhat soapy on my skin. Dry: FLORAL. It must be the acacia. It's a musky floral on me. I don't really get any of the honey, sugar, or vanilla specifically, although there is a faint sweetness in the background. Verdict: I actually wish this were sweeter on me, and I'm disappointed that it is mainly a musky floral on my skin. I will hold onto my imp to see if I like it layered with any of the other RPG scents, but I won't be getting a bottle.

In the decant: Lemony honey... but the more I sniff it, the more I think of a lemon drop. Wet: Sweet lemony candy. Dry: The honey seems to have won out over the sugar, so now it is a lemony honey again. Much later, the sugar seems to be the dominant note, but the lemony honey is still present. I like this phase of the scent the most. Verdict: I'm glad that I was able to try this, and that I didn't get the anise-like note that some of the other reviewers mentioned. It's pleasant, but I don't think that I need a bottle of it.

In the bottle: This seems to be a fruity lemonade mixed with some sugary florals. Wet: The lemon blossom is the most prominent note at first. That note, combined with the other fruity notes, make me think of a berry lemonade. The berry notes are getting stronger the longer they sit on my skin, and the scent is becoming sweeter. Dry: A sugary berry lemonade. Verdict: At one point during the wet phase, the scent was becoming too berry-prominent and sweet for me. I wish I had gotten more of the honeysuckle, sweet pea, rose sugar, and candyfloss from this scent. I will hang onto it for a while and test it again to see if those notes peek out more with age. Retest 9/12/15: After aging for a year, I do get more of the candyfloss note. It's not like a berry lemonade anymore. The lemon and berry notes are still present, but they no longer dominate the blend. I like that the scent is sweeter now. I can definitely pick out the vanilla bean in the dry phase, and the scent seems more floral now than it was a year ago. It's nice, but I don't love it. I think I'll have to give it a full-day test before deciding whether or not to swap it or keep it.

In the bottle: Delicious orange creamsicle! Well, tangerine creamsicle. Wet: Same. I hope it stays like this! The other citrus components are beginning to emerge. I can definitely smell all of the citrus components, so it’s a citrus creamsicle now. Dry: Citrus-y creamsicle goodness! Much later on: The vanilla cream is all that remains. Verdict: LOVE. I am so glad that I took a chance and bought a bottle unsniffed.

In the imp: When this first arrived, I mostly smelled peach and vanilla, but after settling for a few days, the amber and sandalwood have become more prominent. Wet: The peach blossom seems to be the strongest note at first. Then, the amber starts to emerge. I definitely get the vanilla. The sandalwood is present as well (and it is a lot stronger in the crook of my elbow than it is on my wrist). I'm not really sure what heliotrope smells like. Dry: It's a sweet vanilla, peach blossom, and resin scent. Verdict: I like this, but I don't feel the need to spring for a bottle just yet. I will keep my imp and see how often I reach for it.