doomsday_disco

Original version, official imp. This is a very sour, tart currant and clove scent on me. The currant is strongest in the beginning, but the clove gains strength over time. The sour quality never really goes away, though. I really was expecting the blackcurrant in this to be sweeter! While I enjoy the clove, the currant just isn't vibing with me.

I passed on this when it was available, but I was very lucky to swap for a decant recently, and let me just say, this is the most realistic banana note that the Lab has ever used!? Like, there's no Laffy Taffy banana here, it's truly fresh banana and whipped cream surrounded by vanilla wafer crumbs. It smells delicious. I'm definitely hanging onto the decant, and I'm going to see if I can grab any amount of the hair gloss to pair with all of my banana scents!

I really didn't like this one. I ended up having to throw the paper towel I sprayed one spray on away because I couldn't stand the smell out of it, and it was so damn strong. To my nose, I got mostly a dark, grape-like musk (the musk I hate the most) with just a little beeswax-tinged candle smoke and whiskey behind it. I don't know what it was like later in the night because I only tolerated it for about an hour. I love beeswax/candle scents, but this one isn't for me. You have to like this sort of musk in order to enjoy this one.

This is a very incense-y scent, but a comforting one. I get the resins with a lot of champaca at first, but the champaca melds with the resins so well that it becomes really smooth instead of heady? The red sandalwood dominates by the end of the day, backed by the other resins, and the champaca is very tame by that point. I also swear I get a bit of clove -- perhaps from the brimstone? It's not something I need more of, but I do like it more than I thought I would!

Breathless Horror is mostly camphor and frankincense (olibanum) on me for the longest time, with some white musk that emerges more with wear so that it ends up being a resinous white musk scent with just a hint of coolness by the end of the day, and what I think may be the carrot seed? It has that melancholic vibe that I feel like must be the carrot seed. I also get a citrus-like quality to this that isn't quite citrus -- perhaps that is the niaouli (although Google says that's more along the lines of eucalyptus?). The citrus-y note and white musk are giving me late drydown La Joconde vibes. I like the end result of this more than the beginning, but I'm a little sad that the white mint never got a chance to shine, as I love that note! I think I'll hang onto the decant for now, although I'm not sure how often I'd reach for it (especially over Travel Buddies, which I enjoy more).

I get the tangerine, sandalwood, and pear upon application, with a bit of musky ambergris. Over time, the sandalwood and benzoin gain strength, as does the ambergris, and it ends up being a musky, somewhat powdery, dry white sandalwood and benzoin on me (with maybe the slightest bit of sweetness from the tonka). I'm glad I got to try this, but I soooo wish the tangerine had stuck around longer (as that's what I was here for)!

To me, this is an unripe pink strawberry accompanied by a rain note that gets more prominent with wear (and eventually confines the strawberry to a background role). It's a perfume-y aquatic note, but it's not a salt bomb like the oceanic aquatics, and it does have a watery quality to it. This is a unique aquatic, and I'm so glad I got to try it! Thank you to the kind BPALer who frimped this to me. I'll be keeping my decant.

Artist Unknown Honey, rose petals, and carnations - a drop of blood - red clover, cubeb berries, and vanilla cream. Aww, the thing that looks like a miniature version of the dragon-dog from The Neverending Story isn't on the label. In the bottle: I believe features the same carnation note as Startled Toad. At least, there is a lemony aspect present, and the combination of whatever that note is and the carnation remind me of that scent. It's not the spicy carnation found in scents like Queen Alice. I feel like this scent is similar to the Trading Post's Butterfly Nectar bath oil. This is a peppy scent. I'm mainly getting sweet flower petals and what I think may be the cubeb berry. The vanilla cream note is present, but it resides in the background. Wet: I'm getting more of the vanilla cream note on my skin. The carnation note is the most prominent note, which isn't surprising – carnation tends to do that on my skin. I don't dislike it, but I hope this doesn't turn into carnation single note. At the moment, the rose is quite prominent as well. Dry: I think the blood note contains clove, as I can smell some clove now (or is that the cubeb berry?), along with the florals, honey, and a bit of vanilla cream. After a while, I mainly smell carnation, clove (or cubeb? The Google tells me that is peppery), rose, and a hint of the vanilla. Verdict: I bought this one because of the name and the sugary florals. But I was worried about the carnation being too prominent for my liking, and it is. I'm going to let this settle some more and retest it before deciding whether or not to keep it. Hopefully the vanilla will come out more with age. I don't dislike it, but I own a lot of sugary floral scents, and I can't see myself reaching for this one very often.

I have tested this several times, but have neglected to review it. Time to change that now! This goes on as the Lab's lovely, realistic dandelion note, but quickly becomes more about the honeyed currants and wine on me. It is very sweet, and remains that way for a long time, before the dandelion fights its way back in among those sweet notes and it becomes a little more balanced (but is still more about the wine than the dandelion). I am glad I got to try the perfume version of this (I have the bath oil, which I use as a moisturizer to pair with other currant-y scents, like Eat Me), but I don't think I'd reach for it since the dandelion didn't remain as strong as it was in the beginning.

I've tried this a few times, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Here's the thing. It smells so boozy at first, in the bottle and on the skin. I don't know if it is the breadiness or the chocolate chips doing that, or the combination of both. Eventually that boozy blast calms down and it does become muffin-y/quick loaf-y. I can smell the smooth muffin top. I made pumpkin scones with Libby's pumpkin last month, and that's the pumpkin scent that I got from this, especially after it has been dry for a few hours. The pumpkin spice in this is pretty light, so it's worth a try if you are afraid of spice. And the chocolate chips are pretty tame, too! There's definitely more muffin and pumpkin than chocolate here. I'm going to let this sit for a few more weeks and come back to it and see if I can make a decision about it. I like the end result, but the initial boozy blast is a little much for me.

I have Zombi and all of its variants, so I couldn't stop with this one, especially since it is apple! Bobbing for Zombies is recognizably Zombi, but it not nearly as somber thanks to the addition of the apple note. The rose is really tame here compared to the original, as I think it just adds a bit of brightness and bite to the apple. Over time, the moss aspect of Zombi gains strength, so that it is mostly moss and dirt with what remains of the apple by the end of the day. I agree with the cemetery comparison and would say it's like walking through a cemetery with apple trees and fallen apples on an autumn day. I deathmatched this against another apple and dirt scent from the Lab, 2013's All Hallows' Apple. The apple in that one is redder and stays more prominent throughout wear than the apple in Bobbing for Zombies, and there is no moss in that one, so it is firmly apple and dirt. But if you have tried and liked that one, you'd probably enjoy this one as well, and I think they are different enough to warrant owning both. I'm really happy to have a bottle of this one.

Loli.Goth is very pink, but also very perfume-y. It's the iris. It doesn't typically work on me, and it is too loud and screechy here as well. The pink musk and peach are the most prominent notes along with it, with a touch of strawberry. It's a a sophisticated pink scent, and I think I would enjoy it if it weren't for that pesky iris!

I get fun dip or pixie stick powder, smarties dust, and perhaps a little fruity taffy from this? Which I guess is a lot better than some of the other reviewers got. Maybe I should test it again and see if I get any chocolate, candy corn, caramel, or other notes. In any case, it is cheap candy debris, not the good stuff. I am glad I got to try this and deathmatch it with X-Rayed Candy Bag, but I vastly prefer that one for a candy bag scent.

Folks, this is way better than I thought this would be. My original thought was that this would be like a predominantly fruity candy scent, with perhaps a smear of chocolate, some plastic from a bag or pail, and some green musk for the radioactive glow. But I was wrong! There's no chocolate (yay!) and no plastic (yay!). AND NO MUSK (woo!). I get mostly sugary lime candy, a bit of strawberry candy, and some lemony tea from this. So it is very lemon-lime on me, with just a hint of strawberry, and I am here for it. I took a chance on a bottle of this because it sounded so weird, but it is actually one of my favorite Weenies that I blind-bottled. Don't be too afraid to try it if you like citrus, candy, or tea scents! ETA: I deathmatched this with Candy Bag Debris, a Weenie 'single note' of years past, and they are nothing alike! That one is more fun dip and smarties dust, and maybe some taffy.

Oh shit. Oh fuck. I did not actively seek this out. A very kind BPALista sent me a decant because they wanted me to try it. To me, most rares are not worth the hype. Usually I'm happy to have a sample, but don't need more of it, or I don't like it and am glad to have dodged a bullet. But this one? This one is stunning. ? The Girl is so well-blended that I can't pick out all of the notes (plus I'm not too familiar with immortelle or davana), but to me, it smells like a beautiful white amber and ethereal vanilla (? or vanilla-esque) musk scent infused with florals (the only one I can identify is the ylang ylang). I'd say it is in the same scent family as scents like Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending and Ava, only those scents are brighter, and this one is deeper with its amber, and not as floral despite containing more floral notes than Ava? I will never let my mom try this scent, because she always falls hard for scents like these, and the last thing she needs to do is want yet another rare scent. I am going to cherish every last drop of the decant that was sent to me, and maybe once it gets to its dregs, I will seek out more. But hopefully it won't get to that point, as I really don't like to hunt down rares, especially with so many new scents on the horizon. But goddamn, this is gorgeous. Thank you to the kind soul who sent some my way.

Back in 2013 or 2014, I had a bottle of this, and I ended up destashing it because I remember it being powdery on me. But a lovely forumite sent me some to try again because there was a batch variation with this scent (with one batch being incense instead of cheesecake), so they wanted to see if I had a different experience with it. This does go on as a blast of lavender and some creamy cheesecake that does threaten to go powdery at one point, but then, later on in the day, I was like goddamn, what smells so good? Which scent on my arm is creating that beautiful cloud? And it was this one, which had settled into a lovely, creamy, vanilla-y cloud of lavender honey cheesecake. I don't know if my skin chemistry has changed, or if my bottle was from the other batch, but I'm really glad I got a chance to try it again and will be cherishing my decant!

Squelette et Fantôme is mainly lavender, white musk, and teakwood on me. I don't get the cacao, and I only get the barest hint of the blackcurrant (which surprises me!). It reminds me of Third Eye Extraction, but without the mugwort and with teakwood instead of dragon's blood. So I really like it, and I'd swap for a bottle, but I don't think I'd swap hard for a bottle since it is a cousin to Third Eye Extraction, which I already have two bottles of in my collection. I skipped this when it was available because of the massive amount of wants from the Winter Travelogue collection, and I thought the blackcurrant would be too loud like in Lurid, or that the teakwood would be too sharp. Neither are problematic here. I won't actively hunt this one down because of it being a relative to Third Eye Extraction, but I will cherish my decant.

At first, I get the black tea, which doesn't have a touch of anise to my nose like the Lab's black tea sometimes does, followed by a big burst of the lilac fougere. It's more lilac than fougere at first, and there's only a hint of the red licorice note. However, over time, it quickly becomes all about the fougere, with no other notes to be found. I enjoy fougeres, so I am glad I got to try this, but I don't think I need more than my decant.

Tag Upon Avon is mostly about the black tea and tobacco on me. The black tea has a touch of anise to it that fortunately does not stick around as the bold pipe tobacco note rises up to join it. Oddly enough, I don't get much clove from this despite my normal tendency to amp it, and I don't get any cake crumbs at all. I am glad I got a chance to try this past Fatherhood scent (I was in Germany in 2016 and had to be very selective with my ordering during the second half of the year), but I couldn't see myself reaching for it over other tea or tobacco scents.

This is mostly about the white rose on me. It is bright and not really sweetened by the honey or buttered up by the cream on me. In fact, I only get the barest hint of the honeyed cream after a day of wear, and that's if I really try to go hunting for it. It's just buried beneath the white rose! It was nice to be able to try this, as I love sugary florals, but alas, I didn't get enough honeyed cream for me to want to reach for this again. ?

So... original Coral Snake turns into spiced apple goodness with age. 2016 Coral Snake is still really tropical and has no signs of morphing into that. So I was very excited about this snek, because I wanted an apple Snake Oil that didn't have caramel in it (like Caramel Apple Snake Oil) and one I wouldn't have to age forever. And this did not disappoint! This is a spiced apple Snake Oil. It goes on with the Snake Oil musk being quite strong at first, but then the apple and spices emerge. The apple is between baked and fresh (not quite as baked as the apple in Lambs-Wool), but leans more baked, and the Snake Oil spices just complement it perfectly. I could not stop sniffing myself when I wore this last night, and I could still smell it when I woke up the next day (although it's more Snake Oil now than apple). This is even better than I thought it would be, and if it gets restocked, I'm grabbing a back-up. This is without a doubt my favorite snek variant from the past few years. I might even destash one or both of my Coral Snakes.

Gooped Familiar is mostly about the black musk, spices, and hay on me, with some amber cozying up to the musk. I get a blast of carnation with the musk when it is freshly applied, and it is a spicy red variety, but then my skin decides to amp up the spice and I feel like I get a ton of clove for a while, and then cinnamon. The hay and amber add a nice warmth to the scent, and the cedarwood isn't as strong in this as it is in other cat scents like The Cat and The Small Brown Cat (at least, that's the case on me). I wasn't able to pick out the catnip, but I hope that changes as the scent has a little more time to settle. (Otherwise, I'm chalking it up to my skin running away with the spices.) I think this is a nice, spicy, cuddly cat scent, and I'm curious to see how this ages.

Lightning Strikes Literature is primarily rain-touched ozone, sweet beeswax, and notebooks on me. The notebook pages really do smell like the yellowed pages of an old notebook. The ink isn't distinct on me, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were lurking in the background, adding to this whole atmospheric mood. The ozone is the strongest note on me throughout wear, and it does threaten to go dryer sheet at one point, although I get more rain with the ozone over time. I really enjoy how the beeswax keeps it in check and adds a welcome sweetness to the scent. And I love that the notebooks don't have any leather! If you don't like ozone, this probably won't be your thing, but if you like beeswax and bookish scents and aren't averse to ozone, you should definitely give this one a try. I think the scent really fits the name, and I think it would be fun to wear on a stormy night, or as a sleep scent.

Victory is a fizzy champagne party with a smear of pumpkin cheesecake. Usually I test a scent at home before wearing it out to make sure it won't go wonky on me, but not today! And there was a point when the pumpkin tried to assert itself and created an odd combo with the champagne, but fortunately, the champagne beat it back on my skin. If you don't like champagne, you won't like this one. It's definitely one for those who love the Lab's champagne note. I'm curious to see if the pumpkin cheesecake will get stronger as this ages.

This goes on with a blast of fizzy ginger, backed by the chocolate (which is a darker chocolate; not milk chocolate). But it quickly becomes a ginger party on me with just a little chocolate in the background. It reminds me of the same fizzy ginger from Spurious Cooter Bees; I get zero souffle from this, but that could be because the ginger is so loud on me. I'm really glad I got to try this, but I know I'd reach for other ginger scents in my collection over this one, and I'm not sure this particular ginger note goes with chocolate. ?