doomsday_disco

Mouse's Long and Sad Pumpkin features the same spicy, yet somewhat vegetal pumpkin note found in the 2013 Pumpkin Patch Scents (like Snakes in the Pumpkin Patch, Moroccan Pumpkin Patch, Alice in the Pumpkin Patch, and Dorian in the Pumpkin Patch). It is mostly accompanied by the white sandalwood in Mouse's Long and Sad Tale on me, with touches of sheer vanilla and the slightest hints of sweet pea that seem to flitter in and out. When Mouse is fresh, I feel like it is heavier on the white sandalwood, so perhaps as this ages, the other notes in that scent will shine through more. It's pretty heavy on the spiced pumpkin at first, but over time, it becomes more about the sandalwood with a bit of vanilla on me. I like this and will definitely be considering a bottle to see how it ages. But if I don't end up with a bottle (depending on how I do with the rest of the Weenies), I'll definitely hang onto my decant!

I thought for sure this was going to be a bottle upgrade when I sniffed this in the decant. I didn't smell any pumpkin, but it was just the most amazing lemon candy scent that was so sugary and realistic that I could envision the sugar coating on the candy... it seemed even more sugary than the original, I am down for more sugar! But on my skin, it was another story. It's still far more sugary lemon than pumpkin, but the pumpkin in this is making it wonky on me and doing the odd tomato soup/puree thing that sometimes happens with scents (with unrelated notes!) on my skin. So it's that lovely sugary lemon with an undertone of unwanted soup. Skin chemistry fail. This really does smell amazing in the vial, though, so if your skin chemistry doesn't do this with some scents, definitely give it a try!

This is mostly about the sweet amber on me, backed by a dry, white sandalwood. The amber in this, while having some sweetness and a bit of a musky quality to it, kind of like the amber in Adventuresome Encounters, is overlaid with something a bit high-pitched and perfume-y and reminds me of the sweet amber in scents like Alleviate the Frenzy and Sweet Amber and Cherry Liqueur Hair Gloss, although I no longer have decants of either around to compare to know for certain. The sandalwood in this does get stronger over time, but never overtakes the amber on me. I never tried Kimi Ga Dai Wa, so I can't say how this compares to that one myself. I think this is nice, but it's that sparkling, perfume-y quality that hovers over the amber that keeps me from loving it. There are other amber and sandalwood scents I'd be more likely to reach for over this one, so no bottle for me.

If the blood note concerns you, you may want to stay away from this one. On me, it's mostly about the musky floral type of dragon's blood mingling with moss and a clean, yet mentholic snow note. It's more that type of dragon's blood than mentholic snow on me, buuuut dragon's blood is a tricky note with my skin chemistry. By the end of the day, I smell cedar, even though it is not listed among the notes. But it is a pencil-y type of cedar and not the bomb ass cedar from, say, Tombstone. Alas, this is... not my kind of icy scent.

I expected this to be really sharp with notes like white tea and chrome and with gardenia being a heady floral note. But there is a glassy smoothness to it that makes me think of some of the Lab's mirror-inspired scents. It's a sophisticated scent that would appeal to those that enjoy the more mainstream-leaning scents from the Lab. The musk and gardenia are probably contributing to that glassy vibe (I'm not getting vanilla from the musk, but maybe it's helping to smooth things over). The chrome and white amber are main players as well, taking this even more into perfume-y territory. The white tea adds some astringency, but it isn't the powerhouse it normally is on me in this scent. And the ambergris is more noticeable by the end of the day, making this smoother and potentially contributing to the glassy feel of the scent as well. The only thing I'm not sure of is what was making me think of violet during one phase of the scent? But fortunately, it didn't take over. This isn't something I'd choose to wear, but it's something I bet my mom and brother would enjoy, so I'll have them try it.

Hideous Heart features a strong black cherry note. It is somewhat cherry/almond at first and kind of makes me think of a darker version of the inside of a cherry cordial, but the scent then teeters between that and cherry lozenge on me. The licorice root in this is really well-behaved and doesn't make this scent smell licorice-y on me (thankfully, as I dislike licorice and its brethren). The cinnamon was missing at first, showed up for a while during the middle phase, really spicing up the cherry, but then became really light by the end of the day, never burning me once. I don't think I would reach for this over some other cherry scents in my collection, but I'm glad I got to try it (and that that it wasn't licorice doom)!

This was all sharp pine and dark myrrh on me. No hot cocoa. No candy canes. The myrrh does soften over time, so that it ends up being a pine-infused myrrh scent and not just two sharp notes clashing together, but the pine here doesn't make me think of Christmas tree lots at all. I was so hoping for more tree and the presence of some hot cocoa and candy cane. Alas.

I expected this one to morph a lot more on me than it did, since it contains so many notes, but I'll retest this a few times to see if my experience remains the same or varies. At first, the strawberry is the strongest note, with just a smidge of chocolate chip cookie, but then the blue cotton candy shows up and becomes the dominant note on me, backed by a little strawberry. It's the same cotton candy from Thrills and Junk Food, which I love. During this phase, it kind of reminds me of Battle Fairy in Training with more of the blue cotton candy than the strawberry, and without the hint of mint. It remains like this for several hours, when the buttered popcorn joins in, along with the milk, and maybe a bit of rice? It ends up being a buttery, milky scent by the end of the day. I love the blue cotton candy note in this, but I don't think I'd wear this over Thrills and Junk Food (why didn't you show up on me, lavender!?). I'm going to retest it a few times before it goes away before deciding if I need more or not, though.

The lavender, sweet oudh, and cashmere musk are the first notes I get from Lilitu, but after a bit, it becomes a little difficult to pick out the notes. The black orchid lends a floral sweetness to the blend, and I end up getting more of it than the lavender after some time. The sweet oudh, which is prominent throughout wear on me, is not indolic whatsoever. The cashmere musk, which is also a main player, isn't laundry-like at all, if that's a concern. I tend to amp moss notes, but that hasn't happened here (although it has cozied up to the cashmere musk by the end of the day). I sometimes amp carnation, too (usually the bold, spicy red variety), but that also isn't happening here -- it's far in the background, adding just a tinge of floral spice. I get no licorice-y black tea from this and couldn't pick out the tea note in this at all. The tobacco leaf and leather are also really light (I could only detect a hint of leather at the end of the day when I went looking for it). On me, it ends up mostly being a cashmere musk mixed with sweet oudh, black orchid, oakmoss, and a bit of slightly smoky tobacco... but again, it all swirls together in a way that makes it hard to describe just by trying to pick out the notes. I wish the lavender had remained as strong as it was in the beginning, but it is a nice, comforting, yet somber sort of scent. I may end up holding onto my decant, but I don't think I need a full bottle of this one.

At first, I get lots of buttercream, backed by some chai spices and lemony honey. The scorched marshmallow is quick to emerge, but isn't overly scorched, and it is accompanied by the stick. The honey-swirled buttercream and scorched marshmallow become the stars of the show, backed by the chai spices and the stick. It stays like this for some time, until my skin eventually amps the smoke. It's not an acrid smoke, but a more prominent version of the smoke found in some Yule scents last year, like the Fir Needle and Smoke duet. It's not the type of smoke that reminds me of roasting a marshmallow over a campfire. The smoke ends up reigning for a few hours, but by the end of the day, it's back to a super light sweet marshmallow with a bit of buttercream that stays close to the skin (I had to press my nose to my arm in order to smell it). I wish I didn't end up amping the smoke in this one, as it started off really nicely in the beginning before it took over, and then it was too light once the smoke calmed down for me to enjoy it properly. I'll retest this once it has more time to settle, but I don't think I will need more of this one.

I've tried this twice. I get sweet crabgrass (which smells like it has a bit of a tart green apple aspect to it) and dandelion sap in the decant and freshly applied, and if it had remained as that lovely grassy scent, it probably would have been bottle-worthy. But alas, both times I've tried this, I've experienced an epic skin chemistry fail. For some reason, it has morphed into a tomato soup sort of scent like Pumpkin Gazpacho on me. This happens to me sometimes with some scents, sometimes with completely different notes, and I am not sure what is causing it here. On top of that, I do get a sharp metallic note representing the skateboard wheels, and there were times when I sniffed this and it started to give me a headache. The white clover and just a hint of dirt pop up after a few hours, but they unfortunately are still accompanied by the soup and metal notes. Alas, it was not meant to be. I envy those who can pull this off, because it smells so nice in the vial!

This is a very nice twist on a cherry scent. The black cherry in this one isn't nearly as strong as in Jack of Hearts. It's sweetened by the sugar, and made more sophisticated by the cologne-y steel pin note, which for once is not loud and sharp enough to induce a headache. The cherry is the dominant note throughout wear, but there's plenty of sugar and steel as well. Yet despite containing traditionally strong notes, this scent stays close to the skin by the end of the day. I really like this one and will need to give it a full day of wear on its on to decide whether or not I need to upgrade to a bottle, but I'll definitely be hanging onto my decant! Of the two cherry scents in this Lilith update, I appreciate this one most.

This definitely has several Mad Tea Party elements to it. The black cherry, reminding me of The Red Queen. The sweet pink pepper, reminding me of High-Strung Daisies. And carnations, which are present in both Alice and Queen Alice. So if you have tried several of the Mad Tea Party scents, you'll sniff this and think this is very Mad Tea Party. Jack of Hearts features a very bold black cherry note (it's far stronger than the black cherry in Nymphae Avernales) that teeters on cherry lozenge on me. It is the dominant note throughout wear, backed by the spicy carnation. I got the pink pepper in the background when this was freshly applied, but it quickly went into hiding and didn't reappear until several hours later, but it still cannot hold a candle to the cherry and carnation notes. The honey isn't distinct on me, but I'm sure it is there adding some sweetness to the scent (or maybe it's what is making the cherry veer into lozenge territory). I'm going to let this settle some more, but I think the cherry in this may be too lozenge-like for me, and I'm iffy on the combination of the cherry with the carnation. If you love the Mad Tea Party, you should give this one a shot, though, because it is VERY Mad Tea Party.

Pine and clove are the first notes that leap out at me, followed by some sweet Dorian and a bit of basil. The Dorian is quick to assert itself, and it ends up being this swoon-worthy blend of Dorian-sweetened pine with a bit of clove. I could not stop sniffing my wrist. Dorian's vanilla is pretty prominent here, so this is much sweeter than the Dorian and pine combo in Go Hawks!, and I enjoy this more than that one (which had a lot of bergamot with the pine and not much of Dorian's vanilla). By the end of the day, it has a kind of vanilla musk and light, sweet cedar vibe to it, even though cedar isn't listed among the notes. I don't detect any scary vetiver or scorched cumin, and this isn't lavender-heavy, either (I thought there was some floofy lavender and vanilla action at one point, but it was fleeting). I adore this and will need a bottle or two in my collection.

The lilies and roses are the most prominent notes at first, backed by the maple leaves (which smell like dried maple leaves and haven't morphed to cologne or bell peppers -- yet) and some sweet green grass. It's really strong on the grass and florals (but especially the lilies and roses) on me throughout wear. I never got any lavender or Dorian, but perhaps that would change with more time to settle. It ended up being slightly wonky on me after a few hours, and I don't know if that's the way the rose and lily combined with the leaves or if it were something else causing it. But it was still pretty well-behaved on me compared to other blends featuring leaves. I'll let this rest some more and retest it before it goes away. I really want to get some lavender and Dorian from this, but the lily and rose are so loud on me.

White tea fougere (emphasis on the white tea) is the star here, backed by the lavender frankincense, white carnation, and a bit of hay. The hay increases in strength over time and adds a really nice warm sweetness to the blend, but the white tea fougere remains the most prominent aspect of this scent. I get some of the dry white sandalwood in the background, too, along with the frankincense (which seems to be lavender-free by the end of the day). I have to stick my nose to my arm to pick up any of the white carnation, but it is there -- just not as bold as the red variety. This one is sharper than Venustas (frankincense, sweet myrrh, bourbon vanilla, and a hint of willowy, pale fougere) which features some of the same notes, and that's due to the strong white tea in this blend, but it does settle into a nice fougere mixed with some hay and resins. I don't think I need more of this (I think I like more sweetness with my fougere, and that's probably why the sweet hay is my favorite part of this scent), but it's definitely worth a try if you like fougere!

This starts off with the white musk-doused lavender and mugwort being the dominant notes. The dragon's blood and clove don't take long to join in, but they are much softer than they usually are -- I think the white musk is helping to tame them. It stays a white musk, lavender, and mugwort blend tinged with dragon's blood and mugwort for most of the wear, but by the end of the day, it has morphed into an incense-y dragon's blood and musk backed by the herbal notes. Dragon's blood is a tricky note for me, but it's pretty subdued here, so it's still worth a try if the other notes are up your alley! I'm not sure this is one I need a bottle of, but I think I'll hold onto my decant and see if I reach for it. ETA: I ended up grabbing a bottle. Retesting this after it has aged for a few months, it seems stronger on the lavender, white musk, and mugwort combo that I love, with the dragon's blood and clove being very well-behaved and infusing some warmth into the cooler notes. I plan on using it as a sleep scent to help ration the Hypnotize Me from a few years back.

This isn't as sharp as the notes make it seem. I mainly get the musk and white aldehydes with the tamest neroli (it typically hates me and is behaving more like bergamot here?) I've ever encountered and some artemisia (mugwort). The lavender is there, but it's not one of the main players on me. I don't think I need to upgrade my decant of Ring of Light to a bottle, but this was smoother than I expected it to be and absolutely evocative of its inspiration! ETA: Just wanted to add that the final drydown reminds me of La Joconde!

This is more about the sugared opium poppy than the lavender water to me, but mainly, it smells like a mainstream perfume in the way that Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending and Ava do. So if that's your thing, you'll definitely want to give this one a try. It's got that sparkling quality that Butterflies, Jewels, and Flowers Attending has even though they don't seem to share any notes, and it's a powerhouse -- I could smell this on my arm all day. I'm not sure I need another scent in this family, but I'll probably pick up a bottle for my mom, because I think she would love it.

At first, I get motor oil, lavender, and oak, which combine in a way that smells perfume-y and, like katharina mentioned, more like an expensive perfume than a dirtied up lavender scent. Over time, the dust and leather emerges (but it doesn't smell dusty, if that worries you) and they cozy up to the oak, which is somewhat sharp and probably at least partially contributing to that expensive perfume quality. But it is hard to pick out the notes in this one after the wet phase of the scent. This does not smell like Virgos Love Power Tools, in case anyone has tried that and was curious about this because they share some similar notes. That one went sharp on me due to the rusty screws, but this one's sharpness isn't due to a metallic note. If you're waffling between this one and It's All So Damn Beautiful, I will say that the motor oil and petroleum (respectively) seem to be strongest during the wet phase of both scents, so it depends on what you want to end up with. If you want something that's sweeter and almost cola-like with your industrial note that is accompanied by plenty of moss, go for It's All So Damn Beautiful. If you want your industrial note to mingle with notes that might make someone think you got this at a perfume counter, try this one. I'll retest this one before it goes down, but it may be too sharp for me.

Ooh, this is just lovely. It's not as salty as Lavender, Sea Salt, and Rain, but it has some of the qualities of that scent with the softer qualities of Waiting 2016. It's ocean spray and sea salt tinged with lavender and softened by the musky ambergris. It's more of a rain scent than an oceanic scent by the end of the day... like there's a gentle rain near the ocean, or you've caught the scent of sea salt on a breeze during the rain. I find the way the ambergris mingles with what's probably the ocean spray (it smells like a rain note to me) very comforting. Aquatics don't really work on me, but I adore Waiting 2016, and I appreciate Lavender, Sea Salt, and Rain once the blast of salt calms down. If you enjoy either of those scents and are looking for something else in that category, or if you happened to miss those and wish you hadn't, you should definitely try this one! I love this, and I think I'll need at least two bottles.

Wasteland World goes on as leathery motor oil and smoky, BBQ-like cedar. Behind the smokiness, I also get lots of gasoline. It's mostly the leather, gasoline, and motor oil in the throw, but there's lots of smokiness up close. This type of smokiness is a bit much for me, and it made me think that I was fortunate to dodge a rare bullet. But then. But then. It morphs, and the smokiness largely subsides and reveals a lovely light, dusty, sweetened cedar that made me understand why Puddin said it reminds him of Tombstone. The much lighter leather and skin musk cozies up to it, so that it's a darker, more desert-y, less sweet relative to that scent. I love Tombstone, so I love the final morph of this. Thank you to the lovely BPALer who sent me some of this to try.

Snake Oil with blood orange, blood apple, lemon peel, plumeria, and red gardenia. Note: I bought two bottles of Coral Snake on eBay in 2013. One was a partial bottle that essentially smells of Snake Oil apple cider. I only have a few drops left. The other one smells drastically different, and I don't get much of a Snake Oil vibe from it at all. It's heavier on the plumeria and gardenia. In any case, this bottle is more like that aged partial that I purchased (though it's a lot lighter on the Snake Oil spices). In the bottle: When this arrived, it smelled of sun-warmed red apples in an orchard with the addition of Snake Oil spices and orange slices. The apple note smells so realistic. After settling for several hours, the blood orange ends up being the strongest note in the bottle. Wet: Oh hai, blood orange! The blood apple note is extremely realistic and similar to the apple note in one of my favorite atmosphere sprays, Apple Orchard. The apple and orange notes are the most prominent, followed by the tropical floral notes, but the spices from the Snake Oil seem to be gaining strength with time. I'm not getting very much lemon peel from this. Then, it morphs. This is sweet, juicy, and pretty, but not like the aged partial that I have which reminds me of Snake Oil apple cider. Dry: The floral notes are more prominent now, and they are very sweet, almost verging on bubblegum-y (but not on the same scale as lotus). Several hours later, the apple note returns, and the spices and vanilla have finally emerged. The floral notes are still present, but they aren't as intense as they had been. At this point, the scent is very light and stays rather close to the skin. Verdict: I had to order this to compare to the bottles that I have. The Snake Oil base isn't very prominent now, so I can't wait until this ages into the Coral Snake I know and love, because the aged Snake Oil with this blood apple note is going to be stunning.

In the bottle and when freshly applied, I smell a fake banana-like scent, which, looking back at reviews, it looks like I'm not the only one who experienced this. But that does change to a candy-like pear on me that becomes a little less candy-like over time and is backed by a light, but somewhat buttery, vanilla. I'm really glad that I got to try this one, but I'm not a huge fan of pear and know I wouldn't reach for it. The teapot on the label is too cute, though!

This one was not on my radar, as I do not really enjoy plum notes, but a friend sent me a partial to try as they said it was more floral than anything. And they were right. This is a strong, somewhat perfume-y elderberry flower with some plum hovering around the edges, making it a very purple scent. The plum has a realistic plum skin note to it that reminds me of the plums growing in a neighbor's yard when I was growing up. It gains strength over time, eventually becoming as strong as the floral component, but for most of the wear, it hovers in the background and allows the elderberry flower to shine. I don't think this is a scent I would reach for, as I probably wouldn't wear it on its own, and I'm not sure what I'd layer it with, but I am glad I got a chance to try it.