doomsday_disco

If you are a fan of sugared mint, you definitely need to try Agreenex. I saw a review on Reddit IMAM that mentioned it being kind of like the coating on a Tic Tac, and I think it is like that. There are only tiny traces of apple if you inhale really deeply during the first four hours of wear. After that, I get a bit more of it, but it's not really sour. This is mostly about the sugared mint. I agree with astrainel about this being like one of the softer Lick Its (like Lick It Softly), but it's doesn't have that vanilla, and it doesn't remind me of a candy cane. So if you're team mint? Try this. If you are team apple? You will probably be wondering why it's a sugary mint party all of the time. I really like this, and if I did not have two bottles of Lick It and various other mint scents in my collection already, I would be upgrading to a bottle without question. As it is, I will have to wait until I use up one of those bottles to justify doing so. But I feel like I will need more of this at some point in the future.

Fig is the star of the show in Lola Lee Loo, and it's a sweet fig: I don't get any smokiness from it at all. I also don't get any waxiness from it (which can sometimes happen with fig with my skin chemistry). It's accompanied by the vanilla cream note, which is more cream than vanilla on me, and the fig and the cream combined give me Lilith Nightingale vibes (so think of that without the Ayurvedic spices). I don't get the toasted quality to the vanilla cream until about an hour into wear, and then the rice flower emerges, along with a touch of clove. I can only smell the clove if I hold my arm close to my nose and sniff it, so if you are worried about the clove, it really is just a touch. I didn't get any patchouli from this at all, even after several hours of wear. Lola Lee Loo is a nice, comforting scent. If you enjoy Eden or Lilith Nightingale, you will probably like this one, too.

I wore this the last two nights, once on its own, and once layered with a (non-Lab) vanilla. The lavender is indeed soporific, but the patchouli in this is too strong and dirty for me. It's got the dry, earthiness of a red patchouli and the smokiness of a black patchouli. I couldn't tell you which variety it is, but that's the best way I can think of to describe it. It overpowers the lavender on me, and even layered with vanilla, it ends up mostly being vanilla and patchouli on me: the lavender just can't compete with it on my skin chemistry. The next morning, I can still smell the patchouli on my skin. Too bad the lavender doesn't have that kind of longevity! So I will probably end up putting this one up for swaps, as I know I wouldn't wear it on its own before bed, and I don't want to always have to layer it with something to make it wearable on me.

In the bottle: Super, super sweet. The honeycomb and pear stand out to me the most, but the sweet pea is there, too. Wet: Honeycomb, vanilla bean, pear, some strawberry, and some sweet pea. The strawberry is much stronger on me than it was in the bottle, so I hope it calms down. Dry: It never stops being sickeningly sweet on me, and after a while, the strawberry has taken on a plastic-y vibe on my skin, making this smell like a super sweet, fruity kid's lip gloss. Verdict: I was hoping this would be mostly sweet pea sweetened with the vanilla bean and honeycomb, but this is far too sweet for me, and the strawberry didn't play nicely on my skin. I'm glad I got to try it, but I'll stick with Serving Fish for my sugared sweet pea scent.

In the bottle, I get tons of red currant, lemon, and a bit of red patchouli. That's also how it is on me, too: strong red currant and lemon, with the red patchouli getting stronger over time. But the red currant is by far the strongest note on my currant-amping skin. I never got much buttercream, sadly, and I was hoping for more of that note. Fate's Jester is not for me, but it was nice to get to try it.

On me, this is all Dr. Pepper-like Florentine iris (I know it's not listed as a note, so it is either unlisted or the orris), dusty white sandalwood, and dusty vanilla. But mostly, the Dr. Pepper-like iris. It just didn't want to quit. I figured this would not work on me, because of the orris, but I was still curious to try it because I've seen it compared to Black Opal before. Welllll, it's nothing like Black Opal on me. But I do think it fits the prop moon rocks vibe pretty well.

Did you like La Joconde from the Winter Travelogue update? If so, Platinum Wig Spray is for you. It's got the same bergamot and white musk notes, but it has an additional clean citrus feel from the white tea, and some sweetness from the bourbon vanilla. I'd say the bergamot is the star, though. I find it uplifting. It's also in the same scent family as Sister Mary Loquacious from the Good Omens line, but with more bergamot. I'm really glad I got to try this. I will be keeping my decant and spraying it on my clothes whenever I wear La Joconde. Thank you to the lovely BPALista that sent this my way.

I have tested this three times, and I am still not what sure to say about it other than it has a definite Mad Tea Party vibe. It starts off as pretty lemony (or something lemon-like, but NOT the Lab's white tea note -- almost kind of like a lemon glaze on a cake), and there's also some spice, a floral aspect, and a creaminess to the scent. The first time I tried it, I got a lot of spice, but I did not get that the other two times, so I think that was a fluke. The creaminess may be due a creamy floral note or due to some weak tea with milk in it; I am not sure. But it definitely doesn't have the strong white and green tea and herbs of the released version, and I don't think that peony is the floral note at play here. It ends up staying close to the skin after about an hour, becoming softer and creamier (milkier?) over time. This was fun to test, and I think it's one of the better protos from this Trunk Show that I was able to try. I am still not sure if I need the whole bottle, and I'll probably let it rest for a month before making that decision. One thing is for sure, though: I am going to be stalking reviews, because I am really curious to hear what other people get from this scent!

I have the prototype on one hand, and the released version on the other. You can tell that Cheshire Cat v1 is related to the released version of Cheshire Cat, but they are different scents. Cheshire Cat v1 is far fruitier and more vibrant than the released version, like the cat that suddenly pops up to greet you with curious things to say. They both share grapefruit notes, but the grapefruit in this prototype is a different variety from that found in the released scent. It also features some sort of tropical fruit (I keep thinking guava, but I'm not sure if that's right), and waaaaay more red currant than the final scent. So it's a bright, fruity party on the skin. The way that it really differs from the released version is that this absolutely does not contain the lavender or dark musk. So if you were ever like, "Aww man, I want to try Cheshire Cat, but without that dark musk and those pesky florals," this prototype may be for you. I do not like this as much as the released version, because I love the lavender and the mysterious quality that the musk provides, and I tend to amp currant (so this having more of it is not a good thing for me). There are times where I think this smells nice on me, and other times where I think the red currant (or maybe it's cranberry???) is combining with something and becoming so strong that it borders on medicinal on me (kind of like a lozenge). So I am not sure if it is a keeper just yet, but it sure was fun to try and compare the two!

In the decant: Gummy worms and cherry lollipops. On my skin: Cherry lollipops, gummies, and a little coconut. It remains that way throughout wear: mostly cherry lollipops and gummies (the sour aspect does end up emerging after a while, and there's definitely a green, lime-flavored gummy here), although the coconut does gain some strength over time. If you want to smell like these things, this proto is true to its description! It's not something I could see myself wearing (I'm not a fan of sour gummies or gummy candy in general -- I was here for the lollipops), but it was nice to get to try it and see what it's like!

In the decant: A ton of spice with some earthy, vegetal quality beneath it (perhaps the pumpkin)? On my skin, that's exactly what I get, too. There's tons of cinnamon and an odd, vegetal (not buttery, sweet, or gourmand whatsoever) pumpkin note. I am not getting any cake from this. (What is up with these trunk show prototypes that mention cake notes with no cake to be found???) Eventually, the weird vegetal note goes away and I am left with loads of pumpkin spice with a bit of chocolate fuzziness that could suggest cake, but doesn't actually smell like cake, and I would never guess cake if I didn't have a scent description telling me there's supposed to be cake here. It was nice to get a chance to try this one, but I really didn't like the earthy, vegetal pumpkin I got from this. I also wish that the pumpkin spice weren't so strong on me and that there were more cake. I'll probably pass the decant on to a friend of mine that loves spicy scents.

In the decant: Tons of strawberry, with a drop of motor oil in the background if you inhale really deeply. On my skin: Deceitfuldescender is right: the strawberry in this smells like strawberry juice. In the background, I do get some motor oil and a hint of the cream. The tea rose note ends up emerging later, adding a tart quality to the scent to cut the sweetness of the strawberry without managing to overtake it. It ends up being mostly strawberry and tea rose with a little bit of cream after a few hours of wear. Strawberry perfumes are not my thing, but I wanted to try this to see if it was like Unreleased Scent 15 (another Firefly prototype that I thought might be a Kaylee perfume), and I was curious about the motor oil. It is not like Unreleased Scent 15, and the motor oil is not a main player here. This is definitely one for the strawberry lovers. It was nice to get a chance to try it, though!

I get sugary store-bought frosting (those ones in the small, plastic tubs in the baking aisle): not buttercream frosting, and not cream cheese frosting. I also get a floral undertone to this, but not any actual cake note. Unlike the previous poster, I don't get much throw from this. (But I live in a super dry climate.) Not bad, but also, definitely not Birthday Cake. There are other frosting and cake scents that I enjoy and would reach for more than this, so while it is nice (the best of the protos I have tried so far), I don't think I can justify holding onto it when it doesn't produce a "OMG THIS IS SO AMAZING" reaction in me.

Me before smelling Captain: It's probably going to be like a cross between Outlaw and Tombstone but not as sweet! Me upon smelling Captain: HOLY HECK THAT IS SOME LEATHER. Captain is very strong on the leather, backed by the white cedar note, which is a different kind of cedar than the one found in Tombstone. I sadly never end up getting any sassafras or vanilla from this, and I was really hoping for some root beer-y goodness. The leather in this is far too strong for me, with not enough sweetness to tame it, so I will be passing this on to a friend who adores Firefly and is curious about this scent.

I am not sure what year this tester is, but I think it's the 2019 version. I never would have tried Bright Red Dildo if a very kind BPALista hadn't sent it to me. My experience with The Red Rider made me think this would be that horribly strong you-just-walked-into-a-leather-store kind of leather with a stank-y honey, but actually, it's not like that all. Bright Red Dildo is a musky, honeyed leather scent. The red leather in this softened by the honey note. The scent isn't soft by any means: it's just a lot smoother than I was expecting. Over time, the musky, honeyed leather scent ends up almost having an incense-y quality to it. It is pretty sexy. I didn't upgrade to a bottle of this, because I just can't see myself reaching for this enough to warrant one, but it was a pleasant surprise. I am thankful that I got a chance to try it, and I will be keeping my decant.

Osmanthus, Damascus rose, violet, delphinium, white mint, palmarosa and white sandalwood. In the decant: I am getting a mint-tinged floral scent, backed by some sandalwood. On my skin: This is a predominantly mint-infused floral blend on a bed of sandalwood. After a few minutes, I start to amp the violet, which my skin chemistry is wont to do. It ends up being a strong violet with some osmanthus and an oddly herbal floral scent accompanied by a dusty sandalwood after a few hours of wear. Verdict: My violet-hating skin chemistry never stood a chance, but it was nice to get a chance to try it.

In the decant: I can smell the juniper, sandalwood, and orchid. On my skin: The sandalwood and juniper are the first notes to jump out at me, followed by the orchid, and a bit of bergamot. After a few minutes, the rosewood joins in, and then the lilac joins the party a few minutes after that. After a few hours, it is mostly about the warmth of the red musk-infused woods backed by a smooth orchid on me. Verdict: Whoa, the red musk didn't stomp all over everything for once! I'm glad I got to try it, but this is not something I could see myself reaching for.

In the bottle, I, too, get this caramel/toffee-like vibe, likely due to the combination of the honey, warm musk, and perhaps the tobacco. On my skin, this immediately made me think of Lush's Honey I Washed the Kids soap, but there's some effervescence beneath the sweet layer, which I think is probably the labdanum at play (the sweet variety is always cola-like on me). It stays that way on me throughout several hours of wear: the honey and warm musk hold the center stage, but the fizzy quality in the background ends up fading over time. I can see this being popular among those who love sweet scents. It's like a honeyed hug in a bottle.

At first, I was sitting there thinking that this reminded me of something, and I thought it might be the mimosa and cream from Comparison of Celebrated Beauties, but I went to sniff my bottle, and that wasn't it. I think this is actually reminding me of is Lush's Daddy-O shampoo. It's like this strong candied violet plus cream. I tend to amp violet and its relatives, so either it or one of them is in here. I also get the cucumber-melon vibe that other reviews have mentioned. This was... unexpected, given the list of notes. I did not get the amber part of the cream or the mahogany on my skin. I'm glad I got to try it, but I will have to pass it on to someone else who might love it, as the secret violet or orris note is super strong on me.

I had a chance to swap for this decant, and I did it so that a friend of mine could try it, because I remembered her being interested in this last Halloween and not getting to try it. She loves smoky scents, and I do not, and she had decided to pass over it due to the jasmine that's listed as the first note. But I think she'd like this. Midnight Bonfire starts off with some heavy pine smoke backed by the smoldering leaves. It's pretty intense at first, until the jasmine shows up and lightens up the scent a little, giving the scent its midnight vibe, as if you're attending a bonfire at midnight during the full moon. I'm actually glad that the jasmine is here, because otherwise there would be nothing to help tame the smoke on me. It's still too smoky for me, but I do think it's evocative of its name. I am going to pass it on to my friend and see what she thinks of it.

This starts off strong on the green apple pulp and apple blossom on me, backed by a field of green grass. It gradually darkens with wear, as the green musk and opoponax slink through the scent, but after several hours, it ends up being an apple blossom-infused musk on me. It's pleasant, but I already have Bestiare du Moyen Age (which I prefer) for that.

The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch reminds me strongly of A Silhouette without the lilac note at first. It's got that same brightness to it that is almost effervescent at first, accompanied by some herbs (which I'm unable to identify, try as I might) and the warm, sweet tonka of the paper, a bit of gunpowder, and as zee_zee said, just a whiff of a very light brown leather note. Over time, the scent becomes sweeter, as the page note ends up being the dominant note on my skin. I think this is really nice. I'm always wanting a book scent that I get more pages from than leather, and here it is. I'll be hanging on to my decant and consider upgrading to a bottle depending upon how often I reach for it.

The reason this is so bright and lemony is because it has an unlisted bright green tea note that's much stronger than the chamomile, backed by the cashmere, a bit of patchouli, and a hint of leather. The patchouli note gains strength on me over time, so that after a few hours, it ends up smelling like chamomile green tea, patchouli, and smooth leather, accompanied by some of the coziness of the cashmere. It is, unexpectedly, a dirtied-up green tea scent on me. Imagine Informal Tea HG with some patchouli, cashmere, and leather thrown in, and you'd get this. It's not really my cup of tea, but I had to try it because of the name!

Beelzebub is strong on the pepper and clove. It's very spicy and warms the skin, but it doesn't burn at all, fortunately. The "bloody" part of the musk is not red musk, so if that note is worrisome, you need not worry about it here. The spices are the star of the show throughout wear on me, but the musk does become more noticeable with time. Beelzebub is a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be (I mainly wanted to try it because of the clove note, but I was afraid of the peppers and the possibility of red musk). I don't see myself reaching for this one, though, as I rarely reach for spice-heavy scents (it's too hot most of the year!), but if you are a spice lover, you should definitely give this one a try.

I'm always intrigued by thunderstorm scents, but most aquatics go to Soaptown on me, sadly, this one is not an exception. Beneath the strong soap/dryer sheet cloud, I get some of the things Little Bird mentioned in their review: a twang of earthiness (I thought vetiver), cold rain, and concrete. And I really enjoy the cold rain and concrete aspects of the scent. But the ozone is really strong, and well, SOAPY on me. It softens somewhat after a few hours, it's still a main player on me (although the rain note has gained strength by this point). In the background, there's a touch of warm amber, but it's waaaay behind the cloud of ozone and rain. This is a nice, clean aquatic scent for those whose skin chemistry does better with aquatics (and ozone in particular).