forspecial_plate

I think the lotus root/pine ratio is about 30/70. And this lotus root doesn't smell like lotus as I know it from gc lotus scents. It also doesn't smell rooty to me, it's more like an airy floral note. Every time I tried this, I thought it smelled like a Luper scent. But the pine needles are pretty strong here, so there's that. It isn't quite working for me but I'm going to set it aside and try again. Maybe on a breezy spring morning?

Frankincense is the strongest note for me, and I think the other notes combine to imitate myrrh, even though there's no myrrh listed in the description. (or maybe in my mind, I'm expecting myrrh to be there so I'm smelling an illusion of myrrh or something?). Also, something here reminds me of labdanum. It's incense-y but also deep and dark, kind of wine-like, with the bergamot adding just a hint of fruitiness. It is kind of like Thousands of Lights but this is a little lighter, and easier for me to wear. It's a really nice combination, I love all of these notes so it was a no-brainer, and I'm glad I got it.

Note the description for the new Yule scent, V'al HaNissim: "beeswax glowing softly amber". So beeswax single note? Or beeswax plus amber maybe. I'm interested in how this will smell!

This smells fantastic. It's complex, but I think I can pick out leaves, tea, and although I smell something vaguely fruity that I guess is currant (it smells sort of purple-y), I really don't smell any cake except maybe the slightest hint of it. I don't get a lot of smoke but it's very atmospheric. I'm really happy with this, so far it's my #1 winner from this year's Halloweenies. I commented elsewhere that this is like Dorian at the Halloween party with a witch costume on. I still think so but it also reminds me of a Lace scent without the Lace, or maybe with the Lace turned down low. I hope that makes sense to someone. : D

This smells fantastic. I smell leaves, earthy patchouli, and other stuff. The other notes are just hints without standing out as blackcurrant or bourbon. It all just blends together, it's like a dark, chilly autumn wind. It reminds me a lot of Hallow-e'en 1914, which makes sense looking at the notes, but the patchouli is standing out and making me love this scent even more. There's nothing really surprising here, just a lovely fall Bpal scent, kind of what I expected from the notes. Edit: just a little while later, the bourbon came out stronger. I didn't notice it as much when I tried this yesterday. It's really working in this scent. I love it!

This is fantastic. I have been in the mood for a "robe and slippers" kind of cozy scent and this might be it. I can pick out the tonka and leaves but overall it gives me a tobacco impression, even though I know there's no tobacco. It's a little earthy, but also cozy and a touch sweet. And it seems to be the perfect "volume" or whatever you call that - sillage or throw I guess? It's not too strong, but just strong enough. I wore it to a work meeting and didn't have any worries that my scent was too strong (something I worry about sometimes).

I think I smell the juniper first, kind of sparkly. It wasn't what I expected, and for a long time I didn't think I liked this. Later this smells like sweet woody incense and I finally figured out I love it. I don't really smell leather or patchouli, but I can pick out sandalwood (maybe with vanilla, like the description says). It's warm and a little smokey.

There's a scent in the current Halloween section, called Wax Cylinders, with this description: "Polished mahogany, soft leather, and gold-molded wax". I'm not sure if it's actually a beeswax note but I have a bottle on the way. I'll try to remember to report back. I used to work in the bulk herbs section of a health food store, so I'm somewhat familiar with the scent of beeswax. : )

This just doesn't work for my skin or nose, it's very high pitched, strong, perfumey, headachey (for me), and I've had to wash it off every time I've tried it. I thought I liked both notes but it just doesn't agree with me.

#61 I'm not an expert on floral scents but this smells like tuberose single note to me. It's definitely floral (obviously), with no background notes that I can detect. I compared it to Easter Lily single note, that scent is a touch soapy and powdery, and this isn't like that. This actually resembles Tubereuse Criminelle, a little bit (I had a sample once), cool and rubbery and almost a hint of menthol about it. So yeah......tuberose!

Every leaf tells a story. The first thing I notice is that this scent is STRONG, and I think it gave me a scent headache when I first tried it. I do like it, though. For a few seconds it smells like soap, right when I first put it on. That feeling fades a bit as it dries. This is a very strong nag-champa-like incense scent. It does have a borderline soapy aspect, but I have always thought that nag champa smells a little soapy, so that fits here. This scent doesn't really change much over time. The leaves note is present and I think it combines to amp up the incense feeling. I really can't pick out any sugared chestnut, except for possibly a hint. I have a feeling this scent needs to age and settle down a bit. It does smell a bit like Midnight on the Midway, but stronger. I imagine wearing this in the summer but I'm weird like that. : )

I recommend Nyarlathotep, even though citrus isn't mentioned in the description, it has a general citrus vibe (maybe more lemony than orangey?), and IMO it is a nice balance of fresh and light incense - I think it's great in warm weather.

Hi and welcome! I'm not familiar with LA Law. But I had a couple ideas for sort of traditional manly Bpal scents along the lines of those you mentioned. Bow & Crown of Conquest Bram Stoker Dee Antony I also really like Djinn Mad Hatter Baron Samedi Odin I know there are more that I'm forgetting but I'm sure others will reply and there is also a longer topic around here somewhere all about manly or masculine scents if that's what you're looking for. Good luck, come back and let us know what you liked!

ELEGY IX: THE AUTUMNAL No spring nor summer Beauty hath such grace As I have seen in one autumnall face. Young beauties force our love, and that's a rape, This doth but counsel, yet you cannot 'scape. If 'twere a shame to love, here 'twere no shame, Affection here takes Reverence's name. Were her first years the Golden Age; that's true, But now she's gold oft tried, and ever new. That was her torrid and inflaming time, This is her tolerable Tropique clime. Fair eyes, who asks more heat than comes from hence, He in a fever wishes pestilence. Call not these wrinkles, graves; if graves they were, They were Love's graves; for else he is no where. Yet lies not Love dead here, but here doth sit Vowed to this trench, like an Anachorit. And here, till hers, which must be his death, come, He doth not dig a grave, but build a tomb. Here dwells he, though he sojourn ev'ry where, In progress, yet his standing house is here. Here, where still evening is; not noon, nor night; Where no voluptuousness, yet all delight In all her words, unto all hearers fit, You may at revels, you at counsel, sit. This is Love's timber, youth his under-wood; There he, as wine in June enrages blood, Which then comes seasonabliest, when our taste And appetite to other things is past. Xerxes' strange Lydian love, the Platane tree, Was loved for age, none being so large as she, Or else because, being young, nature did bless Her youth with age's glory, Barrenness. If we love things long sought, Age is a thing Which we are fifty years in compassing; If transitory things, which soon decay, Age must be loveliest at the latest day. But name not winter-faces, whose skin's slack; Lank, as an unthrift's purse; but a soul's sack; Whose eyes seek light within, for all here's shade; Whose mouths are holes, rather worn out than made; Whose every tooth to a several place is gone, To vex their souls at Resurrection; Name not these living deaths-heads unto me, For these, not ancient, but antique be. I hate extremes; yet I had rather stay With tombs than cradles, to wear out a day. Since such love's natural lation is, may still My love descend, and journey down the hill, Not panting after growing beauties so, I shall ebb out with them, who homeward go. - John Donne Red maplewood, plum leaves, fir needle, wildflower honey, patchouli, hazelnut, and green cognac. I'll be honest, I didn't like this when I tried it yesterday. But I knew I wanted to try it again today. It's a strange scent but I am compulsively bringing my wrist up to my nose, like I can't leave it alone. The throw from a foot away is really nice, yet it becomes odd when sniffing up close. Yesterday I thought smelled very weird, metallic or something. But this may be that wonderful kind of scent that I don't like at first but end up loving in the end. So what does it smell like? I am thinking of a green ectoplasmic mist in a dewy forest. None of the notes stands out; it all seems very balanced. If I concentrate, I can pick out the honey and fir, and possibly patchouli. The balance is a little more fir than wildflowers, and for that reason, I think some people might call this masculine, whereas I think it is completely unisex. It really isn't girly but it's not exactly dude-fume either. : ) I always thought Samhain had a hidden note of honey, and that is what this honey reminds me of.....Samhain but with a shot of green, and something like the sake note in Men Ringing Bells. There's something almost fruity but I think that might be the cognac. It almost seems like it should be a spring scent, but it's not....it's very much a fall scent despite the green-ness. It's like an early fall morning when you wake up and realize it's getting cold already, and even though summer is still in the air, you can't deny that autumn is on the way. Still not sure if I love it. I'm curious about what others will think of it.

I've been up and down with this one, at first I loved it (first brief test), then on a longer test I thought it was a little sour and weird. Then last night and today I'm giving it a real full test. It is unlike most other bpal scents I have tried. It does go through a slightly sour and odd phase for the first hour or so, but then I think the tonka comes out more, and it really needed that underlying layer of warm almost vanilla-like sweetness. This goes on for the duration. It's a lovely warm rosey scent at that point. I do smell the rose element but it's not like most other rose scents I have encountered. It's like a wooly slightly woody rose scent. I know there's no "wool" note listed but that's what it reminds me of. I don't see myself wearing this in warm weather but I might need more than a decant for the cooler autumn and winter months.

The Wood-Pile from last year's Yule collection is one of the best and prettiest aquatic scents I've ever tried, but you might not guess from the notes in the description: "Bald cypress and Spanish moss, spatterdock and sundew".

When I first tried this, I thought it smelled good, but wasn't anything really special. It kind of reminded me of Antique Lace and that was that. Then I gave it a full day testing and found that I really love it! It smells like a vaguely woody vanilla scent to me, I wouldn't call it smokey exactly, but I do get the slightly rugged earthy quality that others have mentioned. This scent sticks with me all day, and has this way of teasing the air around me for hours. I just love the extended dry-down of this scent. As I get to know my Halloween decants, this and Studie Einer Ziege are my top 2 (so far), and I'm going to need bottles of both.

#49 This is a darker green, somewhat herbal blend with a softer leaf note. The leaves don't stand out as much. I think I smell basil and maybe a dark ivy note. I like it. Edit: wearing this today 7/26/19, and there's another herbal note in this, possibly cardamom or something. Right now it smells a lot like Declaration which I like.

#40 This is super soft, light, dead leaves and pretty aquatic, slightly sweet, just very clear. There might be a touch of ivy. It's spring-like and reminds me of a pale sea green color. This will be great in early spring, or whenever I want something clean!

Decant of #57, from TrailerTrashPrincess's decant circle.....I wonder what the others think of this? Disclaimer: I've never tried ANY of the Lab's Pumpkin Spice scents, but I own and wear quite a few of the Pumpkin scents. Wet on first application, I can smell a somewhat buttery pumpkin note plus something....herbal? Kind of funky. I'm thinking "hops" but I have no idea (I used to work in a health food store and I ordered all the bulk herbs, this stage distinctly reminds me of opening a big jar of dried hops). Later after it dries, this smooths out a lot. I smell some pleasant spices, and something else. I can't tell if it's a light creamy floral, or possibly some kind of airy, delicate bread note? Am I smelling orange blossom? That would explain why it smells so weird at first, orange blossom has that effect to my nose. But now, it's light and smells nice. I think once you get past the initial "funky" stage, this is really light and pretty.

I got this for my boyfriend but ended up liking it for myself (and he's not crazy about it, so it's okay). It goes on sweet, slightly fruity, and I agree with the above reviewer who said bready. As time goes by the creamy milk note comes out stronger. After a longer while, it reminds me of a fluffy coconut confection of some sort, kind of airy. The fruit is kind of nonspecific, and I never picked out much honey from the blend. I do like it and I don't have many (more or less) straightforward gourmand scents, so I'm leaning towards keeping this one. I would think that someone who likes foody scents could wear this any time of year, I don't particularly think "Halloween!" when I am wearing it.

#3 This has a soft bonfire note and some kind of musk, possibly red musk, and Samhain comes out over time. It's a beautiful fall scent, reminds me of Witch Dance except a lot softer. There's nothing harsh, just a warm glowing musky bonfire, with the sweetness of Samhain. I love it! Edit 3/31/19, I'm wearing this now and I swear it's straight up tobacco with some Samhain around the edges. How did I not smell tobacco in it before??

I think I have a sample of that somewhere around here. I'll try to hunt it down and try it again. Edit: I found my sample of Pomegranate Noir, and I'm wearing it now. This is a tough one! I smell equal parts fruit and wood, with some patchouli as well. Dionysia seems like such a close match with the notes. I just put some on, from a very aged decant from the original release, and I think it's more fruity. I kind of see what you mean about PM being spicier. For the wood part, I keep thinking of Dee. But Dee doesn't have any fruit, so on its own, that wouldn't do it. I'm also thinking of Masquerade, for the patchouli part. But - again - no fruit in Masquerade. Maybe layered with Baneberry? I can't remember if I've tried Oberon, but I I keep thinking of it, so I should mention it. Might be a stretch. But since it's GC, might be worth a try. Pepper has pink pepper and crushed berries.....and lots of other stuff. Red (Fraggle Rock) has spicy pink pepper and red currant, might be worth a try. Sorry I haven't tried these last 3 so I don't actually know - I hope you find something!

#46 There's a pretty clear wine note in this, it reminds me of grape. If you had asked me, "What's one note that you DON'T want in your Chaos scent?", I might very well have said grape. But, this is so good, and a great fall scent! I'm surprised at how well it works on me. Up close, I think there might be some kind of stone or clay note. And I think there's some kind of incense too. Samhain is in the background and comes out stronger as time goes on. I mentioned elsewhere, this kind of reminds me of Temple Viper with Samhain instead of Snake Oil. But the "crumbling stone" note kind of reminds me of Lace Phoenix and (from what I remember) some of the Crimson Peak line. Edit 6/26/25: HONEY. I think there's honey in this. Another note I wouldn't have picked. But I still like it.

A breakdown, for my own benefit (to narrow down choices). Blue Ghost Blues....A ward against evil: bay rum, whiskey, cigar smoke, black pepper, and salt I want to try this for sure. Maybe a decant or partial bottle. Dia De Los Muertos......dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus I've never tried this and always wanted to. Or maybe I smelled it briefly at Moonarcana's house. Still, I would like a decant if I can find one. Midnight Bonfire......night-blooming jasmine, smoldering maple leaves, a cluster of patchouli and blackened ti leaf, black sage, and pinewood smoke If I'm doing decants, I should throw in this. It has a good chance of being very nice and cozy for fall. The jasmine sounds a little out of place but maybe I'm just not imagining it the way it really is. Pumpkin Crème Brulee.....With vanilla bean scrapings Possible decant but there are other Pumpkin scents I'm more interested in.......Like....... Pumpkin Musk and Black Oudh......A strangely romantic, disturbingly erotic perfume Disturbingly erotic? Sign me up for a decant. I thought seriously about a bottle but oudh doesn't always smell good to me. It's best when it just fades into the background, IMO. Pumpkin Tobacco......Sweet black tobacco infused with dried pumpkin and soaked in bourbon I really want to wear tobacco notes but I'm not sure they always work for me. Everything about this sounds fabulous. Why am I hesitating? Probably a decant. Scarecrow Turned Philosopher.....Corn husks waving on an autumn breeze, beams of amber sunlight, hay bales, and late summer wildflowers I am all over this concept, but I'm not sure about wildflowers. I don't love all floral notes, so this would be a risk. That's what decants are for, right? : ) Masque of the Red Death....... A Multitude of Dreams......A blackened lavender mist, thick with opoponax, licorice root, and benzoin Sounds somewhat promising, although I'm a little more picky with my incense scents these days (which is what this sounds like to me....incense). I like them if they are soft and elegant, not too strong. I don't like to smell like a big actual incense stick (but there was a time that was what I wanted). Possible decant, but not high priority. Pickman Gallery 2018....... A Young Boy and His Brother Seated on a Goat.......Polished mahogany, copal resin, Java sandalwood, teakwood, and Sumantran patchouli This could be really good or not so good on me, just based on my experience with these notes. Copal tends to smell like cheap aftershave on me and not in a good way. My partner liked the sound of this one but I know certain scents make him wheeze and this sounded like one of those to me. I might get a decant just to satisfy my curiosity and his. Cabras......Black pine, white sage, creeping ivy, and wild juniper Sounds like a lot of green, pine and juniper.....I stopped buying these kinds of scents quite a while ago, maybe it's time to try again? The more I look at the notes, and the painting, the more curious I am getting. Lithograph of a Mountain Goat.......White sandalwood, black pepper, muguet, agarwood, labdanum, and 3-year aged patchouli I love patchouli and labdanum, and so I am curious about this. I don't think I particularly care for the other notes, especially muguet. But - somehow I think this might be good for my partner, or me. Possible decant. Studie Einer Ziege.....Sweet labdanum with clove, tobacco absolute, and guiac wood I actually had this in my cart and removed it before checkout. Again, I love labdanum. But the other notes sound very familiar to me, like I have a dozen other scents with these notes and don't even wear them that much (clove, tobacco..). I might have to get a decant and I may end up loving it. I'm in a mood today, so my judgment may not be the best. Two Sheep and Two Goats Resting Together in a Field......Sweet vetiver, bourbon vanilla, and wool I had this in mind for my partner but changed that to Jupiter Nourished at the last minute. I might still need to try a decant of this, either for him or me. Venus Pandemos.....Hay, rose otto, red benzoin, torch smoke, and pink carnation This could be really good, but it sounds very powdery and might be soapy as well. Possible decant. Zoe and the Goat......Caramelized patchouli, cream, and thick golden honey I picked Jupiter Nourished over this, hope I didn't make the wrong choice. Possible decant. Pile of Leaves....... Dead Leaves and Maple Sap.......possible decant, I love Burning Leaves by CBIHP, which is basically the same thing except with smoke added. Dead Leaves and Scotch.....possible decant, sounds unbelievably cozy for a chilly fall day. Dead Leaves and Vanilla Incense......I had this in the cart and took it back out. It sounds a little close to Hope and Fear Set Free, which I love. But - would I need both? Decant or partial bottle, probably. Dead Leaves, Black Tea, and Tobacco Leaf......I had this in the cart too. But, I already have a few scents with tobacco. I am not sure. It might be really great. Possible decant or partial bottle. Dead Leaves, Blackberry, and Red Patchouli.......how thorough do I want to be with the dead leaves? I don't want to miss a good one, like I know I have in the past. Maybe decant. Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vetiver, Nagarmotha, and Vanilla Absolute.......see above, possible decant. Dead Leaves, Sweet Oakmoss, White Sage, and Chaparral........see above again, possible decant. DECANTS: Blue Ghost Blues Pumpkin Musk and Black Oudh Pumpkin Tobacco Scarecrow Turned Philosopher A Young Boy and His Brother Seated on a Goat Lithograph of a Mountain Goat Studie Einer Ziege Two Sheep and Two Goats Resting Together in a Field Venus Pandemos Dead Leaves and Scotch Dead Leaves and Vanilla Incense Dead Leaves, Black Tea, and Tobacco Leaf Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vetiver, Nagarmotha, and Vanilla Absolute