forspecial_plate

When I first tried this, I was instantly transported back in time. This smells just like something my mom used to wear in the 70's, when I was little. It was uncanny. I'll have to ask her what she wore and if she remembers, I'll report back and edit my post.* Anyway, I agree with those who said this is perfumey or cologney.....I would add sophisticated. There is a chilly element, but otherwise I couldn't really pick out a single note. Maybe much later, I could smell the amber, but that could be my imagination. It's just all seamlessly blended to my nose. I think each note is adding something to the whole scent, but again, I can't pick them out separately. Because it reminds me of my mom, I think of this as slightly more feminine than not, but that doesn't mean I can't wear it. It seems like a great perfume for a winter night out, slightly formal, and very classy. It makes me think of night-time, despite the name. *Edit: she says she wore Ambush and Heaven Sent, but also Charlie which is what this made her think of. Which is kind of funny because my dad's name is Charlie! : )

Looking at the notes, I couldn't remember why I wanted a decant of this, but now that I think about it, I was going through a sort of floral phase at the time. Anywho, on to the review.... This is indeed fresh and slightly fruity, but no single fruit note stands out. It's more of a roundness that comes from the different fruit notes. I hate to say it but when I wore this, I was reminded strongly of shower gel. It is nearly aquatic. It's not a bad smell at all, and I do like some light/pretty floral scents every now and then. I also really like aquatics, in general (well, a lot of them). This one just goes slightly over the line into a soapy territory that I don't find exciting. Ah well, you win some, you lose some, right?

Out of all the Yule update, I chose this scent to order without hunting down a decant first. I really wanted a fresh rain scent, and the promise of incense sounded even better. Visiting smells pretty much exactly how I was hoping it would! It's fresh and uplifting, a little more cheerful than the title and description would suggest. I can't really pick out the incense separately, but it is present. I don't get a whole lot of dust. To me, this isn't so much a cold, wintry rain, as it is a mild March or April rain.......just as the cold of winter is lifting, but before spring has really set in. I do get a little of the effervescent quality that the other reviews are mentioning, but it stops short of being 'fizzy'. Visiting is a very light scent, and fades pretty fast, which is fine since I went straight for a whole bottle, and I can freely apply as much as I want. This is another one of those truly neutral scents as far as gender is concerned. I don't feel that it's masculine or feminine. I imagine it must be difficult to make a scent like this, without having it smell like soap, shampoo, or shower gel. If that's true, this is a wonderful example of how it can be done. I have absolutely no clue of what the 'real' notes are in this scent, and I think it might be fascinating to find out, although it would take away the mystery, of course.

I've had my decant of On Darkness for more than a week, and I admit I've been avoiding it. Black poppy, black amber, black incense, rose geranium, and rosewood, ALL had the potential to turn this into powder, soap, or just plain weirdness. Well, why did I even want to try it, right? Something about the description just called to me in a way that I couldn't resist. I'm so glad I trusted my intuition on this one. This scent is just beautiful! Very sultry and seductive, purple, deep and dark, slightly fruity. After I had it on for a few hours, and nothing turned on me, I just knew that this will be my scent for New Year's Eve. It seems just right for a slightly more formal occasion. I get a slightly similar feel from Lurid, but this is much more wearable for me, and more unisex. In fact, on the 'gender scale' (if there is such a thing), this falls pretty much right in the middle, in the best possible way. I will definitely be buying a bottle of this before it goes away. After my disappointment with some other Yule scents, I was so happy to fall for this one!

Frau Holle starts off very much like Ice Queen without the fruits, but as it dries, it becomes its own scent. So, it's icy/floral/pine at first, stronger pine than I was expecting. But the pine backs off eventually, and the flowers and musk come forward a bit more. It's a fresh and slightly sweet blend of notes, but lots of things turn sweet on my skin so take that with a grain of salt. Actually, pretty far into the dry-down, I smell a note that reminds me slightly of marshmallows, kind of herbal and sweet. It's a striking scent, and I consider it somewhat feminine. I think if you've always wanted to try Ice Queen, this is a chance to get an idea of what it smells like. Not exactly alike, but close, especially in the beginning.

I smell a lot of dry leaves at first, which I love. I love the leaf note that's in October and Blade Of Grass, and I think it's here too. I personally don't get ozone or much of anything 'cologney' like some other people got. To me it's more of a natural scent. After 30 minutes to an hour, the scent does an about face and it becomes all about the fruit. It is in the mood of apple, but not such a strong apple as something like Coral Snake. It's more like the suggestion of apples. It's kind of hard to pin this scent down, as the description might suggest, it's kind of dreamy and non-specific. I can't very often pick out that dust note and this is no exception. The leaves are still there, but they moved to the background somewhat. This is a great scent, and I will have to consider whether I need more than a decant. It's somewhat similar to October, and I already have a bottle of that. However....Nowhere In Particular has a more natural feel, and it makes me think......this is kind of what I wanted from Chant D'Automne, which didn't work out for me. This is the mood that I wanted from that scent, but so much more gentle, soft, and dreamy.

This is the last of the 'small animals' Yule scents that I've tried (I want to say 'small furry animals', except we also have Toad). And as it turns out, this one was probably the most successful for me. It's true, it goes on sharp and astringent. After a short while, the sharpness of the wood backs off a good deal. The scent becomes something slightly sweet, mellow, and pretty wonderful, really. I think the vetiver must be of the light and grassy variety. In fact, this reminds me a little bit of Guerlain Vetiver, only more natural and woody, and less commercial and cologne-like. There is a hint of orange that's just right. I like this blend a lot, and I'll have fun wearing it again.

Possibly the GC scent that starts with an X that I can never remember how to spell......Xiuhecatulti or something.....except I don't think that has rose. That is about the only thing I can think of that comes close. Any other opinions?

I love this! It's a bit hard to describe, and I don't remember smelling anything quite like it. I couldn't say exactly which notes I'm picking up. It's a quiet scent, dark, brooding.....kind of thrumming. There is something nearly soapy about it, but in a good way, not an obnoxious way. The closest thing I can think of is Djinn, but this is much quieter, and even darker if you can imagine that. I just really like it, and I wish I could describe it better, but I may end up with more than a decant somewhere down the line. Edit: after reading the description again, I wanted to say that I wouldn't call this disjointed at all. It seems unified and expertly blended to me. Opinions will vary, I'm sure!

This is another scent that disappointed me. I came close to liking it, and I will most likely try it again at least once before giving up. I smell the dry, powdery sweetness of the sandalwood, which reminds me of Brown Jenkins. It's not horrible, just not something I feel like wearing. After a while, the scent dries and reminds me of Death from the Tarot scents. So there was a shift, but still, this scent isn't grabbing me like I wanted it to. Again, it's not terrible, just not my thing. Just a little too powdery and almost sickly sweet.

Darn.....on one hand, I really wanted to like this, and I'm disappointed that I don't like it. On the other hand, that's one less bottle that I have to pursue! At first all I smell is the dirt from Graveyard Dirt, which I have decided I don't like to wear. It reminds me of moldy, dirty mushrooms. I can understand how people would like it, but it's just not for me. After a while, the other notes in Badger start to emerge a little bit, but never enough to overpower the dirt, dirt, dirt. This isn't as bad as Shattered Pumpkin, which I hated, but still, this isn't something I would want to wear. For the record, I do like Burial, Premature Burial, Penny Dreadful, and Zombi. But my decant of Badger will probably eventually find new digs.

This goes through some morphing, as you might expect from the description. At first it's somewhat traditional, soft and a little spicy, definitely towards the masculine end of the spectrum. After a while, it becomes very animalic, or animalistic, whatever the word is. That is some musky musk! I would almost swear there is civet in this, it reminds me quite a bit of some of the older scents where Beth was using civet a bit more often (Satyr for example). Except, this is a bit softer and lighter. After an even longer while, the musk settles down a bit, and like Gwydion's review before me, I was reminded of leather. Kind of a quieter relative of Iago (the scent), but still slightly menacing. So, do I like it? I'm not sure! Civet has always been rather worriesome to me. It's just a little too animalistic and realistically musky for my taste. But that is a smaller part of this scent as a whole, and I only catch the civet-y musk when I sniff up close. The throw is more pleasant. This scent shifts around a lot, and I may have to wear it a couple more times to really decide if I like it. It's definitely unusual.....I don't remember very many other bpal scents like it. It didn't grab me as an 'instant love', but it may very well grow on me with some time.

Midnight Mass 2008.... I'm reviewing this newer incarnation even though it smells exactly like the older one to me. The reason for the new review is that my tastes have changed a little. Over the last 2+ years, I have finally accepted that I just don't like frankincense as much as I thought I did. I like the way it smells at first, but basically, it ends up smelling like bologna on me. Weird, right? I do like this more than Valentine Of Rome or The Magi. This is a little softer on the frankincense, and it does have a nice burning incense smell. It's peaceful. I will definitely always keep a decant (or two) of Midnight Mass, because I know it's a scent that I get in the mood for every once in a while. Maybe I amp frankincense, because that particular note lasts and lasts on my skin, and kind of takes over the whole scent (not just in M.M., but in other blends as well). In its favor, this scent smells very much like the highest quality frank & myrrh incense that I've burned in my apt. (from Fred Soll), but that incense ends up smelling like bologna too, or roasted meat, or something. : ( So it's really my nose's fault (or my brain's?), not the scent itself.

Oooh, the Midnight Mass bottle is really pretty...I love those green candle flames.

Kabuki Kabuki Kabuki

Well, I certainly agree....this definitely smells like 'burning', at least at first! Very ashy and almost has a searing quality to the nose. Later on, it mellows down to a woody-peppery-patchouli scent. I never would have guessed there was tonka or nutmeg in here. Some types of patchouli already smell woody and peppery on their own, so I'm not sure exactly which notes I'm smelling in this blend. So, do I like it? I'm not sure! It's not quite as harsh and menacing as Troll. But somehow it's not grabbing me. I have nothing against firey scents, believe me. I think this is worth holding onto, as others mentioned, to age a little and see if some of the softer notes emerge. As with most patchouli-heavy scents, I'll be curious to see if it softens or sweetens just a little with some age. And this is coming from someone who normally doesn't like much sweetness in a scent.

DCXIX FINALLY.....the Chaos Theory I've been waiting for.....thanks supremegoddessofall!! By the way, here's her description: "Smells like cinnamony-incense with a lot of something earthy but also somehow clean-smelling." Breif and to the point, just enough to get me interested w/out giving away the details! My impression of this scent.....well, it's an odd one. It has a toasty-warm element (I don't smell any cinnamon), but also a minty/frost/snowy element. The closest comparison I can think of is Jolasveinar (which I love), but it's really not like that scent. These are completely different notes. I just don't know....I almost think of warm cocoa, but it's not chocolatey at all. There is something like oakmoss or ambergris, something 'cologney', that I love, and just a smidge of foodiness (maybe a little cake in there?). Add the frosty snowy touch and we have a winner. I will cherish this scent! Oh, and did I mention.......A CHAOS THEORY IV WITHOUT FRUIT!! Okay, there might be a hint of berry, somewhere in the mix. But overall, this is like a warm winter coat smelled from the inside, worn by a sexy man with really nice cologne. I just love it! This is just the kind of odd-smelling blend that I look for in the Chaos Theory's. I just wish I could describe it better! Edit to add: This would be right at home in the Dogs Playing Poker scents.

Vetiver fans might know what I mean when I say, this is the smoother 'brown' variety of vetiver, rather than the rooty/earthy 'green' kind. And vetiver is mostly what I'm getting from this scent. There is also something minty in here, I would swear to it. In fact, it mostly reminds me of Wulric The Wolfman, without the cocoa (although the vetiver does smell a bit like dry, unsweetened chocolate). That mint note is elusive...I just can't pin it down, but I also keep thinking of the pennyroyal in Mad Hatter. Anyway, this is a good scent with the focus on vetiver. It seems after smelling it in so many scents, the big v. just isn't as exciting to me as it once was. I still like it, don't get me wrong. But I won't be needing a full bottle of this scent, with so many other scents competing for my attention. However....I would suggest, if you liked Wulric, but were turned off by the cocoa, definitely give the Fork a try!

I recommend Mr. Jacquel and Blood Moon (the older one, from 2005 I think?), but both might be harder to find decants of. From the general catalogue, maybe Sin, Blood, Blood Amber, or even The Lion. Amber has a spicy kick sometimes that reminds me of cinnamon, especially in The Lion. And the lab's dragon's blood note has been described as slightly spicy but also floral to some people, so that one may vary.

^ CoopieCat...that is a tough one....those are some unique scents. I'll think about it and post here if I come up with anything. I do have to mention that Kumari Kandam smells very, very similar to Ice Queen. I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned here already! I'm sure there are subtle differences, and I haven't tested them side-by-side. But wow....I'm not sure I could tell the difference in a blind 'sniff test'.

And There Was A Great Cry in Egypt is gorgeous! It gets better and better with age, too. (the notes are dark myrrh, white sandalwood, amber, hyssop, frankincense, honey, cypress, red musk, cardamom and saffron.) ........ I have to agree on this one.....it is so wonderful! Honey is often a deal-breaker for me, but it doesn't ruin Great Cry In Egypt. It does come out a little strong in the dry-down but I still love wearing this stuff. Honestly, I want a bigger bottle, but I can't decide between this and Carceri d'Invenzione, and I think they smell a little too much alike to get both. [same with Cloister Graveyard and Death Of The Grave Digger] So, I continue to be undecided. : ( And I end up collecting decants instead. : D But yeah, back on topic......the red musk in Great Cry In Egypt is definitely there, but it doesn't bully the other notes like it can do in some blends. It's just enough of a spicy musk presence to add warmth and sultry-ness to the scent as a whole.

I thought this scent had an interesting list of notes, so I wanted to try it. I used to have some China Musk from Scentiment's, and I loved it, but I don't know what happened to it. I can't really pick out the same scent in Zephyr. I would kill for a chance to try a China Musk single note from bpal, if there is one. Anyway....I really like Zephyr! Perhaps not enough to get a whole bottle, because I would have to be in a certain mood to wear it. But it's light and fresh, like a sweet breeze, not very much a citrus scent, which surprised me. The combination of notes reminds me of a marshmallow sweetness, and I kept thinking of Midnight On The Midway, except Zephyr is definitely more of a daytime scent. I really can't pick out individual notes, it's just all blended together in a slightly sweet, white scent. But it's not powdery or overbearingly sweet on me. I would call this gender neutral, veering towards feminine, but I could definitely wear it. In fact when I wore it, I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist.

Thanks, ivyandpeony! I guess a lot of times sandalwood is a subtle backing note. I did try Sin today, and I do like it! For some reason it reminds me of red musk single note, though. I guess the sandalwood there is more spicy and or woody. I do like Great Cry In Egypt a lot, and just got another decant of it. When it comes down to a larger bottle purchase I would choose Carceri d'Invenzione, just because I can smell the honey in Great Cry....although it's one of the few honey blends I actually enjoy! I like Tamamo-No-Mae a lot....might be more on the feminine side, but I love the soft sandalwood aspect. I guess what I'm really drooling over is the sandalwood essential oil on naturesgift.com, but at $70 for 5ml, it's a little steep.....maybe some day I'll splurge and treat myself to that, and hopefully that would last a long time. I have a small sniffie of it and really like it, and I think it would be great to layer with some bpal scents to emphasize the sandalwood a little more. I like Monsterbait Underpants, even though it's a little on the sweet side. I totally forgot that Zephyr and The Ifrit had sandalwood, I've been wanting to try the latter for a while, and I might have an imp of Zephyr hanging around somewhere....I'll look for it when I get home!

Bumping this topic because I've been in the mood for a nice sandalwood lately. I did a search on the Lab's site and it brought up 146 results! It's in so many blends that I often sort of skip over it when I read the descriptions. For example, I forgot that The Black Tower and Dr. John Seward both have sandalwood. Anyway, I've been digging Carceri d'Invenzione a lot. I think I like red sandalwood better than the white variety.

I second Hellcat....I thought of it right away when I saw the topic of the title. You probably have to like almond too, though. : )