myoubi

Money delivers. I used this for a particular purpose -- funding for my partner's project fell through, and we needed replacement funding ASAP, which is not easy to find. This was a sizeable chunk of our annual income. I printed out his project statement, folded it up with some paper money inside, and anointed the corners with Money while concentrating on what we needed. (I also juiced it with some oil from a company BPAL frequently collaborates with) Then I left the paper out where the sun would shine on it. Three weeks later, my partner's original funding source reconsidered (!) and now has firmly committed to fully funding his project. I'm so relieved, and very grateful to have this oil from the Lab.

I wish, I wish, I wish I got what Little Bird and samanare got. I may retest this in a few weeks just to be sure,  but sadly I think this one is not for me.

In the bottle: Cherry cough syrup

First moments on skin: Glace cherries. Strangely penetrating. And rum?

15 minutes in: Mostly glace cherries and some other dried fruit with just a bit of something cakey. Some note that has that alcohol/mint clearing-out-your-nostrils feeling.

1 hour in: yep, that's fruitcake all right. Very sugary, mostly dried fruit, less cake. With a lot of glace cherries and something very penetrating. Maybe that's the cologne.

No red velvet, no buttercream, not that much cake.

I really wanted to like this one. I love the name, I love the Lab's red velvet note, and I *love* the pitch for the organization this scent is sponsoring. However, this is a miss for me. 

Effects review: this stuff works.

I found myself stuck in a rut of negativity, where I was feeling down on myself in general and convinced I'd done something wrong to alienate one person in particular. There was a lot of negative self-talk, which not only felt crappy, but also impeded my ability to get on with my life.

I dressed a candle with Radiance of Ra and Block Buster. I envisioned bright rays of sunshine breaking through the fug of negativity, clearing out those heavy shadows in the mind, and busting through the blocks of insecurity and negative self-talk I'd stacked up in my own path. I thought about eliminating the "lies and deceptions" of low self-esteem, which were telling me that I'm not good enough and soon everyone would find out.

As soon as I lit the candle, I felt better. I stood up straighter, and the circling negative thoughts just -- stopped. I wasn't distracted by self-criticism. I attacked a task I'd been avoiding and felt good about it. I cooked dinner and enjoyed it. I reread the email to the person I thought I'd alienated -- which I had been avoiding -- and concluded it was perfectly harmless and if he didn't like it, that wasn't on me. I realised I'd done the best I could, and I should continue to do the best I could, and that was that. I just felt better right away. It was amazing.

I haven't experienced any vim and vigor yet, and I don't feel particularly energized, but that might be because I'm pretty sleep deprived right now. Will report back if that changes.

This one, unfortunately for me, smells more like the Lab's description and less like what earlier reviewers described.

After the reviews, I was hoping for a chilly winter queen. It starts off promising -- a blast of snowy, piney, slightly minty chill, the Lab's familiar snow note that I love. I took a big sniff and thought aw yeah, that's the stuff! And then it went... sweet. And it got sweeter, and sweeter, until it was this almost icing-sugar-sweet vanilla ringed in snow. I was hoping for Skadi's more feminine cousin and instead got something like a frosty vanilla holiday drink. I don't know why my skin does this 😥I'll let this sit for a few months to see if it changes, but if it's still this sweet-vanilla on me, it may find a new home.

I'm not really a florals girl, but I bought this when it came out because of the name/associations -- the brides are one of my favourite moments in Dracula. I don't wear it often, but it's the only floral I still have in my collection.

For the first few hours, it's a sweetish billowy white floral. Lotta lily, lotta osmanthus. To be honest, I like but don't love this phase, and kind of wait for it to pass. At 3+ hours, it turns into a lovely, light, slightly spicy amber-musk with a swirl of white flowers. Exactly like the women it describes -- I think of moonlight, flowing hair, and something almost predatory lurking underneath. It hugs close to the skin, but I can smell it when I move my arms. It's feminine and classically beautiful while retaining a bit of a come-hither vibe. Lovely.

Snake Oil with buttery pastry and a hint of powdered sugar. Exactly what it says on the tin. The Snake Oil is recognizable and well-blended -- it doesn't smell like two smells rolled into one bottle, but like a true SO variant that reframes the vanilla of the original scent in a new (gourmand) light. Lighter on the patchouli -- this isn't a dark-toned blend. It's like a sweeter/fluffier cover of a familiar song.

ETA: Gets increasingly doughnutty as time goes on -- first few hours were pastry-sweetened SO, now 4 hours in we are at lightly-SO-scented pastry. If it's not foody enough for you at start, give it time; if it's too foody for you at start, give this one a miss.

ETA 2: didn't think I'd like this one as much as I do, but I've reached for it nearly every day since I received it. At this rate I'll need multiple backup bottles.

ETA 3: I have... 9 bottles.

On 3/5/2022 at 12:28 PM, Amazonia said:

 

My 2019 bottles were completely clear and had no viscosity.  I poured two of them into an empty 10ml SO bottle, and the remnants of the aged juice have tinted the fresher stuff to a verrrry light amber color, but nowhere near as dark and syrupy as any of my aged SO.  When I skin test, there is no distinct color visible.  This is the popcorn batch.  Thankfully, the popcorn stank has died down to a more soily-dirt scent (patchouli? Is that you?).  I could not wear it for more than 30 minutes before I had to scrub it off, it was so overwhelming.  Today it's tolerable, but still not recognizable as Snake Oil.

 

Interestingly enough...the bottles I bought from the May or June 2020 restock are now much darker, but they have a sharper green (almost camphorous...spearminty?) scent to them.  I feel like that batch is closer to what historical fresh SO probably smelled like.  They do not, and have never had, that dirt-smelling popcorn vibe at all.

Good to know it's not just me. The 2019 bottles I have are still clear, and still smell like butter. I was hoping that smell would age out but 3 years later, it hasn't, and they are basically unwearable. I have 3 of them

Don't give up on this one -- the drydown is worth it.

First impressions: whoa, smoke and leather. A lot of smoke and leather. Almost acrid. I like leather, but this is too much. I gave it a minute, two, five... nothing mellowed. OK, I was done. I scrubbed it off.

Then I brought my hand to my face about 20 minutes later and smelled the most lovely deep, smudgy leather-vanilla-tobacco. Smoke and Lace has staying power because it survived the attempted scrub, and I'm so glad it did. After 30-40 minutes the green cognac comes out to play. The notes are well-blended into a darkish smear of a scent that feels like, well, smoke. It's not sweet, but it has that vanilla richness to soften the edges. It's not like anything else in my collection and it's quite lovely, in the way that things are only lovely when they are uncommon. I wouldn't wear this every day the way I wouldn't wear an evening gown every day. It has that feel to it.

I don't know whether my bottle of Smoke and Lace has a forever home with me. I might want a decant more than I want a bottle. On the other hand, I'm weirdly reluctant to let it go. I'll want to keep at least some in my collection, either way.

If you are on the fence about laces (as I was), try this one. If you are a lace fan, try this because it's different from anything else I've smelled in the lace series. 

I like patchouli... but not this much.

Thick, dark, mulchy, vegetal patchouli. It is rich and it is strong. The odd time I get a whiff of burnt caramel. If what you want is a really true, barely-sweetened patchouli almost-single note, this is for you. As for me, I have found the limit of how much patchouli I want in a blend. Swaps!

Not reviewing the scent but for the use.

Charisma is hit and miss on me. I find when it works it WORKS, but the difference is how long I take to really focus my intent. If I just slap it on and go about my business, it doesn't have any discernible effects. But when I take time to really sit, apart from everything else, and focus on how it makes me feel, Charisma can work wonders. I put a drop on each chakra point and the palms of my hands and imagine a glow of light coming out of each chakra point, one by one, until I feel haloed in warmth and light. I just sit there silently for a while, sometimes for a full couple of minutes, feeling apart from everything and living in that glow. I'm ready to go when I feel like I'm emanating warmth and brightness.

When I take the time to do that, it's remarkable. It's not just the effects of taking a few minutes to meditate. I've had people who knew me for years do a double take, like they were actually seeing me for the first time. Conversations are more animated and it feels easy to connect with people, like everyone you meet wants to know you better. But it's best used judiciously -- I have a bit of a 'drop' the day after. It's not a bad feeling, just like being a bit underslept and needing quiet and a nap, but all day. Not an everyday blend, but a very effective one when you take the time to charge it with intent.

White honey-blackberry-clove. Well rounded, soft, sweet but not overly sugary. A morpher: starts off a strong vanilla with a berry ribbon, turns into ripe berries with clove underpinnings, and then settles for most of its run into a soft cloud of white honey with blackberries and a little clove. 8 hours later, it has dried down to a lightly musky vanilla-clove that sticks close to the skin. You have to really like clove to like Final Girl, and yet it's not overpowering -- just always present, a little differently, at every stage. Medium throw.

I'm not sure why, but this one reminds me a little bit of Midway and a little bit of Monster Bait: Closet -- which happened to be the only two foodie blends in my collection. Now Final Girl makes three.

4 hours ago, roseus said:

@myoubi I haven't tried most of your list but I wonder if you might like Strange Is Thy Pallor! Strange Thy Dress! Looks a bit chillier than La Fee Verte but has that absinthe thing going on. 

Thank you! I'll give it a try

Okay, I'll bite! A lot has come out since last I tested anything new. Any recommendations based on these:

1. Snake Oil

2. La Fee Verte

3. Monster Bait: Closet

4. Perversion

5. Brides of Dracula

I *didn't* much like L'Heure Verte, and I was thinking of retesting Morocco.

Three words: wintry PENCIL SHAVINGS.

argh. I was really excited for this blend, but in imp, on skin, and after 30 minutes it stays exactly the same. Away with ye!

I don't find Albedo to be a foody scent at all.. and I don't even get the coconut many people have mentioned, which on me is a good thing

In the Imp: oooh! wham in the nose with that citrus! It's more of a tangerine-y scent to me than lemon or lemongrass -- it's a very energetic citrus with a hint of sweetness.

On Skin: still got lots of citrus, but it is mellowing out a bit.

20 minutes, and thereafter: holy mackerel. this is beautiful. it is this delightful warm, soft, and creamy scent with a hint of citrus overlay. By 'creamy' I don't mean 'like the lab's cream note' which doesn't work with my skin chemistry; I mean a sensation that feels like actual cream feels, smooth and rich without being oppressive or sweet. It's really delightful. I must find another decant. ::

This was frimped to me by a generous and lovely forum member. Thank you!

I am both very happy and very sad about this scent. I'm happy because now I don't have to go on the hunt for more of it. I'm very sad because I don't get all the lovely smelly goodness that everyone else seems to

In the imp: oooh! this smells promising! it smells exactly like the first word, 'glowing'. It's a warm ambery-wood scent with the fizzy sweet lotus layered overtop to give it some gumption. This is lovely!

On skin: ...but wait. What's this? the instant I apply it, the amber and lotus vanish completely and it turns into this sweet-thick-cloying-cream plus TEAKTEAKTEAK combo. Cream rarely works on me, but I loved Miller vs. Cali so I hoped that had turned around... but this scent is literally sickening. I was eating breakfast (grapefruit, omnom) when I applied it and I really had to be careful how I ate so I didn't get a whiff of the stuff.

Ten minutes: No change. okay. this has to be washed off.

20 minutes: the wretched scent won't - go - away. And it has serious throw, too. After washing my hands three times with two different kinds of soap, I finally pulled out a body scrub and spent a few minutes with my hands under the faucet in attempt to scrub it off. My hands smart now, as I'm pretty sure I removed a few layers of skin, but I can barely smell it anymore. I'll wash them again in a minute and hopefully it will finally leave without a trace.

In short: Not for me. it will get passed on to someone who can love it more.

Again, no long review for this one because I just slapped it on and then went about my day. But impressions:

This scent is strange on me. First the oil is light -- I expected it to be dark and viscous like Boomslang [which I should probably get more of...] It doesn't smell like dark chocolate on me. It smells like *chocolate* but it doesn't have that thick dark feeling. After I've worn it for a few hours, it's dried down to... sweet cream. Just sweet cream. Sweet, heavy, slightly plastic-vanilla-y cream.

But here's the weird thing. I thought I really didn't like the drydown but I can't stop huffing my wrists. What is with this scent?!?

I really am not sure what I am going to do with this one. Either way, it's definitely addictive.

Bitter Moon! It is my standard "fizzy" blend, although YMMV -- it makes me think of fizzy carbonated water. It's not very sweet, just fizzy and a little prickly. Also Snow Angel, but you have to really be okay with sweet for that one.

All I get is smoke and brimstone overlaid with bay rum.

someone else will love this much more than I do.

eeeh, I really liked the old labels the new ones are fine, I'm just not excited about them -- and when it comes time to replace my GC bottles I"m definitely going to seek out old-label bottles before I order them from the lab.

I did not expect to like this so much! In fact, I didn't expect to like it at all. But everyone was fussing over it, so I figured what the hell... hundreds of BPALers can't be wrong.

It's warm and autumnal and boozy and comforting -- I get red wine (which NEVER works on me!) and cardamom and clove and a teensy bit of vanilla. It's got good throw -- I only put a little on, and it kept wafting up to my nose, but it's not one of those really assertive scents where everyone around you is thinking "HOOOkay, that sure is some nice perfume that came up and smacked me in the nose!" I won't do a detailed scent review, partially because I forgot to take notes -- all I remember is being wrapped up in this lovely spicy deep warm scent that you could snuggle into like a big red blanket. I don't need more, but I will treasure my decant.

TAKEAWAY: Lovers of Snake Charmer should give this a shot but bear in mind that it's a much more floral blend. Lovers of Faiza should try this because it reminds me of what I /wanted/ Faiza to smell like. People who like Black Lace might give this a try, because even though they are totally different scents there is this weird association. I'm keeping my bottle.

In the Bottle: this reminds me of Snake Charmer, but with citrus, and a little bit lighter. There is something slightly bitter about it too, but not in an unpleasant way.

On Skin: Oil is quite dark in colour -- and in scent. It rapidly morphs from Snake-Charmer-Citrus to something deeper and much less sweet -- guess that is the opoponax coming out to play. I can feel the jasmine in there if I huff, but it isn't ZOMGJASMINE at all... and there is a dark sweetness that, I assume, is the red plum. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a 'sweet' blend on me -- it just has a slight something that cuts through the darker, thick and citrus-jasmine-resins thing going on.

20 Minutes: All of the notes have prettymuch melded together into some sort of strange brew... it is bitter, and a little musky, and very dark without being heavy the way Snake Charmer/Mme Moriarty/Crypt Queen are. Notes are discernible only if I huff my wrists and that's a maybe; from about a foot away, I get a little bit of the tobacco note and more of the red plum comes out, so the throw is actually lovely even though the scent itself is peculiar.

1 Hour: It's mellowed out into a dark, resinous floral blend that nonetheless doesn't have the *heaviness* of Snake Charmer et al. It's dark and mysterious -- doesn't have the Shocking! factor I associate with giallo but that's probably a good thing. It's alternately slightly bitter-jasminey and (the throw) sweetened with black plum. I like it, it's a morpher, I'm keeping it -- but it's definitely not for everyone.

ETA: OH MY GOD. Like does not nearly encompass how I feel about this scent after wearing it for a few days. It is this lovely sultry scent, not too sweet and not too heavy, that is nonetheless dark and murky and mysterious. KEEPING IT FOREVER. ((clutches bottle protectively))

This one really reminds me of a lighter version of Midway. There's not much more I can say -- it didn't morph much on skin, it just stayed smelling like Midway without being as 'gooey' as Midway was. There's some funnel cake and sugar hanging out there, and yes, I think I get the marshmallow note other people mentioned.

If you don't like sweet or foody, avoid this one -- but if you liked Midway or Marshmallow Poof, this is IMO the best of both worlds!

Verdict -- I really like this one. I'd love a full decant (thank you to the lovely forumite who sent me a tester!). However, I've got Midway, which I love, so I am not going to lose my head trying to find more. It is very nice though!

This is DIVINE. It's slightly sweeter, gentler, and less 'frozen' than Cold Moon. less detailed review than usual because I put it on without making detailed notes...

IN THE IMP: slightly-sweet eucalyptus chill.

ON SKIN: mmm cold lovely goodness. the eucalyptus is there but not stomping all over everything, and it just makes me think of frozen flowers -- cold and still but a little bit of floral-sweet.

20 MINUTES: the coldness has mostly worn off, actually! I get whiffs of eucalyptus, but it's now mostly a limpid slightly sweet scent -- floral, I guess, but not WHAM IN YOUR FACE floral which would not be my speed at all. it's a subtle scent and one that hugs close to the skin - I can sniff it in the air from time to time, but mostly I can see this as being a scent that others would only smell if they came up to you and hugged you. It is a bit romantic that way.

VERDICT: Frost Moon is lovely, but definitely not as frosty as I thought she would be. It's not a cold, hard, isolated scent like Ice Queen and it doesn't have the berry note of Skadi. This scent reminds me of both Cold Moon and Havisham -- it's not omgfloral like Havisham, but it has the same kind of light-cold feel, and it has the limpid sweetness of cold moon while not being /as/ sweet or /as/ cold. It's pretty unique among the blends I've smelled! I will definitely cherish my imp; however, I probably won't actively hunt down any more.

ZOMG.

First, the bad news: this one is a fader, and it doesn't have a lot of throw. It doesn't fade into nothing but after a couple of hours I really had to huff my wrist to get a sniff. There are solutions to this, however.*

Then, the good news: oh. my. GOD. this is beautiful. It is exactly the scent I wanted from this perfume. it starts out cold, frozen, fresh green apples. On skin it warms up every so slightly, so that it's a gentle floral overlaid with white snow, pine, and fresh green apples. It's so beautiful, and the perfect snow-pine-fruit scent -- for those who have tried Skadi, it's less COLD than Skadi is, and more mild and fruit-centric without being fruit-y. It's gorgeous. I'm so glad that the lovely FandF hooked me up with a bottle

______

*I find putting a bit of oil in your cleavage, especially if you're wearing a sweater or something that doesn't have a low neckline, helps to preserve an area of scent that wafts a bit more than the wrists do. just a thought.