.jpg.999754f168a948af356e4de1fab01e7f.jpg)
Akurarei
-
Content Count
2,825 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Akurarei
-
-
In February, black bears give birth to their cubs, nurturing and protecting them as the snow melts, the days grow warmer, and winter gives way to spring. Hazelnuts, acorns, black cherries, wild winter berries, and warm black fur dusted by moonlight, honey, and pine needles.
In the Bottle:
Berrylicious Honey
On my Skin, Wet:
Honey, Pine, Nuts & the sweetness of the berries, but no actual fruit
On my Skin, Dry:
Honeyed Berries with whiffs of nuts & woods
Verdict:
This is very warm & comforting.
the throw is surprisingly strong for such a delicate scent
excellent job Beth! -
L'ESSENCE DE LA PASSION
Red musk, carnation, myrrh, and honey.
In the Bottle:
Myrrh & red musk - with a touch of carnations.
On my Skin, Wet:
The Myrrh blossoms with a center of red musk.
There is also a prominent honey note in this stage...like carnation infused honey.
On my Skin, Dry:
A very nice balance of red musk & Myrrh.
The carnation infused honey adds a touch of flirtyness to this sensual blend
Verdict:
this is a lovely blend indeed.
very well balanced and with just the right amount of youthful girly-ness to an otherwise womanly scent. -
Frimp!
Yes, as others have said - chocolate, pine & spices/spiced coffee.
I can see where the molasses association comes from....but my chemistry keeps the pine hanging out too strongly to venture into the 'foody' classification.
-
In the Bottle:
Heavy use of BPAL's 'snow' note
It actually smells more like a Yule blend than a Luper blend.
To me, this smells like 2010's Winter-Time mixed with Nuclear Winter
On my Skin, Wet:
Still heavy snow and a very slight touch of pink blossoms
On my Skin, Dry:
Snow & Sandalwood
(WTF?)
Verdict:
very different for Spring!
A very unique scent that embodies the transition from one season to the next.
-
Water Dragon 2012
In the Bottle:
VERY ORANGE
On My Skin, Wet:
VERY STRONG ORANGE - there's very little else going on, sadly.
On My Skin, Dry:
Still predominantly orange, but there is a touch of coconut and sandalwood.
It looses it's overall potency quickly, and the orange fades back somewhat, but yep - still a mostly orange scent on me.
Verdict:
I was looking forward to this being a peony with coconut & citrus scent, but it's almost exclusively citrus.
4 of 10 ranking
(though I absolutely love the label art)
-
Body, Remember
In the Bottle:
This smells like a Red Lantern bottle
On my Skin, Wet:
A blast of coconut with a creamy undertone, and something sweet.
On my Skin, Dry:
Dark Coconut, Musk & Sugared Cream
Verdict:
LOVE
It's indeed very sensual without being heavy or overpowering
It's an "up-close" scent that balances foody with sexy
-
-
The Phoenix At Midnight
In the Bottle:
Cool musky florals.
it gives me a slightly watery impression as well.
On My Skin, Wet:
Water, Jasmine & clean musk.
this is a very pure scent on me... very distinct ingredients and they play with my chemistry very well.
On My Skin, Dry:
Jasmine & clean musk - with some residual water notes.
I'm not sure how to describe the water notes I'm getting....maybe very delicate wet greenery?
........
I know! it's reminiscent of the Lab's White Tea note!
so really it smells like jasmine, clean musk and a cup of delicate white tea
Verdict:
This is my favorite Phoenix of this year's offerings so far (still need to try Phoenix at Dawn)
it's very clean with a beautiful touch of of jasmine and I absolutely love the water/white tea notes that manifest.
it's a very soothing and romantic blend.
great job Beth & Labbies!
-
-
The Phoenix at Dusk
In the Bottle:
Smells very similar to one of the metal phoenix blends from a couple of years ago...maybe the Quicksilver Phoenix bottle.
On my Skin, Wet:
a very brilliant burst of bright floral and dripping wet fruits - to me it seems like I'm looking at the setting sun through a slice of a peach after a rainstorm while standing amongst wildflowers.
It smells like peaches, gardenias & water in this stage.
On my Skin, Dry:
A powdery element appears - this has got to be the wisteria (it always turns to powder on me)
so it's now wet peaches, powder and a faint background of wildflowers.
There is also just a hint of sage too - this lends a cool, crisp feeling to the scent.
Verdict:
This is lovely - and quite summery!
I love that this has such a strong layer of wet peaches on me.
and the touch of sage is just delightful.
This is a gorgeous Phoenix!
-
Leather Phoenix
I'm going to do my best at actually identifying notes, hence the list:
matcha tea, wild frankincense, champaca, petitgrain, star anise, aged oudh, rose taifi, narcissus, Himalayan cedar, 11-year aged patchouli, and black leather accord.
In the Bottle:
Old leather & stinky, thick patchouli.
I don't detect anything else in this stage, just old & dirty.
On my Skin, Wet:
A blast of the leather & patchouli.
after a minute or so, the leather & patchouli die down, and I start to pick up the cedar note.
I am also picking up on the champaca & star anise, only faintly.
On my Skin, Dry:
I think the leather & cedar notes have done some kind of merger - it's a peculiar smell that is definitely NOT floral in nature.
the star anise is still there, just barely detectable.
the patchouli note comes & goes....I would rather that it left & stayed gone, as this is the version of patchouli that I really dislike.
I don't smell any of the following notes right now: Matcha Tea, Wild Frankincense, Petitgrain, Rose Taifi, or Narcissus.
ETA:
OK, after a couple of hours more, I am getting hints of the tea & the florals.
this is turning more interesting, but I'm still not really sure that the tea & florals will overtake the leather, patchouli & cedar.
I guess time will tell....
Verdict:
I was really hoping that Leather Phoenix would have a nice feminine & masculine balance.
The patchouli isn't quite "in your face" but I would describe it as prominent.
Black leather is the hard, slick variety, and is probably the biggest reason that the patchouli can't just completely overpower everything else.
Cedar amps on me like crazy, so that's why I get such a distinct cedar note.
and really, that's pretty much my experience on this one.
I would love for other, softer notes to make an appearance in the future.
Sadly Leather Phoenix disappoints me, but I still think that it was very lovely of Beth & her Labbies to create something so special for us to enjoy.
Thank you Beth for sharing your creation with us!
-
Winter Heavens
In the Bottle:
clear & cold smelling - but not overwhelmingly strong like other 'cold' scents
On my Skin, Wet:
'Black crystalline' is the best way to describe this one.
it's like looking through a heavy crystal vase in a deep dark forest at midnight.
On my Skin, Dry:
Not as cold now, but still pretty dark & clear.
I don't really detect any one note - just the final product, the vision as a whole.
it's an atmospheric perfume, not foody or spicy or floral or resiny.
Verdict:
I really like this one - it's dark but not moody
I really like the clear quality of this one, and it's especially nice to have such a clear perfume without the heavy cold aspect.
lovely!
-
Yellow Snowballs
This reminds me of Archangel Winter - which is an awesome thing!
Cold, snowy citrus goodness.
this is just a little bit lighter & creamier though.
only a little bit though
-
Nightmare
In the Bottle:
Dark & very dry - with a bitter quality to it
On my Skin, Wet:
The bitterness amps for about 10 minutes.
it must be the 'blackened fruit gums'
after the 10 minute mark the bitterness goes away and the resin and lavender make an appearance
On my Skin, Dry:
Evil bedsheets with sleep inducing lavender.
hmmm, interesting
Verdict:
not at all pleasant during the wet stage, and the dry stage is so strangely unique that I don't really know what to make of this one.
-
On Darkness
in Yules
On Darkness 2009
In the Bottle:
I detect the lavendar & some dark resins/incense
On my Skin, Wet:
A burst of blackness.
It's like everything is covered in soot without smelling like smoke.
On my Skin, Dry:
Ok, this is better.
I get the lavendar again, and the dark incense
It does have a slightly smoky touch to it, but it's just a hint.
Every now and then I get a whiff of the rose geranium, which adds a dark floral tone to this scent.
Verdict:
Very unique.
It's an interesting mix of dark resins with a dark floral.
-
White Rabbit
In the Frimp:
Strong black tea & spicy pepper
On my Skin, Wet:
Fermented note, pepper & something spicy.
I assume that's the ginger
On my Skin, Dry:
Black tea, cream, & faint traces of either the pepper or ginger...it's just a teeny bit spicy.
I get a note of the linen every now & then.
Verdict:
I didn't like the initial application or the immediate dry-down.
the fully dry, several-hours-later version is nice, but nothing special for me.
meh.
I am glad that I got to try it, I know that most people really like this one. Sadly I am not one of them.
-
I haven't tried this one personally, but it sounds lovely.
no jasmine in sight
HERMIA
How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak;
How low am I? I am not yet so low
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.
Pink pepper, golden amber, honeysuckle, and passion flower.
-
As advertised - a gorgeous lavendar honey cheesecake!
it's about equal parts of each listed item - with a distinct buttery graham cracker crust, but this element just re-inforces that cheesecake vibe.
-
On me, this is a very dark musk with some soft, mildly sweet resins peeking out.
Every so often I get a whiff of something fresh & green.
I like it overall, but it's not something I'll reach for very often.
-
La Mort: mon ironie depasse toutes les autres!
This is a lovely rose & spicy pomegranate.
and that's all - nothing more, nothing less.
-
The Green Apple of Venus
In the Bottle:
green apple & carnation
On my Skin, Wet:
A blast of green apple & pink carnation - I think I detect the pomegranate too - it's very subtle.
On my Skin, Dry:
The carnation becomes more noticeable, and the green apple almost completely disappears.
I don't notice anything else about this blend now.
Verdict:
it's very pretty in the wet phase, but it's not all that great dried down.
this is going for a test run in a scent locket to see if the wet phase lasts.
ETA: silly nose, carnation isn't even listed in this blend!
-
OMG YUM!
this smells fantastic!
it's got a gorgeous white tea note, that smells so clean & fresh.
The sage is subtle & adds to the overall freshness of this scented hair product.
My hair is noticeably less frizzy, and generally slightly smoother & easier to manage.
My hair is usually pretty shiny on it's own, so judging the shine factor may be apparent with continued use.
I don't think I'll have any trouble using this up before it's 6 month "expiration/shelf life"
I used about 7-8 spritzes & that covered just about all my hair (5-6 were directly on the hair away from the scalp, 2 were squirted onto my brush for brushing the roots)
Great product!
Thanks BPAL & BPTP!!
-
Autumn Cider
Yowza!
this is heavy on the 'fermented' note!
it's very dominant on the apple note & cinnamon note - but holy cow is that fermentation strong.
I'm not sure I'll be able to wear this anywhere but outside.
-
The Vampire Bride
In the Bottle:
Musk and a crystalline note - note sure what that is
On my Skin, Wet:
A burst of violet! interesting!
This burst lingers for a bit, then the red musk starts to make an appearance.
On my Skin, Dry:
There's that crystalline note again!
it's very soft and low to the skin, that allows wiffs of violet and hints of red musk.
Verdict:
I was expecting this to be a stronger scent based on the notes listed, but this scent is delicate and ethereal.
it's very soft and sweet with a gentle bite to it
Pink Lace
in Retail Exclusive Oils
Posted · Report reply
Pink Lace
In the Bottle:
Sugary, Watery Strawberry
On my Skin, Wet:
Simple Syrup Strawberries with a Splash of Vanilla & Heavy Cream
On my Skin, Dry:
Boozy Strawberry Sugar & Vanilla Cream
Verdict:
I was actually looking forward to a stronger booze note, but this really is lovely regardless.
It reminds me of the 2007 Beaver Moon with a splash of booze, paired with a delicate vanilla iced sugar cookie.
I really like it!