Akurarei

Sonnet D'Automne

In the Bottle:

Meh. Not much to detect

On my Skin, Wet:

THIS IS AMAZING!

I get the dried leaves right away, swiftly followed by a vanilla-y, sugary cocoa.

On my Skin, Dry:

The leaves fade to the background, and I'm getting a soft creamy white chocolate now as the dominant note.

There is also a hint of vanilla that I'm picking up.

Verdict:

excellent! unique!

this is definitely a contender for a backup bottle!

The initial wear was a sugary pumpkin that had an spicy undercurrent.

After a couple of hours, the spice was overwhelmingly strong & drowned out a lot of the pumpkin & obliterated the sugars.

This may need to age - hopefully the spice calms down

I agree with Violetblue.

smells wonderous in the jar, but just didn't perform in water.

I didn't get many bubbles either but I didn't know how much to use, so maybe round 2 will be the rest of the jar

Creepy 2009

In the Bottle:

Red Apples & sugary booze

On my Skin, Wet:

Red Juicy Sliced Apples, followed closely by a dollop of sugary caramel then some booze.

On my Skin, Dry:

Whole apples, sugar, and booze.

Verdict:

aging has done great things for this blend - before it was just a boozy mess, but now it's a couple of years old and FABULOUS!

I would get this blend again if it's ever offered again.

Used this one last night!

equal parts vanilla & mint for me - the vanilla is like a raw vanilla with a pinch of sugar & the mint is a strange, "warm yet crisp" variety.

I love the simplicity of this one!

Muilearteach

In the Bottle:

Lots of musk - mostly red

On my Skin, Wet:

A burst of red musk, and a little bit of black musk.

these settle down with an icy background developing.

On my Skin, Dry:

Red musk, icicles (which smell a little like wet ozone, but it's definitely 'cold'), and a very faint vanilla spice undertone

Verdict:

I was intrigued by this one while it was available, then the musk was too much when it was fresh.

after a year of aging - this is GORGEOUS!

the musks aren't as overpowering as they once were, I love the cold element, and the weird apparition of the vanilla spice is just glorious!

I love this Trick!

IO

At first, this blend was just a sweet mess - just a pile of sugar with maybe a single berry intermixed.

after a few months of aging, this is one of the more interesting BPALs in my collection

In the Bottle:

Mango & herbs

On my Skin, Wet:

A huge burst of juicy & sweet mangoes - I pick up the thyme too

On my Skin, Dry:

Mango is replaced by Poms & Cranberries.

I'm not sure if I can distinguish the blackberry or the red musk, but I think they are lending themselves to deepening the overall impression

Verdict:

aging was well worth the wait!

I love the Mango/Thyme combo, and it's certainly unique in my collection.

Revenge

smells like a orange with some white florals

does not last long, which is disappointing since it does smell quite lovely

Buttery autumnal nuts.

Heavy on the butter in the first spray - then it becomes a lovely, dry celebration of bitter acorns, sugary pecans, & raw walnuts (for my nose, anyway)

not the longest lasting, but does hang around for a couple of hours

Berry Moon 2011

In the Bottle:

as advertised; "a deep berry bouquet"

On my Skin, Wet:

A burst of alcoholic berries, red & deep plum in color

On my Skin, Dry:

I detect the brandy.

The berry bouquet is very seamless, I don't smell any individual fruits.

Verdict:

I have the previous version of Berry Moon & they don't smell remotely similar, which I was afraid of.

I like the 2011 version better, I think the brandy is a better choice for my chemistry than the musk from previous release.

Schwarzer Mond 2011

In the Bottle:

Musty Patchouli

On my Skin, Wet:

Musty Patchouli with some dark resins and a hint of what smells like smoke.

On my Skin, Dry:

Still musty, but the patchouli has subsided.

the smokey dark resins are taking the forefront - nice but a little heavy on the smoke factor on me.

Verdict:

undecided - it's an interesting blend, but it's so outside my usual fare that I don't really know if I find it pleasing or if I'm just tolerating it for novelty's sake.

ETA:

OK, it took 3.5 hours, but this is now truly a deep dark gorgeous resin scent.

I really do like it in this stage, but the smokey, musty pacthouli phase is a little off-putting.

Luna Negra

In the Bottle:

patchouli?

that's not a listed note, but I swear that's all I smell

On my Skin, Wet:

Now this is interesting - to me this smells like a 'blue' version of Crypt Queen.

Crypt Queen always has a 'red' feeling to me, probably because of the blood accord & raspberries.

Luna Negra smells almost exactly like Crypt Queen to me, but I guess the blackberry gives it the 'blue' quality.

weird synesthesia.

On my Skin, Dry:

Smoky resins, patchouli (??), and a hint of the berries, but not much at all.

yep - this is a 'blue' version of Crypt Queen to my nose.

very strange indeed.

Verdict:

I really like this one, even though patchouli isn't my thing - and even though it does not seem to be an ingredient.

I like the depth of this scent, and it's 'evilness'

it's a great scent for the upcoming fall months, and I am looking forward to wearing it in October particularly.

p.s.

Crypt Queen is probably my favorite Halloweenie scent but I'm always hesistant to wear her because I don't want to run out or creep anyone out as she has that presence.

this is going to sit along side her so I can have a red & blue version.

awesome!!

I got a sample of this one too!

To me it smelled like earthy moss with a tinge of something floral, but I couldn't tell you a particular flower.

I also expected a coffee note, but I don't smell one over the moss.

it's got a definite 'green' aspect to it.

ETA: OK, I think maybe the floral is magnolia.

Wulric, the Wolfman

In the Bottle:

heavy cocoa & something bitter & sour underneath.

On my Skin, Wet:

Blegh!!!

The vetiver & cocoa are not playing nice, and it's smelling like rotten chocolate cake

On my Skin, Dry:

still pretty potent vetiver, dry cocoa, and something vaguely citrus-y...like preserved orange zest or something.

Verdict:

not my thing - it probably won't get worn very often, and probably never be used in a scent locket.

Priala, The Human Phoenix

In the Bottle:

Heavy smoke note, with a burnt cinnamon edge

On my Skin, Wet:

Sharp cinnamon & damp smoke - like smoke in a very humid place.

This one is strong & hurts my sinuses a little.

On my Skin, Dry:

Ahh, this is better.

I get the myrrh(s) now, with an undercurrent of cinnamon and a very small whiff of smoke.

It *almost* gets a creamy quality to it, but it's not at all milky. More like a cinnamon frosting, heavy with sugar.

Verdict:

This is a scent that will never be used in the hair or scent locket, it has to interact with the skin to reach that pretty creamy resin & cinnamon phase.

Not at all a fan of the wet phase, but the dry down is quite unique & beautiful.

On me this one smells very much like regular Snake Oil layered with Sara Pezzini.
It definitely has leather and the Snake Oil as a base.
I thought it would be more complex than that, but I am perfectly OK with how it works on me.

Purple Spotted Swallowtail

In the Bottle:

Smells almost like fresh lemon rind to me.

it does have a slight 'furniture cleaner' note to it, but it's very faint.

On my Skin, Wet:

an explosion of lemon, then the clove & some faint resins.

this doesn't last terribly long before it does go a little more 'furniture cleaner' than I like.

On my Skin, Dry:

a strange combo of cloves, poppy, & lemon/lime

it's interesting, but not something I usually gravitate towards.

I picture this being more of a fall scent than a spring or summery fragrance.

Verdict:

different.

I hope the 'furniture cleaner' note goes away over time - it's putting a tarnish on an otherwise very unique scent.

not sure how to rank this one yet.

The Death-Horse

In the Imp:

dark & ominous - I smell mostly smoky, gritty resin

On my Skin, Wet:

An overwhelming blast of Lily of the Valley!

and that's about it.

On my Skin, Dry:

Lily of the Valley, made of resins.

this is a strange blend in the dry stage.

I don't know how I feel about it in the dry stage...I certainly was not expecting such a presence from the florals.

Verdict:

it's OK, but I was just expecting something more resinous.

Obatala

In the Bottle:

Not much there - I can tell it's a delicate scent, but I don't pick up specific notes here.

On my Skin, Wet:

Awesome coconuts, a coolness that is probably the water, a touch of something sweet.

This is very soothing and calming in the wet stage for me. Just lovely!

On my Skin, Dry:

Still coconuts, but they have receeded a bit. I get a touch of the milk now, and it's blending with the shea butter. The shea butter is quite distinct on me in the dry phase.

This has morphed from a cool scent to a warm scent. It strongly reminds me of a rice dessert I used to have while visiting the grandfolks in Mexico.

Verdict:

This is a perfect summer scent!

it's light & refreshing then becomes soft and warm, welcoming, even.

just beautiful!

Death on a Pale Horse

In the Imp:

Not much there, it almost smells of nothing, but the little bit I do smell, I can't describe.

On My Skin, Wet:

Sandalwood & Lemon.

mostly a dry sandalwood, with hints of dried potpourri lemons... these are not juicy fresh lemons.

On My Skin, Dry:

..................

this smells exactly like a great aunt who passed away many years ago.

lovely lady, and all this scent does is make me miss her

Verdict:

scent -wise: it's ok. I prefer Yukki-Onna for lemon & sandalwood

Memory-wise: OMG incredible! I wish the memory evoked would have been a little happier...instead it just made me sad.

Xmvlzencab Soap

This soap was very smooth and silky, just as advertised.

I loved the sweet honeyed ginger scent, but was suprised on how faint the scent was - I think I expected a stronger ginger throw.

Lovely soap that felt great on the skin, just not potent in the scent department for me.

To piggy-back on this topic. I absolutely adore The Dormouse. However, the scent just doesn't last very long on my skin,I almost have to bathe in for it to have staying power. To really notice it you practically have to press your nose against the skin and since my life does not include a whole lot of people sniffing my skin I don't feel I can justify a whole bottle no matter how much a love the scent. I was wondering if there were any tricks to getting more staying power out of a perfume or if there were any similar scents to The Dormouse that had more stay.

I find that putting some BPAL on two fingertips (preferably index & thumb) then putting the BPAL in thin strands of my hair works best for both keeping the scent from reacting with my PH and allowing faint scents to stay stronger, longer.

A beautiful scent locket from the Post works great too

Black Pearl

In the Imp:

Evil Coconuts

On my Skin, Wet:

Slightly boozy/musky coconuts

I don't notice anything else in this stage. I don't know where the faint booziness is coming from, maybe the iris?

On my Skin, Dry:

Coconuts, a hint of sea water (I have no idea how Beth does it! but it's great!) and the musk makes a distinct appearance in this stage.

Verdict:

I will probably get a bottle in the next order or two.

I really like this for a summery blend that isn't all florals all the time - it's soft without being powdery or too sutble.

good work Labbies!

Enlightenment of the Courtesan Jigokudayu

In the Bottle:

sugary sweetness!

On my Skin, Wet:

Sugary Juicy Pears - plus something akin to Wisteria...I don't think Wisteria is a note in this!

On my Skin, Dry:

Sweet Pears & Soft florals; gentle whiffs of carnation

Verdict:

A soft, lovely spring scent.

It does make my nose itch just a little bit

ETA: This is a definite scent locket blend! I think my skin amps something that makes my nose itch, haha!

BIWA

In the Bottle:

Definitely gives an orange impression

On my Skin, Wet:

TANGERINE!

Very pungent & juicy tangerine!

On my Skin, Dry:

Tangerine, honey & the whiff of marigolds.

the tangerine has calmed down, but is nicely tempered by the honey & marigold.

Verdict:

This is a great citrus blend!

I'm glad that there is honey in this blend or the tangerine might have been too overpowering.

This smells like a spring garden where the gardener wanted only to have orange flowers and citrus trees - there is a honeybee hive nearby, and I can smell the sweetness of the honey they are making.

very evocative of spring!