RoseThornAndOak

Dang this has sexied up over time. At first I get harsh evergreens, no happy little trees, but mean massive trees. Later, the dark evergreens recede, and in a strange twist of fate, warm sandalwood and tonka emerge, and this smells more glamorous. The scarlet musk, expected to be a strong, growly, slightly indolic red musk is softer, sweeter. I don't get much florals or orris, but perhaps they're also softening the edges of the sandalwood melding with the tonka (it's not heavy on the tonka, either). Overall, the effect is a fresh, cold, soft sandalwood, with evergreens a ghostly presence in the distance. I picture a glamorous lady at a New Year's party stepping onto the porch for a breath of icy air, peering into a dark forest.

If you like Antique Lace, you may like Victoria Secret's Vanilla Lace. Although it's back, it's not nearly as strong as it used to be. Frosted Vanilla Fantasy alao shares some similarities, but has more amber.

Okay, I totally missread "The hope of springtime penetrating winter darkness." as "The hops of springtime penetrating winter darkeness." and thought 'MAN, that's weird. What do hops have to do with the winter bird theme?' and pictured beer hops in the snow, then bunny hops in the snow, then drunk bunny hops in the snow. So, I will now affectionately call this The Darkling Thrush, aka Drunk Bunny Hops In The Snow. And it fits! At first I get the green bite of winter air with evergreen (the type of evergreen that is ever so jammy), and cold soft snow, with a touch of soft, sweet florals. The soft orris and violet is reminiscent of Lucy Westenra a little bit. The warm amber sort of plays with the snow like it does in Es Lacht der Mai, but I find The Darkling Thrush to be much softer. It's more of the Skadi type snow note, to my nose, and not like Snow White or Pink Snowballs, which I generally enjoy more. However, I like how this smells cold and dark in a peaceful sort of way, like the silence when snow blankets the land, and the air is still, the same atmosphere Winter Night Figure on The Bridge brings, yet with more evergreen. Being that I've wanted this since the winter of 2006 (which is right around the time of my first Lab order!), I'm glad someone posted one for sale all these years later, and to have found a soft, cold, violet evergreen snow blend in it. 🌬❄️🌲🧝🏼‍♀️

2018 version: cinnamon plum forward, with soft, chilly florals in the background (not indolic or powdery). It is prettier on my hair and fabrics instead of on the skin, though it's still a keeper. A splendid Winter blend, and it would work well in Autumn and early Spring.

Oof yeah this is the stuff. This is more or less the same as the perfume oil, sweet cinnamon apple gooey yumminess! Caramel can go plasticky on me but here it works. Same with sugar notes, but brown sugar doesn't and goes more like the molassas note, which I'm appreciative of as many of the cookie/sugar blends just go a little plasticky, too. Here, it works. There is a pumpkin apple cinnamon candle vibe but honestly, candles have come a long way over the years, and many translate well on the skin or hair, so whatevs. It is like what your hair would smell like if you had an apple candle going. I think the perfume oil goes a bit more cookie, this goes a tad more apple. This is so yummy and sexy. I think a decant is enough given how often I reach for hair gloss, but like dear Eve I am tempted, annnnnd now have God Dethroned stuck in my head til further notice. Eve take a bite (fear not) Eve you're a god (the poison apple) Eve you're divine (you're a god) You won't fall from grace (the poison apple) Forbidden fruit (oh eve) it's so good for you (the poison apple) ❤

SmellsPrettyGood2Me and I are of like-mind on the whole hoping the dead leaf note won't slide into our DMs like it does, but yep, that's exactly what it done did. This is heavy dead leaves, and darkness and decay, with dark sinister spices and none more black leather. The drydown is mostly a dark vetiver. Does it fit the vibe? I mean, yeah. There are others that make me feel more like I am in Sleepy Hollow, though. Oddly, I'm really enjoying the dead leaves opening more than the woodsy drydown? Can some esplaing? Is anomaly? I think it would layer well with Sidewalk Apples though, for a cemetery in Sleepy Hollow vibe, at least in the decants, although I don't think the drydowns would flesh out that way. I think a decant is enough for me, but we'll see. Honestly I'm just pining for Katrina and the rest of the Sleepy Hollow line to come back and filling in the time til it does. If we all together think it will come back, will it come to pass? Like the Order of The Dragons, I summon thee to return! Lol.

I agree this is very Evening With The Spirits in atmosphere. I get a pale ghost of florals like if a spirit was trapped in a powder puff. A friend and I came up with a bunch of silly spoopy song names for this project that never came to be like Elegant in Darkness and Mournique, and this kinda reminds me of both. It's all funerals, and ghosts, and old houses. It's a little too powdery at first, but that drydown I can get down with. Floral and pretty and soft.

Okay, you know when pumpkin smells kind of fruity, almost like orange or mango but you can't really place what fruit it is other than pumpkin fruit? That's what I get here, plus sweet 'n buttery popcorn, and a dash of spice. Similar to Mouse Circus, a tad less sweet but more pumpkin spice type sweet. I like it! It's fun and playful. This is the Harvest Haunt's gf, like, Haunt's trying to be all dark and broody and stuff, and Pumpkin Popcorn is making funny faces in the photos and is more Devil-may-care in life, and he lowkey misses her charm when she's not around. It's very Carnival Diabolique in Autumn.

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I do! It's heavy on the dead leaves as first, with petrichorish sidewalk and some apple. However, this take a turn for the better, smelling more and more like a cemetery in autumn with apples on the ground. At first, it's very much like the scents October and November, but less cold, and also reminds me of the blend St Louis Cemetery. The sidewalk note really does bring to mind the old cemeteries we have here on the East Coast. Although there is a petrichor vibe, this is quite a dry blend overall. I think if you like many of the 'PAL's or other indie cemetery blends, you'll like this one. Layered with a dark rainy blend like leather + rain, you'd have an atmosphere like The Crow with blustering leaves, sorrow, and vengeance on the wind. I'm considering a bottle, yet this is much more of a room scent for me.

@Assimbya pretty much nailed it @sudenmorsian. Champaca - reads like a big white floral, a bit nocturnal, can be powdery, with a bit of incense in the wind, but not smoky. It has a depth to it that some florals don't have. Champaca comes off as pretty, sexy, and glamourous to me. Nag champa - somewhat musky, dry incense dust that can have a powdery element but is much less floral. It can sometimes read a bit floral, but I feel like it has even more dimension than champaca as it usually has magnolia champaca and/or fragingpani, and sandalwoods in it's composition. Nag champa comes off as nostalgic, arcane, and mysterious.

2022 version: This year is a cozy, spiced, Autumn sandalwood with a bit of skin musk. This is the type of sandalwood that goes dry, yet sweet. I get less wine notes than 2021, but both years are nice. Beautiful.

This is a beautiful white floral. The florals are pale and powdered in a classic, yet whimsical sort of way. The white taffeta is nothing like Black Taffeta, if you have tried it. It is similar, but not quite like the silk note, which has a distinctive, almost fruity sweetness to it. I get more of a smooth note binding everything together (no plastic notes as well) that conjures images of fine, white satin gloves you would wear to a ball, which is fitting. This is nothing like a linen or cotton note, either (so no laundry vibes). There is a somewhat aldehydic note, without the soda bubbles, and just the smooth high notes. I was expecting something similar to Silver Phoenix, but SP is quite more metallic. This reminds me most of: - Young Woman Powdering Herself - less gardenia - Datura Blossom - less purple and vegetal - Moonshine & Mist - less mist - White Silk Crysanthenum - less bubbles and spice - Razors in a Doll's House - less cognac or vanilla lace type, more the floral + silver aspect - Tovenares - less rose and bones - Leanan Sidhe - less mist I know powdery scents get a lot of hate, but this is one that I love. It's fresh, clean, classic, elegant, and ethereal. It perfectly fits Sarah floating around in the white ballgown.

I like this. It reminds me of Liz with a dark leather and soft, cool, vanilla tone. I find Liz more floral, Deathrock more resinous with the styrax and benzoin. It's a moody, slightly more traditionally masculine blend that doesn't smell like cigarette smoke to me. There is a tiny bit of hairspray, but perhaps with age, the resins have smoothed out the harshness that would come of those note and made this more like a soft leather to my nose. Overall, this is really nice and I'm happy Liz has a boyfriend to sit next to now.

This is a nice gentlemen's fougere, leaning aquatic and green, the lavender not too herbal or heady, but perfectly placed as it usually is amongst fougeres. I don't get much of the 🎸blackened! 🎸 aspect, but there is something to this that reads refined, traditional men's cologne but they placed noir at the end of the name, without any strong chemical oud, patchouli, or black musk note. Just a hint of something dark and sinister. Maybe this is an elf in Middle Earth, freshly pierced by an arrow, consciousness fading into the void. Or Lawrence Talbot, dark-haired, all cleaned up and normal presenting, hiding terrible secrets. Very well done, a nice vintage type blend yet not in an outdated way. It's still available as of today and I'm glad I went for it.

I get the crisp dry rind parts of watermelon, not so much the juicy, fruity bits, lilac musk to soften and alas cedar/pencil shavings, then it fades fast.