artisjok

Starts off a creamy spiced vanilla, but with an odd perfumery/hairspray-like effect to my nose. I can tell it's the anise/cardamom combo, and the more I consider it, the less it bothers me. Even so, this stage isn't my cup of tea. After a few hours, the spices mellow out and I do enjoy it. Lasts through the next day in the tamer yum version.

This scent is so rich. When Infirst apply, it's such a strong intense wave of sweet tobacco & smoky vetiver, it makes me nauseous. (Might just be too much applied....) On the drydown though, I'm smitten. The dark chocolate comes forth to join the party and, oh man, so smooth, dark, and sexy! The staying power and throw are big. I feel like I need to dim the lights to wear this beauty. Edit: I wore this today, and it’s allll about the vetiver! The chocolate and tobacco support and make it super dense rich lush, but the grassy yet smokiness of the vetiver reigns. I love it. My partner less so he says it’s very masculine, but that’s my jam! Chocolate isn’t a scent he enjoys, either. Also, I’ve been finding that I’m not much of a tobacco fan, but here I’m not bothered at all. Yahoo! This is making the rainy gloom of today cozy, indeed.

I love Death Cap! Wet, it's very earthy, dirt with a hint of perfumery sweetness. Then, on the drydown, it transforms into a beautiful light incense on me. Yum! I get the references to coconut, but it's got something resiny going on, as well, that I really appreciate. Longer lasting than I'd expect and lovely wafts to my nose throughout. Update: I now get a really lovely smoky note for the first hour of wear. Delicious. I wonder if it’s my skin chem that shifted (likely) or the aging.... I love this in the cooler months, yet works for all year. I tend to pick this for my travel scent.

Never thought I was interested in rose scents until I started trying the lab's sweet interpretations! Initiatrix is like benzoin was soaking in a rose oil bath and then I slathered it on my skin once it came out of the steamy rose room. With the humidity we're experiencing here, the scent wafted around me so beautifully. The sweet resiny creaminess of the benzoin is so beautiful with rose. I'm in love~ *gives in to the romantic=rose stereotype*

Gaeuko starts off a strong masculine lavender, but, as it dries, the scents softens dramatically, seemingly disappearing for the most part. Yet wait! I get wafts of gentle lavender incense clouds floating about my head. There's a slight scent on my skin, maybe a little lab & tobacco, but the wispy aura around me is great. A trickster scent- can't smell it when I try, fabulous in its own moments. Used as a sleepy time and a yoga perfume recently, and I enjoyed the effect for both purposes!

I ordered this Queen to test how some florals work on me. In the bottle it smells rich, heady golden flowers, and soap... Oh no. On my skin it smells exactly the same, but even stronger on the soap note. Sadness! The drydown does bring the amber out some, but the soapiness lingers on. I hope that aging can remedy this... I hope! Might just decide to trade for another of the Empress series.