LavenderCoffee

I got a 2007 version of Dia de los Muertos from the lab's etsy at the end of 2020. In the bottle it smells like sharp dried leaves (not quite like Dead Leaves ™️) and higher pitched florals. The oil is a dark amber color when applied, and all the sharpness goes away once it's on my skin. This is a heady, intense floral with a healthy dose of tobacco and a dash of chocolate. If I get in real close to the skin I can smell some incense smoke and candy, but mainly this has a rich, sticky sort of resinous quality beneath the bouquet. I don't usually go in for heavy florals, but somehow I find this both celebratory and comforting. It's incredible.

I purchased the 2006 version of Sol Invictus from the lab's etsy at the end of 2020. Revisiting the scent as part of the Different BPAL Every Day Challenge for Jan 2022. Wet in the bottle, there is a bright burst of tangerine, but wet on my skin, this disappears and the orange/citron are loudest. As it dries, the citrus notes fade almost entirely away, and the remaining notes create a warm, golden effect. I'm not great at picking out florals, but I'm pretty sure I'm getting the orange blossom, saffron, and frankincense over the amber base. There's a faintly smoky sweetness and it's absolutely gorgeous. This scent stays close to the skin and doesn't have much staying power, but I like it for a comforting scent on a gloomy day, when I can bury my nose in my wrist and/or reapply as needed.

This is an incredible scent! On wet, the indolic oudh is most prominent, but the amount of oil I applied dried down in about 20 minutes. As it dries, the blackened champaca and myrrh bloom into a cloud of smoky, dusty incense, which has more throw than the oudh note, although the oudh remains pungent when smelling closer to the skin for a time. Once it dries completely, a faintly sweet, resinous wood remains in the soft, scented dust, but that description doesn't seem to do it justice. It smells strange, and comforting, and wonderful. Maybe a silly analogy, but the experience is not unlike what is often depicted in movies, when someone breaks a seal in a tomb. At first there is an ominous moment when you feel the weight of death and time - but then the ancient spirit released turns out to be a benevolent guide instead of a monster.

In the imp I got potent coffee liqueur, but on my skin it has practically vanished. The scent of fried dough seems to hover an inch or two in the air, lifting the cinnamon with it for a dizzying experience. Leaning in closer to the skin I can detect more cocoa and powdered sugar. Without the cinnamon this would be close to fried oreo territory! A delightful, smile inducing novelty. ?

This oil is unexpectedly gorgeous and comforting, given the ritual applications described. Wet in the bottle, the hyssop dominates, with a potent, medicinal smell, which likely delayed my testing of this. Wet on the skin, however, the tobacco moves to the foreground - but does not overpower. The hyssop becomes much softer and mingles with a light, fresh floral for a pleasing top note, and there is a subtle resinous sweetness as well, I assume from the balm of gilead. I can't pick out the hemlock, patchouli or vetiver specifically, but this phase is giving a lush, finely crafted perfume with a decent amount of throw. After a full drydown, the scent clings close to the skin. The tobacco note recedes, and a grassy and ever so slightly musty/vegetal scent emerges alongside the faded floral. The mysteries and passage of time, indeed! No bones or other bits apparent in the vial I received, but many thanks to the goat for their contribution ♥️? ETA: I had a completely different experience of this blend yesterday, where it was absolutely creating an earthy, herbal patchouli aroma. It's not a funky patchouli, and in conjunction with the tobacco notes it has a great deal of throw. Very grounding and pleasantly matter-of-fact.

I am hit and miss with vanilla, but was inspired by the 15 mins review to take the leap. Ultimately not for me, but I thought I would share my notes: This is really lovely in the bottle. The cognac is present but not boozy, and there's a nice balance of sweetness and depth. Once applied, the cognac goes all the way to the back and vanilla remains at the forefront for me. It has a crackling, dry quality - an almost toasty vanilla, which is an impressive interpretation of the label image.

When I first tested this, the tulip was stronger than expected and I put it aside to revisit. Now as I come back to it, the wet scent still leads floral, but dries and settles into something truly evocative of a worn leather book cover on my skin - something well handled and smooth. The sweet beeswax stays in the background with a calmer floral standing in between the book and candle. Applied lightly it remains very close to the skin, but not sure it would have much throw anyway. Comforting and subtle.

I don't think I gave this much thought when I received it last year, but since the new black friday smells were announced and someone in the pumpkinville thread referenced it, I thought I would revisit. The impression of this oil when wet is very pumpkin spice, as noted, almost fall craft store. Dry on my skin, however, this reminds me of a sweeter, more cinnamon forward version of the great sword of war - maybe a small dagger to bring to the family dinner just in case!

This scent is blowing my mind and I love it so much. ♥️ In the bottle it is almost overpowering, I get motor oil with lavender dancing around in the fumes. On my skin, the notes all blend into an unexpectedly exquisite cologne-like smell, skewing towards bright/sharp, but settling into sexy leather jacket person territory. A little goes a long way, it has great staying power, and I can't wait to see how it ages!

Purchased in 2021, and have only had it for a month now, but it's all black musk for me, in the bottle and on my skin. Silver lining is that this is how I finally figured out black musk doesn't work for me (and also explains my trouble with Night from the Who Can Fight... collection). ?

Silly me, was not expecting this one to be so very LOUD! Definitely lots of throw, apply sparingly. But ultimately what does not agree with me is the sweetness - this is giving a powdery fougere on my skin. Might have anticipated that since there was a lot of Dorian in the Fatherhood collection this year, or maybe I'm just catching a "cold" note the wrong way.