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Kanra

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Everything posted by Kanra

  1. Kanra

    Dead Leaves on Houseplants

    What you see is what you get with this one. This scent is incredibly green. It starts off sharp, exactly as per the description of the lab's dead leaf note combined with more leaves of houseplants. While it always remains intensely green throughout the wear, it does start to take on a depth to it, and becomes a bit of a darker green fragrance rather than the fresh green straight out of the bottle. This is a fairly straightforward blend, but I think plant lovers will really enjoy it for when you want to smell planty. I will enjoy wearing it while I take care of my plants with my friend.
  2. Kanra

    Chibi Skull With Last Will and Testament

    When this first came out of the mail, I opened it excitedly and was greeted by a smell of a heavy dairyed cream. There was the patchouli lingering on in the background, but it was so unexpectedly creamy! I wasn't sure what to think. I gave it a week to settle and then skin tested. The cream certainly mellowed out from the mailing of it even in this short period of time, and is not nearly as prominent on my skin as it was when I opened the bottle. Don't get me wrong: there is certainly a creamy feel to the vanilla in this fragrance, but it doesn't overwhelm the rest of this blend. It's absolutely gorgeous to wear and like others have said it is reminiscent of Banshee Beat to me, which is a top 3 BPAL of mine. The patchouli is a bit mellower than the patchouli in BB, and the vanilla is a bit sweeter and creamier, but fans of patchouli-vanilla blends like BB/RR would not be disappointed with this. It is definitely a scent I know I will end up reaching for a lot! Am also considering a backup. The lab just really did amazing with this year's Weenies, I can't help myself to go back for more.
  3. Kanra

    Goofballs

    I received this as a frottle from the lab and wasn't quite sure what to expect! Green scents can be very hit or miss for me, but the lab seems to turn out some green hits for me and given the backstory of this I couldn't wait to put it on. I have a best friend I'm incredibly close to, so reading the description that it was about how friendship feels hanging out in the grass my heart got happy. Especially since fluffy dogs were included! On the initial application, it is very grassy! Yet within minutes a warmth comes out, making the grass less sharp. There is something about this fragrance that, even without the description, smells incredibly uplifting and comforting. It truly catches the image of having a picnic in a field with friends that you love! This is a special fragrance if you are into this sort of image. I'm so glad I got the chance to own a bottle, and should I ever see it again, would definitely spring for a backup. Since it's a bit on the lighter side (like many green blends), I'm finding myself reapplying it a lot because I love it that much.
  4. Kanra

    Cerberus’ish 

    This is very cozy! Chai, marshmallow, buttercream, and yes, I too get a lot of stick! This was a winner for me and a perfect scent to wear out to a cafe in late autumn, or even at home cozying up with a hot cup of chai on a cold day. It's foodie but not too foodie to wear out day to day (for me at least), and is a fairly straightforward yet cozy gourmand to get you through cold autumn and winter days. The stick adds a bit of intrigue that keeps it fresh and different than other chai buttercream gourmands.
  5. Kanra

    A Place of Seeing

    This is beautiful! If you love blends like Love, De Vos' Unicorn, or even Rose Quartz Bedroom as another poster mentioned, this is right up your alley.It is different enough from those fragrances to justify a bottle, but it is in the same scent family, at least on my skin. The rosebuds and lavender are incredibly delicate, and are sweetened by vanilla and marshmallow. It's very feminine, even princessy in an elegant sort of way, and delicately sweet. If soft, pastel pink had a smell, it would be similar to this.
  6. Kanra

    Mouth So Sweet, So Poisonous

    This is gorgeous! Definitely dark and sultry. Fans of the labs opium and plum notes would love this. On me, the opium and plum are most prominent yet the berries and honey are definitely very noticeable as well. It smells mysterious and dark but in a seductive kind of way. Like another reviewer said earlier, even though incense isn't listed as one of the notes officially, it definitely gives an incensed kind of vibe. I think this will age beautifully and become even more deeper and darker with age. This is the combination of dark and sweet that I love to see from the lab.
  7. Kanra

    Plague-O-Ween

    Very light cranberry. I'm honestly not getting much carrot or pumpkin - perhaps a little in the background mellowing the cranberry out as you wear it on. But otherwise, it is pretty straightforward tart yet sweet cranberry. It doesn't have much longevity to it, but it is a fun wear!
  8. Kanra

    To A Dead Friend

    This is such a beautiful scent that evokes a certain sentimentality. Even without the name, it brings about a very elegant yet morose image. It is a very sheer scent, yet at the same time it is very inky. The delicacy of the musk contrasts beautifully with the sharpness of the eucalyptus. There is rose but it is a deep and dark rose rather than a romantic one. Butterfly wings is the perfect way I would describe the translucent feel of this fragrance, yet it definitely has a bite to it with the sharpness and depth. It is complex and not at all lacking in substance. It's a very introspective scent overall. I would wear it on somber occasions, or when I want to take a quiet and contemplative walk at night. All in all, it is gorgeous. If you love the lab's indigo note, you can't miss this. It's incredibly moody, and it reminds me of a sheerer, sharper take on a fragrance like last year's A Moonlit Winter Landscape. It's less full bodied than the latter, and a lot sharper, but it evokes the same kind of feeling when you wear it. Beautiful.
  9. Kanra

    Horreur Citrouille

    As a lover of all things pumpkin and wine, I was looking forward to this fragrance! It is very winey, even moreso than pumpkiny. It reminds me of a very thick, viscous dessert wine. There is a thickness to the sweetness in this fragrance. It contains a lot of plum, honeyed grapes, and wine. The pumpkin is definitely there, but to me it takes a background to the dessert wine. But it all makes sense to me as the image this conjures is eating a pumpkin pie with a viscous dessert wine. The aroma of the wine would naturally stand out against the aroma of the pumpkin. Really though, this is excellent, complex, and a dark but sweet gourmand. It's a perfect winter scent and reminds me of exactly what I want to wear when I come in from a freezing day outside and want to warm up.
  10. Kanra

    Pumpkinville

    As someone who considers Storyville one of her top 5 (maybe even top 3) BPAL, and who regularly buys pumpkin scents to wear year round because pumpkins are glorious, I was SO thrilled to see this. I must say, I wasn't disappointed at all. Like a previous reviewer (starbrow) said, this is a bit more perfumey than a lot of indies but that isn't a bad thing for me as I do love mainstream (well, niche) perfume as well. Surprisingly, this isn't the pumpkin explosion I expected it to be and is actually quite a classy yet sultry scent. Like in Pinched With Four Pumpkins, the pumpkin is definitely there but it isn't overwhelming so even it is more "seasonally appropriate" wearing outside of October than many pumpkin scents. (Though I will still continue my push to make even the most pumpkiny things appropriate all year.) I'd have to do a side by side testing with Storyville someday, but sniffing out of the bottle, the red musk in Storyville is deeper --- but again, that depth comes with age. I honestly expect this to age beautifully and for the musk here to be a lot more reminiscent of my beloved Storyville. I wasn't into BPAL at the time but I do wonder if this is how Storyville smelt while young! It is beautiful young as well and I wouldn't stick it to the back of my collection to wait for aging, but I do think I'll buy a backup or two to age up for the future. This is a scent I won't ever grow tired of and is already climbing up my top BPAL list.
  11. Kanra

    Pinched With Four Pumpkins

    This is by far one of the best things I have ever smelled in my life. In the bottle it’s fantastic, and on skin even better. I love pumpkin and love Pinched With Four Aces, and if you enjoy both, there is no way you won’t fall in love with this. The pumpkin is present but it is by no means overwhelming, and made sweeter and spicer by the cinnamon. It’s a super cozy scent that reminds me of snuggling up on a cold day, with the smell of cinnamon, coffee, tobacco and pumpkin wafting through the air. I rarely buy backups but I need at least one more of this, maybe two.
  12. Kanra

    O Hushed October Morning Mild

    This is an absolutely gorgeous scent! Out of my Liliths and Weenies combined order, it was one that I was most looking forward to. The image painted in this perfume is very dear to me for sentimental reasons so I had high expectations and was hoping it was as lovely as it sounded! O Hushed October Morning Mild didn't disappoint at all. It's green but it isn't sharp at all, and done in a way different from most green scents I own. It's cozy and has a bit of a creamy, fruity quality to it because of the fig. I'm instantly transported to the scene of this perfume when I put it on: bunnies and other fluffy animals running around in the woods, squishing the soil with their paws, coffee wafting through the air, the smell of the leaves and the grass and the earth. This is the coziest green perfume I've ever tried and I love it.
  13. Kanra

    Snake's Kiss Hair Gloss

    Snake Oil with honey and vanilla! This hair gloss smells every bit as good as my Snake's Kiss perfume oil. Like a previous review states, I think Snake's Kiss is something that improves with age, like many other Snake Oil variants. There is definitely magic here but I know it will get even better with some aging to it. This is a great alternative to Snake Oil when you want that snakey smell but even sweeter.
  14. Kanra

    Dragon Mlerm Hair Gloss

    I love apricot and love marshmallow, so this is a must have for me! I'd love this as an oil as well. It's super fruity and incredibly sweet (almost toothachingly so), but more fluffy and pillowy from the marshmallow than just straight up juicy apricots. I love pairing this with my apricot and peach fragrances. This HG is incredibly long lasting with great throw. I love it and would recommend!
  15. Kanra

    Honey, Bordeaux, and Red Roses

    Wow, this!! Out of all the lab's honey scents I've ever tried, this is the most realistic honey. What I mean to say is it smells like honey straight out of the jar. Nothing powdery, nothing that's a perfumey interpretation of honey, honey accord, or honey flavoring. No, this smells like actual honey. It's incredibly sweet and syrupy. This isn't boozy at all and the Bordeaux honestly just adds a sweetness to it. I do get a faint trace of roses, especially on the dry down, but the honey is definitely the main player. If nothing else, I'd say it was very reminiscent of rose infused honey. I love it. If you love the smell of actual honey and want it in perfume form, this is a winner.
  16. Kanra

    Snake Smut

    I love Snake Oil and love Smut so this was a must add to my cart. The Snake Oil and Smut, at least on my skin, are there in equal measures. There's not too much surprising about this blend in terms of smell because it's exactly how I imagined Snake Oil + Smut to be. The surprising part is that it's a lot lighter than expected. Snake Oil and Smut are both incredibly deep and powerhouses on me with great throw and longevity. Snake Smut... surprisingly is pretty light and tame, even mellow. It has the smell of Snake Oil and Smut but as of now lacks the power. Since Snake Oil and Smut are two fragrances that, in my opinion, improve drastically with age, I assume this will too. Maybe it will even pick up the deeper and more complex nuances of aged Snake Oil and Smut. Well, either way, I enjoy it quite a lot, even if it's lighter than I expected!
  17. Kanra

    Peach Vulva

    This has a lot more throw than I expected for a "lighter" scent! Super juicy and ripe peaches and apricots. I can almost smell the fuzz on it. It's delicate yet has amazing throw for what it is. I haven't tried many other Vulvas to compare it to, only this year's Cherry Blossom Vulva, but this is definitely a winner. It's very musky and a true peach and apricot scent. Perfect for summer. I don't get the cardamom at all or the frankincense. It's very beautiful and I can see this one being very popular.
  18. Kanra

    Strawberries & Honeycomb

    This is super intense first on! Very, very juicy, sugared strawberries. They read as candied on my skin, likely due to the combination with the honey giving them some extra sweetness. It is a lot more potent than I imagined and quite long lasting. After a few hours, the strawberry does calm down a bit in intensity, but it still lingers on the skin for many hours. This is pretty straightforward and what you see is what you get. If you love the lab's strawberry note as much as I do, and want a honeyed, sugary, juicy, ripe strawberry, this is for you. It reminds me a bit of the strawberry in Strawberry Dragon HG -- very candied and sugary, reading as super ripe. It's a very bright, cheery, happy strawberry that will be perfect for spring and summer.
  19. Kanra

    Kamisuki Hair Gloss

    This is absolutely gorgeous! Like other reviewers said, this is incredibly wearable in professional settings but without the "boring" stigma that come with office friendly scents. Cherry blossoms and strawberries are two of my all time favorite notes, and I love tea and florals as well, so I knew this would be a hit. This is a lovely hairgloss to wear in spring especially. It's very ethereal and bright and would pair well with many of the lab's lighter florals and Shunga.
  20. Kanra

    For the Love of God, Poetricia

    I get a lot more fruit with this than wine and sherry. There is something syrupy and sweet in the background which might be the amontillado, but the fruit is the main player of the game. It's sweet without being toothachingly so. I really enjoy this and, although the wine/sherry isn't quite as boozy as I would have liked, I love berries and fruits and am happy to have a hair gloss centered around it. It's a lot lighter than I thought it would be and wearable day to day.
  21. Kanra

    Cherry Blossom Vulva

    This is my first time trying a Vulva. I love cherry blossoms so this was an absolute must have. I can't say how it compares to other Vulvas minus the Peach which I'll be testing soon, but on its own this is a really beautiful spring scent. It is bright and hopeful and really brings back memories of living in Japan, going to hanami and sitting under cherry blossom trees. The cherry blossom isn't the only note here; the gardenia, plum blossom, and honeysuckle are noticeable on me as well, making this a little more complex than straight cherry blossom scents. It's beautiful and ethereal and perfect for spring. This is the kind of fragrance that brightens up your day when you put it on.
  22. Kanra

    Cacao, Dark Fruits, and Oud

    I was worried about this at first and almost didn't buy a bottle because sometimes the lab's oud goes poopy on me. But do not fear, there is no poop here. Upon application, it's very cacao (not sweet chocolate, think pure cacao powder) plus woodsy oud. The oud calms down after a while, as does the cacao, and the dried fruits finally poke through. It’s surprisingly a lot lighter than I thought it would be. I don't need a backup, but I like it and will keep my bottle. It's true to its name. If you like cacao, fruits (in the drydown), and oud without anything poopy, you'd like this.
  23. Kanra

    Vaginal Tales of the Nocturnal Palace

    Vaginal Tales of the Nocturnal Palace is a beautiful lotus scent. The lotus isn't bubblegum, nor is it aquatic. It's simply delicate and beautiful. For lovers of lotus, this is a must. The vanilla cream and mallow works wonders with it. It's delicate and dainty and creamy lotus. If you love light florals and ethereal scents, I’d recommend. What's not to love? For a delicate scent, it surprisingly has a lot of lasting power. Admittedly I spilled a tiny bit while applying but it lasts longer than most oils tend to last on my skin. Definitely keeping this.
  24. Kanra

    Asses Plus Long, Qu’un Siècle Platonique

    Rose is one of my top favorite notes and I am a sap for the "month without you is far longer than a year" theme so this was an obvious pick from the Lupers for my initial order. It's a stunning rose. A bit dark, not in a gothy or vampy way but in a velvety, sensual way, with a bit of brightness in the opal. It's a very vivid fragrance and rose definitely dominantes, but this isn't a powdery rose on me. It's very lush and romantic, and has a full bodied feel to it (to steal a wine term)! The vanilla flower and caramelized benzion add a bit of sweetness to it, but this never veers into gourmand territory at all. Overall, it's super lovely. I don't think it's particularly unique as I've smelt very similar roses amongst niche perfumery and the lab tends to do rose blends very, very well across the board. But it is still a very special blend and a really stunning, romantic, velvety and sensual rose. If you are a fan of rose, I think you'd love this in your collection. I don't personally find it redundant as rose is a note I can never get enough of. And if you are new to rose, or don't own many roses/tend to have more candied roses or roses and cream blends, this is a great place to start your foray into a more sensual and romantic rose. It's safe amongst the world of roses, but still beautiful. This will definitely get used on romantic date nights for me.
  25. Kanra

    Shelter-in-Tomb

    Clove and patchouli really stand out in this blend on my hair! I wasn't sure about this one as milk as a note kind of scares me, but I've had decent hits with milk from the lab (unlike most other niche or indies I've tried) so I decided to take a chance on it. I'm definitely not getting any milk or dairy here. It's very spicy, and a good everyday kind of hair gloss vs ones that are best worn on certain occasions only. This also would pair well with many BPALs. I was hesitating on whether to buy a bottle or not, but I'm really glad I did! Now the age old question stands: do I need a backup?
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