yellowrose

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue circular swap.

 

In the bottle: not much to smell. Hmmm. That's odd.

 

Wet: incredibly light rather than deep. Light roses and a hint of fall floral.

 

Drying. OK. Now I get the deep, but it's also light. The vetiver gives that jaw-clenching oompf to this. I really like this but am afraid it would fade too much to be something I would want to wear and constantly reapply. And yet, it seems to bloom to a more assertive scent while drying. This becomes even more assertive and more masculine (has to be the vetiver) as the minutes and hours pass. I might get my own imp to try, but it has gotten more pronounced and is causing a real headache.

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap.

 

Patchouli and something in both the wet and dry stages. Dragon's Blood perhaps? Musky and heady. Lots of staying power.

 

A fave with the shoulder sniffers.

This is imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Circular Swap.

 

Dana O'Shee is the magical morphing scent.

 

In the bottle: vanilla.

 

Wet: vanilla and honey with a touch of almonds and something else.

 

Drying: Dreaded plastic diapers. Ack! Changes AGAIN. Goes to baby powder. Much later, this is almond-y, then changes completely within 30 minutes to -- no? yes! -- Snow White's younger sister. It's Snow White without the pungent lily musk!

 

If I can hang with the morphing, this might be a scent for me, but only once I've run through the hoarded Snow White.

Finally ... after all the squee-ege and hype, I finally try Antique Lace thanks to syrenemyst.

 

Expectation: vanilla heaven.

 

In summary: Well, drats. I wanted and expected to like this, but it has that annoying and bewildering plastic note on me that just saddens and nauseates me. Not sure what it is about some vanilla notes that do this when others do not. It's immediately and persistently plastic, requiring a good scrub.

 

Off to swaps.

Another scent I could have sworn I'd reviewed.

 

Zephyr is lemon to the nth degree in the bottle and while wet.

 

The scent is more sharp citrus than Pledge. Neroli and sandalwood come through nicely with a shot of bergamot in the background as it's drying, just as described by the Lab. Not getting the typical lemon oil reaction -- welts.

 

Disappears relatively fast to a soft, clean citrus blossom scent. In this scent category Queen of Diamonds is my femme citrus. I would make the distinction that Zephyr is a younger citrus rather than a mature citrus. As such there may easily be room for both in your scent wardrobe.

 

This imp is going traveling. Safe journeys!

This is an older imp from a swap faerie package that somehow never got reviewed and why I have no idea. I'm in love.

 

This is a very masculine scent from the very outset. Wet and while drying, very much like a bold chai smell. More like the chai that my friend prepares using whole spices rather than the standard coffeehouse fare. It's bold with lots of cardamom and black pepper. Exceedingly masculine and peppery-spicy. WOW.

 

The cedar and sage notes assert themselves while drying. The cedar brings Tombstone to mind, but this is a rough hewn cedar plank with splinters by comparison. Not a bit of white grapefruit -- one of my favorite notes -- nor is there any violet on me. Lots of throw.

 

For those who can't wear a lot of spicy blends because of contact allergies associated with cinnamon and/or cassia, this is for you. My stars, but this is brilliant!

Anathema is a creamy, floral sledgehammer. Brash, bold, and almost all opium and honeysuckle on me and destined to induce headaches. This is not subtle. It announces its wearer.

 

Being passed along for others to sample, and, hopefully the right person will enjoy it emphatically.

Could have sworn I'd reviewed Glasgow.

 

Wet: Is it bad that I don't smell anything? What's there is extremely light and young. Breezy scent that vanished within minutes of applying.

 

Oh well.

 

edited for typing erorrs.

No preconceptions. Morgause was a generous frimp.

Wet: Jasmine and suffocating floral with a touch of violet.

Drying: Floral POW! Far too cloying to be pleasant for me.

Not for me.

Overnight, it seems the imp leaked in the office. The scent is EVERYWHERE and creating breathing problems for me. Probably the jasmine, but there's just something unpleasant about spilling something, anything with an odor and not being able to escape it immediately.

It's being passed along as part of a massive circular swap effort.

Preconceptions: none.

 

Wet: confusing! Not sweet. Sort of reminiscent of going into Spencer's Gifts. I think that must be the strawberry note.

 

Drying: Not liking it.

 

Dry: too sweet and playfully youthful. Not for me.

 

I guess I am reaching my scent saturation point because I'm very satisfied with the scents I have and like so much so that everything else seems lagniappe, like it or not.

Coulda sworn I'd already reviewed this. Didn't read / remember the reviews, so going in with the only preconception being that I must love it since it is the Lab's signature scent.

 

Wet: cherries?! Reminds me a lot of some other scent.

 

Drying: Incensy. Really reminds me of medicine. Sorry. Not for me.

 

Later that same day ... But wait? I really am liking the incense-cream stage as it mellows and continues to dry. Hmmm. Interesting. I like it the longer it sticks around. It reminds me of these solid amber crystals I've loved.

 

If it can speed past the cherry medicinal stage, you betcha I'll be wanting more.

 

Alas, this vial is promised to quikslvr.

No love for the woody-est sweet wood? Tombstone? It's wonderful!

 

Also Dragon's Bone is a must-have for the woody fans.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for the next re-issue of 13. She'd prolly like that. Everyone should like it.

A frimp from the lab. Thanks!

 

Violets and roses are promising. Let's see.

 

In the bottle: roses.

 

Wet: rose, but a soft, one dimensional rose.

 

Drying: Softens to Parlement of Foules type of rose. Violet never makes an appearance. I'm beginning to wonder what's going on with my skin chemistry, because it seems lately that a lot of notes in any given blend get amped to the exclusion of others. And no violet?

 

A nice rose, but there are plenty of other roses in my collection (Black Cat, LitA, Moon Rose, Parlement of Foules) that I enjoy. This frimp should find a good home.

A frimp from the lab. Thanks! This is a scent I've been wanting to try for the citrus, amber and orris. The jasmine makes it iffy. My skin typically amps jasmine and allows no other notes through.

 

In the bottle: floral melange

 

Wet: jasmine and a touch of amber. Within minutes, as usual, jasmine trumps everything else.

 

Drying: Not a hint of citrus or orris. And the jasmine gets cloying and artificial. Bah! What is it with my skin chemistry??!

Preconcieved notions: With the promise of tonka, mandarin, benzoin, wild plum and tobacco -- some of which are in the much-loved and wonderful Queen of Spades -- , this hooked me, however, the reviewers' comparisons to cinnamon worried me.

 

In the bottle: spicy potpourri.

 

Wet: cinammon and more cinnamon.

 

Drying; Ah, patchouli and cassia.

 

After 30 minutes... Uh ... hello? Where are the other notes? Musk ... tonka ... where are you? Benzoin, wild plum and tobacco are also MIA. Welts? There you are. I've been wondering whether you'd show up and there you are.

 

Gets softer after 3+ hours. Still smells of only cassia and very light patchouli. Much like potpourri.

 

What's going on with my skin chemistry that all the lovely anticipated notes are missing? I still have Queen of Spades.

 

Not for me.

A thoughtful gimp from a trade with a forumite.

Preconcieved notions: oh yeah!

Wet: bland and yet very reminiscent of Numb. Odd! It's barely there.

Drying: What's this? There's a very astringent note that is turning to plastic amid a lovely vanilla-coconut concoction.

The sharp, plastic smell lasts for at least two to three hours, after which it tones down to vanilla-coconut with a hint of ... no, really?!?! -- violet!!?! As in Numb. Very strange.

Further testing needed!

Haven't been able to smell properly, so I've been putting off testing.

 

Preconcieved notions: vanilla, blood orange, amber and roses!?!?! Sure to be a winner!

 

In the bottle: confusing mix of florals and spice with a hint of orange.

 

Wet: gardenia.

 

Drying: spicy gardenia and nothing more. No vanilla. No blood orange. No lovely amber. No rose.

 

Seeing as expectations didn't match reality and my body chemistry, I got upset and impatient. Although lightly tested on both wrists, I said "t' heck with this" after an hour of sniffing and wishing and washed it off. Grossly disappointed. I could layer Parlement of Foules, 13 and Kunstkammer and see how that works.

Don't be afraid of LEs. Really. Some of us will see one we think is "us" and order two bottles. Those can be readily swapped for more of what you find that you DO love.

 

Why would you not want to experience the loveliness that is 13?

 

And when I spilled some Queen of Spades, there were still people with bottles and imps willing to swap.

 

Besides, swapping is fun! So try the monkey musk!

I keep thinking Numb for some reason and I can't find my detailed notes on it.

 

Please remember that Yemaya is a TAL oil and not one of the regular BPAL scents.

Beth ... you had me at caramel. I went to the first page to cheat and see what the other notes are supposed to be. They are golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium, delphinium and Asian spice. OK, so I remembered caramel and opium.

 

Source: imp from swap.

 

Handicap: body is recovering from a cold that did include some congestion, therefore, not able to smell anything really well. But this (a couple of days ago while the forum was down, natch) was a good day.

 

In the bottle: sticky caramel. Yum.

 

Initial dab on skin: caramel.

 

Drying: caramel and floral-y plastic. Could be the opium or another note.

 

OK. Red Lantern is a real morpher on me. It goes from sweet to smoky, then back to sweet with a hint of tobacco flower. It's different almost EVERY time I sniff my inner wrist. The plastic note subsides after about 15+ minutes. Thank goodness. The caramel scent dissipates eventually. Hmm? This is unusual.

 

As time progresses, the insinuation is, well, a nice piece of furniture. A pleasant aged wood smell, for lack of a better description. And there is often an underpinning of tobacco.

 

Look for this post to be edited. I plan to post again when all the senses are 110 percent.

 

I do like it and I'm glad I've got a bottle en route.

 

The Latest ... Yup. Red Lantern does morph a LOT. None of the plastic smell this particular time through. However, it's reminding me a LOT of Dia de los Muertos 2004. A LOT. I'm sure that's the result of the sweet-smoky yin yang happening. Still not getting the currant a-tall. Still liking it although it and Dia seem a bit redunant. This is, however, a sweeter scent. -- yr

What? No love for Black Cat?

 

If you can find 'em: Love in the Asylum and Parlement of Foules. Check the swaps/sales.

 

Moon Rose and Rose Cross are beautiful, but Black Cat.

Carnival = Ultimate Carnation!

Asphodel is daffodil? Really?! It's wisteria and violets on me.

 

I was going to suggest Eos and for crocus, there's Prague.

Expectations: Not sure precisely how white roses differ from others. Unsure how different this might be from the other rose scents in the collection -- Black Cat and Love in the Asylum. (Moon Rose was eclipsed when Black Cat showed up on my doorstep.) I'm satisfied that each of these has its specific place or time for wearing. I hope Parlement of Foules will be distinctive enough not to worry about having made the investment. Purchased because the word "resins" is always intriguing.

 

In the bottle: lovely roses.

 

Wet: Roses. Roses. Roses.

 

Drying: Roses. Where're the promised resins?

 

At least on me, roses trump resins. The resin seems to anchor the rose a smidge, but this is a simple almost ethereal rose very akin to Black Cat. This is the daytime wear version. It's unobtrusive. Lovely.

 

After a couple of testings, it's obvious that slathering will be the only way to keep from having to reapply. Parlement doesn't last as long as two other wonderful roses: Black Cat or LitA. Think of it as a personal rose.

 

Very nice. May try layering with LitA sometime for kicks.

 

ETA: Even-handed slathering does help the staying power. Third time's a charm. More resins detectable and delectable. Really enjoying this scent!

Words cannot express how much I'd been looking forward to and coveting the ambery goodness promised by Jacob's Ladder.

 

Thanks to some cruel twist of fate, I suffered an extreme allergic reaction to some component in Jacob's Ladder. What it was I couldn't say. I've never had problems with amber and benzoin. Tonka, too. For all I know ... well, I don't know. The scent had strong staying power that even two vigorous scrubbings could not dilute. The overwhelming scent was, oddly, lemony. Not a trace of amber.

 

Utterly crushed.

 

 

edited to correct spelling