Fancyfetus

I picked up an imp of this mostly out of morbid curiosity, but fell almost immediately in love. I'm not usually a fan of clean aquatics, which this absolutely is. Something about the combination of a tall glass of milk and cold sea water hits just the right note for me. It's fresh, comforting, milky, and bright. I immediately upgraded my imp to a full bottle and keep reaching for it on hot summer days. I only wish it were a bit stronger. I find myself needing to slather this on, and even then it's a bit closer to the skin than I like. Drench me in the milky sea; I can't get enough! I'd love to see this as a bath oil someday. 🥛🌊

There's something weirdly yummy about this. Maybe it's just me, or it could be the way the turpentine interacts with the pipe smoke. I do really enjoy the turpentine and oil paint in this. The paint is harder to pick out, but definitely there if you're looking. The pipe smoke wafts in and out, which I suppose is appropriate. I keep wanting to huff this one, but can't tell if I like it as something to actually wear. The combination of notes is fascinating and enjoyable, but is it what I want to smell like while out in the world? Would I enjoy being around someone else who smelled like this? My heart tells me "No," but I also really love something about this blend. I'm content with my decant for now, but I can imagine missing it once I run out.

Freshly applied, Lace Lichen is sweeter than I imagined, but definitely green. There's a nice layer of ambergris floating at the top. It's less forest-y than what I expected. Instead it's green like the Emerald City is green, like vintage glass bottles are green. If it's a wood nymph, she's taking gleeful mouthfuls of gummy bears the size of her own head. It must be the ylang ylang giving off the candy vibe. Dried down, the oakmoss comes forward and Lace Lichen grows into something a bit more sophisticated. It morphs into the rich forest green of my mother's green velvet wedding gown. At this stage, the ambergris has moved to the background a bit and I get more orris. The overall feel is womanly, yet delicate. The vanilla here is as thin as a rice paper wrapper. Over time, I get more green patchouli which increasingly reminds me of incense smoke. This is a really lovely perfume, but it's just not quite my shade of green. I'll happily use up my decant but don't see a full bottle in my future.

Fresh from the mail this smelled exactly like lavender dryer sheets. After about a week of rest, on me it's become an herbal lavender version of Fleece Skeleton Onesie. On my husband it still has a bit more of a laundry-adjaceny quality, but it's more like fragrant steam coming off of the dryer than any real laundry product. Wearing this to bed is quite snuggly and cozy. Time will tell if I need to upgrade, but so far I'm really enjoying my decant.

I'm impatient and tried this straight from the mail. It goes on very leather & vinyl forward with just a hint of sweet, waxy lipstick beneath. Once it dries down, I get almost all lipstick. They weren't kidding about having perfected their lipstick accord. It is exactly what you think of when you think of the scented lipstick of the 80s/90s. It's vivacious and flirty, and a bit powdery when dry. I really wish I got more vinyl/leather after the dry down. Hopefully letting it settle a few days will help, and if so I'll update. As it is, this would be a nice lipstick single note for layering. Updated review: It's now been a couple of months since I received my bottle. This is a very cheeky scent, much more well balanced between lipstick and leather/vinyl now that it's had some time to settle. It smells like the more worldly older sister to Nobodies Watching Wrestling. It has the character of meaningful glances exchanged across a crowded bar, of a sexy secret shared between two. More of a wink and a nudge rather than a boot pressed to the face. The staying power on this is incredible. It lasted over 10 hours on me, with surprising projection.

I let the reviews here seduce me into blind bottling this - I'm so glad that I did! I am loving the Lab's velvet notes lately and this may be my favorite so far. This velvet is plush and dense but lived-in. The pipe smoke has been beautifully absorbed into the fibers. I imagine that green velvet couch must be great to nap on, as this makes a lovely sleep scent. The mahogany is noticeable, but not overpowering. This may be the same leather as the kid gloves in Carved Wooden Bridal Shop, it's supple and subdued. I expected a bit more paper and ink, but honestly I wouldn't change a thing. This is a gorgeous representation of the artwork in scent. This will pair wonderfully with the Equestrienne hair gloss.

This is a papery metallic cologne to my nose. I think this would be sexy on my husband but it might be too classically "masculine" for his taste. The ink comes through more during drydown. It was indeed the fruitcake that put me off of this when it was released, but now I actually wish I could detect more of it. There's something a little spiced that I pick up here and there that must be it. I think this would benefit from a touch more fruit to add some juice to the dry papery metallic feel. I may try pairing my sample with Pomegranate Ink and see if that rounds it out a bit (and more ink is always better right? Right!??) I like this overall, but it's not one I'd likely reach for myself without something to layer. I can imagine this would be a nice safe pick for someone new to indies who has more familiarity with mainstream masculine type scents. It's straightforward and stays pretty consistent throughout wear. On me it's a grown up tomboy scent, to be paired with a blazer, pony hair mules, and brown lipstick.

I've had this a while and never properly tested or reviewed it. I think I was initially underwhelmed and shoved this one aside in favor of other shiny new bottles too sniff. On my skin now, I'm getting primarily tea rose and a really thick petaled white rose, with a hint of tobacco. I was surprised to read clove in the notes because I can't find them here. On me this is barely a whisper of a scent. Very low throw, unlike other BPAL rose scents on me. It's very tempting to slather just to get a bit more oomph. Might be nice layered with something green or another rose (Peacock Queen comes immediately to mind). It could be nice with a skin musk as well. I'll likely use this as a layering base or on days that I need to keep my scent very subtle. I wish it had more presence, but I do enjoy it when I bring my nose to my wrist. If it continues to get shoved to the back of my collection, I'll have to do a mercy killing and mix it into an unscented lotion.

In honor of having purchased a backup bottle of this just recently, I figure it's due a review! I originally picked this up secondhand hoping for a sexy industrial floral scent. This is one thousand percent what I was looking for. On me, this is well balanced between the rose, asphalt and gasoline. I was worried about the gasoline being too loud but it plays really nicely and never fully takes over. To me the rose smells a little wilty, like a bouquet you've left in the vase a few days too long. The asphalt is very realistic and I'm surprised at how much I enjoy that aspect. This is a scent to pair with a leather jacket and fishnets. It's edgy without being too over the top to wear as a daily fragrance. I fall in love with Broken Stems anew every time I put it on, so I know I'll be glad of a backup bottle. ?

When I first tried this upon its initial release, it was very scary! I think the first words out of my mouth when opening the bottle were "What the fuck?" Something about the mushroom + moss absolutely turned my stomach. Even the memory of the scent could make me vaguely queasy. I sadly put it away for a while after that. After a couple of months of rest it had calmed enough to be called pleasant. I wore it once last summer and found it inoffensive, but unremarkable. Tonight I reached for it again, and I was astonished to discover that a year of aging has transformed this into something truly gorgeous. It's morphed into a sophisticated, womanly perfume. There's still a vague savory quality to it that is just divine. The mushroom and moss have mingled into something earthy and complex, which compliments the lush red rose. It has a vintage feel to it, an approachable glamour. To anyone else who may have set this one aside - give it another go. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I just pulled this from the mail tonight and couldn't wait to try it on. So take these impressions with a grain of salt with the knowledge that I did not have the patience to let this rest. This is a romantic floral perfume. The tea rose is very soft. My friend immediately made a comparison to potpourri, so "dried" is spot on. The leather here is so light and buttery, skin-warmed and flexible. I don't know that I can pull apart the balsa and cherry wood, but there is just a perfect balance of light woodiness. There's something about this that reads a little bit like vanilla to me as well. In mood, this reminds me of The Little Wooden Doll, though the two scents have distinct characters. Wearing this makes me think of taking a cozy getaway to a bed & breakfast, or curling up into a big armchair with a romance novel and a soft blanket. It's feminine and pretty, with no sharp edges and a heavy dose of wistful nostalgia. I expected more wood from this blend, but I'm absolutely delighted by it nevertheless. As a fan of rose & wood, I'm so glad I picked up a bottle!

I love this scent, though I can't say the notes align with my impression of it. On me I smell the yellowed paper, like the brittle pages of old paperbacks. Next there's some kind of muddled spring floral, backed by a shell or pearl note. I'm always surprised not to see s in the notes because that's what I get distinctly. If I breathe this in deeply I do get something fresh and mentholated, which must be the eucalyptus/cypress combo. I normally shy away from eucalyptus as a scent because it can be so overwhelming, but here it behaves quite nicely and just serves to add a bit of coolness. I like to reach for this when I'm feeling overwhelmed as I find it calms my nerves. Very pretty and wearable, average wear length on me.

I blind bottled this one because I knew it had to be a winner. In the bottle this is very sweet. If you're familiar with the lab's cherry note this comes as no surprise. It's that candied cherry in thick syrup smell. As always, once on the skin it calms considerably. Next I get those spiced rose petals and red leather mingling with what is now a much less sweet cherry. The frankincense here is really holding this all together into something sophisticated and alluring. I get a bit of blackberry wine but only around the edges. All in all this actually feels like a perfect Yule scent. I've been wearing it a lot for holiday get-togethers and it's become a contender with Krampus as a dark, sexy holiday scent. It's the perfume you wear to lounge fireside in a velvet dress and lace stockings, blood red lipstick a bit smeared from feasting and drunken mistletoe kisses. It imparts an aura of power and confidence as well, to me. Juicy, luscious, and just a bit brooding, all wrapped up tight in red leather. Gorgeous. Edit: this oil is doing something strange. I use wand caps in all my bottles, and for some reason Stańczyk has now mattified the polished glass of two wands. I have no idea what might be doing this. I've never experienced this phenomenon with any other oil. If anyone has any clue why this might be happening, please let me know!

I used to keep mine in the same wooden chest as my perfume collection. I'd sit the bottles down right on top of their old caps. The result was a delightfully fragrant wooden box! But alas, my collection has now outgrown the chest. My next plan is to put them all into a cloth bag and store that with my linens, to lightly scent them with the mélange of beloved fragrances.

Finally getting around to reviewing this after receiving it secondhand a little while back. In the bottle this frightens me. It is sharp, soapy, and powdery, with an aggressive rose note. On the skin, the soap thankfully melts into cosmetic cream. I agree with previous reviews that this cream is clearly expensive, thick, and luxurious. The rose here could be pink, and it is strong! I only start to get a touch of iris after the dry down. This does very much have a vintage feel, though it doesn't say "Grandma" to me unless your grandmother was Joan Crawford. This is a high-drama, vintage, diva's perfume. Fun and pretty, but just short of camp.