SmellsPrettyGood2Me
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Everything posted by SmellsPrettyGood2Me
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Beeswax, Cedarwood & Bourbon Vanilla
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to zankoku_zen's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Very beeswax forward, as others have said, but without the warm, melty, gooey quality in some of the Lab's other beeswax fragrances; this is solidly "unlit candle". I do get very soft vanilla in the bottle, too, but the cedar doesn't come out for me until applied to skin, where it remains in the backseat. Something about this telegraphs Bedtime Scent to me, as it's very soft and soothing. Sillage is also intimate and it does not last more than 4 hours on my skin. -
Thank you for saying this, I thought there was something seriously wrong with my olfactory system! I get this same apple-pie-with-acridity experience from this scent as well as the entire Apples Crave series from another maker. I don't know if this is a recent development of my advancing female age, or if this was always the case, but I can smell it in the bottle, too. I desperately wanted to like this, but my perception of one of the notes is just off and I can't properly enjoy it.
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Chewy, punchy, molasses is the first thing to hit my nose from the bottle. Why do I all of a sudden want an oatmeal cookie? There's whiff of raisin somewhere in there that I can't stop smelling. That warm sweetness translates when applied to skin and really unfurls a cloak of scent that is not shy. After about 10 minutes the tobacco finally peeks out and gets bolder, slightly tannic and a bit earthy. Is there a tiny hint of a leaf note in here? Maybe more than a hint? An hour in there is more maple than molasses, and I've found bliss. This is terrific on it's own and also really inspires combinations with maybe teak, or vanilla. Glad to see it is back in stock as it's dreamy!!
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In the bottle: melted strawberry hard candies Wet on skin: Strawberry n' Cream Lipsmackers Dried down: Strawberry Peeps Pretty, but I find myself wanting to beef it up a bit with a patchouli or tobacco SN. I agree with others who said that it fades (relatively) fast; she was gone in about 3 hours. Worth buying a bottle to tuck away as I think this will age well and can be layered with many other scents to suit different moods.
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The predominant note I get from first whiff to last is rose, the same red rose of course that Whip is known for. I do not get much patchouli at all, more of a drop than a glob. Throw is very modest! This is pretty but not markedly different from the OG Whip, which on me has generally been pleasantly soapy.
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2025 version! I did not release that this was a returning community favorite and am so glad that I have the opportunity to try it. Other testers have provided incredible descriptions that I cannot match! My perception is that this vanilla is just a little bit dusty and powdery in the best sort of pollen-y way. The honey definitely behaves, and while I can barely get any cedar, it is there with a quiet freshness if you sniff hard enough. Exceptionally well balanced, very pretty, and blind-buy safe if these notes generally work for you. I expect this will age beautifully!
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Delicate, soft, and incredibly lovely. The beeswax is very prominent and stays in the front for as long as the fragrance lasts (about 6 hours in my case). I get no greenness from this lilac; it is all blossoms and no stems. This scent conjures the image of a freshly sealed letter that has been gently dusted with setting powder and contains a dried, pressed flower, destined for sweetheart who is dearly missed.
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Genuinely confused by this one! Wet in the bottle, the green leather really stands out, and the osmanthus is along for the ride. On skin, their roles invert, and the osmanthus takes over and the leather slinks into the background. The cardamom is there, but not very "black", and I don't get any smoked oud at all. The amber is incredibly faint when it does appear and never makes much of an impression. What I hoped for: smokey, sinewy, and slighly herbaceous leather with sweet floral undertones What I got: flowers mouldering in a water logged leather satchel I will put this away with the hope that it deepens over time for a future retry, but fresh off the assembly line it didn't work with my skin chemistry at all.
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Lillies, a couple of other white flowers, and what I could swear is a tiny hint of...banana taffy? Banana pudding? There is a thickness to the sweetness here that is front and center. Extremely large projection in general; please make sure you really, really like this before applying more than a tiny dab.
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Smells like your dad's old school European boss: woodsy cologne with a bit of fruity, floral spiciness. This gentleman carries a cane for fashion (not for ambulatory support), winks at girls in the checkout line as he waits to pay for his imported cigars and always has butterscotch candies in his pockets for the little ones.
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Really chewy incense and smooth tobacco that gave me love-at-first-sniff. I don't know this is both piney sharp and powdery spices at the same time, but it's amazing. Where would I wear this? On a first date picnic in the park, then to a poetry reading at Powell's City of Books, then back to his place for some super obscure craft beer.
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Easter Sunday. Your grandmother's funeral. A southern debutante ball. These are green, humid lilies, equal parts stem and bloom, sitting atop polished wood, next to an open window whereby a light breeze wafts in a distant hint of honeysuckle. Potent white floral that does not mess around!
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Pomegranate, Brown Sugar, and Tobacco
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to Seajewel's topic in Halloweenie
Very candied fruit in the bottle, thankfully less cloying on skin. The brown sugar is much more molasses and has that condensed, cooked down sweetness. I really have to get my arm up into my nose to find the tobacco at all and would have loved it to be represented more strongly in the blend. Definitely berry (and, with gratitude) not cherry on my skin. I can see this being a great summer-to-fall transition scent as well as nice to layer with a bit of smoke to balance out the sweetness. -
I picked this up as part of my never ending quest to make peace with jasmine as a scent note, because it is so often paired with other notes that I really enjoy, but I can so rarely wear it with pleasure. Jasmine is the first note to hit me here, followed by honey, then neroli, but no rose. Another reviewer referred to it as "nostalgic", and I would add old-fashioned and vintage to the adjectives. This is definitely the boudoir scent of a 1920's geisha who is burning incense on her vanity as she gets ready to entertain. Very softly powdery, and a decidedly wearable floral even for people like me who usually run screaming for the hills. Lower sillage and moderate longevity.
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This one broke my heart a little bit at first! Expecting to love two of my favorite smells in a holy union, on skin I got a whiff of what I can only describe as "warm pumpkin pie filling spilled on wet, moldy stone". It took a good hour for everything to settle down into balance. This was not a smoke-y incense for me, but YMMV. I will put it aside for cooler weather as I think the ambient heat and humidity did a number on how my skin chemistry took it on board.
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2009 version! This bottle is old enough to drive, and time has worn away at the edges of the notes to leave behind a sugary snow with a touch of rose water. Very quiet, not too sweet, and incredibly nice for those days where you want a "your skin, but better, plus a single pale rose" vibe. Although it's a Yule, I feel like this is wearable and enjoyable year round. Low projection, medium longevity. I would love to put a few drops on a sachet to keep in my unmentionables drawer, but I don't want to waste it!
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Black Pepper, White Sage, and Tea Rose
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
In reality this is tea rose, white sage and pepper, in that order. I approached this scent with trepidation as I generally don't do well with rose or pepper, but I am so glad I tried this! Fragrant, and "clean" smelling, with no astringency or spice. This is a wonderfully ageless, romantic scent, fresh and pretty. Literally perfect, no notes. -
2024 version! I got this knowing that I already loved the Morocco scent DNA and was not disappointed. I agree wholeheartedly with others who declared this a "buttery" pumpkin, and would go so far as to say it's also just the tiniest bit nutty as well. Smells like a scent note sibling to the somewhat rind-y pumpkin in White Pumpkin and Bergamot. Incense-y but not too spice-y, thank goodness, although I get less carnation here than in the OG Morocco so if you're looking for that slightly crisp and floral sharpness you will be hard pressed to detect it here. I envision wearing this a lot while I wait for the classic GC scent to come back in stock.
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Hunter’s Moon: White Pumpkin and Bergamot
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
In the bottle, white rind and a hint of spice. On skin, the changes start to happen. You know that new-plastic-coated-wire smell of a charging cable that accompanies the purchase of an iPhone or Macbook? That plus cinnamon (ratio 1:25 of plastic pumpkin cord to spice) is the first 10 minutes of this scent upon application. Around 30 minutes in, a wet dog smell begins to emerge and does not quit for the next hour. Bergamot? I don't know her, but I wish she was here to save me. Much improved 2+ hours later on lingering drydown, and I finally feel like I could wear this outside of the house without possibly offending someone. My skin is simply not worthy of the potency here. Unexpectedly robust projection even with the teeniest dab and very long longevity (7+ hours). If you are cinnamon sensitive this is not one you want to blind buy. -
Grateful that I blind bought this a full on decade after it was first released, because it has aged beautifully. Citrus top notes are often the death of me, but here time has faded them from what was surely a slap across the face in 2015 to a polite handshake in 2025. Deliciously chewy patchouli and clove are in a languorous duet of dominance, with just enough plummy sweetness to keep it from being too moody. This is the signature scent of a bawdy demi-god who sometimes just likes a quiet night in with a good book.
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Grassy, fragrant bluebells are the strongest top note, and the general impression upon application is fresh, soft florals in a cool breeze. Goes a bit soapy about an hour in, and starts to remind me of potpourri...but not in a bad way. But wherefore art thou, patchouli, musk and other notes? I think this may have been accidentally copied over from another scent description, which is unfortunate as this was what I thought I was getting the scent for. A lovely spring scent sure to please those who like green notes and fragrant flowers, just not what I was expecting as a whole.
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The wet opening here is not for the faint of heart! This goes on in a stinky and gooey olfactory slap, followed by a much sweeter, almost plummy dry down. At no point do I get any smoke, thick or otherwise. The cold rock note gives a nice contrast to the potency of the leathery vetiver as it mellows out over time. I would ultimately call this medium sillage with really good longevity (8+ hours). As a standalone scent, wearable for those who like boldness and earthy sweetness. In this collection, somewhere in the middle of the pack of the ones I've tried.
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If you are into bonfire, coniferous needles and vanilla, this is a "must try". The scorched wood leads the way here, and smells like an insanely photorealistic campfire literally still burning. There is a mildly astringent sap note in the background that fades in about 30 minutes. The char settles down quite a bit after drydown, and the vanilla sits quietly with a lingering note of pine for another 6 hours. I feel like there is a hint of a snow note here as well, but it is very faint. I can see this easily being both a ritualistic scent and a fall/winter banger. Really enjoyable for those who love forest firepit smells with a light sweetness, as I do.
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Love at first whiff!! Despite all of the red references in the description, this is a gloriously beautiful incense-y blend that smolders instead of screams. Red musk can be tricky when present in too high of a ratio to other notes, but here it is absolutely perfect. My nose and skin lean more towards amber/labdanum dominance, and the combo of the two is incredibly sexy. The Lab knocked this one out of the park. Please make this part of a more permanent collection, BPAL, I beg of you!!
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Big edit here: opened grassy, finished as overripe banana skin. As someone who does not like bananas, this is a pass for me.