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Showing results for tags 'halloween 2018'.
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We’re running out of room at the Lab, and it’s been a long, long time since we’ve had a trunk show. When Brian and I were rifling through the prototype and snafu shelves a few weeks ago, we dug up two busticated Snake Oils – one that was a mispour of Lemon Scented Sticky Bat, and another involved an Aggravated Vanilla Incident – and we unearthed the very first Samhain prototype from 2002. We don’t have time to do a full-blown trunk show right now, so we’re offering these three for sale. They’re in very, very limited quantity. I happened to like Lemon Scented Sticky Bat when I tried it years ago and Snake Oil is magic on me, so I thought what the heck, give this F@ck-up a try. First impression from the bottle--wow, this smells weird. No other word to describe it. Snake oil with citrusy lemon, but not like Coral Snake citrus. On me, the description is note-perfect. It's Snake Oil...Wait, no! Sticky Bat!...No! Snake oil! It morphs back and forth between the two. Finally, it ends up smelling like the kind of home-made lemonade that you find at county fairs. No tea note at all that I could pick up. I think it would be wonderful in the summer. I like it!
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Lighting the path between worlds, the beacon at the threshold: night-blooming jasmine, smoldering maple leaves, a cluster of patchouli and blackened ti leaf, black sage, and pinewood smoke. So, so strong and not really a morpher! At first this smelled to me less like late night cold bonfire and more like a WARM bonfire. Something in the smell reminded me of charcoal grilling in summer. Im not sure it was the vibe I was expecting from this. Nonetheless though its a cool, evocative scent! A heavy application actually almost gave me a headache. Lighter application was way better and smelled softer! But then... it lost some lasting power. Bummer. I think Im going to give this more time to grow on me. It might ended up neglected in favor of another smoky scent like bonfire toffee or scorched marshmallows, or it could end up a favorite.
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A venerable and well-respected bat, Ghost Face Bats can trace their ancestry to the late Pleistocene era. Sugared coconut meat, vanilla pods, condensed milk, white honey, and benzoin. In The Bottle: The soft, cuddly scent of sweet coconut mixed with benzoin and white honey. It's not foodie per se, just warm and snuggly. Wet On Skin: The benzoin comes to the front a bit more, but the vanilla pods are in the mix now too, giving the scent some depth. The fragrance moves further from gourmand at this point, and is reminding me a bit of Hod. Dry Down: The condensed milk finally joins the party and sweetens the mix just a bit. However, the scent retains what it basically had as traits from first sniff: warmth and cuddles. This is a perfect cold-weather scent, and I expect to get lots of wear out of it in the next 6 months!
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Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor. ― William Cowper, 1785 Forget about the War on Christmas the years most contentious seasonal battle is actually waged over this inescapable melange of palate-massaging flavors. Weve got the formula down pat, and invite you to join us in a mad-science experiment: Just how far can we bend it before it breaks? #1 When I sniffed in the bottle, I thought "ehhh, probably a no". But after letting it settle a few and spraying it in my hair, I'm in love. Pumpkin spice of course, but subdued by what I think is a pine/spruce note, gingerbread and champaca. Heady and perfect for the season! Crazy how random mashings of notes can turn out so gorgeous. I would never have purchased a scent with all those note together, but would be missing out by not! Definitely going to "spin again" and order another!
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Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos. ― Mary Shelley, 1831 This Samhain, were reveling in the desecration of a classic blend: Damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. #7. I was excited for my number. First sniff of the Chaos HG is fresh and floral which is an interesting counterpoint to the leafy deep smell I was expecting. I still get the lovely apple but its tropical fall. Pikaki or plumeria? Almost a cocoa butter undercurrent. Not chocolatey.
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[No additional description provided.] Mercy! I'm the first to review a Dorian scent?! This just arrived this morning, so I haven't given it time to settle yet. But I couldn't wait to try it and review it, because I love Dorian and I love pomegranates. Unrested, this is very much the tea-and-vanilla Dorian we love with a very red, very sweet pomegranate blanketing it. As it dries down, I get more of the vanilla and tea. Wonderful take on the blend, and while I think Frostbitten Dorian will always be my favorite Dorian of all, this is a close second. I'll update when it's had time to settle.
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The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the “Red Death.” Gushes of black and red wine splattering damask rose and white pear, engulfed in thick clove incense. Ton of red wine and clove incense. Loads of wine. This is a very red wine blend. Whiffs of roses on the drydown. Good throw and wear length.
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Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos. ― Mary Shelley, 1831 This Samhain, were reveling in the desecration of a classic blend: Damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. I was the lucky recipient of #12. It starts out with a bit of orange and maybe a bit more of the the eucalyptus vibe I get from regular Samhain. I love it! With time, it morphs into the sweet, honey/apple-like scent of regular Samhain. I love it!!! My best Chaos Theory gamble ever!
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With vanilla bean scrapings. In The Bottle: The light, sweet buttery pumpkin note from the Lab we all know and adore. Wet On Skin: A little bit of spice comes out- a touch of ginger here, a dab of nutmeg there... Dry Down: Pumpkin, autumnal spice, and vanilla bean. I don't get a custard thing like some might expect from a Brûlée, but it's a really lovely autumnal gourmand scent just the same. It's a good daytime scent, and I could see layering it with something a little richer to either heighten the food aspect or a deeper one to make it a bit more of an evening scent. For pumpkin scent lovers, this is a pure win- don't miss out!
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The California Leaf-Nosed Bat prefers the desert. Theyre homebodies and do not migrate, and theyre also definitely Type A bats, as they dont hibernate. Go go go! Nightfall in the desert: Mojave yucca, creosote bush, saguaro, dusty clove, and sacred datura. I've never been a first review before. I will also note that I am emotional because I'm trying this the same day I'm trying Resistance, when we're a week away from an important election in the (not-California, but very close) desert that I love. In the bottle: I smell the creosote first, though by the time I have a full inhalation, the dusty clove note is stronger. And "dusty clove" is a good way to explain it. It is dry but not overly biting. On my skin: Immediately, it's creosote and yucca. For people not from the desert, the closest parallel I can draw is that of sweet, live grasses. It's a little bit green and a little bit golden and a little bit woody and a little bit sun-kissed and just a touch smoky (which might be unique to the desert). It is very much full of the spirit of live desert plants... creosote and yucca, yes, but also ocotillo and palo verde. It is not so sharp as a wood but not so delicate as a flower. It is earthy but not pungent, spicy but not biting. It is hiking through the desert one week after a good rain. It is earth and old plants and dormant plants promising . It is gentle and lovely, and if I had to compare it to anything, it would be Fledgling Raptor Moon, though it is more for the soft woody feel than for any particular note (though yes, the general gentle spicy feel is the same on me for both). If I have any sadness about this scent, it is that it is so close to the skin on me (as is Fledgling Raptor Moon). But I've never had such a grounded scent have much throw, so I suppose it's unreasonable to hope for this to be the exception.
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[No additional description provided.] While I'm always impressed with the dead leaves accord, I'm often not into wearing it because it's so potent. The worry here is that it will still amp too powerfully in my hair. On skin, for the sake of comparison: That great dead leaves scent and realistic popcorn! Doesn't smell like charred sugar the way real kettle corn does, which is a shame, but I appreciate how mildly sweet it is - I don't really like gourmands or overly sugary perfumes and this is hitting a good balance. A fun mix between atmospheric and foody! The DL sharpness calms down after a few minutes, for once. In hair: Applied to dry hair. WOW, I liked this on my skin but it translates so freakin' well in my hair. It's pretty much the same smell either way but I appreciate it so much more floating around my head! I'll argue that it comes across a tiny bit sweeter and faintly reminiscent of peanuts. Sounds odd but it's delicious, like a light coating of peanut dust and sugar over popcorn on a crisp fall day. I'm specifically reminded of cacahuates garapiñados, if any of y'all know how good those are. YMMV on this peanut thing, it may simply be a scent association I have. A wonderfully weird (but not really!) and tasty combo. Currently debating with myself if I really need another bottle of HG on my bureau because damn do I want a bottle of this.
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And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all. Darkness, Decay, and the Red Death: blood musk and black tobacco, birch tar and bleeding cypress sap. I'm such a sucker for tobacco. Even when all the other notes don't particularly call me, I'm still willing to try it for the tobacco. Wet: musk, perhaps of the red or blood variety. I don't really know the difference. I can smell the cypress in the background. Drydown: Oh, hello, tar. Why are you here to ruin this party? Darkness and Decay, indeed. Cypress is still hanging out, just kinda waving from the back of the room. Dry: The birch tar and cypress have combined to create this interesting platform where they work together to hold up the musk and hint of tobacco. In an oddly bright red, but in a dangerous way. I feel like this leans masculine on me, with the tobacco, tar, and cypress holding back any sweetness. The musk is slowly trying to round out these scoundrels, bringing a bit of sweetness. I didn't expect this sort of change. It's still too much tar and cypress for me to enjoy, though. Much later: It's sweetened up significantly. It ends up smelling like an slightly evil version of Smut on me. So, I guess there's blood musk in Smut, and I'm amping the musk here.
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According to William Shepard Walsh, the Gentleman's Magazine for May of 1784 stated, "this is a constant ingredient at merrymaking on Holy Eve." He also quotes Vallancey's etymological speculation: "The first day of November was dedicated to the angel presiding over fruits, seeds, etc., and was therefore named La Mas Ubhal, -- that is, the day of the apple fruit, -- and being pronounced Lamasool, the English have corrupted the name to Lambs-wool." A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove. bottle: softly sweet, warm spiced milk. this is not the same jarring milk note that i get from milk moon 2007 though, it's far more soft. wet: i can definitely smell the ale as this warms a bit on my skin. it's not "boozy" per se, just there. i get the mashed apple scent too. the milk and spices have faded quite a bit to be almost just a faint trace. dry: very lovely. the milk note creeps back in after about 15-20 minutes and mixes well with the apple. this reminds me of baked apples, filled with oatmeal and spices and covered in cream. (edited for spelling idiocy)
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But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the princes own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. Imprisoned in frenzied joy: ribbons of raspberry and red currant streaming through thick goats milk. Wet: Same tart raspberry from Raspberry Sufganiyot mixed with red currant to give it depth. Deliciousssss. Dry: Tartness calms down and now I'm getting a bit of the goat's milk to smooth it out. Still quite fruity. Drydown: Becomes mostly red currant with the tartness of raspberry and a bit of milk with some goat-y nuttiness around the edges. Very bright, moderate to strong throw and average longevity.
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In the vein (GET IT) of Boo, Suck It, and Spooky, this is a gushing font of sweet bloody black cherry cream and crushed dried blackberries. First review for this.... I am a cherry fiend, so this was a must buy for me. In the bottle: strong cherry cream. Very similar to the cherry in Ghoulish and Gothabilly. Wet on the skin: Same as the bottle. Very strong. No blackberry detected. Dry: this quieted down very quickly on my skin, becoming a skin scent within moments. Nearly a dead ringer for Ghoulish and Gothabilly, a soft cherry cream scent. No blackberry. I'm a bit disappointed in this. I have 4 bottles of Ghoulish, and I've a decant of Gothabilly, and so far this is nearly identical to them. I'm going to let this age in the hopes the blackberry comes out, and the strength increases. I won't sell it as I can always use more soft cherry fluff, but I was hoping for something different in this.
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Venus Pandemos Hay, rose otto, red benzoin, torch smoke, and pink carnation. Venus Pandemos is an interesting scent. The hay note is listed first for a reason, because it is definitely in the forefront of this blend. It’s unusual, though: It isn’t as “dusty” as the other Lab hay notes. Instead, this smells like fresh hay. (And let me tell you, I just had a long talk with myself about what that means. Because isn’t fresh hay, well, grass?! But no, that’s not what this is. The note here, it’s like there is a dampness to it. And maybe a hint of a nutty cream-like scent? So maybe freshly-rolled hay is a little less, I dunno, fusty, or something? It’s also amazing that I don’t smell any benzoin, because my nose can find a drop of that in the ocean. This isn’t resin-y at all. There’s also just a whisper of smoke, and the slightest warm and spicy floral hint. (I mean, really: If it weren’t for that hay note, I would wonder if I got a mislabeled decant!) I’m still not sure if I like this. There isn’t much throw, which is okay for a smell like this one, and it doesn’t last very long on my skin.
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Every leaf tells a story. In the bottle: Do you remember the way The Seekim smelled in the bottle? That warm but dry cacao scent? This is like a mocha version of that. On my skin: All coffee cherry - and by that I mean, cherries that soaked in some kind of sweet coffee, maybe. It just got sweeter and sweeter and took on a very heavy cherry scent somehow. Entirely bizarre and no leaves at all. On someone else in my house: Warm, wet leaves and slightly sweet coffee. Like having sweet flavored coffee on a porch on a rainy day in the late fall. Too sweet for my tastes, worked out well for my testing partner!
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Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor. ― William Cowper, 1785 Forget about the War on Christmas the years most contentious seasonal battle is actually waged over this inescapable melange of palate-massaging flavors. Weve got the formula down pat, and invite you to join us in a mad-science experiment: Just how far can we bend it before it breaks? I picked up two of these mysterious creatures as it's been a looooooong time since I've had some chaos scents in my life. Here's hoping at least one is amazing on me! First up, bottle #26: oh. my. g-ddess. Banana pumpkin spice. Not, like, banana *bread*. No. This is like, a fresh banana smoothie, right from the blender, with some pumpkin spice mix dusted into it for flavor. Never knew this was a thing missing from my life and now I find myself ecstatic to be the sole individual in the world to have this in my hot little hands!!! This is going to be a really really tough act to follow! Here goes #31: Pumpkin spice and...cologne? In the bottle and wet on skin, I'm mostly getting a sharp fougeré, like a bracing 1940s lavender-based men's aftershave, and a pice of pumpkin spice bread dunked into it. It's bizarre. As it dries, the cologne chills out and it becomes...Dorian and spice cake I can't tell yet if I like it enough to keep it, but testing chaos theory scents is *always* an adventure!!!
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Pumpkin marshmallows smushed into brown sugar-dusted graham crackers with melted chocolate and a hint of campfire smoke. I once had this in atmo form, and I have about one-third of a bottle of the bath oil remaining, so I had to get this, as I have been a fan of this scent in all of its forms! (Plus, I have been kicking myself for not grabbing a bottle of Wednesday Hair Gloss.) In the bottle, the melted milk chocolate and marshmallow notes stand out to me the most. In my hair, I get a lot of the melted chocolate first (it really does smell melty!). The graham cracker note ends up coming out after a bit, and the marshmallow is pretty light. It starts to become more smore-like after the chocolate calms down. This is not a strong hair gloss (when applied to damp or dry hair). It was a cool, breezy day here, and I did not catch a whiff of this hair gloss while running errands at all today (alas!). By the end of the day, if I hold my hair up to my nose and inhale deeply, I can smell the graham cracker, a light marshmallow note. There is a hint of smoke in this one (which I did not really get from the atmo and bath oil), but it's really just a hint. Its interesting how scents can differ in various formats. I feel like the atmo was strong on the graham cracker and pumpkin spice, the bath oil is strong on the pumpkin marshmallow, and this has a lot more chocolate than either of those formats (at least at first), and isnt nearly as pumpkin-y as either of them. I like it, but honestly, I would be content with just a decant. I dont love this like I love the bath oil.
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Every leaf tells a story. Oh god it's so good. Okay so I've actually done the maple syrup thing. I've collected buckets of sap from tapped maple trees and dumped them in a sleigh and taken it all down to the sugar house. Actual maple sap has such a light, sweet smell, but this.... THIS smells like boiling that sap in the sugar house, all the rich, gorgeous steam filling the rafters with mesmerising patterns in the sunlight streaming through the board slats. The dead leaves note is strong at first but this is a scent that's primarily about the maple. This isn't pancakes, folks. This is maple magic.
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Every leaf tells a story. Red wine dominates on wet, and then as it dries, the oudh starts to come through. The dead leaves base is a distant third. If you like perfumey red wine blends, give this a whirl. Good throw and wear length.
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Piquant, tart, and strangely hypnotic. If you like your fruits deep, dark, and almost poisonous smelling, this is for you. The black currant is the strongest note I'm getting. There's something about this scent though that just isn't doing it for me. It almost smells like there's some black musk in here, with a slight bit of hairspray? Not my jam.
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Engraving by G. van der Gucht after J. Wootton Bay rum, hay, dried alfalfa, aftershave, and cork stalk. In the bottle: oh! Did The Great Sword of War and Antikythera Mechanism have a spicy baby? On my skin: The first few minutes of this were glorious. That aftershave note really brought out the best of the feelings of Old Spice and the bay rum brought some warmth. However, as it dried down something added an ammonia scent and as it dried down it only got stronger. Boo. On someone else in my house: Warm aftershave with a slightly dry woodsy feel. It was described as "1930s sexy masculine scent" when dried down by the wearer. Definitely has a classic men's scent feel with some added woodsiness. Not a win for my picky skin but my testing partner got a win here.
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Every leaf tells a story. Oh wow I love this! I've had my bottle 2 weeks now and it has settled noticeably. On initial application it is very sharp with the Leaves note, with a sweetness behind it. It doesn't smell to me exactly like scotch, but a really nice warm boozy sweetness. As it wears, the sharp note fades, and the deep sweetness becomes more prominent. It lasts quite a while on me too - there is usually a hint of it on me the next day. Can't wait to see how this ages.
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[No additional description provided.] This sprays out a blast of dead leaves, very much as a top note. Underneath the leaves is a more subtle fried baked good scent; not donuts specifically but something yummy and definitely not healthy. The two notes don’t meld together but they definitely complement each other. It’s surprisingly good.
