Black Lotus - Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Details: 
Black Lotus 
Rappaccini's Garden
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Notes:
Born in the shadows of a Temple to Set, this corrupted Egyptian scent evokes images of black pyramids, river demons, and bleak, deadly desert sands. Black lotus flower, amber, myrrh and sandalwood.

Well, for me this doesn't evoke images of river demons so much as old ladies wearing waaaay too much perfume. This is an extremely strong, cloying, sweet floral. In the imp it's candy-like, very sweet and a bit sickly. I thought I could smell something faintly almond in the background but if that was ever there it was gone once I applied it. This is an old lady perfume, but not in the good way (I do love me some classic old lady fragrances). It's that nightmare one you don't want to get stuck next to someone wearing on a long bus trip or you'll be sneezing and headachey all day. As for the smell itself, lotus always smells a bit like rose to me so I find it similar to any number of cloying rose-ish floral scents. And yet another of those BPAL mish-mash perfumes that just seems like a bunch of things randomly thrown together. Eugh. Longevity and sillage are pretty high - this one screams that it's coming in the room.

Rating:
1/5

Day 111!

Slammerkin - Twyla Perfumes

Details: 
Slammerkin
Twyla Perfumes & Apothecary

Notes: 
Golden amber, my own hand-blended, proprietary version of Egyptian Musk, vintage patchouli, pink lotus, carnation, Russian rose otto, bourbon vanilla, benzoin, immortelle and bitter almond.

I don’t know whether this has any relevance to Twyla's perfume, but there’s a book called Slammerkin by Emma Donohue, and I love it, so of course I had to try this. In the vial, Slammerkin is almost medicinal – there’s something strong and herby about it. Applied to my wrist, it’s a patchouli fiesta. For the first couple of hours that is all I can smell, and even though Twyla’s aged patchouli is pretty much the only patch I can stand, it’s still too much for me here. I don’t get the musk, the resinous amber, or the florals – just the patchouli and maybe a teeny tiny hint of bitter almond. After quite a long time it eventually fades and that’s when the amber, benzoin and vanilla come out on me, but by that time it’s quite faint. I know loads of people adore this one – Su, for example – but on me it was just a big smack in the mouth with a patchouli plant.  

Rating: 
2/5

Day 77!