Darn...I really wanted this one to work, since it sounded so delicious. Unfortunately, all I get is toasted pancake syrup. BPAL made me a cookie...but they burneded it.
Category: Rappacini's Garden
This one is definitely very 'green', earthy, and has a medicinal snap to it, though it's not overwhelming or obnoxious. More or less, it feels like standing knee-deep in a clump of thin, tiny green vines -- you can smell the tartness of the plants themselves, with a hint of the earth beneath it all, and a tantalizing sweetness throughout, as if from hidden blooms amid all the twining tangle. It's really nice. I'm still not decided as to whether I need a bottle of it, but, for the time being at least, it's a fond favorite. And the green color of the oil itself is pretty cool.
Category -- Sin and Salvation
The magnolia and jasmine blend really nicely, creating a sweet floral effect. There is a hint of rose there, as well. I don't get any amber at all...nothing but florals, here. For me, it falls in along the lines of Bathsheba, and Sacred Whore of Babylon...so if you like those scents, give this one a try, too.
Category -- Excolo
This is a very pretty, and well-balanced, blend of lotus and rose. Neither becomes too overpowering; it just blends to create a nice, sweet, light floral. Not quite to my own personal tastes, but still a very pleasant experience overall. If you don't *quite* like either lotus or rose, you may still want to try this, because they really do balance each other well in this blend.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
There's a strong whiff of pine, and then it quickly becomes tempered by the smell of cranberries, which helps make it sweet and tart as well as robust. Not me, but it was a fun experience nonetheless.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
The sad part is that I can smell the clove, vetiver, and cherry all working together, but their resultant team effort is just not a harmonious one to my nose. It just kinda smells like burnt, bitter cherry with a side of ass. I blame you, vetiver. Thankfully, it doesn't broadcast very much to the world.
If you already know that the components work on you, then feel free to give this a try, and enjoy.
Out of the nine scents I've tried so far, there have only been two that I didn't like: Akuma and Tushnamatay. The rest I would love to keep around, though I don't need bottles of all of them. In order of preference, I would rank them:
Wrath
Absinthe
Aglaea
Aeval
Aizen Myoo
Al Azif
Fruitcake
So far, I seem to like citrusy/fruity scents, florals, and just sweetness in general. I despise raspberry. It amuses me that I seem to amp musk and clove (or whatever that sweet scent in Wrath was). The verdict is still out on incense and foodie scents; I liked Al Azif and Fruitcake, but need to experiment more in that regard.
My second order has arrived and is waiting patiently for me to experience it. Awaiting me are Alecto, Alice, Al-Shairan, Amsterdam, Anathema, Anne Bonney, Asphodel, Clio, Erato, and Urania. I also have a bottle of Angeronalia! I'm looking forward to discovering more lovely scents.
Right away, I can smell the tart, citrusy scents, the mandarin and lime. They are delicious together...juicy and drinkably sweet and fresh, with just enough bitterness to make them tangy and interesting. As time passes, it becomes a much deeper and muskier scent, very, very sexy...an 'older' scent, to my nose.
To me, this is the perfume of a woman who has been there, done that, knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to rough someone up a bit with her claws while getting it. I'd rename this one to something shorter, like 'Cougar'.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Oddly enough, the main scent I got from this was...licorice. Weird! I'm trying to think what would make that strange combination to my nose...perhaps the bergamot mixed with the heliotrope, or the oakmoss.
All things considered, however, I did enjoy it; it was soft and delicate on me and had a beguiling femininity to it. It evokes an impish fae quite well in that regard.
It helped that I like bergamot, I think.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Definitely mint and lemon...those two scents predominated. Also a very faint hint of orange, and the rosemary gave it a peppery kick. Unfortunately, as strong as these elements sound, it really did not linger long at all. I can't say that this one did much for me. I would recommend it to mint-lovers.
Category -- Ars Draconis
For the first few minutes of wearing it, I'm treated to a smokey, resinous scent that is my holy grail of incense-like smells. And yet, like any good holy grail, it is quickly carried away by mysterious figures wearing samite, leaving me with the sweet and slightly fruity scent that I have now come to associate with BPAL's dragon's blood.
Every now and then, there is a pleasant, smoky sort of whuff to it...like a dragon breathing fragrant smoke out of its huge, powerful lungs as it slumbers, its heart beating but once per hour.
Definitely an interesting blend.
Category: Phoenix Steamworks
Dark wood, seasoned with a splash of manly vanilla. (Do you doubt that there is such a thing as manly vanilla?) It hugs fairly close to the skin, and seemed to evaporate after a while...didn't last the whole day on me.
Category: Excolo
Oh...oh yum. Sweet luscious fruity YUM.
Could be apple in there...could be pear...could also be some melon...definitely very moist, juicy scents, incredibly wet and tempting, with just a hint of florals -- is it sakura blossom that continues to make it so sweet? In any case, hot damn.
I don't get any spiciness from it at all...just lots of seductive sugary sweetness. I know now how hummingbirds feel.
Category: Excolo
Mmmm, I get sweet florals from this, like honeysuckle and/or jasmine, with perhaps a hint of cinnamon to give it some warmth and kick. It's nice...though I think I like Bathsheba just a little bit better.
Category: Wanderlust
This blend is very floral and very wet -- like being near a pond laden with blooming water lilies. It strikes me as very feminine. I would recommend it to those who like aquatic notes and/or florals -- it succeeds really nicely on both of those levels.
As much as I enjoyed this blend, I still think that of the lush plant scents, Amsterdam still conquers all.
Category -- Wanderlust
I don't get any darkness from this at all -- nope, this is a bright, sunny, lush jungle scent. It's extremely evocative of someone sitting by a waterfall, sipping a rum-based drink, and inhaling the rain-kissed scent of jungle blooms. And, later on, I really do get the scent of stone -- as if our intrepid hero sauntered into the limestone cave behind the waterfall to check on his chest of treasure and sleep the afternoon away.
Alas, it dissipates pretty quickly on me, but it's a very fun little mind-trip while it's there!
It's a really great scent for summertime!
Category: Sin and Salvation
Well-worn leather is predominant, though I can also smell cedar and some sage in there. After a while it went all Generic Boy Cologne on me, but it was sure nice for a while. It stays and throws very decently.
Category: Mad Tea Party
In the imp: Honey, with a very warm tone to it.
Wet: Thick, sweet, honeyed cream, with a bit of spiciness to it.
Dry: The floral scents come out to me as it dries, and it 'cools off' as in the honey note becomes more subdued, though it never quite disappears...more like it coats the petals of the flowers (and I'm wanting to say that I smell more carnation than rose). And yet, there's a powdery note to it, as well...I'm wanting to call it 'baby powder' only because it's a very light, feminine, innocent sort of tone...not soapy or strident at all.
Verdict: I can see why this is a popular scent; it's *really* lovely, and very feminine, very elegant in an innocent sort of way. Unfortunately, it has *no* throw or lasting power on me at all, which makes me very sad. I'm reluctant to get rid of it because it's so pretty, so hopefully I'll be able to find another use for it.
What I liked: The honey and the floral scent.
What I didn't like: It's too weak! Sadness.
I have to wonder what sort of lotion this would make.
Category: Limited Editions -- Samhain 2008
As much as I like sweet, foody scents, the just-straight-up sugar note doesn't do too well with me. It has an overly-sweet, plasticky edge to it that is not fun.
There *is* a warmer, almost boozy undernote to it, but it's overpowered by the plastic fruitiness. Not for me!
Category -- Rappacini's Garden
As many others have noted, this is a 'green' scent, very evocative of a garden full of blooming plants late on a damp afternoon. I think I detect more peony than rose -- the floral components seem high and sweet without being too cloyingly so. It is a very inoffensive scent -- a modest amount of throw, and a pretty quick fade.
Category -- Ars Amatoria
'Lotus bubblegum' is a good descriptor for it. It's a very sweet, lush scent, though on me it doesn't have a lot of throw, and wore off fast. Definitely recommended for those who like lotus, as this is the predominant tone.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Sweet, yummy apricot; the brandy gives it a warm edge that balances out what could otherwise have been a cloyingly sweet odor. I have to slather it quite a bit, but when I do, it treats me to warm, fruity sweetness throughout the day. Very pretty.
There's definitely lots of cedar...it's a wet sort of smell, very definitely like freshly-upturned earth and roots, and it's very fascinating in that regard.
It has little throw, and clings very close to the skin. While appropriate, it lessens the enjoyment somewhat for me, personally. And it seems to wear off pretty fast. Not for me.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Oh goodness, this is absolutely gorgeous. This is my first time smelling violet so intently, and it is really, really lovely. This scent lasted all day, lingering particularly in my clothes, letting me fancy myself to be an exquisite, delicate, highly-feminine creature. Another one to add to my list of favorites.
Category: Excolo
Oh, Bastet, lithe, supple, fierce goddess, I love you.
She is the pungeant, unashamed sweetness of myrrh, sweetened further by almond, warmed by amber, peppered with spice. She is warm and beautiful and wraps herself around you all day. Comparing her to, say, Anubis, which was beautiful in his own right for the mournful, solemn air he had, she is full of sunlight and life, evoking something that is languid but far from thick or sluggish. While he is down deep in the cool semi-darkness of stone preparing the dead, she is out in the sunlight, basking in life.
I really love this scent, can you tell? It's very warm, sweet, sexy and delicious. Purrrr.
She was like a breath of fresh air...for a long time I'd felt like I was seriously in a jaded slump and unable to like *anything*. I love the way the myrrh mixes with the almond. Makes me wonder what other Egyptian-themed blends will be like, as Anubis and Bastet have been the most evocative and interesting that I've experienced, by far.
