Dionysia:Wild plum, pomegranate, raspberry, Siamese benzoin, plum blossom, patchouli, frankincense, and mahogany
In the imp: Plum and pomegranate yumminess.
On me: Heaven!!!! It's a beautiful plum scent, and the frankincense comes forth to make her a sweet plum incense blend. Wow. This is SO very me. It is beautiful, sweet, incensey, a tad bit earthy, and absolutely amazing.
I NEED a bottle.
Daiyu: Moroccan jasmine, chrysanthemum, tea leaf, white musk, and acai berry.
In the imp: Berries!! Berries with a bit of floral.
On me: Wet I got a whole lot of acai and not much else. On the drydown it gets musky and blends beautifully with the acai berry. I also get plum, but it's not listed as a note. I get a bit of teak leaf, but ont much jasmine or chrysanthemum.
I am really liking this, but as I have to be picky to not end up buying the entire grindhouse I am still not sure if a bottle of this will be purchased.
Cottonmouth: Snake Oil with linden blossom, calla lily, passion flower, and narcissus.
In the imp: A floral snake oil! But not even close to floral overkill, the snake oil balances out the florals to make this a very well rounded scent.
On me: A very sexy slightly floral scent with snake oil undertones just underneath. The perfect blend of vanilla, spices, and mainly passion flower. I couldn't stop smelling myself all night.
This is definitely a must buy bottle.
Coral Snake: Snake Oil with blood orange, red apple, lemon peel, plumeria, and gardenia.
In the imp: Is there really snake oil in this? And where's the plumeria and gardenia? This smells very apple-y to me. Reminds me a bit of Bath and Body Works apple body splash.
On me: Wet was ALL apples. As it dried, the florals peeked out and it was a delicious blend of snake oil with fruits and florals. And then it dried down and the florals went away, leaving apple. After a bit, the plumeria decided to come out to keep the apple company. The snake oil is hanging out faintly underneath the apple and plumeria. This is definitely a complex scent.
Verdict: It smells good, I alternate between smelling BBW Plumeria and Apple body splashes, and sometimes get straight up snake oil. It smells good, but it's not really my kind of scent.
Chokmah: The Primordial Point of Creation, Mazloth, Being Out of Nothingness, the Origin of Thought and the source of the 32 Ways of Wisdom.
In the bottle: It smelled a bit medicinal, maybe like iodine?
On me: Firstly, it stained my skin just like iodine. And then it deifnitely smelled like iodine on me. After about an hour it softened up a bit to a kind of incensey iodine? Not good.
Bordello: A decadent, deep perfume, lusty and luxuriant. The scent evokes images of velvet-lined Old West cathouses, tightly laced corsets, rustling petticoats and coquettish snarls of pleasure. Bawdy plum with amaretto, burgundy wine and black currant.
In the bottle: A delicious fruity blend of plums and currants, plum dominating. I didn't get much amaretto except for a bit of sweet almond. And no wine either, but that's ok.
On me: The plum deepened and the currant came out more. I got more amaretto, not too much, and a hint of the burgundy. It smelled very sensual on me, and it is definitely a "Mia" scent.
Boomslang: Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk.
In the imp: Strong snake oil presence and some cocoa. Teakwood and rice milk? They are hiding.
On me: HEAVEN! Slather PLEASE! Delicious snake oil with a lot of cocoa yumminess. I think I may sniff a teeny bit of teakwood, but I still don't know where the rice milk is.
This smells sooooo good! It's got more throw than Snake Oil, or any of the other snakes I've tried so far.
Boomslang is a dark oil, and when it was wet I could see it on my skin. I'm sure if I hadn't rubbed it in it would have stained my skin, so must be careful with that.
This is most definitely a bottle need.
Blood Amber: Slivers of warm, pulsating blood forever crystallized in golden amber resin.
In the bottle: a very sweet amber. As an amber fan I'm in heaven.
On me: A very toned down version of what's in the imp. It doesn't smell much like amber, and really smells like a commercial perfume. It also doesn't have much throw. Nothing spectacular.
Bilquis: Honey, myrrh, lily of the valley, rose otto, fig leaf, almond, ambrette, red apple, and warm musk.
In the imp: Sweet delicious honey and almond. Heaven!!!
On me: The almondy sweetness vanishes, and the rose otto comes to the forefront. At first it was a very perfumey blend, but now it is almost entirely rose. This would be wonderful for a rose fan, as it is a very complex and slightly sweet rose blend.... but I am not a fan so I'll have to pass on this one.
Bigger Critter: A deceptively sweet scent; just like the Critters themselves, the perfume is fluffy, poofy, soft, snuggly, and googly! Five vanillas with Moroccan jasmine, white gardenia, and pink grapefruit. The bottles that accompany the Critters have a grr-specially kyoot label, designed by Jennifer Williamson.
In the bottle: I want to eat this!!! It's vanilla grapefruity yuminess.
On me: It smells like VOMIT. I tried the teeniest swatch on me, and smelling it was making me nauseous. And no matter how hard I scrubbed I couldn't get the scent off. Very very gross.
Beltane 08: Mugwort, French rose, Lily of the Valley, broom, frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, foxglove, woodruff, rowan wood, ivy, sandalwood, spring mint, thyme, iris, copal, and night blooming jasmine.
In the bottle: Green!! This is a deliciously green Spring scent. I definitely get mint, but it blends in really well with the herbs and greens I'm smellling. I don't get any flowers out of this, but I'm sure they're hiding there somewhere.
On me: It was deliciously minty for about 10 seconds, and then the mint lost its sweetness and turned bitter. And then I began smelling like some sort of scented cleaning product. NOT good. No mint, no herbs, no flowers, only cleaning product. Hours later, it faded into a very faint floral but that's it.
Unfortunately, this totally bombed on me. And it smelled soooo good in the bottle.
Australian Copperhead: Snake Oil with acai berry, amber, cardamom, neroli, and smoked vanilla.
In the imp: A deliciously sweeter snake oil.
On me: The Snake Oil is very faint underneath the acai berry, neroli, and smoked vanilla. I didn't get much amber or cardamom out of this, mainly a lot of acai and neroli sweetness. But if I sniff deeply enough, I get the precious snake oil too. Sniffs at different distances also smelled different, so this one is very complex. And it has become my favorote snake. I definitely need a bottle.
Ashlultum: Babylonian musk, vanilla tea, tonka, tobacco, coconut, hyssop, and lilac.
In the imp: light and pretty
On me: Not my usualy type of scent but it's gooooood! The musk, vanilla, and coconut are absolutely gorgeous together!! Toss in some herbiness from the hyssop and a little floral softness and I was smelling myself all day. There also seemed to be some honey in this, to my nose anyway. I like!
Arachnina, the Spider Girl: A swirling, hypnotic perfume of black currant, poppy, red and black musk, lilies, nicotiana, and patchouli.
In the bottle: Black currand and poppy sweetness. Nice!!
On me: This one is toying with me, big time. At first it smelled like a very nice blend of incense, which I do not mind at all as I loooove incense. Though I don't think I need any more incensey BPAL as I've got lots. And then....about 20 minutes later or so, it changes for the worse. I smell ash mixed with incense, cigarette ashes. Yuck! And I was already in the car heading to work so I couldn't shower it off. About 30 minutes later I got to work and sniffed again, thankfully the ash has toned down and now I get incense with a little ash mixed in.
This one is definitely a negative.
Antonino, The Carny Talker: White musk, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut, verbena, fig, and lavender.
In the imp: I was expecting this to be dark, and was scared of the vetiver (usually my nemesis). Instead, I got this beautiful feminine scent of plum, verbena, and fig. Couldn't find the coconut, and thankfully not the vetiver.
On me: A beautiful blend of precious. The vetiver hid, and I'm ever sooooo thankful!! The musk helped the plum and fig bloom without being fruity. The verbena gave it a teeny bit of citrus so change things up, and the lavender really rounded this scent out beautifully. The coconut helped make this scent sweet, but I can't detect any coconut on me.
I think Antonino was really "Antonina" because this is a very feminine scent. I'm in love, and must get a bottle of this before CD comes down.
Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht: Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.
In the imp: Amber and caramel. I am such an amber whore.
On me: The amber and caramel blend beautifully with the honey, and I get a hint of cream. The teak adds a bit of kick to the blend.......no hint of apple anywhere (thankfully, as it's not a favorite).
This is definitely a "Mia" scent. Need!
#20 Love Oil: A potent, enticing love formula, favored among Louisiana courtesans.
>It smelled wonderful in the imp. On me – I didn’t smell like a courtesan, I smelled like a cheap alley hooker. It was BAD!
Absinthe: An intoxicating blend containing wormwood essence, light mints, cardamom, anise, hyssop, and the barest hint of lemon.
>I had high hopes, but on me I smelled like a pack of licorice. Ick.
Aeaea: A dark ocean breeze, electric with adrenaline, magic, and fear, clashing with the thick scent of poisoned berries and spiny aloe, against a backdrop of snowdrop, cedar, and cypress.
>I really enjoyed the scent in the bottle and on me. It faded really quickly though, which sucked. It was very ocean-ey on me so it brought back great memories of when I was a kid on the beach.
All Souls: An incense blend that invokes the higher qualities of mercy and compassion, mingled with the soft, sugared currant scent of offertory soul cakes.
>On me it smelled like a blend of honey spiced up with incense. AMAZING! I love the currant in this. Must hoarde.
Baku: Our Nightmarebane. Named after the Baku, benevolent Japanese spirits that eat nightmares. In Japanese tradition, nightmares are gifts from malevolent spirits; when you wake up from one, you may call, "Baku, please eat my dreams!", and if you are virtuous and merciful in spirit, the Baku will devour the evil, transforming it into a blessing of good fortune.
>Total and absolute disaster on me! I can’t describe it, but I was not smelling very good after putting this on. And I had weird dreams.
Baneberry: A poisonous fruit-bearing member of the buttercup family. The scent, like the plant, is dark green, herbal, and plump with bulging black fruit
>I got this from the lab as a frimp and it’s one of my favorites. It smells soooo yummy on me! Seeing a pattern – me likes the darker fruits. Although to me, the scent wasn’t “dark” it was more of a deep red.
Belle Epoque: Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements. Sweet opium, Lily of the Valley, vanilla, mandarin and red sandalwood.
>On me it was a delicious blend of opium and vanilla. Heaven. And very Art Nouveau. I can’t believe I’m starting to associate scents with art – but it’s oh so true.
Blood Kiss: Lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk.
>On me the clove turned into some funky rotted leaves smell/err stench. Ick.
Blood Phoenix: Dragon's blood resin, helichrysum, burgundy wine grape, red musk, opoponax, red poppy, myrrh, carnation, tonka, almond, mimosa, jonquil, and neroli
>I’m wearing it today (used to cover up the most awful smell I’ve yet to put on myself). I’m in love! It isn’t as sweet on me as it is in the bottle, but I’m loving the spiciness of this one.
Bon Vivant: An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry.
>Another favorite. It is so sexy and sensual on me. And it makes me crave champagne and strawberries.
Diary of a Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal: missing the notes.
>On me it was the yummiest mixture of vanilla and grapefruit. And not in a foodie way. Gotta love the name too!
Dragon’s Bone: The dry, thin scent of a draconic ossuary. Dragon's blood resin with white sandalwood, dusty orris and crisp blondewood.
>Damn I wanted to like all of the Ars Draconis! I love dragons. But, no, the woods turned to rotted leaves on me again.
Dragon’s Eye: A piercing, radiant perfume: dragon's blood resin, lily of the valley, lilac and galbanum
>Another disappointment. It went ALL lavender on me, way overkill. Damn.
Euphrosyne: Gardenia, tea rose, vanilla and jasmine.
>On me this was the loveliest blend of vanilla and jasmine. I was in heaven.
Florence: The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices.
>In the imp it didn’t really do much for me, but since I like all of the notes in it, I tried it on hoping it would change on my skin. It did – wet it smelled wonderful on me – amber and berries. And then it dried……to old lady baby powder perfume. Yuck! I pictured some 90 year old lady sitting on furniture covered in plastic bathing in this stuff. Not good.
Gluttony: Thick, sugared and bloated with sweetness. Dark chocolate, vanilla, buttercream, and hops with pralines, hazelnut, toffee and caramel.
>I hadn’t experimented with any chocolate scents so didn’t know what to expect. But OMG I wanted to eat myself! Oh so yummy.
Haloa: A Priest and Priestess bore torches that symbolizes Demeter and her daughter Persephone presided over the final ceremony, which culminated in the ultimate celebration of fertility: an orgy that lasted til dawn. Wine grapes, myrrh, frankincense and olive leaf, and the warm scent of offertory cakes.
>OMG this is absolutely delicious! I want to eat it! When I wear it I can’t stop sniffing! Unfortunately, something in this one makes me red and itchy for about 20 minutes after I put it on. Won’t stop me though, it’s soooo yummy.
Harikata: Osmanthus, honey, golden musk, vanilla flower, and ginger.
>It smells amazing in the imp, and good but totally different on me. After it dried on me it smelled exactly like Issey Miake. Now that I’m a BPAL addict, though, I realize that I don’t need to smell like commercial perfumes.
Highwayman: Vetiver with gardenia, blood red rose, night-blooming jasmine, a dash of cinnamon and a faint hint of leather.
>Funky in the bottle to my nose. On me I got a lot of jasmine and leather, no cinnamon. It smells a lot like Bucheron on me – good stuff.
Kumiho: Nine-tailed fox demon of Korean lore who transforms into the visage of an irresistible beauty in order to seduce men and lead them to their doom. A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger.
>Nice and fresh scent on me. Probably good for hangovers.
Lyonesse: Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss.
>In the imp I adore the vanilla and musk in this one. Yum. On me it is a totally different scent – a lot of lily and ambergris. Still really good though.
Madrid: Swarthy and vibrant! An elegant, full-bodied scent that ignites all the darkest passions. Bold red wine, mimosa, and a trickle of clove.
>A yummy spicy wine on me. And it does totally remind me of Madrid.
March Hare: A twisted teatime tart: apricot and sweet clove.
>This smelled soooo good, and then I put it on and I smelled like I had been dunked in a bucket of cloves. In a bad way. Ick, what a shame.
Midnight Kiss: In Roman Catholic tradition, the Christmas season begins liturgically on Christmas Eve, though it is forbidden to celebrate the Christmas Mass before midnight. The most devout attend Midnight Mass, celebrating both the Eucharist and the drama of the Nativity. This perfume is a traditional Roman Catholic sacramental incense, most often used during a Solemn Mass. Traditionally, five tears of this incense, each encased individually in wax that has been fashioned into the shape of a nail, are inserted into the paschal candle. This is, of course, represents the Five Wounds of Our Risen Savior. Symbolically, the burning of the incense signifies spiritual fervor, the fragrance itself inspires virtue, and the rising smoke carries our prayers to God.
>Delicious deep dark incense on me. Heaven!
Midnight on the Midway: Lightning splits the sky, illuminating the skeletal skyline of the carnival rides: sugared incense and night-blooming flowers.
>It was heavenly on me. A sweet incense. Thank you B! Enable away.
Midway Resurrected: A bombardment of edible carnival indulgences. Funnel cake, caramel apple, cotton candy, salt water taffy and sugar tart.
>It was absolutely delicious and yummy in the imp. After it dried on me I smelled like AN ASH TRAY! It was awful! Even my dog didn’t want to smell me. Damn that sucks! But I have this air deodorizer machine thing that I can put oil into to scent the room, so tonight my room will smell like the good side of Midway.
Minotaur: The Bull of Minos, guardian of the Labyrinth in Knossos. A deep, swarthy black musk dusted by a dark, resinous blend of sacred bisabol myrrh, atramentous benzoin, tsori, balsam, and galbanum.
>B – WOW! This is one of my favorites. It’s a spicey incense on me, not to sweet and wow it lasts quite a long time. And the bottle has the coolest looking minotaur on it!
New Orleans: Reminiscent of hothouse blooms on a humid night, ripe, but touched with decay. Sweet honeysuckle and jasmine with a hint of lemon and spice.
>T you’re awesome! This reminds me of Lestat walking through Anne Rice’s New Orleans. Yum! I totally need to order a bottle of this and keep backups.
Wanda: Her scent is a deep red merlot with a faint hint of leather, sexual musk and body heat over crushed roses, violets and myrtle.
>Absolute heaven in the imp….all leathery and so-so on me. Damned body chemistry!!
The Contract of Theophilus of Adana: Parchment, Siamese benzoin, infernal incense, red musk, brimstone, and daemonorops.
In the imp: a clean scent? I can't really pinpoint anything.
On me: I'm usually a sucker for incense, but this just didn't go incensey on me like I was hoping.
I smell like old crumbling parchment that has been locked up in a dusty library with some very stale incense traces. It's not awful, but not something I enjoy smelling like either. I usually love red musk, where is it hiding?
